Tastes
-
Cadenhead's Enigma 15 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky 48.2%
Blended Malt — Scotland
Reviewed January 13, 2025Combo of Hazelburn & Kilkerran. It is focused, clean and really good! Malty and fresh with a medium thick, oily mouthfeel. I shared this bottle with a lot of folks and it has been universally enjoyed. It’s a great Spring/Summer whisky. Nowadays I rarely do this but I bought two more of these at auction. It’s that good! -
This is bottle can be difficult to find; I had to hunt it down. Based on the recommendations of folks I trust, I had very high hopes for this. It hasn’t hit the mark yet. It has some of the nice funk that you get in Tobermory/Ledaig but it seems a little disjointed. I’ll continue to taste it over time but, with the wonderful Ledaig 18 readily available, hard to recommend chasing this bottle.
-
I’ve had this bottle open for months hoping it would open up and evolve. It hasn’t. It’s not a bad whisky but it’s not what I was hoping for. The palate is muddled and mouthfeel is lacking. I see it as a beginning of the evening, warm-up type whisky. It doesn’t have the complexity and or layers to warrant deep exploration. Is it offensive - no. Is it exciting - no.
-
Bookers Bourbon Batch 04-2023 "The Storyteller Batch"
Bourbon — Kentucky , USA
Reviewed January 10, 2025Storyteller batch is so so so good! Bourbon snobs turn their nose up at Bookers. Ignore. This is excellent!! -
Craigellachie 17 Year
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed April 21, 2024 (edited April 22, 2024)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.
-
Loch Lomond 17 Year Old Organic Cask Strength
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed April 21, 2024Crème 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.
-
Glen Scotia 15 Year
Single Malt — Campbeltown, Scotland
Reviewed August 16, 2019 (edited March 15, 2020)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!
Results 1-10 of 56 Reviews