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This 2010 Old Particular Caol Ila 8 Years would have been a good candidate for our 8 yo and under Caol Ila tasting. Though, I don’t know if it would have done any better than the one I did take… Old Particular is a Douglas Laing brand that’s readily found at K&L here in Los Angeles and this was one of their 2018 picks. Damn, this 2010 Old Particular Caol Ila 8 Years just screams minerally clay new make and lightly drags along some herbally spice, smoke and sweet notes. To get much of anything out of the 2010 Old Particular Caol Ila 8 Years required a lot of work and patience, none of which paid off.

This 2009 Hepburn’s Choice Caol Ila 7 Years was my whisky of the night at a past Malt Nuts. PALATE Peat, grapey/wine sweetness, vanilla fondant, fruit leather and smoke with a bit of sulfur and menthol. Sweet dried dark fruit, smoke, vanilla and sulfur that mixes to complete the circle while going a bit darker with a rather heavy dried dark fruit note. Caol Ila 7 Years is some dang tasty whisky with the wine notes mixing incredibly well with the young Caol Ila profile.

I find it offers a nose of caramel, vanilla, and oak, a mouthing of caramel, fruit, and vanilla, and a palate of vanilla, caramel, toffee, corn, and oak. I picked up caramel, vanilla, toffee, corn, and oak, and the narrow mouth helps aim the liquid across my palate versus everywhere in my mouth, allowing me to pick out the individual flavors. I was able to pick up vanilla, caramel, and oak, and didn't find anything in terms of alcohol burn. I was able to pick up all of the expected flavors of corn, vanilla, caramel, toffee, and oak.

I’m a fan of everything put out under the Ezra label, and yes that includes this new Ezra Brooks 99 Bourbon Whiskey. New Charred Oak Age: 4+ Years ABV: 49.5% NOSE Cornbread, caramel, vanilla taffy, butterscotch, cereal grain sweetness, oak and peanuts and a touch of grassy fresh corn. PALATE Caramel, cornbread, vanilla taffy, butterscotch, cereal grain sweetness, oak and peanuts with a bit more of that grassy fresh corn and touches of herbal spice and roasted marshmallows. an absolutely brilliant, interesting and unique bourbon and this Ezra Brooks 99 Bourbon Whiskey comes across like a toned down, slightly more caramel-driven, version of that awesome whiskey.

Aroma carries a warm dessert-like profile that’s heavy on the dark grapey fruit notes but with a nice malty and lightly spiced backbone. PALATE Grapey dark fruit, malty graham, char, blackberry licorice, baking spice and a touch of citrus, nuts, char and metal. The finish is a lovely fade from sweetness to a subtle char that, if I’m honest, is my favorite part of GlenDronach Port Wood. Overall, the best example of a port finish whisky still remains the Laphroaig Cairdeas 2013, but this takes a good run at the port finish crown.

They've been finished separately in some rather unusual barrels: Martinique rum, Malmsey Madiera, and of all things, apricot brandy barrels. Before I get to the tasting notes and recommendation, I'd like to thank Barrell for providing me a sample in exchange for a no-strings-attached, honest review. Here's where things got really different - dried apricot and plum were sweet notes, then brine offered a barrier of sorts, separating out the grass and mustiness on the other end of the spectrum. Long and warming, the finish had plenty of wood tannin, salted chocolate, molasses, ginger, rye spice, apricot, and pineapple.

New Charred Oak Age: 2 Years ABV: 62.87% NOSE Dark fruit, caramel, vanilla, spice, raw wood, vanilla Laffy Taffy, grain and some biscuity notes. It starts out simple and darkly fruity and sweet, but as the Old Hansford Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey opens that all-too-familiar raw, woody, craft note wafts up and slowly grows to the point of fixation if not domination. It starts with that crafty raw wood note, exposes some sweeter notes but then doubles back to fade out completely with that raw wood note. I love the idea of the Old Hansford Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey, and looking at the success of High West it obviously has merit, but I think the TX part of the blend needs further maturation.

Today, I'm reviewing Obtanium Bourbon Whiskey, which is a Niemuth's pick called Beautiful Swan. It consists of an MGP Bourbon utilizing its 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley mash and was aged for six years. I'd like to thank Niemuth's for providing me a sample of Beautiful Swan in exchange for a no-strings-attached, honest review. Things started off sweet with cherry, then earthy with dark chocolate, and finally spicy with cinnamon and rye.

Single barrels and single malts can be awesome, but blending is a learned skill and unless you're very, very lucky, you don't just mix things together and wind up with a good finished product. Batch 28 is a blend of 10- and 11-year Bourbons distilled in Indiana (MGP), Kentucky, and Tennessee (George Dickel). I'd like to thank Barrell Craft Spirits for providing a sample of Batch 28 in exchange for a no-strings-attached, honest review. Appearance: In my Glencairn glass, Batch 28 presented as a hazy orange amber.

Whiskey reviews and advice by Jeff Schwartz a/k/a The Whiskeyfellow. I’m a Whisk€y Consultant and Barrel Geek, a Senior Contributor for Bourbon & Banter, a certified Bourbon Steward with the Stave & Thief Society, a copywriter for distilleries and producers, and enjoy working with folks in the whiskey industry. I host workshops and tasting events at distilleries, bars, and liquor stores. Whether you are a craft or legacy distiller, I’m always looking for something new to review.