Tastes

Well this is kind of a dissapointment. I believe that one of my favorite distilleries Glendronach has made a very young whisky and not entirely matured in their classic sherry casks, but a great part of it was matured in ex bourbon barrels. "Hielan" seems to be a scottish pronunciation for "highland". Bottled at 46%abv, burnished gold color. On the nose is a little "glendronachy" but also a little.... ardbeg??? It can't be. The thing is this: first 2 minutes it just gave a glazed pork aroma. That can't be right. But then i understood that young sherried whiskies have a different sherry aroma, (and i used a glenfiddich reserve cask to compare the sherriness and got some equal notes) and it wasn't actually glazed pork, but some sort of sherry sweetness that resembles that aroma. Then it opened and i got chocolate, maraschino Cherries, LOTS OF SPICY CINNAMON, black pepper, blackberry marmalade, cherry cola and plum. It sounds like a wonderful aroma but it really lacks some character. On the palate it is a little young and a little harsh. But that was expected. Plum, Young, Pepper, Too oaky and young. Mostly spicy. Sherry young and spicy. Aftertaste is full of Clove and Pepper. Overall for a 8yo whisky, (around $35) its not bad, for a Glendronach you can definitively expect more and i think a fair score for it is 72/100.

I don't think i have rated a 21yo dram this low before. Maybe it got me in a wrong mood (actually i was in "lets drink whisky mood" so that's not it), but this one sure lacks of excitement. For a 46%abv dram, this was very light and dim. On the nose, your typical speysider (did i tell you this one is from highland?): Apple juice, pear juice, very dim, Cinnamon. On the palate is ok i guess. It is not. Its a 21yo dram... it should be better. Cinnamon spice, Apple juice and Ginger. More of the same. Finish is short with ginger spice. Overall, i give this dram a very scary 61 over 100.

Glen Moray is a very traditional distillery in scotland but i have only heard of it when accidentally found a 12yo bottle in Colombia, and since it was a single malt i had to buy it. In whisky live i had the opportunity to taste the 15yo of this very fruity whisky. On the nose it is a very Fruity whisky just as the 12yo, with fresh pears and apples, but this expression also has chocolate and cinnamon. On the palate Dark chocolate, very Creamy And Cereal notes. Finish is short and simple. It is very similar to the 12yo. Overall i give this dram 79 over 100, and it is a normal, not bad dram.

Very rare and discontinued, i found this cheap whisky in a coffee shop in Russia, and searched it on Master of Malt, and there it was. Bottled at 40%abv, with an old gold color. Not much happens on the nose and on the palate but mainly notes are: Nose: Salt Almonds Hazel nut Butter Butterfinger Chocolate Palate: Coffee Nutty flavor Slight chocolate Sherry finish warm not hot Medium finish. Overall is a 60/100, i dont think it is easy to find nor worth it.

Strangely enough, Bunnahabhain core expressions haven't impressed me as much as their cask finishes and special bottlings. The Bunnahabhain Moine is an amazing peaty, yet winey dram that scores greatly in the most important criteria: deliciousness. Bottled at 46.3%abv, it has a pale gold color. On the nose: As soon as you open the bottle, you get this beautiful perfumed peat. Milk chocolate, very very Winey, very Grapey. Heathery peat, thick vanilla. Very sweet with puffs of smoke. Amazing. On the palate, it is a little straightforward, but delicious. First you get this winey sensation infused with pepper. Grapes, Vanilla, marshmallows. It has a very rewarding aftertaste. Medium long, with this grapey / peppery overall finish. Overall this whisky is very balanced, very sweet, with a winey profile that stands over the mild peatiness that this dram offers you. My score for it is a solid, well deserved 92 over 100.

Originally sold only to the japanese market, this four roses have the most beautiful bottle of the whole brand, but regretfully, it is much alike the rest of the bourbons this distillery make, a boring, normal and a little harsh dram. Bottled at 43%abv Vanilla, caramel, banana. Your typical bourbon on the nose. It has a metallic note that is common (for me) in some older bourbons. On the palate, prunes, clove and a mild starting sweetness of toffee. Normal dram. Aftertaste is oaky, spicy. Clove. Not long. Overall, i give this dram a 70 over 100, a normal four roses score.

I bought a mini bottle of this core version of Four Rouses Bourbon which is in mu opinion inferior to the small batch version. Bottled at 40%abv, with a tawny color. On the nose is the typical bourbonish note: caramel, flowers, wet plants, the typical grape bourbon profile but dim, sherry, grapes, slight banana. On the palate, too much water were used to lower the abv to 40% on this one, and starts too "watery", to change into a vanilla, peppery flavor, not too exciting and very boring. Finish is very short with an ashy note. Overall i give this one a 62 over a 100. Move along, Nothing here.

My second Bourbon. It is waaaaaay better than Jim Beam white label. Now that i got that out of my system, i can tell you, it is a fair dram, nothing too special. A little complex maybe, a solid 3.5 out of 5. bottled at 45%abv, with a polished Mahogany Color. On the Nose you will find citrus fruit notes, like grapes, plums, prunes, and lemon. There is something stinky here i dont know what it is, i read someone said "glue", i just dont know what it is. Sometimes it brings back memories from the standard Jack Daniels Old No.7, has the same nose profile, with a little toffee and vanilla if you give it a couple more tries on the nose. On the palate is a changing dram, starts sweet like caramel, inmediately turns hot and spicy, oak and oranges appear to make a bitter finish, which is medium. It is light-medium bodied, and if you add two drops of water it will became chewable with an only candy note on the palate. I believe i am not a great bourbon drinker yet, but i am still thinking this are way inferior to scotch single malts, I have also an Elijah Craig Small Batch, a Blanton's single barrel and a Makers mark 46 waiting to be opened; maybe i will have better luck on those. One other thing, i haven't add Coca Cola on this, but it seems it would fit right on it. In the future i'll give it a try.

My first Fettercairn was this expression, and i think it is an easy going dram, maybe for an everyday whisky, but nothing to die for or remember for a long time. This is not the one you recommend to friends eventhough it is not bad at all. Bottled at 40%abv On the nose it is very fruity, some tropical fruits coming on the nose, Pineapple. I also got Figs and Peach. On the palate, very easy to drink, with the same profile as the nose: pineapple, a very noticeable Winey note, Grape and Peach. It it feels like it has been matured in white wine casks because of the flavor profile. Aftertaste is very clean, easy finish, with mostly grape flavor. Overall this is a normal whisky, very straightforward, but you can enjoy it easily and that is good in my books. My score: 72 over 100.

I will be reviewing all of the core expression of Douglas Laing Blended Whiskies, absolutely the most fun and good looking bottles in the market. I'll start with the most simple one: the epicurean. The story about this epicurean guy that is shown in the bottle is that he was a 1930 person who like the best of food and drinks. This is a blend from lowland malts... pretty interesting. Bottled at 46.2%abv. On the nose: Dry orange cake. Chantilly cream. Raisins. Tobacco. On the palate: very bitter, tobbaco notes and some citric lime notes. Finish medium long, with a very pleasant ginger note. Overall i give this dram a 78 over 100, it is an easy drink even for 46.2%abv. I Love the bottle. Slainte!