Chris | Page 31 | NYC Whiskey Review

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Edradour 10-Year-Old

October 28, 2020 Scotland

Name: Edradour 10-Year-Old

Color: Dark Brown

Nose: Malt, caramel, almonds, citrus peach, vanilla

Taste: Malt, cream, nuts, sherry sweetness

Review:

Edradour hails from Pitlochry in the Southern Highlands and was established in 1825 by a cooperative of farmers and is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland. On the bottle it states “…makes as much whiskey in a year that most distilleries make in a week.”. The name is Scottish Gaelic, “Eadar Dha Dhobhar” and means “between two rivers”.

The scotch is bottled at 43% abv, the mash bill is 100% malted barley, natural colored, and aged in Oloroso Sherry and bourbon casks.

I have seen this scotch before online and occasionally in the store, but this was my first purchase. I found it to be smooth and nice with a touch of sweetness. The flavor profile is very nice. The price is very fair for a 10-year-old scotch and it was a gamble that paid off. I will look forward to trying another expression from Edradour.

More of a summer scotch with the sweetness but you could drink it in any season neat or on the rocks. It would also make a good gift to a scotch drinker.

Priced around $60 and well worth the money if you like the flavor profile.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Johnnie Walker-Platinum Label

October 22, 2020 Scotland

Name: Johnnie Walker – Platinum Label

Color: Amber brown

Nose: Sweet caramel, vanilla with a richness to them with a little smoke

Taste: Sweet cream with oats, vanilla, and cinnamon

Review:

Private blend aged 18 years and designed to replace the Gold in certain markets around the world. I give it the same review as Gold with respect to general thoughts. Taste is definitely different than Gold. Prices range from $120 to $150 and I find that to be too much for what you are getting. There are numerous other whiskeys out there for same price or less that have a more interesting, complex, stronger, unique, etc. flavor. I believe the price reflects the marketing of this whisky but you be the judge!

Note: See Johnnie Walker 4 Pack Review for a smaller taste of Platinum.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

J&B Scotch

October 21, 2020 Scotland

Name: J&B Scotch

Color: Light Yellow

Nose: Malt, lemon, wood

Taste: Malt, citrus, honey, vanilla

Review:

J&B Blended Scotch Whisky is the 5th best selling scotch in the world and has a long history dating back to the 19th century. What it lacks in a complex flavor profile it makes up for in lightness, history, movie marketing placement, and old school charm.

The origin of this scotch dates back to the 1880’s in London when two wine merchants (Giamcomo Justerini & Alfred Brooks) started making whisky as it got more acceptable to drink in high society. They shipped their scotch over to the USA after prohibition ended and it developed a following and peaked in the 1960’s in popularity. It also became a very big seller in Spain in the 1970’s and was popular in Southern European markets. I imagine this scotch would go well with mixers in warm weather.

This bottle was a gift to my father and had been sitting in the bottom of a kitchen cabinet since the mid 1990’s. I remember when my father received it as a gift. I thought “He doesn’t drink scotch, what is he going to do with that?” Now, I know. He let it sit for twenty years until I got older and thirsty.

I am not sure if the receipt has changed, but I assume it has in the last 25 years. I should have done a side by side taste test with a new bottle. It has a Famous Grouse like quality to it. It is not complex, nor does it have deep notes or flavor, but it is very drinkable. If the bottle looks familiar you might have seen it in the following shows: The Thing, Scarface, Moonstruck, Goodfellas, and M.A.S.H, the Sopranos, Mad Men, and many more. I think in John Carpenter’s The Thing it saw the most screen time of any movie or tv show.

Priced around $30 and it will do in a pinch, hot weather, The Thing viewing party, or just an old school bottle on the bar.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Glenfiddich 12 Year Old

October 20, 2020 Scotland

Name: Glenfiddich 12 Year Old

Color: Light Gold

Nose: Flower, malt and honey

Taste: Sweet with oak slightly sharper finish on the tongue

Review:

A solid Speyside whisky at a great price for a 12 year old single malt and the right one for a Friday after a long week at work. I find the finish a bit sharp on the tongue but a little splash of water or some ice cuts it nicely. It also comes in a container shell, which makes it appear like a fancier bottle and is good for transporting.

Price ranges $40-50 and is worth the price.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Kilchoman Sanaig

October 15, 2020 Scotland

Name: Kilchoman Sanaig

Color: Light brown

Nose: Peat, vanilla, white fruit

Taste: Peat, sweet caramel, citrus, earth

Review:

Kilchoman Sanaig is a new whisky for me that I have seen it on the store shelf before but had never tried it. I bought it blind and I was very impressed but as I sampled it I wondered what market it was create to serve. Sometimes whisky have that taste profile of “put together” and some have the taste of true craftsmanship.

The Kilchoman Distillery produces single malt whiskies on Islay on the Inner Hebrides. It is the first distillery built on the Island of Islay in 124 years and began production in December 2005. The name “Sanaig” comes from one of the inlets on the coast. Mature in sherry and bourbon barrels.

The flavor profile is very nice with the good balance of peat and sweetness on the tongue. I was correct in my tasting notes about why it was created. Kilchoman Sanaig was original created for the French market but is now available worldwide. If I had to guess it is probably the earth notes which give you more of a cognac taste and finish to it. See my French Whisky section for more reviews. All the French Whiskeys I have tired seem to have an earthy taste profile.

Kilchoman has other expressions which are the following; Machir Bay, Loch Gorm, and 100% Islay. I look forward to sampling them all in the future.

Price around $70 and good for the flavor and price but not a big boy peat scotch just a nice blend of sweetness and peat.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Jack Daniels Fire

October 14, 2020 America

Name: Jack Daniels Fire

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Cinnamon, chemicals, red hot candy

Taste: Same as nose

Review:

Jack Daniels Fire is a red-hot candy cinnamon shit. This shit is worse than Fire Ball Whiskey and Jack Daniels should be embarrassed they created this stuff. You can not even taste the classic Jack Daniels whiskey flavor.

I would not drink this stuff.

Priced around “fuck me and holy shit balls, I would rather drink turpentine” aka $30.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Laphroaig Triple Wood

October 13, 2020 Scotland

Name: Laphroaig Triple Wood

Color: Dark gold

Nose: Smells like Laphroaig (peat, wood, iodine) with a hint of sweetness

Taste: Taste like Laphroaig on steroids (PEAT, WOOD, IODINE!!!)

Review:

Triple Wood is the biggest big boy scotch from Laphroaig that I have tried to date. I like it, but, I cannot drink it without cutting it with ice or a decent splash of water. Maybe if I was in the Highlands and just came into a lodge from the freezing cold rain after trudging through a peat bog I could drink it neat, maybe. Since that probably will never happen, I opt to add one big ice cube.

The title “Triple Wood” comes from the 3 barrels Laphroaig uses to mature the whisky.

Barrels are as follows:

Wood 1 – Ex bourbon Barrels

Wood 2 – Special made quarter casks (secret stuff)

Wood 3 – Sherry Butts (butts equal to approx 126 gallons)

This is “big boy whisky with extra peat”, but is very strong and only designed for people who like Laphroaig. If you do not drink strong peat/wood whisky then this not for you.

The priced around $80 and it a little high, but I believe it is worth it if you like this style of scotch.

If you like it, drink it!

Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey

October 12, 2020 America

Nose: Rye spice, orange, vanilla, light oak

Taste: Spices, orange, vanilla, cloves, honey cream

Review:

Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey is made by Heaven Hill, aged for 6 years and bottled at 110 proof. The mash bill is 51% rye, 39% corn, and 10% malted barley. It has that spicy thick flavor on the tongue due to the mash bill and alcohol level so you get a lot of “bang for your buck”.

This high proof on Pikesville Rye allows it to hold its own corner of the Rye Whiskey market. Rye might be one of the original grains to create whiskey, but it is not that popular as compared to corn and barley. I do not see a lot of Rye on the shelves, nor do I see many at 110 proof. Pikesville appears to have found a good area of the market.

Pikesville was first produced in Maryland in the 1890’s but its production came to an end in the early 1970’s. Today it is produced by Heaven Hill (Elijah Craig, Larceny, Evan Williams, etc.) and distilled by the Bernheim Distillery. In 2015 and 2016 it won some awards, but the more I learn about whiskey awards the less I trust them. I’ve come to believe it is all bought and paid for ahead of time.

Pikesville Rye is nice stuff and I was surprised by it in a good way. The burn on the tongue is not too bad at 110 proof. Naturally, the high proof requires a little water to soften the whiskey and let the flavors out. You could drink Pikesville neat or with a splash of water, but it would be far better in a cocktail.

Price around $50 and worth it if you like a rye whiskey cocktail.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Aultmore 12-Year-Old

October 1, 2020 Scotland

Name: Aultmore 12-Year-Old Single Malt

Color: Light Yellow

Nose: Fresh vanilla, honey, green grass

Taste: Apple, vanilla, green grass, barley

Review:

Aultmore 12-year-old Single Malt is a scotch that I purchased without trying before, so I gambled. Astor Wines recently had their spring cleaning scotch sale of 15% off so I bought a few bottles blind to treat myself.

The whisky is 100% malted barley, aged in ex-bourbon barrels, bottled at 46% abv, and the distillery is located in Keith, Banffshire (Speyside region of Scotland). The name Aultmore is derived from the Gaelic word Ant-Allt Mor which means “big burn”. The “big burn” refers to the water source the Auchinderran Burn. A “burn” is a spring or source of water.

Upon my first sip I immediately wondered if this was a start up distillery that outsourced its whisky or if it was used in a blended scotch. The bottle label was a bit too fancy for a new distillery. Aultmore is one of Dewar’s “Last Great Malts” expressions and some of the single malts are used in Dewar’s blending. The Last Great Malts are: Aberfeldy, The Deveron, Royal Blackla, and Craigellachie, and Aultmore. I am familiar with these scotches but have not tried all them. “Last Great Malts” sounds like a great marketing name.

Aultmore flavor profile is very good but it reminds me of another whisky that I am having trouble putting my finger on. I cannot really compare it to anything else, but for some reason I am reminded of the Bruchladdich Laddie, but that is a real stretch. I think my mind is comparing it more to its standalone flavor profile rather than their similarity.

Price around $85 and very good but I feel Aultmore is pushing its luck when you compare taste vs price with respect to age.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Vicomte French Whiskey Single Malt

September 24, 2020 France

Name: Vicomte French Whiskey Single Malt

Color: Brown

Nose: Earthy, wood, cognac, dark fruit

Taste: Cognac earth, vanilla, oak

Review:

Vicomte French Whiskey comes from the Poitou-Charentes Region in France. It is twice distilled, 100% organic barely and is bottled at 40% abv.

Vicomte is aged in New French Limousin oak and ex-cognac barrels for a total of 8 years. Limousin wood comes from western France and is popular in cask construction with brandy/cognac makers because the wood has more tannic flavor because of the soils and lead to a better flavor profile. This is where the earthy tones can come from which I prefer more in brandy/cognac than I do in my whisky.

I have tried a few other French Whiskies such as Meyers and Rozelieures. There are a few more French ones out there but so far, each of the three I have now tried have a cognac styled flavor profile. I find French Whisky to be more of an after dinner drink than a regular drinker. Vicomte reminds me of Meyers. The map below shows the region where Vicomte is produced.

I had this one at my sister’s home as she used to sell high end wine and liquor. I have not seen it in the stores in NYC but I am sure it is out there somewhere in the area. Try the higher end stores near Park Ave.

Price around $75 and more of an after dinner whisky then a regular drinker.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

Edradour 10-Year-Old

Johnnie Walker-Platinum Label

J&B Scotch

Glenfiddich 12 Year Old

Kilchoman Sanaig

Jack Daniels Fire

Laphroaig Triple Wood

Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey

Aultmore 12-Year-Old

Vicomte French Whiskey Single Malt

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