Tastes

Funky, malty, all sorts of ripe fruits from tropical to darker berries, spice, vanilla, powdered sugar, some dark caramel, a bit tannic on the finish. The wine casks were not overused as they often are in Scotch. They add subtle layers of complexity on top of the already delicious bourbon-aged spirit. While I've enjoyed Classic Laddie, I've always thought it was missing something. This is the the full Laddie. A great 18 year old Islay single malt bottled at 50% for $149 USD. Well done, Bruichladdich! If they keep this as a core bottling at this price, it will become one of the few OB's I always keep around.

A little fruit and a lot of caramel sweetness are the first things I notice. Followed by vanilla, then a gentle waft of smoke. It does not remind me of Islay nor Highland peat. It tastes more like wood smoke, but it does have just a hint of lingering savory funk I only find in peat. There is also just a tiny youthful ethanol note (atypical for Westland), but not enough to be offensive. It's unique and lovely. I look forward to future editions, and I hope they do more than just use different wine casks every year.

This is a review for the first batch. Incredible! Unique, innovative, and delicious! Fruity, sweet but not too sweet, not too much sherry, fruity with some spice and an unexpected flavor probably coming from the chestnut. Almost like a hint of seasoning salt over coriander.

Not as good as their Chestnut finished Single Pot Still or their Limousine finished Single Malt. It's still good, but it's nothing special.

I have been such a fan of Method & Madness. Not only do they usually make unique and innovative expressions, but they make sure they are also good. Their French Chestnut Finish is one of my favorite whiskies of all time. Unfortunately, they've officially phoned it in with their latest expressions. There's barely any rye taste (nor malt), and there's a heavy dose of young, metallic ethanol which overpowers and ruins the experience. Charging €100 for this is absurd. With this and their other recent releases having the same issue has forever tarnished their reputation in my mind.

Malt, brown sugar, cinnamon, brown butter, molasses, light peat. The best Garryana bottling so far.

Big burst of artificial sweetener, car keys, and nail polish with a hint of molasses. This tastes like a gimmicky cash grab, and I'm embarrassed to have fallen for it.