Tastes

I was excited to try this after getting a decent price on it. Maybe I got a bad batch, who knows. “Aggressive” is the word of the day here. There’s a lot of flavors going on with this one. Earthy peat smoke, salt, fruity malt sweetness, noticeable barrel char - the works. And while you could argue that the flavors are complex and balanced, they all come on so strong that the whiskey goes from being “interesting/challenging” to generally unpleasant. That said, I do think it’s (probably) a well-crafted scotch. I just need something more mellow. Try and find a glass at a bar before buying a bottle.

Even more than the Hibiki Harmony, it’s too young and overpriced. (Really can’t wait for the supply of Japanese whiskey to catch up with demand). If you put in an ice cube or two, and then wait for a few minutes, the excess alcohol bite finally goes away, and then it’s worth drinking. What flavors you do get are a nice maple syrupy sweetness, and some corn grainy notes. Not very complex, but enjoyable and approachable. I’ve been sharing with my friend who loves everything Japanese (who normally never drinks), and he likes it well enough.

Despite being aged only in sherry casks, this whiskey isn’t a sherry bomb. It only gives hints of cooked fruits and spices as a counterpoint to your standard Irish shortbread cookie flavors. Adding a bit of water brings out some pronounced buttery notes which are great. Adding an ice cube really brings out the sweetness. All-around enjoyable. It’s not as smooth as I’d like it to be. Still a little spiky and phenolic. Makes me wish I had enough to shell out for a higher age statement, but the bottom-rung version is overpriced enough.

Bright and sparkly, full of apple-y fruit flavors on top of some light caramel. It’s harsher and more astringent than it should be, though. Thankfully it’s amazing for cocktails. I can’t help but wonder how much better a store pick would be.

Batch A119, 67.6% abv The abv is so high that you can feel the whiskey evaporating off your tongue when you sip it, very strange sensation. The flavors are dark, rich, and intense. Turns out that’s not entirely a good thing by itself. Really needs something bright in there to provide balance and keep it interesting. But if you want to be overwhelmed by caramel, vanilla, leather, etc. then it’s worth a shot.

The abv is so high that you can feel the whiskey evaporating off your tongue when you sip it, very strange sensation. The flavors are dark, rich, and intense. Turns out that’s not entirely a good thing by itself. Really needs something bright in there to provide balance and keep it interesting. But if you want to be overwhelmed by caramel, vanilla, leather, etc. then it’s worth a shot.

Really cool flavor. Grassy, earthy, lightly smoky, and delicate. Don’t know of a Scotch that’s comparable. Can’t wait for this to be not-impossible to find eventually.

Only 43% alcohol but it comes with a significant burn, just because it’s too young. If you put an ice cube in the glass and wait a few minutes, you can tame the alcohol and end up with a nice, pretty whiskey. But still. I really ought to try making a highball out of it. It seems like that’s what it’s really for.