Tastes

Toasty and sweet on the nose, which is matched by the palate as well. Bit of oak, and a lot of caramel. It’s almost a bit earthy, which is odd considering it isn’t pleated. Little pepper on the finish. Goes down very smoothly, definitely a fan.

Balvenie 15: This is absolutely delightful. The nose tastes like toasted caramel. Sweet and peppery, with an incredibly long and smooth finish. I have trouble believing that this isn’t a fine bourbon

Sweet on the nose, definitely getting the sherry. The texture is surprisingly oily and less piney than the 12 year. Light and sweet with a taste that will linger on your tongue for a few minutes. Really enjoyable!

Odd nose, perhaps it’s pine that I’m smelling? Light and sweet palate, characteristic of Irish whisky (reminds me of bush mills red) with a nutty finish. Tiny bit of heat but generally pretty smooth

A bit hotter than I was expecting, still very easy to drink. Moderately sweet with hints of brown sugar or vanilla. Little bit of pepper and pine on the finish.

Shockingly hot, but really enjoyable. The second sip is surprisingly delightful as this bourbon has nice notes of brown sugar and vanilla along with a small amount of smoke. The texture is really nice and has that smooth mouth feel to it. Definitely a bottle that needs to be opened and allowed to breathe for a while before it’s truly ready to drink. I think it should only have a little bit of water, too much water and the heat is gone, along with the core of the spirit.

Significantly smoother than the red. Not as flavorful, or as sweet. I think I’m tasting pine, but not sure. It’s something I’ve never tasted in whiskey. Very interesting, but not my favorite

Sweet and kind of fruity, really nice to drink with a surprising amount of flavor for an Irish whiskey. Not super smooth, but not a lot of heat either.

Light vanilla on the nose and palate, not as much flavor as I was expecting. Shockingly smooth when you take a sip and goes down with a bit of heat. Honestly refreshing for a bourbon, and incredibly nice and easy to sip straight. I guess there’s a reason it’s impossible to get a hold of a bottle.

Light, almost no nose (?) but extremely smooth. Lack of a strong nose contributes to the lightness in taste, but it definitely has its appeal. Reasonably refreshing and a lot of similarities to true scotch without the peatiness or brineyness normally associated with scotches.