Tastes

Boatloads of fruit, with a nose of apricot (of course) and a palate of wild cherry (less predictably). In between, there’s frosted animal crackers, peach cobbler, bubble-gum ice cream, Fruity Pebbles, and a solid backbone of grain. It might all taste weird but for that core of cereal and high alcohol. They keep it in line and organized. And the medium-long finish wins it some points, too. If you come here expecting standard rye, you’ll probably hate it. On its own terms, though, it’s a strong performer. Rebuy.

Outright power and clarity here. Nose shows rubber hose and petrol, giving way to straight barley on the palate. The influences are almost exclusively grain and peat — unsurprising from a three-year whisky brought up in crisp, clean wood. It lacks the complexity that comes with age and exotic barrels, but it’s lovely in its unapologetic unadulterated simplicity.

Maybe not on the level of the Weller 12, but it’s the complete package. Sharp cherry, cinnamon, and cheerios on the nose, followed by cola, honey, and cranberry on the palate. More of the same on a sweet-ish mid-length finish reminiscent of Cherry Coke. The 53.5% ABV is just right — it’s full in the mouth but still with enough shine to feel alive and electric.

An odd but not off-putting mix of the generic profiles you’d associate with bourbon and scotch: caramel on the one hand and smoke on the other. On the palate, it’s a bit thin and probably would have performed better at about 50% ABV rather than 46%.

About as stock-standard as bourbon gets. Caramel, banana, vanilla, and cinnamon on the nose, along with more caramel and vanilla on the palate. Lacking in depth, heft, and length. And you’d think that the generous 47% ABV would help the intensity, but instead it just gives the whole package an artificial shine. Not terrible — the flavors are pleasing — but it’s easy to do better at $30.

Excellent, intense, and long but not as balanced and ironed-out at the seams as, say, the 10.3. The peat is full-bore petrol station — which I like, don’t get me wrong — but it lacks an extra dimension of fruit to go with it. I do pick up some banana and band-aid on the nose once I’m well into the bottle, so there’s complexity, but it takes coaxing. A stylistic favorite for me, but maybe not the best iteration.

Ash, sea salt, and lime on the nose. Lots more salt and seaweed on the palate, along with maybe a hint of puffed rice cereal. The long finish is a highlight, showing citrus and smoke. I really like the flavor profile: more on the sea-and-smoke side rather than the bandaid-and-iodine side. But that’s just a personal preference, not a qualitative judgment. Overall, it’s a little more rounded than the Laphroaig 10, but by no means deeper, longer, more complex, or more intense. To me, then, it’s not worth paying twice as much for the 16 as for the 10. Still, it’s a nice change of pace.

I enjoy this just as I enjoy the mine-run Maker’s, but I don’t think the extra alcohol here adds any dimension. Honey-nut Cheerios on the nose and a little cherry in the mouth. Cherry and caramel linger on an impressively long finish. Excellent buy, but I’d pick the more complex Maker’s 46 if pressed to select a favorite in their lineup.

Somewhere between oatmeal, malt, cotton balls, and household cleaner, and that’s not an insult. It’s a refreshing step off the beaten path of peat and sherry influences. A little shorter than I’d hope, and a little rounder on the edges than the razor focus of a Classic Laddie. And I get none of the fruit that some tasters have mentioned. But it’s tasty and balanced overall.

Distinctive in its sparseness and purity. It’s just straight-ahead barley and salty stone crackers on the nose and palate. It’s not enough or complex enough to really shine, but it’s the perfect accompaniment for just about anything because it’s crisp and clean as a white canvas. It’s a single malt for vodka lovers, and I don’t even mean that as an insult.