Sean Lyons

9.6

Just everything you want in a big, fat Australian Shiraz. Big, bright fruit - cherries, cranberries, raspberries - jumps out at first, but later you enjoy some darker, stewed fruit flavors - plum and even tomatoes. Super long finish. Drinking this 2017 in December 2024 and it is perfectly balanced. Just the right amount of tannins and acid to balance the immense fruit bomb. Just great. — 13 days ago

Sean Lyons

9.3

Even though I was drinking the 2008 and 2024, this still took several hours of
decanting to open properly. Once it did, it really showed out – notes of dark fruit, like blackberry, but mostly luscious notes of leather, bacon fat, oak and tobacco. The last sip I took was the best sip. Really good. — 2 months ago

Sean Lyons

9.3

A perfect introduction into blanco. It has a wonderfully clean taste with nice agave all the way through and notes of white pepper and an earthy vegetable-ness. Not incredibly complex but entirely delicious. — 3 months ago

Sean Lyons

9.0

Another slightly disappointing Arran cask offering. I think I just like the Arran 10 so much that I get frustrated when some cask influence overwhelms the original flavor. That’s the case here. I get a lot of the Amarone flavor - tart, bright red fruits, perfume and even some tannin-esque notes - but it just dominates the flavor so much that I miss the that great Arran taste. — 2 months ago

Sean Lyons

8.9

I was so excited when I tasted the original Arran 10 that I went out and bought all the variations I could find. However, I found them all to be slightly disappointing, including this one. There is an odd thinness on the palate and an off putting sour note on the back end which I did not enjoy. I’ve been trying a lot of “sherry bomb” whiskies lately and this was my least favorite. — 2 months ago

Sean Lyons

9.2

A really fantastic summer scotch with notes flowers, grass, yeast, and freshly picked grains. It really jumps out of the glass with a freshness and vibrancy you’d expect more from a champagne or beer. Not super deep or rich, but that’s what makes it refreshing. Good deal too. — 6 months ago

Sean Lyons

9.3

This is a perfect introduction to Glen Scotia. I’ve loved every sip I’ve taken of every Glen Scotia and this is kind of their house style and it’s most basic and straightforward form. I can’t say the “double barrel” added a huge amount of oakiness, but I prefer it that way. This features the great Glen Scotia notes of caramel, tobacco, stewed apples, brine and a little bit of smoke. A pretty amazing value. — 2 months ago

Sean Lyons

8.6

Textbook bourbon profile…watered down. It hits all the right notes, but does so very, very softly — 3 months ago

Sean Lyons

9.0

The underlying juice is great, but I didn’t pick up much from the barrel. A little bit of vanilla and slight oakiness. Delicious but not much different from the blanco. — 3 months ago

Sean Lyons

9.2

I really liked this, but it pales in comparison to the 10 year. The extra wood just dominates the palate and destroys the delicate tropical fruit notes that make the 10 so special. The nose and taste are just straight wood, new wood too, no char at all. It gave me flashbacks to assembling furniture. The high gravity doesn’t overwhelm you and some of the fruitiness still shows on the back end. — 7 months ago