Category: Review

Review

New Release Spotlight: J.P. Wiser’s Seasoned Oak 19 year

A couple of years ago, Corby Spirit and Wine started their Rare Cask Series of whiskies – a collection of one-off bottlings with unique characteristics, production methods and stories – highlighting the innovative potential inherent in Canadian whisky and their warehouses. The first three releases were Last Barrels (a bourbon-style mashbill whisky), Dissertation (comprised of whiskies from Dr. Don Livermore’s PhD experiments), and Union 52 … Continue reading New Release Spotlight: J.P. Wiser’s Seasoned Oak 19 year

Unknown's avatarBryan Vanderkruk1 Comment
Review

Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel

Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel, bottled June 17, 2016, 63.65% ABV, €65. Nose: Sourdough bread, orange peel, vanilla, mud/hay, soft oak. Taste: Baking spices, nutmeg, fruit cake/christmas cake, butterscotch, mint. Finish: Very long, spicy, HOT. Thoughts: Nice and rich, but wow, this delivers a serious hit. Big, bold, and in your face. The spiciness is where it shines. It’s like drinking holiday baked goods that … Continue reading Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel

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Review

Michter’s 10 Bourbon

Michter’s 10 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon, Barrel No.17H1150, 47.2% ABV, $105 USD. Nose: Really nice nutty note off the top, cherries, caramel, vanilla, cream corn, spearmint, and toasted oak. Taste: Great oakiness, milk chocolate, cigar, herbal, and again that general nuttiness that is really nice. Finish: Medium/long, chocolate, spice, and oak. Thoughts: Love it! This profile is exactly what I like in bourbon. The … Continue reading Michter’s 10 Bourbon

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Review

Linkwood 15 Gordon & MacPhail

Linkwood 15 Years Old Speyside bottled by Gordon & MacPhail, 43% ABV, $125 CAD. Nose: Honey, peach, pear, apricot, Sweetish Berries candy, citrus, chocolate, and a delicious malt note. Taste: Honeycomb, chocolate, floral, melon, a candy sweetness, and again that really nice malt. Finish: Long, spicy, light cinnamon and chocolate. Thoughts: Very impressive! The malt note that runs throughout the whisky is perfect. Really good … Continue reading Linkwood 15 Gordon & MacPhail

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Review

Glendronach Peated Port Wood

Glendronach Peated Port Wood, 46% ABV, $125 USD. Limited release, finished with Douro Valley port pipes, non chilled filtered, natural colour. Nose: Strong raspberry and strawberry hit off the top, then damp wood, bitter oak, mild peat, and peaches. Taste: Tart raspberry and strawberries continue on the palate, bitter oak and charcoal. Finish: Medium to long. Tangy sharpness, with heavy ash and charcoal, then some … Continue reading Glendronach Peated Port Wood

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Review

Redbreast 12 Cask Strength

Redbreast 12 Cask Strength, Batch No. B1/16, 57.2% ABV, $110 CAD. Malted and unmalted barley. Triple distilled in copper pot stills. Matured in sherry casks. Non chilled filtered. Nose: Very fresh nose with apples, apricots, creme brulee, fudge, figs, raisins, and chocolate. Taste: Chocolate fudge, malt, barley grain, toasted wood, cantaloupe. Finish: Long. Chocolate, burnt wood, malt and grain notes linger. Thoughts: Everything works well … Continue reading Redbreast 12 Cask Strength

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Review

Balvenie 17y Sherry Oak (2007) Review

Balvenie 17yr Sherry Oak (2007) Review 17 years old 43% ABV 1st fill oloroso maturation   A friend was kind enough to pass on a sample of this older, limited edition Balvenie release. Considering the Toronto Whisky Society is having a Balvenie event tonight, I figured it was an appropriate time to post one of my favourite releases by the distillery.   Nose: Espresso, orange … Continue reading Balvenie 17y Sherry Oak (2007) Review

Unknown's avatardevozwhisky1 Comment
Review

Nikka Taketsuru 21

Nikka Taketsuru 21 Pure Malt, 43% ABV, acquired in trade. Nose: Apples, green grapes, floral, morning dew, soft oak, a really nice caramel coffee espresso, and a general nuttiness. Taste: Bitter chocolate, coffee, pipe tobacco, a faint lemon, and orange marmalade. Finish: Long. Chocolate espresso, slight wood smoke, malt, and orange notes linger. Thoughts: Really nice on the nose; a lot going on. The coffee-espresso … Continue reading Nikka Taketsuru 21

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Review

Crown Royal XR Red

Crown Royal XR Red, 40% ABV, $175 CAD. This expression contains “the last remaining batch of rare whiskies saved from the legendary Waterloo Distillery before it was destroyed by fire”. Nose: Really nice apple, peach, and pear combo. Thick caramel, and a slight rye spiciness. Taste: Apple and under-ripe pear, more caramel but it’s thinner here. Finish: Medium length. Big vanilla hit, caramel and rye … Continue reading Crown Royal XR Red

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Review

Hakushu 12

Hakushu 12, 43% ABV, £65. Nose: Apple, pear, floral, malt, cereal, filo pastry. Taste: Pear, honey, grape, malt, floral, grass and earth. Finish: Medium and drying. Floral, malt, and light heathered peat notes linger. Thoughts: Light and refreshing on the nose, really nice fruit notes, and decent viscosity on the palate. The balance leans heavy on cereal and malt notes, but unlike Yamazaki 12 I’m … Continue reading Hakushu 12

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Review

Yamazaki 12

Yamazaki 12, 43% ABV, acquired in trade. Nose: Honey, musty oak, sherry, honey dew, pears, nutmeg, vanilla, and a very slight heathered peat. Taste: Fresh citrus, chocolate fudge, vanilla, figs, and this really nice vicious malty note. Finish: Medium, very slight peat, fruit, chocolate, and malt notes linger. Thoughts: I really like this! I assume its ex-bourbon and sherry cask matured. The balance is right … Continue reading Yamazaki 12

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Review

Bruichladdich Octomore 8.1 & 8.3

Octomore 8.1, 59.3% ABV, 8 years old, $160 CAD. 100% first fill American oak from Buffalo Trace, Clemont Springs, Four Roses, Heaven Hill and Jack Daniels distilleries. Scottish barley. 167 PPM. 42,000 bottles produced. Nose: Lemon, a floral sweetness, black treacle, licorice, sweet straw, creamy peat,  and a faint wood note. Taste: Grilled lemon, treacle, salt water, cantaloupe, floral. Finish: Very long, slightly drying, oak, … Continue reading Bruichladdich Octomore 8.1 & 8.3

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