Tastes
-
Very perfumey straight from the bottle, more difficult to pick out the scents underneath at first. But left to sit in a glass for awhile, the perfume fades and leaves behind honey, plums, and whatever a pungent, sweet flower would be (lilac?). The body is on the thin side, candy sweet, with a succulent orange and honey finish. I like this more or less depending on the day, sometimes it's juicy and smooth, sometimes it's too thin and cloying. Well worth a try at any rate. [87/100]
-
Tomatin 14 Year Port Casks
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed September 19, 2016 (edited October 11, 2016)Vanilla and oak mostly, maybe a bit of leather and candied cashews. Not the strongest nose, but not unpleasant. Mildly spicy palate with clove, honey, cough drops. Dry finish with a bit of mango that lasts a while. Enjoyable, but unremarkable. A good deal better than their 12 y.o. [1st try: 87] [2nd try: 86] -
Bowmore 12 Year
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed September 19, 2016 (edited September 20, 2016)This half-full bottle was left over our house after a poker game several years ago, and as such might be oxidized and not the best representation. With that said... a good amount of smoke on the nose, some of it peaty, some ashen and woody. Vanilla and honey in the back. Semi-sweet arrival with a bit of a dry body. Pleasant finish of butterscotch, oak. Very solid for the price. -
Edradour 10 Year The Distillery Edition
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed September 19, 2016 (edited September 20, 2016)Mild peat, toasted nuts, caramel or something candyish. Fairly strong, oily body and a moderately peppery finish. Very solid for the price, would buy again. -
Benromach 10 Year
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed September 17, 2016 (edited October 27, 2016)Strong nose grabs your attention with a medium peat smoke plus baking spices, white pepper and a hint of banana. Taste is finely balanced between sweet and smoke without being too light, pleasantly finishing with spiced nuts, cinnamon, red licorice. Enjoyably balanced and complex, might be a 5-star bottle if it holds up in the future. Very happy with this at $56, would buy again. -
Tomatin 12 Year Bourbon & Sherry Casks
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed September 16, 2016 (edited June 22, 2017)By accident I ended up with both the new version that states it's aged in ex-bourbon and sherry casks (fatter black box with green trim), and the older version which just mentions sherry casks (thin black box with red trim). Since they're so cheap I might as well hang on to them both as something to sip mindlessly while watching TV, and while I'm here, why not compare the two? Both are 43%. Color is virtually identical, making me think there won't be any significant differences. Nose on the older version is saltier, more complex. Pancake syrup, wet cardboard, corn, a bit of sourness. Newer version has a darker, weaker scent, bourbony oak is there, also something like latex paint. Both of them have sub-par noses for single malt. Taste wise, older version is mildly sweet with a peppery finish, and has more of a bite than I expected. Newer version is a bit more complex, there's a winey sweetness, less bite and a milder finish. So, there isn't much difference between the two, the ex-bourbon barrel adds a bit of depth to the newer version, yet has a much lighter nose. Both of these are the cheapest ($31 ea.) and worst single malts I've had, yet both are perfectly drinkable and are not offensive. For another $10 you'd be better off with an Old Pulteney 12 or Laphroaig 10 or something else, but that's one of the great things about single malts, even bottles on the lower tier are decent.
Results 21-30 of 43 Reviews