Tastes

Tastes like vodka with a slight hint of scotch flavor. Makes me think I'm coming down with a case of COVID. Doesn't taste bad, it just hardly tastes like anything. I suspect Balcones has given me unrealistic expectations for American single malts. Update: a week later, it's unclear if this has gotten a little better or if I'm better, but this has got a little more going on than I gave it credit for. One could perhaps see some similarities to a young Speyside. Bumping up a half point. Still not great, despite a longer age statement than comparable American single malts.

Good peated whisky, although it doesn't seem to give me anything particularly unique that I couldn't find in a Islay whisky at a cheaper price point. The Fusion, on the other hand, was a stand-out.

First foray into Indian single malts. Rich, fruity, and a little hit of peat with the finish. Tasted side-by-side with the regular strength peated and was expecting to prefer the peated, but while both were good, this was the winner for me. Consider me a fan.

Subtle. Lemon drop candy. Sea spray. Light smoky peat. Glad to have found this and look forward to their future releases.

I like it for the price, although not complex or especially interesting. Vanilla, honey, tinge of orange, and light oak on the finish. Maybe a little too sweet for me as a regular sipper.

Powdered sugar, thin, fairly inoffensive.

Unexpectedly flavorful for a Cutty Sark product. It reminds me a lot of Loch Lomond 12, with mild peat and a little funk that makes it interesting.

Candied bacon, sweet smoke. Fabulous! This may cause me to adjust down my ratings of other whiskeys.

The scarcity of this bourbon made me expect something better on my first taste and left me disappointed. Having come back to it later, I think it's decent, and maybe even good for the price. I always tend to pick up peanut and cherry in most bourbons, and I don't generally care for the peanut taste. This one has more cherry, wood, and leather, so I prefer this to the more peanutty bourbons.

Tasted side-by-side with Balcones Lineage. Lighter, with some tropical notes. More like a Speyside scotch, compared to the Highland-type profile of the Lineage. I prefer the richness of the Lineage, but this is nice too.