At first glance you will see a beautiful light amber colour and the long legs of this Lowlands spirit. On the nose you will immediately smell the characteristic vanilla that comes from being aged in bourbon casks.
The nose feels heavy and gives the impression you are in for a harsh first sip. However, you receive a pleasant surprise when the dram goes down smooth and has a nice crisp finish. It is this mellow impression that reminds you why Auchentoshan is known as “the breakfast whiskey”. At $60.00 in the LCBO it would be a nice addition to any collection, for those looking for an easy sipping spirit.
This 12 year old single malt is light amber in colour and has very light legs in the glass. Your nose will be treated to a clean citrus smell which gives way to a crisp toffee flavour.
This spirit reminds us why Auchentoshan is known for making “Glasgow’s Malt whisky” as it has a long and yet still smooth finish. Available for $65.00 at the LCBO this simple spirit can help anyone who has discovered a new love for single malts and is looking to begin building a single malt inventory.
Here we have a complex dram, which it owes to being aged first in bourbon casks and then being finished in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez casks.
Your eyes will see light legs of dark amber, almost bronze in colour. Your nose will smell a rich bouquet of spices. Your tongue will enjoy the flavour of these spices along with a touch of rich honey like sweetness. As you finish your dram you will receive a warmth in your chest to remind you of the lovely lowlands single malt you have just enjoyed. At $80.00 in the LCBO this spirit is best suited for someone who has been building their repertoire and can appreciate the complexity of the dram.
As you swirl your dram you will be struck by the rich molasses colour and your nose will be treated to a symphony of spices. Your first sip will bring the tastes of cinnamon and a fruity flavour that will bring cherries to mind. This will give way to a subtle, but still noticeable, warmth in the chest. This very welcome feeling will linger to remind you of the full flavoured whisky that has been gifted by the Scottish Highlands.
Nose: Very peaty smell but blends nicely with the aroma of mocha, vanilla and toasted nuts.
Pallet: This bottle is a little sweet like the original 63 but has a wonderful taste of oaky vanilla and caramelized fruit with just a touch of smoke and spices.
Finish: The finish on the Stòras is amazing and very enjoyable. The medium intensity of this easy drinker is something you need to try if you are a fan of whisky. With a long complex finish of fruits, oak and buttery goodness this is absolutely something worth indulging in if you can stomach the price tag of almost $200.
Caol Ila 30 year old is a special release from the Diageo collection in 2014. The oldest official bottling to date from the distillery. A marriage of American and European oak. Only 7,638 bottles worldwide.
Nose: As we have come to expect from Caol Ila. This 30 year old is very warm and bacon like. With a bouquet of orange and lemon, and hints of vanilla which is very pleasing.
Palate: At first sip it commands respect and reminds you that you have a dram of a fine single malt! As it sits it begins to mellow and the ashey peat begins to peak thorough followed by the citrus undertones that come through on the nose.
Finish: Is one that can be summarized in one word… AWESOME!!! This mouth coating ,well rounded flavour house, is one which has to be enjoyed with a sophisticated palate and a fine cigar .
Overall 9/10. I would still recommend an eye drop of water just to really open it up. Anyone would be privileged to have it on their bar.
For someone who has only tasted a handful of Irish Whiskeys this one was by far the best I have ever tried!
A well balanced nose which was pleasant and addictive, but that was only the beginning of this memorable experience. The palate was even more exciting with a sweet full flavour that had hints of vanilla, cinnamon and candied fruits. The finish was spicy and long lasting. When it was all over I was sad to say goodbye.
I would highly recommend this bottle to any amateur or experienced whiskey drinker. A great bottle! If you can get your hands on one…
I sat down and was introduced to this fine swallow of liquid. It is a speyside single malt scotch and the concept of the bottle by the distiller was to copy the original 1963 Glenfiddich straight malt bottle. They did this by using original samples and research ingredients from the Glenfiddich archives. Now I was not born in 1963 nor had the original but will say it was nay bad in my books.
A sniff of the glass did not produce any strong reactions. It was fruity but not overpowering so and did take a second sniff to identify even that. The taste was like the smell and was very easy going down with a sweet taste and just a hint of oak The aftertaste was dry and did not carry a strong exit taste. Overall I found this bottle as very easy drinking scotch. May not appeal to some looking for a strong reaction, but was to my taste in scotch.
LCBO list price is $119.90 Priced as a premium scotch it did seem appropriate for the experience.
The Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask – extra matured rum casks
Nose- The aroma off of the Balvenie is quite lackluster. With only hints of rum, then coming to a close with subtle sweet undertones (toffee, vanilla). Just that, short and sweet.
Taste- As it over takes your tongue, it brings a butter oily texture, which is rather unsuspecting. Following right after is the rum cask. And as fast as it came it was gone, leaving you with only some sweet toffee.
Finish- It was clean. I don’t know what other then that. No heat, no smoke or peat, no lasting lingering aftertaste.
Conclusion- I was not overly impressed with this scotch. It just didn’t live up to my expectation. If I was you, I’d find a friend that has it and convince him to let you try it. My final thoughts are; weak sauce.
Colour: The colour is almost caramel in appearance due to the finish in the port cask
Nose: The nose is fruity and fudgy with hints of pear, cherry, and caramel fudge coupled with spice notes of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Taste: The fruit shines through with notes of cherry, pear, and roasted apple and combines with caramel, making the taste quite sweet and syrupy with a wisp of smoke to be had. The flavor lingers on the tongue before releasing into a slow dry finish.
Overall: I would rate this as a 7.5/10, quite a good scotch, but maybe not worthy of adding to a personal collection.
The nose feels heavy and gives the impression you are in for a harsh first sip. However, you receive a pleasant surprise when the dram goes down smooth and has a nice crisp finish. It is this mellow impression that reminds you why Auchentoshan is known as “the breakfast whiskey”. At $60.00 in the LCBO it would be a nice addition to any collection, for those looking for an easy sipping spirit.
