Tastes

Admittedly, this never had a chance to score well with me, bottled at 40%. On the plus side, there’s no bite. Unfortunately, there’s also not much flavor. Burb Lite, I guess.

What I think is both a compliment and a criticism to this bourbon is that it seems comparable to Four Roses Single Barrel, which is one of my favorite bourbons at any price. Deep caramel, woody vanilla, spicy rye. The criticism is that 4R SiB can be found for $45, a full Jackson less than this cost me. It may even be slightly better than the 4R, but not enough better to justify the premium.

Would probably be a decent whisky if it was bottled at 46%. Comes across like the spindly-legged kid brother of Clynelish.

Up front, I bought this for $70, much lower than retail, so I'm sure my enjoyment of this is colored by the lower price of entry than most. Drop an antique wood chair into a bass-o-matic, along with overcooked caramel, vanilla, cherry, pinch of citrus, cinnamon, and cacao nibs. Some might say this is over-oaked, but I think it's just short of too much oak. I'm not drinking much bourbon lately, but this is lovely and I wish I could've gotten several bottles at the price.

On the nose candied lemon, graham cracker, vanilla, saltwater taffy, menthol, dill, cinnamon, dark chocolate. The palate is plenty punchy for 46% and quite flavorful. Sweet vanilla and brown sugar up front, some cherry Twizzlers, followed by the rye spices with mint, dill, cinnamon, and pepper. There's a little bit of leather going into the finish. It's eminently familiar as MGP 95% rye, but more balanced and refined than the typical 3-6 year versions we've all had dozens of. I enjoy the MGP rye profile, so this is a smash hit with me. In a similar age range, I've looked at buying the Templeton 10 year rye, but have always balked at the price. At under $50 for a 12 year age-stated rye, this is a great deal. I had some concern that it might come across as too thin at 46% (my sweet spot tends to be in the 50-55% range), but as I noted, it has plenty of punch. I think the peppery spice makes it drink a little higher than it is. I recently had a bottle of Sagamore Spirit Barrel Select at 55%, which I believe is a blend of the 95 and 51% rye mashbills, and 7 years old. I prefer the Bulleit 12. The Sagamore seemed to trade turns as a dill and cinnamon bomb. This has both, but in a more enjoyable balance.

Orange floral berry toffee peat on the nose. The floral aspect of the nose is reminiscent of Springbank 15, but a heavier peat presence is noted. The palate continues with floral orange and peat, along with the toffee and some pepper going into the finish. The peat feels in the mild to moderate range. A little bit of leather, chocolate, and orange rounds out the finish. The flavors here all work for me. Floral, orange, toffee, peat. Delicious.

Celebrating the end of 40 days of Lent with a 40 year old whisky. Hefty dose of sweetness on the nose, brown sugar, butterscotch, candle wax with a burnt wick, old varnished furniture. The palate matches the nose for me, along with some baking spices mixed in with the old oak going into the finish. I had this before trying the Glenglassaugh Sandend and the difference in quality was fairly stark. I actually really enjoyed the Sandend, but the old oak notes really set this apart. At the same time, and only the tiniest of quibbles - I think this isn't quite as complex as I had hoped. Still, for the first time to ever taste any whisky in the 40s, it was a sublime experience and a great way to wrap up Lent. Huge thank you to @pkingmartin for the opportunity to try this.

The nose is a little sprity, but is full of bright fruit. Apricot, tangerine, green apple, tropical fruit, then some nice maltiness. Reminds me of Irish whiskey a good bit, in particular Knappogue Castle, of which I've had both the 14 year and the 12 year Marchesi finish. The palate has all the fruit, but adds in some creamy vanilla ice cream and then slight spice toward the finish. As with the Knappogue Irish whiskies, I really enjoy this as well, and I'd give it a similar score as I gave those, 3.5-3.75. The flavors pop a little more in this, but also feels a bit younger and slightly less refined than the Knappogues.

I think this does best with a little water. Without, it seems like it's too tightly wound, and a little hard to pick apart the notes. With a splash of water and some time to open up, the nose is berries, vanilla custard, barbecue smoke, slight iodine, aged cheese, leather. The palate is creamy custard with blackberry, balanced with sweet smoke. Citrus fruit, a little peppery spice, leather, dark chocolate. I purchased before any reviews had come out because I knew it would be good -- I've enjoyed everything I've tried from Bruichladdich. The question was just how good. I've had a couple pours now a couple weeks apart, and I think it's very good to great. It's not an instant favorite as I thought it could be, but I'm definitely glad to have a bottle to see how it evolves.

The nose is citrus, sugar-crusted pound cake, something slightly herbal. The palate has grapefruit sprinkled with sugar, along with the light herbal note. Finishes with a little bit of the grapefruit bitterness, but it's not off-putting to me as a grapefruit fan. It's an enjoyable pour, and I'm grateful to @pkingmartin for the opportunity to try.