Tastes

I've been tucking into the Benromach 15 for a few months now, and wow, it's special. I couldn't quite put my finger on why initially, but after doing some digging (and catching the awesome Spirit of Toronto Benromach tasting last month) I suspect it partially has to do with the lower cut points in the distillation process. For their core range, Benromach doesn't cut their spirit over to the feints receiver until it reaches 60% ABV (much lower than average), and when you collect more distillate in this spectrum for maturation you start to get those hard-to-describe "feinty" notes, which I crave in a whisky: Leather, plastic, honey, dried tea and tobacco. It's heavenly. Another unique thing about the distillery is that they use some brewer's yeast in the fermentation process, which produces a cloudy wort and gives the distillate a malty structure that you can pick up across the nose, palate and finish. They also produce their malt to a peat level of 12 ppm, which compliments the sherry casks nicely. Nose: loads of red fruit - rasberries and stewed cherries come to mind; Frosted Cherry Pop Tarts; Caramilk bar, Maltesers; smoked fruit wood, BBQ sauce; jump rope handles, Tupperware, shoe polish; leather bound library books, distressed leather book bag; antique cello in a dusty old case Palate: Very malty, Maltesers, milk chocolate, subtle sweetness, slightly pulling and tannic from the sherried oak Finish: Medium, sweet and malty with a solid breath of smoke Memory: Procrastinating through the bookstacks of the John W. Graham Library at Trinity College while eating a chocolate bar for dinner that I got from the vending machine. Score: 88

Nose: sultana raisins, toffee, clumpy brown sugar Palate: barn board and gentle baking spices like nutmeg, the sweetness from the dried fruit didn’t follow though on the palate, heavy mouthfeel, tongue coating Finish: lingering and oaky Tried this in a rum/whisky/cigar bar at a resort in Punta Cana. Easy drinking and did the job

Despite being forty dollars cheaper at the local LCBO ($100 vs. $140), Oban Little Bay is a more satisfying, complex scotch than its 14-year older brother (don't tell my father in law who buys the Oban 14 by the case). I suspect the cost differential is because Little Bay is a no age statement. There's a lot going on with the nose. There's a rich malty note, raisins and figs, apple, chocolate, and honey. The palate has some nice spice like maybe ginger or white pepper? The finish is medium to medium short, and when it's deliciousness ends all I want to do is take another sip out of this wee dram. There's something about the classic flavour profile of a highland that just warms the soup when it's cold and snowy outside.

Nose: baking spices, cinnamon, oak, caramel, Graham crackers Palate: cigar box, oak, cedar Finish: medium

Bottle kill! Cask Type: European oak ex-oloroso sherry cask Appearance: Chardonnay Nose: wet cut grass, very intense fruit, tropical notes like banana and pineapple, orchard notes like apples and pears, trace of baking spice, caramel Nose Diluted: not much different, caramel comes out Palate: caramel on the palate, orchard fruit like apples Finish: medium Comment: this scotch typifies the classic Speyside flavour profile, sweet and estery, complex, unpeated. Score: 90 Date: Dec 11, 2021

Old Fitz, wheated bourbon N: botanical, herbaceous, apple, oak, char, cloves P: cloves, oak F: nutty, dank, oak and char carry through

ECBP! Nose: oak, sweetness, dried fruit, apple cinnamon, caramel butterscotch, milk chocolate Palate: intense, spicy apple cinnamon Finish: that caramel chocolate butterscotch lingers around I was getting some pretty distinct nutmeg notes nosing the empty glass, really enjoyed this one

So good! Nose: caramel, molasses, creme brûlée, touch of smoke, like wood, dark berry fruit Nose diluted: birthday cake icing Palate: woody smoke, spice, winter fruit berry Finish: long and balanced

Loved this dram! So much complexity and well balanced N: orchard fruit like apple and pear, but also tropical notes like pineapple, caramel and some herbaceousness as well P: oak, bit of smoke, spice, funky F: hangs, really nice