Review #766; Brandy #25: Lairds Single Cask 56 month

This is a bottling from Lairds, claimed to be the oldest Distillery in the United States (they do have distillery license #1). This is a concentrated apple brandy aged for 56 months in a single cask before being bottled at cask strength with no additives.

Barrel #: 16E12#10

ABV: 60.5%

Nose: Baking Spices, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Caramel, Butter, Baked Pasty, Cloves

Palate: Thick oily mouthfeel, Cinnamon, Caramel, Vanilla, Baked Pastry, Lemon Zest, Black Pepper, Cloves

Finish: Medium length finish, Black Pepper, Green Apple, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Baked Pastry

Rating: 6/10

This is my first experience with Apple brandy and I come away from this impressed. The fruits, baking spices, and pastry all mesh together very well. The flavors are balanced and the oak influence from the cask is nice. It runs a bit hot so a few drops of water could help but overall I will be looking to acquire a bottle of Lairds CS for myself in the future.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect