Tastes
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Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine WMDII 14 Year
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed December 28, 2021 (edited December 29, 2021)Nose: Tangy, citrus Palate: Bitter, dry, tangy Finish: Dry, a little short Sadly not a patch on the later version. -
Torabhaig Allt Gleann The Legacy Series 2nd Edition
Single Malt — Island, Scotland
Reviewed December 27, 2021 (edited November 2, 2022)The advent of Torabhaig and Ardnamurchan was among the most exciting developments in whisky this year, announcing that Scotland was just as able to birth promising new distilleries as the rest of the world. I liked the first release from Torabhaig so much I joked that they must have stolen their spirit from neighbor Talisker, but this second release isn’t as strong overall. The nose is sublime: toffee, butterscotch and barley, joined after after a while by grapefruit and lemon before the butterscotch returns. But the palate is thin and woody, with a touch of lemon the only echo of the nose. Disappointing then, but this whisky is still young and I look forward to it realizing more of its potential next year. -
Paul John Christmas Edition 2020
Single Malt — India
Reviewed December 24, 2021 (edited October 16, 2022)You really can’t go wrong with any edition in this series and while this isn’t the best of the bunch it’s the one I have to hand. Ginger and orange on the nose, orange rind and crackling clove spices on the palate - it’s as Christmas as Mariah Carey roasting on an open fire. “Baby it’s Cold Outside” would have been over within a verse if the singer’s response to “My mother will start to worry” had been “Have some Paul John and curry.” Why yes, I will have just another drink. Merry Christmas Distiller gang! -
A surprisingly fruity Octomore, dominated by flavors of peaches and grapes rather than peat. There’s plenty of pepper, to be sure, but it’s a luscious easy-drinking Octomore rather than a head-blaster. Pairs well with: Octomore Ten Years Dialogos. I revisited this thanks to a generous sample from @PBMichiganWolverine and it’s easily worth my previous rating of 4.5, if not higher. Thick, silky flavors that perfectly balance peat and sweet.
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Leather, old books, butterscotch and barbecue sauce make this single cask released for 2021’s virtual Feis Ile an aromatic pleasure. There’s not much in the way of traditional Bruichladdich flavors or any sense of barley in the glass, but tastes of caramel, well-done brownies and some oak spice put it at the interesting end of the sherry cask spectrum. It finishes dry with an umami aftertaste of mushrooms.
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Bowmore Vintner's Trilogy 26 Year French Oak Barrique
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed November 30, 2021 (edited February 6, 2022)Two whisky things that are more likely than not to disappoint me are Bowmore and wine cask maturations. The former has taken its core range in a tooth-rotting direction that I wouldn’t recommend to anyone, while the frequent application of heavy Cabernet-style finishes at many distilleries too often feels like lipstick on a pig. Here though everything is in balance. The wine cask has added mouth-puckering tannins that make for a deliciously dry dram. There’s a pleasing viscocity to the liquid too and the berry notes from the wine are subtle rather than overpowering. A very satisfying pour, courtesy of @pkingmartin. -
Glen Scotia 10 Year Peated
Single Malt — Campbeltown, Scotland
Reviewed November 28, 2021 (edited March 1, 2022)I've been waiting to get hold of a bottle of this ever since I tried a sample two years ago but for some reason it never showed up on the shelves until recently. It's an instant classic: an easy drinking peated whisky that scratches all the right itches. The nose is surprisingly soft but the spirit delivers a crescendo of sweet coastal peat in the mouth that is reminiscent of a young Talisker. It's Skye by way of Campbeltown, a route well worth taking. One of the best new standard releases of the year.60.0 USD per Bottle -
My dear @PBMichiganWolverine - We are normally in agreement when it comes to spirits but I beg to differ on this one. It’s a stinky delight. Blue cheese, wet hay and eau du barnyard are some of my favorite drink aromas and this one delivers in filth-covered spades. The palate is a little dry and short — almost more like a London gin than a mezcal - but I’d happily spend an evening with a glass or two of this.
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Lalocura Pechuga Mezcal
Mezcal Joven — Oaxaca, Mexico
Reviewed July 31, 2021 (edited August 1, 2021)My sample was from a special batch selected for the Madre restaurants in California. It’s an ensemble of tobasiche and espadin distilled in a clay pot. It’s pretty much everything I love in a mezcal: mint, dark chocolate, amaretto, a faint cheesy funkiness. It’s lusciously oily - the ABV of 50% is on the higher end for the mezcals I’ve tried - but so easy to drink I could have polished off 2oz in a matter of minutes. The finish is long on mint and chocolate. The mezcalero is Eduardo "Lalo" Ángeles, who started Lalocura in 2014 after spending years working as the fourth generation master distiller of his family’s brand, under his father Don Lorenzo. I don’t believe I’ve tried his mezcals before but on the strength of this one he ranks with the best. -
Bunnahabhain 2013 Mòine Bordeaux (Fèis Ìle 2021)
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed July 25, 2021Excellent balance of peat, tannins and subtle berry sweetness. Wine casks are very hit or miss but the influence here is restrained and a step up from previous Bunna Bordeaux releases.
Results 31-40 of 642 Reviews