Tastes
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Dark amber pour. Nose is very faint with subtle alcohol and burnt sugar notes. The palate is more complex but light with wood, burnt sugar and tobacco. Thick mouthfeel with a medium finish. I honestly expected a little more from this as far as the flavor. It's not bad, just not very robust. It is extremely smooth and somewhat complex, just muted like an American rum. Maybe I'll change my mind if I pair it with a cigar. Longer time in the barrel almost always means better flavor for whiskey. This is the second rum line I've tried where I preferred the younger expression. I can drink Flor 7 all day; the other brand was Real McCoy 5 over the 12 year. I'll update after a cigar session.
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Deep amber color in the glass. Nose is smoked meat mostly with a hint of vanilla and slight floral notes. Taste is predominantly smoked meat with a very slight sherry influence. Thick mouthfeel and long finish. This reminds me of Springbank 10 and Kilkerran 12 but not as complex. Those two have more sherry notes and an overall more intense flavor. This is not a bad thing... think of the Benromach as a less sherried version of those Campbeltown offerings.
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Straw color on the pour. The nose is hard to place... light and somewhat floral but something else. Robust mix of flavor on the sip including agave, vanilla and a slight bitterness. Heavy mouthfeel and lingering finish. You get a lot of smooth flavor at a great price. I believe this is distilled in the traditional method with stone ovens and copper stills and the flavor reflects that. Definitely recommend.
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Pours a nice copper color. Stone fruit aromas with some floral influence on the nose. Taste is similar. Medium mouthfeel and medium finish. This is the best cognac I have had. Great flavor, very smooth and zero alcohol taste or burn. The fruit aftertaste lingers just long enough after each sip. Well worth the few extra dollars.
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Dark copper on the pour. Nose is dominated by alcohol with a hint of raisin. Taste is raisin and fig with a slight burn. Medium mouthfeel and long finish. This has a pretty strong flavor for a cognac. The raisin/fig notes remind me of Cardenal Mendoza but not as intense. I thought there was a little too much burn for the price point. Even though it is not your atypical cognac flavorwise, it is solid overall brandy.
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Amber color in the glass. Light alcohol scent dominates the nose with faint brown sugar. The taste is reverse from the palate with faint brown sugar and some wood up front with slight astringency lingering in the background. Medium mouthfeel and finish. This is a light flavored American rum with a little heat to it. It's very mellow but not bad for the price point.
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Pours deep copper in the glass. Faint raisin comes through on the nose. Light raisin and wood notes on the palate. Medium to light mouthfeel. Finishes somewhat short and clean (dry). Zero burn. I was looking for this for awhile and it is definitely good stuff. The flavor profile reminds me of unsweetened American rums like Tew or Privateer, but slightly sweeter. Pass on this if you want bold, robust flavors like most Caribbean rums. For sipping neat, this is outstanding.
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Cardenal Mendoza Solera Gran Reserva Brandy de Jerez
Spanish — Jerez, Spain
Reviewed January 29, 2021 (edited May 4, 2022)Very deep copper color on the pour. The nose is strong with sweet fig and raisin scents. Taste is like the nose but not as sweet, yet sweet enough. Thick mouthfeel and a long finish. Slight sting of alcohol but no effect on the palate. This was my first Spanish brandy and it was very good. As much as I like Cognac, the more robust flavor here is my general preference with liquor in general (compared to lighter flavors). I will try other Spanish brandies hoping for a similar profile.
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