Tastes

I enjoy a 60-minute IPA from Dogfish Head every now and again. I’ve had a few of their other beers as well, and I have a generally-favorable opinion of the brewery. However, had this not been purchased for me as a gift, I don’t know that I’d ever be reviewing their straight whiskey. It’s not something that would’ve jumped off the shelf at me. Nevertheless, here I am. Nose: Gumdrops and dried apricot. Raisin, cherry, and grape. Dark chocolate and raspberry. Caramel and honey. Orange citrus and cocoa. Very, very sweet. Palate: Heavy on the dried apricot and cranberry, as well as cola. Some apple, pear, raisin, and grape. Toffee, honey, butterscotch, and caramel. Cashew and almond. Some menthol and smoked wood. Malty and grainy. Quite sweet, once again. Finish: Burst of dried cranberry and apricot. Raisin, cherry, cola, chocolate, and caramel. Toffee and nougat. Fig Newton. More of the menthol. Short to moderate finish. This is a perfectly fine whiskey. Nothing to write home about either. Outside of the bitterness of the finish, I don’t really have any complaints. The nose was actually quite intriguing. But the youth here is evident, and it’s as simple as that. This could be a solid product with a few extra years of aging and potentially experimenting as well. 2.5/5. A bottle of this runs for $31 at my local store. It was a gift to me, but after trying it, there are so many options I’d spring for first at the price point. I don’t mind this one bit, but I anticipate that my next experience with Dogfish Head will be a beer.

Kavalan Single Malt was my first Taiwanese whisky, and I must say that I enjoyed it. It struck me as a more tropical-tasting Japanese whisky. This King Car is a step up in price and, according to its color, seems to have a greater Sherry oak presence. Let’s check it out. Nose: Honey, toffee, vanilla, and caramel. Honeydew, pineapple, apple, pear, and coconut. A touch of lime and orange. Some green apple jolly rancher. Apricot deep in the background. A pinch of black pepper rounded out by some oak. Palate: A bit hot on the palate. Blackberry, black currant, cranberry, pound cake, raisin, date, and fig. Orange citrus and lime. Pineapple, apple, and pear. Macadamia, cashew, and chestnut. Caramel, toffee, honey, and vanilla. Black pepper, cinnamon, and oak. Finish: Pineapple, apple, pear. Cranberry, raisin, pound cake. Apricot, orange, Vanilla, caramel, toffee. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Moderate-long finish, leaning toward the former. This drinks like the Kavalan Single Malt with the Sherry element turned up. It maintains the tropical qualities as well. It’s a bit hot for a 46% whisky, but the flavor profile is very strong. I got this on sale for $90, though I know it runs a bit higher. That’s steep for an NAS whisky and certainly not helping the score. I’ll give this a 3.75, a quarter star below the Single Malt. So far, Kavalan is doing a fine job of representing Taiwanese whisky.

The original wine cask trio of the Knappogue Castle finishing series featured three of my favorite Irish whiskies of all time. So when I saw this packaging on a shelf again, I considered it a must-buy. This is a Cognac barrel-aged whiskey. The only one I’ve had was the Glenlivet 14, which was very underwhelming. Hoping that KC can do a better job with theirs. Let’s check it out. Nose: The green apple and pear that I associate with KC jumps right out of the glass. Plum, date, fig, and raisin. Green grape. Honey, toffee, caramel, and vanilla. A touch of shortbread cookie. Walnut, almond, and cashew. Slightly “perfumy.” Oak. Palate: Big on the shortbread cookie, along with honey, toffee, caramel, and vanilla. Green apple and pear are more in the background now. Golden raisin with some date and fig. Apricot and green grape. Some plum and a ton of orange citrus. A little baking spice tingle with some oak spice. Finish: Caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Plum, apple, pear, and apricot. Golden raisin, date, and fig. Cashew, walnut, and almond. White pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Moderate-long finish, leaning toward the latter. Solid pour. This definitely does not stack up to the wine cask-trio. The cognac cask does not give the Knappogue base spirit the depth that the wine casks did. Judged independently of those, however, I find this really enjoyable. This ran me $70. I think it’s a fine value at that price. Definitely a worthwhile purchase and another winner from Knappogue Castle. Wherever they’re sourcing from—and the casks that they’ve been aging their juice in—it’s a winning combo. Solid stuff. 4/5 even.

Crown Royal needs no introduction. This was a staple for me and college, and I’m reviewing this now simply to check a box. My expectations aren’t particularly high here—but hey, you never know. Nose: Loads of vanilla. Some toffee, caramel and butterscotch. Light rye spice, white pepper, clove, and nutmeg. Palate: Apple juice. Vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, and toffee. Citrus and tobacco smoke. Overly-sweet dried apricot. Cocoa. Some malty, grainy, slightly tinny notes. Rye spice, black pepper, clove, and nutmeg. Finish: Candy corn, overly-ripe dried apricot, and apple juice. Vanilla, caramel, toffee, butterscotch. Black pepper, rye spice, clove, nutmeg. Very brief. Well, can’t win em all. I wasn’t expecting much out of this one, and that’s a good thing, because it didn’t deliver. I’m sure this is fine as a mixer. Unfortunately, I do all of these reviews neat. I consider this to be “class” in my college days. The presentation is all there. The whisky, however, is not. 1.5/5. Box checked.

Ah, Dalmore. The controversial brand whose reputation spans from beloved to despised. Touted for its quality, derided for its price. It’s always a mixed bag with this one. I though the 12-year was fine; let’s see what the next step up in the core range has to offer. Nose: Massive orchard fruit presence jumps out of the glass. Apple, pear, and apricot could be more pronounced. Plum, raisin, date, fig, and pound cake develop after several minutes. Toffee, vanilla, honey, white chocolate, and butterscotch add an extra layer of sweet notes. Walnut, pecan, and heavy almond. Shoe leather and molasses. A touch of orange citrus, some honeydew, and a sprinkle of white pepper. Sun-dried tomato. Prominent oak. Very, very nice nose. Palate: Cranberry, raisin, plum, date, fig, and pound cake now take the forefront, while the apple, pear, and apricot reside in the background. The pecan, walnut, and almond also transfer from the nose. Cola. Vanilla frosting, milk chocolate, caramel, toffee, and butterscotch. Blackberry. Honeydew. Orange citrus. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Cranberry, raisin, plum, date, fig, apple, pear, apricot. Dark chocolate, toffee, vanilla., and pound cake. Orange citrus. Sun-dried tomato. Cola and ginger snap. Black and white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Medium length. This is a fine whisky. It’s delicious, and adds some punch that 12-year old was missing. Nose, palate, and finish offer an excellent combination of notes. My only hang-up with this one is the price. $130 for a 40% ABV whisky. This actually punches above its weight, but 40-even just reads as a lap in the face to any experienced whisky. Feel free to challenge me if you disagree. $130 is steep for a 15-year old. This is quite good, and drinks like a 4-star whisky in a cost-vacuum, but because I factor price and ABV into my score, I can’t go above 3.5 for this one. Regardless, this a solid whisky. If you’re a Dalmore fan or a fan of sherried-Scotch and cost isn’t an issue, you’ll enjoy this. 3.5/5.

It’s been an interesting run with the Macallan Limited Edition series. I missed the first, loved the second, thought the next two were okay, and then had my interest revitalized with the stellar No. 5. With this, I’ve got the final installment, and the tiebreaker that will determine whether or not I remember this line favorably or not. Nose: Apple, pear, plum, apricot, and orange. Vanilla, caramel, and toffee. Cherry. Butterscotch, brown sugar, and honey. Raisin, date, and fig. Red grape. Sawdust, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and oak. Palate: More of the apple, pear, orange citrus. Plum, red grape, cranberry, raisin, date, and fig. Blackberry. Vanilla and milk chocolate ice cream cake. Toffee, caramel, sugar cookie, butterscotch, and honey. Cola and a touch of leather. Almond, walnut, and chestnut. Oak. Finish: Plum, date, fig, and raisin. Apple, pear, apricot, and orange. Blackberry. Caramel, vanilla, and milk chocolate. Black pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Medium-long finish. This is a damn fine whisky. In terms of quality, this leans more in the direction of the 2 and 5 that I enjoyed so much. At $150, it cost $50 and $40 than each of those respectively. I would say that this was still worth the squeeze, but it’s outclassed in terms of VFM. And there it is. The end of the line for Macallan special edition run, barring some miracle that presents me a reasonably priced bottle of the No. 1. Is the series worth the hype? Perhaps not. And it definitely doesn’t warrant the second-hand pricing. But three of the five I tried were damn fine whiskies, and the other two were good (though not $100 good.) In retrospect this is a fine series. Thanks for the ride Macallan. 4.25/5.

Right around the time Glenmorangie revamped their 12-year old wine cask-finished core range, they also added this 15 year. I remember this initially being billed as a limited edition, though it seems it will be a periodic release. It’s a 15-year old, bourbon cask-aged single malt that uses grain local to the Glenmorangie distillery. Let’s check it out. Nose: Apple, orange, pear, and apricot. Vanilla, honey, and toffee. Honeydew. Vanilla frosting. Floral notes. Almond. Oak. It’s faint. I had struggle to pick most of those out. Palate: Caramel, vanilla, milk chocolate, and toffee. Mocha. Walnut and almond. Gala apple, pear, apricot, raisin, and orange. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Apple, apricot, pear, orange, and raisin. Sugar cookie, vanilla frosting, and toffee. Clove, nutmeg, and oak. Medium-long finish, leaning toward the former. I could drink this all day. The palate and finish are respectable, though It he nose falls flat. Overall, it’s incredibly clean and pleasant. Perhaps, a bit more boldness would’ve helped. Regardless, it is a fine whisky. I think $80 for this one is a bit much. The nose is mediocre. VFM is slightly off. The palate and finish aren’t good enough to boost the score beyond 3.25/5. A boost in ABV may be necessary to elevate this score. Perhaps I’m being a bit harsh, because it is an enjoyable whisky. But I’m sticking with my score.

Seeing Chapter 6 popping up on shelves, I figure now is as good a time as any to review Chapter 5. I missed Chapter 1, but loved 2-4. Chapter 5 a blend of four Kentucky whiskies: -2 year old bourbon -3 year old rye malt -5 year old bourbon -15 year old bourbon At 58.4%, I believe this is one of the lower ABV chapters. Let’s get into it. Nose: Big-time peanut brittle, cocoa, and brown sugar. Caramel, vanilla, and almond. Cherry, cola, and orange rind. Black tea and cigar smoke. Sawdust. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Palate: Chewy caramel and cacao nibs. Peanut brittle and almond. Toffee, vanilla, cola, and carrot cake. Cocoa. Peanut butter. Dried apricot. Woody/sawdust notes. Black pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and heaps of oak. Finish: Cherry. Walnut, chestnut, cashew, peanut brittle, and almond. Cocoa and caramel. Golden raisin. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg. Long finish. This marks another superb chapter in the story of Little Book. Oof. That’s corny. Speaking of which, this essentially drinks like a high-rye Booker’s. Bourbon-forward with some of those rye-malt notes adding to an already great profile. Chapters 2-4 were all great whiskies, but to be fair to them, they were all cheaper than this one. Overall, I’d say this pulls its weight in the VFM department at $150. Specifically, the nose and finish are out of this world. Well done, Jim Beam. 5/5.

If I’m not mistaken, this was part of Highland Park’s core range at one time. It did not survive the distillery’s viking-rebranding effort. Fortunately, I was able to nab a dusty old bottle of this before it was too late. Let’s turn back the clocks with HP. Nose: Heavy citrus and red fruit. Lime and orange. Huge cranberry note. Black cherry. Honeydew, apple, and pineapple. Raisin, date, and fig. Sun-dried tomato. Cocoa and pipe smoke. Vanilla, butterscotch, and toffee. Brine and seaweed with a touch of peat and campfire smoke. A touch of black bean, red pepper chili. Palate: Gala apple, cranberry, raspberry, cherry, strawberry, raisin, date, and fig. Chestnut and plum. The first-fill sherry is very prominent. Caramel and milk chocolate. Malt and toffee. Almond. Wintergreen. Vanilla. A combination of barrel smoke/campfire with some sea salt and soft pretzel. Lime, orange peel, and honeydew. Black pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Seaweed, sea salt, black bean and red pepper chili. Cola, raisin, date, fig, apple, raspberry, strawberry, and plum. Honeydew, lime, and pineapple. Black currant. Vanilla, toffee, and malt. Chestnut, almond, and oak. Black pepper, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. Moderate-long finish. Dark Origins offers a solid combination of first-fill sherry and bourbon barrel-aged HP. I won’t pretend that this is something I would’ve come up with on my own, but I will say that this cask combination lends itself a successful marriage with the Highland Park spirit. At $70, I definitely feel that I got my money’s worth. Especially considering that this expression was long-discontinued when I bought it. There’s a lot going on, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there was some long-aged whisky in here despite its NAS status. 4/5. Solid stuff from HP. I’m very glad I managed to get one.

The same day that I found out that Wild Turkey is releasing their “Unforgotten,” I decided I would review this one—entirely by coincidence. The Unforgotten is an to the discontinued Forgiven, which is a combination blend of a straight bourbon and a straight rye. This concoction is marketed as an accident gone well, hence the name. This was a rare find, so without further ado, I’ll be weighing in on whether or not this error was indeed forgivable. This is from Batch No. 303. Nose: Vanilla and mint. Rye spice and black pepper. Caramel. Fudge. Dusty corn. Peach sweet tea. Clove, nutmeg, and oak. Palate: More of the peach sweet tea. Baked apple. Vanilla and caramel. Pumpernickel. Coca and tobacco smoke. Walnut, almond, and pistachio. Black licorice. Dried apricot. Rye spice, ginger, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Pistachio, walnut, vanilla, caramel, and cocoa. Peach sweet tea. Apple slices. Dill, rye spice, clove, nutmeg, black pepper, cinnamon,and oak. Moderate-length. Despite this being a bourbon-dominant blend, I would say that the rye is equally-present in the flavor. In fact, the rye notes exceed the bourbon ones in the nose. It’s a solid amalgamation of quality whiskey. In terms of VFM, I’d say this is right on the money. I grabbed this several years after it was already discontinued, so $63 was a steal as far as I was concerned at the time. And it met my expectations, so I’d so this was a buy worth the trouble in hindsight. 3.75/5. All is Forgiven. Well done, WT.