Tastes

On a whiskey exploration trip to Louisville, Kentucky, my brother and I stopped in Michter’s Distillery to do a flight of their rye and bourbon. Of the samples poured, we thought their toasted rye was the best of them all and I managed to find two bottles of it to add to my collection. The nose starts with rich caramel covered figgy pudding then a s’mores sandwich with dark chocolate, toasted marshmallow and graham cracker before the rye appears with some fresh baked pumpernickel bread followed by a fresh glass of black tea with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with rich caramel covered figgy pudding and cinnamon apple pie then a s’mores sandwich with dark chocolate, toasted marshmallow and graham cracker before the rye appears with some fresh baked pumpernickel bread followed by black licorice, a tannic bitterness and medium spice that overpowers the flavors with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with burnt cinnamon raisin toast, toasted marshmallow, dark chocolate, graham cracker crust, caramel apple and over steeped black tea. Unfortunately, this isn’t as great as I remember and must have something to do with the experience drinking this at the distillery while smelling the mash cooking and the company involved that made this seem much better. Overall, this is a tasty and different type of rye with the toasted finish adding rich caramel, s’mores sandwich and dark fruits to the mix, but the balance is off with the mid-palate veering towards medium spicy and bitter flavors that fade into the finish allowing those s’mores and dark fruits through with lighter tannic notes in the background. These cost around $80 retail and I think that’s a fair price for a different take on rye, but it’s nowhere near the secondary prices of $200+.

I’ve been an avid fan of these Penderyn single cask US releases which are expensive for their age, but are worth it due to their intense rich flavors and have bought almost every one so far with only one being slightly above average but still rather enjoyable. So, here’s hoping this one that was aged in an ex-bourbon cask for 4 years before being transferred to an ex-ruby port cask for 8 years and bottled at a healthy 60.38% is the best release yet. On the nose, you’re assaulted by a bitter rampage that starts with pomegranate seeds, bitter melon, grapefruit and orange pith then comes some slight relief with vanilla cream before herbal notes along with light barrel spices and high ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel and continuation of the nose that can only be described as a bitter napalm taste bud torture/truth telling formula starting with pomegranate seeds, bitter melon, grapefruit and orange pith then comes some slight relief of vanilla cream before herbal notes that turns extra bitter and spicy mid-palate that lingers with high ethanol burn finishing medium length with vanilla cupcake, bitter melon, sautéed radishes, pomegranate seeds, high spice and mélange of fruit pith. This whiskey is an assault on the senses, excluding only the visualization aspect of its ruby color that tastes like an everclear fruit punch with fruit peels and jalapeno peppers that aged in a cask for 12 months basking in the Texas summer sun before finally being served. The cask selections must have been exceptionally horrid if this was the best choice, as this might have a future as the most expensive Drano I’ve purchased and is a surprise occasion to pull out the upchuck scale reserved for swill. With this being an expensive bottle of swill, I’m going to be giving this 2 cash and 2 upchucking emojis to create the expensive swill indicator. 💰🤮💰🤮

A huge thanks to @Richard-ModernDrinking for the generous sample from Finnish distillery Teerenpeli which makes this PORTTI (a Finnish word meaning gate) single malt that matured for 3-4 years in bourbon casks then was transferred to port wine casks for an additional 1.5 years, resulting in a final age range between 4.5-5.5 years old and bottled at 43%. The nose is very light but with time you can pick out notes starting with a straw basket filled with freshly picked strawberries, blueberries and figs then comes gingerbread cookies followed with light barrel spices, a hint of oak with light ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with light fruit notes of fresh figs, dates and strawberries followed by a light spice with gingerbread cookies then light barrel spices and hint of oak with light ethanol burn finishing short with light notes of blueberries, dates, a medium spice and light oak. Well, Teerenpeli it seems that you have some work to do because this is an average whiskey at best that is extremely youthful with a light nose and taste that you have to play a whiskey version of Where’s Waldo, called Where’s the Flavor because a drinker could easily miss any of the flavors with a finish that is extremely short with light fruit and a medium spice. There really isn’t anything here to fault or praise because it’s just an average and young whiskey that requires more time in the cask to fully develop those flavors and hopefully future editions won’t require a game of Where’s the Flavor in my glencairn.

The nose is incredibly rich starting with buttery cornbread topped with rich wildflower honey then comes chocolate covered candied pecans leading into orange peel and cherry cough drops that finishes with hay, rising cinnamon roll dough and old sun-soaked barn with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a rich mouthfeel starting with wildflower honey covered cornbread, orange peel and cherry cough drops then comes a high tannic oak spice like a burnt piece of whole wheat toast covered with jalapeño peppers that slowly fades to reveal spent espresso grounds and rising cinnamon roll dough along with a high ethanol burn. The finish is long with burnt whole wheat toast, candied pecans, dark chocolate covered espresso beans, orange peel, cherry syrup, cinnamon red hots, golden mill flour and over steeped black tea. This one has a wonderful nose with big, bold bourbon flavors that continues on the taste with a rich mouthfeel, but on the mid-palate it then gravitates towards an overly tannic bitterness that overpowers the flavors until finally fading enough for additional flavors to come through in the long finish. I was able to taste the 2021 version which has rectified the highly tannic issue with a more balanced oak, so here’s hoping 2022 will be dialed in even better.

To finish up my Irish whiskey run, @ContemplativeFox was generous enough to provide a sample of Bushmills 21 that was aged separately in ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks for 19 years then were married together in Madeira casks for the last 2 years before being bottled at 40%. The nose starts with tropical fruit salad of guava, mango, papaya and lychee fruit followed by light sherry influence of grape must and dark chocolate covered raisins with some roasted nuts then comes some light powdered sugar covered bubble gum along with citrus fruits of apples and oranges then light barrel spices, light oak and light ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with a tropical fruit salad of guava, mango and lychee fruit followed by light sherry influence with a hint of sulfur, grape must and dark chocolate covered raisins then comes some light powdered sugar covered bubble gum that transitions to a mild bitterness and spice that lingers before revealing light barrel spices, light oak and light ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with guava, bubble gum, a light bitterness and spice, light sulfur, dark chocolate covered raisins and light oak. This is a very well-aged Irish whiskey with a balance of tropical fruits, light sherry and citrus fruits, but the mid-palate turns mildly bitter and spicy that lingers throughout the finish. The ABV at 40% also doesn’t help this whiskey which seems to create a thinner mouthfeel that struggles to bring over some of those fruits from the nose over to the palate. If Bushmills were to bump that ABV in the 43-46% range that might help those fruits on the nose carry over stronger on the palate as well as give it a well-rounded fuller mouthfeel, but, as it is today, this is a very delicious, easy sipping whiskey which I’m extremely grateful that @ContemplativeFox was so kind to share with me.

Ransom the Emerald 1865 is a recreation of an Irish mash bill dating back to 1865 that is then matured in a mix of French and American oak for three years and bottled at 43.8%. This seems like an interesting recreation that’s worth a try and thankfully @ContemplativeFox was generous enough to provide me with a sample to find out how this turned out. The nose starts with soured, sitting-in-the-box-a-few-days-too-long fruits of apple, orange and pear followed by lemon grass, charcoal grilled shiitake mushrooms and pumpernickel bread then barrel spices and light oak with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with those sour and expiring fruits of apple, orange and pear followed by lemon grass, charcoal grilled shiitake mushrooms and pumpernickel bread then barrel spices and light oak with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with mulled wine, lemongrass, sour fruits of oranges, apples and pears, and pumpernickel bread. This is a funky and well balanced whiskey starting with aromas of musky overripe fruits followed by some herbal spice with a smoky meaty/vegetal note and rye spice that carries over to the taste and finishes with mulled wine that’s been crafted with sour fruits, herbs and caraway seeds, but the main flaw is the youthful abrasiveness due to the limited aging of three years that keeps it from really being exceptional. I’d really like to see what this tastes like with another three plus years of aging, as I think this could possibly develop to be a US version of Springbank. If you’re not a fan of weird and funky notes in your whiskey, this is not for you, but if you’re up to try something different and historical, see if you can find a sample or glass at a bar to try this one.

The nose starts with faint floral notes of chamomile and orange blossoms followed by apple chips and nectarines then toasted macadamia nuts, a light ginger spice, cloves and shredded coconut flakes with a light ethanol burn. The taste starts with a light mouthfeel starting with chamomile tea and fruits of apple chips and mandarin oranges before cinnamon red hots combined with a light bitterness builds then slowly fades to reveal cloves, nutmeg and light oak with medium ethanol burn. The finish is short with stewed apples, mandarin oranges, chamomile tea, cinnamon red hots and a light bitterness. This is an easy sipping whiskey with a mixture of floral, fruit and light spice aromas that carries over to the taste, but then transitions mid-palate to a mixture of medium spice and bitterness akin to a mouth full of red hots and grapefruit that fades into a short finish with light fruit and floral notes reappearing along with a milder version of that red hot and grapefruit spice/bitter combination. Overall, this is an enjoyable and tasty whiskey, but the balance is off with those bitter and spicy notes overpowering most of the flavors and I’d prefer a Writers Tears Double Oak for around $60 instead of the $100 these cost to help satisfy my Irish whiskey cravings. Also, a huge thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the generous sample of this for me to taste and helping keep my Irish whiskey exploration going.

The nose begins with a freshly open box of new sneakers along with lemon lime soda then comes a baking soda and vinegar model volcano reaction along with fresh bandages and a light ethanol bite. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with Honey Nut Cheerios, some light citrus fruit then drying alcohol, mélange of bitter fruit pith and wood chips with medium ethanol burn finishing short with lemon lime soda, a mélange of bitter fruit pith, wood chips and drying alcohol. When I was drinking this, all I could think was that there were some mini, pissed off, drunken Irish fighters going full UFC cage match on my taste buds with flying armbars, elbows and headbutts. If you’re budget whiskey shopping for $30 or under, my recommendation is to skip this, save $5 by picking up either a WT 101 or WT 101 Rye and have a much better whiskey experience with a higher proof to help get your drunken fighter on. This deserves to be rated with the upchuck scale reserved for swill, but since this is a bit violent I’m adding 2 punching and 2 upchuck emojis to create the fighty swill designator for this one. 🥊🤮🥊🤮 A big thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the generous sample provided to review.

The nose begins with port notes shining through with tropical fruits of guava, passion fruit, kiwi, papaya then fades away revealing the bourbon barrel with sour cherries, baked apples, rich caramel corn before fading and tagging in the sherry barrel with chocolate covered raisins, grape must that transitions into a light spice along with barrel spices, leather and a light cedar note with light ethanol burn. The taste is a viscous mouthfeel beginning with those port notes of guava, passion fruit, kiwi, papaya, lychee fruit then fades away revealing the bourbon barrel with sour cherries, orange peel, baked cinnamon apples, rich caramel corn and toasted walnuts followed by the sherry barrel with chocolate covered raisins, grape must that transitions into a medium spice along with barrel spices, leather and a moderate cedar note with medium ethanol burn. The finish is long with guava, passion fruit, lychee fruit, watermelon jolly rancher, stewed cinnamon apples, sherry grape must, chocolate covered raisins, orange peel, a medium spice, candied ginger, leather and a cedar plank that lingers for minutes. Overall this is a phenomenal whiskey that rewards time and patience to really appreciate because if rushed you’d mainly find tropical fruits with a bit of spice, but as time passes the bourbon and sherry notes begin to reveal themselves as additional layers that flow harmoniously showcasing the artisan work in the complexity, depth and balance of this well aged older whiskey. A huge thank you to @ctbeck11, who was generous enough to provide me with a sample of this to review.

This is a single barrel distillery only exclusive that was aged for 4 years and bottled at 49.9% that a sample was very generously provided by @PBMichiganWolverine. The nose starts with a pan filled with apple cider simmering on the stove top along with a freshly prepared bowl of cinnamon apple instant Quaker Oats followed by some light barrel spices and slight hint of oak with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with poached pears, apple cider simmering with a whole cinnamon stick then creamy Quaker Oats, some light barrel spices and slight hint of oak with low ethanol burn finishing short with cinnamon apple instant Quaker Oats, light barrel spices and hint of oak. This is an uncomplicated and very easy to sip on whiskey with no offensive flavors and tastes very similar to some 10 to 12 year old Scotches for only being 4 years old. I really enjoyed it as it reminds me of weekend oatmeal breakfasts as a child during the winter and just brings a smile to my face.