Hellyer's road original 15 year old

Rating: 16/23 Woo! This is the 2500th booze I'm reviewing! N: There's a bit more alcohol than I expected, but then there's just tons of decadence: orchard fruits (juicy peaches and nectarines, pears, tangerines, apricots), vanilla, modest maltiness, faint caramel, touches of baking spices, lemon. So good! P: A bit more heat than I expected at 46% ABV, so I guess the nose wasn't lying. It isn't harsh though. The palate is unfortunately a bit thin. My immediate impression is that this received more water than it should have. The grains also show in that way that's a little bit on the bitter side. Moving past that, I get sweet malt with a well-integrated orange and apricot backing. Maybe a hint of white pepper in the burn. Possible hints of cayenne as well. I like the decadence here, but there's too much heat, it's too thin, the grain is too watered out, and there isn't adequate complexity. I think that this would be a lot better at a higher proof. F: The malt grows and the baking spices come out more now too. Not much fruit left here. Surprisingly, this is the most complex version. Oh, the vanilla is coming back on the long finish! I like this better than the palate. - Conclusion - I really like this at the beginning and the end, but the middle (i.e. the palate) is unfortunately a disappointment. This is still a very nice whiskey, but it isn't quite great. I would give it a 17, but that heat makes me drop it to a 16. Though maybe I'm overstating the negative side of that grain bitterness. It could be a 17 after all. Regardless, hopefully some air in the bottle is kind to this.

Like nothing I have ever tasted before. I was unsure if I loved or hated it. The second time I tried it, on a later date, I loved it. I don’t think it was the whiskey itself, but the scotches I had tried along with it. The flavor was so different I think I was being a little biased to its unique flavor. If you have an opportunity believe me this is unlike anything you’ve ever had and really is good.