El Jimador Reposado Tequila Review

Country: Mexico
Region: Amatitan, Jalisco
ABV: 40%
LCBO Price: $29.95
Availability: Wide


El Jimador gets it's namesake from the Jimadors, the harvesters of agave used in tequila making. It is the number one selling tequila in Mexico where it is favoured for being an inexpensive 100% Agave tequila.

For those new to tequila, there are two different types of tequila. 100% Agave tequila and Mixto tequila. Mixto tequila is partly distilled from Agave (51% minimum) and partly from other sugars such as cane sugar. Mixto tequila's are generally frowned upon by tequila enthusiasts, and 100% Agave tequila's are preferred.

El Jimador Reposado comes in a low key but pleasant bottle. My one gripe with the bottle is the metal cap, which leaves the spirit vulnerable to evaporation and spoilage if kept for an extended period of time.

On the nose, El Jimador Reposado is vegetal and somewhat dry. There is an almost gin-like herbalness, with juniper and soft botanicals. The other main note is a definite lemon. This is unusual for tequila, which usually has a lime scent and flavour. The lemon is unsweetened and bitter, and it is laced with the juniper and botanicals. Lemon and herb is a good description. There is also a rather unpleasant alcohol nip, even on the nose, which is akin to rubbing alcohol.

To taste, there is an immediate and unpleasant alcohol presence which renders the sipping experience a useless endeavor. Despite this, I noted some lemon, strong peppery notes, a vegetal note similar to artichoke and some botanical accents. There is no sweetness, and it has quite a watery mouthfeel.

Overall this is not a sippable or complex tequila. It is harsh, imbalanced and feels oddly watered down. It was harsh, alcoholic and unpleasantly peppery even when mixed with cola. I give it a 68 out of 100.

Rating: 68/100

Tullamore Dew Irish Whisky Review

Country: Ireland
Region: Near Cork, Ireland
ABV: 40%
LCBO Price: $29.95
Availability: Wide

Tullamore Dew is second most popular Irish Whiskey in the world, and one of the most widely available. It was first distilled in 1829 in Tullamore. a small town in the county of Offaly, Ireland. The "Dew" portion of it's name is derived from the initials of Daniel E. Williams (D.E.W.) a prominent Irish businessman and early owner of the distillery.


Examining the bottle, the first thing I notice is that the distillery has eschewed a proper cork or plastic cap in favour of a metal one. These metal caps do not properly seal the bottle once opened, and can cause the whisky to go stale before the bottle is finished. Therefore, keeping Tullamore Dew or any other whisky with a metal cap longer than a few weeks is not recommended. Otherwise the bottle is pleasant looking, if a bit on the dull side.

Without water, on the nose, there is actually quite a lot going on for a blend. I smell some single malts, but the first thing I pick up is pot still whiskey, almost identical to the nose of Redbreast Irish Potstill Whiskey. I have not tried Green Spot, so I will assume that this blend does in fact contain Redbreast. The pot-still note is bitter with rhubarb and green apple and gooseberry notes and metallic accents. The other whisky involved has a more creamy, toasty, malty character. Everything seems to be influenced by the young, green bitter pot still whiskey. There is a pinch of spice in the nose, actually closest to cayenne pepper, with grassy hay undertones.

To taste, there is some very apparent alcohol/grain heat paired with some cayenne spice. What immediately follows is the pot still whisky profile, as well as a distinct apple pie note. There is rhubarb, green apple, gooseberry, spice, and the slightest hint of sweet strawberry. There is something about the taste profile which reminds me of Jameson Irish Whiskey. Creamy and malty at first, but with a sharp, long, alcoholic finish. If I had to guess, I would say that this blend includes a number of whiskies, because the taste profile is complex, but imbalanced and not entirely cohesive.

With water, the nose immediately becomes floral, with violet notes, along with some grassy hay and malty sweetness. There is a bit of farm-funk midway through, and cayenne notes creep up in with repeated nosings. There is also some black pepper and mild clove. To taste it remains nearly unchanged with water, with prominent alcohol burn and cayenne pepper notes.

Overall, this is a competent whisky which is better than some popular offerings. However it is outclassed by Jameson, sports a metal cap, and is priced at about $30 Canadian. For that price I would recommend Islay Mist over this blend, or if Irish whiskey is a must, then Jameson or Bushmills Original. I give it a 78.5/100 for the somewhat pleasant pot still notes.

Rating: 78.5/100

The Singleton Of Glendullan 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky Review

Country: Scotland

Region: Speyside

LCBO Price: $47.95

The Singleton Of Glendullan is perhaps the most readily available single malt in Ontario next to Glenfiddich and Glenlivet, and one of the least expensive.

While it sports the Singleton namesake, Glendullan is the distillery responsible for the production of this whisky. That is because The Singleton is a brand which encompasses two distilleries. Glendullan and Dufftown, both from the Speyside region of Scotland.

The presentation of this malt is quite handsome, coming in a tall, flask-shaped bottle with a green tint. The label is elegant, and the cork appears to be genuine. The presentation is reminiscent of Ballantine's blends, with it's use of cursive type-face and more elegant design cues.

On the nose, there is a very Glenfiddich-esque apple note with a touch of leather, subdued sherry, green banana, lemon zest, tangerine, pear, bourbon, pecans, cola and a pinch of salt/sea air. Overall I would describe the taste profile as having a "green" quality. Mainly green fruits, especially green banana if left to open up in the glass for a few minutes.

Tasting The Singleton Of Glendullan without water, the whisky exhibits an almost schizophrenic quality. There is sherry, and there is malt, but there doesn't seem to be enough of either. You get an unsatisfying wave of sherry, cut short too soon, and then a similar wave with the malt and a similarly unsatisfying finish. I attribute this to the aging in both sherry casks and bourbon casks. There is sherry, and there is bourbon, but the whisky is neither, so you're left wishing you had more of one of them, rather than less of both. There is also a bit too much heat here without water.

With water, the harshness is subdued, and the whisky opens up to reveal a much more balanced flavour profile. The bourbon notes fade away all but completely, and the malt becomes much more apparent. Most pleasingly, a smoky note reveals itself, with a finish not unlike Cragganmore 12 year old. Toasty malty notes and a pinch of smoke on the finish make this a much more enjoyable dram with water. There are still lingering notes of apple, green banana and spice. In fact, with the smoke and green banana, there is something about the finish of this whisky which is similar to Appleton Estate rums, though much subdued.

I much preferred The Singleton with water, and I encourage anyone wishing to purchase this whisky to add some (sparingly). The whisky is dense in it's flavour profile, and somewhat closed without it.

Overall, I would give this whisky 85/100. The presentation is handsome, but the nose is lackluster and a bit too green for my tastes. Without water, the whisky has a split personality, but opens up nicely once water is added.

Rating: 85/100

Four Roses Yellow Label Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky Review

Country: United States
Region: Kentucky
ABV: 40%
LCBO Price: $28.85

The legend of Four Roses bourbon, according to the distillery, is that "Paul Jones Jr., the founder of Four Roses Bourbon, became smitten by a beautiful Southern belle. He sent a proposal to her, and she replied that if her answer were "Yes", she would wear a corsage of roses on her gown to the upcoming grand ball. When she showed up at the night of the ball in her beautiful gown, she wore a corsage of four red roses. He later named his Bourbon "Four Roses" as a symbol of devout passion for the lovely belle".

Quaint legends aside, Four Roses has gained a reputation as a fine entry level bourbon. It is the most popular bourbon in Japan, and remains a favourite in many countries across the globe.

On the nose, poured into a Glencairn glass, this bourbon exhibited many qualities normally found in more expensive whiskies. It has a toasty, almost malty note which I normally associate with single malts and Anejo tequila's. When I say toasty, I mean toasted oat. The note, on both the nose and the taste, is similar to that of Cheerio's breakfast cereal, and not in a negative way. There is also oak, honey, and what I would describe as a "tropical" fruit profile. There is ripe banana, kiwi, mango and cantaloupe/honeydew melon, along with some Bartlett's pear on the non-tropical side.

To taste, without water, the body is light and ever so slightly oily, with waves of toasty oats, honeydew and cantaloupe, a nice amount of oak, ripe banana, mango, kiwi, and hints of red fruits (cherries, raspberries). The finish is especially long for a bourbon in this price range, with toasty notes, oak, raspberry and maple syrup. Once I noticed the raspberry note in this bourbon, it became more prominent. It's a creamy raspberry, along the lines of raspberry's and cream, or raspberry yogurt.

With water, the toasty note on the nose becomes leathery and peppery, with hints of dried cayenne and black pepper, and to taste, the spicy notes dominate, while the rest of the whisky becomes imbalanced and diluted. I would recommend enjoying this whisky without water, as the nose and the taste profile are both better without.

Overall, this is easily the best bourbon under $30 currently available at the LCBO. It out-performed both Jim Beam Black and Wild Turkey on both the taste and the nose. It also outclassed Jack Daniel's Old No.7 at nearly two dollars less the price. For it's value and quality, I give Four Roses Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky 88/100, and highly recommend it as a go-to bourbon on a budget for those living in Ontario.

Rating: 88/100

Isle Of Jura 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

Country: Scotland
Region: Isle Of Jura
ABV: 40%
LCBO Price: $47.95

The Isle Of Jura is one of the Inner Hebrides islands, an archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. It is separated by a small channel from the island of Islay, which is the most well known whisky producing island in Scotland. Jura on the other hand has only a single distillery, this being the eponymous Isle Of Jura distillery.

The Isle Of Jura range is diverse, and cannot be pigeonholed as such. Their lineup contains young, light single malts. Peated blended malts, and bottlings of various ages.

This review is for the Isle Of Jura 10 year old, also known as Isle Of Jura Origin. It is the youngest and least expensive Jura malt available, and it recently appeared for a limited time at the LCBO.

On the nose, there is sweet malt, subdued leather, sea air, toffee, grass or green leaves, cocoa, citrus (perhaps closest to orange) and some definite floral notes. The longer it is left in the glass, the longer the malt/sea air combination becomes dominant.

To taste without water, it has a lighter mouthfeel, toasty notes, sea salt, milk chocolate, chocolatey malt, orange and leather. On the finish, the sea salt/air is the last to leave. This is quite pleasant.

With water, it becomes instantly over-diluted, and therefore I don't recommend adding water to this whisky. It is already of light constitution, and it is already bottled at a delicate 40% abv.

If you are shopping in Canada at the LCBO, the only ten year old whisky in the same price range is Aberlour 10 year old, and I would say this single malt is easily comparable in quality to that whisky.

Rating: 87/100

Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Review

Country: United States
Region: Kentucky
ABV: 45%
LCBO Price: $39.95 in limited quantities

Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon, regarded as one of the more reliable and consistently well crafted entry level bourbons on the market, recently became available at the LCBO for a limited time. I was able to obtain a bottle, and have been sampling it over the past week leading up to this review.

The included booklet tells the story of how America's first pioneer's followed the path, or "trace" left by migrating buffalo. The distillery is located on the spot where the migration route crossed the Kentucky river. Bourbon whisky has been crafted at this location for over 200 years.

On the nose there is wood, caramel, subdued char bitterness, smoke, fall leaves, vanilla, birch-bark and a distinctly earthy, soil-like note. The overall profile is autumnal and woodsy.

Without water, the mouthfeel is quite oily and viscous. The taste profile revisits all of the notes found in the nose. Fall leaves, smoke, caramel, earthy tones, with some faint char. At 45%abv. the whisky has quite a bite, though it is not overly unpleasant or abrasive.

Once water is added, the oily nature of the whisky dissipates, and some butternut squash and vegetal notes begin to come through. More so with each drop of water added.

Overall, Buffalo Trace is a very rugged, pleasant bourbon which is not cloyingly sweet or unpleasantly bitter. it is bottled at 45% and it takes water very well. The only downside is the price at the LCBO, which I feel is a bit high considering this bourbon sells for the same price as Jack Daniels Old No.7 in the United States. For that reason, I give it 87/100.

Rating: 87/100