Tastes

@Richard-ModernDrinking and I had a tasting yesterday evening where we sampled over 10-11 whiskeys. Sample as in a sip...else I’d not even be able to type this coherently. This one, for me, came out on top. Best of the evening, outdoing it’s cousins from Scotland, and one from Switzerland. Despite it being sourced, I didn’t get the traditional MGP dill or the classic Canadian rye flavors. So if not MGP or Canada, not sure where they got this from, but either was simply superb. Amazing nose of warm rye bread, followed by a strong creamy, hints of bourbon, taste. Thanks @Richard-ModernDrinking for sharing !

There was a time years back when the original 15 yr Laohroaig was the crown jewel in its portfolio . The 10 was the entry level, but the 15 was the one in most demand. Including from Prince Charles, which led to Laphroaig being granted a Royal Warrant ( in essence, endorsed by the royal family as the only whisky to be in the palace). That original 15 is long gone, probably going for hundreds in auction. Till a few years ago, until when this new bottling was created. It’s been a while since I’ve had a Laphroaig. Nothing quite like the medicinal phenolic aroma, followed by classic briny seaweed taste with a sizing of iodine. That description sounds bad for those that haven’t this, but once you do, that is spot on in a really good way. Well, thanks to @Scott_E, I got a chance to give this a whirl. I had it a few years ago when it came out, but am thankful for another shot at it, especially considering this particular variety is now hard to find. This 15 yr version is tamer than the 10; almost muted in intensity. But that doesn’t make it boring. Anything but boring. Amazing full body oily profile of citrus, brine, anchovies. Hefty dose of sea salt, a bit of tabacco leaf. Don’t go in expecting the brute force of the 10. This is milder, refined. I’m not sure if it’s now discontinued or a part of their core lineup again—-either way, if you come upon this, it’s a no-brainer buy, provided price is right.

One of the benefits of being upgraded to first class on a flight is free drinks. Of course, free isn’t necessarily good. Between choices of red wine, white wine, Jack D, and this, I went with this. Should’ve gone with red wine This is sweet. Like artificial sugar sweet. It’s unidimensional, probably meant to add extra sweetness in cocktails? Definitely not meant to have neat as I’m having it. Quick finish. That quick finish might be the only positive, since that sweetness disappears rapidly. Probably a 1 Star, upgraded a bit because...hell, things taste a bit better in first class. Lesson learned: when upgraded on a flight, go for the red wine.

American single malt craft distilleries can be a hit and miss. Some are decent. Most are bad. But all are pretty much bad VFM. Even the good ones are pretty bad VFM ( Westland Garryana, case and point). This one here is an exception. It’s sent courtesy from my southwestern buddy @dubz480. Aroma is amazing. Morning after campfire. Ashes and burnt wood, with that distinct smoke smell. Taste is mesquite BBQ smoke ribs. In liquid form. This is what Balcones wished it tasted like. This is probably my new favorite American single malt. Move over Westland, Wyoming, Stranhan’s, Balcones, and countless others. There’s a new American single malt king . @dubz480 thanks! I’m buying a bottle

I grabbed a sample of this, sent by @LeeEvolved, for my few days of a business trip in Denver. This one is from their Tongue Twister Series, purposely designed to make any non-Scot look like a blabbering idiot. Overall, a decent dram. Definitely young, you can feel the raw heat from the onset. Unpeated, but it has a hefty dose of smoke. At $45, it’s an affordable decent Islay that won’t break the bank, or your taste buds. Thanks for the pour Lee !

It’s been a while since I’ve actually opened a new bottle. An endless trough of samples have kept me occupied. So, tonight it’s this Oregon bourbon made by Eastside Distilling out of Portland. Now, I’m going to be a bit biased in this review. I picked this bottle up while I was on vacation in Oregon. To me, Oregon will be these amazing vistas of rugged coastlines and dark green pine forests. And Portland is ingrained in my mind as this uber hippy town with an amazing food truck scene. This one here is a sourced bourbon, matured in Garryana oak, which is native to the Pacific Northwest. That oak is sponge like, which adds an extra oomph of vanilla and spice. On the nose, I immediately get vanilla beans. Like the real ones grown in Madagascar and absurdly priced in Whole Paycheck, aka Whole Foods. Palette is all vanilla, with a finish of a bit of oak. The Garryana imparts a real dessert like treat to this. I’m actually surprised how the Garryana made this one almost like vanilla ice cream, while the same oak used at Westland imparts a more spicy flavor. If you like your bourbon sweet and extra-vanilla, this is right up your alley .

I don’t mind the concept of a dark bottle marketing some horse shit mystery content...but at least then deliver on the goods. Without delivering, it’s just marketing horse shit. Hell, I even applaud them for the extra distance in creating an app where you can scan the bottle’s code, and be virtually taken to an underground room where you meet the master distiller. You then go about trying to decipher the flavors...hence the name Code. Only if they used that app development effort into making a better whisky. If I want to play virtual reality, I’m heading to Microsoft or Sony. After all you don’t see me going to Microsoft expecting great whisky. I was looking forward to this one ( generously sent by my buddy @LeeEvolved ), namely because I guess my expectations were higher considering the price tag ( approx $120). Clearly sherry backbone; red bell pepper, slightly oily. Looks like maybe some wine finishing. Not red, since I’m not getting the tannins, but maybe white wine finishing...getting floral notes . Moscatel maybe. I’m guessing this is a 10-12 yr old, some sherry maturation and finishing in moscatel. Damn it...did I just unknowingly play their freakin Code game? Not really badly made, just overpriced...I’m sure the app developers were expensive. At $120, about $40 too much.

Glendronach at its finest. This is a 14 yr with 13 1/2 years in probably some combination of sherry and American oak, followed by the last 6 months in virgin oak. The virgin oak would give it an extra oomph in vanilla and wood spices. Traditionally, virgin oak weren’t really accepted in scotch whisky, just because it has a belief that it’ll make young NAS whisky seem more mature. So for Glendronach to use this as a finishing and add an age statement shows they really weren’t trying to hide behind a young immature whisky. They used it wisely, like a chef gracefully adding spices to a dish. So this pour was provided by my buddy @LeeEvolved. I’m especially appreciative because this is now impossible to find ( at least for under $120, and not in the US). Nose is amazing. Like vanilla licorice. You get hazelnuts, with vanilla ice cream on the palette. Finish is LONG. Just lingers in a bit of cinnamon taste. If anything, this would be perfect if it weren’t for the spicy long finish...was a tad too long for my liking...but hell, at this point I’m just nitpicking. This is an excellent pour, and if you bought it while it was available, pop it open and drink with friends and family. Thanks Lee!

I’m a little late to the party on this one. When it came out, there was a lot of buzz around it, causing some places to really inflate prices. If you bought early, you could’ve had this for just around $100-110. If you waited, it climbed to $150-160. I guess the pricing of these things is like pharmaceutical drugs—-no rhyme or logic, just based upon what the market will bear. If whiskey pricing was based solely on cost of production plus a profit margin, we’d not see BTAC prices at the monthly mortgage level valuations. So, anyhow—-I finally got around to opening my sample, graciously provided by @Scott_E . I’m not a huge fan of Irish ( my love affair is squarely set for Islay, Cambeltown, Islands, and Indian). But, this was pretty good. Amazing nose of sweet sugar plums and fruits. Sweet on the palette, but not overly sweet like some types of bourbon. More like a restrained fruit bowl. Would I pay the current asking price for this? No...not over $90. It’s good, but I actually didn’t think it was all that better than the Green, especially the wine finished Greens. Unfortunately, I think the market is willing to pay more than $90, so either I stay satisfied with my sample provided by Scott, or I wait till the market loses focus on this and moves elsewhere. Thanks Scott!

I had a small pour at a friend’s yesterday, and I’m guessing ages ago, before I knew of Islay, Campbeltown, India’s Amrut, Islands, or the American crafts, I would’ve liked this. I felt this is like having a few spoons of artificial sugar. Probably better suited in mix drinks? Overrated, hard pass in one man’s opinion...