Laird's Apple Brandy Single Cask Selection

Taste- 2 oz with and without water in glen cairn. This is Binnys SiB cask strength pick coming in at 130 proof. 7 years old, barreled in 2015. Nose- honey crisp apples, and cinnamon. There is also some clove and ethanol that moves off quickly. Palate- Wow this is hot! It is a tongue tickler for sure. Once the ethanol clears it is pear, baked apple brown betty, and a bit of lemony citrus. Much tastier with water where the high proof doesnt overwhelm. This is high octane spirit, and not for the faint of heart! Finish- a bit longer and much hotter than you would like as compared to a gentle snifter of sipping brandy. Goes out on a cinnamon red hot candy note. Overall- Cask strength brandy is so different than sipping brandy for me. This is more like a hot apple flavored whiskey. A bit too much of the rough stuff for me to really enjoy. I need water to manage it. That said, when you downproof it, and let it breathe it is a classic cure for the common cold.

Nose after 5-10 min rest: Apples are the dominant nose, red ripe apple, caramel, spice- nutmeg, oaky vanilla, banana, floral notes, pepper, honey, almond nuttiness Taste: wow- intense blast of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg spices, apple, alcohol heat, then heavy caramel, oakiness, apples again, some nuttiness and a moderately long decay with apple, spices, vanilla, almonds, and medium caramel. A few drops of water turn down the burn and open up more higher fruit notes and caramel.

Apples and alcohol... very hot, not much other flavors when compared to Calvados for same price. I'm normally a proof hound but cutting this one, removes the heat and brings out sweeter notes, I don't get much oak from 6 years of aging.

Virginia ABC cask selection, aged 5 years/63.75% Nose: apple pie, pears, honey, cinnamon Palate: jolly rancher apple, caramel corn Finish: zesty, sour Wow…liquid candy in a glass, a bit sweet but still tasty.

Apple and clove on the nose. The taste is hot (hello 124+ proof) with more apples & more spices, but the spices turn to cinnamon. It's very warming on the finish. I enjoy it.

It's like drinking an apple pie. Apples, and apples, and apples. Some phenolic tones, a little spice, but then more and more apples.