Tastes

During one on Maryland visits, at one of the spirit stores I visit, Old Line was having a tasting and was fortunate enough to talk to one of the new owners, Mark McLaughlin. A former Navy Flight Officer, he and his business partner, as we discussed, went under apprenticeship from the original Navy veteran from Washington State, purchased and moved operations to Baltimore, Maryland. This particular whiskey was “aged at least two years in 10 gallon barrels” that is “aged in charred, new white oak casks" and “distilled on Samish Island, WA”. He is passionate and enthusiastic and looking expand the reaches of Old Line. The color is deep amber, though uncertain if that is it’s natural color. It is distilled from 100% malted barley. The nose is very much bourbon-like. Somewhat simple with vanilla and spices of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. A lightweight body arrives with an initial rush of oak. The oak transforms to a momentary sweet vanilla and maple syrup or rich caramel. That glimpse of sweetness give way to dry cinnamon spice. As it starts the finish, the palate gets slightly bitter . The finish is woody-oak and drying. You are ultimately left with the flavors of cinnamon, bitter orange rind and black licorice. When water is added, an “American Mist” (can’t truly call it a Scotch Mist) forms. The sweetness is diminished though the dram becomes more cohesive, but I prefer without water. Though it’s distilled purely with barley, it has all the flavorings and characteristics of a bourbon. A decent and enjoyable whiskey. Not overly sweet and has that spicy and oaky that I enjoy out of a bourbon. [Dry Glass: Faint candy corn][84/100][$42][Tasted: 9/22/17]

Deep sherried whiskies, to me, take some time to understand and appreciate. Similar, in essence, to adapting and appreciating a good, peated whisky. I recall having tasting a Macallan the first time and I was not in tune to the experience: the deeply rooted sherried flavor and the impression was one of a mediocre whisky. But time changes our perceptions as our wisdom and knowledge increases. Where am I going with this? Now having more appreciation for sherried whiskies, I was looking forward to tasting this Glenfarclas; this being my first. I was eager to compare to the baseline Macallan. Raisins and lightly toasted bread (a similar aroma to Raisin Bran) are initially met. The obvious sherry notes are joined with a nuttiness and spicy nutmeg. Toffee sweetness overtones the fruity orange peel and apple notes. Honey and vanilla are sprinkled in between. A touch or char hidden in the depths is drawn out over time. Be patient! Arrives gently, soft and sweet. Brown sugar, vanilla, prunes, allspice and cloves compose the palate all balanced. Near the fade to the finish, with some time on the palate, the sweet tea with honey flavors work their way and deliver the finish. The finish is medium in length and exposes flavors not smelled nor tasted on the palate. Slightly ginger and tannic, yet revealing a brown sugar sweetness and cinnamon spiciness. The final fade brings a nice unique flavor for Welch’s Grape Jelly/Jam or an almost and artificial grape flavor, like grape soda, and ultimately, exiting with toasted coconut. The thought that kept coming to my mind with this experience is ‘Seamless’ The transition from aroma to arrival to delivery and finish are greeted and finished in one fluid progression with little obvious abruption. Soft and creamy and slightly warming. A definite slow sipper that only improves over time, and in that time, you are rewarded. As a comparative, I found this to be slightly more enjoyable than Macallan 12. A well-crafted and thoroughly enjoyable sherried whisky. Complex yet approachable. A quiet gem! [Dry Glass: Heath candy bar][$56][87/100][Tasted: 9/15/17].

My preference of whisky is often a scotch but am open to bourbons and ryes. Four Roses has duly impressed me on many levels and this sample has me curious as to how much I would enjoy. A beautiful nose of autumn baking spices: nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. A touch of sweetness of black cherries, vanilla extract, toffee and milk chocolate (think Heath Bar) with a bit of oaky sawdust. Inhaling instantly transports me to an Upstate farm on a crisp fall day. The whisky arrives with a rich brown sugar sweetness wrapped in a medium body. As the sweetness subsides, the spicy cinnamon hotness kicks in, but not over the top. Caramel, vanilla, apple crumb pie, and notes of chocolate. The rye is a foundation and is the binder for all the sweetness and spice and maintains that balance. Drying oak tannins and spicy cinnamon, like red hots, finishes this off along with vanilla sweetness, toasted marshmallows and black cherry; long and lasting. Water, as usual, tempers the spice allowing the sweetness to bear more a dominance. A fantastic and my ideal bourbon. A perfect balance of sweetness and spice. Water is not necessary but does not diminish the quality. I stumbled across Four Roses in Nashville and have found the have yet to disappoint. Thanks Ryan for providing me this wonderful sample. [Dry Glass: Sawdust and caramel][95/100][Tasted: 9/10/17]

Dewars has never been a scotch I would normally seek out. Often served at weddings or on a table at a Christmas party when there was not much more for me than beer, I would take a glass over ice. This being the single malt base for Dewars, will I be in for a pleasant surprise? A floral and sweet nose. Honey and vanilla dominant with caramel. Ripened white fruit: pear or apples. Extremely thin and light. A touch of lemon citrus with a touch of spice: vanilla, toffee, honey and cinnamon. As it fades, a touch of oak char can be detected. The finish is not much different than the palate of cinnamon, oak and char. A Dewars component, no doubt. Simple and approachable. Not much different than the blended version. Given the choice between this and Dewars, for the cost, I would choose the blend. One would probably would not realize the difference. [Dry Glass: Candy corn][83/100][Tasted: 8/31/17]

Amongst the crazy-busy summer with family, friends and major events this summer, I have been waiting to find a bit of down time to open this sample. So, working my way into a Labor Day weekend, the day before a family wedding, I found a little sliver of time. Soft. Light. Slight everything. That’s the nose. Slight vanilla, slight floral, slight honey, slight sherry aromas: raisins, walnuts, berries with clementines. Let this whisky sit and really let it open. The arrival is gently sweet and immediately crescendos to an oak and cinnamon spice. This is all contained in a thin body. The crescendoing spice then falls to a soft sweetness of brown sugar and milk chocolate. A short and simple finish of oak and ginger. This is sweet and easy whisky. I admit that I do enjoy Balvenie. The 12, 14 and this 15. It just works (for me). Simple, sweet and enjoyable. I do wish the finish was was longer and had a little more to offer. Cost prohibitive, I understand, but still a worthy dram to seek out. Thanks Pranay. [Dry Glass: vanilla-honey][88/100][Tasted: 8/31/17]

[Batch #4 / Sep 2014 / 53.2%] Arran is not the first scotch you conjure up when you think Island whiskies. How smokey is this (it’s must be peaty, right?) How briny is this one? This Arran is cask strength and labeled as Non-chilled filtered and natural color. A nosing of this simply reveals dried apricots, oranges and hazelnuts. Given plenty of time and I could not further detect much more. The opening is light and faint with little depth. With the minimal setup by the nose, the question looms: how weak with the palate be? A medium-dense body delivers more than the nose. The sherry influence of baking spices and nuts are the core flavors. Cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and walnuts. Several more sips reveals dates and baker’s chocolate. The bourbon influence is also detectable of dark brown sugar and vanilla, though not strong. The two barrel-influenced flavors interplay works well. The finish is slightly orange-bitter/orange zest with drying oak with ground cinnamon. A deep, warming whisky. Add a liberal dose of water which creates a great scotch mist. It also weakens the bitterness allowing the sweeter side of the dram to come through. Much improved. For a cask strength, this is surprisingly tame. There is burn, but it’s tolerable. A soft, sweet simple nose and a nutty and spicy, somewhat flavorful palate creates a dichotomy between the two senses. This is a perfect on a brisk, autumn evening with the Thanksgiving spices warming the soul. [Dry Glass: Toasted Marshmallows][$65][87/100][Tasted: 8/19/17]

Another Friday evening finds me with another sample. I have seen Deanston on shelves but never really thought much about it and almost never had a sample (save a quick taste two years ago). The tour group, courtesy of Ryan, has allowed me to taste this and not just sample. How was my experience? Tangerine citrus aromas start the tasting process intermixed with cereal (in the vein of Grape Nuts). More time and some honey sweetness creeps up (which makes a somewhat healthy breakfast in a normal sense). Lastly, a touch of floral with dried hay rounds out the nose. A medium-dense body is immediately striking with black pepper spice and ginger root. A fresh and clean sensation takes over the palate. As you work past the spiciness, you can detect some light-brown sugar sweetness. A crescending of heat and burn arrive late towards the start of the finish. The finish is medium in length and what remains are lemon bitters and bittersweet chocolate. A somewhat odd mix, but works well here. The curtain call is ginger all and a touch of wood oak, like a toothpick chewed on for some time. This is definitely young and vibrant. An easy sipper that is pretty straightforward and upfront. Not flashy or dynamic, however refreshing. This works well as a summer sipper. I was pleasantly surprised. [Dry Glass: Butterscotch][85/100][Tasted: 8/18/17]

Been slowly working my way through my samples. Having poured myself the standard Mac12 this weekend, I was eager to compare the two whiskies; how much are they similar or varied? Is one better than the other? A sherry-based whisk, no doubt, as you nose with the tell-tale aroma of raisins and walnuts and roasted almonds, immediately. Allow it open and the tropical fruits of pineapple and toasted coconut arrive. Further along, orange bitters, cinnamon, vanilla and milk chocolate can be found. All notes that are unmistakably Macallan. The first sip is soft and rich with a zing on the tongue. As you adjust to the spice/burn, this is a sweet whisky with brown sugar and/or maple syrup, coconut and dried pineapple. The cinnamon spice keeps the sweetness somewhat counterbalanced keeping the sweetness somewhat in check. As it starts to fade dark chocolate and the woody oak profile may their way into the fade. Finishing medium in length, this is less sweet than the nose or palate. Orange rind bitterness and ginger spice linger with a bit of oak drying tannins. This is a spicier and sweeter version of the more subtle Mac12. Be patient with this one to allow the sweetness to work its way forward. A pleasant dram with a shorter finish. This works well after a rich meal or to counter a mild cigar (ala Romeo & Juileta). [Dry Glass: Toffee and vanilla][87/100][Tasted: 8/13/17]

Sunday evening and it’s the start of Shark Week. A nice way to unwind before the start of the work week. Will Michael Phelps outswim a Great White? I will find out while sampling this whisky provided by Ryan. A easy and straightforward nose containing tropical, floral and sweet notes of coconut, honeysuckle and vanilla. Give it more and time and you get the same (or at least I do). A thin body that delivers sweet and spicy brown sugar, maple syrup and white pepper and toasted marshmallows. Nothing too demanding. The finish is medium in length. Notes of cinnamon, spicy ginger root and drying oak all remain. This was somewhat akin to a Balvenie 12. Makes a nice summer sipper that is easy, safe and approachable. A profile that works well when you just want to sip without complexity; when simplicity is all you need for that moment. In this complex and fast-paced world, a little simplicity is refreshing, like this whisky. (Spoiler alert: Michael Phelps lost by 2 seconds) [Dry Glass: Butterscotch][86/100][Tasted: 7/23/17]

Sitting with my oldest watching an extremely intense movie on this Saturday evening. A sample provided by Lee finds me tonight while we sit back for the and go for the ride. A briny peat "announces it’s presence with authority" Not over the top. Dig deeper and accents of rubber hose are found. Cherry wood smoked ham begin to appear provide that sweet yet salty savory combination. Subtle honeyed-vanilla sweetness with the savory smoked aromas round out the the salty-brininess and primes you for that first sip. All these aroma come over a length of time and patience is rewarding. Oily and dense, cigar ash is the dominate flavor, but not overpowering. Cedar wood and, again, brine with a light brown sugar sweetness provide, similarly to the aromas, a salty-sugary combination. Dr. Pepper soda flavor and a touch of black pepper spice works its way on the fade and into the finish. The finish is long and ashy with salted caramels and a touch of drying wood. The balance of salt, sweet and peat is near perfect. A slow, complex sipper where you find yourself getting lost in the whisky and your thoughts. Well-crafted. Well-balanced. Well-enjoyed. [Dry Glass: Smoked glazed ham][90/100][Tasted: 7/22/17]