Tastes

Nose: Really a lot going on! Dried fruits but also citrus. I also get saltwater taffy here, which was a surprise. Definitely some floral notes, especially rose. Palate: Initially very rich, sweet, and smooth with lots of vanilla and brown sugar notes. Floral flavours coming through early on as well. Some mild oak spiciness and tanniny mouthfeel then follows rounding out the flavour profile very nicely. Finish: Medium to long. Notes of black peppercorns, peppermint, and burnt toffee. Overall I think this is a fantastic whisky, especially given the price point for an 18 year old single malt.

Nose: Bananas, caramel, brown sugar, some maple syrup in there too. Brings to mind banana waffles... Palate: Mellow start to the tasting experience. Oily mouthfeel. Then comes chewy toffee and oak. Next, peppery rye spice coming through. A lot of flavour but gets a bit heavy on the burn. Finish: Short on flavour but long on burn. Lingering chili peppers and cinnamon. Overall a good bourbon with a lot of flavour. A bit harsh, maybe because it's 46.85%. Maybe would open up a bit with a few drops of water? May have to try this next tasting...

Nose: Very rich. Some honey, vanilla, even some peppermint. Varnish as well, which has never smelled so delicious. Lots of fresh stone fruits here. Palate: Wow. Delicious oily mouthfeel. This is a flavour explosion. Hard to even keep track of everything going on here. Prunes and ripe plums, cinnamon and black pepper as well coming through. Tons of cereal notes. Finish: Long chewy finish with lots of cereal notes. Nice tannins linger on the sides of the tongue. This is a spectacular whisky. I'm a huge fan of Redbreast 12 but this is a different league.

Nose: Vanilla and caramel, lots of vanilla! Subtle notes of coffee and pine needle. Palate: Very rich. Butterscotch and more vanilla here. Then lots of oak notes evolve, finally moving to sweet toasted coconut. Finish: Fairly short and thin. Not much happening here. Some lingering bitter orange peel on the back of the palate. Overall I find this bourbon very enjoyable and a nice change from other bourbons. Maybe the millet and lack of rye coming in here. Certainly would recommend!

Nose: Lots of vanilla and honey. A little caramel and maple hiding in the background. Palate: Very smooth and nice creamy mouthfeel. Initially raisins and dried apricots. Then some nice grainy/cereal notes come through. Overall not super complex but very smooth and tasty. Finish: Typical long grainy Irish whisky finish. One of my favourite things about Irish whisky and this is no exception. This is also VERY delicious in an Old Fashioned and at its price point is a fantastic cocktail whisky.

Dark amber in colour. Nose: Maple, banana bread, brown sugar, and cinnamon, with some notes of black pepper and orange coming through. Palate: Brown sugar, butter, and vanilla here with lots of oak. Tons of flavour. Lots of tannins and some nice tingling on the roof of the mouth give an extra dimension to the tasting experience. Finish: Medium. Dry tanniny mouthfeel lingers with a burn on the sides of the tongue reminiscent of chili and black pepper.

Beautiful amber colour. Nose: Brown sugar, vanilla, cream, creme brulee, with subtle cinnamon and nutmeg Palate: Fantastically cool and smooth to start with a very creamy mouthfeel. Rich maple syrup and chocolate chip cookie flavours. Nice oaky tannins evolve next. Definitely lots going on here! Finish: Long. Wood smoke, lots of dried fruits here. More notes of brown sugar linger for a long time. This is a fantastic whisky and I can't emphasize enough how pleased I am that Michter's went against the "grain" and created this non-bourbon, non-rye, whisky. Absolutely fantastic and one of my all time favourites.

Nose: Rich and sweet with lots of maple and caramel. I also get some black cherry here. Palate: Initially sweet with notes of vanilla and butterscotch. This is followed by notes of prunes, figs, cinnamon, and rye spice. Lots of flavour here. Finish: Medium length with nice woody, earthy quality. Some grape/wine notes coming through here. Tingle on front of tongue fades away to a lingering tingle on the sides of the tongue.

Nose: Pretty typical Canadian whisky - maple, vanilla, caramel, some nutmeg and baking spice. Some additional subtle bourbony richness, presumably from the corn whisky. Very pleasant. Palate: Nice creamy mouthfeel. More maple initially with some caramel sweetness. Nice tingle on the sides of the tongue and the back of the palate, presumably from the port, and some nice rye spice comes through. Very smooth, lots of flavour. Finish: Quite long. Vanilla followed by bitter orange peel especially perceptible on the roof of the mouth. This is a great well-balanced whisky!

Nose: Honey, floral notes, a hint of cinnamon. Apple cider definitely coming to mind! Palate: Quite smooth initially. Notes of peaches, cereals, cinnamon. Some sherry cask coming through. Starting to get a touch of peat here. A little more burn than I had hoped. Finish: Short to medium. Mild to moderate burn and tannins. Dried fruits. Very slight hint of peat smoke. Overall a very good whisky, but there are definitely much better values out there in the Japanese whisky category and any whisky category for that matter given this price point.