Tastes

The nose starts with a mix of mango, dehydrated apricot and smoking matchstick then hay bales, vanilla cream puff and chocolate covered chewy caramels followed by lemon zest, tangerine and ruby red grapefruit that transitions to white pepper, cloves and light polished oak with low ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with creamy fruits of mango, pineapple and a mild matchstick smoke then vanilla cream puff, honeysuckle, rosemary and chocolate covered chewy caramels followed by lemon candy, tangerine and caramelized nectarines that transitions to white pepper, cloves and light polished oak with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with creamy tropical fruits, light matchstick smoke, white pepper, rosemary, leather and freshly cut oak firewood. This is a delightful dram that the nose is fairly restrained but with time the flavors begin to unravel with tropical fruits and mild sulfur smoke along with creamy sweets, slightly sour fruits and mild peppery spices that carries over to the taste where the flavors explode on the tongue with a wonderful balance of creamy sweet tropical fruits underscored by a light sulfuric smoke along with herbs, creamy sweets, caramelized citrus fruits and mild peppery spice with polished oak that finishes medium length with creamy fruits upfront before fading into mild sulfur, herbs and a peppery woody spice. At a price of around $65, I think this is well worth the cost but would recommend anyone interested to try a sample before buying a full bottle as those sulfur notes could possibly be too much for some palates. A huge thanks to @ctbeck11 for the generous sample and this is a great start to my little exploration through some of the Craigellachie releases.

The nose starts with sautéed gooseberries, grapefruit pith and sandalwood incense then light floral notes of honeysuckle and jasmine along with dark chocolate covered dehydrated pineapple and prunes followed by peaches, hay and lemon zest that transitions to light barrel spices with low ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with a moderate bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to mangos, nectarines and freshly lit sandalwood incense then floral notes of honeysuckle and jasmine along with dark chocolate covered dehydrated pineapple and prunes followed by caramelized peaches, Granny Smith apple peel and sour lemon candy that transitions to black pepper, cloves, ginger, leather and black tea leaves with medium ethanol burn. The finish is short with tropical fruit, sandalwood and light barrel spices that vanishes quickly. Damn it, I was really excited to try this one as anything I’ve tried lately with Chichibu on it has been impressive but this double distillery just didn’t come together well for me. The nose has an interesting mix of citrus, florals, spices and light oak but there is a sourness that diminishes the experience which carries over to the taste but thankfully is upfront with a moderate spice that fades to an enjoyable mix of sweet tropical fruit, florals and mildly bitter oak before the rather rushed finish that the flavors dissipate in milliseconds. At a price of nearly $300, this is a hard pass for me and I’m glad I just had a sample to try.

The nose is dense and rich starting with pecan pie, sautéed apples and candied fennel seeds then freshly baked pumpernickel bread and dark chocolate covered espresso beans followed by banana pudding, cherry pie and powdered sugar bubble gum that transitions to spearmint, lacquered oak furniture and pipe tobacco with high ethanol burn. The taste is a syrupy rich mouthfeel starting with pecan pie, sautéed apples and spearmint gum then a moderate spice that slowly fades to toasted marshmallow, charred pumpernickel bread and dark chocolate mocha followed by bananas foster, maraschino cherries and powdered sugar bubble gum that transitions to cloves, ginger, lacquered oak furniture and freshly lit pipe tobacco with high ethanol burn. The finish is long with banana pudding, charred pumpernickel bread, toasted marshmallow, dark chocolate covered roasted peanuts, spearmint, lacquered oak furniture and pipe tobacco. I find the regular single barrel rye to be a tasty dram but when bottled at barrel proof, I think it pushes the single barrel rye into another league as the flavors are intensified to be bold and syrupy rich with an incredible balance between spicy rye along with sweet creamy fruits and well-aged oak that really showcases the incredible rye that Jack Daniels can produce. These are unfortunately long gone outside of the secondary market, but I’ve heard they will be coming out with more of these in the future and I’m hopeful to locate a bottle on the next release. Until then, a huge thanks to @ctbeck11 for the generous sample of this tasty rye that I’m hopeful to get my own bottle of one day.

I was able to get a sample of the Chichibu London Edition 2021 which is made up of seven casks (four peated and three unpeated) that have been aged between five and six years then combined and bottled at 51.5% ABV. The nose starts with grilled peaches, lemon lime candy and burnt hay then cocoa powder dusted almonds and seaside rocky minerality followed by orange blossom, cinnamon apple streusel and cherry cough drops that transitions to rubber mulch, candied ginger, cloves and freshly lit sandalwood incense with low ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with grilled mangos, lemon lime sorbet and burning hay bales then a mild spice that quickly fades to charred pineapple, dark chocolate covered almonds and seaside rocky minerality followed by orange blossom, sour apple candy and cherry pie that transitions to leaf mulch, candied ginger, cloves and freshly lit sandalwood incense with medium ethanol burn. The finish is long with sea salt covered lemons and limes, nectarines, rocky minerality, sandalwood and burning hay bales. This is a phenomenal dram that drinks far older than its age and tastes closer to a twenty-year-old Islay. On the nose, the smoke is soft and restrained that is in the background of the more prominent notes of citrus, sea side minerality, florals and mild spices that carries over to the taste where the smoke becomes more prominent working in balance with sweet citrus and leafy vegetation before finishing long with salty citrus, minerality and a moderate ashy smoke that lingers for minutes after each sip. I’ve only had two Chichibu products so far and am amazed at how refined and polished their young whisky can taste. There’s certainly a reason there is a cult following over this brand as their products are quite tasty but unfortunately seem to be priced in the stratosphere on the secondary market. Thankfully TWE tends to release sample drams of bottles they sell and will likely be the way I try this brand going forward and I’d recommend that anyone that hasn’t been able to try a Chichibu do the same or hopefully find a bar that sells drams for a reasonable price as there is something truly special about their whisky.

For reference, this sample comes from batch 22 that @ContemplativeFox was generous to provide. The nose is very restrained but with some time the notes start to come through starting sweet with a light sourness with honeysuckle, sautéed Granny Smith apples and toasted marshmallow then mild rye spices and chocolate pecan pie followed by mandarin oranges and cherry hard candy that transitions to light spices of spearmint, ginger, cloves, leather and polished mahogany with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with honeysuckle, sautéed Granny Smith apples and toasted marshmallow before a moderate spice that slowly fades to blonde espresso and chocolate covered candied pecans followed by mandarin orange zest and sour cherries that transitions to spices of spearmint, ginger, cloves, leather and polished mahogany with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with dehydrated apricot, sour apple candy, blonde espresso, chocolate covered pecans, spearmint, ginger, cloves, leather and polished mahogany. This is like that introverted friend that arrives at a party shy and restrained but after a while they open up, throw caution to the wind and you spot the friend half naked in a pool of jello challenging others to a match. The nose was incredibly restrained for a while but with time it finally opened up with a honeyed sweetness, mild sour citrus, light rye spices and well-aged oak that carries over to the palate with the addition of earthy espresso and a moderate spice before finishing on the sour side along with light earthy and rye spices. These appear to be around $60+ which is a fair price for a tasty bourbon these days that just requires a little patience.

For reference, this sample came from a single cask from 2011 that was bottled at 57.8%. The nose is bold and dense with a syrupy richness that starts with dark chocolate torte, powdered sugar dusted sautéed blackberries and antique polished furniture then toasted almonds and freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by cherry brandy, caramelized mangos and baked salted orange that transitions to anise, cardamom, saffron and vintage leather with high ethanol burn. The taste is a rich and syrupy mouthfeel starting with creamy tropical fruits before quickly veering to a moderate sour spice that slowly fades to cocoa powder dusted prunes and antique polished furniture then freshly lit cigar and marzipan followed by apricot jam, sour cherries and baked salted orange that transitions to black pepper, anise, cardamom, saffron and mildly bitter black tea with high ethanol burn. The finish is long with creamy tropical fruits, cocoa powder dusted prunes, marzipan, anise, cardamom, saffron, dusty leather-bound books and polished antique furniture. This is another excellent release by Kavalan that the flavors are rich and intense with a mix of sour fruits, old oak and unique spices but for me this falls short of the heights reached by the Moscatel due to a higher spice and the fruits having a moderate sourness that I don’t recall finding in the Moscatel. Kavalan’s Solist line is very expensive and I don’t think this one justifies its high asking price, but if I were to purchase one of their Solist line I’d likely reach for the Moscatel as its been my favorite so far with the Amontillado being a very close second.

The nose starts with lemon lime soda, black pepper and burnt rubber then dark chocolate covered espresso beans, vanilla extract and ocean brine followed by sour apple, mango and plantain chips that transitions to candied ginger and gauze bandages with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with lemon lime soda, black pepper and burnt rubber before a mild spice that slowly fades to a spicy dark chocolate mocha, vanilla extract and ocean brine followed by charred pineapple, dehydrated mango and plantain chips that transitions to powdered ginger and gauze bandages with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with black pepper, espresso grounds, mango, sour apple, ocean brine and light ashy oak. Ardbeg labeled this Ardcore but for me this really comes off better labeled Ardbore as it's an enjoyable dram that balances notes of sour citrus, tropical fruits, earthy spices, ocean brine and mild peat but it's unfortunately rather mellow with thin flavors and suffers from a youthful astringency that finishes rather bitter with light citrus and ash. If this is what biting into a spiky ball tastes like then it's not an experience that I'm particularly fond of and at the price of $120 per bottle, I'd much rather buy a Wee Beastie that a side by side with Ardcore revealed that Wee Beastie is far better balanced along with richer and bolder flavors for less than half the price of Ardcore.

The nose starts with sweet buttercream frosting, apricot jam and mild black tea then honeysuckle and toasted pumpernickel bread followed by sour apple candy, maraschino cherries and orange zest that transitions to light baking spices and faint leather with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a thin to medium mouthfeel starting with sweet black tea, apricot jam and lemon zest before a moderate spice that slowly fades to honeysuckle and toasted pumpernickel bread followed by sour apple candy, stewed cherries and orange zest that transitions to light baking spices and leather with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with sweet black tea, charred caraway seeds, mandarin orange, toasted marshmallow, mild black pepper spice and leather. This is a really tasty rye that the nose is packed full of creamy sweet and sour fruits with mild tea, light florals and a light rye spice that carries over to the palate but the flavors are thinner than expected with a moderate spice before finishing with a mix of sweet tea, burnt rye, light citrus and mild spice. At a price of $50, this is an absolute bargain that seems tough to find but is a must buy if spotted on a shelf. Thanks @ContemplativeFox for the generous sample.

For the last of my Bruichladdich series, I have a sample of their 1985 32-year Hidden Glory. The nose starts with apricot jam, coconut cream, dehydrated figs and dusty leather-bound books then honeysuckle, cocoa powder dusted prunes, cigar wrappers and a sea side rocky minerality followed by caramelized apples, mango purée and grilled pineapple that transitions to candied ginger, cloves and antique polished armchair with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with mango smoothie, toasted coconut, figgy pudding and dusty leather-bound books before a mild bitter spice that quickly fades to honeysuckle, cocoa powder dusted blackberries, freshly lit cigar, hay and a sea side rocky minerality followed by caramelized pears, stewed cherries and grilled pineapple that transitions to candied ginger, cloves and antique polished armchair with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with sautéed apples, freeze dried grapes, vanilla creme brûlée, hay, honeysuckle, sweet pipe tobacco, light ocean brine and antique polished armchair. For a whisky that aged for 32 years, this is a surprisingly fruity and floral dram that the old oak weaves in and out between those creamy fruits to remind you of the age without ever becoming dominant flavor along with mild spices, light ocean minerality and dark berries that is exceptionally balanced but the flavors are thinner than I’d prefer and could use a longer finish.