Tastes

A muted aroma at first. Marshmallow, fondant, very little spice. Juicy texture with powerful and deeply satisfying fruit! Long but single noted finish. Pillowy soft at the end.

A nice balance of sweet and savory. An aroma that is fairly traditional to Speyside though a tad exotic too. Dried chilies, dry peat, powdered dark chocolate, sweet malt, and Demerara sugar. The palate serves up a lot of the same. Dried chilies, chocolate mole, bitter sweet chocolate, aquamarine minerals, and a bit of liquid smoke. Exotic but perhaps not as complex as you may expect from a 25yr old whisky. Though this is yummy through and through. A nice dram for dessert.

Just dandy! I haven't had this in two years and it still holds up. Sweet vanilla, creamed corn, cream soda, and dry rye bread aromas. The palate is pillow soft and in no way obscured by alcohol. That taste of cream soda, mint chocolate, cornbread, and mild but lingering spices at the finish. It doesn't hang around as much as you might like but who cares there's still more in the glass! I'd take this over so many bottles of overpriced hooch.

This is a good advertisement for corn whiskey, even though it is only a part of this blend. A straightforward nose of corn meal, pickling spices, dried cherries, and toasty rye grain. Though this is steeped in ethanol fumes. This has a lengthy and smooth palate after taking a step back. Initially sweet caramel and bitter tannins. This leads to a broad mid-palate consisting of cornmeal, dry bread, and fresh wood flavors. The tannins return with the traditional Booker explosion of wood spices. The healthy proof creates an after-burn that stays with you for quite some time. It's whiskey like this that makes me want more corn whiskey. Sweetness in step with drier flavors. Why isn't there more corn whiskey?

Just the right amount of age and proof. An autumnal aroma of browned butter, cinnamon, and cider. The palate has quite a bit of power. Juicy cherries, apples, vanilla, gingerbread, cracked pepper,and cinnamon. The volume stays turned up all the way through to the finish. The alcohol teeters on too much but overall provides lasting richness. Textured, satisfying, and mature.

The nose on this is delicate and surrounded by a big cloud of alcohol. You've gotta be patient and sift through the ethanol fumes to see what's there, and it isn't much: dry oak, corn syrup, red apple skins, and rye grist. All of it in minuscule amounts. The palate is more giving. Rich sweetness and amped fruit flavors from the alcohol. The finish rings your tongue for saliva with generous spices and dry tannins. Adding water doesn't help the nose much but makes for a more luscious mid-palate. The sweetness is more akin to peach juice and honey. The texture becomes more silken before the tannins ride in again at the end. A sweeter side to Four Roses to be sure. Glad I tried this, but it's not a bottle I'd chase.

This casually walks a very fine line between too much and just right. A rich (but a little hot) nose of dark maple syrup, a fistful of cinnamon, and dried cherries. The palate is fairly hot and benefits from a drop or two of water. Red apples, leather, nutmeg, and dry cedar. The finish comes in two parts. First, quite bitter and dry from its substantial age. Though this dies down and the spice and heat take over creating a sensation found in red chilis. This is good exotic bourbon. If it had a little more restraint and focus it would be quite the showstopper.

Pure hedonism! Dried fruits, almond syrup, very dark malt, dark roasted coffee, though the proof shows through a bit on the nose. Chewy figs, petrol, sweet rolls, bittersweet chocolate. Really giving whisky, and evolves in the glass too. Little over sherried but only a little. It’s daunting at first but enticing after a sip. Can’t say that about many whiskies.

This is a harmonious blend, but to what end? A nose of powdered white chocolate, dry earth, pressed vanilla, and cream. The palate is round, silky, and tastes quite similar to the bouquet. Vanilla cream, malt chocolate, dried oranges, underripe melon, and a light touch of peat. A lengthy finish makes this a solid sipper or a great aperitif. This doesn't confound you(which whisky certainly doesn't have to) or seem terribly distinct. In fact it reminds me of whisky from the English Whisky Co., Young Balblair (which I understand is in the blend but not a huge portion), and shows some resemblance to Balvenie Ex-Bourbon First Fill. So the parts work well together but only to create a style that's already been well established.

This whisky is almost worth the price for the aroma alone. A wonderful combination of pretty sherry fruit and wet peat. Afterwards there are subtle vanilla malt and earthy spices. On the palate the sherry is displayed in the most favorable way. Offering tiny ripe berries, sweet malt, and roasted nuts. The finish gently breathes smoke down your throat like a seductress that is a little more kinky than you thought. Great NAS whisky!