Tastes
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The second 50ml sample of the evening was generously supplied by a friend as part of a surprise Christmas gift. This Irish whisky is only available in a few states in the upper mid-West: 2 Gingers. It also comes in the standard 80 proof and is a clear, straw yellow in color. Like most Irish whiskies it also appears to be very light. The nose pops with a lively citrus and honey mixture. There's a faint bit of oak if you really inhale it deeply, but it's very light. On the palate it's a a tad sweet and malty. There's nothing that jumps out at you through the entire sip. A bit of a slight burn from the oak washes it away rather cleanly. The finish is medium in length, warm but non-offending. There's nothing outstanding about it when drinking it neat, but I could see it adding a bit of citrus to any mixed cocktail you choose to add it to. I don't really drink mixed drinks using whiskey so I don't see myself needing a full bottle, but it was nice to review it neat and add it to my review catalog. Cheers and thanks to Paul for the awesome Christmas gift.
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Oh, the weather outside is frightful...so I guess I'm stuck inside with a few 50ml samples to try. First up: Canadian blend J.P. Wiser's Rye. It's your standard 80 proof and looks really clean in the Glencairn. I'm not sure what a full bottle costs, but I doubt it's really expensive. The nose consists of everything you expect from a blended, rye whiskey: oak, peppers and a hint of vanilla. No surprises here, except maybe that they are all a bit muted. On the tongue it's quite enjoyable, especially for a rye (not my favorite style of whiskey by a long shot). There's lots of vanilla and oak present, while the pepper and cinnamon notes take a back seat. The finish is quick and to the point. Smooth and creamy with no kick. Very seldom do I find myself enjoying rye (or Canadian) whiskies. It seems like I always end up recommending them as mixers and that's about it. This one actually stands up on its own when neat and I can really appreciate that. This might be my favorite Canadian whiskey to date. Cheers.
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The Oamaruvian Cask Strength DoubleWood 16 Year
Single Grain — South Island, New Zealand
Reviewed December 15, 2016 (edited February 16, 2020)...and now for something extremely rare and a bit weird: The Omaruvian. It's a single grain whisky from New Zealand that was aged 6 years in ex-American oak and then finished for an astonishing 10 years in New Zealand red wine casks. It was distilled in 1999 and the distillery is now defunct. It's cask strength and comes in at a whopping 116.8 proof. The bottle originally sold for around $95 and it was never available in the U.S. I obtained this 1oz sample from a new friend that travels extensively. There's no way I'd have ever been able to get this rarity any other way. In the nosing glass it simply looks like a pour of red wine. It's beautiful and it's already filling the room with cherry and strawberry fruitiness. When I stick my nose in and inhale deeply there's a robust kick of oak barrel before the red wine overpowers it. Very nice. That first sip packs a wallop- there's a hit of sweet grapes, but the oak and heat from the alcohol just clears the room. The overwhelming dryness doesn't allow anything to hang around more than a second or two before it just takes your breath and sets your nose on fire. It's unavoidable. I've got to add water and try to tame this beast before the sample is all gone... The water really kicks up the grapes on the nose in an unbelievable way. I don't want to finish this- I just want to sit here and smell it. I'm not a wine drinker at all, but I have slowly begun to appreciate single malts with wine barrel finishes. I'm liking them more and more and this takes that to an incredible level. The water really did the trick on the palate, as well. Tons and tons of cherries, strawberries and grapes just wash over the tongue and explode with flavor. The finish is, of course, very dry and that's the only shortcoming I can find. It leaves your whole mouth dry while warming you to the core. I would love, love, love to have an entire bottle of this to savor for as long as I could hold out on finishing it. The rarity just makes me yearn for it even more. Great stuff. A big thanks to Pranay for providing me with this sample. To say that I thoroughly enjoyed it would be an understatement. Cheers. -
Glenmorangie Milsean
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed December 15, 2016 (edited August 5, 2017)After a cold night at work and heading into my only weekend off for the entire month of December, it's time to open something new. I've got a few more smoked scotch open right now so I need to balance the bar a bit. Time for something non-Macallan, and sweet. The Glenmorangie Milsean Private Edition. It comes in at a robust 92 proof and if I recall correctly I paid just over $100 online for this bottle back in the spring of 2016. It's a vibrant, golden yellow and leaves very oily, long legs in the tasting glass. The nose seems very familiar- lots of candied corn, cotton candy and vanilla and it's so sweet there's no oak barrel left to detect. It smells like an above average, American bourbon. Interesting. The first sip is more candy corn and milky powdered sugar that hangs onto the tongue for what seems like an eternity. I think I felt a new cavity forming. This is way too sweet. The finish does bring a bit of a welcoming burn of toasted oak to wash all the candy away, but even that seems a little muted. Just a quick flash of heat and oak and then it winds out with more sugary residue clinging to the tongue. It's so ridiculous that it seems like artificial sweetener- and not at all in a good way. I added a bit of water (more than just a drop) to see if I can break the sweetness up and reveal something else- it did nothing to the nose, but did allow the oak to come through a bit more on the tongue and finish. Thankfully. Final thoughts are that maybe this is their impression of an American bourbon, but based on the high price point and the fake tasting candied profile, it is a fail. There are $30 bourbons in this country that would beat this whisky on the playground and steal it's lunch money. Sadly, this is another dud IMO from 'Morangie. I'm at the point with this place that I only want small doses of Quintan Ruban and La Santa going forward. I've spent a decent amount of money on this distillery and I've had too many duds to recommend them and no desire to try their new offerings. Live and learn, I guess. 2.75 stars. Cheers, friends. -
So, I was finally able to land a bottle of the newest, rare release from Ardbeg by using the online rare and limited program here in Virginia. I've been really excited to try this since reading about it a few months ago. This is the Ardbeg 21 Year. It's a slightly elevated 92 proof and is non-chill filtered with no color added. It's limited to less than 8,300 bottles worldwide and I keep telling myself I got it for a very reasonable $425. I've seen it selling online for between $500-600. In the Glencairn it's a sparkling, straw yellow and it appears very oily. Upon giving it a swirl it produces a thick oil slick all the way around the glass before returning to the bottom sporting long, thin legs. I've let it rest about 20 minutes and it's still smelling rather one dimensional- vibrant oak. There isn't much peat showing up, but I think that's mainly because of the age. It has started to fade dramatically. The first sip really coats the tongue and slides into all the corners of your mouth. The signature peat finally appears and actually is quite prominent. Mid-sip it explodes with rye pepper and oak spices. A bit of vanilla cools things until the bit of heat arrives on the finish. Speaking of finish, it's a leathery rye bite that, despite being kind of short, still feels oily. It's incredibly smooth, no doubt. It's not overly complex, which is another thing I'm assuming gets lost with age and the lack of blending various finishing casks into it like their recent NAS bottlings. It's a peaty, rye bourbon-like single malt. And it's a damn good one. The story behind this release also adds to the overall experience. These casks were stored away while the distillery was on its last legs and in between owners. Almost lost to antiquity. I'm glad I was able to get my hands on this one and revel in the success that Ardbeg has become while getting a taste from when that really wasn't so. Do yourself a favor and grab a taste or bottle when you see it. It's truly more than just a dram, it's an experience and a testament to perseverance. Cheers, my friends.
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Talisker Distillers Edition
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed December 7, 2016 (edited January 13, 2018)I'm in a new, smoky scotch kind of mood tonight so I busted open my Talisker Distiller's Edition from 2014. It's a precocious pre-teen 11 year old and was "Double Matured" in Amoroso sherry casks. It was bottled at a rather robust 91.6 proof. It's 3am here on the east coast and my insomnia is daring me to "bring it". On the nose there's a nice stone fruit sweetness that's masking the peaty smoke and brine. A hint of dark cherry leads into a hit of lively oak barrel. To a bit of a surprise there's an odd smell that triggers the memories of the cherry NyQuil I was chugging last week as I tried to get over a head cold. As I take that first sip I get a nice rush of cherries and dark, bitter chocolate. Before I can really savor it the overwhelming wash of oak and heat from the alcohol rinse all the sweetness away. Too quickly, I might add. Dammit. The sea salt and peat comes on fast and a bit harsh IMO. This Talisker is really "in your face" and out to make a statement, I think. I guess I expected the DE variation to be a mellow, restrained example of the 10 year old but this really demands all of your senses and attention. There's not a damn thing wrong with that, but to say I wasn't expecting that is an understatement. I don't know how to rate this right now so I'm gonna go middle of the road and come back to it when my head is right. Lol. Cheers. -
Tomatin 14 Year Port Casks
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed December 3, 2016 (edited August 5, 2017)It's time I reviewed another scotch from a dark horse favorite of mine: Tomatin. These guys have quickly climbed the ranks of my all-time favorite whiskies. The fact they offer more great vintages and experimental finishes while keeping their median prices in the $45-60 range is icing on the proverbial spice cake. So, let's get into the 14 year old version that was finished in tawny port wine casks. It comes in at a slightly elevated 92 proof and the 750ml bottle cost me a cool $55 online. The aroma is filled to the brim with red berry sweetness: juicy red raspberries and dark cherry with just a hint of plum. There's a faint bit of toffee and butterscotch but no oak presence at all. This was finished in port barrels for just over a year so there's also a nice red wine tint that deepens and enriches the normal straw yellow whisky. It looks really inviting and smells very sweet. On the tongue there's a remarkable amount of dark fruit. It reminds me of a really potent fruit punch from my childhood. Some might think it's too fruity, but I'm really digging it. There's a gigantic blast of heat towards the end from the alcohol to remind you it's whisky and not Hi-C fruit punch you're drinking and that's actually quite welcome. It's a bit harsh for being 14 years old (I'm basing that off the fact I thought the 12 year was reasonably smooth). Still, this is clearly a dessert dram for sure. The finish is hotter than I expected, but damn if the fruit just lingers and lingers. It's quite enjoyable. It's medium in length and maintains its warmth longer than I expected. This is another winning Tomatin IMO. It would probably work better in the springtime as a nice homage to the changing of seasons from cold to warm, so I may let this bottle hang around through the holidays and return to it on those unseasonably warm Feb & March evenings. If you see this one sitting on shelves near you don't hesitate to give it a try. At less than $60 you won't be disappointed. It's better than a lot of higher priced Highland single malts that cost $10-20 more a bottle. More like 4.25 stars. Cheers. -
BenRiach Solstice 2nd Edition 17 Year
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed November 19, 2016 (edited December 28, 2020)I decided to try another BenRiach based on my friend Paul's recommendation so I decide to splurge on a higher end, older bottle from their heavily peated, Solstice Series. This 17 year old replaces the 15 year and comes in at a nice, rounded 100 proof. It is on the pricier end at $170, but I really think it's worth every penny. It's advertised as heavily peated and finished in port wine barrels for an astonishing 4 years! I've gotta say, that was time very well spent. It's a deep copper in color, with a slight red tint when you hold it up to the light. It's very oily and sticks to the side of the tasting glass when you give it a solid swirl. That vigorous swirl also released an unbelievable aroma into the air- tons of raspberries and currants flow up and over the top of the Glencairn. There is even a very noticeable chocolate sweetness when you stick your nose down into it. Flat out amazing. It's another scotch I could just sit and sniff and be thoroughly entertained. I keep giving it a nice swirl just to keep inhaling those beautiful berries and chocolate. There's no way the taste can live up to the aroma. No way. After 15 minutes the smoky peat has added another delicious element to the nose. On the tongue it begins softly enough with just a creamy wash of red berry and chocolate. Damn, this may be the first time I've ever just straight up noticed sweet, milk chocolate in a single malt. It's there on the nose and it coats the tongue so wonderfully. On cue, the peat smoke makes an appearance and leads the way into a long, satisfyingly hot finish. You can really tell the proof is high, but it all feels right. The perfect way to wash the sweetness away and really leave you wanting more. This is the best Speyside scotch I think I've ever had. Amazing stuff. This is definitely a bottle worth searching for and splurging on. It's a wonderful example of experimentation by a distillery that doesn't really specialize in the style, but boy, did they knock one out of the park here. I'm already looking for a bottle to replace this one. It's that damn good. It also reaffirms my thought that peated whisky and port barrels are a match made in heaven. Cheers, my friends -
Kilchoman Machir Bay (2015 Edition)
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed November 19, 2016 (edited August 5, 2017)It seems like it's been awhile since I've reviewed some new whisky so I set aside some time on this uncharacteristically warm Saturday in November to remedy this chore. I have a nice 2oz sample of Machir Bay supplied by a friend. It's a single malt blend of 3,4 and 5 year old scotch from the New Kids on the Islay block, Kilchoman. It's non-chill filtered, no color added and comes in at a pleasant 92 proof. As it rests in the Glencairn tasting glass it's a very light, straw colored offering that coats all sides of the glass with a nice, oily slick that settles slowly while producing some nice and silky thick legs. It's been sitting about 10 minutes and the first nosing is very, very interesting. I was expecting a good bit of peat, but it's very muted in the background. It's overshadowed by some nice lemony zest and vanilla frosting sweetness. I believe this was only finished in sherry casks for about 2 months, so I wasn't looking for much there. I expected oak and peat. Surprise, surprise. The first sip surprises just like the nose. There's a nice hit of orchard fruit, a pop of lemon that's quickly overrun by peat and youthful oak vanilla. It's a very lively and juicy experience. The finish is the only thing that leaves a bit to be desired- it's pretty hot (as expected due to its overall youth) and that really wipes away everything in one fell swoop. There's a bit of burn that lingers and gives it a less than desirable finish, but the overall flavor profile is nice. Closer to 3.75 than 3.5 stars for sure. I think these guys will definitely make their mark among the heavy hitters of Islay once their juice has rested 10 to 15+ years along the shores of Machir Bay. This is a very nice start and coming in under $60 a bottle it's worth your time and money to help get them on their way. Cheers. -
Macallan Fine Oak 17 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed November 9, 2016 (edited August 4, 2017)So, I'm down to about 4-5oz of the wonderful Macallan 15 year fine oak left and I really want to do a side-by-side comparison with the 17 year version. It's now or never... At first glance, there is a very noticeable difference in color. Both are a shiny, golden yellow with the 17 showcasing a slightly darker, shadowy hue as it sits in the Glencairn. Both come in at 86 proof and neither produce very noticeable legs after a vigorous swirl. Upon nosing them they both really bring fresh, vibrant oak to the forefront. There's a bit more sweet vanilla in the 15 year, while the 17 is nicely balanced between vanilla and sherry. Very nice. On the tongue, they both have a magnificent fresh oak blast that really makes you take notice. The smooth and refined Macallan flavor profile immediately pops to mind and I instantly love them both, equally. The finish is so luscious that you can't really go wrong with either one. Long, smooth and freaking delicious. It's so hard to bash the 17 year, even though it's substantially higher in price than the 15. I know the 17 is $230+ and that's expensive as hell. I'm reminded it's Macallan we are talking about here so you are expected to excuse the price tag and just remind yourself it's a luxury whisky. Well, I can't always do that but this time I gotta give them a pass. Pony up the money, fanboys. Its Macallan! Cheers. (Drops mic)
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