Tastes

Ok lets do this. During my adventures in whisky live i bought "a special tasting event" which involved three Macallans. The editions No.1, No.2 and No.3. Editions 1 and 2 are totally discontinued and highly collectable. No. 3 just hit the markets in a limited stock, specially intended to get discontinued soon. I had the chance to taste all 3, and No. 1 was my favorite. I am not a big Macallan follower but i always say they dont make any whisky with a score lower than 85 over 100. This is a true statement for me. Bottled, i believe in 2015, in limited proportions, at 48%abv. On the nose: Oak but perfumed, Vanilla, Lemon, Chocolate milk. Almost no typical macallan profile here. On the palate: Toffee, Lemon, Liquorice, Orange, Spicy but Not in the typical macallan way; A marvelous spicyness with chocolate. A little Oily but Very balanced. Complex yet fine and simple flavors. Finish is medium long with a pleasant and special spicyness. It is very well balanced and that is its strong feature. Overall i give this excelent dram a 96 over 100. Slainte!

Do you have to pay 900 for a Macallan to be this good? It seems so. Macallan Oscuro is a high end travel retail exclusive that comes in an enormous box and the bottle is just a piece of art. That alone can explain the price, because the juice inside of it, you can have the same great flavors on a Glendronach that goes for $250. Having said that, this bottle displayed in your bar will give you the status you might look for, but for me, a humble drinker, i will stick to some cheaper and still great drams. Macallan Oscuro is indeed a nice whisky, made of a blend of Macallan whiskies from 1987 and 1997; matured in oloroso sherry cask where it gets the very dark color (oscuro means "Dark" in spanish") and it has been bottled at 46.5%abv. On the nose, on the palate and the aftertaste is a High end glendronach (21yo or more). Hahahaha that is my best description. Lets get in to business: On the nose: chocolate, impalpable sugar, milk powder, coffee, old oranges, toffee, dulce de leche; there is this sweet sugary cinnamon and figs. On the palate, more chocolate, toffee, pepper; it reminds me of any sherry butt Glendronach single cask expression; bitter / citric old oranges. Aftertaste is pretty interesting: some spices come through, it has this mineral type of flavor to it. Oak spice and hints of dark chocolate. Overall this is a perfect dram. One that you should really get for less money. I know you might be paying for the incredible amazing bottle and the brand here, but it wouldn't be fair to say this is not a perfect dram, because it is. 100/100; sláinte mhath friends!

I really want to be harsh in my reviews but i am a man who recognizes a work of art. Laphroaig make a lot of them, and this "Lore" version is no exception. After tasting it i went to its website because i had a sample of this and needed to know more and i found this: "Laphroaig Lore is drawn from a variety of casks including first-fill bourbon barrels, quarter casks and Oloroso sherry hogsheads to create a unique richness." Lore means knowledge passed through generations. And trust me, they deliver a perfect dram. Bottled at 48%abv, with an amontillado sherry color. On the nose is one of those Laphroaig wonders, not tennis balls this time but SWEATY SOCKS. yep, it was an instant note, easy to detect. More notes on the nose were the obvious Peatyness, sea weed, prunes, ashes, a sense of seafood spicyness and icyness. Truly an interesting dram. 24/25 on the nose. On the palate it has only a handful of notes, but it was SUBLIME. It is an instant, but pleasant, SPICE BOMB. such a beauty, mouth watering. Chilli is very clear as a note here. Tangerines, spiciness, peanutbutter cream, spiciness, ashes and spiciness, SPICINESS SPICINESS but pleasant, delicious. The aftertaste is medium-long with chilli and a dim hotness. BUT SO PLEASANT. Overall i give this marvelous dram a 99 over 100 and i absolutely recommend it.

Oh yes, this is what whisky is all about. Complexity, peatyness, full flavor, full aroma, eternal aftertaste... and fairly cheap. A beautiful expression from one of my favorite distilleries. It's called triple wood because it is matured in bourbon casks, quarter casks and oloroso sherry casks. Bottled at 48%abv, tawny color. On the nose is spectacular. THIS IS THE FIRST LAPHROAIG I HAVE HAD THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE "FRESH CAN OF TENNIS BALLS" AROMA. Having said that in big Caps Lock, the main notes i got were: Earthy Muddy, dry desert earth (the one that looks like a brownie with cut lines), salt, wet moss (like the one that forms in sea rocks where the waves crash), oranges, toffee, foam, very very complex, very beautiful. Once you empty the glencairn the aroma that is left is "Ceviche". On the palate is sulphuric, full pepper sensation, gun powder, oranges, prunes, smoke, ashes, salty. Incredible. Aftertaste is eternal, ashy and spent fireworks. Complex. Very balanced and tasty, wonderfully crafted i truly recommend this dram. 100 over 100 is my score for it, go grab it! Slainte!

Absolutely fantastic. Even better than "Lore" (which i gave a 99 score out of 100). An Cuan Mòr means "Big Ocean" in Gaelic and this is a travel exclusive expression from the always great Laphroaig. Bottled at 48%abv, it supposedly is 18yo. On the nose, peat presents itself as socks, Grape candy, Oranges, Tar and Roasted crest from a cake. Lovely. Powerful. On the palate, first Caramel and Oranges, Red fruits and a Smoky sensation that wraps all those fruity sweet notes. Wonderfully crafted, Full mouth sensation, very thick. Aftertaste is long, spicy, peppery and clove. Simply outstanding dram, here grab your 100 points out of a 100. Slainte mhath!

Its a cask strength Lagavulin, what were you expecting of me? It was obviously going to be an almost perfect score. This 56.5%abv expression is not only full of flavor, but it is also balanced and easy drinkable. White wine color. One of the most clear whiskies i have ever had. Not as peaty as you expect from it, at least not smoky/peaty. Moss, herbal, heather, ashes, caramel, toffee, prunes and seaweed. Its a lagavulin, on steroids. On the palate it is fantastic even if it is a little straightforward. Spent matches, leather and sea water. A long salty finish. Pepper also. Adding a couple of drops of water will turn it into chocolate and butter. Amazing. Overall this dram deserves at least a 96 over 100, truly fantastic.

A wonderful, interesting whisky, not for everyone, specially made for experienced whisky lovers. The notes are so bold that it won't find an easy review anywhere. Bottled 43%abv, with a polished mahogany color. On the nose it is strong, powerful, savage and overwhelming. Peat, cooked ham, water balloons (really), olives, balsamic oil, and phenol notes everywhere. Fantastic. On the palate, starts with a bubblegum note, to change into oranges, citric, spicy but very pleasant, thick, with a long beautiful spicy mouth watering finish, with ashes and bonfire notes. Overall this is a 96 over a 100, absolutely recommended. Slaintè

I have almost completed tasting at least one from every Islay's distilleries. Kilchoman was present in Whisky live and they where showing the Machir Bay (which i have a bottle unopened) and Sanaig, an awesome, yet classic in style, islay expression. Bottled at 46%abv On the nose: the world famous fresh can of Tennis balls note. Wonderful. A very well crafted Grape note on the back of the dram, and that plastic used in the making of Water balloons. Instant marvel. On the palate, wow it is super smooth. The peaty note resembles....Sweat socks????, Cotton or fabric, Super interesting. Pepper slightly peated on the finished. super balanced. What a dram this is! Overall.... you know.... 100 over 100. I dont think this is expensive, you go buy it, NOW! SLAINTE!

Wow. Just wow. A perfect score whisky. Bottled at 57.8%abv, this taiwanese gem is something else. What a powerful, fruity dram. I have never had before a whisky that has been matured in fino casks (fino is a type of white wine sherry) Chesnut color. On the nose, an Orange madness. Red Fruits, Cinamon, Cherries, Tobbacco, Oranges, Coffee, Vainilla cookie dough, Lemon. Winey and sherried. Toffee. So much going on in here. On the palate, it is powerful due to alcohol content, but also delicious. It is a dry dram with sherry notes, chocolate, oranges, toffee, dulce de leche and apricots. Aftertaste is amazing too. An atomic spice bomb. Wasabi, salt and pineapple heart. Mouth numbing. Overall this is one hell of a dram. I truly recommend it. Get your hands on it. 100/100.

This is what you look in a whisky. Flavor and aroma that is pleasant and enjoyable. Bottled at 46%, with a russetmuscat color. On the nose: PEAT. BUT THE SWEET, SULPHURIC ONE: Chocolate Peat Fresh morning Coffee Burnt rubber Shoes Tennis balls. Yep. Amazing. On the palate: Very powerful, chewable oranges, Spicy bomb makes you cry in a pleasant rewarding way. Rubber Finish long like tasting ¿tennis balls?. It is a Rambo movie in your tongue. Not complex but delicious. Overall, i give this due to my rating system: 100 over 100!!! (But it feels like a 96) GO GET IT