Tastes

It’s been a long while since I’ve had one of these Nadurras. Something I think Glenlivet really needs to bring back. I find the concept much more compelling than their current annual releases. Anyway, the 16 was a superb whisky, while the peated Nadurra was decent. As for as I know, this will make 3/4 Nadurra expressions for me. Glad to have found it so late in the game. Bottled 11/20 Batch No. OL1120 60.1% ABV Nose: A very unique buttered toast note. Trust me. Beyond that there are the apples, apricots, plum, grape, raisin, and pear you’d expect to find here. Almond. Honey, toffee, malt, and vanilla. Orange and roasted pineapple. Black pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Pipe smoke to boot. Palate: Cranberry, raisin, plum, date, fig, and grape. Absolute monstrosity of a sherry bomb. Pineapple, apple, pear, and orange. Almond. Leather. Caramel and milk chocolate. Cola. It’s very plush. A fizzy, sparkling water mouthfeel as well. Some honey and butterscotch in the background. Cinnamon, black and white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Apple and apricot. Cola, plum, and raisin. Date and fig. Almond. Heaps of cinnamon, black and white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Spice bomb. Long a finish as they make ‘em. It’s a nice whiskey. Powerful, as you’d expect at this proof. It’s sherry bomb that gives the Aberlour A’bunadhs and Tamdhu Cask Strengths of the world a run for their money in terms of potency. However, I’d choose the other two over this one. No shame in that, those are absolute classics. This is good, but it’s only a classic in the sense that it’s all but gone at this point. The key issue is that the flavor can’t match the overwhelming power. Not to say that the flavor isn’t prominent or enjoyable, just that it’s out of balance. It’s still a damn good whisky though—the notes are great. A 4/5. Could’ve been higher with more time in the barrel. It’s NAS, so I don’t know if this is true, but I have a hunch it could’ve been aged a good bit longer. It doesn’t stack up to the Nadurra 16. Glad I ponied up the $90 to get this before it disappeared. Well worth it.

This has long been a favorite of mine and was one of the whiskies that got me into sipping. In fact, it’s one of the ones that inspired me to start doing the research that would then lead me to writing these reviews. So it’s only fitting that I tackle this now and not a day later. I will try and leave my bias at the door, no promises. Nose: Classic Knappogue Granny Smith Apple. Fig and green grape. Plum. Shortbread cookie, honey, vanilla, and toffee. Raisin. Walnut and almond. Pecan. Orange. Black pepper. Perfume and floral notes. Irish soda bread. Coconut. White pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Palate: Gala and Granny Smith apple. More of the fig, raisin, and grape. Almond, walnut, and cashew. Caramel, toffee, and vanilla. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. More of the Irish soda bread. Banana. Coffee-flavored ice cream. Clove, nutmeg, black pepper, orange peel, and oak. Finish: Almond. Vanilla, toffee, and caramel. Brown sugar and shortbread cookie. Raisin and apple. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Medium-long finish. It’s every bit as good as I remember. The bourbons barrel-Olorosso sherry cask “Twin Wood” combo provides the nutty and wood notes that elevate the softer, fruit forward 12-year was missing. This combines all of these features, kicked up to a 46% ABV, and I’m sure those two extra years in the barrel didn’t hurt either. This has been inflation proof. At $53, it’s jumped a mere $3 in almost a decade in my market. Some of the hot garbage out there has almost doubled in half that span. As if its sheer quality wasn’t enough, the value here is unparalleled. 4.75/5. Sensational work here.

I reviewed the Ohishi Acacia Cask. I consider this and the Sakura Cask to be sister bottlings, as they came out at the same time and both are obviously wood-experimentation expressions. Whether they’re actually meant to be seen as a pair, I don’t know, but I certainly do. Unfortunately, the Acacia did not leave much of an impression. But I’m back to give Ohishi another crack. Nose: Ripe strawberry. Raspberry. Dried apricot. Plum and raisin. Honey. Toasted almond. Walnut. Pumpkin pie and vanilla ice cream. Clove, black pepper, nutmeg, and pumpkin spice. Hot cocoa. Palate: Dried apricot and fig. Vanilla, toffee, and butterscotch. Marshmallow. Raisin and red grape. Green apple. Sugar cookie. Pistachio and almond. Peaches and cream. Pumpkin spice. Black and white pepper. Hot cocoa again. Pineapple and coconut. Finish: Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, white pepper. Pumpkin spice. Dried apricot. Almond and gala apple. Toffee, butterscotch, and vanilla. Pineapple. Dried apricot, grape, and fig. Hot cocoa. Medium length. This is quite a step up from the Acacia Cask. A lot of the same notes, but this much more cohesive overall, and the notes this has that the other lacked help bring the profile together. Admittedly, I hadn’t had any idea of how the Sakura Cask would impact the spirit. Ohishi, at least from these two bottlings, has a very distinct flavor. I’m not sure if that’s attributed to the unconventional wood used in both, or the Ohishi spirit itself. I’ll say this though; based on the quality of this Sakura Cask, I’ll be eager to try more Ohishi and Sakura cask-aged Ohishi whiskies alike. $95 was a little steep, but ultimately worth it for a limited release of this quality. Like I said earlier, this is the expression that has officially cultivated my interest in the distillery. Good to be able to add another Japanese distillery to what is currently a relatively short list. 4.0/5.

This was continued, but not before I managed to snag one. I generally find Basil Hayden to be underwhelming, but the 10 year bourbon was decent. I’m a big fan of Jim Beam in general, so I’m willing to give them a chance to improve my position on the BH label, though at this point, they’re running out of tries. Clean slate for this one though. Let’s check it out. Nose: Very bready. Sourdough. Rye spice. Lemon citrus. Orange rind. Black pepper. Toasted almond and vanilla. A touch of pistachio. Palate: Some pistachio and milk chocolate. Rye spice. Toasted almond. Gala apple, raisin, and dried apricot. Vanilla, caramel, and ginger snap. Some butterscotch. White pepper. Clove, nutmeg, black pepper, and oak. Finish: Vanilla. Clove, nutmeg, and oak spice. Rye spice and black pepper. Dill. Black licorice. Short, fleeting finish. I really had to dig deep to find the notes here. It’s underwhelming. Flat, though the notes I was able to detect were pleasant. It’s just muted. 40% ABV is practically a death sentence for any whiskey in any category. There’s nothing memorable here. It takes a fat chunk out of your wallet for such a thin whiskey. At $100, this is undoubtedly not worth the price of entry. $50 tops, and that’s only for the impressive age statement relative to other ryes. The oldest I’ve owned in fact. But a pitiful ABV is enough to sour that. Not a bad whiskey by any means. But it’s awful value. 2.75/5.

I’m writing this shortly after my review of the 2022 Warehouse 1 installment in the Cairdeas line. And while it was a solid whisky, it was without a doubt the biggest disappointment in the Cairdeas. That’s not saying a ton, because I’d but pretty much every other one since 2016 on my top shelf, but that one just didn’t compare. This line has provided me with some of the best wine cask-aged peated malts, so I’m happy to see them return with another one of the kind. Nose: Peat and campfire smoke. Brine, sea salt, seaweed, and iodine. Bandaid. Tennis ball. Ash. Smoked meat. Hookah smoke. Plum. Blackberry and black currant. Grilled pineapple. Red pepper. Sugar cookie. Palate: Saltwater taffy and ballpark pretzel. Sea salt, brine, and seaweed. Grapefruit. Mint chocolate and fudge. Peanut butter and hazelnut. Salted caramel. Black bean, red pepper chili. Vanilla. Grapefruit. Sugar cookie. Plum, orange, and tangerine. Finish: Toasted almond, macadamia, and hazelnut. Salted caramel, toffee, and milk chocolate. Pineapple and plum. Black bean, red pepper chili. Sea salt, seaweed, campfire smoke, iodine, ash. Bandaid. Red pepper and white pepper. Long finish. This is somewhat of a step up from the Warehouse 1. The wine cask breaks through the peat and gives the typical Laphroaig profile a somewhat tropical fruit feel. Some dark, plush fruit as well, but not nearly as much as I was expecting when I consider the other wine cask-aged Cairdeas releases and the cask selection used with this one. They never raise the price. $90 again, and $90 well spent. This earns marks for VFM. I don’t know if I’m just getting more picky through the years, but I’d have to drop this to second to last on my Cairdeas rankings, ahead of 2022 but below 2016-2021. I had all of the latter as top shelf whiskies, so no shame in this not quite living up to that mark. And this was closer to the rest of the pack than it was to the 2022–I don’t want to mischaracterize it. It may be the combination of casks used distracted from the establishment of a cogent mission. Just a tad unfocused. Still, very well done. Reminiscent of 2016 Madeira cask (no shock there,) which I do appreciate. 4.75/5.

Little Books 1 evaded me. 2-5 were sensational. 6 was a major, major letdown. 7 achieved redemption, and was really exceptional. I was under the impression that the 6th chapter would be the final because of the name. Now I have no idea how long this is going to go on, and I’m assuming this won’t be the final installment. Either way, I’m hoping this delivers in a big way. Nose: Black cherry and raspberry chocolate. Caramel, fudge, and vanilla. Molasses and heavy brown sugar. Salted cashew and toasted almond. Irish soda bread and toffee. Raisin. Sawdust, white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Palate: Fudge brownie with caramel, vanilla, and mint chocolate chip ice cream. Heavy rye spice and dill. Pistachio. Black cherry and gala apple. Dried apricot and fig. Cranberry. Cola. Clove, nutmeg, black and white pepper. And of course, plenty of oak. Finish: Toasted almond and pistachio. Black tea, tobacco smoke, and sawdust. Cola. Fudge. Caramel, vanilla, and milk chocolate. Clove, nutmeg, black pepper, and oak. As long as they make them. This seems to be an ode to Pennsylvania rye. It’s an interesting choice considering Beam has no ties to Pennsylvania, at least to my knowledge. Regardless, the rye profile is incredibly strong here, which distinguishes it from any Little Book that came before it. Speaking of its predecessors, this Chapter can go toe-to-toe with anything in this lineup. According to my notes, Chapter 4 was my favorite. It’s been a bit since I finished that and I never got to pit these two against one another, but from what I remember, I’m prepared to go ahead and call it a draw. Easily worth the price of admission at $150. Top shelf stuff. 5/5.

Coming off the heels of Pact 9, which I consider a top shelf whiskey and tied Pact 7 for my favorite in the line, we’ve officially cross into the double digits with the Blood Oath series. I don’t think I need to explain the premise here. Instead, I’ll just point out that this is first whiskey I’ve had that explicitly indicates that it was aged in Merlot casks. Interesting. Let’s get into it. Nose: Caramel, vanilla frosting, and milk chocolate. Toasted almond. Cranberry, fig, date, plum, raisin. Rye and pistachio. Pecan. Dried apricot. Blackberry. Sugar cookie. Sawdust. Black tea. Molasses. Orange citrus. Pipe smoke. Heaps of black pepper. Clove, nutmeg, and oak. Palate: More of the creamy vanilla frosting and milk chocolate. There’s a Valentine’s raspberry chocolate as well. Toffee and apple fritter. Velvety texture. Pipe smoke. Cinnamon red hots. Hazelnut and toasted almond. Finish: Cranberry, raspberry, date, fig, and raisin. Sawdust. Toasted almond and walnut. Rye spice. Black pepper. Milk chocolate, caramel, and vanilla. Black tea and pipe smoke. Clove, nutmeg, and plenty of oak. Long finish. Excellent work here from Lux Row. I’ve noticed that the wine cask finished Pacts tend to be superior to the spirit cask counterparts—discounting the Calvados cask. This is a stellar effort with a unique profile and plenty of punch. I paid $185 for this. It’s certainly more than I’d like to be spending on a bottle, but that is actually on the lower end for Blood Oath at this point. But I’m glad I ponied up. The cask selection is great. The proof is more than respectable. And the spirit is top notch. Nothing not to love here. 4.75/5.

My last review was for the Singleton 12, which is a Diageo blend-workhorse. Now I’m hopping over to one of my Bacardi’s choice distilleries for Dewars products. So I’m going to treat this review in a similar manner and try to determine how Macduff Distillery can stand on its own merits. Nose: Almond, cashew, and walnut. Sawdust. Malt, toffee, caramel. Unripe banana. Palate: Vanilla, caramel, and toffee. Roasted nuts. Almond, walnut, cashew. Golden raisin. Green grape. Honey. Malt. Fig. Sugar cookie. Finish: Sugar cookie, vanilla, and toffee. More of the walnut, almond, cashew. Caramel. White pepper and oak. Clove and nutmeg. Short finish. Writing notes for the nose was a struggle. Very weak. The palate was fine and the finish was about the same. This is unable to hit its mark at 40% ABV. The flavor is unable to make its presence known. What I am able to detect is very pleasant, but the emphasis here is the subtlety. 2.25/5. Macduff needs to beef this up. But as of right now, I know the primary function of their malt is blending for Dewars. Still, the Singleton 12 proves that what the distillery keeps for itself can be presented with character. And Caol Ila proves it can be done wott to excellence. $48 is way too high for this one. Skip it.

The Glendullan distillery seems to exist at this point in time chiefly to be utilized for their many blends. A lot of it goes to Johnny Walker I presume. But the rest goes to their single malt range, which are single malts that can be purchased for the price of a blend. Works for me. Worth noting that this is from the older style green packaging. Your mileage may vary. Nose: Honey, vanilla, toffee, butterscotch, and caramel. Almond and walnut. Speyside through and through. Gala apple, pear, apricot, and golden raisin. The slightest notion of a plum note. Sun-dried tomato. Light barrel smoke. Palate: Caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Gala apple, pear, apricot and golden raisin. Green grape. Honey and some floral notes. Almond and walnut. Butterscotch. Floral notes. Malt and cereal grain. Milk chocolate. Barrel smoke. Butterscotch. Finish: Gala apple, pear, apricot, golden raisin. Almond and walnut. Caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Oak. Such little slice. Short finish. I reviewed this roughly 7-8 years ago. I gave it a 3.75. This is one of those reviews that gives me an indication that my palate has evolved—or in this particular case—become more sophisticated. It’s no surprise that this isn’t a complex powerhouse. Not every blend-workhorse can be a Caol Ila. This is fine for what it is. I do not dislike it one bit. I think bottling this at 46% ABV—maybe even 43%— would be enough to propel this to the mid-three star range. It’s a fine value at $34. Just not enough oomph. Nice profile though. 3.0 stars.

Lagavulin 12 is a gold standard annual release for me. One of the few in show up for every single year. Last year, they added the virgin oak twist to the release, and the variations seem to be here to stay. This one employs the use of Don Julio Anejo casks. I already pick some vegetal and agave-type notes from a lot of Islay aged in more neutral-profile casks, so amplifying those characteristics should make for a fun product. Nose: A whopping hit of Vanilla custard. Sugar cookie. Underneath is some spice. Cinnamon. Black bean, red pepper chili. Vegetal peat and sea salt. Salted caramel and saltwater taffy. Lemon and lime. Gala apple and raspberry. Cherry sweetness. Some fruit notes I was expecting, but there were some surprises here as well. Ash. Hazelnut. Milk chocolate and toffee. Palate: Saltwater taffy and saltwater caramel. Big time brine, sea salt, and peat. Heavy grapefruit and lime. Campfire smoke and ash—more of the latter than the former. Iodine. Bandaid. Milk chocolate and caramel. Golden Teddy Graham. Pear. Golden raisin and cranberry. Almond. Some grassy, vegetal notes. A taste akin to the way fresh cut grass smells. Hazelnut and toasted almond. White pepper and cinnamon. Finish: Hazelnut leads the charge. Vanilla, milk chocolate, saltwater taffy, and salted caramel. Brown sugar, white pepper, and cinnamon. Grassy, vegetal notes again. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak roll in after that in what makes for an incredibly long finish. Objectively a solid whisky. I appreciate Lagavulin giving their best effort to keep this line fresh. It’s also obvious that Diageo was pushing in-house crossovers. And if that can’t be done artfully, I do not appreciate it. Now, this was a good effort, and more closely resembles an effort to put a fresh spin on the product than the latter. Were I to judge this on its own merit, I would’ve found this to be a perfectly solid whisky. But it’s coming from arguably my favorite annual release line, so my standards are a bit higher than they generally would be. My main problem with this is that the Tequila cask gives this whisky a youthful, grassy quality rather adding the agave, bell pepper, and citrus notes I was hoping for. It was just the Lagavulin citrus, in addition to the other hallmark qualities of the distillery, with a minor but noticeable youthful detractor. Still a solid whisky, just the first I’ve given below a 5-star rating. 4.25.