Tastes

Nose is brine; smoke, bbq meat; chocolate, and candy sweetness. Taste is briney seaweed, peat phenols, smoke, and a sweetness I can’t pick out. Finish is smoke and salt. Wonderful expression, I am excited to try this against other heavily peated islay scotches to find the subtleties.

Nose is oak, vanilla, bit of caramel and spice. Classic bourbon here. Taste is warm, oak, grass, cinnamon spice, and a hint of sweetness. Finish has a bit of heat for 90 proof with oak and spice notes.

Nose is vanilla, caramel, oak, rye spice is there but subtle. Taste is dry rye spice, berry sweetness, balanced heat, oak, and a bit of must. Finish is long and full of dry rye.

Nose is buttery rye spice, candy sugar, oak, and cherry. Taste is cereal, rye spice, marshmallow, and must. Finish is long and warning.

Nose is spice forward, vanilla, caramel, and musty wood. I also am reminded of fresh oregano from the garden. Taste is rye spice, wood, musty grains, and a small amount of vanilla. Finish is more rye, flat, but tasty.

Nose is spicey, vanilla, apricots. Taste is rich with rye spice, oak, subtle sweetness. Very rounded overall. Finish is classic dry rye and no burn.

Nose is brine, orange creamsicle, light peat smoke, and wet hay. Taste is smoke, musty hay, seaweed, orange rind, an oily richness, and oddly reminiscent of rye spice. Finish lingers and has heat from the 50% abc but is fairly simple spicey smoke.

Limited release from a barrel share between Finger Lakes Distillery and Two Goats Brewing. Two Goats aged a Belgian Quad in rye barrels, then the McKenzie Straight Rye whiskey was aged in the rye/Belgian quad barrel. Nose is honey, rye spice, and fresh raspberries. Taste is spice, raspberry jam, barley wine syrupy sweetness, and oak. Finish is smooth for the 97 proof and had a lingering spice. This is a wonderful finish to a rye whiskey that adds a ton of fruit and an interesting sweetness.

Nose is vanilla, oak, raisins, and pepper. Taste is vanilla, herbs, and oak, with a good bite from the alcohol. Finish is long and amazingly smooth for the proof. Delicious, though I should have had this before my taste of Ardbeg 10 since it is much more subtle.

Nose is campfire, honey, and brine. Taste is smoke, brine, medicinal sweetness, and rich oil. Finish is long, smokey, and a bit sharp. Wonderful 10 year Islay expression.