Penny for Your Thoughts - Highland Park 15, The Glenlivet Nadurra, Old Forester 1897, Auchentoshan T
Here are some quick, 60-second reviews of a few whiskies I've tried recently.
Highland Park 15 (43% ABV) - The level of complexity and enticing flavors here is impressive, and I'm glad that the American version of this is bottled at 43% rather than 40%. This scotch is lightly peated and aged in ex-sherry casks. The nose greets you with the distinct flavors of fortified wine, but more like a port or even a moscato than a sherry, oddly enough. A few sips later, though, I get the light vanilla cream note that I also find in the 18-year expression -- what I think of as part of the Highland Park signature. The palate is sweet and a bit tart, again with a lot of the characteristics of a fortified wine.
The palate is where a little extra oomph would come in handy, as it is a little thin in texture. The finish is the strongest feature, as that hint of peat comes out to play. I have a hard time believing this is as lightly peated as some sources claim, because it suffuses my throat and mouth with a nice toasty finish of barrel char, peat, cocoa nibs, and coffee. A really wonderful finish, particularly because it's a little unexpected. It is a very different finish than the 18-year, less drying and with more smoke. Although it lacks a bit of the complexity of its older brother, I might prefer this one without taking price into account. And with price factored in, it's no contest. At $75-80, this scotch is priced around the top of my value sweet spot, but it merits a purchase, particularly because Highland Park is discontinuing this expression. Stock up, my friends! B+
The Glenlivet Nadurra First-Fill Cask Strength (63%) - I tried this one at a restaurant recently ($23 a pour). Going for a cask strength whiskey is always a risk, as I've found that the best of them -- Ardbeg Uigeadail, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof -- are spectacular, while some of them can be a big, hot letdown. Nadurra falls in the latter category for me, although I never had a chance to try the purportedly superior 16-year version. I assume that there's a lot of scotch mixed in here that hasn't even hit double digits in age now. The palate and nose both felt quite closed off to me, disclosing few distinct notes other than a bright, confectioners' sugar. After a few sips I finally hit the distillery's signature apple note, which made me feel like I'd finally arrived at the house of Glenlivet--albeit after an unremarkable journey. There is a lot of burn -- not quite a pleasant warming heat, really more of a burn -- on the back end, although it does resolve to some spice notes that are a little bit reminiscent of Balvenie Caribbean Cask. The strange thing about the finish is it felt like the finish from a younger bourbon, hollowed out of some of bourbon's pleasant caramel and oak richness. This one's not a bad scotch by any means, but it did not suit my palate, and as a value proposition (close to $100 a bottle around these parts), I can't recommend it. C
Old Forester 1897 (50%) - I just spotted this edition of Old Forester's Whiskey Row on the shelf at a happy hour. They don't provide much information about this whiskey, but since it's bottled in bond, we know it's at least 4 years old. It's also the standard Old Forester mash bill (72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley). Undoubtedly, the nose is the highlight of this bourbon -- but it overpromises concerning what follows. When I held it far away, just enough to get a hint of the scent, the strongest element was lemon peel. A more intimate distance yielded sumptuous aromas of maple syrup and vanilla cream. The nose was enough to get me very excited about what was to come. In comparison to that nose, unfortunately, the palate and finish are much lighter in character, featuring an airy caramel and syrup flavor, verging at times on malty. The final notes are slightly astringent, and the drink as a whole has surprisingly little spice for a bourbon at 50% ABV. The finish is nice, warm, leathery, and a tiny bit minty, but lacking a certain wow factor. Old Forester 1897 is a solid bourbon, fun to drink, but a bit of a letdown -- particularly in its lack of complexity -- after a spectacular, shapeshifting nose. At about $50 a bottle, it's pretty pricey for a bourbon. B
Auchentoshan Three Wood (43%) - This scotch is a sherry bomb for sure. Despite being 43%, this dram doesn't feel watery at all. The "three woods" in the name are, if I'm not mistaken, ex-bourbon, oloroso sherry, and Pedro Ximenez (PX) casks. 10 years in the first barrel, and a year each in the sherry casks. I'm surprised this scotch spends that little time marrying with sherry, because its cup runs over with those flavors. Cherry pie and stewed plums on the nose, very rich, almost sticky sweet. The palate is another episode of the sherry show -- raisins, dates, jam, treacle, honey, and that cherry sweetness again. It's like a liquefied dark berry tart. The finish lingers just long enough, and has some coffee and chocolate echoes as those sherry notes finally fade out. I'd love to compare this scotch side by side with Macallan 12, which doesn't hit the sherry gong with quite as much unbounded enthusiasm. The Three Wood has so much sherry influence that it almost seems at times like a brandy or port. I'm not sure if that's a good thing; sometimes, when I sign up to drink a scotch, I want to taste scotch, not something else! At $75 or $80, it's a bit pricier than Macallan 12, so I'd recommend trying it before buying. B
Bulleit Bourbon (45%) - Bulleit's a decent pick as an everyday bourbon or one to keep stocked for cocktails. Bulleit basically gives you the classic, primary bourbon flavors (vanilla, caramel, oak, and spices), but without an exceptional sense of balance. The nose is all vanilla, the palate is mostly light caramel sweetness and a strong, rough punch of rye spice, and then the finish is all spice and a hint of oak. The lack of mature oak flavors may be the biggest downside of this bourbon to me, but at $25 a bottle, it's hard to get enough aging to develop fully. Solid, unobjectionable, easy-drinking, not particularly memorable. B-