Tastes
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Casamigos Añejo Tequila
Tequila Añejo — Highlands, Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed June 3, 2019 (edited June 6, 2019)What does a man do when he already is filthy rich, has an amazingly beautiful wife that’s also a freakin’ great do-good international lawyer, and is still handsome enough in his late 50s to make women half his age swoon? He opens up a tequila company. (Or a gin company if you”re Ryan Reynolds). And of course, that tequila is also damn good. This one isn’t as good as his Resposado—-somehow lacks its complexity. But still good, with notes of lime, some oak, a bit spicy, and mineral-y. Goes really well with rich foods (pasta, pizza). If you had to choose one, go for the Respaasdo. Preferably while watching Syriana ( my favorite Clooney movie ) -
GlenDronach Forgue 10 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed June 2, 2019 (edited June 9, 2024)I got this courtesy of my good buddy @LeeEvolved. Thanks Lee for the pour. So...Lee’s notes on this are spot on. Nothing offensive about this, and nothing to blow your socks away. It’s a good no-fuss standard everyday dram. Light color—like gold. Maybe 2nd fill casks? Weak nose of roasted nuts. Indicative of sherry... no surprise there being a GD. Straightforward vanilla, some oak and shortbread on the palette. It’s simple and one dimensional—and there’s nothing wrong with that. It can go head to head with a Balvenie 12 and maybe even better than a Macallan 12. The knock on it though is the price. Close to $70 is premium territory—and at that price, you can do much better ( Kilkerran 12, Ardbeg 10, Laphroaig 10). That leads me to think this is solely targeted towards die-hard GD fans. Rest of us—move on, you can do better at the same price. -
Stagg Jr Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch 1
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed June 1, 2019 (edited August 19, 2019)Not sure how I made it to 600+ tastings without having such a staple as this. Well—Thanks to @dubz480480 for a generous sample, I finally got to try it. So: ever heard of Thai green chili? It’s small, barely 1/2 inch, but it packs so much power, it’ll burn your mouth. A novice using it will simply make his dish fiery, blanketing out any taste from the food. But someone who knows how to use it will be able to complement the fire with the spices in the food, and make the flavors dance. This pour here, packs a punch at 131 proof. It’s the Thai chili of American bourbon. A few more notches up, and it’s legal hazmat territory. I had my first sip neat, and was barely able to taste anything but oak. I might as well go to my backyard and start chomping on trees. But, add a huge piece of ice, let it sit out, have the fires calm down...and then you make the flavors dance. Cinnamon twirls and caramels. Classic vanilla and wet wood clippings. I’ve never had Stagg Sr (part of BTAC), but I can now imagine how potent that must be. Thanks @dubz480 for the pour! -
I walk into my local wine store to buy a bottle of cheap white wine ( making wild mushroom risotto...and cheap white wine is a necessity)...and they’re serving samples of this. From the little I know, apparently through chemistry and physics, the inventors claim to age barely few days old spirit to be equivalent as years in the normal aging process. Amazing concept. But that’s where it ends. It’s an experiment that probably never should’ve been bottled for consumption. Not neat at least. Maybe palatable if used in a 90/10 soda/experimental whiskey drink proportion. The aroma should’ve clued me in. Industrial solvents, spilled bottle of benzene ( I worked in a lab in my early 20s). Taste like licking freshly synthesized plastic. There’s this solvent taste that I just can’t get over. I saw it priced $40. That’s about $40 too expensive.
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Hazelburn 14 Year Oloroso Cask Matured
Single Malt — Cambeltown , Scotland
Reviewed May 26, 2019 (edited February 9, 2020)I bought this bottle with me while doing a farm stay this long weekend in PA Amish country. The nights seem here cooler than just a few hours east in NJ/NYC, and that combined with sitting around a fire pit at night looking at the crystal clear skies would probably make any pour idyllic. Sooty and sweet is probably the best words to describe this. It has the classic sooty backbone of Cambeltown, but a really strong sweet taste, from the full Oloroso matured. Environment has a lot to factor into any taste. I’ll have to repeat this pour in much more normal settings and see if my opinion changes. But for now, a solid 4+ -
I don’t really like rum. Not at all. The few I’ve had is like sucking on a sugar cube. Until I ran into a sample of a Caroni. That blew me away. Then I ran into a small sample of this beauty. First of all...because of our ( US) relationship with Cuba, you can’t even find it here. It’s theoretically “illegal”, just as in those cigars or anything else from Cuba (actually, you can pick up limited items from there as a tourist, but there’s no mass distribution). That label of “illegal” makes it even more sexier. But honestly, even if it wasn’t, this is right up there with the Caroni. Aroma is penetrating bouquet of brown sugar and berries. You get a thick mouthfeel, like the Caroni. And pipe tabacco, oak and berries. Whereas the Caroni has more complexity, like scotch, this has a more floral and tabacco taste. It’s just a matter of preference whether you like Islay ( Caroni) or Speyside (Cuban ). Too bad I’d never be able to buy a bottle. But am thankful I got a small sample to taste, and a pour to bring back home and have at a quieter setting at some point.
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Glendronach 1994 Pedro Ximenez 20 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed May 19, 2019 (edited September 10, 2021)My one dram / week ( I’ve gone from 2 to 1 now...and only an ounce pour. Just can’t manage). Anyway, this one courtesy of my buddy @LeeEvolved. Celebrating a heartfelt ending to GoT, I wanted a special pour...and this single cask 20 yr old does not disappoint. Viscous and oily, you can feel the weight in the glencairn...even at 1 ounce, just feels heavier. Aroma is amazing...sweet roasted nuts, mocha. Taste just as good: mocha, dark fruits like cherries and plums, tabacco, and some worn leather. This might be the oldest GlenDronach I’ve had. I think the viscosity and aromas were close to the Yamazaki 18, which says a lot. This was a fitting pour for an ending to our generation’s best cultural phenomenon. Thanks @LeeEvolved for the generous sample! -
Jim Beam Single Barrel Bourbon (95 Proof)
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed May 13, 2019 (edited January 13, 2020)This sample, courtesy of @dubz480480, was such an appropriate pick while watching last night’s episode of GoT. This is not your smooth, elegant bourbon, but rather a rough and tough full onslaught of barrel char, oak and vanilla with a lingering spice with more of that char. Out of the hundreds of tastings I’ve had, it’s been a long time since a whiskey’s made me cough at first sip and feel that burn down your throat. This is strong and potent. Not sure I’d manage a bottle, but I can easily see this in a mixed cocktail. It can hold its own. And then some. Thanks @dubz480 for the generous pour! -
Craigellachie 13 Year
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed May 10, 2019 (edited November 21, 2019)As part of last night’s Craigellechie tasting, this was in the lineup along with a 17 yr old, and an extremely rare 51 yr old (only 51 bottles—-all allocated for free tasting to 150 people randomly selected by lottery). If you like Springbank 10, you’ll like this. It’s rough. It’s rugged. Meaty, full of sulfurous notes, chewy oily texture, and herbaceous. Personally I feel it’s easy to like a smooth balanced whisky, but difficult to make and like a rough one. This is a testament to Craigellechie’s production process. Sure it’s NCF and no-coloring, but they go much further. They use traditional coal fired to distill vs the automated method (only ones to do so now). The also distill in a fashion that retains some of the sulfurous compounds, which is an act of sheer craftsmanship—-too much retention and you’ll feel as if your sucking on a matchstick. I’d be a buyer of this—-very in-Speyside like, more Cambeltown like -
Craigellachie 17 Year
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed May 10, 2019 (edited December 31, 2022)I had a pour of this last night during a tasting hosted by Craigellechie. This was part of the lottery for the 51 yr old tasting, which 150 people around the world got a chance to try. Fortunately @Scott_E was one of them, and I’m thankful I was his guest for the event. So...at the time I really liked this one. It was a more refined smoother version of the 13. Sort of Pierce Brosnan’s Bond as opposed to Daniel Craig’s rough and rugged one. In retrospect though, I prefer the 13 for that rough edge. To me, it’s always commonplace to find smooth balanced single malts, but so much harder to find rough, and really well balanced, ones. That being said...this was damn good. The meaty notes were less pronounced vs the 13, the sulfurous edges smoothed out a bit. I’m glad I tasted this, but I’ll be a buyer of the 13, just for that ruggedness.
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