Tastes

The flavors of this sample courtesy of @worldwhiskies95 reminded me of one of the many summer treats missed this year, the occasional lunch-time indulgence at the Belgian waffle stall in the small park near by office. The toasty, creamy, ginger notes bring to mind their waffles and spekuloos ice-cream. A lovely gentle dram for a warm autumnal evening.

Reminds me of a disappointing shag I had once. The woman came highly rated by The Hussy Bible but ultimately she wasn’t as tasty as a decent dram. 97 points.

The core Westward release is packed with flavor at 46%, so you’d expect a cask strength version to dial things up a notch or three. The Astor Wines pick I tried was a bit much out the bottle at 62.5%, but diluted to nearer 50% it tasted as balanced as the regular strength version but with all the right notes amplified nicely.

Adds a delicate finish of raisin sweetness to the flavors of the core release, but I prefer the original.

Starts off like the core release before taking a sharp turn to flavors of coffee grounds and chocolate. Water accentuates the cream and sweetness. Nice, but not a patch on the regular version.

Toasted barley, honey, stone fruits, nuts and cherry make for a delicious combination in this impressively balanced whisky. It’s packed with flavor and unblemished by any of the youthful notes that often mar craft whisky. I’ve long viewed American single malt as underaged and overpriced, but between this and the recent Balcones releases I am happy to consign that opinion to the history books.

Another great Cairdeas. The casks add just the right top notes to the Laphroaig profile without overpowering the spirit. The nose starts with faint berry notes, but they’re smothered by the meaty smoke before they dominate. A luscious oily texture captivates on first sip, before the whisky transitions to an appealing combination of sweet and sour flavors. The finish is mostly smoky with an aftertaste of grapefruit. I like the balance of the flavors and am relieved that it doesn’t approach anything nearing the sweet end of the spectrum. I was going to skip this year’s release given the big cost increase, but an acquaintance found a bottle at a price that made joining a split an easy decision.

This is Port Charlotte 10 turned up to, well, 16. Age has not tempered it. It’s bigger, brasher, peatier and sweeter. The nose is heathery peat and menthol layered over the flesh of white grapes. It’s oily and sweet in the mouth, with a dash of pepper. The finish is long and sweet, and perhaps a little cloying for my taste. I passed on buying a full bottle of this despite drawing a winning lottery ticket as the price gave me pause. I’m glad I did. While it’s a very well executed whisky, the Sauternes casks are a little too dominant for my liking. If you like your peat with a sugar coating, however, you’ll enjoy this sweet 16.

I first tasted Daftmill at The Whisky Show in London in 2018 and was blown away, but such has been the demand for its whisky that I have not been able to get my hands on any until an opportunity to sample this release arose. Like that first Daftmill, this one reminds me of the Kilkerran 12 in terms of its flavor profile and impressiveness, with crisp notes of fresh hay and Meyer lemons. Add a creamy finish and you have the kind of easy drinking whisky that just makes you want to smile. If I could make whisky, I’d want it to taste like this.

Malt, cherry, Camp coffee. Bit of spice on the finish. Syrupy. I’m not familiar with Shiner Bock, but it makes for a very tasty whisky.