Tastes

N: Some of same nutty, chocolate, and dark fruit I remember from the 12, but additionally there is a treble note of mineral tang there too. P: the app review is right that there is a more pronouncing wood influence on this one. Some cherries and cranberry, slightly herbal, certainly not as rounded as I remember the 12. In spite of the age, this is a "spikier" whiskey than its younger brother, even with a few drops of water. F: Long and warming, some bitterness like root vegetable or dark cocoa. Wood notes and hint of citrus lingers. This is hardly a bad whiskey, but both from a value standpoint and my overall enjoyment, I do prefer the 12 and Lustau expressions more.

Bruichladdich luxury tasting, Part II. I had my handwritten notes from the tasting event, but just haven't got around to adding them to the app. This is still delicious whisky, though I have to say the exclusive Bourbon influence (according to the Bruichladdich rep) makes for a more cakey, dessert like whisky that doesn't have the breadth of the other Black Arts I tried. Probably not worth the $400 price tag. N: Cedar, caramel, vanilla P: Black pepper and charcoal, salted chocolate, maple candy, pecans. F: Long and delicate, with pepper and burnt sugar.

Sorry Tennessee whiskey aficionados, I've given it a try multiple times. George Dickel, three different Jack Daniels expressions, and a tasting of collier and mckeel...for me there's just not much there. Dusty nose, with corn, candy, and a little molasses. Not much else. I don't know if it's a matter of the charcoal filtering or what, but it's simply missing a lot of what I crave in Bourbon.

N: Raucous aromas bursting with berries, figs, fresh baked bread, cranberry tartness. P: Sweet, balsamic-like acidity. strawberries, chocolate, spice, slightly grassy. F: shorter finish than I remember from the 12. Biscuit, jammy, more oak. This has less of the rich, round buttery and nutty qualities that I think of in the 12, but the balance of the malty sweetness and bright fruity tart qualities from the finishing barrel is amazing.

N: First impression are those chocolate-covered cherry cordials you see around Christmas. This is a very rich nose, with blackberries, nuts, slightly citrus. P: malty, oatmeal, honey, peanut oil, coffee. F: long, sweet, and dark like washing down a big breakfast with strong coffee.

N: Lemon oil, salt and pepper, lightly floral, cedar. P: Salted caramel, citrus zest, brine, baking spice, toffee. F: ashy, salt, acidic, slightly sweet. A breezy, coastal, complex dram from a really intriguing distillery.

I've been blessed to try a lot of world class whiskies lately, to the point it's going to seem like I'm very excitable and indiscriminate in my 5 star ratings. But this earns it. N: Coffee, nutmeg, cardamom, maple, banana bread, candied pecans. P: Rich dark fruits, cinnamon, warming pepper, woody tannins, tremendous balance. The high proof is snugly hidden. F: long finish from the pepper, molasses sweetness, and barrel note almond-like bitterness.

This is a case where I think I prefer the younger brother, and its more aggressive edge over the refined 18 year old. First impression on the nose is actually rose petal, then there's orange, moss, cereal grains. The palate has honey and orange, a little cinnamon. Warm, sweet finish. This is good whisky, but I think the 14's more potent peat presence distinguishes it. This has a lot of nice qualities, but for other Highland malts of this profile, I'd usually pay less.

Where this really shines is the nose. I get a lot of sweet grassy/hay qualities, like you might smell after rain. There is orange but not the acidic tartness. Think mandarins/clementines, followed by black cherries. What peat is there is faint like oiled wood, rather than a bonfire. Sweet on the palate, but not cloying. Some juniper/evergreen botanical flavors, subtle salty tang, cherry and pineapple, and a mild vegetal peat. Mild finish with the sherry barrel notes coming through. This is delicious and near perfect. but I have to ding it a few notches as the cost has crept up to $120-130 in my neck of the woods. But is beautifully balanced.

I was lucky enough to get this bottle recently, though I didn't know how lucky until I learned after the fact that the 17 year has been discontinued. Knowing that, I'll have to savor this really exceptional bottle as long as I can. N: A bracing shot of seawater, lemon peel, wet earth, and a subtle amount of tartness. P: Bold citrus acidity, black pepper, salt. A pretty robust fruit presence, but not the richness of plum/raisin. Think young (not overripe) cherry and pomegranate. A hint of smoke. F: A slightly sweeter finish than the nose and initial entry would indicate. The salt stays, and gives a long reminder of the coastal influence on this whisky.