More info at https://flaviar.com/limavady/limavady-single-malt-irish-whiskey/

Very smooth. Lots of butter and green pepper. Perhaps some orange peel and vanilla. Would definitely buy this again if I could find it.

Details at https://flaviar.com/whistlepig/whistlepig-piggyback-rye/

This is the first one that I’ve tried before. It has the usual spicy rye flavors but I’m not finding any of the promised aromas mentioned in the website. Maybe cinnamon. Definitely black pepper. And something floral but I can’t place it. Like a rose maybe?

If I’m really looking for it I can find the cardamom aroma which is fascinating. As always I wonder how much of this is power of suggestion.

Update: towards the end it developed that lovely butter and leather that I live so much about whiskey. I really should wait to the end to write these things.

Honestly this is the first one I’ve felt kinda meh about. It’s a bourbon. It tastes like a bourbon. It’s not bad but also not very interesting.

More info at https://flaviar.com/frey-ranch/frey-ranch-straight-bourbon-whiskey/

Details at https://flaviar.com/omar/omar-sherry-single-malt/tasting-notes-reviews/

Lots of butterscotch and sherry in the nose. Maybe some orange peel?

Spicy on the tongue. Lots of black pepper and orange flavors.

Did I mention it’s from Taiwan? This whiskey selection is so cool.

Penelope Indiana bourbon – barrel strength.

I think this is probably the nicest one yet. Orange in the nose, black cherry in the mouth. (I always wonder how much the tasting notes website influences me but I came up with these on my own and it agrees with the website.)

It does have a little bit of a weird aftertaste that I’m having trouble placing. I think it’s just the corn in the bourbon.

More info at https://flaviar.com/penelope-bourbon/penelope-bourbon-barrel-strength-batch-6/

More info at https://flaviar.com/noble-oak/noble-oak-double-oak-bourbon/

This one is an Ohio bourbon.

This was a bit weird since the most prominent aroma was dill pickle. The flavor was great – lots of oaky vanilla and leather. But the aroma was kind of off-putting. With just a touch of water it softened and bloomed with the more woody oaky aroma.

I would very much like to try this more.

Day four on the whiskey advent calendar is Starward. Two fold Australian double green whiskey.

More info at https://flaviar.com/starward/starward-two-fold-double-grain/

It tastes like a rye to me with just a little bit of the bourbon corniness. It’s got a lovely spice. And I’m smelling maybe pineapple in the nose but it’s a little hard to tell. Anyway it’s something tropical fruity.

I definitely would be interested in trying this again. Very yummy.

Heavy on the peat (it’s in the name after all) and lots of barrel flavors. I don’t think I’ve ever had an Israeli whiskey before. This was a good first one for sure.

More at https://flaviar.com/milk-honey/milk-honey-elements-peated-single-malt-whisky

More detail at https://flaviar.com/catoctin-creek/catoctin-creek-roundstone-distillers-edition-rye-whisky/

Day 2: a Catoctin Creek Rye. Very spicy/peppery in the nose. Lots of fruit in the mouth. The tasting notes suggest marmalade, and I can definitely taste that. I did *not* taste the strawberry that was suggested.

I don’t know that I’d buy it again, but it was very nice.

Day one is a Wyoming whiskey small batch bourbon. The booklet promised caramel, vanilla cream, butter, and floral.

It’s a lovely pale gold color. The nose is grassy and a touch perfumey. I do indeed smell the butter and caramel. Not so much the vanilla.

It is a bourbon, so it has a bit of the corn flavor, but not as strong as in some bourbons. So I guess that means that they were heavier on the barley.

Anyways, it is very nice, and a great start to what I’m sure will be a wonderful month.

More details and notes at https://flaviar.com/wyoming-whiskey/wyoming-whiskey-small-batch-bourbon-whiskey/