Tastes
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As one of the best-selling blended Scotches in the world, Chivas Regal 12 certainly stands out from the crowd of cheap and low-quality alternatives. Fruity and slightly aromatic notes with honey, caramel and vanilla characterize the nose. Don't expect any exiting features or great complexity. The lead malt Strathisla comes through on the palate: it tastes light and sweet with creamy toffee, red apples and pleasant hints of nuttiness. Old refill cask bitterness remains of a quickly gone finish. A flawless but altogether boring blend with age statement. RATING: 2.9/5.0 stars ≙ 78 pts → AVERAGE [-]25.0 EUR per Bottle
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The most popular Irish whiskey in the world is a mass-produced, cheap and undemanding spirit that can be used for mixing purposes or sipped neat. On the nose, Jameson is rather featureless and lacking substance with an occasional alcoholic bite. Intense candy sweetness masks floral and grassy notes lingering in the background. A fresh and clean arrival is followed by sweet barley sugar, gingery spiciness and dry citrus fruits. The finish is short, simple and fades with hints of black tea bitterness. A sound Irish blend that is easy to drink over a conversation. RATING: 2.4/5.0 stars ≙ 70 pts → SUBPAR [-]17.0 EUR per Bottle
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Although Hakushu 12 doesn't have the caliber of Yamazaki, it is certainly a characterful and distinctly different Japanese single malt. Featuring floral and grassy notes, the aroma is quite complex with fresh herbs, heather honey and citrus fruits. A thin layer of delicate peat smoke is well-integrated. On the palate, the fruity-sweet arrival turns into zesty but rather mild peatiness, dominated by herbal freshness. The moderate finish is peppery, slightly dry and leaves with a hint of oak bitterness. Overall, a harmonic and nicely composed malt with character. RATING: 3.9/5.0 stars ≙ 86 pts → FIRST-CLASS [-]149.0 EUR per Bottle
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Being polite, reserved and always striving for perfection - to fully appreciate Yamazaki 12, you have to understand Japanese culture and traditions. Fruity-sweet and subtle, the nose interweaves overripe grapes, blackberries and hazelnuts with sandalwood, crisp apples and floral vanilla. The full-bodied and well-balanced arrival is followed by juicy pears, mild ginger and fresh mint before the oak complexity kicks in. With its lasting, spicy and slightly dry finish, Mizunara oak maturation gives this malt a delicate and very distinct aftertaste. A piece of art! RATING: 4.0/5.0 stars ≙ 88 pts → FIRST-CLASS120.0 EUR per Bottle
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Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt
Blended Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed October 14, 2016 (edited March 5, 2024)Monkey Shoulder is a rather simple but honest and decent quality blended malt from the Speyside of Scotland. Young Balvenie features quite prominently on the nose. Sweet fruits, candy apples and a touch of ice wine combine with creamy honey, fine spices and hints of coffee. Delicate maltiness and restrained oak influence complement the otherwise light and sweet character on the palate. The finish is swift, woody and sugary, merging into dark chocolate bitterness. With an excellent price-quality ratio, this dram is certainly better than most blends. RATING: 3.4/5.0 stars ≙ 82 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE [-]22.0 EUR per Bottle -
Clynelish 14 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed October 14, 2016 (edited March 5, 2024)Known for its waxiness, Clynelish 14 is a Highland single malt primarily matured in ex-bourbon casks. Scotch mist gives an indication that it is non-chill filtered. Creamy honey, candle wax and lemon juice are prominent on the nose, while rich floral notes with a hint of peppermint lurk in the background. The arrival is warming and aromatic, unfolding a distinctly dry and oily character. Oak bitterness with a touch of salt dominates the medium-length finish. Altogether, it is an engaging and intense malt that requires time and is not suitable as everyday dram. RATING: 3.9/5.0 stars ≙ 86 pts → FIRST-CLASS [-]37.0 EUR per Bottle -
Benromach 10 Year
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed October 14, 2016 (edited August 8, 2018)It takes more than a few drams to decipher the great complexity of this lightly peated Speysider. The nose has numerous layers. Predominant features are delicate bonfire smoke, polished wood and caramel sweetness with apricots, green apples and raisins. Flavorwise, Benromach 10 arrives strong and spicy, turning slightly dry and mineral with a blanket of leafy smokiness. Well-balanced oak cask influence contributes to a nutty, savory and prolonged finish, leaving behind mild bitterness and peat smoke. It's a highly recommended, sophisticated whisky. RATING: 4.2/5.0 stars ≙ 89 pts → FIRST-CLASS [+]40.0 EUR per Bottle -
Jura Diurachs' Own 16 Year
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed October 14, 2016 (edited March 5, 2024)The quality of this fairly complex and engaging single malt from the Isle of Jura is clearly diminished by intense coloring (E150a) and its low bottling strength of 40% ABV. Orange peel, dark fruits and toffee can be found on the nose, supplemented by heather honey, ginger and a hint of salt. Jura 16 arrives heavy, sweet and full-bodied with rich spices, bitter chocolate and some well-integrated, earthy cask influence in the development. The finish is delicate, prolonged and bitter spicy. However, given the lack of intrinsic quality, this whisky is overpriced. RATING: 3.5/5.0 stars ≙ 83 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE47.0 EUR per Bottle -
Irish whiskey tends to be soft and 'green' in its style, and Tullamore Dew is no exception to this. Triple distillation has clearly diminished the roughness of the spirit, making it quite palatable. On the nose, there is not much happening. It's light and rather restrained with pronounced grassy and floral notes, mild fruitiness and a touch of vanilla. The taste is fresh, spicy and malty sweet, turning into a swift and straightforward finish that is characterized by zesty wood tannin bitterness. To conclude, it's a gentle but fairly simple blend without complexity. RATING: 2.7/5.0 stars ≙ 76 pts → SUBPAR [+]15.0 EUR per Bottle
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To come straight to the point, Bell's Original is cheap bottom shelf blended Scotch which should not be tried neat. The nose is barely present. Indistinctly sweet and floral notes are suppressed by biting, alcoholic burn. There are faint hints of smoke and bitter sweetness on the palate, but the industrial grain whisky dominates it all. It's pointless to speak of the finish. The rough and metallic aftertaste confirms that Bell's is solely useful as a mix and stir whisky (although there are much better options), or to refuel your car in case you have run out of petrol. RATING: 1.5/5.0 stars ≙ 50 pts → UNDRINKABLE NEAT10.0 EUR per Bottle
Results 211-220 of 238 Reviews