Tasting Notes By Company

Even with the growing popularity of single malts, blends still make up 90% of scotch whisky sales. American's prefer the Johnnie Walker Blends and Dewars. While the Scotts prefer the Famous Grouse and the English reach for Bells.

    How to taste whisky

1. Start with a tulip shaded glass (never a whisky tumble). This will concentrate the aroma of the spirit.
2. Nose the whiskey
3. Take a small sip and let the whisky coat your mouth and note what flavors you pick up
4. Add water to the spirit to open it up and to release the oils in the dram (I add just a splash but whisky experts will typically recommend cutting it by half)
5. Take a big sip and note the overall body of the spirit
6. Move the whisky around in your mouth to pick up additional flavors
7. Swallow and note how long the finish is
8. Take your time and try only a few at a time and drink plenty of water between sips.

There is no such thing as a bad whisky, folks just like what they like. If you’re new to blends start by adding about half water & half whisky. Over ice is also very popular and it's still how we drink our Johnnie Black.

A blend includes malt and grain whisky.
A vatted malt includes only a blend of single malt whiskies.
A grain whisky only includes alcohol made from grain.

Glen – 81

I recently came across a bottle of 100 Pipers that was bottled in the 1970s. I’ll have to pick up a new bottle and compare the two. This dram was impressively robust and full of sweet flavors. None of the young grassiness that I was expecting, you get more caramel, toffee and some heather to round it out. This dram had a big nose and a nice untamed character. Had a little bitterness in the aftertaste.

Nose: Big, burnt caramel, toffee, heather, sweet
Body: Flavorful and medium bodied
Finish: Big and leaves in a hurry, some heat

Sweet and nicely untamed.

 

Brett – 

Not Available (1970s bottle)

$

Glen – 84

Very different from the Auld Blended 38 year old that Duncan Taylor recently released. The 38 year old was a special dram that was filled with rich tropical fruit. This dram is much different and tastes more like a true blend. Still good but not a great one.

Nose: Fresh, malt, oak, fresh fruit, a hint of smoke
Body: Chewy
Finish: Short and a little hot, malt and oak

A typical premium blend.
 

Jeff –

Very limited, try www.royalmilewhiskies.com

$$$$$

Glen – 96

Where to start. Let’s just say that this dram may be one of the best blends you can buy today. Rich fruit in the nose that is dominated by banana. I also picked up mango and a wonderful spiciness. The body was silky smooth and the fruits came back in very subtle understated finish. This whisky will cost you but it’s worth every penny. Wonderfully smooth and deep.

Nose: Banana, mango, spice, rich fruit
Body: Silky smooth and fruity
Finish: Almost not there, very understated but still very flavorful, tropical fruit

Incredible!
 

Jeff –

Very limited, try www.royalmilewhiskies.com

$$$$$

Glen – 78

Something about this dram is just appealing. Has some harshness but it's a good straight forward whisky. Has a great warming character in the finish. Fill a flask with this dram the next time your shoveling snow or ice fishing. Seems to improve with each sip.

Nose: Young but not harsh, fruity, wet oak, shoe leather
Body: Light
Finish: Long and a little rough, very warming and sweet

Has a great warming character. 

 

Jeff –

Available at most liquor stores

$

Glen – 83

Dec, 2007
A very nice coastal nose that’s not overly sweet. Very fresh and has many characteristics of a coastal Highland malt. The body and finish are a tad oily but overall, very well balanced and enjoyable. Definitely a blend worth having on hand.

Nose: Coastal, sea air, heather, fresh but not overly clean
Body: Oily
Finish: Medium length and oily, dry with a touch of sweetness

A nice surprise.
 

Jeff –

Not available in the US.

$

Glen – 88

Heavily peated, this is a dram with some character and attitude. I didn't love this whisky the first time I had it but it grows on you and calls you back to the bottle. We almost killed a whole bottle of this just hanging around the kitchen table. It's a finish the bottle type of dram.

Nose: Fruity, peat smoke, sea air, seaweed, some subtle vanilla bean notes
Body: Smooth and smoky
Finish: Medium length and dry, peat smoke, nice and warming, classic Islay

A big smoky whisky that is still very easy drinking. 
 

Jeff –

Available at some liquor stores.

$$

Glen – 87

This dram is very popular in the UK but not yet available in the states (but coming soon). I prefer the ten year old expression more but this was still a nice treat. The peat was subtle and not over powering. A very smooth and easy drinking peated whisky. A perfect everyday type of malt for the peat fan. Has a great coastal feel.

Nose: Brine, fresh, peat smoke, malty sweetness, seaweed
Body: Syrupy, peat
Finish: Short and sweet, peat, very smooth

Delicious.
 

Jeff –

Not available in the US.

$$

Glen – 80

Chivas Regal is one of the worlds most popular blends. It's know for it's smooth and sophisticated taste and quality. This dram is too smooth to mix this soda and should be enjoyed with a touch of water or neat.

Nose: Fruity, smooth and sweet, makes your mouth water
Body: Medium
Finish: A little hot, some light peat

I know people who will drink nothing else but it just never excited me.
 

Jeff –

Available at most liquor stores.

$$

Glen – 87

A sophisticated complex whisky that I prefer much more than the 12 year old. Rich with a profound nutty character. From the nose to the finish this is one impressive dram.

Nose: Nutty, orange zest, fruity, some malt and oak
Body: Medium & rich
Finish: Medium length and warming, the quality of the wood comes through

Impressive.
 

Jeff –

Available at some liquor stores.

$$$$

Glen – 72

In a sea of inexpensive Scotch Blends it can be difficult to find a few or even one good one. Although, Clan Macgregor won’t be at the top of my list, it’s still a good blend. Over ice or with a splash of water, this straight forward unassuming dram came off fairly well. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It didn’t have that sharp young make up that defines so many inexpensive blends. Came off a little light and thin but still had enough flavor to pull you back.

Nose: Light and Fruity, grassy and a little young
Body: Thick and Chewy
Finish: Short but flavorful, fruity and light, smooth

A couple of extra points for its smoothness an inexpensive price.

 

Jeff –

Available at most liquor stores.

$

Glen – 87

We recently sampled five whiskies from Compass Box and Asyla was  the first one we opened. We thought, let’s start off with the light one. We soon realized that if Asyla was a hint of things to come, we were in for a great night.

A mellow, light easy drinking, whisky that has great flavor and surprising depth. Compass Box uses high quality grain whiskies in their blends which adds to the flavor and character of their malts. This reasonably priced dram should be in every whisky cabinet.

Nose: Subtle, floral and oak, sweet fruit, some vanilla
Body: Light
Finish: Medium length, drying and very smooth

Like the label states; it’s delicious.

 

Brett – 90

Lithe and luxurious. Wow! A fresh, barley nose with just the slightest
hint of oak. There’s a dry, slightly sweet vanilla here too – subtle and sublime. The mouth feel is light, but certainly not “thin”; it seems to taste almost ethereal, and this is continued in the finish, which is longer than what you would expect from a “light” blend. I explained to my co-tasters that this whisky reminded me of a good symphony, where the opening theme is recalled in the finale. So many whiskies out there have noses that bear no relation to their finishes – this is not one of them. Even if you prefer a whisky with Islay heft, you’d be hard pressed to top this soft beauty!

Outstanding!
 

Available at some liquor stores.

$$

Glen – 91

Wow. The best of the Compass Box range. Noses almost like a bourbon, with an in your face toasty, sweet character. The dram had a nice roughness to the finish that I just loved. I know this grain whisky should be savored, but I just ended up taking sip after delicious sip.

Nose: Very deep and complex, bourbon, vanilla, pencil shavings
Body: Light & clean, mouth watering
Finish: Long and sweet, honey, oranges, bourbon

A beautiful whisky.
 

Brett – 93

First off, this is a vatted grain, not a malt. It’s also the best dram in the
Compass Box range (high praise, considering the quality of the range). Hedonism starts off with a nose that reminded us of bourbon; sweet, but not overpowering. There were notes of French toast, and someone also picked-up pencil shavings that added to the complexity. In the palate, it was clean and mouth-watering, with loads of honey, as well as vanilla and
orange marmalade. Honestly, it felt like I was drinking breakfast. Yummy! The finish was impressive, too, with a warmth that didn’t fill your whole body, but still seemed to pull the chill out.
 

Available at some liquor stores.

$$$$

Glen – 88

The process that Compass Box goes through to produce their whisky is amazing. Always trying new and interesting ‘experiments’ that produce some of the best blended and vatted malts on the market. Oak Cross is on of the newest. A vatted whisky that combines single malts aged in different cask types and then aged again in a cask hybrid of American and French oak. The result is a well balanced everyday type of malt that should prove very popular.

Nose: Grass, malty, cloves, floral and other hidden spices
Body: Chewy
Finish: Medium length, drying and warming, soothing

Warm and satisfying.

Brett – 90

Ah, here it is. Every company, or distillery, wants to put out an “anytime”
whisky, and this is Compass Box’s contribution. With a young nose that is by turns grassy and syrupy, this vatted malt reminded us of a fine Lowland single malt. Then the whisky hit our taste buds, and we realized that we weren’t in Kansas anymore! The dram remained wonderfully syrupy, and was much “chewier” than we expected, with just enough heft to satisfy us. A finish of mostly vanilla, but also oak and cinnamon made this a great all-round whisky. At a good price point, this was an easy-drinking and supremely satisfying dram, which reminded us that you don’t need a special occasion to drink a special whisky.
 

Available at some liquor stores.

$$$

Glen – 87

A crisp peated malt that isn’t over powering. Subtle smoke and rich, this is a great dram when you’re in the mood for smoke but aren’t in the mood for an Islay. Well balanced, complex and truly unique.

Nose: Rich, peaty, heather, malty, creamy and silky
Body: Medium
Finish: Last forever, complex, dry, burnt bacon

A great marriage of smoke and sweetness.
 

Brett – 87

A good dram for those who want smoke and peat, but are afraid of it. Although they are quite obviously there, the smoke and especially the peat do not overpower the pretty maltiness of this dram. On the contrary, we found this vatted malt to have a silky richness to it, with a nose that spoke of butter toffee. It had a medium, slightly oily body, and a finish that just seemed to go on forever – warming, with suggestions of peppermint. A very complex malt.

 

Available at some liquor stores.

$$$

Glen – 91

I love peaty whiskies. I’m no peat freak, but when I want peat I reach for a Talisker, Ledaig or Highland Park, depending on my mood of coarse. I’ve added another dram to my peat rotation and that’s the Peat Monster. This is none great dram, that has an amazing drink ability and smooth character.

Nose: Inviting, delicious peat, leathery, malty, oak
Body: Surprisingly light
Finish: Long dry and smooth, peat smoke

This Monster is a little tame and offers much more than just peat reek.
 

Brett – 91

Although the smoke in this dram is evident, what this Monster lures you
in with is peat. And for those of you who say that you don’t like peat, maybe you just haven’t had it served up like this before: softly, highlighting the cereal malts and “wine-like” tannins in the nose. There is also citrus and light iodine (of course), in the nose, but only a tease. Surprisingly, this vatted malt monster had a lighter body than we would have imagined; an interesting, and not unpleasant treat. The finish on this one was, at first creamy with that light citrus again, and then finished with a late flurry of peat (Beauty and the Beast, maybe?). Our overall impression of this dram was that it was a very accessible, easy-drinking peat whisky, which is not an easy trick!

 

Available at some liquor stores.

$$$

Glen – 61

A very young grassy malt that should only be used as a mixer. Not very enjoyable. Harsh.

Nose: Very young and spirity, grassy
Body: Light
Finish: Hot and rough

A tough one.
 

Jeff –

Available at most liquor stores.

$

Glen – 79

This was my Grandfather’s favorite. This is my airline dram since it's usually the only Scotch served on most flights. In my opinion, White Label is best served over ice with a simple twist of lemon. One of the major components of White Label is Aberfeldy which I've grown to love.

Nose: Young and spirity, oak, grassy, malt, lemon
Body: Mouth coating but not syrupy
Finish: Medium length and sweet, full of citrus

One popular dram.
 

Jeff –

Available at most liquor stores.

$

Glen – 82

Improves with age and still maintains that floral, citrus character that Dewar's fans love. If you like White Label you'll love this one. The perfect gift for someone you always buy White Label for. For the Dewar's fan that wants to 'step up their game'.

Nose: Gauze, citrus dominated by lemon, floral, oak, malt
Body: Mouth coating
Finish: Medium length and fruity

A high class dram. 
 

Jeff –

Available at most liquor stores.

$$

Glen – 72

A nice blue collar dram that’s not bad in a pinch.

Nose: Young, citrus, reminds me of a young Lowland
Body: Light
Finish: Hot, dry

Not bad If it's the only thing on hand.

 

Jeff –

Available at most liquor stores.

$

Glen – 83

Updated Oct 08
Intended for blending, this dram can definitely stand on its own. Rough around the edges, this whisky doesn’t hide the fact that it’s still fairly young (at about 8 years old). Inexpensive and readily available, Red is a great choice if you like scotch with some bite. This is my Dad's favorite whisky and one that I frequently enjoy over ice.

Nose: Youthful, grassy, honey, pepper
Body: Medium Bodied
Finish: Flavorful but short, a tab bitter with some heat, nice burst of peat, floral, honey, fruit cake at Christmas

Solid.
 

Jeff –

Available at all liquor stores.

$                                                                                                                                     

Glen – 89

Updated Oct 08
An incredibly smooth, well balanced dram that I enjoy either neat or over ice. Johnnie Black is my everyday malt. Rich in flavor, it has everything you want in a blend. Almost too smooth, it’s tough to put on the breaks when you’re enjoying this dram. My cabinet is never without the 1.75 liter bottle. A high quality and solid everyday blend.

Nose: Hay, honey and vanilla, caramel, a touch of peat, roasted cart nuts, oak, some salt and milk chocolate
Body: Light, a whisper
Finish: Medium length and very flavorful, some subtle heat, light smoke, oak, fruit

My everyday (intravenous) dram.
 

Jeff –

Available at all liquor stores.

$$                                                                                                                                     

Glen – 82

Swing reminds me of a lot Red Label but at a much higher price tag. Young on the nose and has some nice bite on the finish. You’re buying packaging on this dram but it’s still a good whisky. Save yourself some money and buy a bottle of Red.

 

Jeff –

Limited availability

$$$                                                                                                                                     

Glen – 87

Updated Oct 08
A very good smoky malt in the Highland style. Not as sweet, but offers more smoke and complexity. Previously bottled under the controversial ‘Pure Malt’ title this dram is not a blend but a vatted malt. A good dram that represents the Highland region well. Although it’s one of the best of the Johnnie Walker range I couldn’t suppress the feeling that the dram seemed ‘over engineered’ in order to produce a text book old style Highland Malt.

Nose: Smoky (like a Kentucky smokehouse), salt, grass, dry peat, coastal feel, fresh, leather
Body: Medium bodied, smoky
Finish: Long, spicy and dry, some heather and smoke

A classic Highland malt but maybe a little too engineered.

 

Jeff –

No longer available (bottled under Green Label).

$$ to $$$                                                                                                                                     

Glen – 78

Updated Oct 08
I’m not sure what to think of any dram that you’re instructed to freeze in order to really enjoy. Gold has a youthfulness in the nose that surprised me given its 18 year old age statement. A heavy syrupy malt that offers full rich flavor but lacks true complexity. Not one of my favorites in the Johnnie Walker range that’s simply outclassed by the younger Black label. Freezing the whisky does add an interesting twist but at around $80 to put a bottle, I’ll stick to Dr. McGillicutty's.

Nose: Butterscotch, youthful, honey, burnt sugar, fresh, orange zest
Body: Medium, very smooth
Finish: Short, honey and peat, toasted oak

Buy two bottles of Black and call it a day.
 

Jeff –

Available at most fine liquor stores

$$$$                                                                                                                                     

Glen – 86

Updated Oct 08
Perfection in a bottle! That was my first reaction to Blue label way back when I first started drinking Scotch. It was the pinnacle of my limited whisky world. This ultra whisky has lost some of the awe I once reserved for it but it still is a very good if not great whisky. Blue has a wonderfully complex nose and no one flavor really jumps out. The body is flavorful and smooth but I could have used more character in the finish. You still know your drinking something special and Blue does wear its age very well but I’ve had much better blends in my travels.

Nose: Very subtle, peat smoke, fresh cut grass, oak, toasted almonds, almond oil, honey, vanilla, earthy
Body: Medium and very smooth
Finish: Medium, very smooth, oranges, hint of smoke and peat

The ultra premium blend for the beginner.

 

Jeff –

Available at most fine liquor stores

$$$$$                                                                                                                                     

Glen – 86

This is one of Jeff’s favorite drams. It seems his main mission in life is hording whisky and he’s been able to secure a few cases of this unique and storied malt. Serendipity means ‘a pleasant mistake’ and the name was chosen well. A combination of 8 parts Ardbeg 43 year old and Glen Morey 12 year old that was mistakenly mixed together. I’m sure this dram isn’t as good as a 43 year old Ardbeg but the Glen Morey is a nice compliment and adds a nice touch of sweetness to the dram.

Nose: Smoky, perfumed, wild flowers, malt, peat
Body: Thick
Finish: Medium length, big deep smoke, peat, much more Islay fire in the finish then the nose

I wish all my mistake came out so well.
 

Brett – 86

Lighter than your standard Ardbeg (obviously), with light smoke on the nose to complement the peat, mint, tangerines, limes, and fennel (honest!). A beautiful crisp and clean medium-weight mouthfeel gives way to a long, dry finish full of mixed citrus, ashes, quinine, and pinecones, and a wonderfully pleasant bite. Bottles are hard to come by, but try anyway.

Rare

$$$$                                                                                                                                     

Glen – 93

A fresh and clean beauty that makes you wish grain whiskies were more widely available. I loved this one from beginning to end. Very well balanced. A refreshing dram that’s not overly complex but is still packed with unique and subtle flavors.

Nose: Clean, salt and pepper, buttery, meadow fresh, a little young, caramel
Body: Chewy
Finish: Sweetness explodes in the mouth, cane sugar, medium length with a nice burn at the end, vanilla

A home run and highly recommended.

 

Jeff –

Very Limited


$$$$$