Tastes

Edradour has blown my mind in the past months, and i am starting to develop fond feelings for this "scottish little gem". Caledonia 12yo is one of their expressions, a heavily sherried one (as all the others) but this can prove to be a challenge to some beginners. Bottled at 46.5%abv, super reddish deep copper color. On the nose: Orange caramel, maraschino cherry syrup; Red fruits, strawberry syrup . Super sweet but a little dim. Alcohol note is powerful. Glazed pork notes also appear. Actually the nose was not that great. On the palate it was delicious. Coffee, Sweet syrup, Sherried. This is a nice Spicy little fellow. Aftertaste is an atomic spice bomb. The most absolute spiciness there is. Ashes, clove, pepper and cinnamon. Overall i really enjoyed this and the score might not reflect what it really is. 86/100. Sláinte!

A normal bourbon, nothing too special, but not a bad dram. Bottled at 45%abv, with a russetmuscat color. On the nose is a typical bourbon, but not complex at all. Banana, banana split, vanilla ice cream. Clove. On the palate is fair, it is a thick dram, with tangerine, lots of pepper and clove. Finish is warm and pleasant but could be more interesting. Adding water to this dram will reveal lemon notes on the nose and more spicy on the palate. Overall i give this dram an 82 over 100 and would recommend it only if you find it cheap, since i wouldn't pay more than 40 dollars for it.

My first Deanston. Very nice things i have heard of you. Are those things true? Lets find out. I got to say that this one was one of those malts i have ignored for a long time because it just didn't made any clicks on my head. But recently whisky reviewers that i respect have been talking about this distillery like is the new Glendronach or something. So, i said to myself, if this is truly worth it, start medium big, so i went for the 18yo expression. The result was a very interesting and fine dram that IS NOT THE NEW GLENDRONACH. Bottled at 46.3%abv. Burnished gold color. On the nose: Vanilla very strong, Dry grass, Hay and Banana. A little simple here. On the palate, it is very interesting. Straight spice bomb, not in the aftertaste but in the first touch with your tongue. American oak spice, Burnt hay. Super sweet an enjoyable. Aftertaste stays into that profile of hay/grass/spice. Very pleasant actually. Wasabi, chilli. Overall this dram feels dry and grassy. A very good dram that might fit some people, for me it was ok. 85 over 100.

Here i start my reviews on some of the Game of Thrones Whiskies that recently appeared on the market. House Stark, from Dalwhinnie (actually called "Dalwhinnie Winter's Frost"), is a NAS whisky that tells the story of the Starks, one of the most important families on Hbo's tv series "GOT". Actually, the whisky is pretty nice, nothing to die for, the box where the bottle comes is a lot more beautiful than the actual bottle. On the nose, super fruity. Red Apples, Gerber Porridge, prunes and apricots. On the palate it is a little straightforward, but easy drinkable. A little watery, tastes like sider and hints of ginger. Aftertaste is a little smoky and some toasted oak notes appear. Overall this is the most average whisky ever. It tastes good and works well. Not expensive and collectable. 82 over 100 seems fit for it.

I have had a lot of whiskies, but surprisingly i haven't had this one till a few weeks ago. This is considered one of the classic malts of Scotland, and it is very famous, and now i know why, because it is a good dram. Bottled at 43%abv. Everything is balanced here. On the nose, honey, plums, fresh peanuts, perfume. On the palate: honey, salt, caramel and tobacco. Aftertaste is medium with ginger spice. Super easy drinkable, very enjoyable, nothing to die for but an excelent dram, 80 over 100.

I have read that vintage expressions from Dalmore from the late 90s to the early 2000s aren't what you expected from one of my top favorite distilleries. Nevertheless i had to try for myself if such thing is true, so when i ran into this Port Vintage 1998 Dalmore i did not hesitate to ask a dram of it. Lets see how things went. Bottled at 44%abv. On the nose, not your typical Dalmore, Port wood profiles are all over the place: Tobacco, Orange candy, Soap (oh oh), Coffee. Old Orange peel, Brown sugar, But there is this soap in the back. Chocolate bathed oranges. After first sip nose opens into a good coffee note with hints of Burnt oak. Not balanced, maybe a little too crazy. On the palate, it is very nice and easy drinkable but maybe boring. You can hold it easily; Almonds, Chesnuts and Caramel. That's it. Aftertaste is by far the best part of it, with a lovely finish of Chocolate powder, Cinnamon spice and a very pleasant Tobacco finish. Overall it feels like tobacco is present everywhere in this dram in a good way. It wasn't the best Dalmore, and it just barely made it to the 4 star mark, i am not fond of port whiskies so i might not be the best on to judge this one, for me it is a 80/100.

An experiment from one of my favorite distilleries, this Port Wood Reserve has been matured first in American ex bourbon casks and then finished in Tawny port pipes from W&J Graham. Bottled at 46.5% a good strength for a whisky. Tawny color. On the nose, Coffee, Sawdust, Orange, Coffee beans, Burnt cake crest. The higher coffee note i have ever picked in a whisky ever. Tiramisú, even the cream of it. After first sip it goes powerfully citric. Dark chocolate so heavy. Cocoa. Wonderfully complex on the nose but not perfect. On the palate, Oranges, Dark chocolate, Vanilla powder, Oak, Tobacco and Ginger. A little power due to the abv. Aftertaste is spicy. Oak spice and ginger. Some bitterness from tobacco or Dark Chocolate. Overall this is a good whisky, pretty interesting, it can be wonderfully paired with some dark chocolate with 70% cocoa on it. 89 over 100.

The third of the Fortuna Meritas travel exclusive collection of Dalmore (the other ones are Valour, Regalis and the amazing Dominium), is amazing on the nose but fails to deliver on the palate. Still a good dram. Bottled at 40%abv, tawny almost deep copper color. On the nose it is absolutely fantastic. Perfect score here. amazing chocolate note, cherries bathed in chocolate, caramel, oranges, chocolate powder, dry cherries. Hazelnut, not a single alcohol note. Even if its not as intense as others, its amazing. Cocoa and Vanilla essence after a while. On the palate it is too thin. Chocolate. Feels buttery on tongue. Superbly sweet you can hold it easily. A little watery, Maybe too much. Coffee beans. Aftertaste is lovely but short with cinnamon and powder. Overall this could be so much better since the nose is spectacular. It doesn't feel like a traditional dalmore since the raisins and figs are gone. 87 over 100.

Dalmore is one of the best whiskies a man can get. I personally love everything they do and i recommend it. Regalis, not the best of this distillery, still is a great great dram. Bottled at 40%abv with a beautiful reddish old oak color. On the nose is simply sublime, outstanding. Notes: caramelized apple, brown sugar, cremè bruleé, almonds and cotton candy. Its an angel's touch. On the palate all the sweetness mixes with some bold notes. Creme brulee, toasted sugar, maple honey, hot oak, spices and a bonfire finish which is lovely but not that long. Overall i give this beauty an 86 over 100, highly recommended if you are in a duty free, since it is only for the travel retail market. Cheers!

I have long awaited to taste this legendary whisky. Is it good? It is wonderful. Is it what i expected to be... maybe not. Lets start saying why is it so mystical. It has been matured in six different casks, six wood finishes: matusalem oloroso, port pipes, marsala, madeira, cabernet sauvignon, american white oak. Bottled at 40% abv, with a lovely mahogany color. On the nose it is outstanding. Just plain beautiful. Berries. Jam. Nutmeg. Wedding cake. Dark cake. There is a citric note there. Red fruits. Cold red fruits (winter berries). It is exactly as a cold pressed antioxidant juice that is sold here in Ecuador called "D'hoy frutos rojos". On the palate is where i expected more. I really hoped it will blow my mind away but was a little straightforward, somehow mimic the nose losing some of the complexity it had there. Still a great and interesting dram. It has that Dalmore typical wood flavor. There is a sweet but woody flavor. Peppermint. Reminded me a lot as glenfiddich 21yo winter storm, specially on the nose. I believe it is a little straightforward and not that complex. The aftertaste is eternal. Full ginger spiciness there. Incredible. My actual score for it was 95 over 100, due to this: Nose 25/25 Palate 22/25 Finish 25/25 Balance 23/25. Maybe i am too "picky" over this one because i had high hopes on it. It is a wonderful dram, i believe it is worthy for the $150-170 that it costs, and you should definitively try it, for me, cigar malt is slightly better. It doesn't feel as an old dram, i don't believe the six wood finishes fully get there, but as i said before, it is a wonderful whisky. Slainte!