Tastes
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2oz pour Sample rating: +5. I compared this side by side with a slightly cheaper Lagavulin 16... and I would give that dram a slight edge at +5.5. Look. This is a fine lightly peated, well-balanced Scotch that I would not be upset at tasting. But it's ~100-110 USD in my parts, and it's on the fringes of purchasability at that price, especially when I can get a better whisky in the Lagavulin 16 for 30 bucks less. This is such a pleasant and refined hickory smoke on the nose. The balance on the palate is amazing with Speyside fruitiness mixed with creamy caramel and an obvious, but not overpowering smoke. It just does not have the rewarding Islay finish for rainy days, and drops off quite quickly after swallowing. Comparing within the same distillery: the Benromach 10 Imperial Proof is cheaper and better. I would buy that instead.24.0 USD per PourLoch Bar
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Laphroaig 25 Year Cask Strength (2013 Edition)
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed May 15, 2019 (edited November 29, 2020)2 oz pour. Sample rating: +7 (for comparison, I gave this score to the similarly priced whistlepig boss hog V) The price of a full bottle is around 450-500 USD. Given the price, 3.5 / 5 stars. This is the cheapest laphroaig that comes in a wooden box. I have the 32 year, but haven’t tried it yet. The 32 looks heavily sherried. This one looks pretty pale and I get no sherry influence. The dominant notes are lemon, flowers, and ash. Oily and waxy. I am reminded of seeing anti-smoking ads when I was a kid comparing kissing a smoker to licking an ashtray and then kissing a smoker, and finding it somewhat more pleasant. Lipstick and cigarettes. Clearly the long finish will be for those who don’t mind dirty Islay drams. There’s no fresh tobacco or cigars here, just citrus and cigarette ash whenever you burp. I actually really liked this dram, but for the money, would rather pick up a green tube laphroaig 18, which is better priced at 250-300 USD on secondary market.73.0 USD per PourThe Elk Room -
1.5 oz pour Sample rating: +6.5 (for comparison, I gave the 2018 WLW +5.5) Unfortunately, this bottle is not available anymore. I don’t know what secondary pricing is, but I can understand why people are bunkering multiples of this bottle. This is perfectly aged, precisely tuned bourbon. Rich nose, powerful palate, and smooth finish. The 12 years gets you the early tobacco profile without the leather-bound books that older bourbons have. Of course there’s also cherries, butterscotch, and loads of spice. This is chess; the NAS Elijah is checkers. This compares favorably to what I remember of Pappy 15, as it’s probably more complex and more flavorful. Seeing the Pappy was $65 a pour, I passed on the opportunity to do a side by side.24.0 USD per PourCharleston
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Octomore 06.1/167 Scottish Barley
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed April 29, 2019 (edited September 12, 2019)Bottle killed on 4/29/2019 Bruichladdich Distillery OB Octomore Edition 06.1 Scottish Barley 5 years old 57% ABV Bottled 2013 Price: 174 USD I finished my SECOND bottle of this gorgeous peat monster, and that is the only Octomore that I can make that claim about. Part of that is because this is fairly available where I am, and prone to being found on sale, and part of that is because this is irresistibly delicious. This whisky is a mammoth in the La Brae tar pit. Oily hydrocarbon-covered tusks right up your ass; so beautifully balanced with fully mature bourbon influence. This will rival a 20 year old single malt in complexity, but you need some water to bring this down to about 46-50% ABV to smooth out the sharp edges. I swear, soot fleetingly precipitates out of solution when water drops hit this 18k golden liquid. Behind the sooty and tarry smoke, there are exquisite notes of vanilla, pineapple, coconut, butter, and sea salt. And, yes, there is caviar. The finish is long and dynamic. Occasionally, I even get pickled vegetables and MSG towards the end. If you have a fondness for peat, this will be a luxurious experience; a quintessential Islay hug. Rating (Price not factored): 94 / 100 Purchase Satisfaction (Price factored): 4.5 / 5174.0 USD per Bottle -
Craigellachie 1998 13 Year Un-Chillfiltered Collection (Signatory)
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed April 25, 2019 (edited November 14, 2022)Bottle killed on 4/25/19 Craigellachie distillery Bottled by Signatory 13 years old 46% ABV Distilled on: March 2, 1998 Bottled on: September 8, 2011 Cask: Hogshead #67 Limited release of 369 bottles Paid: 87 USD I overpaid for this bottle, but I have a soft spot for Craigellachie. The original bottling of entry level Craigellachie is also a 13 year old. It can be found for less than 60 USD, and is much better than this. Having said that, this is an interesting bottle that I don’t regret purchasing. This is an austere, brooding, complex whisky. It is well crafted and full of nuances, but I found it hard to go back to this, like I would find it hard to re-watch a movie like Manchester by the Sea. It took well over a year to finish this bottle, and it was pretty depressing every time. The bright fruits of Craigellachie are still present, but smothered by a sourdough maltiness and the bitterness of oak and lemon skin. The palate is highlighted by a delayed development of Lapsong Suchong tea. This is one of the best examples of this note in a whisky that I’ve experienced thus far. I am Chinese, and I can tell you that most whisky reviewers who conjure “Lapsong Suchong” in a tasting note do not know what the hell they are talking about. Smoked Chinese black tea is an acquired taste. Gourmet tea drinkers who like to steep their single serve packs with hibiscus petals best stay away. This unwelcoming note lingers into the finish, which also features hints of orange peel and star anise. This is like a traditional Chinese whisky: not sweet at all, meaty, herbal bitterness, and slightly smoky. You have to be in the right mood for this whisky. It’s not a pick-me-up; it’s not a drown-your-sorrows; it’s not a celebration. This is a whisky for ascetic meditation. Rating (Price not factored): 84 / 100 Purchase Satisfaction (Price factored): 3 / 587.0 USD per Bottle -
Connemara Turf Mór (Travel Retail Exclusive)
Single Malt — Ireland
Reviewed April 22, 2019 (edited April 23, 2019)Sample provided by @PBMichiganWolverine. Thanks a bunch! Sample rating: Average +0 I.e. same rating as Glenfiddich 12. For 40 USD, this is 2.5 / 5 stars (not horrible; not worth it). It’s Irish, so I get potatoes. A terroir thing, right? There’s fruitiness, but it’s very young. Like Pruno, if you’ve been to prison… or maybe Pseudomonas aeruginosa, if you’ve taken microbiology. Like freshly fermented apple sauce. The peat is medicinal, like a young Laproaig. A very young one. I don’t mind the nose at all. The palate has some citrus, soot, salt. Like a young Caol Ila. A very young one. Did I mention this is a young one? The finish betrays this whiskey’s immaturity. Any deeper or interesting flavors just abruptly fall off, and you are left with cardboard and ethanol. Or, if you really concentrate: potatoes, vodka, and cigarettes. I.e. Breakfast for champions. -
Ardbeg 13 Year Chieftain's (Ian Macleod)
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed April 18, 2019 (edited October 10, 2021)This was a free 1 oz sample from Petite Cellars. The truth is, @Richard-ModernDrinking, I don’t have a conclusion for this whisky. Out of the 7 samples I tried that day, this was the one that made me feel that I was just scratching its surface. This is not the whisky that will win a whisky line up. It’s Ardbeg. It’s not friendly. The premium price, ~$165 for a 13 year old independent bottling, is the first jab to the body. The color is pale; but the soul is black. Charred wood. Coal. Embers. Centralia, Pennsylvania. The nose is a second body shot. The arrival on the palate is a hook to the jaw. There is no hickory; there is no barbeque. I am caught off guard how ashen this is in the mouth. Salt, ash, and hatred. With time, this sweetens up, and I get some barley sugar, caramel apple, and citrus. The finish is actually light and fruity. Is it the complexity of an evolving spirit? Or is it just because the masochistic parts of my senses have been saturated? It’s like meeting someone for the first time in the octagon, and getting your ass kicked, and then having him buy you a drink at the bar afterwards. Mixed feelings, yeah? In the end, I decided to leave this bottle alone, due to the price. This may have gotten a lot better, if I got to know the whisky, but Ardbeg 10 and Ardbeg Uigeadail are cheaper, and safer bets. Sample rating: Average +3 (a very good whisky) Star rating: 2.5 / 5 (not worth the price) -
William Larue Weller Bourbon (Fall 2018)
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed April 15, 2019 (edited August 27, 2019)This was 31 USD for 1.5 oz pour Sample rating: Average +5.5 If you factor in the MRSP price of $99, this would be 4.5 / 5 stars. If you factor in the secondary market price of $800, this would be 1.5 / 5 stars. I’m going to average this out to 3 stars. William Larue Weller is a spicy red succubus on the nose, a confectionary supernova on the palate, and molten oak slag on the finish. My favorite WLW was 2013. 2016 was almost as good, and this expression has gotten worse each year after 2016. This is still a decent pour to try for $30, as it gives you mounds of brown sugar, waterfalls of maple syrup, fistfuls of nutmeg, sprinkles of paprika, and all the cinnamon in the world. The amplitude is 11. This is Pappy Van Tingle from the roof of the mouth to the bottom of the balls. Fuck a hug; this is a Kentucky chokehold. And I just had to tap out towards the finish, where it becomes hot, bitter, woody punishment. Even with water. After I finished, a mint saved my life. Good Lord, nobody will accuse this 2018 WLW of being subtle.31.0 USD per Pour -
WhistlePig The Boss Hog V: The Spirit of Mauve
Rye — (bottled in Vermont), Canada
Reviewed April 14, 2019 (edited January 25, 2020)This was 48 USD for 1.5 oz pour. Sample rating: average +7 = 3.5 / 5 with the price factored in. My new scoring system goes from minus infinite to plus infinite, and 0 is the Glenfiddich 12. There's is thus no pressure in overrating something too close to some maximum possible score. +7, I've decided, is a great score. I may purchase a bottle of this $500 rye. Listen: there is no logic behind paying that price for a bottle of liquor; you buy it for illogical reasons... and the market. The truth is, if Boss Hog was reasonable at $100-200, it would no longer be on the shelves, and the secondary market would price this at closer to $1000. The price tag keeps the flippers out of it, and makes this available to true fans of rye. But I don't even like rye! It's not logical. But the story about a Pig named Mauve and her love of apples adds to the emotional tug. The Boss Hog series has gotten better and better at balancing out special casks with a pretty solid aged rye. The herbaciousness of the rye is a great backbone for all types of fruits, and the highlight here is apple. You can taste the Calvados influence here. There's caramel apple, apple pie, and even tartness of green appleskins. At the same time, the rye is not lost, and this is truly a perfect marriage. This Boss Hog V is much gentler than Boss Hog IV (The Black Prince), which is a maelstrom of dark fruits and spices. I can actually taste this neat, where I had to add water to the previous two Boss Hogs. To compare it to the two previous Boss Hogs: III (The Independent) at ~$350: Pretty average dram, and definitely not worth it. IV (The Black Prince) at ~$450: Mindblowing, and I bought a bottle without hesitation after trying it. V (Spirit of Mauve) at ~$500: Very good, and I am considering buying a bottle.48.0 USD per Pourmad chef kitchen & bar -
Caroni 1998 20 Year (Ultimatum)
Aged Rum — Trinidad & Tobago
Reviewed April 13, 2019 (edited October 5, 2021)Rum from Trinidad and Tobago Distillery: Caroni Bottler: van Wees Ultimatum Single Cask Selection Distilled: Jan 1998 Bottled: Nov 23, 2018 Bourbon Barrel 64.1% ABV Many thanks to @PBMichiganWolverine for providing this 3cL sample of a distillery I can now cross off my bucket list. Caroni is the Port Ellen of Caribbean rum. I split the sample with my wife, who is born and raised in Trinidad, but unfortunately only started enjoying aged spirits after Caroni shut down, and Angotsura took over everything. The nose was the best part of the experience. Instantly, you realize this is not the overly sugary and watered down stuff from Angotsura. This is a welcomed assault on the nose. Deep notes of caramel and vanilla, accentuated by a harmony of spices: cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. But there is also some green stuff in there: pine needles and menthol. If not for the rich molasses, I would mistake this for whisky. The age and cask influence dominates the palate. There is a resinous, leathery American oak that is powerful and mouthcoating. The ABV was a little too high for me, and some water definitely improved things. The spirit re-asserts itself on the long and delicious finish, full of dark fruits and a confident ruminess. I will hunt a bottle of Caroni down when I visit Europe this summer, as these are almost impossible to find on U.S. shelves. If Port Ellen bottlings are now starting at around $1000, Caroni starting at around $200, is a steal. I’m not going to give this a real rating, as it was a small sample. But I am going to start using a new fickle rating system for samples, similar to how some reviewers judge color with Amber minuses and pluses. So, if average (0) is a completely average, inoffensive, forgettable dram… I give this average +7.5. I don’t know what that means yet, but it feels pretty high above average, don't you? I think I’ll translate it to 5 stars.
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