Stranahan's Diamond Peak 45% ABV
McCarthy 6 Year Oloroso Cask Finished 56% ABV
Westland American Single Malt 46% ABV
Wanderback Batch #6 42.4% ABV
McCarthy 3 Year Single Barrel Cask Strength (Westmoreland store pick) 56.2% ABV
I've poured these, mixed them up and will try them out.
Glass 1 : The nose is light fruit and honey, maybe some cherry syrup. Malty, reminds me of an Irish. The taste is peppery, malt, cereal, grain. I would guess it's around 50% ABV. The finish is sweet and dry, but it does feel a bit off. With water the nose is more mild but also more floral and potpourri. The taste is more sweet, malty and brighter along with some pepper. The finish seems more peppery too. Tonight I would rate it a 3.75.
Glass 2 : The nose has some spearmint gum and honey. There is brown sugar too, it gives me rye vibes. The taste, sweet spearmint, malt, brown sugar and some wood. I would guess this is 45% ABV or so. The finish is brown sugar, drifts to some hot pepper, lingers, maybe some wood. With water, on the nose I get a touch of dill? The taste and finish seems the same overall though I do seem to be getting a little dill too on the taste. I would rate this a 3.75 as well.
Glass 3 : On the nose I get sulfur, bark, char, meaty, sweet bbq. The taste is pepper, hot, char, turns a little woody, some bbq. I would guess this is in the 55% ABV zone. The nose turns more sweet after sipping. The finish is pepper and sweet, along with the char. Adding water, I get more pepper and ash on the nose, The taste seems more balanced and really quite nice. Finish is better too overall, nice sweet and heat. I would give this a 4.25 tonight.
Glass 4 : With the nose I'm getting honey, cookie biscuit, a PNW malty vibe, juicy fruit. The taste is a bit thin, malty, sweet, juicy fruit there too, and some wood. I would put this around 45% ABV. The finish is juicy fruit, malt, and wood dryness. With water - similar nose but with a little floral, taste is still juicy fruit. The finish is malty and good overall. I would rate this 3.75.
Glass 5 : For the nose I'm getting fruit, matchstick, a bit spikey and sharp, a touch of ash, ripe fruit sweetness, syrupy. The taste is matchstick, ripe fruit, maybe some ash or dry wood. The finish is peppery that turns to sweet fruit with a dryness that lingers - I would guess this is around 55% ABV. With water, the nose is more matchstick and sweet bbq; taste is bbq sweet, ash, char and spicy pepper, while the finish is more peppery. Really nice overall, rated 4.25.
Tasting Glass 1, 2 and 4 head to head, 4 is my favorite of the 3, and I really can't say 1 or 2 are better, so we'll say it's a tie. Glass 4, 3rd tonight, was the Wanderback. Glass 1 was the Westland and Glass 2 was the Stranahan's - tied for 4th tonight.
Tasting 3 and 5 side by side, it's really close, but I think I prefer 5 more this evening. 2nd places was the McCarthy's 3 Year, and glass 5 was the McCarthy's 6 Year. Honestly, all these were very tasty, cheers!
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