In the Christmas package from my brother were a few bottles of Kansas City barbecue sauce, and three little miniatures: a Crown Royal, a Dewars, and a Chivas Regal 18 year-old. An odd juxtaposition, but he doesn't drink spirits, so I imagine I was getting what had drifted his business-lifestyle way?
The Crown Royal has a unique and interesting flavor--in a bubble-gummish sort of way. End of story. Mercifully.
The Dewars taken NEAT is remarkably delicious. Dewars is the only scotch they serve upfront on Northwest airlines anymore, and in the past I've minimally-enjoyed it on the rocks, but after this I'm taking it neat. It has a burst of butterscotch sweetness and a spirity flash of liveliness, and then some pleasant complexity to boot--it's tasty. And enjoyable. And better neat than on-ice-on-an-Airbus!
But the Chivas 18 is much more. It has a Highland Park-style sweet richness, but also a twang of peat and some zoom from whatever grain content there may be, and still it is remarkably mellow--it is a GREAT dram. Or WAS.
The thing about these enjoyable or popular blends is that they WORK because people who know what they are doing assemble them brilliantly. This Chivas
18 is (was) a whisky to love, anytime.To compare, my Aberlour 15 has blossomed open in the bottle over time, but it is still a bit monotonish in a sherry-touched style.
This Signatory Linkwood 10-year next to it has even more of a lingering sherry-cask rub to it, but it's still a tired-ish hump of flavor compared to the richness and zest of the Chivas 18.
But I've also got a Benriach 12 that's been open for only a couple of days going (an "Origine" bottling at 40% picked up in Florida for about $21) and this is a super-gentle but mild, flowery, and beautifully complete malt--it hits a number of palate 'spots' in a fresh, slatey way but still has a touch of flowery fruit to make it satisfyingly complete--a long arcing, round, vibrant dram (ESPECIALLY for something at 40%). Even a simple grocery store malt like this can be Cloud 9. Imagine.
And speaking of miniatures, I uncapped the Balvenie 10, 12 (Doublewood), and
15 set New Year's Eve. I had had this same set a few years back at a local wine bar (and once thereafter)--and the results are curiously the same: the 15 (despite the added 50% heft) has little going for it (an unusually anonymous potion); the 12 (doublewood) is suggestive of great things, but dies on a tacky sherry-tinged vine all too quickly; the 10 doesn't have the sherry mellow of the 12, but it DOES have its own characteristic freshness and touch of fruit. If I had one bottle, the verdict today would be the same as at the rail a few years back: taking the 10 because of it's intriguing and enjoyable brightness and popping pear/apple fruit over the tantalizing but sketchy sherry-affected Doublewood 12. But I'm not sure if these Balvenies are as pretty as their labels, when push comes to shove.But mileage will vary. Enjoy!