Tastes
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BenRiach Sherry Matured 12 Year (Discontinued)
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed October 14, 2016 (edited March 5, 2024)Matured in a combination of first fill Oloroso and PX casks, this sherry whisky delivers a distinctive aroma of dried fruits, raisins and bitter chocolate. At first, the nose is quite muted and featureless. After adding a few drops of water, you can find cinnamon, walnuts and even faint hints of coffee. BenRiach 12 Sherry Wood tastes sweet, intense and aromatic with Christmas spices, dark fruits and a delicate nuttiness. The finish is peppery sweet and surprisingly long with well-balanced oak influence. It's a solid single malt with minor flaws in the aroma. RATING: 3.7/5.0 stars ≙ 85 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE [+]85.0 EUR per Bottle -
BenRiach Curiositas 10 Year
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed October 14, 2016 (edited March 5, 2024)With 46% ABV, no chill-filtration and natural color, BenRiach 10 Curiositas is a craft presentation of a peated Speysider. On the nose, you get hay, fresh herbs and a punch of peat smoke with bitter honey and faint saltiness. The arrival is strong and mouth warming, turning more aromatic and distantly sweet in the development. However, it also tastes a bit young and rough. Dry peat smoke with a touch of oak cask bitterness characterizes the rather weak finish. To conclude, it's a decent 'peated alternative' but without the caliber of an Islay single malt. RATING: 3.5/5.0 stars ≙ 84 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE33.0 EUR per Bottle -
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 -
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
Results 221-230 of 248 Reviews