Scotch Whisky Reviews

A collection of 32 posts

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Sneaky Peat Whiskey Review

One of my favorite blended malts at any price is Johnny Walker Green, so when Sneaky Peat advertised itself as a Blended Malt with a bit of peat while being $15 cheaper, JWG became my instant point of comparison.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

The GlenDronach Port Wood Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

This is a really nice whiskey, super approachable and easy sipping, a go-to when evangelizing for Scotch. From entry to finish, it’s delicate, flavorful and fun. Do I want to spend $90 on it? Nope. It’s not that remarkable to me.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

BenRiach The Original Twelve Review

I’ve had a hard time remembering a time when my tasting notes differed so widely from the brand’s own for a bottle I actually liked (usually when the difference is this great, it’s a dumpster fire).

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Benriach The Smoky Twelve Review

If you’re reading this, you’ve most likely seen this bottle in the #3 spot of the Whisky Advocate Top 20 Whiskies of 2020 list and have come to Bourbon & Banter as your one-stop-shop for some honest feedback. Here’s what I’ll tell you:

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Benriach The Smoky Ten Review

With all the press that The Smoky Twelve has been getting recently, I was anxious to find out if The Smoky Ten (which comes in 10 dollars cheaper) is as solid an offering from Benriach. If you’re making a lists of ‘Best Value Whiskies of 2020’ this deserves on a spot on it.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

BenRiach The Original Ten Review

If you’re familiar with Speyside scotches, imagine paying 8 extra bucks for a slightly more bold Glenmorangie 10. That’s how I would describe this single malt. That being said, I prefer this bottle from Benriach to it for a couple reasons.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

The Glendronach Revival Aged 15 Years Scotch Whisky Review

This is a delightful and intriguing whisky. It never stops giving new aromas, which makes it a lot of fun just to nose. Few flavors in this Scotch jump out at you; there’s a bit of seek and find with it.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Auchentoshan “The Bartender’s Malt” Scotch Review

If you’re not a Scotch fan because things like peat or band-aid qualities turn you off, you really should consider a Lowland Scotch. There aren’t a lot of Lowland distilleries, and in my opinion, Auchentoshan does a consistent job of representing the region.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14 Year Old Single Malt Whisky Review

It seemed that much of my 2018 involved barrel-finished whiskeys. Scotch, Bourbon, Rye or Irish – all of it jumped out at me.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Son of a Peat Batch 02 Whisky Review

I would say that it is. Remember back when blended whiskies were in vogue and more sought after than single malts? Well, neither do I, but I understand that used to be the case.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Auchentoshan Three Wood Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

I first tasted Auchentoshan early this year. It was a 17-year independent bottling sold exclusively at Vom Fass, and I fell in love. I felt an immediate need to find other expressions of Auchentoshan to taste what I’d been missing.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Bruichladdich, Octomore, Masterclass 08.2 Review

“This whisky isn’t the oldest in my collection,” he said, handing another dram to Bob and then taking one for himself. “But just like you, young lady, age isn’t necessarily a qualifier.” The compliment made her smile.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Highland Park Magnus Review

It’s not the most robust Highland Park I’ve ever tried, but certainly presents a reasonable entry point to begin exploring the line. While they state that a ‘high proportion’ of first-fill Sherry seasoned American oak casks are used in the maturation, for my preferences, they didn’t use enough.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Johnnie Walker Green Label Whisky Review

I was ecstatic when Johnnie Walker Green returned to shelves. Read on to see how I feel this new bottling compares to my, admittedly romanticized, memories.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Talisker Storm Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

The first thing that hits the nostrils is the smoky peat, and that becomes prevalent before you’ve even finished pouring it from the bottle to the glass. Once poured, the appearance is a lovely gold. Swirling it creates a thinner rim that yields very slow, fat legs.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Islay Storm Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

Most Single Malt Scotches at this price point are pretty rough. Even my #RespectTheBottomShelf philosophy gives a cautious view of Single Malts from that market. This one will change your mind.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Bowmore Darkest Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

I think that one of the creepiest, and perhaps most humorous, of the sleepwalking occurrences so far was when Jennifer and I were watching a movie and Harrison suddenly appeared out of nowhere-as if he’d emerged from the darkest corner of the room.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Flaming Heart Scotch Whisky Review

Extremely well balanced whisky. No need to add any water, in fact the few drops I added basically destroyed the flavor profile. Keep it neat and you won’t be disappointed.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Aberlour A’Bunadh Review

Maybe you’ve already figured this out, but I’m a huge fan. While I admittedly still have mixed feelings about NAS whiskies, (a topic for another post altogether) this is a fantastic pour.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Wine Cask Blend Review

Before even opening the bottle, based on visuals alone, I was anticipating a much sweeter profile. Maybe it was the pink coloring of the label, or the prominent “Wine Cask Blend” (also written in red lettering) that threw me off.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Laphroaig Cairdeas Quarter Cask Review

It just seems that whisky and friendship inherently go hand in hand. Sure, we’ve all come home from a long, hard day’s work and poured ourselves a measure of our favorite mood enhancing elixir to help unwind.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Speyburn Bradan Orach Whisky Review

I believe Speyburn is one of the more overlooked single malt scotch whiskies out there. Yes, it falls into that “entry-level” category, largely because of its younger age and lower pricing, and that’s the catch-22 when it comes to ‘value’ in the whisky world.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Speyburn 10 Years Old Whisky Review

I have to admit I was a little skeptical about Speyburn due to the price point, but over the years I have learned not to judge a whisky based on price alone. Not having tasted a Speyburn prior to this review, I must say I was pleasantly surprised.

Scotch Whisky Reviews

The Balvenie Single Barrel First Fill 12 Year Review

Maybe it was said and maybe it wasn’t, but either way, the statement remains incredibly righteous. “Only the white man’s leaders,” the old Indian chief observed, “would cut from the top of the blanket and sew it to the bottom and believe he’s made it longer.”

Scotch Whisky Reviews

Once, Twice, THREE times the whisky…Ardbeg Whisky Review

Just in time for the cooler weather, this month’s post features a trio of award winning scotch whiskies from the Ardbeg distillery. Over the years, Ardbeg has put out many special limited release bottlings, but the ones we will be looking at today make up their core range.