Tastes
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Hibiki Harmony Japanese Harmony Master's Select
Blended — Japan
Reviewed December 19, 2017 (edited October 15, 2018)Day 19. Last day of work before christmas and general shit day, so I really needed a good whisky this evening. And I got one. The Master Select seems to be the replacement for the 12 year old (with the normal Harmony being a tier below). Haven't had a chance to try the 12 yet, but what I hear about it is plums. Well, this one got you covered if you like them plums. On the nose, you get a lot of them, together with dried pineapple, all coated in chocolate and with some vanilla in the mix. This continues on the palate. Chocolate, plums, barley, vanilla and some spices to give it some bite are combined into a nice, friendly whisky that just wants it's Senpai to notice it. Well Master's select...you've been noticed. And that looong finish of chocolate covered plums will make sure that you leave a lasting impression. Just what I needed today. And now, off to bed. Have a good night fellas. Cheers. -
Day 18, the last gin in the batch. I think. Another classic that can be found almost everywhere. On the nose you get juniper mixed with roses, some cloves and that faint smell of lukewarm chamomile tea. The taste is strange, a lot of alcohol burn that really surprised me, some orange, juniper, cinnamon. I really don't get any cucumber to be honest. Aftertaste is somewhat decent, with bitter herbal notes. Not bad, might work better in a gin tonic. Or a martini. Neat, not my style, but also not horrible.
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Day 17, back into Borubon territory (can't belive it's christmas next week). Not a fan of this. On the nose a lot of oak, some light caramel and salt. That's pretty much how it tastes, along with some vanilla. Not quite sure what's supposed to be sweet here, but this is anything but. One dimensional, bitter, thin. No real aftertaste. The Four Roses is far superior in my opinion.
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Elephant Sloe Gin
Sloe Gin & Variants — Germany
Reviewed December 16, 2017 (edited December 18, 2017)Day 16, today we go red again. This sloe gin is quite different from the Hayman's, starting with how it looks. While the former was clear and dark red, this is muddy and almost brownish. The smell is perfect for this time of the year, with cinnamon, cloves, plums, cherry, and christmas cookies. I swear this stuff smells and tastes like fresh baked cookies. You also get sloes, plum jam, cinnamon and a sort of winter fruit punch in the taste, all while being not too sweet. The aftertaste is quite short and mainly sloes. In contrast to the first one I tried, I would sip this stuff neat. It's perfect for a cold winter evening, maybe some cookies to go with it. Lovely. -
Day 15. We continue with blue, but instead of a blue label, we get blue corn today. My first corn Whiskey if I remember correctly. On the nose you get hit with a lot of sugar, some corn, marzipan, bit of vanilla and subtle hints of banana. Really aggressivly sweet smell. The taste is not quite as sweet, but still on the high end of sweetness. We get a lot of vanilla, the raw sugar of the nose transformed into a brown, roasted sugar with a bit of banana and cinnamon. The short aftertaste is just sweet vanilla. This is a tasty whiskey for sure, more of a dessert than anything else, but it's a bit one dimensional. Sweet, sweet, and banana. Nice if you're in the mood for sticky sweetness, otherwise grab something else.
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Day 14. Today we got the big, expensive one. To be honest, I was kinda hoping that this was nr 24, but now I'm curious what's under there so yeah, I'm allright with this. Blue Label is a Legend. For better or for worse. But I learned that a big name doesn't always equal a big taste. I dialed my expectations down a notch for this, and was pleasently surprised. On the nose, there is barley, bit of smoke and peat, some peach notes and honey. Nothing too aggressive, all smooth and nice. The taste is sweet honey with pepper, malty goodness, dash of vanilla, some dark fruits, cooked dark fruits, together with some spicyness and heat. Just enough to be there. This all leads into a long, spicy and sweet aftertaste.An interesting blend, not very challenging, but tastes nice. Falls into the "sit down, read and sip" category for me. Would I pay 180 bucks for a bottle? No. But I've seen it around 100 (and sometimes below that), and for that price I might get a bottle. Johnny Walker has a bit of a bad reputation, but so far, I liked what I tried from them.
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Day 13. Another Gin. This time, the honored and easily available Bombay Sapphire. I always imagined this to be the Jack Daniels of Gin...the cheap mixer that is barely sippable. I feel the same about this one. On the nose I get some bitter lemon, bit of juniper and some herbal notes. Taste is bitter, lemony, bit spica water. Thin, doesn't have much taste at all. The aftertaste is short and herbal. Not disgusting to drink but not something I'd choose either. Would probably work a lot better in cocktails.
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Ron Zacapa 23 Sistema Solera Rum
Aged Rum — Guatemala
Reviewed December 12, 2017 (edited January 2, 2020)Day 12. Today we got one of the heavy hitters. The name Zacapa is legendary amongst rum lovers, and for a good reason it seems. On the nose you get brown sugar, together with vanilla, cinnamon, a dash of pepper and that sweet pipe tobacco smell. The taste begins similar with roasted brown sugar, vanilla, some coconut, a lot of chocolate notes ranging from milk to dark chocolate, and some spices that give it a bit of oomph. The aftertaste stays for quite a while, leaving the taste of tobacco, some pineapples and chocolate on your tongue and your thoughts. An excellent rum for people that like it a bit sweeter. -
Day 11. My first real Gin (that Sloe stuff doesn't count). On the nose, it is very, very surprising. Flowers, bath oils, citrus, clove and a bit of pepper. Very intense smell. The taste is interesting, reminds me of bitter lemon soda. Some cloves, light honey note, bit peppery. Orangepeel. Oregano? Some herbes, not sure what. The aftertaste stays for a while, herbal, floral. Interesting stuff, and actually rather tasty. Damn, and I thought I could get away with whisky and rum only...
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Garrison Brothers Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey (2015 Release)
Bourbon — Texas, USA
Reviewed December 11, 2017 (edited August 11, 2018)Day 10. Sorry I'm late, had guests...again. At least they brought Rum. Good Rum. Today we got a Texas Whiskey. And unfortunatly, another disappointing bourbon. On the nose, there is banana. A lot óf it. Some Corn, oak, and caramelizing sugar. Not quite caramel, not quite sugar, somewhere in between. Taste is very bitter, oak spices, brown sugar. Not very smooth, this one fights you going down. After a while there are some dark chocolate notés. Short, sugary aftertaste. Not to my liking, but even whisky you don't like is worth trying just for the sake of expieriencing variety. There are better bourbons out there, at least in my opinion.
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