Tastes

Maybe not exceptional, but nice. Vanilla and oak on the nose and palate. There's some nice smoke kicking around in the background, which lingers.

Lovely sherried color. Malt, vanilla, sherry richness, and a whiff of spice on the nose...and even a tiny little bit of charred wood. A rich mouth-feel, with a taste full of dried fruit, oaky vanilla, and burnt sugar, with woody notes at the end.

This is technically a re-review, but it's been a long time since I've had a dram...and it's always a joy to reconnect with an old friend. The flagship Caol Ila continues not to disappoint, with a buttery mouthfeel that reveals a meaty olive quality, a creamy vanilla sweetness, and a smolderingly smoky finish. It's Islay through and through, but a bit less obvious than the Big Three distillers on the island.

I like this, but don't love it. Mild honey and orange blossom notes, but kind of one-dimension. Very drinkable, but not very exciting.

This is a really lovely Irish whiskey. Pours a beautiful gold, and the nose picks up very delicate notes of clover honey and vanilla. The palate is perfectly in line with the nose; nothing surprising, other than how rich this manages to taste without seeming heavy. The sherry notes show up at the very end, but aren't a dominant figure in the taste profile.

Beautiful caramel color with distinctive, slow-moving legs. Creme brulee butterscotch, and dried fruit on the nose, with a whiff of sea spray/iodine. Sweet and rich on the palate, with burnt sugar, vanilla, and a slight little hint of tobacco smoke.

Pours a pale straw color. Loads of peaty smoke on the nose, but taste-wise, the smoke's nicely balanced out by seawater and a lovely sweetness that lingers longer than the smoke.

Pours a beautiful, rich red-brown. Super slow, rich legs. Chocolate and sherry on the nose. All of that chocolate and sherry richness comes in right up front on the taste. There's some woody dryness later, and just when you think that's the last of it, the sherry comes back. Really nice.

Better on the nose than the palate. There are gorgeous overtones of butterscotch and burnt sugar, with an oaky hint of vanilla. Taste-wise, this is a little drier, flatter, and hotter than I'd expect - there's some lingering oak on the tongue after, which is nice. I like this one, but I don't love it.

Now, I don't usually drink blends, but...this is one to make an exception over. Very light in color, and fairly light mouthfeel. The nose comes in with oaky, grassy notes. These come through on the palate, with some truly delicious spice coming in late to wrap it all up. This is a great workhorse, everyday drinking dram.