Tastes

Continuing my exploration through some Ledaig offerings, is a sample generously provided by @Richard-ModernDrinking of a single sherry butt that aged for 13 years before being bottled in 2019 for TWE at 57.4%. The nose is rich and dense starting with tangy smoked pork belly, caramelized pears and charred hay bales then cocoa powder dusted figgy pudding and seaside rocky minerality followed by sautéed cinnamon apples, grilled peaches and musty grapes that transitions cloves and sweet pipe tobacco with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a rich and syrupy mouthfeel starting with tangy smoked pork belly, caramelized pears and charred hay bales then a mild peppery spice that quickly fades to cocoa powder dusted figgy pudding and seaside rocky minerality followed by sautéed cinnamon apples, grilled peaches and musty grapes that transitions to freshly lit pipe tobacco with high ethanol burn. The finish is long with dense chocolate torte, caramelized figs, candied bacon and freshly lit pipe tobacco that lingers for minutes. Hell yes, this is how I prefer my Ledaig with a dense and rich nose that the flavors come through big and bold with smoked meats, decadent caramelized fruits, light farmyard funk, seaside minerality and tobacco that carries over to the palate with a rich syrupy mouthfeel that finishes long with rich chocolate, sweet meats and smoking tobacco. The flavors in the Ledaig 10 were so thin and subtle with an ABV of 46.3% which felt like driving a Shelby Cobra Mustang with a lawn mower engine as you could tell there was potential, but it needed some additional horsepower and that’s exactly what the 13 did by ramping that ABV to 57.4% to replace the lawn mower engine with a V8 that transforms the experience into a supercharged thrill ride that you need to buckle in for the full throttle flavors that are unleashed.

The nose starts with applewood smoked bacon, baked pears and candy cigarettes then tangy barbecued short ribs and seaside rocky minerality followed by caramelized apples, orange marmalade and grilled peaches that transitions to candied ginger, cloves and light campfire ash with low ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with applewood smoked bacon, light dash of lemon juice and poached pears before a mild peppery spice that slowly fades to tangy barbecued short ribs and seaside rocky minerality followed by Granny Smith apple peel, orange zest and charred lime that transitions to candied ginger, cloves and light campfire ash with low ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with charred tangy short ribs, sautéed apples and light campfire ash. Overall, this is an enjoyable dram that balances meaty smoke with light notes of slightly sour citrus, rocky minerality and mild sweetness but the flavors are rather thin and subtle that could have used a few more ABV to really help create a bolder and richer whisky. I’m a fan of the profile Ledaig has here, but wish they would come out with a cask strength version similar to what Laphroaig does with their 10 year. At a price of $70 near me, I don’t see myself picking one of these up as there are plenty of other options for that price that I’d rather buy.

For the last of my little Killowen series, I have this 10 year old that was aged in an ex-Pinot Noir cask from Burgundy that is slightly different than the listed Distiller bottle with a 52.5% ABV. The nose starts with a moderate sourness of sautéed sour cherries, slightly soured raspberries and a light sweetness of shortbread cookies then dark chocolate covered almonds followed by freeze dried strawberries, light musty grapes and stewed plums that transitions to light baking spices and toasted sourdough bread with low ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with creamy orchard fruit that quickly veers towards a moderate bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to dark chocolate covered raisins and honeycomb then musty grapes, dehydrated cranberries and nectarines that transitions to light baking spices and charred sourdough bread with medium ethanol burn. The finish is short with dark chocolate covered raisins, toasted almonds, dehydrated cherries, honeycomb and lightly charred sourdough bread. This is surprisingly thin for the 52.5% ABV that drinks more like a 43% with the flavors being very muted and hard to really pull out. Overall, I think that this is an average whiskey that the combination of youthful Irish whiskey with the ex-Pinot Noir cask from Burgundy has created an interesting dram that leans heavily on the sour side with a mix of sour red berries and mild sweets along with a moderate bitterness and short finish. I’m more adverse to sour flavors than others, so this might be better for other palates than mine, but this one strikes me as another one of Killowen’s premium experiments for the consumer that doesn’t justify its hefty price of $90 for a 375ml. For me, Killowen is a hit or miss brand that shouldn’t be selling at a premium price with their current experimental coin toss strategy they have implemented. I’m hopeful that they figure everything out and come out with absolutely stunning whiskey that I know they are capable of but for now, I’ll be skipping any new releases from them going forward as it’s just not worth the gamble.

The nose starts with fresh out of the oven cinnamon apple streusel, a mild tartness of lemon zest and light sweet floral from honeysuckle then dark chocolate covered hazelnuts and toasted marshmallow followed by caramelized pears, cherry pie filling and orange blossom that transitions to light baking spices, leather and polished oak with low ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with a mild sourness that quickly fades to apple cider simmering with a whole cinnamon stick and cloves then a mild tartness of sautéed gooseberries and light sweet floral from honeysuckle before dark chocolate covered hazelnuts and toasted marshmallow followed by caramelized pears, maraschino cherries and lightly charred orange peel that transitions to light baking spices, leather and polished oak with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with cinnamon apple streusel, dark chocolate orange, toasted marshmallow, leather and polished mahogany. Wow, this is a tasty dram with a wonderful mix of baked citrus, sweet florals, chocolate and toasted oak that the Hungarian virgin oak cask seems to have really polished most of the youthful sour flavors out with a near perfect balance with a sweet and toasty finish. Damnit Killowen, I was just complaining about your inconsistent quality on how your products can be either sensational or down right underwhelming and this is yet another case, but this one is the opposite of the last one I tried and is sensational. I still don’t think this justifies the premium price tag of $90 for a 375ml bottle, but if this was half the cost, I’d happily pick up a bottle. Thanks @PBMichiganWolverine for the generous sample of this one to try.

The nose starts with a mild sourness of sautéed gooseberries with light sweets of candied lemon peel and sugared dehydrated mango then a mild seaside rocky minerality and charred sourdough bread followed by slightly sour sautéed apples, overripe banana and grilled lime that transitions to cocoa powder dusted almonds with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with creamy tropical fruits before quickly veering towards a moderate sour and bitter spice that slowly fades to charred tangerine orange, baked banana bread and rocky seaside minerality then cocoa powder dusted almonds and sourdough bread followed by slightly sour sautéed apples, candied lemon peel and lime juice that transitions to a mild black pepper, ginger and ashy oak with medium ethanol burn. The finish is short with charred tangerine orange, cocoa powder dusted almonds, rocky minerality, and sourdough bread. The nose is predominantly sour but the creamy tropical fruits and sweet bready notes help prevent it from becoming overwhelmingly sour with the refill peated barrel providing light smoke and earthiness followed by the palate that the flavors are on the thin side with a creamy tropical sweet start that quickly falls into bitter ashy and sour mix that has minor sweetness before a quick finish that has light sweetness with an ashy spice. Overall, this is an average whiskey that has a youthful sourness with a mild smokiness from the additional aging in a refill peated cask and could have used a few more years to age and polish out those sour flavors. Killowen is a confusing brand that is vying for a spot in the premium space for their products which have so far turned out either sensational or down right underwhelming, but it seems like a coin toss on how each will turn out. For me, this one turned out to be another dud in their lineup and doesn’t justify that premium price of $90 for a 375ml bottle when there are plenty of better options that cost far less.

I’ve never found Jura’s offerings to be all that interesting and usually seemed to be either average or slightly above average but I heard that these extra old versions are quite exceptional, so curiosity got the best of me and I picked up a sample of this 30 year old that was bottled at 53.5% to find out. The nose starts mildly sour with lemon lime sorbet, dehydrated mango and sandalwood then light floral notes of lavender and honeysuckle that fades to dark chocolate and toasted coconut followed by papaya, bananas flambé and grilled pineapple rings that transitions to dusty old leather bound books and old polished antique furniture with low ethanol burn. The taste is a medium and creamy mouthfeel starting with orange sorbet, salted mango and sandalwood then light floral notes of lavender and honeysuckle that fades to mildly spiced mocha and toasted coconut followed by papaya, bananas flambé and grilled pineapple rings that transitions to saffron, cardamom, candied ginger, dusty old leather bound books and old polished antique furniture with low ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with dark chocolate orange, dehydrated sugared pineapple, cloves, saffron, cardamom, mild black pepper, dusty leather bound books and polished antique furniture. Well, well, well, this sure is an exceptional whisky that the nose started slightly worrisome with a mild sourness but that quickly faded to reveal a complex mix of sweet tropical fruits, mild sour citrus, florals and well-aged oak that carries over to the palate with a medium yet mouth coating mouthfeel with a mild spice and the addition of exotic spices that the flavors all flow harmoniously together with a minor flaw of a mild sourness that detracts from the experience before finishing fruit forward with dark chocolate, exotic spices, mild pepper and well-aged oak notes of leather bound books and polished antique furniture. Looks like all Jura needed was a long slumber in ex-bourbon casks to really come together as a complex and tasty old whisky, but at the price tag of $700+, I don’t think it justifies that premium price as there are plenty of other offerings out there for less than $200 that I’d rate higher and rather buy.

The last of my Bunnahabhain exploration is a sample generously provided by @ctbeck11 of a 14-year IB by Lady of the Glen that was aged in an oloroso cask and bottled at 56.2% The nose starts moderately sour with golden raisins, lemon juice, creamy rich caramel and a light sea salt then dark chocolate cherry flavored mocha and toasted hazelnuts followed by balsamic strawberries, lychee and ruby red grapefruit that transitions to moderate baking spices, leather and polished oak with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with creamy orchard fruit before quickly turning moderately sour with golden raisins, lemon juice and moderate ocean brine then a moderately bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to chalk, cocoa powder dusted prunes and almond croissant followed by balsamic strawberries, lychee and grapefruit juice that transitions to cloves, ginger, leather and polished oak with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with dark chocolate cherry mocha, almond croissant, cloves, ginger, mild black pepper, leather and polished oak. This is a very enjoyable dram that is dominated by moderate sour citrus but there is a creamy sweetness that prevents it from veering into overly sour territory along with ocean brine, earthy spices and well-aged oak to create a nice depth of flavor. As I’m not particularly fond of sour and bitter notes, others could find this to be more favorable to their palates than mine, but that sour citrus along with some moderate bitter spices prevents this from excellence for me.

This 17-year-old peated distillery exclusive release was distilled in December 2004 and aged in refill hogsheads, before being transferred to PX casks in March 2016 to finish for five years before being bottled at 51.8%. The nose is rich and bold starting with smoked short ribs covered in a tangy barbecue sauce followed by figgy pudding and chocolate torte topped with chopped toasted hazelnuts then light diesel fumes, ocean brine and leafy mulch that fades to fruits of raspberry coulis, pear tarte tatin and charred orange peel that transitions to light baking spices, and antique leather wrapped armchair with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with creamy orchard fruits before a moderate bitter spice that quickly fades to smoked short ribs covered in a tangy barbecue sauce followed by bacon wrapped dates and dark chocolate covered hazelnuts then seaside rocky minerality and burning leaves that fades to fruits of raspberry sorbet, sautéed apples and flambéed orange slices that transitions to light baking spices, and antique leather wrapped armchair with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with tangy smoked short ribs, poached pears, raspberry jam, orange zest, chocolate covered hazelnuts and antique leather wrapped armchair. This is a phenomenal whisky that balances bold and rich flavors of savory smoked meats, creamy citrus, chocolate, leafy vegetal, light ocean brine and old oak to create a complex and captivating whisky with the PX casks providing a counterbalance to the rich meatiness of that peated malt with citrus elements that work harmoniously with those savory notes that flowed effortlessly and continued to build and reveal additional layers after each sip until it was sadly over. At the cost of $160, it’s an expensive purchase but this could easily go toe to toe with some of the heavy weights of Islay that cost more and likely beat them which I think helps justify its price.

I’m a huge fan of Bunnahabhain and was excited to find that you can get samples of Feis Ile bottles or distillery exclusives through their website and grabbed a sample of this Feis Ile. The nose starts with dehydrated apricots, poached pears and vanilla salted taffy followed a campfire with burning leaves and light diesel fumes then baked plums, fig jam and candied lemon peel that transitions to candied ginger, cloves, leather and mildly bitter black tea with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with dehydrated apricots, poached pears and vanilla wedding cake followed by a moderate bitter spice that slowly fades to fallen leaves, charred hay bales and light tar then nectarines, fresh figs and gooseberries that transitions to candied ginger, cloves, leather and mildly bitter black tea with medium ethanol burn The finish is medium length with golden raisins, dehydrated apricots, charred hay bales, ginger, cloves and mild campfire ash. Overall, this is just shy of excellent that manages to take those leafy, earthy and smoky peat notes and combine them with the Tokaji sweetness to create this sweet and smoky balance that works incredibly well together but suffers from a slight youthful sourness along with moderate bitterness on the palate that throws off that balance of sweet and smoky toward a tannic spice. At the cost of $200+, I don’t think this justifies its premium price outside of bragging rights to have a Feis Ile bottle and it seems like I’m not alone as these are still sitting for sale on their website. Still a very good whisky, but I’d like for them to take that Feis Ile off the bottle and drop that price to $120 for me to be ready to make the purchase.

The nose starts moderately sour with golden raisins, lemon juice and light sea salt caramel then cocoa powder dusted prunes and toasted hazelnuts followed by balsamic strawberries, lychee and grapefruit pith that transitions to very light baking spices with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting moderately sour with golden raisins, lemon juice and moderate ocean brine then a moderately bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to chalk, cocoa powder dusted prunes and toasted hazelnuts followed by balsamic strawberries, lychee and grapefruit pith that transitions to cloves, ginger and moderately ashy oak spice with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with dark chocolate covered raisins, toasted almonds, cloves, ginger, black pepper and mildly ashy oak. Overall, this was an average whiskey that the nose is moderately sour that took some effort to find other notes besides lemon, raisin and salt the palate is a thinner mouthfeel than expected that veers towards a moderate bitter spice with a chalky saltiness with bolder flavors than the nose but still moderately sour before finishing with an enjoyable dark chocolate, toasted nuts and light ashy spices. I’m more adverse to sour and bitter spices than most, so this might turn out to be more favorable on other palates than mine, but this comes across too sour and bitter for me to find worthy of a purchase. A huge thanks to @PBMichiganWolverine for providing a sample of this Feis Ile bottle for me to try.