Tastes

I have a a few Octomore’s over the years. Always they were smokey, ashy and strong/good weight behind it. Also, expensive. This was a sample generously provided by @Pkingmartin. Saturday night pour, watching The Whale. Plenty of downtime to taste, sample, and enjoy. N: Sweet, blue smoke with maritime brine. A meat smoker burning hickory wood infusing spare ribs at the beach in the evening low tide. The aroma sweetness is surprising as more phenols would be expected. Vanilla beans, caramel, apple crumb pie and bitter dark chocolate provide the dessert-infused aroma. Light aroma of rubber bicycle inner tubes with a clean antiseptic scent (Bactine?). Not what I would have initially guessed for an Octomore. P: The texture on arrival is a velvety sharpness. The sharpness wanes and brings forth a sweetness and an earthy snootiness. Caramel apples, butterscotch, orange zest, fresh ginger are at the core. Dark bitter chocolate, rich cigar tobacco, black pepper and jalapeño spice come forward towards the finish. F: The spice keeps the tongue tingling for good length. The palate remains ashy, sweet, citrusy. The beauty is the length. It never ends, and that’s a good thing in this case. O: Of the few Octomore’s I have had, this, to my recollection, is the most subdued. Most have been a punch in a face, phenolic blast. This 11.1 brings a sweetness the counters that ashy, phenolic punch. The strength 59% is nearly unnoticeable. A dram that can be a slow, tasty, enjoyable sipper. Thanks @PkingMartin for the sample. [89/100][Tasted: 8/26/23]

Bunnahabhain juice. Not sure I need to say much more. It would be difficult to not to enjoy. Expectations are high. However, I am not sure what to expect from this particular version of a Bunn N: A slowly forming aroma of orange peel and cinnamon crescendos from low and easy to a nice refreshing citrusy marmalade nose. Images of Beach and sun bounce in my mind from these aromas. Tropical it becomes. Pineapples, coconut shavings and light caramel, peaches and mangoes. P: The first sip arrives sweetly. The orangey nose is embodied on the palate. Candied oranges or Sunny-D orange drink, sweet tea and vanilla. Just as that sweetness makes you happy and comfortable, a kick of black pepper and ginger comes in stirs the palate around a bit, in a good way which segues to a more earthy quality. Leather, tobacco, walnuts with a bit of mineral. Just as it all gets familiar and comfortable, that punch of pepper comes back and winds out to a fade towards the finish. F: Peppery finish that tingles but fades to a long woody, orange and honey and charcoal. O: What is described may seem simplistic but what is experienced is rich. What could be a summer sipper, is enjoyable with no bitterness or harshness. Easy to sip. Easy to enjoy. I only wish I had more than just a sample and could continue to enjoy. Thank you @pkingmartin for another quality sample. above and beyond. [94/100][Tasted: 7/21/23]

If there’s a chance to tasted a Barrell whiskey, any one of their varieties, the chances are high that what is about to be consumed is going to be good. This sample provided to me by @pkingmartin all the ingredients to meet that expectation. C: The color is similar to diluted Apple juice. N: Canned pears. The initial nosing exudes syrupy canned pears. It’s a rich aroma that takes time to dissect. Golden sultanas add to the fruity aroma. Brown sugar, honey and vanilla continue to add sweetness. Pinot Grigio provides some white grape dryness. Given more time and space, apricot, cantaloupe just piles on top the fruit basket of aromas. This is not all fruit. Dustings of ground cinnamon and saw dust shavings provides a hint of earthiness. P: For a punched-up pour at 60.82%, the arrival on the palate is soft, velvety and sweet. Honey-candied pears fill the palate of that fruity sweetness found on the nose. Leather, orange creamsicle, dark stone fruit, cinnamon, white pepper. These core flavors are blended and nicely balanced. The cinnamon-pepper tingles the tongue at the fade towards the start of the finish. F : The finish is slightly woody and drying. The nosy saw dust shavings and leather stay for a length. The orange creamsicle coats the tongue with honeyed toast. These flavors last a fair length, like the palate fullness never faded. O: A solid offering from Barrell. A sweet whiskey, yet not overly sweet. A dessert sipper. Surprisingly easy to sip without any water. The nose is a bouquet of fruit. The palate is flavorful. Though flavorful, the breadth of flavors is contained. If the aromas could be embodied on the palate, this would be an immense whiskey. However, this is a solid offering and extremely enjoyable with a strong finish. Thanks @pkingmartin for the generous sample. [90/100][Tasted: 7/14/23]

Continuing the Laphroaig tasting that availed me over my family celebration, my friend, who also had available 16 year, I was eagerly wanting to try this one. Amongst drinking with family, finding a moment to do so presented a challenge in and of itself. N: Take sugary figs, wrap them in salty bacon. As you take in that savory aroma, camphor, pine nuts, brown sugar filling, burning rubber tires, grape jam, dark honey, burnt toast burst onto the nose. A wonderful potpourri of disparate aromas. P: The palate takes on a front of toffee sweetness. That sweetness does slowly subside making way for black pepper, soot, vanilla, dark roasted coffee, dark chocolate, marmalade, grape jam and grilled figs. The palate is just swirling with these flavors spinning around, sideways and all about. F: The palate remains wonderfully coated with sooty cigar ash with brown sugar, dark chocolate orange zest, roasted coffee grinds, brine, and maraschino cherries. The best part of all is that these disparate flavor gel wonderfully and are almost eternal. O: This is one of the best Laphroaig’s I have tasted. A plethora of aromas sand flavors. The sherry finishing just takes a top notch 10 year and pushes it to an even higher level. The interplay of sweetness, brine and phenols keeps the nose and palate active. One of the better finishes from a whisky. Well worth a purchase. Can be found for at a fair price. [Tasted: 7/3/23][92/100]

Back to the old hometown for some family celebrations. Staying at a friends house, and being a whisky enthusiast himself, offered freely access to his collection. This and the Sherry Oak immediately caught my eye. Being the eldest, I figure to start with this 16 year old. C: Golden yellow in appearance. N: Start with a base aroma of iodine, rubber tire bicycle tube, add Granny Smith apples, brown sugar, and ocean sea spray; that is the initial introduction. As is it opens, it grows sweeter and earthy. Tanned Leather or suede, hay, mulch, dried oak leaves. P: The brininess carries over onto the palate over a medium dense body. There is a peppery bite on the tongue that keeps things vibrant. The palate senses so much but is overloaded and the mind works to discern. Oak, vanilla, caramel, cocoa, hickory smoked bacon, grilled pineapple, almonds with a fade to the metallic. F: The finish is somewhat lengthy and in this case, that’s a good thing. Cigar tobacco coats the mouth. Wood tannins keep it dry. Milk chocolate and some sweetness with some black tea and honey. O: A Laphroaig is always a good pour. Flavorful, intense, punchy. Dynamic. It does sip as a more youthful whisky than a slower, mature whisky than I would expect from a 16. As with most Laphroaigs, reasonably priced with high quality. An enjoyable dram. [88/100][Tasted: 6/29/23]

On a visit to Nashville, we took a side excursion to the Jack Daniels Distillery. It was a great tour and worth your time to visit if you find yourself in Tennessee. After the tour, I was hoping to grab some distillery exclusives but unfortunately there were none available. I grabbed two of these as the price was reasonable and JD will stop production of the Straight Rye series. N: A simple sweetness nose. Vanilla Coke entwined with Fig Newtons and worn leather. There are light baking spice and anise notes just enough to keep the vanilla honest. P: An edgy palate with soft sweetness. Vanilla, banana nut bread with walnuts and caramel drizzle. The sharpness, which is most sensed comes to focus towards the finish of black and white pepper. F: The tongue tingle sticks but ultimately fades to a drying woody, minty and charcoaled flavor that hangs around briefly. O: Decent. It works better as a mixer than a sipper. Holds up given the higher proof. However, as a sipper, I would suggest to throw in a cube or two. Seek it out before there are none available for the flavor and the novelty. [85/100][Tasted: 6/9/23]

It’s been some time since I pulled a shared sample, switched on a Mets game and taste. But tonight, a Friday night stars align. A quiet night. A well pitched, low scoring game on both sides. And now a sample to taste with no constraints. N: As it opens, breakfast aromas greet and meet you. Vanilla-soaked French Toast smothered in maple syrup and confectionery sugar (but alas, no coffee and bacon aromas). As it expands, some earthy notes come through. Tanned leather, like a baseball glove, walnuts, ground cinnamon. As it further expands and loosens, fruity notes of apple cobbler with cherries and toffee bookends the breakfast. Drizzle some salted caramel for good measure. The high proof is ever present as whiffs of vapor punches every now and then. Gentle reminders that as sweet and earthy it is, it’s still muscular and a force. P: A semi-dense feel with some bite. As you chew, maraschino cherries, pecans, dark chocolate and caramel atop apple crumb pie. The earthy leather lingers in the background. The longer you chew, the spicier side comes forward and the black and red pepper muscles up, prickling the tongue. W: A touch of water softens the bite and reveals the rye side of the bourbon. It also allows some orange zest to become detectable. F: A nice, long finish that just sticks everywhere. Wood char, nutmeg, cloves, tobacco, dark chocolate and spearmint. O: This is a quality bourbon. Some muscle. Some sweetness. Some bite. Some warmth. Similar to Noah’s Mills, but more refined. From the nose to the finish, there is always something to stir the senses. Always moving and evolving. I am sure there are subtleties that are escaping my senses that with more time and more to pour I would draw out. With so many whiskies on the market these days vying for your hard-earned pay, finding quality becomes a expense and a chore. This is one worthy to seek. (Mets lost to the Blue Jays 3-0). Thank you @pkingmartin for sharing. Not sure if I would have sought this one out, until now. [92/100][Tasted: 6/2/23]

2023 Review I purchased this for an Irish Whiskey tasting. I had a quick hit tasting back in 2015 so I thought it proper to re-review under no time constraints. N:The nose is faint. Old school Cheerios cereal with red raspberries, banana pudding with a cinnamon sugar dusting. Initially, the ethanol slightly punch the nose. Time diminishes the barrier. P: A bit of dulled spice is the first to arrive on the palate. The too does diminish. Vanilla cream comprises the majority of the flavor. White pepper provides a soft bite. Morsels of dark chocolate and snicker-doodles. F: Afterwards, the tongue is coated with charcoal, pepper, mint and vanilla sugar. This remains for a fair length, but ultimately charcoal and mint. O: What is nosed and tasted is not vast. But what is provided is balanced; never falling too spicy or too sweet. A whiskey where less is more works for this dram. Easily a decent slowe(er) sipper especially with the extra punch at 46% Abv. It’s not (yet) outrageously priced. Not mind altering or life changing, but enjoyable. Comparative to the 2015 tasting, this has changed (for the better for me) or my larger exposure to whisky has helped discern aromas and flavor better. [86/100][$55][Tasted: 5/12/23] 2015 Review: This whiskey starts with a welcoming nose of toffee, graininess/cereal and hints of fruit. The palate is soft, revealing it's oak side, with the those same notes from the nose appearing on the palate. Finishes in the dry side leaving the mouth oaky. Overall, a decent Irish whiskey, but I found myself expecting more given I thoroughly enjoy their Small Batch brand. I will need to try again where there are less time constraints. [84/100][Tasted: Whiskey on the Hudson 2015]

A few weeks ago, I put together a whiskey tasting. To expose some of some of the friends who usually just stick with their bourbon, I figured, being close to St. Patrick’s Day, I would expose them to Irish whiskey; something other than the green bottle Jameson. Since this was in Whiskey Advocate’s Top 20 whiskeys of the year, number 16 to be exact, I grabbed a bottle as the price was moderately priced. Along with Jameson Black, Redbreast, Green Spot, Teeling Single Grain and Glendalough 13, I presented what are affordable, good quality Irish Whiskey. The hopes that next time they enter a, liquor store, in hand would be an Irish cousin that would formerly be overlooked. A triple wood Irish whisky. Aged in Oloroso and Bourbon casks and finished in Marsala casks. When initially nosed, it comes across similar to an airy bourbon. Hints of vanilla and honey. A slight walnut nuttiness. Time improves the nose allowing wax and butterscotch notes to manifest. Thin and delicately spicy and mildly sweet. Bartlett pears drizzled with honey and pickled ginger. Black tea and figs provide some bitter sweetness. Oddly, white grapes with white pepper develops towards the end of life the palate zing the tongue with pins and needles before the is finally consumed. A slightly drying finish of wood, grapes, milk chocolate and lemon zest that’s short and clean. OThe Bushmills I have in the past have have been typically sweet and silky. This breaks that mold as it’s spicy and thin. Not that that is a bad thing. It’s just different. If it was part of a bourbon tasting I suspect that most would be surprised that this was an Irish whiskey. Sips young to the likes of a 5 or 8 year old. Sprite and zesty than mellow. A nice sipper. However, if being compared to Redbreast or Green Spot, I would be inclined to grab either one of those before the Bushmills 12. Would like to see this priced around $10 less. [$55][85/100][Tasted: 4/7/23]

Batch: 2 Bottled: 1/2022 Case: 3687 A mash bill that consists of 65% corn, 20% wheat, and 15% barley My son grabbed a bottle of this and of course was now naturally curious. Tasted over a few pours on different days. One that I would normally overlook. But since it’s in my purview, I might as well try. Faint and restrained nose. Floral, vanilla, brown sugar, and honey begin on nosing. Within that floral faintness, a light woody cedar incense (ala smoke punks) aroma is detectable. Hints of cinnamon apple linger. Even more faintly are the the white grape skins and white wine. With a creamy mouth, a sweetness coats the palate. Breaking it down, vanilla, light brown sugar, cola, white pepper, pickled ginger and a touch of oaken tannins which provides a delicate dry sweetness slightly offset by a mild spiciness. A drying woody finish with the lingering vanilla and brown sugar sweetness that linger for a fair length. A straightforward, easy sipping, bourbon. Though finished in Chardonnay barrels, the wine influence is just barely detectable. Does it influence the bourbon? Just slightly, if at all. But overall, a decent, sipper that’s enjoyable, inoffensive and affordable. [85/100][Tasted: 3/10/23]