Tastes

Summer BBQ anyone? Nose: BBQ smoke house. Brisket, pork shoulder and creamed corn Apples, toffee and freshly tossed hay Palate: Savory smoked meat Salty honey, vanilla, peanut brittle and corn bread. Malty sweetness and a mouthful of BBQ fattiness. Finish: Did I say BBQ yet? Bread, honeyed fruits and sea salt caramel Wooo, what a unique experience. If you love Islay and having a BBQ in the backyard...this needs to be in your collection.

Maybe the best introductory Islay out there; creamy, friendly and a dash of smoke. Nose: Soft smoke, like the first wisps from a fire. Garden vegetables, sliced pear and melon A touch of salted caramel topped with whipped cream. Palate: Fresh wood fire and smoked meat A hint of peaty, iodine but softens quickly Honey and zippy apples Graham crackers and baking spices There’s a half and half or oil roundness Finish: Round, soft and creamy. Smoky meat and spice lingers Ends with juicy melon and zingy apples

How can something so funky still come off feeling so clean and refreshing? Nose: Vanilla and just-sanded wood Freshly sliced citrus and grass Sea spray, and smooth stones Smoooke, deep, maritime smoke. Palate: Surprisingly light, yet unquestionably powerful. Almost like it was sprayed into your mouth, not poured. Powerful but clean smoke Salt, bright citrus, and dried tropical fruits Sea weed, grass and fresh ocean breezes. Finish: Looooong, but not in a sticky, lingering way. Similar to Lagavulin, there is a lightness that caps everything off. For Ardbeg it’s more of a salty whipped cream sensation.

Smack dab between the beauty of Oban 14 and the smoky, oceans aggression of Ardbeg 10. Nose: Damp hay, wild flowers and raw honey Salt water, ocean rocks and smoked fish. Marmalade and Manzanilla sherry (despite bourbon casks) Pepper, pepper, pepper Palate: Bourbon vanilla, and warm wood Salty fino sherry, sea weed and fish Smoke, charcoal and burnt wood Creamed corn and corn bread Pepper pepper pepper. Finish: Loooong finish. The pepper, smoke and salty sherry really holds on, with wisps of vanilla sweetness. The perfect transition whiskey between a Highland Scotland or soft island malt to Islay.

Immediately reminded of heating up apple cider on the stove top. A couple dashes of cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and a splash of bourbon. That chest warmth, spices, and vanilla. I get Speyside-like caramel, nutty Sherry (even though it isn’t sherry finished) dried grass, and dense homemade bread...almost banana or zucchini bread. I’m a huge huge fan of the Dorado, but it is nice tasting what Hamilton is capable of without the smoke.

"Really pretty Bourbon. Big handful of Werther’s mixed with vanilla extract, a nice spritz of salt to liven everything up...and then WHAP—a nose full of cinnamon. There’s some citrus zest and other baking spices, but I really can’t shake that almost wet cinnamon stick note. Very interesting, and a nice value at sub $30

Wow. What a rollercoaster! One minute I get big waves of dry Fino sherry, the next I get Dry Vermouth or Lillet Blanc, then salt water taffy, then back to sherry...then a bourbon-corn sweetness. It’s lemony bright, yet nutty and salty...and dark and figgy all at the same time. Seriously, Google “Fino Sherry”, and if that flavor profile sounds appealing to you...buy a bunch of this Scotch. This and Oban may be my go-to summer drams from here on in

If this Bourbon cost $10 more, everyone would give it 4 stars. This is not a “smooth Bourbon” with sweet corn, cherry and vanilla notes. But not because of an alcohol spike or cheap flavor. It simply has complex spice, herb and oak notes that add some edges to a whiskey category who’s fans do not often reward this kind of personality. You can enjoy it neat, especially with a few drops of water to release more oak. But, I really can’t think of a better cocktail whiskey. Extremely versatile. Great in manhattans, old fashions, boulevardiers, derbys, and toddys.