Tastes

“Send in the virgins!” cask finished whiskey. Reading more about this and this is more than the than a Hungarian finish. Take their Irish blend, 75/5 + 20 (Grain and malted) plus 20 North Ireland malted. Starts in ex-bourbon casks, then finished is Sherry butts. Blended with another Irish single malt aged in ex-bourbon. All this is finally finished in Virgin Hungarian Oak. A lot of blending and mixing; hence the experiment. Does all that experimentation over ten years produce an outstanding or worthwhile whiskey? I don’t know yet. As I was prefacing this tasting with these words, the pour has been opening. A gentle fruity sweetness on the nose. Apple crumb pie with a dusting of cinnamon. A La mode vanilla bean ice cream right alongside. Ethanol vapors do obscure the nice aroma. Toasted coconut and orange (but that artificial type like a lollipop or Italian ice), and fresh pears. Earthy, worn leather. Deep in the recesses is cedar grilling wraps and honey drizzle. Unlike the gentle aroma, the palate is harsh and biting because of the strength at 52.5%. That artificial orange coats the palate with cinnamon and clove. I struggle to extract other flavors as it may need water to loosen up. Well, water definitely softens the raw bite and becomes a bit more approachable. Caramel apples, burnt marshmallows, grilled pears, walnuts. Towards the fade into the finish, maraschino cherries flavor appears, almost out of nowhere. It offers a nice little twist. That artificial orange transforms to oranges (like the common pub Old Fashioned with the muddled orange and cherry) as it forms finishes. Oak, charcoal and back to that earthy leather. A nice balanced finish that you hope won’t fade quickly and rewardingly is doesn’t. The nose is one of the better noses. The cask strength, raw whiskey shields the hidden flavors. Water really does this a favor. An un-Irish Irish whiskey. I do get a sense that this whiskey is restrained and holds more flavor that needs to be pushed out. Maybe it’s more time finishing needed. Or maybe it’s just me unable to identify those other flavors. But what I can taste or detect is good, with a touch of water. Thanks @PBMichiganWolverine for the generous sample. [86/100][Tasted: 9/16/22]

Wow, two weekends in a row with a reported tasting. I think they call that a trend. I’m a fan of Bunna. I have a bunch in my collection. The 12 is a nice, light, phenolic sip. The 18 is excellent (all in my opinion). This sample was graciously provide by @PBMichiganWolverine Tonight, watching the Mets v Phillies and a documentary on Teddy Roosevelt (quite good, by the way). The nose has the almost unmistakable Bunna profile: rubber tires, caramel sweetness and maritime sea-spray. A light and lofty fruitiness: apples, Red raspberry jam and golden sultanas. A dusting of baking cocoa powder on pecans. The streams steady on the sweeter side, but it light and floaty. Unlike the sweet nose, the palate is prickly, hot and with a spice kick. That crescendos and intensity, but begins to settle down. Almonds and walnuts form the flavor foundation supporting the light flavors of red raspberry and sultanas, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger root. Wood, ginger and baking cocoa, white pepper and charcoal finish. They holds on for a medium-long time with slight tingling on the tongue. Bunnahabhain has a knack for creating whisky that usually above average to great. This is a decent scotch but lacks a boldness, variety and balance that anchors a great whisky. This is a drinkable whisky and enjoyable. It just doesn’t have enough of any particular quality to distinguish itself or make it unique. A good, lightly sweet sipping scotch. May even pair well with a mild cigar and a Mets game (Mets won 7-2; #LGM). Thanks @PbMichiganWolverine for the sample. [86/100][Tasted: 8/19/22]

I have seeing a bunch of Bruichladdich reviews recently so I would jump in somewhat. Pulled this sample I received sometime back curtesy of @PBMichiganWolverine. I have no idea (yet) what is Rivesaltes . However, I do know I am a fan of Bruichladdich make. A unique redish-brown. A color, for those who recall, the Crayola 64 pack box with the built in sharpener;. there was always this crayon which name I always thought had a cool and the color in engrained in my mind: Burnt Sienna. This very closely matches that color. Aroma initially is all Grape jam/jelly. As it settles, apples/Blueberry/cherry pie form. Throw in crushed almonds, wood, ethanol with a earthiness like rich soil or fresh sod. This arrives hot and spicy from the strength and punch it’s packing. Water will be a necessity. However, while unadulterated, a subtle sugary sweetness of grape jam A healthy dose of water mutes the aroma a bit and slightly enhances the grape jam. The palate accepts more easily. That grape jam flavor turns more to strawberries and sweetness. White pepper is more detectable than the previous hot and spicy punch. Wood rides the palate out, drying for a good length. Cherries and almonds as well. Ultimately, the palate is left with a aged leather. As it really digs in, you can clearly get that Bruichladdich profile. And as Devo says, “It’s Good” as Bruichladdich usually is. A woody, fruity earthy pour. It’s has some nice flavor to it and somewhat unique. You can sense there is something more wanting to bust out but it’s been restrained. More flavors and aromas. Maybe a bit more aging in the cask(?) to extract some more from the cask. Regardless, a nice little pour. [88/100][Tasted: 8/12/22]

Batch 27 (not sure if they all say Batch 27) I spent the past week at the yearly beach house rental on Fire Island sipping from this bottle that I received as a birthday gift a few years ago. I would sip this while smoking a cigar. Now back to “civilization”, it was time for a formal review in laboratory conditions. An opening on the nose of lightly toasted white bread with a thin spread of orange marmalade. That white bread turns to sourdough bread with vanilla-honey and toasted coconut and confectionery sugar. As it sits, warm maple syrup aromas over buttered Brioche French toast brings a pleasant breakfast aroma. Arrival on the palate is slightly spicy and tingly in a creamy texture body. Orange and cinnamon flavors, white pepper with sweet toffee, milk chocolate (think Heath Bar), Gala apples and mushy Grape Nuts cereal. The finish is medium-short leaving the palate with wood spice, vanilla, orange and lemon zest with a pickled ginger prickle. As I have been tasting in a Glencairn, I have found that this is actually two different scotch’s. The first, when nosing and tasting is spicy and citrusy. Given ample time, it becomes buttery and sweet. The latter is preferable and more enjoyable. Pour and give it fifteen minutes or so and enjoy. Patience is rewarded. A bit more depth in flavor and a richer finish would push this in a higher echelon. But, for $30 or so, it works. A very good blended malt at a great price. [86/100][Tasted: 8/6/22]

Back in the 80’s when hair was big, collars were worn upright, and cocktails were exotic (Pina Coladas, Bay Breeze, Alabama Slammers, Kamakazis), whenever we went out to a club or bar I would often get a Sloe Gin Fizz. I was introduced to it by someone, now, long forgotten. Sweet and sour with bubbles. Now, it has finally come together: my world of yesteryear merging with my more straightforward whisky sipping. I would never have thought to try the mix the two. But, here we have it. Now, let me put “Take on Me” on the stereo, watch Top Gun and rekindle my days of yore with some whisky. A nose that lures, entices, and confuses. It is a unique and odd combination of aromas that individually provide nice aromas. But when combined, leave you scratching yet wanting another sniff. Take Red Licorice and cedar saw dust, mix in dill and ginger ale and place in a cellar next to old musty library books. As odd as it sounds, you are drawn to smell again. You can’t help yourself. A draw onto the palate, what starts off as seemingly easy grows intensely hot. Once the intensity begins to diminish, you can begin to detect some flavors. Sweet grenadine which then morphs into cherry NyQuil mixed with Ginger ale. As it starts to fade, it begins to turn bitter and spicy with lemon oil and black pepper. Water is needed to cool it down a bit. Dropping an ice cube on this hot summer evening, water draws out a brown sugar and vanilla qualities and tones down the cherry dominance. Definitely an improved whiskey with water/ice. That bitter, peppery finish fade continues and ultimately what’s stays on the palate with a flavor of cherries and cedar wood. This remains for a fair length finally leaving the palate woody and dry, like chewing on a toothpick. The nose is like nothing similar to anything I have encountered before. The unique aroma that s definitely the strongest segment of the whiskey. The cherry flavor from the Sloe Gin is well infused. However, it does dominate and smothers the other flavors and may mask some that aren’t strong enough to break through. It is definitely young and vibrant and the added punch in abv is always good. It’s good but and would grab one if I happened to see it on a shelf. But I wouldn’t seek it out in particular. Thanks @PBMichiganWolverine for the ample pour. [86/100][Tasted: 7/23/22]

I had this buried amongst the samples (and I am finding the time to tackle the backlog). Perfect evening for a Campletown whisky. Will this be good being a work in progress or a botched experiment? Only one way to know. Oh! the pains we must endure for the greater good. After an initial alcohol blast, the nose slowly settles in revealing vanilla cream soda and cherry pie. Though those two aromas are inviting and rich, any other aroma is difficult to discern. Being patient, the candy with juice (I had to lookup what they are called: Nik-L-Lips) are sensed along with apples, pears, apricots and honeysuckle. Viscous and dense, the arrival is surprisingly sweet; candy-like. Salted caramel, milk chocolate, dark chocolate. Prickly as it settles on the palate with fresh ginger root and wood spices rides and fades to the finish. Water only sweetens the whisky making it almost too sweet. It’s natural state provides for a better balanced dram. A slightly woody and dry palate remains with hints of char, white pepper and unsweetened dark chocolate. My second Kilkerran thus far. The 12 year was fantastic. This WIP is a respectable pour. I would drink this repeatedly and with gusto. What holds it back from being a breakout star is that the spotlight is centered on sweetness and does not have a supporting cast. Depth of flavors would push this over to a higher level. Comparatively, to me, this is a borderline Irish whiskey closer to Green Spot, which makes sense given its proximity. Though it may sound overly critical, that is only that it holds potential to become a greater whisky. Hence, I surmise, a Work In Progress. Thanks @Telex for the sample from ages back. [88/100][Tasted: 6/24/22]

When it comes to my Old Fashioneds or Manhattans, I have become pretty static and entrenched to using Rittenhouse as the foundation rye. In all this time I have never deviated. So, I was in my local store and they had this on sale so I took the shallow financial plunge, curious to compare apples to apples (or rye to rye). Without any breathing, straight out, dill and pumpernickel greet the nose. Hints of char weave through the dill and pumpernickel. Grenadine, brown sugar and butterscotch keep the nose sweet. Clove and cinnamon spice keep the sweetness grounded. Over A medium dense body, subtly sweet and coarsely spicy. Cinnamon, anise, vanilla and light brown sugar. The earthy spices meld with the youthfulness nature (the slight alcohol tingle presents itself as earthy spices). As it fades from the palate, black licorice and wood char remain and quite chewable. Oak tannins keep the mouth slightly dry. Adding and ice cube or water brings pulls forward the sweetness and tamps slightly the spice. The abv keeps the dilution at bay keeping the flavors in tact. If you want a summer sipper, just adds ice. As a sipper, it holds it own. It won’t wow but it’s steady and easy. As a mixer for a Manhattan or Old Fashioned, it contains the spice and punch to spearhead through and provide the whiskey flavor these cocktails are based. Comparatively, Rittenhouse has that blind punch (strong but unnoticeable) and has a slight better balance between spice and sweetness. I would give the edge to Rittenhouse but would not think twice about using Sazerac as a substitute. [86/100][$28][Tasted: 6/17/22]

Edition: 2020 I am a Springbank rookie. The few that I have had have been above average to exceptional. Pulled from a backlog of samples, from, I believe @PbMichiganWolverine. Sadly, I lost account of who sent this (all apologies, but thank you). This was the winner. For this Memorial Day weekend, it seemed like a pour to sit back and chew on this Saturday evening. A lightweight aroma greets you. There are a variety of small notes, like a 1000 piece puzzle. Perfume, floral, cedar, vanilla, milk chocolate, molasses, honey, pine resin, caramel, toasted coconut, ocean breeze. All these disparate aromas, when put together, form a coherent, cohesive picture of what the palate can expect. Like the nose, there are several flavors that form a picture. But the flavor palette is comprised of different set of colors than the nose. Some are of the same spectrum but tinted slightly richer and bolder. The body is medium-light and delivers an initial sweetness of brown sugar, vanilla and caramel. Bitterness of dark chocolate. Spiciness of ground cinnamon, cardamon, ginger and oak. Earthiness of leather. Burnt whole wheat toast. Oranges and lemon citrus. Grilled apples, pears, pineapples and toasted coconut. Raisin bran cereal fades to the finish. The finish is long with charcoal, tobacco, oranges, brine, coffee and rubber tires all with a metallic overtone, which lingers. A nice long ride out until the next sip. It’s been a while since I have had a good scotch pour. This one broke that streak. There is this George Clinton Parliament Funkadelic that just keeps the palate off beat, syncopated and dancing. The sweetness is not overblown but on the fringe. Balanced by spices and tropical spices. That is the key: balance (Daniel-son). I get a slight similarity to Glenfarclas with a charcoaled edge. Well crafted. A slow sipper that you don’t want to end. [92/100][Tasted: 5/28/22]

Batch 3 / 42.6% abv. Many moons ago, there were a band of tasting brothers that set forth to taste a scotch from every active Scottish distillery. The SDT. In that era, much was shared. This was provided by @LeeEvolved to the team. Tonight, this was pulled from the trove as it turned out to be an appropriate time to sample (the house to myself). You may generally find that the older a whisky is, the more complexity it harbors. That is usually first indicated at introduction, the nose. This totally debunks that notion. There is practically no aromatic richness or a dynamic variety of aromas. It’s rather static. Woody-vanilla and diluted bourbon notes. Over time, sweet-ripened fruits of pears and pineapples hover. The body is thin. Lighter in weight than water. What’s embedded, like the nose, is sparse and lacking complexity. Sweetness that turns bitter that starts with vanilla, light brown sugar with barely detectable hints of apples and toasted coconut. All of this (which is not much) quickly diminish and transforms to a slightly wooden spicy liquid with a youthful quality. The finish is all wood and bitter lemon citrus that fades quickly but leaving the mouth woody dry. If I was a gambling man, I would wager to say that this is a young 8 year old Speysider that’s on its way to being something more given six to eight years. That this is a 23 year old is shocking. It sips similar to Balvenie 12 but is not as rich. Is this a terrible pour and undrinkable? Absolutely not. But given the age and cost, your tasting time/cost is better spent elsewhere. [84/100][Tasted: 5/20/22]

I have been totally out of rhythm when it comes to sampling. Maybe out of rhythm with life overall lately. But tonight I fell back into my former (but I am sure only momentarily). Hoping things will get back into line soon (many irons in the fire in my life right now). This has been sitting in my samples and harkens back to the SDT days, which seems like slight eternity. I think I even lost 3/4 of an ounce. So, before I loose any more, I figured, let’s do it. It jumps out with with sherry and ripened red fruit notes. Raisins, apples, red raspberries. There is a sugary overlay that wraps the fruity aromas. Vanilla, caramel, light-brown sugar. And, of course, there is the cereal notes. Oats and barley. If you were to describe a healthy-heart breakfast, take all those ingredients that comprise the aroma you would have just created that breakfast. It’s an instant sweet and spicy palate, but the spice is overshadowed by the sweetness. Initially sweet, almost too sweet. But then the mild spice crescendo’s. Crème brûlée, orange zest, milk chocolate, apples and pears which is similar in that aspect to Glenlivet 12. Fresh ginger and white pepper provide the spicy side on the palate. This is all delivered in a lightweight body with a silky texture. What remains of the palate lasts for a fair length. Bitter orange, oak tannins, vanilla and ever slight hints of apple. This is a pleasant dram. It is youthful and spry. A few more years in the cask would prove to be interesting and could mature into something a bit more in depth. The sweetness would definitely work well and compliment a mild cigar. Dalmore-esqe with some Glenlivet qualities. Quite enjoyable. Thanks @LeeEvolved for the sample. [88/100][Tasted: 4/29/22]