Tastes

I believe Auchentoshan really tried to do something good here but couldn't accomplish its mission, due to the search of complexity to only find a lot of aromas that don't marry well together. Pale gold color, 40%abv. In the nose is complex, but not all of the notes are likeable (At least for me). Malty, Grassy, Fresh aroma. Barley, Yeast; Reminds me a lot of irish whiskies. Lemon peel after couple of minutes. Corn, Chocolate. It felt like a grain whisky in some parts. On the palate it is a lot let complex, sweet and easy drinkable. Nutty, Chocolate (reese's), Corn, Spicy Pepper. Aftertaste is mostly sweet, like reese's chocolate, very short. Overall, it lacks consistency in some parts, is not a balanced dram. 70 over 100.

I have learned, that i am not an Auchentoshan fan. If im blinded i would even think of it as any 12yo irish whisky. This one is smooth as any other Auchentoshan (because it is triple distilled). Not bad, but you can certainly get something else for your money. Bottled at 40%abv On the nose, i got grassy notes, plum and the purest malted barley. On the palate is oily, a little oak burn with almonds. Mostly malty. Aftertaste is short- medium with ginger spice. Overall this is your average whisky, 71 over 100.

Difficult to rate, more difficult to satisfy all readers on this one, because this is not for everyone. Shining gold color. 46%abv On the nose you get a gentle aroma, not to penetrating, very perfumed for a 14 year old. Some notes i got (after putting my nose to a test): Wet forest; Some type of candy, Butterscotch candy. Hazelnut. Orange peel, and a piece of wood that in Ecuador beaches is popular to repel mosquitos when burned, called "Palo santo", which i took the liberty to search for the english term and i got, lignum vitae (not a term you expect everybody to know). All that gentleness is lost in the palate. Because of its 46% abv, it is Super hot. Oak everywhere. Very woody, tastes like old wood. Finish is long and hot. There is also the sensation of a strong mint coming from your insides when you exhale. Adding a couple of drops of water released a peppery spice, making it more drinkable and pleasant, improving the experience widely. Nevertheless is still hot, still strong. It is so hot like drinking fire. Full bodied, fills your whole mouth. Very Malty, it is not for me, i should not have to add water to really enjoy a dram, that is my way of thinking. I know some people will love it, some will hate it. I found myself doing both.

Definitively not what i expected from one distillery that i usually love, i guess there is a exception for each rule. Well, it is not something that really surprises me, since i am not a fond fan of portwood finishes or maturation. Bottled at 46% abv, a reddish beautiful color. On the nose: Ashtray smoke, Grapefruit. Thick Orange Caramel. The aroma feels dusty / powdered. Mineral water. It actually does not have a powerful aroma. Wet cardboard More Thick caramel after first sip. On the palate it gets a little better, but it is kind of boring. Pepper. Orange Caramel. Port wine sweetness; It is more oaky than winey Very light, easy to drink. It is sweet without any alcohol note. Aftertaste is good, definitively the best oart without been anything special. Nice mouthfeel at the end. Ashy, Ginger; Not overly peated. Overall this is not the best dram i have ever had from this distillery. It is ok at best. 74 over 100, forgettable.

For a cheap blended scotch, actually the cheapest of Antiquary expressions, it is not bad at all. Very standard whisky that works well on they want, that is to reach lots of people who like whisky and they are not intending to really write a review about it. Bottled at 40%abv, very light pale straw color which makes me think no colouring was involved. I respect that in a blend. On the nose, it is pretty decent. Cake, Cereal, custard cream, Pears, Dim chocolate, Dim orange peel. After first sip: grain whisky appears, easy detectable. On the palate it is ok. Vanilla, Pepper, Apples and Honey. Very standard. Aftertaste is not that good. Grain whisky, Maize and Cereal. Overall this is a 72/100 whisky and i think it is fair. For the price is not bad, and could be used for mixers.

Totally dissapointing, i expected more since Aberfeldy 12 was pretty good, but then again i don't have much luck with 18yo whiskies. Bottled at 40%, burnished color. On the nose, processed bananas, peaches, some salt and nothing else. Fruit aromas lead this one. On the palate; smooth, pleasant spicyness, caramel, ginger and ashes. But overall is not that well balanced and kind of boring. Finish is short and spicy; medium body. 73% out of a 100. I would not recommend this one.

Best Single grain whisky i have ever tasted. Period. And it is from South Africa. Actually, one year ago, Bain's Cape Mountain Whisky standard single grain was the winner in World Whiskies Awards 2018. This is the 15yo old version of that one which was a 5yo dram. Bottled at 52.5%abv On the nose, it is quite something. As soon as you remove the cork, Rum and Molasses appear. Vanilla, Grain herbal typical note; Vanilla Cookies. Spiciness. Hard marshmallow (melcocha). Danish cookies (the ones that comes in a metal case). Vanilla ice cream. Super sweet as you can tell. On the palate it has a perfect score. Dulce de leche, toffee, Vainilla; So pleasant and Creamy. The grainy aftertaste is spicy and full of vanilla. Very pleasant, For a grain whisky is great. Overall, this is the most rewarding, sweet grain whisky i have ever had. Totally recommended. 94 over 100. Sláinte!

An english single malt, something that doesn't come close too often. It is as standard as a whisky can be, and that is not a bad thing in this case. This one is called 2014 Odyssey Barley, and it comes from locally grown barley in the cotswolds hills in England. Bottled at 46%abv, with an amber color. On the nose, pretty aromatic. Oranges, Malted barley, Rice, Candied oranges; Ginger. Candied fruits aroma. Yellow apples. After first sip, green apples appear and hints of Honey. On the palate, it is a little dull. Spicy, pepper, Red fruits, Oranges and Syrup. Aftertaste gets a little better, with a light tobacco note; hay; a raw rice overall feeling. Spicy pepper. Overall this is a good dram. Maybe an everyday whisky. Very easy drinkable, the higher abv helps it to have clean flavors and aromas, but it is as standard as a whisky can be. 80 over 100, for a 4yo dram, it is a good deal.

Have you ever heard the phrase "every bourbon is whiskey, but not every whiskey is bourbon"??? Well, that doesn't apply here. This "exception" for the rule is based that nowadays it is legal to call "bourbon" to a distillate that has only matured in an oak cask for only two years. Traditional whisky, (and irish whiskies) are legally required to have at least 3yo of maturation, that is why That Boutique-Y Whisky company has decide to even rebrand the company's name for this one and called it "That Boutique-Y BOURBON Company". Actually this baby comes from a distillery called "Reservoir" in Richmond, Usa. Bottled at 46.6%abv. On the nose, some weird notes for a bourbon appear: raw rice, fresh fields, soap and caramel. It's kind of odd. On the palate, it is very light. With a clear honey note; hay, and some headache pill notes, like those white ones that as soon as you put one in your mouth it starts becoming like dusty when it melts. Aftertaste gets a little grainy note; more of this headache pills note and very grassy. Overall this is something very interesting and different. Personally i would not drink more than one glass from this, but it is not bad and surely is a nice experience. 80/100.

2019 lowland whisky of the year is not always a super great price, since there are only a handful of distilleries in the Scottish lowlands. A relatively new distillery, that uses peat in their expressions. Can the lowland resurrection be true? Lets see... First, this is a technological whisky. What??? Yes. This bottle has a new anti-piracy system that lets you know exactly the cask, the year and the batch of the bottle, giving you the capabilty to say "this one is not fake whisky". Bottled at 48.9%abv. Amber color. On the nose, Peat smoke very dim. Pineapple; Very sweet yellow Apples, Fresh apple juice. Juicy, fruity with hints of smoke, Very interesting. Most accurate pineapple aroma note ever. Lemon has appeared after a while. Very, very fresh and juicy. Peat has become earthy and peppery after a couple of minutes. Apricot after first sip with some saltiness. Pretty complex. On the palate, it wasn't as complex but fairly good. Peat, Toffee, Ashy, Bonfire; Caramel but very watery. Last sip was all toffee. Aftertaste has a nice peat kick. Sulphuric, Burnt grassy fields. Salty and smoky. The pineapple gives it a tropical feeling overall. The empty glass smells like pineapple marmalade its amazing how accurate that aroma is. Overall this is quite surprising and i truly recommend it. 91 over 100.