Tastes

NOSE Dried dark fruit, port winey sweetness, malt vanilla citrus, marzipan, candied pecans and a touch of baking spice and oak. Deep, velvety and sweet with a touch of earthiness that keeps it balanced PALATE Dried dark fruit, leather, port wine sweetness, candied pecans, molasses cookies, cocoa and some nutty notes with hints of baking spice, sweet tobacco and sulfur. Much earthier FINISH Medium-long -> Sticky dried dark fruit, leather, oak, candied nuts fade to spice and citrus zested cocoa.

NOSE Dried dark fruit, caramel, copper, vanilla taffy, Honey Nut Cheerios, cocoa and a touch of chalk, baked goods, and floral notes. It’s a warm, darkly sweet and rich velvety aroma. PALATE Sticky dried dark fruit, caramel, oak, roasted malt, cocoa, copper, dried orchard fruit, nuts and a bit of citrus peels and baking spice. Soft and fresh with a dark fruity and candy sweetness sweeping through and from time-to-time the flavors will combine and I think of Whoppers/Malteesers. FINISH Med-long -> Dried dark fruit, citrus peels, copper, baking spice fade out to oak.

NOSE Honey, malt, sultanas, dried apples, vanilla cake, bananas, light melon rind, wax and spice. The aroma is nice. It’s pleasant, it’s sweet, it’s interesting, but things really kick off with this one with what comes next. PALATE Honey, malt, cocoa, cinnamon, dried apples, banana, vanilla, sweet oat cookies, pears, white grapes, peaches and butter. Mmmm. The palate is richer and more expressive than aroma. It carries a depth that keeps you coming back for more. FINISH Med -long -> Malt, vanilla, toffee, fruit and cocoa with a touch of oak on the slow fade.

NOSE Raspberry taffy, waxy vanilla, raisins, cinnamon, toasted malt, nuts, and a touch of leather and freeze-dried blueberries. Dark and lovely, the aroma is definitely my favorite part of this whisky. PALATE Raspberry taffy, waxy vanilla, citrus zest, raisins, roasted nuts, leather, cinnamon, malt and touches of copper and oak. Dark and brooding with pastry-sweet highlights, it’s almost as fun as the aroma, but hits more on the sweet side. FINISH Med-long -> Dark fruit, waxy vanilla, copper and touch of oak and nuts on a dryly sweet fade.

NOSE Raspberry taffy, waxy vanilla, raisins, cinnamon, toasted malt, nuts, and a touch of leather and freeze-dried blueberries. Dark and lovely, the aroma is definitely my favorite part of this whisky. PALATE Raspberry taffy, waxy vanilla, citrus zest, raisins, roasted nuts, leather, cinnamon, malt and touches of copper and oak. Dark and brooding with pastry-sweet highlights, it’s almost as fun as the aroma, but hits more on the sweet side. FINISH Med-long -> Dark fruit, waxy vanilla, copper and touch of oak and nuts on a dryly sweet fade.

NOSE Honied malt, orchard fruit, vanilla frosting, caramel, spice, banana taffy and touches of oak and copper. Basic but elegant, it has a wonderful, warm, fruity malt profile that brings you back for more. PALATE Honied malt, orchard fruit, banana taffy, vanilla frosting, caramel, spice, and touches of oak and copper. Warm, fruity, and softly darkly sweet, this is a good easy whisky, an any-time drinker. FINISH Medium -> Fruit, honey, graham and malt fade out with light touch of cocoa.

NOSE Herbally dilly rye spice, copper, nuts, baking and pepper spice, with a light bit of vanilla and tropical fruit. It’s definitely rye. So it has that going for it. PALATE Herbally dilly rye spice, roasted nuts, spice and dried fruit with some vanilla frosting and spice. The palate reminds me a bit of the Highspire Rye that was “purposefully young”… I didn’t like it. FINISH Medium-Short -> Dilly rye spice, toffee, dried fruit and woody oak.

NOSE Caramel, vanilla, baking spice, apples and oak with a light copper and Playdoh ice cream. Light and easy, this is a whisky that doesn’t give a ton, but what’s there is nice. PALATE Dried fruit, caramel, vanilla, cereal grain sweetness and a bit of oak and nuts. There is a cakey sweetness riding through the whole thing that isn’t unpleasant, but a tad odd. FINISH Medium-short -> Grain, caramel, vanilla and spice fade to a light nutty oak.

NOSE Sherry, copper, cinnamon, malt, smoke, nuts, citrus peels, plastic and touch herbal and inky/iodine. This is a deep dark aroma that aligns a bit on the metallic side. PALATE Sherry, copper, cinnamon, graham, smoke, nuts, citrus peels, plastic and touch herbal and inky/iodine. They’re nearly identical in profile, but there’s a combination of notes on the palate that reminds me of Cinnamon Toast Crunch… I haven’t had that in 20+ years. FINISH Long -> Smoke, herbal spice, sherry, copper, dried fruit and saline.

NOSE Smoke, coppery dried dark fruit (plum heavy), herbal, malty, cocoa, nutty with a slight vegetal note. Not bad, not bad at all. Not my favorite Laphroaig Cairdeas nose, but not bad. PALATE Coppery dried dark fruit (blackberry heavy), smoke, herbal, malty, nutty, cocoa, freeze-dried strawberries, with slight vegetal and menthol notes. It’s a bold, brute force, flavor profile. FINISH Long -> Smoke, dried dark fruit and malty sweetness fades out to smoky cocoa, menthol and copper.