Springbank Palo Cortado Cask Matured 10 Year Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky

VITALS:

- $200

- 110 Proof

- 10 Years

- Campbeltown

I feel like every time I review a Springbank I profess my love for anything coming out of Campbeltown. But, I'm all for consistency, so once again allow me to profess my love for anything and everything coming out of Campbeltown. I don't know what it is about this tiny region of Scotland, but they just seem to be able to do no wrong in my book when it comes to making whisky.

So, of course when I got the chance to grab this 10 year matured in Palo Cortado casks, I had to jump at it! Afterall, I can't say I've ever had anything matured in Palo Cortado casks, let alone a Springbank. It was about one of the easiest decisions I've ever made.

Right away on the nose I got a rich dark cherry note. Interestingly, that was immediately followed by a sort of mustiness, like walking through the woods after the rain. It was kind of mossy smelling. I did get a bit of light smoke and there was also a bright citrus note, giving it a sort of a burnt orange quality.

The peat smoke wasn't big on the nose, but it was significantly more prominent on the palate, hitting my tongue immediately upon my first sip. The cherry note was also there, kind of like a Maraschino cherry but with tempered sweetness.

I definitely got that same mossy or musty note, but oddly I found myself really enjoying it. It added a sort of an earthy note to the cherry and smoke, keeping either one from being overpowering. It also seemed to make that cherry note lean more toward blackberry or even fig on later pours.

There was also a distinct dark chocolate note that I really enjoyed, and that note seemed to really shine on the finish. This had a great, oily mouthfeel allowing for a long-lived finish. A light bit of smoke lingered a bit as well leaving me with an interesting smokey dark chocolate dessert like flavor.

This was somewhat different from other sherry matured peated Scotches, but I really liked the nuance here as well as its uniqueness.  I found myself frequently grabbing this bottle over other sherry-finished peated single malts because of what set it apart.

Grade: A-

Clermont Steep American Single Malt Whiskey

VITALS:

- $60

- 94 Proof

- 5 Years

- Kentucky

I'm not going to lie.  I was weirdly excited for this release.  I've done the American Single Malt thing. I've tried some that I've really enjoyed, and I've had some that were clunkers. What excited me about this one was that it was Jim Beam getting into the American Single Malt fray. 

There haven't been too many single malt releases from the Kentucky big boys. And, I'm particularly fond of most Beam products. So, when these finally hit the shelves, I made it a point to grab one right away. I figured, as with most of their other stuff, Jim Beam would at the very least produce a new and interesting and delicious product that would be a mainstay on the shelves.

I was wrong.

The nose was pretty good, and gave me a bit of hope, even if it didn't smell anything like the single malts I've come to know and love. It had notes of pear and cinnamon, almost like baked pear. It had a brown sugar sweetness to it, as well as a sweet tobacco leaf note. It also gave off a sort of brown butter note.

As to flavor, though, the predominant note was Cheerios.  And it wasn't even Honey Nut Cheerios, or Frosted Cheerios. It was just plain old, tasted like cardboard Cheerios.  There was also a fruitiness to it, but it wasn't a light or crisp note, but rather that baked pear note again. From there it seemed to go downhill.

I got a medicinal cherry note that is immediately a turnoff for me whenever I find it in a pour. I love a good cherry note, I hate the cough syrup note I get in some brands. And this was that cough syrup note. It also went beyond the pear note to include other weird stewed fruit notes, perhaps apple and plum. But there was no spice to go with those notes--no cinnamon, no allspice, no anise. It was just a bit weird.

And the finish kind of sealed the deal for me. I never did get that malty backbone that I love in a single malt. I never got any of the bright notes or floral notes or even fruity notes I've experienced in good single malts. Instead, what I was left with on the finish was an artificial sweetness, like corn syrup.  It wasn't even something I'd put on pancakes. It had that fake, syrupy sweetness of hard candy, and that seemed to linger longer than I wanted it to.

I wanted to like this, but I just struggled to find a reason to.  I think I'll just stick to Beam's bourbons from here on out.

Grade: D

Benromach Binny's Hand Selected 10 Year Single Cask First Fill Sherry Hogshead Speyside Single Malt

VITALS:

- $90

- 121.2 Proof

- 10 Years

- Cask No. 719

- Speyside

I certainly have a professed love for sweet and peat, or, in other words, peated Scotch aged in ex-wine barrels. Fortified wine barrels, particularly, always seem to add that sweet, fruity, jammy note to the smoky notes from the peat that just make my mouth water.

So, when Binny's got a couple Benromach picks in, one of which was aged in a first fill sherry hogshead, the manager at my local store, knowing my love of sweet and peat, made it a point to let me know. Not only did she let me know it had come in, but she had tried it and declared it to be an incredible pour. At that point there was no way I was going home without a bottle.

When I popped the cork, I was immediately hit with those jammy notes I fully expected. I got great aromas of strawberry and cranberry, along with a bit of a bread note, almost like a pie crust. There was a bit of spice on the nose as well, kind of a clove spice, that seemed to tag along with the smoky note. It was like a spicy, smoky strawberry pie, and my mouth watered each time I took a good whiff.

As to flavor, I'll describe the over all experience like this: it was like a smoked raspberry strudel (something I may have to search out a recipe for, as it sounds delicious as I type it) on top of a couple scoops of vanilla ice cream. This was absolutely a dessert whiskey, and it was delicious!

The creamy vanilla persisted and seemed to blend perfectly with the ever-present smoke. The bright raspberry notes were front and center, and they seemed to be sweetened up a bit by a honey note. It even had a solid malt backbone to give it that crumbly strudel flavor.

While the spice from the nose didn't seem as present, everything else was so good together I didn't seem to miss it.  The high proof provided a great viscosity and completely coated my mouth and throat and made for an incredibly long finish of raspberry and barbecue, with that same undercurrent of vanilla.

I could not get enough of this single cask! This is one of my favorite pours that I've had in quite some time.  I have no idea if there are any more of these sitting on the shelves anywhere. I'd be surprised if there were. But, if I happen to come across another, it's going straight into my cart.

Grade: A+

Benromach 15 Year Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

VITALS:

- $70

- 86 Proof

- 15 Years

- Speyside

I am certainly a big fan of peated whiskies finished in wine casks. As far as single malts go, I lean almost exclusively in that direction, and I frequently find myself focusing only on the Islay section of the Scotch aisle. However, Benromach, despite being a Speyside distillery, has always used peat in their products, and I figured it was time that I give their 15 year a try.

After all, not only is this one peated, but, although not stated anywhere on the packaging, was matured at least in part in first-fill sherry casks.   Sign me up! And the price certainly makes it an easy decision, as the $70 price point is more than generous for a 15 year peated whiskey finished in first-fill casks. Perhaps a little more proof would have been great, but then you'd have to pay for it.

Despite their claim that this has a "subtle" smoky flavor, the peat smoke came through fairly strongly on the nose.  Behind that, however, were great notes of brown sugar and butter crackers, like Ritz crackers. The best part about the nose, however, was the bright raspberry note that married so well with that peat smoke and immediately had me salivating.

Interestingly, there wasn't nearly as much smoke in flavor as the nose had me believe. While it was there, it was indeed "subtle," and far less dominant than it was on the nose. That bright raspberry note I got on the nose wasn't nearly as strong as I had expected as well. It was a tad muted, which was immediately a bit disappointing.

However, that disappointment didn't last long, because while the raspberry note didn't take over, other great, rich notes came through to provide more complexity and nuance. I got rich fruits, like fig and raisin, paired with a molasses sweetness. There was even a pie crust note that created this sort of rich and sweet and yet savory flavor that was not only incredible but a bit unexpected.

On the finish the peat smoke seemed to come through much more. It was almost like it was the flavor that was left behind. A bit of sweet brown sugar accompanied that note and a bit of the fruit notes, both bright and dark fruits, lingered as well, albeit not for a super long time.

This was a delicious pour, and it surprised me at times the direction it went. It was unexpected, but certainly enjoyable.

Grade: B+

Benriach The Smoky Twelve 12 Year Speyside Single Malt Scotch

VITALS:

- $70

- 92 Proof

- 12 Years

- Speyside

There aren't too many Speyside malts that feature peat.  Benromach does regularly, and other distilleries seem to do so only in special or limited releases, for the most part.  I'm sure there are others out there and I'm just not aware of them, but the fact of the matter is that Speyside is not exactly known for its smoke bombs.

And, I'm not that familiar with Benriach. I don't believe I've ever even sampled Benriach prior to enjoying this bottle. But, when I saw it on the shelf, I was intrigued not only by the fact that it was a peated Speyside single malt, but that it had been matured in three casks, including sherry and Marsala casks. That wonderful mix of peat and sweet is right up my alley, and with a cool name like "The Smoky Twelve," I knew I had to give it a try at some point.

On the nose the smoke wasn't nearly as big as in some Islay scotches. It was on the lighter side, giving room for other notes of honey and caramel.  There was also a nice butterscotch malt note as well and some bright orange citrus. The sherry and Marsala cask influence came through as well, but in the form of an artificial raspberry note, like raspberry flavored hard candy.

The flavor matched, in a way, but also diverged quite a bit. Notably, one of the first flavors that hit the front of my tongue was an unexpected almond liqueur note, with a tangy richness that was nowhere to be found on the nose.

This also had a malty backbone with a light black pepper spice that lingered through the finish. That bright orange note from the nose was also there, kind of like a fresh orange peel.  Luckily the wine cask influence didn't lean towards that fake raspberry note, but rather provided a very welcome fresh strawberry note, and all of these flavors seemed to work quite well with one another.

I do wish the peat were dialed up a bit, but that is certainly a personal preference. I did get those iodine notes and a bit of salinity in my glass, and that salinity also seemed to linger along with the black pepper and a hint of the strawberry. But the peat smoke seemed to fade a bit.

I know there are older expressions of this, and I just may need to give them a go at some point. But, I'm glad I satisfied my curiosity with this one. I did want a bit more, but it was still a tasty dram!

Grade: B

Longrow Red Malbec Cask Matured 13 Year Peated Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch

VITALS:
- $150

- 102.6 Proof

- 13 Years

- Campbeltown

The "Red" series from Longrow is hands down my favorite series among whiskeys.  Every single one has been absolutely fantastic, finding a great balance between the salty smoke of the peat and the rich fruit-forward notes provided by the cask finish. 

This particular one, released in 2017, was matured in Malbec casks. I don't drink wine any more, but when I did, I gave Malbecs a try a few different times. I just did not enjoy them, for whatever reason. So, while I, of course, grabbed this one nonetheless, figuring how bad could it be, I went into it thinking this might be the first one that didn't blow me away. I couldn't have been more wrong, though. This was an incredible dram!

On the nose, the wine notes do seem to overpower the peat smoke, making the smokiness of it almost secondary. The aroma is dominated by rich blackberry and dark cherry, along with a good amount of oak offering a balancing bitterness. The peat is there, but comes across as more of a char note.

The flavor, though, was everything I could have hoped for. This bottle was all sweet, fruity smoke, and I loved it. Cherry and fig dominated the fruity notes, providing a dark and rich sweetness.  And yet, it was never a super-sweet whisky. There was a lot of balance to it, as it also had a cranberry note that added some tartness, and that same oak from the nose to add a bit of earthiness and a touch of bitterness.

What stood out with this bottle, though, was something rich and almost meaty. It reminded me of cherry wood smoked barbecue, or perhaps a reduced cherry barbecue sauce. It had smoke, it had sweet cherry, it had sweet brown sugar and it had barbecue spice. I've never had something like this before, and I wonder how much of that was the Malbec influence. I certainly don't get notes like this from the sweeter Port or Sherry finishes.

This might just be one of my favorite whiskeys I've ever had. The nose was just good, but whatever. It's the nose. The flavor absolutely floored me, with an incredible balance of rich sweetness, peat smoke and spice that made everything go perfectly, like each note had a purpose, even down to the cranberry.  I saved the last pour for quite some time, not wanting to finish the bottle, but now I just may have to track another one of these down.

Grade: A+

Kilchoman Binny's Private Select 9 Year STR Finish Single Cask Islay Single Malt Scotch

VITALS:
- $130

- 11 Proof

- 9 Years

- Cask No. 153/2012

- Islay

I do love me a good, peated Scotch, particularly one finished in a wine cask. I've also found that I'm not the biggest fan of toasted barrel finished bourbons. They just haven't done it for me. Nonetheless, I was intrigued at the idea of a toasted finish on a peated Scotch. This Kilchoman private pick from Binny's gave me the chance to quash that intrigue. 

This single malt is labeled as an "STR" finish. What that means is that Kilchoman took this peated single malt that had been matured in ex Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels and finished it in red wine cask that had been scraped or shaved, toasted and then re-charred--hence the "STR."  It was finished in this STR barrel for 18 months. So, whatever influence that barrel was going to have should certainly be prevalent and noticeable.

As expected, the nose is very smoke forward. I didn't get very much bright fruit or any wine notes as I had hoped for. But I did get something more earthy, along the lines of fig or maybe even raisin. It also had a bit of a resin note, along with something meaty, almost bacon-like.  This all sounds weird, I realize, but it all kind of worked together in a sort of sweet barbecue sauce kind of way.

As to flavor, right up front I got that great mix of sweet and peat that I absolutely can't get enough of. Here the bright fruits did come through, as I got red raspberry and some dark cherry. I even got a bit of currant adding just a touch of tartness.

There was also a caramel note, though richer. Perhaps more like a toffee note with a touch of dark chocolate. The peat smoke, of course, carried through out, but was always complementary rather than overpowering. It never slapped me in the face but always took a back seat.  There was also a certain spice to it, almost like cloves but not as strong, that provided a great balance to the smoky sweetness.

What made this bottle an absolute stand-out, though, was the finish. After each sip my mouth was coated with flavors of cherry pie filling, along with this sweet dessert-like note of brown sugar and butterscotch. That butterscotch note seemed to almost come out of nowhere and it just stuck to the back of my throat like I had just eaten a butterscotch candy. On the finish the peat continued to be there but again more in the background, letting all these other delicious flavors linger around seemingly forever. 

Up until the finish, this was a very good whisky. As soon as that finish hit, though, even on my very first sip, I knew this was an outstanding single malt! If you can still find it on the shelf, grab it!

Grade: A+

Laphroaig Cairdeas Port & Wine Casks Islay Single Malt Scotch

VITALS:

- $100

- 104 Proof

- NAS

- Islay

I have absolutely grown to love sweet and peat. It started when my wife brought home a random bottle of Longrow Red almost five years ago. Since then I've not only grabbed every Longrow Red release, but I've also made it a point to try anything else I can get my hands on that has that combination of smoky peat and a wine barrel finish.

So, naturally, I find myself drinking Islay Scotches fairly regularly, and the Laphroaig Cairdeas releases certainly meet that criteria. This particular release was a blend of whisky matured in second fill Ruby Port barrels and ex-bourbon barrels, and then finished in red wine casks.  There was no question this would give me all that sweet and peat I was after.

Right away I got a ton of dark, jammy fruits on the nose. It was a rich and sweet combination of blackberry and fig. The peat was not anywhere near what I expected, and was only mildly present. That, however, allowed for soft notes of orange and vanilla to come through. The overall combination was incredibly mouth-watering.

As to the palate, right up front I got that nice hit of smoke, along with a black pepper spice on the tip of my tongue, followed immediately by that rich blackberry jam note. There was a little bit of fig and raisin as well, to add a bit of richness, but I also got something bright, like red raspberry, that was unexpected. 

There was a decent amount of brown sugar sweetness, perhaps at times leaning more towards a molasses note. It also had a bit of a pastry note, like puff pastry used for Danishes. 

The finish, though, was what made me fall in love with this whisky. It was on the finish that the smoky peat really kicked in. That peat note coupled beautifully with the rich, jammy blackberry and fig that also dominated, resulting in this smoky, sticky, fruity note that remined me a bit of a sweet barbecue sauce. Put this on some pork ribs and you might have something!

This is an incredible example of what I love in that sweet and peat combination. "Cairdeas" translates to friendship, and I think I've found a new friend here. This is going to be right there with the Longrow Red as a release I'm going to be picking up every time it comes out.

Grade: A

Scotch Malt Whiskey Society Black Oak 8 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky

VITALS:

- $95

- 100 Proof

- 8 years

- Speyside

For the past year I've enjoyed a membership to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, a Christmas present I received last year. Well, "enjoyed" might not be the right word, as I actually haven't really purchased much through them. I find the bottles are certainly on the higher end from a price standpoint, shipping is also expensive, and each bottle seems to take forever to ship. So I really haven't taken advantage of the membership like I thought I would.

However, I did jump at the opportunity to purchase this particular bottle when it came around. While the distillery isn't disclosed, this is an 8 year Speyside single malt that was aged in first fill ex-bourbon barrels, and then "married" in Gascon black oak barrels that formally held Armagnac. I can't say I've had an Armagnac finished Scotch before, which is primarily what compelled me to purchase this particular bottle.

The nose was full of rich brown sugar and baking spices. It had a bit of nutmeg and a light not of cinnamon to it. There was a healthy amount of sweet tobacco leaf that seemed to pair with a candied orange note that I really enjoyed.  There was something else, though, that was bright and crisp but odd and out of place. It was a sort of melon note that was fleeting but kept coming back.

As to flavor, my first note was that it wasn't strong in flavor at all.  It was subtle and delicate. Given that my only experience with Armagnac finishes has been finished bourbons or ryes, I attributed it to that more than anything. But, I did wish I got more of the Armagnac influence than I did. That was what I came for, after all, but it just wasn't there. 

This whisky did have some bright notes of peach and pear, and later on I was getting delicious notes of apricot. This was all layered over a light brown sugar sweetness as well as a honey note. In fact, I even got a bit of orange marmalade at times.

In addition to those brighter, sweet fruit notes, I got something bready, almost like a spice cake. That, paired with the fruit notes, gave it a sort of baked peach flavor as well. It was rich, sweet and spicy all at once.  

However, it remained light and subtle in flavor, and I wished these flavors were a bit more bold. That would have provided for a bit more complexity.  I also wished that the Armagnac influence were more present. That is really where this one disappointed a bit.

Grade: B-

Waterford Irish Single Malt Whiskey - An Experiment in Terroir?

You may have noticed a recent addition to the Irish Whiskey aisle at your local retailer. In fact, given the bright blue package and very sleek and modern look, the Waterford Irish Single Malts really stick out amongst all the other earth-toned Irish whiskeys. They really are eye-catching. But, when a friend of mine offered to send me some samples to try, I had to admit I didn't know much more about Waterford than that.

So, while I waited for this package of sample bottles to arrive, I checked out what Waterford was all about, and, quite frankly, it's worth a look -- www.waterfordwhiskey.com.  Waterford is not just a distillery, but a whiskey "project."  According to their website, Waterford sourced 86 Irish farms, including organic and biodynamically run farms, growing barley on 19 different soil types. While sourcing this grain, Waterford is tracking and recording it every step of the way, taking note of everything from the date of harvest to the date of distillation and even the soil type. The goal appears to be to establish or, perhaps better stated, to demonstrate each whiskey's terroir--something traditionally associated with wine, not whiskey.

What I didn't realize until I actually had these samples in hand, however, is that each whiskey comes with its own "Teireoir Code." By entering each code on Waterford's web site, I then was completely inundated with information about that whiskey and the grains used to make it. I was honestly floored at just how much information is made available to the consumer. For instance, the very first piece of information is the name of the grower of the barley, followed by information relating to the date the barley was harvested, the date the whiskey was distilled, the length of maturation down to the day, and the number of bottles produced.

As you scroll through each page, you get background on the particular farm where the barley was grown, audio of the wind blowing and birds chirping at the farm (not sure that it was necessary to hear the farm, but a fun little interactive aspect), and even a complete timeline of the barley from the date sown to the date harvested to the date of distillation to the date of bottling. You even get a picture of a cross-section of the soil.  Admittedly, this was certainly more information than I have ever asked for or felt I needed. And some of the farm descriptions come across as a bit hokey and fluffy. But, there is no question that what Waterford is doing differently from everybody else is not only tracking every detail of their whiskey, from grain to bottle, but providing all of that information to the consumer. And it really was fun looking up each Teireoir Code as I sampled each of these whiskeys.

But of course, all the information in the world doesn't mean much unless the product is good.  Each of these whiskeys is fairly young, with none being over 4 years, and they come with a healthy price tag approaching $100 per bottle. So, going in I felt each of these whiskeys had some work to do.


Dunbell 1.1
 - 100 Proof

 - 3 yrs., 8 mos., 26 days

 - 6,000 Bottles

 - Single Farm Origin

 - Terroir Code: F022E01-01

This was the first of the whiskeys that we tried, and it was the last one I went to when I re-visited them. The nose on this one was absolutely delicious, and I probably spent more time nosing this one than any of the others. It had delicious rich aromas of apricot and brandy, with a brown sugar and honey sweetness. It also had a bit of a cereal note, like Cheerios, as well as some light smokiness.

The flavor, unfortunately, wasn't quite as good. Right away I got notes of white peppercorn spice and that Cheerios flavor I got on the nose. It was very grain forward in its profile, and many of those notes I loved on the nose, like the apricot and brandy, were missing from the flavor. There was also something a bit off-putting, like a garlic note. This one really could have used more sweetness on the palate to provide a little bit of balance or nuance. Instead it came across as a bit of a one-trick pony, and that one-trick wasn't that impressive.

Dunmore 1.1

 - 100 Proof

 - 3 yrs., 11 mos., 17 days

 - 13,000 Bottles

 - Single Farm Origin

 - Terroir Code: F017E01-01

This was the second whiskey I tried, and the first thing I noticed was the difference in the nose. Rather than sweet and rich, this one actually had some earthiness to it, almost like coffee grounds. It still had that honey sweetness, but also a bit of a blackberry note. There was also a sweet, cashew-like nuttiness to it, as well as just a bit of peppery spice. 

The flavor on this one was more Scotch-like to me and was certainly barley forward. The most prominent notes were honey and graham cracker, and my immediate thought was that I liked this one substantially more than the first. It had that earthy tone that I got on the nose, kind of like coffee grounds but without the coffee bitterness. The finish provided some nice pepper spice, as well as a bit of a tree-fruit flavor, like baked pear. It seemed to finish off with a light and crisp lemongrass note. This one was my favorite for most of the night, that is until I revisited the next one.

Rathclough 1.1

 - 100 Proof

 - 3 yrs., 11 mos., 26 days

 - 13,000 Bottles

 - Single Farm Origin

 - Terroir Code F016E01-01

The nose on this one was even more earthy than the Dunmore. The coffee ground note was more prominent, but it also shared space with rich brown sugar and baked apples. It had a nice black pepper spice that tickled my nose, but really it was that earthy scent that set this apart from the other three whiskeys, and noticeably so.

When I first sipped this whiskey, I immediately noticed something funky, almost medicinal and smoky all at once. I likened it to Agricole rums, which honestly, I'm not much of a fan of. It even had what I described as a musty flavor to it, like a damp forest.  Behind that, though were brighter notes of banana, along with counter-balancing notes of orange peel and chocolate. This all sounds weird, I know, but it was intriguing and the one that I most wanted to re-visit. Upon revisiting, I ultimately determined that this was my favorite whiskey of the four. That mustiness somehow worked really well with the banana and the bitter orange peel. It had great balance of sweet, smoke, bitter and earthiness, and it was unquestionably interesting and intriguing. This was the most funky of the four whiskeys and the most fun. 

Gaia 1.1

 - 100 Proof

 - 3 yrs., 9 mos., 20 days

 - 24,000 Bottles

 - Arcadian Series - Organic

 - Terroir Code OR01E01-01

The nose on this one was very much fruit forward, and it was more in the citrus family of fruit. I got a healthy dose of caramel, immediately followed by bright notes of apricot and orange. There was a bit of graham cracker and, much like the others, a coffee note (pretty much the one consistency among all of these).  However, it was very sweet, like a coffee latte or a caramel pastry. 

Though it may be splitting hairs a bit, the sweetness in the flavor was more of a brown sugar note than a caramel note. I did get a bit of cherry as well, along with some orange peel, and that gave of a bit of an old fashioned flavor. However, it definitely was the sweetest of the four whiskeys, and I even got a vanilla frosting note.  I think it was that sweetness that really appealed to some of my colleagues who loved this one. On re-visiting this one, while it remained very sweet, the orange peel came across a bit solvent-like to me. 

Final Thoughts . . .

Though each one is different, when you're in a setting like I was, with four different people trying four different whiskeys, you can't help but compare and rank them. It's only human nature. For me, I ended up absolutely loving the Rathclough, and the Dunmore was a close second. The Dunbell just didn't do it for me.  And yet everyone in my group seemed to have different favorites. One other guy agreed with me as to the Rathclough. However, one absolutely loved the Gaia, yet hated the Dunmore. And the fourth guy picked the Dunmore as his favorite. As always, different strokes for different folks.

But, it was absolutely fun going through each of these whiskeys, learning all there is to possibly know about each, and even finding new whiskeys that I absolutely enjoyed! It appears as though Waterford plans on churning out new whiskeys on a regular basis, and, if our little tasting demonstrates anything, it's that there is something to terroir in whiskey. Each of these, despite being distilled at the same place, by the same people and matured for the same amount of time, was completely distinct, some with almost no similarity to the others. I know I'm not going to love them all, but if this sampling showed me anything it's that Waterford can produce some really interesting and delicious whiskey.

Kavalan ex-Bourbon Oak Single Malt Whisky

VITALS:
- $119.00
- 92 Proof
- NAS
- Region: Taiwan

Though I've had Japanese whiskeys before, this is my first foray into Taiwanese whisky. I've certainly heard of Kavalan and seen their bottles on the shelves, but I never grabbed one for whatever reason. My wife, however, was willing to make that leap for me, and she bought me a bottle of the Kavalan ex-Bourbon Oak single malt as a birthday gift. Needless to say, I was eager to try it.

The nose is distinctly a single malt, not unlike your typical Highlands Scotch Whisky. It smelled soft, almost floral and certainly malty. I did not get a huge bourbon presence on the nose, but I did get more vanilla than I typically find in single malts. I also got that typical pipe tobacco note that I find in Irish malts.  Finally, there was a bit of a pepper spice to the nose. Clearly, at least as far as aroma goes, there was a lot going on here.

While the nose was soft and delicate (though full of aroma), the palate was a bit bolder.  At first I got a lot more cinnamon and wood than I ever would have expected. It was a lot like a single malt with American rye whiskey qualities.  I don't know if it was the wood tones or a combination of that with the cinnamon, but it gave the whiskey a bit of a sharp bite that I found to be a bit off-putting.

As I spent more time with the bottle, though, I came to appreciate many of the complexities of this whisky. After being open for a while, those sharp edges seemed to die off. It still retained some bitterness, but it took on more of an orange pith type bitterness, and was actually welcome. I even got fleeting notes of fresh mint.

Towards the end of the bottle, this seemed to be almost entirely butterscotch, cinnamon and vanilla, however. It sweetened up significantly, allowing the butterscotch and sweet vanilla to take more of a center stage, with the sharp, dry and bitter edges taking more of a back seat.

The cinnamon and pepper spice remained throughout, giving this a bit more of a spicy character than a Highlands single malt. However, it still retained that malty character. There's no question that it was a single malt, as that buttery, almost floral character was consistent. I only wish the bourbon barrels had imparted more of an influence than they did. It seemed to have promise of lending some of those flavors to this single malt, but they either didn't lend as much, or not in the way I had hoped.

While I really enjoyed this bottle from beginning to end, it certainly wasn't consistent from beginning to end. It had a lot going on, but the flavors didn't complement one another as much as I would have liked. Rather, it was a cacophony of various flavors, some more enjoyable than others, all thrown together.

Grade: B

House Spirits Westward American Single Malt Whiskey

VITALS:
- $100
- 90 Proof
- NAS
- Oregon

House Spirits hooked me in early on when I first began writing this blog. I had read some positive reviews about their American Whiskey. So, wanting to try something different, I had my parents, who happened to live near Portland, swing by the distillery and grab a bottle, which they happily did as a Christmas gift to me. I tried it, and I have good memories of enjoying it.

Fast forward a couple years to when my sister and her family came to visit, also from the Portland area. On their way through the airport to their gate, my brother-in-law (who is a regular beneficiary of all the different bottles I try) picked up a bottle at House Spirits' store within the airport and personally delivered their new offering, a Single Malt as opposed to just an American Whiskey (and this time a full 750 ml bottle, as opposed to the 375 ml bottle that the American Whiskey came in).

The nose, as expected with a single malt, is soft, malty and lightly sweet. It's similar to a Scotch, and yet not. It's like sweetened cereal, like frosted Cheerios or rice crispy treats. It was, at the least, a very good start!

The flavor is also lightly sweet, but a different type of sweet than what I got on the nose. Rather, this was more of a brown sugar flavor, mixed with the dominant malt flavors that are to be expected. It nonetheless resulted in a combination that reminded me of honey nut Cheerios (I guess the take away is whether it's the nose or the palate, I'm getting some version of Cheerios on this one).

I also got a nice, light smoky flavor on this whiskey, as well as some crisp, light fruit notes that came through, kind of a pear flavor mixed with cinnamon. Also at times I couldn't help but notice a floral flavor to it (yes, I have eaten a flower before). However, those flavors were fleeting and that cinnamon flavor seemed to be more dominant.

As if that weren't enough going on, at the back end I got something different still. The finish had a distinct and lingering pine flavor to it, perhaps appropriate for a Portland whiskey. It wasn't overly strong to the point that it reminded me of air fresheners or cleaning products. Rather, it was just a light, pine note that lingered a while but didn't overpower by any stretch.

This whiskey really has a lot going on, a true cacophony of flavors. At times they didn't seem to really mesh, and at other times they seemed to complement each other in oddly tasty ways. In the end, however, it was a delicious product, though a bit higher in price than I'd like to see. Nonetheless, I'll continue to encourage my family to bring me more tasty treats from House Spirits any time they make it out my way.

Grade: B