This year for the holidays I’m going to try a brand new whiskey every day in December. #lifegoals Dec. 26 I am concerned. I am concerned because to date, Orphan Barrel has never disappointed me. Also to date, I have been unable to say that fact about any other distillery. This never mattered until today, because I fully expected Entrapment to disappoint me yesterday, and with nothing remaining in their portfolio except things I’ve already enjoyed and other bourbons which I’m likely to enjoy should I ever get them, that makes this drink the last true trial I expect Orphan Barrel to go though to fully win my heart. Bottom of the ninth, 2 outs, bases loaded. Kicker is lining up for the game winner. Other sports metaphors. Nose is grainy. I get fresh bread, bit of hay. Standard scotch smells, but well done here. Body comes in very smoothly, with fig, red grapes, and black pepper flavors. Finish is juicy. Low burn, sweet cucumber favor. Very much like drinking a glass of that stuff in the lobbies of fancy hotels. So for starters, I love this scotch. This is absurdly smooth. Orphan Barrel has done it again delivering a fantastic whisky. That means... so far, they are the only group that have yet to produce one thing I don’t like. (Please don’t make an Forged Oak Sting, now that I’ve said that. Nor a Barterhouse Bourbon Cream. I mean it. Doncha do it.) And once again, I feel fully incapable of judging this guy with the same degree of confidence that I do when I try bourbon. I have to punt once more and say: I love this scotch. If you love scotch, you should try to experience it somehow. Is it worth 1.8181 (repeating, of course) Balvenie 21-year Portwoods? Not in my opinion. I’ve also never had the pleasure of trying an absurdly priced Macallan 25 year. This is a 26 year. I’m owning this as a shortcoming: as a scotch dabbler, I’m punting on the value/dollar argument. #thisistasty #youshouldtryitifafriendhasoneandpossiblybuyoneifyouhavetheextracash,whichwouldbeimpressiveespeciallysincechristmasjustpassedandmostofusarerecoveringfinanciallyfromthecommercializedversionofwintersolstice ‘Tis the season. I don’t know if I actually have 5 more new whiskeys lined up, so if you’re reading this and there’s something readily available out there you’d like me to enjoy/suffer through this holiday season, leave it in the comments.