Ragtime Rye & Sonoma County Bourbon No.1 Reviews

Hi everyone,

Well I finally got to 50 American whiskey reviews! But at what cost I ask? What cost?!

Various low scores but also some great finds, and I have to say I am getting into this Bourbon/American whiskey thing and I’ll be hunting more down in the future.

While visiting San Diego recently I also bought my first bottle of Bourbon since Jim Beam White back when I was first starting out and went for Knob Creek 9 Single Barrel, being a pretty reasonable price.

Anyway,

I don’t know what part of the process this ‘burnt plastic’ note comes into some American whiskies but I rarely find it in Scotches. Particularly craft American whiskies seem to be affected.

Now, this could just be my palate finding some note that others get but aren’t put off by, but for me the smell of burnt plastic can really ruin a whisky.

Exhibit A:

Ragtime Rye 45.2%

Colour: Light Bronze

Body: Medium

Nose: Wine gums, clove and plastic, coriander, ginger and pepper. Quite spicy.

Taste: Spicy, nice arrival but then rubber and plastic, acrid burnt plastic.

Finish: Medium length. Black pepper and plastic.

3 years old, New York distillery. Hate these plastic-y whiskies, it just overwhelms everything else.

57/100

Sonoma County Bourbon 47.8%

Colour: Bronze

Body: Full

Nose: Even more acrid than the rye. Burnt plastic and clove, liquorice, coriander. Hard to get past the burnt plastic though.

Taste: Dry, clove, cardamom, coriander, spice box, rubbery oak and plastic. Then burnt plastic.

Finish: Medium length. Burnt plastic and some oak.

Not sure I agree with this Sonoma County stuff, the Rye was better IMO.

52/100

Thanks for reading!

Also, happy Christmas Eve everyone!

American Reviews #50-#51

Whisky Network Reviews #618-#619

American Average: 69.0

Network Average: 74.6

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 22

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Compass Box Double Single & TINALW Reviews

Hi everyone,

Two more Compass Box’s today.

The first is a cool little whisky I’ve heard about but never really seen in the UK. It’s the Double Single, which means that it is a combination of one single malt and one single grain. This technically qualifies it to be a blended whisky, but it’s an interesting angle.

And then, the one I’ve been meaning to try for ages. TINALW. Which is another nonsensical name based on the art/whisky thing. Cool designs on both though. Love the CB packaging, even if the whiskies don’t always match the (high) expectations.

Compass Box Double Single 46%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Really very good. Lovely ripe apple, some spice, some oak, light and ethereal, oily, something elusive that keeps you looking. Green apple, orange and white chocolate.

Taste: Red apple, oily, slightly waxy, nice level of oak, lightly peppery, chilli infused olive oil.

Finish: Medium length. Lightly peppery, black pepper.

So this is 72% Glen Elgin from recharred Hogsheads and 28% Girvan from recharred Bourbon barrels. Lovely but lacks complexity on the palate. This stuff is expensive though, expect to pay £150.

79/100

Compass Box This is Not a Luxury Whisky 53.1%

Colour: Amber

Body: Full

Nose: Complex, funky and floral. Fresh, fig, ripe cherry, pollen, rose petal, geranium, raspberry.

Water: Lighter and more ethereal.

Taste: Rich and intense. Ripe or slightly under ripe cherry, building oak, some spice, red apple, ginger and white pepper, green apple and wax, some salt.

Water: More balance and more cherry.

Finish: Medium/Long length. Chewy, more sour cherry, red apple and oak.

79% Sherry butt Glen Ord, 10.1% Strathclyde, 6.9% Girvan and 4% Caol Ila. A bit better with water, but I ended up being a bit disappointed with this. Especially with price factored in, I was expecting more (something I get a lot with CB).

82/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Reviews #523-#524

Whisky Network Reviews #616-#617

Network Average: 74.6

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 22

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Imperial 1995 G&M Review

Hi everyone,

Imperial is one of those closed distilleries that’s never quite achieved the same level of hype as others and prices have stayed pretty reasonable. That’s despite it being closed 1985-1989 and 1998, finally being demolished in 2013 only to have Dalmunach built right on top of it in 2014. Although to be fair it’s cool looking with that glass.

Only being closed in the late 90’s also means that there’s a bit more stock than Brora or Port Ellen, and of the stocks left, the most coveted are the 95’s. I don’t know why, but it seems similar to 97 Clynelish. They were just making some great whisky that year.

Gordon & MacPhail seem to still have quite a lot of the stuff, because they’re still releasing it under their ‘distillery labels’ series.

 

Imperial 1995 G&M 43%

Colour: Light Amber

Body: Medium

Nose: Red apple, oak, old warehouse and dunnage, iron, almost blood-like! Which is very unique. Grapefruit and white pepper. Great nose.

Taste: Sweet orange, old, complex oak, musty dunnage, grapefruit, lime peel, a little iron and blood. Great balance of the old, musty oak and the fresh grapefruit.

Finish: Short/Medium length. Spiced orange, but a bit flat unfortunately.

Bottled 2014 from Sherry Butts. Great, great whisky until the finish. Really lets this down unfortunately, but I’m really impressed by what I’ve tried from Imperial so far.

79/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #522

Whisky Network Review #615

Network Average: 74.6

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 22

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Old Pulteney 2005 G&M Review

Hi everyone,

Some people put distilleries into categories. Highland/Island/Lowland are the most obvious examples, but some use sub-regional groups too like West Coast Highland and East Coast Highland.

It used to make sense because often these distilleries produced similar whiskies (like Islay). But these days, with many distilleries producing unpeated and various peating levels from the same distillery, the lines are shifting and things aren’t as clear cut as they used to be.

Despite that I feel that there are a few distilleries that produce similar styles to each other and it still makes sense to group. Like the South Islay Kildalton distilleries (Laphroaig, Ardbeg and Lagavulin).

Two I probably wouldn’t have thought to put together were Clynelish and Old Pulteney. But apparently, that was a mistake, as this one shows:

 

Old Pulteney 2005 G&M 43%

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Light

Nose: Light, tropical, mango, pineapple, sea salt, waxy like a Clynelish, so candle wax.

Taste: Soft, quite acidic red apple, orange, waxy and almost sooty. Reminds me much more of a Clynelish than OP. Quite intense for the abv too.

Finish: Short length. Very soft with wax, banana, soot and oak.

An interesting and slightly different OP than the 12 year old official. If you’re looking for your Clynelish fix without breaking the bank though, here’s your whisky.

70/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #521

Whisky Network Review #614

Network Average: 74.6

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 22

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Glen Grant 18 (2017) Review

Hi everyone,

Remember that guy Jim Murray? Well, I haven’t taken the piss out of him in a while and its high time I do it again.

This won his ‘Best Scotch Whisky’ of 2017 and was the second best whisky IN THE WORLD (!) in 2017. Does that mean anything? Yes. The guy has tasted a lot of whisky and has a big impact in the whisky world.

For example, this Glen Grant sold out and then immediately shot up in price.

He gave it 97/100 points. That’s a high score, and reading some of his other Glen Grant reviews, he is clearly a fan. But then, I’m a fan of Ledaig and you don’t see me handing out 97’s all day. (although I do have some 93’s coming up, stay posted)

I am not a massive fan of Glen Grant. Where Jim seems to like light and delicate whiskies, I often find they are lacking one quality I often look for: Power.

But this one could perhaps make up for it in balance and complexity, so let’s see… Oh, and they put this fancy new bottle in a fancy big box and upped the price recently.

 

Glen Grant 18 Rare Edition 43%

Colour: Straw

Body: Light

Nose: Fragrant, floral and very natural. Delicate, malt, green apple, very fresh, some chocolate.

Taste: Great delicate arrival, then malt, oak and spice, chocolate, nice balance of earthy malt and freshness, a little spirit in the development and towards the finish (that's the purifiers talking I reckon).

Finish: Medium/Long length. Green grape and oily/chocolatey malt. A little ginger.

I can see why Jimbo likes it. It is balanced, there are nice flavours here but there’s that spirity note in the mid-palate that brings in out of balance and mutes any complexity, so it loses this some points there.

76/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #520

Whisky Network Review #613

Network Average: 74.6

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 22

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Rye Review

Hi everyone,

Why did I choose to review something from Jack Daniels?

Well, I thought that this one could be different. It’s a slightly higher proof and it’s using a majority of rye in the mashbill. Also, we recently bought from JD Rye barrels at work to mature the whisky in and I was curious what effect it might have on our whisky. So there’s a professional angle here too. I’m not just torturing myself for the fun of it…

Alright, maybe a little.

I have had the standard JD before, but it remains one of the 30ish whiskies I haven’t written notes on.

 

Jack Daniels Single Barrel Rye 45%

Colour: Bronze

Body: Medium

Nose: Wine gums, chewy orange sweets, corn, very soft spice, a slight off note... Putty? Slight rotting trash bag?

Taste: Soft, sweet orange, wine gums, rye bread, pepper and clove. Dry. Slight off note again, that trash bag is back.

Finish: Medium/Long length. The off note intensifies with rubber too. Not nice.

70% rye, the other 30% is presumably trash bags fed into the grist mill… Can’t say I can recommend this one. More to come on the low scoring American whisky front my friends!

56/100

Thanks for reading!

American Review #49

Whisky Network Review #612

American Average: 69.6

Network Average: 74.6

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 22

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Caol Ila 15 Unpeated 2014 Review

Hi everyone,

I’ve always wanted to try one of these unpeated Caol Ila’s that Diageo release almost every year.

If you didn’t know, Caol Ila produce some highland style whisky for their blends. This is supposedly unpeated because the barley used isn’t peated, but because there’s so much peated whisky going through the system (stills, pipework, tanks, etc.), the phenols can get through anyway and I’ve heard reports that these unpeated Caol Ila’s can still be pretty peaty. Especially at their high proof.

 

Caol Ila 15 Unpeated 60.39%

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Ethereal and light. Yellow apple, yellow Physalis dessert fruit, heather, some honey, spice behind. No peat actually.

Water: Ah, closes up like a clam. Takes time to come back at all. Honey crumbed ham.

Taste: Intense, yellow apple, grape, soft soot, brown sugar, oily. Very softly smoky, mainly oily and softly sweet.

Water: More spicy, more heather and white pepper, more smoke.

Finish: Short/Medium length. Oils and brown sugar are left. Longer with water with smoke and spice.

2014 release. I think this was better neat in the end, and although I’d heard that these can be peaty, I only found whispers of it on this one.

77/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #519

Whisky Network Review #611

Network Average: 74.6

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 22

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Chivas Regal 25 Review

Hi everyone,

You might remember I mentioned a while ago about 101 whiskies to try before you die by Ian Buxton. Well, whenever I get the opportunity to try the whiskies in it I make the time to review them. Mainly because I want to finally finish it one day. Of course, some of the whiskies in it have become ridiculously expensive or unavailable. Like the Hibiki 30, which I doubt I’ll ever get to try now.

Anyway, I’m getting there as I’m on about 75ish.

The packaging is pretty cool for this I have to say. Big modern looking box, heavy metal glittery stopper. Really goes with your Ferrari y’know. I was very much expecting style over substance.

Chivas Regal 25 40%

Colour: E150a

Body: Medium

Nose: Sweet, lots of orange, well balanced and soft, quite floral, some oak, some warehouse but the grain keeps it light. Nice nose.

Taste: Soft, sweet, nice balance, orange, floral then oak, juicy orange, quite oily at first then drier. Dried flowers, spicy ginger. The floral notes are very welcome and the grain isn’t very noticeable at all.

Finish: Medium/Long length. Complex oak really comes through. 70% dark chocolate and coffee beans. Quite a simple finish but pretty long for a blend. Again, the malt talking I think.

I was perfectly prepared to hate this but it surprised me. Much greater proportion of malt in this than I was expecting. Mostly Strathisla probably, although I haven’t had much of it to back that claim up.

79/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #518

Whisky Network Review #610

Network Average: 74.6

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 22

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?