Tastes

Review #012 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 43% Comments: aged 14 years, ex-bourbon maturation, finished in new American oak Tasted after: Glenfiddich IPA Experiment Appearance (no score): Mahogany color. Swirling reveals a thick line sticking to the side of the glass, legs form quickly. Nose: 16/20 Green apple, vanilla, apricot, caramel, and toffee. Palate: 30/40 Charred wood, apples, vanilla, and caramel. Finish: 33/40 Medium-long finish, opens with some moderate oak spice, then I get dark chocolate, molasses, and maybe a hint of raisins, final taste in my mouth is that of leather and spices. With Water: Cinnamon now on the nose, increased oak spiciness on the palate and finish. Total: 79/100 Final thoughts: Probably one of the better single malt scotches I’ve tried for the price. Interestingly I’ve shared this with some friends who are very into bourbon and they did not care for it. It’s definitely a scotch, and while the bourbon influence is heavy and enjoyable, this is still a very different animal. Price: $55 Would recommend: maybe Would buy: maybe Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

Review #011 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 43% Comments: NAS, finished in ex-IPA casks, experimental series #01 Tasted after: first up Appearance (no score): Chestnut color. Swirling reveals a thick line sticking to the side of the glass, legs are slow to form. Nose: 15/20 Green apple, honey, more green apple, a hint of fresh flowers, did I mention green apple (because yeah, there’s a lot of that). Palate: 25/40 Lemon and lime zest, ripe pear, and oak spice. Finish: 29/40 Medium finish, introduces a very mild salty undertone, more oak spice and a small ethanol burn, ends on a bitter note of grapefruit and walnuts. With Water: A drop of water enhances the oak spice and grapefruit flavors in the finish. Total: 69/100 Final thoughts: Impulse buy on my part when I saw it on sale as it looked unique. Glad I had the opportunity to try it, but I won’t be rushing out to buy another IPA finish once the bottle is empty. Price: $45 Would recommend: no Would buy: no Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

Review #010 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 40% Comments: aged 10 years, cask types not defined Tasted after: Aerstone Sea Cask 10 Year Appearance (no score): Auburn color. Swirling reveals a thin line sticking to the side of the glass, it starts to bead up quickly but legs are slow to form. Nose: 12/20 Not a lot going on here, campfire smoke, chalk, some hay, and maybe a little lemon citrus Palate: 30/40 Pretty mild and sweet on the palate, gentle smoke, cereal, honey, and lemon. Great combination of flavors without the harsh ethanol burn I’d typically expect from a whisky at this price point, but none of the flavors manage to pop. Finish: 32/40 Surprisingly long, mostly it’s highlighted by intensifying smoke, introduces some clove spice, and the lingering taste in my mouth is of black licorice. With Water: A drop of water kicks the finish up a notch, a little extra spice, and an underlying subtle salt profile that wasn’t there prior. Total: 74/100 Final thoughts: Rolled the dice on this bottle, for the price it seemed worth the risk, and while it’s very easy to drink and I don’t regret buying it, it’s also unfortunately unremarkable. Price: $25 Would recommend: maybe Would buy: maybe Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

Review #008 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 40% Comments: aged 10 years, cask types not defined Tasted after: first up Appearance (no score): Tawny color. Swirling reveals a thick line sticking to the side of the glass, it starts to bead up quickly but legs are slow to form. Nose: 16/20 Very sweet, honey, vanilla, and fresh flowers. Palate: 31/40 Honey, not necessarily walnut but definitely the bitter taste that a walnut leaves in your mouth, crisp unripe pear, not very complex. Finish: 24/40 Short, mostly briny and dark chocolate, maybe a little caramel too but you’ve gotta really look for it. With Water: A drop of water goes a long way here, it helps to enhance the honey and fruit, also slightly increases the saltiness of the finish by just the right amount. Total: 71/100 Final thoughts: Rolled the dice on this bottle, for the price it seemed worth the risk, and while it’s very easy to drink and I don’t regret buying it, it’s also unfortunately unremarkable. It’s not a bottle I frequently reach for myself, but I do find myself regularly serving it to friends who are trying to get their feet wet with whisky, and their feedback has always nearly always been positive. Price: $30 Would recommend: maybe Would buy: maybe Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

Review #008 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 53.2% Comments: aged 16 years, cask types not defined Tasted after: Caol Ila 18 Year Appearance (no score): Pale gold color. Swirling reveals a thick line sticking to the side of the glass, it starts to bead up quickly but legs are slow to form. Nose: 16/20 Smoke, candied lemon peels, ocean spray, and a trace of tire rubber. Palate: 35/40 Green apples, grilled smoky pork chops, pimento stuffed green olives, and a hint of the citrusy-sour flavor your get from a fresh squeezed lime. Listing these flavors out, I wouldn’t assume they’d mesh nicely together nicely, but surprisingly they do. Finish: 36/40 The texture seems to become more oily in the finish. The smokey flavor kicks it up a notch at the exact same time that vanilla and a peppery spiciness appear (which immediately brought to mind ex-bourbon casks). There’s just the right amount of ethanol burn throughout before ending on a smooth and briny note. With Water: A drop of water will go a long way with dulling the alcohol flavor, almost gives it a creamier feel in the mouth, but also increases the saltiness of the finish. Total: 87/100 Final thoughts: This is the first cask-strength Caol Ila I’ve tried, and I’m very pleased with it. Price: £95 Would recommend: yes Would buy: yes Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

Review #007 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 43% Comments: aged 18 years, matured in mixture of refill casks Tasted where: home Tasted with: solo Tasted after: Caol Ila 13 Year Discovery (Gordon & Macphail) Appearance (no score): Deep copper color. Swirling reveals a thick line sticking to the side of the glass, legs are slow to form. Nose: 18/20 Fresh pineapples, bacon, smoke, dried apricots, and a hint of brown sugar. Palate: 37/40 The flavor isn’t mouth popping, it’s soft and delicious, cereal and oranges dominate, there’s some peaches in here too and a hint of dark chocolate. No smoke on the palate, that waits until the finish to make an appearance. Finish: 36/40 A nice long finish that takes its time, the smokey flavor is soft and accompanied by black pepper, honey, and just enough of a briny saltiness to wet the mouth and invite the next sip. With Water: A drop of water brings out some sweetness on the palate and helps the pepper flavor in the finish pop. Total: 91/100 Final thoughts: A sufficiently sophisticated sipper for my 007 review, I believe James Bond would approve. This bottle holds a special place in my collection, it’s so unique and enjoyable to drink. If I could wave a magic wand and make any change to it, the only alteration would be to bottle it at a higher ABV. One of my purchases on a trip to Scotland, but I hope one day I can find it here in the USA. Price: £95 Would recommend: yes Would buy: yes Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

Review #006 Proof: 43% Comments: aged 13 years, ex-bourbon maturation Tasted after: first up Appearance (no score): Pale gold color. Swirling reveals a thick line sticking to the side of the glass, legs are slow to form. Nose: 14/20 Smoke and green pears dominate, need to really search for more, eventually reveals some green bananas and maybe a little honey. Sweeter on the nose than other offerings I’ve had from Caol Ila. Palate: 33/40 There’s a unique buttery flavor which reminds me of Glenmorangie Signet, it mixes nicely with the smokey peat, there’s also some grapefruit and vanilla. Finish: 32/40 Long finish, citrus flavor slowly intensifies though out, big bourbon spice, also get some Honey Nut Cheerios which transitions into an ashiness and ends with a brief salty ethanol burn. With Water: A drop of water brings out additional honey sweetness. Total: 79/100 Final thoughts: Spent a lot longer on this one than I originally intended trying to get the nose and flavors right, was a bit tricky to unwrap them. Overall a nice and easy drinking dram, you need to search for the complexity, I’ll enjoy finishing this bottle but for the price point I purchased it at I’m unlikely to replace it once it’s empty. Price: $80 Would recommend: maybe Would buy: no Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

Review #005 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 50% Comments: NAS, ex-madeira maturation Tasted after: Kilchoman UK Small Batch No. 3 Appearance (no score): Auburn color. Swirling reveals a thick line sticking to the side of the glass, legs are slow to form. Nose: 16/20 Smoke, oranges, caramel, some lemon zest. Palate: 35/40 Smokey, briny, tart tangerines, spicy cloves, and a hint of crisp green apple. Finish: 36/40 Long and complex, goes from walnut nuttiness to dark baking cocoa to salty. There’s a small ethanol burn throughout that helps those flavors pop but ends very smooth. Total: 87/100 Final thoughts: Remarkably balanced offering both spicy and smooth with so many flavors all complementing one another. My favorite bottle of the night, very grateful to my generous brother who gifted this to me. Price: gift Would recommend: yes Would buy: yes Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

Review #004 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 49.1% Comments: NAS, ex-bourbon, ex-oloroso, ex-sauternes Tasted after: Kilchoman Loch Gorm Appearance (no score): Deep gold color. Swirling reveals a thick line sticking to the side of the glass, legs are slow to form. Nose: 15/20 Vanilla, smoke, tart kiwi, and the faintest amount of lemon zest. Palate: 34/50 Smokey, briny, grilled peaches, and something else that’s not necessarily honey but more like sweet mead. Finish: 32/30 Opens up a bit here, adds some unripened bitter white grapes and more honey, overall very sweet finish. With Water: Didn’t try with water unfortunately. Total: 81/100 Final thoughts: Glad I picked this bottle up while on a trip to Scotland, not as smoky as other Kilchomans I’ve tried and has a unique flavor profile, the higher ABV is a game changer for sure. Price: £60 Would recommend: yes Would buy: yes Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

Review #003 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 46% Comments: aged 9 Years, ex-oloroso maturation Tasted after: Kilchoman Sanaig Appearance (no score): Mahogany color. Swirling reveals a thick line sticking to the side of the glass, it starts to bead up quickly but legs are slow to form. Nose: 15/20 Smoke, leather, sweet sticky raisins, and just a hint of vanilla. Palate: 34/40 Smokey, briny, black tea, red currents, just a little orange peel. Finish: 33/40 Nice long finish, introduces some pepper and gets my mouth watering as that sweet and spicy flavor runs, then turns salty at the end. With Water: Didn’t try with water unfortunately. Total: 82/100 Final thoughts: Not disappointed, it’s a very good dram, but at this price point I wish it would have wowed me a little more. Price: $120 Would recommend: yes Would buy: maybe Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.