Tastes

Here I've got a generous gift from @PBMichiganWolverine. It comes from Catskill Distilling Co. I don't know much about them, but they seem like a craft distillery with a penchant for creating experimental spirits. This one, made from Buckwheat--which is a seed and not a grain--qualifies as a "spirit" rather than a whiskey. Let's see what you can do without a traditional grain base. Nose: Big-time sawdust. Brown sugar, caramel, and candle wax. Oatmeal and Apple Jacks. Plenty of oak and wood. Black pepper, anise, and allspice. Molasses and sugar cane. Was a bit off-putting at first, but I'm actually quite liking what I'm getting here. Sweet and woody. Palate: Brown sugar and oat. Caramel and a bit of nail polish. Molasses and black tea. Vanilla. Tobacco, clove, numteg, and allspice. Still plenty of sweetness, but it's a tad more bitter while the oak has become more mild. Finish: Short-medium. It's all spice. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, allspice. Oak. Some of that brown sugar, oat, and nail polish linger, but not for long. This is an interesting experimental whisk--I mean spirit. It drinks similar to Koval's Four Grain whiskey, though I prefer this one to the latter. Especially on the nose. Would I buy a full bottle? I'm not sure. But I'm grateful to @PBMichiganWolverine for letting me try this. I never would have guessed that a seed-based spirit could drink like a decent whiskey. Interesting stuff here.

This is my third different Diageo Distiller's Edition. I loved the Lagavulin, and the Oban was solid as well. This one features Amoroso sherry cask-aging, which is a first for me if I remember correctly. I've plenty of Talisker though, so I'm very interested to see what the wine-influence does to one of my all-time favorite malts. It says it was distilled March 21, 2008, so I'm assuming that this was the 2018 edition. The Distiller's Editions were all labeled that way. On to the tasting. Nose: Peaty and briny. Lots of sea salt, seaweed, campfire smoke, and a bit of ash. Salt water taffy and salted caramel. Iodine. Grapefruit, lemon, and black pepper. Some fruit notes. Cranberry, pineapple, apricot. Rounded off with some vanilla, honey, and toffee. Cinnamon and oak present themselves; it's not strong but the alcohol is there. Really nice combination of peat, sweet, fruit, and maritime notes. Some bitterness and citrus thrown in for good measure. Liking it a lot off the jump. Palate: Plenty of campfire smoke and iodine. Sea sea salt, seaweed, and salt water taffy. Surprisingly rich and creamy beneath the powerful peat notes and maritime notes. Vanilla, toffee, salted caramel, butterscotch, and a rare anise biscotti note. Green apple, pear, apricot, honeydew, and golden raisin. Some ginger slices thrown in. No red pepper black bean chili that is characteristic of Talisker. But it's still fantastic, nonetheless. Finish: Medium-long. Campfire smoke, iodine, sea salt, and seaweed, as well always. And then, there it is. True to form, I get black bean red pepper chili. Trademark Talisker. There's also a creamy note. Then grapefruit and lemon. Finally, black pepper, cinnamon, oak, and a bit more sea salt. Great finish. I've got a major bias toward Talisker. This one, the 10, and the 18 are three of my favorite whiskies. With these three expressions, I can confidently say that Talisker is a worthy guest at the round table of Islay. This one has every bit of smoke, peat, and medicinal influence that the finest Islay whisky could boast. Uniquely, it's heavily fruit-forward, and then at the finish, it's classic Talisker. I love this one. Haven't had a Talisker I don't love. The amoroso adds some nice layers to an already impeccable dram. At $70, I say sign me up every time.

I've read many positive reviews of this one. So when I found out it had been discontinued in favor of a new core-range lineup, I had to jump on it. I like the old-style 12 year, and the Navigator is pretty good too. Let's see what this retired standout is capable of. Nose: Fruit forward. Apple, plum, honeydew, banana, pear, apricot, pineapple juice, and some fresh-squeezed lemon. Vanilla, toffee, honey, marshmallow, and some malty cereal notes. Almond, walnut, and cashew. Cinnamon and sea salt. Clove and nutmeg. Oak. Classic Pulteney, which is a great representation of briny, coastal Highlander. Nice start. Palate: The heavy sea salt takes the lead. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak as well. Caramel and milk chocolate. Salt water taffy. Malt, honey, vanilla, marshmallow, and toffee. More apple, pear, plum, apricot, pineapple, peach, banana, and some bitter cranberry. Very similar to the nose, only that the spice notes present themselves first while the fruit notes are batting clean-up. It's fantastic no matter how they're arranged. Finish: Pineapple, apple, pear, apricot, orange, and plum. After the initial fruit burst I'm getting a heavy hit of the sea salt and cinnamon that I've detected throughout. Add in some black pepper and oak. And lemon citrus. And then some banana-strawberry smoothie notes before this medium-long finish. I'm not sure if it was the extra 5 years, the addition of sherry cask-influence, or the 6% bump in ABV. But there's something special happening here. I haven't had anything that I can quite compare to this. It uniquely bundles a lot of traits that I've never experienced in one single whisky. I see no reason to discontinue this, and every reason to keep it. The new 15 and 18 (which are the 2 rough equivalents to this one in the new range, according to price point) had better be sensational to justify their existence. Otherwise Pulteney just outright blew it with the remodeling of their core lineup. This is one of the finest mainland Scottish malts I've ever had the pleasure of drinking. After trying this, I'm on the lookout for the Old Pulteney 21. As for this one, get it before it's all gone.

A Japanese, corn-dominant whisky? Sounds interesting to me. The Nikka Coffey Malt was very, very good, so I'm excited for this one. It's worth noting that this is 45% ABV, not 40% ABV as the website suggests. I am imagine that'd make a pretty difference. Let's get into it. Nose: Very green and grassy, plenty of hay. Apple, pear, orange, apricot, and, especially, banana. Vanilla, toffee, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Walnut and oak. A soda note akin to Sprite. Much like the Coffey Malt, it's very sweet. Palate: Caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Corn forward. Then I get some interesting notes. Pineapple, green apple Jolly rancher, cucumber, and pear. Safe to say I've never tasted that combination in a whisky before. Grapefruit citrus and green floral notes. Some walnut and chestnut. Ethanol. Oak. Green bell pepper. As compared to the wholly sweet nose, I'd call this bittersweet. Finish: Cucumber, grapefruit, citrus, and some dry fruits add some more bittersweet notes; this favors bitter to sweet. Green bell pepper. Blackberry and raspberry notes solidify this. Some more ethanol. Vanilla and toffee precede a nice hit of spice: plenty of oak, accompanied by cinnamon, ginger, clove, and nutmeg. All making for a medium length finish. This is a strange whisky for a number of reasons. Let's start with the fact that it's a corn-dominant Japanese whisky. That's produced some pretty unique notes. Some that I initially found off-putting but have come to appreciate as I've worked my way through this one. Though it is very unique, it shares a lot of qualities with the Nikka Coffey Malt. I prefer the latter by a small margin. That one is dominated by sweet notes while this one is a medley of sweet, bitter, and floral qualities. This is definitely more complex, but I prefer the consistency of the Coffey Malt, for reference. However, this is a good bit cheaper, and, judged on its own merit, this is a damn good whisky.

Castle & Key's Pinhook. This one is called "Bourbon Country," named after a racehorse. That seems to be how they name all of their releases. I don't know much about these guys, so I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised. This is from Crop: Fall 2018. Nose: Caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, and some carrot cake. Gala apple and graham cracker. Heavy spice and oak. Cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, clove, ginger, and allspice. Even some dill. Nothing unusual, but it's a solid nose. Palate: More caramel, vanilla, and brown sugar, now accompanied by milk chocolate and toffee. Cherry and apple, both red and green. Allspice, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Caramel and vanilla precede a wave of clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and oak. Medium-long finish. Damn good whiskey. The internet says this is MGP distillate. No surprise there. But it looks like these guys have already been doing some distilling of their own. I'm on board with this one. If you're a gambler, hedge your bets on this horse. I think Castle & Key will be making some fantastic whiskey in the near future, based on the quality of this one. As it is, at $32, this a great value. If you're a bourbon drinker looking for a change of pace, I recommend this one.

With this one, I'll have reviewed 4 of the 5 Jim Beam small batch products (if you count the old Baker's.) This is the first one I tried of the bunch, and has long been a favorite. I got it within the past year, but the bottle is much older. It has the packaging that preceded the one pictured here, which has been replaced yet again with the return of the 9-year version. Nose: Classic Beam peanut brittle and caramel. Vanilla, brown sugar, cocoa, and maple. Tobacco, black tea, and leather. A little apple and a lot of orange/orange peel. Some ethanol and then loads of spice. Cinnamon, black pepper, allspice, clove, nutmeg, and ginger. Plenty of oak. Great nose. Palate: Caramel and vanilla lead the way. A lot of apple, toffee, and marshmallow. Some pear and apricot appear. Much fruitier than the nose suggested. Cinnamon, allspice, clove, nutmeg, ginger, and oak. Some walnut. Carrot cake. Faint cherry. Mid-palate features more caramel, tobacco smoke, peanut brittle, and orange peel. It's solid and an interesting fruit-forward change from the nose; though I prefer the latter. The palate is less of the classic Beam that I've grown to love. Finish: Beast of a finish, even at 50% ABV. Vanilla, caramel, milk chocolate, and peanut. Some orange and apple take over before a tide of spice rolls in. Cocoa. Clove, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, rye spice, and ginger. Oak and tobacco smoke hit heavy before this long finish reaches its end. It highlights the best qualities of the nose and palate. Worthy conclusion to a great dram. What a value. This one ran me a mere $33. Your dollar goes a long way here, and value goes a long way in my rating system. There is a great disparity in notes between the nose and the palate. It really makes this one interesting. This is one of the first bottles I bought for the purpose of sipping--years ago. At the time, I thought this was absolutely brutal. Now, I'm looking for just a bit more oomph on the palate. Funny how that goes; this one really helps me keep the journey in perspective. Let's hope the reinstated 9Y KC maintains or improves the quality of the fantastic NAS version. Four years later with another bottle of the NAS from roughly the same year, I boosted the score to 4.5. The nose is holds up to the palate, in fact, I prefer it by a hair to the palate. Finish is still gargantuan. Amazing bottle, glad I found one more.

I'm a Balvenie fan. They get a lot of flack, but I tend to enjoy both of their core 12-year olds. But the best thing coming out of the distillery is the 14-year peated whisky. I loved the 2003 edition, and when I stumbled upon this one, I figured I had to give it a go. It's rare at this point, so I figured it would be worth the extra couple bucks. Let's see if the inaugural Peat Week release holds up to its successor. Nose: Initially a big hit of peat and campfire smoke. Deceptive briny note immediately after pouring but now that it's settled I'm going with salted caramel on this one. Some sulfur and earthy notes. And then it's a fruit bowl. Apple, pear, unripe banana, green grape, squeezed lemon citrus. Vanilla and chocolate icing, honey, and malt. Cinnamon and oak spice. Very good start. Palate: A smack of earthy peat and campfire smoke. Sulfur disappears. It is replaced by meaty smoked brisket note. Some bacon and charred meat. After dinner comes dessert. Some apple, pear, banana, pineapple, honeydew, and orange. Add in some sweet notes--vanilla, caramel, milk chocolate, honey, toffee--and you've got a three-course meal. Toss in some chili, cinnamon, black pepper, oak, and barrel char to boot, and you've got yourself a damn fine tasting whisky. Finish: More campfire smoke, earthy peat, and smoked meat notes. Then it's a burst of cinnamon, black pepper, chili powder, clove, nutmeg, and table salt. Some charred oak for good measure. Medium length. I compared this to the 2003 and I found one to be more fruit-oriented while the other was more smoke-driven. The problem is, I took zero notes and can't remember which was which. Oh well, looks like I'll have to repeat the process (and I'm not complaining about the extra homework.) With both renditions, I got some heavy smoked/charred meat notes, more than I've gotten from more than half the Islay whiskies I've had. Big plus. The store owner was nice enough to throw me a 10% discount on this one. It ended up at some weird number between $98-99. That's nearly $15 more than I paid for the 2003. Worth it? Yeah, they're comparable, and naturally this one is the rarer of the two. And I love both. I highly recommend this. Even if you're not a Balvenie fan, this is a different animal. They've got a good thing going here, looking forward to reviewing the latest installment in the near future. Well done, Balvenie.

I bought my bottle within the last year, so according to the site this expression features whiskey aged in barrels used by Eight Degrees Brewing. If you've had this prior to 2019, they were using barrels from a different brewery. Let's get into it. Nose: Hoppy. Really hoppy. I'm surprised at how strongly that influence comes through. Fruit and citrus. Grapefruit, orange, lemon, apple, pear. Pine and oak notes. I get a bit of vanilla, honey, and toffee in the background. Besides that, it noses more like an IPA than an Irish whiskey. I happen to be a fan of IPAs, so I don't mind that one bit. Palate: Not quite as hoppy as the nose suggests, but it's still evident. More grapefruit, orange, apple, and pear. Now there's some lime and cucumber, and an even an agave note. Vanilla, caramel, toffee, and honey remind me that I'm drinking a whiskey. Cinnamon and oak. Not as bold as the nose, but it's got depth and the quality is there. Finish: Fruit: grapefruit, apple, and pear. Very drying. Caramel, vanilla, and oak. It's on the short side, as expected at 40% ABV. It's the only thing holding this one back. Without considering the finish, this one is an easy 4 stars. Unfortunately, I've got to dock it a bit for the uneventful finish. The nose and the palate are great if you're looking for a change of pace. Even at a reasonable 43% ABV, Jameson would have a truly special product on its hands. That aside, this a really enjoyable whiskey. I'm a fan of both Irish whiskey and IPA beers. This one definitely appeals to my preference for the latter. There are very few identifiable traditional Irish whiskey notes. Yet, it plays its part extremely well and presents a bold fusion of two of my favorite alcohol categories. Though I would strongly advise Middleton to up the ABV, I can recommend this one as it is.

After being disappointed by Editions 3 and 4, I was not sold on this line. Ed. No. 2 restored my faith in the series. That brings us to the latest installment. I bought it for $10 more than the rest, though I've seen it for some pretty prices (one store even has it at $200.) Was 2 a fluke or will Mac redeem their two previous average efforts? Let's find out. Nose: Sherry heavy. Plum, date, fig, prune, raisin, red grape. Plenty of vanilla, honey, marshmallow, and toffee. Milk chocolate and salted caramel. Apple, pear, orange, and apricot add additional fruit influence. It's floral, and there's a bit of lemon in there, too. Clove, nutmeg, and oak. Good start. Palate: More plum, grape, and raisin. Pomegranite and acai berry. The apple, orange, pear, and apricot notes are now balanced with the dark fruit notes, which took a strong lead on the nose. Especially orange, and orange peel. More of the milk chocolate, caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Bittersweet blackberry and tangy lime notes appear on the mid-palate. Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and oak. Quite similar to the nose, and just as good and with a greater balance between the dark fruit notes that dominated the nose and the rest of the notes. Finish: The dry red fruit hits hard right off the bat. Plum, cranberry, fig, date, raisin, prune, pomegranite, acai berry. Orange and lime. More of the cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger, and oak spice that round out a long finish. Fantastic effort. Puts the series right back on track for me. I came into this tasting with a score of 4.25 in mind. But I'm deeply impressed with this one. I'll compare to the Ed. 2 (again) and 18 Y.O. Sherry oak to better frame my score, but I'm absolutely loving this one. Score may improve. Macallan seems to think that this was a great effort, as well. I purchased this one as soon as it hit the market for $110. That's $10 more than I paid for 2-4. Now, I regularly see this for $20-$40 higher--including at the store I originally got it at. With Macallan products, there seems to be a never-ending tug-a-war between value and quality. Compared to 2-4, this has quality. Only 2 is arguably better quality, and you can't say it's a better value because you can't buy it at retail price anymore (if you can, please contact me immediately.) Variables aside, this is a superb whisky. The 18, Ed. 2, and Ed. 5 are my last three Macallan reviews, and they have restored my faith in the product. If you can still find this for a reasonable price, grab this up before it's gone.

Finally getting around to this one. One of the more hyped ryes out there. Sourced from Alberta, 100% rye at 100 proof. I just noticed that this is finished in ex-bourbon barrels, which actually makes a lot of sense considering certain notes I've gotten in previous tastings. Let's get into it. Nose: Some standard rye notes. Heaps of black pepper. Dill and pumpernickel bread. Pistachio, caramel, and vanilla. Very low ethanol, but there is plenty of clove, nutmeg, and oak spice. Allspice as well. There is also a lemon-drop sweet note. Butterscotch and some tangy citrus and orange peel notes in the background. Great nose. Palate: Peppermint, dill, and black pepper hit heavy out of the gate. Caramel and vanilla. It's a chewy whiskey. Big oak and lots of allspice. Mint chocolate and pistachio. Some grapefruit, orange, and apple. Warm apple cider note I often get in ryes. A touch of clove and nutmeg. Superb. Finish: More pistachio, more black pepper, more dill. Apple juice or apple cider. Then a wave of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice, and even more black pepper. Hearty oak. Long finish, even at 50% ABV. This has become of one my favorite whiskies. My second favorite rye after Willett 4. My favorite whisky to come out of Canada by miles. It's the oldest rye I've ever had by a good margin, and it really shows in the depth and all-around quality. After my first tasting, I was surprised to learn that this was 100% rye. That's because I got a lot of bourbon notes; I'd have expected this to have a high corn mash. To learn tonight that it was aged in bourbon barrels provides me a lot of clarity. 4.75. I'm still in the shallow end of the pool when it comes to rye, but I've had enough now to establish something a pecking order. And this is right at the top. In fact, it's one of the better whiskies I've had. I say buy the hype on this one. It's a special drop.