Tastes

I'd been wanting to try this, a limited run OP, but had balked at paying $10 over the price of the 12 yr for an NAS (my rule of thumb: NAS is OK as long as you price it fairly). Then, I got a $10 off coupon from my local fine spirits purveyor and figured why not get a bottle since the stocks of it are starting to run low. It's very obviously Old Pulteney from the first whiff on - that rich, fruity character comes to the forefront, this time with an apple overtone. There's also a savory olive note, some raisins, a bit of vanilla, and even a little chocolate; the only OP staple not that's not strong here for me is citrus. That said, there is some lemony brightness on the palate, along with crisp fresh fruit, a little bit of salt, and some vanilla...plus the inevitable heat from this being (presumably) a young-ish whisky. I think it's a bit silly to price this above the 12 year, but it still has enough to commend itself to warrant positive marks. I just wish it cost less; if it were priced more competitively, it could actually serve as a decent introduction to the distillery for the budget-minded.

I had to give this one a go; not everyone shares a name with a well-regarded bourbon, after all! The signs of aging are writ large on the nose - there's not nearly as much bourbon corn and caramel as in a younger whiskey, and in their place I find orange zest, spices, and old leather Bible cover (I'm a pastor, what can I say). The palate cleaves close to the nose - leathery and spiced with orange peel and a bit of buttery caramel. It's a smidgeon hot, but that doesn't get in the way...besides, it tastes like Christmas, which is OK by me, especially on a gloomy late January day in Chicago. A really lovely dram.

Life with a month old baby means I don't make it to the Binny's tasting room as often as I used to...but it's always lovely when I do. Today, I decided to keep it on this side of the pond, and High West did not disappoint me. This is a lithe, lovely rye - the marriage of the young and old whiskies is a harmonious one, showcasing the bright dill and spice of the young, high rye bill whiskey and a smooth, buttery caramel from the older stock. The dill notes hang out for a long time on the palate. Definitely a winner for me; I would probably drink more rye if it were all this well-crafted.

I may have underestimated this the first time I had a dram. My initial impression was that it was good (very good, even), but too woody for my taste. Suffice it to say that ship has sailed; it looks my local bar is a bit into a new bottle, so I wonder if my previous experience was impacted by over oxygenation in its predecessor. Regardless, I was shocked to be able to smell the dram from feet away - the Old Pulteney ripe fruit explodes out of the glass. When you get a bit closer in, there are notes of wood spice, plummy dark fruit, nuts, and dark chocolate to be found. On the palate, this is the 12 year's slightly more sophisticated older sibling - the elements present on the nose all integrate perfectly into a rich mouthful of whisky, almost choral harmony of fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, spice, citrus peel, dark chocolate, and vanilla-inflected salted caramel. Its oily mouthfeel coats and lingers. I'm glad I gave this a second look; the price point keeps it from becoming a daily drinker (the 12 can maintain that honor), but as a treat...you betcha.

All this time, and I've never actually written up notes on this, one of the treasures (by which I mean whiskies not commercially available in the US) I brought home from Scotland this past summer. The bottle was purchased at the distillery after our tour, and it was money well spent. The nose overflows with the sherry-influenced profile that's to be expected from Glenfarclas; in the 15, I get dark brown sugar, fig jam and vanilla cake (almost like a Fig Newton), almond brittle, and...waxy shoe polish. Medium bodied with a slight nip of alcoholic heat, the palate does have an ever so slight waxy quality to it. Flavors of candied plum, dried fig, almond, pastry crust, and vanilla come to the forefront; with a drop of water, there's a minty note at the very end. An ever-so-slightly bitter note rounds things out and keeps this from being a total dessert dram. A lovely, fairly priced (from what I remember) dram that I wouldn't mind see cross the pond!

The only thing keeping this from receiving a 5 from me is that it's a smidgeon too hot; my guess is that since it's an NAS, the whisky's still on the young side. That being said, this is a prime example of what you miss out on if you write off NAS whisky for reasons of principle (or snobbery). The nose is bursting at the seams with coconut cream pie, lush vanilla, nutmeg, and an array of orchard fruits. The palate, despite a little burn from the youthful spirit, is equally full and abounding in sweet, rich, luscious coconut, vanilla, ripe fruits, and spice, with a little schmear of chocolate on the palate toward the end of the finish. If the worst thing I can say about this dram is that it's just a trifle too young, then we have a winner - and for a song. I picked this up for less than $40!

Would I be a jerk if I said my first reaction was "hmm, this smells like bourbon"? I could tell you the things I encountered on the nose - the caramel, the vanilla, the slight hint of spice, the suggestion of something a bit fruity. I could then go on to share how the palate tastes like the nose, with a short finish and that something about the mouthfeel reminds me of the squeak that cheese curds make when they're fresh (I live in the Midwest, what can I say). This is just...well, bourbon. A solid, very drinkable bourbon, but...well, just bourbon. It doesn't get me excited; I'll bet it makes a mean Old Fashioned, and I'm not disliking the experience of having it in my class, but I don't quite get the crazy levels of fanboy-ing that tend to be generated here...is it just rollover Pappy Effect? Regardless, a perfectly fine bourbon, if you're looking for reliability without necessarily pizazz.

And now for something completely different than your usual Irish profile, probably thanks to the lack of unmalted, pure potstill notes. A slightly timid nose gives up vanilla pudding, caramel, candied orange peel and lemon, and a slight hint of spice. The palate is a unique experience, opening with those sweet notes but quickly yielding to a savory, meaty malt profile. The finish is a little short, but it's a pleasant dram...and a nice reprieve from the usual interchangeable Irish whiskies.

This is a high 3, nearly a 4, as my dram of Clontarf was a faithful companion to my Christmas Eve sermon writing here at my local Irish pub. It ticks all the Irish whiskey boxes - honey sweetness, a bit of clovers floral notes, some spice, a little apple compote, slightly bitter green notes from the unmalted barley, and a bready chassis that reminded me of waffles more than bread. Not bad, but also not likely to become my go-to Irish whiskey, either.

Let's get this off my chest to begin: I think Oban is a little overrated. People act like the best hooch in the galaxy comes off the stills there, and while I genuinely enjoy their whisky...I mean, c'mon. It's good, but not the mother of all whiskies. The Little Bay NAS, regardless of distillery reputation, is pretty darn tasty, however. The nose is pure fruit salad - honey, mint, apple, pear, a little something salty, a little squeeze of citrus. That's a pretty good picture of what you find on the palate, as well, opening sweet and fruity, then gradually ending with sea spray and lemon. The finish isn't particularly long, lingering, or complex, but it's a fine, easy sipper of a dram. I think the price tag I've seen for a bottle of this is obscene (Oban, in any stripe, is NOT a top-shelf, empty-my-wallet-to-get-some bottle), but I most certainly would not turn down a dram if it were offered to me.