Tastes
-
So, despite my mostly disappointed experience with Orphan Gifted Horse, this bottle of 20 Year Old Barterhouse has been staring at me from atop the bar challenging me to redeem the Orphan Barrel/Diageo brand. So, I caved in last night and popped the cork on another $90 "rescued" bourbon. This offering comes in at 90.2 proof and is a nice, roasted caramel color while giving off hints of dark, roasted almonds and sweet, maraschino cherries on the nose. There isn't much oak to be found. That's kind of unexpected if this stuff has been truly resting for 20 years. On the tongue, there's some cherry again along with a quite a lot of spicy, peppery oak. That's it, though. I expected a lot more complexity for sure. Even the finish is a bit one-trick pony: bitter burn. I was hoping for some vanilla or something. Nada. Overall, it's better than Gifted Horse, but not by much and it certainly isn't worth $90+. At this point, the only Orphan I've had that lived up to the hype was the 22 year old Rhetoric. Good luck finding that, much less for a reasonable price. 3.25 stars. Keep sippin' elsewhere my friends...
-
Caol Ila 15 Year Unpeated Style (2014 Special Release)
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed March 24, 2017 (edited August 5, 2017)As I drink my way through the last few samples from my friends on the Scotland Distillery Tour, I decided to take a break and open a rarer bottle of something cask strength. Digging through the bar I found this 2014 bottling from Caol Ila. Once a year they distill malt and bottle it at cask strength just to give connoisseurs a peak at something they don't normally make; unpeated whisky. This offering was originally distilled in 1998 and bottled in 2014, making it a well-aged 15 years old. It comes in at a whopping 60.4% ABV and is non-chill filtered. It's also quite pricey- I believe I paid around $160 for this bottle back in early 2016. In the tasting glass it's a beautiful, straw yellow and surprisingly oily. Lots of long legs slide around the Glencairn when you give it a hearty spin. The nose is fairly light with lots of cereal and bread notes with a wisp of herbal flowers. The oak and heat aren't all that present- even after 30min in the glass. The palate is extremely hot. There's not much to detect because it's just so damn hot. I think I get almonds and the herbal notes from the nose and even a bit of saltiness after finishing the dram. The burn from the ABV and first fill, bourbon casks really hangs around will set your tongue ablaze until you quench it with some water. To say there's a long, hot finish is quite the understatement here. Burn so good. Before finishing the entire dram I had to add water to see if there's anything else hidden in there. I gotta say that there isn't much else to it- it finishes a tiny bit sweeter, but the overall flavor profile isn't affected much at all. Overall, it's a big boy dram that doesn't necessarily get past being one dimensional and hot as Hades. It's not your typical Caol Ila and that leaves me somewhat disappointed even though I knew going in there wouldn't be any smoke or peat. I'd stick with what Caol Ila does best before buying this yearly special release again. Cheers. -
The Gifted Horse American Whiskey
Other Whiskey — USA
Reviewed March 22, 2017 (edited June 15, 2020)Well, I paid just over $90 for this rare, "rescued" bourbon from Diageo so I feel like I should give it a proper review. The story behind this is quite the fable- after rescuing some 17-year old bourbon from a recently acquired rack house, the fine folks at Orphan Barrel accidentally dumped in some 4-year old corn whiskey into it and "ruined" the older stock. (39% 17yo and 61% 4yo). But, upon tasting it they realized they had created something much better. (This is the actual story printed on the bottle label). Rolls eyes... Anyway, a quick review as I've plowed through this bottle by using the majority of it as a mixer with Coke. I know, I know- who does that? Someone craving a B&C that couldn't get to the liquor store before it closed- that's who LOL. This comes in at 115 proof and is a dark, caramel color in the Glencairn. The nose is predominately corn with a bit of sweet caramel/toffee and the slightest hint of oak barrel. On the tongue, it's lots of corn and caramel apples. It's not complex at all and washes away with a blast of heat from the ABV. The burn lingers on for awhile as the oak barrel residue hangs around longer than I expected. That saves this from being a complete, one dimensional dud. As a mixer, it was merely an expensive way to drink through an overhyped bottle of rare bourbon. It did get the job done quite well, I might add, as I woke up this morning with what seemed like an entire bag of cotton balls stuffed into my mouth and my head pounding like my local, high school drum line was practicing just outside my bedroom window. Overall, avoid this $30 bourbon with a marketing hyped $60 markup. It's worth a $8-10 try at your local watering hole if you must try these Orphan Barrel offerings. Otherwise, there's a ton of better bourbon available at 1/3 the cost of this one. 3.25 stars. Cheers, my friends. -
Tullamore D.E.W. 12 Year Special Reserve
Blended — Ireland
Reviewed March 17, 2017 (edited May 4, 2024)Because you have to celebrate St. Patrick's Day properly... I picked up this bottle tonight to be all proper. I've had the regular NAS Tullamore Dew, so I felt this was appropriate and relatively cheap to add a new Irish whiskey to my portfolio. This bottle comes in at the standard 40% ABV and is a beautiful, golden yellow in the tasting glass. It makes lots of long, skinny legs when you spin it. On the nose there's a good bit of vanilla and oak tannins. It's kind of shallow and taking in a big whiff doesn't add anything nor does it give off any heat. Ehh. The palate is ridiculously soft with tons of vanilla and a bit of malty sweetness. Again, nothing too harsh or unexpected. The finish is light and quick, making this a totally boring dram. It's as non-offending as an Irish whiskey comes and that makes it crushable on any given day, especially on this Irish holiday. Happy St. Patrick's Day and cheers my Distiller friends. Stay safe and get sauced! -
GlenDronach Tawny Port Finish 15 Year
Single Malt — Highland, Scotland
Reviewed March 13, 2017 (edited March 2, 2019)I'm finally getting around to reviewing the third of three samples I provided for our first round of the Scottish Distillery trade group: GlenDronach 15yo Tawny Port Finish. This highland malt comes in at 46% ABV and is non-chill filtered. It's a shiny, new penny copper in the Glencairn and produces lots of long, skinny legs in the glass when you twirl it. The nose on this thing stretches the definition of complexity to another level. There's honey, freshly cut oak, red berries and my new favorite descriptor- Pop Tarts toaster pastries. Think back to when you were a kid and you cracked apart a fresh, strawberry Pop Tart right out of the toaster. That smell awaits you when you sink your nose down into this whisky. It's incredible. I want to just keep jamming my nose into the Glencairn and remembering my childhood. No, mom, I don't want to wear the corduroy jeans again!!!.... Unfortunately, the palate doesn't deliver on the level that the nose does. There's such a heavy, fresh cut oak note that you really have to push it aside and concentrate to pick up any port barrel flavors. Sadly, I actually couldn't pick up much from the wine casks. If you hold this dram on your tongue, don't introduce any air to it, you can begin to pick up toffee and some red berries, but the base GlenDronach spice takes over so quickly it almost overpowers the entire sip. Almost. The finish is heavy, pepper spice that I've picked up on every GlenDronach whisky I've ever tried, so that was to be expected. It's a long, warm finish that will leave the uninitiated gasping a bit for breath. I like that feeling because it just goes on and on. It actually makes me want to hit the bottle again and again. I'm a GlenDronach junkie, through and through. Despite the lack of actual port wine flavor I want more and more of this. This bottle is almost gone and I will definitely miss it once it is. If you see this bottle on a shelf near you let me know so I can swoop in and buy it all. I'm addicted like that. 4.75 stars. Cheers, my friends and seriously, let me know if this is available near you. I'm tweakin', I'm tweakin'!!! -
Laphroaig Triple Wood
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed March 12, 2017 (edited August 31, 2021)ORIGINAL REVIEW (1/9/16): My first sips of this really overwhelmed my palate: heavy medicinal and leathery tastes were kind of off-putting, but I'm really new to the scene and wasn't prepared for this big, peat bomb. I've went back and visited it over the last week or so and its starting to grow on me. Coming from the craft beer scene I really dig lots and lots of flavor in anything alcoholic that I drink. I hope this one comes around for me and I think, eventually, it will. UPDATED REVIEW (3/12/17): So, I'm revisiting this bottle as part of the Scotland Distillery Trade group that I'm part of. This is the second time I purchased this bottle simply because of my love of Laphroiag. This triple cask matured whisky comes in at 48% ABV, is non chill filtered and has no color added. This bottle routinely runs just shy of $70 here in Virginia. The nose is all Laphroiag smoke, band aid and oak. Lots and lots of wood on the nose. It almost overshadows the smokiness. On the tongue, it's still loaded with peat, campfire ash and smoke there's just a ton of wood cask notes. The pepper spice really sizzles on the top of the tongue and rides the wave into the slightly harsh finish. Imagine sliding a piece of fresh cut oak back and forth across your tongue and then setting it on fire. It's very powerful. I'm not totally opposed to this flavor, but the sensation is a bit off putting. The finish is oily and thick like most Laphroaigs. Overall, this definitely isn't my favorite Laphroiag but I could still drink this when I really want an Islay scotch that's all up in my business. You really need to be in the mood for this one to work. 3.5 stars. Cheers, my friends -
Glen Garioch 12 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed March 12, 2017 (edited October 30, 2020)It's time for another stop on the SDT. This sample was generously supplied by Scott from Long Island. This is the first Glen Garioch (pronounced glen gee ree) whisky I've ever tried, so I have nothing to compare it to. It's a robust 48% ABV and is non chill filtered. It's a deep, golden yellow and doesn't produce much leg action in the tasting glass. A tad oily. The nose has a unique sweet tea and bread aroma that's livened up with a bit of zesty citrus and young oak. On the tongue there's a nice cinnamon flavor that fades into a lemony brine that's ultimately very quenching. The overall finish is medium length, warm with a salted caramel note. It's an interesting dram that is a welcome change of pace for me- it's not too sweet, definitely not hot and finishes very well. I'm not sure what an entire bottle of this runs but I think it adds a nice dimension to any well stocked bar. Dangerously crushable, even at 48%. 3.75 stars. Thanks again, Scott. Cheers. -
Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey
Blended — Ireland
Reviewed March 11, 2017 (edited October 9, 2020)So, I've spent the past week working long (and mostly overnight) hours while battling a head cold. I finally started to feel better late Thursday night and I finally earned a long weekend off. I was literally licking my chops at getting back into my Scottish distillery tour group and pounding down a few samples to catch up. Right on cue, the weather turned brutally cold here in VA, too. Perfect for a weekend indoors and sipping to keep warm. The problem is that I'm not feeling it. Plenty of excellent single malts lined up on the bar and all I find myself doing is mixing cheap whisky with Coca Cola. My palate and my heart just ain't in it. So rather than fight it I decided to roll with it. Thankfully, I think I discovered the perfect mixing dram: Teeling Small Batch (Rum Barrel finished). This thing is perfect with soda. The coconut rum sweetness, the vanilla and oak barrel sweetness and the smoothness of an Irish juice. It melds so damn perfectly. Toss in the fact it's readily available for under $30 and I don't think I'll ever let my home bar go without a bottle. I took a little nip of it neat and all those flavors listed above are just magnified. Coconut, sweet vanilla and the smooth, creamy warmth that's associated with Irish whiskey. If you are a whiskey/rum and Coke type of person you should do yourself a favor and try this. It's the best of both worlds. Even neat, I have to give this one close to 4 stars. Add in the cheap price point and the fact it plays so well with soda and I'm inclined to bump it to a 5. I think it deserves it. Give it a try when you're in the mood to explore. Cheers, my friends. -
Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt
Blended Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed March 3, 2017 (edited March 24, 2019)I decided to open this blended whisky while hanging out with a friend just to have something in front of me while flapping my gums. This is a blend that includes Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Kininvie of unspecified ages. It's a standard 40% and I'm sure is artificially colored. Technically, it's Batch 27. First of all, it smells pretty sweet with little to no oak at all. That's pretty standard, though, for blended scotch. It's got to be as unoffensive as possible for the widest appeal it can get. Unfortunately, that also makes most of them bland. This one suffers the same fate. Boring, uninspired and a bit of a chore to drink. It's very sweet, almost too sweet. I've had many Glenfiddich and a few Balvenie and I don't chalk either of them up as being overly sweet. I guess this is the Kininvie aspect taking center stage? I think I paid around $30 for this bottle, but it's going to take awhile to finish this one off unless I find a mixer that plays well with it. I can't recommend it to anyone that prefers their whisky neat, but as filler it may work just fine. I just have to figure out which one. Cheers, guys. -
So, I'm finally getting around to sampling my first offering from the tour group: Jura 10. I've seen bottle art depicting this offering as Origins 10, but my bottle doesn't indicate anything about Origins. A little research and I believe the bottle I have is a newer blend from the distillery and they chose to drop the wording from the bottle label. Apparently, they dropped some flavor from it, too. It's a standard 40% ABV and is chill filtered and has color added- all strikes against it in my book. It's your typical golden, burnt honey in color and offers only minimal sweet sherry notes on the nose. The bottle says American white oak bourbon casks were used to fully age it and it was finished in Oloroso sherry barrels. The oak used must've been from poorer quality barrel staves because there isn't much spice, pepper or heat detected on the tongue at all. It's so overpowered with sherry and watered down to reach the 40% that it almost tastes like the sweetness is artificial. The finish is medium in length and bitter and I keep topping off my Glencairn simply because I want the bottle gone. It isn't disgusting it just isn't the bottle you want lingering on the bar top because you would certainly not be reaching for it when you crave a dram or two. Therefore, it would just sit there and there are too many great single malts out there for that. So, in essence, this is a bit of a dud. I've had a couple of NAS Jura bottles that were much better than this and that's were I recommend everyone gravitate towards. Leave this 10yo bottle for the uninitiated. Moving on.... Cheers, my friends and apologies to the SDT group I sent this sample to. I'll do better next time.
Results 401-410 of 529 Reviews