Tastes

Deep burnt orange, consistent with an older (10-year) bourbon. Vanilla wafers, toast with orange marmalade, cocoa powder, and a cool eucalyptus note. Good length, with rye-driven spicyness and a lingering woodsy vanilla and stave char, followed by an oreo cookie note. Tasted in a Glencairn glass.

Deep amber color. Chocolate layer cake, dates, some sweet pipe tobacco. Vanilla apparent on the palate. Not as "fleshy" as the Heaven Hill 7-year Bottled in Bond that preceded it; palate is more focused, like a tightly-wound cab--only this isn't going to unwind with age. A very slight bitterness at the end, but more like a dark espresso or dark chocolate rather than being offputting per se. Tasted in a Glencairn glass. I've never been a huge fan of this bourbon. I traded for a few bottles with Hibiki 12 a few years ago. It's good to have in your collection because of its rarity, but there are plenty of bourbons I'd like to drink more.

Fantastic bourbon. Clear orange mahoghany. Chocolate-covered cherries, oranges, cinnamon stick, vanilla, pine rosin, Chinese five-spice. No heat on the nose. Good length; pleasant, gentle burn on the back end. Delicious: great combination of flavor and proof. Not available in CT; would buy a case on sight if it were. Sadly, just finished my first of two bottles. Tasted in Glencairn glass.

Had to throw this into the mix after tasting a Springbank 15. Springbank owns three brands: Hazelburn (unpeated), Springbank (lightly peated), and Longrow (more heavily peated). Nose of strawberry jam. And Toaster Strudel--in a good way. Also honey and a whiff of smoke, even though there's no peat. Demerara sugar. Mango. All of this accelerated on the palate. Some pepper on the long finish, along with the characteristic Springbank peanut brittle. 49.3% ABV, but exceptionally smooth. Incredible whisky.

Wonderful whisky; one of my favorites. Classic amber color. Iconic Springbank peanut-brittle nose, along with orange oil, hay, and touches of quince and a subtle, smoky bacon undernote. Airy and light on its feet in the mouth, with the sudden appearance of fresh-pressed sugar cane. Noticeable white pepper along with chicken pot-pie crust and gentle peat on the long finish. 46% ABV is well balanced with the flavor profile.

Dark mahoghany (no coloring, per the distillery). A favorite not just because of the very small artisanal production but also because of its uniqueness. Lots of sherry influence: rich, sweet nose of raisins, strawberry jam, molasses, and a layer of walnuts and hazelnut. Slightly creamy mouthfeel with fruitcake and a pleasant spiceness. Good length: creme brulee and vanilla linger on the back end. Simultaneously complex and I'd think user-friendly. Easy to quaff at 43% ABV.

Clear orange mahogany. Noticeable sherry-influenced nose: dates, clove, honey, cinnamon, spice cake. Mixes with some vanilla and a bit of paraffin on the palate. Robust, but not overpowering: you know you’re not drinking a generic 86-proof dram (this is 105.8). I’ve got this and the 2018; need to look into acquiring more recent releases.