Tastes

If all blends were like this, I'd feel less inclined to shell out the big bucks for single malts. The nose is subtle here - some dried fruit sweetness, a bit nutty, some sneaky smoke at the end. Then, on the palate - rich, sherry and dried fruit with a hint of vanilla all wrapped in a cloud of peat smoke. It's all of the things I like in a scotch, really. And for a bargain.

Two weeks into life with a newborn, and it's time to get back into the reviewing swing of things with a re-review (and changed rating). I first encountered the Original early into my whisky appreciation days; as a neophyte, it's an impressive enough dram. It was my introduction to non-peated Scotch, in fact, and it's as low-ask a pour as they come. Straightforward flavors are the name of the game - vanilla, orange blossom, honey, slightly creamy. Initially, I thought this was an impressive dram for the price...and then I drank a lot more scotch. I decided to revisit this one the other night, and let's just say what once was a delicious introduction to Highland malts is significantly less impressive. It's just a wee bit too tame and simple, plus I got some sort of unpleasant chemical note in my pour...takes the edge off a nice dram rather quickly, that does. So, it's down a star with a new review; this is a good introductory dram for someone intimidated by the wide world of scotch, and it has better cocktail potential than the average bear (viva straightforwardness), but it's not something I'm likely to reach for often.

I decided to revisit my Glenmorangie reviews since they date back to my novice whisky reviewing days. Out of the three readily-available 12 year old cask finishes (erm, "extra matured" whiskies, excuse me...), the Nectar D'Or remains my favorite. There's something electric about this - perhaps it's the hint of candied lime on the nose mingled with the vanilla sweetness and sweet, ripe grape tones. I get an alluring, lightly floral note, as well, and a spiciness that's hard to quite nail down. The palate opens up with that good ol' Glenmorangie orange blossom honey, which is given a delightful complexity as sweet and spicy white wine dances with lime zest. The finish is reasonably long, with enough citrus zip to avoid falling into the realm of cloying sweetness. Given its generally wide availability, this is a reliable dessert dram for me, and a lovely treat nearly any time.

Notes of vanilla, honey, caramel, and dessert wine on the nose, with a hint of smoke and sea hiding at the end. The flavor is heavy on the sweet notes up front (caramel and toffee), with lingering vanilla at the end.

A real classic. The sherry casks give a luscious, full sweetness to the palate. Almond notes turn to amaretto, and there's oaky vanilla floating around. Not the most complex or challenging single malt out there...but is that such a crime?

I just love Laphroaig - it's the dram that made me a scotch drinker. The nose alone is worth the price of admission - sea salt, camphor, burning driftwood, sticking plaster, vanilla. I'm amazed at how much sweetness comes through, like rays of sunlight between crashing waves and clouds of herb-laden smoke. This is just poetic in its juxtaposition of light and heavy, sweet and savory. And, for less than $50? Can't beat that.

Really enjoyed this one. Ripe, juicy pear on the nose. The pear came through on the palate, giving way to a surprising amount of spice giving way to sherried sweetness at the end.

Rich, dark color. The nose picks up notes of burnt sugar and malt. On the palate, there's a little smoke and a fair amount of spicy sweetness (rum-like, almost). The smoke lingers on the tongue, with a woody dryness.