Tastes
-
A not very heavy golden yellow slips into the glass, bold of its coloring and tending not to let us know what aging is inside (they say to vary from 8 to 25 years). On the nose the thing that immediately catches the attention is the peaty aspect, in its not being as intense as one would expect: the renewed barrels used for aging were burned again before use, just to give the toasted boost to the malt, but on the nose you find instead a light turbidity, almost in the background. Marine and sweet notes excel (alas!), with yellow fruit and butter biscuits. Unusually kind, perhaps the calm before the storm? Not exactly. On the palate alcohol is very present but not excessive, and the buttery aspect of the whisky remains decisively. The turbidity is there but far from being imposing, almost timid, the sweeter and pimp aspects prevail: still fruit, with a citrus note, pepper (Talisker, here it is!), again biscuits, malt (not so old) and seafaring, which acts as a glue to everything. I also perceive a little wood, non-invasive. In the finish, pepper and the marine aspect prevail, peat always just barely present, as if it were more a suggestion than a real perception, all for a not very long time.
-
Benromach Organic
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed December 22, 2019 (edited October 23, 2020)Please note, this review referis to the very first edition of the bottling, the 2006. The color is dark amber, very strong, amazing considering is without artigicial colouring. The scent is very sweet, almost cloying (at times reminiscent of a Bourbon), even to let it breathe does not give a step: vanilla in profusion, caramel, a pinch of citrus. Wood is also very present (a bit like smelling the beads of a newly renovated mountain hut): the aging is unknown (it is said between 5 and 6 years) but the youthfulness of both whisky and wood is well present . In the long run, there is also some banana. The scent of wood remains strong on the palate, like drinking an extract of shavings, softened on the sweet (almost biscuity) and fruity side. Not very incisive and a little boring, without any particular flicker. The finish remains sweet with a hint of bitterness, not very long. -
Color, as always created by adding caramel, is a not very rich gold that distinguishes it from 10 years. Young already on the nose, where the influence of smoked woods is felt a lot and in a disconnected way, traveling on a pungent and invasive alcoholic note. Sweet notes of vanilla and cinnamon, lots of pepper (it's still a Talisker, anyay!) and a pinch of salinity. A not very organic mix, where in the long run only the sense of roasting and pepper remains. Poured on the palate, still alcohol and burnt woods, prevalent spiciness and some notes of sweetness but less evident than on the nose. Marine character a little subdued, overwhelmed by the most determined hints that tend to cover everything. On the finish remain toasting and spices, somewhat fleeting.
-
The thing that immediately catches the eye by reading the characteristics of this Turas Mara (long journey in Gaelic) is the amount of aging casks used to produce it, as many as four! It is not known in what proportion and for how long, but certainly Porto and Sherry are strong on the nose, with a preponderance of the latter. Caramel, therefore, a cherry molasses tart in rivers: a very sweet, almost cloying perfume, rather monotonous. A strong note of bitter orange immediately arrives on the palate, together with a certain astringency (Bordeaux?). Malt, which betrays its young age, dried fruit, nuts, a touch of caramel. The hyper-sweetness of the nose is clearly diluted in the taste, in a curious contrast that leaves a little dumbfounded. The bitter scent is dominant, to one's taste evaluate whether it is a positive aspect or not. There is also a light salty note. The finish remains bitter, accompanied by astringency and dried fruit.
-
GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 7
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed February 11, 2019 (edited April 2, 2022)This is the seventh edition of the bottling, reading the reviews of the previous ones it would seem that the quality has slightly decreased from batch to batch. Not being able to make comparisons, I take note of it, hoping to have the opportunity to try the others too. An elegant dark amber (or, if you prefer, deep gold) illuminates the glass as soon as the whisky is poured: the appearance is oily and inviting. The nose, needless to say, immediately expresses the profound influence of the ex-Sherry casks (Pedro Ximénez is the master), together with vanilla, caramel, raisins. Warm, enveloping, buttery aromas, with a hint of citrus. The alcohol is there but you don't feel it. On the palate, alcohol pinches a little but the sweetness of ripe fruit immediately comes to compensate for it, with citrus still next to figs, peaches, a very summery aroma: it gives the idea of the scents that are felt in the air being close to fruit trees in July. A pinch of spices (nutmeg), cream cake, butter biscuits. Softer than on the nose, enveloping, sumptuous, sweet without being cloying, thanks also to the balance given by the gradation that avoids the overflow of the sherried. In the finish, there are raisins, vanilla, together with a light woody note and a general feeling of warmth. -
Kilchoman Sanaig (2016 Edition)
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed January 11, 2019 (edited January 4, 2020)Of an inviting golden color (100% natural), the sherried influence on the nose is immediately perceived in the ripe fruit arm in arm with vanilla, with a very subtle and elegant peated layer. To let it breathe (do not be greedy and wait a little, come on!), there is also a pinch of medicine, and the peaty side seems more herbaceous than scorched. Overall full and pleasant aroma, without any invasiveness from the alcohol. In fact, now that it can finally be drunk, the alcohol is still dome, and instead comes a discreet component of orange to add to the same fruity and herbaceous scents of the sense of smell, with smoking more present than on the nose. Still the medicinal note, but more saline, with the delicious island oceanic component. The sweetness of the sherry does not elbow and is forced to coexist with the other aromas, so much so that at times you can even perceive a bitterish tip. Not exactly very balanced, perhaps too young to be more compact and coherent, but drinking on the whole is pleasant, and leaves in the final peat and salinity to accompany the memory for a fairly long time. -
Bunnahabhain 12 Year
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed November 10, 2018 (edited January 1, 2020)Natural coloring and no chill-filtering, it starts well, and in the glass the gold stands out in an attractive way. Approaching the nose, the influence of Sherry is immediately present: raisins, candied fruit and caramel fill the nostrils, reached shortly after by the ocean that accompanies them gracefully. A very soft, caressing, sweet smell. Some also perceive peaty notes which, however, have not come to me. Sipping, the alcohol content just above average pushes the flavors into the mouth, making them less velvety than the nose, but always remaining on a sweet profile. The presence of the ocean becomes more pronounced, softening the sweetness that turns towards salted butter, and here I perceive the peat, but in its more vegetable, non-smoky, herbaceous aspect. Still candied fruit, caramel, but without skidding in the strongest sherried: the refinement is there but it is well integrated with the Bourbon. Maybe for some it will still be too sweet, but I find it an apt, full-bodied and mature balance. In the finish, the sweet / salty and herbaceous appearance remains, not too long lasting. -
Ardbeg Corryvreckan
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed November 10, 2018 (edited December 6, 2020)A beautiful gold in the glass, no dyes and cold filtering, therefore all natures. Peat is, of course, the first aroma to hit the nose, with the usual, mild brutality of Ardbeg, although more towards burning than asphalt. Also strong are the marine components (salt, iodine) together with leather, wood and a pinch of pepper. Aggressive nose, also driven by the remarkable alcohol content, full-bodied and compact. With a lot of patience, you can also perceive a note of black cherry, but do not tell him that otherwise you will affect his macho air. But that air that betrays itself on the palate, where okay, there are the beautiful toasted peat, the fleshiness of the bacon, the swirling splash (d'oh) of the sea and the strong peppering, but the sweet side comes forward and says Ho!: cinnamon, brown sugar, orange, licorice. The flavors chase each other, crumple and slam on the walls of the mouth: never was a name more apt! Each sip is slightly different from the previous one (it is advisable to drink a little water every now and then to reset the taste), the alcohol supports every thrust without ever dropping, in an incredible balance given the tone of each element. It is not a broken fight, but a whirlwind of flavors that drags and swallows. The finish is long, very long, with pepper, burning embers, cinnamon, salt ... and you just want to start again. -
Kilkerran 8 Year Cask Strength (56.2% ABV)
Single Malt — Campbeltown , Scotland
Reviewed September 23, 2018 (edited April 13, 2020)It starts very well from the color, a beautiful bright golden yellow, a real pleasure to be admired in the glass, better under a natural light. And despite its important alcohol content, alcohol does not sting on the nose, while a dance of earthy, herbaceous aromas, grafted onto a soft and sweet, almost buttery peat. It is truly amazing that the almost 56 degrees don't bite, especially thinking of other lighter whiskys in which alcohol is instead felt right away. On the palate the turbidity is accentuated, the grass gets wet with sea water always remaining on the sides of vanilla sweetness, with a touch of dried fruit and apple. Furthermore, alcohol that enhances and does not cover, accompanying the aromas with an elegance that, given its young age, can only amaze. Close your eyes and enjoy all the flavors that surround your mouth. At the end, the peat accompanies you for a long time, always with its marine note and a hint of sweetness. The empty glass to be smelled with pleasure. -
The color in the glass is clear, limpid, of a delicious straw yellow (with the omnipresent, and in this case incomprehensible, caramel coloring). On the nose the gradation is well present, although not high, but after a short ventilation the fruity hints arrive, with vanilla, citrus fruits, dried fruit and a pinch of salinity: not like an Islay whisky, but the position on the coast gives its contribution. Hints of peat and a pinch of waxiness. In the mouth it is compact, elegant, after the initial onslaught of alcohol (which at 46 ° is not exactly a plus), the sweet and salty notes return, a pleasantly velvety and waxy consistency, caramel (not the one used to color it! ) and still the smoke, always light but present. The more you wait to drink it, the more different sensations overlap, a constant and silky evolution, very pleasant. In the end, the marine note tends to prevail, accompanied by fruity and light (very light) peat hints, which accompany the palate for a not particularly long time.46.0 USD per Bottle
Results 101-110 of 126 Reviews