Tastes

When I found out Glenmorangie was revamping their core range, I wasn’t quite sure how to feel. I thought the concept of having different 12-year old variations of the standard 10-year was a fantastic idea. Toying with that was a risky idea. This is my first foray into the new line. The Quinta Ruban was arguably my favorite of the original line, but fortunately for me, this was the only one that got a boost on paper. Looking forward to seeing what an extra two years in the barrel can do for the port variant. Nose: Strawberry and blackberry jam. Raisin, Vanilla, toffee, malt, and honey. Vanilla frosting and custard. Raspberry. Apple, pear, apricot, and floral notes. Honeydew. Orange citrus and milk chocolate. Cola. Black currant. Black pepper, ginger, cinnamon, and oak. Palate: Blackberry and strawberry jam. Raisin, Apple, fig, date, some dried apricot, raspberry. Vanilla, milk chocolate, toffee, malt. Orange citrus. Pomegranate and honeydew. Walnut and pecan. Black currant. Black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and oak. Finish: Blackberry and raspberry. Black currant. Walnut and pecan. Vanilla, toffee, and caramel. Black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and oak. Moderate to long finish, leaning toward the former. Excellent. Not only does that edge out the 12-year QR in terms of quality, but it is my favorite Glenmorangie that I’ve reviewed to date. And that includes the 18. This 14 is, unsurprisingly, very similar to the original 12, with a few note substitutions here and there and a tad more depth. It is exactly what you’d expect if you were promised two extra years in the cask and no other modifications. I am very glad that Glenmoramgie not only kept this is tact but improved it. At $57, this was a $4-5 price increase, which I’m pretty sure beats the combination of tariffs and inflation that has affected prices within the time span. Either way, it’s fantastic VFM. Looking forward to checking the new Sauternes cask; my experience here has all but assured me the Lasanta will be unblemished considering there was no change on paper there. Awesome stuff. 4.5/5.

My final entry of the Talisker core 4. I’m a massive fan of the other three, so I’m expecting a lot of the profile despite this being the youngest of the bunch. It’s technically sub-entry level, but it’s still Talisker, and for that, I’m looking forward to this. Nose: Heavy peat and campfire smoke. Sea salt and seaweed. Fudge and cocoa. Milk chocolate. Sun-dried tomato. Black bean, red pepper chili. Cinnamon, black and white pepper, and oak. Palate: Milk chocolate and caramel. Vanilla, butterscotch, and sugar cookie. Salt water taffy. Some floral notes. Raisin. The seaweed, sea salt, smoke, and peat are in the background here. Ballpark pretzel. Black bean, red pepper chili. Cinnamon, black and white pepper, and oak. Finish: Sugar cookie, vanilla, and toffee. Sea salt, seaweed, and light peat smoke. Milk chocolate. Caramel and raisin. Black bean, red pepper chili. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Moderate length, slightly above average even. Awesome. Talisker is always a winner. This is their “basic” offering. According to the notes I listed above, it should be clear that I do not consider this to be anything but basic. Bold, brash, and briny. Always a power-puncher, and consistently high-quality and complex. 4.5/5 for this one, which is the lowest rating I’ve given a Talisker. That says a lot about how I feel about the quality. Great VFM at $57. Excellent.

The Loch Lomond 12 was one of my most pleasant surprises. That’s partly due to my low expectations for it, but even more so because it was actually very good. I’m hoping the extra 6 years makes this that much better. Like the 12, this is an older bottle from before they changed the packaging. Let’s get into it. Nose: The same fresh-baked croissant note I got in the 12. Hazelnut and toasted almond. Apple, pear, and apricot. Butterscotch, honey, toffee, malt, and vanilla. Honeydew, roasted pineapple, and lemon citrus. Graham cracker and sugar cookie. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Reviewing my notes from the 12, it’s almost identical, which is interesting, because I remember it being very different. The difference was the 12 was at the end of the bottle, and this is almost half full. I guess it just needed time to open up. Very good. Palate: A huge hit of grape jam. Apple, pear, apricot, and raisin. Dried cranberry. Hazelnut, toasted almond, and cashew. Vanilla, toffee, honey, butterscotch, and sugar cookie. Orange and milk and dark chocolate. Fudge. Honeydew. Buttered roll. Earthy smoke. Clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, and oak. Finish: Toasted almond. Caramel, vanilla, toffee, malt, and butterscotch. Milk chocolate and orange citrus. Apple, pear, apricot, and raisin. Friend apricot and cranberry. Earthy smoke. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Moderate length. This is a worthy sequel to the 12-year. It’s a dirty malt. You could call it unrefined, but I’d prefer to call it brash. Traditional Highland malts are known to be clean, formal, and predictable. That formula works well to bring new Scotch drinkers into the fold and to establish brand loyalty with those uninterested in exploration. I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed this profile 10 years ago. But it’s hitting the mark now. It’s strong at every turn: nose, palate, and finish. At $85, for an 18-year at a respectable 46% ABV, you’d be hard-pressed to find a comparable buy. Not that it’s the best 18-year old out there, or that it’s the paradigm for a Highland malt or even that it’s the best sub-$100 bottle. But what it does do is neatly thread the needle between the bottles that hit these marks, carving out its own place on a whisky shelf. Unbelievable VFM. Unique profile. Well-executed malt. The coalescence of these features earn this a 4.75/5.

This is an interesting one. Not one I had ever heard of before it was gifted to me. So I’m not really coming in with any expectations. Let’s see what The Dancing Goat Distillery is all about. Batch No. D14. 45%. Nose: Lemon and orange candies. Honey, butterscotch, and vanilla. Toasted almond. Toasted marshmallow. Pistachio. Macadamia. The slightest hint of sun-dried tomato. Rye spice and black licorice. Clove and nutmeg. Huge oak spice note. Palate: Gala apple, pear, apricot, and floral notes. Milk chocolate and butterscotch. Vanilla frosting and sugar cookie. Arcor strawberry candy. Lemon and orange citrus. Rye spice and black licorice. Oak spice, cocoa, and peppercorn. Finish: Gala apple, pear apricot, and grapefruit. Vanilla, toffee, and sugar cookie. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg and oak. Medium finish. Pretty good stuff. The first whiskey I’ve had that mentioned Limousine casks as part of the marketing, but I’ve had plenty of French oak. It’s possible that I’ve had one aged in this type of cask before, but either way, the wood influence is apparent, and was the best part. It’s a very unique whiskey. Some notes I haven’t gotten anywhere. It’s by no means an elite rye, but it’s a solid entry level expression. I didn’t pay for this, but I’ve seen it at one of my local stores for $45. Seems a fair price for it. 3.5/5.

The Highland Park Cask Strength is a much-welcome addition to their core lineup. Sitting at a formidable 63.3% ABV, this is a heck of a way to kick off what is hopefully a long-lasting series. Nose: Vanilla custard, butterscotch, and caramel. Apple, pear, apricot, golden raisin, and toffee. Background plum. A floral note. Milk chocolate. Dried apricot and cranberry. The faintest note of brine and sea salt. Cinnamon, white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Powerful spice. Palate: Caramel, toffee, milk chocolate, vanilla, graham cracker, and butterscotch. Plum, raisin, cranberry, date, fig, and prune. Cola. Sherry casking is evident. Some honeydew. Soapy brine and sea salt. Chestnut and toasted almond. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, white pepper, and oak. Finish: Plum, cola, raisin, and red grape. Dried apricot and cranberry. Caramel, toffee, butterscotch, and vanilla. More of that cinnamon, white pepper, and oak. Long finish. Good first effort. My first impression was that this one was a bit disjointed and had the brashness that I enjoy without the complexity. Turns out it just needed some time to breathe. 4/5. $120 is steep for an NAS whisky, but the cask strength status makes up for that. This is a nice wrinkle in the HP portfolio. I’m looking forward to trying future releases. Solid first effort.

This makes for my 4th Blood Oath Pact. I felt that the previous release, the Sauternes Cask, was the strongest, and that each one I had (5-7) was notable improvement over the one before it. Calvados cask is an interesting choice—the first I’ve had of that kind. I’m hoping it allows this one to continue the trend. Nose: A strong apple note. Caramel (caramelized apple.) Incredibly potent toasted almond note. Vanilla, toffee, and raisin. Green Apple Jolly Rancher. White grape and white chocolate. Brown sugar. Strawberry jam. Cinnamon Applejack cereal. Torrone (Italian nougat.) Peppercorn. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Palate: Another huge caramelized apple note. Raisin, vanilla, and toffee. Almond. Brown sugar. Raisin and strawberry jam. White grape. Vanilla frosting. Cinnamon Applejack cereal. Green Apple Jolly Rancher Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, black pepper, and oak. Finish: Apple, caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Raisin and grape. Brown sugar. Toasted almond. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Long finish. My notes may betray the experience I actually had. The apple and nut notes were by far the strongest components throughout. The candy sweet notes were plentiful but were mostly secondary and tertiary notes. Regardless, this was an incredibly unique whiskey. Calvados casks made for a fun experiment. 4/5. This ranks 3/4 among the Blood Oath Pacts I’ve tried. This couldn’t touch the Sauternes Cask. And the it’s definitely better than the Rum Cask. It’s about even with the Cognac Cask—I’ll give a slight preference to the latter. Factor in cost—this is $50 more expensive—and it’s a no-brainer. This still hits the mark though. A solid effort from Lux Row and a worthy addition to the Blood Oath line.

Laphroaig Cairdeas needs no introduction at this point. This is my fifth year of Cairdeas, 2016-2020, and I’ve loved all of them before this. I expect nothing less of the Port & Wine Cask release. Nose: Classic Laphroaig. Brine, seaweed, sea salt, idodine, tennis ball, campfire smoke, and peat. Bandaid. Dark chocolate. Ballpark pretzel. Hazelnut. Lemon and a huge grapefruit citrus note. A salsa note. Blackberry and raspberry. Black pepper, cinnamon, and oak. Palate: Brine, seaweed, sea salt, campfire smoke, and iodine. Bandaid and tennis ball. Salted caramel and dark chocolate. Some mint chocolate as well. Juicy plum. Lemon and grapefruit. Some candy: black licorice and Twizzler. Toasted marshmallow, vanilla, and graham cracker. Add the chocolate from before and you’ve got s’mores. Tobacco smoke and ash. Black bean, red pepper chili. Smoked brisket and other meats. Black pepper, cinnamon, and oak. Finish: Long. Dark chocolate. Sea salt, seaweed, and brine. Campfire smoke, tire rubber, tobacco smoke, bandaid. More smoked meat. Black bean, red pepper chili. Black pepper, cinnamon, and oak. Amazing. Easily one of the best Cairdeas releases—maybe the best. I’ll have to sit with this one a while longer to make that sort of statement. Either way, this is fantastic. The port definitely makes itself known despite the massive power of the Laphroaig peat. I’m not sure what the other wine casks are, but the combination of sweet and peat is impeccable. This one makes the 5-star club. An absolute gem. It’s a beast of a whisky at 52%, yet boasts a great deal of nuance and complexity. Every element that makes this whisky what it is elevates it—the casks and the peat make for an incredibly synergistic combination. It’s impressive and powerful. My only complaint is that this is a one-off. Well done, Laphroaig.

Not much to say about this one. You’ve had it. I’ve had. I just haven’t reviewed it yet. So without further ado, here’s the one and only Johnnie Black. Nose: Apple, pear, plum, and raisin. Honey, vanilla, toffee. Caramel, almond, walnut. A touch brine and peat smoke. Orange citrus. Mild black bean, red pepper chili. Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and black pepper. And oak. Palate: Brine, seaweed, sea salt, and peat smoke. More pronounced than on the nose. Milk chocolate, caramel, and fudge. Vanilla, honey, and toffee. Apple, pear, raisin, apricot, orange citrus. Tobacco smoke. Black pepper, clove, and nutmeg. Oak. Finish: Peat smoke. Burnt tire rubber. Ethanol. Pipe tobacco. Sea salt and brine. Toasted almond and caramel. Milk chocolate and vanilla. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Medium-short length. It certainly gets the job done. It’s served me well at weddings and parties where the selection is limited. I have a bit of a soft spot for this one for that reason. But it’s also decent on its own merit. 3.5/5. This is a 3.25 whisky, but I threw in a quarter star for VFM. There aren’t a lot drinkable whiskies at $30 or under in today’s market. At $30, this hits its mark. Classic.

I picked this one to be my first Indian whiskey. My first venture into the category is long overdue. This one is interesting because it uses 75% Indian malted barley, with peated Scottish barley making up the remaining 25%. Apparently this doesn’t qualify it from being a true Indian single malt on a technicality, meaning I call this my first foray into the genre. This is from Batch No. 85, dated January 2020. Nose: Banana. Big time. Not completely ripe. Vanilla, toffee, and malt. Some sea salt, peat, seaweed, and brine. Hookah smoke. Ballpark soft pretzel. Some lemon citrus. Earthy peat exists but more in the background. Root beer or cream soda. Fudge and cocoa. Something like that. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, and nutmeg. It’s interesting, a touch young, but the pros outweigh that con. Palate: Caramel and vanilla. Peat, brine, sea salt, seaweed. Some earthy peat Ballpark soft pretzel and hookah smoke, again. Dark chocolate. Malt and honey. S’mores. Toasted almond. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, and nutmeg. Finish: Caramel and vanilla. Malt and toffee. Toasted almond and cashew. Seaweed, brine, peat smoke, sea salt. Red hot tamales. Cinnamon and black pepper. Medium-long finish. Very unique whisky. Also a very good whisky. A little young on the nose, not in a bad way though. The palate gives the impression of more maturity, even though I doubt it’s spending much time aging in the Indian climate (feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.) 4/5. Extremely interesting product. Decent value at $63 considering it stacks up to a comparably-priced Scotch. Thumbs up for the fusion. I will definitely be exploring more of what Amrut has to offer.