Talisker 25, 2017 Release, 45.8% ABV, £168 with shipping (UK auction) Nose: Prune juice, apple juice, apricot, honey, vanilla, sweet smoke, leather, old dusty books, sea air, and salt water. Taste: Salt and brine, more peat heavy on the palate vs the nose. There’s a musty oak-smoke element, and a really nice cherry chocolate liqueur/dark chocolate note. Finish: Long. Decent complexity. Chocolate and peat notes … Continue reading Talisker 25
My 2 cents on Non Age-statement (NAS) Scotch Whisky. I feel like this review is an appropriate time to weigh-in on the discussion. There is a lot of hate in the whisky community towards distilleries for not disclosing the age of their product. Some even flat out boycott purchasing a bottle without a number on the front. Being relatively new to the game, I just … Continue reading The great debate: Corryvreckan or Uigeadail?
Macallan 10 Years Old (Sherry), 40% ABV, £66 including shipping, (Review: Drinks by the Dram 3cl sample) Nose: Classic Macallan-like sherry, cherries, strawberry jam, raisins, plums, fudge, and chocolate. Taste: Everything I got from the nose was on the palate, with a little more chocolate, added oak, and spice. Finish: Medium length. Thoughts: I would be hard pressed to distinguish this from the current 12 … Continue reading Macallan 10 Years Old (Sherry)
In my experience I’ve found a few drops of water really open up and benefit these whiskies, and therefore all my notes are with water added. (Approximately 3-4 drops for a half ounce pour) Blanton’s Gold, Bottled 9-19-14, Barrel 829, Warehouse H, Rick#29, 51.5% ABV, $100 CAD Nose: Brown sugar, sweet corn, vanilla, toffee, really nice cherry, cranberry, and pomegranate thing going on. Fruit hard … Continue reading Blanton’s Gold, Booker’s Bourbon, & Jack Daniel’s Barrel Proof.
Macallan Edition No.2, 48.2% ABV, $117 USD Nose: Classic Macallan-like sherry, heavy on the dates and raisins. Chocolate, orange, and lemon peel. Ever have Mackintosh’s Toffee? (Came in that red tartan-style plaid box) I get flashbacks of that. Also typical Macallan oak tannins, and spice. Taste: Thick sherry and oak notes. Again, dates and raisins with more chocolate and orange peel. I get a faint … Continue reading Macallan Edition No.2
Compass Box – The Peat Monster, 46% ABV, $65 CAD Nose: Soft and mild peat, sea air, sweet cigar tobacco, lemon peel, oyster shells, mild pepper, and lemon zest. Taste: Peat, bryne, floral, salt, peaches and cream desert, creme brulee, lemon zest, cigar tobacco, wood ash. Finish: Med-long, very well balanced, creamy, great viscosity and mouth-feel. Peat Monster is made from the following: (Compass Box … Continue reading Compass Box – The Peat Monster
I was very disappointed with the results in my first Glenfarclas review. The two 50ml samples I purchased from auction (21 and 25 year) didn’t appear to have any evidence of contamination, but after trying this sample from Master of Malt, it’s obvious there were spoiled in some form or another. The Glenfarclas 25 I’m trying here is a completely different whisky. Glenfarclas 25, 43% ABV, … Continue reading Glenfarclas 25 Re-Review
Like most of us, I read about and watched reviews on combining W.L. Weller 12 and Old Weller Antique (OWA) to get something that resembled a Pappy Van Winkle. I was interested. I had a few OWA ($35 CAD), and won two Weller 12’s ($46 CAD) in this year’s Sazerac lottery, so I figured I’d try it. There are a few different recipes circulating, some … Continue reading My Poor Man’s Pappy experiment
Yesterday marked the annual Spirit of Toronto tasting event at the Roy Thomson Hall. An absolute must for the whisky enthusiast, Spirit of Toronto offers an all-inclusive experience with a wide range vendors and expressions. This was the second consecutive year I attended, and once again I had an amazing evening. One of the best features about Spirit of Toronto are the Masterclasses offered each … Continue reading Spirit of Toronto 2017
If you missed out on your local lottery, or don’t feel like paying the exorbitant prices on the secondary market, these four “baby” versions of the BTAC range will have to suffice. W.L. Weller 12, 45% ABV, $46 CAD Nose: Really nice vanilla, oak, and brown sugar notes dominate. Also black cherry, some caramel, old leather, and a faint lemon and orange citrus thing in … Continue reading Buffalo Trace Antique Collection – Jr. Edition
Five of the big players from Islay. You will notice Bunnahabhain, Bruichladdich, and Kilchoman (among a few others) are absent from this lineup. I wanted to review the entry-level (age statement) offerings from the main distilleries to see how each compare. They are affordable, available, and most of all, these are the ones I currently have. Bowmore 12, 40% ABV, $60 CAD Nose: Very light … Continue reading Islay comparison
Glenfarclas 21, 43% ABV, £7.50 (50ml) Nose: Very faint oranges and apples, heavy cream, dust, old books, and some leather. Everything is very mild. Taste: Honey, almonds, soft oak, wet cardboard. Finish: Short, not overly complex, light and mild. Thoughts: What is going on here? This is Glenmorange Original soft. Just really weak and flat. Zero alcohol note, but a pretty basic whisky. Not sure … Continue reading Glenfarclas 21 & 25 year old’s
Toronto Whisky Society 