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    Reviews by: winemaker

    Glenmorangie Port Wood Finish

    Glenmorangie Port Wood Finish Oct 7th 2011

    84
    Reviewer
    winemaker
    Color
    Dark amber with a reddish brown hue
    Nose
    Dark chocolate, oranges, tobacco, and the just above subtle peatiness of the Glenmorangie 10.
    Body
    Full bodied, good viscosity, quite smooth but still a slight burn
    Palate
    This whisky tastes like an awesome Saturday morning maple bar from my favorite donut shop. There is also some earthiness and a peppery finish. Yum!
    Finish
    Peppery finish, smooth, the finish stays with you unchanged for many minutes after you put the glass down.

    I tasted the 12 year old Quinta Ruban. Aroma wise, I think the extra two years of port pipe finishing might actually take something away from the 10 year old Original's fruitiness. However, the palate of the 12 has improved considerably. The port finish is much smoother, and has an even stronger finish. This whisky is definitely worth a try.

    Glenmorangie 10 Years Old

    Glenmorangie 10 Years Old Oct 7th 2011

    81
    Reviewer
    winemaker
    Color
    golden straw, like a white wine with some age on it
    Nose
    Intense pear aroma, both fresh and caramelized. Some cinnamon, old barrel, and just enough peat to know its there.
    Body
    Fuller bodied, good viscosity, but a bit hot.
    Palate
    Pear, pie crust, and sugar gives way to an earthy and peppery finish. Yum.
    Finish
    Strong finish. The flavors last a long time.

    The whisky has a wonderful aroma and flavor profile. It is a bit spirity and rough around the edges, but delicious.

    Bowmore 12 Year Old

    Bowmore 12 Year Old Jun 11th 2011

    80
    Reviewer
    winemaker
    Color
    golden amber
    Nose
    iodine, charcoal at first, then clove, cinnamon, and butterscotch come through
    Body
    Moderately thick and viscous,
    Palate
    Much more buttery sweetness than the peaty nose would suggest, delicious
    Finish
    Cinnamon and caramel, nice sweetness and smoothness. Not as long as some other whiskies, but very little bitterness. Quite polished.

    Quite similar to the Laphroaig 10, but with less peat and oak. Not nearly as interesting as the Ardbeg 10, but with more sugar and butterscotch. This is a solid and smooth whisky, and is perhaps more approachable for those who don't like a peat bomb.

    Glenfiddich Solera Reserve 15 Years Old

    Glenfiddich Solera Reserve 15 Years Old May 7th 2011

    79
    Reviewer
    winemaker
    Color
    amber
    Nose
    pears, leather, peat is there but subtle
    Body
    thin for a 15 year old, and more spirity than I was hoping for
    Palate
    In spite of the heat, the flavor is this whisky's strength: sugar, caramel, apple pie, all over a black pepper and sweet, leathery finish. Some bitterness however.
    Finish
    Some bitterness, but a lengthy finish.

    I really enjoy the flavor profile as this whisky opens up. It is definitely not as smooth as I was expecting for a 15 year old at this price point. But it improves in the glass, getting more interesting with time. This development saves the show.

    Cragganmore 12 Years Old

    Cragganmore 12 Years Old Jan 15th 2011

    83
    Reviewer
    winemaker
    Color
    golden to amber
    Nose
    Definite American oak presence, but then there are some distinctive flor notes as in a sherry or oxidized wine. After some time all of this integrates very nicely into apple pie with vanilla ice cream.
    Body
    Light to medium body, very smooth
    Palate
    More subtle than the nose, but consistent with it: vanilla, slight sweetness, I'm stealing the rock sugar descriptor here because it totally fits.
    Finish
    Not incredibly long, but pleasant, slight bitterness at the tail end

    I agree with many of the comments below. This is a smooth and delightful whisky. Not terribly complex, but tasty nonetheless. It goes down almost too easy! I enjoy it very much.

    Ardbeg 10 Years Old

    Ardbeg 10 Years Old Jan 12th 2011

    85
    Reviewer
    winemaker
    Color
    golden straw
    Nose
    Loads of iodine, earthy and slightly musty, but also smells of banana bread and cinnamon.
    Body
    Full bodied, lots of viscosity, very smooth.
    Palate
    Lots of cinnamon (Big Red Gum anyone?), oatmeal, very salty. The flavor profile is distinctive, much more than the peat and oak of some of the other Islays in the price range.
    Finish
    A long finish, very pleasant and consistent, but after a minute it goes bitter

    Yes it is peaty, but there is quite a bit more to it than just that. IMHO far better than the other Islays in the same price range.

    The Glenlivet 12 Years Old

    The Glenlivet 12 Years Old Jan 10th 2011

    55
    Reviewer
    winemaker
    Color
    Amber
    Nose
    Vanilla, oak, fruit. Smells nice, but not interesting.
    Body
    Full bodied, a bit hot, rather rough.
    Palate
    Oak, vanilla, diet coke (no, it was neat).
    Finish
    Long finish but not pleasant. Tastes cheap, and finishes not much better than Jim Beam. No thanks.

    Maybe I had a bad bottle, but this was a total disappointment.

    Isle Of Jura 10 Year Old

    Isle Of Jura 10 Year Old Jan 10th 2011

    77
    Reviewer
    winemaker
    Color
    golden to amber
    Nose
    Lots of orange, tobacco, and leather.
    Body
    Light in body, very smooth. No heat at all and rather polished for a 10 year old.
    Palate
    Everything is indeed delicate like the label says. Slight sweetness, citrus, chocolate, cigar.
    Finish
    Short but pleasant. No bitterness or heat. Very smooth.

    This really is a delicate whisky. The complexity is there, but you have to work for it. Still, at this price I will buy it again, especially for summer time sipping.