Tastes
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Kilkerran Work in Progress #5 Sherry Wood
Single Malt — Campbeltown, Scotland
Reviewed February 27, 2017 (edited August 5, 2017)** This review is for the 7th Release of the WIP Series, not the 5th. It was the Sherry Wood variant however. Distiller's professional reviewers need to drink faster...LOL ** It's time for my second sample from the SDT group: Kilkerran (Glengyle Distillery) Work In Progress 7th Release Sherry Wood. Whew, what a mouthful. This sample was also provided to me by my friend, Ryan. This is 11 year old juice that was distilled in 2004 and bottled in 2015. It is the last batch from the WIP series before the distillery releases their standard 12 year old whisky. The WIP ran in successive years and was broken down into 2 variations: Sherry Wood and Ex-Bourbon wood. I'm assuming the regular 12 year will be an in-house blend of these 2 continuously aging cask lines, but the WIP series is definitely finished. So, in effect, this is somewhat collectible. It comes in at 46% ABV and has color added. Thanks again for sharing, Ryan. On the nose, it's pleasantly citrusy with a very light dose of apple hanging around the lightly peated, sherried wood. It's a bit on the sweeter side, but still pretty light overall on the nose. The mouthfeel is very oily, almost cough syrup consistency with more zesty citrus and sweet sherry coming through. Another tiny hit of peat and sea salt liven it up just a bit to put the cough syrup feeling in check. It's enjoyable and not overbearing at all. The finish is light. Light everything: oak spices, peat and smoke. There's little to no burn at all and for that I have to deduct a bit- it needs to remind you that you're drinking whisky and it kind of doesn't do that as it is. An experienced drinker could chug this from the bottle. #coughLeeGcough. Overall, I like sherried scotch and this one still checks all the right boxes for me. It could use a bit of refinement, but I guess that's why it was called a work in progress. Judging by the 12 year old I've had, they've tightened things up over there in Campbeltown quite well, so it's all good IMHO. 3.75 stars. Cheers, y'all. -
Oban Little Bay
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed February 26, 2017 (edited January 20, 2020)Okay, my first sample from the Scotland Distillery Trade group is officially in the books. This one was graciously supplied by my friend Ryan. It's 43% alcohol, non-chill filtered but I believe there is color added to this NAS offering. This bottle runs just north of $50 and is a steal IMO. One funny thing I feel like pointing out first, though, is the name. Apparently Oban translates to "little bay" in Gaelic. So, in essence, this could've been called Oban Oban. I just found that a bit funny. Moving on. I had the pleasure of trying this beside a sample of the Oban 18 year old just to see if the bloodlines run connected. That was were I made a startling discovery- but more on that later... The nose is beautifully complex: toffee, extra sweet honey, peaches and a hearty oak presence. They all swirl around wonderfully in the glass. I'm liking where this is heading. The palate is loaded (like the 18yo) with crisp, green apples, juicy apricots and pears all in front of a backdrop of lively, young oak. It's just peppery enough to keep the sweetness in check. This all just works so well together and fades into an incredible finish. It's got a tropical feel to it at first, as all the orchard fruits fall away, but it finishes long, spicy and a tad bit syrupy. This is where I was taken by surprise- the Little Bay and the 18yo look identical, smell very similar and actually have a very close flavor profile. The Little Bay is a bit more lively due to the smaller, ex-bourbon casks used. The exposure to those barrels really adds a kick to an already excellent dram. So, while this was an excellent way to kick off my journey with my new trading group, I'm disappointed in the fact that Little Bay overshadows its bigger, older brothers (the 14 & 18 year olds). If you factor in the price it's even more of a shock to me. Overall, if you guys are in the market for an Oban bottle, pony up the extra $5-6 over the 14yo and pocket the $65-70 savings from the 18yo, and drink the best of the trio- the Oban Oban. Trust me, this is a no brainer. This is a perfect example of bigger not always being better. Cheers, my friends. -
I've spent the last few days entertaining family and letting them explore the dark side of whisky- Islay, peated scotch. So, finally, after two days and 6-7 drams my dad spoke up "Son, do you have anything that doesn't taste like licking charcoal?". Yeah, dad, yeah I do.... Oban 18 year old (Limited Edition). It's a slightly elevated 43% alcohol by volume and is a beautiful deep gold in color. The nose is incredibly complex: with toffee/caramel covered apples and orchard fruit. The fresh oak barrel sneaks in and brings a tidal wave of vanilla and peppered spice. It makes you just want to lean in and take a bite. The palate opens up soft, sweet and smooth before turning on you a bit with a nice pop of spice. The barrel comes charging in and really wakes your mouth up- bitter and hot. But, in a flash, it's gone and the slightly oily feel coats your tongue and preps you for the medium length, semi-dry finish. This rollercoaster of sweet, smooth, bitter, spicy hot, oily to dry really is a bit out of control from start to finish, but it does leave you wanting more. This is one extremely enjoyable dram. Overall, it's miles above the 14 year old and a true highlight from the West Highlands. The price leaves a bit to be desired (I think I paid around $130), but it's certainly worth a try. A solid 4.25 stars. Cheers.
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While I'm waiting around for this mysterious SDT Group to begin I have to open something to keep my thirst fully quenched. So why not open something local and hope for the best. This is Virginia's own Copper Fox distilled, Wasmund's Single Malt. It's named after the distillery's master distiller, Rick Wasmund. It's a single malt that appears to be continually aging while they pull casks every few months for bottling. My bottle has aged 18 months and cost a relatively affordable $45. The first thing I notice is the weird aromas wafting from the taster. Sweet and spicy wood notes, potpourri. There's an antiseptic vibe coming off it when you get in close. It's a bit offputting. I actually hope it tastes nothing like it smells. On the tongue, there's a good bit of cherry sweetness and a decent amount of smoke. Unfortunately, there's no balance to it. It's like there's 2 whiskies in your mouth simultaneously and as you swish it around in your mouth they separate and fight for dominance. I don't really like that at all. It also tastes and feels young (because it is) and a bit too light. The finish is pretty quick with that Luedens cherry cough drop flavor, borderline artificial, and a hint of the antiseptic bitterness. I'm glad it's over fast, for sure. Overall, it's too weird and abrasive for my tastes. Maybe it needs a full, scotch-length's age over 3 or more years to mellow it out. Something tells me those flavors may never calm down to a level I'd be happy with, though. So, it's a dud IMO. It's gonna take me awhile to finish this bottle off for sure. It looks like my trading partners may be getting another surprise sample from me, as well. Hahaha. Cheers. (J/k- I would never knowingly send out bad whisky)
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The story and name behind this NAS offering is very reminiscent of the old moonshiners from the American South: Islanders waiting until the cover of darkness along the rocky coasts of Islay to run supplies onshore for the distilling of fresh "hooch". Ardbeg says this is the darkest whisky they've ever released and from what I've seen they are correct. Instead of the typical, straw yellow this one is a deeper, golden color. It's oily and produces a ton of long, skinny legs on the Glencairn. It smells just like every other Ardbeg: salty and smoky, albeit a bit sweeter. The smoke is, at first, restrained on the tongue. The sherry cask influence takes the stage, front and center, which is a bit different from most other Ardbegs I've had. It feels like a melted toffee candy has been folded inside an oily rag that was used to tamp out a campfire. Very rich, but not overly complex. The finish is also muted, for an Ardbeg, but incredibly smooth. The smoke is complimented by a slight bitterness and heat so that it doesn't just wash away. It lingers on until the burn from the alcohol evaporates. Overall, I don't necessarily think this was a big departure from your standard Ardbeg offering. It's not experimentally blended like Uigeadail or Corryvreckan, it's on par with the 10 year old. Which begs the question "why was this a special release?". It would make sense if this was whisky that's younger than 10 years and they are trying to get some NAS product out there that's more on par with the base juice. That's where this "fails"- I shouldn't have to pay $100 for something so close to the 10 year old in flavor. It's good stuff, just too boring for a special release. I think that's why it's still sitting on a lot of store shelves. I wish I had left it there as well. The 10 year is a 4 star whisky to me, so I'm subtracting 1 because I had to pay way too much for this bottle. I think that's fair. Cheers, my friends.
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Another bourbon I consumed in a flurry of day drinking after working overnight. It was generously supplied by my buddy, Ryan. Many thanks, bro. I really enjoyed the small batch and sweet wheat offering from 1792, and I thoroughly love port finished, single malt scotch so I was really, really excited to try this one. Sadly, I don't think it was finished for very long or the Port casks weren't of the best quality. It's a testament to how good the base whiskey is that I'm still inclined to give it a solid score because I didn't get much (if any) Port wine notes. It's sweet, but so was the sweet wheat, it's pretty smooth, but so was the small batch, so where does that leave this? It's a tasty bourbon, that's where. I could've kept topping off the tasting glass and lost count of pours quite easily. That speaks volumes about 1792 as a whole. Whether or not you need the batch variations is a matter of personal choice and depth of your wallet. You can't go wrong by picking this or any other 1792 offerings IMO. Go get one or two and see for yourself. Cheers.
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