Tastes

I've had a bottle of this before, but never reviewed it, and anyways, it's been a few years since I've tried it. I got my brother-in-law hooked on whisky, and this was what he offered on a recent visit. Thought I'd share a few notes after several years (and several drams in between) this classic pour. Despite past whinging about low ABV, I'm somehow not bothered by the 43% here. There's still plenty of dense, meaty peat to be found in this dram. Over the years I've gradually tried other offerings from Lagavulin, but to my taste at least, nothing is able to stand up to the standard 16. This spirit just really does well with time in the barrel. The 8 and 9 year old offerings of the past few years have been good, but that extra 7-8 years in the barrel give this dram a depth of flavor and a profile that is so very unique, even amongst Islay pours. In addition to the rich, meaty peat, there's a deep, almost overly tannic oak to the palate, and as a unique part of the finish, spearmint, which isn't to be found in other expressions. I'm no fan of Diageo. They seem (perhaps rightfully so in their minds) more interested in the bottom line than making sure everything they put out is a quality product. I'm not a fan of their passing on the new tariffs to the consumer almost instantly after the new year. I'm not a fan that this is now $110 in Texas. But damn if this isn't good whisky, and damn it all if I won't shell out the money for it. Curse you Diageo and your soulless milking of your loyal consumers. You know we'll pay...

Just a quick hit on this one. Somehow my brother-in-law found a bottle of this (screw cap and all), and was kind enough to share some. Nose is subtle and unassuming, like most wheaters I try, but the palate is vastly different from Makers (read: better), and it tastes like someone liquified a Werthers Original. So much smooth caramel. I can see why this is in high demand. Cheers!

This is lovely. I won’t say I got to taste this “properly”, but we had dinner with my neighbor and she was kind enough to buy this for me because she knows I’m a whiskey drinker. High marks just for that. I can’t say too much visa vi tasting notes because the focus of the evening was on conversation rather than nosing and tasting, but I can say this was one of the finest bourbons for casual sipping I e had in ages. I’ve been close to loosing my faith in bourbon the past year, and lately if had a few drams, this included, that have helped restore the faith. All the classic bourbon notes are present and perfectly balanced. Why I haven’t tried this before is beyond me. Well done, Heaven Hill. Well done indeed. As an addendum, it was a real treat to just interact with another human being (besides my lovely wife) tonight. It was a bonus that this awesome dram got to play a part in that.

What to say about a bottle that has nearly 5000 reviews already? Has anybody reading not tried this yet? I thought not... It’s Ardbeg. Somehow, I managed to try Cory, An Oa, and Ugi before buying this one. The peat is more obvious, but it gives way to lemony, zesty malt in a seamless transition reminiscent of a great film editor. Despite the 55 pppm (peat parts per million), a rather high number unless your name is Octomore, it’s not just the peat show. This remains an affordable, complex single malt that serves as a fine core bottling. I’ve been working on a core “summer lineup” to drink off of rather than just randomly pulling bottles out of the cabinet. I’ve got an Irish, a bourbon, a peated single malt and a sherry bomb. Powers Gold, Makers 46, this, and Tamdhu Batch Strength to sip on for the next several months. Anybody out there got a favorite summer pour?

I ran out of Irish whiskey a while back, and for whatever reason (mostly Scotch...) I've dragged my feet on replacing a bottle in my stocks. I absolutely ADORE Redbreast 12, but for whatever reason the $60 price point has been a turn off recently. Not sure why since I'm perfectly willing to drop more than that on good Scotch...anyhoo, I was wandering around at Total Wine and saw this for $30 in a sleek new bottle (yes, packing works on me. Commence pointing and laughing) and made an impulse buy. I tried the Powers 12 Year John's Lane a while back and found it a bit harsh, so I had low expectations, but wow! This wins the slugfest for best budget Irish by a longshot! Nose has all the expected buttery, shortbread notes with some of that pot still spice poking through. Taste follows suit. Lots of buttery, vanilla notes. Don't detect any sherry cask but honestly I feel like it's not necessary. There's a long, spicy finish that entices me back for more until I realize that my glass is empty. Even though this is a blend, I don't get any harsh, metallic grain notes like on Black Bush or Jameson, and I like the higher ABV. Seems like they were going for a quality product over mass production (though I suspect there's that too). There's clearly a high proportion of that Powers aggressive house pot still style in this, but it's rounded off by the grain, and I actually find myself enjoying it more than the John's Lane. Whoda thunk?! This gets to stay. This is my new favorite affordable Irish. I still love the Redbreast, and I'm sure it'll be back, but for now, this is a fine, everyday placeholder. Cheers!

I was excited to find a taster of this at Total Wine the other day. Usually these "premium" products don't debase themselves with miniatures. Those of you who've read my reviews know I'm not a huge fan of American Rye, but that I don't mind Canadian Rye, which makes up at least a portion of this blend. What shall we find? The nose is shy. Leans more in the Canadian direction than American. A bit dusty, some spice, vanilla and butterscotch. I stuck my nose all the way in the glass and other than a "screw you that's not how you nose whisky" burst of ethanol, I can't divine much else. On the palate, it enters smooth and gentle. The mid-palate has a burst of rye spice and some heat too. It does not drink like a 50 proof dram. Repeated tastes give off more of a coating mouthfeel, some tobacco, a puff of smoke, and the slightest hint of barrel bitter. I'm amazed at how smooth and approachable this dram is. There's some masterful blending going on here (this was a Dave Pickerel project [RIP], so I'm not surprised. I also wouldn't be surprised if there's whisky older than 10 years in this blend, which would certainly justify the high price for a bottle). The finish is quite long and luxurious, with some more caramel and butterscotch. A fine sipping rye, but I can also see it playing well in cocktails against more sour and bitter elements. So what to say. I want to give this a 4 based on the nosing and tasting, but the retails at around $80, which is about $40-$50 more than I'm willing to pay for rye, and I don't even like rye most of the time. This is a beautiful whisky, and I would not say no if someone offered it to me. There's some older Canadian Rye in here for sure with how easy this is to drink. Most rye's I drink fight back, even Lot 40 (which is a more complex AND more affordable rye IMO). If it weren't for the price, it would be 4, but factoring the exorbitant price, I'm gonna have to go 3.75. I know some of you who read are big rye fans, and should definitely seek this one out to sip. If you're more of a casual rye drinker, or a "fine, if I have to" rye drinker like me, then go for something more affordable like Lot 40 or Canadian Club 100% Rye. Cheers!

Soooooooo........What the fuck...? I don't normally go in for the flavored stuff, but this was available as a sampler and I was in a hurry at the checkout at Total Wine because Covid-19 and ya...impulse buy. The last impulse flavored whisky I bought was the Dickel Tabasco finish, and we all know where that one belongs. There's been some rumblings about this pour in the last year. Let's see what the hype is all about. The bottle says this is 35% ABV. Fairly standard for some of the flavored stuff. The peanut butter is definitely (read: in your face) there on the nose, but so is butter, kettle corn, and some honey. I'm guessing a corn-based spirit here. On the palate it enters....holly shit....fuck.......cloyingly sweet. Like drinking caro syrup. Good lord...not a subtle entrance. Like if someone liquified a peanut butter cup and added alcohol. After a moment to adjust, it's not bad, but it doesn't taste like whisky either...I'm guessing this was designed as a mixer for foofy cocktails. One star and change. Because flavored whisky, but an extra .25 for the novelty of the thing. Good if you're in the mood for desert, but not if you're in the mood for a whisky. Also, sorry for the profanity. It's been some time since I had such a viceral reaction to a spirit of any type. Taste at your own risk.