Tastes

Oh sherry cask whiskies. How easy it is to get this completely wrong. I guess taste is subjective but when it comes to wine cask whiskies, I tend to want to taste the whiskey more than the wine. Many brands tend to steer to heavy into the realm of wine cask and what you end up is a half whiskey, half wine fruity and sour mess of a dram. On initial impressions, Lasanta sherry cask doesn't smell like it will disappoint. The nose is light, like REALLY light. I had to stick my nose quite a bit closer to the Glencairn than I normally would. But when I did it smelled of red fruits, perhaps cherries and simple syrup. Maybe... Maraschino cherries? The taste is a good, harmonious amalgamation of the Sherry and Bourbon casks. The taste begins sweet, of course. A little bit of that red fruit influence but nothing much really happens until you get to the middle of the taste. That change from sweet and tart to vibrant spices is really noticeable in this whiskey. The spice dances on your palate and gives way to a bit of nuttiness on the finish. Not oily nuttiness or sweet, but more of a dry nuttiness. A nuttiness that is almost chalky, more like an Almond or Hazelnut. Its good. And the best part is that this whiskey didn't fall into the trap of being too fruit forward.

This was a solid favorite for me years ago. As I've moved away from wine cask selections, my favoritism for Nectar D'or has faded much like its age statement. But as I continue my trip down memory lane, its time to revisit this old classic. The nose smells delicate and sweet, like a bowl of grapes drizzled lightly with honey. You can also pick up just the slightest hint of orange. The taste is surprising because the front tastes a tad salty to me. It was sudden and fleeting enough that I went back for another, just to ensure I hadn't imagined it and indeed, its there. Vanilla and honey sweetness coats your tongue and the finish taste ever so slightly bitter, citrusy and spicy. Think orange peel with some baking spice. The finish leaves a malty feeling in your mouth and leaves you wanting more. Yeah, this one is solid. Although part of me thinks that when this had an age statement, it was tastier. But then again, I had only tasted a handful of whiskies the first time I had Nectar D'Or and very likely my memory was skewed by my inexperienced tongue.

Continuing my journey down memory lane in tasting four of Glenmorangie's core offerings, I've come to the Quinta Ruban Port Cask. Port, Sherry and really... ANY wine cask typically aren't my taste. I find that many of them are overpowered with wine. They tend to be overly tart and fruity which completely masks other the flavors within single malt whiskey which makes each whiskey unique. The nose on this whiskey is oddly soft, almost non existent. It smells a bit of sweet berries and it does have the tiniest bit of brine going on. Like a salty, tart strawberry. Funky and different. That salty tartness continues to the taste. The front is quite muted and a tiny bit salty but as the taste continues, it explodes into spiced prunes. Briny a bit sweet and tart. Toward the finish the taste tapers off and leaves the tongue with an almost slightly floral after taste with a bit of astringency. Hmm... not my favorite, but you know what? It isn't overpowered with red fruit so hats off to Glenmorangie for making a Port Cask whiskey that doesn't taste like you're dunking your entire head into a vat of cherries and raspberries.

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.