Tastes

I’m a dessert guy. I love to have something sweet after a hearty, savory meal. But sometimes you eat a dish that’s so good that you don’t need dessert — you don’t want dessert. You don’t want this savory perfection out of your tastebuds and memory. That’s Talisker 10. It’s not sweet. It’s not cute. It’s challenging and delicious at the same time Nose: Bacon and cinnamon apple. Red delicious apple peel. Taste: Straw, salt water, hay, grass, pepper and hot tea with spices. Gracious.

Have you done yard work in the fall after a hard rain? It’s slightly chilly, you’re moving wet leaves. That kind of damp, earthy, gray day? But it’s good work and when it’s over you’re glad you did it? This whisky is like that morning. It’s vegetal, earthy, humid. It’s clingy and elemental. Nose: Wet leaves, watermelon, green tea, wet wood, wood smoke and orange peel Taste: Pepper and honey - this is the first time it’s sweet to me. After a taste, I can find sweetness in the smell throughout, but it’s retroactive. Finish is long and smoky. Felt like half of it didn’t even go down my throat, but stayed around on the back of my tongue. Not creamy, just reluctant to go down.

When I was a kid and my mom would bake a pie, there would always be some leftover dough from the pie crust. She would sprinkle those strips w a giant dusting of cinnamon sugar and bake them. It was the best part of the pie. This Weller takes me there emotionally. I can almost taste that crispy scrap. Nose: caramel, vanilla, apple and slight cinnamon. Faint hint of pineapple or citrus Taste: oatmeal — the Quaker oatmeal that’s apple and cinnamon. More oak bite on the end of the taste. It’s not oily, but it’s not thin either. Really balanced texture.

Have you ever listened to an album and it was way better than you thought it would be? Like, you planned to dig it, but the opening chorus just rocked your world? That’s how this Bunna hit me. I expected peat. A campfire. But it wasn’t. It was fruity — candy. And then the peat happened later. Nose: Cherry Twizzlers, Apple, caramel Taste: There’s the peat! Wow. It changes the whole time. There’s fudge and sugar and grass and smoke and I’m SO happy. Dang. Drink this.

You ever walked into a house where dessert baking is happening in real time? Where Christmas music is playing and there’s flour all over the place and your grandma has her apron on wielding a rolling pin like a surgeon’s scalpel? Redbreast is about baking. It’s about dessert. It’s about comfort. Nose: Butter, sugar cookies, vanilla, the slightest lemon peel Taste: it’s creamy. It’s coconut and caramel. Gosh it’s so good. Slightest spice on the finish.

This beverage is soft and comfy like the couch at your parents house you nap on when you come home from college. It just feels right. Settle in. Take a load off Nose: Cherry Coke, vanilla and oak Taste: caramel and milk chocolate

Every smell, every sip it gets better. Friendly but not simple. Classic Scotch, but in no way predictable Nose: pear and apple, honey, Christmas sugar cookie without the frosting, slight saltiness Taste: salty, corn flakes, honey, but spicy with a sparkly finish

This bottle is dirt cheap and SO good for the price. It’s kicky and springy and characterful at $16 Nose: oak first, but not overwhelming, caramel and honey with a hint of orange and cinnamon. Taste: cinnamon banana muffin. It’s not thin and not strong, but it punches above its weight for sure. Finish: not long, but very friendly with a little spice

Woodford is classy. It’s just really well made. This is like visiting someone’s home you know well, but they’ve done some redecorating. Nose: Oak first, then pudding - maybe banana pudding, cherry coke as well Taste: Honey, milk chocolate, spice and pepper, little minty Beautiful with a short, oak spice finish

This thing is ridiculous. If I were camping, this is the only thing in the world I’d want. I think that’s because it’s kinda like trail mix. Nose: granola. Like one of the Quaker chocolate chip granola bars. Little bit of cinnamon, but mainly sweet, oatey, touch of chocolate Taste: honey. Gentle. Like it wants to be my best friend. It’s just so kind with the slightest little bite. Gorgeous