Tastes

Color: Golden honey Nose: Sherry, peat, ripe red apples and oranges, malt, hints of vanilla and oak Palate: Peat, sherry, malt, cinnamon, vanilla, oily Finish: Lingering peat and sherry notes with a bit of spice on the tongue. Springbank has to be one of my favorite distilleries. Springbank 10 is one of my go to bottles. Peat up front with a prominent sherry note, this dram clings to the tongue nicely and is well balanced. If you let the juice develop, you’ll find hints of vanilla and cinnamon to round out this beauty.

Color: Butter Yellow Nose: Honey, vanilla, peaty, spice, hints of oak and apples Palate: Vanilla, honey, leather, nice punch of peat, pepper Finish: Rounded finish with lingering peat and hints of pepper This dram definitely diverges from your typical Speyside. It is very well balanced with vanilla and peat as the main attraction. In the backseat you can pick up wonderful hints of leather and pepper. If you’re a newbie to the peat world BenRiach 10 Curiositas is one dram that will definitely challenge your taste buds.

Color: Amber brown Nose: Rye, musty corn, vanilla, oak, baking spice, hint of maraschino cherries and fruits Palate: Sweet corn, oak, rye and the spice that come with it, oily Finish: Easy short finish with soft oak notes and a dash of spice This dram definitely shows it’s refined age on the Buffalo Trace mash bill. It is certainly enjoyable with rich sweet corn and rye notes. I can see the allure Blanton’s presents but, not the price tag. If you can find a bottle around MSRP or a pour between $9- $15 I say go for it.

Nose: Vanilla, oak, dried fruits, cherries, brine, wheat and spice Palate: Vanilla, wheat, oak, dried fruits, spice and oily Finish: Vanilla, oak and hints of spice with a dry finish Old Rip Van Winkle 10 has become one of those unicorns bourbons that are sought after. I can’t find anything distinct in is this dram that justifies the price tag. If you can find a pour between $15 and $25 I’d say go for it. Otherwise, there’s many other bourbons at an affordable price that beat it out.

Nose: Vanilla, baking spice, dried fruits and oak with hints of tobacco and cherries Palate: Oak, vanilla, cinnamon, tobacco and hints of fruit Finish: Rounded finish with oak and hints of spice Makers 46 is for the most part your typical bourbon. There some nice hints of fruit with vanilla and cinnamon ever present. The finish is rounded and doesn’t leave much for you to contemplate.

Nose: honeysuckle, apple juice, malt, oak and tobacco Palate: honeysuckle, apple juice, spice, oak Finish: honeysuckle and oak finish with some lingering spice This dram is refreshing and has an easy finish. Not overly complex and has an awesome price point. Great for a hot day in Arizona.

Nose: fruity, apple juice, ripe citrus, malt, light smoke, spice, tobacco, sherry Palate: apple juice, ripe citrus, malty, spice, smoke Finish: refreshing apple juice with lingering spice and hints of sherry This dram is refreshing and parts ways from the typical Irish Whiskey. With its heavy apple juice influence, light smoke, and a dash of spice I find hard to not like it. GreenSpot definitely could break the barrier of entry for someone looking enter the world of whiskey.

Nose: Vanilla, Oak, spice, dried fruits, hint of tobacco Palate: Vanilla, Oak, hint of spice Finish: Quick wash of sweetness, oak and spice

Nose: campfire, salt air, peat, malt, tobacco Palate: campfire, salt air, peat malt, tobacco, spice Finish: lasting smoke taste with spice note that fades quickly

Nose: vanilla, floral, sweet, oak, malt, spice Palate: vanilla, oak, malt, white pepper, slight brine Finish: vanilla with short peppery finish