Tasting Notes Archive - Page 2 of 48

Tasting Notes

Shane

J. Bally Millesime 2002 @ 43%

Nose: walnuts, nestle cocoa powder, vanilla pudding cup, dusty cabinet, fresh cut woodpile and a lick of climbing chalk.

Palate: a very light palate, surprisingly so. The wood takes first position, but gently, with a light vanilla caramel note. Touch of sandalwood. A light bitter vegetal note, dandelion greens and the bite of lime zest. I have to listen intently to find much.

Rating: 5 / 10 – I wish they had gone for a hint more concentration. Maybe 46-50%? I feel like at this abv it’s lost its mojo. Its a perfectly acceptable pour, but nothing more.

Eau-De-Vie

Shane

Christian Binner Poire Williams 2014 / 2026 Eau de Vie D’alsace by Authentic Spirits

Nose: I first tried this on a picnic table littered with dozens of bottles. Nicolas had brought one of the most elegant pears from Heibl I have tried in years. And then Aurelian plunked one of these on the table. “I was only able to get a small bonbone” he said, 20 some odd bottles, but tell me what you think. In a world of eau-de-elegance, this is the fucking Chuck Norris of Poire Williams. Insane. Pear skins dominate, with a huge juicy nose, fresh and crisp, then towards the end a hint of ripeness. It needs resting in glass, with a zap of sharpness that vanishes about 5 minutes in. The nose just gets better with time. Empty glass shines.

Palate: An explosion of flavor. And yet with all its intensity, its not funky, its not estery, its not overwhelming. Its full metal pear. Juicy, crunchy, skins and all, melting in my mouth. The alcohol is intense and yet doesn’t overwhelm the flavor. But you have to be comfortable with a healthy burn. Like eating spicy chinese. Water rounds out the flavor, but somehow the alcohol burns a touch with water in a way I didn’t expect.

Rating: 8 / 10 – I’ve poured it three times tonight. And I’m debating asking Aurelien to set another aside. Nearly all the classic eau de vie I have really needs to be the first pour in a lineup. This is the exception. It can easily go last in a heavyweight round and come out swinging. The ABV won’t be for everyone, but it’s perfect for me tonight. I could see dropping this to a 7 if I weren’t a high proof fan.

Shane

Vieux Sajous 2018 / 2023 5 Year Grand Terroir Saint Michel de l’Attalaye 57.5% by Velier VSGB

Nose: clarified butter / ghee, dried lemon peel, crayola crayons, rye seed cracker or buckwheat crepes drizzled with honey.

Palate: jasmine flower honey, kumquat peel and golden berries. cinnamon life cereal – the king of breakfast. How the cereal companies ever convinced my parents that those aren’t desert is pure magic. teddy grahams.

Rating: 7 / 10 – I truly appreciate when someone manages to tiptoe into esters without jumping the shark. This is so well balanced.

Vieux Sajous 2017 / 2021 4 Year Grand Terroir Saint Michel de l’Attalaye 56.3% by Velier VSGB

Nose: esters ahoy, touches of diesel, playdough, clarified butter / ghee, dried lemon peel, crayola crayons, ginger molasses cookie.

Palate: caraway seeds, cardamom, clove, slightly drying, cinnamon honey.

Rating: 5 / 10 – complex, juicy ,estery, tasty. I came in ready to be assaulted given my clairin experience. Not the case at all, this seems promising.

Hampden Estate Pagos 2023 467 gr/hlpa ester 52% by Velier VSGB

Nose: compared to the last Pagos, this one is far less funky on the nose, which is interesting given the higher ester count. Nice touch of sherry notes, dates, figs, walnuts. With time you pick up some sulphur. Fresh cut apple, cider vinegar.

Palate: lightest touch of sulphur is not pleasant, and quickly fades. Once you get past that the remaining palate is quite nice, good balance of ester to sherry where the esters are more refined. Well integrated graphite and tropical fruits. Grilled leaks. Mussels in sherry stock.

Rating: 6 / 10 – for me to be willing to skirt a touch of sulfur says just how well built this blend is. The sherry and ester plays so well together.

Hampden Estate Pagos 2022 394 gr/hlpa ester 52% by Velier VSGB

Nose: lovely rum funk, touch of cinnamon and sandalwood, wool ski socks, fermented overripe apricots, raisins, burning a pile of plant matter that is still slightly green, and a weird funky salinity.

Palate: nice initial touch of sweetness, clove cigarette, strong briney note of olives or a salted sheep cheese, hints of cardamom and carraway, overripe fruit leaning into the fake bubblegum flavor they used in the mould I had to sit still in when crafting my retainer. Five minutes is a long time for a tween to sit still.

Rating: 5 / 10 – While there is a lot going on that works, there is one strange note that underlies it. Like when you get a heavily rancio oloroso, which I personally struggle with the meaty side of the schwartz.

BeenLeigh 2013 / 2023 10 Year 59% by Velier VSGB

Nose: milk chocolate coated butter cookies (petit ecolier), almond scone, biscotti, coffee being roasted a block away

Palate: a giant wood hug, tobacco, carob malt balls, cloves, using a licorice root to clean your teeth, pineapple upside down cake.

Rating: 5 (Ryan) 6 (Shane) / 10 – I quite enjoy it, while Ryan finds it a hint too intense. That said, its DNA really lends itself to an elegant additive for a good banana bread or pudding.

Armagnac

Shane

Bourdilet 1979 / 2026 @ 49.5% for Amateur Spirits

Nose: flash fried sage leaves, pomegranate arils and orange supremes on a fresh bed of arugula. Toss in Nasturtiums. Such a powerful interplay of floral and fruit. And the wood kicks in, tobacco leaves and nutmeg. Such a dynamic nose.

Palate: ohhhh it’s so juicy. Tangerines and pink peppercorn. Perhaps closer to grapefruit and endives. I brought home these haribos in the shape of gems for my son from Germany this weekend. Turns out they taste like salted licorice. Sad son. But score for me as I love that shit. Good thing as it plays a strong role in this spirit. And then wood towards the finish, a hint of german rye cracker and unsweetened cacao nibs. And when I stopped thinking about it and kept drinking it while working, the warmth from the spices, nutmeg and allspice play a much larger role. The odd thing is that the mouthfeel is both perfectly balanced and yet for some reason, the slightest touch too thin and fades after a few seconds. Ideal for a summer pour.

Rating: 8 / 10 – new domain for me from Tenereze. Excellent nuance.

Single Malt

Glendronach 1993 19 Year Oloroso Sherry Butt #539 60.3% for Japan Exclusive

Nose: fresh grated nutmeg, chocolate covered cranberries, fresh waffles with melted dark chocolate. Loquat / stone fruit moment, that fades and then comes back after setting it down for a while. Ohhhh … Can you imagine a Glendronach reduction on your Belgian waffles? I didn’t tell you to stop pouring sir! Or drizzled on a chocolate pot de creme – to which ryan counters with dipping oreo cookies. This is plain decadence.

Palate: It’s ridiculous how good this is at this exact moment. Like a secret makeout session with my childhood pudding cup. Holy shitballs. From nose to palate it’s so decadent. Chocolate, dates, nutmeg, graham crackers, cloves, black tea, dried cherries, cacao nibs. A big gulp adds a hint of acidity to balance the sweetness, which just levels it up further for me.

Rating: 9 (Shane) 8 (Ryan) / 10 – I want more. I want it so bad.

Cognac

JC Saunier Grand Champagne Lot 75 / 2025 Uni Blanc 44% by Authentic Spirits

Nose: super ripe peaches right off the tree, cantaloupe and prosciutto, orange peel, cotton candy, stewed apricots, black tea

Palate: vanilla wafers, peach black tea ice tea concentrate, parma violets… this reminds me of the time at Que Leche julie and I had dessert and they served us foie gras on apricot cotton candy. Weird as fuck… we tocked in and the intense sweetness, savorynesses and richness made for a bite that I still remember years later. For its novelty more than its deliciousness. BUT after resting it 30 minutes, it really evolves and the stonefruit vanquishes.

Rating: 7 (Ryan) 6 (Shane) / 10 – I’m so rarely this far apart – with a 9 on the nose and a 5 on the palate. Its like drinking perfume. Its so intense and concentrated. And water didn’t help. Ok, an adjustment… let it rest 30 minutes. What is insane is that we came back to this after a phenomenal 60.3% oloroso Glendronach, and this pour not only holds its own but goes toe to toe. This is quite special. #respect.

Shane

The Yamazaki Peated Spanish Oak 43%

Nose: Date granola, raisin nut bran, dried apples.

Palate: Mixed berry jam, figs, peaches, touch of menthol, hint of smoke

Rating: 6 / 10 – a solid and tasty spirit although I don’t love the phenols. I have to wonder how I would like it more or less if it were the first dram.

Shane

Ardnahoe Bholsa Oloroso 50%

Nose: Smoked oysters with blackberry vinegar, burnt ends, dark cherry

Palate: Smokey salted pecans, dried raspberries, tobacco leaf, dates

Rating: 7 / 10 – for a core line bottle this is really excellent

Shane

Bruichladdich X4-18 Year 63.5%

Nose: Terry’s chocolate orange, grass, sulfur.

Palate: Milk chocolate, szechuan pepper, medjool dates, chow mein, milk candy.

Rating: 6 / 10 – rivesalt cask is very present

Shane

Bunnahabain Coastal Edition Old School Single Malt 50 Year 43.1% by Signatory Vintage

Nose: Hawaiian tropic tanning oil, curacao, pink peppercorn, banana gummies.

Palate: Lemon verbena, white tea, yuzu, prunes. Touch of salt

Rating: 6 / 10 – What a strange whisky. Fun to try but not something I would reach for often.

Shane

Daftmill 2010/2023 Winter Edition Year 46%

Nose: Vanilla custard, lemon, clove, grape skins

Palate: Vanilla wafers, oatmeal cookie, daisies. mild bourbon notes

Rating: 5 / 10 – a completely pleasant note. No objections, but nothing particularly special.