Stands Out

SMWS Cask 39.99

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, SMWSA Whiskies /

SMWS Cask 39.99 Springtime in Andalucia
58.9% ABV
23 Year Old
Speyside Lossie Region
Distilled April 1990
Refill Hogshead

What the Bottler Says:
‘What a nose’ and ‘I could smell this all day’ were just two remarks before we noted aromas of toasted malt loaf with melted butter, freshly made peanut brittle, brandy snaps, raisins, sultanas and chocolate liqueur over apple and custard crumble – pure decadence. The taste is classic monkey bread oozing with warm caramel and cinnamon, chopped walnuts, raisins and brown sugar. With the addition of water the nose is still rich and complex with a distinct whiff of salty sea breeze just like a Manzanilla Pasada Sherry. The taste is fresh, sweet and salty; Brazil nuts, toffee, red liquorice and a never ending finish of a well-made Arugula salad with honey-drizzled peaches.

Drinking Tip: When you have time to let your mind wander

What Richard Says:
Nose: Rich, sweet, and malty. Old brandy, powdered sugar covered chewy fruit confections, and wheat germ.
Palate: It’s even richer and more decadent in the mouth than on nose. It kind of reminds me of a Payday candy bar. Heavy on the nuts and caramel. There is also a heavy undercurrent of raisins and other dried dark fruits.
Finish: A slightly dry, nutty, cereal finish. It’s not terribly long but it lingers a bit. Water leaves the finish more salty than nutty.
Comments: This is a very compelling and complex dram. I don’t really love it. It’s not something I would reach for often. However, exploration is rewarded. There are many layers of flavor, nuance, and depth to be found here. This dram is a deep dark cave that screams “Spelunk me!”
Rating: Stand Out

We would like to thank the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America for sending a sample for the holidays. Our apologies for the review delays. Holiday head colds were unavoidable.

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SMWS Cask 95.19

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, SMWSA Whiskies /

SMWS Cask 95.19 Enigmatic Duality
53.2% ABV
17 Year Old
Speyside Spey Region
Distilled August 1997
Refill Hogshead

What the Bottler Says:
The nose appealed to us all – but in surprisingly different ways – some go tropical fruits – dried mango, kiwi, lingen berry sorbet and ‘waxed lemons in the Tuscan sun’ – others detected deeper elements of tar, seaweed and even a wisp of smoke. That enigmatic duality persisted with water – pink peppercorns, horseradish, honey, ‘lightening over herb gardens’ and toasted pistachios. The palate was immediate and powerful – mouth-coating waxed fruits, heather honey and creme brulee wrested with peppery heat, hints of bonfire ash and carbolic. In reduction, we found aloe vera, menthol, Fisherman’s Friends, clove, hickory and fried sage leaves – good sweet-savoury balance.

Drinking Tip: A curiosity dram – have fun perplexing your friends.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Herbaceous and outdoorsy in a very inviting way. It reminds me of wildflower fields in North Georgia, pine forests, and Ricola lozenges. There is a bit of muted sweetness and essence of the sea floating in the background but nothing that makes you stand up and take notice.
Palate: In your face with a meaty salty sweetness. It’s rich and chewy with a nice rich mouthfeel. There is a spicy nuttiness that plays well with the other notes.
Finish: The finish is short and to the point. There is very little to linger on here.
Comments: I can’t say this is really recognizable as a standout for a specific distillery but it is intriguing. There are some nice counterbalances going on in this dram. Sweet, savory, rich, and spicy. Very nice indeed.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to thank the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America for sending a sample for the holidays. Our apologies for the review delays. Holiday head colds were unavoidable.

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Kirkland Signature Scotch Bourbon Cask Blend

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Kirkland Signature Blended Scotch Whisky
Aged 24 Years, Bourbon Cask Matured
40% ABV
$89.99
Kirkland Signature Cask Blend
What the Bottler Says:
Combining the knowledge of some of Scotland’s master distillers, and using only the purest waters from Scotland’s Highland lochs, this Kirkland Signature Scotch Whisky was matured for almost a quarter of a century in hand-picked ex-Bourbon Oak casks. The result is a blended Scotch that is dark amber in color with aromas of freshly sliced apples and malted barley. It is full-bodied with notes of toffee, dried fruit and oak. These flavors linger on the palate and give way to a long, smooth, warming finish.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Orange zest, dried honeycombs, and under ripe apples. At the back there is just the slightest bit of tobacco.
Palate: This is a very smooth easy drinking blend that drinks a bit younger than it is. There are wisps in the flavor of that polished leather and sweet pipe tobacco note from old scotch but not as much as you would expect. Mostly, what comes through is caramel drizzled fruity sweetness.
Finish: This finishes a little more on the woody side but the blender is right about the long, warming finish.
Comments: Greatest scotch find ever from Costco? No. Although for age statement whores finding a 24 year old blended scotch for under $50 could be a steal. In terms of what it’s the bottle you can find better, more interesting (although younger) scotches at this price point but this isn’t a bad buy at all either.
Rating: Stands Out

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Angel’s Envy Cask Strength 2015

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Barrels
2015 Release
63.45% ABV
$169.99
Website
caskbottle2015
What the Bottler Says:
Ranked the “Best Spirit in the World” by Spirit Journal, Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon Finished in Port Barrels is unlike any whiskey you’ve ever tried. Angel’s Envy is releasing fewer than 8,000 bottles of our award winning Cask Strength this year, so don’t miss your chance to pick up a bottle or two of this rare and delicious spirit.

Perfection is a patient man’s game. So we waited until Angel’s Envy reached the perfect level of maturity. We judge only a handful of barrels exceptional enough for our lengthy finishing process. The result? Even at 127.9 proof—our highest ever—every sip is worth savoring. A remarkably complex and unfiltered spirit, we suggest you enjoy it neat or with just a splash of water to release the flavor nuances, and perhaps with a few friends who appreciate outstanding whiskey. Angel’s Envy Cask Strength was worth waiting for, not it’s worth sharing.

Appearance: Rich gold with an amber depth.
Nose: Heavy caramel with vanilla up front, followed by roasted almonds, orange peel citrus and faint blueberry.
Palate: Pound cake, root beer, candy corn, honey, then tart strawberries, blackberries, figs, slight black pepper on the finish.
Finish: Less port forward than previous years, but while the port finish is distinct, the bourbon itself shines through the finish.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Comfy leather chair (where someone had smoked a pipe with vanilla tobacco the night before), rich fermented fruit (peaches, plums), bit of maple syrup.
Palate: Delicious – warm (maybe a tad hot?), nice port sweetness but with some kick, dark rich cherries, apricot jam on toast, hints of toffee and caramel.
Finish: Moderate to long, lingers nicely before drying out.
Comments: I’m a fan of the cask strength offering for sure. I think if you like Angel’s Envy, this is more than that at cask strength – I get a bit more port influence. It takes water rather well, and is one of those pours I could sip and think about for a long time, or just sit back and savor mindlessly. If it were priced at around half of what it is (which would put it on par with other limited editions, like Four Roses Small Back LEs, or Buffalo Trace’s Antique Collection), I’d be a customer. At the current price point – while I really like drinking it – there are other options I’d go for.
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says:
Nose: The rich savoriness of fortified wine overlays the burnt sugar and vanilla notes of the bourbon.
Palate: Angel’s Envy kicked up times 10. Dark fruit, sweet and savory candies, with hints of allspice and cloves. Vanilla lays over the whole thing in a lovely well balanced way.
Finish: Even at cask strength this finishes easy. With a little water the port notes play with the peppery spice and make this really enjoyable.
Comments: Elijah Craig 12 Year: $30 to $35. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof: $50 to $55. With Eagle Rare to Stagg Jr. you see about the same thing. I enjoy Angel’s Envy and I think the cask strength releases are great but damn they want to charge too much. Instead of a modest increase for the cask strength version they charge about 3 1/2 to 4 times the price. That’s just silly to me. This is stellar $75 bottle of bourbon. Nearing $200 I can’t recommend buying it. But hey, somebody will buy it.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to thank Angel’s Envy for sending over a sample for review.

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1792 Port Finish

/ / Bourbon, Review /

1792 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Barrels
44.45% ABV
$40
Website
1792-Port-Finish-Bottle-Straight-On-2

What the Distiller Says:
The marriage of expertly crafted bourbon whiskey and port wine barrels join together to create this distinct bourbon. 1792 Port Finish Bourbon delivers an elegant flavor profile like no other. This bourbon was aged for many years in new white oak barrels before spending another two years extracting the subtle, yet sweet flavors from port wine barrels. The rich vanilla characters of American oak mingle with the delicate fruit notes from port to create this magnificent whiskey.

Tasting Notes
A rich aroma of apple and fruit mingling with noticeable vanilla. The taste is soft, yet balanced. Filled with toasted caramel, jam-like fruit, and a touch of licorice. A clean, somewhat lingering finish completes the taste.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Port-prominent; rich and heavy stewed fruit sweetness.
Palate: Dark flavor with port-sweetness dominating the bourbon a bit; the rye spice speaks up near the end.
Finish: Lingers nicely.
Comments: If you like port and port-finished whiskies, I think you will probably enjoy this. On my first tasting, I thought it was a nice balance between the bourbon and port influence – but on later tastings; I found the port influence a bit heavier than I prefer. I’d love to see this with a bit less port with more of the bourbon spice showing up, but I still applaud Barton for trying some new things. Priced just below (at least here in Atlanta) Angel’s Envy – a similar port-finished bourbon – it might be the least expensive way to find out if you like port finished bourbon – but I would recommend finding this on premise to try first.
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says:
Nose: Heavy port forward nose with lots of dark jammy fruits.
Palate: The port is really heavy handed on the palate. It kind of beats the Barton bourbon down into submission. It’s really more like a high octane port than a bourbon.
Finish: Slow transition from sweet port to a slightly spicy bourbon.
Comments: Bad? No, if like you port then this is a very tasty drink. I think the two years in port barrels was too much and the port is overly dominant. You don’t have the same nice interplay as Angel’s Envy, Midwinter Night’s Dram, or a nice port finished scotch. Personally, I really like port so I find this enjoyable but if you don’t like port you aren’t going to like this.
Rating: Stands Out

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