Tastes

A hectic but a merry and wonderful Christmas Eve and day with family and friends that make this time of year special. Now sitting by the fire listening to some Vince Guaraldi Trio (you know the Christmas soundtrack) during this frigid evening to relax with the TRE provided by @Generously_Paul A rich sherry nose with toffee, cocoa, tea. Very fruity with plumbs, raisins and a faint strawberry aroma deep in the back and after given some time to open. Brown sugar and toffee sweet arrival. There is spice as well: cinnamon, white pepper. The sweetness slowly moves into spicy cloves that fades towards the finish. A black peppery finish with some nuttiness with a slight orange bitterness. A nice medium length finish. I have never been a huge fan of Glenmorangie. The general profile, for me, does not excite me (maybe what I would classify as mass-market safe). However, this Duthac was enjoyable. A sweet dessert whisky that’s pleasant. One of the better Glenmorangie’s. [86/100][Tasted: 12/26/17]

Time for a nightcap after a busy day; hustling getting the house ready for Christmas Eve dinner and now grabbing something to ease the remaining hours of this day. Ardbeg CE will assist, which was provided by the one and only @LeeEvolved in the tasting group. Ardbeg! I almost do not have to say much more, but I will. Sweet peat, maritime brine are an instant greeting. The peat smoke is not blasting but very much forward. Lemon shortcake, green olives brine vanilla, honey, toffee, spearmint, charred ham. Always a good nose on those Islay’s. A dark fudge sweetness on the palate on the immediate sip. As you hold and swirl there is a crescendo of Black pepper. In between the rise, a hit of tropical pineapples and/or apricots, then moving on, a blast of citrus orange and lemons, and the a kick of tarry asphalt. All this is a body that is rich and oily. A finish of oak that dries the mouth. Lemon peel, cigar smoke and tar with a final cooling touch of mint sensation. An intense ride. Dips and dives: Smoke, sweet , citrus, pepper. What fun. A deep, soul-warming dram that just works. Balanced well between sweet, spice and peat. A fun journey through this whisky. [90/100][Tasted: 12/23/17]

Excitement in the Christmas air. Wrapping up the day and the final presents. Poured myself a Tomatin. Why? Why not? An opening on the nose of honey, vanilla, tea and tropical fruits of pineapples and apricots. Another inhalation or two and caramel apple-crumb pie with a cinnamon spice sprinkle is taken in. Time blooms the nose and the aromas become more vibrant and alive. Draw a sip and the liquid taken in is sweet that turns spicy, all in a medium-light body. Brown sugar, honey, Tabasco, powdered cocoa all take their turns on the palate. The life is short and blends into the finish. Oak dryness that turns to a tongue tingle of fresh ginger root. That pins-and-needles sensation slowly fades to an oaky and orange bitter finish that lasts. My first Tomatin found me unsure as what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. Though sweet, it's the spicy zing characteristic that takes center attention. It could be a perfect aperitif. Sweet and spicy: always an exhilarating ride. Many thanks to @Telex for providing the first Tomatin experience. [87/100][Tasted: 12/23/17]

Its the last Friday before Christmas. I find my self for the monent in a quiet house. The calm before the storm. Some pensive time with an mature scotch. What a perfect moment to sip and enjoy. A beautiful, rich amber color starts the show. A soft but pronounced nose. Sherry prominent. Sultanas, figs, banana. Spice of cinnamon, sweetness of brown sugar and butterscotch (or toffee). That is out of the gate. Let it sit for the well deserved time to give this old man whisky to awaken (a good 25 plus minutes). Bitter chocolate and that scent of a freshly opened cigar, just before it’s lit. Oranges with nutmeg (Orange Fruit Clove Spice, like you made in elementary school for Christmas). I almost do not want to sip it as I can nose this all day. This comes to the palate in gentle arrival in a silk like body. There are flashes of toffee sweetness but fades almost as quickly. Glimpses of dark chocolate and toasted coconut that return to the sweet vanilla and toffee arrival. The palate is somewhat short and very rapid in its transitions amongst the flavors, which is somewhat surprising given the age. The finish is the strength of this whisky. Orange bitters with a cinnamon spice tickle. Oak drying tannins suck the moisture from the palate. The mouth is last left with cloves and toffee that seems to go on forever. This whisky is one to sip, reflect, and stop time while doing so. The strength in Highland Park is with their core range / aged statement whiskies. They just do it right. Their recent dabbling is NAS whiskies, in my opinion, is a distraction from what they do right; their NAS leave much to be desired. For the price, I would undoubtedly always purchase their 18 year old expression as the quality per price cannot be beat. This 25 year old, though fantastic, is in that unreachable price point for many. And for me, I greatly appreciate the opportunity @LeeEvolved afforded me with the chance to sample this scotch. I almost certainly would never have had the chance. And on this (almost) Eve before Christmas Eve; to the members of the SDT, thank you all for many an opportunity. Cheers and much health and happiness! [94/100][Tasted: 12/22/17]

Another sample to try from our SDT tour provided by one of the originators, Ryan (I am so far behind in my samples). The Kilkerran 12 was just fantastic. Now, I am curious about it's roots, given this Work In Progress and opportunity to taste for myself. Sherry is recognizable immediately on the nose, but not over the top. Dark fruits: figs, dates, raisins. A touch of dried apricots and black cherries are also in the mix. A very fruity nose. Then add in a toffee and caramel sticky sweetness with a mineral earthiness bring the nose all together. No one aroma overpowering the others. A great nose. Take a sip and brown sugar sweetness arrives encasing vanilla and black pepper. A walnut and almond nuttiness with bitter chocolate come through as well in the medium bodied liquid. As time progress during the (soaking it all in) sipping, the sweetness too increases. Gets better in time and patience. A slightly spicy finish of cinnamon, Sriracha, oak and orange bitters with a touch of white pepper coming through on the final fade. More of a flavorful spiciness than that of a Ghost Pepper hot kind-of spice. For a work in progress, it's better than most finally progressed whiskies. The sweetness, spiciness is nicely balanced. Warming through and through. A good sipper on a cold night. Care and quality are discernible and, skipping forward, the producers have produced a great 12 year old through the learning and understanding of what works. [88/100][Tasted: 12/18/17]

Another Sunday evening arrives. I find myself sitting by the trimmed (artificial) tree and a cozy fire in the wood stove. Christmas music is piping through the speakers. All this after having enjoyed The Last Jedi. A good day; now time for a pour. After a good, long opening, a vanilla nose with orange creamsicle and ripened apples arrive. Cereal notes of oats with a touch of honey and a out-of-theme, fresh ginger, round out the nose. The palate is greeted with sugary sweetness over a medium body Ginger, again, with cinnamon and pie crust are the main flavors touched with a small amount of woodiness working to the finish. The finish is a touch spicy of white pepper and a dash of wasabi with a ginger zing that slowly fades to the end. Though this is an 18 year old, it honestly feels more on par as a 12 year old. A good dram, but considering it's age and price, I would expect a sophistication or complexity greater than what is delivered. The sweetness makes it enjoyable and work well as an after-meal dessert. Many thanks to @GenerouslyPaul for providing this sample. [85/100][Tasted: 12/17/18]

[I have to go on memory on this tasting because I foolishly grabbed this sample that @LeeEvolved graciously provided and thought it was Talisker 10 that I had already taken notes on - thus I did not take notes.....ugh!!] What I recall is lemon-peaty. The peat-smoke is evident on the nose. Somewhat viscous and oily but the spirit feels young (like 8 years) as there is a bite and a freshness with a smokey and peppery finish. [84/100][Tasted: 12/9/17]

Had some business out of town, so I grabbed a few samples to work my way through. Sadly, I only got to sample this one (the other nights were sampling with workmates at larger volumes...) The nose, straight out, is fruity with banana, tangerines and coconut. Sprinkle in notes of tea and honey, vanilla and pinch in some cinnamon. All this is clean, crisp and creamy. The mouthfeel is extremely thin and light, unlike the nose. Citrus lemon, cinnamon and oak char come through, but a vanilla sugar sweetness are immediate but fades just as rapidly. A short-lived palate and almost right to a finish. What remains is short with vanilla, white pepper, lemon zest with a touch of oak. This is akin to an Irish whiskey (sensible give the near proximity to Norther Ireland). The sweetness, the fruity banana and thin body (triple distillation). The brevity and thinness take away from it's full potential. Increasing the ABV to 43% or better yet 46% would greatly improve this whisky. Give this time, like one should, and the whisky-reward is improved. The longer it sits, the more improved it gets, though, only to a certain point. [85/100][Tasted: 12/4/17]

Highland Park base malts (12, 15, 18) have always been a favorite of mine. They have lately drifting away from the aged statement whiskies and concentrating on their NAS whiskies. I have my reservations, however. A soft and sweet nose that is malty with Brown sugar. Sherry notes of nuts and raisins with a touch of tropical fruits, toasted coconut and, way deep, banana. A hint of smoke, the Highland Park smoke, is there as well. The palate is introduced with a thin body with an immediate brown sugar and maple syrup sweetness that dissapates swiftly. That transition becomes cinnamon spicy and roasted almonds and oak. An earthiness base underlies the sweet and spicy. A sour bitterness takes hold into the finish. A slightly drying and oaky palate remains. White pepper spice with a ginger bitterness that lingers to the end. An easy dram that does not venture far from the middle. Safe and unadventurous. It has some good flavor, but lacks a punch or flair. The whisky would probably be improved if it was bottled at 43%. Highland Park, in my opinion, is losing focus and has been lacking in a cohesive direction and trying to find it's way through this age of NAS. This malt is indicative of that sentiment. Average, safe that seeks mass market appeal. [83/100][Tasted: 11/29/17]

Finished the Thanksgiving Turkey dinner. I poured this whisky sample to aid in the digestion of said turkey. Pour it and let it settle (like the turkey dinner) and the nose is greeted with a floral aromas with honey, vanilla and heather. Sprinkle in some ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. The more it opens, the fruitier notes of dried apricots and dates come through. If you are familiar with The Famous Grouse, you can detect it's parent roots. Take a sip and the palate takes on a soft and thick liquid that arrives with lemon citrus and sweet notes of milk chocolate and vanilla. Pepper, cinnamon and oak provide the spicy, vibrant zing on the tongue and that spiciness delivers to the finish. The finish is long and lasting. Plumb fruitiness packed with black pepper and cinnamon zing and lemon zest. At the final fade, bitter sweet chocolate comes through. This was actually and unexpectedly made for a perfect after dinner dram. Especially after an autumn Thanksgiving meal. A nice dessert scotch. The counterplay of sweet and spice keeps the palate active and probing. [86/100][Tasted: 11/23/17]