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Showing posts from March, 2020

Review #76 - Still Austin Bourbon (Batch #2)

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This sample was a gift from a friend. Hi Travis! I went into it knowing only that it was Bourbon from Still Austin. Nose: Corn, vanilla, lemon, caramel, oak, light nutmeg, old varnish, gun oil, shoe polish. Palate: Sweet corn, popcorn, caramel, burnt peanut, pepper, bitter clove, flamed orange peel, vanilla. Finish: Corn, vanilla, a little pepper. Sweet mostly. Long but simple. Verdict: Tastes young, I'd bet 12-18 months? Maybe 95-100 proof? Has a lot of harsh notes right in the middle of the palate. The nose has some weird unpleasantness, but the base Bourbon notes underly all of it. Might be fine with more time, but as is, I don't care for it. Would I buy this: I'm betting this is craft priced, so 35-50 a bottle. In which case, nuh-uh. Would I order this in a bar: Probably not. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: I would, but mostly so I could discuss what I do and don't like abut it with them. Final notes: Looking this up I see it is 100

Review #75 - Scapa Skiren

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Nose: Warm honey. Clotted cream. Ripe pear, bitter orange peel, apple, a little fennel seed. Palate: The honey sweetness continues. Fresh crushed malt, sweet cream, pear, dried orange, lemon, a little pineapple. Hints of oak and vanilla. Finish: Medium. Sweet oak and a dusting of cinnamon. Verdict: It's a fine whiskey. But it's not a great one. Comparing this to the 16 year, though, this falls far, far short of it. The 16 was my favorite warm summer day scotch. This is...boring. Would I buy this: At the price they want for it, not a chance. Would I order this in a bar: Probably not. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Sure! It's certainly not bad. It's just not memorable or exciting in any way. Rating:★★