Tastes

Relatively new NAS line from Aberlour. This third batch was the first time I actually saw this. 48% ABV. Non-chill filtered. Olorsso sherry. I guess this is supposed to be A'bunadh's younger brother? Let's check it out. Nose: Apple, apricot, pear. Raisin, cranberry, raspberry. Vanilla, caramel, toffee. Cola. Red grape. Honeydew. Peaches and cream. Banana and walnut. Nougat. Oak and light baking spice. Barely a hint of ABV; the complex layers of the nose bury the ethanol. Very nice. Palate: Apple, cranberry, raspberry, golden raisin, and red grape. Caramel and vanilla. Milk chocolate and fudge. Orange. Tobacco smoke. Pear and apricot. Oak, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Full-bodied, layered, and tasty palate. Awesome. Finish: Plum, cranberry, raisin. Apricot and orange. Caramel, cocoa, and cola. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Medium-long. Great way to end it. This was sort of a random purchase--meaning I got it on a whim. I didn't really have much an expectation coming in. So I find it a pleasant surprise that this absolutely delivers; both in terms of quality and value. $70 for a NCF, high-proof, quality Olrosso cask single malt is well worth it in my book. A note for Aberlour: stick with the higher-proof offerings. This and A'bunadh demonstrate that the distillate performs better uncut; they're both significantly better than the 12 and 16. The 18 is great on its own merit, but even that sits at a higher proof than the 12 and 16. At any rate, great malt. This is a welcome addition to Aberlour's core line. I'm looking forward to trying future batches down the road. 4.5/5.

This bottle has surpassed Hudson Baby Bourbon as the most aggravating bottle to open in all my years. The top did not unscrew--didn't even budge. It took a hammer and a flathead screwdriver just to get to the marble stopper that everyone seemed to have a problem with, at least according to the internet. I'll try to forget my frustration from that night and give unbiased review (maybe.) Nose: A little faint. Patience reveals some pretty nice notes though. Orange, pineapple, and cucumber. Green, grainy, grassy notes. Malt, caramel, vanilla, and milk chocolate. A little bit of metallic grain, which is a mild detractor. Oak. Not even a hint of alcohol burn. Palate: Green apple and pear. Apricot and banana. Cocoa and caramel. Vanilla and malt. Orange and pineapple. Toffee and milk chocolate. Cucumber and agave. Honey. None of the astringent notes from the nose. Rock solid palate. Finish: Malt, vanilla, milk chocolate. Cucumber and apricot. Banana and green apple. Orange, lemon, and cucumber. Light baking spice and oak. Moderate length, which is surprising at 40% ABV. Good stuff. Bottle opening difficulties aside, this is a great blend. I know it's a Diageo product, but it was hard to find any info on its single malt components. I read Dalwhinnie a couple places. That's a great base. Couldn't find anything else. Whatever comprises this blend, it works. This is probably the best blended Scotch I've reviewed, though I will buy the Compass Box core releases in time. Buchanan's 12 is much better than Hedonism, and I can get 3 bottles of the former for the cost of one of the latter. $33 is a bargain for a blend like this. Great bottle to bring to a party for casual whiskey drinkers or to order at a dive bar. 3.5/5.

ECBP has officially joined the ranks of my favorite bourbon lines (or whiskey for that matter.) Prior to this, I've had 3 other batches, which is even to earn that status. B520 has the second lowest ABV of any batch I've had, but is considerably stronger than the B519 I had last time. The question, really, is where this will fall in the ranks in terms of quality. Let's find out. Nose: Caramel, vanilla, peanut butter, maple, bitter cocoa, brown sugar, and maraschino cherry. Leather and tobacco. Carrot cake and fudge. Barrel char, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, black pepper, and allspice. Plenty of oak, as one would expect of a 12-year old bourbon. The nose is stellar. Palate: Vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, and cola. Gala apple and cherry. Fudge and peanut butter. Black tea. Apricot and peach. Carrot cake. Orange peel and tobacco smoke. Clove and nutmeg. Heavy oak and barrel char. Finish: Apricot, peach, caramel, vanilla. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, allspice, and layers of oak. Long as a finish comes or goes. Dead ringer. No question about it. ECBP tends to run ridiculously high (in terms of ABV.) This one stands within the Booker's range. And it performs as well as any of those. C917, and A119, and now B520. What do they have in common? They are the golden batches of ECBP. This is an unbelievably good bourbon. It's layered, complex, and packs a hell of a punch. It's May 2021. If you're a bourbon fan, I strongly recommend you hunt this one down. If you look hard enough, you should still be able to find it.

The Highland Representative of Diageo's Classic Malts Collection, Dalwhinnie 15. It might also be one of the more underappreciated, as its peated contemporaries tend to steal the show. Yet, this remains widely-available and well-represented in bars--it's been a reliable option for me on many occasions. Nose: Honey, vanilla frosting, toffee, and salted caramel. Lime and orange citrus. Apple, banana, pear, peach, apricot, and honeydew. Saltwater taffy, which is interesting for a standard, upeated-Highland malt. Clean, floral, and oaky. Very nice. Palate: Vanilla and caramel. Apple, pear, apricot, orange, green grape, and golden raisin. Toffee and honey. Cereal and malt. More floral and oak notes. Just a touch salt and brine. Not as complex as the nose but just as pleasant. Finish: Sugar cookie, vanilla frosting, and caramel. Apricot, raisin, apple, and clementine. Almond. A bit of spice: black pepper, nutmeg, clove, and oak. Short-moderate length. "The Gentle Spirit" says the label. I'd say that's a fair description. This one is rock solid. I wish the body delivered the way the nose does, but there's already enough to like about this one. 15 years is a respectable number. $62 for a 15-year is a bargain. And this drinks better than many of its contemporaries in that regard. I have a feeling that this would excel at 45-46% ABV. Maybe even a tad higher. Outside of that, no complaints here. This has been one of my absolute favorite Highland malts for years, and no matter how many new finds I get under my belt, this one continues to stand out. 4/5.

This one is so cheap I'm almost suspicious. $31 for 12-year old single malt? In New Jersey? Well, at any rate, I'm going into this review with an open mind. Nose: Apple, pear, apricot, and floral notes. Caramel and vanilla. Toffee, honey, and malt. Walnut. Honeydew, pineapple, and lemon. A sweet jam note. Green grape. Graham cracker. Brown sugar. Oak. Solid nose. Palate: The jam note pops, as do the apple, pear, and apricot. Cranberry, cherry, and strawberry. Honeydew orange, and watermelon--I think that's a first. Croissant. Cinnamon. And some earthy Highland smoke. Great palate. Finish: Apricot, orange. Brown sugar and caramel. Walnut and chestnut. Saltwater taffy. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Medium-long finish. I am wholly impressed with this one. It's multi-dimensional. It's unique, whether that be in comparison to a Highland malt or any other Scotch quite frankly. This one took me completely off guard. This is a weird malt. My notes certainly indicate that--to me at least. But it hits all the right notes in my book. 4.5/5.

Love 'em or hate 'em, Glenmorangie is one of the top dogs in single malt scotch. I happen to really enjoy their old line-up of 12-year olds, and the 10 is a decent every day sipper. When I saw this one for $100 (it generally goes for no less than $130 in my area) I knew that I had to pounce on it. Let's see how much of an improvement 6 years makes. Nose: Floral. Apple. pear, apricot, and banana. Lemon and lime. Toasted almond and walnut. Toffee, vanilla, caramel, honey and butterscotch. Sugar cookie. Plenty of oak and something that reminds me of a library. Not a hint of ethanol or spice. Palate: Vanilla, toffee, butterscotch, shortbread cookie, honey and caramel. Toasted almond, walnut, and cashew. Orange, apricot, plum, apple, and pear. Raisin, date, fig, and cranberry. Cola and oak. The sherry really didn't register on the nose, but it makes itself known here. Finish: Walnut, almond, and cashew. Caramel and raisin. Orange and apricot. Pencil shavings. Cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Oak. Moderate length finish, maybe a bit above. Surprising for a 43% ABV malt. Initially, I was unimpressed with this one. And now I've finally figured it out. At first, I took the opulent packing and boastful "Extremely Rare" declaration as a ruse, an artful distraction from the quality of the juice. Fast forward two pours and 9 months of oxidation. What I presumed to be a throwaway whisky has developed into something truly interesting. The nose is clean, but adds some interesting citrus notes. The palate features heavy sherry influence, but retains the core notes from the palate. The finish is the first time I've been able to taste a hint of alcohol. Which is welcome, considering it's a mere 43%. Ignoring that stat, this is a very respectable finish. So the moral of the story is to give an older dram its due time to develop. Because if you're patient with this one, it's worth it. I'm glad I gave this one another chance. As it turns out, the dud of the lot turned out to be the crowned jewel.

Lux Row is quietly rising the ranks of my favorite names in whiskey. Today I've got what I consider their answer to Heaven Hill's Evan Williams (it might even be what they sourced for this.) At $20, this is the cheapest whiskey, or product for that matter, that I've reviewed on Distiller. Expectations aren't terribly high, but I've got an open mind. Nose: Dusty corn. Caramel, vanilla, and butterscotch. Cocoa. Orange peel and tobacco. Black pepper, rye spice, nutmeg, and clove. Oak and some green, grassy notes. A little simple but surprisingly good. Palate: Caramel and coca. Vanilla. Sawdust. Walnut, almond, cashew. Orange and orange peel. A soapy note I get in a lot of younger whiskies. Bitter oak. Even the cocoa tastes more bitter than it felt on the nose. Finish: More bitter cocoa, as well as vanilla and caramel. Black pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice, and oak. Plenty of ethanol, indicative of a young spirit. Medium length, and leaning toward short. Surprisingly good whiskey despite its obvious youth. I was critical in my review, but I must acknowledge that this is a solid bourbon. And it's made even better when you consider the cost. Considering it's the cheapest spirit I've reviewed to date, I'm pretty satisfied with what I got. I usually pay an extra $10-15 to get his quality of whiskey. And when you do the math, that's almost enough to get another bottle of this. Value is a booster here. That's helped me reach my conclusion: 3/5.

Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series 2020 SE4 x PR5. Man, Maker's Mark really needs to come up with some sexier names. There's got to be a happy-medium between that and what Highland Park is doing. At any rate, I enjoyed the 2019 RC6, and I'm hoping this can deliver an equivalent if not better experience. Nose: Cherry and baked apple (apple pie.) Caramel, nougat, and brown sugar. Cinnamon Teddy Grahams. Black tea leaves. Orange peel and ginger. Vanilla and toffee. Heaps of cinnamon, black pepper, clove, and nutmeg. Plenty of oak. Very strong start with this nose. Palate: Apple, vanilla, and chewy caramel. Toffee and pecan--the latter is a new note for Maker's, or maybe one I've just never noticed. Cola--and to be precise it's Cherry Vanilla Coke. A ton of brown sugar. Cinnamon, allspice, clove, and nutmeg provide some nice warmth on the mid-palate. And of course, oak. Very nice. Finish: Vanilla, caramel, and roasted nut. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove nutmeg, allspice, and oak spices carry this to what makes a for a log finish. Fantastic. This is a 4.25 boosted to a 4.75 when factoring in VFM. Booker's has almost doubled in price, as has ECBP. This ran me a mere $55. And what I got was nothing short of superb. In the context of the Maker's Mark Wood Finishing Series, this is a winner. It crushes the 2019 iteration, which I liked to begin with. At 55.4%, this is a heavy-hitter. And when you consider the cost of similarly-proofed bourbons, they're generally significantly more expensive. My review comes late, but if you can still find this, it's an absolute no-brainer. Remarkable stuff from Maker's Mark--and now I need to buy the 2021 edition.

When it comes to Irish whiskey, people typically gush over the Redbreast line and the Spots. Conversely, this Bushmills 16 mostly flies under the radar--though both the Distiller score and community ratings would indicate otherwise. Let's see if this deserves a spot at the Irish big boy table. Nose: Strawberry and raspberry off the jump. Apple, pear, plum, and apricot develop after a few minutes. Jammy/syrupy sweetness. Honeydew and kiwi. Raisin too. The nutty notes I typically find in Bushmills are definitely present, but are overshadowed by the powerful fruit notes yielded by the port-sherry barrel combination. Vanilla and toffee. Floral notes. Strong ginger note with a hint of cinnamon and plenty of oak. Great nose. Palate: Apple (both green and red), pear, kiwi, and, apricot are strong here. Blackberry, fig, date, raisin, and plum assert themselves after a few minutes. Strawberry and cranberry. Walnut, cahshew and roasted chestnut. Vanilla and orange zest along with light milk chocolate and caramel notes. Honeydew. Oak. Virtually no heat--though I'd be surprised if there was at 40% ABV. Delicious palate. Finish: Walnut, cashew, and roasted chestnut return in a big way. The dark fruit is retained from the palate. Blackberry, raisin, date, fig, plum. Cinnamon, baking spice, and oak. There's plenty of flavor here, and shockingly-considering the low proof, it isn't a flash on the pan. Medium length, maybe a tad less; enjoyable regardless. The Olorosso and port casks play togehter beautifully with this whiskey. At every turn, one seems to compliment the other. At different points in time after pouring, one takes precedence, while the other does its job as a foil. The bourbon barrel, while not assertive in any way, plays its role as a backdrop for the lead actors. This is a fantastic whiskey. To date, I consider this the jewel of Bushmills (I'll have to get around to the 21 to say this definitively.) It succeeds where every lesser version of Bushmills fails. Except for one thing. 40% ABV. I don't think this is ever a good thing to have embroidered on your bottle's packaging--especially if it's meant to be a sipper. And this clearly is meant to be a sipper. In context, the finish is surprisingly powerful. When evaluated against the other whiskies I've had, it's unremarkable. Beef this one up to 43-48% (46% is a fair compromise) and it's a world-beater. 4.25. With a higher ABV, the sky's the limit for this one. The craftsmanship that went into this one is evident. I'm only so critical because for all the care they've put into the cask arrangement, a bump in ABV seems like a small concession to take this to the next level. But make no mistake, this whiskey deserves a seat at the Irish big boy table.

If you've read my reviews, you probably know how much I love Booker's. And if you haven't--I really love Booker's. Yet, with 4-6 batches per year, I can only get to so many. I picked this one because of a fantastic review by @dubz480. It took my a while to get around to it, but I'm finally here. Side note: at 62% ABV this is the weakest Booker's batch I've owned. Nose: Peanut brittle, peanut oil, and cocoa. Dried apricot and golden raisin. Vanilla and orange peel. Green notes. Loads of spice: cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and oak. Powerful start. Palate: Butterscotch and toffee. Caramel, vanilla, and cocoa. Orange peel and dried apricot. More cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and oak spice. Some allspice thrown in for good measure. Tobacco leaf. A heavy-hitter for certain, but very enjoyable. Finish: Dried apricot, golden raisin, and butterscotch. More of that cinnamon, allspice, clove, nutmeg, and oak spice. Rides out to the end of a long finish that hits in waves. Lives up to the Booker's name. The meekest in terms of proof but certainly not in terms of flavor. Not as wide an array of notes as some of my other favorites, but every note is accentuated here. Even at 62% ABV, this is an absolute monster. Though it's great at every turn, my favorite part of this one is the finish. This batch boasts one of the better finishes from this line, which is interesting considering it's the lowest proof I've had. It hits in perfectly-spaced out waves of spice; it's simply remarkable. Maybe Beam should bottle this at a lower proof more often because the finish here is just right. I overlooked this one at first--until I read @dubz480's review. It was a pain to find, and I shelled out $100 for this, which is the most I've spent on Booker's. Well worth it, in my opinion. If you're a fan of Booker's, or high-proof Bourbon for that matter, give this one a go. Fantastic representative for the 2019 Booker's class. This was the first and only batch I purchased from that year--if anyone has other recommendations let me know. As for this one, buy with confidence.