Tastes

When I had this a few years ago, it didn’t impress me. Perhaps more recent batches have gotten better, or perhaps my appreciation & understanding of sherried whiskeys has improved, as I really dig this now. Its light body, yet well-rounded and full flavors make it an intriguing pick at $120. Tropical red fruit with a peppery influence & a hint of roasted almond.

Grain based flavor. Honey & caramel notes.

I think I just don’t like Glenlivet. Even the sherry cask doesn’t help.

Excellent wheated whiskey. Great price point for a barrel strength wheater. Caramel, honey & grass on the pallet.

Surprisingly good for Knob Creek. Baking spice & caramel nose. Cinnamon & ginger come out on the burnt sugar pallet.

Amazing depth & balance for a 4 year old bourbon. A hint of candied orange on the nose accompanies the brown sugar & caramel. This leads into more of a molasses pallet, with a hint of dark berries on the finish.

Used this for my Christmas old fashioned - which was awesome - not as good as using Wilderness Trail high rye, but still pretty great. So I thought I’d leave a tasting note for a neat dram. I love the brown sugar, caramel & vanilla cake nose. The hint of cinnamon on top of this at this proof makes it taste like atomic fire ball. It’s a bit too high proof for me, but still a great whiskey.

Not the best nose, but the taste is amazing. Red & dark berry underneath the well-balanced creamy peat

It grew on me with time, but definitely not worth the price. As a 22-year-old, 90 proof version of Stagg, I wasn’t that impressed - I’d rather drink Blantons & same a bunch of $. And then I’d rather drink Smoke Wagon. But, you do get some wood content from the aging that is unique - good flavor addition w/o overpowering.

Intriguing. I appreciate that the US is establishing a single malt industry with flavors that distinguish itself from Scotch, Japanese, Taiwanese, Indian, etc whisk(e)y. The triple distillation brings an Irish-like base to it. But the creamy caramel notes add an American spin. The peat from the casks does come out more than other peated casks I’ve tasted, so that impresses me. Aspects do taste like it’s only 18 months, but it mostly presents as at least 6 years old. I’ll be interested in trying it again in a few years. For now, there are definitely better whiskeys at this price, but if you want a traditionally peated American single malt in your collection, I prefer it over Westland’s Peat Week (while I dig the peat on some Garryana expressions, they tend to lightly peated in a creative way)