Tastes

Nose: Classic, classic, classic Whistle Pig - apples, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg. Oak, vanilla, tannin. - some barrel bitter. Slightest sharpie quality. Palate: Under-ripe apples, hot cinnamon, oak, tannin and barrel bitter. Vanilla. Honey. Toasted cereal grain. Mint. Earthy, like black olives. Metallic, cardboard. Dry. Beautifully long finish.

Nose: Oak, char, toffee, vanilla, buttermilk biscuits fresh out the oven. Proof is definitely evident. Deep, dark, rich caramel. Lemon oil, mint. Palate: Classic Booker's. Oak and vanilla take center stage. As they fade, honey and char show up. Tannin and barrel bitter. Eucalyptus, cherry. Buttermilk biscuits dusted with a little extra raw flour come back through the palate. Long, oily, prickly finish. Dusty bookstore.

Nose: Sugary oak. Vanilla. Wintergreen. Cereal grain. Black tea. Palate: Sweet vanilla. Char. Mango. Slight barrel bitter. Wintergreen. Other notes: I'd offer more notes, but I'm spent from last night's revelry. That being said, this is an excellent sip. Though Uigeadail is still my favorite Ardbeg, this is another excellent expression.

Appearance: I don't normally rate how a whiskey looks because it has very little to do with the taste, but this stuff is gorgeous in the glass. A beautiful deep, dark, golden brown. It looks rich and inviting. Nose: Honey, cereal grains, rye spice, fruit, brown sugar, molasses. Balanced - there's some density and complexity here but all the bourbons involved are getting in on the action. Oak and char. Banana. Clove, mace, cinnamon. Slight dill. The proof is definitely evident on the nose. Palate: Honey, banana, clove, hot cinnamon, mace. Oak and char through and through. Definitely at the upper end of the oak spectrum, but very enjoyably so. Tropical fruits. Pepper. almost cumin style richness. Oily, long finish. Luxardo cherries. Other notes: This is one of the most interesting bourbons I've had in a long time. The diverse flavor profile along with the complex richness make this really special. Every bourbon here is well represented, and the older age statements are really taking this somewhere wonderful. Absolutely thrilled I chose this and I can't wait to share it with friends at a wedding tomorrow.

Nose: Honeyed cereal grain, roasted nuts, peat, thin wisps of smoke. Gros Michele banana. Iodine, brine. Slight peppermint. Alcohol is present. Bacon. Palate: Cereal grains - almost like oatmeal with brown sugar. Peat, smoke. Banana. Peanut butter, banana, and honey sandwich. Mint. Barrel. Alcohol effervescence. Oily, coating on the tongue. Solid finish. The proof shows up and helps showcase everything else going on.

Nose: Ash, peat, brine, iodine. Vanilla and oak, toffee. Menthol, eucalyptus, lemon oil. Coffee. Tart green apple. Palate: Brine, ash, some peat. Oak, vanilla, and brown sugar. Oily and coating. Mint, peppermint, menthol. Citrus oil. Banana bread with walnuts and icing. Other notes: The increased oak influence brings in some characteristics you might find more often in Bourbon - almost like an Islay meets Kentucky kind of thing. My palate is a little shot for this tasting, hence the brief notes. That being said, I have an appreciation for this one, even if it's a little odd. I think it's a great way to showcase what oak brings to the party. As per usual, I'm trying my best to rate this objectively, rather than subjectively.

Nose: Caramelized brown sugar and vanilla, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove. Dark fruits. Sweet red apples with orange. Slight cream cheese cake frosting thing going on. Barley in the back - slightly toasty cereal grain character. Toasted sesame seeds. Palate: Smooth, undoubtedly 80 proof. Grain is much more up front - the barley is doing a dance. Honey, oak, tannin. Stone fruits. Luxardo cherries. Roasted peanuts/almonds. The slightest cave mustiness. Distant vegetal note. Other notes: This was the first bottle I bought without knowing anything other than what the label says. The nose offers up plenty to explore, and though the palate is relatively muted, the total experience is well worth the price of admission. My only real criticisms here are that the palate does not deliver what the nose suggests, and there's a lot of bass and midrange without much treble. As always, my rating is an attempt at being as objective as possible without my subjective biases swaying things too much in one way or another.

Nose: Sweet and delicate barley. Slight pot still mustiness without getting funky. Ripe bananas. Fresh baked bread. Brown sugar sweetness, vanilla, and oak. Almost creamy feel - like a good crème brûlée. Palate: Smooth smooth smooth. Definitely 80 proof. Barley, apples with caramelized brown sugar. Baking spices and coffee beans. Creamy, almost lactic thing on the finish - almost like coffee and cream. Green apples and bananas again. Almonds. Still delicate. Other notes: Not a ton of "heft" here - this is very pretty and understated. If Red Breast was that rich kid you hung out with in high school, their younger sibling would be Jameson and this would be their older sibling that traveled Europe, become super classy, but was still cool to hang out with. Though not my style, this is a fantastic example of the style - as per usual, this rating is me trying to be as objective as possible, and leaving my own personal biases aside. An excellent sip.

Nose: Brown sugar, vanilla, oak, char. Buttermilk biscuits. Cheap dessert marischino cherries, peanuts. Cinnamon, clove, cumin. Slight eucalyptus and citrus oil hit in the very back. Palate: Brown sugar, vanilla, oak, char all show up. Warm buttermilk biscuits with butter. Roasted peanuts. Baking spices - cinnamon, clove, nutmeg. Prickly alcohol. Citrus oil shows up if you let it roll on your tongue for a while. Hot, but in a really appealing way.

Nose: Waxy peanuts. Dusty corn. Vanilla, burned caramel. European-style cultured butter. Flight floral hit. Solid hit of char. Palate: Dusty corn with waxy peanuts. Burned caramel and barrel char. Hint of vanilla. Tartness. Presents at a higher proof than it is. Tongue-numbing prickly quality. Other notes: I really wanted to like this stuff. Everything I read and heard suggested that I'd love this one and as I slowly worth through this bottle, I just... don't. I can see why some people love it, but it just comes up short for me. This rating (like most of my others) is based more on an objective assessment and less on my personal preferences.