Tastes

Smoke, vanilla, baking goods, cinnamon

Usually when i review a spirit i have to have it on a couple of occasions to appreciate and compile my experiences. Bourbon mash for the first time splashes the mouth with a fresh taste to the crown line up that’s very different. I really enjoyed having this for the first time based on the experience and flavour. When i returned to this on another evening I didn’t have the same experience, although good in nature, something seemed off putting with this dram. One thing that really stuck out to me was the nose on this. Funny as this may seem, but the faint smell of Iced Tea came about. Taste was fine, but nose wasn’t all there. I have had worse drams and not to say its bad, but there are some other options out there with better quality for $10 more. Experience this if you are a crown fan, but for someone who dabbles across whiskeys, move forward.

Lot 40 Cask Strength: Boyo, where to begin. To start, all reviews are subjective in nature. What tastes good from one person to another is different. Also, someone who drinks whisky neat vs ice or mix will have a different experience. Also, someone who drinks regularly vs. once in a while will experience variations. All options are great, but personally, I drink neat as I’m a believer as to that’s how the Gods of Whiskey would like us to enjoy this nectar. Tasting notes from the first dram are your basic vanilla, caramel, cinnamon and oak. When flexing the nostrils in your second dram you can further exude maple syrup and a bread type. Perhaps sour dough after reviewing other comments. On the front part of the tongue you get some spice of cinnamon and pepper. More of the cinnamon in my opinion, however, the flavour profile is quite robust, yet a short finish. Not a bad thing for a 12 year old whisky. No burn as it goes down the hatch. Perhaps a slight tickle of burn but nothing from what I would consider ghastly. The ABV is an impressive 55% at a 12 year maturity. You’re getting into Godly measures and how cask strength is meant to be enjoyed. The bottle itself is reflective of its tone. Copper style label that sticks out across the bottle that depicts a strong, appealing visual in relation to how it crosses the palate. A true pleasure of a top shelf product. I would have to say this is probably the best Canadian Whisky out there. It beats the pants off any Canadian distiller and is a no brainer to the collection. It puts the 40 creek, Alberta premium and others to shame with its beauty. Bow down to the master of Lot 40: Cask Strength! Baybah baybayyyy!

Another kentucky bourbon that tastes so good it’ll make you slap yo mama. Eagle Rare lives up to its name. The 10 year old bourbon made by Buffalo Trace distilleries carved a niche in the market when making this one. If you are a collector, this is a welcome addition to your top shelf. The well balanced dram is pleasant on the mouth, smooth and is extremely delicious! Cherries and chocolate are at the forefront while toasted brown sugar coat the mouth in the cheek. Leather also comes to the forefront as well. The citrus aspect of orange peel is notable when taking your time to discover. This is a pleasant whiskey that has a 45% abv. Although not highly complex, this is one of great quality with subtlety of discovery on the nose and pallet. The chocolate and cherries remind me of a chocolate eclair / Black Forest cake from Tim Horton’s I would highly recommend to collectors and to always have in your lineup. Those who like to drink for the sake of drinking are better to squander their money on JP Wiser’s Vanilla (finger in mouth).

Ninety. Sigh. There are many ways to enjoy this whiskey. Neat. On the rocks. Chilled in the freezer. Never mixed though. This whisky says on the back of its bottle it is a blend of their 20 year batch. This equates to other whisky of ages blended into it. Make sure you read the fine print on this one to know exactly what you’re getting. It has high doses of vanilla and pours thick. It is super smooth and extremely sweet. Overall i would rank this as a 2 out of 5. The bottle is thick and heavy. I received this as a gift, however, there isn’t much complexity to this whisky and it isn’t something i would ever purchase. Save yourself the trouble and bypass this dram. You’re better off grabbing a bottle of Jack Daniel’s if that’s the case.

Tasting notes are on point when referencing oak, vanilla and cinnamon. The cinnamon doesn't over power the drink, yet a subtle sour mash infused of these ingredients hits home. Bulleit bourbon to me was one of those whiskey's I saw and fell in love with the prohibition style bottle. The char to this drink makes it distinct and easier on the gut in comparison to Jack Daniel's Ole No. 7. That shit causes you to get into drunken style boxing in the garage and someone ends up going ass over tea kettle by a well place recycling bin. A distillers score of 83 / 84 would make sense to me, but a low 3 out of 5 is what i would rate this. It's a great way to test different bourbons and how they compare to others. If you're a beginner in the rhelm of whiskey, then this is the one for you as the price is good and can be mixed in ginger ale, coke or pepsi. Sipping neat provides more dept of course, but not too much depth to return for a second bottle. Cheers,