Buchanan's De Luxe 12 Year

N: Distinct red and green apple notes with a mish-mash of other orchard notes. Something like a peach scented hand soap. Some wet grass and dirt funk in the background. Some mint and other dried herbs. Maybe a hint of cigarette smoke, but maybe @Ctrexman just put that in my brain and I'm imagining it. P: Red apple with a dash of strawberry flavoring (not real strawberry). Has a sort of apple juice quality too. Middle has some round malt notes with a touch of caramel, vanilla, and white bread, but the mouthfeel is notably thin. Flash of cinnamon dusted custard with toffee bits pushes the pour along to the finish. Finish has a touch of heat with a baking spice character. That earthy funk from the nose comes back and feels like it has some peat elements now - it's kind of a lingering wet moss, which is not as bad as it sounds, but it's not great either. This is basically a completely forgettable blend. This is no JW Black that even an experienced scotch drinker might occasionally want to revisit for old time's sake. It's not a malt forward Famous Grouse or Monkey Shoulder. It's certainly not on par with any Compass Box. Best thing I think I can say about this is that it does seem to have some the same profile as the much beloved JW Green, but it's as if the notes are all in the wrong key and played in the wrong order here. The earthy and herbal notes of the Green get merged with a solid malt backbone and a hearty, chewy mouthfeel with a small bonfire that was doused with sea spray. Here, the herbs are wilted and drowning in bowl of watered down apple juice that a toddler then decided to dump a cereal box onto while someone is smoking a cigarette in the next room. That said, I've had no trouble finishing the bottle - it's not drain pour bad. I don't even think I would say it's actually bad, just kind of blah and forgettable. And overpriced, but that's not surprising and it's still relatively cheap, so it's even forgettable on the VFM front. _______ A bunch of regular Distiller reviewers are chatting in real time on Discord. Please join: https://discord.gg/crpksjtkMu. (If the link is expired, post a comment and I can get a new one.)

I used to run sound and lights for a cover band years ago. We were pretty dialed into the Chinese restaurant circuit. They had small rooms where they would pack the people in and my goal was to rattle some glasses off the bar rack they hung on. We would plow through 3 sets and get outta there 1-2oclock depending on which state we were in. This was back when EVERYONE smoked and inside was encouraged. Id get home and smell it on my clothes then jump in the shower and as soon as the water hits a blast of old used stale cigarette smoke would explode. That is Im afraid the smoke character in this scotch. The nose has a little vanilla and a little malt but mainly slightly bitter barrel and the smoke. Palate is more bitter wood and stale smoke with a flash of malt sweetness but fruit is lacking imo. Finishes dry with the grain kicking in a bit and the wood tannins alongside the tired smoke. It has a bit too much of someone put out a marlboro on your tongue for me but this is pretty popular in South America. Overall its not as bad as it sounds with some decent malt characteristics but off my list of repurchase........70/100.....its still scotch and perhaps the smoke profile can be grown into.......Side note: people need to get over the bottle pouring- just tip it upside down over the glass and shake the bottle a little and voila