dmarkle Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 I had some of this tonight. Dear Lord in Heaven this is bad stuff. If Captain Morgan and Johnnie Red had a baby this is what it would be.You can smell the caramel coloring as soon as you open the bottle with what seems to be vanillin, chill filtered, blended, bottled at 40%. A friend of a friend brought it over for our scotch night. He's the new Waingro. Not as bad as the last friend of a friend who brought Red Stag to the scotch/bourbon night! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 It's the thought that counts doesn't apply to someone who wasn't thinking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnDew Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 Wow, thats harsh. Oddly enough I actually enjoy the Spice Road version and found it worth the $40 it cost me for a 1L. I occasionally enjoy a Black Label and find this much better, more peat with a little more depth to it. No where near as good as Green Label but still tasty. I have not tried the rest of the explorers club and I don't plan on it, but I did not find the spice road nearly as bad as you did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarkle Posted May 24, 2014 Author Share Posted May 24, 2014 Wow, thats harsh. Oddly enough I actually enjoy the Spice Road version and found it worth the $40 it cost me for a 1L. I occasionally enjoy a Black Label and find this much better, more peat with a little more depth to it. No where near as good as Green Label but still tasty. I have not tried the rest of the explorers club and I don't plan on it, but I did not find the spice road nearly as bad as you did.I just get sooo much over the top E150A caramel taste. IMO if you're going to the Duty Free, spend an extra 15 bucks and get the Macallan Select Oak...Don't get me wrong, I love me some Green Label. I also love me some Black Label. Perhaps I'm being a bit overly harsh. I guess Compass Box has ruined me with the quality of their blends and has raised my standards! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRich Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 Wow, thats harsh. Oddly enough I actually enjoy the Spice Road version and found it worth the $40 it cost me for a 1L. I occasionally enjoy a Black Label and find this much better, more peat with a little more depth to it. No where near as good as Green Label but still tasty. I have not tried the rest of the explorers club and I don't plan on it, but I did not find the spice road nearly as bad as you did.My thoughts exactly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarkle Posted May 25, 2014 Author Share Posted May 25, 2014 Sorry, when I posted the review, I had been drinking. I know that's no excuse. :cool:(but seriously, to people who haven't had it -- do yourself a favor and pick up something else at Duty Free!)Oh and don't get me started about the Dalmore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 (edited) Not to derail this thread, but had to look up E150a caramel. I see that it's basically caramel coloring like in Coke, etc. It has a flavor? If so, is it added to some scotches to impart flavor? Or, just to darken up the whiskey? Is it in many scotches? Is it's addition noted on the label? Edited May 25, 2014 by smokinjoe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 Not to derail this thread, but had to look up E250a caramel. I see that it's basically caramel coloring like in Coke, etc. It has a flavor? If so, is it added to some scotches to impart flavor? Or, just to darken up the whiskey? Is it in many scotches? Is it's addition noted on the label?The intention is supposed to be to just add color. Some producers say they use it to keep each batch looking the same from batch to batch and no doubt some also to try to give the impression of greater maturity although they aren't likely to admit to that. The coloring is used in many spirits that allow color to be added. Rum is another good example and probably some tequilas (and some craft whiskey no doubt). Some debate about what if any influence it has on flavor in spirits. I think most people feel it doesn't add to or change the flavor.http://www.masterofmalt.com/blog/post/Can-you-taste-Caramel-%28E150a%29-in-Whisky.aspxhttp://www.dramming.com/2012/02/16/caramel-in-whisky-demystifying-a-demon/There are a few people on the fringe that think it will cause cancer. Aren't there always? Well I suppose anything might cause cancer if you consume enough of it so I probably wouldn't eat a dump truck full of it. Otherwise I expect you are OK. It is just overheated sugar after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarkle Posted May 25, 2014 Author Share Posted May 25, 2014 Great articles, tanstaafl2. I guess it's not the caramel coloring itself I taste in it, after all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 Yes, thanks for the links Bruce. I saw that master of Malt one while snooping around. Interesting subject. I see their is quite a debate in the scotch community over its use. Probably a 30+ pager here on SB if the practice were to be used in Bourbonia! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnDew Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 (edited) I just get sooo much over the top E150A caramel taste. IMO if you're going to the Duty Free, spend an extra 15 bucks and get the Macallan Select Oak...Don't get me wrong, I love me some Green Label. I also love me some Black Label. Perhaps I'm being a bit overly harsh. I guess Compass Box has ruined me with the quality of their blends and has raised my standards!Hmmm, I may take you up on that. Personally I swore off buying anything from Macallan due to their extreme price and a VERY poor price/value ratio, at least to my pallet. Their CS was good, but when it skyrocketed in price and then disappeared I walked away and have not looked back. That being said, the select oak was still intriguing, but I had not pulled the trigger on it during my last few duty free trips. Maybe this next time I'll give it a whirl.I also second the Compass Box reference. While Green Label remains one of my favorite blends to date, Compass Box really knows their stuff. I finally got over my prejudice and tried a few of their expressions (Delilahs, Hedonism, and Great King Street) and wow, talk about tasty! I have not purchased a bottle from them yet but will likely remedy that in the near future. Now my preferred blend list (obviously including blended malts) goes, in order of price, Monkey Shoulder -> Green Label -> Anything Compass Box. Thanks!EDIT* One thing for those interested in the E150 coloring debate. Whisk(e)ys that are sold in Germany, and perhaps other countries, have to disclose any additives and that includes this coloring. If you see a bottle from Germany with the words "mit farbstoff" on it, then it has added coloring. If you search around there are posts that show or talk about bottles that say this, people are using it as a way to determine if color has been added to any of the commonly available whiskys. I supposed the distiller could just be added coloring to their bottles bound for Germany and that the US and other bound bottles don't have any, but I find this hard to believe and likely opposite of the truth. If you have to disclose it, I would think they might shy away from adding coloring to the German version but who knows.Either way, I personally prefer to see the natural color and this is one reason my purchases lately have tended towards cask strength independent bottles. Edited May 25, 2014 by MtnDew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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