90 points
Egan’s Conviction 10 year old, 46%
The XO cognac cask finish imparts this marriage of single malts and grains with such moreish flavors that it’s hard to resist another sip. Lush candied orange scents with fresh peach, taffy, baked apricot, sultana, and heather honey, then a hint of sweet lemon and light spice. The flavors revolve around Life Savers, lime juice, orange, caramel, and vanilla, with chocolate, ground pepper, and ginger enduring into the dry finish.
Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2022)
On the nose, this blend is all oak and black pepper, like a well-used pepper mill. Cigar leaf and ash complement the spice, creating a slightly musty impression. Leather, lemon peel, and damp grass rise from the must when water is added. The palate opens with a lightning strike of heat that quickly subsides, revealing wood shavings, cinnamon oatmeal, and lemon. The finish is dry and leans heavily on wood and black pepper.
Single malt made in Yorkshire from 100% homegrown barley, the nose offers a combination of butter toffee, vanilla, ripe barley, banana peel, toasted oak, and dry wood spices, with fresh fruit and herbal notes as it opens up. Displaying pleasing first-fill bourbon cask characteristics, it begins with vanilla, honey, apple, and orange flavors before taking it up a gear with toffee, hints of chocolate, clove, and ginger. (768 bottles)
An ode to dessert, this is a deluge of decadent flavors: pie crust, apple pie, baked apples, cinnamon sugar, and banana bread waft up from the glass, all joined by the faintest hint of pickle juice. Such indulgence carries on to the palate, where there’s French toast dusted with powdered sugar, balanced by a nice kick of cinnamon spice. The finish, led by pickles and pumpernickel, sizzles at first, but subsides sweetly into softer flavors. (66,000 bottles)
The nose is fruit-forward and full of cherries: fresh ripe cherries, cherry cobbler, cherry coulis, chocolate-covered Bing cherries, and cherry cola. The palate is a deviation from the nose; there’s instant heat, as chile-dark chocolate squares coat the mouth, accompanied by ginger, wood spice, and espresso bean. A nice lengthy finish keeps that spice going, with fresh-grated ginger and cinnamon stick lingering on. (15,000 bottles)
Triple distilled from 100% malted barley and aged in new American oak. The nose shows clear malt and wood influence, notes of malted milk balls, Popsicle stick, green banana, and vanilla ice cream in a sugar cone. There’s more wood on the palate, which shows a zippier sense of spice, a creamy texture, and a palatable amount of heat. A mouth-coating finish rounds it out nicely. An unusual style but highly sippable. (1,000 bottles)
A plentiful nose offers aromas of vanillin, cream soda, marshmallow, and spice drawer notes. A bit hot on the palate, with pleasant notes of hay, blueberry syrup, pepper spice, and chocolate. Fresh orange, coffee, and spice emerge with water, though the wood influence perhaps betrays some youth. Overall this one seems to need a bit more maturity, but still has some well-crafted, balanced flavors.
An expressive nose delivers bosc pears, melon rind, banana taffy, vanilla extract, and, with water added, Milano cookies: mint and dark chocolate. The palate is silky and light with chocolate cookie, subtle spice, Chewy chocolate-chip granola bar, and more minty dark chocolate. The finish brings back the green melon and spice. There’s dynamic and nuanced flavor here, but the low proof means adding water stretches an already thin palate.
Oloroso finished, heavily peated Island malts with a nose of earthy smoke, farmyard funk, red apple, ripening strawberry, black pepper, and ground ginger. Watermelon, cherry, and red apple flavors with a smooth mouthfeel, then hot smoke—a bit dry—with red chile flakes, pepper, ginger, and a dry spicy finish. A bit too hot to handle at times, with the spice and smoke dominating the proceedings.
Sweet vanilla and rye grain aromas that have mellowed with age, along with grape jam, tea, and licorice root. The palate has depth and is artfully spiced, offering dark chocolate, baked red fruits, and black pepper. Water brings out vanilla bean, black licorice, root beer, mince pie, and lots of balanced spice. The finish is lively and has excellent length, ending with bright red fruit, rye grain, chocolate, and a delicious peppery bang.
The nose is fruity and chalky with notes of orange peel, clementine, orange Tic Tac, plus Tang orange drink mix when water is added. That profile continues onto the palate where a creamy texture conveys spiced-orange slices and yogurt-covered raisins. The finish is mouth-coating, with an added kick of spice and satisfactory length. The flavors here are perhaps a bit unexpected given the finish, but they’re consistent and controlled throughout.
A captivating and beautifully fragrant nose is filled with fresh rye, Grape-Nuts, pepper spice, and a hint of butterscotch and vanilla. Plenty of spice and more rye-grain freshness on the palate, with fresh red apple, raspberry jam, dark chocolate, and white pepper. The mouthfeel has generous spice but no burn, as the whiskey maintains its balance, as does a long finish. A solid whiskey with lots of verve. (3,000 bottles)
A complex nose you can really get into, with its spices, notes of mocha, treacle, plain chocolate, black tea leaves, tobacco, blackened oak, and earthy dunnage floors. The palate starts sweet, with cocoa, malt, and chocolate, the fine light mouthfeel evolving with dark fruit and gentle pepperiness, shifting to stewed fruits by the end. Hints of chocolate, pepper, and oak round it off beautifully. This one’s well worth exploring. (733 bottles)
Repeat sampling is instructive in dissecting the contributions of the oloroso, port, and chestnut casks on this 2006 single malt. The nose has dried cranberry, pecan, new leather, cola, stewed fruit, and peppercorn. A sticky mouthfeel of sugar syrup, black grape, malt, caramel Hershey’s Kisses, and layers of clove, leather, licorice, and vanilla essence. Fire up that fine robust cigar that you’ve been saving, and you’ll be all set. (4,000 bottles)
The faint aroma might fool you into thinking there won’t be much in the glass, but this balanced spirit is pleasant and drinkable, if not terribly complex. It’s a new look at Crown Royal’s discontinued XR expression, which went away in 2019, and it’s made from a blend of three of the oldest whiskies in the company’s lineup. Light caramel, sliced orange, and a bit of wood combine nicely in the glass.
Straight bourbons aged 4 to 11 years, blended together with fruit-forward Irish whiskey flavors in mind. Golden Grahams, brown sugar, oatmeal, and grape jelly on an English muffin: a complete breakfast on the nose. A nice fruitiness carries over to the palate, where a creamy texture showcases caramel and blueberries. The finish shows good length and sweet wheat flavors. Water brings some simplicity and a corn-forward profile. (45,000 bottles)
Caramel corn, caramel apple, apple crisp, Honey Nut Cheerios, cinnamon babka, and brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tart fill the nose. Rich and velvety, the palate is redolent with hot chocolate, toasted almonds, slightly burnt toast, and ripe raspberries. There’s quite a bit of heat, too; Red Hots and red chiles create a mouth-watering experience. More of that heat and a playful rush of orange zest take center stage on the finish.
Amrut is sourcing hidden-gem whiskies to maximize their potential, and Neidhal is packed with aromas of citrus, peach, nectarine, melon, papaya, and vanilla pod cloaked in clean, pungent smoke. The palate is light-textured, with citrus, malt, unsweetened chocolate, dates, prunes, vanilla, and peppery smoke. Stealthily, it slinks through flavors of clove, root ginger, and Brazil nut before a hot, peppery finish with leather, chocolate, and malt loaf. (2,400 bottles for U.S.)