Tastes

My favorite Glenfiddich so far. Apparently, Glenfiddich took 20 casks and married them together. 17 were from bourbon barrels, 2 from sherry, and 1 from port. Balvenie did something like this, under then Tun 1409 series, but priced it about 10x as much as this one. So...unfortunately, I only had a sample of this, along with a sample of their IPA casks. I felt the IPA cask was just too strong with a beer taste, while this was really well engineered. When I went to look for a full bottle to buy, it was sold out. Plenty of the IPA ones available...go figure. The nose is the best part in this---summer in a bottle. Light, fresh, airy, with plenty of orchard fruits. Mouth is rich and viscous, with light spices like cinnamon, but heavy on vanilla and honey. More of that summer in a bottle. If you do happen to see one...grab it. Really well made, and quite reasonably priced. My sample was a mere $4, and the bottle itself was $48.

This about as close as you can get to a Macallan killer without paying a premium price for it. As part of our little Scotch Distillery tour adventure, I had the fortune of trying this sample (thank you Lee!). I'm beginning to become a huge fan of port finishes---this one surely doesn't disappoint. If you like the aromas of fruit pastry, this is right up your alley. Tastes just as good..chocolate, coffee, with that port influenced fruity backbone. Considering the dual cask treatment, the price, and the age...this has to be a great VFM.

My first Cragganmore...never realized it was even sold as a single malt. I know it's been a workhorse staple for Diageo in it's blends...but, Diageo...smart move bringing this out to play outside the shadow of blends. I love the aroma in this---I can smell this as a dessert all evening. Maybe it's just me...but, I got chamomiles and lavender...very floral, as if you're standing in Longwood Gardens during spring bloom. The follow through on the palette wasn't as amazing as the aroma, but I'm getting lavenders, honey, and almonds. I need to look this up for a full bottle...really a hidden gem. Thank you Paul M for this sample---great experience to try something new and different!!

This reminded me a lot of HP12---I got the salty, briny, lightly peated aroma. I was surprised it's a Highlander, felt much more like an Islander. Maybe this distillery is located closer to the ocean? Anyway, the nose then carries through into the palette with citrus, smoked meats, and a bit more assertive on the peat. For $40-50 per liter, it hands down is a no-brainer buy, especially in a toss up between this and HP 12. A sample graciously provided by Paul M---thank you Paul!

The best part about this is the aroma. I normally find a lot of bourbons to be heavy on the wood and oak side, but this was a bit of an outlier. Even though it's spent quite some time wtih the wood, I don't get the full blast of oak upfront. Instead, it like having a cigar (not that I'd know...I don't smoke...but, if I did, I'd imagine it this way), while walking into a leather tannery located next to a bakery. Unlike most other bourbons, I'm getting a deeper complexity as well, similar to mezcal or scotch. I guess because of the double oak treatment? For the bourbon lover, this is a must have on your shelf. For the scotch lover---gotta try it. Thanks to GeologyJack for the generous sample! ( generous enough where I had to split it into two drams!). Thank you for the experience!

Posting this review from a bottle I had late last year. I actually bought two bottles of this last year...one for me, and one as a gift to my finance person that manages my stock portfolio. It turns out I never gave it to her...because I couldn't understand why I made a loss when the entire freakin' market went full throttle bull. But, that's a rant for another day...and I'll need more than a few drams for that discussion... Anyway...I really enjoyed this one. I remember liking how it was able to balance peat, crisp lowland sweetness and character, and wood...all the while being only three years old. This is their inaugural release, and they did a bang up job, IMHO. I remember liking the aroma of citrus and ginger, and the fresh crisp citrus taste with a good kick of peat smoke. It's young...but, really well made. I'm already keeping an eye out for their future release...this, along with Kilchoman, are my favorite newbies (although, in all fairness, Kilchoman is no longer a newbie). This isn't available in the US (yet)----I don't believe it was made in sufficient quantity for overseas. But, I'd be surprised if their future releases don't have the world's largest drinks market in sight.

I feel as if this is the closest one can get to a Macallan style without donating a kidney for Macallan-esque prices. If a Macallan is for special occasions, this is certainly the everyday high quality dram. Very typical Sherry Highlander: nose of dry fruits and cocoa, tastes of yellow raisins and figs; nice warming finish. This is one I'd like to keep as a regular, especially when friends and family come over. Thanks to Matt for the generous sample!!

This is one of Scotland's newest distilleries, located farther north than any other Highlander, making it more of an Islander. I really had high hopes for this one, but it has a ways to go; still a bit too young. It's crisp, fresh, lemon-y. Quick finish. It's not bad, but just a bit young and needs time to show its true potential. Between this and Ailsa Bay (can't help but compare since that has its first 3 Yr old out too), I prefer Ailsa Bay by far.

I'm in LA for business, and I figured why not have something local (well...if not local, maybe at least from the same state). I saw this on the shelf, while inhaling my free premium rewards member appetizers. The guilty half of me figured I should pay for something after devouring three cheese plates, 8 skewers, and half a bottle of olive tapanade with freshly baked sourdough. The adventurous part of me wanted to try something different, even as bat crazy as whiskey infused with black truffles. Not sure it works. This is unusual, with aromas of...guess, what? Truffles. An earthy, wet soil, aroma of truffles. Taste carries through, with more....truffles. Earthy, almost gamey. Not sure I'd be buying a bottle anytime soon. I prefer my truffles on pizza, pasta, and eggs. And whiskey by itself.