Tastes

There’s nothing that says class than sipping a single malt in your hotel room out of cheap plastic clear cups, sitting in your gym shorts and a wife beater shirt. I feel that a Glenfiddich is the wrong drink for this picture. Instead maybe moonshine? Anyway, here on a business trip in Orlando, and I managed to smuggle my Glenfiddich sample in the carry-on. Nose is lacking, but promising. Oak, spicy, a bit hot. Taste is much better. Ginger, bread dough, more spice like nutmeg and cinnamon. Quick finish. It’s good...but really nothing to write home about. Decent. One can do better at the price range. The bourbon cask in this range was much better. Then again, just an opinion of some guy sitting here in gym shorts and a wife beater, what do I know?

If you've ever seen a tai chi fighter, this is like that: silky smooth, light but with density, and powerful without coming across as such. Balanced: that's the word of the day when it comes to HP25. If I thought the HP18 was balanced, this redefines the meaning. Personally I thought the nose was the best part here---similar to its younger sibling, but more refined, which I guess is to be expected with 7 more years in maturity. Silk on the palette, viscous and oily. If I'm going to split hairs, it's on the finish..a bit bitter, just a tad wee bit. At its current market price, not sure I'd buy this over 18, since the differences in my opinion don't justify the leap in cost. But if I'm looking to cash in on a tax refund ( Thank you President Trump, at least until 2025), than this would be one of the top 5 in purchase lineup. Thanks to LeeEvolved for this sample!

Surprisingly, for all it’s hype and hysteria, I wasn’t impressed by last year’s release. I’ve had the 2016, 2014, and this 2017. 2016 was the best followed by a close second on rhe 2014, and this way behind. It has all the caramel, but with way too much heat, and not the lasting complexity of the 2016 or 2014. Just a quick hot finish. Glad I bought a pour and not the full bottle.

Courtesy of an evening of my portfolio review over drinks and dinner by my finance gal. Seaweed, brine, salted caramels, and sweet honeyed nuts. This is really good. At $25/pour probably not...but heck it’s Manhattan, and I’m not paying for it ( not directly at least...I’m sure it’s all in that 75 basis points that I pay her and her firm). When this pour is more expensive than the appetizers and dinner, you gotta savor it. Makes me want to buy a bottle. Or better yet...hold another portfolio review.

If this is on the way, I can't wait till it's there. Obviously young, but doesn't show it. Like a really well matured little kid that acts way ahead of his /her age. Polished and elegant; quality through and through. Nose opens with smoke and melons. Flavors of salted caramel, green apples and ripe melons. A bit of peaty smoke, but very different than the Islay or Islander. I'm glad I bought a sample, but now wishing I got the full bottle.

i smuggled a sample of this on my carry-on luggage to Denver. I know, I know...Denver has great craft whiskey scene, but I really doubted it would match this one. After long 14 hour days, this would’ve been perfect. Eight hours of the day in meetings, the other six working in a hotel room planning for the next day’s workshops and meetings. Thanks to Dreaming-of-Islay, I got to experience this understated beauty. I remember trying the Four Roses LESB once, and absolutely loved it. It was potent and complex. Hits of caramel and vanilla. This is the closest I got to that LESB replication. It’s by far easier to find, and by far more reasonable. Given the price of LESB and this, with that barely discernible difference, I’ll go for this one. Simply superb. ( note: the sample I tried was their newest one, C319)

Thanks to my Motorcity Motown buddy Paul, I got to sample this tonight. It’s interesting going through the series of my SDT samples...going through each one but saving the ones I know are really good for the end. It’s like back as kids building a Lego set. You put brick over brick, and as you’re finally getting closer to making that Millennium Falcon, you can just feel the anticipation; and then finally when that last brick is in, you really marvel at how well it turned out. So it was with these series of 24 or so samples as part of our little trading team. Over the 3 months, you’re waiting and anticipating those Big 3 waiting in the end of the lineup ( in this case, it was HP25 taking the top billing, followed by this Glenfarclas, and finally a Hibiki 21 in 3rd spot). This didn’t disappoint. Far from it. And far from it being a daily dram. More of a special occasion. As soon as I opened the sample bottle cap, I got a whiff of dried fruits and nuts. Like dates, raisins, and that caramel sauce they put on a flan. More of the same on the palette. Not complex, but just solid. Really well made. Thanks Paul! One final sample to go in our tour...the HP25. If this was the HP’s opening act, it’s a solid performance.