Tastes
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Glenfiddich 15 Year Solera Reserve
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed March 20, 2024 (edited March 25, 2024)I like the nose on this bottle. It is rich and fruity for me. I can pick up the Sherry casks. The palette is soft with a honey-like sweetness. I did pick up some subtle baking spice with some nutmeg. At the finish, I got black tea notes. But it wasn't bitter; the honey sweetness carried forward, providing a balanced finish. The finish lingered longer than I expected. I enjoyed GF15. I love the GF branding. The shape of the bottle is great. It is a little expensive, coming in at 120 CAD in my neck of the woods. Overall, It is a balanced whisky from start to finish. 7.75/10 -
The nose is delightful. I got a vanilla sweetness with hints of cherry. It was sweet like candy, reminding me of vanilla/cherry coke. On the palate, it coated my mouth like honey with some spicy sweetness. The finish was short and very smooth, with a touch of heat. Overall, it's good. The sweetness upfront on the nose along with the silky smooth finish makes this dram memorable. 7/10
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On the nose, I find Woodford Reserve has a strong dusty grain/corn note like I’m standing behind the combine while it’s harvesting the field. Ha! It has a lighter grassy tone compared to other bourbons I’ve been drinking recently. I did get some woody oak notes and some very subtle dried fruit notes. On the palate, I found it thin, acidic, and bitter with some subtle spice. I’m only stating what I get because the Disiller reviewer said the opposite, which was surprising how I was getting something so different. The finish is short but pleasant. Overall, once I finish my bottle, I won’t be repurchasing this one. 5/10
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Blanton's Original Single Barrel
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed March 17, 2024 (edited March 25, 2024)I got my first bottle of Blantons through a special release at my local Liquor Mart in Manitoba, Canada. I know there is a lot of hype around this bottle, so I entered with some skepticism. After opening the bottle, which is unique from the rest on my shelf, I was impressed. The nose is rich and sweet with deep, whole notes. I got vanilla, brown sugar, maple syrup, and an oak baseline. Everything on the nose was pleasant. I sometimes get dusty grain notes on bourbon, but it wasn’t present on this dram. The notes on the nose continue into the palette. Rich and full with some good spice. I love the spice, so that was a pleasant surprise. I even got some chocolate truffle along with a sweet corn syrup taste. The finish is warm and smooth with a lingering sweetness. Not long, but not short. Overall, I think it lives up to the hype for me. It is my favourite bourbon to date. If available, this is a bourbon I would have on my shelf all the time. 9/10 -
Laphroaig Quarter Cask
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed March 12, 2024 (edited March 25, 2024)I stumbled upon this bottle, and I'm glad I did. I was at a Lounge, and after glancing at their back shelf, I noticed that Laphroaig Quarter Cask was the only bottle they had that wasn’t a mainstream mixer. I asked to order an ounce neat, and that began my encounter. I’m not overly familiar with peated scotch, but I’ve had Laphroaig 10yr and a few others. I can’t completely recall my L10 experience, but I had a good idea of what to expect from Laphroaig. The nose started how I recall L10, but as I sat with LQC, it began to open up into a very unique experience. I got Peat, Smoke, and Briney notes off the top, evolving into sweet honey floral notes, and then one level further with berry and cherry notes. The palette is a rich experience that coats your mouth with a spicy start. I love the spicy tingle that erupts. A well-balanced mix of smoke and floral sweetness follows that. It's hard to explain, but I would say the sweetness helps balance the harshness of the smoky peat. The finish is smooth. I think the proof point is perfect at 98. It is complete, helping to carry all of the flavour. The smoky, peaty, and salty notes you get at the start come back at the end like a faint breeze fading away over the countryside. Laphroaig does a bang-up job with its branding. The bottle and case are classic. I love how they gave me a little booklet detailing how to claim a sq/ft of islay. It's pretty cool for a Canadian Boy who lives on the prairies, nowhere near an ocean. This will be a bottle that I will be returning to repeatedly. 9.25/10Steinbach Liquor Mart -
I bought this bottle because I wanted to try an Irish Old Fashion cocktail that called for it. The cocktail was good, but when I tried the whiskey neat it wasn't as desirable. The nose is fruity and full. I researched the bottle because I was expecting smoky notes, considering it's called Black Barrel. I found out that ex-sherry barrels were used along with ex-bourbon barrels, which made sense because the jammy, cherry, fruity notes that I often get off sherry casks comes through front and centre. I found it very enjoyable. On the palate, I got some fruity notes from the sherry influence, along with some subtle spice, but not much after that. However, I didn't enjoy the finish. There was a harsh bitterness that's hard to explain. Overall, it's not really my thing. 4.5/10
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My favourite whiskey to date. LOT40 Dark Oak does everything a whiskey should do. It smells great and provides a full smooth tasting experience from beginning to end. I get an immediate menthol rush on the nose, it then dissipates and opens up with fruity maraschino cherry, spice, and charred oak notes. I find that the longer the whiskey sits in my Glen Carin the more the oaky notes start to come to life. I thought it smelt so good during my first experience with the bottle that I took the empty glass and placed it on my night stand, filling my room with subtle oaky notes. A little weird… I get it. I love the spicy explosion on the palette. The combination of spice, cherry and dark chocolate notes is very delightful. To top it off, I was then left with a tingling almost minty cooling effect as the whiskey slowly faded away. I think the branding looks great. It is a classy modern unique look that stands out at the store and on my shelf. The overall experience combined with the value per bottle ($65CAD) makes this a must have on my shelf for as long as it is available. I also love that it is Canadian! Overall: 9.75/10
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Lot 40 Rye Explorations 02 Port Cask Finish Cask Strength
Rye — Canada
Reviewed March 4, 2024 (edited March 25, 2024)I’m a big fan of the LOT40 Dark Oak bottle, so I get excited when the distillery does their special annual LOT40 releases. And I was lucky enough to get my hands on this bottle. The Port Casks are obvious as soon as you get close to the glass. The nose is very fruit forward. My nose thought the glass was full of big juicy berries. After getting through the berries I picked up a strong dusty/musty rye note with subtle oak notes. The palette is fruit forward because of the port influence. It felt to me that the normal LOT40 spicy notes took a back seat to the fruitiness. They’re almost non-existent. The warmth from the higher proof was nice, it isn’t overwhelming, nicely rounding out the experience. The dusty rye is subtle on the palette but pulls to the forefront on the finish, leaving you with a lingering dusty/musty dry note to close off the experience. I’m not a fan of the finish. But I do know some who like the musty/dusty note on Whiskey, so this could be for you. I also didn’t like the special edition branding. If I’m going to pay an extra $40 above the LOT40 Dark Oak and $60 more than the LOT40 Original, I expect a little more, kinda like what LOT40 has done on earlier special releases. I hate to do this because of my love for the LOT40 Dark Oak bottle, but I can only give this special release a 5.5/10. -
I started my LOT40 journey with LOT40 Dark Oak. Dark Oak is one of my favourites to date. I had to pick up the regular Lot40 to see if it measured up for $20CAD less. The nose has a lot of the same similarities between the two bottles. I get a rush of menthol off the top as if you just bit into a piece of excel gum. Once you get past that, I get maraschino cherry, sweet spices, and oak. Not as much oak as I get from the Dark Oak bottle, but it is there once I let the dram sit for a little. The palette is spicy, light, and smooth, with a hint of chocolate. It is very approachable. The spicy warmth lasts longer than expected for me. LOT40 has become my go to for Old Fashions and other whiskey cocktails. I will also use it as an entry point for friends who want to level up from the generic mixers. If you remotely enjoyed this bottle you need to try the Dark Oak version. Overall 6.75/10
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Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye
Canadian — Alberta, Canada
Reviewed March 2, 2024 (edited March 25, 2024)I was initially skeptical when this bottle was first introduced to me. Alberta Premium is known as a mixing whiskey, so how good could it be. But the proof point did catch my attention and if nothing else, it was worth a try because of the alcohol content being over 64%. The nose is good, but it isn’t the best part of the dram. On the nose I initially got a dusty rye smell, which then opened up to a sweet caramel, vanilla, and green apple notes with a touch of cherry and oak. Next is where this whiskey stands out from the others. Once it touches your palette it explodes with power. It’s like a fireworks show of sweet and spice. The liquid coats your mouth and has a warm numbing effect that stays long after your sip. The only reason why I’m not giving this one full marks is because the nose didn’t stand out and I was disappointed with the twist off cap. Otherwise the bottle looks great. To date, this has been my best palette experience with a whiskey. 8.5/1080.0 USD per Bottle
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