Tastes

Nose: a heavy dose of oily smoke, peat, brine, seaweed, and iodine. It has a very medicinal/cough syrup nose. Palate: Exceptionally balanced. The mouthfeel is thick and oily. Smoke and peat are the prominent flavors on the palate, but brine and wood aren’t far behind. I get faint hints of coffee and toffee the longer I let it sit in my mouth. There’s also a note of sweet dark fruit, like plums or dates. Finish: Incredibly long. This stays with me for 10-15 minutes. The peaty and salty flavors remain, but the smoke flavors evolve here. I get more of a smoked pork/salmon flavor on the finish than just smoke outright. Some waxy/leathery flavors emerge as well. Wood notes fade away first. Overall: EXCEPTIONAL. I could write volumes about how good this Scotch is. The folks at Lagavulin love their work and it really shows here. I hate using the word “smooth” to describe a whiskey, but the extra time in the barrel (as compared to a 10 year) takes away any rough edges. I would actually recommend this as a first Islay to anyone who hasn’t tried one (it was my first). The lack of alcohol burn really enables you to enjoy the complex flavors Lag 16 has to offer. This is expensive, but it’s also readily available. I feel the $90 price is completely worth it and plan on keeping this as a stable in my home bar. It’s the ultimate expression of what whiskey is and should be.

Nose: seaspray, rock, peat, smoke very faint hints of wood, some leather and spice as well. Palate: rock, salt, and peat upfront. Mouthfeel is thick and oily as you’d expect for a whiskey like this. You can tell this was distilled and aged near the sea, and I love it. Very little alcohol burn is present, which allows you to really enjoy the various flavors. Finish: long, as any peated single malt should be. The smoky flavors really come through here in the finish. Seaweed and burning tires begin to emerge. I also pick up some oak near the tail end. Overall: GREAT. Talisker prides itself on being a unique distillery and it shows in its flagship product. It’s similar to an Islay single malt, but it highlights different flavors. There is much more emphasis on the sea rather than the smoky flavors here. It’s a wonderful addition to any single malt lover’s collection. If you already have a good Islay scotch and are thinking of getting a second, I would hold off and pick up a bottle of this instead. It’s not quite as refined as Lagavulin 16, but it’s every bit as good as (or better than) Laphroaig 10 or Ardbeg 10.

Nose: Green apple, honey, banana bread. Very little wood but a lot of sweet notes. Palate: The green apple and honey continue in the palate. Mouthfeel is fairly thin. Finish: Medium length. Oak finally emerges here. Creamy vanilla is also present. Overall: ABOVE AVERAGE. If you’re looking for a good “anytime” bourbon, look no further. This is one of my go to whiskies, especially for the price.

Nose: Oak, grain, caramel, melon, and faint hints of lemon. Palate: Maple syrup, caramel, and candied orange. A lot of the sweet and citrusy flavors come out right upfront in the palate. Finish: Warm and lingering. Oak and grain initially with a ton of spice at the end. Overall: GREAT. This is a great improvement over standard Maker’s Mark. The sweet and citrusy flavors are particularly interesting. Another upside is this is well priced and relatively easy to find. It’s also the only barrel proof wheated bourbon I’m aware of.

Nose: lots of oak, leather, ground coffee, toffee, dark chocolate, with fainter hints of vanilla, pepper, and caramel. Palate: caramel and butterscotch upfront that gives way to candied fruit, leather, pepper, and baking spice. Drinks below proof (134 in my case) but you can still tell it’s a barrel proof bourbon. It has just the right amount of heat. Mouthfeel is thick and creamy. Finish: One of the longest I’ve ever had in a bourbon. The flavors linger for minutes. All the sweet flavors fade and give way to leather, oak, and dark chocolate. Overall: EXCELLENT. This is an excellent value at its MSRP of $60 and the best barrel proof bourbon I’ve had to date. I’d bet that it’s the best barrel proof bourbon you can find relatively easily. Drinking this makes me forget about the loss of the standard 12 year Elijah Craig and the fact that it’s double the price of its NAS small batch brother. This could probably benefit from a few drops of water, but it’s also fantastic neat. The oaky finish pairs well with the sweet flavors on the palate, and the heat is very manageable despite the potent proof.

Nose: Lemon peel, grass, caramel, and vanilla. Palate: incredibly sweet. Butterscotch, vanilla, creme brûlée, and cinnamon. Finish: Medium, mostly citrus fruits with some wood and baking spice. Overall: BELOW AVERAGE. While it is reasonably priced, the only real appeal to this whiskey is that it’s South African, and therefore different. It’s a single grain whiskey that essentially only incorporates corn in the mashbill. Because of this, it’s flavor profile is very similar to a bourbon, but there are far better bourbons available for the price. There are also single grain whiskies that are much better than this. Finally, there are better examples of whiskey from countries outside Scotland or America. If you’re curious about this, give it a try, but I highly doubt you’ll buy a second bottle.

Nose: chocolate, hints of wood, and unsurprisingly, beer. Some faint honey as well. Palate: coffee and dark chocolate. Slightly bitter. Some spice pound cake in there as well. Mouthfeel is moderately thick. Finish. Dry and incredibly short. One of the shortest I’ve had in awhile. Not particularly complex. More wood and chocolate but you really have to search for it. Overall: ABOVE AVERAGE. A decent upgrade from standard Jameson. If I had to have a bottle of Jameson in my collection, I would definitely choose one of their caskmates. As with most Irish whiskeys, it’s a good balance between a bourbon and a scotch, but it will likely be replaced with a better Irish whiskey once the bottle is empty. Reasonably priced and readily available, this is an “everyday” Irish whiskey that could work well in cocktails and makes a semi-decent sipper on it’s own

Nose: honeysuckle, pear, hints of apple, very faint scents of peat. Smells sweet like a bourbon. Palate: fruity and floral. Notes of apple and grapefruit. Some peat and earth, but not prominent. Mouthfeel is thin. Finish: Dry and lingering. Oak and grapefruit. Faint notes of grain. Overall: GOOD. Very similar to Glenlivet 12 with a thinner mouthfeel and more floral/fruity notes. An available and accessible choice for those looking for a good Japanese whisky.