24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 2

Happy Tuesday ... Treat Tuesday? Most certainly! Tonight ... it looks like Scotch ... it smells like Scotch ... I'm betting it's Scotch. (or American Single Malt...)

On the nose... it's got the rubbery peat, some bbq meat, something sweet like molasses. It doesn't seem too proofy, I can go in pretty good while nosing. Some honey too, and I thought I might be getting some brine/salt as well.

The taste ... ash that comes out of nowhere up front, a little bit of peppery hot, spicy, then sweet. It feels a little disjointed. I like it, but ... it seems to lack something. Going back to the nose after the first sip - I am getting the ash on the nose as well now. The finish is more ash, some pepper heat, sweet in the back.

Adding water, I get more proof on the nose, and more sweet on the taste, and a LOT more sweet on the finish. Overall, this is OK. I tend to like peaty Scotch - even ones that are not that great or balanced. This one seems to be a bit random, but I'd still give it a 4.0/5.0. Tonight ... the bottle was...

Port Askaig 110° - Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, no age statement, coming in at 55% ABV or ... 110 proof (: Distilled on Islay, Scotland - apparently Port Askaig isn't the distillery... it's just the name of the Whisky and they source from various distilleries on Islay. I've had a few other Port Askaigs in the past, including a 100° that was really 114 proof that was a bit harsh when I had it early in my Scotch journey, an 8 year that I thought was OK, and a 19 Year that I rated a 4.0 but at the time I wasn't doing quarter ratings and I'm guessing I would have given it a 4.25 as I do recall enjoying it quite a bit. Overall I'd say Port Askaig isn't quite as well rounded as the larger distilleries on Islay (though who knows who they source this from...), but if you really like Islay Whisky - it's worth checking out.

24 Days of Whisk(e)y - Day 1

And so it begins... 24 days, 24 different Whiskies ... Whiskys? Whatever. I poured these back in April and they've been waiting since then. After pouring the samples, wrapping the bottles in paper, and then randomizing them... at this point I've forgotten what most of the bottles are - so this will be going in fairly blind.

On the nose, I get some proof initially, but then that seems to dissipate. I get brown sugar and some spearmint ... leading to a bit of cherry as well. The taste I get brown sugar sweetness, along with some cinnamon and some heat. It doesn't seem low proof - but not too high of proof either, so I'd guess around 100 proof. 

The finish I get spearmint and the sweetness - I don't really get much oak so maybe this is on the younger side. Adding a little water seems to bring out some oak on the nose and finish, while the taste is more sweet. Overall, this is pretty good, I would guess it's a bourbon, though it could maybe be a rye. I'd rate it a 3.5/5.0

We were drinking Wild Turkey, Jimmy Russell 70th Anniversary Release, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. 50.5% ABV, bottled on 2024-08-27 in Lawrenceburg, KY, Aged 8 Years. Wild Turkey 101 is my favorite 'budget' bourbon, and when I found a bottle of this, it was a bit tough to not just open it and start drinking it... it is certainly better than the standard WT 101 - but at $50 a bottle it better be an improvement over the $25 WT 101.