Tastes

I think the Tullamore Dew 14 that I recently reviewed was meant to replace this one. Both single malts aged in Olorosso sherry, bourbon, port, and madeira casks. This one is slightly lower in ABV at 40% and obviously is 4 years younger. Let's see if those upgrades were enough to warrant discontinuing this one. Nose: Shortbread/sugar cookie, vanilla frosting, and caramel. Pencil shavings. Apple, pear, apricot, and orange. Plum. Perfume and floral notes. A little mango salsa. Oak. No ethanol burn. Solid nose. Palate: Apple, pear, apricot, and golden raisin on arrival. Caramel, shortbread cookie, toffee, and vanilla. Cranberry, blackberry, and plum. That represents the port. Some lime citrus. Just a bit of heat and spcie coming in the form of black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Oaky and woody. Great stuff. Finish: Length falls between short and medium--which should not be surprising at 40% ABV. Apple, pear, apricot, and banana, followed by cocoa, oak, and some light baking spices. It makes for a decent finish. This is very good whiskey. It definitely would've benefitted from a bump in ABV. The 4 casks play nicely here. Like with the 14-year, the bourbon barrel influence is obvious. The port cask takes prominence over the Olorosso that the 14-year favored. Overall, they're very similar, and my rating for each is identical. What does this mean? Perhaps the whiskey itself is simply overpowered by the cask variation at play. That would be understandable. Maybe the cask selection has devolved at some time between the transition between this whiskey to the 14-year. I lean toward the former. I won't look too much into that. The fact is that both are solid whiskeys. If you're a fan of Tully or Irish whiskey in general--and you're fortunate enough to spot one of these in the wild--buy on sight. Well worth the $55. Personally, I wouldn't mind TD reinstating this release alongside the 14, giving the former a bump up to 46% ABV. As it is, this one is solid.

While I love Henry McKenna and ECBP, I consider this to be Heaven Hill's flagship product. Not that it's better than either of those, but it does the best at representing the spirit of the distillery, if that makes any sense. It's been a staple in my whiskey for a long time, so I may be a bit biased here. Let's check it out. Nose: Vanilla, caramel, cocoa, and brown sugar. Roasted chestnut, nutmeg, clove, and oak. Orange peel and kettle corn. Apple and pecan. Newspaper and a bit of leather couch. Barrel char and cinnamon heat. It's a nice start. Palate: Chewy caramel and vanilla. Apple, orange zest, and apricot. Brown sugar and toffee. Mint chocolate and pistachio. Something like mango or papaya. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, ginger. Oak. Awesome palate. Finish: Apple, caramel, cocoa, brown sugar, and vanilla followed by cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, clove, ginger, and oak. Medium to long finish. Very good. As far as flagship, entry level bourbons go, this is about as good you'll get (I consider Evan Williams and Jim Beam White Label bottom shelf and not entry level.) It's this and the Knob Creek NAS (I haven't had the 9-year yet.) This is a great baseline for the ECBP range. I really liked the EC 12. I'm disappointed that it's gone and I'm hopeful that it will return, if only as an annual release. If they can do the 18 every year, I see no reason why they can't cut us some nostalgia with the 12-year. As for this one, it certainly suffices as a replacement to the 12. I started getting into bourbon as the 12-year was being phased out, so most of my positive experiences with Heaven Hill's flagship product have been associated with this NAS release. For $31, this is a no-brainer. That's dirt cheap for anything remotely worth drinking in New Jersey. And this one well exceeds that benchmark. Well done, Heaven Hill 4.25/5.

Peated Irish whiskey? Sounds interesting enough. I once had the entry level Connemara at a whiskey show. It was toward the end of the night, so I don't have much to report. Fast forward a few years and I thought I'd like to have a bottle. The store was fresh out, but they did have this. I imagine the closest comparison to this will be one of the peated Speysides I've had in the past. Let's test that theory. Nose: Vegetal, earthy, mossy peat. Rubber turf and a hint of iodine. Vanilla, toffee, caramel, and apple. Jelly. Black pepper and baking spice. Lemon and orange. Maybe just a hint of smoke but its more sulfuric if anything. No brine presence. Reminiscent of West Cork Glengariff peat-charred cask but infinitely better. Interesting, Scotch-like nose. Palate: More of the vegetal, earthy peat. Vanilla frosting, honey, caramel, and milk chocolate. Pear, apple, strawberry, lemon, and orange. Cucumber and spearmint. Chestnut and walnut. Black pepper and baking spice. Very nice palate. Finish: Chestnut and walnut. Apple and pear. Lemon and grapefruit. Black pepper and cinnamon. Vanilla and caramel. Rubber turf. Slightly below average length finish. Interesting whiskey. A good one, too. The rubbery and sulfuric notes remind me of the West Cork Glengariff Peat-Charred Cask, despite the latter technically not being peated. The Connemara 12 also avoids the massive shortcomings and obvious youth of the latter. It's fairly well-rounded. The palate is definitely the highlight. It's interesting throughout, though. 12 years in the barrel definitely helps this one, especially since much of the Irish whiskey out there suffers from immaturity. The profile is unique. It noses similar to a peated Speyside, but drinks like a whole different animal. We'll call that a peated Irish whiskey. 40% ABV doesn't hinder this too much because of the peat, but it would definitely benefit from a bump in proof. Interesting stuff, Cooley. 3.5/5.

Here's another entry in what is arguably my favorite product line in all of bourbon, and one of my favorites in all of whiskey. This was a rare find--this is the 2nd of 4 batches from 2017. At 63.7% ABV, this promises to hit heavy--it's one of the strongest batches I've had to date. Let's see if the quality matches. Nose: Caramel, vanilla, peanut brittle, brown sugar. Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and oak. A strange but welcome cocoa butter note. Dried apricot and a touch of menthol. Interesting nose. Palate: Peanut brittle, caramel, cocoa, fudge, and brown sugar. Apple and cherry. Steel-cut oatmeal. Dried apricot and other dried fruit. Nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, and oak. Huge ginger note. Spicy as hell. Crispy barrel char. Amazing. Finish: Peanut brittle, caramel, brown sugar, caramel, and dried apricot. Cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Long a finish as they come. Awesome. I've said this before and I'll said it again. I consider Booker's to be a 5-star whiskey. I'm just here to report the variation in notes. This one certainly had that to offer. It's unique to any Booker's batch I've had before. Holds up the best of them. 5-stars. I'd put this is in the upper crust of Booker's batches and bourbons in general without question. I'd like to try some of the other 2017 batches if possible. For now, this is a great representative for that year. If you've got even a remote affinity for Booker's or cask strength bourbon in general, by this on sight. Absolute gem.

The wine cask finish in the Montelena Chateau edition took an already fantastic base Green Spot to new heights. Naturally, I had to give this one a go next. The Leoville Barton adds 1-2 years of Bourdeaux cask finishing to Olorosso, American oak, and bourbon cask--bottled at 46% like Montelena. Let's give it a go. Nose: Vanilla, toffee, and banana off the jump. Peaches and cream. Raspberry, strawberry, apricot, and orange/nectarine. These last few notes intensify with time in the glass. Especially raspberry. A plum note lurks in the background. Floral notes. Vanilla pudding and roasted chesunut. Develops after even more time. Cinnamon, baking spice, and oak. Great nose. Palate: Gala apple, pear, apricot, and banana. Toffee and vanilla pudding. Caramel and chocolate-dipped raspberry. Honeydew and kiwi. Blackberry and plum. Shortbread/ sugar cookie in the background--generally those would be in the forefront in an Irish whiskey. Brown sugar and roasted chestnut. Walnut as well, and a touch of cinnamon. Like the nose, this is awesome. Finish: The honeydew and kiwi carry over from the palace. Apple, plum, raspberry, blackberry, and cranberry. Orange and nectarine. Cinnamon and oak carry this to a medium/long finish. Slid finish. Wow. This one meets expectations--and then some. It's phenomenal at every level. Couldn't recommend this enough-- to any whiskey drinker, whether you like Irish, Bourbon, or Scotch. This is fantastic. It's difficult to say any whiskey is worth $120 when I enjoy so many whiskies that are a quarter of the price. But if you can pony up, this is worth every cent. It is truly special and I can't see it being replicated based on everything else I've tried to date. And I've had a few whiskies. Buy with confidence.

Surprisingly, I wasn't too impressed with Pact 5. Not that it was bad, but it definitely didn't live up to the hype I expected from my first Blood Oath release. Fortunately, I read some very positive reviews for this one around here, so I'm going into this without any reservations. Nose: Vanilla and caramel. Cinnamon, apple (think Applejack cereal), honey, and toffee. Delicate plum and leather. Cotton candy and jelly sweetness. Milk chocolate and walnut. Some dill and rye spice. A bit on the light side but very pleasant and unique. Palate: While the nose was a soft, and somewhat ambiguous type of whiskey, the palate tells you that this a bourbon right off the bat--and in a powerful way. Dusty corn, caramel, and vanilla hit hard. Apple, plum, raisin, and leather. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Salted almond. Menthol. Orange rind, barrel char, and oak. Awesome palate. Finish: Applejack cereal. Milk chocolate, caramel, brown sugar, and raisin. Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, dill, and oak spice. Long finish. The aforementioned spice notes ride out for quite a while. Very nice. It's a well-balanced whiskey. Delicate but layered nose. Powerful palate and finish that epitomize high-proof bourbon. The Cognac barrels played a big role on the nose, and while the palate/finish were bourbon forward, the Cognac barrels still left a noticeable impact there as well. 4.25. Solid improvement over its predecessor. The Cognac barrels play well with the grain Lux Row is putting out. In fact, this one makes me feel as though I need to revisit what I have left of the Rum cask Ed. 5. Either way, this one days a damn good job. I'm late to the party with this one, but on the off chance you enjoy the Blood Oath line, grab this if you see it. And if you like wine barrel-aged Bourbon, try this--though it's not wine barrel-aged, it's much more well-integrated than and delivers a similar. Damn good stuff here.

Widow Jane 10 was awesome. So what will an extra two years, 4% ABV, and make it a single barrel release do? Quick stats: Barrel#: 19103; Bottle#: 81; Year Bottled: 2017. Let's get into it. Nose: Apple, caramel, brown sugar, cocoa, fudge, toffee, and leather. Ginger, clove, and nutmeg. Orange peel and tobacco smoke. Maybe some raisin and plum. Vanilla. Rye notes; rye bread liquorish with a touch of dill. No ethanol, but there is cinnamon heat. Strong oak presence. Great nose. Palate: Caramel and vanilla. Tobacco smoke, black pepper, black tea. Caramelized apple, apple cider, and brown sugar. A maple note. Rye bread and dill. New car leather and rich oak. Honey and green tea. Cherry cola. Nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon. Awesome. Finish: Apple, brown sugar, and leather. Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and dill spice. Tobacco and barrel smoke. Solid. Medium-to-long. Solid. Stacks up to the 10, of which I'm a big fan. The spirit of the profile is similar, as you'd expect of virgin oak-aged MGP distillate; yet, it manages to distinguish itself from the 10, let alone the rest of MGP distillate-based whiskies. It's absolutely delicious. Your mileage may vary. At a sale price of $73, I find this is well worth it. That's significantly cheaper than I normally see it. Maybe I got a good barrel, at a ridiculously low price. But based on what I've got here--combined with my experience with the standard 10-year--I'm all in with Widow Jane's brand. Can't wait to see what they can do with their own distillate. 4.75/5.

It's been said a million times, but blends make up a majority of the Scotch market and yet go relatively unappreciated. I myself am guilty of this. So I grabbed this Famous Grouse. I had it long time ago, maybe when I was a teenager. I don't remember one thing about it, but the fact that Macallan and Highland Park are blended into this one is encouraging. Let's get it a go. Nose: Ethanol and grain. Butterscotch, caramel, and cornbread. Red grape and milk chocolate. Those last two notes are subdued. A wood note. Maybe some vanilla. It's decent. Palate: It's relatively thin and grainy. Grape and golden raisin. Milk chocolate and vanilla. Honey and butterscotch. Green and grassy. The grain yields a cucumber note. Dole diced peaches. Once again, decent. A slight improvement on the nose. Finish: Caramel, vanilla, and black pepper. Grain and ethanol on the way out. Short to the point where there's no question it's 40% ABV. Underwhelming but not terrible. Not a lot to say. It's drinkable, and clears that hurdle by a decent amount. It offers no complexity, nor a hint of Macallan or Highland Park lineage. It's a decent blend that can be purchased at a reasonable price. Speaking of which, this was $23. Far from a burden on my wallet. This bottle features the black screw that was redesigned a few years ago. Not sure how it stacks up to the stuff Edrington is putting out today, but this one is only good for 2.25 stars, even at the price. This a good bottle if you're in a rush and need something to throw in a flask for a concert. Otherwise, throw an extra $10 and get a cheap single malt.

Contrary to most, this is where I started with Knappogue Castle. I used to pick these up from my local Gary's, which no longer exists. In fact, this was one of the first higher-end bottlings that I regularly purchased. I may be a little biased in my review for this reason. Let's get into it. Nose: Vanilla and heaps of fruit. Classic green apple, banana, and apricot. A bit of pear. Toffee, honey, sugar cookie/shortbread cookie. Floral, green, grassy. Plum. Oak and a touch of baking spice. Very nice nose. Palate: Vanilla and caramel. Pear, green apple, apricot in that order. more sugar/shortbread cookie, honey, toffee, and butterscotch. Faint plum and peach notes. Banana, whipped cream, and macadamia nut on the mid-palate. Floral, green, and oak notes. Reflects a lot of what I liked about the nose. Solid. Finish: Medium-to-long. Vanilla and caramel. Banana, apple, pear, apricot. A little bitter. Baking spice and oak take this one home. Great finish. Maybe it's bias. Maybe nostalgia. It's definitely influenced by the fantastic VFM (to be exact, that earned this one an extra half star.) $45 for a 12-year old single malt--from anywhere--at least here in NJ. I can sit here and name a long line of 12-year old Scotches that cost more and don't hold a candle to this. The bump up to %46 ABV does wonders for this over the standard 12-year Knappogue Castle. After some deliberation, I settled on 4.5 stars for this one. It's offers a flavor profile I enjoy from the first inhale to the last tingle on the finish. It's very likely that I enjoy this so much because it's one of the whiskies that shaped my preferences from the beginning. Either way, this Shop Rite version does the Gary's picks I used to buy justice. Great stuff.

The 2016-2018 releases established Cairdeas as a contender for my favorite product line in all of whisk(e)y. All 3 were stunning in different ways. I haven't had the standard release Triple Wood yet, but I loved the way that the 2017 took an already solid Quarter Cask to astonishing heights. Let's hope this one delivers at cask strength as well. Nose: The Laphroaig campfire smoke is there, but pretty muted compared to other releases. Th sea salt, brine, and seaweed are still there. Saltwater taffy, salted caramel, and pretzel rod. lots of salt. Smoked meats and chili, but again, it's quieter than I'd expect of Laphroaig. If you give it some time in the glass, these notes and the smoke start to pop out. Lime, grapefruit, and strawberry in the background. Vanilla and blackberry jam. Very nice peat bomb, with a twist. Palate: An interesting combination of smoky peat and sweet notes. Campfire smoke and iodine hit heavy. Lemon citrus, sea salt, brine, and seaweed. Smoked meat and black bean red pepper chili. Beyond the layers of standard Laphroaig goodness is some artificial candied sweetness. Strawberry, salted caramel, milk chocolate, vanilla, blackberry jam. Cinnamon red hots and more than a pinch of black pepper. Fantastic. Finish: Hot as hell, in a good way. You get just enough smoke from the campfire not to be uncomfortable. Strawberry and blackberry. Some citrus. All of the briny notes and then it's oak, cinnamon , and a ton of black pepper. Long as the day. It's a powerful whisky for certain. Tasty and interesting to boot. I like it a lot. But, it's a bit disjointed. Some of the notes just don't fit together. The transitions are rough. To be fair, I'm grading this against 2016-2018. It's inferior to all of the above. I set the bar high, and it didn't quite reach. But let's be clear, it's an exceptionally good whisky. At $75, it's a damn good value. If you're a Laphroaig fan, grab this. I need to give the standard Triple Wood a go after tasting this. I'll give this another go before I finalize this review, only because this line has been nothing but stellar. At any rate, this is a damn good drop.