Tastes

A sherry-coated Uigeadail, fruitier on the nose than my Ardbeg standard bearer and syrupier on the finish. The sweet peat rolls out the glass, a thick mist off a swampy bog. A sip fills the mouth like a boozy Black Forest gateau, big and bombastic, and coats the throat with a treacly trail that is ultimately too sweet for my palate. Glad I gave into the temptation to open this old acquisition, but not sure I'll be picking it over the Oogy too often.

This beautiful golden pour is a masterpiece In a glass. The nose is delightful -- the soft perfumes of a summer night wafting over the signature Laphroaig smoke. The viscous liquid rolls onto the tongue with a sweet vanilla crescendo that finishes with honey notes, dry on the tongue and syrupy on the throat. Simply delicious.

Does what it says on the tin -- it's a soft Speyside Scotch with a peaty finish. Pretty good value if it's $50-60. Sampled June 15, 2016 at Whisky Jewbilee.

Very long finish of toffee and caramel. Sample June 15, 2016 at Whisky Jewbilee.

Sampled June 15, 2016 at Whisky Jewbilee

Sampled June 16, 2016 at Whisky Jewbilee

Sampled June 16, 2016 at Whisky Jewbilee

"Do you have any Circus," I asked jokingly at Whisky Jewbilee tonight. Lo and behold, the bottle hidden in the Orangie box was nothing less than the latest Compass Box unicorn. And what a treat. A beautiful long, dark sherry finish, with a slightly spicy edge. It was lingering even as I tucked into the smoked salmon five minutes later, almost reluctantly. An awesome inspiring trapeze act. Sampled June 15, 2016.

Wow, just scored a bottle of this at retail today, by invitation of one of my favored stores.

All the High West blends play like a finely-tuned orchestra, and this one is no different. The bourbon and rye flavors are distinct on the nose and the tongue, yet neither one overpowers the other. There's creamy corn on the front foot, followed by a crescendo of spicy rye. If you like both its components, it's hard to imagine a better blend of the two. I'm not a bourbon fan, however, so I'll mark this below the High West ryes.