Lots and lots of black pepper. Very little of the corn flavor so common in bourbon.

Lots of smoky wood flavors. A little mint and cloves

Details at https://flaviar.com/stellum-spirits/stellum-bourbon/

Delicious peaty goodness.

Details at https://flaviar.com/mars-shinshu/mars-shinshu-iwai-tradition-whisky/

Peat and camphor and pineapple. Maybe some orange.

Overall I loved it. Would definitely buy if I found it.

This was the first one that I actively dislike. This was nasty.

Details at https://flaviar.com/balcones/balcones-texas-1-single-malt-whisky/

The color is lovely so there’s that.

But the flavor and nose were pear and mint and something weirdly floral and bitter and the combination was just awful.

Yes I’m a day behind.

More details at https://flaviar.com/glenallachie/the-glenallachie-15-year-old

Dried fruit (cherry?). Leather. Pineapple?

Kinda weird for a scotch but I really liked it. And it’s one I’ve never had or even heard of before. Also, enjoyed it in my new Christmas wheel of time glass so bonus points!

Details at https://flaviar.com/rabbit-hole/rabbit-hole-heigold-bourbon/

Mint, vanilla, and apricot in the nose. Lots of oak and orange peel in the mouth.

But it has that bourbon hot corn flavor and I am not a big fan of that.

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/