This is an old review from a few years ago… before I cared about photo quality apparently! I was at the Manx Pub in Ottawa which has a wide selection but mostly entry level scotches. Busy place, lots of hipsters. Was one pint deep when I got the scotch list and saw this for a reasonablly priced pour. Macallan Sherry Cask Strength 60.1% ABV Appearance: Served in … Continue reading Review: Macallan Cask Strength Sherry
Aberlour A’Bunadh Batch #06 // 59.9% ABV // $100 CDN Found this beauty just sitting on the LCBO shelf a few days before Christmas 2015, hesitated on pulling the trigger for a few days but eventually came to my senses and snagged it up. I am going on the assumption that because it was bottled in 1999, and these bottles are typically min 10 years … Continue reading Review – Aberlour A’Bunadh Batch #06
SMWS Code: 30.91 Code Name: “Deliciously dark and sweet” Distillery: Glenrothes Age: 18 years Cask: Refill Ex-Sherry Gorda Appearance: 1.1, Burnished Nose: Rum raisin ice cream, Christmas fruit cake, spent matches, ginger snaps, masala chai, plum pudding. What an odd nose. Am I detecting sulfur? For some reason, the sulfur is not overt here, or it’s blending weirdly with the other notes… Taste: Is this … Continue reading Review: Scotch Malt Whisky Society 30.91
Just got back from #WhiskyHeelParty2016 hosted by Mark Bylok of http://www.whsky.buzz fame (also, he wrote the Whisky Cabinet), and thought I’d post some pictures of the night. Basically, once a year he brings a bunch of whisky aficionados together for a massive party (I counted 25 people in the room at one point), who all bring their ‘heels’ or bottles with a bit left in … Continue reading Toronto Whisky Society goes to#WhiskyHeelParty2016
These are a few reviews from about 3 years ago of some cheap blends available at the LCBO, average price of about $30. when I was just building up my assortment, these were helpful to have on the shelf to serve to non-whisky drinking friends, or just to have a cheaper daily dram. My original scoring system back then differentiated between blends and single malts … Continue reading Cheap Blend Reviews: Té Bheag, Islay Mist and Black Grouse Alpha
SMWS Code: 35.142 Code Name: “Sweet treats and forbidden pleasures” Distillery: Glen Moray Age: 21 years Cask: 1st Fill Hogshead Toasted Oak Appearance: 1.4, Tawny Nose: Moderate body, caramel and vanilla at the forefront, very little wood detectable, lychee, white grapes, coffee cake, shortbread, butter cream frosting, a hint of sawdust and almost green wood. Taste: Spicy oak and tannins up front, I get some tart … Continue reading Review: Scotch Malt Whisky Society 35.142
Glenmorangie 10 is one of the first bottles I ever bought when I was first getting into scotch. I purchased a gift set that had a 750ml bottle of original plus 3 minis of the 12-year expressions. Those have been sitting around for about 3.5 years now and i’m finally getting to them. When I first reviewed Glenmo10 way back in 2013, i scored it … Continue reading Reviews: Glenmorangie Original, Lasanta, Nectar D’Or and Quinta Ruban
I’ve had two Glenkinchie’s to date, and it’s my lowest average scoring distillery. Here are my reviews: Glenkinchie 10 yr – 43% ABV I was somewhat excited to try this one as I understand it’s discontinued, and has been for some time, (replaced by the 12yr). I haven’t had a lot of lowlands, but thought this could be an interesting dram. also noticed no … Continue reading Reviews: Glenkinchie 10 & 12. A lesson in disappointment
I was out at the bar with friends a few years ago and they had no good beer on tap, so I went with some scotch instead. Hadn’t yet had Bowmore 12, but knew I enjoyed Islay whiskies, so I gave it a try: Bowmore 12 – 40% Appearance: dark and obviously artificially coloured Nose: sweet fruit, floral notes, maple Taste: peaty, little bit of … Continue reading Review: Bowmore 12
Appearance: 1.4, Tawny Nose: Yup, that’s a bourbon! Vanilla and caramel. I also get a nice dose of rye spices, fresh rye bread (light, not dark), some floral notes as well. Quite nice; I am a sucker for a rye heavy whisky though. Taste: Sweet and spicy, salted caramel ice cream, very peppery (as in, “holy s**t, who unscrewed the top off of the pepper … Continue reading Review: Old Grand Dad Bottled-in-Bond
SMWS Code: 36.96 Code Name: “Chocolate cake cookie” Distillery: Benrinnes Age: 9 years Cask: 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel Appearance: 0.3, Pale Gold Nose: Up front mint and menthol, vanilla, some white cake, powdered sugar, apple and pear, peppery oak. A bit one dimensional. Taste: Quite spicy and youthful on the arrival, cinnamon, clove, vanilla, apple, pear, pineapple, white pepper, lemon zest, lemon custard. Great mouth feel … Continue reading Review: Scotch Malt Whisky Society 36.96
I reviewed this about 13 months ago and since I posted a bourbon for American Thanksgiving yesterday, why not stay topical for Black Friday? This is the new packaging of Black Bottle. Sadly I never had a chance to try the old bottling. Black Bottle (new packaging) – 40% ABV Appearance: deep copper orange. Definitely chock full of e150 Nose: quite sweet. You can smell … Continue reading Black Friday Review: Black Bottle
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