Tastes

I was excited to see this interesting offer from Aberfeldy when I was trying to figure out how to spend a gift card. I almost chose Dalmore 18, but opted for this instead due to the uniqueness. The colour of this is insane. So dark! My best approximation is the colour of steeped black tea. Apparently this is natural colour. This is 53.8%. I had a small taste neat then diluted to 46% with some water. Below tasting notes are at 46%. Nose: Grapes and raisins and figs and cinnamon and and and... This is super unique on the nose and reminds me of Christmas plum pudding cake (which I actually just had for the first time 6 days ago on Christmas this year). Spicy, rich, and sweet. Palate: Initial brown sugar and caramel then quickly turns to cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. The tannin dryness is prominent on the sides of the tongue creating a multi-sensory experience. Finish: Very long and spicy. The cinnamon lingers and a black peppery finish persists for a good minute or more. Maybe some minty coolness here too as well as a touch of smoke coming through; although I'm not sure where this comes from since it's unpeated. The tannins tingle for some time on the sides of the tongue and back of the palate. Overall I am very pleased with my acquisition! It is super unique and I know I will ration this one very diligently over the next couple years!

This bottle has been on my wish list for some time and recently I was fortunate enough to receive it as a Christmas gift. Let's see how merry it makes me! Nose: Honey is prominent, as are baking spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. The sherry casks are definitely presenting themselves here and there's just a hint of peat smoke in the background. Palate: This is definitely a lot to take in immediately. Really nice full mouthfeel. Definitely honey, but one of those less sweet fancy honeys where the bees were fed on something different like clover or blueberry flowers or something. There is some salted caramel and then the spice kicks in with more cinnamon and some black pepper. Finish: This is relatively long with a lingering tingling on the sides of the tongue from the sherry casks. The subtle peat smoke hangs around here as well, even for minute or two after leaving a dry cigar smoke mouthfeel. Peated whisky is generally not my preference but I'm a fan of HP 12 due to the less prominent peat. This is head and shoulders above that with much more flavour and even more subtle peat. The price point is well worth the cost and this is a bottle I hope you always have in my collection!

I was recently given a bottle of this that was opened I suspect a number of years ago but there is still about 90% remaining. I'm not one to turn down free whisky so I was a happy recipient nonetheless and looking forward to tasting. Nose: Honey, brown sugar, and some tropical fruit. I don't know much about papaya but for some reason I get papaya here... Palate: Relatively light but smooth and sweet. Honey and some baking spices initially. Some green apple emerges toward the end as well as some orange zest. Finish: Medium with the green apple lingering on the back of the palate. Some nice bitterness lingers there as well even after the tingling on the palate and sides of the tongue fade. Overall, of course a very good whisky. However, given the hype I was expecting a flavour explosion and I certainly wouldn't spend the secondary market price (or even the primary market price necessarily). Although I'm very happy to have a bottle and will enjoy it!

Initially tasted without dilution but the proof is a bit too high to appreciate the flavours so I diluted to about 46%. Nose: Vanilla and mint are at the forefront here. It seems there is a little orange zest and maybe a touch of banana here. Palate: I was expecting it to be really rich and sweet off the top, but it's not. There's actually some nice early black pepper notes and dark chocolate - maybe the Lindt chili chocolate. The oak is prominent and some burnt toast emerges a few seconds later and lingers. Finish: Medium to long. The tannins and bitterness on the back of the palate remain for some time. More pepper tingles here too and a nice refreshing mintiness. Overall this is really good. Much more spice than I had anticipated and a quick comparison to 101 confirms my impression. It's a bit pricy here in Canada at about $80 CAD but it's a pretty great bourbon and when I can eventually get to the US I would definitely consider buying a bottle at a lower price.

Redbreast is possibly my favourite whisky line so I was excited that this was available in Canada. It's a lovely amber colour and is begging me to dive in. Nose: Vanilla, maple, banana, some blackberries, and definite creme brulee notes. I feel like I should need to crack a crusty bruleed top with a spoon. Palate: Slightly harsh initially. There is a really abrupt stimulation of the sides of the tongue and tannin feel. The first fill sherry barrel finish is very prominent here. There are some spicy notes as well with some cinnamon and black pepper. Really the tannins take over a lot of the flavour profile and seem to be a bit hard to get past. Finish: Medium. The aforementioned tannins persist on the sides of the tongue and back of the palate. Not a lot of flavour lingers though. I find I'm missing that really long, chewy, grainy finish that Redbreast typically has. A quick sip of Redbreast 12 to compare reminds me why I love Redbreast. In my opinion Lustau is a step down. I would prefer to either spend less money on 12 or more and get 15. This seems an interesting but not as good and somewhat disappointing addition, especially given the price point.

I'm a fan of Lot 40 but generally for me it's a cocktail whisky. I was excited to pick up this new release and see if it will hold up neat. It's certainly a delicious looking colour! Nose: Lots of vanilla initially. Strong caramel notes here too. I'm also getting a bit of orange peel coming through. Palate: Really rich and full. Nice oily mouth feel. Much smoother than I had anticipated with mild alcohol burn. Slightly burnt French toast is the initial impression with the cinnamon lingering. Anise and black pepper then join the party. Finish: Medium. The best part is the delicious tingling and a minty coolness hanging out at the back of the palate. The black pepper also lingers for some time. I then tried a small taste of regular Lot 40. The Dark Oak is much smoother and richer despite the higher ABV. The mouthfeel is much nicer with Dark Oak as well. Overall I'm very impressed and definitely will enjoy this both neat and in cocktails!

I tried this a few years ago at an Irish whisky tasting and just picked up a bottle today. Looking forward to tasting. Here goes! Nose: A lot of tropical fruits here. Especially pineapple and mango. Definitely plenty of green apple here too. Fruit, fruit, fruit. Palate: Initially rich but not as sweet and fruity ad the nose would suggest. Caramel apples present themselves and linger. There's a butteriness here that is very pleasant as well. Very slight amount of spice. Finish: Long and not disappointing - typical for an Irish whisky. The sides of the tongue and back of the palate tingle, lingering for some time, begging my brain to imbibe some more. Overall delicious, really easy to drink but complex to interpret. My typical Irish go-to and gold standard is Redbreast 12, so I had a quick taste of this to compare. Green Spot much sweeter and Redbreast is much spicier. Both delicious in their own way but Redbreast 12 takes the cake in my mind still.

So I was really excited to try this and picked up a bottle almost 6 months ago. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with it. I'm a huge Forty Creek fan and have many of their limited releases and I have nothing but fantastic reviews of them. However, this is so disappointing. From a whisky perspective it has very little flavour. From a botanicals perspective it has very little flavour. I would have liked to see them commit to both of these aspects and make a strong argument for botanical whisky. I will not drink this neat. I have tried with tonic and gin is better. I have tried in a Boulevardier/Negroni and any other whisky or gin is better. I'll have to try it in an old-fashioned with some interesting bitters or something. Needless to say, I won't waste my bottle but I will not be buying another one.

So this is one of the first official Distiller tastings I did and I reviewed my previous tasting and I was very disappointed with my lack of effort. I am taking a Mulligan here. This has been a go-to whisky of mine since I started getting into it 8 or 9 years ago. I first tasted it in Ireland as recommended by a bartender as one of the best Irish Whiskies. It had been a staple since and I have expanded my collection to include the 15 and 21. Nose: Very rich! Honey, vanilla, and tropical fruits (especially pineapple). Toasted coconut comes through here too. Makes it hard to wait to proceed to the tasting, and alas I will proceed! Palate: A lot going on here right off the bat. Dried tropical fruits like pineapple and mango presenting initially but not like they were straight from the bag, more like squeezed in a leather ball glove first, but in a delicious way. Some spice quickly follows with some cracked pepper and cinnamon joining the ball glove mixture. Finish: Long! Typical for Redbreast, you can chew on this one for a long time. Oats and honey, oats and honey, and more oats and honey. The sherry casks provide a lovely tingle on the sides of the tongue and back of the palate. More oats and honey. :) Overall, I think anyone who enjoys world whiskies should have Redbreast 12 in their collection. A spectacular Irish. That said last week I tried after a drink of the 15 and it was pretty bland, and having tried next to the 21 in the past it is clearly not as good, hence the price point. However, for an entry level whisky this is a spectacular must-have!

So normally I don't do tastings on my inexpensive, mixing whiskies, but I saw some reviews on this one and felt the need to stand up for this whisky because it is one of the best value Canadian whiskies. Nose: Nice and rich. Some very typical Canadian whisky aromas here - lots of vanilla, maple, butterscotch, caramel... Despite this being rye and winter wheat not a lot of rye is coming through on the nose. Palate: Immediately rich and very creamy. I suspect the creaminess is from the winter wheat? More butterscotch and caramel here. Certainly not an overly spicy rye but mid-taste some cinnamon and pepper starts to come through. Somewhat light on flavour but very smooth and little burn despite what other tasters have noted. Finish: Light and relatively short. However some raisins/prunes on the back of the palate linger a little. Overall for the price point ($22.99 CAD) this is excellent! I will always have one of these on hand and although I probably won't drink neat due to the fact that it is a little light on flavour, it is still a great whisky and one I regularly use in cocktails. It's creaminess with some mild spice makes it particularly good in an old fashioned.