Tastes

Funky goodness! Combo of bourbon & sherry casks - neither overpowers. Worm tubs add great layers to the flavor profile. Nice mouthfeel & ABV (though I am curious what it would taste like at a higher ABV). I’d like to do a blind tasting with Tobermory 17 and bourbon-matured Hazelburn with similar age.

Can not go wrong with Bruichladdich’s Islay Barley series. Planning to do a blind tasting of the ‘07, ‘09 and ‘10 shortly. Wouldn’t say Islay Barleys or Classic Laddies are the best options for beginners - younger whiskies so they can be a little spiky upon opening and require some patience (air time in bottle, time in glass, tiny bit of water) to reach their full potential but, when they do, they’re stunningly beautiful. I went through long phases of drinking heavily peated, sherried and cask strength whiskies (including a lot of the Port Charlotte experimental bottlings) - these are not any of those things. They’re more stripped down and spirit driven. It’s like listening to your favorite band’s acoustic album - a new experience grounded in something you already know you love. I’m digging this style of whisky a lot right now.

Crème Brûlée Fresh Pear Passion Fruit Toasted Coconut It’s not overly complex but a nice combo of flavors and great mouthfeel. A crushable spring/summertime whisky!

I just opened this bottle a few weeks ago so I will revisit the score but it’s good stuff. This whiskey is like eating a Twix bar and drinking a spiced tea while sitting in a lumber yard. You really need to like oak to enjoy this one because it has a strong presence. I like this profile; when done right it can result in a fun, playful whiskey. It reminds me a lot of the wood influence you get on PNW American Single Malts (Westland, Westward, Wanderback, etc), which I believe all use Oregon White Oak. It’s rich and spicy with a medium-long finish. And good value for the money.

This is a solidly made whisky; not overly complex or dynamic but tasty nonetheless. The flavor profile is graham cracker, warm honey, sweet cream butter, and toasted marshmallows. I bought this bottle about 5 months ago and I’m now 3/4 through it. This has gotten better over time but it’s still not a wow whiskey. I’ve only had two Deanstons - the 18 and the 14 organic but have found both to be a little underwhelming. Some of this may be related to the hype and my expectations; who knows. I also haven’t tried anything matured in sherry so maybe that is an avenue to explore.

This is fantastic! So flavorful and oily! If I tasted this without knowing how this was made, I would’ve guessed that there were sherry and/or cab barrels used in addition to bourbon. There are beautiful plum, nectarine and cherry flavors on the palate. That is balanced with notes of salted caramel and dark chocolate. The mix of salty and sweet, and the bright pings of flavor throughout the experience are just wonderful!

Hazelburn 14 (2019) was matured exclusively in Oloroso barrels. It’s a deep, rich and complex whiskey. I taste salted caramel, dried cranberries and tart cherries, dark cocoa powder, fresh raspberries and some peppery wood notes. There are some tannins here that were strong when I first opened the bottle but are starting to mellow. The finish is lovely and lingers for quite a while. This may be one of the best <15 year Oloroso matured whiskies I’ve had. Time will tell. Really good!

Whiskey extravaganza #7 This is the best Highland Park I’ve had in a while and I’m shocked by it. This is not a typical HP - it’s only matured in bourbon, it’s bottled at 47.2% instead of 43%, and it’s chill filtered but only brought down to 4 degrees Celsius so HP has only stripped away a portion of the delicious oils and esters. Should someone punch their marketing department in the bean bag for calling this “full volume” when they’ve clearly turned down it’s natural volume - yes, that is warranted. And referencing Spinal Tap on your packaging by pointing the dial to 11 when you’ve served the whiskey up at an 8 - not cool ... not cool at all. But it’s still better than most of the duds that HP has been pumping out lately. It’s packed full of rich vanilla bean, pear, and smoked caramel. It reminds me of Tomatin’s Cu Bocan line. And this is 17+ years old for $85; that is a steal by HP standards. If you see it, buy it while you can because I’m guessing it won’t be back. But burn the box - shameful HP marketing, just shameful.

Whiskey extravaganza #6 I just opened this bottle and have only had 2 drams so I need to give it more time but I can say that this is a rich and flavorful American single malt. It’s currently tasting like a bourbon/scotch hybrid, which is unexpected and delicious. Looking forward to seeing how it evolves over time. Thanks for the rec @dubz480! And @PBMichiganWolverine I’ll pull your sample over Labor Day weekend.

Whiskey Extravaganza #5 This is fantastic! I don’t have full details on how this whiskey is made and there are some things (like the 43% abv) that chap my ass. Even just bumping it to 46% would make a difference. But still there is some magic going on with the cask work here. Sherry + Mizunara + American oak = deliciousness for all!