Tastes

This is rather singular dram - can't say I've had anything else quite like it. There's a quality about it that's reminiscent of a dry white wine from the Loire (Sancerre, etc.), or a true Chablis. The nose has crisp green apple, quince, a bit of grassiness, and a hint of vanilla. On the palate, there's an initial burst of sweet vanilla, followed by a rush of pepper and spice, with a sour green apple ribbon running down through it all...almost a pickled kind of sour at moments. It's delicious, and definitely it's own creature - well worth a try.

I like this one a good bit. The nose initially presents with spice (almost a rye spiciness), ripe red apple, honey, vanilla custard, and pepper. Given a little time, the apple note opens up into ripe cantaloupe. On the palate, a surprisingly mild opening leads to a full, rich middle - there's a bit of fruit salad (apple, melon, maybe even pear and banana), a lift of baking spice and pepper, and vanilla creme - rather custard like at the end. The melon and creamy vanilla linger on the palate. Really a good dram for the price - less than $40 US!

Bright and sweet on the nose - caramel, vanilla, some spice. On the palate, there's caramel, butterscotch, vanilla, spice, a little hit of pepper. Better than your average blend and good for the price!

Haters can hate; this is a damn fine blend and a solid value. The nose is full of Speyside sherry notes, with a whiff of smoke in the background. Where this shines, though, is on the palate - a sweet, lush start (creme brulee, vanilla) is lent some delicious complexity as peat smoke and salt moves this one from Speyside to Islay. It lingers on the palate for a long time, reminding me of salted caramel as the slightly briny note mingles with that sherried sweetness. Again, haters can hate, but this is better than some single malts in the same price range.

Maybe not the most exciting bourbon out there, but for the price you can't beat it. Excellent for cocktails, "Kentucky Tea," etc. Important addendum learned while recovering from a cold: this makes a GREAT hot toddy. Something about this plus hot water and a little honey elicits a delicious chocolate caramel undertone that's otherwise stayed well hidden.

On the nose, lemon, briny, herbal, almost olive notes. On the palate, there's a lemon cream,salted caramel, and a whiff of sweet pipe tobacco. With water, a smoky, almost sooty, profile emerges as some of the sweetness retreats. Very tasty, and intriguing in how much it changes with a touch of water...almost two whiskies for the price of one!

Luscious. A rich nose of fudgy chocolate and vanilla, candied orange peel, and Turkish sultanas. On the palate, this is rich and full, loaded with chocolate , mint, and sultana.

Really lovely. The nose offers up some peat and sea air (Islay light), but also a bit of vanilla custard. On the palate, there's a bright, fresh burst of malt that settles into a rich, almost fudgy vanilla profile, sprinkled with salt and just enough peat. Complex, engaging, and delicious.

This is really a 3.5 (can we get half stars in the next update, please???). It's rich, full, luscious - lots of sherry sweetness. It's a reliable everyday workhorse...makes a great scotch and soda!

I liked this more than I figured. Spice and vanilla, very creamy texture, rich but not to the level of, say, Macallan. Nicely balanced and, for pete's sake, it retails for like $25. Good value!