Tastes

This is a majorly unique whiskey. I'm reminded of kümmel, actually - nose and palate both are reminiscent of rye bread with caraway seeds, plus dill and orange peel. There's a little ginger on the palate, too. I see why some really don't like this, but this is a flavor palate that's well within my Alsatian ancestry wheelhouse.

I may be biased since they're local, but I really appreciate Koval's dedication to experimentation. This is a truly unique whiskey thanks to the 100% oat mash bill. The oatiness comes through on nose and palate both, with a creamy and buttery character about it. There's also plenty of baking spice and tart apple on the nose, plus a slight petroleum note. Young, but still smooth, the palate opens with the petroleum, but quickly gives way to vanilla cream, cinnamon, and some fruitiness as the sweetness creeps in at the end...kind of like a good bowl of oatmeal. A 3.5 from me, and a well-earned one.

I quite enjoyed this. The sweet, Pedro Ximenez qualities are very evident on the nose - the first thing that pops up is dark dried fruit and nuts, followed by salty air, caramel (salted caramel!), orange peel, butterscotch, pipe tobacco, hay, and green apple - it's a dry malt. On the palate. the sweetness hits early and hard as the fruit moves back into salted caramel and candied orange peel, with a dry, slightly sweet smoky ending.

A pleasant in-house blend from Loch Lomond. The nose is classic Loch Lomond - a little fruity, a little funky, a little butterscotch. The palate here, though, switches it up - while there are some of the sweet, butterscotch, vanilla, toffee, etc. notes that I expect from there, there is also a BIG savory, herbal quality to this one, too. It's a nice, rather different interpretation of the Loch Lomond personality!

Eh, not my favorite from Inchmurrin/Loch Lomond. The nose, for me, fell flat. The LL/Inchmurrin malt has a funk to it, and that's OK, but all I really got on the nose was that cheap tequila/wet cat vibe. Really did not prime me to like this. The mouth is significantly improved, with the kinds of things one would expect from a double maturation in a fortified wine cask - dried fruit, almond and marzipan, plus a bit of vanilla. But...that was about it. Nowhere near as interesting or engaging as the other Inchmurrins I've had.

The cure for whatever it is that strikes me as funky with Loch Lomond's output is, evidently, time. This 18 year sees the funkiness turn to a delicious malty note on the nose, with some restrained vanilla and caramel, as well as nutty notes. On the palate, it's quite lovely - toffee and butterscotch are forward and obvious, but neither is too sweet, and are complemented by the almond and spice notes. It has a nice, long, beautiful linger on the palate. Really quite nice, if pricey.

Really more like a 3.5 here. This was had toward the end of the EPIC Loch Lomond/Glen Scotia tasting I attended, so feel free to take my impressions with a grain of salt, but...there's just something about the Loch Lomond malts that makes them a bit funky on the nose. It came out here, too, along with more pleasant vanilla and caramel notes. The palate isn't funky in the least, but instead becomes a very warm, spicy, expressive dram oozing with vanilla, caramel, and stone fruit. It was tasty; if it weren't the slightly off-putting nose and the price being a bit too high for me, I'd give it 4 stars.

So, this bottle sells for $4,000. No, that wasn't a typo. I've tried hard not to let that fact color my opinion of the whisky, which is pretty damn good on its own merits. The nose is fruity and nutty, with a bit of vanilla; the palate is a beautifully integrated fruit salad of tree fruit, melon, and stone fruit notes topped with sweet vanilla cream, milk chocolate, and rum raisin ice cream. I feel privileged to have had the chance to try it at a local tasting; it's a very good dram. Pity I'll probably never get to have it again!

By their own admission, this blend (of only their own product) aims for the same general flavor profile as Johnnie Walker Black and...well, it definitely manages that, albeit with a slightly off-putting nose. There's a bit of something funky on the nose, with new shoes, earth, and (thankfully) some vanilla. The palate, though, is quite nice - toffee, vanilla, dried fruit, nuts, and a hint of smoke. Rich, round, and long-lasting. It's priced well, too.