Tastes

NEAT NOSE - Beautiful bouquet of a nose. LOADS of dried fruit. There’s figs, blueberries, raisins, vanilla, and honey. Very complex. PALATE - On the front of the palate, theres a bit of spiciness that comes across but that is quickly washed away with the sweetness of the dried fruit, vanilla, and honey. The mouthfeel is like olive oil that’s been watered down. It doesn’t exactly coat the palate but it does have a slightly silky mouthfeel. FINISH - There is none. It vanishes immediately which is a huge letdown. Even more, it dries out the palate similar to a dry red wine. I hope the 15 yr. improves upon this. BUY? - Absolutely. It’s a great representation of a quality sherried scotch at a good price. BUY AGAIN? - Yes, but I need to compare it against others in the same category such as Glendronach, Glenfarclas, etc. Regardless of how a blind comes out with them, I do see myself purchasing this again. **I would have rated this higher if it wasn’t for the nonexistent and drying finish. Regardless, still a good dram.

OAK LIQUOR CABINET Store Pick \\6 years, 6 months\\ \\ABV - 58% \\ NEAT NOSE - Loads of Cherry and Vanilla PALATE - A nice velvety mouthfeel. The cherry is upfront and immediate on the palate supported by notes of caramel and vanilla. This actually reminds me of Haribo Happy Cherries on the palate. This drinks well under its proof. This drinks around 100 proof surprisingly. FINISH - Short unfortunately. BUY? - This is not particularly interesting and does not do anything new. However, it’s extremely approachable and easy to drink. It’s on the sweeter side so if you like sweet bourbons then this may be up your alley. BUY AGAIN? - I think I’d only buy again if I bought from a store that allowed you to sample and it was much better or more comolex than this one. Nevertheless, I don’t regret giving Traverse City a chance.

NEAT NOSE - Campfire Ash and Dried Fruits. The peat is present throughout but not overpowering, allowing the influence of the sherry to shine through without much resistance. PALATE - Initially, I don’t get any peat at all. This is best described as Dried Fruits lightly drizzled with honey placed over a campfire for a brief amount of time. FINISH - Campfire ash. When that goes away, remnants of the dried fruits remain and linger around. BUY? - Absolutely. BUY AGAIN? - Yes. It might be young but it’s a great product from a Farm to Bottle craft distillery and I love supporting craft, especially when they take chances experimenting with casks.

NEAT NOSE - Campfire Ash is the predominant note supported by faint notes of vanilla, pear, and citrus peel. PALATE - The palate is dominated by a sweet, ashy, earthy peat smoke along with a brininess. The peat then starts to fade and gives way to soft notes of vanilla, suggestive of the ex-bourbon casks. Make no mistake, the peat is present throughout the palate and towards the back of the palate, you get the pear and a nice honeycrisp apple note. The mouthfeel is nice and oily. FINISH - Long and lingering sweet, savory peat smoke along with oak. BUY? - Yes, but like me, it may take some time to like and appreciate this one for sure. BUY AGAIN? - When I first tried this, all I got was iodine, bandaids, and unrelenting smoke that gave way to nothing else. I felt like I was opening a BBQ pit and inhaling smoke directly. Over two years, I have tried to learn to appreciate this with maybe six 0.5 ounce pours to no avail. Last week something changed. I’m not sure if it was the time in the bottle or experimenting with more single malts, but I was able to get past the smoke and now appreciate this whisky for its unique and surprisingly savory flavor profile. I can’t believe it but I’m now excited to try more peated whiskies. At the price point, I’ll likely replace this when empty unless I prefer some of Ardbeg’s other expressions.

NEAT NOSE - Initial hit of spearmint that gives way to notes of brown sugar, caramel, cinnamon, orange peel, and a faint cherry. PALATE - Balanced, smooth, and beautiful mouthfeel. It’s not mouth coating or sticky, but it is still a nice and full mouthfeel nonetheless. The strongest note on the palate is the spearmint up front and then all of the other notes that I picked up on the nose follow through with the exception of the cinnamon. My dissapointment are those other notes are pretty muted and much less pronounced than the nose would suggest. It’s a shame and it’s why I gave this a 3.75 ⭐️. Nonetheless, its a smooth and enjoyable rye whiskey, but I was honestly hoping for more. FINISH - Medium in length. Cherry and a pleasant, non-tannic oak. BUY?- Because I believe this is an excellent value from a craft distiller who I love, I’d still recommend this bottle if you come across it. Your mileage may also vary. BUY AGAIN? - No, but I did pick up the 9 year a month ago and look forward to trying that one to compare to this one.

NEAT - // BATCH 27 // This whisky is like a vapor. Everything here comes and goes and quickly as you smell and taste it. Nonetheless… NOSE - Orange/Citrus, Ripe Bannana, Honey, and Vanilla PALATE - With the exception of the ripe bannana note, everything on the nose comes through on the palate but again, it’s very brief. This is also the first whisky that I’ve had that I can describe as “airy” on the palate. It’s just very watery despite the pleasant notes. FINISH - Essentially nonexistent. BUY? - I think this whisky serves the purpose of getting people into the flavor profile of scotch, whether it be blended or single malt. For that purpsose, this whisky is great. For connoisseurs and enthusiasts, you likely won’t replace this bottle and neither will I. BUY AGAIN? - No.

NEAT NOSE - Apple, Pear, Grilled Pineapple PALATE - Everything that comes across on the nose follows through on the palate along with a body of vanilla. The mouthfeel is silky smooth but not as coating as I thought it would be judging by the legs. FINISH - Short unfortunately, but the flavors entice you to quickly take sip after sip. BUY? - Yes, especially since this is such a great value. BUY AGAIN? - Yes, absolutely. This is a great flavor profile with a great age and price point. It’s a fruity speyside and I’m just getting into scotch so I’m not sure if that’s normal or not. Nevertheless, it’s worth the price of admission and worth your time.

NEAT NOSE - Oak, Vanilla and a touch of Toasted Marshmallow that quickly dissapears PALATE - An amazing balance of oak, vanilla, and some caramel that comes through near the finish. This bourbon doesn’t do anything particulary new or unique but it does it beautifully. The mouthfeel is somewhat syrupy and it’s smooth going down. No burn whatsoever. FINISH - Medium - Long. Initially, the finish is tannic oak. I did add three drops of water as I felt the oak was a bit too much and after opening up, the finish was more of a sweet oak. This is an amazing balanced bourbon. BUY? Yes, but I’d stick close to SRP. This one can be hard to come by but it’s not worth $100+. BUY AGAIN? - Yes. Blinding this with Weller 12 would be fun.

NEAT NOSE - Pear, Apple, Honey, welcoming Aged Leather and an inticing funk that I can’t pick out. PALATE - Oily and Viscous. It feels sticky and syrupy as it rolls around on the palate. The pear, apple and honey come through on the palate along with a surprise of a very light brown sugar. FINISH - Vanilla, lightly salted butterscotch toffee and a flash of peat smoke at the very end. BUY? - Absolutely. BUY AGAIN? - Absolutely. SUMMARY - I haven’t had too many scotches but I am trying to grow my palate and appreciate new things. This is my first Campbeltown Whisky and wow! This dram is incredibly complex, inviting, and interesting. There is so much flavor here and so much character. The mouthfeel is unbelievable for the ABV/age and I’m looking forward to finding a 16 year in the wild because I can only imagine what that would taste like. If you see this, buy it! I look forward to revisiting this time and time again to see how it develops and what more notes I could pull out and discover from this beautiful whisky!

NEAT NOSE - Immediately, there is a rush of peat on the first few sniffs but it is not overwhelming. Then after a few sniffs, the presence of peat on the nose dissipates in the background as sweet notes of caramel and vanilla come through supported by some citrus notes. PALATE - Just like the nose, the smoke is the first thing noticeable on the palate, but it starts to go away after another sip or two. The whiskey then lends way to more sweet notes of caramel, citrus, and vanilla. FINISH - A subtle, sweet smoky finish medium in length. This whiskey is very pleasant and does not leave your mouth feeling like an ashtray. BUY? - Yes, especially if you are trying to get into Peated Scotch. I have an Ardbeg 10 which is on the completely opposite side of the spectrum and if that was the only peated whiskey I had, I wouldn’t drink them anymore or even try to. Thankfully, I got this one and like it quite alot. Even if you don’t like peated whiskey I encourage you to try it because it’s so approachable. BUY AGAIN? - I wouldn’t be opposed to it but I would love to try this at cask strength!