Tastes

Saw this at the LCBO and grabbed it without hesitation - selection in Ontario just isn’t as good as other places in Canada, though it is improving. The bottle reads this is a limit edition, 10 year age statement from Tomatin. It spends 9 years in Oak barrels, and the final year in a Caribbean rum barrel. Sounds fantastic, but why O why must these limited releases drop to 700ML. On the nose: red wine and apples. A deeper pull brings some vanilla and banana with some grape and salt. The palate: apple and citrus make an appearance on first taste. It greets the mouth like a fine cotton bedsheet, gentle and smooth. Caramel and sea salt come through with a touch of cinnamon and it fills your mouth with happiness. The finish: sweet and smooth. As it makes its way down the citrus fruit reappears with a touch of sweetness. Apple is left in the mouth for some time. At 46 ABV it’s quite pleasing to have a delicate, yet memorable finish.

Looking for a bourbon without a burn? Turn to a Scotch finished in Bourbon and Sherry casks! The Dalmore 15 is a soft, smooth soul, what you see is what you get. Lavish, rich, and sweet on the tongue. The nose: first introduction says some vanilla, and a bit of dried fruit. A deeper pull finds grape and some raisin. The palate: Thick leather varnish poured over raisins and grape. Drop them into a jar of honey, leave it in the sun and come back in a day or two. Let is sit on the tongue, a bit of cinnamon and oak appear. The finish, it is SMOOTH AND SWEET. I taste zero burn, and no spice. A very smooth, rather sweet Scotch. Very enjoyable and similar in its taste to the 12 year. If you love Pure Maple Syrup, I don’t have to explain how atrocious it would be to hand you a basic “regular” bottle of syrup. Yes there is a higher price tag, but if you love it you love it.

Lot No 40 is said to be one of the best Canada has to offer. Copper pot distilled and aged in new Oak barrels. On the nose: oak is the predominant note, followed by some maple and a touch of cherry. Perfect for some fresh flapjacks with maple syrup. On the palate: welcome to the Great white North, maple shakes your hand and says hello, it’s brought with it some Oak. As it makes its way down you taste some Vanilla with a little spice, and perhaps cinnamon. I taste a touch of pine. The finish is short, disappears rather quickly and leaves just the spice note on the palate. It goes down smooth, and leaves a burn. I was excited to have this bottle, and while my preference is more to aged Scotch, this is a very enjoyable bottle, EH! (I do live in Canada)

A Speyside you can recognize and that stands out among many in the region. Glenrothes 12 is a lovely weekend breakfast of toast with marmalade and fresh cantaloupe slices on the side. On the nose: a bed of tulips with cantaloupe melon and orange slices overtop. On the palate: it greets your mouth with a soft delicate kiss, sweet and fruity! Vanilla makes a strong note, but is not overpowering. On the way down cinnamon comes across and a smooth light finish that leaves you with the Cantaloupe taste. This Scotch is very flavourful and sweet. Easy drinking and light, I recommend for anyone who enjoys Speyside.

Take your average day; nothing spectacular, nothing exciting- but give yourself a moment of silence and relaxation, and the average day is very nice. This bottle is balanced and smooth. Light and subtle, a very easy sipping Scotch. On the nose: Grape with raisins baked over some Oak Wood. Leather varnish added. On the palate: vanilla greets the tongue, followed by some fruit, a wood varnish fills the mouth and a rich oily taste. It’s very balanced, but no flavour jumps out at you. The finish: little burn, the oak wood makes its presence more known, and some spice tingles the tongue. It doesn’t last long, but long enough. I’ve read great things about this distillery, and this bottle is nice. Unfortunately for my taste it just does a good job at being “good”, nothing more, nothing less. It’s fine and all, but I won’t be buying it again. Nothing memorable IMO

This is a small fire about to dwindle, the smoke rises overtop a beautiful slow roasting pound of bacon. If you like it, you love it. The nose is a delicious summer fire, roasting meat follows after the smoke subsides. The palate is luscious peat and smoke followed by pepper smoked bacon wrapped in seaweed. Some salt comes across as it makes it way down. The finish is smooth and medium, feeling medicinal as you savour the taste. This bottle is unapologetically itself, you want peat? You want smoke? Perhaps even iodine? This is your bottle. While Ardbeg does a great job of offering smoke with additional dimensions of fruit and meat, it doesn’t make its Islay peat pride it’s priority. Laphroaig on the other hand clearly lets you know what it’s strength is. I am a fan of both, but in comparing the two 10 years (and they are both very good in their own way), I will reach for Laphroaig 10 year.

Picked this up with Glenlivet’s Founder reserve on a special deal. First time buying, and most likely the last. The nose, as I find most Glenlivets note appealing, this was similar though not as strong or pleasing. Leather, a bit of a citrus note and some honey. The palate: basic and one dimensional. Hits the mouth with leather and fruit, but very watered down. The finish is short with zero lasting taste. It’s not smooth, it’s not strong, it lacks dimension - but it is Scotch. Given the price, and that the Nose does resemble Glenlivet, I leave this at a 1.

One of, if not the benchmark 12 year single malts to try. It is as reliable and safe as having vanilla ice cream at a new ice cream spot. The nose: light, apple juice with a touch of wood and some floral notes. The palate: it come on light, some apple and pear are tasted, and as it goes down a touch of wood and citrus come across. There is very little burn and the finish is both light and short. It’s a fine dram, VERY easy to drink, and equally smooth. Its an enjoyable bottle, but not an exciting one. Safe and nice.

Saddle up to a nice charcoal barbecue of a rack of salted ribs and dried fruit. The smokey smell alone is what dreams are made of. The palate; fresh salt water rolls in on the initial wave, a taste of vanilla and nut with some fig. As it makes it way down some jalapeño pepper dances on the tongue, quickly followed by salted barbecue ribs. The finish is smooth and medium with a taste of charcoal lingering. This Islay is incredibly smooth, and well balanced. I’m a fan of Islay, some find many distilleries of the region to be overpowering - this bottle offers an amazing taste, and is respectful to any palate preference.

Open a bottle and prepare to pour yourself a bowl of cereal. Vanilla oats and honey, with popcorn butter drizzled all over. On top, some dried fruits to balance out for our cholesterol. The nose: my god it is good! Perhaps more enjoyable than the palate. A warm vanilla honey note with some ready to go firewood. Fruits follow shortly after, I detect a bit of orange, some apple, and berries - perhaps raspberry. The palate: it opens with the taste of oak, followed by vanilla and honey. Fruit and floral notes come across before opening to a nice woody burn as it makes it way down. A rich mouthful that is not too oily, the after taste lingers for a moment to allow to take in a nice relaxing breath. “You have earned it”, it whispers. I thoroughly enjoy this bottle, just looking at it’s beautiful colour is pleasing. My rating is based on smell and taste alone as the price is a different story.