Tastes

50% abv Natural color Non chill-filtered Nose: quite complex! phenolic peat smoke; vanilla; slight floral; slight earthiness; dried sweet fruit. Taste: rich, juicy sweet and acidic, with citrus-laden bonfire peat smoke; chili pepper; honeyed-vanilla; slight fishiness; apple; brine; fudgy coffee; hint of spice and plum. Finish: medium, with orange citrus; vanilla; cherry cola. A lingering sweet spearmint at the tail end. Value: Travel exclusive around $100 USD Final thoughts: this is an interesting, young peated whiskey. Not a lot of depth but it somewhat compensates with its complexity. You could do far worst for a travel exclusive. All in all, enjoyable but overpriced. Score: 3.5/5. Recommend trying or buying at a good price. Malt musing: “Whisky is sunlight held together by water.” Link to video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX2SImwuQpU&t

12 years old (70% ex-bourbon cask/30% ex-sherry cask) 56.5% abv non chill-filtered Natural color Nose: rich and dense fresh fruit notes, like apple and strawberry, along with a hint of citrus. As you nose the dram more, you begin to find vanilla, toffee and light caramel, along with a brine note. And behind it all, there is a slight vegetal earthiness, leather and a mustiness like an old warehouse, which is classic Springbank. Enticing to say the least. Taste: dense and mult-layered. This greets you with salty-sweet red fruits, then a wave of honey, vanilla, raisin and cocoa take over. As it continues to develop, cinnamon, clove, and lime-saltiness accent the edges. A very singular and unforgettable experience. Finish: long, spicy and syrupy fruit sweetness, like a red berry jam. The pepper spice hangs around, as well as the salt, which warms you as caramel, a hint of mint and a slight alkaline/copper note rounds it all out at the end. Value: Right around $100 USD. High value. Final thoughts: You won't find a 12 year old single malt this good, period. Adding water only serves to bring out new notes with each sip, which only adds to the value of a good cask strength malt. Springbank's insistence on quality over flashy marketing and, instead, following the old ways of whisky crafting (never color added, never chill-filtering, and doing all production on-site) is fully on display here. This is a can't miss bottle for folks looking to take their whisky journey to the second level and seasoned malt lovers alike. Score: 5/5 (Buy right now!) Malt Musing: "Scotch whisky bring out a real you." - Vivek Thangaswamy

43% abv Nose: sweet and inviting. Hints of charred oak, vanilla, dark chocolate, maple syrup and cinnamon with a bit of bbq smoky sweetness in the back (likely from the mesquite “refining”) Taste: initially quite light, creamy and almost fruity, but quickly develops into sweet vanilla and light sugary toffee followed by drying dark chocolate and roasted dark coffee bean. A slight but pleasant bite at the tail end. Finish: medium with hints of light salted caramel, vanilla, cocoa and little bitterness and nutmeg. Value: $25-$35 USD. For the price I’d personally just reach for a bottle of 101 but I don’t regret this one-time purchase. Final thoughts: this is an interesting one certain to polarize fans of Wild Turkey. The lower proof chosen by actor Matthew McConaughey when crafting this bourbon was almost certainly to make it a sipping whiskey straight out of the bottle. In that respect they succeed, and the addition of some mesquite (or rather, “refined” mesquite, whatever that means) is a nice touch on the nose but offers little else than a nod to his home state of Texas. Perhaps at a higher abv this could have been a truly standout pour, but as is it’s more of a easy, pleasant sip with a little flair. Score. 3/5. Recommend trying or buying a bottle at a good price. Malt musing: “My off days I start drinking at noon...you don’t get to interrupt that.” - Matthew McConaughey, as “Cohle” in True Detective

67.6% abv Non-chill filtered Nose: rich and deep while a tad hot (a little water recommended), with note of molasses, raw maple syrup, demura and/or dark brown sugar, hint of nuttiness, melted toffee, candied pears and apples and some nice charred oak. Taste: dark caramel; brown sugar; cinnamon red hots; leather; slight tobacco; creamy butterscotch. Finish: goes on for days. Chocolate; Dark roast coffee; leather and balanced oak barrel. Value: $65-80. Yes yes yes. Final thoughts: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is one of the best bourbons you can readily buy. With 3 releases annually (Jan; May; Sept) you’ll get slight variations with each batch but all will rise to the occasion. This is what bourbon is all about, comrades. Score: 5/5. Buy it right now! Malt musing: "Here's to alcohol: the cause of, and answer to, all of life's problems." Matt Groening

46% abv Non-chill filtered Nose: deep and evolving in the glass. Vanilla; nutmeg; honey; classic bready note from unmalted barley; slight floral; bright, juicy fruit notes in the background, like melon and green apple. Taste: gentle, full and mouth-costing arrival. As it develops, complexities appears as it slowly dries with vanilla, subtle nutmeg and other baking spice notes; vanilla; warm toffee; hint of cocoa; nuttiness like walnut and/or almond; fruitiness like lemon, banana and a hint of pineapple accent the full body. Finish: medium-long and complex! Your left with a nice balance of sweet orange and powdered sugar, sour from tart apple and warm, nutty spice with a slight bite. Value: this is a pricy one, at $80-95 USD. If you’re a bit seasoned in Irish whiskies id say buy with confidence, otherwise try Green Spot first at around $55. Final thoughts: a journey in subtle complexity, Yellow Spot 12 year is the kind of dram that beguiles the senses. While other notable single pot still Irish whiskies like Redbreast are more forward with you, this one is a bit shy but worth the time investment. It’s straight up delicious but also treats you to something new almost every pour. Give this one a few minutes to breath in the glass before sipping and you’ll fully appreciate this whiskey. Score: 4.5/5. Highly recommend buying a bottle. Malt musing: “Drinking is another way of thinking, another way of living. It gives you two lives instead of one.” ~ Charles Bukowski