Tastes

Being Lagavulin 8 is hard. Basic core range, none of that legendary aura protecting you. Advanced and up drinkers will rather disregard you, basic ******* or beginners will hardly appreciate you. But still. There is the true blood of Lagavulin and Isla in each sip. Young blood, but still. But, the overpricing isn't helpful too. Maybe that's the final blow. You could be great in "welcoming the flock". Shoving that harsh Isla is also unexpectedly hospitable. But you got nonsensical price tag and that ruined your chances at that. But I'll must defend you a bit. Yes it's hard to really appreciate you, because with that price tag milestone whisky enthusiasts already discovered quite a few bottles which perform better. Even if you have also quite lot to offer. The smell - straightforward sea breeze over peat marshes, no bullshits. Like that friend who doesn't talk much but each words comes deep from him and carry the weight. The taste cut to the case too. Simple, light but direct, birch smoke, light brine and drop of pine forest honey. You dissapear on the back of the tong quite quickly, but that's OK. You didn't lived through as much as else in your 8 years on Isla, but you built clear character instead. Straightforward and reliable. I would love to rate you better, but in your case the cost ratio just brings it down. Forgive me for that.

This is very interesting whisky. And it starts with nose. It reminds me a slivovice - "plum brandy", or plum/pear brandy mix. The fruity sour alcoholic odour, reminding the fruit in fermentation process. And in contrast of that, the sip is very smooth, velvety, sweet, little bit sour reminding more a very very smooth bourbon than a whisky. It's like nice bar of milk chocolate (heavier on milk side). It gives very gentle and intimate feel, for your quiet time when you don't wanted to be "seduced" by the drink. When you wanted a silent company to your contemplation, watching good movie, reading a good book, listening to some good music. I can imagine drink one too many drams of this in good discussing company, because it's smooth and not intrusive but tasty so you would never leave the glass empty. Yes, it lacks character, complexity. But I don't event want to all my whiskies to be bold and complex. I need a spectrum, so I may pick a proper dram to proper occasion and mood. And this is the bottle I need on the portfolio. And the price is very good.

I bought in some great deal, that's mostly why it stayed overlooked. It was quite mistake. This is beautiful drink. The smell is honey and heather, bit of freshly cut oak wood. Distant smell of peat. The mouthfeel is thin, light, juicy, the taste is perfectly whisky essence in every drop. Again honey sweetness, bit of apples and young pears, oak and grain, little pinch of salt and some herbal tastes. The perfect harmony of lightness and sweetness with peated tones remind me some other whisky I liked, but I can't remember. It's like meeting old friend

Straw colour and decent smell of grass, honey melon and drop of turpentine. Taste is very light, sweet-ish lemon zest, little bit of sourness like in bourbon, grain starchness and touch of pepper with final burn. This is completely inoffensive, light daily sipper. There is no much complexity, straightforward younger (would guess 4-8 years) whisky.

The colour is nice, not sure if that's colouring or PX cask influence. I would guess little of both. So we get nice brownish, dark amber. Smell is nice, not too powerful, but it reminds there is peat whisky dating PX cask in your dram. The taste is very nice peat with underlying, decent barbecue like smokiness. The peat itself is well balanced, with hints of earthiness. Lovely. There is more - sweetness of fall and winter festivities. Heavy (like pumpkin, with bit of clove, cinnamon and pinch of kardamom) pies and other bakery, especially with raisins and other candied fruit or molasses. The end is neat, warm, little tangy. How I like the Talisker Port Ruighe, witch works well for spring and summer (the nice not that hot days), this is more fall and winter companion for the exactly same purpose.

Well, I'm not impressed by smell. It's alcoholic, pungent, transition to polish remover. Luckily the taste is quite better. Sweet, toffee like on the start, to cinnamon wood and dark chocolate, ending with decent burn bite and then nice and warm going down. For the price range, and the marketing idea to use famous persons to move younger bourbon form ricks to customers, it's not bad. The bottle is nice and the price ratio on that 1 litre volume is beautiful. I feared a bit it would be something between WT 81 and 101, but no. The Longbranch branches to it's own direction. This seems like poker game "at hand" sipper bottle.

Glenfiddich, the leader of single malt comeback, has nice setup of consumer accessible bottles. And it starts with 12YO. Smell is nice, even if bit mundane and direct. There are fruity tones in it, overripe apple, maybe pear. The taste is very smooth, pleasant with little tingle on the end. In taste there are fruity tones of apple/pear and lingering sweet honey. I also taste bit of walnut nutty taste, which is pleasant surprise. Glenfiddich is accessible, affordable nice sipper but it also fits several summer/autumn style of cocktails.

I really like the concept of the Lost Destillery products, even if I doubt it "scientifically". The smell is strong in surprising "sour mash bourbon style" way, sweet, sour, I smell ripe pears if I let it sit a bit. The taste is very nice, sweetish with little woody hints, bit cardamom spice but otherwise fruity, almost floral. There is nice burn at the end and also something like raisins in rum aftertaste. Very pleasant. As again with Distiller, there is bit confusion with ABV - they claim 41%, the picture of limited bottle is 45% and the regular bottle, which I have, is 43%.

My favourite Jim Beam. I had all from main production, recently tasted the Single Barrel and Signature craft still holds as my top shelf from JB. It's very essence of friendly bourbon fan sip, the taste is nice, sweet, with all the hints of vanilla, corn, wood, toffee which you would expected from bourbon, the taste is very much the same style, less on oak, more to corn and sweet apple. Just finished the bottle and I'm happy that I kept spare one, because it seems all my favourite shops are out of stock.

I really like this bottle of bourbon. It has that ligh sweet oaky smell which tempts me to make immediate sip. The taste is smooth, warm, light toffee and vanilla sweet with some fruity taste lingering on back (apple?), no bite, little acidity on the end as I like it. This is pleasant sipper for the long evening.