Whisk(e)y Wednesday 2026-09-02

Happy September! Whisk(e)y Wednesday time yet again ... here we go!

On the nose, this seems a bit proofy, but it is the first drink of the night, so I could just need to acclimate too. I am getting brown sugar, touch of orange. Maybe this is a high proof rye, but it could be bourbon ... maybe the orange should steer me to Irish or even Scotch. I seem to get a little dill and wood on the nose too. The taste ... malty, brown sugar, wood, touch bitter, and a bit of heat too. On the finish, I get the heat still, with brown sugar/molasses in back. The sweet lingers, bitter wood in the middle. I'm thinking Cask Strength Irish - likely Redbreast.

With water, the nose is still sweet, but I also get some spearmint now. The taste, sweeter, honey, molasses, woody, malty. The orange has seemed to go away. The finish is malt and wood. Overall, I'm enjoying this - I do think it's CS Irish, and I'll rate it 4.0/5.0

It was Irish - but not Cask Strength. Redbreast Lustau, 46% ABV, Matured in traditional bourbon and sherry casks for a period of 9-12 years, then finished for 1 additional year in first fill hand selected sherry butts that have been seasoned with the finest Oloroso sherry from the prestigious Bodegas Lustau. I rated this 4.0/5.0 during 24 Days of Whisk(e)y 2025, but then during the Irish Whiskey Shootout, I rated it 3.5/5.0 ... tonight I enjoyed it (:

Whisk(e)y Wednesday 2026-08-26

Hump ... DAY! Whisk(e)y Wednesday Time. Random Sample Time ... here we go (:

On the nose, this is super peaty. Phenol, rubber, seems mid proof... 45%-50% I'd guess. The taste is sweet, meaty, rubber and some band-aid too. The finish is medicine and sweet. At first I was thinking Ardbeg for sure, but with the band-aid... maybe Laphroaig, but there I would think the Cask Strength instead of the standard 10 Year, and it doesn't seem that high proof.

With water, the nose is similar, maybe getting some ash and char now. The taste is more sweet and mellow, though some hot spice and ash in the back. The finish I am finding ash as well, with the sweet and meat. 

The nose on this is fantastic, the taste and finish is a bit one note. This does seem better with water, I'm going to guess it's one of the one-off Ardbegs I have, and it's hitting my taste buds tonight and I'll rate it 4.25/5.0.

This was the Ardbeg Heavy Vapors standard release (46% ABV - no age statement) from a few years ago. It doesn't look like I've reviewed this one before, and the bottle is long gone, so this sample was the last of it. It cost $131.95 when I bought it. Even though I rated it high tonight, I'm betting any of the standard Ardbegs would have been as well rated tonight (:

Whisk(e)y Wednesday 2026-08-19

Time for another Whisk(e)y Wednesday ... you know the drill - a random pour from the samples I've saved over the years, give a blind impression.

On the nose, this is malty, some floral, spearmint, seems young, not too high in proof either. The taste... malt, some wood, molasses, spicy ... cherry? The finish I certainly get cherry, sweet, syrup, spice that lingers. I'm getting American Single Malt vibes from this, but it could be Irish as well ... I don't think it's a Scotch.

With water, the nose is more tame with some fruit showing up mostly. The taste seems more cherry and more wood. The finish ... more wood as well. I'm going to guess this is ASM, around 45% ABV, and I'll rate it 3.5/5.0 - It's fine, but nothing special.

Tonight I was drinking Stranahan's Original Colorado Single Malt Whiskey. This is 100% malted barley, double distilled in copper pot stills and aged in virgin American Oak casks. 47% ABV, no age statement. I had this back during 2024's 24 Days of Whisk(e)y and rated it a 3.75/5.0 at that time. It sells for $50 here in Oregon, maybe I'll pick up another bottle sometime.

Whisk(e)y Wednesday 2026-08-12

Whisk(e)y Wednesday time... I grabbed a random sample and will give it a spin.

On the nose, this is punchy... I get molasses, sweet, brown sugar, some fruit, seems high proof. The taste I get the molasses and fruit, along with some wood... second sip seems more dry. I am finding some chocolate and maybe a rye spice, which is leaning me to think this is a rye, not a bourbon. The finish I have coca cola, mint, some rye with a sweet that lingers. I get wood on the finish too. 

With water, the nose is sweeter, and easier - not as proofy. The taste is sweeter, more woody for sure. Finish is wood with a sweet that lingers... I'm still leaning towards a high proof rye around 60% that might have some age on it too. I occasionally get a bit of an odd note that I can't quite place, and then it fades. Overall I am enjoying this and I'll rate it a 3.75/5.0 tonight.

Turns out we were drinking FEW Bottled In Bond Straight Rye Whiskey, 50% ABV. I had this back during 2024's 24 Days of Whisk(e)y and at that time I rated it 3.5/5.0. I was getting some licorice that night from this that I wasn't getting this evening. It's nice to revisit something after a while and see if you're thoughts have changed ... cheers!

Whisk(e)y Wednesday 2026-08-05

Happy August ... hopefully we get some rain here in Oregon soon, dry days of summer are upon us for sure. Another random whisk(e)y sample for Whisk(e)y Wednesday, let's see what we have today.

On the nose, sharp, peaty, meaty. Seems high proof on the nose with some ash in the back, earthy. Once acclimated a bit to the proof, more sweet and with plenty of smoke an ash - less sharp. The taste is hot and spicy, earthy, peaty, sweet bbq, ashy. The finish is sweet, bbq, dry at the back. It has a nice heat that lingers for some time. I'm thinking this one of the Ardbeg Cask Strengths I have, or a different CS Peated Scotch, or it could be McCarthy's too. Guessing 55% ABV - 60% ABV though, it does have a nice punch.

With water, things are similar - a bit more sweet on the nose and taste, but still plenty of ashy goodness. Finish flips, with the heat up from and sweet and wood in the back. Overall the nose is amazing, the taste is a bit of a let down, I'll rate it 4.25/5.0. 

Turns out this was the McCarthy's Cask Strength, Single Barrel - Westmoreland Store Pick, Barrel #375, 56.2% ABV, bottled back in 2021. I went through several of these bottles as they were in the $60-$65 range and just really darn tasty. I think Westmoreland finally ran out of these, and I don't know if they'll be doing another single barrel or not. If they do, I'll jump in for sure (:

Whisk(e)y Wednesday 2026-07-29

Whisk(e)y Wednesday time yet again. I pulled out a random sample to try blind and see what I thought.

The nose - minty, brown sugar, spearmint. It feels a bit sharp, touch of cherry too. I'm thinking bourbon or rye... more thinking rye with the mint, but unsure - seems low-ish proof, around 45% ABV or so. The taste is brown sugar, minty, bit of spice. Taste feels more rye so I'll lock that in - feels young too. The finish has a nice spice that lingers along with a good heat.

With water, this seems more minty, the taste is sweeter and more plain. The finish gets a bit more heat. This seems like a fairly standard rye, and I'll stick to 45% ABV. I'll give it 3.25/5.0 - feels pretty middle of the road.

Tonight I was drinking Green River Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 45% ABV. Right on proof - wrong on Rye, heh. This was a sample from a friend and I had not rated it before. It costs around $35 - but at that price point there does seem to be things I like better to buy before this one. Cheers!

Whisk(e)y Wednesday 2026-07-22

Here we are yet again ... Whisk(e)y Wednesday ... random sample, blind tasting, you know the drill (:

On the nose, I get malt and honey, a slight touch of sulfur in back, apple, vanilla ... even some molasses. At first I thought Irish - but I'm leaning towards unpeated Scotch. The taste ... apple, honey, with some spicy petter. The finish is honey, vanilla and malt.

With water, this is more fruity on the nose. It also feels a little more spicy on the taste and finish. Overall this is pretty good, but also a bit simple. I do think it's a fairly low proof Scotch, maybe a Compass Box blend, and I'll rate it 3.75/5.0 tonight.

This was the AnCnoc, 12 Year Highland Single Malt, 43% ABV. I had this during 2024 24 Days of Whisk(e)y and rated it a 4.0/5.0 that evening. It's pretty good, but I doubt I'd pick up another bottle.