Average

The Glenlivet 12 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

The Glenlivet 12 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky

40% ABV
$28-32
Website
The Glenlivet 12 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Distillery Says

One of the world’s most popular malts, the double-oak-matured 12 Year Old whisky embodies The Glenlivet’s signature fruity style.

Fruity, Smooth & Balanced
Representing the heart of The Glenlivet’s signature fruity style, this 12 year old single malt is double oak matured, intertwining tropical fruit and sweet vanilla flavours notes. The result is an irresistibly smooth whisky, crafted to be savoured slowly.

The mineral-rich water that comes from Josie’s Well helps form the flavours during mashing and fermentation, whilst the specific height and width of the copper stills add a delicate yet complex character.

Nose: An elegant combination of banana and pineapple, vibrant aromas of summer meadows
Palate: Sweet fruit notes of peaches and pears complemented by vanilla and toffee.
Finish: Smooth, gentle and long.
Cask: European and American Oak.

What Gary Says

Nose: Soft, floral with fruit notes (apples & pears), honey, vanilla, malt and a hint of peaches.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, vanilla, peaches, light caramel, honey, shortbread cookies, canned mixed fruit and a hint of anise.
Finish: Short and smooth with a bit of vanilla, oak, and poached apple.
Comments: Richard and Matt reviewed this back in the early days of 2009, as it’s one of the more popular single malts out there. I honestly had forgotten they had reviewed it before I ventured out to do so myself, but had similar conclusions with Matt on it being pretty average (although it is noteworthy that the price today is similar to what it was 15+ years ago). Nothing objectionable in the glass or on the news, but also nothing that really stands out.

Rating: Average

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Austin 121 Cask Strength Light Whiskey

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review / ,

Austin 121 Cask Strength Light Whiskey

66.9% ABV
$94
Website
Austin 121 Cask Strength Light Whiskey
We would like to thank Austin Craft Spirits Company and The Whiskey Bard for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

AUSTIN 121 CASK STRENGTH LIGHT WHISKEY
Welcome to the family! Austin 121 shares the same crafting principles as Austin 101 Light Whiskey, the most-awarded Light Whiskey ever. Austin 121 starts its life as a barrel of Austin 101. We sample and select a few exceptional barrels with unique character and excellent flavor. When the whiskey achieves perfection, after aging longer, it is bottled at full cask strength. Currently, Austin 121 is available as a single barrel program with select top retailers in Texas.

A Unique Light Whiskey Experience
Austin 121 Cask Strength Light Whiskey has a more intense nose with mineral, butterscotch, and vanilla aromas and is darker and spicier than Austin 101. It also exhibits unique barrel characteristics such as spiciness or buttery sweetness and a long, shockingly smooth finish. Each bottle has its barrel number and the specific cask strength, varying from 121 to 136 proof.

How can it be over 125 proof? Austin 101 enters the barrel at 125, but while aging, a small portion evaporates through the oak. This loss is called Angel’s Share. The extreme heat and dry hill country air can cause the “Angel’s” to take more water than alcohol. So, it is normal for the proof to vary and increase with age.

Precision Crafting
The whiskey is column distilled to a higher proof to create less byproducts and congeners while preserving the natural sweetness and taste of the original grain. It is delicious the moment it comes off the still, and only the finest hand-selected barrels qualify to hold it.

The Ultimate Light Whiskey Experience
Austin 121 has the intensity and purity of a wheated bourbon mash made from 100% Texas grains. Bottled right from the barrel, you will enjoy the ferocious, darker spice flavor of a unique light whiskey at full cask strength. This spirit is easiest to enjoy over one large, cold cube where it stands up well to a little ice.

What Gary Says

Nose: Vanilla, honey buttered bread roll, butterscotch, hint of fruit and oak.
Palate: Thich with a creamy mouthfeel, raw saw palmetto honey, cast iron corn bread, butterscotch, dark fruit notes with cinnamon and pepper spice.
Finish: Short in length with dark honey and pepper.
Comments: As we don’t see a lot of ‘light whiskey’, added a short excerpt below*. This returns to the same mashbill as the Austin 101 Light Whiskey (so moving from 101 to 111 to 121 – not a progression of the same spirit). Definitely get the familial relation to the 101, but this one has the volume turned up. Of the three Austin Light Whiskies, this one I could sip and enjoy – which is faint praise. For the money (nearly double the cost of the 101 at nearly a hundred dollars), I’d be pretty disappointed. The sample here also notes it is aged “at least 1 year”, and given the used casks I think they aren’t providing the spirit many option to develop flavor unfortunately.

Rating: Probably Pass/Average

 

*Light whiskey is an entirely different category, so important that when approaching it you’re not expecting it to be ‘bourbon’ or ‘rye’ or ‘corn’, because if you do – you’re likely to be disappointed. Where bourbon can’t come off the still any higher than 160 proof (80% ABV), light whiskey has to be higher than that (but less than 190 proof or 95% ABV, since then you’re classified as a grain neutral spirits). There are other legal requirements, but most light whiskey is used for blending into flavored products.

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Columbia Creek 6 Year Tennessee Whiskey

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

Columbia Creek 6 Year Tennessee Whiskey

47.8% ABV
$50
Website
Columbia Creek Tennessee Whiskey
We would like to thank Columbia Creek and The Whiskey Bard for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

THIS IS THE WHISKEY FOR THOSE FLUENT IN REFINEMENT — FULL OF CHARACTER, NEVER NEEDING TO SHOUT.

Aged undisturbed deep beneath Tennessee’s capricious skies for no less than six years in new American white oak barrels– bottled at 95.6 Proof (47.8% ABV).
Our whiskey emerges bold, eloquent, and unfiltered, crafted for those who recognize excellence on their own terms. It honors both heritage and the new generation that values authenticity and knows that quality needs no fanfare.

OUR RECIPE:
80% CORN
10% RYE
10% MALTED BARLEY

THE RESULTING CHARACTER IS VIBRANT YET POISED, WITH FLAVOR THAT RESONATES LONG AFTER THE GLASS IS SET DOWN. BOLD OUT FRONT AND LINGERING LONG AFTER.

No shortcuts. No chill filtering. Just Columbia’s crystalline spring water, the distinctive temperament of southern summers and winters, and the revered Lincoln County Process—charcoal mellowed for sublime complexity giving our whiskey its unmistakable depth.

TASTING NOTES
Color: A warm gold-to-amber hue, catching the light with a gentle copper glow.
Nose: Bright floral and fruity aromatics open immediately—think orchard blossoms and ripe stone fruit—layered over a subtle but distinctive peppery undertone that adds depth and intrigue.
Palate: Rich and inviting. Caramel leads the way, followed by a lively burst of orange zest that lifts the sweetness. Mid-palate notes of dark honey add viscosity and warmth, while a whisper of coriander brings a delicate, spiced complexity.
Finish: Smooth and clean, tapering off with a mellow sweetness and a lingering hint of citrus and spice.

A MULE’S STUBBORN STANDARD.
A CREEK’S SLOW PATIENCE.

What Gary Says

Nose: Caramel creme candies, oak, vanilla, apple with a bit of a mineral note.
Palate: Vanilla, caramel, apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, mineral note and pepper spice.
Finish: Short to moderate in length, slightly drying with vanilla, oak and fading spice notes.
Comments: This is a bit spicier than some other Tennessee whiskies (in particular those known for a distinctive ‘mineral note’ which is familiar here). I’m not sure where this is distilled, so not making any claims on that point. Appreciate the non-chill filtration. While there was nothing off-putting for me in the glass, it also didn’t necessarily stand out in any memorable way. It doesn’t come across as young (not getting a lot of corn, but was hoping for more complexity/maturity at six years old than I was able to pick up.

Rating: Average

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Redbreast Missouri Oak Edition

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review / ,

Redbreast Missouri Oak Edition
Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

50.5% ABV
$200
Website
Redbreast Missouri Oak Edition single pot still Irish whiskey

What the Distillery Says

From The Heart Of The Ozarks
Redbreast Missouri Oak Edition, the latest addition to Redbreast’s esteemed American Oak series, seamlessly blends the signature Redbreast single pot still whiskey profile, aged in sherry and ex-bourbon barrels, with the unique and distinctive influence of Missouri Oak. The whiskey was meticulously finished for ten months in Virgin Missouri Oak barrels, the oak sourced from the esteemed Ozark Forest, to bring a captivating twist to the renowned Redbreast liquid.

Tasting notes
NOSE: Generous waves of sweet toffee apple and vanilla at first, closely followed by ripe blackcurrants and black cherries. The American oak enhances the pot still spices with additional notes of cinnamon and ground ginger, while nutty undertones akin to pecan pie linger gently in the background.
TASTE: Rich with oak tannins that slowly subside, giving way to the luscious and creamy texture of this wonderfully balanced pot still whiskey. The sweetness continues to build in tandem with spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, and black peppercorns along with rich berry fruits and vanilla cream.
FINISH: Satisfyingly long, with the nuttiness and pot still spices lingering for a time before finally yielding to the oak.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Honeysuckle, vanilla, floral with berries, currants, cereal malt, leather and tea.
Palate:  Chocolate, apple, cherry, caramel, cinnamon, honey, vanilla and oak.
Finish:  Moderately long with pot still spices and honey.
Comments:  This is a solid, delicious Irish whiskey. I found that giving it more time in the glass helped it quite a bit (poured and nosed neat, it was fairly plain). My challenge is the price tag on this one. I get it – the days of my buying Redbreast 12 Year Cask Strength for $65 are long since over, but for a non-age stated Irish that doesn’t blow me away (like the 12 year cask strength reliably does), it would leave me wanting.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Benriach The Thirty Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

/ / Scottish Whisky, Speyside / ,

Benriach The Thirty
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Four Cask Matured

46% ABV
$800-$900
Website
Benriach The Thirty Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Distillery Says

This exquisite single malt has been crafted from peated spirit and four cask matured for at least thirty years in sherry casks, bourbon barrels, virgin oak casks and port casks from the Douro Valley. During long maturation Benriach’s sweet Speyside smoke mellows and integrates with the fruit, malt and oak. After thirty years, rich layering develops into sublime honeyed smoke, further enhanced through multi-layered cask maturation. The whisky from each cask type, imbued with particular flavour characteristics, is then expertly married together to create an exquisitely harmonious single malt, layered with dark fruits, rich walnut and velvety oak spice with a long, complex, smoked honey finish. All in perfect balance.

TASTING NOTES
COLOUR: Mahogany
NOSE: Stewed plum, baked orange, smoked walnut and cinnamon cocoa
PALATE: Dark fruit, manuka honey and chocolate raisin, with a long and complex smoked honey finish
SMOKE LEVEL: Complex

RACHEL BARRIE – MASTER BLENDER: “The Thirty has an incredible intensity of flavour but also exceptional refinement. The deepest, richest expression of Benriach on every level.”

What Gary Says

Nose: Fruit notes with figs, raisins, currants, orange, leather, hint of smoke with a nuttiness.
Palate: Dark fruit notes of raisins and plums, honey, chocolate, peaches, cinnamon and a bit of peat smoke.
Finish: Long and damp with fruity floral notes, faint spice and just a wisp of smoke.
Comments: This is a quite nice, mature, and elegant single malt. With this kind of age, you expect depth and nuance which this delivers. With a few drops of water, the nose brings forward more orange notes and a bit of cedar, while on the palate the mouthfeel thickens and becomes creamier. All that said, it isn’t intense with the flavor – and the price point is ridiculous. But if someone is offering a pour, nothing objectionable in the glass – this is a nice dram to sit and ponder with.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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