Whisk(e)y(?) Wednesday - 2021-03-03

Back at it for Whisk(e)y Wednesday? Not quite - tonight I'm having Ron Zacapa Centenarlo Sistema 23 Solera. A blend of rums between 6 and 23 years old.

On the nose, I get orange peel, ripe bananas, toffee, cinnamon, vanilla and some honey. The taste I get honey, sweetness, some apple, a touch of licorice, and some cinnamon spice. The finish is sugary, candy, simple syrup and some spice on the backend. 

This is pretty good overall. I used to drink random rum mixed drinks and such, so I thought I would try a mid-level rum to see what I thought. This one is in the $40s, so not too expensive, but we're not talking rum for mixed drinks. I could see having this when I wanted a break from scotch/whiskey/bourbon. Rated 3.0 / 5.0

Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2021-02-24

Whisk(e)y Wednesday ... back at work this week, so I've been looking forward to this all day (: Tonight I'm tasting Mars Iwai Whisky 45, an "American Style" Whiskey coming in at 45% abv. I've had very few Japanese Whiskies - so let's see how this one tastes.

On the nose, I get apple and other fruit and a hint of butterscotch. The taste is sweet - not overly sweet, but it's the biggest note I'm finding - it seems very clingy too. It has some young alcohol burn to it as well - there is no age statement but this seems pretty young. The finish is candy sweet that hangs around for quite some time. 

With water, the nose opens up some - not finding anything different really - but more seems to be there - more present. The taste is similar, and the finish seems even longer. This one is all right - not great, but certainly drinkable. Got this for about $35, so while pretty low cost - there are many bourbons/ryes/etc that are similar in price and I prefer over this one. Still - I can't think of anything that this reminds me of - so I guess it's somewhat unique. Rated 2.5 / 5.0

Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2021-02-17

I thought I'd be missing Whisk(e)y Wednesday this week, as we had ice storms around here in suburbia Portland, and I was without internet access until... today! It's a Whisk(e)y miracle! So... the show must go on... 

Today we have three Irish Whiskeys - having two Jameson Whiskey variants, and then a Redbreast 12 Year Cask Strength to compare to. The Redbreast is one of my favorite Irish Whiskeys, so the two Jamesons have their work cut out for them (:

First up, Jameson Blender's Dog. This is triple distilled and comes in at 43% ABV. On the nose I find fresh cut grass, floral, cinnamon and some vanilla. On the taste I get caramel, pepper and wood. The finish is sweet and spicy. With water the nose is similar and the taste is less peppery with more wood. I could drink this either way. Overall this one is pretty good - I don't have the standard Jameson on hand, but from memory I would say this is quite a bit better and more interesting. Rated 3.0 / 5.0

Next we have the Jameson Distiller's Safe, triple distilled, 43% ABV. On the nose we have floral, herbs, almonds and vanilla. The taste I find citrus zest, clove and other baking spices, sweet fruit, and oak. The finish I get spice and dryness that lingers. With water the nose is similar and the taste has a bit more wood sourness and I'm finding nutty as well. Probably better neat. This isn't as good as the Blender's Dog in my opinion, Rated 2.75 / 5.0

Finally, Redbreast Single Pot Still 12 Year Cask Strength Irish Whiskey, Batch B2/19, 55.8% ABV. On the nose I find apple cider, pear and bread. The cask strength is present as you'll want to take small sips for sure. The taste I find butter, spice, baked fruit pie, and wood. The finish I get spice and oak wood that lingers, along with some high proof burn. With water, I found this hotter on the nose, and I find some mint on the flavor that I didn't notice before. I could drink this either way - and for me this is one that deserves to be sampled neat and with water. Overall I find this one really good, Rated 4.0 / 5.0 - it's a keeper for sure.

Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2021-02-10

Hump day! Half way through the week ... I might make it to Friday and actually get a few things done as well (: Relaxing with Compass Box Oak Cross this evening. This is a blended malt of Highland single malts, aged in American Oak, and then some of it is moved to first fill French Oak - before being combined back together. Does all that work make for good whisky?

On the nose I find sweet fruit in the front, some spice as well. This seems to have hints that reminds me of a ginger beer or a ginger flavored hard apple cider. Touch of brine as well. The taste I get sweet with some baking spice, along with vanilla. I get some oak and some spice in the finish that hangs around. Adding water doesn't seem to change things much, the nose is more mellow and there is a bit more spice on the taste, but not really much. I probably prefer this neat. 

This is quite nice. I would say it's a little better than Compass Box Great King Street Artist's Blend - but not by much. It has a little more flavor going on. It's almost twice as much as Artist's Blend though - and it's not that much better (: Rated 3.5 / 5.0 

Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2021-02-03

Hump Day ! ! ! Tonight for Whisk(e)y Wednesday I'm reviewing something I've enjoyed for many years - but have never actually reviewed - Lagavulin 16 Year.

I decided to taste this side by side vs some other scotches. The Lagavulin Distillers Edition (2019 4/508) is one of my favorites, so it's a good baseline to compare to, while the Bank Note Peated Reserve Blended Scotch (5 Year) is a *budget* blend - costing around $25. Where on the scale between these two will the Lagavulin 16 fall? (:

First up, Lagavulin Distillers Edition, Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky - distilled 2013, bottled 2019, lgv. 4/508, 43% ABV. On the nose I find some mint and floral, a touch of ash and peaty smoke in the background, sweet, vanilla and caramel. On the taste I get some peaty smoke, touch of brine, sweetness and vanilla. The finish I find a fresh mint tingle and a nice sweetness that lingers for some time. Water brings out more mint and floral on the nose, the taste is a bit more tame - I would prefer this neat, but could see people enjoying it with a dash of water. Really well rounded and easy to drink. This one is so good and would be what I would offer a visiting friend or relative if they were visiting. Rated 4.5 / 5.0

Next, Bank Note Blended Scotch Whisky, Peated Reserve 5 Year, 43% ABV. I bought this mostly to see if a $25 Peated Blend would be half way decent. On the nose I get some smoke, sweet fruit, toffee and a bit of floral. The taste I get ashy smoke, some sweet and a hint of dark chocolate. On the finish I find it a bit bitter and harsh. Some spice with a sweet aftertaste turning a bit metallic. With water the nose is similar, a touch less harsh on the taste - might prefer this one with a splash of water. Overall - this one tastes a bit off at first, but by the time you're finishing the pour, it seems all right. There are things that are not much more, Compass Box Great King Street Artist's Blend, for example - that are much more enjoyable - though not peated. Rated 2.5 / 5.0

Onto the Lagavulin 16, 43% ABV. On the nose I find sweet caramel, some peat smoke, vanilla and iodine. The taste for me is salt and pepper, some earthy smoke, and nice balance. The finish I get mint freshness and pepper that hangs around for some time. With water I get more spice on the nose, and it tames the taste a bit - I prefer this one neat. Overall this one is well balanced, and will always be on my shelf. I don't enjoy it as much as the Lagavulin Distiller Edition - but it's close. Rated 4.25 / 5.0

Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2021-01-27

Woo! Hump Day ... Whisk(e)y Wednesday yet again. Note that I got lazy last night and didn't get around to posting this review - but I have all my notes so here goes. I thought I'd run through some different Westward Single Malts - I have samples of the Pinot Noir Cask 45% ABV and the Cask Stout 45% ABV, along with a bottle of the Single Barrel Women of Westward 45% ABV release. Will one stand out among the others? Will there be much difference?

I did this blind, but it was easy to pick the Pinot Noir Cask out - and I was pretty sure between the Single Barrel and Cask Stout versions as well. First up, the Single Barrel Women of Westward release. This came out in 2017, and I picked up a 375ml bottle a month or so ago. The nose I get fruit along with some dark chocolate in the background. The taste is licorice and tea, the tea note being similar to the standard Westward Single Malt release. On the finish I get grass and some spice. With water, the nose opens up for me and has more chocolate, a little less bite on the taste and a bit more sweetness, I could have this either way. This is better than the standard Westward, but the cask strength Westward is better in every way. Given the price of this, I can't see buying again. 3.5 / 5.0

Next up was the Pinot Noir Cask version. On the nose I found sweetness, fruit, and grass. The taste I got grass, fruit and old leather in the background. The finish was a touch of fruit, not too heavy, and some tobacco. With water the nose is more interesting - ripe fruit, multilayered, but sadly the taste is more dull. I could drink this either way. Of the three tonight, this was probably my favorite, 3.5 / 5.0

Finally I tried the Cask Stout. I didn't really find any stout on this one in the nose, taste, or finish. The nose was fruit, some citrus and cinnamon. The taste I got the bitter tea like the standard Westward, some nuts, a hint of brine, and some wood. The finish was dry with some tea. Water brought out some citrus on the nose, and some fruit on the taste, but still heavy on the tea. This one was the most like the standard Westward Single Malt - but I probably like this a little better. It was my least favorite of the three, but possibly because it was the least different. 3.25 / 5.0

Whisk(e)y Wednesday - 2021-01-20

Hump Day!!! Time for another blind taste test. Today I'm trying Black Maple Hill Small Batch Limited Edition, 47.5% ABV vs. Starward Two-Fold Double Grain Australian Whisky 40.0% ABV vs Westward American Single Malt Whiskey, 45.0% ABV. I poured the three glasses and then mixed them up until I didn't know which was which...

Sample A: On the nose I found cinnamon and honey, wasn't overpowering, fairly subtile. The taste was rye like spice, floral, herbs, caramel and some maple. The finish had spice that lingered for quite some time - but wasn't overly strong. A dash of water made it more floral on the nose and more rye spice, with the taste becoming more bitter - I would prefer this neat. Rated this 3.5 / 5.0 - This one turned out to be the Black Maple Hill. While it was good, at about $90 a bottle it would be hard justifying purchasing.

Sample B: On the nose I got eucalyptus and tea coming through. The taste I found bitter tea, some grain funk, orange and some ripe fruit. The finish gave me a long herbal finish, bitter tea, and some wood. With water I found the nose more enjoyable - relaxed and inviting. Still got the bitter tea on the taste with some spice as well, I probably liked this one a bit more with water. Rated 3.25 / 5. 0 - This was the Westward. Once I noticed the bitter black tea it was hard to ignore, but I thought it was pretty good overall. At about $70 a bottle I can't see buying this again though.

Sample C: On the nose I got pepper, mint and orange juice. The taste was suite fruit and wood. The finish was dry wood with some spice heat as well. With water I got a bit more sour on the nose - possibly wood along with apple. Fruity on the taste, but the finish seemed more thin, would prefer this one neat. Rated 3.25 / 5.0 - This was the Starward , and was all right overall. At about $32 a bottle, it held its own vs the two other higher priced Whiskies tonight. 

While the Black Maple Hill was the best of the three in my opinion - the Starward was clearly the best value. They make a single malt that I might have to try. Cheers!