Tastes

Although Lee reviewed the 15 yr and this is the 17 the sentiment and overall thoughts I have are similar. My view is if you take something great out of a whiskey i.e. the peat in this case, something has to go back in to keep it at the same level unless what you took out it was masking something better and in this case it doesn't. Now this definitely isn't a bad drop, sweetness, citrus creaminess, and a hint of smoke etc. Few drops of water open it up a bit - I like it. However it doesn't stand out for any reason. As I drank this I thought damn I'd love to try the peated 18 year version again. 3.5 star rating and at $130USD here in NZ that's a 3 overall

Just when I had just about written Balcones off 3rd time lucky...not to shabby at all. Sweet, slight cough syrup/cola but not offensive and in fact it blends with the rest of the whisky - oak, caramel etc - quite nicely. Very smooth for 50%. Now I couldn't drink to much of this but 3.5 I'll give rounding down to a 3 when the nearly $90USD price (in UK) or $140USD price here in NZ is taken into account.

My first Kilchoman and I must say I'm impressed. The closest Islay I can compare it to flavour profile wise is Lagavulin 16. I can't believe this is only 5 years old. Rich peatiness, gunpowder, ash, cacao. Bitterness detracts a bit from the experience but not to overpowering. I'd love to see this in 2026 and put it head to head with Laga16. It's a slight price premium to Laga 16 (well the 2017 edition can't find the 2015) here in NZ which in my mind isn't justified but hey still good value for money. Def solid 4 at least, maybe early 4's. Looking forward to trying the '17 edition

This started off our whiskey tasting last night and I quite enjoyed this drop. Unfortunately for the life of me I can't remember specific taste descriptors as many more whiskies soon followed and the night got hazy :-). I remember being impressed perhaps because my expectations were low (given it was Jamesons) or I was happy it was the end if the working week and it was my first whisky. Either way it didn't blow me away - 3.5 I'd give it but given its $60USD a litre or $40 for a normal sized bottle I'll round up to a 4 based on value for money.

I'm off to Texas in a couple of weeks for a road trip of Southern USA so got hold of a few Balcones samples to see if I should stock up on a few bottles whilst I'm there. Short answer...no...definate no. I'm with cask strength joe on this one. It looks seriously odd. Its quite a weird hazy orange in the glass sample bottle. I had it's sibling the Single Malt Rum Finish earlier in the week (come on Distiller please add the dozen or so whiskies I sent you to your site..it's been ages!) which came across quite artificial and the kitchen sink took a portion of my dram. Given that experience I started off with a smaller measure this time round. Its young, alcoholic and not much else to be honest. Bit of the standard drying wood, anise... Few drops of water didn't help. I'd give it a 2.5 and as its not quite at the 'nothing special but I'm happy to have a few drams' i.e a 3 level then it must be a 2 especially when the round $100 USD a bottle price is factored in.

The review on One Man's Malt site sums it up very nicely for me I reckon. To paraphrase from my viewpoint: firey pepper, lemon, orange, lemon, grapefruit, woody bitterness. Missing the richness of the 10, which means unlike its younger brother not one you want to swirl round and round your mouth. Feels like it's been in wood a bit to long imparting quite a more intense bitter dryness. Hard to rate this one especially as I've found with Taliskers' you often need a bottle to open up over time to get the most of it which a sample doesn't give you. The rating of the 10 year for me shot up from 1st to 2nd tasting (a week later). I have to rate on what I've got however. It grew on me but I prefer the less than 1/4 of the cost younger brother. 3.25 rating and at nearly $300USD a bottle its not VFM.

Loch Lomond 18....Cask used is oak... quite non descriptive. Started off not to bad, but then got a hit of acetone, almost bitter grapefruit. There is more there but difficult to get past. Musty oak. Well it's cheap for an 18 year old at $75 USD. Not for sale in nz but that's not issue as I wouldn't buy a bottle. Initial sip I thought maybe a 4 but then as the acetone hit and santised my taste buds and as I got further into it it went down down down. 3, 2.5, and then finally when I poured it down the sink instead of my throat a 2. An unbalanced dram if ever there was one. As I felt sorry for inflicting it upon my poor tongue I treated it to a Laga 16 which immediately made it feel better :-). I looked on the internet after and there are 46% and 43% versions which maybe different? Mine was the 43% not the 46 reviewed by distiller.

I had my eye on this one with a view to maybe picking up a bottle from Duty Free on the way home from the USA ($90 USD vs $200 USD from NZ retailers) so I thought I'd crack open a sample to see if it's worth it whilst watching the Lions play the All Blacks. Beautiful colour, typical sweet Glenmorangie nose with the scent of cocoa a hint of what's to come. Taste is good, definitely getting the cocoa / chocolate malt coming through which is quite unusual, slightly bitter or burnt. Dry, woodiness forms the base and translates to the medium/short finish. Do I like it? Yes. Definitely not the amazing drop it's been trumpeted, lacking the touted rich, thick syrupy chocolate I was expecting. Perhaps after many years on the market they are running of the better / older casks? Would buy a bottle at $90USD to see how it develops over time. Wouldn't pay much more though. Solid 4. Update 2020 Dramfest. Another crack and meh still didn't rise higher, in fact I'd say more 3.75

Coming off the back of Jura Prophecy it seemed a lot thinner bodied and lacking in character. Nice sipper but not a stand out. Comes across as slightly disjointed flavour profile, the port influence not melding with the rest of the whiskey.

Rick has summed this whiskey up nicely so I won't rehash. All I'll say is finally I've met a Jura worth a 4 star rating. Beautiful honeyed viscosity and more. It made an impact even after I tasted a fair few other drams prior so it must be a stand out. Good value at $80USD a bottle here in nz.