Writing up tasting notes for Dalwhinnie Scotch, WhistlePig Straight Rye, Basil Hayden's Straight Bourbon, and Slane Irish Whiskey. It's a random, eclectic group, but worth reading.
When I first discovered scotch, I knew I needed to write down what I had tried and what I liked about it, so when I'd go into restaurants I'd know what to order. So I did, using the Notes app on my laptop. And I kept adding to those notes for almost 1½ years, until one fateful day, all my notes were gone.
Pfft.
Poof.
[insert other appropriate sound effect here]
I don't know why or how it happened, and I couldn't seem to restore them from my backup. ** SIGH **
Most of the time I go to tasting events with a lineup of 4 to 6 samples (like Whisky Wednesdays at Gordon's DTX or a more formal tasting), but when I go to a restaurant and order something or go to someone's house and they're pouring a new expression for me, I write up my tasting notes for those expressions as well.
This post, then, is a short collection of some of those random tastings I come across. There's no rhyme or reason to how I collected these notes to present to you. Instead, think of it as a cleaning up of my files for my (and your) perusal. And so I don't lose these notes again, Heaven forbid!
Let's begin, shall we?
Random whisky reviews from individual notes
Dalwhinnie Winter's Gold
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Honey, butterscotch
- Taste: Very soft, medium body, caramel, pineapples, bananas
- Finish: Fades quickly, cinnamon and brown sugar lingers
- Comments: So approachable! Wonderful sweetness and no fire. I had it room temperature, but trying it cold sounds interesting
Slane Irish Blended Whiskey
Tasting Notes
- Nose: light vanilla, slight pineapple
- Taste: hay, cinnamon spice, medium body, light
- Finish: banana, very light raisins on the finish (need to look for it)
- Comments: very soft & approachable, had characters not usually found in Irish Whiskey
Whistlepig Rye 10yr
Tasting Notes
- Nose: corn, rye underneath, hint of vanilla
- Taste: pepper immediately, hint of sweet Toffee candy before rye rises,
- Finish: spice lingers in the back of the throat, Rye slowly fades
- Comments: the rye isn't overpowering, it's balanced by the sweetness; with water: pepper is tempered so sweet corn and caramel is more prominent, rye becomes even more sublime. Finish fades faster
Basil Hayden Kentucky Bourbon
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Soft nose, corn, hints of rye, slight vanilla oak
- Taste: hit of pepper first, rye shows up,
- Finish: some dark chocolate decided to join the mix and lingers
- Comments: I really like this! The rye is pleasantly balance with the sweetness of the corn. A good sipping bourbon
Final thoughts
It's good to know that I can count on the Internet to hold my notes so I can keep writing whisky reviews. Nothing can happen here, can it?
I hope you like this review! If you've tried any of the expressions and have your own tasting notes, please leave a comment. Thanks!
Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!
- Tammy
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