Must Try

Talisker 10 Year

/ / Island, Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 10 Years
45.8% ABV
$60
Website
talob.10yo
What the Distillery Says:
APPEARANCE Brilliant gold
NOSE Powerful peat-smoke with just a hint of sea-water saltiness, fresh oysters, and a citrus sweetness.
BODY Full.
PALATE A rich dried-fruit sweetness with clouds of smoke and strong barley-malt flavours, warming and intense. Peppery at the back of the mouth.
FINISH Huge, long, warming and peppery in the finish with an appetising sweetness.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Bright sweetness, stewed peaches and pears, subtle peat smoke with musty oak, sea air, cereal maltiness.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, honeyed sweetness with a hint of pears before a savory/ subtle pepper spice, pleasant earthiness, peat smoke.
Finish: Moderately long.
Comments: Very pleasant dram. Nicely balanced between sweet, smoke, earthy. Reminds me of the sea and the mountains, which I guess ultimately reminds me of Scotland. This dram has a bit of all that terroir (I’d say a bit of everything I love about Scotch, but the lack of sherry would make that an outright lie!) As I know smoke and peat might not appeal to everyone, I’m hesitant to say “Must Try”, but if you don’t really have a stance on that, or are just starting out with single malts – I would definitely encourage you give it a go!
Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

What Richard Says:
Nose: Rich, earthy, and smokey with a lovely sweetness in the background.
Palate: Smokey and slightly salty with a toffee like sweetness and malty backbone.
Finish: Pepper and brine linger as the other notes fade.
Comments: It sounds a bit pretentious but as the years progress I find it harder to find enjoyment in younger single malts. At 10 years old there are very few single malt scotches that I still enjoy. Talisker is one of those few. This is a delicious and robust malt that demands attention and offers layers of depth in return. As the price continues to climb in recent years it makes it harder to buy at 10 years but it is still very enjoyable.
Rating: Must Try

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Edradour 10 Year

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Edradour Highland Single Malt Scotch Whiskey Aged 10 Years
40% ABV
$60
Website
edrob.10yov1
What the Distillery Says:
Despite being so small Edradour produces more whiskies than most other distilleries. Owner since 2002, Master of the Quaich Andrew Symington has expertly used the spirit from our small stills, matured in the highest quality oak wood, to create a stunning and diverse range of single malts.

The ten year old Edradour is handmade and one of the last Single Malt Whiskies from a traditional farm distillery still in production today. The methods of production remain virtually unchanged in the last 150 years and are only just capable of commercial quantities. Indeed Edradour Distillery makes as much whisky in a year as most distilleries produce in a week. A rare pleasure for a fortunate few.

Aged in a combination of Oloroso Sherry and Bourbon casks. Chillfiltered at 40% ABV.

Nose: Hints of dried fruits, Oloroso and almonds
Palate: Spicy Christmas cake, sweet golden syrup with a touch of honeyed almonds. A distinctive, old fashioned, rich mouth feel coming from the small copper farm stills
Finish: Oaky, soft spices, mellow and warming

What Richard Says:
Nose: Dried herbal potpourri, sherry, and a meaty nutty backing.
Palate: The rich sweetness of (good) fruit cake drizzled with a sherry reduction at first that then moves into a bitter almond and malt dryness.
Finish: Dry, nutty, spicy, and woody finish of medium length.
Comments: This is a rich sherry dominated expression that punches well above its weight. As I get older and drink more whiskies I find that what I’m looking for in a good single malt is hard to find in the 10 year age range. There are a few exceptions (Laphroaig Cask Strength 10 Year Old, Talisker 10 Year Old, and Springbank 10 Year Old) and I think is another to add to that list. It drinks well above its age and is a deeply satisfying dram.
Rating: Must Try

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Jefferson’s Reserve

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Jefferson’s Reserve Very Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Very Small Batch
45.1% ABV
$55
Website
jefferson_s_reserve_very_old_straight_bourbon_whiskey_1_2
What the Bottler Says:
In 1997, when Jefferson’s was first starting out, we found a 15-year-old bourbon that we immediately knew was rich, complex and needed to be brought to market. It was in 2003 that we decided to bring in other bourbons to marry with the original Jefferson’s Reserve. Similar to Jefferson’s, we still use over 50% of that mash bill and add up to 3 more bourbons to create more flavor and complexities. Jefferson’s Reserve is a big, sophisticated bourbon that has a lot of flavor up front, a lot of weight mid palate and a deep, wonderful finish.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Sweet, cinnamon, vanilla with oak throughout and hints of anise spice and cloves.
Palate: Soft, very nicely balanced between sweet caramel creams, honey, cinnamon spice, and subtle pepper-spice; hints of cereal grains.
Finish: Moderate and pleasant.
Comments: Full disclosure – I’ve not been a big fan of Jefferson’s because of the lack of transparency, and rumors that some whisky bottled may not have been 100% as it was labeled. That said, this is a damn nice bourbon! Incredibly drinkable, and hits all of my bourbon checkboxes:
Sweet, but not “too sweet”
Oaky, but not “too oaky”
Spicy, but not . . . (you get the idea)
This is one of the most well balanced bourbons I’ve tried recently. Sure – I have no idea the age or what it all contains, but at the end of the day – what I’ve found most important is how much do I enjoy what’s in the glass. And I like this one a lot.
Rating: Must Try

What Richard Says:
Nose: Creamy, vanilla, burnt cinnamon sticks, and a little bit of licorice.
Palate: Caramel syrup drizzled over cinnamon Red Hots.
Finish: Peppery pop that fades quickly into a woody soft vanilla close.
Comments: I’m embarrassed to say that I haven’t had any of this for many years before this most recent bottle. It’s one of those bourbons that I had so long ago that my memory can’t be trusted for comparison. That aside, this is a very tasty and drinkable bourbon. It is a very solid middle of the road bourbon. My only complaint would be the price. North of $50 I would expect either more to reach out and grab me or a substantial age statement.
Rating: Stands Out

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Compass Box Flaming Heart 15th Anniversary

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box Flaming Heart 15th Anniversary Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
48.9% ABV
$100
Website
FH15th
What the Blender Says:
‘Every great achievement is the victory of a Flaming Heart.’ – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Since we launched the Compass Box Whisky Company back in 2000, we have always aimed to experiment, to innovate and to explore where others wouldn’t in the world of Scotch. No whisky is a greater example of this ambition than Flaming Heart.

First released in 2006, Flaming Heart was the first whisky to combine the rich, complex spice of Scotch aged in new French oak with the evocative peat-fired smoke of Islay malt. It created a genre-defying style that was mouldering, spicy, complex – and so popular that we re-released it three more times in the years that followed.

In this our fifteenth year, we felt compelled to revisit this unique style one more time. Our anniversary release is a huge, layered, long-lasting mouthful of a whisky to enjoy late into the night. Brooding, indulgent and older than ever before, this is a whisky born of oak, smoke and fire – with a big heart all of its own.

Availability: Fifteenth Anniversary Limited Edition release of 12,060 bottles. Bottled in July 2015.
Flavour Descriptors: A unique interplay between spice, sweet and smoke characteristics. Sweet fruits and wood-smoke on the nose. Fat and full-bodied on the palate with a spicy sweetness and a brooding complexity that is rich, sweet and addictively decadent.
Recommendations: This is a whisky for late nights, for after dinner, for camping under the stars. Drink it neat or pair with rich cheeses, fine cigars or your favourite rock song turned up to 11.
Bottling Details: Bottled at 48.9%, Not chill-filtered, Natural colour

What Richard Says:
Nose: A rich earthy and oily smoke rises out of the glass backed by a sweet fruitiness.
Palate: A rich citrus and stewed stone fruit sweetness punches out of the gate mixing with a slightly burnt vanilla cream. Soon the palate is transitioning though a spicy black peppercorn and chipotle spiciness into a lovely campfire sooty smoke.
Finish: This one just settles in for the long haul. “Long, lingering finish” only begins to give you a clue. That smokey palate is more subtle on the finish and fades like an elegant guest making the rounds of goodbyes on his way to door at the end of the party.
Comments: Wow! As much as I liked the last Flaming Heart edition I think I like this one even more. This really is a stellar example of John Glaser’s art. Even those who like scotch but maybe shy away from the smokier expressions might want to give this one a try. It could be a gateway toward the smokier drams.
Rating: Must Try

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Bushmills Sherry Cask Reserve

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Bushmills Sherry Cask Reserve Single Malt Irish Whiskey
The Steamship Collection
40% ABV
$89 per liter
Website
2016-02-15-11-40-bushmillssherrycasksteamship_cropped_80
What the Distillery Says:
THE STEAMSHIP COLLECTION™ is new innovation range, inspired by travel, from Ireland’s oldest working distillery
15 February 2016: BUSHMILLS® Irish Whiskey today announced its first new range of limited edition Irish whiskeys available exclusively to shoppers in select travel retail outlets – THE STEAMSHIP COLLECTION™. The first release in the collection, SHERRY CASK RESERVE, combines the centuries-old fine Irish whiskey making craft with intercontinental flavours, to mark the 125th anniversary of the maiden voyage of SS Bushmills.

The limited edition collection is inspired by the extraordinary voyages of the SS Bushmills steamship to new corners of the world and introduces a range of special cask matured Bushmills Irish Whiskeys. In 1890 the ship, commissioned by then owners The Boyd Brothers, set course for America, travelling as far as Philadelphia and Yokohama, before eventually returning refilled with casks of rum, fortified wine and bourbon – the gateway to new flavour possibilities.

David Phelan, Director of Jose Cuervo® Global Travel Retail, said: “The launch marks an exciting phase for Bushmills and demonstrates Jose Cuervo’s commitment to unlocking the potential of this legendary whiskey in the high profile travel retail channel. The Steamship Collection is available now in Belfast, Dublin and London Heathrow, and while it can’t be purchased elsewhere, we hope distribution will extend across the world, just like the voyages of SS Bushmills to the USA, Asia and beyond.”

SHERRY CASK RESERVE is exclusively matured in first-fill Oloroso sherry butts to deliver additional spiced honey, dark chocolate and rich dried fruit flavours. The bottle is presented in a distinctive maritime-designed packaging featuring a replica illustration of the famous Bushmills steamship.

Speaking about Bushmills’ tradition for innovation Colum Egan, Master Distiller at The Old Bushmills Distillery, said, “For centuries distillers have experimented with different barrels so naturally I was inspired by the adventures of the ship and the opportunities it opened to experiment with various casks from around the world. So, together with Master Blender Helen Mulholland, we created a whiskey with a rich, complex flavour and a smooth finish – a characteristic synonymous with our range of triple distilled whiskeys.”

A limited number of bottles of SHERRY CASK RESERVE are available now exclusively to travellers in Belfast City, Dublin and Heathrow T5 priced at €80, £65, $89 for 1Litre. It is the first release in the collection, which will soon comprise three permanent expressions plus regular special releases.

TASTING NOTES
Oloroso (‘scented’ in Spanish) is a darker sherry, with a rich and nutty flavour profile. This adds to sherry’s intense raisin characteristics and provides a new layer of complexity within the whiskey.

Colour: Medium rich gold
Nose: A full bodied intriguing aroma with dried fruit, spices and burnt sugar sweetness
Taste: Bushmills’ distinctive honeyed maltiness is intensified in this robust, darker liquid. Dark chocolate, nuttiness and spice with sweet oils mingle with vanilla and honey.
Finish: A long, sweet and smooth finish with subtle liquorice notes.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Brown sugar oatmeal, allspice berries, prunes, dried cranberries, and raw almonds.
Palate: Creamy honey mouthfeel that is way ahead of the 80 proof strength, chocolate covered almonds, and cloves.
Finish: Mint and fennel seed with a fading tannic finish.
Comments: This is one of the more un-Bushmill whiskeys from Bushmills I’ve had in some time. It is a very tasty whiskey in its own right but I find it even more intriguing as a different facet of the Bushmills stock. The sherry balances supremely well with the other components. Delicious!
Rating: Must Try

We would like to thank Bushmills for sending us a bottle for review.

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