Tastes

Canadian whisky has never been my top choice when it comes to drinking whisky neat. I usually reach for scotch, japanese whisky or bourbon. I typically think of canadian whisky as a mixer whisky but I took a chance on this one because of its age (not sure I know of many canadian whiskies aged this long outside of the 42 year old that canadian club released the following year) and some very strong reviews. At $300, it's obviously not cheap, but for that money you would be lucky to get a scotch half that age. However, if you consider not all of the contents are 41 years old, it probably makes sense it "only" costs that much. The whisky in the glass is much lighter than I expected, so there may be a chance they didnt alter the whisky with 9.09% of sherry/cognac/rye, maybe some percent less. Its definitely there though, as the nose hints at sherry, along with barley. The palate brings some spice, dried fruit and honey. The oak is clearly there but not as overwhelming as I would have thought, maybe thanks to the younger rye. The finish brings a bit more heat than expected but there is still a nice sweet spice to it. I'm a bit conflicted on this one, I would have loved to see how this would have tasted unaltered. It's still very good though. Is it worth $300, I guess it depends on your opinion of canadian whisky. If you are a fan, it's a must buy, but if you have any hesitations I would probably pass unless you can find it cheaper.

I bought this primarily to make cocktails from a cocktail book I got which suggested it. I hadn't heard of Compass Box before that point. I only drank a couple cocktails with it and stored it away. Since it's been a few years I figured I would go back and try it neat. It's a very light blend, soft on the nose with cereal and grain. The palate shows some sweetness, oak, dried fruit and the cereal from the nose. The finish still brings the sweetness and there is little to no burn. Compass Box is known as one of the best scotch blending companies out there and John Glaser may be the best blender out there (or whiskeymaker as the bottle says). I can't say this is outstanding or holds up to the releases after, but it accomplishes what it set out to do. It's a great blend for mixing cocktails, just not as exciting neat. I leaned toward a 4, but it doesnt offer enough to get it there, so call it a solid 3.75.

I'm pretty fond of the Johnnie Walker line, although the red label is by far the worst but it's still drinkable. It definitely is made for cocktails, although I would contend the black label is even better for that purpose as well. The nose hints at light smoke and cereal. The palate has some oak, vanilla and the slightest hint of smoke. The finish is a touch bitter and a bit hot for 80 proof, but not terribly so. Again, it's not really designed to be consumed neat, but while it may be a bit boring, it's still decent. For the price it's a solid value, just dont expect it to blow you away. In the end though, I think the black label is an even better value since it's far superior neat and elevates cocktails to a greater degree than this.

The first time I had Hakushu 12yr was at a bar in New Orleans. I had heard great things so i tried it. It wasnt very good. I have a feeling it was the last of the bottle that had been sitting half empty for a long time. A year later I had the opportunity to buy a bottle and despite my bad experience, I had heard this was getting discontinued thanks to the insane surge in demand, so I bought it. I'm definitely glad I gave this another chance. It's not outstanding and may be tough to say it's worth the price but for a bottle that may be incredibly tough to get I'm glad I got a bottle. The nose leads with green apple and mint. The palate has a heavy dose of iodine, similar to a laphroaig. The smoke also makes an appearance, but it's really on the finish where the smoke becomes more noticeable. There is a slight burn but for the most part it goes down smooth, unlike when I first had it in New Orleans and it came off incredibly hot. I was tempted to score this higher, but the price is tough to get past. It also is very similar to an Islay scotch, almost to the point it's hard to tell the difference between the two. It would still be considered a very good scotch if it actually was one, but at nearly $200 its 4x the cost. I guess if you are not interested in Japanese whisky or you are not a collector (and by collector I mean someone who likes rare spirits, not for investing purposes, just to get the opportunity to try them), then I would drop this a point since you can just buy an Islay scotch. Still very good though and even if you dont want to buy a bottle if you do see it at a bar, it's worth a try, just make sure the bottle isnt half empty.

I noticed that at my local liquor store that old overholt is now sold at 86 proof (they also have a bottled in bond) instead of the old 80 proof so I figured I might as well review the last of what I had left in my old 80 proof bottle. I really never thought of this rye whiskey as a sipping whiskey. It could have been the price or the lack of glowing reviews but it has always done well in cocktails. After trying it neat, it's not so much that it's bad on it's own, just nothing exciting. The nose is actually pretty intriguing considering this is a 3yr old rye. There is no ethanol harshness, just rye, oak, vanilla and lemon peel. Unfortunately for how solid the nose is, the palate disappoints. It's very watery and thin. The spice and rye make an appearance but it's nowhere near strong enough to compensate for the thin and watery feel. The finish is also quick and gone in a flash with a light burn and a hint of the spice. So I wouldnt say this is bad, the nose is really quite decent, it just doesnt stick the landing. I'm actually surprised it's as good as it is in cocktails since it's so watery but in either case for the absurdly low price it's not a bad everyday sipper if you aren't looking for anything special. Although for an extra 5 or so bucks you can upgrade to the bottled in bond which is superior. I'm interested to see how much better the 86 proof is to the 80 proof. I would have to assume it loses the watery feel and I can see that one being a great value sipper.

It may be one of the most popular Irish whiskeys and I've had a number of cocktails with it but I've never had it on its own. Unfortunately, now I know why. The nose is pretty unexciting. The grain alcohol is the first thing you notice, followed by pear. The palate is very run of the mill with vanilla and a bit of honey. There is a nice silky feel to it, however the finish is quick with a slight burn and a touch of oak. I didnt have high expectations so I guess I cant be completely disappointed. I would still keep a bottle around for cocktails, but there are a ton of other irish whiskeys that are better to drink neat. A very average spirit.