Tastes
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Laphroaig Cairdeas 2022 Warehouse 1
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed June 13, 2024 (edited July 5, 2024)I’ve been a Cairdeas fanatic for years now. My love for this line dates back to the 2016 release. In all that time, this one certainly has the least sexy name of the bunch. I’m guessing this is a product of their “best” warehouse? It has to be something like that to warrant a release. I’ll judge the whisky on what’s in the bottle. Nose: Sea spray, brine, sea salt, and seaweed. Peat, campfire smoke, and tennis ball. Ballpark pretzel. Floral notes. Irish baking soda. Apple, pear, apricot, and raisin. Hazelnut, salted caramel, toffee, and vanilla. Peanut butter. Heavy lemon citrus. Mint. Black bean red pepper chili. Cinnamon, black/white pepper, and oak. Palate: Heavy salted caramel and saltwater taffy. Sea salt, seaweed, brine. Campfire smoke, rubber, tennis ball. Hazelnut. Vanilla, butterscotch, and toffee. Irish baking soda. Plum, dried apricot, and raisin. Cola. Fig and date. Mint. Grapefruit and lemon citrus. Finish: Ash, campfire smoke, rubber, menthol, and iodine. Campfire smoke. Cola and raisin. Fig and date. Black bean, red pepper chili. Cinnamon, black pepper, and oak. Long finish. Very, very good whisky. Laphroaig always does such a great job with these releases. I think the profile seems most similar to the 16 year. It’s more confectionery sweet than fruity—considering a lot of these Cairdeas releases are wine cask-aged, that’s actually a departure from the norm. It’s also more refined and features less gritty peat, another characteristic of the 16. Now, how does this stack up to the other Cairdeas releases? Most of those were mind-blowing, 5-star whiskies. And this one is only worthy of being called superb. At $90, this is exact same price I’ve paid for Cairdeas releases since the beginning, and you had better believe I’m factoring that into my score. 4.5/5.90.0 USD per Bottle -
Old Forester 1897 Bottled In Bond
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed June 4, 2024 (edited July 5, 2024)With this Bottled-in-Bond down, I will officially have covered 4/4 of Old Forester’s “year-themed” series. I quite enjoyed the other 3, with Old Forester Prohibition being the crown jewel. The quality and ABV have had a positive correlation, so this should be good following that logic. Nose: Brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Toasted almond and macadamia. Banana walnut muffin. Dried apricot and raisin. Pipe smoke, cocoa, and sawdust. Orange peel. Black tea. Flintstone Vitamin and other mineral notes. Apple and honey. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, black pepper, and oak. Palate: Heavy on the gala apple. Vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, and toffee. Macadamia and toasted almond. Cinnamon Apple Jacks and Cornflakes. Flintstone’s Vitamin. The banana walnut muffin is present, but exists more so in the background. Dried apricot and raisin. A touch of black cherry. Light pipe smoke and black tea. Black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and oak. Finish: Gala apple. Cinnamon Apple Jacks. Flintstone Vitamins. Heavy black cherry. Dried apricot, raisin. Banana walnut muffin. Almond and macadamia. Vanilla, brown sugar, toffee, caramel. Black tea, pipe smoke, black pepper, orange peel. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Long. This is a really nice whiskey. As I speculated ahead of time, the higher proof comes appreciated. The Old Forester palate runs a tad on the sweet side, and the heat from the proof and barrel spice provide a nice balance there. Quite easily worth the pop at $50. This doesn’t come close to the Prohibition, but it’s as good as the rest of the line—at the very least. 4.25/5 for the BiB. What a great, affordable line. Kudos to Old Forester for that.50.0 USD per Bottle -
Macallan Double Cask Gold
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed May 21, 2024 (edited July 5, 2024)I never got around to this while it was still in production, but was lucky enough to find on a shelf years later. This may have been a waste of money, but as a completionist, I just couldn’t resist. It may be gone, but this bottling kickstarted the Double Cask line, and I guess that’s reason enough to be interested for me. Nose: Milk chocolate, vanilla, toffee, and caramel. Toasted almond. Peanut butter cookie. Pencil shavings. Sprite. Orange citrus. Gala apple, pear, apricot, and golden raisin. Plum, date, and fig. Honey and butterscotch. Cinnamon, black and white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Mild green, young notes sprinkled in that indicate youth, with some more floral, refined ones mixed in. Palate: Velvet and leather. Orange citrus. Butterscotch, honey, caramel, vanilla, sugar cookie, and toffee. Especially the first two. Toasted almond. Pencil shavings. Apple, pear, and apricot. Heavy on the plum, raisin, fig, and date. Pipe smoke and cocoa. Cinnamon, black and white pepper, clove, nutmeg,and oak. Finish: Plum, raisin, date, and fig. Fig Newton, even. Orange citrus. Cocoa. Milk chocolate, vanilla, and toffee. Cinnamon, black and white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. This is surprisingly good. I can’t imagine it’s too much younger than their 12-year Double Cask. This seems to be the replacement for the 10-year, and now there is a vacuum in that place. Or, more likely, this was just younger stock that was eventually to become the DC. If that’s the case, this was a trial run and its discontinuation is logical. Now, I enjoyed this. It abides by all the rules of the Macallan DC series. In hindsight, it’s not groundbreaking, but at the time of its inception, it was a unique and worthwhile undertaking. I dropped a $100 on this, but like I said, I paid a premium for my curiosity. Retailers know when they’ve got something you can’t buy anymore, and therefore, I won’t be too harsh on this because it was a ~$50 in its day. But, 40% NAS does hurt this a little. 3/5 feels fair. Docking a quarter start on value. Glad I grabbed it though.100.0 USD per Bottle -
I’ve had Pact 5-8. Each one was better than the last, culminating with the masterpiece #7. Until I got to 8, which was good, but underwhelming and didn’t compare to its predecessor—or even close. So here’s to hoping Pact 9 turns this ship around. Nose: Gala apple, cranberry, golden raisin, and dried apricot. Toffee, caramel, vanilla, and brown sugar. Mint chocolate. Toasted almond and pistachio. Cocoa, pipe smoke, black tea, and orange citrus. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, rye, and oak. Palate: Gala apple, cranberry, golden raisin, and dried apricot. Brown sugar, vanilla, milk chocolate, and toffee. Mint/raspberry chocolate. Saltwater taffy. Orange peel. Pipe smoke. Ginger. Rye spice. Irish soda bread and rye bread. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Heaps of rye spice. Cocoa, pipe smoke, and black tea. Peppercorn. Ginger. Orange peel. Lemongrass and dill. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, black pepper, and oak. Moderate-long. Now that is a good whiskey. High-rye bourbon whiskey aged in Olorosso sherry casks. I’m not even certain that is high-rye, but the profile paints that picture. All kinds of spice, sweet, and bready notes. It’s layered, and it’s a well-woven quilt. Blood Oath is back. It’s also more expensive. This ran me $225 (I think I had some store credit that brought this down significantly, but I judge these based on the original price,) which is more than double what I paid for Pacts 5-6. It’s clearly better than those, and is on par with the vaunted Pact 7. I’m inclined to give this a perfect 5/5. It’s simply outstanding—outside of my gripes with price. Well done to Lux Row.225.0 USD per Bottle
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I got this one because I liked the two permanent Knob Creek rye releases. In fact, I like all of the KC releases I come across, so I figured I couldn’t go wrong here. Nose: Toasted almond, cashew, and hazelnut. Vanilla and caramel. Dried apricot and golden raisin. Bready, yeasty notes. Black pepper, rye, clove, nutmeg, and oak spice. Palate: The yeasty, bready notes appear first. A healthy does of peppercorn, black tea, and pipe smoke. Pistachio and toasted almond. Candied orange/orange citrus. Cinnamon Apple Jacks. Peach tea. Black pepper, rye, clove, nutmeg, and oak spice. Finish: Cinnamon Apple Jacks. Orange citrus. Toasted almond and pistachio. Peppercorn, black tea, and pipe smoke. Black pepper, rye, clove, nutmeg, and oak spice. Long finish. Not cask strength long, but definitely on the upper end of the spectrum. This was a fun whiskey. It’s essentially the standard Knob Creek Rye but with a touch extra barrel char. With I think is all that the original whiskey, a solid bottling in its own right, was missing. I’m glad I grabbed this. This definitely won’t be shaking up the bourbon game. If fact, with the benefit of hindsight, I can say that it absolutely did not, otherwise they would’ve made more. But it was a fine idea for a one-off. The Beam-rye profile is just rock solid. I’m settling on a 4.25/5 for this. Another win for the KC line.65.0 USD per Bottle
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Redwood Empire Batch 02
Blended American Whiskey — California, USA
Reviewed May 14, 2024 (edited May 15, 2024)The first batch of this series was an overlooked gem. Not in the “it didn’t get quite the acclaim it deserved” way. It’s underrated in the “so under appreciated that they bailed on this line after two batches” way. Which is a real shame considering the first batch was fantastic. I thought that was all the ever made, but I was able to find a single bottle that proved the second batch exists. The recipe seems to be identical to Batch 01. 4, 5, and 11 year-old bourbons and 2 and 3 year-old ryes comprise the blend. Bottles 7/18/2018, 45% ABV. Nose: Orange and tangerine citrus. Mint chocolate and pistachio. Vanilla, caramel, and toffee. Black cherry. Date and fig. Vick’s Vapor Rub. Golden raisin. Cinnamon, white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Palate: More of the mint chocolate and pistachio. Almond as well. Caramel, honey, vanilla, and toffee. Lemon-flavored candy. Orange and tangerine citrus. Cola. Fig and date. Nougat. Graham cracker and vanilla frosting. Sweet potato. Dried apricot. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Lemon candy again. Orange and tangerine citrus. Cherry and gala apple. Pistachio and mint chocolate. Red hot tamale. Cocoa and pipe smoke. Cinnamon, white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Moderate length. This measures up to my memory of Batch 1. It’s got such a unique profile. The bourbon-rye blend really does give this the best of both worlds. It’s a damn shame that this was discontinued. At $40, this was well worth the juice. It’s actually $10 less than I paid for the first batch. I gave that one a 4.5, and I feel like that’s the right score for this as well. Redwood Empire has revamped their line, and I’m looking forward to getting into it in the future. With that being said, I think that they should seriously consider re-exploring this line. Well done.40.0 USD per Bottle -
Old Forester 1910 Old Fine Whisky
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed May 13, 2024 (edited May 14, 2024)This is my third entry in the Old Forester bourbon collection. It’s been pretty solid so far. The Original Batch was solid, and the Prohibition was an all-timer. The bottle says this is based on Owsley Brown’s own handcrafted batch. I’ll take their word for that and hope it was worth preserving. Nose: Brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Toasted almond, macadamia, and pecan. Raisin and dried apricot. Nougat, and lots of it. Gala apple. Boiler sweet potato. Flintstone vitamins. Butterscotch. A touch of banana. Orange citrus. Cocoa and pipe smoke. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Palate: Peach tea Snapple. Caramel, vanilla, toffee, and nougat. Toasted almond, macadamia, chestnut, and pecan. Flinstone vitamin. Orange citrus and banana. Sawdust. Dried apricot and golden raisin. Cocoa butter. High viscosity here. Butterscotch, honey, and marshmallow. Cocoa and light pipe smoke. Cinnamon, white and black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. A nice OF barrel encompassing the experience from front to end. Finish: Ginger. Dried apricot and golden raisin. Caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, and butterscotch. Flinstone vitamins. Cinnamon, black and white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Heaps of barrel char and smoke. Medium length. Another excellent entry. Old Forester really knows what they’re doing with these. The basic profile is roughly the same. The Prohibition remains the leader of the pack, and I’ve got this rated comparable to the Original Batch. I’ll give this the slight edge. At $57, this was well-worth the price of entry. It’s easily accessible in terms of price and availability, and has a profile that can be enjoyed by veteran and rookie bourbon drinkers alike. What’s not to like? Well done, Owsley Brown. 4/5.57.0 USD per Bottle -
About a year ago, I walked into a restaurant that was shutting down at the end of the day. There was indication this was happening from the outside, but the bartender made it pretty clear that there was essentially a fire sale behind the bar. This was my first pick. There wasn’t much left so I got the second pour free as it finished the bottle. What a great choice. And the rest was history. I knew I needed a bottle if I was lucky enough to find one in 2023. And here we are. Nose: Classic Beam peanut brittle. Brown sugar, cocoa, and caramel. Raisin and dried apricot. Plum skin and cola. Toffee, vanilla, and butterscotch. Very citrusy and has almost a seltzer pop. Like a Sprite. A tad bit of steak. Mint. Black pepper and pipe smoke. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Palate: More peanut brittle. Steak as well. Roasted almond. Caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, and toffee. Chocolate syrup. Cocoa, pipe smoke, and peppercorn. Orange citrus. Rye spice. Ginger. Red hot tamale. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak spice. Finish: Peanut brittle. Brown sugar, caramel, toffee, vanilla. Pumpkin spice. Ginger. Cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. This was as good as I remember. Maybe the best nose I’ve ever gotten on a bourbon. It’s certainly up there. It’s a unique profile for a Booker’s overall—it reminds me of some of the batches from 8-9 years ago that got me into the brand. For $100, I was quite glad to find this so late in the game. It’s not the oldest or the highest proof Booker’s batch, but is easily one of the most remarkable. I’m always impressed with this stuff. 5/5.100.0 USD per Bottle
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Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series 2022 BRT-02
Bourbon — Kentucky , USA
Reviewed May 10, 2024 (edited May 14, 2024)It’s great to see a bourbon line get expanded in the way Jim Beam has done with Knob Creek. The additions of the 12 and 15 year were fantastic (especially the 12) and I’m really excited for this one. It cost me a couple bucks, but the age statement and the quality of this one’s younger brothers, I have confidence in my purchase. Nose: Gala apple/apple pie. Brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, and caramel. Peanut brittle and toasted almond. Fudge, cocoa, and milk chocolate. Black tea and tobacco. Maple. Rye, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, black pepper, and oak spice. Red ginger. A touch of sawdust and baking soda. Palate: More of that peanut brittle and toasted almond. Gala apple. Heaps of brown sugar with some caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Dried apricot. Pumpkin spice. A peppermint/baking soda note. New couch leather. Carrot cake. Cocoa, black tea, pipe smoke. Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, black and white pepper, rye spice, dill pickle, and oak. Finish: Brown sugar, caramel, fudge, vanilla, milk chocolate, and toffee. Pipe smoke, cocoa, and black tea. Rye spice, red ginger, clove, nutmeg, black pepper, and oak. Long finish. Very nice. This does the classic bourbon profile perfectly. Plenty of sweet, a healthy dose of dry fruit, barrel char and smoke to boot. And of course, a truck load or two of spice notes. It’s not overoaked, which is a concern for a lot of bourbons once you get into the teenage years. Instead, it’s got depth and sophistication, and does a beautiful job of encapsulating the finer elements of the Knob Creek line. This is really something. I’d say it measures up to the 12 and beats the 15 in terms of VFM. Which is impressive because it cost quadruple the former and almost double the latter. This was $200, which is exactly what I paid for the Elijah Craig 18. This is at a much higher proof, and matches the EC18 for quality. It’s amazing, and I’m really glad I managed to nab it. This was crafted to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Knob Creek, and I’d say this did a heck of a job honoring the line. 5/5. And that’s what I’m going with. Fantastic. It’s such an interesting profile. I am generally more of a fan of rye-mash bourbons than wheat-mash ones. Because the rye adds more to the profile—more times than not. Not the case here. Unbelievably rich profile, and for $70, this is an absolute no-brainer.70.0 USD per Bottle -
Knob Creek 18 Year Bourbon 30th Anniversary
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed May 8, 2024 (edited May 9, 2024)It’s great to see a bourbon line get expanded in the way Jim Beam has done with Knob Creek. The additions of the 12 and 15 year were fantastic (especially the 12) and I’m really excited for this one. It cost me a couple bucks, but the age statement and the quality of this one’s younger brothers, I have confidence in my purchase. Nose: Gala apple/apple pie. Brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, and caramel. Peanut brittle and toasted almond. Fudge, cocoa, and milk chocolate. Black tea and tobacco. Maple. Rye, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, black pepper, and oak spice. Red ginger. A touch of sawdust and baking soda. Palate: More of that peanut brittle and toasted almond. Gala apple. Heaps of brown sugar with some caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Dried apricot. Pumpkin spice. A peppermint/baking soda note. New couch leather. Carrot cake. Cocoa, black tea, pipe smoke. Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, black and white pepper, rye spice, dill pickle, and oak. Finish: Brown sugar, caramel, fudge, vanilla, milk chocolate, and toffee. Pipe smoke, cocoa, and black tea. Rye spice, red ginger, clove, nutmeg, black pepper, and oak. Long finish. Very nice. This does the classic bourbon profile perfectly. Plenty of sweet, a healthy dose of dry fruit, barrel char and smoke to boot. And of course, a truck load or two of spice notes. It’s not overoaked, which is a concern for a lot of bourbons once you get into the teenage years. Instead, it’s got depth and sophistication, and does a beautiful job of encapsulating the finer elements of the Knob Creek line. This is really something. I’d say it measures up to the 12 and beats the 15 in terms of VFM. Which is impressive because it cost quadruple the former and almost double the latter. This was $200, which is exactly what I paid for the Elijah Craig 18. This is at a much higher proof, and matches the EC18 for quality. It’s amazing, and I’m really glad I managed to nab it. This was crafted to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Knob Creek, and I’d say this did a heck of a job honoring the line. 5/5.200.0 USD per Bottle
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