Review #85 - Caol Ila 7 yr Cask Strength Wine finish K&L Hepburn Choice

-

 


One of the lost reviews, I have the notes, but this is the only pic I can locate from my stash.

Nose: Warm peat, oak smoke, red currant, toasted oatmeal, fresh milled malt

Taste: Dry red wine, sweet malt, BBQ strawberries, hot smoke, a touch of salt, and some mineral earthiness. There's a lot going on. 

Finish: Shorter than I expected. Smoked salt, earthy umami, a bit of sweet vinegar, black pepper.  

Final Thoughts: I cannot believe I got this for 55 US dollars back when K&L shipped out of California. How freaking delicious. No idea what red wine they held in those finishing barrels, but it pairs well with the smoke and malt.

Would I buy this: Yes. So very yes.

Would I order this in a bar: Also very yes.

Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Yes, please!

Verdict: Yes. By which I mean Thumbs Up.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Spirit Reviews

-
I've been drinking for a while. I'm 41 years old. I started drinking when I was 19. Prior to that, in high school, I was the non-drinker who looked old enough to buy booze, so everyone else came to me to buy their stuff for parties. I'd seen too much of the dark side of drinking, in my family, in friends, and in the world at large. And the things I'd tasted didn't thrill me. So I'd buy people their booze, come to the party, remain sober, break up the occasional fight, and drive everyone home. I just didn't have an interest in drinking. As I got older, that changed. I drank a little, and found that with a bit of thought and some planning you could safely drink booze and have a little fun. I also started to see that if you spent a little money...just a little...you could find things that tasted pretty damned good. You could have things that were delicious, and just have a glass of them. I think most people go through those phases with alcohol. Not al
Read more

Review #12 - Ballindaloch Straight from the Cask (is a Lie)

-
Image
This was a gift from my friend Ben, the last pour from this little bottle he got at The Whiskey Exchange. It's labeled Ballindaloch, distiller 2001 and bottled June 17, 2013. However, it can't be Ballindalloch, as they state themselves they didn't start building a distillery there until 2011. I've been told it's likely they were able to get away with this labeling because the bottle is listed as Single Malt Whiskey, not Scotch. Color: Rich liquid bronze, like the hand hammered malt of the gods. Nose: Sweet and malty cherries, then a touch of caramel. It bring to mind a warm autumn day in an orchard. Bits of sweet wood smells, but mostly ripe fruit and sweet polleny things. Palate: Toasted grains. Huge and flavorful like most cask strength whiskey. Quite sweet, definite sherry notes. Layers of vanilla and something richer, with a ripe fruity twang. The char of the barrel it was in comes through as well. There's a lot going on, and it's a
Read more

Review #64 - Son of a Peat

-
Image
This was mystery dram #2 of my 2018 Secret Santa swap. It's light as hell. Let's see what Santa has for me Nose: Lemon peel, ashy smoke, green apple, pastry crust, milk caramel, seaweed Palate: Hot ashy peat, nori, sea salt, cereal grain, vanilla, honeydew melon, green grape, butter caramel. Finish: Long and full. Round. Light smoke, caramel sweetness, sea salt, a little woodiness. Verdict: This is weird. It's like Caol Ila, but it's also like Bunnahabhain. The nose is light and lemony and smoky. There's some of that in the Palate too. But there all that Bunna-like caramel. And the peat is somehow light and hot but also like a long banked fire. It's weird. I'm going to guess it's an IB Bunna that's just off profile. It's sure as hell good. I'd buy this if it weren't too pricy. Would I buy this: I would! It's honestly pretty good. Would I order this in a bar: Yes! Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Defin
Read more