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Hirsch Selection 28 Year Bourbon
Distiller Score 97
The nose is soft at first and but as you dive deeper you become bathed in the peppered, rich toffee and dried apricot notes. Vanilla, walnut and nutmeg enrich the complex woody whiskey. There’s a lingering finish of soft caramel and toffee with well-defined clove and earth. All of these flavors work in concert making this dangerously easy to drink. Please DO NOT mix this with Cola.
Reviewed by Brock Schulte
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Macallan 18 Year Sherry Oak Cask
Distiller Score 90
They've brought us some figgy pudding, indeed. Rich dried fruits like figs and dates, some toasted nuts and and a scent of freshly peeled oranges are what you'll find with this whisky. These flavors stay with you for quite some time and eventually turn bitter with some charred smoke from the barrels.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Macallan Fine Oak 25 Year
Distiller Score 93
A robust aroma of peach, blood orange and coconut greet you as you take bring the glass to your nose. There are wood spices found, but become integrated on the palate. The retro-nasal flavor profile is fruit, floral, and fresh despite the 25 years of age. A slight smoke lingers on your palate on the finish.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Four Roses Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Small Batch Bourbon (2017)
Distiller Score 94
The nose offers baking spices, oak, a range of vanillins, and overripe apples. The palate then starts lighter and sweeter than expected, with a ton more vanilla but also a tart side; think vanilla taffy. There's also butterscotch, orchard fruits, and berries. It gets a bit hot on the finish, but that's soon smoothed over by the underlying vanilla sweetness, with vanilla pudding, biscuit and oak, as well as cinnamon and cloves.
Reviewed by Jake Emen
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Dalmore 18 Year
Distiller Score 92
The color is dark amber and full of nuts on the nose and almost, maybe soy sauce. The whisky is quite chewy and, in fact, tastes of the Nestlé candy Chunky which is milk chocolate, raisins, and peanuts. The fruit that stands out is orange and the finish is very nutty and slightly bitter.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Glenfarclas 40 Year
Distiller Score 94
Dark honey, roasted cereal, dark molasses, baked pears, cinnamon, maybe some walnut; these are some of the aromas found in this whisky. Going back for more you'll find orange peel, black tea, tobacco; this is something you'll want to drink by the fireplace. The finish is slightly bitter, but is lengthy.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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George T. Stagg Bourbon (Fall 2013)
Distiller Score 97
A nose full of heat, but once subsided, we find cherries, chocolate, tobacco and brown sugar. On the palate, notes combine into chocolate covered cherries, dipped in honey. The finish is long with even more chocolate, mixed with coffee and a cherry [syrup] on top.
Reviewed by Rob Morton
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Yamazaki 18 Year
Distiller Score 97
There is a rich and milky feel to the whisky. The flavors found here sound like they would make a fabulous dessert: dates, figs, honey, walnuts, and cinnamon. Despite these sweet descriptors, the whisky finishes dry with those tastes pleasantly remaining on your palate.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Bruichladdich Black Art 1990 04.1 Edition 23 Year
Distiller Score 95
An unusual bouquet, with hints of sherry, Bordeaux wine, and perhaps even Sauternes wine blended with fresh lemon peel, honey and the slightest hint of salt air. On the palate, this whisky is exotic and exhibits lots of fruit notes. Fresh papaya abounds, with coconut, chocolate, mango and star anise notes before finishing with nice oak, a bit of cereal grains, and peach crisp. While Black Art may have mysterious origins, the final result is simply sublime. This is a complex and nuanced whisky that is exceptionally well-made.
Reviewed by Distiller Staff
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Macallan The Harmony Collection Rich Cacao
Distiller Score 89
True to its name, the nose offers gooey dark chocolate brownies, fudge, and carob, all intermeshed with prunes, raw honey, and trail mix. The palate showcases cocoa powder, raspberry syrup, cinnamon, and malted milk balls. A rich and indulgent finish brings chocolate in the form of lava cake, covered raisins, and pudding, along with dates, orange zest, and wood spice.
Reviewed by Jake Emen
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Dewar's Signature
Distiller Score 93
If anything is Dewar's signature, it's honey. This bottling has it in spades. The texture is chewy and also includes berries, vanilla cream, and chocolate. Kudos to their former Master Blender, Tom Aitken for creating this blend.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Glenmorangie Signet
Distiller Score 93
Freshly zested orange peels, dark malt, and winter spices take over your senses on the nose. The whisky is sweet and chocolatey and continues on the sweet side with dried fruits. The finish ends dry and not cloying. Skip the espresso; this is the whisky you want at the end of your meal.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno