Tastes

This is a very rich and creamy bourbon. The nose is bread pudding with raisins, toasted walnuts, cinnamon, cherries, vanilla frosting and a creme brûlée richness. The taste is very rich and velvety with same notes as the nose and has a medium finish with a taste of pumpernickel bread.

Nine years ago I had my first taste of Penderyn whiskey and have to say it was not something I cared for or wanted to try again until I heard about this cask strength Madeira finish. This is a fruity whiskey. I’m not sure this is for everyone but definitely interesting. The first smell is pure guava fruit with vanilla almond cookies. I’d even say this reminds me of the taste of Swedish fish candy. Then you revisit and get dried kiwi, cotton candy, raspberry jam. The tastes follow the same as the nose with explosion of all the flavors and a medium finish. If you’re looking for a fruity treat, this whiskey is for you. Glad Penderyn has improved over the years and glad I tried this one.

This is a bottle I’ve been waiting to try for months. It was a K and L exclusive that my brother brought and hid at my parents house for my visit in April. Then the freaking coronavirus pandemic crushed my travel plans and so it rested hidden in a fireplace in the basement for months before I finally got a chance to get there and pull it out of the Santa bag waiting on me to try. I came in with high hopes on this one and being an avid Ardbeg fan it was a lot to ask. This is a single cask 15 year Ardbeg at 58 percent but as soon as you smell it you get a big hit of peat. This is complex, I get salted caramel apple pie with rich vanilla ice cream on top, cinnamon, candied maple bacon and the mouthfeel is the most viscous I’ve ever had. It makes Compass Box Tobias and Flaming Heart taste watery in comparison, they aren’t but that’s just how oily this is. The finish stays with you for almost 20 minutes. An epic whiskey worth the wait.

This is amazing whiskey. Proof is high but has less bite than you would expect. I love a cask strength whiskey and this is something truly special. Nose: freshly baked corn bread, cherries, cinnamon, caramel, old oak, milk chocolate, pecans, and leather Taste: oily texture to coat your mouth, candied pecans, milk chocolate, cherries, leather, cinnamon and old oak with a bite to remind you of the proof. Finish: long and lingers for minutes with corn bread, toasted marshmallow, cinnamon, candied pecans and cherries.

Banana split with candied cherries and candied walnuts with caramel on top. This is pretty good whiskey but the price is really high. I’d rather buy a Uncle Nearest or Knob Creek Cask Strength Rye for half and both are better than this.

Typical bourbon flavors with rye and marzipan. Tastes like sarsaparilla with a medium finish. Great stuff and worth the money.

Nose: Orchard fruit, tangerine rind, lemon, vanilla, honey suckle, cinnamon and light peat Taste: Extremely full mouthfeel, peaches, oranges, cinnamon, soft smoke, vanilla caramel Finish: Long with soft smoke, chocolate and mouth coating oily texture

Nose: dark chocolate coconut vanilla macaroons, caramel, medium oak Taste: Medium mouthfeel coconut, vanilla cake, cinnamon, coffee Finish: spicy with a medium length

Nose: Freshly baked cinnamon rolls, candied bacon and fruit pastry. Taste: Medium mouthfeel, cinnamon rolls, blackberry pie, candied bacon Finish: Medium length with bacon blackberry pie

Nose: Sherry, chocolate covered raisins, cinnamon, light peat Taste: Full mouth feel, very rich with baked apples, baking spices, old oak, leather and dark chocolate Finish: Medium length with baking spices, sherry, chocolate and old oak