Tastes

33 open bottles in my collection ranked through multiple blind tastings. Counting them down! #9: Benromach. Single Malt Scotch. 43% ABV. 10 years old. Paid $65 I can probably get this cheaper, but even at $65, I am happy to buy again. I was blown away by this bottle, and it immediately reminded me of the complexity and quality offered by Springbank at 10 years old. Unfortunately, I did not have an open Springbank 10 for comparison. This bottle was close to the previous #10 whisky: Talisker Distiller’s Edition. There’s a nice play on sherry and peat. Spirit forward with loads of fruitiness, transitioning to spiciness. A moderate peat. Nice ginger and old rope on the finish. Again, this is very close to the Talisker DE. In a large line-up, I preferred the Talisker, but head-to-head, this was the winner. The foundation is just more solid. MARK: 91/100 PREVIOUSLY, ON BATMAN: #10: Talisker Distiller’s Edition. $72. 45.8%. D2000/B2011. 91/100. #11: Amrut Fusion. $76. 50%. NAS. 91/100 #12: Springbank. $180. 46%. 18 years. 90/100 #13: Macallan Edition No. 2. $110. 48.2%. NAS. 90/100 #14: Clynelish. $70. 46%. 14 years. 89/100. #15: Four Roses Single Barrel. $52. 50%. NAS. 88/100.

33 open bottles in my collection ranked through multiple blind tastings. Counting them down! #10: Talisker Distiller’s Edition. Single Malt Scotch. 45.8% ABV. D2000/B2011 Paid $72 I was lucky enough to get a second 2011 bottling for $76. I’m afraid I probably won’t see this older vintage again, but it’s not noticeably better than the newer version, which I would be happy to purchase. We are finally in the top 10! The Distiller’s Editions of Diageo’s Classic Malts of Scotland have received mixed reviews. Traditional maturation creates depth and “real” complexity that is diluted when you finish in a second cask. Finishing creates “engineered” complexity that some experts claim they can sniff or taste out. I just know Talisker DE takes a great original Talisker 10, and actually improves it by finishing in Amaroso sherry. The sherry influence has a strong presence, but is well integrated into the traditional Talisker notes of iodine, antiseptic, cloves, (bitter) dried orange peels, and red chilies. The added sweetness of the sherry creates an oilier, more luxurious mouthfeel that the original 10 lacks. This 2011 bottling (brown bottle with brown label) may be a tad more medicinal than the current version. MARK: 91/100 PREVIOUSLY, ON BATMAN: #11: Amrut Fusion. $76. 50%. NAS. 90/100 #12: Springbank. $180. 46%. 18 years. 90/100 #13: Macallan Edition No. 2. $110. 48.2%. NAS. 90/100 #14: Clynelish. $70. 46%. 14 years. 89/100. #15: Four Roses Single Barrel. $52. 50%. NAS. 88/100.

33 open bottles in my collection ranked through multiple blind tastings. Counting them down! #11: Amrut Fusion. Batch 58. Single Malt from India. 50% ABV. NAS. Paid $76 I’m going to be buying this again, but will be on the lookout for older batches. I will also be buying higher end Amruts no doubt. I am impressed. This isn’t Scotch? I’ll be damned. So, it’s using both dried peated Barley from Scotland and Indian barley, but it’s 100% distilled in India at Amrut. It is damp, humid, woody peat reek on the nose with a solid dash of spices and florals. The palate reminds of me of a recent experience with Ardbeg Corryvreckan. Sweet peat with loads of spiciness. It’s got a little bit of chalkiness, which I hear is a problem in the more recent batches, and is a departure from the earlier batches that won just about every award and accolade out there. The batch 58 I own is a great whisky and worth the asking price, but it is not an award winner. For all its complexity, it’s also quite sharp. In Scotland, accelerated maturation using smaller casks tend to create this spiky profile. In India, I’m sure it’s the climate. MARK: 91/100 PREVIOUSLY, ON BATMAN: #12: Springbank. $180. 46%. 18 years. 90/100 #13: Macallan Edition No. 2. $110. 48.2%. NAS. 90/100 #14: Clynelish. $70. 46%. 14 years. 89/100. #15: Four Roses Single Barrel. $52. 50%. NAS. 88/100.

33 open bottles in my collection ranked through multiple blind tastings. Counting them down! #12: Springbank. Single Malt Scotch. 46% ABV. 18 years. Paid $180 I love Springbank, but won’t be buying this again in the near future. The 10 and 15 are probably better, even without taking price into consideration. When tasting blind and rating whiskies in comparison with other whiskies, there are bound to be surprises. Springbank 18 is an example of a whisky that did shockingly more poorly than expected. This is bold and complex, still unmistakeably Springbank in my blind tastings. However, it was harsh and unbalanced (too grassy) compared to the better whiskies on this countdown. It’s still obviously a decent dram, but not worth the cost. This is the second most expensive bottle on my countdown. Springbank 18 is best enjoyed alone and slowly to get all its nuances. It probably has all the flavors on the flavor wheel, but leans too heavy on the earthy/grassy side when tasted blind with other whiskies. This begs the question, what is the best way to judge a whisky? A Blind line-up or a single serve and with full knowledge of the contents? MARK: 90/100 PREVIOUSLY, ON BATMAN: #13: Macallan Edition No. 2. $110. 48.2%. NAS. 90/100 #14: Clynelish. $70. 46%. 14 years. 89/100. #15: Four Roses Single Barrel. $52. 50%. NAS. 88/100. #16: Woodford Reserve Cherry Wood Smoked Barley. $104. 45.2%. NAS. 88/100 #17: Highland Park. $90. 43%. 15 years. 88/100

33 open bottles in my collection ranked through multiple blind tastings. Counting them down! #13: Macallan Edition No. 2. Single Malt Scotch. 48.2% ABV. NAS. Paid $110 I am replacing this bottle. Sometimes you just have to accept that Macallan costs extra. A really good limited edition Macallan for ~$100 is special. The whole Macallan Editions have the slogan “Macallan creates,” and it is really more about engineering a good whisky for connoisseurs. By using something like 7 casks, this whisky abandons all notions of traditional maturation. Can it still present as a refined spirit? Yes. This is much better than the 12 year old sherry oak Macallan, and even better than the 12 year old Glendronach. It’s still exclusively sherry, and it is sharp in all the right places. A solid toffee, sultana, European oak (dry) base supports raspberries, vanilla, and sweeter American oak notes that jump out of the glass. The finish is surprisingly spicy, but I wish it lasted longer. I had thought this Edition No. 2 was the best of the three editions so far, but I recently opened a new bottle of Edition No. 1, and it was clearly better in a blind tasting. The Edition No. 1 has not gone through enough testing to be on the countdown, however. No. 2 is still a worthy whisky to be the first 90 rating on the countdown. MARK: 90/100 PREVIOUSLY, ON BATMAN: #14: Clynelish. $70. 46%. 14 years. 89/100. #15: Four Roses Single Barrel. $52. 50%. NAS. 88/100. #16: Woodford Reserve Cherry Wood Smoked Barley. $104. 45.2%. NAS. 88/100 #17: Highland Park. $90. 43%. 15 years. 88/100 #18: Glendronach. $59 (1L). 43%. 12 years. 87/100

33 open bottles in my collection ranked through multiple blind tastings. Counting them down! #14: Clynelish. Single Malt Scotch. 46% ABV. 14 years. Paid $70 Yes! This is a bottle to re-purchase. This is such a classic scotch. Allegedly, Clynelish uses a wider cut during distillation that includes more foreshots and feints to create its fairly distinctive profile. Immediately after pouring, this dram is waxy, woody, floral, and even musky. With time and/or water, it becomes fruitier with applesauce and pears. A moderate amount of pepperiness and saltiness exists throughout. Peat is barely detectable. The mouthfeel is famously waxy. Clynelish is a staple of the industry because it is used to provide the robust base notes in many blends, most notably several from Compass Box. As a single malt, it is strong in character but also is a versatile pour that will evolve in the glass. MARK: 89/100 PREVIOUSLY, ON BATMAN: #15: Four Roses Single Barrel. $52. 50%. NAS. 88/100. #16: Woodford Reserve Cherry Wood Smoked Barley. $104. 45.2%. NAS. 88/100 #17: Highland Park. $90. 43%. 15 years. 88/100 #18: Glendronach. $59 (1L). 43%. 12 years. 87/100 #19: Ledaig. $60. 46.3%. 10 years. 87/100 #20: Longmorn. $94. 48%. 16 years. 87/100

33 open bottles in my collection ranked through multiple blind tastings. Counting them down! #15: Four Roses Single Barrel. Kentucky Straight Bourbon. 50% ABV. NAS. Warehouse NS. Barrel 27-3E Paid $52 This is amazing VFM and currently my go to bourbon that sets the standard. I opened a second bottle (Warehouse LE. Barrel 25-6P) before I finished this bottle I am reviewing. Ready to move on from the basic Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark to something still affordable, readily available, and is an awesome example of a complex, well-balanced, and powerful bourbon to sip on neat? My recommendation is Four Roses Single Barrel. The boxes are checked. The staves are aligned. Woody, spicy, fruity, sugary, nutty. Some leather, cocoa, and herbaciousness in the deeper layers. Full bodied and warm, lengthy linger. There is a lot of Four Roses mythology about recipe and barrel variation. This bottle, I have noticed, was destroying other bourbons and many scotches in tastings, but is just gradually becoming less intense and less impressive. The new bottle I opened, was too nutty and stale on first try, but is improving with time. Is it my imagination? I don’t know, but I am going to keep coming back to this one. MARK: 88/100 PREVIOUSLY, ON BATMAN: #16: Woodford Reserve Cherry Wood Smoked Barley. $104. 45.2%. NAS. 88/100 #17: Highland Park. $90. 43%. 15 years. 88/100 #18: Glendronach. $59 (1L). 43%. 12 years. 87/100 #19: Ledaig. $60. 46.3%. 10 years. 87/100 #20: Longmorn. $94. 48%. 16 years. 87/100

33 open bottles in my collection ranked through multiple blind tastings. Counting them down! #16: Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Cherry Wood Smoked Barley. Kentucky Straight Bourbon. 45.2% ABV. NAS. Paid $104 It’s a pretty unique experience, but not worth ~$100 for a re-experience. Cherry wood smoked barley is a perfect description for this odd bourbon. Cherry and wood are prominent on the nose. Cherry cola, artificial sweetener, some blackberries. The wood is a dank, sweaty, decaying variety. It’s not obvious that is a bourbon. On the palate, this is halfway to Redbreast. Biscuits, brown sugar, malt, and of course cherry. Smokiness on the finish. This mashbill includes 30% malted barley that has been exposed to cherry wood smoke in the drying process. This creates a truly unique dram that may have you guessing if it is a bourbon, Irish, or Scotch when tasting blind. Very interesting initially, but once you get accustomed, the heavy-handed cherry and wood notes start to prevent you from repeatedly reaching for the bottle, which is in that awkward area of being too expensive to just drink for no good reason, but is not good enough to enjoy for a special occasion. A 375mL bottle for half the price would have been perfect. MARK: 88/100 PREVIOUSLY, ON BATMAN: #17: Highland Park. $90. 43%. 15 years. 88/100 #18: Glendronach. $59 (1L). 43%. 12 years. 87/100 #19: Ledaig. $60. 46.3%. 10 years. 87/100 #20: Longmorn. $94. 48%. 16 years. 87/100

33 open bottles in my collection ranked through multiple blind tastings. Counting them down! #17: Highland Park . Single Malt Scotch. 43% ABV. 15 year old. Paid $90 I am convinced Highland Park had the most polished core range of age statement whiskies until they lost their wannabe Viking minds. As such, even though the 15 year old is so-so for VFM, I will buy another bottle just to collect the discontinued bottles. I can still easily find the 15 where I am at. This is not just an older and more complex version of the 12 or a younger sibling of the 18. While the 18 is the spiritual big brother of the 12; the 15 is the awkward middle child. It is lighter and friendlier due to being aged in American oak sherry rather than European oak. Red apples, red Twizzlers, powdered sugar and dough. Vanilla wood and just a hint of heathery Orkney peat. Although I did not have a direct comparison, this is probably as good as the old HP 12, which can still be had for about half the price, so it’s hard to justify purchasing too many HP 15s. Plus, for $20-50 more, you can get the legendary HP 18, which is easily worth the extra spending. Still, the HP 15 is a playful curiosity that is quite enjoyable. As general advice, snatch up the old bottlings of HP. Their new over-the-top tattoo-art bottles is like David Beckham – you ain’t tough, I don’t care how many tattoos you have. I would understand if Laphroaig went Viking, but HP? MARK: 88/100 PREVIOUSLY, ON BATMAN: #18: Glendronach. $59 (1L). 43%. 12 years. 87/100 #19: Ledaig. $60. 46.3%. 10 years. 87/100 #20: Longmorn. $94. 48%. 16 years. 87/100 #21: Maker’s Mark 46. $35 (375mL). 47%. NAS. 87/100 #22: Benjamin Prichard’s Double Barreled. $104. 45%. NAS. 87/100 #23: High West Campfire. $62. 46%. NAS. 86/100.

33 open bottles in my collection ranked through multiple blind tastings. Counting them down! #18: Glendronach. Single Malt Scotch. 43% ABV. 12 year old. Paid $59 for 1L at Duty Free I will keep buying this. I had thought Macallan 12 (#27 and marked 80/100) and Glendronach 12 would be similarly rated. Going in blind, I was surprised how obvious Macallan 12 was; the Glendronach 12, in comparison, is much more intricate, charismatic, and the better whisky by a mile. At the moment, Macallan is a distillery cashing in on its reputation; while Glendronach is still a distillery building its reputation. It is incredible how collectable Glendronach has become in a short time, and one can only hope it does not affect the quality of future bottlings. This basic 12 is plump raisins and rumcake on the nose; a balanced sherry bomb in the palate, with red fruits, desert wine, and huge sweetness supported by wood, tobacco, and leather. The finish is long and satisfying. MARK: 87/100 PREVIOUSLY, ON BATMAN: #19: Ledaig. $60. 46.3%. 10 years. 87/100 #20: Longmorn. $94. 48%. 16 years. 87/100 #21: Maker’s Mark 46. $35 (375mL). 47%. NAS. 87/100 #22: Benjamin Prichard’s Double Barreled. $104. 45%. NAS. 87/100 #23: High West Campfire. $62. 46%. NAS. 86/100. #24: Balvenie Single Barrel First Fill. $59. 47.8%. 12 years. 86/100.