Scotch Review: Dalwhinnie 15

Age brings wisdom right?! My dad raves about Dalwhinnie and every time I let him taste my collection, he tells me of this whisky. I also recently signed up for the Classic Malts newsletter and they feature Dalwhinnie also. So with all this hype, it has to be good right?


Color: it resembles a light beer, a very soft golden color
Body: it is lite and watery
Nose: a smoky vanilla pear, it smelled like a toasted vanilla wafer
Palate: Interesting...it is slightly smoky, vanilla with lots of sweetness on the tongue. I would say it had a noticeable fruit/berry taste but very caramel like with the vanilla. Most people taste vanilla in Scotch, but this was very noticeable. Very pleasant and sweet
Balance: Very short finish but great and easy on the nose and mouth.


Compared to my other Scotches, Dalwhinnie is definitely the sweetest, but delightful! I love my Scotch to be a little sweet and vanilla-y so this one gets my approval. I thought it was kind of interesting; it was watery for a 15 year though. I really enjoyed it and it was so smooth, no bite what so ever. When someone says they hate Scotch I usually give them a Dalwhinnie to see if they change their mind, and they usually do! Good one dad, great drink! I give this sweet whisky an 7.5 of 10.

Whiskey Review: Russell's Reserve Rye

I fell prey to product placement. I was watching the excellent series Mad Men on AMC and the lead character drinks a lot of Rye whiskey (almost every scene!). I was curious to see what is so special about Rye whiskies. They may have just picked Rye as this character's drink to show how unique he is, but hey its worth a shot right?! So I picked up a Russell's Reserve Rye Small Batch 6 Year Whiskey and I am so glad I did.

Color: tawny gold
Nose: honey sweet, almonds, rye 
Body: medium and mouth watering
Palate: honey and sweet bread, smoked rye, allspice
Finish: long sharp and bitey, warm and full of a nice smoked taste


This was excellent! It was very similar to a sweet bourbon but the unique tastes of the rye really made a statement. The rye added a nutty taste and a whole new level of complexity. That is hard to find in some bourbons. It was surprisingly smooth, especially for a 90 proof whiskey. I am not saying it didn't bite. It definitely had a sharp alcohol bite, but it was handled nicely and wasn't as bad as one would expect. I was thoroughly impressed. As a matter of fact this is my favorite bourbon so far Good thing I am a sucker for marketing. Overall I give this whiskey a strong 7 of 10. I will always keep this in my whiskey cabinet and you should too!


Question for YOU: What is your Rye of choice?