Tastes

Fresh on the heels of my review of the phenomenal 2018 Cairdeas, I've got this one for the 2016 Madeira Cask. This was a pretty lucky find; the store I found this at a couple months back has an entire row of dusty bottles of this stuff. Never seen it elsewhere. Let's see if this one can hold to the precedent of excellence set by the 2017 and 2018 releases. Nose: Lots of typical Laphroaig notes: seaweed, brine, sea salt, ash, lemon, grapefruit, iodine, band-aid, tennis ball, ash, campfire smoke. Custard and chestnut. A nice bouquet of scents that wouldn't work well together in any other context. Black pepper, cinnamon, and oak. The Madeira cask imparts some red fruit notes; notably, it has more impact than the Fino casks in the 2018. Strawberry, red grape, cranberry, raspberry, and other dry red fruits. Also some apricot and a hint of melon. More briny and sweet than smoky. Good start. Palate: Initially, it's a blast of charred meats and peated notes: brisquet, bacon, campfire smoke, ash, and peat. A real peat bomb. Then I'm abruptly hit with a rush a fruity and desert sweetness. It may sound weird, but the burst of flavor is akin to biting into a Gusher; it's an explosion all at once. Citrus notes of lemon and grapefruit combine with strawberry, grape, raspberry, apricot, peach, fruit punch, cola, jam, and dark and mint chocolate, making quite an interesting flavor bomb. Red pepper and black pepper chili and chestnut. Of course, there's more sea salt, cinnamon, black pepper, and oak. Finish: All of the smoked meat, bacon, ribs, brisket carry over. Same with the brine and smoke. Red pepper and black bean chili and chestnut. Some licorice now. Cinnamon, black pepper, oak, and all of the citrus. Long finish. Fantastic. Absolute winner. I will point out that this took the longest to open up out of the 3. I wasn't really blown away by this one until tonight's tasting. But it hits every note. Especially the absolute home run of a palate with that explosion of flavor midway through. So, here I am in 2020, giving Laphroaig the esteemed title of a three-peat champion. 2016-2018, all knockout bottlings. Long live the Cairdeas line. Now I need to go out and buy the 2019 Triple Wood CS. If you're lucky enough to see this, snatch it up. 5/5.

Here's a review that's long overdue. College parties, dive bars, family reunions, weddings--you name it, Maker's has been there for me when I'm in a pinch. Generally, when attending some function with an open bar, this is the best drink that will be available. Maker's has been a part of some really great times, and has gotten me through some events that I was less-than pleased to be dragged along to. Time to give ol' reliable a proper review. Nose: Brown sugar, caramel, and toffee are the dominant notes. There's also vanilla, Gala apple, cinnamon, black pepper, and oak. A little leather and tangy orange citrus. And touch of walnut/toasted almond. Standard bourbon profile--it does nothing to amaze but there's also nothing to complain about. It's quite nice. Palate: More of the leather, brown sugar, and caramel. Now with some cocoa. Vanilla and toffee. The walnut/toasted almond make a much more prominent appearance. A bit of apricot. I read "lemon tea" somewhere on internet--I can't take credit for that but I must say that it fits perfectly. Cinnamon, black pepper, oak, clove, nutmeg, and allspice round off the sweetness with a bit of a spicy kick. Finish: Cocoa and roasted almond. Brown sugar, caramel, and brown sugar remain a constant. More of the cinnamon, black pepper, baking spices, and oak from the palate--though now the oak presents itself as bitter as opposed to the barrel-char I got on the palate. Medium-length. Always enjoyable. It was one of the first whiskies I really enjoyed, so I'm certain this one has shaped my preferences to this day. At $32, it's one of the cheaper high-quality whiskies I can buy in my area. It's standard, it's simple, but it's always a safe bet. 3.5 stars for Maker's Mark's flagship bottling. Worth keeping in any home bar. We've all been dragged places we really do not want to go. For me, no matter where I find myself, the sight of that red wax seal is a good omen. A true classic.

The Cairdeas line is quickly becoming one of my favorite lines in all of whiskey. The 2017 Quarter Cask Cask Strength is one of my all-time favorites, and I'm quite liking this 2018 Fino Cask. Let's just jump right in. Nose: Seaweed, sea salt, ash, and peat smoke jump out of the glass. Campfire smoke. Iodine, band-aid, and ash. Tennis ball. Vanilla, honey, and butterscotch sweet notes. Almond and hazelnut. A bit of lemon, apricot, and pear. Caramel, brown sugar, nougat, and milk chocolate. Soft pretzel. It's primarily briny and salty, but there is also some secondary smokiness and sweetness. Palate: More sea salt and brine, campfire smoke, ash, and iodine. Now with some smoked brisket. Toffee, malt, vanilla, sugar cookie, honey, and butterscotch. Dark chocolate cake. The Fino cask starts to come through here. Some plum, red grape, cranberry, golden raisin, and poundcake. There's also lemon and orange citrus, as well as pear, apple, and apricot. Big ashy notes at the tail end of the palate. Like waking up the morning after a campfire in the woods. Superb. Finish: Salt, cinnamon, black pepper. Classic black bean, red pepper chili note. Nice and spicy as a high-proof Scotch should be. More of the orchard and citrus fruit. Vanilla and caramel sweetness. Long, phenomenal finish. Awesome stuff. The nose is a bit reserved for a Laphroaig, but is quality nonetheless. The palate and finish are as brash and compelling as any Islay malt I've had. Top mark for this one. Edit: I grabbed a second bottle of this and find the nose to be significantly more compelling. If you force me to choose, I'd give the nod to the 2017 Quarter Cask Cask Strength. But my preference is marginal. The fact is that this is a spectacular whisky. 5 stars. Stay tuned for my review of the 2016 Marsala Cask release. Well done, Laphroaig.

A while back, I expressed interest in trying some unique Irish whiskies. @LeeEvolved gave me a nice list of Irish whiskies that stray from the norm. On this list were a handful of West Cork bottlings, a distillery I've been seeing more and more but have yet to try. Upon finding this, I decided to buy. It's a very interesting concept (not peated like Connemara but aged in peat-charred casks) and comes in one of the coolest of whiskey bottles I've seen to date. Nose: Very green and grassy. Some vanilla sweetness. A bit of spearmint. Some rubber; somewhere between tire rubber and the rubber on a turf football field. Cinnamon and black pepper. Hay, wet grass, and tree bark. Citrus notes of orange and grapefruit, along with banana. Faint smoke. Confusing nose, but has grown more cohesive as I've worked through the bottle. Palate: Vanilla and caramel. More of the grassy, earthy, green notes. Tree bark and hay. Some more spearmint. An interesting cured ham note. Pear, and, instead of apple, I'll go with Mott's apple sauce. More banana and grapefruit. Toffee and malt. Cinnamon, black pepper, and oak. Faintly smoky and ashy. Like with the nose, this has improved significantly since I've opened it. I initially got the rubbery notes from the nose, but am not getting them on this tasting. Finish: Almost like banana Laffy Taffy. Toffee, vanilla, and honey sweetness. More banana. Spearmint and wintergreen. Cinnamon, black pepper, and oak carry out this surprisingly long finish. Tough one to score. Admittedly, I came into this tasting ready to beat this one up. I had tried on three separate occasions, including earlier this week, and had not enjoyed it all. Yet, tonight, I had a very different experience with this one. Apart from the rubbery nose, everything just seemed more cohesive, balanced, and interesting. Not for nothing, this is the first time I've tasted this out of glencairn. I've said this before, but glassware can have a massive impact on your experience with a particular expression, some more than others. For this reason, I only write my reviews when using a glencairn. I've got a little over half a bottle left to figure this one out. Initially, I had this pegged at 2 stars flat. After having the benefit of time and a tasting from a glencairn, I've settled on a score of 2.75. I will likely update this review at least once. It's certainly a unique whiskey. Maybe not one I'd recommend, but it's growing on me.

Here we've got the first of the entries in Knappogue Castle's Cask Finish Series. I did the Marsala finish a few weeks ago, which greatly impressed me. This time it'll be French Oak. Keep in mind that all 3 releases are 12 years old and bottled at 46% ABV. This is one of 1100 bottles, which is 100 less than the Marsala. On to the tasting. Nose: Ripe strawberry and sweet marshmallow pop out of the glass. Golden raisin with a bit of apricot, cranberry, and plum. Some cola and a healthy dose of vanilla, toffee, and malt. I get an Irish soda bread which I also feel like I got on the Marsala cask, but couldn't place it at the time. And of course, plenty of oak. It's worth noting I get none of the classic Knappogue Castle green apple. Very nice, nonetheless. Palate: Fruity and tart. Red berry/fruit all day. Cranberry, raspberry, strawberry, red apple, red/purple grape. Raisin as well. Sweet and tangy. Somewhat similar to a sherry cask-finish but distinctly unique. Less velvety and more oily. There is also pear, honey, malt, toffee, vanilla, and a touch of caramel. Almond and walnut. Orange peel. Also some cinnamon and oak spice. Brilliant. Finish: Raspberry, cranberry tang out of the gate. Followed by some orange citrus, then more neutral sweet notes of caramel and toffee. Finally, cinnamon, baking spice, fine oak carry this to its conclusion for what makes for a medium-long finish. This is unbelievable stuff. I'm glad I got one just before it disappeared, yet very sad to know that I won't be getting it again. It's probably the best Irish whiskey I've ever had, and is easily one of the best whiskies I've had. It tows the line between dangerously easy and remarkably complex. It takes a great base stock and ages it in what are obviously the highest quality barrels. 5/5. I give it the slight edge over the Marsala finish, though I still need to do a side-by-side comparison. If you do happen to see this one, buy on sight, though it's safe to say that this is all gone. Looking forward to the Barolo cask to wrap up my review of the Cask Finish Series, Phenomenal stuff here.

If you've read any of my previous Booker's reviews, you'll know I'm a huge fan. When I find a dusty bottle from years gone by, it's pretty much an automatic purchase. So when I saw this Booker's Bluegrass in a small liquor store that I happened upon by chance, it was an immediate buy. This is the first of 6 batches from 2016. At this point it's a rarity. Bottled at 63.95%, it's just shy of being the strongest Booker's I've had to date (Kitchen Table and Bluegill Creek are 64%). It's 6 years and 11 months on the dot, which is slightly above average based on what I've had in the past. Enough about all that, on to the tasting. Nose: The first thing I notice is a massive amount of baking spices. Waves of nutmeg, clove, and allspice. Pumpkin spice and maple. Behind that is cinnamon and ginger, the latter of which I've never gotten in Booker's before. Classic Beam peanut brittle and caramel, as well as cocoa, brown sugar, and vanilla. Fudge and milk chocolate. Some cherry and new car leather. A touch of pipe tobacco, cocoa, and as always, a hefty serving of oak. Superb start. *Some apple pie in the empty glass. Palate: Upon entry it's all leather. Beyond that is more peanut brittle, brown sugar, and caramel. An absolute whopper. All of the spices are in tact; it's another surge cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and allspice. A bit of ginger and black pepper. In addition to peanut, there's also walnut and toasted almond. Apricot. Carrot cake. Black cherry. Maybe even bitter/sweet dark chocolate. Nougat and fudge. And, of course, loads of oak. It's an absolute juggernaut, and can be overpowering if you're not ready, but is as complex and intriguing as any other bourbon I've had. Finish: Cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, clove, and allspice. Fudge. Wave after wave. It's an absolute spice bomb. I also get some cocoa, caramel, and brown sugar. Finally, peanut brittle, carrot cake, and oak. About as long a finish as you can imagine. It's been 2-3 minutes and I'm still getting hit with a periodic sensation of spice and oak. It's absurb--in a good way. What a find. I consider myself lucky to have stumbled upon this piece of history. At $71, I'd pay for this all day. Sadly, I doubt I'll ever have the privilege of buying another. 5 stars. It's as good as any other Booker's batch I've had. I had the chance to conduct a side-by-side comparison between this and the Center Cut batch before finishing the latter. That was the most unique and interesting Booker's I had have had to date, and, overall, this Bluegrass held up on even footing. Every batch is worth the trouble for a different reason. All near-perfect pours. I love the aggressive, spicy, and oaky nature that this one exhibits. Buy on sight, folks. Edit: A year later, I'm down toward the end of the bottle and it's only improved. I haven't had the chance to compare this to Center Cut, but at this point, I may have this one pegged at number 1 of any Booker's rendition. I put it in my top 2 without reservation. Amazing. Second edit: Came back with a fresh bottle almost three years later. As amazing as I remembered, with a couple new notes sprinkled in. Stunning bottle.

Ah, Tully 12. Often overlooked in favor of Redbreast 12 and Green Spot at the price point. That'll happen when the lion's share of your distillery's sales come in the form of a cheap, borderline mixer NAS blend. Let's see if 12 years in the barrel can elevate Tully's status beyond that of a dive bar/college party classic. Nose: Sweet and buttery. Red/purple grape and grape jam. Butterscotch, vanilla, toffee, and shortbread cookie. Orange candy and some raisin from the sherry cask. There's also walnut and almond, rounded out with an oak note. Even a bit of honeydew. Solid nose. Palate: More of the grape, jam, raisin notes. Now accompanied by juicy plum; the sherry influence is more prevalent here than on the nose. Mlik chocolate, vanilla, and orange-citrus. Toffee and butterscotch carry over from the nose, as well as the walnut and almond, now accompanied by hazelnut. Just a touch oak. Awesome palate. This one really shines here. Finish: Out of the gate, it's more of the classic Irish shortbread cookie. A touch of powdered sugar before a burst of cinnamon, pepper, and baking spices. Oak as well. Moderate length, which is surprising for a 40% ABV. This is really good stuff. It's a shame it gets overlooked. I prefer the likes of Knappogue Castle 14 and Redbreast 12 at this price point, and I think it's on par with Green Spot. (I'm back to this a year later and I'm rethinking that. Green Spot might be better--but it this is a 40%er and it's the final pour--it's reasonable to assume oxidation would take a toll here). It's worthy of being in the discussion with any of the above, and that's great company to keep. The cream of the crop Irish that even hang with some of the big boys coming out of Scotland. At $55, I'm more than satisfied with my purchase. This could be a real juggernaut bottled at 43-46%. At any rate, this is an impressive whiskey as is. A job well-done, Tully.

This was an impulse purchase. I didn't know much about it, other than that I've generally had good experiences with other Jefferson's products in the past. So instead of a backstory, here are some stats: This bottle is from Batch 4, Bottle No. 03209. It's bottled at a Jefferson's standard 45.1% ABV and is, obviously, finished in rum casks for an unspecified length of time. Nose: Vanilla, toffee, caramel, brown sugar, and butterscotch. A bit of molasses and sugar cane imparted by the rum cask. Some cherry sweetness and cocoa. A bit of Some pumpkin spice, and very, very mild baking spice. Fairly standard bourbon nose with a slight rum twist. Palate: The molasses and sugar cane are out in full force here. The vanilla, toffee, brown sugar, caramel, and butterscotch notes are now accompanied by milk chocolate and hazelnut. Some graham cracker and toasted marshmallow. More of the pumpkin spice, and a bit of ginger and cinnamon toward the tail end. This is some tasty stuff. Finish: Finish is all spice. At first it's more ginger, then a rush of cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and clove. Vanilla sweetness throughout. It's medium-long, which is very respectable considering the relatively average ABV. This was quite a surprise. I purchased it on a whim, without much expectation, and I've got to say this is damn fine stuff. It's the first rum cask-finished bourbon/American whiskey I've tried, and I've got to say that it is a fine combination when properly executed. At $70, I'd say it was a worthwhile purchase. I wouldn't pay any more, but I feel that it performs well in comparison to others at this price point. The highlight is the palate, but it's really good stuff from start to finish. The classic bourbon profile collides with a nice dosage of rum cask influence, making for a damn fine product. Highly recommend for bourbon fans look to break the mold. It's also a fine way to introduce a friend to whiskey in general. Damn good stuff.

Early in my whiskey-drinking days, Jameson's standard bottling was my go to. When I saw the Gold Reserve, I assumed that this would be the pinnacle of all whiskey. Obviously, I had a lot to learn. Still, upon hearing that this had been discontinued, I felt compelled to try this before it was all but gone; if for no other reason, to satisfy the curiosity of my novice-self. So, let's see if this can live up to those lofty expectations. Nose: Quite grainy. Shortbread cookie, vanilla, and apple. Roasted nuts, macadamia, and almond. Sweet and floral. Caramel, toffee, and malt. Not complex or groundbreaking, but pleasant. It's very subdued and even a bit boring at first but manages to brighten up with time in the glass. Didn't care for it at first, but it's grown on me significantly. Palate: Vanilla, honey, toffee, malt, shortbread cookie. Some red apple and golden raisin. None of the grainy metallic notes I often find in Irish. This is obviously well-aged stock. Instead of the metallic notes, it's a grapefruit bitter note. Even some vegetal notes; maybe cucumber (I've only ever gotten grapefruit and cucumber in tequilas, which makes this interesting).The nutty notes from the nose come through again. This is the definition of easy-going. It may not be the most complex, but it is very enjoyable and remarkably easy to put down. Finish: Relatively short but does provide a bit of much-welcomed heat. Cinnamon and black pepper. Clove and nutmeg. Prominent oak. Where to begin with my analysis? I'll say this. It's good. I enjoyed it. $95 good? No. Worthy of the ostentatious title of "Gold Reserve?" Not particularly. Does this aspire to the level of quality that my novice-mind once imposed upon this product? Not only no, but hell no. Perfectly enjoyable background whiskey. That's all. 40% ABV really holds this one back. It's better than the Black Barrel if you don't factor VFM. But if you do, if score the latter an entire half a point higher. And the Cooper's Croze is just outright better. Ultimately, that is the superior option for Jameson NAS releases. So obviously, I won't too disappointed when this has disappeared from the shelves altogether. Jameson is obviously moving in the right direction with their higher-end releases using the Cooper's Croze as a reference point. My expectations had diminished long before I ever purchased a bottle; however, it's good enough where I'm glad I got to try it before it's all but forgotten. Cheers!

On the heels of underwhelming performances by the Macallan Editions 3 and 4, I turn to Edition 2 to save the show. Not that the former two were bad whiskies; it's just that they were not worth the hype or the $100 price of entry, let alone the absurd secondary market prices. Let's see if No. 2 can redeem the limited edition line. Nose: Orange, vanilla, milk chocolate, apple, apricot, toffee, and malt. White/green grape. Sherry notes of plum, poundcake, raisin, date, fig. Very little spice; maybe just a hint of baking spice. Nowhere near what I'd expect at 48.2%. Huge oak note. It's very clean and elegant, maybe just a bit restrained. A quality Macallan nose. Palate: Orange peel, apricot, and apple come through in a big way. More dry red fruits: raisin, date, fig. I get the milk chocolate and vanilla ice cream cake note I find in quality Macallan bottlings. Some cinnamon, black pepper, and ginger provide spice. There's also honey and toffee, some walnut and almond, and loads of oak. It's the standard Macallan profile done just right. Finish: Orange peel zest and ginger spice. Some more of milk chocolate/vanilla ice cream cake. A bit of coffee to wash it down now. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg provide a little kick to conclude what makes for a medium length finish. This is the clear winner of Editions 2,3, and 4. I'm giving it a 4.25, which, if I remember correctly, puts it a full star ahead of the other two in my book. Seems like this one was a tough act to follow. I put it up there with the 15 year Fine Oak as the best Mac releases at this price point. There are a lot of similarities between the two. Both relatively light, but very refined and elegant. Is it worth $100? Yes. Will you find it at that price? At this point, probably not. Collectors have scavenged these bottles; you can still find 3 and 4 pretty easily, and based on the results of my tastings, I don't think it's a coincidence. I lucked out and found this a few months back at retail price. They've since been cleaned out, as has every location I've checked out since. With that in mind, just buy the Mac 18. It's probably the same price as this one when you consider what the latter goes for on the secondary-market. Regardless, this is a great effort by Macallan. They pulled out all the stops here. So after a couple of highly critical reviews, I think I owe Macallan a retroactive "job well done" for this fine product.