Tastes

A touch astringent. Honey and hay lead.

Bought as part of the BCLS 2021 Limited Spirit Release. Very much enjoyed the typically Speyside finish to a lightly peated Scotch. Everything you expect in a typical Benromach, but just lacking a touch (weak mouth feel and finish).

Purchased as part of the BCLS 2021 Limited Spirit Release. On the nose, your typical Speyside candied fruit, with hints of marmalade to match the colour. On the palate, it's a pepper bomb, but in a good way. Like this bottle, but probably wouldn't go out of my way to find again.

This is my go-to for an inexpensive peated bottle. Have always loved sherry casks finished Scotches, and this dram definitely delivered that sweetness and candied fruit you'd expect. Bonus for me, the peat is subtle and lacking the petrol oiliness of harsher Islays.

(Fair warning, I'm definitely over rating this Irish single malt; it's probably a 3.75, but the extent to which I look forward to a dram of this makes anything less than 4 seem like I'm cheating it.) I absolutely love the "Speyside-like" finishing to this whiskey; the sherry barrel finish makes an already very drinkable spirit even more drinkable. On the nose, the expected malty/grainy whiff of an Irish whiskey is there, but accompanied with the dried fruit and caramel so common with Speyside sherry finished Scotch. On the tongue, it presents a very smooth but slightly weak buttery mouth feel. The taste is exactly how you would imagine decent Irish whiskey finished in decent sherry casks would taste; malty caramel with dried or candied fruit, specifically cherry or raisin. The finish is a little weak and a little astringent. Bonus: I believe it's distilled by one of the only (if not only) female Irish whiskey distillers in Ireland.

For the price, I come back to this bottle every-now-and-then. Both the nose and taste have a curious "maltyness" or "yeastyness" to them that's hard to explain but not exactly something you look forward to. To give it it's deserving chops, if you really look for it there's young dried pear or apricot there.

Not the biggest fan of rum barrel finished Scotch, but certainly enjoyed this. Candied orange and warm caramel are prominent on the nose, carrying though to the palate. Not a terribly strong finish and lacking a little mouth feel, but for $59 it certainly punches above its weight.

I rate this a 3.75, but it's my go-to at least once a month (which means I probably should rate it a hair higher). For a "value" single malt Speyside, I love to keep coming back. The bottle suggests vanilla and pears, and I couldn't agree more. Moreover, I've never had a Scotch where pear and vanilla were so perfectly paired and so forward on the profile.

First rum barrel finished whiskey. Definitely a fan. On the nose: unmistakably "rum". Like, is this even whisky? For me, that's the scent of "regret" - equally astringent and equally achieved by lowering my face into a bucket of hand sanitizer and inhaling deeply. (But in all seriousness, it smells like rum. But I recognize it smells like good rum. Also, did I mention I really don't like rum? Also, it's 46%, so it's like, "Did you not expect 'astringent'? UPDATE: I left a glass out and 15 minutes later the nose - when inhaled not directly over the glass - is like wet, sweet oak, which is lovely.) On the palate, up front: completely bamboozled by the nose; clearly a good Irish whiskey base with unmistakable Bourbon cask fingerprints, delicious and curiously unique oak spice, honey and lemon. Maybe a hint of straw (it's something else but I can't put my finger on it). Have never tasted anything like this, and I love it. Feel and finish: Did I just eat a Werther's Original, because my mouth has a butterscotch coating. Honey and that same "straw" on the exhale. 46% and one of the softest finishes I've ever experienced. All that for a $63 bottle of blended Irish whiskey. Definitely recommend.