Whisky Archives - The Distillates

Category: Whisky

Micil Peated Heritage 2nd Release Sherry / Spanish Oak Cask @ 50%

Nose: plum spice cake, coffee cherry tea (cascara), orange juice soaked dried cranberries, sauteed figs and stilton on rye crackers, caramelized onions with a dash of sherry, tiny hint of peppermint oil, cedar or camphor, old campfire in the morning

Palate: he peat plays a larger role on the palate than it did on the nose, and yet is quite well integrated with a rich sherry berry syrup. A big lick of cabinet spices, like mom’s plum butter, which just tastes like a warm xmas hug. Also reminds me of the sweet viscosity of prickly pear juice. Ashy and cold smoke without going medicinal. I was worried I’d get clobbered by some medicinal eucalyptus vibe given the nose, but it’s not there on the palate. More like a cold brew coffee. And rye flour waffles (try them – savory and works well with cream cheese and smoked salmon).

Rating: 6 / 10 – mashbill of peated malt, unmalted barley, oats, wheat and rye. A bit of everything into the kettle. Creates a fun and nuanced profile. For a tiny baby, this is excellent, and I look forward to trying more of their releases.

Tasting Note

Irish

Shane

Ban Poitin Cocktail Cask @ 45.6% for Bar 1661

Nose: This is so different from my expectations that I walked away from the glass for a minute. Starting over. A bright green note – wheatgrass sweetened with apple juice. Waffle fries, when they are extra crunchy and almost tempura like in texture. Mayer lemon wafers and almond biscotti – the hard ones which require a coffee bath to be the slightest bit edible. Whisps of cinnamon and nutmeg on overnight oatmeal. And a strong newmake essence.

Palate: oh, much more inviting than the nose… a very rounded and gentle palate. Chamomile tea with a tiny squeeze of honey. A warm water/oatmilk with a dusting of chocolate and cardamom. Grapefruit zest. The grains are the primary flavor, but I don’t know the mashbill – there is something quite potatoey on top of malt. The palate does carry that new make character from the nose and is quite drinkable.

Rating: From the description, something different is happening in the aging, but it’s written so vaguely “An experimental Amontillado Sherry barrel with rested Ban entwining whisky, fig, chocolate, and madeira using a unique cocktail aging method.” Anyone know what that actually means? I don’t love the nose, but the palate is quite drinkable. I’d happily take a pour in a bar, but probably not buy a bottle.You rock @ Diarmuid Roche for sharing the pour.

Tasting Note

Ryan

Springbank 2011 10 Year Fresh Sherry Cage 57.1%

Nose: Nothing like the whiff of that core springbank dna…stewed plums, figs, dates, that springbank salinity and smell of the sea, bandaids and iodine. Smoked salt butter. Bees wax.

Palate: Tastes like a drier sherry, maybe oloroso, slightly more savory, nose carries over nicely to the palate with that core springbank dna holding constant.

Rating: 6 / 10 – This is an interesting dance between springbank core dna and the fresh sherry cask and it works. Fun.

Tasting Note

Balcones Luckenbach Finished in Texas Wine Cask 55%

Nose: Blueberries, forest strawberries, snozzberries, and orange supremes layered onto mascarpone cream on a graham cracker crust.

Palate: Mandarin cuties dominate, blood orange, orange blossom honey, grapefruit zest, cinnamon, caramelized nuts.

Rating: 7 / 10 – a delightful sweet sip.

Tasting Note

Bourbon & American

Balcones 2016/2019 2 Year 9 Months #4204 64.8%

Nose: dark grapes fruit leather, tangerine peel, a fishing tackle box, oat milk, red juicy plums,

Palate: powerful oak forward character with, cloves, licorice, chicory and red grape tannins, old timey rootbeer barrel

Rating: 5 (Ryan) 6 (Shane) / 10 – oak monster. Either you like that… or poor ryan, you don’t.

Tasting Note

Balcones True Blue 100 Proof Release Date Unknown (Not 2018 or 2021) 50%

Nose: Butterscotch, fresh goatsmilk, cornbread with a dollop of butter.

Palate: Nice touch of sweetness on this that compliments the wood, cedar, cinnamon life cereal. Leather on the finish. Scotch tape.

Rating: 6 (Ryan) 5 (Shane) / 10 – somehow manages to be both quite drinkable and yet someone ubiquitous, the nose is more enticing than the palate.

Tasting Note

Single Malt

Shane

Lagavulin 2010 Distillery Limited Edition Bottling Cask Strength 52.5%

Nose: arana gulch on a summer day. Tall golden heather grass, swaying on warm winds. Smoke from a campfire down on the beach trickles inland on coastal air, but subtle. Desert time: candied orange peels, gingersnaps and clove candies. Crisp pears. Honeydew melon. Dark chocolate coated graham crackers.

Palate: salted licorice and latex bandaids. Not exactly the summer BBQ and fruit from the nose. Closer to barbecued leeks and portobello mushrooms with grilled meyers lemon. Ok now I get fruit, dried figs and tangerine slices. The peat smelled bbq on the nose, but on the palate it is medicinal and industrial. The finish gives me old sherry vibes, black tea, espresso, leather and dark chocolate.

Rating: 8 / 10 – nose is divine, and the palate is no slouch either. What a great bottle. No idea how old this vatting is, maybe 16y?

Tasting Note

Balcones ZZTop Tres-Hombres 2021 #ZZ21-1 50%

Nose: Kumquat marmalade, endives, cointreau flambeed crepes or creme brulee, honey, rose petal hand lotion, sandalwood.

Palate: Orange cream soda, bitters, nutmeg, cedar, sandalwood, the ultra heavy dark ryle sourdough I got in germany, that nearly outweighs a brick, leather.

Rating: 6 / 10 – reminds me of the irishman brown ale finished whisky with its dark breadiness.

Tasting Note

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.

Tasting Note

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.

Tasting Note

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

Tasting Note

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

Tasting Note

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.

Tasting Note

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.

Tasting Note

Glendronach 1993 20 Year Sherry Butt #3 52.9%

Nose: Gooey dried prunes, bazooka joe’s grape bubblegum, black tea, apricot jam, black licorice.

Palate: Cranberry-raspberry fruit leather, takes an herbal / ricola bent, and then nice finish of leather, chocolate covered espresso beans, prunes. I used to make an orange juice, worcestershire, red wine, garlic and ginger reduction, which I would then baste and BBQ my salmon with. Mic drop.

Rating: 6 (Ryan) 7 (Shane) / 10 – this is damn delicious although the herbal note on a big sip is a doozie. Might be a love hate thing.