Miyuki

9.3

Medium garnet, intensity aromas of strawberries, black cherry, dill, liquorice, butter scotch, sweet oak, vanilla, cloves, coconut oil. Dry, high acidity, medium plus tannins, high alcohol, full body. Pronounced flavor. Long finish. Outstanding. — 13 days ago

Sean Lyons

9.4

Super rich and decadent with a wave of dark stewed fruits like plums, cherries and strawberries. It’s incredibly fruit forward, but not too sweet. There’s a background of black strap molasses and strong maltiness. Incredibly balanced for such a flavorful dram. A phenomenon winter whisky. — a year ago

Paul T HB

9.8

So smooth & unique at $75.00

elgian Michel Couvreur was an independent bottler of single-malt Scotch (and this apprentice Jean-Arnaud has carried on after studying under Michel for more than a decade). The cellars are located in Bouze-lès-Beaune in the heart of Burgundy, where Michel aged his single malts for years in sherry butts and then in demijohns or giant bottles kept in total darkness in the exceptionally well-protected underground galleries of Bouze-lès-Beaune. Vatted from 54 whiskies aged 12 to 27 years in oak casks, this malt has a rich amber color, a nose full of dried flowers, tobacco leaf, Jerez wine, and fat almond, plus a powerful, fruity, long finish. What a fantastic accompaniment to smoked salmon when served over ice. It is also perfect as a dinner digestive served at room temperature. — 3 years ago

David Patterson

9.0

Hard to differentiate from the black sheep by my amateur palate. Both more full-bodied than some of the other Pinots. But very good with a well peppered pork tenderloin. — 5 years ago

Ellen Clifford

9.0

The second label to Amy Christine’s Holus Bolus, but still top-notch. From Santa Barbara! It gives ripe black fruit (cherries, plums, berries) for days with a touch of licorice and lilacs on the nose. The palate is spritely, with decent acid and sandy tannins adding grip to a surprisingly light-bodied blend. Easy-going but complex enough to add intrigue. — 6 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

I bought this for the winter months and finished the last of it over the weekend. This is a blended malt named in honour of Masataka Taketsuru, the father of Japanese Whisky. He was the first Japanese who mastered Whisky making in Scotland and brought this expertise back to Japan. It was an incredibly pure and rich Whisky with a certain smokiness. I don’t drink enough Whisky to know the difference but this could easily have been Scotch to my palate. 43% ABV. — 3 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.0

My first Ardberg and it left quite an impression. Gosh! This was like eating bacon and smoking cigars. Ron Swanson should be drinking this instead of Lagavulin 😂 Truly, it feels like someone decided to bottle up that campfire by the sea that's been drenched in bacon fat from dinner the night before. With water, the marine quality becomes more apparent, but that smoke just remains. Only with great concentration can one discern some fruit notes (citrus). The finish is just all about that endless peat. Surprisingly, this whisky was quite "smooth" despite all the extremities it brought. Definitely need to taste more Ardbegs to understand what's going on - not displeasing, but for now, Talisker's more up my alley in the category of peated whiskies. — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

What a pair w/ Crostini, Chervil Sheep Cheese & Duck Confit. 👌

Dark, juicy, lush to mid fruit core, dark cherries, strawberries, hues of blueberries, raspberries, limestone, softened granitic earth, deeper red cola, black & red licorice, baseball card bubble gum, understated fresh herbs, dark, rich, sweet earth, hints of maple syrup, tree bark w/ sap, dark & red florals for days, excellent, round acidity and a well made, balanced, relaxed tension, polished, lush finish that lasts 90 seconds. Delicious.

This is better than some premier cru red burgundies for far less $.

Absolutely one of the top three producers of Grand Cru Gamay. — 6 months ago

Aaron Tan

8.9

The mildest of the Diageo peated whiskies I've had so far. Definitely not the campfire peat monsters of Ardbeg, or the distinct maritime peat of Talisker, or the more medicinal peat of Lagavulin... The peat here comes off as sweet and aromatic, almost like incense. The body seems to be the lightest of the lot too (comparing apples and apples), although it's hard to say without seeing them all next to each other (definitely lighter than the Ardberg and even Glen Elgin here). Palate flavours are subtle in the Caol Ila, but citrus notes come through clearly. Finishes a touch short with a sort of grassy earthy quality that I quite enjoy. Not a blockbuster whisky, yet I find it quite drinkable.

NB: Better mixed 1:1 with the Ardbeg Wee Beastie. Seems to balance out the extreme smoke of the Ardberg, drawing out lovely saline notes. — 4 years ago

Robert Rothfield

9.2

“The most richly flavored of all Scotch whiskies”.....I would tend to agree! — 5 years ago