Tastes

Quick Hit Tasting Notes Local liquor store had a Dalmore tasting. In non-optimal conditions, took some notes: Nose: Apples,barley sugar, caramel. Palate: Light,thin,sherry, small fruit, earthy, mineral. Finish: Dry oak, bitter. Least favorite of the samples.

Quick Hit Tasting Notes Local liquor store had a Dalmore tasting. In non-optimal conditions, took some notes: Nose: light,fruity,grape, plums. Palate : soft, grape, wood, fruit, cinnamon. Finish: hot, pepper, wood, orange bitters. It’s okay. Preferred the 12 over this.

Deep in the bowels of the SDT samples that I am slowly working through, I pull this rye provided by @Telex. Rye, if done poorly, can be a mess. If done well, can be a wonderful experience (ala Midwinters Night Dram). This is a Baltimore Maryland, sourced spirit, and I am always interested in the local crafts; spirits, wine or beer. Nosing reveals rye spice with some sweetness. Dill, mint, pine resin with corn, vanilla and butterscotch. More time draws out some woodiness and straw/hay notes and black licorice. These notes arrive gently but with presence. The draw on the palate is spicy hot. A young spirit. Dill spice, black pepper spice are dominant. Some woodiness and sweetness of caramel and vanilla mix in with ryeness. The body is thin and light. The palate fades out with dill, oak with some bitterness that all lasts for a blink of an eye. This is a rye that is best served as a mixer but is tolerable as a sipper. It has potential to become something better. Thanks Jason for the taste. [82/100][Tasted: 12/2/18]

As a nice long Thanksgiving week comes to a close, albeit all to quick, a bookend whisky from @Generously_Paul from the SDT will be the scotch that says goodbye November and welcome December. A copper color of a fresh fresh penny sits in the glass. A fresh opening on the nose of vanilla pudding and some of standard sherried attributes: raisins, dates, plums. Nehi Grape soda with a touch of nuttiness and woodiness is detectable. There is a gentle sweetness of vanilla, honey and cream soda. What was once sweet turns mildly spicy of ginger, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. A creamy texture delivers these flavors. As the flavors fade and work towards the finish, some semi sweet chocolate chips and orange bitters. Those bitters carry through the finish. Some caramel and vanilla sweetness seeps through with some oaky dryness. A nice soulful warming ending closes the dram. This is a decent scotch that is better than most. This could easily be a workhorse, everyday dram if it was more accessible and a few dollars cheaper. Sweet and spicy, like most I have tasted, but not overly so. Not robust, but not drab either. [84/100][Tasted: 11/26/18]

The eve before Thanksgiving day. Sitting with the wife watching what is our Thanksgiving Eve tradition of watching “Planes, Trains and Automobiles”, which we have done forever and a half. A sample from @PBMichiganWolverine us the sample du jour. Sitting back and will slowly take this sample in. The color is almost clear; like sunflower oil. Subtle fruity nose of apples and pears. Vanilla, honey and butterscotch provide a gentle sweetness. A nuttiness hides in the background of walnuts and almonds. This one arrives simultaneously sugary sweet and spicy. The body’s medium dense and oily. White sugar syrup doused over a fruity bowl of apples, pears and oranges. Throw in some black pepper and cinnamon for the spicy kick. As it begins to fade, a cereal quality (Raisin Bran) comes forward. The finish is oranges and light brown sugar and vanilla. A cinnamon spice tinge on the tongue dances briefly on the tongue for the last few seconds. Finally, the palate is slightly woody dry. A decent offering that provides a sweeter dram with a dash of spice. It feels slightly young though it’s a relative old man at twenty; almost feels half the age. Middle of the road whisky. Won’t offend, but won’t provide any true memorable quality. [82/100][Tasted: 11/2 1/18]

I was with family over the weekend for a function and wound back at my sisters house. Perusing the closet, as I have done many times there, I pulled this Scoresby Rare bottle which was mostly finished. This was a bottle from my Grandfathers collection. I have never seen this ever (is that the Rare part?) So, taking what is left, I figured I would review, for posterity, and jump back to a time when the scotch that was imbibed from that generation was that of the blended kind. This is bottled at 43% and is a light golden color. This opens with a delicate sweetness. Vanilla, caramel and. butterscotch. A bit more time and a fruity side appears. That of Granny Smith apples, Dole canned pears and a slice or two of apricots. The body is medium light in weight. There is a touch of sugary sweetness in the beginning and quickly fades. It turns quite bitter of lemon zest, and slightly spicy with black pepper. What remains is the lemon zest bitterness and bar soap. A touch of woodiness leaves the mouth feeling slightly dry. What was promising on the nose quickly fell apart in the palate and finish. This is a whisky intended for mixing with a soda or ice. Not one for a neat sip. The off-putting soap is a deterrent for neat sipping. All that said, it’s nice to take a small time warp back to those days for cheap, blended whisky. [Tasted: 11/20/18][79/100]

Made it to the end of the week and the start of a long week off from work for the Thanksgiving holiday. I will start this weekend with a sample provided by @LeeEvolved for the SDT group. I must admit this is dark whisky. The color is similar to that of Birch Beer soda or Dr. Pepper. The nose is soft, sweet and rich. Toffee and milk chocolate (Heath Bar), vanilla and butterscotch. Then there are rich fruits: plumbs, figs, raisins, apples and Concord grapes, like Welches Grape Jam. Musty, mildewed cardboard drifts about amongst the aromas. A nose well suited after a Thanksgiving meal. The palate is lightweight that starts syrupy sweet and only becomes sweeter over time. Fruity sweetness works in the sugars. Plumbs and raisins with light brown sugar and cola. The sweetness turns a bit spicy with cinnamon and ginger. A bit of oak wood works its way towards the finish. A warming sensation arrives throughout. The palate is left somewhat charcoaled, dry and oaky which lingers for a good amount of time. A solid offering that strikes a fair balance between sweet and spicy. A good one to sit back after a rich, filling meal. If the palate could match the variety or of the nose, this would take it to the next level. Overall , quite enjoyable and satisfying. [86/100][Tasted: 11/16/18]

Act 4/Scene 1 Continuing the yearly releases since Act 2, I have slowly worked my way through Act 4. Reevaluating each release and see how it differs is now a curiosity. “Are you sure That we are awake? It seems to me That yet we sleep, we dream.” Act 4, Scene 1 Demetrius, A Midsummer Nights Dream The back label of the bottle opens with this quote and so happens to be the same bottling. Just some additional info. The color is a rich, autumn copper-red. It’s non-chilled filtered and natural color. The nose stirs quite the image of a cold night while sitting beside a warming fireplace. Baking spices of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon with a touch of dill. Vanilla, caramel, plumbs, raisins, cereal bran provide a sweeter side to the baking spices. Dig way deep after a good 20 to 30 minutes and a hint of cranberries are detectable. The palate is spicy on initial arrival. Cinnamon spice permeates. When the spice subsides, as with the nose, the sweeter elements appear. Vanilla, butterscotch, caramel. The body is slightly thick and oily. The finish is soul warmingly long with a freshly ground cinnamon, similar to Red Hots. It turns slightly bitter of orange and lemon zest. The French Oak provides the wood spice and oak tannins. Water mutes the spicy aromas but does take the edginess noticeable on the palate and pushes the sweetness forward. The dram is better with a dash of water. A solid offering from start to finish. If there is a flaw in this version, it’s in the finish. I turns slightly off trajectory from the nose and palate. Lacks the mint found on the previous versions. Still a worthy dram. [$90][90/100][Tasted: 11/12/18]

Act 3/Scene 1 Vanilla, cloves, candy corns on the nose, conjures up images of a wintry dusk and perfect evening to open as the weather here is brisk with flurries. Warms the soul. I can nose this all evening. Arrives sweet and hot which delivers brown sugar, cinnamon spice in a silky body. Warms the soul. As is fades, oak and spearmint leave the palate dry and minty fresh. A touch of water is a must to tone done the bite to deliver the spicy sweetness. Act 3 remains true to Act 2.10. Not much variation, which is greatly welcome as this is a wonderful dram. I don't want this to change all that much. [$89][92/100][Opened: 11/20/16]

A rainy, damp and dreary Friday November evening. Working my way through the backlog of samples. This one provide by @GenerouslyPaul. A bit of warming I can use and hopefully this will help. In the glencairn, the nose is faint, almost no detectable aromas. You need to dig and let it open. Lemon peel, orange bitters, honey and wax. Very sparse. The palate slightly thick and is initially sweet. It slowly fades and becomes hot, woody and spicy. Vanilla-honey that becomes black pepper with ginger root and pinewood. The finish is long and highly bitter and course. Lemon zest remains and turns into the sour remains of a bitter Hall lemon cough drop. A warming sensation works it way deep down remains for a fair length; the most redeeming quality of this dram. This is evidently young and still forming. From beginning to end, it’s rather underwhelming; nothing that would make you wanting more. [78/100][Tasted: 11/9/18]