Tastes

Purchased on 4/9/18. Bottle killed on 4/11/19. Highland Park OB 15 years old 43% ABV Bottled 2014 Price: 90 USD The shy middle child of Highland Park’s once respected core range, this whisky is for those who appreciate soft, subtle single malts. It’s very floral and sweet initially, but there’s a rugged maritime edge as well. Lightly spicy and lightly smoky, you will find the 15 year less bold than the precocious 12 year old; and less robust than the lovely 18 year old. A failure to stand out is probably why this was the first of the three to be discontinued. This is a fine dram, but a passive one at that. It is more refined than the 12 year old, but not necessarily better. And at almost twice the price, that’s a problem. I will make sure I have at least one of the recently discontinued bottlings of the 12 and 18 year olds stashed away, but I will pass on re-purchasing this 15. Rating (price not factored): 85 / 100 Purchase satisfaction (price factored): 3 / 5

This pour was part of a free store tasting by Petite Cellars. Over 100 bottles of whisky were on offer for free. No brand representatives. Nobody trying to sell you anything. Just let the liquid speak for itself - awesome. With my wife, we ended up trying: This bottle Glenrothes 18 year OB Ardbeg 13 year Chieftains cask strength Bunnahabhain 29 year John Milroy cask strength Kilchoman OB private single bourbon cask Compass Box The Spaniard Glen Scotia 15 year OB On the nose, I can tell it’s trying to be inoffensive. It is very light, and I can’t really pick out any notes. I bury my nose into the glass until my wife tells me that my nose is not supposed to be all into the glass. I take a deep sniff. And I smell the fried corn from the Tostitos being served behind me. So, very clearly, whisky is diverging. There is whisky that is bottled to be enjoyed, and we must protect this branch. And then there is whisky for Instagram, where the liquid does not matter. This branch serves a purpose, and I can’t be mad at Macallan anymore. It is very clearly sacrificing itself to absorb the attention of people who like exclusivity more than they like whisky. Macallan is not for drinking, at any level in their core range. It is made for taking pictures and marketing. They made a 12 year double cask that was clearly worse than their 12 year sherry oak. Then, they made a new 12 year sherry oak that is worse than the double oak. They made this 18 year old “fine oak” that smells less mature than their previous 15 year old. I never had their 17 year old fine oak, but I loved a 2011 bottling of their 21 year old, and loved older Macallans from Douglas Laing that are exclusively bourbon matured. So, I am not only looking for a Macallan sherry bomb; I am looking for something that is more assertive than Tostitos. Ignoring price, and ignoring brand recognition, my impression of Macallan’s new core range is that it is obviously bottom shelf. Macallan is not drinkable because it is 1) bad, and 2) worth so much. So, I didn’t drink this. Even though it was for free, I did not want to use any of my alcohol tolerance to accommodate fake luxury. My wife had the entire sample, and her comments were, “This isn’t even Macallan. I don’t taste sherry. I don’t taste anything.” She was the biggest Macallan fan, and if these new bottles disappoint her, that says it all for me. Rating: 0 / 5 (price factored)

This pour was part of a free store tasting by Petite Cellars. Over 100 bottles of whisky were on offer for free. No brand representatives. Nobody trying to sell you anything. Just let the liquid speak for itself - awesome. With my wife, we ended up trying: This bottle Macallan 18 year fine oak Ardbeg 13 year chieftains cask strength Bunnahabhain 29 year John Milroy cask strength Kilchoman private single bourbon cask Compass Box The Spaniard Glen Scotia 15 year Out of those, we ended up buying this bottle for 125 USD. It was our combined favorite. My personal favorite was the Glen Scotia, but my wife hated it. With sherry cask maturation these days, you are happy to take “seasoning” just to avoid sulfur notes. This one had no sulfur. The sherry did not have the toe-curling depth that probably no longer exists in affordable contemporary Scotch, but I did get a burst of caramel popcorn on the palate, and candied ginger on the finish. It was unexpected to have a genuine memory evoked, and not reaching for notes. “I almost get a bit of...” blah, blah, blah. No. This dram lets you have a solid narrative. It gave something, when I expected nothing, and I bought a bottle to discover some more. This completely blew away the Mac 18 fine oak, by the way, which was priced $100 higher. I think I will talk about that next review.

~1.5 oz pour for 50 USD. It’s a potent rye with some single malt influence. This spent some time in ex-Macallan barrels. I could not identify Macallan specifically, and had to squint my eyes to really imagine that there was any sherry. This is just a well done spicy rye that goes down very smooth for 60% ABV. When this was still on the shelves, I had an opportunity to grab this on sale for $330. Glad I did not. The 4th edition (The Black Prince) is a much more memorable whiskey, although also more expensive. This does not have the fruity explosion that made me grab a full bottle of The Black Prince. 2.5 / 5 (price factored)

Bottle killed 4/2/19 Glenkinchie Distiller’s Edition OB NAS 43% ABV Distilled 2004 Bottled 2016 Finished in Amontillado Casks Price: 46 USD Glenkinchie, and most lowland single malts, want to be dry, grassy, and earthy. So, if I had to pick a sherry cask to finish the rather uninteresting, low-key core 12 year old Glenkinchie, amontillado makes sense. Amontillado is an earthy, dry, light sherry. But why do you have to pick a sherry cask? Why can’t this distiller’s edition be matured 12 years in bourbon, and then “finished” for an additional 4 years in the same bourbon cask? And bottled at 46%. At its best, Glenkinchie DE is a maltier Highland Park on the nose. A nice burst of bright fruits on a base of honey, hay, and cereal, with a touch of heathery smoke on the end. But the more you get to know this whisky, the more the sherry feels unwelcomed. Towards the end of the palate, and on the finish, this is a malt that wants to be rough, rugged, and grassy. The fruits from the sherry influence is like forcing a tomboy to be a ballerina. What Glenkinchie needs is more age and more ABV. Diageo’s special releases (20 year in 2010, and 24 year in 2016) are fantastic, but expensive, examples of what a beast this distillery can be. I am reasonably satisfied with this bottle for the marked-down price that I found it at. It was literally $1 more than the standard Glenkinchie at the same store. But this is one dram I don’t need to try again. Rating (price not factored): 80 / 100 Purchase satisfaction (price factored): 2.5 / 5

Purchased 9/27/2018. Killed 3/25/19. Caol Ila Cadenhead 14 years old 54.4% ABV Distilled 2000 Bottled 2015 Bourbon Hogshead Price: 105 USD Limited to 144 bottles There are some independent bottlers that have just mastered a specific distillery. Gordon & MacPhail and Mortlach; Signatory and Clynelish; and Cadenhead and Caol Ila. Every bottle of Caol Ila from Cadenhead is a masterpiece, worthy of an immediate purchase. Reminiscent of Port Ellen, but a lot cheaper, Cadenhead Caol Ila’s manage to take repulsive notes and flavors, and make them irresistible. This 14 year old smells like wet socks and toenail fungus. I hate stinky cheese, but this somehow combines quite well with the heavy citrus, brine, and chocolate of a more typical Scotch. I also get limencello, which I hate, but this is made beautiful with the antiseptic notes. The peat is gently smoky, but heavily chemical with chlorine, iodine, and formaldehyde. It’s creamy as well, like freshly made banana juice with a spritz of lemon and a dash of salt. Towards the end of the bottle, there was a good amount of barrel sediment, and the finish became too oaky and metallic, but a splash of water fixed this, leaving you with roasted peanuts, incense fragrance, and the faint hints of a juicy, medically pickled cadaver. I hope I properly turned you off, because I want these bottles to remain on the shelves for me. Rating (price not factored): 94 / 100 Purchase satisfaction (price factored): 5 / 5

Purchased 1/31/2018. Bottle killed 3/17/2019. Irish Distillers (Midleton) Redbreast OB 15 years old 46% ABV Bottled 2017 Price: 90 USD. Redbreast, more than any other whisk(e)y brand, is like sex. The whole regimented nose, palate, finish analysis will frustrate the enjoyment of this whiskey, like breaking down sex into foreplay, intercourse, and afterglow will ruin sex. Don’t. Redbreast is a simple joy, all about the enveloping silky textures and warm, voluptuous flavors. Let’s face it, the Scotches I usually rave about are rough and challenging. If they were female, they would be like Frances McDormand’s character in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri.” In contrast, Redbreast has a powerful yet traditional femininity. Inviting flowers, buttery caramel, rich honey, dark chocolate. If whiskies can be sultry, these are the ones. Lasciviousness aside, some formal review stuff: The 15 year old is in an odd spot between the exquisite 12 year cask strength and the “she’s-out-of-your-league” 21 year old. And there a few nitpicks: Midleton has a problem with sulfur influence in their sherry casks. This is more prominent in this 15, compared to the 12 CS, which hides the sulfur via sheer ABV; and the 21, which subtracts the sulfur through age. Also, there’s some metallic notes on the finish. Still, this excellent whiskey has enough to offer at its price point to make it a worthwhile purchase if you are looking for more Redbreast options after trying the 12 CS, and don’t want to pay the premium for the 21. Rating (price not factored): 89 / 100 Purchase satisfaction (price factored): 4 / 5

Opened 6/4/2018. Killed 3/13/19. Compass Box Flaming Heart Blended Malt NAS 48.9% ABV Bottled 07/2015 Limited to 12,060 bottles Price: 107 USD. I have another bottle I purchased for a few bucks more. I will buy more if given the opportunity. The 2015 Edition of Flaming Heart is peerless in terms of value for money. Compass Box has more recently been harsh with pricing their limited edition releases, but this is the one that should have been five hundred dollars. Many special bottlings of Compass Box are John Glaser’s attempts to recreate Brora, and this blend reminds me of the greatest Brora – nay, the greatest whisky – I’ve ever tasted: 1972 Rare Malts Brora. Such an elegant, composed peat. Quietly assertive and sophisticated; this is one to nose for an hour. On the palate, this is mindblowing in slow motion. The arrival is subtle, and the flavors gradually appear and build on top of one another. As one fades, three new ones appear, and intensifies the flavor orchestra like brooms from Fantasia. Maltiness, maritime, funky, medicinal, citrus, pineapple, chocolate, umami. Everything is there, and each sip is different, as the dram breathes. The finish is breathtaking, and the linger is long. Ultimately, this is not nearly as deep or massive as the Brora, lacking its legendary mouthcoating oiliness, but this also adds some French oak spiciness, which Broras do not have. The beauty of Compass Box is that as it secretly tries recreate old legendary single malts by the art of blending, it is unafraid to have its own flair. And of all the Compass Box creations that I have had the pleasure of trying, this one is at the top. Rating (price not factored): 95 / 100 Purchase satisfaction (price factored): 5 / 5

Bottle killed on (the wee hours) of 3/1/19. Talisker OB Distiller's Edition Distilled 2000 Bottled 2011 45.8% ABV Price: 76 USD. I have one more bottle I bought for same price. My opinions on the Diageo's Distiller's Edition is that this is the only one that takes a good whisky and made it better. The only DE that matches this in quality is Lagavulin DE, but Lagavulin 16 is a great whisky, and better than its DE counterpart. Talisker 10 is a good whisky, but this DE is just ever so slightly better. Also, if you have the option of buying older DEs, go older. These fancy casks just seem to be spread thinner and thinner as Scotch becomes more popular, and wood finishes are taking on more and more shortcuts. This sherry finish is well integrated deeply into the Talisker 10 maritime soul, and it offers more than just a sugarcoat. There's peaches and figs with that seaspray and iodine. You are bringing some non-native fruits and flowers to the harsh Skye coastline. Made by the sea meets made by the garden in surprising harmony. The only gripe is with the finish. Talisker 10, on account of being less sweet, ends with a nice seeweed umami. This DE ends with oaky astringency. This is a brown bottle that looks better than the new design. I've had the newer (blue) DEs, and I can't say they're much worse. This is still a good buy, regardless of year, if you can find it in the $70-80 range. Rating (price not factored): 89 / 100 Purchase satisfaction (price factored): 4 / 5

Bottle purchased on 8/1/18, and killed on 2/28/19 Springbank OB 14 years old Bourbon Wood 55.8% ABV Distilled 11/2002 Bottled 8/25/2017 Limited Release of 9000 bottles Price: 123 USD Springbank without any sherry influence is like Caol Ila without any peat. It’s a weird one. Springbank goes wonderfully with sherry casks because the spirit itself is sulphurous and mineral (desired, if you’re a Springbank fan), so it hides sulphur from the cask (undesired, but inevitable in modern times). This dram has a deviant character arc that goes from a friendly, sweet, buttery, vanilla nose and arrival on the palate, which progresses to an austere, oaky, mineral, and dry finish. The funky, farmy Springbank distillery character is strong throughout, but it’s missing the familiar sherry influence. I don’t get the tropical fruits that I love with most other Springbanks. This is a more elemental Springbank. Some quality bourbon casks were obviously used; the nose and palate are great, but the finish is just missing deliciousness, which I’ve come to expect from this distillery. I don’t regret the purchase, but I probably won’t buy another bottle; the 12 year old CS is cheaper and more to my tastes. Rating (price not a factor): 90 / 100 Purchase satisfaction (price factored): 3 / 5