Tastes

Man this bourbon is STRONG. It's really kind of my fault though - I insist to drink every whiskey and bourbon neat, cask strength or not. Many, especially Booker's; would very likely benefit from a drop or two of water but my stubbornness won't allow it. I want to taste every whiskey and bourbon the same way. The nose on Booker's is a good indicator of the heat that's to come. Ethanol fills your nose along with some cocoa powder and leather. The predominant taste here is tongue prickling heat. A little bit of cocoa opens for a wallop of spicy cinnamon . There's a very faint underlying cherry sweetness during the proof fueled mouth fire of a taste. The finish starts hot and tapers down to some rye spice and leather. I'm all for a good cask strength bourbon but man, this stuff is taking that to the next level. At 120-130 proof, its no wonder the smell and taste is hot through and through. Still, a pretty surprising complexity remains after the heat has gone and makes this an interesting dram. Maybe I'd give it another shot with a drop or two of water.

Phenomenology is Phenomenal. Har har. Okay sorry that was lame joke to open up this review. Back in late 2018 I was holding out hope that I'd actually find one of these bottles at SRP locally. Of course, with the proliferation of self proclaimed "whiskey connoisseurs" flocking the streets of sunny Southern California, that hope would never come to pass. I all but forgot about this bottle. And then, deep from within the depths of some forgotten storage room somewhere on the east coast, a bottle was found. And I was notified. Yeah I paid dearly for this bottle. But this could have been my last chance, my fleeting opportunity to taste the one that was never to be. The nose smells of apricots, citrus and peaches swimming in a bowl of sweetened cream. It tails off with the familiar smell of vanilla mixed with some baking spice. The first thing you notice about this whiskey is the mouth feel. Its so creamy and rich, its really quite dessert like. Sweet peaches and melon opens up the taste, followed by vanilla and baking spice all riding that creamy feel throughout. There is a drier quality between the taste and finish, as the creaminess subsides; that actually really reminds me of their core offering "Spice Tree". That dry taste reminds me of some slightly worn leather goods. The finish is a tad bit waxy and does start spicy but melts away to that familiar drier finish. As that taste all but subsides a faint kiss of honeydew comes out of left field and then is gone in an instant, leaving you feeling a bit disappointed. I wish that sweet melon finish wasn't quite so fleeting. Overall a wonderfully complex and delicious blended whiskey. Was it worth the wait and price? Eh, 50-50 but you can be the judge.... if you can still find a bottle that is.

Hipsters ruin everything. There I said it. And I won't take it back. Remember the good ol days when you could roll into a Total Wine or Bevmo any day of the week and see a fully stocked bourbon shelf with Eagle Rare 10 year amongst the other gleaming bottles? Ready for the picking at a wonderfully affordable SRP of $45? Well, I do. And then some hipster "influencers" decided that this bourbon is pretty good drinking and sent their legions of followers in to all of the local fine retail establishments to wipe the shelves clean of certain bottles including Eagle Rare. Perhaps some of you live in parts of the country that don't have this problem. I live in Orange County, California where the streets are rife with hipsters. And so, when a beloved local retailer calls me to tell me that they've got some Eagle Rare 10 year in stock and will sell it to me for SRP which apparently now is $50... hell I was in my car before he could even hang up. And if that intro offended you... well.. I'm sorry. But my views and opinions do not reflect those of Distiller as a community and let's face it - if you are on a site like Distiller... the chances that you are actually a hipster looking for the next flavor of the week are probably pretty slim. No, chances are if you're reading this you're an enthusiast of fine alcoholic beverages like myself. I tasted Eagle Rare way back in the day. In the infancy of even knowing what good whiskey tasted like. I've been wanting a bottle ever since, with the intent to actually give it a good tasting. What a soft, sweet and delicate nose indeed! Caramel blankets some dark cherries and a bit of cooling mint. The nose just oozes of dessert. The taste starts fruity and sweet. Cherries and pears dance with honey and caramel but only for a fleeting moment. Mid taste a surprising wallop of spice swoops in. Tongue tingling cloves and cinnamon mingle with the sweet fruitiness as they usher in the finish. The mouthfeel of the finish is a bit sweet and powdery, reminiscent of dark chocolate. And in fact, I do detect some chocolate but maybe leaning more towards the sweetness of milk chocolate. Vanilla shines through on the finish with some herbal spices ( this is supposed to be a low rye mash bill but you can just taste a bit of rye spice on the finish ) ending off with a familiar leather smoking jacket at the tail end of the finish. I have this habit of bending my ratings based on price point. I try not to, but I do. If you can find a bottle of this stuff at SRP, it is a screaming bargain. This bourbon is wonderful, complex and delicious. The overwhelming taste profile is spice, but it isn't overpowering or unpleasant. Now if we can just convince the hipsters to buy something else so us whiskey junkies can actually buy Eagle Rare for a decent price...

A younger version of myself once drank a neat pour of Taylor Single Barrel at a restaurant and whiskey bar years back and was blown away. Of course, that was when I was just starting to discover GOOD whiskey and bourbons. And so, much like a fevered teen who had just discovered sex, I was doing my best to taste as many whiskies as humanly possible in each sitting. Today I was lucky enough to score a bottle of Taylor Single Barrel locally and actually have the time to sit and truly enjoy this bourbon. The nose smells of sweet vanilla and some green raisins. Its not bright and fruity rather, a bit darker. That fruit smell lurks in the shadows. The Vanilla and Raisins sit on a platform of ethanol. But it isn't distracting or overpowering, its just enough to remind you that this bourbon is bottled at a healthy 100 proof. The taste is warm sweet and inviting. My God, this is as close to a quintessential bourbon as one can taste. Vanilla sets the stage, rolling across your tongue and ushering in a hint of that raisin you got up front. The front of the taste brings in something dark, sweet and ever so slightly salty - reminds me of salted caramel. As you drink it down, some spice prickles your tongue, reminiscent of black peppercorn. The finish is moderately dry and spicy. You get a bit of fine leather mixed with pipe tobacco underlined with the slightest hint of rye. Boy, what an absolute treat this bourbon is. Like all good bourbons, I wish this wasn't as damn rare as it is. It's nuts that this $60 MSRP bottle will regularly command $200 or sometimes more. And although I am a bit ashamed to admit I did pay a price in that $200 range I can honestly tell you that its well worth the price of entry. Delicious.

I'm sorry to say - I am not a fan of Irish Whiskies. Some of the absolute worst whiskies I've ever had were Irish Whiskies. And maybe I'm not giving the category a fair shake, but I feel that by and large most Irish Whiskies are cheap and relatively tasteless. But do not misread that. I did not say ALL Irish whiskies are such. For example - I've tried Redbreast Cask Strength and 12 and both are perfectly acceptable whiskies. Not mind blowing, but not terrible in the least bit. And so, when I stumble across an Irish with glowing reviews and an average community rating above 4... well... it piques my interest. Can I find an Irish that will turn my opinion around about a specific segment? So what's the deal with these "Spot" whiskies? No one ever talks about them but every time I see a review of any of them they're always commended for being excellent. Are these the sleeper hits of the Irish Whiskey world? The nose of Green Spot is so soft, its almost undetectable. It's incredibly sweet and sugary, reminds me of bubble gum. As you inhale the nose deeper, you can pick up on sugary cereal and vanilla as well. The taste is decidedly fruity. I am not one typically for wine cask whiskies but this one is light, bright and pleasant. Bananas and apples come to mind as a bouquet of sweet fruit blooms on your tongue. As the taste winds down, tart berries take center stage. The finish sings of slightly bitter citrus, like orange pith. The mouthfeel during the finish is an interesting one, though - the sensation is almost powdery and sweet like dark chocolate. Green Spot is so incredibly unique that I can see why the ratings are where they are. Well deserved indeed and now I have quite the motivation to try their other offerings.

I'm not typically one for blended whiskies, but Compass Box whiskies can be the exception to the rule. Although my first peated whiskey was so heavy with smoke that it nearly made my eyes water, I've been finding pleasure lately with exploring peated whiskies that aren't quite as intense, like Balvenie's 14 year week of peat. So imagine my delight when I discovered that my local fine whiskey retailer had some of Compass Box's Flaming Heart in stock. I just had to try it. The nose is overrun with peat as with most peated whiskies but this one is a little different. There's a bit of an acidic tang about it, reminds me of raspberries and smoldering firewood. The taste is quite stunning. It is sweet, smoky, tart and savory all at once. Initially the taste rolls in with a little bit of nuttiness that morphs into something sweet like milk chocolate. Tastes like a milk chocolate peanut cluster. Mid taste the tartness of raspberries bridges the sweet and smoky. That tartness gives an interesting mouth feel, almost prickly on the tongue. Savory smoke rolls in at the finish but surprisingly does not wash away the tartness which lasts mid taste to the end of the finish. The finish itself is long, oily and satisfying. Savory and tart at the same time. Wow. This beauty really hits the full pallet. Another stunner from Compass Box.

I picked up a bottle of Kamiki Maltage by chance from one of my favorite local fine whiskey retail establishments as one of my business partners swears by this stuff. After reading several reviews, I went into this taste cautiously optomistic. First of all: Kamiki Maltage is finished in Cedar Casks. That's new and different. But is it a case of " it's different cause no one else wants to use cedar casks?" Or was it a stroke of genius some master distiller in Japan figured out one day? I do typically like Cedar though. I like the smell, it reminds me of a good cigar humidor and it wards away moths ( I hang Cedar rings from my closet ). As you open this bottle you can't help but notice the hype plastered all over the box. London Spirits Silver, Ultimate Spirits Challenge Chairman's Trophy, LA Spirits Awards platinum AND Best World Whiskey Roman Whiskey Festival? This whiskey better not be advertising credentials that weren't well deserved. The nose on this one is a little odd. Smells of straw and something slightly salty and meaty? Weird.. I wonder if I can just smell some savory salty scents after coming off tasting a peated whiskey. Still, I did swap my glass for a fresh one so I am definitely not comingling the smells. The taste has an underlying sweet honey quality about it mixed with some sandalwood. There's a weird funk to this... could it be from the Cedar Casks? Its almost like there's a bit of damp wood taste, like a pile of firewood after a big rain. The finish is super fast. You do get a little bit of sweet tang reminiscent of canned mandarins but its super subtle. Mostly just more of the sweet honey and damp wood. I don't know... this isn't one of my favorites by a long shot but there's stuff in the price range that is way worse. Wouldn't buy it again but it was an interesting change from the norm.

Here I go again, giving another peated whiskey a try. Look; to be fair my first ever truly peated whiskey was Lagavulin. I went in knowing nothing about that distillery or how a peated whiskey should taste and came out the other side convincing myself that peated whiskies aren't my thing. But to be fair: Balvenie is one of my all time favorite distilleries. I love almost everything they produce and generally its one of my go-to brands when I'm out with friends and looking to satisfy the urge for a good, honest, neat pour. The smell conjures up images of an open flame: wooden campfire with some type of meat slowly turning on a spit. Its similar in character to Lagavulin but where that nose was overpoweringly smoky, on the verge of making my eyes water; Balvenie 14 Year Week of Peat is much more gentle with its approach. This whiskey tastes of peat smoke through and through but doesn't assault your senses in the way Lagavulin does. The smoke gently rolls on, carried by a sweet nuttiness I don't often get from Balvenie. Reminds me of a gentle background of honey roasted almonds. The smoke fades off of the finish. Slowly dissipating from the tongue and leaving a slight aftertaste of warm vanilla cookies? How delightful! Lately my life has been dominated by Bourbons. But this was a delicious and nice change from my "sweet tooth" selections. This is truly a peated whiskey I can get behind.

Stunning. I expected nothing less from a Barrel Proof Blanton's. I was recently lucky enough to procure a bottle of this amazing elixir from a local retailer at a somewhat decent price ( $250/700ML ). For those in Orange County, CA who are in the know ~ I got this from Hi Time Wine Cellar who still have a few bottles left. Straight away I recommend not taking a king size whiff for the nose. Its a barrel proof bourbon and should be treated with respect. The nose is sweet and thick with caramel, vanilla and maple syrup. It smells viscous and delicious and has slight hints of apricots and citrus fruits ( very faint ). The taste is vibrant and bold, slightly oily mouth feel. You get Vanilla and Caramel straight away mingled with honey. There's a little bit of a dark dried fruit appeal mid taste, prunes perhaps? The finish is very warm, as you'd expect from the proof. Under the veil of heat lies some rye spice that is missing from the original Single Barrel but less potent than Gold. Speaking of spice, midway through the very long and satisfying finish, something sweet and spicy with a bit of tongue prickle hits. Reminds me of Cinnamon Candies. Call me basic but now that I've tried all of the "standard Blanton's offerings" ( Single Barrel, Special Reserve, Black, Gold, Red and SFTB ) I'm still the biggest fan of Single Barrel. I suppose that's going to be friendlier to my wallet in the long run! But this Straight from the Barrel really is something special. If you're a fan of higher proof whiskey and bourbon and you get a chance to try this stuff, its an absolute must.

Weller 12 year is, in my humble opinion, just about the best example of what a definitive bourbon should be. Bearing in mind that I do believe taste is rather subjective ( hence why glorious sites exist like Distiller ) I will put forth that my definition of a great bourbon in the classical sense is something sweet, not too far leaning in any other taste realm, mildly but not overly complex ( I can already see die hard whiskey fans grimacing at that one ) and memorable. Weller 12 ticks all of those boxes and more. Its a crying shame that "market price" for this delicious selection is through the roof. I do understand why it remains as wildly popular as it is... but that doesn't take away the sting to my wallet if I wanted to pony up for a bottle of my own. Luckily there are still fine dining establishments serving up Weller 12 at a halfway decent price per pour. I tried mine at The Peppermill in Tempe, AZ this past week on a business trip. The nose is sweet and tantalizing. You're immediately hit with a creamy blend of vanilla, caramel and milk chocolate. At the tail end of the nose, a little hint of charred oak makes is way in, but only for a fleeting nanosecond. The vanilla, caramel and milk chocolate train continues to the taste. Weller 12 year has a pretty satisfying, thick mouthfeel like Blanton's SB. But with that viscosity and sweetness you tend to worry if this taste will be cloying. However, your fears are put to rest with a fair bit of baking spice which blends the taste and finish and also introduces a little element of heat to the overall affair. On the finish, the baking spice usher in some more creamy caramel with a bit of sweet, nutty pecans. The finish is quite good and surprisingly long lasting for 90 proof ( a bit less than Blanton's but not far off ). A rare 5 for me but well deserved.