Tastes

Nose: Rich and sweet. Orange candy, milk chocolate, figs. Palate: Rich and slightly sweet. Bright citrus notes open to darker flavors: mushroom, soy sauce, figs, dried fruits, malt, and dark chocolate. Not super sweet compared to some sherry-finished whiskies, which makes sense given amontillado sherry is typically less sweet than, say, PX sherry. I found that the lack of sweetness is not a detriment, but serves to pronounce the darker, earthier flavors. I also found this had a bit more depth and complexity compared to other sherry bombs which tend to be a bit heavier on the dried fruit/raisin-y note. Texture is thinner than expected, but very easy to swish and coat the flavors around. Finish: Dried fruits (raisin), earthy, savory. Very easy to drink despite a relatively high proof and the complexity is obvious from the first sip. Excellent. I wish the texture was a bit thicker. I think it is worth the price I got the bottle at, but I see it often for double or triple which I would be more hesitant about.

Barrel 04C04-1530 from K&L Wines. 96.2 proof. Nose: Powerful and sweet. Heavy whiffs of oak, caramel, and green apple. Hints of baking spice. Taste: Surprisingly bright on the entry and flavors take time to develop. Some bright sweet notes (green apple) are found on an initial sip. Later sips reveal oak, baked fruits (apple, cherry), black pepper. Finish has tannin and notes of baked fruit and Earl Grey tea. Overall, an easy sipper that has plenty of brightness. The nose has plenty of character but I found that I was wishing more of that oaky richness from the nose to be more present in the flavor profile, but it was more in the background.

Nose: I pick up sweet and fruity (apple) notes immediately. Fresh, grassy notes are next, followed by characteristic bourbony wood notes with a hint of earthy (mushroom) notes. I pick up a hint of floral notes in the background. Taste: Sweet (apple again), earthy, with a little spice. Smooth. Wood, floral notes are follow. Reminds me of Maker's 46. Finish is medium length with some woodiness and a tiny bit of bitterness

Nose: Sweet (honey and orange), floral and dark fruits (cherry). Toasted butter notes are found past the initial sweetness. Taste: Sweet (honey, orange) and floral. A good kick of black pepper spice plays with a sherry note in the background after the initial sweetness. I found notes of cherry floating in and out between the sweet and toasted butter notes. Toasted butter notes and lemon bitterness are found on the lengthy finish. Texture is surprisingly light. Overall, I'd say this is very much on par with the 12 year's general flavor profile. The higher ABV gives it a bit more oomph with a hit of spice and extra sherry flavor, but it loses a bit of the delicate balance that made the 12 year a generally easy drinker. Interestingly, the texture of the 12 year seems much thicker than the 15 year but the finish on the 15 year is much lengthier.

Nose: Sherry notes are very dominant. Has sweet (honey) and butter cookie notes in the background which I found noticeable in the 12 year. Taste: Sherry once again dominates from entry to finish. Salty and bitter notes are found in the background. Some notes of cherry and other stone fruit. The sherry influence is readily apparent as it dominates the whisky, though I would not put it in the sherry bomb category. It seems to be missing the balance of sweet and savory notes that the 12 year has. Overall, enjoyable but I much prefer the 12 year.

Nose: Very sweet (honey) and buttery (butter cookies). Hints of floral notes (roses?) whisper in and out. Taste: Follows the nose. Sweeter notes (honey) with hints of lavender following through to the finish. Butter cookie notes also follow through from the entry to the finish. There's a good sense of salt, bitterness, and spice (black pepper) as well. I get a feeling of a "clean" note that I can't describe well; something like the nostalgic smell of a chlorinated pool. Very well balanced. Texture is thick and oily. Very pleasant. Everything about this whisky just seems very well polished from the nose to the finish. Nothing is offensive and every characteristic feels well above average. The only detractor for me is that this lacks a sort of WOW factor. Overall, a great dram: all notes are nicely balanced leading to a very easy to drink, pleasurable experience.

Nose: Heavy wafts of tropical fruits. Coconut, citrus/lemon, caramel, and green apple dominate. Once the initial tropical notes subside, some notes of butterscotch and hints of malt can be found in the background. Taste: Sweet and sour with some bitterness. Notes of citrus and baked cherry pie combine with malt and oak notes nicely. The more subtle notes of coconut and apple can be found if searched for. Balanced and pleasant. Texture was very enjoyable for me: a bit oily and not thin. This one was very surprising. I felt that this was nearly a rum with all of the tropical notes but it was neatly rounded out with malt and oak notes, bringing me back into the whisky realm. This is a good pour for people looking for something different.

Nose: Lots of sweet notes. Honey, brown sugar, caramel apples, orange zest, butterscotch, fresh cherry. Background notes of baking spices (cinnamon and nutmeg) and oak. Taste: Sweet and oaky. Caramel, butterscotch, brown sugar, orange zest, cherry follows from the nose. Sweet notes slowly give way to earthy and savory notes (mushroom, dry hay, cereal). Oaky bitterness follows through to the finish. A tiny bit of numbing spice builds up from the mid-palate through to the finish but is not overpowering. I get the sense this tends to have more savory/earthy notes than other ryes. Nice enough to drink neat but also shines in cocktails due to its 50ABV and strong flavor profile. This one is easy to dismiss but offers a bit more on the palate than you would expect given the price point and widespread use in cocktails.

1oz taster. Nose: Bursts with bright fruity and grassy character which subside after a few minutes in the glass. Notes of lemon, grapes, and celery. Caramel and toffee notes follow with a background hints of wet wood and milk chocolate. Taste: Sweet and nutty. Texture is thin and smooth. Notes of burnt butterscotch and toffee with some slight oak character. Finish: Butterscotch and slight bitterness. Short. The nose is very inviting and unique. For me, the taste fell short as it felt very thin and much less complex. I think I will have to revisit this again at some point and drink this alone as maybe the other whiskies I had before drowned out this low ABV dram.

1oz taster. Nose: Intense. Immediately hits with butterscotch, caramel and toffee notes. Followed by wafts of rose water and other floral notes, tropical fruit notes, and a lingering background peat note. Taste: Fruity, smoky, and rich. Texture is pleasant and fulfilling. Balanced. Notes of green apple, peat, caramel, and citrus zest. The peat is always there, but never overpowers the rest of the flavors. A bit of spice and black licorice on the back end. Finish: More of the spice, peat, and caramel. Peat is not overpowering, but hangs on for quite a while. The nose is immediately inviting with waves of intense notes popping out. The taste is rich and balanced nicely. There are bold flavors but none of them seem to overpower the other. At the same time, nothing is too memorable about the taste and can sometimes feel a little bit generic. The finish is a tiny bit lacking and single note. Definitely an enjoyable dram and I hope to try this again or grab a bottle at some point after I try the rest of the distillery's offerings.