Tastes

I’ve tried to like this on several occasions but I just can’t get into it. My folks are wine people, but they’ve been thoughtful and stocked some bourbon and single malt at their house for when I come to visit. A friend of my father’s recommended this one to him, but he doesn’t drink it, and it just isn’t to my liking (to be fair I’ve been frequenting the Talisker and cask strength bourbon lately). The nose is light and fruity. Classic Glenmo with some extra peaches and cream. Not unpleasant in the least. Palate is light and malty, with a concentrated burst of sweetness reminiscent of the Italian desert wines my family drinks at special celebrations. The finish is where this one fails for me. It’s somehow both overly sweet and overly tannic at the same time, which smacks of poor casks (as Ralfy would say). With Glenmo’s huge output, it could be that this batch just ran afoul of some poor barrel quality. I can see how this appeals to some folks, but as is common in whisky reviews, we all have our preferences, and this one just doesn’t do it for me. Cheers!

What a lovely way to close out nearly three straight weeks of work. Gentle, sunny, and full of honey.

Had to let this one rest a bit. After about fifteen minutes I get apples, pears, and springtime on the nose. Taste is simple but certainly not unpleasant. Malt, more apples, honey, and a bit of that wax that everyone talks about with this malt. Finish is short and pleasant. I can see why this one is favoured in blends.

Nose is apples and fresh cut grass. Palate is thin and watery but a repeat visit brings out some more lovely malt. Finish is short but certainly not unpleasant. At the risk of either sounding snobby or like a drunk, most drams at 40% abv (maybe with the exception of Redbreast 12) don’t do much for me anymore. Not enough flavor. If this were stronger I could see it having more backbone and being an interesting malt.

Soft, gentle peat smoke. Think Laphroaig lite. Some fruity and grassy notes buried under the smoke. Some astringency on the finish. I’m not loving this on its own, but I see its value in blends like Peat Monster.

Ok, let’s talk. I was dubious for a while about the Diageo Distillers Editions. I still am. Most of them don’t have great reviews or are bottles at 40%. No thanks. Then along comes this one. This is unmistakably Talisker (brine, peat, pepper) but with a little extra. The sherry finish gives it a wonderful perfume-like nose that shouldn’t work with Talisker but somehow does. It’s get better on the palate as brine and pepper are integrated with flavors of sweet figs and raisins. Sweet and savory. The finish and the empty glass are a masterful combination of peat and sweet that lingers for days. Love it! For you folks out there who are interested in bottle years, I got my hands on a 2015 version. The bottle itself is stylish (it looks like the same bottle that Lag 16 comes in) and the label is classy with all the necessary information. I’m giving this just shy of five stars because the Talisker 10 was what got me to fall in love with Scotch and it is perfect to me, so to rate any variation on that theme higher seems like heresy.I’d highly recommend this one without any hesitation for the well healed Talisker fan. Cheers!

No tasting notes tonight. We all love Talisker 10. Just enjoying a healthy pour for my birthday. The wife was sweet a bought me a tasting kit from Diageo with twelve (!) different malts in it to sample. She’s the best. Also got a little $$ from the in-laws I plan on using for the Talisker 18. Cheers!

I was at a tailgate for this week’s UT football game (Hook ‘em!) and a buddy showed up with this. I’ve had this one before but it was years ago and I didn’t remember much about it. I recently reviewed the Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban, and I’m a big fan of anything port finished. This dram was a pioneer of sorts in finishing bourbon rather than scotch or Irish. The palate on this has classic bourbon notes. Vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, but the port finish shows up on the nose and the finish. You find all those berries and syrupy notes on the nose and the finish is velvety smooth just like on the Quinta Ruban. Great stuff! I’ve noticed the price on this go up in the last few years. It used to be $40 a bottle and now I’m seeing it for $50. Not sure if that’s due to market demands or change in sourcing (last I heard it was MGP bourbon). Still good. Still worth standard retail, but I do remember when non-entry level bourbon was more affordable. These days I see prices creeping up not towards single malt levels despite the domestic advantage. Either way, a solid dram. I’d happily put a bottle of this in my collection. Cheers, and go Longhorns!

Hot damn! Age statement bourbon! As I’ve gone further down the scotch rabbit hole, I find myself drinking less bourbon these days, but this puts a smile on my face. Seems like there’s so many bourbons on the market these days and it’s hard to stand out among the crowd, but this one is worth looking at. Wild Turkey gets a bad rap. They make a quality budget whiskey (101), have intriguing promotional offers (Longbranch), and now this. No reason to diss on that. The nose is my favorite part. It reminds me of the mixture I make for Hot Buttered Rum (minus the rum), with butter, brown sugar, and baking spices. Classic bourbon notes on the palate with an emphasis On the vanilla (I suspect from ten years in the barrel). Finish is long, warming, and even though it’s still summer in Texas, it makes me feel like I’m back in Colorado on a snowy winter morning. Good stuff. Well crafted. Highly affordable. Most recommended.

This bottle comes highly recommended, and rightly so. There's a lot to enjoy here, including a creamy maltiness, well balanced wine finishes, an affordable price tag, and some outstanding packaging, which I normally don't go in for, but you gotta appreciate the details. Here's the good stuff. Lots of caramel and vanilla on the nose (but not in the bourbon way). The wine finishes are on the nose, but not overwhelming like in Aberlour or Tamdhu. The master distillers at Glendronach have clearly spent a lot of time tinkering with the blend of the different finishes. The palate is full of sweetness from the PX and roundness from the Olorosso, which lingers on into the finish. Around the mid-palate, the malt shows up and doesn't disappoint, determined not to be overshadowed by the sherry. Right at the end there's a smoky/toffee note that is a most intriguing combination. Now the other stuff. My biggest gripe with this malt is the finish. At 43%, it still comes off a bit thin, almost watery at the end. There's also an astringency (either from the barrel or the finish) that lingers far to long. I will say this about the wine finishes. There's a hotness on arrival from the Olorosso, as well as a mild astringency on the finish, but there's this delightful sweet, roundness in the mid-palate from the PX (Full disclosure, I'm more of a fan of PX than Olorosso). If you can find this bottle for a good price, by all means buy it. No regrets on this purchase, and a core malt for experiencing sherry finished Scotch. I am however left with a few questions that maybe you, dear reader, can answer. 1) How does this stack up against Glenmorangie Lasanta, which is also a Highland Single Malt with the same finishing, 2) Despite the high "expert rating" here, are there other Glendronach options you'd recommend over this one, and 3) I know that taste is so subjective and we all experience whisky a little different, but what would you suggest to improve this dram? Cheers!