Review #68 - Secret Santa Mystery Dram #3 - Ron Navazzos Palazzi 15 Year Cask Strength Oloroso Finish

-
Mystery Dram #3



Nose: Stewed plums, dark chocolate, toasted almonds, hazelnuts, vanilla, allspice, molasses, toffee, bitter orange

Palate: Thick and sweet. Roasted hazelnuts, turbinado sugar, quince paste, vanilla, allspice, walnuts, dried fig.

Finish: Oak, vanilla, dried nuts, touches of sea salt.

Verdict: This is like rum and sherried scotch had a baby. This is delicious, rich, and complex. Strength is higher, maybe 100 proof? Sweet and sherried and woody and spicy.

Would I buy this: Depending on price, absolutely. For under 150 bucks I'd be in.

Would I order this in a bar: Yes, especially around Christmas time. This has a lot of holiday notes to me.

Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Absolutely! Slainte!

Rating: ★★★★

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review #76 - Still Austin Bourbon (Batch #2)

-
Image
This sample was a gift from a friend. Hi Travis! I went into it knowing only that it was Bourbon from Still Austin. Nose: Corn, vanilla, lemon, caramel, oak, light nutmeg, old varnish, gun oil, shoe polish. Palate: Sweet corn, popcorn, caramel, burnt peanut, pepper, bitter clove, flamed orange peel, vanilla. Finish: Corn, vanilla, a little pepper. Sweet mostly. Long but simple. Verdict: Tastes young, I'd bet 12-18 months? Maybe 95-100 proof? Has a lot of harsh notes right in the middle of the palate. The nose has some weird unpleasantness, but the base Bourbon notes underly all of it. Might be fine with more time, but as is, I don't care for it. Would I buy this: I'm betting this is craft priced, so 35-50 a bottle. In which case, nuh-uh. Would I order this in a bar: Probably not. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: I would, but mostly so I could discuss what I do and don't like abut it with them. Final notes: Looking this up I see it is 100
Read more

Review #72 - Barrell Bourbon Batch #11

-
Image
Nose: Vanilla and oak predominate. Hints of baking spices, especially allspice. Buttered corn, and something a little citrusy, like dried orange peels. A little brown sugar. It's an inviting and intriguing nose. The proof doesn't come across, even sticking my nose in and breathing deeply. Palate : Cocoa, baking spices, vanilla, sweet corn, a little mineral, hints of cream. Sort of all over the place. Not unbalanced, but just doesn't work well together somehow. Finish : Oak, floral Mexican cinnamon, toasted pecan, marshmallow, white pepper. Pretty nice. If it had slightly less wood to it that would be better.  Verdict : 6 year old, 114.8 proof, and not bad, but Barrell has sure done better. Would I buy this : Depending on the price, yes. Knowing what Barrell bourbons usually go for, no. Would I order this in a bar : Maybe. Do they not have ECBP? Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass : Absolutely. It's pretty good. Rating :★★★
Read more

Review #75 - Scapa Skiren

-
Image
Nose: Warm honey. Clotted cream. Ripe pear, bitter orange peel, apple, a little fennel seed. Palate: The honey sweetness continues. Fresh crushed malt, sweet cream, pear, dried orange, lemon, a little pineapple. Hints of oak and vanilla. Finish: Medium. Sweet oak and a dusting of cinnamon. Verdict: It's a fine whiskey. But it's not a great one. Comparing this to the 16 year, though, this falls far, far short of it. The 16 was my favorite warm summer day scotch. This is...boring. Would I buy this: At the price they want for it, not a chance. Would I order this in a bar: Probably not. Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Sure! It's certainly not bad. It's just not memorable or exciting in any way. Rating:★★
Read more