Tastes

It was high time for me to revisit some core selections I tasted years back, to see if they're as good as I remember. Back then, I touted Glenmorangie as being my favorite distillery. I recently bought a sampler pack, featuring four of their core offerings, to see if they are still a favorite. The nose is sweet and soft. Smelling of apples and golden honey. That honey follows the nose right into the taste. This whiskey tastes almost velvety. Toward the back of the taste I get some nuttiness mixed in with the honey, like a honey roasted cashew. Right at the very end is a bit of a tart hit, like some type of citrus to clean your palate. A little hit of dark cocoa highlights the finish which is moderately long. Yeah, this is a solid one to have in rotation. I mean for this price point, how could you beat this pleasant dram?

A very long time ago, a bottle of Glenrothes Bourbon Cask Reserve was one of the very first "serious" whiskey bottles I ever bought for a friend. At the time, it was because I thought the bottle looked cool and different. What a blind stroke of luck that was, because this whiskey kick started my affinity for bourbon cask single malts. Not considered a complex whiskey by most, Glenrothes bourbon cask reserve is sweet and gentle. It features a flavor profile not typically found in most bourbon cask whiskies and is well worth a try. The nose features aromas of vanilla but I do catch a hint of red fruits there, perhaps some berries. Odd, for a whiskey aged exclusively in ex-bourbon casks. Almost smells a bit tart. That slightly tart, fruitiness extends to the taste which seems oddly red fruit forward for Bourbon Cask, but there's a little bit of sweet spice in there like cinnamon. The finish is dry and almost a bit waxy on the tongue and just slightly tannic. This is a bright, happy whiskey. It isn't terribly complex but its a good drink and honestly, a bit of a bargain.

You know... if you opened up the dictionary and looked up the word "Bourbon" I wouldn't be surprised if you found a photo of a pour of Maker's Mark. This is the most honest "cheap" bourbon I can think of. I've had it dozens of times: neat, on the rocks, in a cocktail...hell you name it ( normally at bars that don't stock any actually good or rare whiskies or bourbons ). But I've never really actually stopped to consider the merits of Maker's Mark on its own. It feels rather silly pouring Maker's Mark into a Glencairn. But I owe it that much for being the underlying staple of my love of bourbons... What a sweet nose! Cream, vanilla and caramel fill my nostrils as I take in the smell. Reminds me of a Werther's original. An almost cloying taste. The front of which is dominated by vanilla and some type of sugary loaf, like those Vanilla cakes you make from the box mix. The finish brings on some flavors other than sweetness, it begins with a little bit of bitter dark chocolate - a surprise and unexpected from the front of the taste. That finish ends quite dry and almost astringent. It tails off the sweetness... or what was left of it from the initial taste. The lingering aftertaste stays slightly bitter and has just a kiss of spice.

The Glenlivet 12 year is a simple, affordable and good whiskey. Sometimes that's all you want after a hard day at work. The nose is sweet like honey. I smell a little bit of some type of melon in there, too....perhaps honeydew. The taste is pretty straightforward, the beginning middle and end taste of honey and vanilla with just a faintest hint of baking spices on larger drinks. The finish isn't oily or long lasting but at this price point, that's fine. What an agreeable single malt to keep around. This one reminds you that its not always about the rarest or the most complex whiskies. Sometimes you just want the simple things in life.

A sweet and spicy nose, with not any one smell dominant over the next. Smells a bit sugary like toffee, but a faint hit of red fruit. The taste is very sweet. Unlike most bourbons, I do taste a little bit of red fruit, either sweet strawberries or cherries. There is no tartness often associated with single malt whiskies featuring port or sherry casks, which also lean heavily toward red berries. At the back of the taste is something sweeter and thicker... perhaps honey or simple syrup. Almost as if it washes away the fruitiness of the front of the taste. That thick, sweet quality rides into the finish. Almost devoid of that initial fruity hit, now it tastes more of honey than anything. What a bargain for such a delicious bourbon. At its price point, this is well worth a spot in your daily rotation.

Dark, slightly bitter cocoa is the theme with this one. The nose smells hot with some hints of leather and bitter cocoa. At the front of the taste is a little bit of salt and spice. The spice isn't overwhelming nor is it herbaceous. Just a bit of a kick, to remind you that you're tasting a different type of bourbon. Slightly bitter, dark cocoa underlines the entire taste, with a bit of burn from the proof. The finish is dry, a little bitter and astringent but that initial hit of salt and spice fades away at the finish. Call me basic but I actually prefer the taste of Four Roses Small Batch to their Small Batch Select.

Larceny is a unique bourbon for sure. The nose is what sets this one apart from others. There's an odd nutty banana quality about the nose, almost like a banana nut bread. I don't think I've ever smelled a bourbon that smelled quite like this. The taste begins a bit spicy. But not in the herbaceous way that rye hits, nor the burning sensation you get from higher proof bourbons. No, this one carries a little bit of actual spice. Like cinnamon spice. The middle of the taste brings on a rich and sweet quality reminiscent of Makers 46. The finish slowly sets in with bit of nutty sweetness, like honey roasted peanuts. Its a shame that finish fades so quickly because the actual taste of it is quite pleasant indeed. The price point of Larceny makes it a great bourbon to purchase to shake up your regular daily drink rotation. If you haven't already tried it: its well worth a go.

There was a time when I thought that whiskey could not get better than Macallan Double Cask 12 Year. Of course, Macallan Double Cask 12 year also happened to be one of the first whiskies I'd ever tried. Now, with a more seasoned palette, I've decided to revisit this whiskey. The nose smells of a blend of red fruits and nuts. Very interesting character about it. On initial taste, the front is overrun with the sherry cask. Extremely red fruit heavy, sweet and a bit tart. As the taste goes down, the back brings on a nutty and oily quality. Reminds me of walnuts. The finish blends a bit of citrusy tartness and again, darker red fruits. Perhaps over ripened cherries? A slightly nutty undertone runs the entire length of the finish. On personal tastes I really dislike whiskies that are too fruit heavy and this is definitely one of those. But then again, what did I expect for European and American Sherry seasoned oak cask?

Wow! As I was developing my taste for whiskey many moons ago, I came across Nikka Coffey Grain whiskey and was not a fan. At all. I discounted Nikka whiskies in general from that experience. Fast forward a few years and I got the opportunity to try a taste of Nikka Whiksy From The Barrel. I liked it so much that I purchased a bottle of my very own. The nose gives me some sweetness bundled in with peat smoke. Not often I get to enjoy a whiskey with a complex NOSE. The taste is savory and sweet. There's a hint of caramel, then you pick up just the slightest bit of red fruit from the sherry butts. Not overwhelming and if you weren't aware of the cask type.. you may not even notice it. The finish reminds me of a deeper, more complex Blue Label. As the sweetness fades into the distance, savory peat smoke dances on your tongue. You know... I'm not one for blended whiskies. But man.... if there are more like Nikka Whisky from the Barrel, I may become a convert.

The nose on this bourbon is rather odd. I still haven't decided if I'm for it or against it. Reminds me a little bit of licorice and sharpie. Luckily it tastes better than it smells. This bourbon isn't nearly as sweet as others. It reminds me a bit of a milder Willet Pot Still reserve. Its a bit herbaceous and spicy. If you're a bourbon drinker and you jump between different $30~ish bottles for your daily drink this one is cool to throw in the rotation to break up monotony. But if your tastes tend to lean toward sweet, maybe keep this one off your radar.