Oban 14

Oban
West Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
"14"
43% ABV (86 proof)
~$70 (sample provided)

Excited to dig into this one...I've heard nothing but good things. Can someone confirm that this is actually 14 years old? The packaging and label remind me (cynically) of the bourbon trickery with Ancient Age 10 Star and the like. Anyway...

Color: medium golden brown

Smell: very nice, balanced, and fruity nose. Lots of malted grain, honey, and golden raisins for me, with a bit of orchard fruit (pears?) and nuttiness in the background.

Taste: whisper smooth and very approachable. Upfront there is some malty grain sweetness and honey (as expected). The midpalate brings in an interesting fruitiness, but it's more apple/pear core and skin than fleshy fruit - slightly bitter and intriguing. I also get some faint nuttiness, especially on the medium finish.

Overall: this is very nice whisky. Super smooth and dangerously drinkable, but not the most complex dram of all time. My only gripe is with the retail price!

Lagavulin 8 Year Limited Edition

 Lagavulin
Limited Edition: 200th Anniversary
Aged 8 Years
Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
48% ABV (96 proof)
~$65 (sample provided)

Color: very pale yellow

Smell: unmistakeable Islay character shining through from the get-go: iodine, seaweed, and wet rope. There's also quite a bit of malty sweetness mixed in with some nuttiness, lemon rind, and a salty/ashy element. In short, it smells delicious and well-balanced.

Taste: mild honey sweetness at first, and then the midpalate is all about the peat and toasted nuts. The finish brings in some salty ash flavor (not a bad thing), and there is also a bit of herbal citrus bitterness.

Overall: this is a different peaty beast than the flagship Lagavulin 16 offering, and I have to say I'm impressed. There doesn't seem to be much (if any) sherried influence, so the peat reek really shines through. Even though this is a much stronger ABV than the 16, it drinks very smooth. Extremely enjoyable, and a great change-up from the standard bottling. "A-" for me.

Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength

Glenfarclas
"105 Cask Strength"
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
60% ABV (120 proof)
~$85 (sample provided)

Interesting beast here. No age statement and - unlike, say, Wild Turkey 101 - the "105" isn't the proof...it's actually 120!

Color: medium gold...similar to the other offerings in the Glenfarclas lineup

Smell: bigger on the nose than its brethren, with a great depth of flavors. Floral honey sweetness is matched by hazelnuts and some oxidized wine notes that bring in a slightly bitter component. It's very interesting to smell - there's also something musty about it that I can't place, as well as a bit of lemon peel.

Taste: quite sweet upfront before the alcohol heat kicks in. Roasted cereal grains and honey at the fore, and then the midpalate brings in big waves of nuts and oak spice. The finish features a warming alcohol punch and a parting note of lemon peel and oxidized wine, as well as lingering cheek-puckering bitterness (in a good way).

Overall: I like this quite a bit - it's right up there with the Glenfarclas 12 for me at a "B+," although quite a different drinking experience. This is a bruiser, and with its high proof point and outsized oak influence, it drinks almost like a bourbon. After diluting with water, things mellow considerably. While the nose remains impressive, the palate becomes too muted - watery, honeyed grainy sweetness. Stick with it at full proof, and bring your big-boy pants.

Glenfarclas 17

Glenfarclas
HIghland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Aged 17 Years
43% ABV (86 proof)
~$100 (sample provided)

Color: Straw gold - if my eyes aren't playing tricks on me, it looks a little lighter in color than the 12 year expression.

Smell: very desserty and delicious-smelling. Big, sultry almond pastry and rum raisin ice cream aromas come through for me, as well as something slightly citrusy like orange zest. That said, very approachable and not overbearingly sweet. There is also a kick of licorice in there.

Taste: honeyed raisin sweetness upfront before the nuttiness kicks in on the midpalate. There is definitely some toasty wood influence that builds along with it, drying out your cheeks and adding something akin to a mild cigar aftertaste (for me, this is a pleasant component) on the finish. It's not as big of a wood punch as bourbon, but it's definitely the main note of the finish.

Overall: this is pretty solid, though I slightly prefer the 12 year expression. "B/B+" for me. The lovely nose promises sweetness. While this sweetness is the first taste on the palate, it quickly gets dry, woody, and nutty. Nothing objectionable, but not as harmonious as I had hoped. Would be a very interesting whisky for a cigar pairing.

Glenfarclas 12

Glenfarclas
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Aged 12 Years
43% ABV (86 proof)
~$50 (sample provided)

Color: gold - pretty much exactly the same as the 10 year.

Smell: very pleasant, and slightly more robust than the 10 year. I get malty cereal grains, almonds, and a bittersweet combination of lemon peels and raisins. Nice.

Taste: at first, much sweeter on the palate than the nose suggests. It's honey, sweet raisins, and nougat upfront (creamy mouthfeel) with some grain influence to boot, and then the midpalate brings in more of the lemons and bitter almonds. The finish is longer than the 10 year, and more tannic. The wood influence is a nice balance point to the raisiny sweetness, and dries you out for the next sip.

Overall: there is more to this expression than the 10 year (which itself is not bad). I'm not sure if it's the extra 2 years aging or the extra 3% alcohol, but the 12 year Glenfarclas offers up more flavor without sacrificing drinkability. Very nice, "B+" for me.

Glenfarclas 10 Year

Glenfarclas

Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Aged 10 Years
40% ABV (80 proof)
~$40 (sample provided)

Color: gold

Smell: very approachable - classic "sweet Scotch" smells. Lots of honey and nougat, mild nuttiness, toasted cereal grains, a hint of lemon peel, and just a kiss of smoke. There's enough going on in the secondary aromas to balance the sweetness to a degree, though this remains a very sweet-smelling whisky.

Taste: mild honeyed sweetness on entry with a creamy mouthfeel. The midpalate brings in a very slight toasted nuttiness and kiss of smoke that persist somewhat into the finish, but the honeyed sweetness is the main note throughout. It's saccharine but not unpleasant.

Overall: This is an unobjectionable and smooth-sipping Scotch that really pushes toward the sweeter side. It slides right down. That said, there's not a huge depth of flavor or really much to appreciate aside from its drinkability. I'll be very interested to try the older bottles (reviews coming soon) to see what additional barrel time imparts in terms of flavor. "B-/B" for me.

Glenfarclas 12

Glenfarclas 12
obtained via bottle swap with Bobby Childs

Continuing my taste through some sample bottles, the result of a swap between me and Bobby Childs of Adventures in Whiskey. I've never had Glenfarclas before, so very excited to give it a try.

Color: medium amber/gold.

Smell: sweet and floral, and very approachable. Plenty of honey sweetness, sweet toffee/bread pudding aromas, and white dessert wine notes.

Taste: tons of sweetness throughout the palate. Everything is light and dancy: honey, melon, red apple, orange citrus, and raisin. The sherry influence here is huge - this almost tastes like a sweet Scotch cocktail or liqueur. Very far in the background there are some smoke and wood flavors, but it's really all about the sugar.

Overall: it's smooth and it's sweet, but it is distractingly sweet for me. If you have a sweet-tooth or just prefer sweeter scotches/whiskies, by all means this is for you. I do think it's quite enjoyable, but I can only have a small glass of this. "B" for me.

Kilchoman Loch Gorm (2016)

Kilchoman
Loch Gorm
Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
46% ABV (92 proof)
~$80 (sample provided)

Intro (from Kilchoman's website): "the only release matured exclusively in oloroso sherry casks. This edition of Loch Gorm is limited to just 17 casks worldwide and was selected from a combination of fresh and refill oloroso sherry butts over six years of age, the oldest release of Loch Gorm to date."

Color: medium gold

Smell: a big whiff of Islay off the bat with mild peak reek and iodine. But underneath the smoky exterior there is black pepper and sweet roasted nuts. This element reminds me of a reposado or anejo tequila. Digging deeper - and I'm not sure this is a smell as much as it is an impression - there is something very maritime about this nose...like a salty bay breeze.

Taste: smooth sweetness on entry, and then waves of flavors that mirror the nose...as expected (in a good way). I think the sherry influence is much more dialed up on the palate than on the nose - lots of sweet nuttiness complementing the black pepper and peaty elements. The finish is medium-long, with a decidely more "traditional Islay" parting note (smoke, Band-Aids) on top of lingering sherry sweetness.

Overall: I am a huge fan of Kilchoman, and this is delicious whisky. Well-balanced, intriguing, and great depth and breadth of flavor without being a total sherry-bomb. For me, this is an "A-" and my favorite expression out of their distillery save the 2008 Vintage. There are some very well-known whisky brands on Islay, and I think Kilchoman's days of relative obscurity are numbered. With both Laphroaig and Ardbeg dropping age statements on many releases, Kilchoman has leapt into "peer" status, and they don't dissapoint. As their stocks continue to age, I think we have a cult classic in the making.

Laphroaig Cairdeas Madeira (2016)

Laphroaig
Cairdeas 2016
Madeira Cask
Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
51.6% ABV (103.2 proof)
~$75 (sample provided)

Color: gold, with a slight orange tint.

Smell: oh boy, very Scotchy! In short, I think this a slightly sweeter version of a classic Islay nose. So your basic gauze/iodine/ash/coal fire aroma, but then supplemented with more playful fruit notes - specifically orange. The first whiff is massive, but stick with it and your nose quickly adjusts to the level of peat reek to reveal the citrus underneath. Lots of depth, and plenty to appreciate.

Taste: an ever so slight let-down from the aroma. Loads of citrus shines through on the palate, but the result is slightly disjointed. There is some slight sweetness upfront, with orange citrus from the get-go, and then bitter almonds and the smoky/ashy Islay character take hold on the midpalate. The finish is long, with a combination of ash, slight citrus, and bitter almonds.

Overall: this is well executed and very interesting, but not my favorite expression of Laphroaig. There are different varieties of Madeira, and my guess is that the casks used were not the "dessert" Madeira casks (i.e., not Malmsey or Bual). I could be wrong, but if that were the case, I'd expect a lot more sweetness shining through. As it stands, there are some very interesting secondary notes coming from the casks - almonds and oranges most notably. For me, they just don't marry perfectly. Solid B/B+, but I personally gravitate more towards the classic ex-bourbon expressions.

Dewar's 18 Year

Dewar's
Single Malt
Aged 18 Years
40% ABV (80 proof)
~$70 (sample provided)
*I think this is blended, but the label doesn't say

Color: light straw/brown - virtually identical to the 15 year.

Smell: still mild, but this is packing more heft than the younger versions in the Dewar's range. Sweet herb-tinged honey, marzipan (almond influence), some lemon citrus frosting, and a slight winey note like Sauternes. Really nice.

Taste: creamy and smooth mouthfeel. Faint sweetness upfront before the much more almond-driven midpalate transition. There's a bit of lemon citrus, oak tannin, and more marzipan on the medium finish, along with a slightly bitter fortified white wine note.

Overall: good, not great. Specifically, I think the sip doesn't quite live up to the sniff. If you get a chance to taste it vertically with its younger brothers, it could be interesting to see how the noses evolve with extra age. That said, I recommend the 15 year over this 18 year version for the total whisky experience, as it's a smoother sipper. "B" for me.

Dewar's 15 Year

Dewar's
Single Malt
Aged 15 Years
40% ABV (80 proof)
~$60 (sample provided)
*I think this is blended, but the label doesn't say

Color: light straw/brown

Smell: very pleasant, but very faint. The main note for me is sort of an herbal honey sweetness. Pretty straightforward. Really digging, there's also an element of toasted nuts.

Taste: smooth and pleasant, but simple. Soft honey sweetness on entry with a hint of herbs, then a very slight toasted nuts flavor on the midpalate. The finish drifts back into "sweet" territory with creamed coffee and just a hint of fino sherry flavors to balance it out. I'm not sure if this is matured in sherry casks, but it certainly finishes that way.

Overall: I like this whisky; solid "B/B+" for me. While it is not a profound dram by any means, it's a smooth sipper and very pleasant. Assuming you can find it around $50-60, it's also a decent value in the otherwise ridiculously expensive Scotch category.

Dewar's 12 Year

Dewar's
Blended Scotch Whisky
Aged 12 Years
40% ABV (80 proof)
~$35 (sample provided)

Color: light straw/brown

Smell: mild and smooth. There's some honey, a vague granary sweetness, and a slight element of lemon peels. Pleasant, but not super deep.

Taste: exactly what you'd expect. Mild sweetness upfront, and then a tangy transition to citrus (lemon rind) and nuts, with lingering oak on the medium finish.

Overall: it's a "B-" for me. Good and smooth sipping...solid blend, but not complex or deep.

Balvenie 12 Year Triple Cask

Balvenie
12 Year Triple Cask
obtained via bottle swap w/ Bobby Childs

This is the second of about a dozen posts rolling out in the next few weeks...the long-delayed results of a bottle swap from several months ago between Bobby (of Adventures in Whiskey) and me!

Color: light golden brown

Smell: fruity, malty, and waxy. Very pleasant, albeit mild aromas. This smells like I'd imagine the Scotch-scented Yankee candle would smell: honeyed malt backbone with a bit of red fruit.

Taste: sweet and vibrant. Muted honey sweetness on entry with a little bit of apple crumb pastry. The midpalate stays sweet and mild, and the medium-short finish continues to feature the balanced sweetness with just a hint of tannic roasted nuts and oak spice appearing on the parting note.

Overall: This is a very smooth and sippable whisky. It's pleasantly sweet and well-balanced, and would make a fine introduction to the Scotch category for someone who may only think of Scotch as massively peaty and chimney-like. It's a borderline B/B+ for me, held back because there's not a ton of depth.

Ardbeg "Dark Cove" Limited Edition

Ardbeg
Dark Cove Limited Edition
Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
46.5% ABV (93 proof)
~$100 (sample provided)

Intro: according to Ardbeg, this is the "darkest Ardbeg ever." It's a NAS marriage of ex-bourbon casks and dark sherry casks. Ardbeg claims "waves of treacle toffee, coal tar, squid ink, noodles and toasted coffee grounds."

Color: medium golden brown

Smell: really nice. Unsurprisingly, there is some noticeable smoke and peat reek. If that's your thing, dive right in. If it's not, stay away! Beyond that Ardbeg signature, I pick up quite a bit of seaweed, along with toasted almonds. Digging deeper, there is also some faint dark caramel/toffee sweetness.

Taste: mix of toffee and seaweed on entry - surprisingly soft, sweet, and approachable at first (I was bracing myself for a smoke bomb). Subtle smokiness and sherry influence in the form of toasted almonds arrive on the midpalate, and then the finish is surprisingly short and drying, with more of the same toasted nut influence and a parting kiss of smoke. As I sit with it and keep taking sips, I notice the smoke influence building on the finish, resulting in the always-pleasing "Scotch sweats" (like meat sweats, but smokier).

Overall: For me, it's in B+/A- territory. Impeccably balanced and very smooth, but held back just slightly because it lacks a little bit of the oomph that - fairly or not - I have come to expect from Ardbeg bottlings. Specifically, I think I came into this one expecting much more sherry influence.

Laphroaig 10

Laphroaig
Aged 10 Years
Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
43% ABV (86 proof)
~$40 (sample provided)

Color: goldenrod yellow, clear (non-hazy).

Smell: classic Islay peat monster nose. It's only 86 proof, but the smell hits you like a ton of stinky bricks. It smells like a Band-Aid that you take off after you shower - in a pleasant way! There's plenty of smoke and brine, as well as quite a bit of toasty oak influence and some nuttiness. These aromas are the most prominent, but there is also a sweet honey cereal note underpinning everything. Complex and inviting.

Taste: soft on entry - nice mix of honey sweetness and toasted bread. The wet bandages come into play on the transition, where the iodine and smoke take over. Nice medium-long finish, punctuated by a lasting smokey nuttiness, dirt, and some prominent oak.

Overall: really solid, and a great value to boot. It's a B+ for me, and recommended. My only gripe is that the oakiness is a little too prominent - I'd actually love to taste this after only a few years in oak to compare. Also, Camper English of Alcademics has a great write-up of his trip to Laphroaig, if you're interested in learning (much!) more about how it's made.

Fettercairn 19 yr (Oloroso Matured)

Chieftain's
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Fettercairn
Aged 19 years
Matured in Oloroso Casks
57.4% ABV (114.8 proof)
~$120 (sample provided)

Color: light golden brown

Smell: sweet and approachable, with a hint of nuttiness. The sherry influence is here in spades with lots of sweet raisin smells. I also pick up quite a bit of caramel to go along with some oak and toasted nuts. Very nice. With a few drops of water, things get much more citrusy - orange jam in particular.

Taste: quite a monster on the palate - I'm going to proof this down a tad. At cask strength, there's big sweetness upfront before the toasted nuts and oak come into play. It also finishes with some lemon zest acidity. With a few drops of water, it's faintly sweet upfront, quiet on the midpalate, and then slightly floral/nutty/citrusy on the finish. Very strange.

Overall: This was a strange experience for me in that I think it's a bit too powerful to appreciate at full proof, but surprisingly falls flat on the palate with the addition of a few drops of water. It's not unpleasant; just not super-memorable. B- for me.

Lagavulin 16

Lagavulin

Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Aged 16 Years
43% ABV
$65

Color: Goldenrod...straw with a faint reddish tinge.

Smell: Oh boy. I just can't help but picture standing on a beach with a fire pit going. Olives, bacon...but subtley sweet. There's also the typical "band-aid" Islay note, but it's more gauze with less rubber...if that makes sense. Exquisite balance, and nothing overpowers.

Taste: The real deal. Delicate grain sweetness upfront with a hint of warm spice. The transition is where the smoke comes in - it sees the sweetness out the door and brings in its stead a warm briney aftertaste that lingers pleasantly and sets you up for your next sniff and sip.

Overall: This is wonderful. Yes, this is a "big boy" Islay scotch, but everything is in perfect balance - the sweet, the smoke, the salty fat - both on the smell and in the mouth. This isn't "peat for the sake of peat" and, similarly, there isn't any overpowering oak barrel influence despite its 16 years of maturation. I can't recommend this highly enough - heady stuff!

What others have said:

Josh Peters at The Whiskey Jug rated it 95/100.

John Malatino at SmokeyPeat rated it 9.4/10.

The Scotch Noob rated it a "Must Have."

Ardbeg Corryvreckan

Ardbeg

Corryvreckan
Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
57.1% ABV
$75

Color: pale gold, a little bit cloudy

Smell: Big-time nose. It smells like a really sweet forest floor. Lots of smoke, moss, dirt, and band-aids, but somehow all drizzled with honey and citrus zest. If you like Islay scotches, you have to smell this! And if you don't like scotch generally, you'll want to stay as far away from this as humanly possible.

Taste: Mild and sweet first rush of flavor - all delicate flowers, gentle citrus, and honey initially in the mouth. But let it sit there and introduce some air, and it reminds you - quickly - that it's an Ardbeg. Pleasing alcohol heat and tons of smoke show up mid-palate and the finish is endless. You know when you smoke a cigar and, despite brushing your teeth and chewing gum afterwards, your breath still stinks? This is the whisky version of that. I can't imagine anything else lingering this long. Normally I just rinse our the tasting glass I use, but the Corryvreckan necessitated a good soaping. So damned powerful.

Overall: This is a knock-out, but you have to bring your big-boy pants. If you're not sure if you like scotch, experiment elsewhere first. This would be like giving a 16 year old a Ferrari. There is nothing I would rather drink while ice fishing or otherwise while outside in winter. Lagavulin 16 arguably has more balance and finesse (and definitely more of a "sea air" quality), but this is a consummate "f&*% you" smokebomb powerhouse of an Islay, and it's breathtaking. It's an absolute must-try.

Springbank 15

Springbank
Aged 15 Years
Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky
46% ABV (92 proof)
gift, but MSRP is ~$100

Color: goldenrod yellow with a little bit of haze (label says no artificial coloring, and also no chill filtering).

Smell: very inviting. Once my nose adjusts to the initial whiff of smoke, there's a ton going on. Savory, meaty (prosciutto) peat and a creamy mineral/saline note similar to oysters, all over a core of floral honey sweetness. I'm digging it. Compared to Islay peat bombs, this is much more balanced between sweet, savory, and smoky. Not as powerful, but much more balanced.

Taste: soft on entry; honey sweetness and delicate flowers. On the transition, I get much more minerality and some of the savory creaminess. Again, bacon-like flavors. The finish is restrained smoke and a salty sea breeze, with just a hint of oak.

Overall: I love it. Easy A-/A, and recommended (although I realize it's a bit pricey). Exceptionally vibrant and well-balanced, hitting great heights of flavor across the sweet/savory/smoky/salty spectrum - it is quite the sensory experience. It lacks the punch of something like Ardbeg's Corryvreckan, but (for me) is right there with Lagavulin 16 in terms of a total package.

Laphroaig Select

Laphroaig
Select
Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
40% ABV (80 proof)
~$60 (sample provided)

From the description on the back label: "With spirit selected by our master distiller from Quarter Cask, our PX Cask and Triple Wood (European Oak casks)..." All of these are then apparently mingled and then aged in American Oak for another 6 months.

Color: pale gold...actually looks a little bit lighter than the 10 year.

Smell: it's a little more subdued on the nose than the 10 year. There's less noticeable peat - the edges seem rounded off a bit. Still plenty of peat smoke and unmistakable Islay character, but there's a touch more sweetness (raisins) and nuttiness (almonds) coming through on the nose. So it's wet bandages, with a slight twist, all in a very pleasing sniff.

Taste: lots of honey and also a slight raisin sweetness on the smooth entry. The transition brings in some of the characteristic peat smoke, but again, it's much softer than the full-fledged mouth assault of the 10 year. The medium-short finish brings the sweet nuttiness back into play again - it's a soft return to the original sniff that fades a bit quicker than I'd like...perhaps blame the tame proof point?

Overall: It's good, but not as good as the 10 year for me...solid B, but a stretch at $60 in my opinion. What's good: it's smooth, well-balanced, and totally unobjectionable. What's lacking: depth of flavor, and the Islay punch in the mouth. I'm torn - this is very good whiskey, and well worth trying. However, after spending time with both bottles, I think about and crave the 10 year. It could very well be the case that I'm too used to big-time bourbon flavors and, as such, am projecting my preferences onto the Scotch world. However, I can't help but feel that Laphroaig is blending away a little too much of its characteristic Islay flavor profile in the interest of creating a smooth sipper.