Tastes

This peated whisky seems to wear its youth as a badge of honor and more power to it! This is perhaps the brightest peated whisky I’ve tried. Where, say, Caol Ila tastes like a rainy autumn day, this tastes like a bright and sunny morning full of possibilities. Love the lemon citrus notes I’m finding amongst the peat and barley. This was a Christmas present which I’ve been happily and patiently stretching out for months now. Well worth the time.

Amazing malt. Picked up in Massachusetts as it’s unavailable in New Hampshire (although the NH state liquor store just started carrying the 18yo and the Double Cask). Salted chocolate, coffee caramels, and a bit of smoke. This hits all the right notes for me. Looking forward to trying out the 18yo next. Between this, Springbank 10 & 15, and the Kilkerran 12, Campbeltown has become one of my favorite scotch whisky regions.

"A single barrel offering (barrel 6501) selected for the NH state liquor store and coming in at a healthy 57.5 abv. This one has some attitude to spare. No age statement listed but I’m getting a healthy oak influence from the barrel so I would guess somewhere in the 8-9 year range perhaps? It’s bold as a sipper but I was surprised to see that the flavor got a bit lost when I tried in a Manhattan and Old Fashioned, despite the 115 proof. Still, for around $40, I have no buyers remorse. This is the first Rye I’ve tried from Beam.

I know that Rittenhouse seems to be the Rye of choice when it comes to Heaven Hill but I have to throw my support behind Pikesville. I say this with a healthy appreciation of Rittenhouse but for me, Pikesville just has a little something extra. The bump in proof goes a long way and this Rye has a few extra dimensions for me that Rittenhouse is lacking, tasting more refined and nuanced, at least to my palette. I love Ritt in a cocktail but it’s not a Rye I’d feel the need to sip per say. Pikesville I could go in either direction. Anywho, just my pair of pennies. Cheers!

I found this to be a bit of a letdown. Nothing awful about it but just very “meh” tasting. Perhaps I caught a bad batch? There didn’t seem to be any barrel influence whatsoever and the flavor was extremely mild to the point of being nearly flavorless, which I found surprising. Jameson or Tullamore Dew seem like a flavor bomb in comparison. Very peculiar and a bit disappointing.

This does exactly what it needs to and just a little bit extra. Fruity and sweet with a touch of an almost rancio flavor on the finish. I can’t quite describe it! Slightly funky but in an appealing way. I was surprised how distinctive this is. For a low-end blended scotch at a baseline proof I would certainly reach for this again. A solid 3.5 for sure.

I realize this isn’t a prestige pour but 79 is a criminal rating. No, this won’t change your life but for a BiB bourbon with a 6 year age statement and coming in at under $15 retail you can do no wrong with a purchase. It’s a killer in any cocktail and won’t get lost with its proof.

Without a doubt the finest bourbon I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting. Fell in love with the A118 batch and just picked up a bottle of the B518. Sells in New Hampshire for $49.99 which for a 12 year old, unfiltered, barrel proof whiskey is an absolute steal. You literally can’t do better than that. Cheers to Heaven Hill which is rapidly becoming my distillery of choice.

I like to think of this a ‘Baby Hakushu’. It’s got all the qualities of that malt but with much less age and a little rougher around the edges. Far more spirit driven than refined but for the price it’s a phenomenal purchase considering the state of Japanese whisky prices.