Tastes

NOSE: Herbal, malty sweet, sooty peat, dried orchard fruit, candied dates, brown sugar and some baking spice. This is expressive, complex and bold - such a massive departure from the regular Amrut Peated Indian Single Malt. PALATE: Vanilla, dried white grapes, sooty peat, dried orchard fruit. Honey Nut Cheerios, spice, char and touches of melon rind. Like the aroma, the palate of the Amrut Peated Cask Strength Indian Single Malt is complex and interesting and far surpasses the standard release. FINISH: Long -> Sooty peat, banana chips, dried orchard fruit and baking spice merge into a chalky/oaky note that goes on and on.

NOSE: Sooty peat, apricot, malty sweet, vanilla, minerality and some light herbal pops. It's so light coming out of the glass it's hard to pick up much after the sooty peat and the apricots, but when you get those noteful whiffs, it's nice. PALATE: Sooty peat, apricot, malty sweet, vanilla, minerality and some light herbal pops and a yuzu-like sweetness. Palate sits like a near carbon copy of the aroma with a bit more sweetness but it's so light and dominated by that sooty peat it's hard to really get much out of it. FINISH: Med-Long -> Sooty peat and lightly fruity sweet with a soft graham kicker, but again there's just not much happening.

NOSE: Printer's ink, dark fruit leather, cocoa, nuts, graham, citrus peel, olde candy, leather, candied blueberries and spice. It's not your typical sherry cask. This is a brooding aroma, a heavy sulking thing that lumbers through the senses. PALATE: Ink, iodine, sticky dried dark fruit, malt, cocoa, candied citrus, baking spice, blueberries, ashy char and some nutty notes. Compared to the heavy aroma the palate of this Amrut Intermediate Sherry is almost light. It's balanced, bright, delicious, and far too easy to drink. FINISH: Long -> Dried dark fruit, spice, ash and nuts that fade out bright and elegant.

NOSE: Salted pistachios, malt, hay, herbal pine, banana chips, orchard fruit, melon rind, wax and vanilla. Just a wonderful, sweet and nutty, fruity whisky that's shockingly different from the regular Amrut Classic Indian Single Malt Review. PALATE: Waxy banana, malt, orchard fruit, melon rind, herbal pine, vanilla, pistachios, golden raisins, oak, baking spice and a touch of black licorice. The palate of the XXX is so much more powerful and decadent with an oaky pop that starts light but grows. This is nice. FINISH: Long -> Waxy banana, oak, spice and, herbal pine and pistachio gelato mix into one of my favorite fades in recent whisky memory.

NOSE: Hay, malty graham, bananas, apricots, apples, toffee and bits of cocoa, melon and fresh pastries. The aroma on this Amrut Classic Indian Single Malt is just… pleasant. It’s fruity, it’s warm and expressive in a way that’s reminiscent of well-aged Scotch. PALATE: Hay, malty graham, banana taffy, apricots, apples, toffee and bits of cocoa, melon and fresh pastries. Almost identical to the aroma, but a bit waxier and more of an olde candy bend to the fruity notes, but still just as pleasant. FINISH: Medium -> Hay-like malt, graham, banana and a soft cocoa pastry note that slides out elegantly.

NOSE: Butterscotch, apricots, hazelnuts, toffee, baking spice and bits of oak and buttered gingerbread (loaf not cookies). Soft, sweet and balanced, it's not cloying like so many other Canadian whiskies we get here in the US. Adding a bit of water brings out some touches of peanut butter and lemon butter cookies. PALATE: Butterscotch, sugar cookies, hazelnuts, baking spice, vanilla fondant and some oak and lemon. Super candy/bakery sweet but complex and, again, not cloying. This Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye is super interesting. A little water tames the 130 proof a tad and unearths a stronger buttery oily bakery profile. FINISH: Long -> Butterscotch, herbal, Banana's Foster and some baking spice. It just goes on and on and on.

NOSE: Juicy rye spice, oak, grapey sweetness, dried dark fruit,  char, touch soap and slight anise and herbal notes. Not a super complex aroma, but it is heavy and brooding in a way that gives a nice perspective to a traditional rye. PALATE: Heavy rye spice, grapey sweet, oak, raspberry syrup, toffee and some herbal notes. Reminds me of a juicy IPA with the combination of the dry spice, slight herbal and juicy fruity sweetness. FINISH: Long -> Rye spice, oak, juicy sweetness fade out to a tannic dryness that somehow works...  Four Gate Ruby Rye Springs you're odd and I like that.

NOSE: Fresh pastries, oak, corn bread, butterscotch, baking spice, vanilla frosting, touches of fruit, French Toast, toasted marshmallows, bubble gum and char. Maker's Mark 2020 Wood Finishing Series aroma is complex and lovely with this overall "bakery" quality to it that moves along with the oak and spice in a way that's just... remarkable. PALATE: Oak, red licorice, fresh pastries, corn bread, butterscotch, baking spice, vanilla frosting, touches of fruit, French Toast, coconut, caramel and bitter char.  The palate is a touch muted compared to the aroma and carries a more dessert/dark sweet profile but again a solid oak layer propping it all up. FINISH: Med-Long -> Oak, cocoa, leather, char, caramel and marshmallow. A wonderful fade that slowly goes from earthy to sweet in a velvety transition.

NOSE: Heavy oaky depth and dried cherries, caramel, nuts, copper, musty spice, char and some light  vanilla and menthol. This is heavy, like coat the sinuses level heavy, and I love every second of it. PALATE: Heavy oaky depth and dried cherries, caramel, nuts, copper, musty ****, char and some light  vanilla and menthol. A carbon copy of the aroma but with the earthy-rustic-farmy-darkly-sweet profile dialed up a notch and making it feel like it gets heavier as it moves through the senses. FINISH: Long -> Oak, caramel, dark fruit, spice fade out in a way that's almost light... odd.

NOSE: Oaky, nutty, leather, dark sweets, pumpkin spice, pie crust and peanuts with a touch of yeasty-biscuity notes and green coffee beans. There's a warm, dark, pastry note that comes and goes, adding to the homey and full of character of this bourbon. The aroma holds a nice depth and complexity of notes that balance nicely against the heavy oak. PALATE: Oaky, nutty, dark fruit, leather, dark sweets, pumpkin spice, pie crust and some copper with a touch of yeasty-biscuity notes. It's dark, oaky and carries an almost sticky sweetness that perfectly balances out the heavy oak. FINISH: Med-Long -> Peanuts, oak and caramel. The finish on the Knob Creek 12 Years is the least interesting piece of this whiskey, but it's still quite nice.