Tastes

Nose: sweet leather, maple syrup, and a hint of some berries. Strawberry, maybe? Very aggressive, because of the high proof. But, once you get past the alcohol, you're rewarded with a very pleasant, strong leather and maple syrup combo. Enjoyed taking my time nosing this one. A drop of water REALLY brought out the maple syrup. It also brought a hint of oak. Taste: very tannic and strong. Oak and a little bit of sweet. After a drop of water, the maple syrup comes out in the taste. The bourbon calms down a bit and becomes more enjoyable on the palate. Finish: looooooong. My wife got mint; I did not. I got some baking spices and I'm not sure what else :) overall, the finish was pleasant and rewarding.

Nose: strong butterscotch, fresh fruit on the nose. Really fresh and strong aroma. Not at all what I expected. I expect a 25 year to be rich and complex, but not fresh. Taste: mango, pineapple, coconut - tropical fruit. Not what I was expecting at all. As it sat in my mouth, the flavors kept evolving. It changed into stone fruit, then a little bit of salinity. Sweetness. Chocolate The mouth feel was perfect, one of the best I've had in a whiskey. Truly fantastic. Finish: smooth, long, sweet, asking for more. This is up there with the pappy Van Winkle 20 year and the yamazaki 18 for the best whiskey I've ever had.

Nose: a little bit of salinity, a little bit of leather with a hint of tobacco Taste: leather, oak, peat. It's basically the non vanilla / caramel / toffee notes of bourbon. Pretty cool to taste that side of alcohol brought out in a very pronounced fashion. Finish: smoother than a 119 proof whiskey has any business being. Very nice.

Nose: vanilla, sweet, peat. Almost like a bourbon. Taste: HEAVY peat. Woo! Strong, because of its cask strength. Very bold whiskey. Finish: not particularly long. Spicy. Strong, but not as sharp as some other cask strengths I've had.

70% of this is Laphroaig 15. A part is 8yo, for the peat. A part 9yo for sherry, 11yo, and 25yo for cask oils and body. Laphroaig stopped their 15yo expression in order to make the Lore. Four characteristics of Laphroaig: peat, floral, rye, fruit Nose: fresh fruit on the nose. Some salt. Hints of peat. As you leave it in the glass, sweeter honey and vanilla notes begin to emerge. Taste: floral, sweet notes to start. Can taste the influence of the Sherry casks. Then, rye, but smooth rye. Medium viscosity. Not tannic. Not much peat on the tongue, but wait for it! Finish: smooth, smooth whiskey. When you breathe out, you get the peat. I love how this peat is restrained until the end. Very good expression. I've had one bottle, and would gladly buy another.

Laphroaig's #2 seller. Nose: pleasantly peaty. Not too much peat, just right for me. Slight vanilla as well. Iodine. Taste: peat. Very oily. Not smooth, has some fire like young bourbon (makes sense, as it is a blend of 5-11 year old whiskey). A bit creamy. Overall, it's a pleasant peated whiskey. Not sure if I would buy it, though Finish: dry. Pretty long. Peated. Very slight licorice in the back of the mouth.

Tasted this at a Seven Grand Austin Heaven Hill tasting. Nose: sweet corn, vanilla, toffee. Overall, pleasant. Taste: nice mouthfeel, sweet, little bit of pepper in the back. Not much tannin Finish: long, fairly smooth given the proof.

Nose: sweet toffee and caramel. Really pleasant. I didn't detect much else, but it gets high points from me because of how nice it is. No alcohol fumes. Taste: sweet, viscous, full. More caramel. Not much spice, but a little towards the back. No tannins. Finish: long, smooth, sweet, slightly spicy. Very nice whiskey!

Tasted the single barrel at seven grand Austin. This is an 11 year old, 94 proof bourbon. Nose: toffee, caramel, candied orange rind, butter. Taste: sweet, with spicy notes in the back. There's caramel and vanilla, with pepper spikes throughout the sip. Nice viscosity. Very light on tannin. Finish: strong, lingers for a while.

Specifically made for cocktails. Nose: toffee, vanilla. Pretty big aromas. Taste: vanilla, toffee, caramel, a little bit of citrus. ends with a kick of black pepper on the back of the tongue. Finish: strong finish from the 100 proof. Lingers sweet and slightly spicy on the back of the tongue.