sskoutas
Defiant American Single Malt Whisky
Other Whiskey — North Carolina, USA
Reviewed
January 30, 2020 (edited April 29, 2020)
Tasted at room temperature / Norlan glass / no water or ice added. 82 proof.
The nose is honey, vanilla, and orange peel, and far exceeded my expectations. There's a bit of alcohol in the nose as well, but I suspect that has dissipated since I first got this bottle as it has been open for some time prior to this tasting.
On the palate its an entirely different whiskey, coming across as hot, young, and rough-edged. If you let it move around your mouth fully, you will get some maltiness to offset the alcohol you're first confronted with. Kind of hard to isolate flavor profiles here. Aside from malt, maybe a little citrus?
The finish is respectable mid-tongue, but non-existent throughout the rest of the palate. What does linger is an enjoyable orange-vanilla.
40.0
USD
per
Bottle
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@jonwilkinson7309: personally, I feel those nosing is fully on par with a Glencairn.
@cascode a chat with the legend -nice story! The marketing blurb says “Inspired by nature, digitally crafted, and meticulously refined with master distiller Jim McEwan”
@1901 Did Jim endorse these? I missed that. Very cool dude - I met him at Brookies in Ballina when he was advising them on their still setup. Very down-to-earth and genuine dude who was unusually open in talking to a local nerd like me.
@sskoutas thanks for the feedback on the Norlan (and to others too). I agree they look fabulous. Also, the Jim McEwan stamp of approval helps.
@jonwilkinson7309 Not at all! I've used them at friend's places and they are a great glass. I don't use them myself but simply because I'm a miserly ol;d skinflint and Glencairns are cheaper (plus I hold formal tasting sessions so I need 60 tasting glasses for an event - that's a lot cheaper with Glencairns!)
Thanks for the review and for bringing up the Norlan glasses! I've been wondering about them - absolutely beautiful; my only concern is that the nosing capabilities might have been compromised a bit in favor of aesthetics. Sounds that's not the case!
@sskoutas There is nothing whatsoever to apologize about as regards aesthetics - it is *everything*. If a glass feels good in the hand and makes your whisky experience sing then go for it, and damn all contradiction! Personally I love my old sherry copita that I've used for whisky tasting for decades, even more than my cut-glass Glencairn I only acquired 5 years ago. This stuff is personal - own it!
I have a soft spot for this one, as it is the first whiskey I could pour and drink neat. Everything before was mixed or on the rocks. I have a bottle that's been opened a while that I probably need to finish off, but I really don't want to taint my memory of it. I know now that my collection has grown and my tastes have changed it will not be what I remembered.
@cascode i have the Norlan glass—-the regular and the heavy Rauk. They look pretty, and feel great in the hands. But my opinion...doesn’t elevate the nosing experience compared to the glencairn.
@cascode thank you.
@1901 love them. They are expensive, as you probably know, and I hesitate to say they are “worth it” when compared to a simple Glencairn, but I love the look and hand feel. I really like that the double walls prevent my hand from warming the whiskey up. They are fantastic for nosing and comfortable to drink from. But to be candid, at this price you’re buying them because they’re gorgeous. Would I buy them again? Absolutely. As a matter of fact, my next glass purchase is likely to be there black version.
Nice review.
Not related to the dram, but I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the Norlan glass? I've been considering trying it.