Glenlivet 18

Glenlivet 18 yr., 43%

 

colour: burnt amber.

nose: rich ripe fruits (apple, pear, peach, apricot, plum), malty, some delicate oak, vanilla/toffee hints, juicy sweetness, well put together & very attractive.

palate/mouth feel: coating, sweet, touch of spice.

finish: malty, plentiful rich fruits & sweetness, some spice, good oak on the end, good tongue buzz, long finish.

 

notes: big flavours for Glenlivet, juicy rich fruits, malty with the presence of oak on the end. Well layered flavours, quality whisky. Thumbs up! Expensive but one to try for sure.

Laphroaig Quarter Cask

Laphroaig Quarter Cask, 48%

 

nose: huge peat, medicinal trademark, malty, sweet, a touch of seaweed and sea breeze, smoke.

palate: thick, coating, sweetness developes.

finish: very lively, loads of chewy peat, sweet, medicinal, smokey, waves of flavours, taste buds buzz.

 

notes: wow what a malt, seems a bit younger than the 10 yr though it’s huge in impact. Bold with good punch & yet easily drinkable neat. Excellent malt and if you like the 10 yr old, you’re in for a treat, the QC is better.

Alberta Premium 25 yrs.

Alberta Premium 25 yr old, 40%

 

nose: orangey, fruits, rye, chocolate.

palate: lowkey, some sweetness.

finish: orange/chocolate/rye, soft and with a good grain bite, flavours seem to take turns coming to the forefront, med long.

 

notes: very nice, 100% rye, excellent buy at $30…. stock up on this whisky.

Balvenie 10

Balvenie 10, 40%

 

nose: lovely nose of honey, green apples, some oak, some florals, gentle and attractive.

palate: some sweetness, silky.

finish: sweet honey, apple, orange, oak, vanilla, med long, refreshing.

notes: very nice dram, not overly big but well made, refreshing and a good buy at the price.

Glenfiddich 15

Glenfiddich 15 yr. Solera Reserve 40%

 

nose: pleasing malt, sherry, pear, vanilla, some oak & plum
palate: gentle, soft mouth-feel
finish: malty, sherry, pear, vanilla, oak, touch of cherries
medium finish
notes: not too lively though great tasting & very smooth, excellent dram.

thumbs up, give this a try for sure, it has more flavour than the 12 yr. old and I’d have it as a staple, everyday type of malt any day.

 

Strathisla 12

Strathisla 12 yr. 43%

 

colour: burnt gold.

nose: malty, soothing rich red fruits/sherry, oaky, vanilla/honey sweetness, some peat, touch of heather, attractive.

palate/mouth feel: medium thickness, sweet, touch of spice rising.

finish: malty, sherry/ripe fruits, honey vanilla sweetness, oak, spicy, some peat, bold flavours, a touch dry, med-long finish.

 

notes: nose is attractive, it’s quite a bold whisky, some decent flavours, well put together, almost an earthy presence to this malt, it’s oaky but not too overpowering, a decent whisky for sure. For the price-point, the boldness & well put together flavour profile, it gets a thumbs up.

Glenmorangie 10

Glenmorangie 10 yr. 40%

 

colour: light amber.

nose: malt, flowers, gentle light sweet fruits (orange peel, pear, peach, apple & mellon), touch of peat, honey, some delicate oak, very faint hint of background smoke, light with good complexity, attractive.

palate/mouth feel: some thickness, sweet, a little salt.

finish: malty, sweet light fruits, oak, some vanilla, mid-palate tongue buzz, some pine resin, whisper of smoke, a little spice, med-long finish.

 

notes: nose is light yet attractive, good complexity, quite good, slight pine resin taste isn’t my favorite flavour but overall it’s a quality whisky and priced decently at $50 Canadian. Thumbs up.

 

Johnnie Walker Green Label 15yr

Johnnie Walker Green Label 15yo, 43%
Colour: bronzed honey.
Nose: malty, big fruit basket- apples, pears, plum, peach, grape, mild oak background, some honey/vanilla/toffee, big nose, attractive.
Palate/mouth feel: malt, spice, fruits, touch of oak & vanilla.
Finish: good spice, malty, fruit sweetness, oak edge, honey, vanilla, toffee, med finish.

Notes: quite a lot going on with this whisky. Good spice bite rumbles on through to the end. Lots of flavours keeps me interested. JW thumb-print. Very nice. Thumbs up for a complex vatted malt from JW. I like it. 
  

Crown Royal Special Reserve

Crown Royal Special Reserve…. 40%
Colour: deep rusted amber.
Nose: rye, rich fruit, fig, wood, earthy, vanilla, toffee, molasses, complex & attractive.
Palate/mouth feel: coating, sweet, grain, wood, toffee.
Finish: rye, sweet fruit, wood, toffee, molasses, some fig, vanilla, earthy again, light tongue buzz, well integrated, complex, medium-long finish, buttery, tasty.

Notes: good flavours, well balanced, seems almost bourbon-ish, a very good whisky, thumbs up.

Crown Royal XR

Crown Royal XR 40%
Colour: rusted amber.
Nose: toffee, sweet corn, red fruits, oak, vanilla, grain, decent balance, not too complex, attractive. 
Palate: sweet toffee/corn, light.
Finish: corn sweetness, some juiciness, decent grain grip, balanced, wood influences, red fruit, toffee, very smooth, some spice on death. 

Notes: not a really big whisky though quite good, starts light & flavours rumble in & then out. medium finish, easy to drink, it’s a nice sipping whisky though not for the price($175). The remaining stocks of the old Waterloo distillery were blended with other CR so one is perhaps paying for ‘history’. They produce approx. 90,000 bottles of XR a year and have enough stock to last 10 years. Handsome packaging though realistically, it’s too expensive.