Eagle Rare 10 year Old Single Barrel
I’ve now tried two different bottles of Eagle Rare, and both have been very good, although very different. The first bottle I tried was a very rich, sweet bourbon. Lots of caramel and honey on the nose and in tasting. There was also a good deal of smoke, wood, and vanilla. Much sweeter and richer in flavor and texture than a lot of bourbons, which suits my tastes perfectly. The second bottle was much more dry and herbal. There were a lot more tobacco and dry wood notes in this bottle. The tobacco was there in the first bottle as well, but nowhere near this dominant. I preferred the first bottle, with its sweet richness, but those who prefer drier and more herbal whiskies would have definitely liked the second bottle more. The varied score is based on the fact that these are two different barrels.
17-18
Monday, May 31, 2010
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Glenfiddich Reviews
Glenfiddich 12
On the nose, there’s lots of pear and floral aromas. Oak is there, but not overwhelming, with a nice woodiness. Tasting it, more pear and floral notes. Some herbs, vanilla, mild spices, and more wood as it’s swallowed. Very nice finish, with lasting fruit and wood notes. The alcohol finally shows itself as a bit of a bite when swallowed, but certainly not much of a burn. Nice single malt, although a little light and dry for my personal taste. A good standard though, it pairs extremely well with food, and overall it’s easy to see why it’s the best-selling single malt.
17-17.5
Glenfiddich 15
Tons of delicious smells on the nose. Caramel, honey, and vanilla are all there. Give it a second sniff and the fruit shows itself as baked pears and apples. I take a sip, and the nose is reinforced and elaborated on. The caramel, honey, vanilla are both still there, backing up baked apples and pears, now joined by pineapple, toffee, nougat, and a bit of milk chocolate. Adding a touch of water brings out a bit more of the flowery side, with a touch of apple blossoms coming through. As I swallow, I begin to get a bit more nuttiness. Roasted hazelnuts and almonds. It goes down extremely easily, with no burn or bite at all. Definitely more my style than the 12. That said, my only (minor) quibble with it is that it’s not quite as complex as the 12 year old, which keeps it from true greatness. It doesn’t go with food quite as well as the 12 though, but only because its sweetness and fruit-dominated character are less versatile.
18-18.5+
Glenfiddich 18
A much less in-your-face nose on this dram. It’s much drier and spicier and has a lot more woodiness to it. Tasting it, the first thing I get is a lot of spices, like a Christmas pudding in liquid form. Lots of nutmeg, cloves, some cinnamon, and a good deal of oak, along with some faint vanilla notes. Adding water, and aerating it brings out very, very dark bittersweet chocolate flavors, and makes the vanilla and wood more apparent. There is more of a burn here than the 15 year old, no doubt highlighted by the dryness of this whiskey. Extremely complex, devloped nicely with a bit of water and air. Like the 12 year old, it’s a little dry for my tastes, but it’s extremely complex and well-made.
17.5-18
Glenfiddich 30
Tasting all four Glenfiddich single malts side-by-side really highlights their similarities and differences. The 30 year old is like the best of the other three combined. Its nose is pretty floral, with some beautiful fruit and a hint of spice. The fruit really comes on strong when you taste it, with the gorgeous baked and caramelized apples and pears. The fruit turns into oak and honey, which then turns into cocoa and dark chocolate and spices. The oakiness comes on strong at the end, and its bite is softened more by air and time than by water. Overall, it’s beautifully done, and the long aging hasn’t overwhelmed it with wood notes. Definitely best drunk neat, when one has the time and patience to contemplate this whisky on its own.
18-18.5
On the nose, there’s lots of pear and floral aromas. Oak is there, but not overwhelming, with a nice woodiness. Tasting it, more pear and floral notes. Some herbs, vanilla, mild spices, and more wood as it’s swallowed. Very nice finish, with lasting fruit and wood notes. The alcohol finally shows itself as a bit of a bite when swallowed, but certainly not much of a burn. Nice single malt, although a little light and dry for my personal taste. A good standard though, it pairs extremely well with food, and overall it’s easy to see why it’s the best-selling single malt.
17-17.5
Glenfiddich 15
Tons of delicious smells on the nose. Caramel, honey, and vanilla are all there. Give it a second sniff and the fruit shows itself as baked pears and apples. I take a sip, and the nose is reinforced and elaborated on. The caramel, honey, vanilla are both still there, backing up baked apples and pears, now joined by pineapple, toffee, nougat, and a bit of milk chocolate. Adding a touch of water brings out a bit more of the flowery side, with a touch of apple blossoms coming through. As I swallow, I begin to get a bit more nuttiness. Roasted hazelnuts and almonds. It goes down extremely easily, with no burn or bite at all. Definitely more my style than the 12. That said, my only (minor) quibble with it is that it’s not quite as complex as the 12 year old, which keeps it from true greatness. It doesn’t go with food quite as well as the 12 though, but only because its sweetness and fruit-dominated character are less versatile.
18-18.5+
Glenfiddich 18
A much less in-your-face nose on this dram. It’s much drier and spicier and has a lot more woodiness to it. Tasting it, the first thing I get is a lot of spices, like a Christmas pudding in liquid form. Lots of nutmeg, cloves, some cinnamon, and a good deal of oak, along with some faint vanilla notes. Adding water, and aerating it brings out very, very dark bittersweet chocolate flavors, and makes the vanilla and wood more apparent. There is more of a burn here than the 15 year old, no doubt highlighted by the dryness of this whiskey. Extremely complex, devloped nicely with a bit of water and air. Like the 12 year old, it’s a little dry for my tastes, but it’s extremely complex and well-made.
17.5-18
Glenfiddich 30
Tasting all four Glenfiddich single malts side-by-side really highlights their similarities and differences. The 30 year old is like the best of the other three combined. Its nose is pretty floral, with some beautiful fruit and a hint of spice. The fruit really comes on strong when you taste it, with the gorgeous baked and caramelized apples and pears. The fruit turns into oak and honey, which then turns into cocoa and dark chocolate and spices. The oakiness comes on strong at the end, and its bite is softened more by air and time than by water. Overall, it’s beautifully done, and the long aging hasn’t overwhelmed it with wood notes. Definitely best drunk neat, when one has the time and patience to contemplate this whisky on its own.
18-18.5
Chris' Scoring System
I'll no doubt be refining this system as time goes on, but these are the basics. The score for a drink will be on a 20 point scale. The scores should translate easily enough to 100 point or letter grade scales. Personally, I don't believe anyone can make objective distinctions of a single point on a 100 point scale (can anyone really tell the difference between a 90 and an 89?), so I use the 20 point scale, which provides as much variation as I'm comfortable with, but isn't more precise than is realistic. Here is an explanation of my scores.
20 Among the very best drinks to be found anywhere.
18-19 An outstanding drink, certainly worth seeking out.
17-18 A very good drink embodies everything I look for in the category.
16-17 An adequate product that is acceptable, but not something to order unless there's no other choice.
16 or below Don't bother, you can do better.
The score reflects solely how good I believe a drink is, regardless of price. If a drink is an especially good or bad value I'll probably mention it. I'll try to be as objective as I can be, but readers should remember that all reviews are a personal opinion, and that I might love something you can't stand, and vice versa. Some whisk(e)y reviews are to follow, all constructive feedback is welcome ... Happy Drinking
20 Among the very best drinks to be found anywhere.
18-19 An outstanding drink, certainly worth seeking out.
17-18 A very good drink embodies everything I look for in the category.
16-17 An adequate product that is acceptable, but not something to order unless there's no other choice.
16 or below Don't bother, you can do better.
The score reflects solely how good I believe a drink is, regardless of price. If a drink is an especially good or bad value I'll probably mention it. I'll try to be as objective as I can be, but readers should remember that all reviews are a personal opinion, and that I might love something you can't stand, and vice versa. Some whisk(e)y reviews are to follow, all constructive feedback is welcome ... Happy Drinking
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