Tasting a wide range of scotch, bourbon, whiskey, and rye whiskey at a Whisky Wednesday drawer cleanup. The hardest task is picking which expressions to try!
My confession…I hate housecleaning.
There is one kind of housecleaning that I do enjoy, and that’s when Ken Gordon of Gordon's DTX decides to “clean out the drawer” for Whisky Wednesday. That’s when he takes out bottles that have been opened and are less than half full, and we help finish them off. It’s a sacrifice, I know.
A diverse lineup of tasting notes
This is my version of whisky housecleaning, and the biggest decision is what to choose! This time I sampled expressions that I hadn't tried before (well, I maybe had a couple of favorites at the end).
I went from scotch to whiskey to rye, as diverse a range as you can get. Well, see for yourself!
Winter Whisky Housecleaning
At Gordon’s DTX, January 2, 2019
Chivas Regal Mizunara Finish
Tasting Notes
- Nose: light aroma, dust, cedar
- Taste: brown sugar, vanilla, wood shavings
- Finish: cinnamon and cloves, cedar
- Comments: very woody, some sweetness
Glen Moray Elgin Heritage (12 yr)
Tasting Notes
- Nose: flowers, clover honey, dried hay, potpourri
- Taste: flowers and toffee, honey
- Finish: caramel sauce, light baking spices
- Comments: sweet and floral, bright, delightful
Monkey Shoulder Batch 27yr
Tasting Notes
- Nose: nutmeg, brown sugar, light smoke
- Taste: thick body, oily, caramel and cinnamon, wood smoke
- Finish: cinnamon lasts with wood smoke underneath
- Comments: interesting, the thickness and body help the wood flavors develop
Gordon Graham’s Black Bottle Blend
Tasting Notes
- Nose: light caramel, hay, heather
- Taste: light body, bright hay, caramel, thyme
- Finish: light nutmeg to thyme and heather
- Comments: so many different flavors and aromas to tease out, interesting because you have to really pay attention
Rebel Yell Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Tasting Notes
- Nose: caramel, vanilla, corn sweetness, grass, dried pears, cereal
- Taste: medium body, vanilla fudge, light baking spices, bread grains
- Finish: ends with vanilla, toffee, hint of pears
- Comments: isn't cloyingly sweet.. mellowed with caramel
Masterston’s 10yr
Tasting Notes
- Nose: caraway, corn, salted caramel
- Taste: mediumbody, cloves, rye spice, caramel, slight smoke
- Finish: rye lingers, then cinnamon
- Comments: has a dark flavor
Putnam New England Rye Whiskey
Tasting Notes
- Nose: corn, brown sugar candy, light rye
- Taste: dark rum, brown sugar bars, light anise, cardamom
- Finish: cloves, cardamom, brown sugar
- Comments: not a strong rye, actually quite nice
Final thoughts
I rarely post these random whisky tasting notes, but I think the next time Ken decides to empty his drawer, I’ll do it again.
It’s a great way to try a truly diverse lineup, and a few favorites!
Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!
Tammy
Related Tasting Notes
Scotland's whisky regions have such a rich and diverse array of flavor profiles and distinct characteristics from which to choose. Here's where you can find a scotch I've reviewed based on its region. Slainté!
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