Abomination - The Sayers of the Law

Abomination - The Sayers of the Law

Official bottling
Single malt - California
Amber
54% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apricots, smoke, charcoal ash, oolong tea, black pepper, lemon zest. With water, malted grains, smoke, apple juice, apricots. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, expands, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Black pepper, charcoal ash, smoke, malted grains. With water, apple juice, smoke, peat, apricots, diesel exhaust. 
Finish: Long. Smoke, charcoal ash, oolong tea, ginseng. 

Comments: 

Quite bitter and harsh, but well balanced even so. Water brings out a little fruitiness, but it’s still ashy and smoky. Very interesting dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Charbay Hops Whisky Release R5

Charbay Hops Whisky Release R5

Official bottling
Single malt - California
Amber gold
49.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, elderflower, raisins, edelweiss, malted grains, magic marker, nutmeg, apricots. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, mouth coating, tingly, expands. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Elderflower, vanilla, malted grains, magic marker, pear drops, gooseberries, white grapes. 
Finish: Short. Elderflower, vanilla, edelweiss, pear drops, hints of coffee. 

Comments: 

Floral, delicate and fruity, with very marked alpine flowers notes. It’s subtle whisky, rewards introspection. The nose is lovely and the taste is fleeting. Superbly well constructed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Blinking Owl Rye Whiskey

Blinking Owl Rye Whiskey

Official bottling
Single rye - California
Amber, hints of yellow
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sea salt, white pepper, sandalwood, vanilla, nutmeg, nutmeg, honey, hints of damson jam. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Vanilla, honey, sandalwood, nutmeg, white pepper, shortbread, hints of milk powder. 
Finish: Medium. Nutmeg, shortbread, honey, milk powder, hints of coffee. 

Comments: 

Quite an unusual tasting rye, lots of fragrant notes on the nose. On the tongue it moves to the milky and lactic spectrum, with notes of milk powder and shortbread. Very interesting.

Verdict:

I like this.

Blinking Owl Four Grain Bourbon

Blinking Owl Four Grain Bourbon

Official bottling
Single bourbon - California
Amber
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brown paper, cloves, black pepper, raisins, strawberry jam, cocoa nibs, hints of vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, loosens, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Oak chips, honey, moss, fresh cut grass, cocoa nibs, cloves, black pepper, hints of coffee. 
Finish: Long. Moss, coffee, cocoa nibs, vanilla. 

Comments: 

Interesting bourbon from a now closed distillery. It starts out with jammy sweet notes - so far so normal. On the tongue it turns earthy and green, losing some of the sweetness. There’s more than a smattering of oaky wood too.

Verdict:

I like this.

St George Breaking and Entering Whiskey

St George Breaking and Entering Whiskey

Official bottling
Single blend - California
Amber gold
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, cola nuts, malted grains, black pepper, brown sugar, apples. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Malted grains, brown paper, cinnamon, apples, brown sugar, butterscotch. 
Finish: Medium. Brown paper, malted grains, honey, butterscotch. 

Comments: 

Appley and herbal whisky, with plenty of sweet, even butterscotch notes. It’s very drinkable, almost quaffable, and has a nice malty sweet finish. Definitely a session whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

St George Spirits 7yo 2016/2023 (New American Oak Cask)

St George Spirits 7yo 2016/2023 (New American Oak Cask)

#9, The Heart Cut
Single malt - California
Dark gold
52.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pear drops, jalapeños, malt vinegar, malted grains, chillies, fresh cut grass, white pepper, hints of fresh baked bread. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Pear drops, jalapeños, fresh baked bread, white pepper, cinnamon, nopales, hints of chillies. 
Finish: Medium. Fresh cut grass, white pepper, malted grains, malt vinegar. 

Comments: 

A very unusual, vegetal whisky. Jalapeños are very unusual in whisky in my experience, they might even be unique to this whisky. It’s almost like hot sauce, and I’d absolutely eat this sprinkled over a steak. Smooth and quite delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

St George Spirits 7yo 2016/2023 (Californian Ale Cask)

St George Spirits 7yo 2016/2023 (Californian Ale Cask)

#8, The Heart Cut
Single malt - California 
Amber gold
54% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apricot jam, sage, shortcrust pastry, white grapes, chamomile, lime zest, golden syrup, hints of damson jam. With water, pears, magic marker, damson jam, sage. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, slippery, loosens. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Apricot jam, butter, butterscotch, white grapes, blueberry jam, golden syrup, hints of shortcrust pastry. With water, pears, damson jam, fresh baked bread, shortcrust pastry, chamomile. 
Finish: Medium. Malted grains, white grapes, butterscotch, sage. 

Comments: 

A really unusual whisky from the Heart Cut, an amazing bottler. This one is herbal and sweet, lots of buttery goodness with heaps of jammy notes. A very intense whisky (so unusual it’s labelled as an ‘experimental malt’). 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Sonoma Distilling Company Cherrywood Rye

Sonoma Distilling Company Cherrywood Rye

Official bottling 
Single rye - California 
Amber, hints of red 
47.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, strawberry jam, malted grains, black tea, cloves, honey, vanilla. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, tingly, warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Black tea, black pepper, raisins, oatcakes, shortbread, vanilla, cloves. 
Finish: Long. Black tea, black pepper, cloves, oatcakes, honey. 

Comments: 

Californian rye whisky, which is peppery and sweet, lots of jammy notes. But so far so standard, although the oatcake notes are slightly unusual. Pleasant dram, but not a stand out.

Verdict:

I like this.

Sonoma Distilling Co Rye Whiskey

Sonoma Distilling Co Rye Whiskey

Official bottling 
Single rye - California 
Amber gold
46.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Brown paper, raisins, camphor, black pepper, fresh baked bread, butterscotch, hints of orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, slightly astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Fresh baked bread, butterscotch, cocoa powder, orange peel, hints of caraway. 
Finish: Medium. Cocoa powder, coffee, black pepper, fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

This is a nice little rye whiskey. Lots of peppery spice as you’d expect, but there are also some interesting butter notes. Decent complexity despite the young age. The oak aging seems to have added some bitter citrus as well. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Abomination - Crying of the Puma

Abomination - Crying of the Puma

Official bottling
Single malt - California
Amber red
54% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, peat, smoke, cooked rice, hints of sandalwood, hints of raisins. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, sticky, tightens, slightly oily. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, cinnamon, cooked rice, peat, smoke, hints of star anise. 
Finish: Long. Peat, smoke, cooked rice, star anise, orange peel. 

Comments: 

This isn't whisky - at least, not yet. It's spirit that's been aged for 18 months in a barrel, then pressure cooked with wood powder to create a semblance of aging. I approached it with an open mind, and it turned out to be decent stuff. Spicy, slightly delicate despite all that peat, and I could really taste the barley.

Verdict:

I like this.a lot.

2nd Chance Wheated Bourbon

2nd Chance Wheated Bourbon

Official bottling
Single bourbon - California
Dark gold
47.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange juice, bread and butter pudding, brown paper, pears, apples, hints of bananas. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, slightly astringent, turns watery. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Pears, apples, marmalade, bread and butter pudding, hints of toast, hints of peaches. 
Finish: Short. Peaches, raisins, marmalade, hints of toast. 

Comments: 

The flavours are great - buttery and toasty, lots of fruit, even lovely jammy notes on the tongue. But the mouthfeel is loose, slightly puckery. I don't normally take mouthfeel into account, but for some reason it did not match the flavours. Still, it's worth drinking for those alone.

Verdict:

I like this.

Charbay Whiskey Release III 6 yo

Charbay Whiskey Release III 6 yo

Official bottling
Single bourbon - California
Mahogany
66.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red wine, prunes, raisins, tobacco leaf, hops, apricots. With water, honey, orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, airy, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Prunes, red grapes, tobacco leaf, marijuana, dried apricots, hints of sandalwood. With water, sweeter, honey, raisins, sandalwood. 
Finish: Long. Marijuana, red grapes, sandalwood, fresh baked bread. 

Comments: 

This is hopped beer, distilled into whiskey, so maybe not strictly whiskey. But it's great! Fully sherried, plenty of fruit, and the hops makes it taste herbal, slightly bitter, not unlike, er, weed. Call it a memory of a misspent youth. Fantastic stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.