Tastes

This is a great daily drinker. It has enough complexity to keep me interested but doesn’t require much attention. No need to let it air out for a long period of time or play around with water, just able to pour and enjoy. On the nose, I get apricot, caramel, and hay. On the palate, I taste kettle corn, sweet cream, and touch of wood spice. The finish is oily and mouth coating. For $65ish, you really can’t beat it. I would probably still grab Springbank 10 over it but still great.

This is tasty stuff; flavorful, rich and warming. On the nose, I smell grape must and raw pastry dough. There is a deep weightiness, like the inside of a raisin box, followed by the sweetness of a fruit cocktail cup. On the palate, I get Ovaltine and dried fruit, vanilla pudding with some grappa spikes and dusty walnuts. The finish is medium/long. I have enjoyed this bottle but liked the first half better than the second. It didn’t evolve but he way I thought it might. Still a strong one and good value.

This is a good whiskey. My high-level summary is that it tastes like Oban 14’s brother from another mother. They’re related but C14 has a little more personality. O14 is like eating French Toast on a warf on a foggy day .... C14 is like eating the same French Toast but on a warm, sunny day and eating it with a little spiced butter and meyer lemon on top. There’s more punch than O14 and more highs/lows in flavor - earthy coriander mixed with some waxy honey and pings of lemon which adds some nice dimension. This is a warm-you-up whiskey; a good way to start off a night and prepare your palate for an adventure.

I bought an old bottling of Longmorn 16 (released 2007-2015; green box/bottle) at auction and the new bottling (released 2016+; purple box/bottle) from a local shop and tasted them side by side. They’re very different ... New L16: this is a nice scotch; it’s light and friendly with a few layers to explore but they’re pretty limited in depth. Primarily toffee, chamomile, and citrus. The overall mouthfeel makes this feel younger than 16 years. But again still very pleasant to drink. Old L16: This is a richer and more complex whiskey. There are nice caramel, toast and cream notes with interesting dashes of spice. And the mouthfeel is oily, giving it some good hang time. Seems older than 16 years. Really tasty; I kept wanting to go back for more. The 4.0+ score is for the old L16; I’ll treasure this bottle and look forward to sharing it with friends. I also picked up a bottle of the Longmorn 15 so that will have to be a head-to-head battle at some point.

I have less experience with Irish Whiskies than others but I really liked this one. It’s smooth, light, and tastes like scones with a little butter and marmalade. Goes well with food.

Really nice, light and balanced sipper. Tastes like buttery coconut biscuits with some hints of nuts and orange zest. Very smooth; easy-to-the-breezy.

This is fantastic! Starts with honey and fresh fruit ... then peanut brittle, vanilla and a little earthiness ... it finishes clean with a touch of smoke.

Deep, rich and woody dram. Caramel, dark cherry and cream. Finish is really interesting; it has a little minty tingle. Really unique. Delicious!

Light and easy sipper. Tastes a little younger than 14 years old. Sugar babies, lemon and melted whipped cream. Watery, short finish. Update ... I’m now at the end of the bottle and it hasn’t gotten much more interesting. It’s really young tasting - almost like new make. Would never guess that it’s 14 years old. I hate that I don’t like this one because I really admire what Deanston did with making it 100% organic. But taste buds don’t lie. Would take Hazelburn 10 over this any day.

Nose: smoke and salty ocean fog, dried fruit, caramelized nuts Palate: starts with a punch of smoke and a tingle of mint/herbs that radiates as you breath in - like opening the door of a wood-fired sauna ... followed by rich malt, stone and a splash of seawater. Finish: long and hazy This was one that I needed to take my time with ... at first my tastebuds were confused but I learned that air and a couple of drops of water opened more and more layers ... confusion turned to intrigue and eventually delight. It was a journey but one well worth taking!