Tastes

Distillery tour today. Andalusia Whiskey Company is located in the beautiful Texas Hill Country about an hour from Austin or San Antonio. They do all their own smoking of their barley, as well as age and bottle on site. Among Texas distilleries, they get a lot of press, and have been featured in Texas Monthly and Whisky Advocate. This one wasn't bad. Of all the new make I've tried, this one was smooth, easy to drink, and shows hope for the rest of the offerings from this distillery. It had a nose reminiscent of an agave spirit, and a creamy, cereal mouthfeel. No finish, but no aging either. Good stuff.

Distillery tour today. Andalusia Whiskey Company is located in the beautiful Texas Hill Country about an hour from Austin or San Antonio. They do all their own smoking of their barley, as well as age and bottle on site. Among Texas distilleries, they get a lot of press, and have been featured in Texas Monthly and Whisky Advocate. Maybe it was because I was drinking Ardbeg last night, but I was hoping for more with this peated whiskey. Maybe it's the fact that American single malt should stick to its wheelhouse, and smoke their barley with what's nearby their distillery. Andalusia's Stryker does this, and stands far above this one, which is smoked with imported Irish peat. It's good, but a bit thin. Reminds me of Connemara, which I believe I rated similarly. This one took a PX finish well, which was another distillery exclusive, and helped round out some of the thinness in the peat.

Distillery tour today. Andalusia Whiskey Company is located in the beautiful Texas Hill Country about an hour from Austin or San Antonio. They do all their own smoking of their barley, as well as age and bottle on site. Among Texas distilleries, they get a lot of press, and have been featured in Texas Monthly and Whisky Advocate. This one wasn't terribly interesting. There wasn't anything wrong with it, it was just...there. Not much flavor. Nothing offensive. I will say, the standard version didn't do much for me, but they had a special edition at the distillery finished in a PX cask and served at cask strength that was considerably better. Really brought out some more of the subtle notes in this one.

Distillery tour today. Andalusia Whiskey Company is located in the beautiful Texas Hill Country about an hour from Austin or San Antonio. They do all their own smoking of their barley, as well as age and bottle on site. Among Texas distilleries, they get a lot of press, and have been featured in Texas Monthly and Whisky Advocate. This one is perhaps their most well known malt. Stryker is made with a portion of malt that has been smoked with mesquite and applewood, much like a Texas BBQ pit. The nose contains that smoke and smells just like a brisket fresh off the cooker. The taste keeps the smoke consistent without being too overpowering. The finish is a bit short, but the smoke lingers. I can't say this is my favorite mesquite smoked American Single Malt (looking at you Del Bac...), but I was glad to have tried this one.

Final review for 2019. This bottle looked sad and nearly depleted in my cabinet, so I put it out of its misery last night. Re-review at bottle kill. Purchased: 2/2/2019 Bottle Kill: 12/31/2019 I gave this one glowing reviews when I first reviewed it, and again when I re-reviewed it last year. Since that time, I've gotten into cask strength bourbon, as well as explored more of the Old Forester, Wild Turkey, and Heaven Hill products. This is still a quality bourbon, but not the five star rating I've given it before; perhaps indicative of an expanded or changed palate, having experienced many fine whiskies in the past year. I've found that bourbons that are open too long tend to oxidize in the bottle more than Scotch. It may have to do with the age of the spirit, and bourbon's relative youth compared to the 12-18 years most Scotches go through. Doesn't give me hope for the folks experimenting with "rapid aging technology". Young spirit is young spirit. This particular bottle didn't take air well, and the oxidization ended up accentuating the spikier rye notes, resulting in a lip-numbing menthol feel on the finish. Still all the classic bourbon notes, but spikier, not as rounded as I remember them being when I first opened the bottle. Ultimately, I continue to search for a bottle that remains consistent from start to finish. I've had that luck with several Scotches, but yet to find a bourbon that holds up over time. Sill a quality drop mind you, just not the five star pour I once believed it to be. Thus ends my biggest whisky year yet. I tried (and bought) more this year than all my other drinking years combined. You decide whether that's a good thing or not... I received several nice bottles for Christmas, with reviews coming in the near future. Here's to a great 2020 full of quality new drams. Cheers!

Those of you reading know that rye isn’t my thing, but thanks to @PBMichiganWolverine suggestion, I looked into a finished rye. My neighbor loves everything Angel’s Envy (and who wouldn’t?), and he brought this over tonight. Nose is full of caramel and butterscotch. Not like any rye I’ve ever had. Taste follows suit, but with a hint of dill. This is the MGP 95/5 stuff after all, just dressed up a bit. Lovely stuff, but not worth the price of entry imo. Cheers!

'Twas the dram before Christmas, when all through the house not a person was stirring, not even my spouse. The bottles were placed on the bar cart with care, in hopes that St. James soon would be there. The Glencairns were settled all snug on their shelf, while bottles of whisky were guarded by elves. And Wife in her PJ’s, and I in my slacks, had just settled ourselves for a light winter nightcap. When out on the dining room rose such a clatter, I sprang from my chair to see what was the matter. Away to the table I flew like a flash, tore open the cupboard, and looked at the stash. The moon on a bottle of new purchased booze gave the luster of sherry to all the things food, when, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a blue labeled tube with 18 long years. With a little tin topper, so tasteful and tight, I knew in a moment it was Allardice. More rapid than tariffs, his flavors they came, and I nosed and I tasted and called them by name: "Now orange! Now malt! Now, coffee and cherry ! On, fudgey! On, walnut! On, honey and sherry! To the top of the glass! To the back of the palate! Now drink away! Drink away! Don’t forget all about it!" And then, in a stupor, I heard on my roof the nosing and tasting of each little hoof. As I pulled out my nose and was turning around, down the chimney St. James came with a bound. He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, and filled all the bottles, then turned with a quirk. And laying his finger aside of his nose, and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose. I sprang to the bar, to look for a drink, And away they went down, just the way one might think. But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drank out of spite, "Sherry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!" Thanks for another quality year of reviews, community, and education Distiller folks. May your glass be full this holiday season and your whisky flow freely into the glasses of those you care for. Cheers!

Merry Sherry Christmas y'all! I've got a few classic sherry bombs to review for the holiday season, and since GD 12 was my 2019 Whisky of the Year, I thought I'd take a crack at the 15 before I pop open my 18 on Christmas day. I spent all afternoon making Christmas cookies (semester is over, grades are in), so that may or may have not enhanced the experience of nosing and tasting this fabulous dram. I've heard legend of how good the 15 was before the older stock ran out. I was still a whisky neophyte in those days and wouldn't have known good scotch if it ran me over in the street. I was floored by how good this was at first nose and taste, so I can't imagine how good the older stock was (though I may get a peak into how good when I crack the 18). The nose went great with the baking. It has buttery baking spices, sweet raisins and dates, milk chocolate (like fancy Hershey's kisses), and an overall aroma that reminded me of being on Paris for my honeymoon. I must have sat and nosed this for 15 minutes before tasting it. I know the older version was only matured in Oloroso casks, but I love PX sherry, and order it from time to time on its own when the Mrs. wants to go to a fancy wine bar that doesn't serve whisky (liquor laws are dumb in Texas. Some restaurants only serve beer and wine...boo...). But I digress. The PX is a welcome addition on the nose, and I think the new blend is just fine. By the time I finally got around to tasting it, I was greeted with sticky, sweet toffee and fruity notes on the initial hit. A repeated taste brought out a candied nuttiness (think glazed pecans at the county fair) and that wonderful, characteristic Glendronach spice at the back of the palate. It was like drinking the Christmas cookies I'd just made, only those took 20 minutes to make instead of 15+ years.... The finish, my God, that finish. I could cry it was so long and sumptuous. It was the whisky finish version of coming home from a long work trip at 2 AM, peeling your shoes off, and allowing your couch to envelop you with the promise of no work the next day. The marketing gibberish on the tube describes the finish as "dark manuka honey and dark chocolate". I got the dark chocolate part for sure, but I had to do some digging into what manuka honey was. A quick prayer to Our Lady of Google yielded that manuka honey is this ultra-premium honey from New Zealand (thoughts @Soba45 ?) that celebrities pay too much money for (kinda like we do for whisky). We don't have it in Texas, but what we do have is this amazing mesquite honey from Mexico, and I totally get that on the finish. One of the longest and loveliest I've experienced thus far in my journey. If you're still reading, you're either a Glendronach fan, or your just really like my rambling. Either way, go pick this one up. I got it for $85, which for some ridiculous reason is the everyday price in TX. At that price, I'm keeping this one around for a good long time. Cheers!

WHISKY OF THE YEAR 2019: I bought a lot of whisky this year. To the point that my wife was not pleased at all, but even as my liquor cabinet became full to bursting with fine pours such as Del Bac Dorado, Talisker 18 & DE, and Old Forester 1920, I found myself constantly returning to this one. It’s terribly well balanced in my opinion. The PX and Olorosso work very well at not overpowering the malt, and at 43%, there’s still that characteristic Glendronach spice. I got a 2017 bottling of the GD 18 that I plan to review on Christmas that's still from the Billy Walker days, largely inspired by how much I loved this pour. At $160 it was steep, but I plan on making it last. I’ve seen some hate for the new master blender, Rachel Barrie, particularly her limited editions, but I feel she’s doing a fine job stewarding the core range. I know the 15 isn't what it used to be, but it's still a fine pour. I’ve never finished a bottle so quickly as I did with the 12, and went out to immediately re-buy upon bottle kill. At $55 in Texas it’s a no brained. Cheers! What's your Whisky of the Year for 2019?!

A buddy brought this over tonight for our Christmas party, but I only got a small taste so no rating tonight. Compared to Ugi, it’s got an ashy quality to it, and a much dryer smoke profile. It’s lovely, and you can tell the influence from the French oak and bourbon casks. I think I still prefer the sherry influence from Ugi or An Oa, but there is no bad Ardbeg. Just good Ardbeg and better Ardbeg. Cheers!