I'd have hoped that last session with whiskies from asia would have diversed more from the scotch palate than what it did. Except from the Grand Royal which was another kind of "whisky", yet enjoyable. But from these ones I have no idea what to expect, other than that I'd be amazed if it's anything like scotch whisky. Trying new whiskies allows me to furthermore find brilliant producers, but it also to an extent confirms my trust in scotch whisky makers as the solely best of the art.
Cyprus Whisky - from Cyprus with love NAS 40% Cyprus Wineries
I have no idea what the history of this bottling is, seems to be a tourist flirt. It is a plastic bottle with a brown plastic top wrapped in some kind of leather envelope. This is tied together with a leather lace, and on one of the leather leaves it says "Hand made by Santa Marina Ltd." This all fancy and stuff, but how's the whisky? Golden orange color, smells burnt, but not bad, peppery, onion and stout. The taste is Fat, thick, oily, fruity, custard, cinnamon peel, very good stuff! It's very light and creamy, and at first it's more like a Barcardi white rum, extremely light, but the aforementioned flavors soon appears, and all in all its a rather perfect light summer malt, at least if I'd live in a hotter climate like Cyprus.
More layers of flavors than expected: 6
Well, I just had to open the leather condom to see the bottle inside. It turns out there is a miniature with a label called Old Oak Whisky, and it says " Imported Whisky Malt ennobled and well balanced with pure and absolutely neutral and double distilled alcohol at our distilleries." Anyway, it says its a whisky from cyprus, and I think they would've sould more selling just the miniature as it is instead of with a ridiculous brown cork top and a leather vase.
Zuidam 5yo 40% OB Dutch Rye Whisky
I haven't tried too much rye whisky yet, and certainly never from europe. Seems to have gotten much color from just 5 years in the cask, and being watered down to only 40%, maybe it's loaded with E150? Anyway, 40% whiskies gets harder and harder to come by if your not into blends. But the rising abvs on standard bottlings are all a sign that quality in increasing on the single malt market in my opinion. Smells peppery and dry/dusty. The taste is just peppery, a bit spirity and oaky, plain and boring. There is no aftertaste and it doesn't change with water, although it opens up a bit more.
Boring stuff: 3
Jacob Stück 43% Blend Germany
A small miniature with about 2 cl. volume. A very pale whisky, 3 years old. I feel that just under 2cl is a little too little when it comes to making a comprehensive whisky review, but on the other hand, there's always a first impression and usually its very right. Sometimes a whisky grows on me during a session, and if it isn't all that to begin with I ket it rest for a while and try it later, or even have a couple whiskies in between sips. Nothing on the nose, absolutely nothing, or ait a minute, maybe some tea and grassy notes. The taste is grassy and spirity.
One to have with coke, club soda or whatever, it's not enjoyable alone: 2
Old Grand-Dad NAS 43% Kentucky Straight Bourbon
I know a lot of these are going around on auctions and so on nowadays. In the past I have found it hard to find really enjoyable bourbons, maybe this one can make a change. I know there are a 100 proof version of this as well that I will try to get a hold of if it strikes me as whisky that could benefit much from higher abv. The colour is golden bronze, a nice red hue. It smells best of the bunch, honey, cinnamon, cloves, lots more honey and roasted red peppers. The taste is not as good, more burnt, bitter, a bit like the aftertaste of tonic water. Maybe it needs to be diluted although I don't think that is the way to go with bourbon? No, doesn't help, the smell was very good, but when the taste doesn't follow up its hard to give a good score.
I'm still waiting for my bourbon epiphany: 3
Fireball NAS 33% Red Hot Cinnamon Whisky Canada
I thought the rule of a minimum of 40% abv. to allow it to be called a whisky applied in Canada as well? Anyway, the bottle looks like something the teens on the block would mix with battery to make a high intensity energetic rave-mix to drink while listening to scooter or whatever is on the teenage charts today. But I'm a free and willing spirit, so let's try this one and see if it could be a disguised beauty. Appearance aside, cinnamon doesn't sound too bad in a whisky as it is one of the most common flavor notes when tasting Oloroso sherry cask matured whisky. Oh yeah, and on the back of the label it's very hip and coll written "Ignite the Nite". Now, it smells sweet, like some dry port wine, no whisky whatsoever. The taste is Sweet, sugary, honey and strawberries, before it turns peppery, more like hot 'n'sweet, or licorice Vodka if you like, but these spicy notes in the end are much more, chili, nuts, a bit of cinamon and curry. To say it in another way, it actually does taste very good although the initial sweetness is a bit too overpowering. I'd like to split this one in two and say that the palate initially is nauseatingly sweet, but the finish is perfectly sippable and a drink I easily could down a bottle of in one night. Even have beside some light cheese like mozzarella or an apple tart.
A perfectly good drink, but as a whisky it doesn't quite work: 3.5
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