Reviews

I'm a fan of the islay made scotches for their peaty character. This was quite the example. The potent aroma is an eye opener especially to those just dipping their toes to this region. The smoke/peat essence can come off intimidating at first, but you get accustomed to it eventually. The taste was similar with additional notes of iodine and earth. Although this offering was very robust, it provided an enjoyable sipping experience overall. Drinking thus serves as a band aid ripper to those curious to the style.

The wife grabbed this as a cocktail mixer. The curious brown water enthusiast needed to see how it would fare neat. I must say I was quite impressed. I definitely detected the Barton influence. Nothing crazy unique, but serves as both a great mixer and casual sipper. The aroma was a mix of banana and spice. The flavor was vanilla and corn grain with a slight boozy harshness. For the price per liter, this is a no brainer Costco purchase. Makes a solid old fashioned.

I finally acquired another bottle of whiskey from the land of the rising sun. This proved to be quite enlightening to my palate. It started off floral with a rose like aroma followed by wood and sweet fruit. The taste danced around with notes of orange peel muddled dried fruit. The finish was somewhat long with the oak shining through till the end. No burn to be found. Just distinguished flavor from these skilled blenders. If this was fairly enjoyable, I would love to experience what the aged upper echelon Hibikis bring to the table.

Another interesting entry from Bardstown. The Cabernet barreling intrigued me when I read the label prior to purchasing. It definitely gave this spirit quite the unique profile. The beginning of the sipping experience yielded notes of nuts and bitter dark cocoa. Some leather and oak with a slight warming spice contributed later towards the dry finish. This was a delight to have and could brighten one's day especially if you love wine.

When I think of Wild Turkey, it reminds me of my college years. It was cheaper and got the job done for my underdeveloped palate. My now wife got sick off of it in her younger days. It never crossed my mind that I'd be sipping on an offering years later. They definitely made some changes and drastic improvements since then. I thoroughly enjoyed this! The nose was all baking spice, vanilla, and ethanol. The flavor contained some enjoyable characters consisting of said vanilla, caramel, grain, with a sprinkle of brown sugar and pepper. The heat was evident, but smooth. The finish was fairly long too. This is one of those bottles that surprise you because it stands up proudly to some of its more expensive counterparts. I definitely recommend grabbing one ASAP. I wouldn't be surprised if it goes up in price over time.

A buddy of mine placed Bardstown on my radar a while back and I am so glad he did. I had a couple of the less complex intro types like the OG Bourbon and wheat. They were fine spirits for the price. But this was on another level. It drank like something you'd expect to break the bank over. The complexity and quality were fantastic. The nose had an inviting and interesting combination of brown sugar, baking spice, and herbal characters. The palate started off strongly with a childhood memory of what I deduced to be red hot candies. Spicy and sweet, but then slowly fading to notes of oak, tabacco, and subtle chocolate which lingered on its long finish. The body was oily which helped preserve the flavors. The only negative and sad fact is that my bottle is about to meet its end. After this experience, I will most certainly delve into the other offerings this skilled distillery has to offer.

Haven't had an Irish in quite a while. My first from Redbreast gifted by my lovely wife for my birthday. Not a bad choice either. Most of my experience in this category lay with the Mitchell distillery and all of their colored Spots which are all solid. The nose on this contained a sweet fruit and oak character which was inviting. The sipping experience started off a tad spicy, but calmed almost immediately. The flavors yielded notes of dark fruit from the sherry casks up front. Later I was able to distinguish caramel, honey, and wet oak. The finish was fairly long. Nothing too complex, but definitely a valid competitor in the Irish pot stilling landscape. A great daily.

I celebrated hard internally when I scored the opportunity to buy not just this but a bottle of Pappy's 15 (review to come at a later date). I waited almost a year before I felt it was time to give this bottle of GTS a more serious/accurate review. Reading the label and discovering the soaring abv was quite intimidating. After experimenting, I decided the best way to enjoy this IMO was to add several drops of some ultra filtered RO water. This allowed me to focus more on the complexities within without any fiery distractions. The nose was freshly torched creme brulee with a dash of cinnamon. A hint of orchard fruit as well emerged. It took 2 sips to get past the ethanol diversion. After that, prominent notes of tobacco and leather introduced themselves first. After that pleasant handshake, my palate conversed with pleasant flavors of vanilla pudding swirled with caramel heated with oak. Brief fruity encounters occurred as well that I couldn't really pinpoint. The finish was lovely and long and ended with an interesting grain and earthy aftertaste. This was one hell of a offering from Buffalo Trace. I see why it's made in limited quantities. The hype is quite real. If you can withstand higher ABV and afford the purchase, I highly recommend getting a bottle at least once. You will not regret it.

It's been quite some time since I've had a whiskey from Japan let alone been present on this app. Anyhow, the story behind the making of this fine spirit captivated me so to speak. I needed to see what the final product tasted like. I must say I was very much impressed by the quality especially at the price point. The nose yielded cherries and an herbal essence. The taste was fairly complex with notes of apple, earth, said herbal tones, and cocoa. It was overall smooth with a playful bite that ended dry with a peppery and grains character. This is a fine daily for those dipping their toes in this category or even seasoned drinkers.

This came highly recommended from a good friend. I must say I was quite impressed. Especially, based on its price point. It definitely drank like a more expensive bottle. The nose yielded a healthy dose of baking spice. The palate mirrored this, but brought along some delightful friends ala caramel, vanilla, and some spiciness. The finish was somewhat lasting with an essence of grain/corn. Since this was the base, I will most definitely seek out its peers.