Tastes

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]

Let’s just start by saying I already know that this is going to be good. Four Roses is the type of bourbon I seek. Cherries, oak, cinnamon, etc. I stumbled onto them by pure circumstance and chance while in Nashville and have been a fan ever since. The nose is vibrant and bright. A balance of spearmint and dill blend initially arrive. As it settles down, candy corn, maraschino cherries and oak come through and change or transform into more. This time baking spices: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg with worn leather. And yet the previous aromas still trickle through. A rich, Thanksgiving or late autumn aromas as a whole. The draw onto the palate is warming but not sharp. The body is weighty but not overly thick. It takes the palate a moment to acclimate. Then begins the polar flavorings of sweetness and spice: Brown sugar with grated cinnamon. Vanilla with nutmeg. Orange rind with butterscotch. Caramel popcorn and white pepper. The counter play of flavors are not in any linear flow but dance in pairs and weave amongst each other. As it fades, after some time, the tongue is prickled and senses pins and needles, which subsides in the finish. What remains on the palate lasts quite long. Charred oak, orange bitters, brown sugar that, again, tingles with spicy cinnamon, black pepper and yet a touch of caramel. I reiterate: Four Roses creates bourbons that fall into my wheelhouse. Baking spices, sweet and warming and all with balance. Another wonder creation. Thanks again @PBMichigamWolverine for the chance to sample this quality bourbon. [Tasted: 11/5/18][90/100]

A productive day prepping the house this Sunday. Stripped the wrought iron rails and painted them. Replaced rotten fascia on the shed and mowed the lawn. A quiet dusk in the house (me flying solo this weekend), listening to some Beck. It’s been some time since I reviewed a pour. Was knocked out last week with a head cold. Needless to say, a pour is much anticipated. Found this small sample from @PBMichiganWolverine that must has been sitting in my collection of samples (was this with the SDT?) A crisp, clean nose greets you on the nose, from the amber colored liquid. Hints of pine sap with spearmint dance. Dark honey, vanilla, charcoal and pine wood are faint but detectable. That dark honey becomes richer over time. Conjures images, in my mind, of cozy, snug Catskills home on a chilled, clear wintry evening. The liquid is as light as air on the palate. Sweet maple syrup with a dash of white pepper with applewood smoked bacon; sweet, salty and tasty. This finishes slightly warming and the sweet maple syrup and slight salty, smokiness lingers for a medium length of time. The sample I had was a small one ounce pour and I do wish I had some more. This is an easy, simple delicious dram the starts with an inviting bouquet, teases the palate with sweet, smoke and salt a fades like the winter sunset: warmly, quickly and beautifully. [Tasted: 11/4/18][89/100]

Friday, yahoo. Worked late, there the Dodgers/Brewers game on. Now to try this inaugural release. My SDT mate @PBMichiganWolverine proudly provided this sample. Is it Gin? That is the initial impression I get. Botanical with a alcohol nose. It does settle down and becomes a bit sweeter and fruitier. Dried pineapples, honeysuckle, barley sugar. Damp, earthen woods/forest and ginger tea. Harsh and course on initial draw. Cheap gin quality. Mineral and bitter. There’s a similar flavor of the glue that’s used on envelopes and stamps. Wood and alcohol. This is all within a medium light body. What remains is bitterness of lemons and charred wood. This by far is the worst thing I have tasted in quite some time. There are no redeeming qualities. I tried to loot past and get through; it was tough. I would be surprised if anyone, besides @PBMichiganWolverine would want to purchase. [40/100][Tasted: 10/12/18]

I opened a fresh bottle this past Friday to drink without thinking too much. It’s been a long while since a really sat and “tasted” Johnnie Walker Black. I have several bottles that I have acquired recently. So, the following day, I thought (so much for not thinking when sipping) it would be interesting to compare my (simple) notes from five years ago a recent tasting. There is an initial earthy quality on the nose. Mineral. A mix of nuttiness: walnuts and brown sugared-pecans with a subtle vanilla cream and butterscotch sweetness. Dig deep, and there are detectable sherry notes: raisins, plumbs, nutmeg and cinnamon. Soft and balanced. A slight waxiness hovers about. The palate is medium weight with sweetness and a touch of charcoal smokiness. Brown sugar, vanilla, cigar ash. Orange zest comes through late in the delivery with golden raisins, toasted coconut and white pepper. The palates remains slightly woody dry with tangerine zest and black pepper which lasts for a medium length of time. Every once in a while it nice to come back to where you started. This was my goto scotch; my only scotch in my early, getting started, learning the world, life-struggling days (not that my struggles no longer exists, they do). It been some time since I sat and concentrated on this whisky. This still holds up and is a quality blend (no rocks needed). Over ages and generations, this will remain a fixture and a stalwart whisky. [Tasted again: 10/7/18][85/100]

Day 2 of temporary bachelorhood. Wife is visiting some friends. Sports, music, beef, whisky and wine sums up the weekend (throw is some work and house and auto maintenance too). Another sample for a day long ago from @LeeEvolved from our now defunct SDT (will there be an SDT2?) Taking it in on the nose, apples, apricots, honey are the forward notes. Some Concord grapes (Welch’s Jam) with a dash of cinnamon arrive as the dram begins to open. It is all encased in vanilla and toasted marshmallow sweetness. There is maltiness that weaves about. Quite a nose. The palate accepts a light and sugary whisky. White sugar, vanilla and honey in a thin, lightweight body. The sugary sweetness slowly turns spicy with white pepper and cinnamon (partially Red Hots, partially ground spice). A gentle earthiness forms towards the fade. What remains on the the palate for a fair length is drying oak tannins, lemon oil and ginger root. If I could embody the nose into a palatable entity, this would be a semi-solid dram. The thinness of the body and the briefness of the palate prevents this from being prevents it from being so. Sweet, dry and spicy describes this in three little words. [Tasted: 10/7/18][84/100]

Threw on the Yankee v Boston game 2 one and pulled this Fettercairn from my vast backlog of SDT samples. This one was provided by @Generously_Paul. This one is a strong one bottled at a rugged 56% abv. There is a strong alcohol nose (like rubbing alcohol) that is expectedly noticeable. Sulphuric notes like a struck match mix with the alcohol. It does take some time for those pungent notes to settle down. As it does, the character of the whisky begin take form. Honey and orchard fruits, milk chocolate, vanilla and butterscotch. Melted butter over air-popped popcorn mixed in a wooden bowl forms during a second wave of aromas. In minuscule sips, the dense, creamy body delivers a sweet caramel or butterscotch liquid. That sweetness gives way quickly to heat and zing from the alcohol. Apples and cinnamon, walnuts and wood form during the fade and into the finish. The addition of water adds a candy corn aroma but diminishes its original aromas. The palate is softened and so is it’s character. I prefer this in its native form. The finish is wooden and everlastingly drying and nothing more. You can sense the beginnings of something good for a more aged spirit. It’s character is only starting to form and cut short at a youthful seven years of age. The creamy sweetness with is tasty, but only briefly. Surprising not a harsh whisky for such a high abv whisky. Thanks @Generously_Paul for a sample of another uncommon scotch. [Tasted: 10/6/18][84/100]

Fall is here. The evening air is crisp. Baseball playoffs are nearing. And peaty whisky starts to become the norm. A pour a this peated Speysider is tonight’s pour. There is a rubbery opening aroma, like a bicycle tire inner tube. Subtle light brown sugar sweetness intermingles. Moistened tobacco, dried apricots, apple crumb pie, cured meats, fruit juice and a touch of mineral earthiness. A somewhat disparate nose. Within a medium dense body, the scotch begins with charcoal and tar, but not overblown, but is the primary feature. There is a small heaping of black pepper which adds spiciness which follows after the initial charcoal and tar. Lemon peel with small traces of shredded coconut, apricots. Deeply rooted is some sweetness of butterscotch and vanilla. A touch of water (a teaspoon) softens the edginess and mutes the bitterness. The dram is improved. What remains on the palate for a medium length of time is lemon zest, cigar ash, oak that leaves the palate slightly dry. The impression is that there is a quality base that was injected with smoke to create a peated whisky. The smoke/char is contained but does not feel inherent or belongs; more of an afterthought. That said, it’s a decent dram, but the unpeated version of Benromach 10 is a better and a more enjoyable choice. [$75][84/100][Tasted: 9/28/18]

Another work week closes out and allows me some time to pull from the backlog of whisky from our little touring group. This sample provided extremely generous @PBMichiganWolverine. A nosing starts off floral, light with a touch of sweetness. Honeysuckle, vanilla confectionery frosting. These are contained of encased with a toasted oak. As it opens, bourbon qualities are revealed. Brown sugar, cinnamon, cardboard, apricots. A rather busy, bright and inviting nose. A draw on the palate and the mind is thrown into confusion as the flavors do not reveal anything similar to the nose. Spicy and bitter initially of cinnamon and ginger root with orange rind. A trace amount of brown sugary sweetness. An earthy base supports the spicy bitterness: Tobacco leaves, potato skins with a mineral note. The body is slightly oily and slightly thick. The palate remains bitter with some oaky dryness for a length of time. An easily enjoyable dram that opens well and draws you in. A nose with a variety of aromas reminiscent of warm spring days. The palate throws you for a loop and a wealth of flavors it lacks. A good sipper, but nothing that is memorable or something I would actively seek out. One outstanding question: I understand the flora, but what comprises the fauna? [83/100][Tasted: 9/14/18]

It’s late on a Saturday evening. House is still. Listening to the Beatles (ahh, The Beatles) countdown on my stereo (in the top 30 now). I picked this Spice Tree up while in Maryland and at an attractive price (I have seen the price of this all over the map from store to store). Intriguing packaging, as Compass Box always seem to create. But it’s about the whisky, not the packaging that matters. The opening on the nose is cloyingly sweet with the subtle current of baking spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom. The subtle sweetness is comprised of ripe Granny Smith apples, vanilla, butterscotch and bakers chocolate. There is a mild earthiness of dried, fallen leaves on a warm October. Some old, worn leather or suede. A touch of salted mixed nuts weaves through. A very well balanced and inviting nose. The palate is sweet and spicy; an embodiment of the nose. The sweetness is initially more detectable than the spice, but marginally so. Butterscotch, vanilla, caramel, toasted marshmallows are the sweet notes. Those sweet notes rapidly shift to the spicy side (of course): cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves. The mouthfeel is slightly dense and mildly oily. A drop or two of water soften the slight jagged borders and brings forth more orange rind and ginger ale. As the palate fades, what remains are slight hints of oak, orange bitters ginger, black pepper. Semisweet chocolate notes finishes the fade and the mouth is ultimately left with some oak and spearmint. Compass Box/John Glaser & company are masterful blenders. The Spice Tree is expertly balanced between spice and sweetness; one sensation never overpowering the other. A perfect late autumn sipper when the air is crisp, the leaves are sienna and crimson and scattered about. Another great blend (better than most single malts) from the one of the best blenders. [$45][90/100][Tasted: 9/1/19]