glenkeith 10

http://www.whisky.com/brands/glenkeith_brand.html

color: pale gold - 0.3 - i shall name it sifted apple juice

nose - apples apples, apples, some peat behind, sugared cherries, plums

mouthed - bright lemonapple then alcohol turned to figlike sweetness, bit o brown sugar, then grass

ardbeg 10

ardbeg 10 yr islay single malt
http://www.ardbeg.com/members/public/index/checkage

0.2 - pale straw - i shall call her yellow silver

nose - deeply smoked meat, tangy peat, green apples

mouth - tangy smoke, peat, alcohol is there..not too brave..apples are hidden but there...some butter...grass...

the ardbeg 10 is a bottle one always wants on hand...it is good for cold nights...for thinking....for remembering and forgetting a bit...don't bother with adding water...

omnom

 strathisla (lonach bottling) 42 yr - bottled 2009 - 41.1% - ~$260

rich honeyed straw to the eye...

nose: butter and asparagus, peaches and cherries, grass, wet earth, sea spray...a bit of tire rubber

mouth:  peaches and peat, wood and butterscotch candies, a lemon tang after the first burst, settling into a small sourdoughness which makes the cheeks water...a metallic comfort...this has more alcohol body than one would expect on a 41.4 %er




murray mcdavid bottling of auchroisk - bourbon/syrah casks - ace'd in guigal cotes roti syrah casks - 46% bottled 1992 - 15yr

this looks like dark cranberry juice, rich ruby red...

nose: dark plums, tobacco, cherries, peat

mouthwise: rich plums, alcohol is brave in this one, red wine, tart cherries...fading slowly to tobacco, a copper taste....

omnom whisky notes

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www.scapamalt.com

scapa 14 yr old island (non islay - orkney) single malt whisky - about 45 bucks

nose - sweet wine, peat, sultanas, nectarines, plums

mouth - mmm..tobacco and cherries, peat and vanilla caramels, plums, eucalyptus in the cheeks, corn husks, a wee bit of peppermint as an afterthought...grass...some of the ocean is in here...

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http://www.malts.com/index.php/Gateway-en

http://www.murray-mcdavid.com/


murray mcdavid independent bottling of caol ila - 14 yr old islay (port askaig) single malt scotch whisky sherry finish- 14 yr - bottled 1993 - about 80 bucks

nose - tar (pitch), listerine?....pear....honey

mouthed - `cinnamon, pitch, chestnuts, nutmeg, peat...

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signatory cask strength collection brora 24 year highland (closed distillery 1983)- dec 81 distillation - bottled in april 06 - cask 06/656 - bottle 28/255 - 60% - matured in an oloroso sherry cask - about $290 (thus far the most 'spensive bottle i have bought)

http://www.whisky-distilleries.info/EI_Signatory_EN.shtml

nose - lemon, grass, cereal, pineapple, spearmint, musty oaky grigio...

mouth - buttery lemons, heather and peat, salt and tootsie rolls!, the alcohol is brave with this one but well balanced, old paperback books, a tiny bit of bananas as an afterthought...banana umm..strand things?.....7-up?

i would like to have another bottle

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http://www.laphroaig.com/

laphroaig quarter cask 10 yr islay single malt - 48% nas (no age statement) but rumored to be 5-7 yrs - about 50 bux

nose - iodine, peat and vegetal earth, smoke, coconut meat

mouth - peat and sea, wet earth, bit of pitch, some sort of nut, there is a beginning creaminess to this that baffles me...corn and tingly stuff..kinda bacony long after

i want another bottle, this one has about one 6th left

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laphroaig 15 yr single malt islay about 70 bux...43%

nose - honey, peach juice, green grapes, wtf is this really laphroaig?..green apples?

mouthed - applegrapes, peat and minerals, tangy minerals, a small peach sweetness, a sort of chocolate to the finish...


15 year old is being replaced by the new 18 year old so buy a few bottles to store, this is worth it

night tasting deserves a quiet night...

latenight and i need to get some of my tasting online....some notes to remember...



Prichard's Sweet Georgia Belle Rum Liqueur - about $27 for a 750 - a peach mango rum liqueur..

http://www.prichardsdistillery.com/

the nose is more like apricots than peaches...a bit more musty than bright...the alcohol seems behind the dominant stone fruit smell..there is a hint of fruit skins that comes around afterwards..this is where the mangos come in, after it sits a while

buttery maple syrup is the first note...then the sweet peach flavor...not real peach but kind of a jolly rancher one...the alcohol comes up behind the simple syrup taste and bites a bit.....this would be good on the rocks with club soda....

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sapling maple liqueur - brewed using vermont grade A maple syrup
- about $32 for a 750

http://www.saplingliqueur.com/

such a tremendously yummy nose...buttery brown sugar...reminds me of pancakes..maybe that memory puts the taste of yeasty dough in my mind or there could be notes of it already in the liqueur...caramel...madeleines.....

in the mouth..warm butter..a bit of macadamia flavor..maple syrup..brown sugar..the alcohol bite is low. this is a great sipper...an ice cube may ruin it if drinking unmixed....this would go great mixed however with frangelico and a good vodka like belvedere on the rocks...hell this would be great in a shake with coffee and ice cream!!!!

this is a bottle i would like to have

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strega - italian herbal liqueur -

http://www.strega.it/index.php

strega means "witch" in italian...and this is some kind of witch. it gets its yellow tint from saffron used in the process.

on the nose i first get juniper berries, some bitter sort of tree bark, some wintergreen and pine and something savory i cannot put my nose on...

in the mouth...wow...sweet then quick pepper and wintergreen followed by some floral sort of perfume, wood, a bit of bubble gum....gentian...cardamom (green)...a tiny bit of cinnamon, and so many other things i do not know yet.... great neat...maybe with one ice cube......i cannot see mixing it with anything..i may try it with a few dashes of soda water up to a half.....

this is a bottle i would like to have.

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kraken spiced rum - 94 proof - about $20 a 750

http://www.krakenrum.com/

a darker reddish brown color

on the nose vanilla and nutmeg, playdoh (yes i know, lolworthy but it is there..to me at least)

not as sweet as it smelled, a dark rum flavor with vanilla following but not a sweet vanilla and not your ordinary vanilla....madagascar i would say...some wood..and more vanilla

i would drink this neat, or with an ice cube or on the rocks with an elderflower presse or a real good ginger ale or hot buttered even...this would be interesting to try with the right kind of bitters too, say fee brothers chocolate bitters.....

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