Tastes

Appearance: The color of this lovely Irish single malt is a honey gold. And very thin legs cling to the glass interior. Nose: The nose is gorgeous and very fruity! Notes of apricot and peach, red wine and dark fruits, pecans and raisins, all waft out of the glass, and following behind all that is a salty and semi-smoky aroma. Taste: The palate is amazing almost comes off sweeter than the nose. It still possesses the peach note, but in the form of those Peach Rings gummy candies. Other notes I find are caramel covered green apple, strawberry flavored candy, with a minimal smoke and brine influence. Finish: The finish does linger, but it humbly yet confidently departs without needing praise or thanks. Much like Adam West’s Batman with Robin at the end of the movie. (Minus the repelling down a building) Thoughts: I want to say “Thank you!” to Micah, my co-worker, for this sample! I probably would not have tried this whiskey otherwise. I think this is definitely one of, if not THE best Irish whiskeys I’ve had to date. It is expensive, but man if you’re looking for a treat, this will treat you! That’s for sure! I strongly recommend trying it! Bushmills, I take my hat off to you for this one! Sláinte!

Appearance: Thicker semi-watery legs dribbled down the glass of this Canadian sherry bomb. It also had the dark color of baked snack pretzels. Nose: The nose had notes of waxy roasted pecans made at Christmastime, overripe apple, cinnamon, maple syrup, baking spice, moss, and a mild grainy harshness. Taste: The palate was way too sweet for my tastes with notes of vanilla, caramel, maple syrup, honey roasted peanuts, and some barrel spice attempting to balance it out. Finish: The finish was a swift initial burn at the back of the throat that eventually mellowed, then plum skins and vanilla took over for the remainder of the moderate amount of time. Thoughts: Well for those who keep track, batch c12-232 of this “small batch” may be good for some but I, for one, can’t get behind it. It was a definite sherry bomb, very syrupy and sweet. It also had a burning that was more intense than usual that I attribute to a less than well-made whisky. I thought this product from CC would be good but I personally enjoy their flagship much better, and do not recommend! Sorry Canadian Club, but I was not impressed.

Appearance: This special bourbon had a polished brass color, with very thin viscous legs that cloyed for ones approval. Nose: The dusty yet welcoming nose boasted notes of dusty corn, aspen dust, dry grass, honey crisp apple, honey, caramel, and vanillins. Taste: The bold palate had a chalky mouthfeel, with notes of plum, cherry, caramel, vanilla, and black tea, and barrel spice. Finish: The bourbon had a dry lingering bitter finish. Thoughts: So this special release was made by Distillery 291 as a gift for Black Bear in Green Mountain Falls when it opened as a bourbon bar (pre-distillery). For those who know 291’s style, one can definitely see the family resemblance, however in a side by side comparison this bourbon is lighter in color and more mellow in flavor to 291’s staple bourbon. I really like this bourbon and wish it was available to the masses. Thanks 291 for making it and thanks Black Bear for sharing with me! Cheers!

Appearance: A polished copper color is what I view in this MGP rye. Thick watery legs dribble their way down the glass. Nose: The nose is both sweet and savory with notes of oatmeal raisin cookies, cinnamon, honey, caramel, vanilla, light smoke, like the smell of residual smoke left on your jacket after a campfire, some eucalyptus, and toast. Taste: The palate was surprisingly pleasant and had notes of rye bread spiciness, dark chocolate, fennel/black licorice, and cinnamon. Finish: There was a spicy then eventually mellow, lingering clove finish that was quite nice. Thoughts: The Redemption brand is not what I would call a top shelfer, but it’s still good. I prefer the rye to the bourbon personally, as I perceived more complexity and flavors than the bourbon. I don’t mind it one bit, and would recommend it if you haven’t tried it and are getting into ryes. Thanks, MGP. Cheers!

Appearance: Looking at this peated blend I note the color of polished brass, with the appearance of thin oily legs in the glass after a swirl. Nose: The nose overall is fruity and smokey. Delicious notes of candied pecan, salty sea air, dusty old book, lemon zest, ginger root, earl grey tea, and apple pie reward one’s curious sniff. Taste: The palate has an oily mouthfeel, with notes of salty peat, plum, cinnamon, spice, and ash. Finish: The finish is lingering and mellow with a fresh clove note left behind. Thoughts: I am quite impressed with this scotch. Several folks have recommended this to me lately, so I’m glad I finally got the opportunity to try it. For the price point, I’d say this is an excellent deal! I love the peat’s presence but for those just getting into the peat taste, it isn’t overbearing. I ended up getting a bottle for a friend of mine and he loved it too. The bottle is classy, the value is great, and the scotch is good! Thank you, Cutty Sark! Sláinte!

Appearance: I really liked looking into my glass and seeing this wheat whiskey. Its football leather dark brown color was impressive, while its thin viscous legs clung to the inside. Nose: The nose was complex and hard to pin down, much like the exact location of Carmen Sandiego. But as is common and nice in wheats, it was overall welcoming and flowery. Notes of candy sweetness, cherry Twizzler, maple syrup, candy corn, kiwi fruit, and some stranger notes of soggy campfire, pine sap, and steamed cauliflower made themselves known. Taste: On the palate was a noticeably oily mouthfeel. Notes emerged such as sour tree sap, tart Granny Smith apple, barrel char and tannins, and buttered bread. It was nice but not overwhelming. Finish: There was a nice and mellow yet lingering cinnamon finish. Thoughts: I appreciate the fact that wheat whiskey is a growing category. This offering I’d say is a worthy addition to the lineup. Yes, it has its typical wheat soft floralness, but it also has a ruggedness to it as well. If you have the opportunity, I’d definitely recommend giving it a try! Catskill Distilling, thank you much! Cheers!

Appearance: This MGP bourbon was a light caramel syrup color. It also had thick semi-watery legs that jogged their way down my Glencairn’s interior. Nose: The nose possessed notes of strong ethanol at first, followed by classic caramel and vanilla, cherry, honey, and dry grass and leaves. Taste: The palate had a watery mouthfeel and some barrel bite, with notes of caramel, vanilla, and a weird sour note, but overall it was pretty boring. Finish: The finish was bitter with tannins and long with a light burning on the back of the throat. Thoughts: So this is our well bourbon at the cocktail bar I work at, and the cocktails made with this whiskey are great, however, drank neat, this isn’t really all that special, though I’m happy I tried it. It has basically just the typical bourbon notes, but even those aren’t great. As a mixer it’s great, but there are better whiskeys out there. Thanks MGP. Cheers!

Appearance: This underrated single malt is a caramel syrup color. Thin semi watery legs decorate the glass walls. Nose: The nose is overall sweet with notes of, heathery honey, dry hay, candied pecans, salted cashews, pear and green apple, and a light peat note making things a bit more interesting. Taste: The palate has a creamy mouthfeel with notes of slight ashy peat smoke, red fruits like cherry and plum, apple, fresh grass, and sea salt. It’s quite delicious. Finish: The finish is medium length with a cantaloupe note. Thoughts: This whisky was very enjoyable. I’m very glad I got a bottle and would definitely recommend it to anyone who has a taste for the Speyside region but wants a gentle intro into peat. Thank you, Diageo and Cragganmore Distillery! Sláinte!

Appearance: This bourbon mash patriotic offering is a light honey gold color, and extremely thin and oily legs slowly crawl their way down the glass. Nose: The nose is smokey and almost salty, like salted almonds salty. There are other notes such as honey and heather, some florality, cut grass, and minus the strong note of aspen dust, this batch is really smelling like highland scotch territory. Taste: The palate has heat initially, a dry chalky mouthfeel, then very faint notes of vanilla and caramel, and some notes of spinach and plum. I noticed this taste differed from the smell immensely. Finish: I perceive a lingering dry cinnamony finish. Thoughts: I am drinking from bottle 19-0425, and though I really enjoy the nose, the taste could be better in my opinion. I am planning to try this whiskey in some cocktails to see how it does, but overall it’s not bad, just not the tier I know 291 is capable of. Distillery 291, thanks as always! Cheers!

Appearance: In this whiskey blend my friend brought back for me from his mission trip to Nepal, I look in my glass and notice a light honey color, with super thin and oily legs. Nose: As I bring the glass up to take a whiff, I get fresh notes of green apple, pear, salty brine and light peat, honey and flowers, and damp forest and hay. Taste: The palate has, as I take a sip, a creamy mouthfeel, and is pretty warm going down at first. Notes of ash, honey, red apple, cherry flavored candy, and sea brine traverse the tongue. Finish: The finish is medium long, dry and ashy. Thoughts: This whiskey was surprisingly good. It was a fun gift to receive, maybe not worth hunting down, but still good. I’m glad I got to try it! Thanks, Spencer and Old Durbar! Sláinte!