Tastes

I accidentally posted under the French Oak Finish, so here it is again. The DC French Oak was one of the great surprises of last year for me. Sensational stuff. As I said in that review, it’s like a Blood Oath on a budget. Let’s see if Lux Row has delivered with the other half of this duo. Nose: Corn heavy. Vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, and toffee. Red fruit as well. Red grape, blackberry, raisin, date, fig, and cranberry. Wintergreen and menthol. Gala/golden delicious apple and maple. Cocoa and new car leather. Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, and oak. Palate: Vanilla, caramel, caramelized apple, and toffee. Pistachio, brown sugar, and walnut. Red grape, blackberry, raisin, fig, and date. Some mint chocolate. Sawdust and corn behind the waves of sweetness. Tobacco smoke and black tea. Black pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Caramelized apple, pistachio, and mint chocolate. Fudge, caramel, vanilla, and cocoa. Black pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Medium-long finish, leaning toward the latter. Amazing stuff from Lux Row. From start to finish. Palate was the highlight but everything was great. And at $48, this is an incredible value. Blood Oath on a budget. I never got to try the Blood Oath aged in Cab barrels, but I’m convinced this will suffice. The cab adds a ton of fruit and make for a beautiful compliment to an excellent base distillate. As with the French Oak, 4.5/5.

After my solid experience with the now-extinct Glenkinchie 10-year, it only makes sense to take on its successor as the distiller’s flagship bottling. Let’s see what the extra two years does for GK. Nose: Big on dried-apricot and golden raisin. A little less prominent by still present are apple and pear. Lemon zest. Green tea. Lots of vanilla, caramel, malt, and toffee. Almond. Cocoa, tobacco smoke, and black pepper. Ginger as well. Some floral notes in the background, rounded with oak. Palate: Orange and lemon citrus, black pepper, tobacco smoke, and cocoa. Big apricot supplemented by pear and apple. Vanilla, butterscotch, graham cracker, toffee, and caramel. Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and oak. Finish: Coffee, vanilla, toffee and malt. Apricot and lemon. Cocoa, black pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Medium-length. A clean, solid Lowland. Excellent stuff. It’s a more polished version of the 10-year, as is expected of a bottling two years its elder. It’s a simple, yet enjoyable whisky. A bit expensive at $60 for a 12-year. That aside, we have here another solid representative of Diageo’s Classic Malt range. The best Lowland I’ve had. 4/5.

It was the bottle and presentation that caught my attention. I hadn’t heard of this until a couple years ago, and I’m just getting around to it now. Mortlach malt seems to have been an integral part of Johnnie Walker blends, and it seems that more of their stock went into JW than their own bottlings. Now that their line has been revamped, let’s see what their juice can do, starting with the flagship “Wee Witchie.” Nose: Caramel, vanilla, malt, toffee, fudge, and brown sugar. Coconut. A S’mores note. Apple, pear, raisin, cranberry, and apricot (dried and otherwise.) Walnut and toasted almond. Agave. Croissant. Oak. Palate: Apple, pear, apricot, and golden raisin. Orange citrus. Walnut, almond, and pecan. Toffee, malt, caramel, milk chocolate, and vanilla. Just a touch of cinnamon, black pepper, clove, and nutmeg. Finish: Caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Apple, pear, raisin, and apricot. Agave. Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, and oak. Medium length. 2.81 times distilled. 43.4% ABV. A 12-year old made to stand out with the name of “The Wee Witchie.” A cool looking bottle with broad shoulders. So many unique attributes. And yet, it’s an ordinary Speyside at the end of the day. Better put, it’s a fantastic representative of Speyside Scotch. It feels generic at times, but hits some unique notes at times and ultimately comes off as a bit funky—in a good way. Overall, it’s a damn good pour and a solid value at $55. A good start to my journey with Mortlach. I will definitely be back for more. 4/5.

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.