Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 12 Yr

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Glenmorangie Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
The Quinta Ruban Extra Matured in Port Casks 12 Years Old
46% ABV
$45 to $50
Website
Quinta Ruban
What the Distillery Says:
The darkest and most intense whisky in the extra-matured range, Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban has spent 10 years maturing in American white oak casks, before being transferred into specially selected ruby port pipes from the Quintas or wine estates of Portugal.

Extra maturation in these port pipes develops Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban into a voluptuous spirit with a complex balance of sweet and dry flavours and an intriguing contrast of smooth and crisp, cooling textures.

Non chill-filtered for additional aroma and mouthfeel.

Aroma: Dark mint chocolate, tangerines and Seville oranges mingle with sandalwood and walnut before giving way to a spicy finish of pepper and nutmeg.
Taste: Mint chocolate and walnuts envelop the palate like velvet, laying the foundations for rose, Turkish delight and sweet Seville oranges.
Finish: Long lasting silky aftertaste leaving dark chocolate mints and traces of orange.
Colour: Sunlit rose gold

What Richard Says:
Nose: Citrus, berries, and a hint of sweet basil.
Palate: Oily, rich, and smooth. Plums, dark chocolate and more citrus. Chocolate orange candies?
Finish: Long and dry.
Comments: Very nice. Of the three 12 year old finishes I like this one the best. The port adds a delicious overtone. It doesn’t quite dominate like Lasanta’s sherry but it edges over the Nectar D’Or.
Rating: Stands Out

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Glenmorangie Lasanta

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Glenmorangie Highland Single Malt Scotch Whiskey
The Lasanta Extra Matured in Sherry Casks 12 Years Old
46% ABV
$45 to $50
Website
Lasanta
What the Distillery Says:
Elegant but full bodied this whisky has spent ten years maturing in American white oak ex-bourbon casks before being extra-matured for a further two years in Oloroso Sherry casks from Jerez in Spain.

Aroma: Warm spices mix with smooth chocolate covered raisins, honeycomb and caramel toffee.
Taste: Deliciously sweet sherry flavoured sultanas, orange segments, walnuts and butterscotch combine to create complex warm spices.
Finish: Long and satisfying finish with spiced orange and chocolate covered hazelnuts.
Colour: Light russet

What Richard Says:
Nose: Heavy, in your face meaty sherry nose. Vanilla, stewed prunes dusted with cocoa powder, hazelnuts, and back notes of clementine orange slices.
Palate: Sweet almost to the point of being cloying. Raisins and nut trail mix with a pinch of white pepper.
Finish: Warm, slow and nutty.
Comments: I like sherried malts…a lot. Hit me with your biggest sherry bomb and I’ll be coming back for more. However, this young kid seems to be trying a bit too hard. It lacks the balanced play of an aged Glendronach or Mortlach. I think maybe it’s because the underlying malt is so delicate I don’t think it stands up well to the heavy sherry influence here. It’s more of a glass of sherry with a Glenmorangie boilermaker rather than a sherry finished Glenmorangie.
Rating: Stands Out

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Angel’s Envy Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Angel’s Envy Rye Whiskey Finished in Caribbean Rum Casks
50% ABV
$65 to $75
Website
rye34
What the Bottler Says:
As malcontents, we’re particular about our whiskey. When we decided to distill a rye, we approached it with the same painstaking attention to detail that we give every micro-batch of our bourbon, insisting on the highest quality. We can be a handful to work with, but the extra effort keeps paying off. Angel’s Envy Rye is genuinely special and worthy of Lincoln Henderson’s legacy.

Lincoln had been considering a rum cask finish, and the taste profile of our rye whiskey was a perfect fit. After sampling over 100 rums to find the right flavor to compliment our rye, the team’s decision was unanimous. Our vintage barrels began as small-batch French cognac barrels, which were then used to age and finish Plantation XO Rum. Angel’s Envy Rye Whiskey spends up to 18 months finishing in these Franco Caribbean rum casks, resulting in an immensely complex whiskey. The mingling of raw, spicy and earthy rye with the mellow sweetness of rum finishing creates in an incomparably smooth and drinkable rye, even at 100 proof.

Appearance crystal clear quality with a rich, reddish amber color
Nose aromas of citrus, caramel candy, maple sugar, vanilla oak, hazelnut, spice, and sherry wood
Palate sweet rum sherry wood and soft oak
Finish both sweet and dry, as well as quick and easy

What Richard Says:
Nose: A gingerbread explosion! There are hints of cracked black pepper and peppermint around the edges but the gingerbread dominates.
Palate: The gingerbread is more of a subtle cookie on the palate rather than the fresh baked bread on the nose. Cinnamon, graham crackers, and rum cake too.
Finish: Slow lingering gingerbread and a light oak backbone.
Comments: This is an excellent demonstration showing how finishing can give you something greater than the sum of it’s parts. The rum finish interacts with the rye to give this amazing gingerbread note all through the whiskey. Obviously, if you don’t like gingerbread then you probably won’t like this but I love it. It’s a great dessert and Christmas whiskey.
Rating: Must Try

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(rī)1

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

(rī)1 Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
46% ABV
$30 to $35 (found mine on sale for $20)
Ri
What the Distillery Says:
(rî)1® Whiskey elevates the ultra-premium whiskey category, offering consumers a refined flavor, a striking look and a new take on cocktail couture.

(rî)1® is a blend of several different ages (minimum 4.5 years) to create a uniquely smooth and sophisticated flavor. The deliberate blending of several different ages creates a higher proof; spicy, yet lighter rye taste; and long, luxurious finish that declares (rî)1® as the definition to which other rye whiskies should aspire.

(rî)1® provides the cocktail crowd with a spicy, flavorful addition to their current drink portfolio. Rye whiskey is both approachable in its taste, and distinct in its profile due to its luxurious and striking finishes. We have created a modern spirit that allows drinkers to rediscover some of their favorite cocktails.

BRAND FACTS
(rî)1® is (pronounced “rye one”)

Bottled at 92 proof

Light, spicy flavor and long, luxurious finish

Straight, the nose offers a gentle, peppery nod to its rye heritage.

Cut with water, the scents of dried fruit and cinnamon push to the front, providing a rich palate experience

(rî)1® is packaged in a distinctive glass bottle with a single label that reinforces the brand’s straightforward feel and modern style

What Richard Says:
Nose: Spearmint, vanilla, cinnamon, and cracked pepper. The nose is very…sharp. That’s the best way I can describe it. It comes at you like spear. Watering it down makes it much fruitier but you lose the nice spice and mint notes. I want both at the same time damn it!
Palate: Boiled peanuts, hot black and cayenne pepper. Watering it down is recommended. It mellows out the nastier notes and leaves it lighter and creamier.
Finish: Hot and peppery with a back of raw wet wood…like a toothpick you’ve chewed too long.
Comments: Young, hot tempered, and brash. Given it’s packaging it’s kind of an angry hipster rye. 🙂 This may be the first none barrel/cask strength whiskey I’ve ever said this about but you really need to water this one. By itself it’s kind of nasty. The nose is nice but the rest is meh. With a dose of water it mellows to a nice drinkable whiskey. I’m thinking this was designed more for the cocktail crowd and givne it’s need for dilution that may be a good idea. Straight from the bottle and by itself this one isn’t doing it for me.
Rating: Average

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Sazerac Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey
45% ABV
$25 to $35
Website
SAZ-rye
What the Distiller Says:
The One and Only New Orleans Original. Sazerac Rye Whiskey symbolizes the tradition and history of New Orleans. Rye Whiskey that dates back to the 1800’s, around the time when saloons, veiled as Coffee Houses, began lining the streets of New Orleans. It was at the Sazerac Coffee House on Royal Street where local patrons were served toddies made with Rye Whiskey and Peychaud’s Bitters. The libation became known as the “Sazerac” and America’s first branded cocktail was born. This is the whiskey that started it all.

TASTING NOTES:
Aromas of clove, vanilla, anise and pepper. Subtle notes of candies spices and citrus. The big finish is smooth with hints of licorice.

What Richard Says:
Nose: There’s a little of the “typical” rye mint but it is overpowered by lots of vanilla and licorice. After it opens a bit I also get something that reminds me of aged brandy.
Palate: Lighter and more zesty than it’s 18 year old big brother.
Finish: Spearmint with a good dose of dry wood.
Comments: This is a much lighter representation of Sazerac rye. The nose is nice but the palate is almost indistinguishable. There’s a sweetness and a spice but not a defined sweetness (i.e. golden raisins, honey, etc.) or a noted spice (clove, cinnamon, pepper, etc.) The best I can say is black pepper simple syrup which sounds much nastier than this is. It’s a fine rye. Given the competition from a bunch of lower quality ryes hitting the market in the last few years this one definitely stands out. However, there isn’t much there that makes me want to grab this over something else.
Rating: Stands Out

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