Rating 6/ 10
Springbank 12 Cask Strength #12 54.1%
Nose: Sunflower oil which was used to deepfy fish fingers
Palate: Hotter, linseed oil, lined rubber gloves, grapefruit peel.
Rating: 6 (Shane) 5 (Ryan) / 10
Category: Whisky
Rating 8/ 10
Springbank 12 Cask Strength #8 52.3%
Nose: Shortbread cookies, an extremely subtle fruitiness – like a le croix white tea apricot essence.
Palate: Wonderful vanilla wafer sweetness layer over maritime love
Rating: 8 (Shane) 7 (Ryan) / 10 – a true standout. Best of the series so far
Rating 5/ 10
Springbank 12 Burgundy 53.5%
Nose: Raspberry fruit tart, dollop of gorgonzola, sea air, bandaid, swedish fish
Palate: Dry tannins, bitting, layered over a beautiful classic springbank matinime palate. Mussels. Bandaids.
Rating: 5 / 10 – nice sprngbank spirit but red wine adds little.
Rating 9/ 10
Cognac Navarre Souvenir Imperial 40%
Nose: Longan fruit, fresh snap peas, lychee, juicy fruit gum, canned peaches, lavender.
Palate: Pea blossoms, violets. cinnamon, green tomato
Rating: 9 / 10 This is without a doubt my favorite core line cognac on the market. Delicious to dollars its a win hand down. Unless you have to pay us import tariffs… then its only absolutely delicious.
Rating 9/ 10
Glendronach 1993 16 Year #538 Oloroso Sherry Butt 61% for Whisky Live Tokyo Japan
Nose: Mushrooms, chocolate, muscovado sugar, strawberry balsamic reduction, pomegranate, luxardo cherries, dr pepper rib sauce, white pepper
Palate: Star of anise, cloves, strawberry balsamic all the way
Rating: 9 / 10 – hot damn this is something special. Complex and decadent. Also important note, there is a #538 Glendronach 1995 PX 19 Year Old. How they have the same cask number with an oloroso and a px baffles me. But be careful when you shop and check the full details before assuming you just wont a favorite bottle at auction.
Rating 7/ 10
Longmorn 1996 17 Year 43% by Signatory Vintage
Nose: Star of anise, plums, oak, dried lemon peel, thick syrupy vibe
Palate: An extremely simple oak concoction. Hints of sherry fruit bouquet, but lacks complexity. If you like a gentle (death grip -> Ryan) oak hug, this works quite nicely. Lemon and grapefruit peel. Tape.
Rating: 7 (Shane) 5 (Ryan) / 10 – Shane had a tiny mouth party. Ryan was party pooped on after the first dance.
Rating 7/ 10
Hazelgrove 2000 14 Year 48.9% by The Maltman
Nose: Buttered rolls, cold smoked mussels, cullen skank, kumquat marmalade. Bursts of cinnamon. Lightly gamey on the mutton side. Ryan says venison. The peat layers in lovely.
Palate: Front of palate is buttery, slightly sweet, and all bourbon cask, apricot honey, shifts into peppers and finishes with that classic Springbank DNA with nice minerality. Smoked salt. Love the peatyness.
Rating: 7 / 10 – this is delicious and nuanced and yummy
Rating 6/ 10
Port Dundas 1995 22 Year 58.7% by Signatory Vintage
Nose: Homemade biscuits, a nice generic subtle sweetness, hay and flower covered pasture in summer, chamomile.
Palate: Biscoff cookies, endives, wet cardboard on the finish
Rating: 5 (Ryan) 6 (Shane) / 10 – tasty with a strange finish
Rating 5/ 10
Longmorn 1996 17 Year 59% by The Ultimate (van Wees)
Nose: Milk chocolate
Palate: Spanish hot chocolate with churros, coffee, cranberries. This runs hot. Way too hot. 4th pour, should not be this hot
Rating: 5 / 10 – solid sherry palate, but weak nose and hot hotness
Rating 5/ 10
Balcones True Blue 2021 (Discontinued) 50%
Nose: Metallic, floral, berries, celeriac, cornichons and pickling brine.
Palate: Packing tape, that bitter/vegetal balcones dna, mirepoix
Rating: 5 / 10
Rating 6/ 10
Balcones Texas Bourbon Pot Still 2020 46%
Nose: Sugar cream frosting, corn, incense, subtle stone fruit, reminiscent of old spice aftershave, chestnut
Palate: Cabinet spices, nice heat, caramel, browned butter
Rating: 5 (Shane) 6 (Ryan) / 10 – so wish this had a higher abv
Rating 5/ 10
Killowen Cuige Poitin Donard
Nose: Black licorice, coffee, warm smoke, solvent.
Palate: Molasses, licking envelopes, cardboard, gentle rolled oats, cold press coffee on the finish, green peppercorn
Rating: 5 / 10 – fun first start
Rating 7/ 10
Killowen Cuige Poitin Mish
Nose: Brown ale sweetness, tiny hint of menthol.
Palate: Brown sugar, nutty, creamy, the porter really works, green apple, great finish
Rating: 7 / 10
Rating 4/ 10
Killowen Cuige Poitin Cailli
Nose: Grassy
Palate: Brine/salty, boiled sweets, omega 3 oil, black chocolate / coffee bitterness
Rating: 4 / 10
Rating 6/ 10
Killowen Cuige Poitin Lutty
Nose: Grosielle, cedar.
Palate: Sour red fruits.
Rating: 6 / 10