Tastes

Blind tasting of Dark Horse, Redbreast 12 and Macallan 10 Fine Oak (this bottle is at least 6 years old and it hasn’t suffered a bit) I expected to pick Redbreast 12 as my favourite. I was surprised with the result. The Dark Horse has the deepest colour, likely from sherry being directly added. Macallan 10 and Redbreast were similar, Redbreast a shade darker (amber). The Redbreast had the lightest sherry on the nose - sherry, raisin and oak. Sweet and round with the best finish of the group. Spicy (not pepper) and long. I ranked it 82, guessed it was Macallan 10. Macallan 10, first notes were “Macallan nose” (deeper sherry, floral) and I listed this as the best nose of the group. Creamy, round (best texture of the group) and a mid long finish with raisin on at the end. Guessed it was Redbreast, ranked it 84 (top of the group). Dark Horse was easiest to pick out. A Canadian nose, likely the rye. The added sherry makes it feel less rounded and almost fractured. Shorter finish. The weakest of the group but still good and very good value. Half the price and I ranked it an 80. All are good but Macallan 10 was the best, they don’t sell it anymore so that’s a tough break. Redbreast is a good call.

A blind tasting and I mixed up Oban 14 with Glenlivet 12. This sums it up. Is Glenlivet 12 a good dram? Yes. A great one? No, but it’s a Can$60 bottle here. Oban at over Can$100 is priced way too high. The big difference between the two is Oban has pineapple on the nose while Glenlivet is more apple. I’m always a bit mystified by the comment that Oban has a bit of smoke. If it does have smoke, it doesn’t add anything. If you like a touch of smoke and want a step up from Glenlivet 12, buy Johnnie Walker Green and pass on the Oban.

Had the opportunity to try this completely blind. I didn’t know if it was a blend or single malt, just an unmarked 2 oz bottle. I didn’t recognize it at all so I spent some time with it. I noted - leather and not much, if any, fruit and a healthy dose of peat. I poured a Laphroaig 10 beside to get a sense of the scale of smoke and it was maybe a third but definitely there and likely the dominant note. I listed round, rich and sweet in my palette notes. I listed finish as long (4 on a scale of 1 to 5). I liked it and I thought it was a lightly peated Islay at about 46 abv. Note that I didn’t pick up Caol Ila which is how I often identify Johnnie Walker Black or Green. Curious to know where Blue gets its peat from. Surprised that it was 40 abv, the richness of the dram means it doesn’t need to hide behind higher abv. Very good whisky.

I have tested Lore three times. First time was after some Forty Creek Unity. The Lore was magical. The second time was after Bowmore 12 and Highland Park 12. The Highland was rated far higher than the Bowmore and the Lore was rated higher than the Highland. Another win for Lore. Now for the cautionary notes. Lore was tested side by side with Laphroaig 10 by four Scotch drinkers that appreciate peat. There was silence and lots of back and forth. Lore was not a clear winner and the 10 not only stood up well it was possibly as good in its own way (not as hot, smoke was more campfire like without the sherry influence). There was no clear statement that Lore was superior. The samples were repoured as the test was closer than any of us imagined considering Lore is more than double the price of the 10. The final verdict - Lore is fantastic. Now for the “but”. The 10 is also fantastic and if you like the sherry influence on Laphroaig there is the Triple Wood at a price just above the 10. In fact you can get the 10 AND the Triple Wood for less than the Lore here. For my money I would buy a 10 and a Triple Wood next time. A 4 due to the price. If I wasn’t paying the bill it would be a 5. Nose - smoke, iodine, sea brine, sherry Palette - rich, smooth, intense but not as hot as a 48 abv can be, smoke, sherry, iodine, spice, rounded Finish - smoke, some dryness (European oak and sherry), medium, spice

On sale for $35 Canadian. This is a bargain for a very nice Whisky. Light fruit on the nose, and a surprisingly long finish with a hint of spice. Easy drinking and a great value.

A great blending whisky but only okay on its own. I prefer how it mixes in blends like Johnnie Walker Black.

This issue is a fail. The oak influence is less noticeable, the smoke is turned up but the whisky doesn’t feel finished and is somewhat unpleasant. Age definitely adds sweetness and a better finish to Lagavulin, give this one more time in the barrel. A pass.

Sherry and muted peat on the nose. On the palette it’s oily and rich, smoke develops along with spice. Pepper on the finish, long and spicy. This one is like a Highland Park 12 that has been dialled way up on both smoke and spice. Intense.

Oddly enough this whiskey encouraged me to venture into more Islay. Del Bac Dorado has a most delightful nose. The mesquite gives notes of bbq and desert like a dry breeze in Saguaro National Park. Small casks and Arizona heat produce a whiskey in a short period of time which may impact the relatively short finish. Spice and heat on the palette and gentle mesquite on the finish. Absolutely worth a try.

Still Laphroaig campfire smoke on the nose but there is a lovely layer of sherry. So much smoke on the palette and some heat from the 48% abv. Finish is a bit shorter than the 10, some spice, sweetness and smoke. A bit of oak and a hint of dryness. This one is worth it for the nose. Very nice expression from Laphroaig.