Stranahan's Diamond Peak (old recipe)

Tasted at room temperature in a glencairn glass. No water added. 94 proof. The nose is subtle, gentle, and pleasant. I'm not trying to say "weak" in any way. I get brown sugar and apple pie. On the palate, single malt steps forward. It's just that profile... you know it when you taste it. Sweet, syrupy, vanilla, butterscotch... with lots of mouth feel. The finish doesn't hang as long as I'd like, but while it is present, it's back to the apple pie for me. Lighter than I'd like, honestly.

Excellent - in the same ballpark as the 117 West CA Single Malt

Nose: Oh wow, this smells great. Cherry Dr Pepper, nougat, plum, spun sugar, and the faintest hint of green oak leaf. Not even a trace of ethanol. Could sit and huff this all night. Palate: vanilla pudding, cola, muffin, and mellow dried fruits (think apple, blueberry, and pear). Round and full, neither being bright nor dark. Finish is more fruit (specifically apple), along cocoa powder, some wood and spice showing up to balance things out. Notes are so rounded as to be hard to define what specific “wood” or “spice” I’m tasting here. Finish is pretty short overall. Mouthfeel soft as a baby’s bottom. Overall very enjoyable but man this thing is MELLOW. The song “Easy” by the Commodores comes to mind. I normally go for much bolder, but this sort spoke to me and what it said was “Hey bud, let’s chill. No need to be brash”. At $66, and 94 proof it’s probably overpriced, but I liked it enough in spite of that to give it a 4.0 anyway. I don’t know if I’m going to buy another bottle soon, but will really miss this one when it’s gone.