I received a couple of bottles of 15 Stars whiskeys a couple of weeks ago and Matt and I sat down to taste them. The first is 15 Stars Triple Cask Batch 2. It is finished in cognac, rum and apple brandy casks and contains whiskeys that are 8 and 16 years old in the bottle. The second is 15 Stars Timeless Reserve with 13 and 15 year old whiskeys in the bottle. Both were very good whiskeys and here are our tasting notes.
15 Stars Triple Cask Batch 2
Proof: 103
Age: Eight Years Old
Nose:
- Mike: Vanilla, wild berries, baking spices and oak wood.
- Matt: Caramel, corn, blueberries and oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Vanilla, blackberries, white pepper and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and cherries and cinnamon come out in the flavor. Tasted with a pecan and a very creamy French vanilla comes out.
- Matt: Caramel, corn, blueberries and oak wood. The dried cranberry added a note of fresh lemonade. The pecan enhanced the caramel and made it a bit one dimensional in flavor.
Finish:
- Mike: Medium long with oak wood and white pepper. The dried cranberry made the spice a rich cinnamon. The pecan made the finish long with oak, cinnamon and lingering vanilla.
- Matt: Medium long with oak wood, blueberries and pecans. The dried cranberry added lingering lemonade flavor to the finish. The pecan made the finish longer with oak and lemonade.
15 Stars Timeless Reserve Bourbon
Proof: 103
Age: Thirteen Years Old
Nose:
- Mike: Rich vanilla. Dried fruits, baking spices and oak wood.
- Matt: Vanilla, marshmallows, cherries, lavender and oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Vanilla, citrus, green apples, cinnamon and oak wood. The dried cranberry made it very fruity with green apple and sour cherries. The pecan made it rich in vanilla and milk chocolate, with apples and cinnamon.
- Matt: Vanilla, marshmallows, cherries and oak wood. The dried cranberry added a bit of orange zest to the mix. The pecan made the vanilla more of a caramel toffee.
Finish:
- Mike: Long with oak wood, cinnamon and lingering citrus. The dried cranberry made the finish shorter and there were lingering apple notes. The pecan made the finish long with oak, chocolate and cinnamon spice.
- Matt: Medium long with oak and cherries. The dried cranberry made the finish shorter and sweeter. The pecan added orange zest to the finish.
I would pair these whiskeys with a Rocky Patel Decade cigar. I think the vanilla and tobacco notes of the smoke would pair well with the vanilla and oak in these whiskeys.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller