Tastes

I've heard really good things from this distillery, and yes....I can say it's all true. I loved this, right up there with Springbank 10. It's a different profile than its Campbeltown brethren, but just as good. I get a faint citrus aroma, then followed by a tsunami of flavor on the palette. I get brine soaked ship ropes, coal, and citrus. I get then some floral---specifically jasmine. The finish is long and satisfying, lingers a citrusy-briny trail. I think it's fr $60-70...I would say definitely worth it at that price.

As soon as you open the bottle, you can smell the oranges. I especially love the color...elegant orange golden hue (probably coloring added? ). The taste is rich and refined. I'm getting oranges with honey. Figs and chocolate. Amazingly smooth. I just had the Master of Malt Darkness Macallan 15 PX, and this one is by far better. It's just more elegant. I don't smoke, but if I did, I can see a Cigar going well with this. The combination of oranges, honey, figs and chocolate is almost perfect. Really good for the price, and a worthwhile treat to,replace dessert.

I'm not a huge fan of Irish whiskey, but this one intrigued me. I had a dram of this tonight after having a dram of Macallan 15 PX cask, and the differences couldn't be any greater. This was definately less elegant, but more fruity and sweet. I actually couldn't smell any aromas, but that was probably because I had just had the Macallan. On the palette, definitely sweeter---papayas, mangoes, and coconuts. Quite smooth, leaving a sweet finish. Out of the Irish, this was by far my favorite (I've only had Redbreast 12, Green spot, Yellow spot, and Teeling single grain. I dont think this is available in the US, but if your travels take you abroad, it's worth seeking out

Have family over this weekend, so we just opened this 2016 Diageo Special release. I think "special" means "we'll charge you more for a lower age whiskey". The 16 is about $80. I paid $90 for this. Something wrong with that logic...but anyway, is it worth it? Let's see. From the nose, it's really the younger sibling to the 16. Stronger aroma. If the 16 gives a whiff of the briny splash of the ocean wave, this gives you a hard smack. Nothing gentle about this. First sip lemons and salt, followed really quickly by grapefruit and Kerala peppercorns. ( Kerala ones are fresh 'green' taste with heat). Wow---ends really strong. Like when you walk into a really cold room, and turn on a wood burning stove. You almost feel the embers in the back of your throat. This is good, but not for everyone. If you don't like the 16, you'll hate this. If you think the 16 is for acne pimpled Boy Scouts, this is right up your alley. Will grow some hair on your chest...even if your genotype is XX instead of XY...

There are two samples I was really looking forward to this week, and this is one of them. ( other is the Cairdeas 2016). This is easily in the top three for me this year. As soon as the sample vial was opened, I was able to recognize the peat smoke. Not as wild and brute as the 10, but more refined. I also just received the Norlan glasses today, so wanted to give it a go using this sample as the inaugural launch. The liquid is light gold. And it has quite some legs, really viscous and oily. Just amazing. You have to let it sit a bit, like a good well mannered Pinot. Needs to breathe before you can really appreciate the aromas and taste. First taste is like nothing I've experienced...sort of like a cross between lime-mango-teriyaki, with a slight faint smoke. The smoke and peat gets stronger on the second sip. And really builds into this amazing tangy sweetness, but letting you know its DNA s still Ardbeg. The signature peat shows up. But it's not a brute. Rather you get layered texture: tangy-sweetness, followed by smoke and peat, followed by lime-lemon-mango, then finished with an almost a rye like spice, but not the same bite. Gentler, and smooth...my god it's smooth. This is a rare treat---thank you Lee for this experience!!!!!! Just amazing. In my mind, there are maybe 5-6 top whiskies I've had---in no particular order: a Brora 30, Rosebank 25, Macallan Fine Oak 15, Karuizawa, HW Midwinter, and now---this. Thanks to Lee for an amazing way to start the holiday season...

Replacing my standard weekday matcha green tea with whiskey and Bourbon for the holidays...trying one more Bourbon this evening, courtesy of a generous sample provided by Scott. I literally just had two drams of the Eagle Rare 17, right before having this. For most people, I guess it would be a no contest...in fact a bad idea having the Eagle 17 in advance of a single barrel Four Roses. But...for me, personally, not sure my palette is agreeable to well aged older bourbons. Just too oaky for me. So...on to impressions: nose is much fainter than I'd expect, a bit floral with freshly cut cedar. Taste: I'm getting vanilla, berries and chocolate. Not much wood or oak (good!!). Finish is longer than I expected, leaving a trail of berries. Not sure the price on this, but if it's anywhere $40-50, an amazing VFM , worthwhile to keep as a regular. I know I'm the outlier, but just having had the Eagle Rare 17 and this back to back....I honestly preferred this. I just don't like the taste of wood, and this one left that out thankfully while the Eagle Rare made wood front and center. Thank you Scott for the sample!!

How I love these holiday times with friends and family. I had a few drams of this tonight, courtesy of family over for the holidays. I have no idea how much this costs, but I know it throws off my VFM model out the door. So...is it worth the exorbitant price tag? Nose is INCREDIBLE!!! A 15 out of a 10. Imagine sitting at a three star Michelin restaurant in Lyon, and ordering their creme brûlée. I've never been in a 3 star Michelin restaurant (or 1 for that matter)...but I can imagine this is how their finest creme brûlée would smell. It's a cornucopia of vanilla and burnt sugar. Now for the taste... WTF??? A let down. Way too oaky, and in my most humble opinion...just too much exposure to wood. The oak influences are totally masking the sublime flavors which were teased by the aroma. Really? I can get this palette on a $30 Elijah Craig 12. I've never had Bourbon this old before, but I'm thinking it's not meant to be in oak for 17 years. Finish is complementing the palette...nothing noteworthy of an epiphany...just a tad short of being too astringent. Would it blasphemous if I gave this 3 stars? As amazing as the nose is, everything else is a let down.

I'm a huge fan of the Islands, with Talisker as my top mistress. It was just recently that I even heard of Ledaig (or late-chick, as Scott's local wine merchant calls it). I'm quite impressed by it---it's a cross between the brute Talisker and aromatic Islays. I'm getting lemons and brine on the nose. Slight peat, but really not to the level of your stronger Islays. Taste is salty pretzels, orchard fruits, with a hint of smoked sardines. This is a great entry way for folks not able to take an Islay, but looking into something beyond Soeyside and Highlands. I really have to thank Scott for ithis sample, and more so for introducing me to Islanders beyond my narrow scope of Talisker. Thanks Scott!!

There's certain whiskies that you can recognize even when blindfolded. Laphroaig has its classic medicinal bandage aroma. Lagavulin has the brine and peat. Dalwhinnie and Balvenie the honey. Macallan has that unmistakable Sherry influence. As soon as I poured this sample (graciously provided by Davie--thank you!!!!), I was able to smell that nutty aroma. You get the aromas of hazelnut and soft leather. In northern India, they have these exquisite Jain temples---peaceful and meditative---and the air is filled with the aroma of sandalwood. That's what this is like. On the palette, the classic Macallan still holds. I get honey and orchard fruits. With a dose of Brazil nuts. Lovely dram. I've been ruined by the Fine Oak 15, hence the four stars. But...if it wasn't for that Fine Oak, I'm sure I'd rate this higher. Davie---thank you for another Macallan experience! Retasted 5/29: thanks to Lee as part of our Scotland sampling team, I got to try this again. Initial sentiment still holds---I know we all hold the standards of some distilleries higher than others because of the premium price (Macallan, Balvenie, Ardbeg), but I think, you can do far worse than these stalwarts. One of my favorite distilleries---hard to find much fault (except price). Thanks Lee for the sample!

So, the positive part of this is that it's smooth like silk. But that's it. Everything else about this makes me think it was never designed to be for sipping neat, but rather mixed into a soft drink. First whiff of this is like walking into a florist shop. I get a lot of floral, reminded me of Brenne (French whiskey). If I didn't know better, i would think I'm about to sip cheap cognac. Taste is citrusy. Orange peels and lime zest. I'm not liking the finish at all. Quite bitter, like the white part of lemons. Such a let down. Not sure what the heck to do with this full bottle now, short 2 ounces. Wonder if it's any good removing crayon writing on walls, courtesy of my kindergartener.