Redbreast (12 year) Cask Strength Irish Whiskey
At once hectic and well-packaged, it demonstrates the intense concentration of flavor possible at cask strength while also showcasing the finer notes of damn fine pot-still Irish whiskey.
Month: March 2012
This is Why Independent Bottlers Matter – an Anecdote
Independent bottlers. Are you paying more and getting less for distillery throwaways? Or will you get lucky and pay bargain dollars for something fantastic that will be gone forever once the last drop is consumed? For some (including me), that’s a lot of gamble for upwards of $50 to $80. On this particular day, I got lucky.
What does Grain Whisky taste like?
I’ve complained (often) about the hated specter of GRAIN WHISKY and the ruinous effect that it has on our lovely, pure single malt when blended by greedy profit-seeking conglomerates in their quest to dull the palates and wash the brains of innocent bar-goers the world round. *cough* Turns out that’s only half-true.
Highland Park (12 year)
While it has a lovely lemony nose full of that Orkney peat, the bitterness on the tongue and the burned notes in the finish relegate this to the 30-dollar bin. Still, another sip covers up the sins of the previous, and it’s a sight better than drinking most blends.
Dewar’s White Label Blended Scotch
The number-one selling scotch in the United States? I think America needs to expand its horizons somewhat. I guess the slogan “Number One Scotch For Americans Who Don’t Care What’s In Their Cocktails” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.
Issue #3 of World Whisky Review
Issue #3 of connosr’s World Whisky Review.
Amrut Portonova
Portonova is an exquisite product which (in a blind tasting) could easily be confused with a $125+ 21 year-old wine-finished scotch. Last I saw, it had sold out everywhere but if you have the budget, a love of port/wine finishes, and see some on a shelf somewhere, just know that I thought it was fantastic.
The Glenlivet 15 year
It’s… just OK. It’s better than the 12-year, which lacks a little age and a little wood, both of which are present here. Unfortunately, it suffers from a zealous watering-down.
Cragganmore (21 year)
This whisky, distilled in 1989 and put into the bottle in 2010, reflects 21 years of aging in 2nd- and 3rd-fill American oak (ex-Bourbon) barrels. It retails for *gasp* $200. Is this worth the money?
Cragganmore 1992 Distiller’s Edition
300 casks per year are filled into emptied Sandeman’s Ruby port pipes – made of Spanish oak – to finish for 6-18 months. The result is like a chocolate cherry cordial, both sweet and nutty. Very interesting. You don’t see a port finish every day, and this one is certainly one to ponder.