Tastes

Excited to try this! Lot 1867-K, bottle 06493. I'm a big fan of Forty Creek and I've been looking for this and finally found a bottle. Nose: Honey, burnt caramel, almonds. Definitely some dried fruits, especially raisins. Hard to resist taking a sip. Maybe a little peach coming through. Palate: Loads of flavour immediately coming through. Very rich. Initially butter tarts come to mind (quintessential Canadian treat?). Also some salted caramel. The oak then emerges with some really nice peppery/spicy notes. Finish: The pepper and spice continues and lingers. The raisins return here and sing a little Oh Canada to end the taste.

I've had multiple bottles of the 12 and have been sparingly drinking my bottle of the 21. Finally got a bottle of 15, which I have been wanting for a long time. Huge fan of Redbreast - let's see what the 15 brings! Nose: Vanilla, floral notes (particularly rose), some toasted coconut hiding in the background. The nose is deliciously consistent with the rest of the line. Palate: Initially not as sweet as the nose would suggest. I was anticipating a rich start to the taste but it actually starts off quite dry and spicy with lots of pepper and tannins. A leatheriness and cereal notes then present themselves. Finish: Typical long grainy finish consistent with Irish whisky, particularly Redbreast. Coconut, dark chocolate, and coffee bitterness round out this tasting. Overall very delicious and certainly not disappointed. I have not done a side by side tasting yet but I think I still prefer the 21.

Nose: Definitely a nice fruit aroma. I'm especially noticing cherries and peaches. Some raisins come through as well. Not a lot of spice on the nose. Palate: Pretty light on flavour to start with and a dry mouthfeel. Dried fruits (apricots, raisins, prunes) then become prominent. A nice little bit of bitterness subsequently rolls through. Finish: Medium to long. The sherry casks really come through here with tingling and a tanniny feel along the sides of the tongue and back of the palate. Overall this is a great value single malt. It has a well-rounded flavour profile being not too sweet and not too harsh or spicy. Quite pleased with the purchase and would not be opposed to getting another bottle!

Light amber in colour. Slightly darker than the 21 year European oak finish. Have been looking forward to tasting this whisky since I tried it at the Victoria Whisky Festival and finally procured a bottle. Nose: Sweet with a typical Canadian whisky aroma. Some maple, vanilla, and honey. Some almond/marzipan hiding in there as well. Palate: Initially incredibly rich but not too sweet, and very full flavoured. Some dried fruits, especially raisins, coming through and some leatheriness. A slight astringency here. Then comes some cinnamon and baking spice notes and some delicious tannins and tingling on the sides of the tongue. Finish: Long and lingering. Definitely dark chocolate presenting itself as well as more baking spices. Overall a very delicious whisky to perserverate over given the abundance of flavour and exceptional value if you can find a bottle. On a side note I just had a sip of the 21 year European oak finish next to this one and not surprisingly the Oloroso cask is much sweeter and richer while the European oak cask is much spicier. Both excellent offerings. If one had to choose I would say buy a bottle of both!

Initially nosed and tasted at cask strength and whoa this is a heavy hitter with crazy tannins. Diluted to about 45%. All notes below refer to diluted tasting. Nose: Lots of vanilla. Some maple and cinnamon here as well as black pepper. Burnt French toast anyone? Palate: Rye, rye, and more rye. Super spicy immediately. Black pepper and cinnamon. The spice continues, particularly along the back sides of the tongue. Very little sweetness to this one, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Finish: Long with lots of oak. Tannins linger and the back of the palate tingles with the excitement of what it just experienced. At the very last moment some faint green apple notes emerge. Overall if you are looking for a true to the grain rye, this is it. There's no messing around here. The cask strength allows flexibility to dilute or not dilute, particularly for a cocktail (I had this in an old-fashioned last night and it was great). Certainly this is very good value and one I would plan on keeping around if it remains available.

Delicious looking amber colour. Love the bottle presentation. Nose: Brown sugar, salted caramel, a slight hint of peaches. I can smell the sherry heading my way. Palate: Lots of dried fruits, especially raisins with brown sugar notes. Reminiscent of butter tarts. Cinnamon and baking spice coming through. Finish: Medium to long with tannins and spice stimulating the sides of the tongue. So I would like to point out that I'm not particularly fond of the standard Famous Grouse. However, this has changed my opinion. Overall, this is a fantastic whisky for its price point and will become a staple in my cabinet. I had it last night in an Old Fashioned and tonight neat and it was delicious both ways. I highly recommend this as a go to blended Scotch.

Light amber/dark gold in colour. Nose: Fairly complex. Vanilla and maple with notes of nutmeg and spice. Brings French toast to mind! Palate: Initially rich and sweet with a nice combination of maple and cereal notes. Rye spice suddenly and surprisingly kicks in with black peppery goodness. Dried fruit, especially raisin, enters the equation here as well. Finish: Medium for flavour but long for mouthfeel; some tannins present on the tip and sides of the tongue as well as the back of the palate. Slightly harsh but overall a fantastic, complex whisky - well done Dr. Don!

Nose: Strong honey, dark chocolate, and vanilla with hints of cinnamon, pepper, and coconut Palate: Initial caramel and butterscotch. This is followed by an abrupt peppery, spicy surge, especially on the sides and tip of the tongue. Then comes a delicious tanniny oaky blast. So much going on here. Finish: Medium to long with notes of bitter dark chocolate, black pepper and chili pepper. This is a fantastic bottle from Michter's. It is a wonderful blend of flavours on the palate and more than worth the price point.

Dark gold in colour. Nose: Cinnamon and spice with a hint of maple and honey. Also some pralines and cream ice cream here. Palate: Nice creamy mouthfeel. Very smooth with little burn. Dried fruits here - particularly apricots. Some spice ensues with cinnamon and lots of black pepper. Finish: Long and spicy. The pepper lingers for some time and some dark chocolate emerges and lets you chew this one for a while. Overall, I think this is a great whisky, especially for the price point.

Nose: Butterscotch, maple, vanilla. Hints of butter and white chocolate coming through as well. There is some surprising and interesting brinyness to the nose as well. Palate: Really rich initially with a lot of vanilla. Some maple coming through but not like a typical Canadian whisky. Next, some spiciness enters the equation rounding out the tasting experience. Finish: Medium in length. Some milk chocolate and tobacco. The malt lingers with subtle notes of sour beer. Overall, this whisky tastes young. However, it's got a great overall flavour profile and has a lot of potential. I look forward to tasting future, older iterations and will definitely plan to purchase some of these future offerings!