Tastes

I’ve been making a concerted effort to try more Japanese whisky. This makes for my 4th review, and the first I’ve done of a spirit aged in Mizunara Oak. I know these guys source, but unlike many, they source from within Japan, as opposed to Scotland. Nose: Sandalwood, saltwater taffy, bubblegum. Apple, orange, pear, banana, and vanilla. Coconut. Cucumber as well. Sort of a ginger ale note. Very sweet. Oak as well, but markedly different from what I’m used to. It’s lighter, more subtle. Palate: Very floral. Still getting the cucumber. Vanilla, toffee, and malt. Shortbread cookie that reminds me of an Irish. Big time bubblegum, Macadamia nut. Some caramel in the background. The apple, pear, and banana carry over. Green bell pepper on the mid-palate. Once again, green, grassy, and floral. Subtle oak. Delicious. Finish: Bell pepper and malty notes carry over from the palate. Plenty of spice. Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon. Definitely the spiciest part of the experience, maybe even a bit hot. Moderate-long finish. Solid value here. Continually impressed with the Japanese product. Doesn’t boast the powerhouses that Scotch offers, but the few I’ve reviewed so far have been able to keep the pace of mid-level Scotch expressions. What Japanese whisky lacks in age, it makes up for in uniqueness and complexity. This is a fine example of both. 4/5 for this. Looking forward to trying more Mizunara Oak expressions because I think that’s a large part of the appeal here. It’s a step outside the boundaries for whisky as I’ve known it, and I like what I’ve discovered. If you’re looking to get into Japanese whisky, this should be one of the first few you try. Great representative.

Little Book 2018, the second edition. I missed the first and I’ll probably never get a hold of it. So this is my first go at this line. Canadian rye, Canadian whisky, and Kentucky Rye. Should be an interesting blend. Nose: Caramel, mint chocolate, vanilla, pistachio. Bready notes. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon. Big oak. A touch of maple sweetness. Rye is dominant. Some similarities with Willett 4, which I love. Good stuff here. Palate: Caramel, vanilla, cola, and cocoa. Plenty of punch: all the ginger, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, oak. Rye bread. Milk chocolate and fudge. Some cherry. A bit green and grassy, but not in a way that suggests youth. No shortage of heat, sweetness, and spice. Very enjoyable palate. Finish: Mammoth finish. A blast of oak, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Caramel and vanilla. Beast of a finish. Long as they come, and reminiscent of Booker’s. As a stand alone, this is a great dram. It’s different than anything I’ve had before. Features what I believe to be the oldest whisky I’ve had (40 Y.O. Canadian Rye)—and under $100. Solid from beginning to end, and boasts a titanic finish. Lower ABV than any Booker’s variant with a finish that can stand up to the best of any Booker’s batch. Great showcasing of blended whiskey, Canadian rye/whiskey, and American rye. This one crosses several categories, many of which are under-appreciated. Well done, Beam.

Very random limited release from Laphroaig, what with the whole Amazon deal in Europe. Luckily, it made it to the shelves here in the U.S., as I'll always jump at the option to try age-stated Laphroaig. Nose: Many of the standard Laphroaig notes. Seaweed, iodine, smoke, sea salt, bandaid, tennis ball (you were absolutely right on that last one @Generously_Paul ). Interesting new car leather note. Chestnut. Spearmint and peppermint. Saltwater taffy. Fruity notes like apple, pear, and apricot. Some vanilla and butterscotch sweetness. Some cinnamon and oak. Much less peat intensity than some of the younger expressions. Solid start. Palate: Heavy campfire smoke, iodine, sea salt, seaweed, peat. Spicy black bean chili with red and black pepper. Cinnamon spice as well. Some heat here, but not unwelcome. Chestnut, caramel, vanilla, apple, pear, and milk chocolate. Floral and oaky. Interesting combination of sweet and heat, brine, smoke, and medicinal notes. But nothing we haven't seen from Laphroaig in the past. Solid nontheless. Finish: Still plenty of campfire smoke, iodine, seaweed, sea salt. Bandaid. You can taste the peat and smoke all the way to the end. Black bean chili, cinnamon, and oak spice. Toasted almond and chestnut. Fades away with oak, apple, pear, and vanilla. Moderate/long length. This is unusually mild for a Laphroaig. Fairly sweet, extremely fruity. Certainly a departure from the bold and brash 10 Y.O. and NAS variants that I love so much. With that being said, it's not what I want from Laphroaig. My lowest rated expression so far. However, I tend to rate Laphroaig very highly, so with such a high standard, it would be irresponsible to only compare this to those other offerings. Judged independently, this is quite enjoyable. There is plenty to take in here, and the Laphroaig DNA is palpable. Maybe age is a detractor here? All the notes are present, but the intensity is lacking just a bit. Regardless, this is a great tasting whisky with impressive an impressive age-statement and a respectable ABV. If you're a Laphroaig fan curious to see what an older Laphroaig tastes like without breaking the bank, this one fills that role nicely. I’m back with a new bottle almost 4 years later. No batch differences indicated. This is the “second release” but there isn’t anything on the packaging to suggest they did anything different. I added a couple notes this time. But for the most part, I’m getting almost the same exact profile. The difference is that I’m enjoying the cohesion of the profile much more than I did all those years ago. What I felt was my mild is now presenting as subtle elegance—the notes may not hit in an intense manner but there is a lot of depth here. For that, I’m boosting this a quarter of a star, and in fact, I feel like I could’ve done even got higher. But for now, that’s an appropriate score as it equally weighs this review and my original. 4.25/5.

Batch 15I11, Bottle 2609. This is from 2015, which is when the American portion of this whiskey was a bourbon and a rye that were both sourced from MGP (unlike the new recipe that features some High West distillate). The Scotch portion is undisclosed, though it's speculated that it could be Bruichladich, as Campfire was inspired by a trip to the Islay distillery. At any rate, it's an interesting idea. Let's see what an American-Scotch hybrid has to offer. Nose: Extremely oaky. Most closely resembles a bourbon, and actually reminds me a lot of something you'd get with the Jim Beam Small Batch Series. Peanut brittle, cola, caramel. Rye spice is a layer behind, adding bready and black pepper notes. Dill as well. A third layer back, I can detect a bit of malt and even a touch of smoke. Something akin to spearmint--tough to place the origin there. The more it sits, the greater the rye notes shine through. I also get some pineapple, orange, and roasted nuts. Interesting and layered nose. Good stuff. Palate: Vanilla, caramel, and... peppermint? Definitely going to chalk that one up to the Scotch presence. Plenty of oak and baking spice--clove, nutmeg, allspice, black pepper. More peanut brittle and cocoa, now with milk chocolate. Big black cherry and blackberry fruit notes. Some dill, malt, and smoke to round it out. Solid palate. Finish: Moderate length. More of the peppermint. Oak, black pepper, clove, nutmeg. Dill. Roasted nut and black cherry. A puff of smoke to round it all out. A bit uneventful, but it's consistent with it's true to the nose and palate, both of which were very good. Experiment well done. They definitely had something with the MGP bourbon + rye and (unnamed) Islay malt combination. Fast forward to 2020 and these are all but gone. The current recipe features High West's own distillate in addition to the MGP/Islay. After trying this, I'm very curious to see what HW distillate will add to what I already deem to be a rock solid composition. 4/5. This is a well-crafted blend. High West took a risk, and it paid off. At $63, I feel the same way about my purchase. Outside of the 2018 recipe, there's really nothing to compare this to. But I'll say that it's some damn fine stuff, and if you can still find it, it's definitely worth a shot.

As was the reason for many, these guys caught my eye because of the introduction of Billy Walker as master distiller. I'm a huge fan of Glendronach, and though I hadn't gotten into the distillery until after his departure, the internet seems to agree that it was even better than it is today under the guidance of Billy Walker. Naturally, I'm curious to see what he can do in a new environment. Nose: Apple, pear, apricot, vanilla, honey, toffee. Creamy. Some banana, coconut, and orange. Very malty, traditional Speyside notes, a bit tropical. A bit of sulfur, which doesn't play too well with the rest of the nose, though it's barely detectable. Green, grassy, and floral. Mild oak. Not a bad start. Palate: A lot of the same fruit notes. Apple, pear, apricot, banana, and orange. Now with lemon. Less 'tropical' than the nose, but much more citrus. Oak spice is ramped up, now accompanied by a dose of cinnamon. Spice replaces the sulfuric note from the nose. Heavy on the butterscotch, along with vanilla, honey, and toffee. Milk chocolate as well, which is a classic sherry/bourbon Speyside note. This time it's virgin oak, but the product is the same. I find that interesting. At any rate, solid taste--it's a more cohesive iteration of the nose. Finish: A few things here. More milk chocolate and orange citrus. Some more of the apple/pear. Spice: cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Butterscotch and toffee. Floral notes. Moderate length. Impressive finish for a baseline offering. 46% ABV definitely helps this. I think this a good first effort in for Billy Walker as he attempts a distillery that has traditionally produced blend-fodder into a single malt powerhouse. I can only expect this particular offering to improve--as the age statement on this whisky far exceeds his time as master distiller at Glenallachie. This is a great embodiment of an entry level-Speysider. It's got the classic profile, but interesting enough to distinguish itself from the pack. Olorosso, PX, and Virgin Oak (Don't know if I've had this combination before). 46%. Much more interesting than the standard bourbon cask 40% and bourbon/sherry 43% that have become formulaic. This is unique, and it's good. Looking forward to see the fruits of Billy Walker's latest project. Good start here. 4/5.

Apparently this is Batch 12. As far as I can tell, Buffalo Trace did nothing to indicate the Batch No. Luckily, distiller lists the ABV, so I was able to match them up myself. This is the little brother of the highly-touted George T. Stagg. Should be interesting. Nose: Classic BT. Camarel, cola, cherry, Gala apple, leather, toffee, and vanilla. Some peach and honey sweetness as well. Even some carrot cake as well, which, though I've been finding this a bit more often, is still a rare note. Just a touch of brown sugar. I said cola earlier. I'm going to specify that as root beer here. There's some steak sauce and wood char. Extremely heavy on the oak. There is plenty of allspice, clove, and nutmeg behind the sweetness, but not a hint of ABV--impressive since this clocks in at 66.15%. Strong start. Palate: Loads of caramel. By far the prevailing note. Also quite a bit of brown sugar. Milk chocolate as well, which is unique for a bourbon. There's some cocoa and leather. Plenty of oak. As brown a bourbon as I've ever had, if that makes any sense. Beyond that, there's some more Gala apple, carrot cake, vanilla. A touch of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and clove on the back end. Doesn't add much to what I got from the nose, but the quality is consistent. Finish: Until this point, this was very good, but not quite great. Chocolate, graham cracker, caramel, and vanilla. Tons of oak. Drying black tea note. Cinnamon, allspice, clove, nutmeg. Blistering heat on the first sip. As time passes, it becomes tempered, and very refined. Interestingly, the chocolate is initially a mint chocolate; yet, it transforms to milk chocolate when given time to breathe. It's among the longest finishes I've had. It's rare that a finish could add so much to whiskey, but in the case of high ABV whiskies like this, it is always worth factoring into the score. Phenomenal. When I purchased this, it boasted the highest ABV of any whiskey I'd ever had. Since then, it's dropped to number 2. At any rate, that's a lofty accomplishment. What impresses me about this one is that it retains the core attributes of the Buffalo Trace profile while living up to its status as an overpowering behemoth. I choose the Col. Taylor SB over this. The Weller 12 as well. Two of the finest whiskies I've ever had. This one is on par with Elmer T. Lee--for completely different reasons. The latter is a refined and eloquent expression of the BT profile. This one is a bold, brash, and bombastic embodiment of Buffalo Trace's potential. I've enjoyed this one very much. It's a monster of a whiskey, but offers enough complexity where the ridiculous ABV cannot detract from the quality. BT does a poor job of distinguishing these expressions with their labeling. But they do a stellar job with everything else. Compare the ABV with the information online. If you can match it up, I highly recommend this beast. Superb stuff.

This is a discontinued expression. I overpaid for it out of sheer curiosity. Ex-bourbon and ex-olorosso. 40%. Obviously it's a 12-year old, though Distiller claims it contains stock as old as 17 years. Nose: Heavy on the roasted almonds. Some chestnut and walnut as well. Plenty of pecan to boot. Vanilla and caramel. Nutmeg and clove spice, along with a ton of black pepper. Ever so slightly grainy and metallic, but the malt component dominates here. Raisin, honey, and toffee. Date and fig. Big-time lemon citrus. Some apple, pear, honeydew, and apricot. Solid nose. Palate. Roasted almonds persist, and right off the bat. The walnut, chestnut, and pecan also be found. That goes for the vanilla and caramel as well. Wider array of fruit notes here. Red apple, pear, apricot, grapefruit, honeydew, strawberry, and some white grape. More toffee and honey. Again, a great deal of black pepper. The palate ups the fruit presence and drops the spice besides the black pepper. Well done here. Finish: A bit of the roasted almond and black pepper carry over from the palate, and then it's all vanilla, honey, apple, and pear. Somewhere between medium and short in length, which is surprising for a 40%'er. I quite like this one. 4 stars flat. That puts it tied with Cooper's Croze for best my highest-rated Jameson expression. Head and shoulders above the similarly-priced Jameson Gold. This one has plenty to offer from start to finish, and has a unique profile for an Irish whiskey. Barely metallic on the nose, and that disappears altogether upon taste. No shortbread cookie, which I get on 9/10 Irish whiskies. It's a blend, but the malt component dominates. So, there's plenty to like here. At $100, is it worth it? Probably not. But I don't regret buying it. This and the Jameson Gold were discontinued around the same time. The latter was only $5 cheaper, meaning that these two are comparable on paper. If I could only save one of the two, I'd choose this in a heartbeat. At $100, I can't guarantee it's worth the price of entry. But if curiosity is enough, this one delivers. Note: Did not hold up well over time. Nose has become more sulfuric and the finish makes little impact. Dropped to a 3.25.

On the heels on my review of the 12 year, I think now is a good time to tackle its older brother. The 15-year Solera. On an interesting concept; as a result a good portion of this juice is well older than 15 years old. Ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, virgin oak. Let's check it out. Nose: Heavy vanilla, caramel, and orange citrus. Honey, toffee, ginger, and oak. Classic Fiddich apple, pear, and apricot, kiwi, and floral notes. Graham cracker and walnut. Some golden raisin and white grape, but otherwise, not a huge sherry presence. Maybe a bit of cranberry. The Bourbon cask definitely exerts the most prominent influence on the nose. I read French Toast on the internet. Not my note, but it it's undeniable that's there. Good start. Palate: It's a fruit bowl. Apple, pear, orange, plum, apricot, golden raisin, fig, date, cranberry, white and red grape. A lot going on there. A bit of cola and some chewy caramel. I'm getting some those raspberry-flavored Valentine's chocolates (don't even know what else to call it). Big toffee, big malt, plenty of vanilla and oak. The sherry and bourbon oak share the load this time around. I've got little experience with Virgin Oak, so I'm going to leave that out of my analysis. Good stuff. Finish: Some dark fruit (cranberry, date, fig, raisin), coupled with vanilla and toffee. More of the apple, pear, and kiwi. A bit of a cinnamon and oak kick. It's somewhere between short and moderate length, leaning toward the latter. Not all that long, but there's plenty of complexity while it lasts. Another 4 star outing for Glenfiddich. To me, they offer a very consistent product. But as long as they're bottling at 40%, they'll never crack the threshold that divides very good and great. The 14 remains the best of the age-stated GFs I've tried, and, no coincidence, it's bottled at 43%. Honestly, I think all of these could use a 3% bump to really achieve their potential. While they cut corners on the proof here, they certainly did not hold back on the aged-stock. The Solera aging method works wonders here. It's a refined yet flavorful expression; I think the interplay between multiple generations of malt makes for a fantastic product. Great job here Glendfiddich; I doubt you'll ever increase the ABV on your products because, ultimately, the bottom line rules. So I've heard. At any rate, thanks for a solid bottle.

If you follow my reviews, you probably know that I am a huge Booker's fan. My infatuation with this line dates back to 2016, when I first grabbed a bottle from this very batch. Back then, it was a $55 bottle, and I could only drink this stuff on the rocks. Boy, have things changed. Let's see just how much they have. Quick stats: This is the second batch of 6 from 2016. Clocks in at 63.35% ABV, aged for 6 years, 2 months, and 1 day. Nose: Heavy caramel and peanut brittle. Vanilla, cola, brown sugar, cocoa, and hazelnut. Cherry emerges after the glass rests for a 10-15 minutes. Some orange peel, as well. The oak and baking spices are monstrous here. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and allspice. It's a potent aroma, but the alcohol is well-hidden. Promising start. Palate: More chewy caramel and peanut brittle. Hot fudge, carrot cake, sweet vanilla, and brown sugar. More of the cherry; it's sort of artificial, almost reminiscent of a Shirley Temple. Plenty of chestnut and oak. A touch of orange peel. And of course, more of those baking spices: cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Dessert sweetness paired with heavy spice and prominent oak. High-octane and highly-complex. Finish: Black tea and tobacco. Black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Some vanilla and caramel mixed in along the way. Long as they make them. And as hot as they make them too--the finish is not for the faint of heart. But if you handle the heat, it's a hell a way to cap off an unbelievable pour. Another 5-star performance from the Booker's line. I don't know what else to say. Even hiked up from $55 to $85 after all these years, I'd say this was well worth the cost. I opened it a couple months ago, and while it was good then, it has become simply incredible with some oxidation. My ability to withstand the heat allows me to appreciate this infinitely more than I could back in 2016. I think there are two overarching Booker's flavor profiles/mouth feels. There are the moist, syrupy bottlings, and there the dry, spicy, and woody expressions. Annis' Answer definitely abides by the rule of the latter. Though, I'd argue that it's the sweetest of those that I've tried, pulling it closer to the middle of the spectrum. If you're looking for a more recent point of comparison for the finish, think Kentucky Chew from 2018. It's an aromatic flavor-bomb with an absolute scorcher of a finish. It offers everything I love about the Booker's line, with a presentation that is uniquely its own. If you're lucky enough to stumble upon one of these here in 2020, I highly recommend that you pony up and pull the trigger. Phenomenal stuff.

Last time I checked, Glenfiddich 12 was the number one single malt in the world. Maybe it's been surpassed, but I doubt it. As for me, I think this has been my #1 purchase over the years. This was one of my gateway Scotches, and has always been one of the better options for under $50. This is the old packaging (not the one pictured). Let's check it out. Nose: Fruity and floral. Green apple, pear, apricot, strawberry, nectarine, lemon, and raisin. A true fruit bomb. Definitely some green, grassy notes. Creamy custard, vanilla frosting, honey, graham cracker, toffee, roasted peanuts, almonds, and chestnut. Baking spices and oak. Solid nose. Palate: A bit more sherry influence than the nose. Some plum and cola in addition to the raisin from before. Still some apple, pear, apricot, and lemon. Not quite as fruity as before. The bourbon barrel also shows up in the form of caramel and vanilla. Some honey, toffee, and malt. Walnut and almond. Oak and char. Once again, very nice. Finish: Despite being 40% ABV, this one stretches to a medium length finish. The apple and pear are still there, as well as the lemon citrus. A touch of cinnamon, black pepper, and some other baking spices. I might get some heat for this one, but I'm giving this a 4.0. Perhaps it's sentimentalism or maybe it's just good VFM. Either way, I really like this one. Great VFM, enough flavor to please. Over the past few years, the price on this has risen a buck every 6-12 months. I used to get this for $43, now I get it for $48. And this is before tariffs warp the pricing. With that being said, VFM heavily impacts my reviews, and this is one of my favorites sub-$50. Highly recommended to any beginner. Great whisky to have on hand for guests. And substantially better than the other "Glen 12" that sits at this price point. Cheers!