Tastes

Day 3 after a very, very long monday at the office. I really need to get a bottle for my new office room...finally got my own, so now I'm blasting Pantera and Black Label Society instad of pop shit on the radio....so it would only be fitting to get a desk bottle for...longer days. Would still be the room with the least amount of alcohol in this building...a retired coworker started distilling himself. His gin is quite good. Anyway, back to the sample at hand. So far, Highland Park never disappointed, but the only real broadside hit I got from them was the HP18. That one is still in my top 3. This sherry bomb though...I'm not sure where HP was going with this. The nose hits you with the typical salt and brine, but not as intense as I'm used to. There is also some honey and the sherry gives it the typical dark fruits that I like. Taste is interesting. The Sherry clearly dons the dominatrix suit in this partnership, and the peaty parts at times feel like they have been locked in a cage by it. What first hits you is fruity sweetness, then slowly a certain amount of salt makes itself known, and the bitter peatyness just stops by for a quick slap at the end. And that's my main problem with this...short and underwhelming as it may be, the peat note generates a kind of bitterness that does not at all harmonize with the fruityness of the sherry. If done right, those 2 opposites form a delicate balance where both compliment each other, here it feels like a power struggle about who gets to use the whip and who has to wear the collar....and they haven't figured it out yet. This results in a weird, bitter, fruity and salty aftertaste that just does not work. On their own, each note is very pleasent, togehter...kinda like a 1911 in 9mm. 1911s are great, and 9mm is good, but togheter it's a bit of a mish mash. So yeah, that sums up my thoughts on this. Sorry for the weird analogies today...didn't get much sleep tonight and the wet cold weather hurts my joints...that makes me a bit weird sometimes. So yeah, 3.75 stars might be a bit high for it, but I justify it with the fact that while it is a chaotic mess, there is no unpleasent note in it that drags it down. I'd drink the occasional glas of this, but I would hesitate to pay 70 bucks for bottle.

And so it begins, the anual tradition of a customized advent calendar. Made sure everything I put into it was available on Distiller, but have no idea anymore what I put into it. This is gonna be interesting. Day 1 we start strong, the Balvenie Port has been on my list for a very long time. Port finish is probably one of my favorites. The nose starts with sweet raisins, milk chocolate and some baking spices. Perfect for the season to be honest. This continues on the taste with the same chocolate note dominating, while the raisins turn into all sorts of dark fruits and the spices get a bit blunted by a very distinct honey note. They still add that bit of oompf to the mix that prevents this from becoming a overly sweet mess. The finish is sweet spices and chocolate, plus a bit of warmth. This one would fit very nicely in front of a fireplace while watching the snow fall. It isn't quite a five star, and I really doubt any non peated whisky will ever reach a full five with the new quarter points available, but it is very close and a great start into my least favorite season of the year. Just not a christmas person, but I could get used to the idea of "a sample a day". This is one of the higher priced whiskys that I would actually buy. 175 is a fair and appropriate price for it. If you like sweeter whisky that is,

105th tasting note, Glenfarclas 105. Just as planned. Got this as a little extra with my last Master of Malt Sample order. Heard many good things about it, and for a reason. Value for money is incredible with this juice. The nose starts with sweet baking spices, faint plums, some honey and the smell of rum dipped raisins coated in chocolate. You know those cheap snacks you can get. Promising start. The taste is interesting. For a 120 proof whisky, it is surprisingly gentle. There is some warmth, but it never burns. It has almost a creamy mouthfeel to it. There is a bit of chocolate, some buttered popcorn, a pinch of saltiness and a slight note of barrel char that is integrated in the entire taste profile. The salt was the surprising part. It is a very good taste, I just wish it was a bit more...not sure if complex is the right word. I had a bit of a hard time picking out the notes, but the overall result was pleasing. That's also what kept it at 4 stars instead of 5. The aftertaste is a bit herbal with chocolate notes. Doesn't stay all that long, but also not as short as some others. Also, the price is great on these. 32 bucks for a liter bottle. Can't argue with that. All in all, very good stuff. And I think this might replace something like the lower end Balvenies and Monkey Shoulder in my collection once those bottles are empty.

You guys were right, this is better than the Ocean Aged. Took me a couple of days to get too it (the workload at the office is insane atm....work/sleep repeat, not time for whisky^^) but now I finally can enjoy this outstanding bourbon. The nose begins very classic. Corn, vanilla, cherries. The fruits need a bit to get going, but soon notes of strawberries start to become more and more present. Also, dried figs. You know that sugary exterior of those? That's in the smell. Plus some spices. Spices are what hits you first when you take a sip. My guess is barrel spice, can't have that much rye in here. Vanilla, cherries and corn are the main notes, but there is also a subtle amount of dried sweet berries in there, plus some fresh grapes. Red ones. The aftertaste is spicy with sweet fruits mixed into it. This elevates the Groth above your typical Bourbon in my opinion. Cherries are not that uncommon, but this one takes this particular note and cranks it up to 11. Hard to get and not that affordable, but worth it. Might need to hunt down a bottle of this. Also, next taste will be 105....and there can only be one candidate for that number.

Jefferson's Ocean...not quite sure if it's Voyage 3, no info on that on the 3cl sample. This is actually a really damn good, classic Bourbon. On the nose there is vanilla, oak spices, fruity cinnamon apples and a bit of light caramel. Never too sweet, the fruityness and sweetness is always tempered by the barrel spice. Taste continues along those lines. Vanilla, cinnamon, oak spice, a light note of honey and some kind of nutty flavor. Not sure if it's peanuts, but there is a nut in there. The vanilla and oak stay a while, leaving you actually quite satisfied. It's not a cheap whiskey at over 100 bucks a bottle, but it might be worth it. Hell, it might even be a rival for the E.H. Taylor. Off to a good start Jefferson. Now I'm kinda curious how the Groth Cask compares....but that's for later. Cheers.

Auchentoshan Three Wood. My first Lowland I believe. (actually no, I think I tried the Blood Oak....) Still have that 21 year old Auchentoshan bottling from Clydesdale I got for my birthday....I have to say, after this I'm even more exited for that. The nose is a very interesting combination of sherry bomb highland with spices and less sweetness. Fruity, malty notes are dominant, along with some dried plums and a dash of pepper. To be honest, if this had a bit of peat, I think we would have a top shelf candidate on our hands. The taste is surprising. It offers even less raw sweetness than the nose promises, and that's not nessecarily a bad thing. There is the typical vanilla and malt, together with some honey sweetness. That has a tiny bit of bitterness in it, just to balance everything. I also get reminded of blueberries, plums are blueberries are always a winning combination. The taste is almost a bit chewy, like the dried plums. There is also a really strong coffee note that I have no idea where it comes from, but it gives this malt just the right spice to not degrade into a full on dessert drink. Plums and coffee are what clings onto your tongue the longest. Very interesting dram, and not that expensive to boot. Auchentoshan is doing things right in my opinion.

Today is a very, very special day. And I decided that it was finally time to give this Whisky a try. Not only did I get one of my holy grail guns yesterday (after a 600 mile drive..12 hours on the road, fun),not only did I have a nice day with some friends on the range and was not confined in my basement the whole day, not only did I crack the first milestone of my weight loss journey today by crashing through the 100lbs barrier (currently 103lbs down, almost 4 months in to the day), no this is also my 100th tasting note (kinda was waiting for the 100lbs thingy with this one...made sense). I had the Highland Park 18 on my list since the beginning of my whisky journey. This is the number one whisky that pops up on Distiller, and the hype was real. I'm very, very happy to say that the hype was justified. This might as well be my new favorite Whisky. And at about 120 bucks it's not even that out of reach like some others *cough* looking at you japan *cough*. On the nose there are traces of seaweed, a layer of smoke, some sweet honey, the fresh acidity of green apples and a healthy dose of salty coastal air. The taste...is just not from this world. Honey sweetness followed by a delicious light peat note, salt and pepper, grilled, honey glazed ribs with a side of bacon, some dark warm fruits to add some complexity, and a somewhat spicy, jalapeno rubbed steak. Medium rare, as god wills it...everything else is heresy, heresy I say! I had each of those components in other whiskies, but never together. It works, it's complex, and it is amazing. The sweet, smoky aftertaste just lingers, and warms you right up. This is an exceptional whisky, and worth every penny. And now if you'll excuse me, I think I need to marry that glass...