Tastes

Really underwhelming, given the distiller rating. It's very one note, with vanilla and sweetness on the nose and then not much else. It tastes more like a bourbon to me than a scotch. Can't believe I reviewed this so highly 3 years ago... must be becoming a snob(!)

Great bottle for the price. Nose: campfire by the ocean, lemon zest, pancakes with maple syrup. Medium body, with notes of chlorophenols.

Really nice bottle, especially for the price. Drinks like port--syrupy and sweet, with a little salinity from the abv.

This is an excellent, easy drinking scotch. Nose is subtle, but enough salt, apple strudel with icing, vanilla and cinnamon to make it interesting. Would buy again

One of the more balanced ryes I've tried. Maybe it's the aging, but there's a sweetness to balance out the red hots and woodiness. I'd buy a bottle of this.

Nose: heavily woody like a cedar box, elmer's glue, cabbage. Much more glue with a little water. some red hots. Body: medium Finish: long, with building spicy cinnamon

The bottle I tried was the Teeling Explorers Series: Brazil Edition (12 year, 46%), which is also finished in Amburana wood. Nose: floral perfume, cinnamon apple strudel with icing. confectionary sugar, gram cracker Body: medium Finish: cinnamon apple sauce on the finish I really enjoyed this one--a highlight from our 2022 Advent calendar. Definitely want to find the 14 year version.

The bottle I have is also a 2008 macduff 11, but the "high spirits and the masters of magic" branding from K&L, 46%. Sweet floral nose, with lemon. Medium body. Finish is carbonated, prickly ash, with a return of extra sweetness followed by an astringent aftertaste.

This is my second bottle, and I liked the first better. Wish I had reviewed that one for comparison. This reminds me of Ledaig. Pepper, lemon, ozone, coriander, subtle campfire on the nose. Finish is medium long, with a carbonated taste and a bit of harshness. Would buy again for a tiebreaker.

Nose: Typical Caol Ila ashtray peat, ginger, bananas, salinity. Body: Melon sweetness Finish: long. Sweetness transitions to peaty ash. I'm not a huge Caol Ila fan, because I find the ashtray peat dominates so much that it's one dimensional. This version is similar. Ok but wouldn't buy again.