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Drink of the night: La venenosa Tutsi Etnica from agave Masparillo. Distilled in 2016 bottle 120 of 120.
Glass type: ceramic copita
Setting: a 1.5oz pour after just opening the bottle. Rested 15 minutes before drinking.

Nose: wet stone, earthy clay, faint hints of stone fruit, light mint, toasted pineapple.

Palate: mezcal is meant to be "kissed". Instead of a gulp or a focus on the nosing from a tulip glass, its meant to be stopped and allowed to aerate as it rolls over your tongue. With this there is a rich minerality, and a gentle sweetness. Then it's dominated by cedar and wilted cilantro. It's viscous and coats the mouth well

Finish: despite how rich mouthfeel it leaves a long dry finish at the back of the throat and lingering tingle of sugar and mint at the tip of the tongue.

Overall: this is incredible. The methods of making Tutsi were nearly extinct after being practiced for hundreds of years within the small nomadic tribe of the huichol people in southern jalisco. This is roasted for days in a rough dirt pit and then fermented in a hollowed stone for over week. It's then distilled through a rudimentary ceramic still only once, leaving a huge influence of the original agave. If you ever get a chance to try it, I strongly recommend it.

Excellent bottles thus far, gents!

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Kilchoman 2018 Port Cask.

50%

Background-I am a huge islay fan, as well as Port matured whisky lover. I opened this bottle 6 months ago almost to the day and hated it the first go around. It tasted young and undeveloped. The port was there, but nothing like I expected. This is finished in Ruby Casks.

Color- Amber, almost identical to a bottle of Otima 10 Tawny Port.

Nose- That classic Kilchoman earth, almost vegetal aroma is dominant. I find this true from Machir Bay up to this in their selection. Cinnamon is tucked under it. There’s a touch of I want to say Apple hidden in there, but not very prevelant.

Palate- over powering cinnamon on the initial sip. Second round through, I get a subtle amount of red fruit up front, honey, and more cinnamon to follow.

At this point I dropped a whisky stone in and let it sit for a few minutes before I tried again. And what a change! I try not to alter drams in any way, but this Definetly enhanced this one for me. I get a bit more of the sweet port pucker, and a Talisker 10 esque coastal flavor. The red fruits are there, but you Definetly have to look for them, and they don’t last long.

Finish- after it chilled, there was a brief amount of vanilla, which tried to tone down the cinnamon and spice, but ultimately loses in the end. Long, long finish of spice.

Over view- Dalmore Port is Probobly my favorite Port finish, and this won’t be knocking it out of the winners circle. I enjoy it, but it’s very subdued for what I want out of a Port. The peat and port are a very solid combo, and some air Definetly helped this bottle come along. I wouldn’t buy it again, especially with their Sauternes still fairly available. I love Kilchoman and their approach to making spirits, but this one was just not up my alley, unfortunately.

**Edit** are we allowed to discuss other reviews in this thread? Or do we have to review a dram to discuss? There are worse rules

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ok heres something off the wall. domeloz "somel". i met the distiller, he described it as distilling mead to liquor as one would distill wine into brandy.

nose: heafty honey notes with a light after hit of terpintine.

straight up: ultra smooth, very light almost like a fine vodka. no sweetness to the tounge but the honey smell will fool your brain though. texture suggestive of sticky honey without being actually sticky. very strange.

rocks: even lighter, loosing the suggestion of honey texture.

warning: bit dangerous for cocktails, undetectable beside honey smell. 6 shots in a glass of white soda and you would never know till u have 3 and fall down.

Bear with me. I’m not a professional taster by any definition.
@AZNetEng was kind enough to send me 2 samples of scotch.  This was after my thread asking for peaty goodness.
First up is “Peat Monster” the name doesn’t mislead you.  It’s definitely peat, all peat, and nothing but the peat.  What I find interesting is that it lacks the smokiness that other peat heavy scotch’s have.  Laphroig has a good bit of smoke to it as does ardent 10. This had little of any smokiness.
It was down smooth and was loved by everyone.

Next was Berry Bros and Rudd.  This scotch was much more floral or sweet tasting. If you took a small sip it was undesirable.  This required you to access your entire palette for the full experience, thus requiring a bigger sip.

Both were good but I prefer the peat monster.  AZNetEng send me your address and I will send you some samples.

Really glad you enjoyed them! I'll drop you a pm.

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I think I posted this picture already, but I don’t care, I like it

Balvenie Peat Week 2019

48.3% ABV

Paid- $100

Open for about a month now, second tasting.

Nose- that familiar, honey laced, sweet speyside aroma.

Palate- I put this on a peated level close to Hakushu. It’s there, but one might miss it unless someone told you about it. Super soft mouth feel, and I get a decent bit of vanilla and butterscotch.

Finish- this is where the Peat really comes through. I found a citrus, followed by a very mellow, earthy, lingering Peat.

I wasn’t fond of this when I opened it. But, much like Bruichladdich’s Classic Laddie, I think this really assumes it’s full potential after some time to breathe. It isn’t terribly complex (tho I can’t say I have had anything of that nature from Balvenie) but it is a very wholesome, deeply enjoyable bottle. I wouldn’t buy it again for the hundred I dropped on it, but we’re it in the $70 range, I could see myself drinking an awful lot of this.

We dont have any brandy in here yet.



The shtick: 7 year old american Muscat brandy aged for 30 months in a kentucky hogshead. Only 600 have bottles released and this is bottle 97.

Nose: huge! The Muscat grapes are overwhelming. So much rich fruit and honeysuckle.
Palate: really really incredible. Immediate vanilla and lemon. So much grape on this as it warms up it opens up even more. An oiliness thats almost like the feeling of eating fresh puff pastry.

Finish: leaves the tongue coated with a slight ethanol tingle. Lingering sugar and the hint of good jam just melting away.

Easy 8 out of 10 bottle

Quoted instead of edited

The shtick:  The blend is comprised of 51% American brandy and 49% South African brandy aged for an additional two years after blending in Kentucky bourbon barrels. Bottled at 108 proof.

Nose: honey and caramel. Lemon zest. Some rich wine sweetness
Palate: rich and viscous. The oak comes through strong here and rich brown sugar leaves some warmth in the chest. Sweet green grapes and baking spice round things out here.

Finish: finish leaves your palate fully coated and its here where the wine comes through. Honey is strong on this finish. Still some warmth in your chest.

I'd put this around a 6 out of 10

I’ve written quite a few reviews, but haven’t posted any here. I thought I’d start with the Macallan since I read a lot of discussion about it.



This Macallan has a wonderful aroma full of dried fruit, cola, and chocolate. I even get a hint of buttered popcorn. Which may be strange, but somehow blends well with the other rich smells.

Palate is sweet with complex spices that change while on your tongue. A couple drops of water bring out more spices.

The spices fade as you swallow leaving a sweet desert flavor in your mouth which may be too sweet for some, but I don’t think it’s overwhelming or bad.

This whisky certainly taste more mature than other 12 year old scotches, perhaps due to the quality of Macallan’s casks. A very enjoyable scotch which can be recommended to new or experienced scotch drinkers.

Score: 8.5/10

Cost: $60 / 750ml

Most people’s experience with Irish whisky is unfortunately limited to Jameson or Bushmills. But proper Irish whiskey can be as delicious as their Scottish cousins.

The nose is light and complex with lemon peel, fresh cut grass, flowers, honey, raisins, vanilla, and toffee.

Fresh apples join the toffee and honey as they come to the front on the palate. The flavors seem to take turns in the spotlight.

The finish is smooth and long lasting.

The strong complex flavors, smoothness, and great value combine to make Green Spot my favorite Irish Whiskey.

Score: 9/10

Cost: $57 / 750ml

I've always had a fondness for Islay whiskys, as my very first scotch was an Islay single malt (Bowmore Legend, if I remember right), and it gave me an excellent introduction into Islay whiskys and great whisky in general. Laphoraig 10 may be the best expression of what Islay has to offer.

The nose is rich and complex with flowers, iodine, leather, campfire, salted nuts, and of course, peat. The palate is sweeter than you'd expect with flavors of toffee, black licorice, caramel, vanilla, and green apples.

The finish is long and complex with a little spice on the tongue and alternating flavors including leather, brown sugar, and seawater.

I love everything about Laphroaig. I love the aroma, the flavors, the green bottle, and the way it warms you inside. I love how they will give you a certificate for a square foot of land near their distillery. And every time I try this whisky I finish with the same thought: why do I buy anything else?

Score: 10/10

Cost: $50 / 750ml

The spirit

Mezcal Vago Bien Picado from Aquilino Garcia

The shtick

This savory, earthy batch of Aquilino’s mezcal was produced from 89% Espadín and 11% Mexicano Verde. This small, 139-liter batch of mezcal was produced in February of 2019. Like our first limited run of this mezcal, produced in 2012, the entire batch was sent to our good friends in the great state of Texas. At 139-liters, if you haven’t already procured yourself a bottle, you should probably pony-up to your favorite mezcalería and ask them to pour you a taste. The long, rich finish will create a memory to last until our next batch.

This batch was harvested over February 19th and 20th, when 17 piñas of Espadín, weighing 1,635 kg were harvested along with only 4 piñas of Mexicano, weighing 183 kg. They were roasted underground in an earthen horno from February 20th through February 23rd. They were then allowed to rest for six days, between February 23rd and March 1st, when they were crushed on a stone tahona on March 1st and 2nd. The roasted agave produced 2,424 liters of juice and fiber which was placed in two wooden fermentation vats. Both vats were allowed to ferment for three days before adding 224 liters of fresh river water, resulting in 2,648 liters of fermented tepache, which fermented for eight days total. After the first distillation, the entire batch yielded 399 liters of ordinario at 27% ABV and 168 liters of mezcal at 63.7% ABV. The batch was allowed to rest for ten days before adding 50 liters of colas with water at 8% ABV, for a final bottling batch of 215 liters at 50.46% ABV. We decided to hold some back for the office and domestic sales, while the remaining 139 liters were all destined for the Lone Star State.

Bien Picado

The term Bien Picado is one you hear occasionally when visiting palenques in Oaxaca. When maguey is ripe it starts to sprout its quiote. When the quiote is up to a meter high they chop it off so that the sugars stay in the plant. Almost immediately after being cut the bugs called “picudos” which are the adult form of the gusano de maguey, begin to attack the plant. Picado can mean “bitten”, hence the term Bien Picado meaning “bitten up” as the gusanos and other bugs begin to eat it. If a plant is left too long it will eventually rot and die within a certain timeframe depending on the varietal. Espadín will last about three months before becoming over-ripe and starting to rot, but can sometimes last for over a year before becoming completely unusable.  An average batch of Espadín (one oven full, or 1,000 kilos) is about 125 piñas, so the mezcalero waits until he has enough ripe piñas for a full batch. By the end, the oldest agave are starting to get over-ripe and others have just become ripe.

It’s normal for a batch of Aquilino’s mezcal Espadín to contain around 10% Espadín bien picado. Occasionally you will find a mezcalero who has a small batch made from more bien picado maguey that the mezcalero didn’t want to include in his normal batch. This is coveted and usually saved for themselves. There is less sugar but a more complex flavor profile.

Aquilino’s first batch of Bien Picado was actually done by accident. He had more agave than he could process in a single batch, so he left those agave in the field until he could come back later to harvest them. One thing led to another, and he could not come back for several months. At that point, he noticed that the plants had started to discolor around the base and had basically begun to break down. As anyone who has visited a true mezcalero before knows, if there is one universal truth, it is that they do not waste a thing; so, Aquilino harvested these over-ripe agave and decided to process them as he would any other batch of mezcal. Aquilino ended up relishing the rich, savory complexity imparted by the lower sugar levels in the over-ripe maguey. It provided a full-body, without the typical fruity sweetness that accompanies Aquilino’s Espadín.

Nose:
nose is wheatgrass, floral perfume, the smell of mirepoix sans onions (that steam from carrots and celery soft sweetness but clear sour and earth), tobacco leaves not dried the green plant, and a lingering fruit in the background

Palate:
big sweetness on the back of the tongue, there's that fruit. Leaves the tip of the tongue dry and the linger of a well aged cigar, some eucalyptus, a little of an almost soft earthiness like daikon. that sort of grass and dirt maybe closer to cooked leeks very savory, but sweet. The more I'm drinking it, the more I get a hard toffee flavor when sipping, but it vanishes immediately to that fruit

Finish:
finish is long, really leaves your mouth watering like eating a hard candy but just the tip of my tongue feels bone dry

Really glad I got a chance to grab one of these. This is an incredible, complex mezcal that isn't like anything else I've ever had. Tejans don't realize how lucky they are to have gotten the entire batch.

8/10
really really good stuff

Farolito Penca Verde from Ulises at In Situ in Oaxaca

Nose: almost a little lacking, especially compared to the huge taste on this. Only the slightest hint of woodsmoke on the nose, and then just soft sugar and almost a really distant lavender.

Palate: sooo sweet and juicy. Honey, lavender, big citrus, more honey, and then just a perfectly balanced smoked meat. This is the honey glazed burnt end of mezcal. There is a nice clay/earth note that gets more present after a few sips.

Finish: lingering sugar, I’m drooling. Slight drying on the top center of the tongue, but nothing to at all remind you that this is a spirit proofed over 90. This bottle could disappear quick if I didn’t keep it tucked back.

Overall this is around an 8.5 for me. The price is a little rough, but I would challenge you to find other bottles available that pack this much flavor into them.

If I should start a new thread, please let me know.

Could anyone educate me on using those bowls for drinking mezcal?  I know near nothing on mezcal, being mostly a drinker of scotch , bourbon and Armagnac.

It would seem to me that a tulip glass is not ideal of capturing the smell of any spirit - and too big of a glass is not great either (brandy glass).

I end up drinking all spirits from glencairns or copita.  I have heard the same from other folks as well , including blenders and judges.

this is batch 1 of the Real Minero Pechuga and was distilled by the late great Don Lorenzo Angeles. He was the third generation of mezcaleros in his family and passed those skills on to both of his sons and if rumors are to believed, his daughter. This pechuga was made using a traditional recipe of fruit and chicken breast on the third distillation.

The nose:

Pineapples! Fills the room up the second you pull the top. Just smells so sweet of fruit and clean chicken, almost like boiling chicken for a soup.

Palate: This is lush and viscous, almost oily on the tongue. It rolls around your mouth and coats everything. The savoriness is more present here than many pechugas, almost like chicken skin. The fruity sweetness isn't cut back at all though. There's tropical fruits and cloves really shining through. Very little cooling eucalyptus or mint that I normally see with espadin.

Finish: Clay is super present here. The sugar drops off and you're left salivating from the savory meat flavors. Then its just lingering clay with an almost metallic earthy flavor.

This is up there. 8.5-9.0 out of 10. Really incredible stuff. Not sure why i don't reach for this bottle more often.

Come on guys! We're stuck at home. Lets get these reviews going.






So these are my notes taken live during this little throwdown. Not meant to prettied up or cater to popular opinions. Just sipping and enjoying these.

Dm arroqueno

Have had before. Smells milky. A little pollen/floral perfume. Cantaloupe. It starts sour and finishes bone dry. Almost vanishes as soon as you sip it. Strawberries and more of that pollen, almost like rose bud jelly. The sourness takes away from it. The other bottle I had was much sweeter, more caramel

6/10

Vago tio Rey arroqueno 2019

Almost no nose on it. Minor agave scent picked up with hands cupped and nose fully in glass. Almost a light honey. Taste completely different than the nose. A dry black pepper, bubble gum, overripe blackberries. It's juicy. Refreshing almost. Sits at the back of the tongue/throat like a big gulp of water. Some apple blossom on it. Smoke and Ash shines through in the finish. Not mesquite, probably oak.

6/10 but a little flat. The lack of nose is bringing it down

La medida arroqueno

Fresh cut prickly pear on the nose, the pad not the fruit. Plantains. Earthy. Hate to admit it, but maybe some cream cheese. Oh man that's fucking delicious. Some citrus, honey, juicy, then dry clay filled finish. Some olive when rolled around the mouth. Really good stuff.

8/10

5 sentidos Alamo city pick arroqueno

Same candy sweet nose as the last few times. Caramel, brown sugar, apple jelly,a little milkiness. Clay doesn't come through on the nose but is a huge part of the taste. Hardwood smoke, not green smoke, just a rich dry smoke comes through. The first of the lot where the smoke plays a bigger part. Enjoyable sweetness through the whole experience with less fruit than the medida

7/10

El jolgorio black bottle arroqueno edition 8 2018

Cilantro and wet concrete. Some mint and lemon zest follow as it opens up. Agave syrup/sugar on the nose. Taste like candy. No hint of ethanol at all. Soft smoke present only on the finish. Sugar daddies candy as it melts. Some herbs I can't quite place followed by more sugar. Almost nothing I can fault on this. Some light earth/clay, long leaves me feeling like I just ate those creme filled caramels everyone's grandmother had. Less fruit than the others. Almost all just different notes of sugar.

9/10

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I realized not long ago, that I have only had classic Stranahan's and none of their other offerings. Decided I need to spend some time with Colorado's true native spirit and grabbed a couple different bottles of their whiskies. I grabbed a single barrel cask strength, and the subject of this posting, the Blue Peak Solera cask.

Some background, this is regular Stranahan's single malt aged for around 4 years in new oak with a #3 char. Then it goes into large wine style foeder, where it married with other blends and other barrels. The idea is the foeder is never empty and just repeatedly gets different barrels dumped into it so each batch is slightly different and each new batch is always further aged. Almost like an official infinity barrel. Unfortunately, to spread it out due to the limited nature of it, it's proofed down from the standard 94 proof to 86 proof.

It's pretty damn good folks, and it's the least expensive offering from SWC. I'm of course enjoying a neck pour so I'm letting it open up some and will revisit it, but if your stand classic bourbon and a speyside single malt had a baby, this would be it. Light, bright apple notes, some pear, a little honey, all nestled in with an oakey, dark caramel and vanilla finish with just a hint of leather and pepper. All in all, I will definitely be keeping a bottle around.

I made a while separate thread because I've never noticed this

Disclaimer: i am not a very experienced taster in neither alcohol nor foods...so take my reviews knowing that.

Bottle : Stagg 23B 63.9% ABV 127.8 proof
Pour: Top of the shoulder but fresh crack of the bottle (the couple of neck pours went into some small sample bottles).
About a 10-minute "rest"
Glass: A wide-mouth bell shaped Whisky glass marked Baileys - I like this glass for higher proofs.

Nose: Confectionery sugar / cherry syrup / little ethenol (for the proof) / some sweet oak / not much tannins
Palette (from front to back): A little hot, but well below it's ABV. Very much like the nose. Sweet cherry, sugar, some oak some baking spice and pepper on the back. Finish is medium lasting. Rather simple but a beautiful bourbon. I can understand why it's so sought after.

Cheers...!