Tastes

I bought this today on a recommendation. I went to my local store this evening, just to see what's new. The store manager suggested Yellowstone bourbon (and I promptly ignored him, since he was the same guy that recommended Wasmund's as the second coming of Macallan). But, I ended up in a conversation with a guy who works at a whiskey bar in NYC. He said his favorite all time was the Yamazaki 18, followed closely by the Laphroaig 32 and High West Midwinter. He recommended this a milder version of the 10, and well in the affordable category ($60 in central NJ). So...my humble opinion on this: it's not your classic "punch you in the face" Laphroaig. It's tamer. Not refined, just tamer. Big difference. Nose still has that medicinal aroma, but cleaner and milder. Not peaty, but a wisp of smoke. Palette is a bit of a mash up. Fruity. Like stone fruits and grilled peaches with honey. Finish is stronger---you can feel the smoke now. What I like about this is that it's simple, yet complex enough. It's smoky, but not too much. It's peaty, but not overly. What I don' t like about it is that it's all over the place. I can't really place a finger on a few key elements...instead it has a bit of everything. It's like family over Thanksgiving (or Diwali in my case). You have the crazy uncle. The nosy aunt. The obnoxious cousin. The sweet grandmother. Dinner conversation can be nutty ranging from the uncle telling about his motel he owns to the cousin talking about some surgery he performs, to the young nephew talking about his college girlfriends. (all true over my house at Diwali) But it's family, and it feels just right. I like this one, but I don't like it. You can have it over summer, rainy days, and well as cold nights. It's all over the place.

This was very much like the standard 12, except more concentrated. With that said---purely from a business perspective, why would you have this and the standard 12? Anyway, to me---just like the 12---tastes of stone fruits and cream. Silky, smooth and without a burn. Not sure I'd buy a bottle again though...might as well get the standard. Cheaper and similar flavor profile.

This is really unique whiskey. Those guys in Bangalore really got creative and turned the notion of cask finishing upside down. It's a pretty complex maturation. They first matured in bourbon casks, then shipped the spirit to Spain (why?!? seems more expensive...but, maybe to avoid contamination). Then the spirit was matured in sherry cask, on site in Spain. It was shipped back to Bangalore, India. Then matured in bourbon again. So...was this all worth it? In my humble opinion...YES. Nose is red fruits, like raspberry and strawberries. Taste doesn't let down...it's more of candy fruit and that house flavor of Amrut---licorice. And the finish is spicy cardamon and ginger...I almost felt as if I was having the typical chai we make at home every morning. This is really well made, and they went the distance in a complex maturing scheme. It also doesn't show it's youth. Maybe because the climate in Bangalore is close to 100 degrees all year, and maturation is faster. This feels more like a 15 year old. Highly recommended!

I'm a fan of Glenmorangie, especially their Signet and some of these special bottlings. This one comes in a nice box too, reminiscent of an ice cream parlor. Too bad it doesn't taste like ice cream though. The nose is sweet floral. I really like this aroma. Marshmallows, jelly beans, and coconut. Really good dessert dram. I'm struggling with the palette though. I find it too bourbon-y. Candy corn, vanilla, and oak. It's like having Knob Creek. I'm just not sure I like this. I'm really not a bourbon guy, and this is too much like bourbon. I don't understand why they would want to replicate a bourbon but dress it up like a Scotch? The price point doesn't make sense for that either. I can get a Knob Creek for a fraction of the price. I like the experimentation...just not sure if it makes sense in this case. UPDATE 2/26: Had another dram of this from a freshly opened bottle. My original assessment still stands...I think it's a good experiment, but just not sure why a scotch is trying to be a bourbon. ( Ryan---you'll like this in the SDT sample)

I walked into my local store with no intention of buying anything, but rather looking to see what's new. He convinced me on giving this a try...and I quote him "it's one of the best American malts, if you're a fan of Highland or Speyside styles, you gotta give this a try". Either I got swindled, or his taste buds and mine are polar opposites. This isn't bad...it's just too young. The wood influences are too much to handle. The nose is a strong cleaner type, like Fantastic. The bleach version. The palette is worse. Like biting into a piece of wood. There's no finish. None. I'd be curious to see what this will be like a few years from now...but not sure I'd be willing to spend money for that curiosity.

I was never a big proponent of the mass market whiskies. Oh, it has its fans, as evidenced by the sheer size of the company. But, today is SuperBowl Sunday. I always end up hosting SuperBowl with family and friends. I used to actually work as a chef while putting myself through a MBA...so I love cooking for masses. (okay, chef is over-stated...was cook for a roadside Mexican joint in the outskirts of a rural town in Indiana at night while getting my MBA during the day). I bought the small bottle of Jamesons for the sole purpose of making Irish coffee. It's actually amazing as one of the key ingredients in Irish coffee. But, wanted to try a sip sans freshly ground Costa Rican beans, homemade whipped cream, and sugar. Not much of a nose---faint scent of apples and honey. Taste is mild as well, not really the type you sit around contemplating the meaning of life. Save that for the Port Ellens and Broras. It's single dimensional---sweet breakfast cereal. Like Frootloops. Finish is quick. It's much better served in the Irish coffee. I never had this in college...but, I can see this appealing to the that customer segment really well.

Okay, so after Jim Murray's declaration of this as the "best whisky in the world", I finally bought a bottle. More so out of curiousity than anything else; normally I'd not even consider Crown Royal ( my apologies...not as a snob, but if I'm going to have my liver take a hit, I want it worthwhile). I'm not sure if Murray actually meant this as the "best" in the world, or simply "most unappreciated". The nose is floral and fragrant, palette is very un-rye like. By that I mean that I can't detect the usual suspects like mint and eucalyptus cough syrup. Instead I taste more spices, like nutmeg. And candied banana. Sort of like those sweet banana chips you find south of the border (like Mexico...not N.Carolina). Finish is smooth. I didn't expect this smoothness. I expected a fiery, bitter finish indicative of youth or poor quality. I was pleasantly surprised. Crown Royal can be drunk as is, without mixing into soda?!!? My very humble verdict...If in the next life, I am born as a world famous whiskey writer (among other things like famous bollywood movie star, husband of a Brazilian supermodel, and avid collector of Lamboriginis), I'm not sure I'd have this as my "best whisky in the world" choice. I'd not even have this as my favorite rye (that for me is High West MidWinter). But I'd surely have this as "most under-appreciated" choice. And I'm sure my gorgeous Brazilian supermodel will fully concur, as will my billions of Bollywood fans.

This reminded me of those car ads on tv for the so-called BMW killers. I drive a BMW , and I have driven the "BMW killers' like Acura TL, Infiniti G. They definitely had more horsepower, luxury, technology and overall better value for your money than the BMW. But they seemed to have lacked that certain " je ne sais quoi". Can't place a finger on it, but they didn't evoke the visceral excitement as the BMW. The same metaphor can be applied here with Glendronach 21 Parliament against the Macallan 21. This is definately better quality, smoother, and so much better value. In a blind taste test, I would've chosen this over the Macallan 21 ( at least those from this decade). But for some reason, it doesn't have that regal feeling as a Macallan. Personally...id go for this over the Macallan 21 any day of the week...

Now that I can type again (my enter key was stuck...apparently my 7 year old egged on my 3 year old to stick playdoh between the keyboard)...I figured I'd write another review. If you've ever wanted to smell the aroma of black truffles, this is about as close as you'd get to it without actually buying the truffle (then again, I think with recent Japanese prices, the Yoichi 20 might be more expensive than a handful of truffles!). It's earthy. Damp leaves. Simply amazing. For me, a good whisky is 80% nose...and this is right up there with the best! The taste doesn't fall short either though. I've never tasted a black truffle (only had the pleasure of smelling it once when I was in a Parisian shop), but I can imagine this is what it might taste like. Moist, damp earth (in a good way, not in the way when as kids we happen to ingest some mud while playing mud football). There's smoke as well, but not peat...more like charcoal. I'm imagining the truffle flatbread, grilled to perfection over charcoals. Finish is mesmerizing...smooth and supple. Fortunately, I had bought this ages ago, when prices were reasonable...but, even at today's price, it's one of those bottles that's worthy of a very special splurge. Highly recommended!

2014 bottling. Not what I expected! I was ready for a peaty bite, but the sweetness really meshes well with the peat. Has definitely tamed it, in a good way. Nose is like soot, mild soot. Cigars and tobacco. You then get a whiff of sweetness. Palette then is a smoky sweetness. Reminded me of Mexican mole actually---smoky peppers and chocolate. Would definitely buy again