Tastes

Wasn't planning on picking this one up so soon, but noticed 2 bottles on the shelf recently at $23, so I had to grab one after enjoying the 86 more than I expected to. Likely around the same age as their Classic 86, you just get more bang for your buck in the higher 100 proof. Let's see if it's worth the modest premium over the entry level 86! Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn, no added water. On the nose, it smells like a classic bourbon profile of sweet butterscotch and brown sugar, vanilla, some apple fruitiness, hint of chocolate, and toasted oak with hints of cedar or pine mintiness. Some corn ethanol burn in there too. Definitely amped up and more fragrant from the weaker 86. On the palate I immediately notice the slightly thicker, more oily feel than the Classic 86. Upon entry, you are hit hard with very heavy baking spices of strong clove and nutmeg and drinks much hotter/spicier than the Classic 86; really wakes up the palate in comparison. The only thing close for me in this category with such high spice would come from Turkey 101, although it’s more cinnamon heavy instead of the baking spices here, but both bring the heat for sure. After the explosion of spices, you can pick out a bit of orange citrus mixed with other fruits maybe apricot, and dark chocolate to almost a coffee note, and burnt sugars. Reminds me of something like chocolate dipped cherries and orange peels with a side of caramels. Not an overly sweet bourbon but not bitter either, nice balance. Good hearty oak flavors with maple bring up the back end of the sip. Did I mention the hot spices? The bang here for the modest $3 premium over the Classic 86 is crazy! The flavors come in waves with OFS, starting with the heavy spices, then a transition to fruits and darker notes of chocolate, and finally to an oaky maple finish. Quite good at this price! Finish is long with maple syrup, tobacco, caramel, more fruit, lingering spice that cools/tingles the entire mouth, and toasted oak with hints of cedar/pine. Nice! Overall, a much spicier, bolder, more flavorful version of the OF Classic 86! If you like it spicy and kicked up with richer flavors, definitely spend the $3 over the 86! At this price point, may become one of my daily favorites. At 100 proof in the low $20s, compares very favorably to my stronger favorites in Turkey 101 or Beam Distillers Cut. All offer high spiciness and plenty of character and flavor from their respective distillery and great value at the same proof level. Although at least $10 more expensive, my favorite 100 proofer is still the McKenna 10 year for its darkness, richness, depth, and complexity. The OFS is a fantastic value for a strong yet classic bourbon with fairly complex waves of flavor! Highly recommended! Cheers!

Dewars is arguably one of the most widely known and best selling blended Scotch whiskies out there. As the name suggests, the individual whiskies (both single malts and single grains) in the blend here are all aged a minimum of 12 years; however the final mixed blend is then aged again around 6 months to marry the flavors together. Being admittedly still fairly new in the world of Scotch, what drew me to grab a bottle of this were the suggested predominant darker tasting notes of dark fruits and smoky (not a peaty smoke) chocolate milkshake, which just sounded delicious to me, but the modest price doesn't hurt much either. Will it live up to my expectations or end up as just another forgettable Scotch blend? Let's give it a go! Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn, no added water. On the nose I pick up honey, a nice mix of both fruity and floral bouquets and lastly and a hint of milk chocolate with a peppery spice. At times the frutiness comes across as sweet apple turnovers drizzled in caramel with a side of vanilla cream, yet with subsequent smells I pick up some orange citrus. A light smokiness in the malt, but nothing resembling peat smoke, is detected on the nose. All in all, quite a nice start inviting me for a taste. On the palate, the initial feel is buttery yet on the thinner side with a strong surge of honey coming forward first with buttery toast. The sip is neither sweet or tart, but right up the middle. Next up I get a wonderfully dark palate of milk and dark chocolate cake with light vanilla frosting, dark cherries and raisin, all mixed together with a nice smokiness and light spice here that I really really like. It's not what I'd consider a peaty kind of smokiness, but a darker charred kind of smoke that honestly plays very well against the darker chocolate and fruit flavors. And these darker flavors were exactly what drew me in to buy a bottle. While the nose is layered and airy if a little light, the palate is dark and rich with a great smoothness and full flavor profile. Honestly for a $30 blend, the Dewar's 12 is delicious! I have no complaints on flavor for the price paid! The finish is pretty short, unfortunately, and leaves toasted cereal with a lingering smoke way off in the distance, calling you to refresh those nice palate flavors. A short but flavorful kick of spice and pepper finish off the taste. Wish the flavor notes lingered a bit longer, but another sip always remedies the issue. Overall, I must say, for a 12 year blended Scotch at the more than reasonable $30 price point, I really like this blend. I greatly enjoyed the darker notes here, particularly the chocolate and char smoke dancing together. At this price for a Scotch, most folks would likely be looking at either Dewar's 12, JW Black, or even the well respected Monkey Shoulder. I really enjoyed the MS for its flavors, but it's flavor profile is entirely different, much lighter, malty, and more fruity citrus, no darker flavors, no char or peat smoke to speak of. The JWB is slightly less complex or rich but has more of a light peaty smoke profile in comparison to the more char and chocolaty smokiness of the Dewar's. While I look forward to continuing my Scotch and whiskey journey, I think this Dewar's will always occupy a space on the shelf for a tasty budget blend! Cheers!

Old Forester is one of the oldest continually produced bourbons on the market, made by the Brown-Forman distillery. The same parent company also produces the widely known Woodford Reserve, in addition to the Whiskey Row series of Old Forester bourbons. This review, however, will focus on their entry level bourbon, the Old Forester Classic 86 proof. I am a fan of the rich taste and complexities of the Woodford Reserve products, but this is my first taste of anything from their Old Forester line. At $20 the OF Classic 86 is certainly affordable, but will its taste offer a worthwhile addition to the collection? Let’s find out! Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn, no added water. On the nose, you are greeted with a fairly complex arrangement of smells. Most prominent is a sweet floral bouquet, augmented with a fairly rich caramel and vanilla, slight note of minty green apple, and an undercurrent of nice oaky and a bit of pine woodiness to round it out. I’ve got to say at this price point I expected far less depth and inviting aromas than what you get! Nice start! On the palate the bourbon is fairly thin, but not terribly so. The sip is not very sweet, more tart I suppose, and starts with a bit harsh corn grain alcohol forward punch of heat. Luckily that initial bit of harshness fades quickly and leaves a nice bit of dark cocoa mixed with orange citrus peels, a bit reminiscent of the Woodford I enjoy actually. Afterward a hint of rye spice and pepper builds up until a nice deep vanilla oaky presence is revealed. The finish is really pretty lasting and flavorful, leaving a pleasant wet tobacco leaf and maple syrup note mixed with oaky goodness. A pleasant, if faint, old oak with cedar taste lingers long after the last sip, a bit unexpected at the length here. Overall, I must say I feel like I got more than my $20 worth from this bourbon! I detect similar flavor notes from the more expensive Woodford Reserve, however the OF 86 lacks its refinement and enhanced complexity. So I can certainly see the family lineage here in this whiskey, but it’s got a more youthful, rowdy character than its more mature brethren, all expected from a $20 bottle. The only real flaw with this is the bit of harsh corn grain alcohol start, which luckily doesn’t last very long and is certainly forgivable. I actually enjoy this one more than I expected to at this price. While a bit unrefined, there is a lot of unique character to the aroma and flavor, I think more than you’d find from a similar $20 bottle from Beam, Evan W, or Four Roses. It won’t unseat my favorite in the category, Wild Turkey 101, but the OF 86 has earned a spot in my “inexpensive” rotation among Dickel 12 and Beam Black or Distiller’s Cut, for an inexpensive sip that tastes a bit more complex than what you paid for it! Probably a 3.75 rating for the whiskey alone, but I'll bump to a 4 given the good value. Nicely done OF! Cheers!

JW Black, aka peated Johnnie, will be my very first taste of a peated Scotch whisky, albeit lightly peated so as to not scare me off forever of the style. This Scotch is a 40% ABV blend of course of around 40 grain and single malts all aged a minimum of 12 years. So the question is will this peated dram lead to a repeat or scare me off for good? Let’s find out! Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn, no added water. On the nose, the first thing that jumps out is the light peated smell of burnt rubber, a bit of bandaid, mixed with a light smoldering/smoky ash. As a side note, to be honest, I’ve held this bottle for a while now and have put off this tasting thinking the whole peat idea just wasn’t going to cut it after my first attempts. Which is precisely why I’m starting small here into lightly peated whisky. Anyhow, given time, I’ve grown accustomed to the idea (or smell/taste if you will) and it is now very interesting to pursue. Back to the nose, after a few whiffs the initial peat scents almost disappear entirely and are overtaken by the whisky’s other notes. I’m getting lots of sweet honey, some light florals, some vanilla, pepper, citrus and maybe golden raisin with just a bit of smokiness resting in there. Not bad, not bad! I like it! On to the palate, I immediately get the light peat again off the bat in a light wet ashy, iodine, or burnt rubber taste. Not strong peaty taste notes but they're in there. The light peat quickly fades into smoky wood ash, sort of like the remains of burnt wood from a campfire far far away, but nothing outrageous or offensive. After the smoke quality quickly fades, a sweet core appears in mix of vanilla, malt, honey, citrus and fruitiness with no one flavor taking center stage over another, and finishes in a bit of an oaky and peppery hit. Again, not bad but nothing overly complex or terribly exciting. I would like to taste this dialed up to 45% or so at minimum, and I’ll bet it would be a much more interesting sip! Nonetheless I enjoy the taste profile at its price point. The finish is short to medium with some honey, malt. and the light wet smoke that lingers on but gently fades over time. Overall, despite my initial leariness, I can honestly say this whisky is not bad at all. Nothing really amazing going on, but it’s certainly not offensive or off putting. As I've nearly finished the bottle now, I can say I really like JWB as a VFM pick. It's lightly smoky, sweet, and easy drinking that makes for a great daily option when you want to save the expensive stuff. I think for my experience level into Scotch, and peated varieties in particular, this is an interesting and perfectly acceptable entry and I’ll admit it does leave me wondering what lies ahead in my journey into Scotch, including other stronger peated varieties I hope. My curiousity is certainly piqued and it leaves me pondering what the likes of Ardbeg and Laphroaig to name a couple, will offer, but I don’t want to get to ahead of myself there. As for the peat, I think I can say there will be a repeat in my near future! Cheers!

Glenfiddich 12 is arguably one of the most well known entries into the world of single malt Scotch, hailing from the Speyside region. Being primarily a bourbon lover, this is only my second scotch tasting, and my first true single malt. At 40% ABV, I’m not expecting mouth scorching flavors, but it should be very drinkable. Let’s see if one one of the best selling single malts can please a bourbon palate! Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn, no added water. The color is a nice bright golden straw with a sparkling clarity. On the nose depending on the whiff, I'm getting a mix of lemon peel and semi sweet orchard fruits, maybe pear or apple, malt mixed with honey, light vanilla and caramel, and a very faint hint of wood. Pretty pleasant nose with nothing out of balance or dominate, but fairly light. Certainly invites one for a sip to discover more. As a side note, coming over from the bourbon world, when I think of any 12 year old bourbon you typically expect deep barrel wood notes and influence; but in this 12 year Scotch the wood is almost nowhere to be found in the nose and is very light indeed. I would never guess this to be a 12 year whisky! Not saying any of this is a bad thing, just an observation. Palate starts lightly sweet with a fairly nice buttery feel (not overly watery again for the ABV) and with a surprising amount of cinnamon spice kick in the front end for the ABV. Maybe the 12 years in the barrel are finally making themselves known in the spice! The sweetness quickly fades into a more bitter (but not unpleasant) taste, with the flavors of malt and the orchard fruits taking center stage. Playing backup are notes of light honey, vanilla, almond, toasted sugars, and a light bit of oak. Pretty nice indeed, again with everything offering a nice balance and a good mix of flavors. Finish is medium to long-ish with toasted cereal, malt, honey, fruit (more pear/apple), and tongue tickling spice lingering on in various waves. Overall, a nice pleasant entry into the single malt Scotch world. I can certainly see why this is a perennial best selling single malt, as it’s affordable, fairly flavorful and surprisingly spicy, without a hint of peat to be found which should please those not accustomed to peated drams. I think this is a perfectly fine sipper at the price, although not really remarkable in any particular way. For a palate that is accustomed to the traditional bourbon wheelhouse, this one is enjoyable and I will certainly have more pours! Cheers!

Kentucky Spirit is essentially a single barrel expression of their fantastic 101 bourbon, although with a bit more age behind it. Had a quick taste of Kentucky Spirit at the LLS, so without a full dram to critique in a Glencairn this taste will be less detailed than I like. Hard to get a nose on this out of a plastic cup but what I could get was traditional Wild Turkey bourbon with extra helping of spice, vanilla caramels, toasted wood back end. A bit more robust and full than 101. On the palate I was immediately hit with a nice sweetness and strong cinnamon spice. I love Wild Turkey products and am used to their signature cinnamon burn, especially in 101 which is a favorite of mine. The Kentucky Spirit really amps up the cinnamon spice though, almost like a spicy cinnamon candy. After that initial wave of strong tingly cinnamon spice, you get a bit deeper vanillas, brown sugars, and caramels than you get in 101, although unmistakably Wild Turkey bourbon at its core. On the back end you retain that nice toasty wood barrel that also makes Turkey bourbon so fine. KS finishes fairly long and you retain the caramel and toasted brown sugars all mixed with more toasted oak. Alright by me! Overall KS is darn tasty Turkey bourbon, but aren't they all! At around $60 for a bottle I honestly think you can do a bit better with the $45 bottle of Rare Breed at higher proof cask strength. Or save even more $ and grab the Russell's Reserve 10 year. It's rich, deep and just as tasty at half the cost of KS, albeit a lower proof and you lose the high cinnamon kick. I'll probably eventually grab a bottle of KS down the road to really pick apart all the nuances but I think with Rare Breed being cheaper and arguably better, it makes for a hard sell on this one. I feel like KS should settle in the $40 to $45 range. Cheers!

To start I'll admit I am mostly an American whiskey and bourbon enthusiast, and so my opinion on my first bottle of scotch will be colored through my lenses and learnings from the bourbon world. Having heard pretty good things about this blended malt scotch for the price, I figured it would be as good a place to start as any. My bottle says Batch 27 if that carries any significance. Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn, no added water. Immediately on the nose I can tell I've stepped outside my lane and we're not in Kansas (or Kentucky as it were) anymore! The scent is elegant and soft, with lightly sweet orange jam over toast, lightly drizzled with honey. There is a light vanilla in the backend with subtle spice of maybe nutmeg and the faint scent of wood. At times the orange is replaced with lemon I think, or even baked apple pie filling with crust. Whatever the case there's a good bit of complex fruitiness happening here, not bad. On to the taste, it starts sweet and deliciously creamy. Flavors of malty toast or bread tend to dominate for me. Still get that complex citrus fruitiness that could tend towards several varieties, but mostly orangish. Some pleasant spiciness hits mid palate with just a bit of a tingle prickling the tongue. Later just a bit of toasted sugar and barrel comes in. All in all, pretty nice! Finish is short to mid length and offers bits of honey, orange mixed with apricot, a little barrel influence, and a little smoky char somewhere in the distance. I like it! Overall, I really like it, has no offensive qualities for sure, rather light and delicate, yet still carries its own richness of flavor in comparison to the big burly sometimes fire breathing bourbons I tend to sip. It is an interesting change of pace and I can see myself having another pour at some point, but I think it underscores my personal preference for American bourbons. I think of it maybe as a bit of Coke versus Pepsi. Some people prefer all of one and none of the other or all of one and occasionally the other, and I feel like I might be in the latter group at this point. Anyhow, MS is an excellent Scotch blend at a very reasonable price point. Cheers!