Ryan Archives - Page 15 of 21

Tasting Notes From: Ryan

Tequila & Mezcal

Candido Garcia Cruz Agave Espadin Capon May 2015 Miahuatlán 49.15% for Neta

Nose: Freshly cut grass complete with the exhaust from a gas lawn mower, clay pottery, the brown bottle cap candy (root beer), fried green tomatoes with remoulade, incredibly ripe cantaloupe, bbq lighter fluid, green olives, sal de gusanito

Palate: A trip to the gas station, clay / limestone – strong minerality and earthiness – potting soil, intense chamomile tea, melon pear (which is actually a sweet and strange sour cucumber) slightly metallic finish, hickory, long long finish is subtle touch of tea tree

Rating: 5 (Ryan) 4 (Shane) / 10 – this is a fine pour and I quite like the nose. I wouldn’t turn it away if offered, but that’s about where it ends. It has a very environmentally unfriendly bent to it : )

Tequila & Mezcal

Sozimo Jarquín Espadín La Chaga, Miahuatlán April 2017 51.5% for Neta

Nose: Imagine a spicy version of the Big Mac sauce (thousand island), roasted tomatoes, lemongrass, rotel, celery, black canned olives, worcestershire sauce, tire shop, maíz blanco (white hominy), classic bloody mary. With more time in the glass, you get a super intense beef jerky note.

Palate: A very refined version of the nose. A classy sunday brunch. An insanely smooth 51.5%. Tiny bites of cecina. Beets. Blackberry vinegar. Buckwheat pancakes with smoked breakfast sausages and a touch of potato / turnip / onion hash.

Rating: 6 (Ryan) 7 (Shane) / 10 – an elegance and flavors

Imperial 19 Year 1995 #50165 / #50166 52.2% for Signatory Vintage

Nose: Spongecake with grand marnier sprinkled on, tangerine flan, sawdust, waxiness.

Palate: Wax paper, tangerine taffy, julie’s aunt’s orange rolls, white tea where you left the paper label in, orange flan

Rating: 8 (Shane) 9 (Ryan) / 10 – Be excellent to each other – Party on, dudes! So-crates – “The only true wisdom consists in knowing that you know nothing”. Ted: “That’s us, dude.”

Glendronach “Black Pearl” 19 Year 1993 Sherry Butt #1616 59.2%

Nose: Dr. pepper/mr. pibb, chocolate, umami, sweet, leather, almond, coffee cake, pomegranate.

Palate: Everything from the nose and so much more. No point in repeating the same words.

Rating: 9 / 10 – hits every part of the tongue. Complex and insane. If it weren’t for a fleeting deeply intense herbal note, this might be a 10. But that is a personal preference and not a flaw. I have gone out and acquired two bottles since taking this note.

Imperial 18 Year 1995 #50290 / #50291 46% for Signatory Vintage

Nose: Pear drops, vanilla custard, panna cotta, lemon, honeysuckle, nectarine, very light violet

Palate: Touch of honey in white tea, lime peel, unripe nectarine, waxy.

Rating: 7 / 10 – en elegant and light summer pour

Imperial 20 Year 1995 #50226 / #50227 46% for Signatory Vintage

Nose: Warm cedar, sandalwood, vanilla caramels, cantaloupe.

Palate: Rose hips, marshmallow, creme brûlée, caramel, nabisco vanilla wafers, coffee

Rating: 7 (Ryan) 8 (Shane) / 10 – sweets shop notes, time for a sweater and cup of something warm.

Imperial 19 Year 1995 #50180 46% for The Ultimate Van Wees

Nose: Almond biscotti, sweet squash

Palate: Roasted sweet potatoes, marzipan, pimiento padron, salted gummies, anise, elderflower, coconut – an almond joy

Rating: 7 / 10 – there is a deep earthy sweetness paired with bitterness that makes for a fascinating pour.

Imperial 19 Year 1995 #50206 46% for The Ultimate Van Wees

Nose: Hops, honeydew melon, yellow peach, the light metallic note from cooking liver and onions, bong water.

Palate: Bright nectarines and tangerines, vanilla pudding, the fruit notes holds through the finish and keeps singing, tiny hints of violets, waxy and dusty to the max

Rating: 7 / 10 – what a finish… fruit forward!!!

Imperial 19 Year 1995 #50208 46% for The Ultimate Van Wees

Nose: Oatmeal creme pie from little debbies.

Palate: Biscoff, dark tea without any bitterness, marshmallows, oatmeal with brown sugar, chocolate dusting

Rating: 8 / 10 – Unlike all the prior fruits, this is just lovely brown sugar sweetness.

Glendronach 20 Year 1993 Oloroso Sherry Butt #1626 54.6% for Taiwan Exclusive

Nose: Date nuggets, hoisin sauce, cloves. espresso chocolate-coated bean.

Palate: Plums, salt, acidity, umami, toasted figs … wow wow

Rating: 8 / 10 – this is exceptional… it’s so damn close to a 9, if only the finish held a touch more of the syrupiness.

Glendronach 21 Year 1993 Oloroso Butt #6 52.3%

Nose: Brown sugar, stone fruit, monkey bread, Kouign-amann, cloves.

Palate: Red vines, cloves, full on juicy fruit sweetness but the finish has a slight Asprin note that detracts from the moment.

Rating: 6 / 10

Glendronach 21 year 1993 Oloroso Cask 626 45.7%

Nose: Fig jam, dates, stewed prunes, pink peppercorn, teriyaki sauce, almonds, vanilla bean wafers

Palate: Soft prunes, luden’s wild cherry lozenges, tobacco leaf, salted licorice, sweet chili biltong, the teriyaki umami factor nicely tampers down the sweet

Rating: 8 / 10 – from beginning to end, everything is aligned and consistent, a truly lovely experience. God we’ve missed you Glendronach ‘93!

Glenallachie 2011 10 Year #4531 61.6% for Denmark Batch #3

Nose: Astringent, light touch of urinal cake (sounds worse than it is), wood, dusty

Palate: Consistent with nose, cabinet spices, butterscotch, finish is heavy on the wood and astringent

Rating: 5 / 10

Glenallachie 1996 22 Year #5270 53.4% for Signatory Vintage

Nose: Wax, buttery, really lovely subtle sweetness like powdered sugar, there is a green note to this that is not unpleasant (akin to cucumber water).

Palate: Front of the palate is delicate and complex, lemon balm, white tea, subtle peach and greenhouse vibe (tomato vine, bell peppers), back of the palate veers towards endive/dandelion greens

Rating: 7 / 10 – what a wonderful pour. Elegant, complex, gentle.

Glenallachie 2007 13 Year #UC002 50% for Uncharted Whisky Co.

Nose: Werther’s originals, vanilla, golden raisins, twinkie.

Palate: Tastes like feet. Which probably leaves you with questions… best unanswered. Good god uncharted, what are you doing?!?

Rating: 4 (Ryan) 3 (Shane) / 10 – this sux