Entrapment 25 Year

Rating: 18/23 After using a 2000-vintage dram as a bookend for this review series at entry 1991, I thought it was only reasonable to go back to traditional sanity and use this 1992-vintage dram for entry 1992. I've never tried an Orphan Barrel release before. Nor have I seen one anywhere. I've heard quite nice things though, so this should be a treat! N: A really mellow woodiness with a sort of musty vanilla corny sweetness. It's kind of papery and decadent. Coconut! That's what there's a lot of here. So much coconut. This isn't super complex, but it's rich and mature with some great hedonism. Based on the nose alone, this is what I feel like Compass Box Hedonism should be like. P: Super mellow, with a really nice fullness. So, so much coconut. I've never tasted so much coconut in a dram before - nothing else has ever been close to this. Some coconut cream coming out of it. It avoids the bitter side of coconut beautifully and retains a decadent creaminess throughout. Hints of vanilla come out, adding some mild nuance. I do get some really mellow, mature wood, mixed with some mild spices that are kind of hard to pick out. I really just can't get past that immense coconut though. It's not all that complex, but it's super decadent. F: Lingering coconut cream flavor. It's never bitter. Not very complex, but really easy-going. - Conclusion - Really easy to drink and so approachable. I suspect that this would get boring after a while, but a pour of it tastes like savoring a bite of the clouds at heaven's gate. There are parables about heaven getting boring though. It's hard to find a comparison for this. Highland Park 16 Wings Of The Eagle (17/23) is more complex, but also kind of off-balance in comparison. This has a little bit of musty funk, but it's clearly more mature and mellow. Cadenhead's Tullibardine 25 (18/23) is another fairly decadent one. The Tullibardine has a bit more going on than this. It has some arguably rougher edges than this does (more grassiness, especially) and it isn't as rich, but it does have more going on. My overall impression is that this is clearly better than the Highland Park and close to the Tullibardine. I keep thinking that I gave the Tullibardine a 19, but apparently it's only an 18. Considering that, I think there's no doubt that this is an 18. There's so much that I love here. And by that I mean that the coconut is amazing. I really wish that there were more going on here. Still, this is so, so enjoyable. Coming back to this the next day, the Tullibardine's honey and fruit nectar really stand out with added complexity. This has its own decadence and greater maturity, but it's still fairly one-note. That Boutique-y Whisky Company's Auchroisk 19 Batch 5 (17/23) has some nice body when placed side-by-side with this. A big part of that is probably the higher ABV, of course, but that is a factor in these ratings. I'm now thinking that the Auchroisk mayb be closer to this and the Tullibardine may be a bit better. Though I'm also thinking that the Auchroisk could be an 18. I'm not going to be changing the Auchroisk or Tullibardine's ratings here though. This is probably a hair better than the Auchroisk, but I'm no longer putting it on the level of the Tullibardine. Eh, or maybe it is. I think this can keep its 18. It's downright enjoyable, at the very least. A big thanks to @Milliardo for sharing a sample of this special dram!

This year for the holidays I’m going to try a brand new whiskey every day in December. #lifegoals Dec. 25 ~~~~~~ ‘Twas on night 25 of my new whiskey game (Where I looked ev’ry day for a new dram to tame) The children were nestled all snug in their beds After spending all day bashing toys on their heads I retired downstairs, an exhausted old elf And I flipped on the bar lights and scoured the shelf When what to my horrified eyes did appear But Canadian whisky marked 25 year My heart how it fluttered, ‘twas risky for sure To make this Canadian whisky my pour I recalled both the Orphan from the 24th And the times tastes went south due to shit from the north At the end of the day ‘twas the number that won Though I paused and I pondered: “Could this be undone?” But with wrapper in hand and the cork in my lap ‘Twas already too late, you see I was... entrapped. ~~~~~~ So no, not generally a big fan of Canadian whisky. But I generally am a big fan of Orphan Barrel. So I enter this drink with both a jolly optimism and a cheerfully low set of expectations. On the nose I get honey, syrup, and fresh-cut wood. It’s pleasant, mild, and I have far fewer objections already than I did for that Rare Perfection nonsense. I will continue to call you out until one of us rots. Body is very gentle in flavor. Nothing strikes me immediately, but over a few sips there’s honey, molasses, mint, and green tea leaves. Tastes mildly medicinal, but in a wives-tale, probably-not-real-medicine sort of way. Finish trails off quickly with cinnamon and mint, exceedingly low heat. Mild tongue buzz. This finish reminds me so much of a cinnamon Altoid. I’m going to file this away in the category of something well-made that doesn’t strike my fancy. For all the Canadian whisky I’ve ever tried, this bottle has done the best job straddling the line between “pleasant to drink” and “interesting flavor profile.” Unless you count my favorite Canadian whisky: Crown Royal Bourbon Mash. Which is definitely not bourbon whiskey. If you count that as Canadian, then this is a close second, and I give Orphan Barrel respect for once again delivering a quality product. In the incredibly subjective category of value/dollar, I’m 100% punting on this one. I don’t feel qualified to determine whether or not this is worth the 100 bottles or whatever of Canadian Mist you could buy with the same wad of cash. I will say that if Canadian whisky is your thing, you’d be doing yourself a disservice by not trying this whisky. ‘Tis the season. I don’t know if I actually have 6 more new whiskeys lined up, so if you’re reading this and there’s something readily available out there you’d like me to enjoy/suffer through this holiday season, leave it in the comments. Oh, and Merry freakin Christmas!

This whiskey has a pretty fancy presentation and a hefty 25 year age statement - congrats to the kids at the ad agency for Diego in churning out yet another top shelf looking bottle and getting people to buy it at top shelf prices ($160, myself included)- but that’s unfortunately where the magic ended for me Nose- pretty weak and hard to nail down- it’s hard to nail down because it’s uninteresting. Palate- mouth entry is smooth, it’s a light mouth feel with a small amount of spice. The tasting notes are pretty basic- it reminds me a little of a watered down blade and bow. Finish- smooth, tastes light - light like it’s been forgotten in a barrel a few years too many- IMO only malted barley (Scotch) holds up over 23 years in the barrel - rye and corn based spirits start to fall apart in a bad way after that time. If you want a blended whiskey that performs with smoothness and taste at a FRACTION of the cost - go with POWERS, that stuff is an amazing value. Don’t tell anyone; like I’m doing ... right... now. We all know how whiskey companies are pining over any opportunity to execute price hikes these days. Enjoy!

Very pleasant drinking. The initial hit is smooth vanilla, of course. If you swish it around a little bit, the palette lights up, with the barrel tannins and alcohol going on the attack. Also present are slight hints of leather, salt, and tobacco. Very good, but more of a crowd pleaser than a true unicorn bottle. Either way I’m not mad at it - no complaints.

Prefer with a drop of water to open. Very light, mild whisky (Canadian) - especially before opening. A drop of water brings out a much bolder flavor profile that a bourbon lover like myself probably prefers while still remaining very smooth to drink. A bit pricey at ~$130. But what do you want for 25 year aged whisky?

Price is expensive (~$160). I would give ~100 Taste light, I call it wine in brown color. Good for people who want some easygoing stuff. Light will be its character. Strong oak smell but taste much lighter than the smell. Can taste a light touch of vanilla In all the bottle is good but overpriced 6/10