Tastes

This was a bonus sample from our final round of the Scottish Distillery Tour. It was provided by @Generously_Paul. This was a bottle we both purchased based on a glowing review from a highly respected reviewer on here. I believe Paul tracked this bottle down in the Netherlands and we paid around $160 for it. Linkwood is a somewhat obscure distillery and this was a 23 year old bottle from independent bottler, Cadenhead. This was bottled at a cask strength of 55.3% and is non-chill filtered with no added color. It’s classic gold in the tasting glass and appears oily with tiny droplets forming when you give it a spin. The nose started out with light florals, vanilla and orchard fruits. I ended up giving this one almost an hour to breathe and a little dose of water to force it to open up further. Once I gave it some H2O I was rewarded with a wonderful raspberry note, grapes, honey and some fresh oak. The aromas wafting from the glass were the highlight of this dram. The palate was immediately way too hot to really enjoy- even after an hour. The ABV really prevented this thing from relaxing much at all. Again, with water, it became a bit sweeter but the heat remained and it was overly woody and harsh. Water didn’t tame this savage beast one bit and I wasn’t about to drown it to make that happen. The finish was medium and spicy while drying. The heat mellowed a bit and became manageable and after adding water it became much fruitier. It took water to save the finish for me. Also, I did thoroughly enjoy the dry glass aromas after finishing the entire sample- I got tons of raspberry notes and that took me back to how much I enjoyed the initial nosing. It shouldn’t have taken an hour to discover, nor should it have needed water at 55%. Overall, to say I had high hopes for this bottle is an understatement. I’m torn when it comes to a score- I want to penalize it for the abrasive mouthfeel and excessive heat, but I really loved the nose and dry glass finish. The nose was 5 stars, but the palate and finish are 2.5-2.75 stars for me. I’m going to compromise and settle on 3.75. I’ve had a few whiskies that were fantastic on the nose and fell apart everywhere else and I still propped them up with higher than average scores, so I think I’ll do the same here. This bottle was pretty limited so I don’t have to recommend buying it because it’ll be so hard to find at this point- I do believe Cadenhead are releasing more Linkwood on a yearly basis, though, so you may be able to find the 24 year old version now. My advice there is buyer beware if you do- and bring water. Cheers, my friends.

I found this extremely well-aged Auchentoshan from an online store out of St. Louis, MO a couple of years ago. The 1988 Wine Cask Finish. It also happens to be a 25 year old. It was initially matured for 8 short years in ex-bourbon casks before being transferred and “finished” in first fill wine barriques from Bordeaux- FOR 17 MORE YEARS. It’s a beautiful, red gold in the tasting glass and makes skinny, fast running legs in the Glencairn. It was bottled at 47.6% and cost me a cool $325. The nose was a nice balance of sweet and floral notes. Red berries and grape sweetness along with some light floral and grassy notes forming after a good bit of time in the taster. There was just the slightest hint of charred oak also hiding out. The palate was rich and ultra smooth, while still allowing the sweet, Lowland-style flavors to remain present. They ultimately took a back seat to the red wine notes and a little bit of heat from the elevated ABV. The dryness crept in towards the back end of the sip, but didn’t hurt the overall mouthfeel- which was creamy and sweet. The finish was soft, but lengthy. The dryness I usually associate with Bordeaux finished whisky was mysteriously absent and this one felt light, yet decadent. The warmth from the spirit also lingered and ultimately made this a bottle I returned to frequently until it was no more. Overall, this is easily the best Auchentoshan I’ve ever had, but that shouldn’t be a surprise based on the length of the finish and overall age. The biggest surprise was how well the distillery’s flavor profile wasn’t overpowered by the wine cask. The light feel and delicate and flowery notes were still there and on display during the entire sip. It’s a testament to the quality casks used and the great, base whisky. Is it worth the price tag? Probably not, but if you are an Auchentoshan or Lowland whisky fan you should really try this one. It’s clearly one of their best. If I take price point out of the equation it’s a 4.5 star malt, the ridiculous price hurts it a bit, but not enough to drop it below 4.25. The craftsmanship here begs me to keep it at 4.5- so I will. Cheers, my friends

I found this bottle while searching for some interesting (and cheap) bottles to add to an international online order I placed a few weeks ago. I recently tried my first Glenturret and found it to be slightly above average, so I added a couple of bottles of these new, NAS releases to my order: Peated, Sherry and Peated (UK). The worldwide Peated NAS is 43%, as opposed to this 40% one. I guess the Brits prefer a softer Glenturret than us, lol. This was deep gold in the tasting glass, with skinny, yet oily legs with heavy drops. The nose was predominantly earthy peat, butter and light BBQ smoke. There was a bready, mealy backbone where the cask notes should’ve been. The palate was killed by the buttery presence- there’s some smoke, but so much butter that it killed any cask notes, any ABV and pretty much any feeling of whisky. There was a smoky bacon aspect on the tail end and into the finish, but not enough to save this floundering dram. The finish was short with weak peat notes and a bit of raw, abrasive oak. It left the mouth feeling dry. Overall, this is a dud. I’m not so sure an increase in ABV will help out here- so I’m not even excited about the worldwide edition bottle that I have- if it’s made from the same stock (which it probably is). Hopefully, the sherry cask version will be a lot friendlier. This is a 2.25-2.5 star offering that I paid just over $50 for and that I can’t recommend to anyone- even the Brits. Sorry.

It’s time, once again, for Laphroaig’s annual Cairdeas release. For 2018 they decided on another type of wine cask finishing- this time it’s Fino cask. It’s bottled at 51.8% ABV, is classic gold in color and has lots of thick, yet undefined legs and tons of beaded water droplets in the Glencairn. The nose has the typical, Laphroaig smoke, iodine and sea salt characteristics with a nice, sweet grape must backbone. The higher ABV indicates youthful spirit but it doesn’t inhibit the fragrance enough to dock the score for it. The palate is smoked BBQ with tangy and sweet fruits. It’s pretty oily and a little biting, but mostly mouth watering (which is an exciting change from the 2016-2017 Cairdeas- they both seemed pretty dry by mid-palate and finish). This is a juicy Laphroaig that immediately reminds me of the Port and Amontillado finished ones. Speaking of finish, this one is thick and warming while being syrupy sweet with hints of vanilla. Again, the mouth coat is astounding and not harsh at all. Even though they probably are still using relatively young juice (7-8 years old) this one feels older and I think it’s because there’s a better balance here. There’s no second guessing the presence of finishing cask notes, as well. It may be my second favorite Cairdeas I’ve tried. I think the Amontillado cask was their best and this and the 2013 Port Wood are neck and neck for second place. These bottles are running around $90 and I’d say they are easily worth the scratch. Locate one or two and find out for yourself. 4.5-4.75 stars. Cheers.

This review is for the re-release of the Moine NAS from Bunnahabhain. This re-issue comes in at 46.3% ABV and not the near cask strength 59%. This is a peated Bunna and is pale gold and oily in the Glencairn. It also makes some heavy, watery droplets and thick, runny legs in the glass. The nose is predominantly chimney smoke and ripe, green apples. There’s a funky, sugary syrup flavor mingling in as well, with some charred oak and salty air qualities. The palate is salty and smoky, with green apples and pears dominating the flavor profile. A hint of fudge appears mid sip. The finish is long, hot and somewhat harsh. There’s chili pepper spice and light menthol notes that linger around once the sip is complete. Overall, it definitely seems young, spirit wise and the flavors don’t seem to meld as well as I had hoped. The smoke notes are fine, but don’t hold a candle to other Islay malts (obviously). While I’m glad that Bunnahabhain makes a peated whisky from time to time, part of me wishes they’d just let the experts on Islay do it and do it right. As is, this is a 2.75-3 star dram and I payed around $70 for this bottle. Not super expensive, but not really a great deal for what’s in the bottle, either. Stick to the regular peat distillers on Islay. Cheers.

This is it. The last distillery sample I need to lay claim to every operating distillery in Scotland (that has an official bottle available). Ironically, we included 3 ghosted distilleries because we found reasonably priced or easily accessible bottles to share. That leads me to Imperial. They made their last juice in 1998 and were demolished in 2013. This is a 21 year old pour provided by The Ultimate Whisky Co and comes in at 46% ABV. It’s light gold in the glass and leaves behind tiny drops when you spin it. The nose is a lot like a sweeter, ex-bourbon cask whisky. There’s fresh cut oak and vanilla with some nice, light citrus in the background. The palate is really oily with lots of vanilla and nutty flavors with hints of toffee and raisins mingling in throughout the entire sip. There’s lemon peel and bits of citrus propping up the back end, too. The finish is medium to long, butter smooth with vanilla and banana notes lingering on and on. Overall, it’s a solid whisky. Thanks to my buddy Pranay for opening this rare beast from his collection. Bottles from this distillery are climbing to ridiculous heights and I don’t think this one is worth anywhere close to what he paid ($200). That said, I’m happy our little group accomplished this feat. By my count it’s 105 samples tried, 3 closed distilleries and a handful that don’t offer anything to the North American market. There was lots of time, money and effort put forward by my friends here: @Generously_Paul, @PBMichiganWolverine, @Telex and @Scott_E for helping make this thing happen. Here’s to hoping we can get together down the road and keep newer distilleries checked off, as well. Cheers.

So, the group sample tour is winding down and coming to a close (at least until the newer Scottish distilleries get a legal product to market). This is the second to last sample I need to close this thing out: Cameronbridge. They are one of the largest grain distilleries in Scotland. This is a 25 year old, independent bottling from The Creative Whisky Company. It’s bottled at 52.9% and was supplied by my friend Pranay, from NJ. It’s a traditional golden yellow in the glass and appears oily with lots of thick legs when you twirl it up. The nose is initially very hot- I had to let this one set for quite some time before I could detect anything other than peppery grain and heat. With time, I got some brown sugar, vanilla, light citrus and faint oak. The palate is your typical grain style- pepper and oak with underlying cereal notes and a bit of tropical fruit and vanilla. The harshness has definitely faded and it’s actually quite smooth. The depth of flavors doesn’t really hang around- even with all the time in the glass. The heat comes through hard after mid sip and reminds me I’m drinking a high ABV whisky. The finish is long and steadily warming. Again, I didn’t get much complexity of flavor but it is grain, so that’s understandable. It remains smooth and that’s probably the highlight of this dram. For a single grain- I’ll take it. Overall, it’s nothing earth shattering, but I can see why it makes a great component in blends and given this well-aged sample I’ll happily admit it stands well on its own. Thanks again, @PBMichiganWolverine- I really liked this one. 3.5 stars. Cheers.

This is a non-USA, travel retail exclusive that I added to an international order to help justify shipping costs. This 17 year old was supposedly aged in ex-bourbon oak casks. It’s antique gold in the taster, with heavy droplets and thick legs. The nose is lightly smoked and sulphuric- very reminiscent of a lot of Bowmore’s younger, core releases. There’s some toffee and cinnamon with some nice oak cask notes providing the backbone. The palate is malty, with caramel/toffee notes and a decent smoke wrapping things up. The finish is unfortunately short and malty with a surprising absence of barrel character. Overall, the name White Sands had me expecting briny and ocean salt notes, but none of that appeared here at all. It’s just a semi-boring Bowmore that feels more like a money grab than a special release. It suffers from the biggest complaint I can muster with Bowmore- sulphuric flavors due to lower ABV. It seems like every high-proof offering I’ve had from these guys does a great job of adding character while hiding the sulphuric notes. This falls victim to the same issue for me. 3 stars and at $82 for a bottle- it’s a hard pass. Cheers, my friends.

This is the newest, core bottle from Smooth Ambler, out of Maxwelton WV. This is their “wheater” and I believe it is the first SA release that doesn’t use any sourced whiskey from Indiana contract distillery, MGP. This is bottled at 50% and runs a cool $55 at the distillery. I haven’t seen it on shelves here in Virginia, so I’m glad I grabbed a couple of bottles while visiting family a few weeks ago. This bottle was from Batch 19 and is dark amber/copper in the Glencairn. It’s pretty oily and makes some heavy legs in the glass. The nose is pretty uneventful- even after 20-30min: there’s no barrel, no ABV heat and very weak vanilla and/or sweetness. That’s not a good way to start things off. Happily, the palate picks up the proverbial pace with nice, sweet wheat and cinnamon while coming on strong and a bit harsh. That’s odd for a wheater for sure, but after the faint nose it needs a kick in the pants and this delivers. The finish is long and spicy with lots of warming, woody notes while ending somewhat smooth on the tongue and throat. Overall, it’s rough around the edges for a wheat whiskey, but it still delivers where it counts: flavor profile. This one ran a bit on the expensive side at $55 at the distillery. I’m not sure it’s worth that price but I still recommend giving it a try. Maybe find it at a local bar before splurging on a full bottle for yourself. 3.5 stars. Cheers.

So, I picked up a fresh batch of Smooth Ambler’s core range bottles while visiting my dad in West Virginia a couple of weeks ago. I’ve had multiple bottles of Contradiction before and I really enjoy it as a mixer. This latest batch (#126) is from the new recipe where they’ve decided to reduce the ABV from 50 to 46%. Stretching the product, I suppose. The cute Smooth Ambler bartender tried to tell me they spoke with fans and industry experts that asked for the reduction in ABV to make smoother cocktails. I rolled my eyes, too... Anyway, I still love this stuff. It’s a beautiful, shiny copper in the taster and you’ll get some watery legs and big droplets if you like spinning your whiskey like I do. The nose is vanilla and fresh cut oak with light rye and dill spice hiding in the background. The palate follows suit, but is definitely more wood heavy. The vanilla breaks up any harshness you might find and there are sticky and peppery rye notes holding everything together. The mouthfeel is pretty rich and slightly oily, but I definitely notice a reduction in heat from the aforementioned 50% ABV version. The finish is still long and spicy, which is what makes this blend so good IMHO. The lingering heat and wood notes close out a very good neat drinking experience, while providing some great bite when mixing my bourbon and coke cocktails. Overall, I can’t say I’m thrilled over the reduction in ABV (esp without a reduction in bottle price), but you really wont notice it in your favorite cocktail and if the cute bartender is correct- not many people drink this one neat, so there’s not a reason to worry about losing customers over cutting the ABV. It’s still a solid 3.5-3.75 star dram for me, mixer or straight out of the bottle WV-style! Pick up a bottle if you see it locally for less than $45. Cheers.