Paul John Nirvana Single Malt

Forever trying to turn me on to Indian whisky, my buddy had me try some of this bottling: Paul John Nirvana. Now: I won't discount Indian whiskys completely but I've yet to have one I actually enjoyed. Let's have a taste... The nose on this single malt leans toward sweet and grainy. Honey, pear, pineapple and some tannic oak round out the rather interesting nose, if not a tad bit on the soft side. Taste begins sweet: simple syrup and vanilla bring an interestingly sticky mouth feel. Tannic oak hits mid palate and carries with some spiciness through to the end of the taste. Actually, that spice leans more toward peppercorn, making the mouth tingle just a bit. Faint whisps of pineapple and pear are in there but buried under the other notes. There's a bit of herbaceous cut grass that actually carries into the finish... As the finish begins, your mouth is left a bit prickly from the spice on the palate. Cut grass, honey and tannic black tea mixes with a little bit of hay. It's a sweet and earthy finish but quite short. This is a single malt, but it sure tastes like a blend. However that said, this is okay whisky and in fact, quite a bargain at such a low price point. Will I buy a bottle on my own some day? No, most definitely not. But then again, I'm more a bourbon man myself.

N: Lychee in fruit syrup. Seriously. Something herbal, even bordering on medicinal, in it. Citrus zest pops with a hard swirl. Ripe fruits follow, a little strawberry, pear, maybe peach. And then lychee slaps you in the face again like walking the dessert lane at a Chinese buffet. P: Fruity and crisp, yet still plenty sweet. The ripe fruits and citrus all kinda get thrown in a blender. Maybe one lychee on top for good measure, but more subdued on the palate. There's an indistinct yeasty, bready flavor that shifts to a light spice finish that's somewhere between cinnamon and ginger. Slick, coating, slightly oily mouthfeel. And a lingering bitterness that's almost hop-like, but also gives that tannic pucker in the cheeks. Do you know that moment before the orchestra starts playing and all the musicians are warming up, playing their own notes, and then the conductor signals and those disparate tunes merge into one cohesive sound? This is like that, but with no conductor to give the signal, so it's dissonance on repeat. Honestly, that's not so bad - interesting things happen - but it's not so good either. It's no symphony. Worth the adventure if you like it fruity.

Gifted this by my San Antonio whiskey friend. I have become a fan of Indian SM with a fondness for Amrut and PJ. This is the entry level PJ for around $30. Nose is fruity, yeasty and just a little bit dirty. There is some maltiness and bamboo shoots in there as well. Palate is salty soy simmered fruits, malty raw dough and green barrel woods. Decent flavor richness but balance is a bit off. Finish is fading malt with the fruits turning tropical and the barrel ocean soaked. It all turns to a light bitterness in the end. I am reminded of a blend with the bitter notes very grain-like. The usual Indian spice profile is very restrained if there at all. Is this amazing?...No, but there is a lot going on for 30 bucks. I think I will go elsewhere for my Indian SM fix but you can do a lot worse than Nirvana.....77/100......Teen spirit indeed

Wow! This is a $25 bottle of Bruichladdich! Just simply fantastic. Very complex nose firing off notes of sherry, pepper, malt and citrus. A very sweet nose, the more you sniff the nore you’ll unlock. On the palette is where its a tad bit underwhelming compared to the nose. The same notes persist but with a premature departure as the taste almost evaporated (like a $20 whiskey should) but nonetheless its a fantastic pickup and will remain a staple on my shelf.

Aroma is basic but interesting, it shows a bit of youth and raw malt character but not in a cloying new make way (though their new make is pretty good); Palate is less sweet and less farmy than aroma but it’s no less interesting; Finish is warm but short and I really wish it would stay around longer. All-in-all it’s a nicely-executed basic whisky, which is exactly what it’s meant to be.

Online drammers club pour. American White Oak Barrels, above ground cellar, angels share 8-10%, 3-4 years old Nose: Honey, Lemon, Orange, Caramel, Guava, Passion Fruit, Pineapple, Vanilla Custard, Mango, Flowers Palate: Orange, Cherry, Caramel, Honey, Vanilla, Dried Fruit, Apricot Finish: Vanilla Custard, Orange, Lemon, Caramel Nice easy drinker, would work great in cocktails.