Tastes

I have my bottle for a little time and I’m surprised that I haven’t reviewed it before. At this time the bottle is about 1/3 down and I think the flavors are much different now. On the nose there’s plenty of fruit flavors, but Ian not picking up citrus, instead are more like peach or apricot. I am also picking up cake flavors, like a buttery bun cake. The palate is amazing with more apricot and peaches, but this cake flavors is more powerful, almost buttery biscuit. This really got my attention this time around. The finish is sweet and long, flavorful. This is a superb Irish whiskey, too bad the prices are going up, they seem out of control in the DC area. As soon as finish my bottle, I’m getting another one.

This is an interesting drink, considering that this is a Glenmorangie that is not finished in a different cask. When I compare this whisky to another Glenmorangie that it was about the barley (Tùsail), this has better acceptable notes to me. The nose seems fruity with hints of lemon or orange peel. The palate shows some of the characteristics of the barley and more orange/lemon zest and minty. The finish is appropriately long and has hints of oak, but smooth. The 43%ABV is most welcome.

I had the pleasure to try this whisky in a blind tasting. I was amazingly surprised of the characteristics of this drink. On the nose it was more fruity than other Aberlour and the sherry was not as prominent as other releases like the 16 or 18. For me it was more Speyside like than Aberlour. The finish was sweet and smooth. This is one that I will look for my collection.

I’m new to Rye whiskey, but one thing that I have noticed during my limited experience is a grassy note on the nose, like the smell you get after cutting grass in a humid environment. This whiskey had another level of funk on the nose, almost vegetal, like vegetable oil. The palate was spicy, but not too harsh. And the finish was medium with a dry end. Not my cup of tea.

I had the opportunity to compare this release to the 12 year version and the difference is very noticeable. The 12 year release is a little strong on the nose and the palate has a strong aroma and and burn. The 14 year release is smoother, seems fuller and a little oily. Overall the 14 year is an improvement and still a great value.

I had the opportunity to taste Maker's Mark today for the first time, and although I am not a bourbon type person, I was very surprised by the smooth and flavor of this whisky. The nose was very pleasant, with sweet notes, vanilla, caramel a little oak. For me it reminded me to a dry rum, just not as sweet. Although categorized as a bourbon, I could not find the strong (bourbon) notes that I normally get on some bourbons, which do not appela to me as much. To the contrary, the palate was a little dry, but it continued with the sweetnes and vanilla from the nose. This is a great value and a great drink for the money. I currently have Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare (10) in my collection, now I will have to add Maker's Mark to it.

As the prices of whisky continue to climb, we find ourselves looking for the best value, and this is where Glenfarclas shine. This is a tremendous whisky, flavorful, rich, complex, sweet and enjoyable. I think this is one of the best value in the market for a 21 years whisky. If you get the opportunity, give it a try. I think you will like it.

My friend and I did a blind tasting comparing Macallan Classic Cut (51.7 ABV) and the Glendronach 15 (46 ABV). To our surprise, the Glendronach was such a superb dram. The Macallan had some classic sherry notes, but it also had a funk (I had a similar experience when I tasted the Macallan Double Cast 12 year and the Macallan 12 year). The higher ABV was evident in the finish of the Macallan. The nose on the Glendronach 15 was sweet, sherry, a little oak. The palate was amazing, with dark fruits notes, sweet and a medium finish that you wanted to last forever. For the price, at least in Virginia, these two are similar, but for me, the Glendronach 15 is a must-have and as soon as I finish mine, I will replace it.

Wow, this was an absolute outstanding experience. Never had a whisky like this. On the nose it was fruity, but the aroma of apricot was strong and unique to me. The palate was rich and full body with more fruits and dark spicy and leather (like Appleton Estate) in the background. The finish was long and very enjoyable. If I have the chance, I’ll get this one in the future.

I compared this whisky to its sibling the double cask 12 year, and this one was a little flat, light and a little down. The nose was standard, honey, citrus and it had a little funk that I could not identify. The palate and finish were short lived. For the price of $80, there are many choices that could give you a great experience.