Tastes

This is a good Scotch for bourbon drinkers or anyone looking for a gentle introduction to malt. The nose is vanilla and creamy toffee, with just a dash of peat. In the mouth, its very creamy and slightly spicy. The finish is long, creamy and slightly tart, with a hint of spice. Everything hangs together nicely and there are no off-notes, it’s just a little unadventurous for my taste. It’s as pleasant as a walk on the beach and about as challenging. Thanks for the sample @LeeEvolved!

I didn’t expect much from this Talisker given the lack of age statement and bottom shelf pricing, but it might just be the bargain of the year. Push past the artificial dark coloring and you’ll find a very enjoyable dram that combines sherry, cream and malt flavours into easy-drinking comfort food. The nose is lightly sherried, it’s smooth and slightly sweet in the mouth, and the malty, savoury finish doesn’t stint on length. The balance of sherry and bourbon casks is near perfect. What it does lack is much in the way of peat, but it’s none the worse for that. It’s the kind of whisky I could find myself turning to frequently when I’m the mood for a undemanding dram and I suspect this bottle will go down faster than many a more expensive one. House Greyjoy, I pledge my allegiance to you.

If the WIP 5 bourbon cask is a glassful of spring, this is its fall companion. Stewed fruit and fig spread dominate the nose. The palate is predominantly cask driven, overwhelming the delicate Kilkerran spirit at first, but sweet and sour notes emerge with time. The finish is long, creamy and caramel. It’s good but nowhere as complex as its bourbon sibling or the masterful blend of casks that comprise the core 12 year old bottling.

Ah, Kilkerran. Shall I compare thee to a spring’s day? Your nose art more lovely and less temperate than a field full of buttercups and a breakfast of buttered malty toast. Thou taste of lemons and cream and a sprinkling of black pepper, with a maturity that belies your mere nine years. Your finish is long, fresh and smooth, with nary a wrong note or hint of too much oak. So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, Kilkerran I pledge my troth to thee.

This sample from @LeeEvolved was probably not the ideal way for me to experience an Auchentoshan for the first time given its significant cask influence, but judged on its own merits it hit the mark. Chestnut brown in the glass, it smells predominantly of grape must at first, then opens up slowly to reveal dark chocolate and a surprising hint of mint and grass. Those flavors continue on the palate, against a distinct malty background that gives the distillate its voice. A good chew in the mouth unleashes a blast of oak spice, while the finish is very long and dry. Overall, it’s very smooth and well integrated, and gets predominantly better with every sip. I can’t speak for how well this characterizes the distillery, but for a wine cask finish it does the job nicely. Thanks Lee!

I bought a half bottle of this to give it a second chance after a tasting in a bar left me a little underwhelmed. Turns out my initial impressions were accurate. The nose is a delicious mix of peanut skins, nutmeg and a hint of honey cake, but the palette fails to deliver on that promise. Beyond a delicate caramel finish, I was hard pressed to find much in the way of flavor. It tastes a little muted for my liking, and I found myself wishing for a higher ABV to punch up the volume up. Still, I enjoyed the nose, so perhaps in future I’ll simply inhale from the bottle and call it a dry day.

My last drop of Act 4.4 was as good as the first of 3.1. Simply one of the most magical elixirs you can put in a whisky glass.

RIP Dave Pickerell. Drinking this in your honor.

Pours the color of engine oil. First impressions on the nose are of a dry red wine, with slightly sweet background layers and a delicate perfume note; nothing overpowering or out of place. The palate needs a few drops of water to tame the alcohol and separate the flavors of treacle syrup, tannins and a dash of peppery peat. It’s pleasantly thick and oily. So far, so good, but it’s the aftertaste where it really shines, evoking cherries covered in dark chocolate and extending for many minutes into a dry finish. It’s a satisfying drink to sip slowly on a fall night, though I think the 13-year-old Malbec was a more impressive entry in the Red series.

This is a wonderfully unique whisky with a bready nose that, tasted blind, I first pegged as a Bruichladdich and then as a cask-finished rye. It’s malty and lemony, with a long grassy finish that turns slightly sweet. That finish comes from some time spent in Plantation Rum casks that previously held Barbados and Jamaican spirit. A great introduction to Swedish malt, courtesy of a @PBMichiganWolverine mystery sample.