Tastes

Aromas of caramel, dark fruit, leather. Excellent nose. Drinks lower than proof, but still bold flavors of leather, plum, cocoa, caramel, oak. Worthy of the hype, and I'm glad I paid whatever this pour is going to cost me, I think I've only had a handfull of bourbons I've liked more.

Aromas of caramel, apple blossom, vanilla. Thick oily mouthfeel, little ethanol, notes of caramel, apples, light maple. This bottle was a treat to work through, going to need to find a new IB Mortlach.

Musty aromas with oak, vanilla. Palate is very woody, a little bit of vanilla custard in there, long, spicy finish that gradually loses the oaky bitterness. The aroma was the strong point here. This was fun to try, but definitely not worth the premium over the 18.

Cask #49. I think the ABV was 62.2%. Less of a hot mess than 48 was, some floral notes than make me think Clynelish or something. Thick, caramel mouthfeel. Some heat on the finish

Pear, sawdust on the nose. Palate is sweet, custardy, with some caramel, but it still has a distinctly Irish character. Pretty outstanding stuff.

The nose has berries, caramel, toffee, very easy on the senses, it's a thing of beauty. Palate starts out with some stewed pear, honey, hint of black tea, with a finish that brings in some smoke, barley, a little ethanol. Quite a nice Irish, and one that beats most of the Spots in my view.

The nose is promising, offering honeysuckle, oak, and caramel. Palate isn't even close to living up to it, with some bitter oak, honey, grass, and some ethanol heat despite a very watery mouthfeel. Doesn't make me want to give Japanese whiskey a closer look, especially considering the prices.

After wondering for so long how they justify charging around $300/bottle for a 7 year aged Irish whiskey, I finally had a chance to try a pour at a bar. Feel in love with the nose immediately. Vanilla, caramel, honey, custard, stone fruit, not a hint of ethanol. The palate is rich, with some chocolate, espresso, prune, with a long peppery finish with a bit of cinnamon and ethanol. I still think the price is a bit steep, but it might be my favorite Spot (slightly edges out Gold Spot, haven't tried Red Spot yet).

Much fruitier nose than the Madeira cask. Just a hint of iodine and sea spray. Earthy palate, dark fruit, smoke and salinity on the finish. Definitely sweeter than the Madeira cask, but not nearly as overwhelming as the PX cairdeas.