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Speyburn Bradan Orach
Distiller Score 78
The nose is full of rich malt, lemon, and some vanilla. There is a bit of a dirty quality on the nose, but despite the unevenness of the whisky, it is a good value for its price. The finish is full of fruity and honey tastes followed by a slight bitterness.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Hankey Bannister Original Blend
Distiller Score 82
The nose contains a rich and malty aroma, but proceeds on the palate more delicately. The whisky is very agreeable on the palate with a touch of almonds, vanilla, and sweet creamed corn. The wood and gingery spices come through on the finish ending pleasantly bitter.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Dewar's White Label
Distiller Score 84
The aroma is pleasantly sweet and full of cereal, honey, and apples. There is a slight floral quality intertwined with more honey and cereal on the palate with the whisky coming to an end with oak notes. The White Label is never over-powering and really does well on the rocks.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Bank Note 5 Year Scotch Whisky
Distiller Score 80
Mild honey, delicate tangy citrus, hints of stone fruit, and cereal chewy grains greet you as you bring this blended whisky to your nose. The palate is more of the same; under promise and over deliver. Upon your first sip you will taste creamy vanilla nougat, milk chocolate, more grainy malts and a bitter and slightly astringent lemon zest. The finish is short and sweet of toasted bread, caramel, citrus and the most delicate wisps of peat smoke.
Reviewed by Ryan Conklin
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Famous Grouse
Distiller Score 85
Whoa! This is an intensely aromatic whisky with loads of malt on your nose. This mingles along with salty sea air, chewy caramels, and orange zest. The body of the whisky is greater than your average blend. As the dram winds down, honey and citrus are the last guests at the party.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Black & White Blended Scotch
Distiller Score 74
A pretty standard blend, with little to delight or disappoint. Light, with a nose of citrus, biscuits, and even something a bit sour. The taste grapples with the high percentage of young grain whisky in the blend, yielding salt and caramel, lemon, and something musty. Not much of a finish to speak of. Better suited perhaps for a highball than sipping neat.
Reviewed by Keith Allison
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Black Grouse (Discontinued)
Distiller Score 82
There is a sweet, smoky style to the aroma with less of a medicinal tone to the peat smoke. The fruits are more on the stone and orchard fruit side while the malt component comes in loud and clear. The sweetness and the smoke are pretty equal throughout the dram, but in the end, the smoke wins by a nose.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Vat 69 Blended Scotch Whisky
Distiller Score 79
The nose shows caramel, lemon zest, and soft wood spices. The palate has a touch of menthol and cinnamon and there's an average malty quality and body to the whisky, not too rich, not too thin. The finish is dry, but soft. Though you wouldn't necessarily write home about this blended whisky, it is serviceable.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Teacher's Highland Cream
Distiller Score 77
For a blend, the texture of the whisky is fairly lush and silky. The peat smoke is mild with the whisky offering honeyed cereal with cooked apples. The finish is short, but sweet.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Cutty Sark Storm
Distiller Score 84
The nose shows a bit of smoke and brine along with toasted grain. The palate follows suit adding some barrel spice, caramel, and hay with just a dab of chocolate. As you continue to drink, the richer, malty notes linger with you while the smoke and brine still play a part. The finish is not super dry or astringent, but soft and supple. Let's hope this comes stateside soon.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Speyburn 10 Year
Distiller Score 85
You found a bargain here! Very soft and clean, with some faint citrus and grassy notes, balanced by classic Highland toffee and caramel flavors, slight whiff of pipe tobacco that's very classic for the area. Very easy to drink. This would be a good one for cocktails too.
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster
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Johnnie Walker Red Label
Distiller Score 77
There is a moderate amount of peat smoke on the nose due to malts from distilleries Caol Ila and Talisker. As you begin to taste, dried herbs, cereal, and red fruits emerge. As you finish the malt, it becomes somewhat bitter and full of oak spice.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno