Tastes
-
Glenfiddich 15 Year Solera Reserve
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed December 2, 2016 (edited September 24, 2018)I don't like that people make this dram out to be the second coming of Christ, but beyond the hype, it's a fine dram just the same. The nose has a lovely complexity to it, with sherry notes of dried fruits, orange peel, and nuttiness mingling with bourbon-influenced vanilla, caramel, and coconut. There's also this hint to it that reminds me of the Jim Beam white label my dad always drank when I was a kid...not much, just enough to trigger the memory. On the palate, it's thinner than I would prefer (I'd love to try this bottled at 46% instead of 40%), but flavorsome, with dried fig, spices, apricot, peach, vanilla, caramel, and a coconut finish. I will say that I find this one to be overpriced, but if it retailed for, say, $50 instead, it would be a good buy...so if you can pick it up on sale, go for it. -
I've had a mixed experience with this one, which is what keeps it at a 4 star level for me. I wonder about consistency on the distilling side - are they suffering from a shortage of good barrels? On a good day, this is a dram overflowing with ripe red apple, orange marmalade, honey, spice, and toasty bread. Other times, I've found it dull and uninspired - just a good, not great, rather stereotypical Irish whiskey that makes me wish I'd paid less and just gotten Powers. It's made reluctant to buy a bottle for myself because I don't know which I'll get, and I'm not inclined to pay premium prices for middle of the road quality. It's a really a shame, too, because it's a good day indeed when you get a solid dram.
-
Irish whiskey and I have a love/hate relationship. On the one hand, it's what made me a whiskey drinker back in college and seminary, and it's easy to see why - good Irish whiskey is smooth as silk, goes down easy, and has some personality (but not *too* much). On the other hand, I can already bet on what flavor notes I'm likely to find in the glass just because it's Irish. Powers Gold Label is perhaps the pinnacle of this reality. It is super smooth, with a sweet, luscious nose full of buttery malt, vanilla, honey, and spice...and the palate matches the nose, with just that hint of something slightly green and vegetal mid-palate. It's pleasant, reliable, and as comfy as warm PJ pants on a cold night...drink this one with family and friends around a fire pit, and you're in for a great time. Sure, it tastes like a stereotypical Irish whiskey. It's not going to blow your mind with its originality or chutzpah. But, sometimes, that's just fine by me, and it's why this one stays on my shelf.
-
I've been wanting to get my hands on some proper oude genever for a while now. Gin is my preferred cocktail and hot weather spirit, so as a whiskey fanatic...this sounded like the best of both worlds. And, indeed, Boomsma's oude genever is precisely what one would hope for here - a sweet, malty, barrel-inflected spirit that's been flavored with juniper and botanicals. The nose is light and fruity, with vanilla and porridge notes that remind in (in a good way) of some of my favorite Speyside single malts (AnCnoc's 12 year old comes to mind). There is a slightly bitter evergreen hint in the background. On the palate, this is not something I would want to mix up with tonic and a lime squeeze; again, like a scotch, it's not great for cocktails, but has both sufficient character and smoothness to be sipped neat as you enjoy the interplay between the sweet oaky vanilla notes and the bright and fresh (but still light) evergreen forest notes. I hope to see more oude genever make its way into the market; this is an enjoyable drink and worth seeking out to try, if just for diversity's sake.
-
Journeyman Distillery Silver Cross Four Grain Whiskey
Other Whiskey — Michigan, USA
Reviewed November 17, 2016Really a 4.5 here, with that extra half point for originality. This is a smooth, suave mammajamma; the nose has caramel corn and vanilla, with a little hint of rubber sole and shoe leather. The palate is a sweet, smooth tour of all four grains in the mashbill - bourbon caramel and vanilla, rye spiciness, a rich, leathery quality from the barley, and a smooth, supple sheared finish. Very nicely done...and from Three Oaks! We cut our Christmas tree down there every year! Looks like I need to get more than a Douglas fir there next week... -
Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed November 17, 2016 (edited October 1, 2017)I don't think this is the miracle bourbon that people say, but it's very good nonetheless. The nose is a bit too hot, but past the ethanol there's vanilla, caramel, spices, and a dill note that suggests a pretty high rye content in the mashbill. The palate matches the nose really closely; there's more of a burn than I'd like, but beyond it is a rich, chewy blend of dark caramel, vanilla fudge, maple candy, a slight woodiness, and some spicy-sweet tang from the rye. -
I keep being impressed by Scapa. I'd been dying to try this one for a while, and...well, it was worth ordering a bottle when making my annual purchase of the whisky Advent calendar. This is peated, but not in the traditional sense - it spends time in a finishing cask that previously held heavily peated whisky. The nose is full and fruity - loads of orchard and stone fruits, rounded out with vanilla, a whiff of smoke, and a tiny hint of sea air. The palate enters with a bright, fresh fruitiness with vanilla creme, and then that smoke starts to creep in like fog rolling in off the water. It's very nicely balanced, and the Scapa fruit-vanilla-sea spray profile goes well with the light peat.
-
Old Forester 100 Proof Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed November 15, 2016 (edited February 16, 2018)A nice, well-rounded, crowd-pleaser of a bourbon is what we have here. While a little hot on the nose, I got some good mint chocolate, vanilla, and caramel corn notes, with a hint of spice floating around and a little wax. The mouth is waxy and coating, with mint, dark chocolate, caramel, vanilla, and a peppery, spicy, dill rye note at the end. Not a super long finish, but it's pleasant. It's hard to argue with this given the price, especially considering that it's got enough personality to make a damn fine cocktail, and enough finesse to go down well neat or simply on the rocks. -
Clyde May's Alabama Style Whiskey (85 Proof)
Flavored Whiskey — USA
Reviewed November 15, 2016 (edited January 24, 2019)While I grew up in Texas, my family has antebellum roots in Alabama, so I had to give the "Alabama style" whiskey a whirl...and I'm glad I did! In some ways, I'm reminded almost more of scotch than bourbon by the nose - apples, baking spice, vanilla, caramel...this wouldn't be out of place in Speyside. The palate reminds you which side of the Atlantic this whiskey was produced on, but only so much - while there's plenty of good, bourbony caramel corn and vanilla, with a little bit of rye spice, a smooth, creamy apple-cinnamon quality comes through, as well. It's unique, priced well, and worth trying if you get the chance; I'll happily drink this neat, but I can also see lots of cocktail potential here, too.
Results 231-240 of 363 Reviews