Tastes

Color: White wine Nose: Pungent peat, with a fruitiness under, pineapple, lemon zest, and cinnamon. Pallet: Strong ashy taste, burnt sugar, subtle tropical fruit undertones, with oak spice, and white pepper. Finish: Char, ash, and tropical fruits. Long lasting Nose 2: Smoke gives away to a stronger pina colada smell, coconut and pineapple dominating. This is balanced at the extremes. The smoke at first is what is showcased with the fruity flavors hanging in the back. The Pallet then switches from char and ash to sweet and fruity, with the finish having a slight smokiness to it but fruits dominating the finish. After the pallet taste the smoky ash and char to the nose loses the edge of peat and a pina colada is all I can smell. This also drinks well below its proof.

Nose: Toffee, chocolate, ripe gala apples, caramel, this smells very sweet. Reminds me of a candy shop. Only thing missing is some salt water taffy. Taste: Caramel dipped gala apple, cinnimon and oak build in, but I can hold this in my mouth all day. Finish: Strong oak finish, slight chocolate note as the finish lingers. Medium long finish. Notes: I picked this up almost 3 years ago before my 30 year birthday. This bottle is just under halfway finished, and has improved from being open. The price is also amazing for the age.

Color: Pale, watery gold. Nose: Tropical fruits, pineapple, coconut, slight lime, sweet, slight oak spice in the back. Pallet: Juicy giving way to oak spice Tropical fruits, and red fruits come through Finish: Char, oak, slight astringent sweetness, very short finish.

This bottle is from the bottom of the barrel, and has barrel char sediment in the bottom of the bottle. Kind of cool. The bottle has been open for about a year, but still very full because I did not enjoy it when I first opened it. Time to revisit. Color: Very pale gold. The young age really shows in the color. Nose: Nail polish remove, char, little bit of an apple smell, and a touch of rye. This smells young and harsh. I am pretty sure the char note is from the particulates in the bottom of the bottle even though it was settled when I poured it. Pallet: Watery and thin, slight fruit builds in, but is quickly overshadowed by oak spice and rye that is then dominated by a smokey char. Finish: Char stays around for a while giving way to a slightly unpleasant astringency. The finish is very short. Notes: I would not suggest this whiskey to anyone... There are so many better rye options. Mitcher's, Knob Creek, and Baby Sazerac just to name a few. All three are better quality at or less than the same price.

Color: Gold Nose: Honey, cinnamon, plums, very sweet smelling. Pallet: slightly oily mouth feel, honey, cinnamon, red grape skin, oak spice. Finish: Oak spice giving way to dark chocolate undertones, medium length finish. Notes: Very fine sherry aged scotch more on the spice side. Oak and spice dominate the finish. The dark fruit that I normally associate with sherry is not as dominate, but is present. Very solid dram, and delicious on the nose. The price has gone up since I purchased this bottle, and would not buy at the new price.

Color: Reddish amber Nose: Honey glazed red fruits on an oak slab sprinkled with cinnamon and vanilla bean. A slight undertone of milk chocolate. This is divine. Pallet: Light and oily, chocolate, oak spice, less fruity than I would expect, undertone of honey and cinnamon. Finish: Long Oak, slight smoke/barrel char. Solid finish, but lacks in character. The nose hold all the flavors, and some of those flavors disappear on the pallet, and then more disappear on the finish. This whisky does what it does well, but I would rather have the 16 year as it hits on more notes that I enjoy more. Mainly the fruity and chocolaty. This is still a solid whisky and would buy another bottle when mine runs out, but I would not go looking for it (it is not in local ABC stores) and could do with out.

Today is 12/5/18. 85 years ago today in 1933 the 21's Amendment was ratified ending Prohibition. I am on a Scotch kick... so I decided to sample my bottle of Glenfiddich 14, which is finished in New American Oak barrels. Color: Pale gold Nose: Caramel, green apple, cinnamon, dustyness, oak, a touch of maple. Pallet: Caramel, honey, oak spice grows, green apple sourness, Finish: Sweetness, malt, oak, char, slightly astringent medium-short length

Tasting in a small snifter. Color: Mellow gold Nose: Stewed apple, cinnamon, red grape skin, faint smoke. Pallet: campfire ash, stewed fruit, cherry, oak, cinnamon, nutmeg Finish: Light smoke, oak spice, medium length finish. This is a gem for those who want something with a smoked fruity nose and pallet this is worth picking up.

Johnnie Walker Green Label. A 15 year Blended Malt. In my opinion the best Johnnie Walker in the base line. All other Johnnie Walkers in the base line are Blended Scotch. This means that it also contains cheap grain whisky. Green Label is 100% Malted Barley. It is a blend of Single Malts with no grain whisky aged at least 15 years. Color: Amber Nose: Granny smith apples, a touch of ash, clove, honey, honey dew melon. Lovely. Pallet: Barrel char, honey, gala apple, oak spice, thin but rich (flavors are bold, but it does not feel thick) Finish: Long smoke filled finish, charred oak, and a honey sweetness Not complex, but still has a great flavor profile.

Tasting while listening to Beethoven's Symphony No.9 Color: Pale Gold Nose: Bright and vibrant, citrus, lemon, and orange, hints of clove and cinnamon. A touch of fresh tropical fruit sweetness below that. Pineapple and coconut. Taste: Starts soft but builds up a oak spice quickly with flavors of citrus fruits shinning through. Quite watery with not much body. Finish: Bitter oak, and peppery spice linger with hints of lemon zest hanging on. Notes: This is not a very complex dram, but what it does it does very well. It is soft, easy, fruity, and a very good price. This is one that will be on my shelf all the time.