Tastes

This smoky, NAS Bunnahabhain is the follow up to the original Toiteach release from 2017. It’s part of the Bunnahabhain Unable For Americans To Pronounce series. Toiteach (pronounced toch-tach) translates to “smoky” in Gaelic, so Toiteach A Dha translates to “smoky two”. It’s a robust 46.3%ABV. It’s straw and light gold in color, oily and produces very heavy legs in the tasting glass. Medium, but numerous, droplets form slowly around the lip as it settles back after a spin. The nose is peppery and perfumed oak with a heavy, BBQ smoke and sea salt. There’s a bit of sawdust and ABV swirling around before finally turning sweet with a hint of vanilla. The palate starts off with more BBQ grill smoke and salted vanilla chews. It’s slightly dry and warming while being ever so harsh. Youthful juice, for sure. The backend delivers a sweeter presence and leaves behind a healthy punch of juicy smoke. This is all smoky peat- there’s no earthy characteristics to be found. The finish is medium to long with mostly lingering oak. It’s dry and a bit salty with a smoky coating covering your entire mouth. Cigar lovers would probably love this whisky for its flavor and finish. Overall, there’s really good value for your whisky dollar here as I paid $50 for this one. It’s an excellent sequel to the original Toiteach- maybe offering a slightly deeper flavor profile and a little more depth. Both bottles are highly recommended and it’s another win for Bunnahabhain’s NAS whisky run. They keep knocking them out of the park. 4-4.25 stars. Cheers.

After hearing really good things about the Glengoyne distillery I noticed a 3 malt, age statement sample pack at one of the online stores I regularly make purchases from. This pack was only $17 and included 2oz pours of the 10, 15 and 18 year old. I figured now was as good of a time as any to give them a go. I reviewed the 10 year a few weeks ago, so let’s move on to the 15 year old. This one was bottled at 43% and proudly proclaims to have no added color, but I’m sure it was chill filtered. Speaking of color, this was honey gold and will reward you with medium-sized droplets and thick, runny legs after a good spin in your favorite tasting glass. The nose came charging forward with a rush of honey nut cereal notes, butterscotch and a very subdued oak presence. I gave it a little more time and some vanilla beans and a more pronounced oak flavor worked itself forward. It was a nice balance of sweetness and wood character. The palate was somewhat underwhelming, from a flavor standpoint. The oak notes dominated this aspect and were overly harsher than I’d expected. There was a buttery note that calmed things on the back end, but there wasn’t any complexity to be found. I think the flavor profile was better with the 10 year old here, sadly. The finish was short-to-medium in length and rather oily. Again, unremarkable for a respectable 15 year age statement. Overall, this is a decent malt that you could add an ice cube to and make it a walk around cocktail, but there isn’t enough action to sit around and analyze this thing from a neat drinker’s viewpoint. I’m trying to look at it like this rather than just pronounce it boring and average because it’s still a quality and reasonably priced single malt. If you’re looking for excitement, however, I’d look elsewhere. Hopefully the 18 will deliver on the complexity. It’s still a solid 3 star whisky. Cheers, my friends.

My bottle of GlenDronach Peated apparently suffered from an identity crisis. When I first opened this I experienced a typical, spicy ‘Dronach that actually tasted quite good, minus a whole lot of peat influence. Around 3 weeks into the bottle, and the final 7-8oz, I got blasted with smoky goodness and earthy peat. This one was a beautiful, polished gold in the Glencairn. Large, watery drops cascaded down with undefined, runny legs after a good spin. The initial nose was black pepper, sherry and heat from the elevated ABV. There wasn’t much depth until some oxidation allowed the heat to dissipate and the earthy, mushroom and wet bog funk mixed with a burned out campfire for the last 1/3 of the bottle (about 3-4 weeks later). The palate was remarkably peppery and lively initially, with standard GlenDronach spices and vibrant oak notes. Sherry sweetness played it’s part in subduing the heat, especially later on once the peated whisky came into focus. The mouthfeel changed from harsh and peppy to oily and rich as the oxidation calmed it over time. I enjoyed both aspects of this dram while working through the bottle, although I think I preferred the initial tastes more than the second coming of the peat. Sadly, this is marketed as a peated NAS so I feel like I should dock it some points here. The finish was medium-long, with lingering sweetness at first, but once the peat aspect came into play it left a funky, barnyard note that made it fall a little in my grading. The peated aspect has been done better by other Highland malts, IMO. Overall, it’s a tale of two drams. The initial, heavy-spiced sherry part was still fantastic even knowing the juice is quite young. I’d give that part a 3.5-3.75 star rating, while it fell a bit once the peated whisky came into play. 3-3.25 stars. The price point was $56- which is average to high for an NAS, so I think I’ll settle for a 3.5 total grade. Buy it if you’re a GlenDronach fanboy, pass if you like your peated Highlanders with a little more focus. Cheers.

This review is for the recently rebranded Jura 18 year old. The entire line has been redone and reimagined, with new finishing casks, higher ABV’s, even bottle shape and label redesign. This new 18 year old is matured in American white oak casks and advertised as being finished in “quality” red wine casks. It’s also bottled at 44%, instead of the old, standard 40%. It’s still chill filtered and has added color, however. I decided to give this one a try because it was on sale from a European online shoppe for $74- great price for the hefty age statement. It’s amber orange in the taster with watery, fat legs and smells of cherry, gummy candies and cough syrup right out of the bottle. Uh oh. After some appropriate time (15-20 minutes), I think I can detect real fruit and ripe berries, some light spearmint and very weak oak notes. The zing from the mint doesn’t do enough to overcome the candied sugar note- and that isn’t good. The palate starts out tasting like real cherry juice, but it’s thick and oily and a heckuva lot harsher than any 18 year old has any business being. A mushy, malty backbone does its best to limit the sugary mess but the only thing that could save the mouthfeel now would be a heavy hit of oak and pepper or just plain, old ABV heat. Too bad neither are anywhere to be found. The finish subsides after a good while, I’d call it medium-long, but this is one I wish would’ve just gotten over and done with quickly. The ABV shows up late too, and turns things overly hot and astringent. There’s nothing redeeming about any part of the entire tasting experience. Which leaves me sorely disappointed. Cherry candy and minty syrup do not even make good cough syrup- much less a palatable whisky. If I have to find a bright spot, well...it was only $74 for a bottle. If you need an 18yo whisky on your bar to show off to your friends for cheap and don’t mind having to mix this with 7Up- well...this stuff is for you. Everyone else should stay away- far away. 1.5 stars, with .5 of the score being for the price tag. Cheers.

It’s time to chronicle my experiences with some of these new Macallan NAS series: Editions. They have released a bottle of this every year since 2015. They are all experimental batches trying different blenders, wood types, etc. Prices have remained consistent on the retail market- about $90-100 for each batch. The secondary market has gone absolutely bonkers over Edition No. 1, though- with prices approaching $1000 for a bottle now. The clear answer to that is “No”. Let’s focus on the 2016 batch: Edition No. 2. This batch was influenced by a restaurantuer family that lay claim to being named the World’s Best Restaurant on two separate occasions. Damn. The Roca family. See the Edition No. 2 packaging for more info if that’s your thing. This whisky is a deep, sunset copper and bronze in the Glencairn. It’s oily and makes some thin, quickly running legs. It’s bottled at 48.2%. I paid $99 for this bottle a year or so ago. The nose is a rich, sherry bomb with a damp, funky and earthy wood note rounding things out. Those carry the nose for as long as you’d care to just sit and sniff it. There’s dried berries, orange wedges and zesty citrus if you really get down in there. It’s a wonderful combo. The palate grabs your attention quickly by blasting your tongue with some spicy ginger and black pepper. The sherry steps in on cue to cut the burn and remind you this is still Macallan through and through. It fades towards oranges and pears by mid sip before letting the back end grab your tastebuds again with strong oak and some vigorous abrasion. This is a first for probably any Mac I’ve tried to this point and I gotta say it was unexpected and quite incredible. The finish is long with typical sherry sweetness lingering while a very warm oak and chocolate note coat every corner and leaving the finale oily to the very end. Well, I gotta say, this was truly an amazing, experimental dram that takes Macallan out of their sherried, comfort zone- even if only briefly. I could get behind this type of release on a regular basis if the price point and consistency was there. 4.25-4.5 stars. I can still taste the ginger. Cheers my friends.

After hearing really good things about the Glengoyne distillery I noticed a 3 malt, age statement sample pack at one of the online stores I regularly make purchases from. This pack was only $17 and included 2oz pours of the 10, 15 and 18 year old. I figured now was as good of a time as any to give them a go. Let’s start with the 10. This particular sample was listed as the 40% ABV and not the standard 43%. Hmm, I wonder why. They advertise no added coloring, but I’m sure it is chill filtered. It’s shiny gold and will leave thick, runny legs and big drops behind in your tasting glass of choice. The nose is honey and fresh cut lumber right from the sawmill. There’s cereal notes, light florals and butterscotch. All things you’ve come to expect from a Lowland distillery’s standard whisky. Extra time in the glass doesn’t hurt nor help this one- so get to sipping. The palate brings the butterscotch, toffee, faint sherry sweetness and cereal notes to your tastebuds, but does leave some light, black pepper spice and a hint of oak and barley lingering into the finish. It’s exceptionally smooth for a 10 year old, no doubt. The finish is pretty short, while remaining smooth and light. There’s more oak left behind than sweetness and it eventually turns peppery and dry. While it’s nothing earth shattering, it is very good for a baseline, 10 year old single malt. I could see it adding some bite to any light cocktail you make out of it and there’s no reason why you can’t pour it over ice and make a chilled sipper out of it. This pour cost me $6 and that’s about all I’d be willing to spend on it. Hopefully, the 15 & 18 will add some depth and complexity when I get around to sampling those. 3 stars and no worries. Cheers, my friends.

It’s a Wednesday, so that’s a great day for another good Talisker single malt. This time it’s a very affordable, NAS that’s finished in port wood. I picked this up with an overseas order for $58. It’s rose gold with lots of thin legs and big, watery drops in your Glencairn. It’s also bottled at the signature Talisker ABV of 45.8%. I’m pretty sure it’s natural color, but it may be chill filtered. The nose was sweet and salty right out of the gate. Delicious notes of red, ripe raspberries and smooth vanilla danced around the glass (and eventually the room). There was a nice hint of sliced, green apples floating there, too. The oak came into play if you let it sit longer and it actually added a bit of an unwelcome harshness. I would recommend just letting this one sit less than 10 minutes and going in for the sip. It’s NAS anyway, so we’re surely dealing with young juice. The palate just sings Talisker at the front: meaty, bacon wrapped raspberries fresh off the grill (read that again slowly because that was my initial comparison each and every time the liquid touched my lips and tongue on successive sips). Heavier than expected smoke crept in and masked the sweetness, but accentuated the salty bits that signifies Talisker to a T. The harshness finally arrived late in the sip like a bartender announcing last call and the burn from the ABV is like the moment the lights come on at closing time. It doesn’t wreck the evening, but it’s telling you to wrap things up. I actually diluted several pours of this and those harsh and abrasive characteristics faded away- so, against my usual stance- I recommend a little water with this one. It works wonders for the palate. Trust me. The finish (without water) is warm, salt-heavy and sadly is absent almost all of the port flavors. It’s just a normal Talisker (still never a bad thing). With the above mentioned water dilution you will get some lingering sweetness. It does shorten the overall length, but again, I think it helps overall. So, in summation, this is a pretty enjoyable NAS Talisker. The port finishing doesn’t consume the entire experience, which is a plus, but that said I would’ve liked a little more sweetness without having to dilute it with water. The only way I think that could’ve been accomplished would be by extending the finishing time or using older, Talisker base whisky- both of which would’ve driven up the cost. For what it is- it’s a fine twist to the Talisker line and worth the asking price. Buy with confidence. 3.75-4 stars. Cheers, my friends.

Let’s get one thing out in the open from jump street: I HATE BLACK BOTTLES. Hate them, with a passion. I also hate deception. For that reason, I’m not a fan of this whisky. WARNING: If you aren’t in the mood to read about a grown-ass man whining like your local politician at a debate over a border wall- skip this review. Still here? Cool, let’s proceed. Glenlivet Code is this year’s mystery bottle that cons you out of $120. Glenlivet released Alpha and Cipher in 2016 & 2017, respectively. They had the same principle: don’t tell people what’s inside age-wise, cask matured-wise, finishing-wise. Nothing. Let them pay to drink it and take guesses. They even promised to tell us whats inside by the end of 2018. Guess what- they still haven’t said a word. I think they hoped we forgot to ask. Personally, I don’t care what’s inside. But, here’s what I tasted: Glenlivet took some subpar Nadurra First Fill cask whisky, some subpar Nadurra Oloroso cask whisky and maybe some Founder’s Reserve, blended them equal parts and then added water to dilute it to 48%. Then they put it in a f#%*king BLACK BOTTLE so you couldn’t see it sitting on the shelf, slapped a $120+ price tag on it and shipped it out. Then they asked if you could decipher the Code. (Several deep breaths later) It’s sunset gold in the tasting glass with fat, undefined legs and appears more watery than oily. Big drops left behind. The nose is fresh oak, vanilla and sherry infused with cinnamon and light citrus rinds. There’s some faint oak here, as well, but I think it’s tied to the peppery note rounding things out. The palate is peppered by young and lively spirit. The sherry comes through around mid sip and mingles with apples and pears before being overpowered by spice and harsh alcohol notes. There’s no complexity, it’s just an abrasive mess. The finish is hot and spicy but short, with some sherry sweetness lingering and fighting back the dry oak tannins and ABV astringency. (More deep breaths) So, in effect, I’ll take a shot and guess that this is a big ole con job by Glenlivet. This is watered down stuff that should’ve aged a little while longer and turned into something for the Nadurra line. There’s flashes of greatness, but it feels like a failure of the sum of all its parts. They tasted single casks for Nadurra and these reject casks were blended together and turned into deception. That’s what they should’ve called this...Glenlivet DECEPTION. Buy something from the Nadurra line for $75-80 and spend the other $40 on a Compass Box blend and you’ll end up with 2 great bottles instead of 1 bad one. 2 stars with .5 star deducted for a bad price point and the stupid, black bottle. (Put on a happy face...) Cheers, my friends.

Ah, Talisker. In the words of Jim Carey: I like you. I like you, A LOTTT! So much so, in fact, I bought all the bottles in your core range all the way up to the 30 year old. I’d also buy the 40 if you drop the price a scooch: $3400 is a little too too much. But, I digress... The Talisker 25 year (from 2011). I bought this bottle for $275 a few years ago in my quest to build a set of the above mentioned core range. On a dare, I opened this to settle a dispute over what many were saying was an inferior product. Come to find out- it was the 2017 bottling that was causing quite a stir. My 2011 was fine, damn fine actually. This was bottle #1613 of 5946 for 2011. It was the first batch of 25 that wasn’t offered at cask strength. You need to go back to 2009 and earlier for one of those puppies. Damn. It’s a rich gold in the taster. Very oily with medium drops forming after a spin. Bottled at the Talisker hot spot of 45.8% ABV. The nose begins like all Tally’s- briny, sea salt, seashore. I can hear the gulls squawking. Give it some appropriate time to warm up to you slamming your nose up it’s skirt and it’ll relax and reward you with ripe raspberries, orchard fruit and baker’s chocolate. The lightest of smoke rises and fills the neighborhood, just like a summertime backyard grill. The smoke is light, but sure hangs heavy. That’s heavenly IMO. The palate returns you home to the Atlantic Isles with peppery dock wood, smoke and peat. Mushroom earthiness, leather-bound books and malted apples with that wonderful briny backbone. Everything is modestly dry but there’s absolutely no harshness. It is 25 years old mind you. The finale is long and luscious, chocolate smoke that’s rich and everlasting. The salty bite at the very end keeps this from finishing too dessert-like and that also put a big smile on my face. If the earlier, cask strength bottles are considered a lot better than the blended down versions then, holy hell, where do I sign up to give my right arm for one? I mean seriously. This thing is right there on the line of perfection- especially if you adore Talisker. My only gripe- it costs $275. You can get 85% of the way here with a $78 bottle of the 18 year old. Which begs the question: why buy this one? Well, I’ll tell you why- because you can’t take it with you, my friends. Spend that paycheck and treat yourself. You deserve it. You really do. 4.75 stars. Cheers.

Who loves limited release Compass Box whiskies? This guy (Points both thumbs back at self). Thanks you an anonymous friend, from the Boston area, I was able to sample this exotic CBW without having to pop the cork on my personal bottle. This offering was released a couple of years ago and has garnered some great reviews and I’m thrilled to finally be able to taste it for myself. This one is dark gold in the taster, and true to CBW form, has no added color and isn’t chill filtered. It produces some fat, oily legs and really fat droplets in your tasting glass. It’s bottled at 49% ABV and cost a whopping $300 when it was released. Secondary market prices are still holding in the $300+ range, although they are harder to find now. The nose started out with lots of tropical fruits: tangy citrus, luscious mango and banana with some typical, orchard fruits entangled alongside it. Green apples and ripened pear slices dipped in honey give way to some serious Four Roses-type florals and spices. The oak slips away leaving this one tasting more like a liquified apple pie drizzled with a vanilla creme glaze. The palate feels light and very juicy before turning spicy by mid sip. More tropical notes abound before the spice and pepper take over. At no point is there any evidence of youthful spirit, no harsh or abrasive backbone, it’s just silky and a tad dry. The finish brings more sweet vanilla and a lingering juiciness that you really never want to end. It’s long and mouthwatering- I believe it made me more thirsty. Sadly, I only had an ounce to entertain my taste buds before having to return to something much less enticing. This is a wonderful dram- another fine example of what John Glaser can do with some of the incredible whisky stock he has on hand. When I took a look at their website to inquire what exactly was used here, it appears they want to keep this one a bit more of a secret (either that or I should’ve looked when the bottle was first released). All I see now is: Highland blend parcel 1, parcel 2, blended grain and Benrinnes. Hmmm. Ah, really it doesn’t matter, it’s damn good. It may be a stretch declaring it $300 good, but that’s another discussion. This is 4.5 star whisky. Grab a pour if you see a bottle near you- you won’t be disappointed. Thanks again, Mr Anonymous New Englander! I owe you one (or two). Cheers.