Tastes

I tasted this Canadian whisky neat at 40%abv in the evening. It is chill-filtered with artificial colour. Vanilla, caramel brulée, dark cherry, and honey scents from the barrel aging. The taste matches it with a little bit of walnut that appears in the near absence of ETOH burn. It's a very easy sipper in exchange for having very little in the way of complexity. Short finish with a faint caramel and spice.

I tasted this 7 year old Canadian whisky neat at 42.5%abv. in the evening. It is chill-filtered but of natural colour. The wine cask influence is strong. Soft floral nose behind bold oak and fruit up front. Beautiful plum and other sweet red fruit flourish on the palate that ends in a dry spicy oak. Some serious depth in flavour. It suffers from an unfortunately short finish, which echoes of oak, fruit, and the lingering bordeaux in the back. There is an alcohol burn that's more intense than it should be at only 42.5%. The red fruit character is close to Buffalo Trace or Forty Creek Copper Pot, perhaps, which I consider exceptional.

I tasted this blended Irish whiskey neat at 40%abv. in the evening. It is chill-filtered with artificial colour. Nose: Begins with light red fruit and just a backdrop of spice. Very little etoh burn. Some vanilla cream appears after a while. Palate: Fruit again but the spice is much more pronounced. Oddly the punch of it quickly gives way to smooth light fruit and wood that lets the spice burn just kind of sit pleasantly on the tongue. Not overly complex, but enjoyable. Finish: Medium length with the oak and spice coating the mouth. Fruit appears in the back.

I tasted this 100% Rye Canadian whisky neat at 43%abv. in the evening. It is chill-filtered with artificial colour. Russet-muscat colour. Complex and satisfying. Oak quality similar to a good bourbon. Nose: Bold and beautiful; butterscotch; barrel spice; maple; clove; dill Palate: Plums and red fruit; butterscotch; bold rye spices and oak; rye bread; black licorice; Sharpie ETOH burn; vanilla; black peppercorns Finish: long with warmth of the oak and rye, butterscotch and vanilla but still dry

I tasted this Speyside single malt scotch neat at 43%abv. in the evening. It is chill-filtered with artificial colour. Scents of apple and honey. It tastes like sweet vanilla icing on pound cake, a hint of anise, and baked apple. Gorgeous strawberries and cream with a honeyed sweetness. Flourishes of pecans and other nuts on the palate. Medium finish of cinnamon and black pepper. Remakably complex for such an easy sipper of low alcohol burn.

I tasted this single malt scotch neat at 40%abv. in the evening. It is from batch number 9378/013 with artificial colour. Thick legs on the glass and a deep mahogany colour. Bright peaches on the nose with a warm spicy oak character. A bit of citrus fruit as well. Dried fruit and maple syrup on the palate with little ethanol bite. There's some brown sugar in baked apple crisp in there as well. Later, some banana and roasted pecans sprout up. It boasts a long finish emphasizing the wood and spice with a medoum sweetness. Superb malt that I can only imagine would be stunning at just a slightly higher proof.