Tastes

Thanks to @GeologyJack for the generous pour! I bought this along with me to Denver this week, figured it’ll give me some company working late nights in the hotel. And honestly...I hate the overpriced subpar hotel drinks. Case and point: they charged me $15 for a pour of Yellow Tail Shiraz, which one can buy a full bottle for $10-15! Anyway, this is far better than anything the hotel normally has on deck. We have no idea of knowing how close this is to the original Shackleton whiskies they found deep in the Antarctic, but marketing bullshit aside, it’s a decent pour. Nothing complex and thought provoking, but a good enough bottle to have with friends. It offers a bread-y, light lemony flavor, with just enough depth to keep you interested. I’d compare this to a Compass Box Great King St Artist blend. Not sure of the price, but I’d say I’d be a buyer if it’s in the $40 range. Anything more, I can do better with Compass Box GKS, or even better with a JW Green.

I felt as if I needed something more potent outside my regular weekday kombucha or green tea while watching last night’s SOTU ( State of the Union, for our non-US friends here). How I long for those good old days when real life politics wasn’t more of a circus than Netflix’s House of Cards. Well, just like in our theatrical politics, this dram isn’t all quite what it would have you believe. It’s stated as 14 yrs in sherry, which led me to believe it would be dark, nutty sweet, and heavy. Instead, it’s quite well balanced—-you get a more nuanced hazelnut and chocolate flavor, with a nice helping of dried red fruits. Nothing that smacks in your face, like an Aberlour Abunadh, but really nothing lightweight either ( think Dalwinnie). I think this was a one time deal in the TRE world; quite affordable too...maybe $50 or so...I forget at this point. I’m generally not a fan of the TRE items, but once in a while, there’s a bright spot.

This was an impulse buy based on reminiscing about my first girlfriend, we’ll call her “K”. I was 19. Yes. 19! A real late bloomer. But in my defense, I was a Chemical Engineering major, with two minors: physics and political science. And on academic scholarship, so I had to keep a 3.0 GPA. I literally lived in the library...and I might’ve spotted a few of our better halves there, but I didn’t know I was allowed to engage in conversation. Anyway...back to K and this bourbon. K was a born and bred Kentucky gal. Her idea of fun involved bourbon and guns. Sometimes both together which made interesting date nights. One day, while introducing her to chai, a piece of my ginger I was slicing accidentally flew into her coffee mug of cheap bottom tier bourbon. And that Reese’s peanut butter cup moment led to her always taking a slice of ginger with her bourbon. She might have been ahead of her time, in retrospect. Hence, this $30 purchase was made in honor of K. If you like bourbon cocktails, this might be right up your alley. For me, it’s overly sweet. All sugar and ginger...almost like ginger ale minus the carbonation. I honestly believe that if it weren’t so sweet, I really would’ve loved it. The ginger brings a certain zing to the table that’s complemented by the vanilla of the bourbon. But all that sweetness just spoils it for me. Then again, if you prefer sweet cocktails, you can’t go wrong. Here’s to you K...you might not have introduced me to bourbon, but you did manage to get me out of the library, and I forever had you drink bourbon with a slice of ginger.

You ever feel that sometimes you concentrate on the wrong things, and end up missing the bigger picture? There’s this video on YouTube, search under “miss the gorilla while ball is passed”. You’re gazing at this ball being passed around so much that you end up missing a huge gorilla pounding his chest right in the middle of the action. You know...sort of like concentrating on the Great Southern Wall while China whoops our ass in the next gen technology. Defunding education and giving teachers low wages while India and Singapore produce the next generation of the brightest minds. Trying to dig for coal while Russia ups the game in cyber threat security. Yeah...that type of loss of focus. This little beauty here, courtesy of my buddy @LeeEvolved, had you looking at the fact that the barley is a six row instead of two ( or vice versa..whatever ), and that it’s locally grown in an Islay farm. Conjures up romantic images of the locally produced good being better than a mass produced ( which in many cases...yes). But I sort of felt the romanticism was lost by the fact that this was middle of road, a bit young , and just a tad harsh. Nothing a few more years in the barrel couldn’t have solved. Light lemon drops, some cereals, and oranges on the palette. Not bad, but nothing to make it stand out considering the micro-provenance of the ingredients. The moral of the story? Focus. And keep the long view.

I’m a huge fan of John Glaser and his entire vision of taking blends that result in a sum greater than its individual parts. This is a new addition of their core range, and very reasonably priced as well. My pour was a mere $5, but I think the bottle is maybe $40. At that price range, it’s squarely competitive with the likes of JW range (not the Blue or Platinum obviously), as well as Famous Grouse and a few others. I sort of wonder if it’s cannibalizing on its own Great King St series. Probably not, since this is a sherried version. So...at the onset, you immediatley get grain sherried notes—-grape skins and almonds. Taste is mild milk chocolate, hazelnuts , some dried fruits. A high grain component versus the malt. This is a great whiskey to have on your shelf for friends and family that aren’t used to stronger Islays or Islanders, or wouldn’t really appreciate the top shelf single malts. And honestly, at $40, it’s really a good uncomplicated whiskey.

Stuck in the Orlando airport for my flight home...thanks to our government shutdown. Shortage of TSA and air traffic controllers is causing a backlog of planes sitting on runways. How better to spend time at an airport for delayed flights than having a nice pour of top shelf bourbon. This bourbon is big and burly, but with just enough finesse to let you know it’s aged well. Marvel’s Punisher mixed in with Avenger’s Black Widow. You get a huge hit of oak, but amazingly well balanced with orange, vanilla and pumpkin spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. At $15/pour —-well worth it. I need to hunt down a bottle

Nothing like having an overpriced pour of bourbon ($15) while stuck at Newark Airport during a 3 hour flight delay. On the bright side, the TSA clearance wasn’t too bad. Was expecting much worse considering the shut down, thanks to our brilliant politicians. $15 for this...way overpriced. Well, beats buying a bottle. I’m a fan of High West, but this one seems, well, lacking. Overly sweet, candy corn and mild wet oak. With a hot long finish. Was this meant to be had neat, or in cocktails? It’s just lacking in character which makes me think cocktail. For a HW pedigree, my bar was set higher. One sip would’ve suffice, but at $15, I’m compelled to nurse this for as long as I can. Hard pass on ever buying a bottle of this one or a future pour

Sometimes you’re just in the mood for something smoky, sooty, and rugged. Something that complements the elements outside during this cold northeastern nights where the temperature is below 20. And thanks to a pour graciously sent by @LeeEvolved, this beauty perfectly fits the mood. Personally, I believe Cambeltown is the new Islay. Between the likes of Springbank, Kilkerran and Glen Scotia, they’re producing some amazing things there at reasonable prices ( unlike Ardbeg, where I feel as if I need to sell a lung for their special releases). I’m loving the nose on this...dirty sooty smoky. But with a touch of sweetness from the port pipes. And the taste...you first get a tinge of sweet then a monsoon of smoke and earth. I think the finishing heat is a bit much, I can still feel the burn after a few seconds, but it’s nothing that a splash of water can’t calm. Great pour at a reasonable price...can’t ask for more. Thanks Lee!