Tastes

High point of my Scotch exploration and maybe that's just because this is the first Sauternes finish I've had but I love this. Its' sweet and spicy on the nose but it's got this autumny dry-leaf taste that goes well with the honey-nut finish. Like Baclava in a bottle.

Nose: Just got over COVID. Don't smell much. It's sad. Palate: Nutty; peanuts, hazelnut, almonds. Buttery, creamy. Shortbread cookie like. With a little water, this opens up the honey and the sweetness and the fruitiness. Classy, heavy mouthfeel but no smoke. It's a heavy scotch. I adore it. As a side note, I cannot believe this is natural color. It's so dark. Perhaps that's the Oloroso Sherry cask.

Tasted with David on 8/8/2020 Speyside. Delicious! Fruity, refreshing, a good summer whisky because it tastes almost exactly like Chardonnay! But the fact that it tastes almost exclusively like Chardonnay is its biggest downfall. I wish there was more going on in the flavor besides just that character. That said I'm glad I bought it once but I'm not sure I need to again.

Tasted with David on 8/8/2020 Campblletown, Color possibly added, Non-Chill Filtered Choclatey, raspberry, banana, salt, citrus, pear, oak. A tropical, fruity evolution on Glen Scotia thanks to the rum cask finish. Delicious. No idea if the bottle holds up better than my 15 did, but at this point it tastes great!

Tasted with Dad on 8/23/2020 Speyside. My introduction to scotch. While it has a soft-spot for me in that regard, I just don't need to drink this one again. It's a very simple dram. Tastes like the base-line of scotch to me and so there's nothing wrong with it, it just lacks definition. I'll at times probably still buy the 14 or 15 but the 12 is out of rotation for now.

Highlands. Really delicous. Velvety smooth mouthfeel. Peppery, and fruity. Very dark. You can really taste the port influence.

Islay. A blend of single malts from a few Islay distilleries, Smokey Joe is a blast of peat and smoke. It's meaty, almost too meaty for this vegetarian. I actually used this in a BBQ sauce and the peat really stands out! A great value, but since I don't much eat meat it's kind of a flavor that I'm less enthusiastic about these days.

Tasted on 8/5/2020 Islay. Natural Color. Non-Chill Filtered. I was honestly expecting more of a beast but again Ardbeg pulls off embracing the flavor of the peat and wrapping it in aromas and flavors that compliment the smoke and mossiness. Very worthwhile at its price point.

Tasted with dad on 8/7/2020 Islay, Natural Color, Non-Chill Filtered This is the first Islay I've tasted where the peat feels really entrenched and baked in with the rest of the flavor of the whisky. With Laphroiag or Smokey Joe, you get a blast of peat and then you start tasting flavor. Ardbeg it all arrives at once harmoniously. It's kinda fruity and floral and easy to drink. I love it.

Tasted with David on 8/8/2020 Speyside. Natural Color. Non-Chill Filtered I'm really becoming a rum finish fan. The sweetness here is exactly what I love, and it's great to tasted this sort of toffee flavor without smoke and peat for a change (though I do prefer it with smoke and peat). Balvenie has such a smooth and direct whisky. I didn't really detect too many influences other than what's listed right there on the bottle. It's delicious. Just wish it was a little cheaper. But with this as good as it is, I'm excited to try others in the Balvenie line.