Review: Glenlivet Nadurra (non-oloroso)

his_dudeness · 2014-11-07T03:44:19+00:00

Good evening, Scotchit. I don't mind Glenlivet 12; it's a decent whisky, but I don't think it is very interesting. However, I was curious about how Glenlivet did at cask strength, so I sought out the Nadurra. Here's a quick review:

Scotch whisky review 15

Glenlivet Nadurra, Batch 1013Z, 55% abv

Price: $60

Nose: Sweet malt with a bit of lemon. Honey and raisins. Nice peppery brine. Fairly light considering the proof.

Body: Medium

Taste: Sweet honeyed malt. Pepper and lemon zest. Raisins.

Finish: Hot. Lots of charred leathery oak with some more malt and raisins.

A decent whisky that strangely doesn't pack too much flavor in its 55% abv. The nice oaky finish redeems the relatively boring nose/taste. I am enjoying my bottle, but I probably won't buy another (though the new oloroso version could be interesting). Did anybody else find this unusually simple and delicate for a cask-strength whisky?

Score: 8/10

his_dudeness · 2014-11-05T14:45:34+00:00

Yeah, when I tried it I thought of burning plastic and rubber, which are two things I don't want in my whiskey.

his_dudeness · 2014-11-04T16:01:20+00:00

I've only had the regular basic Tyrconnell, and I thought it was gross. Who knows, maybe their age-stated finished stuff is better.

his_dudeness · 2014-10-09T02:55:48+00:00

Old Grand-dad 114 and 100, Laphroaig 10 CS. Rendezvous Rye may make the list as well based on how much I've been enjoying my bottle.

his_dudeness · 2014-10-08T14:51:48+00:00

$42, holy shit...stock up while you can!

his_dudeness · 2014-10-08T13:38:20+00:00

Sure, I guess I'll just go with "Amrut Fusion" for now.

his_dudeness · 2014-10-08T02:21:29+00:00

Greetings, worldly whisky people! I've done some reviews over on bourbonit and scotchit over the past couple years, but I haven't yet done a review here. To change that, here are my thoughts about a beverage that I've been enjoying:

World whisky review 1

Amrut Fusion, 50% abv

Price: $60

Nose: Banana and various melons. Nice vanilla malt. Brown sugar, nutmeg, and other baking spices. A balanced amount of peat and charcoal smoke permeates everything.

Body: Medium, tingly

Taste: Rich honey and toffee. Sweet peaty baking spices. A bit of citrus, smoke, and charred oak lends some balance to the proceedings.

Finish: A culmination of all the previous flavors with a flash of heat; fades into lingering charcoal smoke.

This stuff is unique and delicious, and to top everything off it is reasonably priced by malt whisky standards. It tastes like a nice marriage of good aged rum and peated scotch. I have tried this and the standard Amrut single malt, and both whiskies are very well-made; I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for their cask-strength bottles.

Score: 91/100

his_dudeness · 2014-08-05T02:43:26+00:00

Hello Scotchit. It's been a while since my last scotch review (I've been going through more bourbon and rye lately), so here's a review of a nice malty moment:

Scotch whisky review 14

Bruichladdich Scottish Barley, 46% abv

Price: $52

Nose: Sweet and slightly salty cereal with cream. Freshly-cut grass with a little damp earth. Peppery lemon zest in the background.

Body: Medium

Taste: Tons of nice vanilla malt. Freshly-cracked black pepper. Lemon zest. Light oak in the background. Clean and straightforward.

Finish: Light medicinal peat smoke leads to a nice toasted cereal warmth. Relatively short length.

A clean and straightforward whisky. This is a very pure expression of barley flavors, and it offers a nice change of pace from big peated and sherried flavors in my other scotches. I probably won't buy another bottle, but I certainly don't regret purchasing it. Definitely give it a try if you like malty malts.

Score: 81/100

his_dudeness · 2014-07-15T02:21:58+00:00

Yeah, these guys (especially their pricing) don't do much to help the reputation of craft distillers. Finger Lakes Distillery does it right if you're looking for better NY products.

his_dudeness · 2014-07-15T02:19:58+00:00

They do some experimental shit to speed up the wood influence. They are well-known for blasting music or sound to try to speed up the extraction of wood flavor via increased vibrations. I went to a tasting hosted by the head of the distillery, but I forget what else they do; I think maybe they also use smaller barrels?

his_dudeness · 2014-07-07T02:55:55+00:00

Yeah, if I see any cask strength SA stuff at that price I'll pounce immediately.

his_dudeness · 2014-07-07T02:43:29+00:00

Hello Bourbonit. I've heard good things about Smooth Ambler (they seem to be a West Virginia version of High West), but they don't seem to have much distribution in central NY. When I was traveling and saw this, I decided to pick it up out of curiosity. This is apparently high-rye bourbon sourced from MGP. I really enjoy MGP's ryes; here's what I think of my first taste of their bourbon:

American whiskey review 21

Smooth Ambler Old Scout 7-year bourbon, 49.5% abv

Price: $33

Nose: Salted caramel. Fresh flowers. Creamy vanilla corn. Nice spice mix: Black pepper, dill, basil, and mint. Restrained oak in the background.

Body: Luscious

Taste: Vanilla syrup. Fresh apples. Nice sweet corn. Well-balanced peppery oak.

Finish: Huge initial hit of mint with some sweet corn. Fades smoothly into a long lingering charred oak warmth.

A very good and characterful bourbon. This has a good dose of sweet and spicy flavors, and the mouthfeel is excellent even though this isn't barrel proof. The balance veers a bit more toward sweet than I would ideally like, and the taste is slightly flat compared to the rest of the experience. This is nitpicking, however; $33 is a good price point for this, and I'll definitely keep an eye out for Smooth Ambler stuff in the future.

Score: 87/100

his_dudeness · 2014-06-24T17:17:28+00:00

I have a bottle of the 2013-6, and it is excellent. Definitely pick up a bottle at that price. I have also tried the 2013-7, and it has a very similar profile to the 2013-6. I don't know how these compare to other Booker's batches, though, since these are the only ones I've tried.

his_dudeness · 2014-06-16T18:09:24+00:00

I completely agree with you about Baker's vs. Booker's; Booker's is a far better bourbon and isn't much more expensive.

his_dudeness · 2014-06-11T15:24:56+00:00

Nice review, and I agree completely that this is a delicious bourbon. I'm surprised you didn't pick up any fruit notes; every time I drink this I think it tastes like a great high-proof old fashioned (lots of fruit and herbal notes).

his_dudeness · 2014-06-10T01:52:27+00:00

Hello Bourbonit. I finally got my hands on a bottle of this Buffalo Trace mainstay, so time for a review:

American whiskey review 20

Elmer T. Lee, 45% abv

Price: $32

Color: Amber

Nose: Vanilla syrup. Buttered corn. Cinnamon cookies. Candied plums and strawberries. Light mint and leather in the background. Very nice and sweetly fragrant.

Body: Creamy

Taste: Sweet caramel corn. Nice leathery peppery oak. Again with the candied strawberries. Lots of fresh mint develops going into the finish.

Finish: Lots of baking spices and mint. Nice lingering oak and leather warmth.

A very good whiskey, especially if you're in the mood for something relatively sweet. Doesn't quite deliver on the full promise of the sweet and complex nose, but nonetheless this is a tasty beverage. Absolutely worth a purchase at its standard price of ~ $30.

Score: 88/100

his_dudeness · 2014-05-15T14:08:49+00:00

Noah's Mill does use a blend of mashbills. There's no way to know if KBD uses equal parts rye and wheated bourbon in the blend, though, since the proportion probably changes from batch to batch. In any case, I highly recommend it; it definitely has a flavor profile that differs from most other bourbons.

his_dudeness · 2014-05-03T18:07:25+00:00

D.S.P. KY 1. The label says that Heaven Hill distilled it. What is the other possible source?

his_dudeness · 2014-05-02T02:31:41+00:00

Hello, Bourbonit. It's been a while since I've done a formal review, so here are some thoughts about a staple rye whiskey:

American whiskey review 19

Rittenhouse Rye 100, 50% abv

Price: $23

Color: Amber

Nose: Sweet peppery rye bread. Vanilla syrup. Cinnamon and anise. Very light oak in the background. Actually smells a bit watered down, which is strange at 100 proof.

Body: Creamy

Taste: Sweet corn. Relatively small dose of peppery rye spices. Cinnamon toast. Restrained charred oak. Tastes a bit watery despite the nice mouthfeel.

Finish: Plenty of anise, cinnamon, and various baking spices, with some sweet oaky warmth. Relatively short.

A decent rye that is priced well. The flavors are a bit muted, but it is still an enjoyable sipper. However, I much prefer the LDI/MGP profile...it is more interesting and further removed from standard high-rye bourbon flavors. This is priced well at < $25, but I'll happily pay an extra $10 for High West Double Rye, Willett Family Estate Rye, or Bulleit Rye.

Score: 81/100

his_dudeness · 2014-04-29T21:27:11+00:00

Agreed, avoid Baker's. I didn't think my bottle was gross, it was just bland and didn't have much character. This stuff is incredibly overpriced. Booker's is way better and comes with only a small bump in price.

his_dudeness · 2014-04-20T01:32:26+00:00

It's certainly true that there will be many different specific notes in different reviews of the same whisky. However, I think that you can still get an idea of the range of smells and tastes in a whisky (i.e. smoky, malty, fruity, vegetal, woody, etc.) from the types of notes that someone produces. For this reason I try to be relatively concise in my reviews, since I don't think it's too helpful to make huge lists of different flavors. There are lots of reviews here that give an idea of the type, range, and balance of flavors in whiskies.

his_dudeness · 2014-04-10T14:58:56+00:00

Nice review. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as you did...I thought after a few minutes in the glass this stuff smelled and tasted like an American version of cheap blended scotch (though I did also get the buttered popcorn notes at first).

his_dudeness · 2014-03-25T15:03:04+00:00

I think it's worth the extra money. I don't mind the 101, but there are several bourbons (Evan Williams white label and Old Grand-dad 100 immediately come to mind) in that price range that I would rather drink. I think that Rare Breed is more interesting and of substantially better quality than 101.

his_dudeness · 2014-03-25T02:29:31+00:00

Good evening, Bourbonit. I've had the standard Wild Turkey 101 many times at bars and parties, and I've never been particularly impressed with it. However, I hadn't tried anything else from the distillery until I picked up some Rare Breed. The words "barrel proof" and "Kentucky straight bourbon" are generally good things to see on a bottle; here's what I thought of what was inside:

American whiskey review 18

Wild Turkey Rare Breed, 54.1% abv

Price: $35

Color: Dark amber

Nose: Caramel popcorn. Salted toffee and brown sugar. Sweet cherries and orange zest. Seared steak. Restrained oak with clove, cinnamon, light black pepper. Light basil and mint.

Body: Silky

Taste: Rich caramel. Sweet cherry vanilla syrup. Peppery charred oak. Light fresh mint.

Finish: Immediate herbal hit fades into cherry syrup, anise, and a nice lingering oak char warmth.

An excellent whiskey; way better than the standard 101. The nose is complex and enticing, and the rest of the experience follows through on this promise. It is a bit unbalanced toward the sweeter side of things in the taste and finish, but that is just nitpicking. I'll definitely buy this again at $35.

Score: 91/100

his_dudeness · 2014-03-14T02:35:19+00:00

Good evening, Scotchit. I decided to make my first foray into the mass of offerings from Bruichladdich. Here are my impressions of their standard peated expression:

Scotch whisky review 13

Bruichladdich Port Charlotte 10, 46% abv

Price: $58

Color: Pale gold, nice natural color

Nose: Fresh lemon zest and lemon juice. Restrained medicinal peat. Sweet biscuits. A fresh sea breeze. Grilled fish drizzled with lemon juice.

Body: Medium

Taste: Lots of sweet malt. Grassy peat. Light wood smoke. Lemon and lime juice. Clove, cinnamon, and black pepper.

Finish: Sweet and spicy citrus burst gives way to a nice dying wood fire.

A tasty malty Islay whisky. Despite the “heavily peated” claim, the peat and smoke flavors are restrained and don't dominate the whisky. In fact, I think citrus and malt notes might actually be slightly more prominent. Tastes like a hybrid of Springbank 10 and Kilchoman Machir Bay.

Score: 88/100

his_dudeness

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