Tastes

Interesting concept here. Rye with port wine blended in. I’ve only got Knob Creek Rye and SH rye to compare to from Beam, and yet something tells me those two won’t provide much of a basis. Let’s get into my first “whiskey specialty” review. Nose: Very sweet. The port dominates, reminding more of a wine-aged scotch than anything from the US/Canada. Pound cake, plum, date, fig, raisin, malt, and toffee. Strawberry jam and black cherry. Acai and blackberry. Pineapple and croissant as well. Not a hint of rye spice; just dark fruit and dark sweet notes. It’s an enticing nose. Palate: The rye shows up on the palate. Gala apple and rye bread. Black pepper. Some mint/mint chocolate and wintergreen. Black cherry and a Jolly Rancher flavor I can’t pin down (maybe it’s both red and green.) More of the plum, date, raisin, and fig. Dried apricot. Some chestnut. It’s syrupy and thick initially, and starts to dry at the end. Finish: Plum, black cherry, red grape, raisin, fig, and date. A touch of some bready notes. Very quickly becomes drying. Which doesn’t say much, because the finish is evaporates after just barely enough time call it a short finish. Any shorter and it wouldn’t be there. This is one of those whiskies that is amazing on the nose, and then drops off bit by bit from there. My only hang-up would be calling it a whiskey at all, considering there is a small percentage of port wine blended into this Kentucky/Canadian rye hybrid. The nose gets an A. And while I enjoy the palate, it didn’t quite deliver according to expectations. And the finish is too brief to be of note. I think this was an interesting experiment, and for $40, I’d say it’s reasonably priced for what you get. I’m going with a 3.5/5 for this one. It’s a shame it doesn’t drink the way it noses, but it’s still a fine whiskey (specialty) at the end of the day.

I've been a little too busy to write reviews over the past few months, so this will be me knocking off the rust. Here's my 3rd entry from Woodford Reserve. Let's get into it. Nose: Very sweet. Caramel, brown sugar, maple, and vanilla. Pecan and toffee. Loads of oak, as the name would suggest, but not a hint of spice or ethanol. Barrel char. Milk chocolate and graham cracker. Butterscotch. Palate: Raisin, milk chocolate, toffee, butterscotch, and cocoa. Caramel and vanilla. Some dry red fruit and dried apricot. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and once again, loads of oak. Graham cracker and barrel char. Finish: Barrel char and a rare sun-dried tomato note. Caramel and vanilla. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Cashew and almond. Moderate length. If it makes any sense, I'd say this is the semi-sweet wine equivalent of bourbon. It's one of the sweetest bourbons I've had, but it's a natural sweetness rather than coming across as artificial. The oak influence isn't anywhere near double, but the second barrel gives it a decent amount of oomph in that department. 3.75/5. it's a slight step up from the standard Woodford Reserve. Well worth the $50 I paid. Good stuff from Woodford.

Here's a cool offering from Lux Row. Old Ezra 7 is great, and the Blood Oath series is solid from what I've had. This French Oak and the Cabernet variant of Daviess County are a more affordable way to experience Lux Row's more experimental side for a more reasonable price. Let's check it out. Nose: Caramel, vanilla, and brown sugar. Ginger and pumpkin spice. Fudge, maple, cocoa. There's a big rye spice, which is interesting because this is a blend of a rye and a wheat mash bill. I'd think this was a high rye on the nose alone. Rounded off with some clove, nutmeg, black pepper, and oak. Palate: More rye and black pepper. Toffee, caramel, and cocoa. Vanilla and milk chocolate. Almond and walnut. Some Gala apple, raisin, pear, and apricot. The last two are generally something I'd only find in a Scotch or Irish whiskey. It makes this very interesting. Once again, it's rounded with clove, nutmeg, ginger, pumpkin spice, black pepper, and oak. Finish: Gala apple, maple, caramel, and vanilla. Some sawdust. More of the rye, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Moderate length. This is an awesome bourbon. I've never particularly cared for French Oak finishes. Every one I've had before was a Speyside Scotch. And while I'd admit that those two profiles play perfectly together, I must also point out that the product is always perfectly boring. Enter Lux Row's Daviess County rendition of a French Oak finished whiskey. A high proof, carefully blended bourbon seems to be the cure for the weaknesses I've always found in the whiskey-French Oak cask combination. And the VFM is unbelievable here. This is incredibly interesting. And I'm glad to have grabbed it. I can finally appreciate French Oak influence. Next up will be the Cabernet variant of Daviess County. The bar has been set high. Well done, Luxco.

This and the GG 10 are from the discontinued GG lineup. I'll be doing the 10 in time, but I've decided to start here with the 16. Let's see if Glen Grant was right to revamp their lineup or whether they should've kept this one around. Nose: Standard Speyside. Apple, pear, and apricot. It's floral. Orange citrus. Toffee, honey, and vanilla. White pepper and oak. Palate: Vanilla, caramel, honey, and toffee. Apple, pear, apricot, and orange. Walnut and almond. Some nice oak and subtle baking spices. Some plum skin and raisin. Finish: Walnut and almond. Apple, pear, apricot, and orange. Cinnamon, white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Moderate length. A few things here. The notes are generic Speyside through and through. The nose is painfully generic, but is at least pleasant. The palate is a nice step up and does a nice job of embodying the Speyside spirit and reflecting its respectable age statement. The finish is about what you'd expect of a 43% ABV Speyside whisky. Now to answer the big question. I've only had 2 Glen Grant expressions, and they're both discontinued. Without having tried the current lineup, I can't say that they were right or wrong to discontinue this. What I will say is that the only remarkable thing about this bottle is that I've only ever seen one. This one. I bought it so that I could try it because I knew I'd never have another opportunity. And while I don't regret the purchase by any means, I hope Glen Grant has done better with their new lineup. 3.25/5.

Another rare find from Caol Ila. Last time I did the 2017 18-year old release; now I've got this 15 year from 2016. Like the 18, this is unpeated and bottled at cask strength. At 61.5%, this is sure to be a heavy hitter. Nose: Malty and buttery. Apple, pear, apricot, and floral notes. Some lime and orange citrus. Vanilla and caramel. Sugar cookie. Almond, walnut, and a nice dose of oak. No ethanol; the only tell of the high ABV is a few prickly baking spice notes. Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper. Palate: More of the buttery and malty notes. Cashew, tossted almond, and walnut. Macadamia as well. Cola and plum. Orange and lime reappear from the nose. Vanilla and caramel. Chinese pear. Coconut. Ginger snaps and sugar cookie. Finish: Apple, pear, apricot, lime, and orange. Cola and plum. Ginger snaps. Fruit notes turn into waves of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, black pepper, and oak. Long as they come. Solid whisky. It has many of the characteristics I traditionally find in unpeated cask strength Scotches--Islay or otherwise. This one especially shines on the finish, which is long and layered. I do prefer the depth I find in the 18. At $140, this cost $40 more than the 18. Both bottles were purchased several years after they were released, so I think I'm lucky to have found either. I'm going to look to much into the prices. Bottom line is that this is a solid whiskey. 4.25/5. Three months later, I am adding cola, plum, and white grape to the nose. This one just pops more than before on the nose, palate, and finish. It is remarkably tame considering the gargantuan ABV,—and when I say tame, I mean refined, not subdued. Bumped up from 4.25 to 4.5.

This is a rare find from what I understand. I've only seen it once, and I bought it on a whim. The standard 12 was a surprisingly solid value. This one comes from an older-style of packaging, so I'm not sure how the base spirit has changed since the modern 12. What I do know is that it was finished in French Oak, which I've never found particularly compelling. Let's check it out. Nose: Apple, pear, apricot, and raisin. Toffee, vanilla, and honey. White pepper and oak. Caramel, brown sugar, and almond. Cranberry. Frosting. Standard Highland nose. Palate: Apple, pear, and apricot. White grape. Vanilla frosting, milk chocolate, caramel, and toffee. Almond, walnut, and chestnut. Orange citrus and honeydew. Raisin, date, and fig. More white pepper and oak. While the notes are the similar, this is much more rich than the nose lets on. Solid. Finish: Orange, vanilla, and milk chocolate. Apple, pear, apricot. Walnut, chestnut, almond, white pepper, oak. It's basically a reflection of the palate. Short-to-moderate length. This is clearly more refined than the standard 12-year. It's a classic sipper. At roughly double the cost, it's not the best value; but then again, I was happy to pony up for an experimental one-off. 3.75/5. It's a solid Highlander. The palate is absolutely delicious. Good stuff here.

I loved the 12, 12 CS, and 15. You'd imagine I'll enjoy this as well. Redbreast is always a winner--I expect nothing less of the 21. This is the oldest Irish I've ever owned and the second oldest whiskey overall. For context, this is the old-style silver packaging, meaning it's a bottling from at least a few years back. Let's check it out. Nose: Red apple, pineapple, mango, orange, honeydew, cantalope, pear, plum, and apricot. It's a fantastic mix of fruit, both tropical and orchard. Caramel, vanilla, and sugar cookie. Maple pecan. Brown sugar, toffee, and honey. Roasted nuts, some baking spices, and a heavy hit of oak. Phenomenal nose. Palate: Red apple, cranberry, raisin, date, fig, and pear. Plum and black cherry. Apricot and orange. Cola. Caramel, milk chocolate, vanilla, honey, shortbread cookie, toffee, and Cinnabon. Maple pecan. Roasted nuts: cashews, walnut, and almond. Awesome. Finish: Hits heavy for a 46%'er. The roasted nuts hit hard again. Apple, pear, apricot, and raisin. Caramel. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak spice carry this out to what makes for a moderate-long finish. Sometimes, when you find a distillery or a brand that you really enjoy, trying the higher end offerings leads to disappointment. This by far the most I've paid for any incarnation of Redbreast, and it is also by far the best. It's simply amazing at every turn. Not only is it the best of any Redbreast bottling, but it's the best Irish whiskey--and one of the best whiskies I've ever had. At $323, it'd be hard to justify the purchase without this review. Generally, I'd say this is too expensive for any bottle of whiskey. This, however, is not your average whiskey. It's absolutely one of a kind, and truly one of the best I've ever had. If it's in the budget, try this if you're a fan of whiskey in any form.

Talisker 10--one of the cornerstones of Scotch whisky in my opinion. This was the first whisky that ever made me love peat. I'm not particularly here. I've had my fair share of this over the years and it's a wonder I haven't given it a proper review. Nose: Campfire smoke, sea salt, brine, seaweed, and peat. Honey and caramel. Vanilla and powdered sugar. Honeydew. Smoked pork and brisket. Black bean red pepper chili--a hallmark Talisker note. Some sulfur and ash, which is welcome in a whisky like this. Sun-dried tomato as well. Solid start. Palate: More of the black bean red pepper chili right off the bat, followed up by waves of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and black pepper. Campfire smoke, peat, seaweed, sea salt, and brine still hit heavy. Honey, toffee, dark chocolate, vanilla, and caramel. Honeydew and grapefruit. Some hookah smoke and soft pretzel. Amazing taste. Finish: More of the sea salt seaweed, and briny notes, coupled with the campfire/hookah smoke combination. Dark chocolate, fudge, caramel, and toffee add some sweetness. Black bean red pepper chili and all the cinnamon and other baking spices you could ask for helping this ride to a long finish. This is one of my favorite whiskies of all-time. If I were presented with the horrendous prospect of being confined to one whisk(e)y for the rest of my life, this would be toward the top. It's remarkably well-balanced while being brash as anything you could ask for. If there was one honorary Islay distillery, that mantle is indisputably awarded to the jewel of the Isle of Skye. So how's the value? $57 for a bottle that easily competes if not exceeds the top Islay expressions ranging from $85-$130. You better believe value plays into my score. Which is 5/5 if you hadn't guess by now. Long live Talisker 10. Truly one of the great expressions out there.

This one has a great back story—look it up if you’ve got the time. As for Tennessee Whiskey, I’m generally not sold on the category. Every one I’ve tried qualifies for the bourbon category as well, and the majority of the Tennessee products aren’t up to snuff in that realm. Regardless, I’ll give this one a fair shot. Nose: Vanilla and caramel. Cocoa and ginger. Dried apricot and orange peel. Tobacco smoke and sun-dried tomato. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Palate: Vanilla, dark chocolate, caramel, fudge, and cocoa. Leather, gala apple, and dried apricot. Brown sugar. Pistachio, and walnut. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Vanilla, cocoa, dried apricot. Cola, gala apple. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Long finish. The nose is decent but comes across a little bitter. This is corrected on the palate, which carries some more rich, dark, and sweet notes to balance the bitter. The finish hits similarly and comes in waves. Very respectable at 100 proof. $49 is the cheapest I’ve seen this—it’s generally $55. Either way, it’s a solid value. 4/5. Solid representative of Tennessee whiskey.

I just did No. 3, might as well go right into No. 4. So far, 2 and 3 were great. No. 4 is a blended American whiskey, comprised of bourbon and rye, including a bourbon with oat in the mash. Should be interesting. Nose: The rye content is immediately evident. Dill, black pepper, black licorice. Clove and nutmeg. Orange peel. Carrot cake, toffee, and caramel. Heavy brown sugar. Black tea, tobacco, and oak. Layered and powerful. Awesome. Palate: Caramel, brown sugar, toffee, and vanilla. Peach tea, apricot, and carrot cake. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, allspice, and oak spices. Bitter cocoa and tobacco. Very heavily oaked. Good stuff. Finish: Bitter cocoa, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, black pepper, black tea, tobacco, orange peel, sawdust, and more heavy oak bitterness. Long finish--as you'd expect of a 122.8 proof whiskey. 5/5. My favorite Chapter of the Little Book series. Jim Beam dialed into something spectacular with this combination of whiskies. The product is greater than the sum of its parts with Chapter 4. The nose, palate, and finish all exist separately. The flavor profiles I get at each phase are unique, exemplifying the best traits of different whiskies that comprise this blend. You may this be able to find this one. If you enjoy any Chapter that precedes this in the Little Book series, I couldn't recommend this enough.