Tastes

I'm running another whisky, poker and home brewed beer night shortly and one of the whiskies I'm bringing will be Bunnahabhian 12. Now whiskies don't always taste the best fresh out of the bottle so I thought I'd take one for the team and crack open the bottle before hand. I'm impressed. It's an oily malty nutty taste, Springbank 15ish in a mild uncomplicated way. After trying the remaining amounts of my Benriach 12,16 and Macallan 12 bottles (also to be sacrificed to the mob) and not being that impressed this was a refreshing change. The crazy part is the price. I saw it on special recently here for just over $40USD! That's probably the best value for money I've ever seen. High threes for taste and value for $ takes it well over the 4 mark. I note from cascode's review that an opened bottle oxidises quite quickly though so good job it'll be finished off in 3 weeks time

They say you love or hate the Mortlach flavour profile. After sampling this then a few other drams and then this again to make up my mind I'm definitely in the former camp. It's a really interesting taste, a spicy, meaty, rubbery slightly metallic sherried profile that balances out quite nicely. Reading that back after typing it I think that sounds terrible but it isn't. Now this isn't cheap just shy of $140USD here (which is weirdly a lot cheaper than the UK where it's from where it's $200USD) for only a 500ml bottle. I'd love to buy a whole bottle and see how this develops over time. The only criticism is a bit like the compass box range the slight bitter metallic (or in the CB case turpentine) after taste lingers. It's an 18 year and it is also very unique and so for those reasons despite the price I'm sticking to a solid 4 overall rating. If it wasn't for the price it'd definately be a higher rating. Even an hour later I'm still thinking about it's taste. I have a (entire time in sherry barrel) 41 year bottle from this distillery saved for a special occasion so it's going to be very interesting to see how that one turns out.

Lee's summed all the tasting notes up nicely so I have little to add on that front. Do I like it, yes it's a great whiskey. Definitely 4 for taste. The issue I have is two fold. The price is astronomical - $125USD and it's older much cheaper (nearly half the price) brother just walks all over it for value. I tried the 16 year straight after and despite its being a wopping 13.8% less ABV it more than held its own with a richness and complexity that dwarfed the 12. Yes they are different beasts but would I buy a bottle of the 12? No unless they cut the price in half. Factoring in value I can't give it more than a 3.5. Like its older brother I'll round up as I can't quite give it a 3..but I just think the pricing is getting a bit ridiculous these days. Interestingly for a cask strength I think I preferred it without a few drops of water. It didn't really need it to open it up at all.

There is a saying that it's better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation. I can't really judge how successful of an imitation this having not tried the whisky it's copying but what I can say that I'd prefer an original blend from Compass box (ok maybe not Asyla which was a waste of my liver). Now it's not terrible it's just not great and at $120USD a bottle you want something other than a lovely story. Compass Box spice tree is half the price and has an original story and better outcome. Slight oily sweetness, slight peat and it all integrates quite nicely albeit a very short finish a 3.5 rating on a good day. I'd say factoring in price and judging on soley on taste not the art of recreation I'd give it a 3 but I'll add 1/2 a point back for the artistic side. If you love a good story, appreciate the art of blending and use $20 US notes as papers for your roll your own cigarettes this one is right up your alley. Otherwise if you are like me and just want a great tasting whisky where the price is in alignment with the outcome it delivers you aren't missing anything if you don't get to try

Right it's been a busy week on the whiskey front. After several segways I'm back on my 100 step programme...no. 2 of my sample set...the AA programme comes to mind when I hear about alcohol and steps being associated but my programme has many more steps and the 12th one definitely won't involve me being sober! Anyhow to the whiskey. Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon casks are used on this one.Do I like it..yes..is it my favourite Glenfiddich to date definitely (although that's a low bar). As Cask Strength Joe said "where is the wine"? Then eventually after drinking with food (maybe it's the satay sauce?) I finally get the wine hit..I often forget that whiskey like wine often needs a bit of food to help the palate get the flavour to come through. I was about to say I definitely see it come through in the colour as well but there it goes.. caramel colouring...and why the hell would you chill filter such an expensive whiskey. Bit of spice, slight grapefruit bitterness, oak, toffee, plum. Hmm rating is hard.. this is a $120USD whisky. Is it worth it? Well I sure wouldn't pay it. I think 4 on merit... value for money drags it down to 3.5. I'll leave it at 4...but just

Random tasting at a mates leaving party. Not bad not great..not much to say really. 3 it is!

It's hard for me to judge bourbans as I'm not a big fan. For the most part they seem a bit same same, shades of the same thing etc. although there are awesome exceptions. Finishing or peating to provide more variety just doesn't seem that prevelant? Anyway rant over. Coming off the back of tasting Springbank 15 it was going to be hard to top that one but this didn't do to badly at all. It definitely exceeded my expectations. Nice rich oak, caramel, toffee, vanilla etc. Alcohol very well integrated for it's strength and especially so for a bourbon. I'd say definitely high 3's and probably the best value for money bourbon I've had at around $60USD so a 4 it is

No. 2 whisky for the night in my new local whisky bar. Coming off the back of the Oban Little Bay this really made an impact. I liked it's 18 year old brother but I'm thinking this might actually be better. It's got that signature oily complex sherry vegetation flavour type mix. I was chatting to someone whilst drinking so couldn't pay close attention to the components (not that I'm good at separating them anyhow) but I do know a complex multifaceted dram when I taste one and this is it. It's 3 year older brother goes for an approx 2/3rds price premium in NZ ($80USD vs $140USD) and from memory I really don't see it as worth it. I'll have to get a bottle of this and compare to the unopened 18 year and double check. Update: 4 years later I finally got hold of a bottle. I LOVED the 2015 18 year version but sadly impossible to get at the moment in nz so plumbed for a bottle of the 15 year. Very glad i did as it's excellent. Definitely a 4.5. However after going through a bottle of each I'd say the 18 pips it. The edges are just a bit more rounded and everything is a bit tighter and slightly more integrated. Not to take anything away from the 15 though...fantastic dram..i drank the whole bottle in a couple of weeks! Round 3: A bottle of the 2020 release. I think SB is slightly going backwards or at least my taste buds are no longer as wowed. Another good release but more 4.25 territory I'm thinking. Same profile as previous.

Back at my new local whisky bar to celebrate passing my Prince2 exam...wohoo! Usually I'm not a fan of trying whiskies in bars as you never know how long the bottle has been opened. However as the bar itself has only been opened 3 months most bottles should be optimal for tasting which so far has proved right. So enough of the preamble... what's the whisky like? I liked the 14 and nudged it up to a 4 once value was taken into account, this one...is good but nothing really excites me or stands out about it. I miss the more viscous smokiness of the 14. It's a 30% price premium to the 14 as well. The final nail in the scoring coffin was I tried Springbank 15 (similar price) immediately after which was really good so once i did the comparison this gets a 3.4 rounding down to a 3.

Knockando 21 is a whisky that apparently is special as the casks have been resting in a cooler part of a warehouse which means it takes longer to mature...hmm ok. Not sure why that makes it special given I'm pretty sure it's the 21 years which is the factor here around length of maturity but here goes. Ok nice viscosity.. check▪one dimensional flavour (honey/toffee)..check ▪Any advance on one nope. Slightly rough for a 21 year. I can see why this is cheap for it's age. In a word unmemorable. Wouldn't kick out of bed on a cold windy night though. Just under 3.5 I'll give it..definately got better as I got into it. Vague Glenlivet 18ish profile. Not the most amazing start to my 100+ step whiskey tasting programme but not a bad one either...at least I didn't buy a bottle