Tastes

Nose: vanilla custard, blood orange, honey oats Palate: fruit jam of every flavor, pear, cherry, orange, strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, crème brûlée over honey Finish: what makes this shine, wildly lingering, cinnamon, strawberry jam, marmalade, thin marshmallow around the edges of the taste, black currant, light baking spice Value: A+, a very expensive whiskey however far more complex than anything I’ve ever tasted. This boasts a balanced nose, lovely mouthfeel, and a finish that includes a list of fruit marmalades and berries with some classic vanilla and honey elements to the whiskey. This was a gift from my wife for our wedding and I only drink this every anniversary as this is something to experience beyond savoring.

Nose: vanilla, caramel, condensed milk, white pepper and cinnamon Palate: chocolate cherry, heavy cream, honey baked oats, thin and tea like texture but honey like taste Finish: rye spice, more vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom Value: C- the nose has a bit of rye and sweetness but both the nose and palate is lacking complexity with a palate more like sweet milk than anything. Finish is most definitely short and once again a little sweet with rye and baking spices. Other than being a gateway to more pronounced ryes, this is not quite worth the $

Nose: cereal grains, caramel, ginger, clove, cherries Palate: toffee, sugar roasted almonds, all spice, orange, milk coffee Finish: dry oak, white pepper, lemon, burnt caramel Value: C, As with most Japanese whiskies in the US, this is far overpriced. Picked this bottle up in Switzerland and it is quite delicious with a little complexity but the price tag seems far too steep for a lovely but not life changing dram.

Nose: caramel, toffee, peat, red apple Palate: more caramel, honey, black tea with cream Finish: cinnamon, nutmeg, green apple, clove, vanilla, smoked almonds Value: B+ This scotch has a pleasing balance of peat and caramel flavors with a slightly unimpressive nose. The palate is creamy and the flavor of the finish shines, however it’s not as long lived as I’d like. Not amazing, but quite a decent scotch for only $60.

Nose: toffee, lemon zest, iodine, smoked fish, salted seaweed Palate: cherry, candied fruit, figs Finish: tobacco, peat, honey, lemon pepper dry rub, chocolate Value: A+, this might be the king of peated for me. Yes Ardbeg Uigeadail has a heavier smokiness but the PX maturation gives this an absolutely delightful balance of sweetness and smokiness. The nose is heavy as expected with saltiness and some citrus-like acidity. Take a sip and peat takes over on the finish but wait a minute or two and a chocolate honey flavor will linger. This is what I think people look for when they try to find a smoky yet balanced whiskey. It’s going to be hard for any bottle at this price range to follow.

Nose: Caramel, nougat, sour cherry Palate: sweet cream, vanilla, roasted almonds Finish: black pepper, raisins, plum, burnt caramel Value: B+ At only $50 a bottle this is a sweet, creamy bourbon. The port wine comes in softly on the finish with some notes of dark fruit and makes this a very drinkable go to.

Nose: A bit muted and flat, caramel, sour cherry, a little walnut Palate: very thin peach tea, cane sugar Finish: white pepper, sour cherry and apple, a hint of vanilla Value: C- It’s a quintessential craft distiller whiskey. A bit thin and muted, with a distilling process that could probably be tweaked slightly with a far better outcome in the hands of a true master distiller. The applewood and cherrywood smoke comes out but it’s quite unbalanced and astringent. It’s okay, but it doesn’t beat the big distilling companies ryes.

Nose: caramel drizzle over vanilla ice cream, green apple, lemon zest, honey Palate: immediate banana and orange, followed by red apple and strawberry marmalade Finish: vanilla, baking spices, clove, honeydew, Value: A+, If you wanted to introduce a friend to Irish whiskey this is what I would choose. It has a very silky nose and a palate that tastes like a basket of light fruits with a finish of subtle sweetness and spice. I think the redbreast and this are even with a matter of preference. If you prefer the notes of cinnamon, cereal grain, and baking spices go for redbreast but if you enjoy light fruit and gentle sweetness this is for you. This is about as good of a value you can get for whiskey clocking in at only $50.

Nose: burnt caramel, sour apple, ethanol burn, mild amount of peat, lemon zest, strawberry, chili pepper Palate: caramel, vanilla, hint of dark drapes & fig, burnt toast, black pepper Finish: cinnamon, chili pepper, black pepper, all spice, leather, honey, after a few sips the peat comes on heavier Value: C-, This is definitely young. It drinks with a harsh nose and finish but once you get past the ethanol, a bit of caramel sweetness, lemon, and oaky char comes out. At just under $50 it’s really not on the list to buy. If this was a much more basic and cheap blend I could see it at $35 but for having a “cask finish” there isn’t anything too special here.

Nose: tobacco, mint, leather, caramel Palate: sweet corn, vanilla, honey drizzled on bread Finish: more sweet corn, honey, mint Value: A, This isn’t the most complex bourbon and is probably the lowest quality I would consider drinking straight. The mouthfeel is a bit thin but it has a pleasant hefty nose of leather and tobacco and the finish is short and quite sweet. It’s not complex at all but with such a low price tag in VA it’s easily worth the money.