Whisk(e)y Wednesday 2026-04-01

Tonight we are going to try 5 non-Islay Scotch Whiskies - which usually means non-peated, but not always. Anyway, the lineup is...

Bunnahabhain Stiuireadair, Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 46.3% ABV

Compass Box Spice Tree, Blended Scotch Whisky, 46.0% ABV

The Macallan 12 Year Sherry Oak, 43.0% ABV

Deer, Bear & Moose 2011, Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Distilled at Isle of Jura Distillery, Scotland, Aged 11 Years, Natural Cask Strength, 59.2% ABV

Ardnamurchan, Western Highlands Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 46.8% ABV

I generally enjoyed these during 24 Days of Whisk(e)y 2025, Deer, Bear & Moose, Bunnahabhain and The Macallan I rated 4.0/5.0, while the Compass Box and Ardnamurchan I rated 3.75/5.0

Glass 1 : On the nose, butterscotch, touch of proof/spice/heat. Once acclimated there seemed to be less proof. The taste is sweet, peppery, spicy, hot. The finish is Crème Brûlée, simple syrup, pepper, hot cinnamon - it lingers quite some time, really enjoyable. I'm guessing this is between 50% ABV and 55% ABV. With water, similar nose, taste is hotter but still sweet and peppery, the finish is still hot peppery with sweet and maybe a little meaty bbq. Tonight this is just hitting nicely, I'll get it a 4.25/5.0[

Glass 2 : The nose has flora, sweet, some heat and butterscotch. The taste is floral with some baking spice and potpourri. The finish I get a bit of make up talcum powder, drifts off pretty quickly, I'm guessing this is 45% ABV or so. With water, nose is similar, taste and finish similar too. I'll rate this one a 3.75/5.0. 

Glass 3 : I get vanilla frosting, maybe a touch of sulfur on the nose - seems more sweet going back to it. The taste seems thin, some wood, dry. The finish is woody and some pepper, There is a bit of spice and heat there too, but I'm guessing this is around 45% ABV. With water, I still get vanilla frosting on the nose, the taste is more sweet and more peppery, finish is about the same. I would rate this a 3.75/5.0 tonight.

Glass 4 : For the nose, I get matchstick sulfur and fruit jam. The taste I get some matchstick and burnt rubber, some charred wood as well. The finish continues with the matchstick with some pepper, hangs around for a while, pretty enjoyable. I would guess this is between 45% ABV and 50% ABV. With water the nose turns a little sour, but still some matchstick. Taste is similar, finish seems sweeter with some bbq meat as well. This is pretty good overall, I'll rate it a 4.0.

Glass 5 : On the nose I'm getting a touch of matchstick, sweet candy, very sweet. The taste is matchstick, some burnt sugar, seems around 45% ABV. The finish is peppery tingle, dry, lingers for some time. With water the nose is similar, taste more sweet as is the finish. This was certainly a nice pour, and I'll rate it 4.0.

Glass 2 and 3 were bringing up the rear, and I'll have to say glass 3 was my least favorite, which was the Compass Box. Glass 2 was the Bunnahabhain. These were still very tasty. The next tier had glass 4 and 5... and I'd have to say Glass 5, The Macallan, I enjoyed more than the Ardnamurchan.

Which means Glass 1 was my favorite, The Deer, Bear & Moose 2011. It certainly doesn't seem like it's 59.2% ABV. I do wonder with doing 5 in short succession if there was cross contamination for the nose/taste/finish notes, but all these were mighty tasty.

Whisk(e)y Wednesday 2026-03-25

Time to try the 3 Irish Whiskeys from 24 Days of Whisk(e)y 2025 head to head. Tonight we are having...

Redbreast 12 Year Cask Strength, Batch B1-23, 57.2% ABV

Mitchell & Son Blue Spot, 7 Year Cask Strength, 58.4% ABV

Redbreast Lustau, 46.0% ABV

These were well rated during 24 Days of Whisk(e)y with all 3 being rated 4.0/5.0. I tend to like Irish Whiskey more if I know I'm drinking Irish Whiskey - so let's see how things go (:

Glass 1 : On the nose, this one is a touch proofy. Candy bar, sweet caramel, apple, but the proof is certainly there. On the taste the proof carries through along with caramel, sweet, some apple and cereal. The finish is nice and lingers for quite some time with the sweetness. I went ahead and added water, which seemed to open things up some. The nose was more chocolate and less proofy, insanely nice. I find some wood on the taste and the finish is candy bar sweet that lasts and lasts. The some of the parts on this one is fantastic, and I'll rate it a 4.25/5.0

Glass 2 : The nose is brown sugar, tame but there is some proof in the back. Strawberry fruity with some dry cookie as well. The taste is cherry and fruit with some peppery in the back. The finish is hot, cherry - a fruit bomb for sure, lingers for some time. With water the proof is tamed on the nose, get some mint as well now. The taste just seems muted, with the finish is sweet but does have some wood now too. I'll rate this a 3.75/5.0

Glass 3 : The nose is brown sugar, biscuit, seems really low proof after the first two samples. The taste is fruity as is the finish. The finish seems to drop off quickly. With water the nose is the same, taste is watery with a touch of oak, the finish is fruit with dry oak. While this is pleasant enough, in a head to head this just is left in the dust, most likely by the proof as I'm guessing this is the Redbreast Lustau. I'll rate it 3.5/5.0 tonight.

Glass 1 was the clear winner tonight - with Glass 3 in 3rd place and was the Redbreast Lustau. Glass 2 was the Blue Spot - which leaves Redbreast 12 Year Cask Strength as the winner.

Whisk(e)y Wednesday 2026-03-18

For tonight's Whisk(e)y Wednesday, I'm going to do a head to head tasting of the 3 Ryes from the 24 Days of Whisk(e)y 2025. In the lineup are ...

Willett Rye, 54.3% ABV
Uncle Nearest Straight Rye Whiskey, 50.0% ABV
Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Proof Rye, 66.05% ABV 

These are quite different, and I'm guessing it won't be too hard to guess which is which.

Glass 1 : On the nose, this has brown sugar, mint, tea, cinnamon... seems a bit proofy. The taste is cinnamon, hot, burnt sugar. The finish is sweet and brown sugar, along with cinnamon and spicy. It drinks a bit hot, but very tasty... will rate 3.75/5.0.

Glass 2 : This nose is nice... mint, herbal, sugar, for a lack of a better word, "green". It's pretty mild overall. The taste is mint, sweet, brown sugar, touch of spice, mild. The finish is sweet and brown sugar, some cinnamon, but again overall - mild. Certainly an easy sipper and pleasant enough, I'll rate it 3.25/5.0.

Glass 3 : On the nose, this one just smacks you with the proof. Once you get acclimated a bit, it is fairly nice. Sweet caramel, marshmallow fluff, cinnamon, brown sugar. The taste is just hot... I am hesitant to add water because I usually don't for this type of review, but I might have to. I get some bitter tea but otherwise I just can't get past the proof. On the finish - heat and proof. This once certainly demands attention. Adding water tames things for sure, and how I would normally drink this. Despite the unpleasant heat and proof, I'll rate it 3.5/5.0 because it's pretty good with some water.

Glass 2 was last place tonight - which was the Uncle Nearest. I originally rated that one 3.0/5.0 and tonight I gave it a 3.25. Glass 3 was 2nd place... and was the Jack Daniels. I rated it 3.5/5.0 both times. It's a proofy bugger for sure. I've had a few other bottles of Jack Daniels SBBP Ryes in the past and this one has the be the hottest... it's about 0.5% ABV higher than the others, but it feels a *lot* more than that. Glass 1 was first place, which was the Willett Rye. It was the most balanced - and I rated it 3.75/5.0 both times. 

Whisk(e)y Wednesday 2026-03-11

Well, what do we have here? Another Wednesday? Tonight I'm going to run through the four bourbons from the 24 Days of Whisk(e)y 2025 and see what my thoughts are. I poured a 1oz sample of each then randomized the glasses. We have ...

Wild Turkey 70th Anniversary Release, 50.5% ABV

Uncle Nearest 1884, 46.5% ABV

Four Roses Single Barrel Proof OBSK, 57.4% ABV

Woodford Reserve Double Oak, 45.2% ABV

Glass 1 : The nose was brown sugar and a touch of pickle. The taste is *very* cherry, sweet, some pepper in the back. After the first sip I certainly get the cherry on the nose too. The finish is more cherry and it lingers. This is certainly a cherry bomb, guessing around 50% ABV, feels like a decent budget bourbon, but nothing fancy, I'll rate it a 3.25/5.0.

Glass 2 : This seemed a touch proofy on the nose. Cereal, molasses, dusty, maybe a touch of bbq. The taste is watery, molasses, oak and marshmallow. I get oak and sweet with some pepper as well on the finish. Going back to the nose I get more dark molasses, burnt brown sugar. With the taste I think this is probably around 45% ABV and it just is meh tonight - l would rate it a 3.25/5.0 at best, maybe a flat 3.0/5.0.

Glass 3 : On the nose this one is pretty mild, has some cherry. Pretty simple. The taste is sweet and pleasant, seems low proof, though there is a spicy pepper in the back that builds. The finish is very peppery... and some heat that builds, maybe it's higher proof than I first thought. The taste and finish are better than the nose, I'm thinking this is certainly above 50% ABV, and I'll rate it a 3.5/5.0 tonight

Glass 4 : The nose is cherry and brown sugar, it seems to scream bourbon (: Even if you dive in deep the nose is pretty simple. On the taste, this seems lower proof, easy... brown sugar, a touch of cinnamon and the cherry and wood. The finish is dry oak and brown sugar. On a different night I might enjoy this more, but tonight it's lackluster, and I'll rate it 3.0/5.0

So overall glass 2 and 4 were in the back of the pack. Head to head I'd give the advantage to glass 2, which was the Woodford Reserve Double Oak. I last rated that 3.75/5.0 and tonight 3.0/5.0 - so clearly it just wasn't doing it for me. Glass 4 was The Wild Turkey 70th Anniversary Release. That one I rated 3.5/5.0 and tonight 3.0/5.0 ... clearly my taste preferences are quite different tonight.

Which left us with glass 1 and 3. Tonight glass 3 was the winner. Glass 1 was Uncle Nearest 1884. I gave that a 3.5/5.0 previously and tonight a 3.25 ... so same ball park and for whatever reason it seemed to hold up in the head to head tastings. Glass 3 was the For Roses, which I had originally rated 3.75/5.0 and tonight gave a 3.5/5.0. I have woozies of most of these so I'll have to revisit them at some point... cheers!

Whisk(e)y Wednesday 2026-03-04

Another Wednesday - another blind sample. Is it a good one? Hopefully!

On the nose on this one, it's pretty neutral, maybe some floral/potpourri, a little brown sugar sweetness, maybe a hint of dill ... but not much there. The taste - sweet, peppermint, some heat, would guess this is around 55% ABV. The finish is a lot of brown sugar, wood - still thinking mid-proof.

With water the nose seems more dill - but I'm getting a sweet fudge/caramel. The taste is sweet, toffee, wood and baking spice. The finish is similar. I don't have a good feel for this one, seems bourbonish ... but not sure. It's pleasant enough, I'll rate it a 3.5/5.0

Tonight we were drinking ... Redbreast 12 Year Cask Strength, Batch B1-23. This is one of my favorites so I'm a little surprised I didn't pick up on what it was. After knowing ... I did get the more typical nosing and tasting notes of apple and some cereal. Just wasn't my night, though this is 57.2% ABV so at least I was close on the proof. I rated this one 4.0/5.0 during 24 Days of Whisk(e)y 2025 and I really enjoyed it that night. I do have a woozie saved of this, so I'll have to give it another go at some point.

Whisk(e)y Wednesday 2026-02-25

Another Wednesday, another blind sample. Let's see what we have tonight.

On the nose, I'm getting mint, honey... and it seems like a touch of sulfur? Maybe my glass wasn't very clean (: The taste, honey, pepper, it seems proofy. I think I'm getting some dill as well, along with some burnt sugar and wood. The finish - sugar, wood, baking cinnamon - it's oily and clingy. 

With water, more mint on the nose, still proofy. I get some sweet on the nose too. Mint, pickle and peppery on the taste, with the finish being more wood. Overall tonight this just seemed too proofy, I'd guess 60% ABV. Seems like it's a rye, and it's just not doing it for me - I'd rate this one a 3.5/5.0

Tonight we were drinking Maker's Mark Cask Strength, batch 22-04, coming in at 55% ABV. I had this during 24 Days of Whisk(e)y in 2024 and I rated it 3.5/5.0 and generally liked it better. After knowing it was bourbon I did get more bourbon notes from the nose and taste - I guess I was just off tonight... cheers!

Whisk(e)y Wednesday 2026-02-18

Hump DAY!!!! Another go with a random sample ... let's see what tonight brings.

On the nose, this is very sweet, and I get rubber, fudge, some proof, maybe around 50% ABV, but I don't think this is cask strength. It's giving me peated single malt vibes ... but it could be a peated American Single Malt too. The taste I get fig, sweet frosting then sweet bbq and a nice hot spice. The finish is pepper, char, sweet marshmallow with some ash at the end. This is really good and hitting all the bells for me tonight.

With water, there seems to be more proof on the nose, still sweet too. Sweeter on taste, but still has the sweet bbq meat and some tar that turns into hot spice. The finish is pepper hot with sweet in the back. Overall this is quite nice, guessing Peated Scotch Whisky, 50% ABV and I'll rate it 4.0/5.0 tonight. It could be Port Charlotte as that is the right proof point and this reminds me of that somewhat.

We were drinking Deer, Bear & Moose, Isle of Jura 2011 Single Malt Scotch Whisky. It comes in at 59.2% ABV ... which I was caught off guard when I had this during 24 Days of Whisk(e)y as well. It just drinks much lower. This is a Flaviar exclusive and I believe cost me around $70... so *well* worth it in my opinion.