Whisky review : Glen Garioch, 12 years old, bottled @ 48%

Whisky review : Glen Garioch, 12 years old, bottled @ 48%


-Non chill-filtered
-ex bourbon and sherry cask
-bottled at 48%
-simple sober packaging, very nice strong bottle !
-owned by Bowmore

Colour: light coppery, oily, but not too much. I would believe, considering the colour's tone that this is sherry influenced and not caramel.

Nose: warm, musty sweet fruits, bitter tea notes, notes of the Still..reminds me of some Irish Whisky. Otherwise spirity, a bit robust here...

Mouth: immense fruits, bourbon sweetness,  touches of chili, very warm, but not harsh, light pears, honey, vanilla, get some of the sherry notes, very high but sweet sherry notes, mixed with honey. Hot cherries, Very interesting malt indeed. Very close to the Glenlivet 15 in this regard, but more aggressive in the delivery for sure. With water, this malt opens up to a more gentle dram. Softer, richer fruits, chili....long chili tingling though nothing unpleasant. It gets thicker and fruitier, very oily and dense.Touches of cocoa (light) and distant yet present peat. Isn't weird ?

Finish, acidic reflex of fruits, honey, cherries, some of the bitter notes, apple juice. Longer on the sweet and cherry, and fruity notes. Quite nice.

A for the price. At 64,75$ (SAQ), it's worth looking out for. It's in the ''decent priced'' ranged for a 12 years old bottled above 40%.
A- for the taste. It's a good price/value whisky for sure. However, except the 48%, it does not have a real personality to offer. Once watered down, one could easily confuse it with a Glenlivet 15 or 16. In this regard, it gives us a very matured 12 years old.
A for presentation. It's got a ''recycled'' style to it but at the same time, it keeps it's clean appealing look. Well done.

Whisky review : Kilbeggan Irsih Whiskey bottled @ 40%

Whisky review : Kilbeggan Irsih Whiskey bottled @ 40%

-Nice bottling
-Interesting pot still

Colour:  dark gold, with hints of red. light bodied, very juicy

Nose: Creamy floral, apples, exotic fruits, soft gentle caramel, pot still, light sweet grain.

Mouth: light, toasted grains, sweet, rubber notes, a tad rough at the end, eucalyptus, very sweet and floral. Yellow flowers. It has a better nose than taste. A bit sad in this regard.

Finish: bitter grains, sweet, disappears quickly....


A for the price. At 30$ (SAQ) it's a give away.
B- for the taste. Very nice nose but a big let down on the taste. Considering the shortcomings and the harshness, I would simply not buy again. Instead, I would still recommend the Black Bush.
A- for the presentation. Very seldom can you see a cheap bottle in a carton tube. Nice blue velvet !

Whisky review : The Glenlivet 15 years old ''French Oak Reserve'' bottled @ 40%

Whisky review : The Glenlivet 15 years old ''French Oak Reserve'' bottled @ 40%

-Great bottling
-like the 16 y/o, the bottle comes wrapped in a paper

Colour: coppery, dark copper colour, oily, medium bodied.

Nose: sweet barley, sugary, touches of spices and fresh wood, bourbon notes, fruity, very dense malt for sure.

Mouth: sweet, soft, sugar barley, lots of soft spices, very sweet and touches of salty water, hint of white flowers, bitter wood, light caramel upon spices and layered fruits and floral notes. Very nice malt indeed !

Finish: soft, sweet, more wood coming over, sweet wood, sap, candy paste. Nice complex finish for sure.


B+ for the taste. I can't possibly agree with Jim Murray who put 94/100 for this one. I'd give perhaps 83-84 but not more. However, It is a very accessible 15 year old Scotch for the money, recommended.
B++ for the price. Got it for 59,95 (LCBO) which makes it a good buy when on a budget. Not sure I would pay more than 60$ though.
A for presentation. I do enjoy the nice sober colouring of this new bottling. The old green was not suitable. 

Whisky review : Compass Box Great King Street, bottled @ 43%

Whisky review : Compass Box Great King Street, bottled @ 43%

-Natural Colour
-Non chill-filtered
-very nice bottling
-opened for the new year !

Colour: light gold, looks thick and oily for blend.

Nose: very light, sweet, honey, apples, light fresh oak, green flowers.

Mouth: smooth, floral, sweet, green apples, light chili, acidic, juicy, covers the mouth. It's very nice and well put together blend. Very interesting and mouth watering indeed. There is a dry light bitter note lurking behind the honey-apple front...I'm still not sure what.

Finish: chewed-off watermelon gum, like oak, fades away kinda quickly.

B+ for the taste. A very well-balanced malt which tastes authentic, very well crafted product : natural colouring and no filtration. Some rough notes at the end but great in-mouth blend.
A- for the price. At 46,95$ (LCBO), it's well priced. I would highly recommend this blend, a good value for anyone who enjoys Glenfiddich, Auchentoshan, Arran, and many others.
A for presentation. I love this bottle, it looks nice and the label is very appealing.

Whisky review : Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes Rare whiskey bottled @ 43%

Whisky review : Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes Rare whiskey bottled @  43%

-Latest addition at SAQ
-Horrible, plain and simple.
-Horrible to look at as well.

Colour: light gold. very light bodied.

Nose: Flat spirit. eucalyptus, hot spicy notes.

Mouth: So ''robust'' on the arrival. Sweet, straw, juicy, white pepper, chili, not very complex by any means.

Finish: Dull sweetness. Like the heart monitor : beep, beep........beeeeeeeeep........harsh and flat.
 
E for the taste. Stay away from this one. I'm sure even the soldiers would feel betrayed by this low-quality product. Thank god it was available for tasting.
D for the price. 64$ is way to much for this thing. Besides, it's a NAS...so, no way. I would buy a Red Breast 12 (43,5$) instead of this anytime.
D for presentation. I've seen worse label and bottling, but I can't quite remember which.