Update: Highland Park Cask Strength Edition No. 1

On this brisk and blustery Columbus Day, I wanted to share a quick update on one of my longtime favorites — Highland Park Cask Strength Edition No. 1. After sitting proudly on our shelf since 2021, we’ve finally finished the bottle. So, the big question: Would we buy it again? Read on to find out….

Hirsch The Horizon and The Bivouac

The first Hirsch expression I tasted was their Single Barrel Double Oak – an exceptional pour that did leave an impression. Since then, I’ve sampled The Horizon and The Bivouac. Let’s dive in and see how these two compare. The Horizon Nose: Vanilla and oak Palate: spices, cinnamon, pepper and oak Finish: oaky and peppery…

Ardbeg Eureka! Committee Release

If you’ve been following me for a while, you probably already know that Ardbeg is one of my favorite Islay whiskey brands. I hold such a special place for them in my heart that they were the very first distillery we visited when we traveled to Scotland. Ardbeg is an incredible brand, but lately, I’ve…

Bruichladdich 18-Years

When Bruichladdich comes to mind, peated whisky is often the first thing that I associate with it. However, it’s important to note that now all Bruichladdich whiskies are peated. This Bruichladdich 18-Year expression is one of those unpeated variations. Now let’s dive into the details of this whisky.   This expression is crafted by utilizing…

UPDATE Old Ezra Aged 7 Years

Well, after having this bottle on our shelves for six years, we have finally finished it. Now, it’s time for an update on my overall impression and whether I would consider repurchasing it. Before we proceed, let me briefly recap the notes. Nose: oak, vanilla and toffee Palate: wood, vanilla, cinnamon, lightly sweet with notes…

Dark Arts Toasted Mizunara Bourbon

One of my current favorite bourbon brands is Dark Arts Ambura Oak Stave Finished, Small Batch Rye. They had me at cinnamon and just when I thought they couldn’t top that, Dark Arts Toasted Mizunara Bourbon entered the chat. Let’s get right into this. This whiskey has a mash bill of 64% corn, 24% rye,…

Lochlea Single Malt Scotch

Lochlea whisky is a recent discovery for me, and I had the pleasure of trying their Lochlea Our Barley, Harvest Edition (first crop), and their Cask Strength Batch 2. The Lochlea distillery has an interesting history, previously operating as a dairy farm until 2006. In 2017, they transformed their piggery into a distillery and repurposed…

Blue Note Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Now let’s explore a distillery that is new to me – Blue Note. Blue Note is a Tennessee whiskey produced by B.R. Distilling Co. Interestingly, when I asked if they were new, they shared that they are not a new distillery, but it was only recently that they made their products available in Massachusetts. I…

KAIYō Cask Strength Japanese Whisky

Back in 2021, I wrote a post about KAIYō (Japanese for Ocean) whiskies. In that post I sampled the Signature; Cask Strength; The Single and The Peated. Of the four samples I had that day, the Cask Strength was my least favorite. You can find the info on my thoughts and about KAIYō in that…

Horse Soldier Barrel Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey

I love the story behind this brand. The genesis goes back to just after 9/11 when an Elite group of Green Berets were inserted into Afghanistan, some on horseback. They were dubbed “Horse Soldiers” and later inspired the blockbuster movie “12 Strong”. Nose: oak, vanilla, butterscotch and spicesPalate: oak, ginger, toffee and vanillaFinish: charred oak…

Untitled Bourbon Whiskey private barrel selection

This bourbon was produced by District Made Spirits which was distilled by One Eight Distilling in Washington DC. Sadly, this distillery has closed. I got the chance to taste this because our friends had a bottle but, before this we had not heard of this brand before. The one we tried was a cask strength…

2XO Bourbon Whiskey

I’ve always been a Scotch Whisky gal but within the last two years I’ve embarked on a mission to try more bourbon. In that amount of time I’ve had duds, whiskies that go from OK to good, some even great. Few have stopped me on my tracks, this brand was one of them. 2XO is…