Tastes

Going by the description, on the box, I expected something really good from this juice. On the nose I could smell...a little sweetness, but not much else. On the palate, the main flavor was wood (not a bad thing) and a slight fruity sweetness...but not much. The whole experience felt "muted" like there was some filter blocking the smells and flavors from coming through. This was so mild, it was almost flavorless. The spirit does not need water, it just dilutes it more. It does benefit with a little rest time in the glass, but not a lot. Very bland, nothing unique. I will not buy this one again.

I think I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, because the first night I had 7 shots, the next night I drank 5! Virtually no sweetness at all, this has a grain/cereal core with a lot of spice, but it is smooth as glass! It's nice to taste a pure rye to learn it's flavors so you can pick it out in a bourbon. I will keep this around as a change of pace sipper.

Bitter mint toothpaste that burns, despite the addition of water. CR has really let me down big time. Looks like no more velvet bags for me.

Nose is smoky, oakey, cinnamon and burnt sugar. Palate is smooth oak, burned wood, brown sugar and sawdust. With a splash of water, the sweetness is more pronounced, gets smoother and showcases the vanilla and butterscotch flavors. Finish is smooth with a little kiss of heat( from the 86 proof) and notes of caramel and vanilla. Very well done and half the price of the Woodford Reserve Double Oaked ($25).

Tried this, recently, and really like it! It is honest, not pretentious at all, and is a nice overall "sip on auto-pilot" scotch. Nice inexpensive daily sipper. I certainly would not sip complex single-malts daily, but this will do fine for those in-between times.

I keep getting a bitterness with this. Does anyone else experience this?

Nose: caramel, maple, honey, vanilla, butterscotch, fruit, almonds. Taste: warm, smooth, tingly, marzipan, vanilla, sweet, caramel apples, custard, creme brûlée. Finish: long, sweet, rich, marzipan, yellow apples, smoooooooth as a sales pitch.

Nose is smoke, ethanol and vanilla. Palate is smokey with some initial cinnamon sweetness, followed by a slight bitter note. Finish is short and a hint of Splenda artificial sweetener. Mouthfeel is thin.

I have to say that I am quite underwhelmed by The Balvenie's Triple cask single malt. Available only in the Travel/Duty Free markets, this scotch is supposed to add a third finish to the Doublewood which, in theory, sounds wonderful, however it fails to provide anything memorable or even remotely interesting to the nose and palate. "Light honey and yellow apples" is a combination that is grossly overdone in the single malt category...and Glenfiddich does that combo best (IMHO that is). Nose: Light honey and yellow apples but very weak Taste: Starts with very mild honey and fruit...vanilla gives a passing nod...some mild heat and a slight bitter note. Finish: Medium with some mild vanilla notes and astringent feel. My Rating: 70 out of 100.