Tastes

I wasn't a fan of the original Spice Tree, but that didn't seem like a good enough reason not to try the Extravaganza. A nose of gentle aromas that have to fight a little against the heat. There's pretty fruit, honey, custard, and some ground coffee. The palate is also a melange of delicate tastes but primarily vanilla malt and honeyed fruits. The finish is a tad hot, a little nutty, with subtle but persistent chimney smoke. This grew on me but I wanted some clarity. Perhaps if the alcohol wasn't so prevalent the softer notes would shine more.

Very attractive nose! Like a camp out on Islay. Burning piles of wet peat, milk chocolate, and crushed pink peppercorns. The palate is full of peat and chocolate. Though there's sparks of spearmint and creamy vanilla. I'm wanting a little more depth of the palate but the nose is very alluring. Definitely one of their better peated expressions.

Been tasting through different AnCnoc peated expressions in search of the one I had at a bar one night. The aroma has a lot of sweet BBQ spices, dry peat, smokey BBQ fumes, and toasted marshmallows. The palate is dry but still has the soft silky texture you associate with Ancnoc. The primary flavors are vanilla malt and powdered chocolate. The finish is dry peat smoke and earthen spices. I liked the sweet and savory smell of this whisky but it's not the one from the other night.

Nice sweet peat bricks initially on the nose. Heather is woven in tightly and there's a lasting aroma of saline. The palate is rich with peat and ocean minerals. Things dry out with soot smoke. The finish is similar to the mid-palate with some lingering dried chiles. It's hard to know this is from Knockdhu other than its creamy texture. Add some water to draw out the finish and lighten the soot. Overall, this is nice and satisfies a need for peat, but it lacks depth.

This is definitely for those with a sweet tooth. The malt and sherry create a unique arrangement of aromas: Cookie Dough, Raisinets, Vanilla chews, and Cream sherry. The palate is equally decadent, Malt balls, Dates, and Mint Chocolate. It drys out on the finish which is a tad short. It's a bit too sweet for me but perhaps not for you.

I've been avoiding this whisky for a while. I'm very fond of Caol Ila and was worried this wouldn't live up to my expectations. I'm happy to say it still surprised me. The nose has wet peat, malt vinegar, shoe polish, and dried heather. There's a lot happening on the palate. The texture is very juicy. Aggressive wood spices out of the gate, dry dark malt, waxy fruit, powdered white chocolate, and a subtle smoke and petrol finish. While this is fun to dig through, it seems more of a trip to whisky academia. Luckily adding a few drops of water changes all of that. The palate becomes pure silk and wonderful juicy fruit emerges from the malty palate. You sacrifice some complexity but it is a more than favorable exchange. Well done Caol Ila.

A light gold appearance. This is classy and delicate from nose to finish. Fluffy vanilla cream, freshly baked biscuits, and a drizzle of honey. The palate is creamy with delicious light malt, and more toasted biscuits with vanilla and honey. The finish has mild spices and a nice dose of charcoal smoke. Still my favorite Balvenie to date.

14 Year Old Bourbon Barrel #2061 122.8 Proof A mature bouquet of browned butter, roasted nuts, leather, fluffy vanilla, and dry wood. Seriously spicy palate with brown sugar and mint syrup folded in. The wood dominates the finish with extracted tannins and soaked wood. Breathe deeply and the heat will radiate through your chest.

Fantastic! A debonair bouquet of sandalwood, cinnamon, and baked apples. The palate is warm and subtly spicy. At the core there are juicy cherries and baked apples. The finish shows even more flair with silky tannins and chewy tobacco. This is one of the few cult whiskies that's worth the chase.

The nose has a lot going for it but it's mostly the wood, it's hard finding any notes from the lowland malt. There's berries, vanilla, dry wood, and syrup. The palate while soft and smooth shows more fruit and some syrup. There's a good dose of vanilla and a thin texture that you associate with lowland whisky. The finish is more of the same and surprisingly short. This gives some complexity while it still fulfills the role of the slug back and pour again whisky. It walks an interesting line to be sure but I find myself missing some malt notes.