Tastes

So, I have a ton of gin tasting notes that need writing - several quality local gins, plus a few new acquisitions that are exquisite. But...it is currently -7*F according to the thermometer on our porch; that's -21.5 C or so. This is high proof, warm me up from the inside out whiskey weather. Fortunately, the Russell family has me covered at 116.8 proof, but for the ABV, this is a fairly smooth affair. There's a nice little afterburn at the tail end of the palate, but it's a pleasant kind of burn. The nose is full of caramel, cherry cola, pepper (black and white), and baking spice, with a dry, woody quality. The palate, while certainly showing some woody oak influence and a dry finish, is still youthful enough not to be dominated by the wood. In fact, the opening attack is rich and round, almost like a corn pudding richly flavored with caramel, vanilla, and spices. The spices prevail mid-palate, and then woody dryness and cola notes take over for the pleasantly long finish. This isn't exactly going to change your mind about what bourbon can be...but if you like bourbon, it's a must-try. If nothing else, I sure feel a whole lot warmer.

With the holiday season (mostly) a wrap, a wee dram to fortify oneself against the winter chill is in order while I get in the seed order for this year's garden. My wife told me to "go buy some whiskey that you'll like" as part of my Christmas present, so...I took her up on that. Granted, buying a bottle of something I've haven't tasted before is a bit of a gamble, but this one paid off nicely, and I've no reason to doubt the judgment of the golden palated folks here who've sung the praises of Westland. The biggest note for me here is chocolate, and in a few different forms...at various moments in time, I get baking chocolate, spiced Mexican dark chocolate, hot cocoa, and fudge. While the chocolate notes are the most obvious, there are some notes of espresso, dried fig, vanilla, and coconut. I even get the faintest hint of charred wood in the background, almost like someone in the neighborhood's just gotten a charcoal grill started. The mouthfeel is deliciously coating, but not heavy. My sole complaint is that there's a definite youthfulness here...it's a younger distillery, so this isn't a huge shocker, but I did need to let the dram sit for a bit to open up since there was a definite ethanol heat on initial pouring. I'd have loved this bottle at, say, $10 less, but I still feel like I got what I paid for at about $60. Still, if this is what their entry level whiskey is like, I can't wait to get my hands on some of their other output.

It was the sagacious @PBMichiganWolverine who convinced me to give this a try. My initial exposure to Cutty Sark's standard bottle was my great aunt Evelyn fancying it; being the good country Texas family that we are, I mostly saw her drinking this on the rocks out of a coffee mug, because we're classy. My grandmother used to drink her Franzia white grenache from a box in an old pickle jar, after all. At some point later in my life, I bought a bottle and was underwhelmed...and that was even before I developed an interest in quality spirits. But, when someone whose palate I trust says this is good...well, I had to try. And, folks aren't wrong - this is an affordable blended Scotch that majorly overdelivers. The nose reminds me of cookie dough, sweet and rich with vanilla, but there's a maritime quality hanging on around the edge, letting you know that this is going to be a more complex affair than the average cheap blend. The palate is oily and coating, with that Christmas cookie sweetness leading the way, eventually yielding to a salty, citrusy profile that, by the finish, lets up enough to allow a certain sherry-tinged note to be heard. In the words of Stefon, this whisky has *everything*. Sure, it's a little hot at this proof, and I'm not going to choose this over a worthwhile single malt, but for $24 a bottle, there is nothing to complain about here.

I might as well say it from the outset - I'm kind of a Powers fanboy, and a lover of single pot still whiskey in general, so there was no way I wasn't going to enjoy this lovely single pot still offering. The Powers style - rich, oily, round, almost chewy, flavor-forward - is one that I enjoy immensely when I'm in the mood for Irish whiskey. It captures, for me, the quintessential nature of traditional approaches to Irish whiskey making, and I'm here for that. Now, this particular bottling is made up of single pot still whiskey aged mostly in American oak (ex-bourbon, I assume) barrels, with a small, but noticeable, amount of sherry cask aged whiskey present. This leads to a fairly predictable, but tasty, nose and palate with plenty of sweet vanilla, coconut fudge (really blows down those blues...), and spicy cinnamon-clove-nutmeg notes, with just a hint of nuttiness and dried fruits. The mouthfeel is oily and coating, but not as long lived as I might like on the finish, and (not shocking for an NAS), there's a little bit of heat at the very end. At $45, it's not a great value per se, but it's fairly priced. I'm not sure I see this as a step up from Powers Signature, though, which in the same price range feels like a better bargain. Is this going to change your life? Probably not, but it's kind of like a puppy. Who doesn't like puppies? You might not want to take one home, but even the hardest of hearts can't help but be warmed by a cute little puppy running around. This is a puppy. You may not need a bottle (or maybe you do, if this is your thing), but you're a coldhearted bugger indeed if you don't at least enjoy its fun, easygoing character, even if it's not going to replace your Redbreast 15 or Powers Johns Lane or Yellow Spot.

Dateline, Prairie du Chien: Went to a friend's birthday party at a bar. I got two drinks - EH Taylor and this, neither of which were new to me. What was new to me was paying a combined $12 or so for my drinks, both of which were basically just Old Fashioned glasses filled 3/4 or so up with booze, neat. I love Wisconsin. It was nice to be reacquainted with the entry level Glenfarclas bottle, which is a fairly simple, easygoing single malt with that nutty quality shared by all of the distillery's bottlings. It lacks the complexity and nuance of older Glenfarclas bottles, as it's a pretty straightforward affair, but it's at least an enjoyable simplicity.

While I'm sure that Binny's is grateful that I paid for this with gold, not iron, I still think the best way to market this, the dram of the Iron Islands, is by requiring that one take it by force. That being said, if authenticity to the character of the great house of Westeros chosen for the bottling is one of my rating criteria, Diageo did a fine job here. First off, Talisker is the obvious pick from their holdings for the seafaring, island-dwelling folk of House Greyjoy. So, score one. Next up - this is the least smoky, but possibly most maritime, dram I've had from Talisker. Excellent. Thirdly...it's Talisker. There is no bad Talisker, only good Talisker and better Talisker. The nose is quintessential Talisker - salty sea air, toffee, that red pepper note I only ever find in their whisky. The palate is creamy, but substantial, with only a little whiff of smoke drifting in the background as brine, salted caramel and cashew ice cream, and red pepper flakes dance around. It's a bit sweeter and less savory than I usually expect from them, but this still feels like Talisker...just a different take on things. Very good stuff, and at about $45, you're definitely getting a good deal. Well done, Diageo...well done.