Tastes

5 years ago, i started my journey in whisky. It has been a super fun and lovely experience, and now it has reached a beautiful milestone. This my friends, is my whisky review No. 1000. After 1000 whiskies i can honestly say i have tasted enough from most scottish distilleries, and, in a very subjective way, i can pick my favorites. My top three would be Glendronach, Talisker and Lagavulin. The rest of the top ten would be, in no specific order, Ardbeg, Arran, Dalmore, Edradour, Laphroaig, Bowmore, Highland Park. It is awesome to share ny reviews with you, and the actual 1000 whisky was an Ardbeg. Tasted at the distillery warehore, a 2014 special expression, the famous "Kildalton". This one was originally intended only for distillery visitors, and it honours the Kildalton Cross on the Isle of Islay. It is the best preserved celtic cross on Scotland, and that makes it a wonderful monolithic structure with historic importance. Bottled at 46%abv, this special edition has been bottled in bourbon and sherry casks. On the nose, it starts with green apples and the Ardbeg peat, but tamed. Minty, herbal, smokey. It takes time to fully open. Gooseberries. Super fruity and slightly ashy. Very perfumed; it has released a scent of hand lotion. After a first sip, it gave me a vanilla explosion in a fancy, well delivered way. Vanilla ice cream, coconut, lemongrass. Super complex. On the palate, it is pure perfection. Grassy, herbal. Ashy water in a good way. Not watery, but very grassy. Petrichor. The second sip gave me vanilla and herbal Tea. On the third sip it had a sugary character. Aftertaste is peaty and super enjoyable. Ashy, a puff of smoke. I can only describe it as a herbal powder is such thing exists. Sider and metallic notes, copper. Overall, this one is very fresh, minty and herbal in a very good way. The palate was the absolute highlight of this very rewarding dram. Having said all that, i am so happy that i have reached 1000 reviews, i can finally said that "i have drunk a little whisky". My next step of the journey is to write a book, that will contain my thoughts on this great beverage, and of course i will include all my reviews on it. My score for this single malt is 96 over 100, but it feels like one thousand! Slàinte!!

This is my whisky review No. 999, and i offered you that the last 10 critics to reach 1000 were going to be only super memorable drams. This is the case, since not everyday you get to taste a 21 year old single cask Ardbeg, straight from the cask at the distillery, drawn at 49.4%abv, from a second filled bourbon barrel. You have always known, that age statement in whiskies by law, are the age of the youngest drop in the bottle. That is why you have always been told, and maybe you did not believed it, that in some classic blends like Chivas 12yo or Johnnie 12yo, there are older, much older whiskies but the youngest is the twelve year old. Well, let me tell you, this 21yo Ardbeg, which is something quite hard to find, will someday be part of the super standard "Ardbeg Ten". This is one component of the final single malt that is released for $70 pretty much everywhere in the world. That was a very crazy fact the tpur guide told us before pouring this very old juice. On the nose, it was surprisingly fruity. Pineapple, green apple juice and herbal medicine. Sider and a medicinal lotion for skin. Tropical fruits; Sambuca, it is not peaty at all in the first nose and it feels very elegant. Sea water. After a sip, the aroma became like an apple dipped in lotion for burnt skin. Sea water with pineapple and a slight note of tar. Very appealing and complex. Perfect score here. On the palate, fruitiness meets the peat. Grapefruit, apple sider and smoked pineapple. Peppery, gingery, bold but manageable spiciness. Very fresh. The second sip gave me apple and vanilla; Its like bitting a wonderfull tamed peaty green apple. Aftertaste was marvelous. Ashy, fruity, ashy, fruity, smokey, fruity, those are the layers that dance in an unstoppable way. A second sip was all about smokey beautifulness with some fresh fruitiness. So rewarding! Overall, i want you to know, that i have handpicked the last 10 reviews, because in the middle of all this tastings i have had some regular, some good and some excelent whiskies, but i picked the best for this almost natural "top ten" till i reach the 1000 milestone. And i had to clarify that in order to tell you that i am not feeling any placebo effect for having super expensive and crazy rare drams, and that is why i am giving super scores to them. I like to think, that even if i usually give good rates to many of the single malts i taste (because i am such a whisky lover), i always try to be as objective as i can be. Having said all that, it is obvious now, that i have a perfect score for this beauty. This is really the heart of what this distillery can achieve in a single cask, for 21 long years. Where were you two decades ago, when the youngest drop entered the cask for maturation? I was starting law school. Almost all my adult life has passed for me to drink this as my whisky 999, and i believe that to be memorable. My score for it is 100 over 100. Slàinte!

Have you ever tasted a million dollar whisky? Well, i kinda have. I have arrived to Ardbeg distillery, one of my favorites, to reach my landmark, 1000 whisky reviews. I never imagined that No. 998 was going to be a 9yo dram, that was drawn from a cask that if you would like to buy it (the whole barrel), you'll have to write a check for the amount of money Dr. Evil has dreamt about in every Austin Powers movie. Drawn from the barrel at 60% abv, this is a 9yo single Manzanilla cask. This will never be bottled as a single cask, this will be blended with other casks. That is what they told us in the tour. On the nose, a lovely scottish shortbread, biscuits with filling. It smells exactly like salmon, this is actually "fishy" in a lovely way. I can only describe this as cotton candy with codfish. Milka caramel chocolate. THIS IS AN INSANE AROMA. After a first sip, it released Lindt chocolate. Incredible stuff. I want to inyect this chocolate in my veins. On the palate, it is the most bitter and darker Chocolate ever. Crazy good. Starts creamy and oily, then explodes in saltiness. Chocolate madness, with a sonic boom of sulphuric saltiness. Chocolate caramel. Aftertaste is all about smoke and elegant tar, if such things exists. Crazy notes of fresh can tennis balls, nerf toys, foam toys and rubber. New shoes. Silicium. Overall, this is the craziest Ardbeg i have ever had and that is quite a bold statement to make. Incredible interesting, sweet and peaty notes. I try not to feel influenced by the price of the cask, but this is by far the most expensive whisky i have tasted, or maybe not, since a bottle of this might be just a couple thousands if i divide it mathematically. Leaving the price aside, it was wonderful and it has gained a perfect 100 in my books. Slàinte!!

(Insert creepy movie narrator voice here before reading) It is widely known, the the devil appears every now and then on the Isle of Islay. But people on the Isle have never been scared of him. That is why they always chase him to kill him, but the devil has the custom of entering Bowmore's church, where he hides in the corner. The locals, tired of this situation, decided to demolish the church, and replaced it with a round one, where the devil HAD NO CORNERS TO HIDE. So, the day came where the devil was chased again... he entered the round church, and he saw no place to escape his fate. One window was left open, he threw himself through it. He ran to Bowmore distillery and when he reached the warehouse, he splitted into tiny little devils, and then he hid for ages, in what is now known as THE DEVIL'S CASK. This allegedly true story, is the theme for Bowmore's lastest hit, a refurbished release of the once glorious "Bowmore's Devil's Cask". "NO CORNERS TO HIDE", has been created by making a lovely box and label by the artist Frank Quietly, who is a cartoon drawer, which hits like Batman, and X-men. Bottled at 51.5%abv, this is a 23yo expression of Bowmore, matured initially in ex-bourbon American oak hogsheads, and then two years in "Essencia barriques". These casks are built by Tonnellerie Demptos, a French cooperage. On the nose, Perfection. Bbq sauce, bacon, honey; strong earthy peat. Cherry syrup appeared out of nowhere. Old oranges. After the first sip, the aroma changed, bacon intensified; it released toffee mixed with solid sweet sherry and peat. Orange candy. Plastic And glazed pork. On the palate, you won't ever find something better than this. Old oranges, Hay peat and sulphur. Sherried: Red fruitiniess, sherry spices, sherry sweetness; sherry perfection. Aftertaste is extraordinary. Smokey. Sherried lovely red fruity finish. AMAZING SYRUPY FINISH MIXED WITH PEAT, just WOW!; Smokey maraschino cherries. Overall, i believe this is one of my favorite whiskies ever. This is just perfect in every sense: sweet, peaty, syrupy, powerful, flavorful, etc.; If i can give you some advice, do not drink this ever, two reasons for that: 1.- more for me; and, 2.- this can ruin all other whiskies for you. My score for it is 1000 over 100. Yes you read that right, a thousand points, now let's listen to ACDC's Highway to Hell, Slàinte Mhath!!

In 2005, an Islay local fisher saw something strange in the water, near Bruichladdich Distillery. When he approach the odd thing it was... A LOST YELLOW SUBMARINE. Along with the distillery manager, they made a phone call to the department of defense and told them that a submarine was found, that belonged to the DOD. The Defense department said that no submarine was missing, and if Bruichladdich have one, they must have stolen it. Nothing else happened for 3 months, till Bruichladdich released a first edition of the Yellow Submarine whisky, called WMD (WHISKY OF MASS DISTINCTION) with a picture of the submarine on the label. It was only then that the department of defense went to the Distillery to retrieve the sub-acuatic vehicle, recognizing it as their own. To this day, Bruichladdich keeps a replica of the Submarine in their premises and they have released two expressions. The original 14yo one; and this 25yo, vintage 1991, which was matured in Refill Sherry & Bourbon, and Spanish red wine casks. Bottled at 46%abv, only 1991 decanters were ever released. I am not going to lie. I have been trying to find this bottle for years and i have finally found it. It is only fair that it enters to my special reviews in order to reach the 1000 whisky critics. This is my review number 996. On the nose, it is outstanding. Coca Cola notes, Bbq, bacon; it is like a "Soapy bacon". Increible aroma. Sherry has appeared. Chocolate with red fruits. Brownies and an old orange peel. Tangerine and more chocolate. On the palate it is so fruity and spectacular. Orange juice, tangerine juice and a little sulphuric. Pepper. After a first sip, it released  brownies, cherry syrup. It has a orange acidity which is great. Milk chocolate.Very elegant and pleasant. Aftertaste is incredibly wonderful. Brownies and the orange acidity that i told you before. It is quite elegant and full. The second time i felt a nice bite, earthy and salty, lovely really. Lots of ginger. Overall, this is a super complex, wonderfully crafted whisky. It is not a cheap dram, but it is completely worth it. I got to say i have checked one single malt from my bucket list. My score for this whisky of mass distinction, is 100 over 100. Sláinte Mhath!!!

There is nothing more satisfying than visiting an epic distillery, draw a special dram from a cask, use the valinch (whisky thief) as a sword to make people laugh, and take a good picture. I did that in Laphroaig. The valinch was actually shaped as a sword, and i used it to draw a 15yo ex bourbon and manzanilla cask matured single malt, at 53.3%abv. I call this, my own filled bottle,  "Laphroaig Excalibur". On the nose, it quite beautiful. Christmas cake, candied fruits. Chocolate dry cake, almonds and lemongrass. Complexity is the name of the game here. Bbq sauce, fruitcake, coffee beans. On the palate, very influenced by the manzanilla sherry. Christmas cake, vanilla cake, candied fruits, candied beans and sherry. Aftertaste is where the medicinal Laphroaig peat appeared. It smells like a pair of cotton socks; medicinal, cotton and ginger. It has this note of a fresh can of tennis balls that makes it "very Laphroaigish" Overall, if you ever visit Laphroaig, you have to bottle your own whisky. It is quite an unique experience, from one of Scotland's craziest single malts. This is a fantastic whisky that made me realize how amazing this very peaty and medicinal malt can be when matured in sherry casks. Incredibly interesting dram, my score for it is a 93 over 100.

I know you have seen this beautiful bottle of Caol Ila, the 175th Anniversary, which is completely different from any other grapic lines from the core range expressions. The inspiration for this artistic bottle in their 175 years of existence, is the 6.400 sunrises that the distillery has seen since its foundation in 1846. This of course, is part of my special whisky reviews in my road to reach the 1000 critics. This is actually my review No. 994. Bottled at 52.1%, this is a 24yo expression, and only 3000 bottles were ever released. On the nose, it is quite elegant. Salty prunes. It feels like a tequila / mezcal note. Salty mango. Oranges and pepper spice. After a couple of sips aroma changed into chocolate brownies. Honey. Elegance continues on the palate. Gooseberries, lemon peel, salty. Maritime flavors like oysters. Chocolate notes can be found mixed with salt. Fresh and salty. Aftertaste was good, but it slightly inferior to the palate. Citric lime with a smokey, maritime finish. Sea salt, marvelous. Smokey overall. In conclusion, this is one of the best expressions i have found from this distillery. We have to speak with the truth here, and Caol Ila is famous for making way too much whisky and that is why they are source of at least 75% of all islay whisky independent bottlings. Very good, limited whisky, happy birthday smokey Caol Ila, my score for it is 91 over 100.

My friends, if you have been following my latest reviews, you will know by now that i am about to reach the 1000 whisky critics (this is number 993). This is a special one, a whisky that will never hit the shelves, and one that changed my perspective about this Bruichladdich variants forever. My friends, this is a Whisky Review for a Super Special edition of Octomore, single amarone cask, 14 years old, bottled at 60%abv. None of the above have i ever seen in Octomore before. Just for you to have an idea of what we are talking about here, the super rare and famous Octomore "Event Horizon" is 12 years old. I had the pleasure to taste this straight from the cask at Bruichladdich distillery. Full disclosure: i have never been a huge fan of Octomore, even if i describe myself as a peat head, for me it wasn't too enjoyable, and i have had a couple of expressions in the past. But this one... this is different. On the nose: Smokeeeee!!!!. Sherry, skin lotion and tar. Herbal aromatic peat. Incense. Herbal and minty. Lemon. After a first sip, the aroma changed into milk chocolate.  Peaches. On the palate, it was actually very gentle for an octomore. Peaches. Wow this is an amazing whisky! Peat has rested.sulphur. it still is a lip scorching dram. Aftertaste can only be described as a fire breathing dragon. Nice winey sweet finish. Smokey and sweet. Incredible. Overall, i can honestly say that maturation was the game changer here. Most Octomores i had in the past were 5-8 years old and the amount of powerful raw peatiness there was a little off-putting to be honest; but not here, this one was something much more enjoyable and fun. Great flavor and aftertaste notes, my score for this rarity is 90 over 100.

Continuing my series of reviews of truly amazing whiskies till i reach the number 1000, here is my whisky critic #992, about the almighty Laphroaig 28 years old. Laphroaig, that crazy single malt that if you taste it blindfolded you might think someone gave you a tennis ball to eat. This incredibly old expression, was bottled at 44.4%abv, and if i begin thinking where i was 28 years ago, i was on 6th grade in primary school, so this whisky has been waiting most of my life for this moment, where i have the pleasure of drinking it. This one has been triple matured, in quarter casks, bourbon barrels and sherry butts. On the nose, crazy stuff. It starts with old oranges, but then it gave me something called "YAPINGACHO" which is an ecuadorian potato-based plate, basically it is a fried mashed potato with cheese inside. It smells like mashed potatoes. So crazy. Butter, honey. I am completely in shock, how can a whisky have an aroma of mashed potatoes, i just can get over it. After a couple of sips it became way more sherried, Sweet orange caramel. Grassy and "potatoey". So bold. On the palate it is delivious and elegant. Sherry, oranges, pepper. Quite sulphuric and sweet. Orange candy. Aftertaste is not complex but amazing. Cigarrettes, ashtray. Very ashy and lovely. Overall, this is exactly what i am looking for after 992 whiskies: new experiences. I was absolutely overwhelmed of the mashed potatoes note on the nose. Then it faded to release the peatiness and sherriness that you expect. A lovely, rare and delicious whisky that i don't see where can i deduct points. It is definitively what you expect from a Laphroaig matured for 28 years, my score for it is 100 over 100.

So, this is my whisky review 991, and i have decided that this following 10 critics will be memorable drams, and then, i will release a book. Dreams can come true, and i have walked a long whisky way, to reach this magic number. I start this series with an amazing and unexpected single malt, a 13yo Lagavulin, Islay Jazz festival 2021, that has been matured in.... hold your seats... mezcal casks. If you don't know what mezcal is, it can be described as the father of tequila, since this last one is a type of mezcal drink. It is made from a plant called agave or "Maguey". Nowadays tequila and mezcal have some flavor profile differences, but in a raw sense of things, Tequila is one variant of Mezcal. Bottled at 54.8%abv, this is a limited released of 3000 bottles. I really don't know what to expect here. On the nose, it begins with a quite perfumed, aromatic peat. It smells like lotion for burnt skin. Floral. It feels like a Valentine's day. Margarine butter. Cough syrup. After a first sip, the aroma changed into a hawaiian Pizza, the one with the burnt pineapples. Chocolate hershey kisses. More sips revealed a swampy note. It is stingy on the nose. Incredible. On the palate, i can honestly say this is out of this world. Hershey's dark chocolate. Pepper bomb and the heart of the pineapple. A second sip felt like sea water, it has changed dramatically. Now it is all about cigarrettes, ashes and some sugary notes. So complex and interesting. Aftertaste is the perfect ending for this whisky rollercoaster. Smoke, agave, cotton and medicinal gauze and tape. More sips gave me ashtray, salty and tar. Red chilli. What an experience! Overall, this one is a must in every collection. Even the empty glass smells like a sawdust factory. Super complex, balanced and delicious. It takes you to your organoleptic limits. I really was skeptic about the mezcal cask finish, but now i need every distillery to try this experiment. Amazing whisky, perfect score: 100 over 100. Slàinte!!!