Tastes

Intro: This was the first scotch I ever tried and immediately liked, and also the first bottle I purchased. I figured I should review it before the bottle is replaced with something more exciting. Nose: sweet smoke, raisins, vanilla, sweet bread, whisper of barbecue sauce Palate: dried red fruit, earthy peat, vanilla, hint of smoked meat Finish: short, hot, and bitter with just a touch of peat and raisins Overall: If it weren’t for the bad finish, this would be a spectacular whisky! It’s got everything I really like in a scotch: sweetness, touch of peat, and an excellent nose. I think that the weak finish could be do the the chill filtration of this particular expression, and the fact that it’s bottled at 43%. I would love to try some highland park that’s not been adulterated by these processes, but Edrington seems to be focusing on the section of the scotch market that has more money than taste with outrageously priced NAS offerings that are often bottled at or near 40%. It’s really a shame, but I suppose there’s more money to be made from ripping off the uneducated than satisfying the small percentage of the market that are spirit enthusiasts such as my self. If I had to sum it up in one sentence: I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed. I’m going to be on the lookout for some independent bottlings of highland park and if you have any recommendations, please let me know in the comments! 89/100

This is one of the first scotch whiskies that I tried, and now that I have spent some time with it, I figured it would be appropriate for my first review. Nose: barley, vanilla, lots of honey, and a hint of pears and lemon Palate: thin, more honey, and allspice with a touch of lemon Finish: short, hot, oak, and burnt bitter toffee Overall: This dram is interesting and perfectly serviceable, but the thin mouthfeel and low ABV really let it down. I suspect it would be much better if it were bottled without chill filtration and at a higher proof! 75/100 Side Note: Many sources (including Old Pulteney's marketing with their slogan of THE maritime malt) make reference to a salinity to this whisky. I have a large salt tooth, and that was what originally attracted me to this bottle. However, I could not detect any salt at all.

This is another of the first bottles of scotch I ever tried, and I figured I should review it while I was thinking about it. Nose: barley, caramel, touch of orange, vanilla, blooming flowers Palate: oak, burnt toffee, vanilla, thin mouthfeel, black pepper Finish: short, bitter, and hot with more burnt toffee Overall: This is a very dark and bitter whisky. The nose is wonderfully complex and light, but the palate and finish just put it in a headlock and won’t let it move. I think the French oak really creates a one note song in this expression, and that note is bitterness! I find small amounts of bitterness pleasant in spirits, usually because it’s balancing the sweetness. However, in this there is no sweetness to balance. I have also sampled a few bourbons aged in French oak and the results were very similar for me. I think in the future, I’ll be leaving my French oak to aging wine where it belongs. Score: 60/100

Intro: This bottle is the next to be replaced in my scotch cabinet, so I figured I would review it before it goes. Nose: barley, burnt honey, touch of apple Palate: honey, caramel, melon, clove Finish: thin and fast with some honey crisp apple Overall: This is a pretty tasty whisky and my introduction to Glenfarclas. I really like the caramel and burnt honey notes in this dram which are usually attributed to the fact that Glenfarclas uses a direct fire to heat their stills as opposed to steam. Very good whisky who’s only real flaw is the bottling strength. All the flavors in this whisky were good, but slightly thin and faded. I would love to try this bottled at 46% or higher and see what a proper twelve year old Glenfarclas tastes like! 82/100