Tastes

Back in 1978 where i wasn't even born and my parents haven't even met yet, the Bee Gees were on the top charts with "Night Fever"; exactly back then, a Talisker was distilled to be bottled 41 years later and meet me. This expression is their second release from "The Bodega Series", which name was picked because of the special maturation in sherry casks which were 100 years old, sourced from the Delgado-Zuleta bodegas in Spain. Bottled at 50.7%abv, this single malt was matured first in refilled american white oak casks, to then be finished in 6 manzanilla sherry barrels which are 100 years old, sourced from one of the oldest working bodegas of Spain. The box that holds the bottle allegedly is made by sherry oak as well. Lets review this baby! On the nose, it is very good, but i expected even more. Starts with your typical Talisker peat, naranjilla (a fruit that is very popular in Ecuador, you might know it as "lulo"), cigarrettes, ashes, salty, citric. Very good stuff. After a first sip, the aroma became fruitier and more maritime as well. Grapefruit, red fruits, strawberries and cherry syrup. Orange peel and a thick coffee caramel. On the Palate, it is an incredible, out of this world whisky. Starts salty, very maritime, then it turns sweet in an amazing twist of events. Oranges, it doesn't fell like a 50.7%abv dram at all, actually you can hold it in your mouth for 41 seconds easily. Pepper, super fancy. A second sip gave me sea water, red fruits, prunes, some acid fruits and there is chocolate lurking somewhere. Aftertaste is fantastic. Cigarrettes, ashes, sawdust. Sulphuric and metallic. All that in a very good way. There is this orange infusion that lasts for a second; pepper. Eternal finish, it never ends. Salty. Overall, i truly believe this is a fantastic whisky. Having said that, i don't believe that you should expend $4000 in a whisky, because it won't be THAT much better than a very good $250-400 one. I have had some very expensive whiskies in my journey, and most of them were very good, but not far from a three hundred dollars one. Setting all that aside, i don't believe that this is too far from other old Taliskers, like the 25 or 30yo. And when i rated those ones, i didn't believe that the 18yo was far from them as well. Talisker in my books will most likely get five stars, since this distillery make whiskies that fit my preferences. My score for this marvelous single malt is 97 over 100. Slàinte!

Back in 1995, Chivas Regal decided to make a vatted malt (that was the legal term back in those days) made of 100 different malts of Scotland. This is quite the experiment, and it definitively caught my attention because of that fact alone. I had a miniature, but i believe that the whole bottle comes with a booklet that shows the 100 malts used. No grain whisky was used in the blend. Bottled at 43%abv, golden color. On the nose, it is quite a fruity offering. Gooseberries. Super appealing forest fresh fruits. Red fruits. Slight caramel. A great aroma of Lemonade. Super fruity, vanilla, very citric. Milk powder. After a first sip, the aroma gave me nutiness and Cardbox. Very interesting, it rised my expectations for the palate. On the palate is where i found how such a blend is possible: you can achieve this by using some young malts. Nutty, it tastes like nougat. Coconut milk, almondy and woody. Aftertaste was very simple and short. Oaky, woody, dry. Here is where it really lost some points. Ok, lets decode this equation. This is a beautiful looking bottle, that contains a blend that has never been attempted before. That alone can be challenging, to correctly marry the malts and the power from different casks. It is not overly spicy that is something that can easily develop when using too much whiskies in a blend. The only problem is that if you are a person who has adventured in the world of Whisky, you would expect a great level of complexity from a 100 malt blend. The only complexity i found was on the nose. The rest of the whisky was very easy drinkable, fairly enjoyable but way too normal for what it represents. Not a bad dram at all, it failed to surprise me, my score for it is 76 over 100.

The Peaky Blinders was a street gang who used razors in their berets to blind their enemies in a surprising way. A very famous tv series have picked this story and made a bunch of seasons which are spectacular. I truly believe this rather new whiskey is taking advantage of the name made by the tv series to boost their sales. But... is the whiskey any good? It actually is! On the nose, i really, really, really (that is 3 "really"s in one phrase) liked it. Starts with a nice creamy chocolate aroma, a thick vanilla, some gooseberries. Very creamy and buttery, actually pretty appealing. Chocolate Fudge, a dim and super interesting pepper spice. Cocoa powder. Nesquik chocolate powder formula. Bananas. Incredible aroma. Banana ice cream. After a first sip, it gave me freshly baked brownies. Sweet cooked bananas. On the palate, a creamy vanilla. A little watery, super smooth, you can hold it forever. Slight oak spice, marshmallow. There is a ghostly maize somewhere. Very easy to drink, not complex at all. Aftertaste is short and very straightforward but somehow it seems to work fine. A nice wood smoke. I really dig this boat wood smoke. A little grainy. Overall, this was a very surprising whiskey. I expected nothing and this really surprised me, the nose was so good i gave it a perfect score. The palate is enjoyable and aftertaste is a small capsule, but a good one. My score for it is 84 over 100 which is totally unexpected for a $35 irish whiskey. Very nice.

Billy Walker is no ordinary Master Distiller. He is the one responsible for the legend of the Glendronach 18 and 21 that we have been drinking for the last 5-6 years. This legendary distiller retired in 2016 after selling Benriach, Glendronach and Glenglassaugh... but it just didn't feel right to him. He came back 3 years later, and nowadays, with 77 years old, he has won Master Distiller of 2020 after buying a Distillery, The GlenAllachie. Since then, GlenAllachie has taken all the prizes. And i mean ALL OF THEM. Their 10yo Batch Strength won gold in 2019, 2020 and recently was awarded Best Single Malt of the World by The World Whiskies Awards. Billy Walker is the reason behind everything. This 2019 expression appeared only in Speyside Spirit Festival, and it is a Single Cask Strength bottle, Port Pipe matured, with 59.2%abv and a deep copper color. On the nose, an amazing complexity. Orange Caramel, moca coffee; chocolate powder. Cupcakes, marzipan and tiramisú dessert. After a first sip, the aroma became more floral; chocolate; herbal; orange leaf. Mint. Passion fruit and dulce de leche. On the palate it is just perfect; tons of things happened here. Chocolate, pepper; red fruits and oranges. A second sip gave a lot more: orange chocolate, creamy cinnamon, and honey candy. A third sip changed again, giving me burnt sugar, brown sugar, creme brulee and dulce de leche. Just amazing. Aftertaste was close to be as perfect as the palate. Orange leaf, pepper, some sulphuric notes and salt. Chocolate, black tea and melon. Burnt sugar, maple syrup. You can get the idea of the profile. Overall, the awards this distillery is winning are well deserved. This is my third expression from them and all have been fantastic. I am eager to try more of this single malt, specially since Billy Walker specializes in cask selection. My score for this great whisky, is a solid 96 over 100.

A fairly new Dalmore travel retail expression, from a relatively new travel retail collection, this Dalmore "The Quartet" has four cask finishes. Starts its undisclosed period of maturation in first fill ex-bourbon barrels, then it is finished in Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon casks, 30yo Matusalem Sherry butts and 30yo Apostles Sherry barrels; this way Richard Patterson aims for a multi-layered palette of flavors and aromas. Actually, this expression, along with "The Trio" and "The Quintet", are inspired in the multiple cask maturation of Dalmore's superstar, the King Alexander III. Bottled at 41.5%abv, deep copper color. On the nose, perfect score, super complex. At first i got my typical "Glue" note from Dalmore. Then, a winey profile, oranges, Sangría cocktail, chocolate, wedding cake, raisins, dehydrated fruits, rum and raisins ice cream. Herbal, liquorice, spices. Glazed pork. After a first sip, more things appeared: hazelnut, figs, citric notes, tangerine. I love this aroma. Nose it for a while. On the palate, it is more "normal" but still good. Hazelnut, chocolate, hanuta dessert. Pepper and salt. Very winey and thick. Aftertaste is also a marvelous experience. Very sherried; ashes, astringent, prune, metallic notes. Ginger and pepper SUPER LONG FINISH. Overall, this is an amazingly complex and rewarding whisky. For $90 it is very hard to defeat. I believe that it is difficult for someone to hate this dram, anyone who tastes will find at least a nice flavor and aroma note that suits their preferences. Beautiful dram, my score for it is 95 over 100.

Back in 2001 when Compass Box founder John Glaser abandoned Johnnie Walker to create his own blends, he started his journey with a blended malt called "Eleuthera". Two years later, one of the components was lost forever. John Glaser, in 2004 after reading an O'Henry tale called "The Lost Blend", (where two bartenders created a supernatural blend with special powers); he decided to create a blend that mimics that first Eleuthera, and he called it "The Lost Blend". He even designed 3 different labels and a very interesting box, which is full of pictures of "lost" objects, some lost in time, other extinct. This Blended Malt, is made with Clynelish, Alt-a-Bhainne and Caol Ila. Bottled at 46%abv., pale straw color. On the nose, fairly peaty. Very maritime, salt, sea. Chocolate with salt, lemon. After a first sip, the aroma changed into a pond, rainforest profile. Recently cut wet grass, permanent marker. A metallic one cent coin. On the palate, a good mixture between sweetness and peaty flavors. Chocolate, pepper, sulphuric and metallic. Wet grass, vanilla. Aaftertaste is balanced. Salty, sulphuric, metallic. Ginger and hay. Cigarrette, ashy. Overall, this expression mantains my love/hate relationship with Compass Box. I really think that Caol Ila overpowered the other malts, this could be a single malt from that Islay distillery and nothing else. I feel the blending failed a little here, and it didn't surprise me at all. Other people in my tasting event loved it, but this really didn't do much for me. Not bad at all, just not my favorite. My score for it is 84 over 100.

A 17yo Chivas Regal blend that spins and commemorates revolutions. That is the description of this very eye-catching expression of one of the most popular whiskies of the world. The cool decanter spins like crazy, and i believe it is a good challenge for the JW swing. Actually this is a very rare, discontinued release, that i am 99% sure that was only for the Japanese market. Bottled at 43%abv, golden color. On the nose, a good offering. Vanilla, oranges, peaches and pepper; definitively a Chivas Regal. Some grain whisky, maize, creamy chocolate. White chocolate with almonds. After a first sip, it gave me a frozen, wet, vanilla cake. Yeast, a cold aroma (actually feels cold), mint. Orange sponge cake. The palate was simple but beautiful. The frozen, wet vanilla cake with ice cream was really here. Hay, chocolate. Absolutely enjoyable. Aftertaste delivered a spice bomb. Pepper, salt and grain. Good. Overall, this is a very easy drinkable and appealing dram. Nothing too special, you are getting exactly a 17yo Chivas Regal for your tasting pleasure. A nice offering, with a collectible decanter. My score for it is a solid 86 over 100.

The king of Islay. Lagavulin. I believe that it doesn't matter if you like Ardbeg more, or you feel that Bowmore can be fancier, Lagavulin is the King of Islay. And it is the king, because of its quality. It is by far the most balanced peaty, Islay single malt, with bold but "bearable" flavors and aromas. Their 16yo is a classic that cannot be defeated. Having said all that, this 2019 special release by Diageo, is a 12yo cask strength one, which sometimes can be an uncertain bet, since higher abv on peaty islay whiskies can become quite harsh. This is not the case, "au contraire" this expression is super balanced and very enjoyable. Bottled at 56.5%abv, pale straw color. On the nose, incredible smokiness. Citric. A peatyVanilla cake, beautiful aroma. Ashtray, cheap taxi air freshener. Fresh lemonade. After a first sip, i got sand, cloth detergent, sider or green apple liquor. Meringue. After a third sip, it released fishy, pond aromas, a little stinky but still super interesting. On the palate, it got near to perfection. Vanilla, super easy to drink for a peaty 56.5%abv whisky.  Meringue, lemon, pepper, everything enjoyable and you can hold it for a long time which was surprising. A second sip gave me vanilla, toffee, mossy peat. Aftertaste was absolutely amazing. Wood smoke, dry burnt hay, very balanced;  smokey and spicy but in a very enjoyable way, not harsh at all. Cigarrettes. Overall, it is amazing how Lagavulin is able to conquer your palate, your nose and your heart. Every note here screams "i am going to be super harsh", but in reality everything is super balanced and enjoyable. I loved this whisky, a noble peaty spirit. My score is 95 over 100 and should be higher. Update: the 56.5%abv just kicked in, i am going to sleep like a baby. +1 point for enhanced experience.

Longrow has become one of my favorite whiskies. Actually, most single malts from the Springbank distillery are really good spirits. I have had a couple Longrows before and both were outstanding, that is why i looked for the high end one, the 21 year old. Bottled at 46%abv, burnished gold color. On the nose, this is one of the most complex whiskies i have ever had; everything was here, everything really. Beautiful grapes, grapefruit, apples. There is a ghostly minty peat surrounding everything. Pineapple juice. Beautifuly fresh. After 5 minutes it released a freshly cut orange, red fruits and slight coconut. Now i have lemon. All the fruits are here. I feel a caramel also present, super complex. After the first sip, a peat profile rised. Mint, herbal, toffee. After a couple more sips, there is a mixture of vanilla and pepper. The palate of this dram is so complex, that you seem to find more notes with every sip. Pepper mixed with caramel. A sulphuric, earthy peat. Powerful on the palate, pineapple, vanilla. A second sip gave me caramel, salt, gunpowder. More sips revealed oranges, dim red fruits, salt. Much more fruity. Toffee also present, mixed with pineapple. Aftertaste was more straightforward, medium long but very rewarding. Ashy finish, ginger. Sulphuric; Elegant yet peaty and powerful. Overall, this is a lovely dram, very balanced, super elegant, very complex: peaty, fruity, sweet, salty, everything is in here. Really incredible. A full bottle is not cheap, but for $280-300 you are getting your money's worth. A spectacular single malt, fully recommended. My score is 98 over 100. Slàinte Mhath.

My second Ledaig is a peaty surprise, and it is starting to call my attention because of the prizes that this distillery is winning and the good products they seem to be making. This expression has been matured in Spanish Rioja Wine casks. Bottled at 46.3%abv, a peach color. On the nose, a good mixture between fruitiness and peat. Strawberry juice, peaches, cigarrettes. Herbal, cherry syrup, a mossy peat and peach syrup. The palate was great!: Starts super Salty, then releases a red fruit syrup, pepper. Very sulphuric; Gunpowder. A sexond sip became interesting and weird, but not bad: swamp, pond and rainforest. Yes, you read that right. Aftertaste is very smokey and super dry. Ashy and super salty, lovely peat. Overall, this was a great expression, mostly peaty with some fruitiness. The peat shows itself in herbal and wet ways, that is why this dram made me remember ponds and rainforests. Cool experience, i would recommend it, bit i might not drink it constantly, my score for it is an 89 over 100.