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Compass Box – The Story of the Spaniard

December 22, 2019 Scotland

Name: Compass Box – The Story of the Spaniard

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Dry Sherry, dry wood, pepper spice, strong, orange

Taste: Amontillado sherry, orange, pepper

Review:

Christmas is coming!! Do you have your gifts and bottles ready?!

Compass Box – The Story of the Spaniard is a blended scotch whisky from the Compass Box Company. If you have seen Compass Box on the shelf but do not know much about it, here is the break down.

Compass Box is a producer and bottler of a bunch of blended scotch whiskies. The company was founded by John Glaser who was a former marketing director of Johnnie Walker.

The Story of the Spaniard has a nice taste of dry Spanish sherry which is very defined with respect to sherry flavors. It is blended whisky, non-age stated, and bottle at 43% abv. Aged in both Spanish sherry and red wine casks and difference percentages. See the chart below for the blend.

Compass Box has a signature range which consists of the following: The Spice Tree, The Peat Monster, The Spaniard, Oak Cross, Asyla, Hedonism. They also have a range blended scotch whiskies called â€œThe Great King Streetâ€ which have the following; Artist Blend and Glasgow Blend. They also have Limited Editions which consist of the following: Hedonism, Maximus, Flaming Heart, Optimism, Morpheus, Canto Cask and Orangerie.

Price around $65 and worth for the price if you like value and if you like the specific dry Spanish sherry taste in your whisky.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Johnnie Walker 18 Year Old

December 11, 2019 Scotland

Name: Johnnie Walker 18 Year Old

Color: Gold brown

Nose: Wood, honey, rose, citrus, peach, smoke

Taste: Wood, slight burn, butterscotch

Review:

Christmas is coming!! Do you have your gifts and bottles ready?!

If you have not heard of Johnnie Walker I will assume you are new to whisky. I can’t think of another reason you would have not heard of it if you are reading this. Johnnie Walker has several expressions and the Johnnie Walker 18 Year Old is relatively new but not too new. The 18 is a replacement for the Platinum expression. I always found the name Platinum to be a bit douchey since the Blue is a higher than the Platinum.

Johnnie Walker 18 is bottled at 40% and is a blend of 18 whiskies that are 18 years old. I could not find an exact list but since Diageo owns J Walker it’s probably all of their distilleries. Diageo, which is a massive spirits company, owns, but not limited to; Buchanan’s, Cardhu, J&B, Black and White, White Horses, Logan, Caol Ila, Vat 69, Oban, Talisker, Lagavulin, Black Dog, Glen Ord, Glenkinchie, Dalwhinnie, Cragganmore, Clynelish, Singleton, Haig, Royal Lochnagar, Glen Elgin, Knockando, The Dimple Pinch, King George IV, Dailuaine, Inchgower

JW comes from Kilmarnock, East Ayshire Scotland which is in the Lowlands.

Johnnie Walker 18 is very good, well balanced and has a very nice flavor but very nice and well blended. I was very surprised and enjoyed it very much.

Price around $80-100 ($60 in Costco) and worth the money. Skip the Blue and go with the 18.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Talisker Storm Single Malt Scotch

December 6, 2019 Scotland

Name: Talisker Storm Single Malt Scotch

Color: Light brown

Nose: Malted barley, oak, peat, sea

Taste: Peat barley, smoky, wood

Review:

Christmas is coming!! Do you have your gifts and bottles ready?!

Talisker Storm is an expression from the Talisker Distillery that is a well-known classic Scotch from the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Talisker Distillery was found in 1830 and is located in Carbost, Isle of Skye. Being so close the ocean it states it is “Made by the Sea” and is a fun play on words. I get the sea taste in the scotch but I also get it from Old Putney which is located even more North in Wick, Scotland.

Other expressions include; 10, 18, 25, 30-year-old, Skye, Distiller Edition, 75 North, Port Ruighe, and Neist Pint. I have the post the Talisker Skye posted in previous reviews.

I received a 3-pack sampler when I was in Scotland from a family member and I enjoyed each of them while I was spending a few days in a hotel in Edinburgh. Talisker Storm is a softer version of Talisker and is still good and a little cheaper.

The Storm tastes like cheaper version of the 10 year Old even though it is priced a bit higher. I am not sure what is going on with that but I will assume it is a combo of distillation and marketing. Probably more marketing.

Price around $75 and good but I prefer the 10 Year Old

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

Black Bottle Blended Scotch Whisky

October 30, 2019 Scotland

Name: Black Bottle Blended Scotch Whisky

Color: Brown

Nose: Smoke, malt, barley, heather

Taste: Smoke, oak, caramel, honey

Review:

The Black Bottle Blended Scotch Whisky is produced by Gordon Graham & Co. who were originally known for tea, not whisky. The whisky is bottled at 40% abv, is colored, non-aged stated, and created from blends from the Islay Region of Scotland.

The unique looking black bottle is a throwback to its 1879 origins. The bottles back then were darker and flatter in shape. Unfortunately, today the bottle stands out and looks like you might be getting crappy scotch in a cheap bottle. I get what they are trying to do but it does not have shelf appeal.

Black Bottle Scotch tastes decent but is not amazing by any stretch. I am not overly impressed, but when you look at the price its ends up being somewhere between decent and good. The flavor profile is lighter than Johnnie Walker Black but at a lower cost.

Priced around $30 and decent for the price. Good for a slugging whisky or a gift.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

Compass Box – Peat Monster

September 4, 2019 Scotland

Name: Compass Box – Peat Monster

Color: Light Yellow

Nose: Peat, banana fruit, oak, iodine, earthly

Taste: Light peat, smoke, wood, earthy

Review:

Compass Box Peat Monster is a blended scotch from the Compass Box Company. It is not as peaty as some other heavily peated whiskies like Lagavulin, Laphroaig, or Peat Week. If you have seen Compass Box on the shelf but do not know much about it, here is the break down. They are a producer and bottlers of a bunch of blended scotch whiskies. The company was founded by John Glaser who was a former marketing director of Johnnie Walker and he is an American. Toasted French oak and American oak for the second round of maturations. Buy whiskies and blend them to make everything.

This method was under security with the Scotch Whiskey Association (SWA) for not being in compliance back in 2005. Since then they have resolved this matter and nobody seems to give a shit including me. I only add this in case someone smart ass comments on my leaving it out. I have sampled Peat Monster before and it is ok for the price vs. taste. It is definitely a good starter peat whisky if you need to ease into the world of peaty scotches.

Compass Box have a signature range which consists of the following: The Spice Tree, The Peat Monster, The Spaniard, Oak Cross, Asyla, Hedonism. They also have a range blended scotch whiskies called “The Great King Street” which have the following; Artist Blend and Glasgow Blend. They also have Limited Editions which consist of the following: Hedonism, Maximus, Flaming Heart, Optimism, Morpheus, Canto Cask and Orangerie.

Priced around $55 and worth the money if you like light peat or want to start drinking peated whisky.

If you like it, drink it!

Kilkerran Cask Strength 8 Year Old

August 7, 2019 Scotland

Name: Kilkerran Cask Strength 8 Year Old

Color: Light gold

Nose: Barley, honey, heather, grass, apple

Taste: Malt, light oak, little honey/vanilla, strong burn finish

Review:

Kilkerran Cask Strength 8-year-old whisky is from Mitchell’s Glengyle Distillery located in Campbeltown Scotland. The distillery was founded in 1872, closed in 1925, and reopened in 2004 after no production for 75 years.

The whisky is cask strength and bottled at 56.5%, 8-year-old single malt, natural color, and is non-chill filtered. The taste profile is good, but not very complex. As expected, it has a very strong alcohol taste and burn finish and needs to be cut with ice or water.

The name “Kilkerran” is derived from Gaelic words “Ceann Loch Cille Chiarain” which is the name of the original settlement where Saint Kieran was located. Saint Kieran was one of the 12 Apostles of Ireland and was considered the first Saint born in Ireland. Not sure if I would have chosen a Saint’s name in 2004. It was a bit too close to when The Boston Globe had broken the story on the Catholic Church in 2002. Just a thought.

I received the Kilkerran 8 as a gift from my cousin’s husband on a recent trip to Scotland. I enjoyed as much of it as I could but unfortunately I could not travel with it in my carry-on bag. I hope my uncle holds it for me until I return next year!

Price around $55 and good but and strong for the price. Not sure where you would find it here in NYC.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Compass Box Spice Tree

July 31, 2019 Scotland

Name: Compass Box Spice Tree

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Orange, spices, oak, malted barley, vanilla

Taste: Spice orange, honey, vanilla, oak, pepper

Review:

Compass Box Spice Tree is a blended scotch whisky from the Compass Box Company which is headquartered in England. You may have seen Compass Box expressions in the store but do not know much about them. I recently purchases a 3 pack sampler and Spice Tree was the first whisky I sampled.

Compass Box is a producer and bottler of several blended scotch whiskies. The company was founded by John Glaser who is the former marketing director of Johnnie Walker. The Spice Tree is matured in toasted French oak and American oak barrels. This method of maturing in two casks was under scrutiny by the Scotch Whiskey Association (SWA) in 2005 for not being in compliance with their regulations. Compass Tree has resolved this matter and since then nobody seems to give a shit, including me. I only add this in case some someone comments on my leaving it out.

The Spice Tree has a nice taste profile and has a good balance. It is a non-age stated whisky and is bottled at 46% abv. With a few drops of water, the whisky opens up very nicely. I feel with an ice cube it would water down too fast. I see this as a light winter or semi-heavy summer scotch and it would be better enjoyed neat.

They have a signature range of scotches which are the following: The Spice Tree, The Peat Monster, The Spaniard, Oak Cross, Asyla, Hedonism. They also have a range blended scotch whiskies called “The Great King Street” which are following; Artist Blend and Glasgow Blend. There is also the Limited Editions which are following: Hedonism, Maximus, Flaming Heart, Optimism, Morpheus, Canto Cask, and Orangerie.

Price around $55 and has a nice taste and balance and is good for the price.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

Deanston Decennary

April 10, 2019 Scotland

Name: Deanston Decennary

Color: Copper

Nose: Vanilla, orange zest, red wine

Taste: Orange, spice, madeira sweet sugar

Review:

The Deanston Distillery is located on the River Teith, about eight miles from Sterling, Scotland (near Edinburgh) and was founded in 1965. The Distell Group Limited owns Deanston and also owns Bunnahabhain, Isle of Islay, Tobermory, and Isle of Mull whisky. The name Deanston is named after the Dean of Dunblane. Dean was connected to the Gaelic term “toun” meaning farm/settlement to make the name Deanston.

My cousin, who lives in Sterling got me a sample pack of Deanston Scotch. Each bottle contains 3cl (1oz) samples from the distillery and Decennary was the fourth sample I tasted.

Decennary was created to celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of the Deanston Distillery. The word “decennary” is the old British word for decade (10-year time period). Not sure why they picked this one when they were celebrating their 50^th. From my research I have learned the whisky is finished in a multi-vintage vatting of four casks; 1977 ex-bourbon, 1982 American Oak,1996 Port Pipe, and 2006 Pedro Ximenez. The flavor is very nice and well balance but a bit on the sweet side. It is worth trying, but for me, it is a one and done due to the sherry sweetness.

Price around $150 and is a limited run of 1400 bottles. If you like the flavor profile it is worth it, but $150 can get you a lot of other whiskies.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

Glenmorangie 18 Single Malt

December 25, 2018 Scotland

Name: Glenmorangie 18 Year Old

Color: Amber

Nose: Honey, fruit, cream, and spice

Taste: Citrus peel, cream honey, oak

Review:

My last few reviews of Glenmorangie have not been too favorable, but this whisky I really enjoyed! Boxed and bottled in an upgraded package the presentation sets the tone for what is to come in the flavor. Glenmorangie 18 Year Old “Extremely Rare” Single Malt is aged for 15 years in ex-bourbon casks, finished in Oloroso sherry casks. The scotch is smooth, there is no burn or harshness on the finish, and it has a great flavor profile. This Scotch is more of a summer than a winter, but you can drink it in any season.

When it comes to Scotch the title, “18 Year Old Single Malt” is not just a legal description, to some it is a brand name. It is a brand name in the sense of expected quality and can drive a buyer’s decision when making a higher end purchase. I am a big fan of 18-year single malts and I cannot think of any ones that I have tasted that I did not like. I will admit, I like some brands more than others, but that is just personal preference. A big issue for people is the cost when it comes to 18-year-old single malts. For example, Talisker 18 will cost around $200 and Macallan 18 will cost around $250+ and that might be too much money for you. For the lucky ones it is lunch money. As I like to say, if you like it, drink it, but do not limit yourself or break your wallet in the process. Make sure you try the non-aged stated or blended whiskeys. You do not want to be that person who only drinks 18-year-old single malts because everything else is inferior. Nobody likes “that guy”, he (or she) is a dick and is no fun to drink with.

Glenmorangie 18 is priced around $125. It is a very good Scotch at a very good price. I recommend you try it!

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

Flaviar Tasting Sets

December 11, 2018 Scotland

If you like to sample a variety of whisky’s but do not want to spend money on a full bottle, or if there are no tasting events near you then www.flaviar.com is worth checking out. The Flaviar Tasting Box Samples sent to me as a birthday gift (not from Flaviar) and I enjoyed the samples I received in the mail. It was not necessary for me sample whisky this way since NYC has many tasting events and whisky bars. However, I started to think maybe some people would not have as much access to samples and would like to taste more so I figured I do a quick review of www.flaviar.com tasting sets.

In last tasting set, I received the following:

Glenkinchie 12 Year Old. This Scotch is fresh, light, barley, and fruit taste. Easy to enjoy. Approx $55.

Dalwhinnie 15 Year Old. This Scotch is clean tasting, barley, fruit, and light smoke. Medium-bodied compared to Glenkinchie. Approx $50.

Talisker 10 Year Old is a full-bodied, Isle of Skye, peaty, smoky Highland Scotch. Full and strong compared to Glenkinchie and Dalwhinnie. Approx $65.

These samples had a good flavor profile range and full bottles are affordably priced if you wanted to purchase one after tasting. The three samples come in a 1.5 oz, 4 inch long glass cylinder topped with an aluminum screw cap. The bottles are sealed with a red label to ensure the sample has not been opened. The glass is strong enough for re-use and I find them very convenient to give samples of whisky to friends.

I recommend you order these samples if you are looking to try a variety without breaking your wallet. At $42 a month, that is good price for wide variety of samples. Go to https://flaviar.com/sample-tasting set to learn more.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Compass Box – The Story of the Spaniard

Johnnie Walker 18 Year Old

Talisker Storm Single Malt Scotch

Black Bottle Blended Scotch Whisky

Compass Box – Peat Monster

Kilkerran Cask Strength 8 Year Old

Compass Box Spice Tree

Deanston Decennary

Glenmorangie 18 Single Malt

Flaviar Tasting Sets

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