Tastes

Very nice sipping rye, but not great in a manhattan which is my primary goal.

Big and engaging nose with floral, nutty and spice notes. Sour apple, cereal and oak spice through the development and continuing in waves through the finish. Very juicy mouth-feel. Even at 40%, this one likes a lot of water (a full teaspoon works well). Even then, there's a pleasant spicy burn in the finish.

As my intro to single malts, Glenlivet holds a special place. This version has a sweet nose and spicy spirit-forward character that is irresistible. Be warned that the new non-age statement First-Fill release is rough and not worth the cost. Buy the 16 yo if you can find it.

Wonderfully sweet nose. Very sweet barley, honey and vanilla up front with some pleasant heat. Full and rich with a bit of salt. Not complex but gently satisfying. Very long finish with some heat and spice at the end.

Wow, just wow! I was reluctant to spend $75 on a blend, being the single malt snob that I am, but the Spice Tree is amazing! A great woody and fruity nose. Spicy, fruity and bold with a long, intense finish. Not too much water though, as you can drown it. This is going on my top shelf for sure. If you can find it, buy it!

Nose of funky rum (think Smith & Cross). Taste of minerally peat with vegetal notes. A peaty Tobermory, which is different than any other peated whisky I have tried. Pepper notes intertwine with grassy peat through the finish. Delicious!

Spicy citrus on the nose. Delicious lemon citrus, pears, orange marmalade and leather. Oily mouth-feel. Fruit and spicy citrus hang around for a long finish with a salty touch at the end. Loves a teaspoon or two of water. Beautiful, well crafted whisky!

The staff review is pretty accurate for Oban Little Bay. I was never a big fan of Oban 14, but I'm really enjoying this one. As I'm not a purist, I generally like well made NAS whisky for the youthful kick, and this is no exception. This is a relatively gentle highland malt with a good mix of fruit and spices. The finish is medium length with oak and salt at the end. At 43% add only a couple drops of water. Would be better non-chill filtered and natural color.

Spicy on the nose with a touch of Juicy Fruit gum. Sweet and tart fruit with a creamy mouth-feel. Long, warm and slightly spicy finish. Have not been a big fan of Glenmorangie in the past, but this is very good.