Tastes

I did a tasting of Blanton's last night so I figured I would continue the bourbon tasting weekend with this bottle I picked up a couple months ago but haven't had much opportunity to spend time with. Here goes! Nose: Deep and rich brown sugar notes with molasses. Vanilla and caramel here as well. Slightly burnt creme brulee probably summarizes the nose well. Palate: Loads of flavour here intially. Super rich. Burnt caramel and brown sugar then suddenly the tannins arrive. Almost immediately, oak and pepper activate the sides and tip of the tongue and linger there for the finish. Finish: Long. A burnt toast bitterness sticks around for some time. Some spicy sweetness also persists, almost like cinnamon toast. Overall this is a fantastic bourbon, although probably not for a beginner bourbon drinker. This has a lot of punch and loads of flavour but is not an easy drinker like Blanton's or Basil Hayden's. However I would get this over either of those in the future no question. Well done Colonel!

A wonderful Xmas gift from my brother (@therobwalker)! Dumped on December 20, 2019. Barrel 21, warehouse H, Rick 15. Nose: Very sweet and rich on the nose. Brown sugar, caramel, cinnamon, oak, and a touch of leather in the background. Maybe a trace of mint/evergreen hiding there too. Palate: Sweet and smooth as the nose suggests. More caramel and brown sugar up front. Some cinnamon hearts emerge with a mild spicy pepperiness. Finish: Medium length with baking spices hanging around. Some bitter cherries lingering on soft palate. Overall there's nothing out of the box with this one but it's a great classic bourbon flavour. This is a very easy drinker and I'm very happy to have a bottle.

Nose: Classic bourbon notes - vanilla, brown sugar, and some baking spices. Maybe a hint of mint here and some raisins. Palate: Initially much less sweet than I had anticipated with the nose. Notes of black pepper and leather initially. In mid-tasting a delicious dry, oaky, leathery profile is prominent, especially on the sides of the tongue. More pepper and baking spices emerge Again, I'm very pleasantly surprised at how unsweet this is. Finish: Long and spicy. The dry tannins hang around for some time here. Notes of burnt toast and caramel are prominent initially but if you are patient then the vanilla re-emerges for a nice gentle encore. Overall a good bourbon for a good price.

I recieved this as a gift and I am excited to taste it. Batch 2021-01E. 62.65% and very hot on initial taste so I've added filtered water to get to about 47%. Nose: Very classic bourbon nose. Lots of caramel. Some vanilla and baking spice presenting here as well. Some burnt cinnamon toast - classic. Palate: Lots to take in here. Initial salted caramel and some cinnamon. Definitely some nuttiness. Delicious dry oaky tannins subsequently present. Some peppermint lingers in the background. Finish: Long and dry. The oaky tannins stay around for awhile complimented by some burnt brown sugar noted. Warming of the palate is a pleasant late surprise. Overall, this is delicious and spectacular. The high proof shows the confidence in this whisky. I'm thankful (given this is just after Thanksgiving) to be a recipient of this whisky!

I picked this up at the BCLS summer release. Was interested to try it. Nose: Vanilla, maple, oak, caramel, the usual suspects. Nothing remarkable here. Palate: Very thin mouthfeel. Water. Some mint and pepper watered down. A little brown sugar here as well. Not too much happening. Finish: Short and thin. Overall this is very disappointing and very hard to believe this is a 10 year old rye. I compared to Michter's Single Barrel rye and there is no comparison - Michter's is far superior in flavour. This is not worth $79.99. Although I'm happy I tried it I would be happier if I had my money back. This will definitely be going in cocktails.

I received this bottle as an overly generous gift from my (obviously) favourite friend. I've wanted to try this for some time and ecstatic to have a bottle of my own. Initial tasting was at original proof but at 54.5% it's a bit hot for me. I added water to bring to about 47%, which is my sweet spot. Nose: Some ripe red apples and maybe a slight hint of peach. However, vanilla and caramel stand out to me here. I think caramel apples is a good overall summary of the nose. Palate: Initially salted caramel but the delicious rye spice quickly emerges. Pepper and cinnamon are prominent here. Finish: Long and spicy. More pepper and then a really gentle bitterness persists on the back of the palate for some time. Overall this is fantastic and I'm definitely grateful for my excellent friend @BradMacario!

I'm generally not a fan of significantly peated whiskies, but I felt I should have one in my collection to enjoy once in a while and use in cocktails. I'd heard good things about Bowmore 12 and it was affordable so I picked it up. Let's see how it is... Nose: Definite significant peat on the nose. Not as much smoke as I had expected however. Leather, seaweed, and sea salt are prominent as well. Maybe some dried fruits like raisins hiding in the background as well. Palate: Initially rich with a briny edge. A nice peppery spiciness emerges providing a pleasant mouthfeel. Leather and a gentle bitter nuttiness is prominent in mid-taste. Finish: Medium to long. The pepper lingers and mingles with the chewy leather flavours. Some cigar smoke adds some dimension here as well. Eventually I'm left only with the briny seaweed notes at the back of the palate. Overall I enjoyed this whisky and I'm certainly happy to have this on my shelf.

I've heard good things about this so I decided to pick up a bottle. Currently my gold standard for blended whisky is Naked Grouse, which I think is fantastic. Nose: For me, pears are on the forefront here. There are some notes of peaches and vanilla here as well as some cinnamon and nutmeg in the background. Palate: More pear notes leading the way here. Some spice enters with cinnamon and pepper presenting themselves. Green apple lingers in the background. Finish: Medium to long. The pepper and cinnamon sticks around with some lingering tingling on the sides of the tongue. There is some burn here on the finish that takes away a little bit from the overall experience. Overall this is pretty good. I do not currently have a bottle of Naked Grouse to do a head to head but based on my memory Naked Grouse has a slight edge. Also, Naked Grouse is $9 CAD cheaper. For the price point I think I would stick with Naked Grouse.

I'm not going to waste my time with a full tasting. This is a huge waste of money and now I'm struggling with how to drink it so I don't waste the bottle. I bought it because I was looking for a good affordable cocktail rye and I liked the packaging. Little did I know, this is not a rye. It really has not much more flavour than vodka. It's labeled as rye whisky but according to the back label it's simply corn and wheat and has absolutely no spice to suggest any rye. Do not buy this if you like real whisky. If you want some I will ship you the rest of my bottle for $10. CAD , that is.

I received this as a gift; always happy to receive a decent bottle of whisky! However, I've found that Japanese whisky is pretty good but generally overpriced for what you get, especially given that they are all NAS now it seems. On inspection it looks young - light straw colour. Nose: Peat, but not smoke, is on the forefront. There are some honey and floral notes in the background here. This is a pretty decent nose and certainly more than I was expecting. Palate: Initially richer than I had expected. I had thought peat would be forefront but there is more honey and sweetness immediately upon tasting. Some brininess is present here and there is also some leather before the peat enters the equation adding some nice depth without being overwhelming. There is some alcohol burn here too, likely revealing a youngish age. Finish: Surprisingly long. There is definitely some tanniny tingle on the sides of the tongue early in the finish. Subsequently, the back of the palate starts to broadcast some bitter earthiness from the peat. This lingers for some time and is quite enjoyable. Again, there's not much smoke, just an earthy peatiness. Overall, this is good and I enjoyed it. However for $95 CAD when I can get a bottle of HP 12 for $58.99 I will choose HP 12 all day. My problem with Japanese whiskies is that they are good but this confirms for me that they are WAY overpriced.