Tastes

The demand for this one has gotten quite high, and it's actually somewhat rare these days. When I finally found one, the price had jumped up to $45. Let's see if it's worthy of its new price tag. Nose: Gala apple, brown sugar, shoe leather, oak spice, and black pepper. Especially oak and leather. Fairly standard bourbon notes, but it comes together very nicely in this one. Solid nose. Palate: Caramel, vanilla, leather, oak spice, raisin, and black pepper. Prominent banana note. A bit of honey sweetness coupled with toffee and butterscotch. Big oak spice. Finish: Moderate to long. It's all spice here: oak, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper. Nice way to cap off a fine pour. This bottle improved greatly with time. It was barely a 3 star pour when I first cracked it. It's grown on me, and I'm glad for that. With that being said, there's nothing remarkable about this one either. The banana note is unique; it's much more pleasant here than it is in JD products. Is the bump in price warranted? Well, considering that I've purchased Col. Taylor Small Batch and Old Ezra 7 for $45, I'd say this is hardly worth it. It doesn't hold a candle to either of those products. If we ignore that, it's a solid bourbon. I had it pegged at 3.0 before this tasting (I'm more than 2/3 through), but it was surprisingly good this time around. Maybe this one takes well to oxidation, or maybe it's just my palate today. 3.5 seems right for this one.

I don't think this one needs much of an intro. If you frequent this site, you've probably already read a good deal about it. I've been sort of hit or miss with Eagle Rare in the past; always good, but only great about half the time. Let's how this store pick stacks up. Nose: Gala apples and leather are the stand out notes. I also get classic Buffalo Trace cherry. The palate is rounded out with baking spice, fig, and cocoa. Very oaky and a bit musty. Overall, solid nose. Palate: Caramel, leather, and cherry dominate the palate from the start. The gala apples now take a secondary role. Beyond that, I get vanilla, baking spice, chocolate, and a hint of black tea. Not the most complex, but incredibly balanced. Not too sweet, not too spicy, not too bitter. Nice touch of oak. The palate reflects a lot of what was in the nose, and I think that's for the better. Finish: Moderate to long finish. Caramel, leather, apple transition into black tea, and then just a bit of cinnamon and black pepper spice at the tail end. I'd hardly call it spicy, but there's just enough of a kick to let you know that 45 ABV was the right choice for this one. Balance, consistency, and value. That's the name of the game here. At the $40 the store was advertising, I'd have thought this a good deal. They gave it to me for $35, which is a downright bargain. From start to finish, this one delivers the goods. It checks all of the important boxes and leaves little to be desired across the board. As I indicated earlier, I've had mixed experiences with ER. If I were to score my last bottle based on memory, which was from over a year ago, I'd probably give it a 3.75. This one is significantly better; I'd say it's the best I've had. Your mileage may vary. With that being said, I've never had an ER that I didn't enjoy. I like the variability that a Single Barrel line offers, even if it means I won't always get my favorite rendition of that product. Fortunately, I won big with this one. As always, well done Buffalo Trace.

This one was a damn lucky find. I popped my head into a liquor store right before it went out of business. Slow product turnover is bad for them, but great for collectors like me. I was able to score this 2015 Booker's, which Distiller has listed as a rare bourbon. Nose: Standard Booker's. No real deviation here; it's simply damn fine. Roasted nuts, caramel, vanilla, brown sugar. Big oak. Black tea as well. This one sits at 63.6%, yet the alcohol is masked by richness and complexity. Great nose. Came back to it months later. Getting a prominent sweet maple note. Only makes it better. Came back to it again at the end of the bottle. It's been open for about 8 months. I'm now getting almond, cherry, and leather in addition to those original notes. So impressive how this has evolved. I'll miss this one. Palate: Rich and vibrant. Sweet and spicy. Vanilla, cola, caramel, brown sugar, but also tobacco, cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, and oak spice. Peanut brittle. And this could just be the power of suggestion (and it probably is) but I could swear I'm getting a chewy ribeye steak note. It could even just a note akin to what you'd get with a quality steak sauce. Either way, it conjures up this image in my head. Top notch. Months later, I'm getting the same maple note I now found on the nose. Great touch. Finish: Very long finish. Very spicy as well. Black pepper, cinnamon, oak. The basic bourbon notes of vanilla and caramel make themselves known before this finally fades away. Maybe even a bit of tobacco or black tea. I'm a Booker's fan boy. This one confirms this for me. This is my fourth unique bottle and I've absolutely loved each one. This one ranks in my top 2; if you put a gun to my head, I'll probably take Kentucky Chew. But this is by no means a step down and the palate here my even be superior. This was a great find. For $80, this was easily worth the price of admission. I'm sure that some places still carrying this one will realize that they can milk the rarity of this batch. But if quality is your only concern, don't waver for a second. I'm glad I've had the chance to cross this one off the list. If you like Booker's, buy with confidence. Well done, Beam. And months later, as I return to this one, I've gotta say it's better than a remember. And I already had it pegged at 5 stars.

Up until now, all of my encounters with Highland Park have been post-Viking re-branding. The latter is pretty cool, but also kind of goofy. Anyway, in this review I'll turn back the clocks and dive into an HP expression that was dropped altogether. Before it was discontinued, HP had bumped this one up from a 40% to a 43%. This is one sits at 43. Nose: When I first cracked it, the peat was undetectable. However, upon comparing it to two unpeated sherry cask malts, the peat was clear as day. At this I'd call it a subtle peat aroma, emphasis on the subtle. The most prominent notes are lime and vanilla. Some honey. Beyond that, it's floral, grassy, leafy, and reminiscent of orchard fruits. This is one is rounded of by some sherry sweetness and a light oakiness. Very nice; just which it was a hair more potent. A couple years later and I’m back with a fresh bottle. I’m adding lime, orange, and plum. Palate: Heavy vanilla, followed by plum, orange peel, and lime. It's a combination of sherry and citrus notes. These are complimented by light salt, smoke, and oak spice. A very mild cinnamon kick at the end. Walnut and caramel. Surprisingly oily and leathery. Delicious. Finish: Short to moderate. Cinnamon and oak spice before fading into sherry sweetness. All in all, I'm glad to have found one of these. The last in the store, and the first I'd ever seen on the shelf. 4 for this one. It's incredibly enjoyable and is great as a sipper or as a background whisky. A lot to love here. This one just hits all the right notes. Say what you will about the marketing, I'm here for the whisky. Call it the 'HP 15 Viking Soul' and dress it up in over-the-top Nordic packaging; if this one makes a return, I'll be first in line.

Tullamore D.E.W. Phoenix. Created as a limited edition NAS cask strength to commemorate the rebuilding of the town of Tullamore, which burned down as a result of a hot air balloon accident in 1785. The town was subsequently restored, an achievement that is celebrated by the annual Tullamore Phoenix Festival, and now, this bottling. Before I start my review, I'll say this: the town of Tullamore was resurrected from the ashes; however, the same cannot be said of this whiskey. Once it's gone, it's gone, so if you see one, I highly recommend that you nab it. Nose: Upon pouring, this one is all cinnamon and other baking spice, as one would expect of a 55 ABV whiskey. Given time, nuts, red berries, apple, shortbread cookie, brown sugar caramel reveal themselves. Reminiscent of a warm slice of apple pie. Of course, the cinnamon and spices remain present, but they mesh nicely with the other aromas given 15 or so minutes. Very nice. Palate: Once again, exposure to air is the key here. Very malty. Cinnamon, baking spice, and oak heavy as well. After I adjust to the heat, I get graham cracker, shortbread cookie, toffee, and vanilla, followed by raspberry, cranberry, and date. Toward the end of the palate, the spices kick back up. Finish: Very lengthy finish. All spice here: cinnamon, nutmeg, and oak barrel spice. Some cashew and almond in there. Satisfying way to cap a stellar dram. And it really packs a punch. When I first cracked this one, I thought I had found a front-runner for my new favorite Irish whiskey. Surprisingly, this one did not seem to improve with time, as most cask strength whiskies tend to do. With that being said, it's still top notch. It's only a slight step down from Redbreast 12 CS and it's more than $20 cheaper. Truly an exceptional value. This one is a true standout in the Irish category. While not the most complex, it's a robust and gritty whiskey that performs well above its price point. Calamity sets the stage for greatness. Past glory and success can be recaptured as long as the heart and soul remain the same. I think that's the message here. Or maybe the message is to think before you release an unmanned hot air balloon in the middle of a populated town. Either way, I hope this limited edition Phoenix sees a second life much like the town of Tullamore. It's damn good stuff, and I hope it becomes a component of the TD core range. Great stuff.

I'm going to assume that this is the 2018 release based on the time that I purchased this one, but it isn't indicated anyone on the packaging. Looks like these guys aren't too concerned with capitalizing on vintages. I've had my fair share of the classic Islay malts, so I thought it'd be good to give one of the up-and-comers a shot. Plus, it came with two glencairns. Not too shabby. Nose: Very young, very peaty. Honey, vanilla, black pepper, apple, pear, and butterscotch. Big time lemon and grapefruit citrus as well as salt and black pepper. I'm unable to detect any sherry influence; if I didn't know better I'd guess it's exclusively bourbon-cask aged. Palate: Smoke and oil heavy. Campfire smoke and ash. Some maritime notes of salt and seaweed, complimented by sweeter notes like white chocolate, vanilla, apple and pear. Cinnamon and black pepper toward the end. Still getting lemon, but it's less pronounced than it was on the nose. Finish: Moderate to long. More of the same from the palate; it maintains a nice balance between the spice of cinnamon and black pepper and the sweetness of white chocolate and vanilla. The 46 ABV is enough to give this one a very respectable finish. Overall, this is a solid effort. Based solely on this expression, I'd say Kilchoman can hang with the big boys from Islay. Would love to taste an age-stated bottling from these guys. For reference, I'd liken it to Lagavulin 8; this Machir Bay being a slightly toned-down version of the Lag 8. And in my opinion, that's good company to keep. At $59, this a worthy purchase for any Islay fan. Especially if you like the younger Lagavulin expressions. It doesn't stand out in any way, but is remarkably balanced and has grown on me a great deal since I first opened it. For now, it's a 3.75, but I may bump that up with a subsequent tasting because this stuff has continued to surprise me with each glass. And I did. Bumped up from 3.75 to 4.5. That's a big jump but it just gets amazing with time. Nose, palate, finish. Hits every damn note. Well done. Looking forward to the next Kilchoman expression

Alright, it's Suntory Time. If you gave a blind pour and then told me that I was drinking a Speyside malt, I'd accept it without reservation. Nose: Floral and fruity. Big-time gala apple note is present right off the bat. Next it's honey sweetness, and beneath that is some sherry sweetness. Plum, apricot, and red berry in particular, and even some pound cake. A bit of cinnamon, baking spice, and ginger. Throughout, there is a distinct pine note, which is somewhat of a deviation from the standard Speyside profile. Outside of that however, it's Speyside through and through; though I must say, this is a step of from the average Speyside. A second pour reveals the classic Irish whiskey shortbread note. Somewhat reminiscent of Green Spot. It's a nice touch. Palate: Rich and buttery upon arrival. Custard sweetness right off the bat. The red apple is still there, accompanied by more honey and the standard vanilla. As the palette progresses, there is a seamless transition to zesty orange and decadent chocolate. Malty and oaky. This palate is dessert sweet without overdoing it. Incredibly balanced and definitely the highlight for me. It's a perfect balancing act of confectionery sweetness, fruit sweetness, citrus, and oak. Well done, Suntory. Finish: Medium length. The spice that was prominent in the nose resurfaces at this point. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and other baking spices. Prominent oak. It doesn't add a great deal of depth to the whisky, but it is worthy finish to a superb pour. Surprised? Didn't think so. If you're familiar with Speyside single malts, you could have seen the direction I've taken with this review from a mile away. What is surprising is that this Japanese blend, and many others that I've tried, share more in common with Scotch than Irish whiskey does. I guess geography only goes so far. I am impressed by this one, especially by the palate. I've likened this one to a Speyside malt; yet, I have to say it is a cut above the average Speyside whisky. The ginger and pine notes help to set this one apart. It lacks the complexity of a 5-star whisky, but it makes up for this with incredible balance and consistency. Bearing in mind that we tend to pay a premium for Japanese whisky, I'd say I got every penny out of my $80. If you're a fan of Speyside/Highland malts and you're looking for something new, this will be right up your alley. It's a shame this stuff has gotten so hard to find; forget about the age statement Hibiki. But for now, this'll do. 4.5/5.

With this 12 year, I've now owned all 4 of the standard Lag bottlings (though I suppose it's technically a special release). This 2017 had some of the best marks in this line, so I figured it would be worth the high cost. Lagavulin has yet to let me down, so naturally, my expectations are high. Nose: Quite a bit going on here. The first thing that jumps out at me are the big citrus notes. Heavy lemon and maybe even a slight grapefruit. Candied orange; more sweet than citrusy. Behind that are some sweeter notes: honey, vanilla, coconut, and honeydew. Apricot and toffee as well. Agave. It's very peaty though the smoke is more of a background note. The Islay characteristics come instead in the form of sea salt and iodine. Almond and heavily salted cashew. Some light cinnamon, no doubt a product of the high ABV, but far less than you'd expect of a 56.5% whisky. Other than that, there is not a trace of alcohol detectable under the layers of complex aromas. Superb. Palate: Creamy but also oily. Here, the classic Lagavulin campfire smoke makes itself available. The big citrus notes are still present, though it's mostly lemon now. There is also quite a bit of black pepper spice. Iodine, ash, and sea salt are still present, as well as vanilla, custard, toffee, and honey. Red apple and raisin. Rich dark chocolate is prominent, one of my favorite features of Lagavulin. Behind that is a bit of mint chocolate. Salted caramel comes on strong at the back end of the palate. It drinks as though it's a far lower proof yet maintains the cask strength character throughout. Phenomenal. Finish: Long. Initially, I'm hit with smoked salmon, one of the most unique and satisfying notes I've ever gotten. After that, it's back to dark and mint chocolate and salted caramel with a couple slices of Granny Smith apple. Dinner and dessert. Cinnamon and black pepper take over once the sweetness fade, carrying the finish off into sunset. It just doesn't get any better. No plot twists here. This is an easy 5 stars. Having already had the 16 and 8, I must say that this one fits perfectly in between the two. The 12 captures the brash youth of the 8 and adds some of the refined characteristics one can only achieve with age. Heavy citrus, smoke, and spice meet dessert rich confectionery sweetness and dark fruit. Throw in the fact that its cask strength and a nice of piece of smoked salmon, and this is quite easily one of the best whiskies I have ever had. Even at $130, I'd do it again, and I think you should, too.

This one speaks for itself. It's a household name and one of the most popular mixing whiskies at the moment. Let's see how it works as a stand-alone sipper. Nose: Lots of rye spice, as expected with 95% rye in the mash bill. Clove spice and cinnamon as well. Some nail polish and grassy hay. Not a great deal going on and not a particularly great start. Palate: Things quickly improve with the palate. Once again, rye is the word. It's like taking a huge bite into a piece of untoasted rye bread. There is also vanilla, clove, and black pepper. Not particularly interesting, but enjoyable nonetheless and a huge step up from the nose. Finish: Medium. Cinnamon and black pepper from start to finish. About halfway through the finish, a nice black licorice note moves to the forefront. More than halfway through the bottle, I can certainly see the appeal. While I never go out of my way to have a cocktail, I can see how this would work as a great base. And as a sipper, it's worth keeping around for when it's time to put away the good stuff but you can still need another drink. I get to rough start with the nose every time I pour this one, but the palate onward yields a surprisingly rewarding experience. Great VFM bumps this one up from a ~2.75-3 to a solid 3 stars.

I had the good fortune of sampling this one very early in my whisky drinking days. At that time, this stood out as a sort of gold standard for Scotch. Fast forward a couple years and exposure to a host of comparable options, and I’ve got a bottle at my disposal to put this highly-touted malt to the test. Nose: Very sweet. Heavy honey and floral notes. A tad oily. There is also orange and citrus. White grape that is reminiscent of white wine. I’m no expert here, but it reminds me a bit of a Sauvignon Blanc. Caramelized apple, pear, apricot. Golden raisin. Toffee. Sherry is detectable but for less than in any other Macallan I’ve had. Some oak spice in the background, as well as white pepper, clove, and nutmeg. Damn good nose. Palate: Initially it is very creamy and buttery; however, it quickly becomes dry. The orange and citrus are still present, now accompanied by plum, raisin, and vanilla. True to its name, oak is prominent throughout. White grape, apple, pear, and apricot. Chestnut and toffee. Upon pouring a second glass, I detect some chocolate in the background. Cinnamon, oak, and white pepper. Solid plate. Finish: This is the highlight of the Macallan 15. Here, the whisky best delivers on the promise displayed on the packaging. The finish begins with orange zest and rich milk chocolate before a sharp but welcome transition into oak spice and cinnamon in what amounts to a moderate-to-long finish. There is chestnut and plum skin mixed in as well. With hindsight, I can understand why I thought so highly of this one. I still do. It is above average at every turn and boasts a superb finish that makes a lasting impression. It certainly is well-balanced. It is rich and complex and so I have no complaints with this one. I will say that it is a bit overpriced at $100. Furthermore, it does not truly excel until the finish. I'm back to add to this 2 and a half years later. Ironically, this bottle is one of the older-style 15s, while the one from my first review donned the same packaging the 15 has today. Whether it's that I have a more refined palate now or the fact that Macallan was better before the adoption of the modern packaging (and the advent of the Double Cask Series,) I'm getting a much better balance between nose, palate, and finish. I also detect more sherry than I did back then. Chalk it up to 2 and a half years of extra whisky-drinking experience, or the fact that the product of the past may simply have been superior; either way, I feel strongly about boosting this from my original score of 4 flat to an improved 4.25.