Average

Advent Day 14: Mackmyra Brukswhisky

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review, Richard's Blog /

Day 14 of the whisky advent calendar bring a Swedish treat…

Mackmyra Brukswhisky Swedish Single Malt Whisky
41.4% ABV
$55
Website

What the Distillery
Mackmyra Brukswhisky is an exciting, well-balanced whisky, created to be enjoyed at all times. Enjoy Brukswhisky as it is, with or without ice, on any occasion.

NOSE Butterscotch, citrus, pear, licorice, banana and mint.

TASTE Fresh fruity and peppery. Youthful, fruity flavor with a spicy taste of toffee.

What Richard Says
Nose: Kind of mealy with notes of barley and malt.
Palate: Fruity sweet with an edging of ground black pepper. Clean with a slightly minty note.
Finish: Fleeting with a bit more pepper spice.
Comments: Meh. This is my first experience with Mackmyra and it isn’t starting with a great first impression. This is very light, uninspiring, and should probably be regulated to a mixer…and a pricey mixer at that.
Rating: Average

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Advent Day 12: Evan Williams BIB

/ / Bourbon, Review, Richard's Blog /

Day number twelve brings a classic bottled in bond bourbon from my whisky advent calendar…

Evan Williams Bottled in Bond
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

50% ABV
$17
Website

What the Distillery Says
Evan Williams White label is our signature 100 proof, Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon. To be labeled as Bottled-in-Bond,” a spirit must be the product of one distillation season and one distiller at one distillery, bottled at 100 proof and aged for at least four years under U.S. government supervision.

Evan Williams White is bold and full-flavored, with all of the kick that you would expect from a 100 proof Bourbon without sacrificing any of the smoothness. Perfect in a classic cocktail, as well as neat or on the rocks.

Nose: Caramel with hints of vanilla, oak & barley
Taste: Citrus on top of vanilla & black pepper
Finish: Warm, long & dry

What Richard Says

Nose: Big vanilla candy notes with a back of corn pudding.
Palate: Malt o Meal, burnt caramel, and cinnamon brown sugar oatmeal.
Finish: Lingering dryness.
Comments: Are you thinking about getting into bourbon? Are you wanting to trying out some classic and quintessential bourbons. Evan Williams Bottled in Bond should surely be on your list. It has great flavor and versatility. Not the greatest but classic.

Rating: Average

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Advent Day 9: The Naked Grouse

/ / Review, Richard's Blog, Scottish Whisky /

It gets naked on Day 9 of Advent…Naked Grouse…

The Naked Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky
40% ABV
$30
Website

What the Blender Says
Whisky at its most uncomplicated.

Convention said that blended malt got its flavour from bourbon casks, used again and again. This got us thinking… What if instead, we used first fill sherry casks to add another layer of rich and fruity flavour to our malts? It didn’t just work, it was a joyful exuberance of flavour that changed the possibilities of whisky enjoyment.

So hats off (and everything off!) to Naked Grouse, for taking a liberating leap into the unknown.

What Richard Says
Nose: Oily polished oak, stewed fruits, malt, and vanilla custard.
Palate: Very light flavored with bits of jarred cherries and vanilla cream.
Finish: Short and mellow.
Comments: Meh. Nice and easy to drink but very light and nothing that stands out to make you want more. A scotch for vodka drinkers?
Rating: Average

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Advent Day 8: Cardhu 12

/ / Review, Richard's Blog, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

A classic from Diageo and Cardhu on the 8th day of Advent…

Cardhu Single Malt Scotch Whisky 12 Years Old
40% ABV
$50
Website

What the Distillery Says
Nose: At full strength, heady, nose prickle, pear drops and tightly integrated heather, resin and sweet honey-nut notes. Enticing. Intriguing. With a little water, still harmonious but less pronounced, allowing some malt cereal, soft, spicy wood, moorland and faint traces of wood-smoke to appear.
Palate: Well balanced, smooth mouthfeel; short punch, sweet and fresh, then a pronounced drying effect. Moorish. Enjoyable at any time, with little or no water.
Finish: Quite short. Some lingering sweet smoke in the attractive, drying aftertaste.

What Richard Says
Nose: Malty and nutty with honey sweetness.
Palate: Wildflower honey, lightly smoky, orange marmalade, sweet nuts, and creamy vanilla.
Finish: Floral and spicy laid on a woody base.
Comments: Cardhu was hard to come by for a while. It was a huge seller in Spain but the decline in their consumption made it more available. Most Cardhu goes into Johnnie Walker blends but more expression are being made available as a single malt. The 12 Year Old is a great introduction to the distillery.
Rating: On the better side of Average

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Advent Day 7: Roe & Co Irish Whiskey

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review, Richard's Blog /

Diageo’s new brand was the surprise on day 7 of Advent…

Roe & Co Blended Irish Whiskey
45% ABV
$35
Website

What the Blender Says
Roe & Co is made from finest hand-selected stocks of Irish malt and grain whiskies, aged in bourbon casks. Using her 30 years of experience, Master Blender Caroline Martin has created a versatile, premium whiskey. Roe & Co is a luxuriously smooth blend with a perfect harmony between the intense fruitiness of the malt and the mellow creaminess of the grain whiskies. The high proportion of first-fill casks gives notes of creamy vanilla balanced with its hints of fruit and soft spice and a remarkable depth for such an elegant and refined whiskey. Roe & Co is non-chill filtered and bottled at a higher than usual ABV of 45%. Perfect in a cocktail, with a mixer or on its own Roe & Co will initially be available in the hottest bars around Europe.

On the nose Roe & Co is creamy, delightfully fragrant and remarkably rounded with notes of soft spice and mellow spun sugar along with warm hints of woody vanilla. The quality and perfect balance of the blend is immediately apparent on the palate through its velvety texture and sweet flavours including spiced pears and vanilla. The finish is lingering and gentle, ending with a light creaminess. The sweet pear notes readily apparent in Roe & Co are a wonderfully apt tribute to the once-great Dublin whisky distillery of George Roe & Co. Among the remnants of George Roe’s distillery are its old windmill tower, known as St. Patrick’s, and a magnificent pear tree dating from 1850.

What Richard Says
Nose: Vanilla sugar, nutmeg, and citrus zest.
Palate: Tinned pears, vanilla custard, and hard tack.
Finish: Apple skins and a lingering bitter oakiness.
Comments: There is nothing wrong with this pleasant whiskey but it isn’t anything special either. It is not unlike numerous new-ish Irish blends. See it out? Nah, just grab a Jameson.
Rating: Average

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