88 points
Fuji Single Grain, 46%
The elegant nose on this blend of grain whiskies produced by Mount Fuji Distillery has aromas of ground hazelnut, black tea, chestnut flour, mild baking spices, ripe orchard fruits, citrus zest, and elderflower. The palate is packed with orchard fruit, orange, pepper, and chicory, with bitter bark, pepper, and wood spices showing more grain whisky character, and ends with nutty notes and a short finish of cinnamon and oak.
Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2022)
Aged for 2 years before being placed in an ACTivator—designed to accelerate the aging process and fine tune flavor—for 3 to 5 days. The nose is dusty, with peanut shells and barn floor coupled with strawberry jam, dried herbs, and buttered popcorn. A creamy palate has a buttery texture with subtle notes of grape Kool-Aid and dusty wood that continue onto the finish. Best neat, where grain and wood play the background better. (6,000 bottles)
Matured on white oak, hickory, maple, mulberry, red oak, and grape wood. Iced lemon pound cake, raspberry and cheese danish, strawberry shortcake, and cherry pie filling on the nose. Those fruity notes turn herbal when water is added. There’s a nice creamy texture on the palate but a slightly soapy note in addition to bitter oak and dried herbs. The finish showcases more herbal qualities and moderate length. (5,000 bottles)
Bold rye spice takes the lead here, with cracked pepper and toasty oak girded by ripe pear, peach, and tropical fruit notes. The palate is gently sweet, with more spice and toasted walnuts. An enjoyable whiskey, if somewhat light-bodied and searing hot on the palate through the finish. Finished in Italian vermouth casks; available only in Kentucky. (2,112 bottles)
Finished in barrels containing toasted maple-wood baseball bats. The nose is sweet and candied, with bubble gum, Twizzlers, taffy, and cinnamon toast, plus some mint. Earthy, wood-driven spice emerges on the palate, which has more candied flavors and a velvety texture. The finish conveys more spice and has satisfactory length. There is candy store sweetness throughout, underscored by cinnamon and nutmeg, giving it increased dimension.
Candied grape and orange, licorice, caraway and vanillin on a sweet, fragrant, balanced nose. On the palate, sweet orange slices, red fruits, vanilla maltiness, and melted caramel—a full mouthfeel with plenty of chewy depth, spice, and balance. More fruitiness emerges along with grain notes, chocolate, root beer, and marzipan. Overall, a well-made sipper that has plenty to offer, with classic rye notes and great balance of fruit and spice. (6,000 bottles)
This leads with quiet notes of cherry candies and vanilla custard dusted with cinnamon on the palate. There’s a refreshing mintiness that pairs well with the dill and caraway spice that emerges with a little water. The sip is sweeter, with salted caramel, vanilla, and cinnamon balanced by tart apple cider and celery salt. The moderately long finish is straight from the coffee house: caramel latte, hot chocolate, and chocolate-covered graham crackers.
Blackberries, raisins, and cinnamon tee off on a base of raspberry iced tea and toasted oak. With each sip the fruits and spices nestle into vanilla pound cake, Craisins, and a cinnamon and clove-spiced core. The finish turns toward roastier flavors, with a lengthy latte note alongside more fruity iced tea, cinnamon candies, and sweet tarragon. Unified by fruit and spice, this whiskey makes the most of its barrel finish.
Initially as classic as rye gets on the nose—dill pickle, pumpernickel, peppery spice—but this is filled out by powdered sugar and a touch of honey. The palate is spicy, but not overtly so, with Red Hots and black pepper up front, softened soon after by crème brûlée, vanilla bean, and a hint of cacao. That chocolate is stronger on the finish, but it’s overtaken by caraway and dill pickle spear in the end. (41,000 bottles) Best Value
Toasted cereal, honey, almonds, rich fruit, and peat smoke on the nose, with well-integrated spices, smoked meat, and a pleasant oily sensation. Well-structured on the palate, with orange taffy, walnut, marzipan fruits, buzzing spices, bitter fruit stones, dried grapefruit, and a lick of smoke, followed by a smooth dry finish with bitter orange flavors. Built around Cragganmore, this really dazzles when poured over a large cube of ice. Best Value
Butterscotch hard candies, Bit-O-Honey, and sweet marshmallow appear on the nose, which is surprisingly delicate despite showing obvious alcohol. The palate offers warm cereal sprinkled with brown sugar, plus vanilla, toffee, and spice, before a finish of earthy and leathery oak with notes of dark cocoa and peanut skins. Distilled at MGP in Indiana and released by Tennessee’s Cascade Hollow Distilling Co.
Several countries play a role in this whisky, which is distilled in Canada, finished in a mix of Martinique rum, madeira, and apricot brandy casks, and bottled in Kentucky after aging in both Canada and the U.S. It’s pale in color, with a mild fruity aroma. It’s spicy and a bit hot on the palate, with an herbaceous bitterness and a rooty character that is overly earthy, with a persistent tangy citrus note.
Casks that once held ice cider—sweeter and stronger than traditional cider—are used to finish this 7 year old rye, and they seem to have made a lasting, sugary impact on the whiskey. A vanilla aroma calls you in, and the rye’s notes of coffee bean and spicy ginger are wrapped in an envelope of an almost cloying flavor, reminiscent of a sweet cereal. (6,000 bottles)
On the nose, this delivers plenty of semi-sweet delights, with orange peel, dark chocolate, Andes mints, and vanilla extract all nestled in a bright pine forest. The palate is lively, with well-integrated heat. The flavors follow the nose, and water brings out candied maple and coconut. The finish takes a roasty turn, with toasted coconut, maple syrup, and dark chocolate sprinkled with sea salt.
The nose is delicate, with a pleasant balance of fruit and confectionary sweetness, resembling caramel apples and candied orange, and touches of fresh herbs. The palate delivers gentle red fruit, cocoa, and nutty notes that suggest sherry, but the impression is generally soft and lacking in proof, with grilled fruits and some spice appearing on a modest finish. Ironically, it offers neither richness nor cacao.
Loch Lomond’s Coffey still methods fell outside the SWA’s 2009 regulation change on single malt production, but its peated malt single grain becomes a key ingredient here. Vanilla, honey, sanded oak with a green herbal edge, aniseed, peppermint, fondant cream, and dry-smoked barbecued meat aromas. The palate is light, with bright citrus, herbal notes, spices, vanilla, and rum and raisin before surrendering to the burnt smokiness. (6,142 bottles)
Rich chocolate and (mostly) red fruit are all rolled up here, as a dollop of cocoa powder greets the nose and is swiftly overtaken by nearly ripe raspberries, raspberry cobbler, raspberry coulis, and the faintest hint of licorice. On the palate, more berries—raspberry jam, strawberry buttercream—along with a zip of lemon juice, vanilla extract, and hot cinnamon spice. More cocoa and dark chocolate on the finish, with a slight tang of tart red berries in tow. (7,000 bottles)