Tastes

Time to close out the series. This is entry 3/3 in my exploration of the BT Kosher line. The Straight Rye and Wheat Recipe Bourbon were solid. Let's see if the Rye Recipe upholds the standard. Nose: Gala apple, black cherry, and leather. In addition to apple I get apple cider. Caramel and vanilla. Raisin and dried apricot. Black licorice. Dill and rye spice. Sawdust. Orange peel and a puff of tobacco. Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and oak. Solid nose. Palate: More gala apple, black cherry, and leather. Vanilla, caramel, and milk chocolate. Orange peel and tobacco. Dill and rye spice. Sawdust. Raisin or maybe Craisin. Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and oak. Very little difference from the nose. The palate only adds a few notes, and since the nose was solid, this is even better. Finish: Black pepper and dill hit heavy on the way down. Pistachio and almond. More cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak spice. Moderate length finish. Not only does this one uphold the standard, but it happens to be my favorite of the lot. The profile is consistent throughout. It packs a nice punch at 47% ABV, and the character of the spirit benefits greatly from that. With that in mind, I think 47% ABV should be the new floor for every single BT offering--if you want to debate me on that, you had better be proposing an even higher ABV floor. If you enjoy the classic Buffalo Trace profile, these Kosher releases are a good line to invest in. I paid $50 for this. Sure, it may not be as good as some of the more glorified BT releases, but when I can get 2-34 of these bottles for the cost of one of the allocated bottlings (yes those are real numbers), I'm quite satisfied with the VFM. That alone bumped this from a 4.0 to a 4.5. Good stuff here.

The Aberlour 12 was okay. The 16 was very good, but calling it great would be a overstepping. Here's to hoping an extra two years in the barrel can put the Aberlour juice over the top. Nose: Lots of perfume. Plum, fig, date, and raisin. Jelly. Cranberry and raspberry. Cola. Dark red notes. Red apple and apricot. Orange zest. Caramel and butterscotch. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. It's mostly tart but there are some tingly spice notes at the end. Powerful oak, as one would expect of an 18-year. Olorosso-dominant. Nice. Palate: Honeydew right off the bat. Orange zest. Golden raisin, cranberry, and raspberry. Apple, pear, and apricot. Brown sugar, caramel, and butterscotch. Vanilla and milk chocolate. Carrot cake sweetness. And plenty of oak. A nice balance between Olorosso and Bourbon cask. Finish: Almond and chestnut. Pumpkin spice. Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and allspice. Oak bitterness. Medium-length. And there it is. I finally found the winning Aberlour recipe. 18 it is. This one has the richness, depth, and proper cask influence to encapsulate the potential of Aberlour's distillate. A job well done. Now for VFM. This one hits it. I won't bother to run through the list of 18-year old Scottish single malts, because, quite frankly, there are many of them. I will say, however, that this one of the cheaper options remaining in this category. And it stacks up to the best of them. 4.5/5--And to answer my initial question, the 18-year is the Aberlour sweet spot.

The Redbreast brand is one of Ireland's stalwarts. So far I've had the 12 and the 12 CS; both were winners. On to the 15, which surprisingly flies under the radar. Let's see what it's all about. Nose: Creamy vanilla custard and shortbread cookie. Honey, toffee, and malt. Coconut, banana, and zesty orange. Lemon and lime add more citrus. Almond and chestnut. Green apple and pear. Green, grassy, and floral notes. Oak and a touch of cinnamon and baking spice to let you know it's 46% ABV. Palate: Plum and raisin. Green apple, pear, banana, and orange. Shortbread cookie, caramel, vanilla custard, toffee, flax seed, graham cracker. Cola. Almond and chestnut. oak, cinnamon, black pepper, and some more baking spices. Finish: Plum and raisin. Dried cranberry. Almond and chestnut. Toffee, vanilla, and caramel. Black pepper, cinnamon, baking spice, and oak. Moderate lengnth--about what you'd want from a 46% ABV whiskey. One thing I've learned over the years is to be patient with a whiskey--especially an older one. This one started off decent, but there was nothing particularly impressive about it based on my first couple pours. Now that I'm halfway through the bottle, oxidation has made this a completely different animal. Redbreast continues to deliver. Ironically, this drinks like Green Spot on steroids. It really doesn't remind me a whole lot of either RB12 incarnate. All of these brands hail from the same distillery, but I usually find consistency between each individual brand. This instinctually reminded me of a higher proof Green Spot, and looking back at past reviews confirms that. Whatever the case, this is a fantastic whiskey. It's a worth a go for not only every fan of Irish whiskey, but any fan of whiskey period.

This one needs no introduction. When I first joined Distiller, I reviewed this is an about 20 words. Now I'd like to do it better justice. Nose: Usual suspects. Rich peat and campfire smoke. Some brine and salinity, with a touch of seaweed and iodine. Apple, orange, and lemon, and blue raspberry. Vanilla cream and caramel. Smoked meat with some baking spices. Black pepper and cinnamon. Roasted nut and oak. Solid nose as always. Palate: Layers of peat and campfire smoke. The saline notes are now accompanied by some earthier peat. Apple and heaps of blue raspberry flavor. Vanilla, caramel, and mixture of milk and dark chocolate. Citrus and agave. Some black bean red pepper chili adds just a little spice. More roasted nut and nice hit of oak. Finish: Ashy, sulfuric peat and campfire smoke. Sea salt, citrus, and blue raspberry, again. Black bean red pepper chili hit on the final waves of what makes for a medium-length finish. My initial Distiller review for this was 5-stars. I'd award the same rating to most Lag 16 pours I've had at bars and wherever else. This particular bottle, however, is missing something that the rest had. It's still great, but something important is definitely absent. This bottle recently underwent a price increase. This particular bottle is a step below any other bottle of Lag 16 I've ever had. This is a revision of a 5-star review--I gave it the benefit of the doubt a dropped it a quarter-star. That is subject to further revision. For better or for worse. There are bad bottles in every batch. I won't rule that out. But it is concerning that I paid a good chunk extra for this, and it's not as good as I remember. Like I said, I gave this the benefit of the doubt. I will update this review as I finish the bottle, and I will inevitably buy another to confirm this wasn't an off-bottle. As for this review, I'm factoring in all of my previous experiences with Lag 16, and while I'm being hyper-critical of this one, it's only because I hold this one in the highest regard. 4.75.

The Kosher Rye was surpisngly good. And Weller is always a classic. So the BT Kosher Wheat Recipe is promising. Let's check it out. Nose: Cherry and vanilla. Gala apple and cocoa. Brown sugar. Marshmallow and toffee. Orange peel. Clove and nutmeg. Ginger. Oak. Palate: Apple/apple cider and black cherry. There's a grape note. Chewy caramel. Brown sugar and vanilla. Dried apricot and orange peel. Oak. Finish: The cherry, apple, and dried apricot persist from the palate. Brown sugar as well. The finish is then overtaken by cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, clove, and oak. Moderate length. 4.25. Same score as the rye. It's solid stuff. Definitely comes from the same heritage as the Weller line. Better than the Special Reserve, and cheaper too. At $40, this was well worth the price of entry. So far so good with this Kosher line. On to the Rye Recipe bourbon to complete the hat trick.

The 2015 Perpetuum was solid. I don't think I'll ever get a crack at the Dark Cove. But I did stumble upon the 2017 release--this Kelpie. I think I severely overpaid for this one; in fact, I know I did. But it in 2020, when I got it, I had to pay if I wanted to play. And pay I did. I'll try not to let cost impact the score too much since I paid more than double what I imagine original retail was. Let's check it out. Nose: Campfire smoke, peat, iodine, sea salt, brine. Early on, there's some dark fruit. Blueberry, plum, and pomegranate juice. This replaced by pierogi, smoked sausage, bacon, and brisket in time. Tennis ball. Lemon and grapefruit. Vanilla custard. Not sure it it's the leaves or something else in the air, but there's a quality of autumn air here. Especially when you light a fire on an October evening. Black pepper and cinnamon. Plenty of oak in the background. Awesome. Palate: More of the campfire smoke hits heavy. The medicinal notes are toned down in favor of some sweeter notes. Vanilla, dark chocolate, and Golden Teddy Graham's. Some seaweed and sea salt. Briny notes are also less prominent than on the nose. The smoked brisket translates from the nose. As do the blueberry and pomegranate, now with blackberry and raspberry. Lemon and grapefruit. Black and red pepper. Amazing. Finish: First it's campfire smoke, followed by black pepper and cinnamon. Black bean red pepper chili. Peat, citrus, and dark chocolate notes complete a medium-long finish. Nice way to end it. I promised not to let cost compromise my rating since I showed up to the party so late with this one. I'm glad I shelled out for it, even if $200 is a ridiculous price. This one definitely bests the Perpetuum head-to-head. It's got the balance, depth, and personality of any great Islay, while simultaneously presenting a unique profile. 4.75. Wish I knew to buy this up when it was released. If I'm lucky, this store will still have one more for me--and of course, it'll be the same price. Another $200 purchase for something that probably debuted sub-$200. Yet, for this one, I'd say money well spent.

I've been drinking Glenfiddich for years, and have had multiple bottles of the younger core expressions, as well as a couple from the experimental line. Yet, this bottle was my first encounter with the 18 year. To me, Glenfiddich is the definition of 'above average.' I've liked every expression I've ever had, yet none have crossed over into the realm of greatness. Let's see if the 18-year can crack the code. Note: Not sure if they've revamped this one but since I bought it, but this is 43% as opposed to the 40% listed on Distiller. This one came in the brown square box Glenfiddich was putting out prior to the packaging change (haven't seen a new look for the 18 yet.) Mine is from Batch No. 3349. Nose: Green apple, pear, apricot, and zesty orange. Some bourbon notes: vanilla, caramel, and brown sugar. Milk chocolate and toffee. Cantaloupe and honeydew. Honey and a syrupy note. Oak and some surprising green notes. It's fresh, it's fruity, it's sweet. Quality nose. Palate: Cranberry, raisin, and red apple. The Olorosso is more prominent here. Milk chocolate, vanilla frosting, and some more orange zest. Green apple, pear, and apricot translate from the nose. Banana thrown in. Some walnut and almond. Toffee and nougat. Some baking spice and oak. Holds true to the nose with a few additions. Solid. Finish: More of the apple, pear, and apricot, which leads directly into caramel and vanilla. Then there's some cinnamon and other baking spices. Oak as well. Relatively short, even at 43%. New expression. Same result. Above average. Solid on the nose and the palate. Abrupt on the finish but still quality. I factored in price. $100 for an 18-year old single malt? Unheard of, at least here in NJ. If you want a well-aged Speyside, give this a go.

When I think Knob Creek, I think bourbon. But Beam puts out their fair share of ryes under the KC label. This particular one is the old school black label, which is the way it looked the first time I tried it. Let's check it out. Nose: Rye bread. Black pepper, nutmeg, and clove. Vanilla and caramel. Orange peel and ginger. A peppermint note. Dried cranberry. Black tea leaves. Black licorice. Light on the dill, if there's any at all. Oak. Palate: Granny smith apple. Vanilla and caramel. Big on the spices: black pepper, clove, and nutmeg. Orange peel and cocoa. Pistachio. Oak. Finish: Dill, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, white pepper, and oak. Flashes and vanilla and green apple. The spices lingers to make this a long finish. Solid rye. I don't know that I've found a distillery (or a brand in this case) that offers similarly matched bourbons and ryes. In this case, I prefer the bourbon. But that's no knock on this one because I love the Knob Creek NAS bourbon. This is a unique rye. Considering the mash bill is 51% rye, I'm not too surprised. This one floats between rye and bourbon, obviously leaning toward the former. It's unique for a rye, as well as Jim Beam products in general. Solid stuff, and at $31, it's a fantastic value.

To my knowledge I've never had a Kosher whiskey. This will be my first, though I will be reviewing BT's two bourbon releases on time. Not sure what to expect, other than what I know of Sazarec and Col. Taylor Rye. Nose: Black licorice and dill pickle. Black pepper, clove, and nutmeg. Some apple. cherry, and new car leather that signify a Buffalo Trace rye. Vanilla and apricot. Some pistachio. Oak and pumpkin spice. Palate: Apple and cherry carry over. Caramel and vanilla. Dill and black licorice. Black pepper, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Mint chocolate. Oak. More apricot and pumpkin spice. Finish: Cherry first. Then all of the spices. Black pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg. Dill. Oak. Moderate to long. A bit hot but not off-putting. I checked around the internet, and this isn't too popular. In fact, people really beat this one up. Personally, I feel it holds its own with Sazarec and Col. Taylor at every level. Col. Taylor is the best of the three, but it's double the price. This is better than half as good as the Taylor, and equivalent to Sazarec. It's a bit on the brash side. It embodies many classic rye characteristics, which I happen to enjoy. Yet it's got a distinctly Buffalo Trace flavor. I must note that this has really benefitted with time. I didn't enjoy it all that much when I first cracked the bottle. Overall score is 4.25. I bumped a half star for value. At $40, this is one of the cheaper quality ryes in my market. Not sure if this was a one-off or will remain a core product. If you can find it for this price, it's worth a go.

This was a rare find. It wasn't even on my radar when it came out. Luckily I was able to find it in a small store in NYC. The Nadurra 16 was one of the best whiskies I've had. I felt it was the epitome of Glenlivet's potential as a distillery. Let's see if lightning strikes twice within the Nadurra line. From Batch PW1015. Nose: Apple, pear, banana, and toffee. Vegetal, earthy peat. Sulfur, rubber, and some smoke. Agave and cucumber. Chestnut. Croissant. Vanilla and custard. Lemon and grapefruit. Peppermint. Oak. Cinnamon and pepper provide some heat initially, though this dissipates rather quickly. Good start. Palate: Caramel and toffee. Chestnut, Apple, pear, apricot, plum, cranberry, and banana. White chocolate, vanilla frosting, and marshmallow. Rubbery, smoky peat. Lemon and grapefruit. Black pepper, baking spice, and oak. Solid palate. Finish: The chestnut and croissant hit out of the gate. Apple, plum, and raisin. Something akin to Irish soda bread. Cinnamon, black pepper, baking spices, and oak. Fantastic finish. Of the two, the 16 year beats this Peated edition. Does that mean lightning did not strike twice? You be the judge. Regardless, I really enjoyed this one on its own merits. It's not a traditonal Speyside-peated malt (as if that were traditional at all.) Balvenie has done that better. But I think those are top-notch, so it's no knock on this one, which closely trails those releases. At $66, this is a solid value. When you consider the rarity of the product, this is an unbelievable value. Throw in quality and you've got yourself a good deal. If you're a Glenlivet diehard, by this on sight. If you're a peathead looking to diversify your your range, I would recommend this to you as well. If you can find it. Glad I did. 4/5.