Tastes

Normally a celebrity endorsement would do absolutely nothing to influence a purchase from me. And the case is no different with this one. But what did motivate me to try it is that the first Offerman 11 Lag was fantastic. Let’s see what a few months in Guinness casks does for this one. Nose: Lemon, grapefruit, sea salt, brine, and seaweed. Vanilla custard and fudge. White grape, blueberry, and jam. Almond. Campfire smoke, hookah smoke, peat, and bandaid. Sun-dried tomato. Croissant. Heavy black pepper. Red pepper black bean chili. Cinnamon. Oak. Palate: Heavy campfire smoke, followed by sea salt, brine, and salinity. Lemon, grapefruit, and vanilla custard. Caramel, milk chocolate, peanut butter , and toffee. Blueberry, pomegranate, Gala apple, and raisin. Agave. Cinnamon and black pepper. Red pepper black bean chili. Oak. Finish: Sea salt, seaweed, brine, campfire smoke, and peat. Almond and peanut butter. Custard, milk chocolate, and caramel. Red pepper black bean chili. Sun-dried tomato. Cinnamon, black pepper, and oak. Long finish. This is a damn fine whisky. The Lagavulin character is ever-present. What the Guinness adds is less evident. That’s a minor detractor. The nose and palate are solid. The finish is the highlight of the whole experience. Overall, I’d take the original Offerman 11 over this, but that isn’t a knock on this one. $70 is a solid price for an age-stated Lag (which I guess is all of them.) Haven’t had anything close to a miss from this distillery. Excellent stuff. 4.2/5.

This is the old-school packaging featured in the picture but mine is 43% as opposed to the 40% listed here. Highland Park was already onto the Viking marketing thing by the time I first tried it, so I consider myself lucky to have found one of these old ones. As far as I’ve read, these were the glory days of HP. Nose: Plum, raisin, date, fig, and cranberry. Toffee, fudge, vanilla, and honey. Campfire smoke and sea salt. Toasted oak and almond. Lime and raspberry. Dried apricot. Great nose. Palate: Orange and toffee. Plum, raisin, date, and fig. Vanilla frosting and milk chocolate. Toasted almond and caramel. Butterscotch Sea salt and brine. Sun-dried tomato. Lime and celery. Oak and a touch of baking spice. Finish: Sun-dried tomato, milk chocolate, fudge. Dried apricot. Cranberry and raspberry. Toasted almond. Black bean, red pepper chili. Cinnamon and black pepper. Oak. Medium length. All in all, this is a fine whisky. Great nose, decent palate and finish. It’s a great middle-ground for the overall Scotch profile. Sherry, peat, an incredibly balanced set of notes, bottled at a standard age and ABV, 12 and 43 respectively. I recently wrote a review of Aberfeldy 12, in which I hailed it as a great beginner Scotch. This is also a great introduction to the genre, but in a different way. Instead of being an easy-going whisky that can be used to coax a new drinker to the style, this one gives you an idea of what you’re actually in for as a Scotch-drinker—representing the true median of the full range of Scottish whisky. And at that, it does a great job. It was $60, which was a bargain considering how old that this bottling had to have been considering the proof. 4/5.

Aberfeldy goes under the radar, but I’d consider it be one of the best options for a new Scotch drinker. Let’s just get into this one. Nose: Floral and fruity. Apple, orange, apricot, peach, and pear. Toffee, vanilla, and caramel. Vanilla frosting. Almond and walnut. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Palate: Apple, pear, apricot, and orange. Vanilla, caramel, butterscotch. Vanilla frosting and sugar cookie. Walnut and toasted almond. Oak, clove, nutmeg, and black pepper. Finish: Walnut and almond. Apricot, apple, orange, and pear. Vanilla, brown sugar, and sugar cookie. Baking spice and oak. Short-moderate. This could be the template for the Speyside profile—Highland label notwithstanding. An enjoyable pour, no doubt. But not a particularly compelling pour, either. It’s a fine value at $44. Solid nose, decent palate, okay finish. Very pleasant, and extremely balanced. This is definitely something I would give it to a first-time Scotch drinker with the expectation that this makes for a great gateway pour. As for me, the lack of complexity yanks this otherwise enjoyable pour down to a 3/5.

After the solid Farmstock Crop 003, I’ve been looking forward to its predecessor. I’ll give the breakdown for this like I did the last one: 32% 2 year-old Vermont Rye; 45% Indiana 6-year old Indiana Rye; 10-year old Canadian Rye. Nose: Rye spice and baking soda. Gala apple. Dill. Caramel and vanilla. Pistachio, peppermint, and maybe just a hint of mint chocolate. Woody, nutty notes. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Solid nose. Palate: Caramel and Gala apple. Black pepper and rye spice. More of the woody, nutty notes. Pistachio, toasted almond, and walnut. A touch of cola. Clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Pistachio Baking soda. Dill, rye spice, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and oak. Short-moderate finish. The nose was solid. The palate and finish didn’t quite hit the mark. A little disappointed in this one compared to Crop 003. It’s a not bad whiskey. Perfectly drinkable, and very pleasant. But it does nothing to stoke the imagination, and a $60 price tag drops the score a quarter star. 3/5.

The standard Sagamore was okay. Nothing special, but not bad enough where I was turned off from the brand altogether. According to the internet and a few people I’ve spoken with, this Port Finish is the best they have. So I’m glad I tracked this down before it was gone. Batch 1B; Bottle 3391; By SE Nose: Gala apple/apple cider. Rye bread, rye spice, and black pepper. Vanilla, toffee, caramel, and fudge. Plum and apricot. Black licorice and black cherry. Dill, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Awesome nose—and unique to boot. Palate: Rye bread and rye spice. Black pepper, dill, clove, and nutmeg. Caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Gala apple and apple cider. Black cherry and black licorice. Wintergreen and peppermint. Pistachio and mint chocolate. Maybe just a touch of plum, but it’s muted compared to the nose. More of a stereotypical rye taste than the nose suggested, but the quality is still there. Great taste. Finish: Black pepper, dill, clove, and nutmeg. Rye spice, rye bread, Gala apple, and apple cider. Pistachio, walnut, and mint chocolate. Medium-length finish; surprisingly short for a 50.5% whiskey. Solid nonetheless. Sensational nose, great palate, respectable finish. A damn fine whiskey overall. And a considerable boost considering it cost $60. This beats the brakes off of most wine cask-finished American whiskies. The only ones that stack up off the top of my head are the Jefferson’s Groth Cask and Wyoming Whiskey Double Cask. This is as good as the former and edges the latter. That is fantastic company to keep. This restores my faith in Sagamore after my experience with the entry level offering. I’m in. I’m not sure if this was a one-off, or if they have plans to roll this out again in the future. Either way, it’s a must buy. 4.75/5.

This is my second Basil Hayden’s rye whiskey specialty. That sounds oddly specific, but that’s the only way I can frame this review as the follow-up to the BH Dark Rye. Speaking of which, the Dark Rye featured one of my all-time favorite noses, but underwhelmed on the tongue. Let’s see how black strap rum plays in a blend of Kentucky and Canadian rye—hopefully it will be more consistent. Nose: The rum definitely shines through. Sugar cane, molasses, and maple. Blackberry jam, maybe with some blueberry/strawberry jam as well. Sawdust, rye spice, toasted almond, walnut, and cashew. Sun-dried tomato and dried apricot. Pistachio and vanilla. Baking spice and oak. Solid nose. Palate: The molasses, maple, and sugar cane take the forefront again. More of the rye spice, with some rye bread, black pepper, and vanilla. Caramel and apple. Dill and baking spice. Much more bitter than the nose let on. It clashes with the promise of black rum sweetness. Finish: More of the molasses, sugar cane, and maple. Apple and vanilla. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and pistachio. Rye spice and dill. Medium length. Solid nose, middling palate, respectable finish. Nothing particularly stands out the way the nose did with the Dark Rye, but this is more balanced at the very least. Much like with the wine in the Dark Rye, the rum component dominates this Caribbean Reserve Rye. Unfortunately, this doesn’t get the same score from me. The Dark Rye nose was so spectacular that I had to make exception. It’s score would’ve suffered were it not for that. Factor in that this ran me an extra $13, and this unremarkable rye whiskey specialty garners a score of 2.75/5.

After trying the unpeated 18 and 15, I really wish that Caol Ila would make one of these offerings a permanent member of the roster. I know that most Caol Ila is used as a blend component for the likes of Johnnie Walker, but man, these have been good thus far. Let’s hope the Stitchell Reserve from 2013 can stack up. Nose: Sugar cookie and plum skin. Toffee and toasted almond. Raspberry and sweet cola. Honeydew. Vanilla. Apple, pear, apricot, and floral notes. Caramel and butterscotch. A touch of sea salt. Cinnamon, baking spice, and oak. Palate: Plum skin, golden raisin, date, and fig. Toffee, vanilla, and sugar cookie. Toasted almond and caramel. Apple, pear, and apricot. Milk chocolate. Just a bit of a sea salt and seaweed. Cinnamon, baking spice, and oak. Finish: Plum, apple, pear, and apricot. Plum and golden raisin. Toasted almond, caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Cinnamon, black pepper, baking spice, and oak. Long finish—as expected of a 59.6% whisky. Fantastic. Unpeated Caol Ila does it again. Which brings up my original point. Why are there not more of these? This definitely maintains the precedent that the 18 and 15 established. This ran me $100, and I grabbed it within the last couple years. That’s a fortunate pick-up considering this was a 2013 release. And with that price considered, 4.75/5. Due in no small part to the finish. Amazing stuff from Caol Ila.

Ah Jameson. My staple drink in college. This is probably the drink that got my foot into the door as a whiskey drinker. Once upon a time, I considered this a classy bottle. Nose: Toffee, vanilla, and some green, grassy notes. Celery. Shortbread cookie. Caramel. Grapefruit and orange citrus. Cinnamon. Alcohol heat and metallic grain notes are a very minor deterrent. Soapy and floral. Malt and custard. Apple and pear. Palate: Grapefruit and orange citrus. Vanilla, malt, toffee, milk chocolate and caramel. Shortbread cookie. Celery. The metallic grain is quite prominent here. Apple, pear, raisin, and plum. Finish: Apple, pear, and apricot. Vanilla, toffee, malt, and the grassy, green celery notes. Shortbread cookie and some light baking spice. Short finish. This may not be top shelf stuff, but the combination of nostalgia goggles and a surprisingly solid product earned this a 3.5/5. This is a great gateway whiskey—for Irish, as well as whiskey at large. Glad to see my college favorite holds up.

Over the past few years, I’ve reviewed Redbreast 12-21, including a couple cask strength 12s. So it’s about time got into this Lustau. Hoping it carries the Redbreast spirit I have come to love over the years. This has the old-style packaging, circa 2018, for the record. Nose: Prominent shortbread cookie. Apple pie, plum, raisin, fig, date, and white grape. Orange citrus. Walnut. Caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Very nice. Palate: Shorted cookie and brown sugar. Caramelized apple. Walnut and toasted almond. Apricot. Orange citrus. Plum, raisin, fig, and date. Caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Custard. Clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Plum, fig, date, and raisin. Apple, pear, orange and apricot. Walnut. Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and oak. I think this delivers. Olorosso sherry gives this an enjoyable profile. It doesn’t beat any of the other Redbreast variants, but that is no knock on this one considering my scores for the rest of the line. $55 for a single pot still of this caliber is more than worth the price. My love for Redbreast continues. Well done. 4/5.

I was happy to find out that Wyoming Whiskey is a distillery rather than just another brand with sourced juice. While many states outside of the obvious few have many distilleries that source, I can say that I have truly tasted Wyoming whiskey. The Double Cask was fantastic; up now is the flagship bottling. Bottled November 25, 2019. Batch 67. Nose: Red grape and wintergreen. Cranberry and raisin. Black cherry. Newspaper. Cornbread. Caramel. Maple pecan. Granny Smith apple. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. A touch of tobacco smoke, maybe even slight hookah. Very unique—also very nice. Palate: Red grape, cranberry, raisin, black cherry, and wintergreen. Mint chocolate and pistachio. Newspaper. Granny Smith apple again, now with some Gala. Dried apricot and sun-dried tomato. A little bit of cornbread and a lot of banana bread. Walnut. Some cinnamon, black pepper, clove,nutmeg, and oak. Interesting again—and solid to boot. Finish: Wintergreen, black cherry, red grape, cranberry, and raisin remain prominent through the finish. Dried apricot, caramel, walnut, and pistachio kick in after that. Cinnamon, baking spices, and light oak round a moderate finish that leans to the short side. This is a great whiskey. It’s getting the same rating as the Double Cask. I give the latter a slight edge, but this is $15 cheaper ($40) which was taken into account. What I find interesting is that, while the wine cask notes were definitely more prominent in the DC, this and that shared a very similar profile. I attributed a lot of the Double Cask’s unique notes to the sherry cask finish; apparently I was wrong. The key is in the grain. This is a wheated bourbon from Wyoming. That’s an unlikely combination, and yet, it’s made it’s way out to the East Coast—and is easy to find at that. That shouldn’t be a surprise, because this is a winning recipe. Well done, Wyoming Whiskey. Once may be a fluke, twice is promising, hopefully whatever comes third makes me an outright fan. 4.5/5.