Tastes

Nose - Salty campfire smoke, gentle lactic funk, sweet savory cheesecake, grilled peaches, red berries (w/ water) Opens up even more, more vibrant all around, adds an extra hint of tropical fruits Taste - Gentle salty/creamy smoke, red berries, black pepper, tropical fruits (w/ water) Reduces the heat a bit as well as makes it feel a bit thin but otherwise the same Finish - Lingering heat/tingle, salty smoke, peaches & cream, hint of red berries (w/ water) Reduced heat, addition of a bit of graphite/charcoal Score - 88/100 Final Thoughts - This was enjoyable all around, nothing really off putting about it. Interesting but forgettable nose and sadly that translates to the palate too. It's good, nice balance of flavors and is interesting in the moment, but the novel sensation sort of goes away. Has the typical characteristics of the distillery which is that nice lactic funk and salt with the port charlotte clean smoke. I think it's worth what I paid for it, but not much more. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Maybe Would I buy a bottle? - Not another NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

Nose - Bit hot, sweet soot, grape skins, sweet plums (w/ water) Reduced heat, otherwise the same Taste - Bit hot, ashy/sooty peat, berries, plum bitters (w/ water) Less heat, plum bitters, ashy sweet, red berries, red grape skins Finish - Heat, ash/soot, sweet plums (w/ water) Same, but w/ reduced heat Score - 89/100 Final Thoughts - This one definitely benefitted from a bit of water. The addition of the ashy/sooty smoke adds another layer of complexity to this dram. It has a sweet plum bitter vibe to it, but with a nice hint of sweet red grape skin tannins. A bit hot at times, but otherwise very pleasant. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Yes Would I buy a bottle? - Maybe NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

Nose - Bit hot, peaches, watery honey, apples (w/ water) Adds a bit of buttercream cake frosting (sorta like a buttery/sugary peaches & cream), sidewalk chalk? Taste - Bit hot initially, golden raisins, light metallic vibe, lemon zest (w/ water) Reduces initial heat, golden raisins, dried light colored fruit cubes, candied citrus zest Finish - Lingering heat, citrus pith, metallic sweet (w/ water) Heat is a bit sharper initially and not as much metallic sweet, but otherwise the same Score - 86/100 Final Thoughts - I think this one suffered a bit from the heat as it seemed to open up a bit more with water and the off putting notes mostly went away. The dominating notes were really golden raisins and dried light fleshed fruits (w/ the exception of this metallic dried papaya "funk" I sorta got). It's interesting and tasty enough, but not sure this would be something I'd ever regularly reach for. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Maybe Would I buy a bottle? - No NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

Nose - Salt, mineral smoke, pears, lemon zest, golden raisins (w/ water) same Taste - Intense smoke, salt, golden raisins, moscato-like sharp sweetness that quickly fades, sweet cured meats (w/ water) Subdued smoke, less sweet, adds cracked black pepper, early lemon curd, candied bacon Finish - Golden raisins, salt, drying mineral-vibe, earth, sweet cured meat (w/ water) More minerals/earth/dirt, salty sweet, dirt covered lemons, golden raisins Score - 84/100 Final Thoughts - This one fared much better without the addition of water. It is much more vibrant and interesting without water as the sweetness shines through and there is less of an earth/dirt/mineral vibe. The Moscato finish is present on this one (I don't think I would've identified it as Moscato) but I would've guessed a sweet white grape finish or a lighter colored sweet spirit finish. Loads of golden raisins mixed with salty smoke and cured meats dominate. Tasty, but you definitely have to be in the mood for this one. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Maybe Would I buy a bottle? - No NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

Nose - Gentle smoke, smoked lemon zest, earth/dirt, light pear, mineraly (w/ water) Much more vibrant, less smoky Taste - Salt, sweet cured meat, hint of minerals, earth, bright/vibrant mouthfeel, light pear & lemon zest (w/ water) Opens up a bit more but pretty much the same Finish - Trailing salty smoke, light savory vibe, lemon zest (w/ water) same Score - 83/100 Final Thoughts - This felt quite muted at first but really opened up with a bit of water. From the nose and palate, this felt like this was primarily an ex-bourbon maturation with either a cask or two of some light colored sweet wine finish (if that). Loads of salt with a hint of smoke and a nice savory cured meat punch that makes this feel like it'd be great dram to enjoy by a summer campfire by the lake. It was nice, but nothing special. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - No Would I buy a bottle? - No NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

Nose - Intense raisin/prunes, dark soy, dark berries Taste - Dark raisins/prunes, blackberries, blueberries, dark soy, dark chocolate, dark cherries Finish - Wet oak, dark berries, raisins, dark cherry juice, dark soy Score - 86/100 Final Thoughts - Nose on this one felt a bit more balanced, but still a bit one dimensional. Nice addition of blackberries and blueberries on the palate, but still felt like I was drinking a fortified sherry that had a tiny bit of dark soy added to it. It wasn't off putting by any means, but just felt a bit one and done. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Maybe Would I buy a bottle? - No NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

Nose - Prunes, raisins, dark soy, dark chocolate Taste - Prunes, raisins, cherry juice, sweet savory soy sauce, dark chocolate, wet oak Finish - Light sweet/bitter, prunes, raisins, cherry juice Score - 82/100 Final Thoughts - The nose on this one felt very very similar to the 10 and the 12, but strangely felt a bit more muted. On the palate it felt a bit brighter like cherry/pomegranate juice. The savory nature of this malt came through once again with this dark soy vibe, but something about this felt a bit off near the end and through to the finish. It had this almost but not quite metallic vibe that threw things a bit off. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Maybe Would I buy a bottle? - No NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

Nose - Dark raisins, prunes, hint of dark soy, leather, almost like a PX sherry Taste - Sweet savory, tart berries, blackberries, dark chocolate, dark sweet soy sauce, lightly drying, carbonated soy sauce? Finish - Tart/drying but sweet, dark raisins, dark dried berries, dark chocolates Score - 88/100 Final Thoughts - Not sure how heavily sherried or how wet the barrels Hakata is aged in, but these feel like they were fairly wet and have quite a bit of sherry influence in them. Loads of dark raisins and prunes in this one. Once it hits the palate it gets a little less sweet which was nice, but it felt a bit tart/drying and the transition as you swallow feels almost like you're drinking a sweet savory carbonated soy sauce. Which is weird, but oddly not unpleasant? So far these feel like just very heavily sherried whiskies that capture more sherry influence than anything else. They're good, but just a bit boring because of that. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Maybe Would I buy a bottle? - No NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

Nose - Juicy raisins, dark apple juice, goji berries Taste - Slightly savory/meaty sweet, bold raisins, gentle heat/tingle, goji berries, acai, almost sweet soy sauce Finish - Light metallic, sweet savory vibe, reduced mirin & soy, dark raisins Score - 87/100 Final Thoughts - I was initially a bit disappointed in the lowish proof of 42% and not sure if this lower proof affects the nose, but it doesn't really present very much. The nose is mostly sweet, slightly savory, but there's not much past this sweet vibe. Once it hits your palate though, the shock value is there in that there's quite a bit of flavor for the lower proof. It's quite intense of this mostly sweet, lightly savory, tiny bit metallic/medicinal vibe to it. It's tasty, but also feels slightly off balance with the occasional metallic vibes coming off this. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Maybe Would I buy a bottle? - No NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

Nose - Caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, oak, hints of apple peels and cherries Taste - Caramel, cherry-vanilla, cinnamon spice, leather, chocolate Finish - Caramel, cherry chocolates, cherry-vanilla coke syrup, oak, gentle cinnamon tingle Score - 90/100 Final Thoughts - This is a good bourbon, nothing off putting about it. Fairly standard bourbon notes of vanilla, caramel, cinnamon but this has some nice notes of chocolate and cherry that pop in and out that I like. Good for a bourbon and worth what I paid for, but definitely not worth secondary prices. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Maybe Would I buy a bottle? - Yes NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.