Tastes

Received this as a Christmas gift. Light, floral nose with hints of vanilla. A faint amount of honey sweetness, but you have to "dig" and be patient to find it. Oak jumps out immediately on the palate. Light in texture. That small amount of honey sweetness found on the nose can be found on the palate. Little to almost no tongue burn. Those flavors remain very well balanced throughout the palate from start to finish, which is unfortunately short. This a good dram. Mature in some way. No surprises, which is a surprise. Is it worth the price? Maybe not. If received as a gift, it tastes that much better. It definitely opens conversation when it's presented. I like to keep this for those extremely special occasions.

The malt is strong with this one (weak Star Wars reference) as is honey or butterscotch sweetness on the nose. The honey nose intensifies the longer it breathes. Faint floral and lemon citrus and leather are in the background. Reminds me of an warm April day. The honey sweetness continues on the palate through its soft and rich body. Oak tannins take over when the sweetness fades. Tongue burn comes on very late but and gradually fades. A pleasant oaky, dry and spicy finish remains on the palate which sets the table for the sweetness of the next sip. Water reduces the sweetness, increasing the oak dryness and softens the bite; rounds out. I prefer this neat or a tiny amount of water. Overall, a nice, easy, enjoyable dram and, bottled at a 48%, is a nice and easy sipper. Not overly complicated. Perfect when you are in need of a small dose of simplicity. [$53][88/100][Opened 9/6/2014; 12/30/15]

On a lazy Sunday before Labor Day, kicking back cooking some ribs with family with a 'Storm' starting to roll in. Light, sweet honey nose with an extremely faint amount of smoke and salt. Medium body on the palate. Toffee and honey sweetness partnered with strong burn on the tongue. The sweetness and burn slowly dissipate leaving a brown sugar sweetness with some spice with a medium-length finish. Very similar to 10, but without the prevelant peatiness on the nose. Also slightly less complex than the 10, but very enjoyable. Water mutes the nose, tames the bite and the sweetness. Better neat. I prefer the 10yo, but this is a very good dram. The young characteristics dominant the finish with spice and bite. Let it breathe and the sweeter characteristics of brown sugar become pronounced and the spiciness subdued. [Dry Glass: Toffee][$39][87/100][Opened 8/31/14][Revisited: 8/1/15]

Tasted 8/23/2014 : Vanilla, corn sweetness on the nose, similar to of Makers or Weller with a banana note in the background. Bite upfront but with minimal flavor. Somewhat bland and bitter. Over ice, the vanilla sweetness comes out and tames the harshness. Better with ice or water.

Tasted 8/23/2014@ Rod N Reel : Enjoying with family in Chesapeake Beach, Maryland. Nose of sweet maple syrup on pancakes. Light and smooth on the palate with mild burn. Maple-honey sweetness and vanilla all around. Finish is wonderfully long. Well balanced. Perfect with friends on a cool, crisp fall day. Just wish I had a cigar with me.

Sweet and light potpourri of candy corn, leather, honey, vanilla and whisps of fresh green apple and walnuts on the nose. Balanced, soft, round and light-bodied with some black pepper spice, leather and then a quick flash of honey/vanilla. A warming finish that leaves the palate pleasantly oaky and slightly dry. A hint of black pepper can be found if you let it rest. Thins out and sweetens with water. Overall, a well balanced wheated bourbon. Great neat if you want soft and oaky/leather. If you want something sweeter, add some ice or water. If you like Makers, than you will love this. It is a bit better and cost-effective. [$29 Lit][88/100][Revisited: 1/26/15 - Blizzard; 11/7/15]

Light, fruity nose with vanilla, honey and green apple notes, soft and sweet. Oak and cereal notes, malt arrive on the palate with mild tongue burn towards the front. A pleasant, dry and mildly spicy finish that lingers on the palate that fades slightly bitter with a touch of oak. This is the scotch that started me on the single malt journey. A go-to scotch that is always good, anytime, anywhere. Safe, warm and comfortable; like a good friend. [$44][86/100] [Opened: Always]

Dried straw and cereal notes dominants the nose. Letting breath for a few minutes, the sweeter notes faintly arrive; honey on the nose. The grain is obvious and floats amongst the primary aromas. A small burn slowly creeps on the front on palate, softly, but opens to honey, vanilla and brown sugar. Finishes with the honey, tea and white pepper spice. Add a few cubes, and the dram becomes predominantly sweeter and the graininess is subdued. Definitely more enjoyable with rocks. A nice, clean whiskey, similar in nose to Jameson, but softer and sweeter like Bushmills. [84/100][Tasted 8/4/2014][10/11/15]

Upfront banana notes. Corn syrup and charcoal in the background.   Smooth, light texture on the palate.  Vanilla and oak with slight burn on the tongue.   Short finish.   Water softens the banana nose and mellows out on the palate.  Better over ice.

Cereal, honey, butterscotch and vanilla nose with a fruity, floral aroma all greet the nose. Arrives on the palate, creamy, with orange peel, tea, honey and vanilla notes. Flavors fade leaving the palate with orange zest, a small amount white pepper and burn (43% ABV). Leaves a slightly bitter palate on the finish. As it opens in the glass, it becomes sweeter and a bit softer. A bit of water opens the floral notes and tames the burn. This is a one to keep around for sharing. Young (of course), simple and bright. A good scotch at even a better price. [$29][84/100][Opened: 8/1/2014][Revisited: 5/21/15;12/23/15]