Tastes

Label says bottle 320 and 46.7% ABV. Proof seems a bit low for the possible range, but I wasn't thinking about that when I spotted this on a bottom shelf in a random liquor store while taking my baby daughter for a walk in a random neighborhood while waiting for a car wash. It was an impulse buy. (Yes, I take my baby daughter on walks to random liquor stores sometimes - where else am I supposed to go? Parks? Borrr-ing...) These notes are in a rocks glass with one ice cube, and I think that is the way to drink this one. N: Blast of peanut butter followed by chocolate, cherry, cherry cough syrup, Reese's Pieces. Every time you go back, slapped in the face by peanut butter and Reese's Pieces - it's kinda cool like that actually. Waiting out the peanut butter and candy gets you to some mild citrus, caramel, vanilla, dried red fruit. Every now and then there's this sort of Highland Scotch fruit quality that jumps out, peach and pear and very rich - also nice. P: Bitter and a bit boozy at first glance. Peanut butter is there, especially mid-palate, just before the finish. Dark chocolate, peanuts generally, dried cherry, milk chocolate, peanut brittle. Fairly sharp medicinal ethanol bite that is not very pleasant, especially in combination with the bitterness (tannic). Finish is a sort of indistinguishable mish-mash of hot baking spice that occasionally touches on chili pepper, but nothing else really stands out. Peanut butter lingers through the finish too, but not as clear or as impressive as on the nose. Mouthfeel is rich and heavy which later comes to feel sweet, but it's not enough to counteract the bitterness and ethanol. So, I tried drinking this straight from a Glencairn and was hugely disappointed. The concentration of the nose in the Glencairn is just too much. The whiskey comes across as very boozy and medicinal - I think my threshold for that is fairly high, but I found it unpleasant and hard to nose. I still got the peanut butter, but it was overpowered by a cherry cough syrup scent that I couldn't take or escape. I switched to a rocks glass and threw a cube at it. Night and day difference - the contours of the profile were the same, but the harsh spots were tamed. A beautiful and fun-loving nose emerged, as described above. The palate, sadly, was basically the same, but watered down, and mediocre before that. I would pass on this bottle at this proof. Maybe I got a weak barrel, maybe not. My gut feeling is that this is what it is - kinda mediocre - and the barrel isn't the problem. That said, I think if I spot this again, I'll look for a bottle with a proof approaching or over 100. Maybe I'll prove to be a glutton for punishment, but I have a feeling the extra angel's share might overpower the proof and leave just enough flavor compounds to make this pretty good.

N: Overripe peaches soaking in apple cider, white grapes and/or white wine, grass and hay, oxidized apple, varying hints of stone and orchard fruit, Fig Newton cookies, prune, maybe plum, bit of lemon. Just a subtle suggestion of something vegetal and funky. Also feels like there's something more earthy and bready trying to break through from underneath all these softer and sort of off-key fruit flavors. I say off-key because all of them are quite pungent on their own and the nose almost has a vinegar quality to it - almost, but it dances nicely on the right side of that line. P: Very soft milk chocolate, honey, white bread (lightly toasted, I think), and slivered almond. Then the white grapes and mixed stone and orchard fruit return. As does the grass and hay. Softer peach and pear follow that and just barely break in before the pot still spices become assertive enough to remind you that this is single pot still whiskey after all. Finish starts hot with a generous dash of cayenne heat, accompanied by allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander, but that all fades and softens to more of a cracked black pepper. Rising up through that spice is a faint toasted coconut (again, letting you know it is truly an Irish single pot still whiskey). Finally, a little chocolate and honey return to play the coda, and they brought graham crackers. How nice of them! This is not a terribly complicated whiskey, but it's fun and easy to drink. It's crisp and almost refreshing - as much as a whiskey can be, I guess. As a limited release, it is an interesting expression of the style. It's pretty affordable too. Worth grabbing if you like the single pot style. For perspective sake, this shares a similar character with the Teeling single pot still, but feels more rounded, less harsh, easier to enjoy. It is quite far from the robust and full bodied Powers or Spot whiskey single pot still expressions. It's kind of a dumb comparison, but I think it works here: this is white wine while those are red. I prefer red, as I assume most whiskey drinkers do, but I also like a nice changeup sometimes. This would suit that purpose perfectly. Hunting story: I read of this release close to a year ago and, since I love the Irish single pot still whiskeys, added it to my shopping list. I, of course, expected to partake of this fine dram shortly thereafter. Disappointment followed disappointment in trying to locate a bottle. A cornucopia of websites were surfed; a plethora of store shelves perused. Plenty of other Kilbeggans were found, but not this special one. But then, one day, there it was on the shelf! I had to do a double take on the bottle and also check my whiskey shopping spreadsheet on my phone (which I totally hate doing because spreadsheets really suck on phones) to make sure my eyes did not deceive me. I followed my "immediate buy list" rules and immediately bought it. So, friends out there, if you're holding out hope to find that special and nearly forgotten dram, let this be a lesson to you: just keep looking. And keep a spreadsheet. (Unless your special dram is an allocated bourbon. You're pretty much just screwed then. Spreadsheet won't help.) (Also, I feel like I may be able to cut and paste this same story into a Blue Spot review in about a year.)

N: Plum, pear, raisin, gumdrops, cherry candy, cherry cough syrup, overripe banana, toasted coconut, almond extract, sugar cookies. Little bit of petrichor in it - thought I caught it in the Yellow Spot last night, but wasn't sure. I'm certain it's in the Red. Tiny and fleeting hits of mint and ethanol. Nosing across the edges of the glass (Glencairn) reveals a really nice sour stone fruit. P: Hot, sweet, oily, and heavy, and yet nothing out of place. Sweet and sour red fruit, little bit of anise and/or black licorice, cinnamon candy, banana playing at the edges of your tongue, little bit of a bitter white tea, cracked pepper, something vegetal - not quite bell pepper, but getting there. Sweet bread drizzled with caramel and vanilla sauce. Thin layer of chocolate which sometimes hits as powdered, sometimes as milk, sometimes dark. Finish is long and layered - hot cinnamon, banana, peach, pear, little bit of lingering dark chocolate, espresso... There's significant bitterness in the finish - in the chocolate and the espresso especially. Pot still spice is there, but generally sits in the background - very unlike the Yellow, Green, or really most Irish single pot still whiskies. And there's still red fruit hanging through to the end - bits of cherry, strawberry, grape, plum, raisin - some of it fresh, some of it dried. Seriously though, this dram just keeps coming. Every pour, sometimes every sip, there's something new here. This is an incredible whiskey. That said, it's not super easy to drink: the bitterness is going to turn some people off. There is an ethanol presence that doesn't bother me at all, but some may dislike it at the price point. The herbal and vegetal notes will turn some people off. For me, I think all of that is crazy interesting and super enjoyable, both to drink and to think about how it happened. But I still don't think I'd want this every day. Green Spot holds that place for me - could drink that every day. That said, this is noticeably better and more complicated. I think it justifies its price increase. Don't pay an upcharge or a secondary market price, but normal retail (about $120) is fair for this.

N: Lemon, coconut, banana, dried strawberry, peach, pear. Lemon cookies. Something earthy and herbal, like a tea, but also maybe basil. Shortbread covered in sweet jam (probably strawberry, but lots of options). Occasional tropical notes break through, mango in particular. More sweet bread and/or vanilla bread pudding. P: It's hard to pick apart the fruit here - it's like if you dumped one of those little mixed fruit cocktail cups all into your mouth at once, and especially the juice at the bottom of the cup, and then just started chewing. Then grab some shortbread and add that to the mix. That's close to the first 2-3 seconds of this being in your mouth. It's kinda equal parts intense, overwhelming, and awesome. After all that, heavy and yeasty vanilla bread pudding starts to smooth out the edges and transitions to the finish. Finish is vanilla cream first, then herbal, medicinal, even minty. I did not expect that. Over time, the pot still spice builds to a pretty serious intensity - close to chili pepper type heat - but also backs off of the herbal/minty and transitions to a nice baking spice flavor and character (cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg) that sits nicely on top of that still lingering vanilla. This is a really good, tasty whiskey. I highly recommend it. That statement out of the way, I think the Green Spot is a better value. I think Redbreast 12 is a better value. I think Redbreast 12 Cask Strength is a vastly better value (even if an unfair comparison). So, this is excellent juice, and I have definitely enjoyed the bottle - had to pace myself a bit to make sure I saved some for this review - but I have a hard time imagining buying another. I just love the lively and fresh sort of swill-ability of the Green Spot too much to pick this over that probably nine times out of ten. And then there's the Cask Strength Redbreast (review forthcoming eventually) - an absolutely delightful monster that I paid about $15 less for than this. So, the message is, buy Yellow Spot. It's fantastic. But also buy Green Spot and Redbreast. You won't be disappointed by any of them.

N: Liquid smoke, mint, menthol, ethanol, burning charcoal, ash, pine tar, leather, salted caramel, minty toothpaste, mint flavored waxed floss, earth and pine needles, a pineapple that's been stuffed with mint leaves and is roasting (probably burning) over hot charcoal. There are also less distinct tropical fruit scents - hard to place what exactly. And then there's the birthday cake with vanilla icing. Dead ringer for it every time I nose it - sometimes up front, sometimes behind everything else, but always there. Needless to say, this is not going to be for everyone. P: Sweet corn, caramel, vanilla, cornbread with honey. Some floral, herbal, and even white tea notes. A sort of dry, mesquite smokiness lingers over everything - it reminds me of dry rub Texas barbecue. And, of course, there's the birthday cake and vanilla icing. High bitterness mid-palate. That's then mostly displaced by a burning chili pepper heat for the finish. There's also cumin, coriander, allspice, maybe some ginger, dried tomato - basically, it is a dry rub barbecue mixture, which was thrown in a smoker for half a day, obviously. (What I don't get, unfortunately, is that savory meat you put the rub on. It's all rub and no meat for me.) This is a fascination, but I don't really think it's a great whisky. It's an interesting idea and fine execution (far as I can tell). But the end result is a dram that has to really hit your personal, subjective flavor preferences just right. It will do that for some people, but it doesn't quite get there for me. You see a lot people say they have to be "in the mood" for this. I might actually be in the mood for this sometimes too, I think, but I'm likely to hit an Islay single malt instead. This is unrefined, barely restrained power where an Ardbeg or Lagavulin or Laphroaig (etc.) has similar power, but also offers subtlety, refinement, grace, balance - in short, they scratch the same itch and are more interesting (to me, at least). That is where I am more likely to spend my whisky time and money. That said, this is undeniably unique. If you like smoky whiskies, it's worth trying this to see if it hits a special place or not. It doesn't for me, but YMMV.

N: Fruit forward with light but rich smoke. The fruit is peach, pear, maybe some pineapple. Also red fruit, both fresh and dried. There's something else more pungent lingering at the back of it too - maybe a sour fruit, but hard to place. A nice base of caramel and vanilla sit under the fruit. The smoke is clearly a Yoichi smoke, which is quite recognizable - it's like a Japanese Johnnie Walker, which I like. This is not quite that - it is softer and sort of baked in in a way that comes through more as smoothed out background noise rather than primary note. Finally, there are also some harsher young grain notes that creep in in the form of a little mint and ethanol. Numbing and a bit distracting, but not overwhelming. P: Red fruit hits first, then gives way to a powdered milk chocolate around the sides of the tongue. Caramel and vanilla develop early on subsequent sips. A chalky mineral note builds mid-palate next to something like a sour pineapple, both still undercut and complimented by the chocolate - pretty nice. Smoke builds late and lingers deep into the finish. A sort of generic, but hot, baking spice also builds through the finish. There is also some chocolate still hanging around, little bit of wood bitterness, and just a hint of mint. I've heard this is no comparison to the aged Taketsurus that disappeared five years ago or so. That may be so, but it's also basically irrelevant to someone like me. I don't think I'm an average whisky drinker - pushing 100 reviews in less than a year - but I'm also not scouring auctions looking for dead whiskies like the aged Taketsurus. It is what it is, and I'll take what I can get (relatively easily). And, in the end, this is still pretty good. It's a fair entry for its price range. Not a great value, but not a bad one either. I'd buy it again. That said, I know this is discontinued now too. I have a new white label Taketsuru on the shelf too. Offhand, I think the new one is an improvement, but let's see where the review lands when I get there.

N: Fragrant, delicate, wonderful, and assertive peat smoke. It's earthy, piney, and fresh balanced against pungent tar and iodine. There's campfire ash, grilled meat, salted and grilled fish, and a hint of seaweed. There's also chocolate, caramel, vanilla, sour fruit, maybe some almond extract. There's maybe just a hint of Band-Aid, but it's counterbalanced by a lemony citrus peel that cuts right through the middle of the Band-Aid - like wrapping a lemon peel around a Band-Aid, however counterintuitive that would be. It keeps going: custard pie, peanut shells, faint hospital cleaning supplies, wet paint, cut hay, mint and/or menthol, sweet cigar smoke, and occasional flashes of petrichor. I'm sure there's even more than that. It's an incredible nose - wide ranging, but never out of bounds. A lot of those scents above are distinctly pleasant in small doses - and they elicit strong memories for me - but would be overpowering and deeply unpleasant if allowed to expand and overtake the other, more pleasant scents in the dram. That never happens, which shows exceptional balance, and strikes me as a masterful bit of whisky-making. P: Sweet vanilla, caramel, and toffee - all of it salted and smoked. Red fruit soaking in ocean water. Dirt and pine needles. Thick, oily, and heavy mouthfeel, as expected. There's an unusual hoppy bitterness at mid-palate - it's not wood, it's more fruity and herbal, like hops (or tea) can be. Finish merges into that bitterness with bitter dark chocolate, cinnamon heat, some sour fruit, and finally a long lingering salty, peat smoke. The cinnamon builds and approaches capsaicin heat, which then mingles with and adds to the never-ending smoke. The end effect reminds me of a spicy, smoky barbecue sauce, but way more complex. It's pretty great. There's different types of peat smoke in the world. Where something like Ardbeg smoke breaks down the door, punches you the face, and steals your wallet, this Lagavulin instead calls ahead, chats you up, convinces you to let it spend the night, and then leaves in the morning with all your jewelry. It probably drives a Jaguar. And you still want to let that old rascal in again next time. This is a classic and one that's worth keeping around.

N: Glencairn first: Peach and pear. Fruity and floral. Bit of soft wood - can't place the type. Some orange citrus. There's ethanol you can feel, but not quite smell. Noticeably, I don't get much (or any) of the JW hallmark smoke on the nose (oddly though, I do smell it in the empty glass at the end of the pour). Switching to a NEAT glass: Peach and now fresh cut pear (much stronger, fresher feeling scent). Wood drops out, but is replaced by a nice salty, briny maritime scent. Sour fruit at the edges of the glass. Red fruit develops in the middle. There's a chalky, earthy, mineral quality to it too. (Still no smoke.) P: Orchard fruit early. That lovely, fragrant JW smoke does hit the palate pretty quick, but seems to do its own thing rather than color the other flavors. Then the dram finds its center with a very fine vanilla cream serving as a bed for some thin wafer cookies that've been dipped in chocolate to get a very thin coating. The chocolate itself lands somewhere between dark and milk, like a lightly sweetened dark chocolate. Then that earthy mineral note from the nose breaks it up and starts the transition to the finish. Finish is quite long with cinnamon spice early, then mint later. Little bit of bitterness. Tobacco smoke and leather drop in late. Mouthfeel is very thick, chewy, coating - feels like it's dripping off your tongue. On the whole, I think this, like many other whiskies, is a fine whisky that is quite overpriced. More than possibly any other blended whisky on the market, JW Blue has managed to convince people to fork over cash for a label. Look, it's good. I love the idea of the history behind it, the 1 in 10,000 barrels, the ghost whiskies it may contain, etc. But it's not at all rare, so some of that ends up sounding like BS. And, in the end, it's not overwhelmingly amazing. It's definitely not worth $160 to $240 (generally the range locally). That's three to (almost) five bottles of the Green Label, which I find much more interesting (and much harder to find). There's no day of the week I wouldn't trade one bottle of Blue for three bottles of Green (or even two Green, for that matter). What's more, I think the Blue doesn't even really compete at the $100 range - there are many bottles - blended, single malts, and others - that are more interesting than this at that price. Anyway, VFM is always inherently subjective. Although a fine dram, this is one of the worst VFM buys I can personally think of. But, would I buy it again? Yeah, probably. It looks nice on the shelf and someone will always want it. It's just not likely it'll be me.

N: Charcoal, tar, smoke, ash. Then some nice fruit: pineapple, peach, nectarine. Then just a dash of funky, fishy maritime character. Notable allspice presence. Other random notes: oatmeal cookies, leather and lemon (yes, together), raisins, fresh Band-Aids, iodine, tennis balls. It's basically a junk pile and it's amazing that it's not totally repulsive. Instead of repulsive, the opposite effect is generated as you keep wanting to go back and see what you get next time. It's fun to nose. P: Soft and charming on the palate. Sweet, but not too sweet. Smoky, but not too smoky. Starts with lots of warm red fruit, grilled first, then finished in a smoker, but still juicy - not dried out yet. Fruit picks up just a bit of the meat it shared the grill and smoker with. Allspice returns. Then caramel and vanilla walk in like they own the place. Softer fruits feel like they're lingering in the corners, but never quite pop. After a pour or two, a noticeable hint of seaweed and salt water develops. Bitter ash starts the finish, but is quickly replaced by an escalating spice that starts with relatively benign baking spices and ends at hot cinnamon. The heat slowly fades away and leaves the caramel and vanilla - turns out they do own the place. That traditional character is extremely well executed and provides nice body and a good, round mouthfeel. I don't really know the history of Ardbeg, but this feels like an old Ardbeg, something that they've made for generations, long before the brand was so trendy. I like it for that. I have no idea if that's true, but even if it's not, I still like it for making me think that. This feeling of pre-trendy Ardbegness comes, I think, mostly from the palate, which feels like a fairly traditional sherry cask scotch (I actually don't know that it's sherried, but I would be surprised if it isn't), plus the Islay influence of smoke and seaweed. Other Ardbegs I've had are far more aggressive and/or experimental with the palate (aggressive and experimental both being trendy in all types of alcoholic beverages these days). That said, there's nothing wrong with this dram, but I think I prefer the trendy Ardbeg. The nose feels like a game, which is fun, but it's not quite what I'm looking for in a whisky. The traditional palate is good to return to at times, but it's just not as interesting as Ardbeg's other offerings. Final thought: this could be a steal at say $40, but I don't think that's out there. So the new Wee Beastie might be a better deal after all.

N: Woodsy, salty, medicinal - something very specific that I think is wood charcoal, but I'm not 100% certain. I'm going with it anyway. Swirl releases stone fruit, caramel, vanilla - all drenched in charcoal smoke. Hints of fine tobacco - cigarette smoke, cigar ash. Bacon and figs, baked goods, sweet bread. Earthy and peaty, but less than a traditional peated Scotch. Nuts soured with citrus juice. Definitely some ethanol, but comes with the territory of the proof (67.9% ABV on this bottle - or is it 62.9%? Handwritten label...). Incredible nose. Truly a monster. P: Intensely sweet with the Balcones pecan pie hallmark. Smoked nuts. Smoked and grilled fruit. Lots of bitterness, which just counters the sweet and really works for me (I expect some would hate this though). Super rich salted caramel. Spicy cinnamon starts to mix in. Slightly stale, crispy burnt bread. Mint and menthol, oddly like a young rye (there's no rye in this). Finish is crazy spicy - hot cinnamon quickly builds to something just a hair below habanero chili pepper. Lots of tannic bitterness lingers through the end, but it's still blackstrap molasses sweet. Incredible whisky. Shock and awe type of sheer power. I only knock it a bit for lacking any sort of subtlety - I tend to like some subtlety. Bottle says this is a minimum of 36 months aged - give it like double that and maybe it gets a little smoother and subtler. I don't think it necessarily needs that, but I also think I would like it. Regardless, this is special, worth seeking out. Thanks to @Ctrexman for the recommendation. Don't think I would have found this without the help.