Tastes

This is my third installment in the Balvenie Peat Week series, and unless they release the 2005 edition. The changed the packaging for this one, but I'm hoping that the quality is still the same. Thus far, I'd have to say this series has been the strongest part of Balvenie's portfolio. Nose: Earthy, meaty peat notes. Beyond that, it's strong honey, butterscotch, vanilla, and some cream notes. Cinnamon and black pepper spice, and a smack of oak. Some sulfur in there as well. Apple cider, some lime and orange citrus, pineapple and honeydew, and some toffee. It's solid, but the sulfur doesn't mingle well with the other notes. Other than that, it's good. Fruity, floral, peaty, smoked meat meat, and some sweet notes. Palate: More earthy peat and smoked meat. It's slightly smoky, but more so brisket and BBQ notes. Red pepper and black bean chili, which I often in get in coastal peated malts. Black pepper, cinnamon, and oak. Milk and dark chocolate, toffee, vanilla, caramel, brown sugar. Apple/apple cider, pineapple and honeydew. The sulfur is still there, but it's buried beneath what makes for a more rich and balanced presentation of the notes I got on the nose. Nice palate. Finish: Custard, toffee, vanilla, and chocolate. More of the smoked meat, peat, and red pepper and black bean chili. Cinnamon, black pepper, and oak. Medium bordering on long finish. Nice way to cap off the dram. So how does it score? I really like this one. The only detractor is the presence of sulfur notes, Otherwise, it boasts a great balance of sweet, peat, spice, oak, fruit, and floral notes that distinguish this Peat Week lineup. Speaking of which, how does it stand in the Peat Week continuum. I'm 4.25, it's the weakest link thus far. Not that that's a condemnation. There was a dip in quality here, but it's really marginal. Initially, I had this scored on par with its predecessors, but oxidation may have taken a toll on this one. I haven't had it open for all that long, but it seems that the quality dropped rather quickly. I'll return to this and reevaluate it before I cement my score. It's inconsistent with my previous tastings so I may be having an off day. I may improve or reduce my score, but for now it's a solid 4.25.

Lagavulin 25, the centerpiece of the distillery’s 200th year anniversary celebration. Natural cask strength at 51.7% ABV. Aged in sherry oak casks. A true true rarity; this is bottle no. 53/8000. Does any of this make it worth the ridiculous asking price of $1200? Well... here we are. Nose: All the peaty, smoky, briny notes one would expect from Lagavulin. Campfire smoke, seaweed, sea salt, a touch medicinal. But it’s more reserved, and far less brash than any of other offering. Caramel, milk and dark chocolate, as well as toffee and vanilla. Plum and apricot. Blue raspberry and grilled pineapple. Orange citrus. Coconut. Black pepper, black tea, and cigar smoke. Walnut and chestnut. Roasted almond. A birthday cake note. As you’d expect with a quarter century of aging, plenty of oak. Magnificent. Palate: A riptide of flavor. More of the campfire smoke, sea salt, brine, seaweed, peat and medicinal notes. Big time iodine. A heavy hit of dark and mint chocolate. An assortment of smoked meats and barrel spice. Caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Orange, grapefruit, and lime citrus, with some more blue raspberry, apple, pomegranate, cherry, and apricot notes. Sherry. Black pepper, black tea, walnut, chestnut, and oak. Similar to the nose, but adds a couple more layers. Unrivaled taste. Finish: A heavy dose of peat and grilled meat. Dark and milk chocolate and salted caramel. Oak, black pepper, cinnamon, sea salt. More black tea and tobacco. All the briny and smoky notes appear as well. More of the citrus, especially orange and lime. Long finish. And there’s my last review. There’s nowhere to go from here. ...well not really. But if I did want a perfect curtain call, I’d do it with this one. Everything about it is simply amazing. It’s my new favorite whisky. The brine, peat, and smoke notes on the nose, if this makes any sense, present themselves as a daydream more so than as reality. To elaborate, when I pull my nose away from the glass, I’m left insure of whether those initial notes were there in the first place. It could be that it’s so much less than bold than the other Lag expressions, or maybe it’s because they are so many more layers behind it. It’s a strange point to make, but that really stood out to me. There’s no questioning the peat-forward nature of the palate than. It’s a three course meal with dessert. Is there anything this doesn’t offer? Let’s check. Peat, smoke, brine, medicinal, meat, sweet fruit, citrus fruit, dessert sweet notes, nuts, spice, and oak. Yeah, that’s pretty much everything I could think to look for in a whisky. All done to perfection, and astoundingly-well integrated at that. And the finish just delivered on every level. It’s an encapsulation of the finest aspects of the nose and palate, riding out to a long conclusion that takes me back to the end of a day well-spent at the beach growing up. Was it worth the coin? I don’t even know anymore. I think I’m supposed to say “No, no whisky is worth this much.” I could’ve purchased a really marginal car, or a really nice television with this kind of money. But that money is long gone, and what I’ve got is this incredible Scotch that I’ve been nursing for quite some time now. And I’m happy with what I’ve got. So for once, I’ll forgo the VFM discussion and instead declare that I’ve got a new favorite whisky. Well done, Lagavulin.

I recently reviewed an old bottle of the Glenlivet 12. Like that one, this bears the old packaging, so it's at least a year old if not older. Not that I expect much batch variation with something with this level of production. Early in my drinking days, I considered this a really high-end drink. With a few more years under my belt, let's see if that holds. Nose: Classic Glenlivet. Granny Smith apple, pear, apricot, green grape, peach, and plum. Some zesty orange and lemon citrus can be found as well. Sweet notes such as honey, toffee, and vanilla. Some raisin poking around in the background. Floral, malty, and oak notes. Nice start. Palate: Surprisingly full-bodied for 40% ABV. Vanilla, toffee, malt, cream, honey, frosting, and marshmallow. Now the apple is a combination of Granny Smith and Gala. Pear, green grape, raisin, plum, and apricot, along with lemon and orange peel. Coconut and pineapple. The natural fruity sweetness is a complimented with artificial sweet notes of Jelly Beans, which I actually quite like here. A hint of almond, along with some strong cinnamon and oak notes. Solid palate. Finish: Short. Doesn't hold up to the nose and palate. Almond, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. It's a step up from the 12. Much better than the 14. It boasts an exceptionally clean nose and a tasty palate to match. On the other hand, the finish suffers from low ABV. Further, the VFM has depreciated rather quickly. I used to be able to get this for $60 flat. I got this one for $73, and that's the cheapest I can find. And given the old-style packaging, I'm going to assume it's a pre-tariff adjustment. Personally, I think that's asking a lot. Still--I'm a fan of what I've got here. I'd love to try this at 43--or maybe even 46%, but I know that'll never happen. All things considered, I like it. Definitely recommended for a beginner looking to jump up a price point or two.

As much as I love Scotch and bourbon, I'll never turn down a good Irish single malt/single pot still. This one happens to be the latter, and a highly-regarded one at that. Let's get into it. Nose: Immediately I get some green apple, pear, and honeydew. Shortbread cookie, toffee, malt, honey, and vanilla. Nutty as well: roasted chestnut, pecan, walnut, almond, cashew. Caramel and a rare biscotti note. A little apricot and just a touch of poundcake, plum, and raisin. Oak, clove, nutmeg. After considerable time in the glass, I get some tropical notes: coconut, pineapple, and, orange. Strong nose. Palate: More of the green apple, pear, and honeydew, as well as the shortbread cookie, biscotti, toffee, honey, and vanilla. Caramel and milk chocolate. Roasted pineapple, zesty orange, and ginger spice. Plum and raisin. More walnut, chestnut, toasted almond. Oak. Finish: Plum and raisin all the way. The almond, walnut, and chestnut are also present. Then the spices hit. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and a respectable hit of oak. Long finish, which is impressive at 46% ABV. One of my new favorites. Definitely one of the best values coming out of Ireland. Dangerously drinkable but also very complex. Along with the Knappogue Castle Wine Cask finish series, this sets the standard for 12-year old Irish Whiskey; scratch that, Irish whiskey in general. Fantastic value. I paid $67 and it was worth every damn penny. It's a hair behind Knappogue Castle's WCFS offerings--which quite honestly says a lot. Impressive whiskey, one that I'd highly recommend to any experienced drinker.

It's about time I got to this one. It's the very first single malt that I purchased. At the time I loved it. It changed my relationship with whisky and quickly became a stale purchase. But now, after years of exploration, we'll have to see how that holds up. Not that it really matters, because I don't find much variation in the Glenlivet core products from year-to-year, but this one comes in the classic grey packaging as opposed to the new teal ones, so it's probably a couple years old. Nose: Orchard fruit and floral notes. Apple, pear, orange, plum, apricot. Maybe a bit of pineapple and honeydew. There is also a ton of toffee and vanilla, with some honey and marshmallow thrown in for good measure. Grassy with a bit of oak. No heat. Palate: Caramel now accompanies the vanilla, toffee, and honey. Malty and grassy. More of the apple, apricot, honeydew, plum, and pear. Throw in some green grape. Some sweet frosting too. A touch of table salt. Simple, but enjoyable. Finish: Short but sweet. Goes down like apple cider. Malt, toffee, vanilla, and a little black cherry. Orchard fruit notes linger and then it's black pepper and oak. Verdict? I still like it, and I don't think there will ever come a time that I don't enjoy this. It's a damn tasty whisky, and it's as pleasant as they come. Do I still consider to be an exciting whisky? Hell no. But from time to time, I can still sit back and enjoy a good pour of GL12. I'd always recommend this for a new Scotch drinker. It has a high success rate among my friends, and hey, it got me into the genre. It's by no means an experienced drinker's choice, but drinking this brings back a lot of fond memories, so that's got to count for something. I need to run some comparisons with this against the 15 and 18. I much prefer it to the new and more expensive 14 year-old cognac release. The VFM here is much better. This right here is the definition of a bread-and-butter whisky. Cheers!

This was one of my favorite single malts when I was getting into Scotch. Friendly, approachable, but offers quality as well. Those are my impressions, as I can recall. Let's see how it holds up years later. Nose: It's a faint nose. Vanilla, caramel, toffee, malt, lemon drop and fruit. Apple, pear, apricot, orange, and golden raisin. A touch of banana and coconut, as well as some oak. Small puff of sulfur. Other than that it's generally pleasant, though lacking any unique or robust qualities. Palate: Very similar to the nose, though now with more presence. Caramel, vanilla, toffee, and malt. More of the apple, pear, orange, coconut, banana, apricot, white grape, and golden raisin. Floral and custard notes replace the sulfur. Very similar to the nose, but manifests much better. Nice taste. Finish: The sherry finally reveals itself with some plum, red grape, and raisin. There's also more of the caramel, vanilla, toffee, and malt that really dominates this dram. Some clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and oak. Moderate length. Weak nose aside, this is a solid whisky. This is the archetypal Highland single malt flavor profile. If I were looking to get someone started with Scotch, this would be one of the first bottles I pulled. And while it's no longer as exciting as it used to seem, it's still a damn good pour. And a good value to boot. $55 is about average by me for an entry level single malt. This is one up from the Glengoyne 10 which, is their entry level malt. Got my money's worth with this one.

I've been all of the Jim Beam small batch series for a while now--which I'm very high on. Now I'm turning to the Jim Beam core range with this single barrel offering. I've yet to try a "Jim Beam" branded product that I enjoyed. Let's see if this is the one. Barrel No. JB 8375 Nose: Some classic Beam notes of peanut brittle, orange peel, brown sugar, caramel, and vanilla. Some candy corn, toffee, and gala apple. Bitter cocoa and oak. Clove, nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon spice. Palate: Caramel, vanilla, milk chocolate, and brownie. Gala apple and peach. A touch of cocoa and brown sugar. Mid-palate is dominated by clove, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and oak. While it's not the most complex, it's polished and quite tasty. Finish: Loads of bitter cocoa. Peanut brittle, orange peel, and some dried apricot. Moderate length finish. Very good bourbon. Not as impressive as the majority of the Small Batch Series, but still solid in its own right. I've sampled a couple other Jim Beam Single Barrels. This is the best. Your mileage will vary. This particular barrel was not spectacular in any one way. But it is remarkably consistent and is a great embodiment of the classic. Jim Beam profile. And it offers great VFM. At $30, I can only think of one whiskey I've enjoyed this much that was cheaper (that'd be Buffalo Trace.) Keep in my mind whiskey is expensive here in Jersey. Regardless, this gets the job done. I think I've found the first Jim Beam branded product that I can get behind.

Jefferson's Groth cask. A rare find indeed. Recognizing this, I bought this on sight. I don't live near that store and it was the last bottle. First and only bottle I've seen in recent years. So it's rare and all, but how does it taste? Is it worth the extremely high second-market prices? Let's find out. Batch No. 4 Nose: Some red fruit notes. Black currant. Cherry, cranberry, raspberry, plum, raisin, fig, date. Some peach as well. Some caramel, vanilla, toffee, graham cracker, and brown sugar as well. Oak. Now those are some fine notes. Problem is, they are barely detectable. I had to strain to get any of that. I cracked open last night's bottle of Stranahan's to test my olfactory senses. Conclusion? It's this whiskey, not my nose. Update: What a difference 3 months of oxidation makes. The nose is vibrant; in fact, it's the boldest part of this whiskey. I docked heavily for it's meekness the first time around, but now I'm very impressed. Palate: Cantalope, tangerine, peach, apricot, cherry, plum, red grape, cranberry, raspberry, plum, raisin, date, and fig. Nice mix of orange and red fruits. And there's no mistaking any of it on the taste. Bold and delicious. Maple and molasses, caramel and milk chocolate, toffee and brown sugar. Plenty of oak. Ginger spice. In previous tastings, I got a strange note that I can only describe as newspaper. In previous tastings, this was dominant and off-putting. Several months later, this has receded to the background, and where it serves as a nice element of texture. On the whole, spectacular palate. Finish: (Mostly dry) Red fruit. Plum, cranberry, raspberry, raisin, date, fig. True throughout. Then, the spices finally present themselves. Cinnamon, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, clove, ginger, and oak. Dry, sweet, and spicy as hell. Surprisingly, it's moderate, bordering on long in length despite the relatively low ABV. Weird one to score. I wrote up a healthy list of notes for the nose. I could've just as easily left that part blank. It was mild to say the least, which is no good in my book. From there out, however, this is absolutely stellar. So much flavor and delicious fruit. The Groth cask made a palpable impact (on the palate and finish.) It's so damn expensive wine. Is its status warranted? Couldn't tell ya. I know next to nothing about wine. But I can say that this bourbon is worth its salt. Because of the subpar nose, I can't go above 4 stars for this one. As far the rest? Sensational. With almost a half year under its belt, this has become one of the better tasting bourbons I've had in a while. Very impressed with Jefferson's continued ingenuity--though I guess this one dates a few years back. Speaking of which, is this worth the second-hand markup? Not unless you absolutely have to have them all. I think $200 is much too much. The $84 I paid for it? Definitely. This is very unique and damn tasty. Disregarding the lackluster nose, this would've been a 5-star whiskey. Update: Bumped up half a star because the nose improved drastically. Update again: 4.75. Two and a half years later, it’s improved even further.

My first Colorado and my first American Single Malt. Interestingly, in regard to the latter, this doesn't necessarily have to be 100% malted barley, unlike European single malts. This one happens to be 100% malted barely, though I thought that was an interesting find. Let's see an American single malt stacks up to its European counterparts. Batch No. 227. Bottle No.4,454. Nose: Caramel, toffee, vanilla, brown sugar. Roasted almonds, croissant, and shortbread cookie. Honey and butterscotch. Faint lemon citrus. Prominent craisin/cranberry and some jelly doughnut. Black cherry. Chestnut and oak. Some campfire smoke, though not in any comparable to what I get from an Islay. This evokes the image of a midwinter fire deep in the woods, while the latter is more a summer campfire close by to the coast. Unique smoke note. Great start. Palate: More of the obvious: toffee, caramel, brown sugar, malt, butterscotch, and shortbread cookie. Some milk chocolate and almond. Woody, grassy, oak notes. Some strawberry, honeydew, pear, and peach (stole that last one from @WhiskeyLonghorn 's review of the Sherry Cask.) A bit of sulfur. Loving the fruit influence here. Finish: A burst of dried red fruit notes of cranberry, raisin, date, and prune. Big oak, roasted almond, walnut, and chestnut notes. Milk chocolate and caramel. Kiwi. Clove, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Mid-to-long, leaning toward long. Very impressed with my first American Single Malt. I'll admit, it's very strange. Initially off-putting. But now that I'm halfway through the bottle, I get this one. It's earthy and hearty, yet fruity, fresh, and natural. Colorado is my favorite state in the U.S., based only on the couple of times I've been there. This is a great embodiment of Colorado character. So how's the value? In the world of craft whiskey, this is actually a bargain. Judged in a vacuum, I'd say that at $58.99, this is $6-9 bucks overpriced. I draw those numbers from my experience with Scottish/Irish single malts and American bourbons/ryes alike. Slightly overpriced, but still a solid value. And a damn good whiskey. Cheers!