Tastes

Continuing on my exploration through some of Macallan’s releases, next up I have a sample of their David Carson Concept Number 3 that was bottled at 40.8% ABV. The nose starts with a mix of sautéed gooseberries, lemon custard, light saltiness and candied ginger then dark chocolate covered raisins and toasted hazelnuts followed by caramel apple lollipop, musty grapes and tangerine orange zest that transition to light baking spices and mildly bitter black tea with no ethanol burn. The taste is a thin to medium mouthfeel starting with a mix of mango, lemon lime gelato and candied ginger then a mild bitter and sour spice that quickly fades to dark chocolate mocha and light sea salt followed by Granny Smith apple, nectarines and tangerine oranges that transition to light baking spices and mildly bitter black tea with light ethanol burn. The finish is short with golden raisins, tangerine orange, milk chocolate covered macadamia nuts, ginger, moderate black pepper spice and mild black tea. Overall, this falls below average that has some enjoyable creamy sweet fruits emerging but are quickly overpowered by sour fruits along with a mild bitterness, sea salt and light oak that likely could have benefitted from a higher ABV to help increase the richness and intensity of the flavors and lengthen the finish that is short and bitter. Not surprising that a low ABV Macallan collaboration with a beautiful box wouldn’t deliver a compelling dram, but it appears that the Macallan fan base are enthusiastic about this release as some of these appear to be listed for several hundred dollars online now. Perhaps Macallan can collaborate with Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop next to be able to release a line celebrating the wondrous scents and flavors of the female genitalia that can be drank alongside their candle counterparts. That whisky might be underwhelming like this one, but I guarantee that box design would likely be a captivating and provocative artwork to behold.

Continuing on my exploration through some of Macallan’s releases, next up I have a sample of their 2019 Classic Cut that was bottled at 52.9% ABV. The nose starts with a mix of sweet creamy lemon lime frosting and light leather then dark chocolate covered golden raisins and freshly ground espresso beans followed by musty grapes, persimmons and caramelized nectarines that transitions to light baking spices and light oak with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with a mix of sweet creamy lemon lime frosting and light leather then a mild bitter spice that slowly fades to dark chocolate mocha, butterscotch pudding and mandarin orange followed by musty grapes, persimmons and caramelized peaches that transitions to light baking spices and light oak with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with caramelized peaches, lime zest, dark chocolate covered raisins, espresso, light black pepper spice and mildly bitter black tea. This is an enormous improvement over their 12-year old Double Oak that the flavors are far richer, likely from that 12.9% bump in ABV, that balances creamy sweet and sour citrus fruits, light earthiness and youthful oak spice. It has a slight youthful sourness that would likely polish out with a few more years of aging, but this really shows promise for what Macallan can do if they would just stop water-boarding their single malts into a smooth yet lackluster and characterless dram.

To start off my Macallan series, I have a sample of their 12-year old Double Cask that was bottled at 40% ABV. The nose starts with a mix of sautéed gooseberries, powdered ginger and mild sulfur then cocoa powder dusted prunes and toasted hazelnuts followed by sour apple, musty grapes and tangerine orange pith that transition to light baking spices and mildly bitter black tea with no ethanol burn. The taste is a thin watery mouthfeel starting with a mix of golden raisins, powdered ginger and mild sulfur then a moderate bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to dark chocolate mocha and prunes followed by sour apple, nectarines and ruby red grapefruit that transition to light baking spices and mildly bitter black tea with no ethanol burn. The finish is short with golden raisins, ruby red grapefruit, cocoa powder, ginger, moderate black pepper spice and bitter black tea. Well, this series isn’t off to a great start as I find this to be an incredibly lackluster dram that the flavors are on the sour side with a moderate bitterness that likely struggles due to that low 40% ABV and comes across as a glass of watered down apple juice with some black pepper thrown in. Perhaps the version that is bottled at 43% would help intensify the flavors to be slightly bolder and richer, but I don’t have high confidence that a 3% bump would make a significant difference and instead will just move on towards the next sample.

The nose starts with a mix of powdered sugar dusted caramelized mangoes, kiwi and dusty leather-bound books then dark chocolate covered golden raisins, honeycomb, freshly lit pipe tobacco and light seaside minerality followed by nectarines, persimmons and tangerine orange that transitions to light baking spices and polished antique furniture with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with a mix of powdered sugar dusted caramelized mangoes, pineapple and dusty leather-bound books then dark chocolate mocha, golden raisins, honeysuckle, freshly lit pipe tobacco and light seaside minerality followed by peaches, limes and tangerine orange that transitions to light baking spices and polished antique furniture with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with caramelized mangoes, grilled pineapple, nectarines, black pepper, mild pipe smoke, honeysuckle, light sea salt, leather and polished antique furniture. Overall, this is a delightful dram that is very fruit forward with tropical fruits underscored with well-aged oak along with light sherry notes, mild smoke and seaside minerality that is incredibly well-balanced with all the notes flowing harmoniously together and nothing out of place. It’s a wonderful and relaxing dram that I could spend hours with a bottle to sit back, pour a few glasses and just ponder its many facets over but the flavors are unfortunately thinner than I’d prefer and would really like them to be a bit bolder and richer. Thanks so much for this tasty dram @Richard-ModernDrinking , as I’ve never tasted a Ben Nevis before and will need to keep an eye out for them going forward.

The nose is bold and rich starting with a mix of powdered sugar dusted caramelized peaches, butterscotch crème brûlée and dusty leather-bound books then dark chocolate covered pretzels and pipe tobacco followed by sautéed apples, cherry pie filling and mandarin orange that transitions to light spearmint, cloves, ginger and polished mahogany with low ethanol burn. The taste is a rich and oily mouthfeel starting with creamy orchard fruit, butterscotch pudding and dusty leather-bound books then blonde roast espresso, dark chocolate covered candied peanuts and freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by sautéed apples, maraschino cherries and mandarin oranges that transitions to light spearmint, cloves, ginger and polished mahogany with low ethanol burn. The finish is long with sautéed cinnamon apples, butterscotch pudding, caramelized peaches, blonde espresso, candied peanuts, light spearmint, mild black pepper, dusty leather-bound books and polished mahogany. This is phenomenal bourbon that has aged gracefully over the years with those well-aged oak notes incorporated into bold and rich traditional bourbon flavors that drinks far lower than its proof with an exceptional balance of flavors that was expertly composed. With every sip, I was amazed and captivated by just how easy sipping and rich this is that before I finished my sample; I had placed an order for two bottles to allow me to explore this glorious elixir further. For now, I’m going with a 4.75, but could certainly see myself pushing this up to a 5 with further contemplation when my bottles arrive. Thanks so much for the generous sample @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington as this likely would have been one that I wouldn’t have tried otherwise.

The nose starts with a mix peach cobbler, vanilla ice cream and a light oak spice then cocoa nibs, candied peanuts and butterscotch candy followed by Granny Smith apple peel, maraschino cherries and tangerine orange zest that transitions to light spearmint, cloves, ginger and mild black tea with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a thin to medium mouthfeel starting with creamy orchard fruit, butterscotch pudding and a light woody spice then blonde roast espresso, candied peanuts and freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by sautéed apples, cherry candy and mandarin oranges that transitions to light spearmint, cloves, ginger and mild black tea with medium ethanol burn. The finish is short with sautéed cinnamon apples, butterscotch candy, caramelized peaches, light spearmint, black pepper and mild black tea. I’m actually very impressed with how well this tastes for just being two years old and I think this could easily beat some of the five to six year old bourbons I’ve tried over the years. It’s nothing show stopping but a well-balanced easy sipping bourbon that I’d really like to try again at five to six years old to see how the age has impacted the flavors. At a price of $85, I think this is a priced a bit too high and could shed the fancy packaging to allow for a more reasonable price of around the $50 mark which is where I think this deserves to be at. Thanks @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington for the generous sample.

This is Barrell’s third version of Seagrass with the other two being regular Seagrass and a Gray Label 16-year Seagrass. For me, I found the regular Seagrass to be a fruity treat with light earthy rye notes in the background to prevent it from being overly sweet and the 16-year to be the opposite with those earthy rye notes up front with some well-aged oak while those fruity finishes worked in the background to add some fruity sweetness. So, I was intrigued when their 20-year Gold edition came out and wanted to find out what direction Barrell decided to take, but that high price tag was a hindrance in my pursuit to find out until @ctbeck11 was generous enough to provide me with a sample to finally satiate my curiosity. The nose is bold and rich starting with a mix of dehydrated apricot, caramelized pineapples, raspberry syrup, vintage leather and a light forest rye flavor in the background then the rye takes center stage with freshly baked pumpernickel bread with whipped cinnamon honey butter on top and a light river rock minerality followed by bananas foster, cherry brandy and mandarin oranges that transitions to candied ginger, charred pine cones and polished antique furniture with high ethanol burn. The taste is a rich oily mouthfeel starting with a moderately sweet and sour fruit forward mix of apricot jam, caramelized pineapples, raspberry sorbet and vintage leather then a slightly bitter and sour rye spice that slowly fades to freshly baked pumpernickel bread with whipped cinnamon honey butter on top, espresso and light river rock minerality followed by a banana split with sour cherries, toasted walnuts and tangerine orange that transitions to candied ginger, pine needles and polished antique furniture with high ethanol burn. The finish is long with charred pine cones, dark chocolate mocha, banana split, cherries jubilee, dehydrated apricots, walnuts, a moderate rye spice, leather and polished antique furniture. For this version, Barrell went back to the original with those creamy sweet and sour fruits upfront that is an exceptionally well-crafted and balanced blend with the flavors of the rye, Martinique rum, Madeira and apricot brandy all working in harmony to create a fairly complex and sweet whiskey with the rye and well-aged oak working as a background note while rum, brandy and Madeira bring in bold fruit notes that are dominant but fade enough to allow those earthy forest floor rye flavors to come through as well as the well-aged oak. This is likely what customers were thinking the Seagrass 16-year would be as the older rye components enhance the normal Seagrass with well-aged oak notes and polishes out some of the youthfulness with those 20-year old ryes while maintaining the sweet DNA of the regular. For me, I still find the 16-year to be my favorite as I enjoy those earthy rye flavors being front and center with light fruitiness from the finishes, but if you’re a fan of a sweeter and fruitier rye profile and want some well-aged oak, than the 20-year would likely not disappoint.

For my 400th review, I decided to review a single cask Springbank IB by Adelphi that was filled in 1999 and aged for 21 years in a refilled rum cask before being bottled at 53.4% ABV. I discovered this single cask when browsing at one of my favorite liquor stores that seemed promising as I’m a fan of Springbank and rum flavors, but I was able to subdue my curiosity due to the hefty price and knowing full well that IBs are a bit of a gamble; however, after several months, my restraint began to wane with each trip until one fateful visit after learning of the departure of a dear family member, my restraint finally broke as I contemplated my eventual demise which brought about the decision to play chance and bring the bottle home to have a dram to toast those that have been lost and to celebrate with those special friends and family that still remain. The nose is velvety rich starting with a mix of key lime pie, toasted coconut, caramelized mangoes, light hogo and leather-bound books then fields of barley along with a light smoke and seaside rocky minerality followed by grilled pineapple rings, papaya and anise spice baked pears that transitions to candied ginger, cloves, light black pepper and polished antique furniture with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a rich and creamy mouthfeel starting with a mix of coconut cream pie, key limes, caramelized mangoes, light hogo and leather-bound books then a mild sichuan pepper that quickly fades to charred hay bales, blonde espresso and seaside rocky minerality followed by grilled pineapple rings, papaya and candied orange peel that transitions to candied ginger, cloves, light black pepper and polished antique furniture with medium ethanol burn. The finish is long with grilled pineapple, dehydrated mangoes, charred hay bales, light seaside rocky minerality, candied ginger, leather-bound books and polished antique furniture that lingers for minutes. Overall, this is a stunning dram that those hogo and tropical flavors from the rum cask harmonize flawlessly with those traditional Springbank citrus, farminess and seaside rocky minerality along with some subtle well-aged oak notes that are present throughout the experience but in the background to the rest of the flavors. For me, this is a special bottle that would likely not be worth the cost to most, but it’s a splurge bottle that I have no regrets purchasing and thoroughly enjoy having around to occasionally pour a dram for myself to sit around contemplating and dissecting the different flavors whilst raising a glass in homage to those dearly departed or in celebration of another day living with friends and family to share, laugh and hopefully remember the dram and time spent together. Hopefully when my time comes to an end, the reaper that comes for me will be kind enough to bring a bottle of this to pour me one last dram to ease my passing from this world.

This is an exclusive bottling by Teeling for TWE of a 29-year-old single malt that was distilled in 1991 then aged in a single rum cask and finally bottled at 52.4% ABV that I was able to get a sample of to dive into. The nose starts with a mix of guava, kiwi, papaya, crème brûlée and leather-bound books then light florals, honeycomb and dark chocolate covered macadamia nuts followed by caramelized mangoes, lychee and bananas foster that transitions to light baking spices and polished antique furniture with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with a mix of guava, dehydrated kiwi, papaya, crème brûlée and leather-bound books then a moderate bitter spice that slowly fades to dark chocolate covered espresso beans, honeysuckle and macadamia nuts followed by charred pineapple, gooseberries and caramelized mangoes that transitions to light baking spices and mildly bitter black tea with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with guava, dark chocolate covered pineapple, fried bananas, vanilla seeds, mild black pepper spice, leather-bound books and mildly bitter black tea. The nose is an amazing balance of creamy tropical fruits with subtle notes of light earthy spices and the well-aged oak that pulls you in for a taste, but the balance found on the nose fails to carry over to the taste which starts creamy and sweet before quickly turning towards a moderate bitterness that slowly fades to allow those tropical notes through again and finishes starting on the sweeter side with light earthy notes before gradually building into mildly bitter black tea. I was ecstatic to explore this one, as it’s the oldest Irish whisky I’ve tried so far, but at a price of over $600+ per bottle, for me, this doesn’t justify its premium cost and there’s plenty of options I enjoy more that cost far less.

When browsing through Bunnahabhain’s website, I discovered this hand filled distillery exclusive that had aged for 21 years in a single ex-Amontillado cask before being bottled at 54.0% ABV. I likely won’t be making it to Islay anytime soon to fill my own bottle, so I decided to take the next best option and bought a bottle to have a distillery experience brought to me. The nose starts with a mix of toasted almond croissant, apricot preserves and light rosemary spice then charred hay bales, seaside rocky minerality, dark chocolate covered raisins and honeysuckle followed by mango, charred pineapple and caramelized peaches that transitions to mild baking spices and polished antique furniture with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a medium to full mouthfeel starting with creamy tropical fruits before a mild spice that quickly fades to toasted almonds, dehydrated apricots and mild herbs then charred hay bales, seaside rocky minerality, dark chocolate mocha and honeysuckle followed by mango, charred pineapple and caramelized peaches that transitions to mild baking spices and polished antique furniture with medium ethanol burn. The finish is long with lemon meringue pie, toasted coconut, hay, seaside rocky minerality, dark chocolate covered raisins, almond paste, light baking spices and freshly lacquered antique furniture. This is a really unique dram that has a captivating nose that starts with rich sweets underscored by lightly soured citrus and herbal notes along with a mix of charred hay bales, seaside rocky minerality, tropical fruits and the well-aged oak that carries over to the taste with the creamy tropical fruits leading before fading to similar notes found on the nose but the fruits leaning slightly more on the sour side than I prefer before a long and lingering finish with a balanced mix of sweet and sour citrus, seaside rocky minerality and well-aged oak. I’m not sure if this justifies its premium price tag and I could likely be swayed either way, but I finally got to try a hand filled distillery exclusive single cask from one of my favorite distilleries and now I’ll just need to work on persuading my family into making the trip one year to fill my own.