Tastes

Went exploring to specifically seek out this bottle as it is one of the few Scotch offerings with organic barley. Benromach does not identify the farms where the barley is grown but they do indicate that every step of the process is certified by the UK Soil Association. Not surprising that this whisky showcases the quality of the barley throughout. Fresh spring cereal with a hint of oak & vanilla on the nose. The cereal notes are even more prominent on the palate and mesh nicely with the peppery spice of the virgin oak. Super clean and vibrant - quite enjoyable. A sliver of water is key to coax out the best characteristics of the barley. This whisky is young but the quality is definitely apparent even if it never really ‘wowed’. As I worked through the bottle, the grin on my face got bigger each time I reached for this. Rating: The Distiller score is through the stratosphere and probably 5 points too high. 90 for me. Would I buy again? Sure at some point, but I’m not rushing out to replenish the bottle. At $72, this plays in a very competitive arena. Distilled:2010 Bottled: 2016

When visiting Colorado during the holidays, it’s almost inevitable to end up sipping on this bourbon at some point. While bourbons aren’t my favorite style, I’ve had plenty that were thoroughly enjoyable, but this isn’t one of them. The nose has that heavy corn+alcohol pseudo-sweet smell masked by a hint of vanilla. While it is relatively smooth on the palate, the taste & finish seems flat & weak. Maybe works as a decent mixer. Rating: Think the Distiller score is too high - I’d go with mid-70s. Wish I could be more forgiving, but for me, it just isn’t that great.

When I think of coastal Scotland, it’s all about foggy, damp, mossy, pungent maritime air and Talisker manages to capture all of that in a bottle along with their signature smoky quality. A classic Scotch. Rating: Wouldn’t dare mess with Distiller’s score since this is such a classic. But minus one star for adding color which seems so pointless. Cheers

This ever-evolving whisk(e)y journey leads me to the state of Washington and this bottle made with organic wheat sourced from & harvested by local farmers. Bainbridge Distillers is mainly known for its Yama Mizunara Cask Whiskey but looks like the Battle Point offering has a few accolades as well. Quick side tangent: the term organic is often met with a roll of the eyes as a marketing gimmick but unlike the phrase ‘all natural’ that anyone can use & means nada, the use of ‘organic’ on any labeling requires 3rd party certification & takes both time & effort to achieve. In the context of whisky, organic refers strictly to the agriculture of the raw ingredients. A farmer consciously choosing to grow his/her grains without synthetic fertilizers/pesticides/herbicides and a distillery choosing to purchase grains from that farmer. As a consumer, this type of agriculture & whisky production is interesting to me so I’m aiming for opportunities to complete the loop and spend some dollars to buy products from the distilleries who support these farmers. Win, win, win as the saying goes. Back to the bottle: there’s no denying the youth in this offering and it’s apparent on both the nose & palate, although not particularly off-putting. Honey, maple, cereal notes, and a hint of fresh cut lumber from the old sawmill on the nose, with the same notes featuring more prominently on the palate. Clean and crisp. Highly drinkable. Rating: the Distiller score of low/mid 80s is probably spot on. A solid 3.5 stars rounded up since I’m rooting for the success of this distillery. Rooting for them to continue to hone their craft. Rooting for their longevity so one day we might see 10,12,15 year offerings. Cheers everyone.