Tastes

Check out my uncorking review here: https://youtu.be/gKe2818JubI

46% abv color added non chill-filtered Nose: vanilla; sweet fruits (black cherry/raspberry); not overly complex but bold. Taste: light-medium body, with notes of tobacco and charred oak, the develops into dark fruit like plum, raisin, fig, black cherry and dark chocolate. Finish: long with dark chocolate, hint of oak and spice, along with juicy black cherry. Some almond/nuttiness at the tail end. Value: At $45-55 bucks American, this is a good value. Final thoughts: While I enjoy this dram, port wine is not for everyone. I think GlenMo does a great job balancing the super sweet and heavy flavor of ruby red port with the malt in the whisky, but the bold nature of port can throw some folks off. All in all, a solid release and I look forward to trying the new 14 year old version. Score: 3.5/5 (Recommend trying or buying a bottle at a good price). Malt Musing: "Never delay kissing a pretty girl or opening a bottle of whiskey." - Ernest Hemingway Link to video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ7xGrg5R5k&t

43% abv color added chill-filtered Nose: warm apple cinnamon cake; slight floral; sweetness, like honey and vanilla; hint of caramel. Overall pretty complex and very inviting. Taste: The arrival is medium bodied with a pinch of pepper with french vanilla, but as it develops you get light cocoa, brunt toffee, hazelnut, apple crisp, fruits like peach, mango and apricot, and a vanilla icing note, as if from a pastry. Finish: medium, gently warming with hints of apple, marzipan , brown sugar and cinnamon sugar closing the show. Value: price varies widely in the U.S., from $85-120. Regardless, a worthy purchase. Final thoughts: In one word: elegant. I love this pour. After leaving the bottle open for about 2 months, this malt really took off, showcasing it's subtle complexity and sipability. This is high on my list of go-to Speyside whiskies and at a price that can't be beat. Buy with confidence. Score: 4.5/5 (Highly recommend buying a bottle! Malt Musing: "My own experience has been that the tools I need for my trade are paper, tobacco, food, and a little whisky." - William Faulkner

46% abv non chill-filtered natural color Nose: bright fruits (apple, strawberry and pear) along with honey and lemon-lime. Young and punchy. Taste: Honey-sweet and tart (think green apple tart) with a medium body. As it develops, the lime note returns along with pepper and milk chocolate, and you get some of the bourbon ask notes. such as caramel and cinnamon, but they play a complementary role. Finish: A tad hot, with tobacco, cinnamon, a bit of oakiness and tangy tartness. Value: at $50-60 USD, this one is a toss up. Final thoughts: A young whisky to be sure, Amrut single malt is none-the-less a unique and complex pour which portends good things to come with more age. Give this one a try (or one of the others in their lineup) and enjoy this very singular whisky experience. Final Score: 3.5/5 (Recommend trying or buying a bottle at a good price) Malt Musing: "Never cry over split milk. It could've been whiskey." - Maverick

Nose: Heavy charcoal peat smoke dominates, but there's also fruit (pear and green apple) and a chocolate note. Taste: Viscous for 46.3% abv and smoke smoke smoke! As it develops the apple along with a hint of chocolate-covered cherry come in. Finish: Medium, with a oak, smoke char, peat smoke, chocolate, raisin and slight nuttiness. On the tail end is a sour funkiness I can't quite describe but isn't very pleasant. Value: $65 USD; overpriced for what you get. Final Thoughts: Glad I got to try this unique NAS pour from Bunnahabhain, but compared to other peated single malts at the price point, this one fades in the face of the competition. It's got a bit of that classic Bunna profile but it's youth is evident. Score: 3/5 Try or buy at a good price Cheers to @LeeEvolved for sharing this sample with me!

46% abv Non chill-filtered Natural color Nose: deep dark and bright fruits with baking spices in the background. Think raisin, prune and figs along with blue berry, cherry, apple and apricot. Also a hint of vanilla and whipped cream. Taste: rich, viscous, creamy and fruity. A true sherry bomb. Dates, figs plums and chocolate-covered raisins greet you and carry the bulk of the load. Spices and juicy black cherry follow, along with a nuttiness that comes in on the development but is never center stage. Finish: medium. Medley of dark fruits give way to notes of vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon spice and at the very end, dark chocolate caramel and a bite of pepper/alcohol. Value: $145-185 USD. A steep price (especially above $150) for an 18 year old. Buy only if you have the extra cash or hunt for a cheaper bottle (they exist!). Final thoughts: a complex powerhouse sherry scotch worthy of any shelf, the 18 Allardice is a true gem worthy of the accolades it receives. This single malt delivers on all fronts, but at its price point it puts itself on the very high end of 18 year old whiskies. With many great options coming in $30-50 dollars less, you may find yourself second guessing a purchase of the Allardice. An understandable predicament, but you will be missing out. Score: 4/5 (highly recommend buying a bottle. Malt musing: “I should never have switched from scotch to martinis.” - Humphrey Bogart Link to video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm9bult2yjE&t

5 years old 61.2% abv Natural color Non chill-filtered Nose: bonfire/tire fire pest smoke goodness is in effect, but behind it reveals kiwi, cider apple, hint of pineapple along with pepper, caramel and vanilla. Taste: Wow! bold, chili pepper hits immediately, building into a creamy, almost sorbet sweet fruitiness. There a hint of chocolate, too, which blends nicely. Also, sweet, sweet barley sugar and maybe a floral note, too? All in all nicely balanced and quite complex but a bit cloying for my taste. Finish: medium, lead by pepper and smoke, with vanilla and some juicy fruits (plum, pear and blackberry) rounding it out and a slight cafe mocha at the tail end. Value: at anywhere from $180-$250 dollars, I can’t say it’s worth the cost considering comparable options. Final thoughts: as this was my first Octomore, I want to rate this higher. It’s damn good. The complexity intrigued me like few other young pleated single malts. It reminds me most of Arran Machrie Moor but with way more peat. But the cost is simply too much in my opinion. And my approach to reviewing includes cost as a factor. So while it’s a better peated malt than, say, Ardbeg 10 or Kilchoman Machir Bay or most core Laphroaigs, it’s a stretch to say it’s (at least) $100 better. Final score: 3.5/5 (Recommend trying or buying a bottle at a good price. H/t to @LeeEvolved for the generous sample. Thanks for sharing with me my first taste of the vaunted Octomore!

63.7% abv Uncut and Non chill-filtered Aged 6 years, 3 months and 14 days Nose: strong vanilla; dark char; rye and clove spice; cherry/cherry cola; alcohol from the high Proof. All in all, delish. Taste: medium body, viscous and full flavor! Vanilla and dark brown sugar and caramel; slight mint; cherry; rye spice Finish: long and rewarding. Peppery spice, vanilla, hints of mint, peanut, toasted marshmallow, oaky barrel char and a delicious caramel toffee at the very end. Value: $60-75. Worth it. Final thoughts: I’ve never been disappointed by a Booker’s batch, but this one is a hair above the average and the best of the 2018 batches. Grab this or any Booker’s without hesitation and use water liberally to tame the burn, open up the flavors, and enjoy the ride. Score: 4.5/5 Highly recommend buying a bottle Malt musing: “Soup of the day: bourbon.”

2017 release 46% abv Natural color Non chill-filtered NAS Nose: Laphroaig-style medicinal, phenolic, tarry peat smoke with some sweet fruit notes like plum and cherry. There are also hints cocoa, and vanilla and cinnamon from the bourbon cask. Taste: Oily, medium bodied and slightly acidic. Thick smoke; orange-citrus; cinnamon spice; dark fruit; hint of caramel and sea salt. It goes by fairly quickly and doesn't have too much depth. Finish: medium, with pepper, salt, and some darker fruit and berry notes from the Oloroso sherry maturation (chocolate-covered raisin, dark cherry) along with smokiness and barrel char. Value: $60-70 USD. Solid price. Final thoughts: a young whisky to be sure. I'm a big fan of peated single malts with sherry finishes, and I think this one, with a few more years on it, will be a stunner. It's good but not quite there yet; still though, this dram nothing to sneeze at as it offers some complexities. Score: 3.5/5. Recommend trying or buying at a good price. H/t to @LeeEvolved for the generous sample!