Tastes

A 2016 release from Glenmorangie, this "Milsean" is part of the Private collection; a whisky i have seen a lot and i passed from buying it, and now that i have had a sample, i am glad i did. Milsean is pronounced "Meel-Shawn" and is gaelic for "sweet things". It is actually marketed as very sweet and spicy. Bottled at 46%abv, burnished gold color, matured in bourbon casks and finished in red wine cask from Portugal. On the nose, it is cold, fresh and a little harsh. Starts with a little spiciness on the nose; fresh fruitiness like Pineapple. Feels cold on the nose, vanilla powder and white wine. Chocolate fudge. Acetone. It is not super easy to nose. After a couple of minutes it opens into gooseberries. Green grapes is a very accurate note of this whisky. After a first sip, it gave me hard mint candy and more cold aromas. Jellybeans. On the palate, it is a little simple and mostly spicy. Chocolate fudge and Chilli spice. A second sip released this earthy note like the one you can find in red wines. Dusty, there are some red fruits also present. Aftertaste is dry and short. Powdery finish, it is so earthy it almost feels peaty. Ginger. Overall, this one didn't do much for me. Frankly, it felt a little young due to the spiciness that were not compensated by other sweeter notes, and it didn't actually felt very sweet at all. If your whisky expression is called "sweet things" and it is not sweet, people are going to feel dissapointed because you are literally telling them they are going to feel something that is not real. My score for this whisky is a very fair 76 over 100.

The fourth release of The Macallan's Quest Collection, Enigma is one fancy dram. I have to say that i wasn't impressed with the other 3 expressions of this travel retail series, (Quest, Lumina and Terra); but i really think this is the best of the whole range. Entirely matured in european sherry seasoned casks, bottled at 44.9%abv, with a beautiful reddish, chesnut color. On the nose, absolute perfection. Lovely aroma of dates and dehydrated fruits, chocolate bathed raisins, cherry syrup, hazelnut and waffer. Ginger and spices, very winey. Very fancy, after 3 minutes a very herbal note has overpowered the rest of the notes. Sawdust, even some citric appeared: lemon. A second sip gave me almonds. On the palate, it is very smooth, easy drinkable but a little simple. Sawdust, vanilla, red fruits. You can hold it forever. Some mild cinnamon and ginger spices rise after 10 seconds holding it in the palate. Aftertaste is a little bitter. It has a woody profile: oak and sawdust. Ginger. Medium long. Not too complex. Overall, i believe this is a very enjoyable whisky, but it is far from being a fantastic dram, and the reason is that it has this spectacular aroma, out of this world, and then the palate and aftertaste is very normal. It is very smooth, but simple, it has an interesting bitterness that not everyone will love. The box of the whisky shows a tree that has been cut, and it actually is pretty woody. The sherriness is shown mostly in the nose. My score for this single malt is 89 over 100, and that shows you how unbalanced it really is, since it got a perfect score in the nose that wasn't matched by the rest of the criterias.

An absolutely surprising, complex whisky from this lowland distillery. This whisky gave me an unexpected experience and i even tasted it next to the new Dalmore 12 Sherry Cask Select, and this one was actually better. Bottled at 46.7%abv, burnished gold color. On the nose, this has a lot of very clean aroma notes. Chocolate, butter, vanilla, banana, coconut and piña colada cocktail. Banana split ice cream, toffee, lovely aroma. Rum and raisins ice cream. After a first sip, the aroma changed into coffee with milk, pancakes, banana smoothie, soap and oat. It is very lactic / milky. On the palate, it starts with a pleasant pepper bomb, chilli, red fruits and clove. There are prunes and spices everywhere. Aftertaste is very long and well delivered. Red chilli, sulphuric notes. It is creamy and greasy. Salty pickles. Very pleasant but spicy. Overall, i find this dram super complex and even if has the normal chocolate profile you expect from a lowland whisky, this single malt manages to explore a lot of good spices and some fruitiness. A wonderful experience, my score for it is 89/100.

I am a huge Dalmore fan. Not only that, Dalmore 12yo was my first single malt, and it completely blew my mind the first time i had it, and it was my starting point to the world of whiskies. Having said that, i had heard good things about this new and limited released, which is basically different from the standard 12yo since this expression has been finished in a bespoke cask seasoned with oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry. Bottled at a higher strength than the normal 12yo, at 43%abv, chesnut color. On the nose, it starts completely different from any other Dalmore. Chocolate, oranges, and a super GINGER BOMB!; dehydrated oranges, cinnamon, hazelnut, raisins. Very herbal, prunes, milk chocolate. After a first sip, the aroma changed into a more normal Dalmore. Dates, figs, milk powder and sherry. On the palate, it was also not what i expected at the beggining, but after a couple sips it showed me the traditional profile from this distillery. Red wine, liquorice, brandy. The second sip gave me red fruits, strawberries, vanilla and a nice spiciness. Aftertaste gave me the same experience, that the first impression was different from other expressions of this distillery, to then give you exactly what you expected. Liquorice, brandy, church wine. After a couple of sips it gave me ginger, cinnamon, chocolate and an impressive coffee bean note. Overall, this one felt unbalanced. The first impression on the nose, palate and aftertaste was totally different from the following sips and it just didn't felt like a Dalmore. I was not impressed, and i can tell you i like the classic 12yo better. It is not a bad dram at all, but have you ever tasted something thinking it is something else, and then when you actually taste it you feel dissapointed because of the deception? That was my feeling here. My score for it is an 85 over 100.

For 2021 father's day, Lagavulin released a new and very interesting expression; this time another "Nick Offerman" Edition, but with a special cask finish: A Guinness Beer Wood Finish. Let me tell you this, Guinness is one of the most popular Irish beers in the world, known for its black color and particular foam, it has its own fair share of myths behind it. Actually, it was never fully disclosed that Guinness matured their stout beer in oak casks, but people tend to guessed it, because of its lactic flavors. Well, now we know for sure, they do mature the beer in oak and now Lagavulin has finished a whisky on those barrels. Bottled at 46%abv, a tawny color. On the nose, wonderful aroma, but a little dim. Bread, yeast, stout beer. Wood polish, barley, sawdust and shoe box. There is some citric aroma behind it all; prunes, moss and raisins. After a first sip, the aroma changed into coffee, dark chocolate and air freshener. On the palate, it was very good. Starts with a mild vanilla fondant, to then change into a pond, a rainforest. The 2nd sip was a little watery for just a second, but then it gave me a very bitter coffee, yeast, bacon and beer. Aftertaste also gets better with each sip. Very bitter, stout beer and dark chocolate. It has a wonderful "bite". It is delicious. Overall, this is a great dram, and it is not to complex, nor it feels like the best lagavulin out there, bit somehow it works wonderfully. It is so delicious you tend to forget it has some minor flaws. I originally rated this whisky with 23 points in each criteria (nose, palate, aftertaste and balance) but i gave it one extra point for being exactly what they marketed: A Lagavulin finished in stout beer casks. For new drinkers or whisky enthusiasts, this one will be something memorable, and not because of its complexity, but for its rewarding sensations. My score for it is a solid 93 over 100.

One of the limited releases from Spey (18.000 bottles doesn't sound so limited but ok) this time a tawny port finished single malt. I has won some awards here and there, and after having the Spey Fumare, it caught my attention. So, lets review it! Bottled at 46%abv, tawny color. On the nose, crazy aroma notes that made it super interesting. Water balloons, a light cheap fruity wine called "Boones", apples, latex, prunes, wet old wall paint that is going to fall because of humidity; plastic, silicon. I told you that it was crazy. After a first sip, the aroma changed into a fancy toffee, cream, hay, chocolate, mineral water and grapes. On the palate, very fruity, it is exactly what you expect from a tawny port finish. Red fruits, slight spiciness, cherry syrup, light wine. A second sip gave me vanilla, toffee and salt. Aftertaste is nice, simple but good. Light smoke, thick grains of salt. Overall, this one is so crazy it works. I don't believe that you could have this single malt as an everyday whisky, but if you can find it, grab it. It is an experience that any whisky enthusiast should have. My score for it is a solid 85 over 100.

A very surprising offering from a Distillery that i have yet to explore a little more. I believe this one is the cheapest in their core range and it is actually a good dram. Bottled at 40%abv, golden color. On the nose, a very fresh and appealing aroma. Very fresh apples. Honey; a super fresh lemon. Toffee and a thick vanilla note. The citric is very interesting. After a first sip the aroma dropped dramatically but a citric ghostly aroma persists. Floral. I wasn't sure at first but there is salt somewhere. On the palate, it changed a lot in every sip. Starts with almonds and a bitter nutty flavor. The second sip gave me a nice toffee and this sensation of licking an envelope to glue it. A third sip released raw rice and apple sider. Aftertaste passed the exam. Crushed almonds. Hazelnut. The most almondy whisky ever. Nice oaky spice, very dim but somewhow it works. Stewed apples. Overall this is whisky with a lot of tasting and aroma notes, something that i did not expect because of its low price. This is my second Glencadam of this year and both have surprised me in a good way. My score for it, 81 over 100.

I now have tasted a certain amount of expressions from The Arran Malt, and i can truly say that they make wonderful whiskies. This 21yo limited edition is no exception to that rule. Fully matured in sherry oak casks (which i believe is oloroso sherry) this one mantains the Arran profile of tropical flavors and aromas. Bottled at 46%abv, burnished gold color. On the nose, this is a very complex and lovely aroma. Pineapple, coconut, coffee, dates, cherry syrup. There is this italian limoncello aroma; grapefruit, everything is super fresh. After a first sip it gave me chocolate, orange leaf and cocoa. On the palate, absolutely delicious. Pineapple, grated coconut, sea salt, glazed donut and.... pine tree. Yes, the plastic christmas tree. Don't get me started on how i know how it tastes. Lol. Aftertaste is solid. Cocoa Nibs, chocolate, ginger and hay. Very dry but medium long. Overall this is a great offering. Feels fancy, but also very tropical and sweet. The chocolate/vanilla flavors don't actually mix with the tropical ones, they just co-exist in this whisky in a very good way. My score for it is 93 over 100.

I will start this review with my conclusion: in a blind tasting event, i would have guessed this dram was a Glenkinchie 12 or an Auchentoshan 12. It is not bad, but if you are going to pay +150 dollars for a Macallan limited edition you expect more than the universal tasting notes of whisky of Caramel and vanilla. Macallan edition No.6 is the last of the collection, this time it pays homage to the river Spey, its biodiversity and influence in the flavor of half of Scotland's distilleries. The light blue label is mostly unreadable and imposible to take a picture to brag about your finding in Instagram hahahaha. Bottled at 48.6% (0.01% more than the previous edition), tawny color. On the nose, it is very good. Milky way chocolate, orange leaf, caramel, cinnamon, dulce de leche, nutmeg. It also has this library-wet books profile. After a first sip it gave me pizza hut's cinnamon sticks, a cinnamon candle, sawdust, honey and floral notes. On the palate it was too simple. Caramel and sugar syrup, pepper and sulphuric, and Kellog's frosted flakes. Aftertaste was boring. Chocolate with dulce de leche, caramel, butterscotch and some herbal notes. Some saltiness present. Overall, this one did not meet my expectations. It felt way too simple, i did not find any real thing to make me feel as something that pays homage to the Spey river (known for fruitier whiskies), it felt like a fancy bourbon cask on a very normal Macallan. Not bad at all, it is not what you bought it for. I believe this and the No. 2 edition are the worst of the series, being number 4 the best one. Forget this one, or buy it to complete a collection that in 10 years will be worth a lot more, but drink something more interesting. My score for it is a 79 over 100.

Powerful. Sweet. Progressive. Passionate. A true experience. No, I'm not talking about Jazz, one of the most versatile musical genres out there. I'm talking about the Lagavulin Islay Jazz Festival 2017, a real contender to be my favorite whisky I've tasted this year. Bottled at 57.6%abv, this true flavor and aroma machine delivers a single malt that despite its alcohol content, is very rounded and is truly a gem. On the nose, I got Povidine, pond, currants, ashes, wood planks from a harbor, maritime. Chamomile, vanilla, lemon and a muted campfire. It smells exactly like the vegetables zone in the supermarket. Orange juice, meringue. On the palate, it starts with chocolate and vanilla, then drops a bombshell of chili out of hell, with smoke. Hay. The aftertaste is simply overwhelming. Sulfuric and salty. Chocolate and chili. It's an ashtray mixed with a vanilla scented candle. Burnt hay. My score for this tremendous whisky, which pays homage to one of the many musical genres that grew out of the blues, is 100 out of 100 and I will hardly forget it. It is a whisky out of this world. Slàinte Mhath!