Tastes

*Score* 94 *Color* Deep amber, brass. Coppery bronze. The corners fade out to gold. *Nose* You could have someone pour this five feet away, and still be struck by the peat smell. There’s also some heavy sulpher and burnt rubber. *Palate* Deep and rich and fills your mouth with earth and soil and the smell of wet leaves when it rains. *Finish* Very long and very strong. *Notes* A truly unique scotch, this transcends the typical experience of merely tasting a dram. If you’ve ever stood on a mountaintop and enjoyed the lush green beautiful endless landscape with fog clouds floating low above the trees and a thin mist tapping you lightly across your face, this is what the scene would taste like. I may be influenced by the green and white packaging, but all I can think of is deep dank foggy rains on a cold spring afternoon in Central PA. Enjoy this by the fire when it rains. This punches you in the face a lot harder than the 10. This tastes like you’re eating grass or seaweed, and the smoke lingers on as long as you let it. A few drops tones it down a little, but doesn’t exactly change anything. This is not an overly complex dram, but they’re not trying to be complex – they just want to smack you in the face with peat. The finish is so long, it lends itself time to evolve and almost shifts gears to tasting like cigarette smoke after 30 seconds and then to a sweet savory smoky barbecue sauce. Laprhoaig loves to be divisive, and I’m lucky to say I’m on the love side. I give this a loud 94 and believe it may be Laphroaig’s best expression.

*Score* 91 *Color* Deep rust. *Nose* Sweet, deep bourbon smell. Cherries, bold and dense. *Palate* Semi-oily. *Finish* Short but sweet. *Notes* This is a sweet and delicious bourbon. Your first sip may taste like a cherry cola with a slight burn that not is overwhelming. The cherries are very pronounced and consistent with the nose. You can almost taste the oak barrels. A few drops adds a bit of cinnamon spice on the backend, almost as if it’s trying to position itself as a seasonal bourbon best drank in the fall. Bourbons are always difficult for me to score, mainly because I think they all taste the same. There’s just something special about Eagle Rare, and I’m hoping it’s not just the price tag – I picked it up for under $30 in PA.

*Score* 86 *Color* Golden yellow. *Nose* Vanilla, honey. *Palate* A tad oily, just dense enough to seem surprisingly dense for such a light color. *Finish* Not a long aftertaste. *Notes* Very consistent with the nose – vanilla and honey present themselves immediately and deeply, though they fade out pretty quickly, as well. Extremely minimal smoke; so small that I may just be grasping to find it, but it seems to add a touch of complexity. A few drops opens up the finish just a tad, and invites a touch of fruit, as well as cereal. Glenmorangie 10 is very easy to drink, and is an easy entry into the scotch world for a beginner. Even experts, however, may enjoy a dram and explore some complexity without any peat. This is one of my favorites and one of a few scotches you can enjoy with food. This is an excellent scotch to bring along for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

*Score* 86 *Color* Bright yellow gold. Seems to glow. *Nose* Vanilla and honey with barley. Musty. *Palate* A tad oily with good density. *Finish* Long and savory. *Notes* The taste is spot on with the nose - vanilla and honey with a lingering trace of what I would call “musty.” I feel like there’s hints of smoke, but it’s a bit bashful. This is a solid offering from the good folks at Highland Park. It’s consistent with the other expressions, with a subtle lack of quality you would expect at the lower price point. It isn’t bad and is definitely a good value, although it’s difficult for me to judge this on its own knowing how much I enjoy the 12 and especially the 18.

*Score* 87 *Color* Deep orange, amber, copper, rust. *Nose* Sweet sherry bourbon. Bit of a burn. Couldn’t decipher much. *Palate* Quite thin and light. *Finish* The initial alcohol burns seem out of proportion for only 80 proof. I didn’t get much other than faint orange peels as the burn settles down. *Notes* Just 2 drops hugely opens up this dram and creates an entirely different experience. A more bountiful citrus array arrives before a relatively longer cinnamon finish (though still a rather short finish). The honey lingers across your tongue with more heavy sherry on the backend. I also picked up hints of wood. Like a lost lover, you don’t appreciate this one at the time. The best part is the aftertaste – it’s favorable and you want it to come back. This one grows on you. A lukewarm first dram becomes a dear friend after you’ve revisited the bottle a handful of times. It’s fun to explore while counting the drops you add. I suggest purchasing a bottle, but be very careful in pacing yourself. It’s quite drinkable as a session scotch and could get you in trouble. Also a very good expression to introduce a bourbon drinker to the scotch world.

*Score* 85 *Color* Deep copper, cherry oak. *Nose* The oak jumps to the forefront. I don’t want to say “overwhelming,” but this masks anything else. I picked up on a little wood. *Palate* Middle of the road – not particularly thin or too dense or oily. *Finish* Rather strong initial burn. A little too much for 43%. It leaves you with a little dry red wine and berry fruit flavors. *Notes* I’ll admit I’m a little biased against Macallan 12 because of its commercial popularity. Just the mere mention by someone that they like Macallan introduces pretense and “welcome to amateur hour.” In addition to what I believe is an inflated price yields a deflated score. If I see it in a bar as the only option, I won’t be mad but I won’t be happy. A few drops opens the nose and introduces a touch of vanilla and honey. Some faint smoke lingers in the background and vanishes quickly. The burn virtually disappears with water and seems to add a bit of complexity, but these are just whispers with minimal depth. For something this sweet I’d prefer a bourbon at half the price. I’ve also found Macallan 12 to be wildly inconsistent from bottle to bottle, and I’m thinking it might be due to the mass production.

*Score* 85 *Color* Deep amber. *Nose* Floral with a heavy alcohol burn. You can def tell this is 100 proof. *Palate* Syrupy caramel, sugar sweet. Heavy alcohol fire. *Finish* Lingering floral tones. *Notes* Add some water to this before the first sip. Oddly enough, this adds some density to the palate while adding complexity to the finish. Heavy floral, predominantly lavender. This one-dimensional dram is probably best suited for a bourbon fan looking to explore without being too bold.

*Score* 86 *Color* Blood orange. *Nose* Sweet citris, which is more pronounced on the finish. *Palate* Dense. *Finish* Smooth going down with just right kick. Finish is a bit short, though. *Notes* I’m a scotch guy. This one’s difficult for me to judge because I feel pressure to rate it high. Unfortunately, it’s limited to the overpowering sweet cherry cola flavor I get from every bourbon and Blanton’s costs $25 more. I’ll admit it’s surprisingly smooth, if not dangerously smooth, at 93 proof but I’m dissuaded by the price. The fruity flavors include orange and a tart grapefruit.

*Score* 84 *Color* Honey Gold. *Nose* Honey, pronounced vanilla notes, lingering tingle of alcohol without the burn. *Palate* Thin, clear. *Finish* Short finish, flirting with floral that flutters away with the first sip. *Notes* A gentle scotch, this is like a set of training wheels. Although you compromise for a lack of complexity. Even the burn down your throat isn’t harsh. A flat coating of butterscotch on the center of the tongue with a somewhat spicy tone coming on at the end. Overall, a rather neutral expression that doesn’t seem to want to pick a side. For example, it’s fruity with nondescript fruits. It’s a good gift scotch – classy enough to impress a non-expert while also not forcing on them something too smoky or peaty. At the same time, a connoisseur would appreciate the effort.

*Score* 88 *Color* Amber. *Nose* An deceivingly lackluster aroma. Smoky peat, somewhat muted by honey or toffee. A slight alcohol burn. *Palate* Crisp with subtle oil. *Finish* Smooth peat with a wee bit of smoke. Not overpowering. Lingers long enough to leave you wanting more. *Notes* It tastes much better than it smells. The initial smoke gives way to a smoky peat. A few drops softens the slight burn, and opens the door to more flavors though none are overly robust and the dram on the whole is not too complex. I also picked up on some caramel with extra salt. This would be a great introductory scotch for someone who’s new to the peat scene.