So I recently bought a bottle of the new Bic-exclusive Glenfarclas expression "THE INTENSE", and I quite like it. Decided to do a side-by-side tasting with the 12 yr Cask Strength I bought a while back, which is also a Japan Exclusive bottle, since they are similar price and ABV.

IIRC, THE INTENSE cost ¥13,800 ($88) and is 58% ABV, and the 12 CS cost ¥13,000 ($83) and is 59.6% ABV.

I quite like them both. Both are recognizably Glenfarclas, but different styles. Despite the higher ABV, the 12 CS is closer to the delicate, mild and elegantly sherried "standard profile" of Glenfarclas, while THE INTENSE is, richer, sherry-er, spicier and well... more INTENSE, leaning in the direction of Aberlour A'Bunadh (which I also love). They both are a level above the 105, which I find a bit rough and less well-integrated than most Glenfarclas expressions (makes sense given the price difference).

Anyway, they're both really good cask strength bottles. 12 CS for when you're feeling rather sophisticated, and THE INTENSE for when you're feeling more adventurous and looking for something more, uh, intense.

I’ve had this in the cupboard for months. Never tasted it. Theres a storm blowing outside and the fires on. It’s time.

Category: Blend

Distillery: Midleton (1975-)

Bottled: 2025

Cask Type: Double Charred Ex-Bourbon Barrels

Strength: 40.0 %

Size: 700 ml

Nose
As soon as I opened the whiskey, I took a quick sniff both from the cork and the bottle opening and detected sweet malt aromas reminiscent of delicate vanilla, coconut, and biscuits. After pouring some into a Glencairn glass and letting it breathe for about 10 minutes, I nosed it again; once more, vanilla and coconut took center stage, accompanied by an oak character that offered a refreshing, slightly menthol like quality. There were also hints of dry wood, faint suggestions of cocoa, chocolate, or cinnamon, and further in the background subtle notes of nuts, such as hazelnut, walnut, and almond.
Taste
Upon taking an initial, preparatory sip, I encounter a flavor profile that feels quite balanced and somewhat neutral not leaning decisively in any one direction. It is easy-drinking while the 40% ABV gives it a slightly thin, watery quality, it also possesses a silky texture. As I continue to sip, I pick up notes of subtle vanilla and mildly sweet malt, along with faint, fleeting hints of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, and cinnamon. On my tongue, I also detect a gentle touch of black pepper and ginger, accompanied by a superficial warmth reminiscent of toasted oak.
Finish
In the finish, as it goes down my throat, I detect a subtle note reminiscent of milky or vanilla infused coffee this doesn't last long, however, and soon gives way to toasted oak and spices such as a hint of black pepper and ginger lingering on my tongue. When I exhale through my nose to bring the flavors back, I can perceive faint traces of vanilla, coconut, a whisper of coffee, cinnamon, and oak, followed just as it reaches its conclusion by a fleeting, toasted, nutty quality. These notes persist for a duration ranging from short to medium.

Overall, I find this to be a well crafted whiskey that serves its purpose effectively. It offers a very smooth drinking experience, complemented by subtle, pleasant aromas. Depending on what you’re looking for, it certainly won’t disappoint in fact, it’s quite satisfying. It’s an unpretentious, enjoyable, everyday whiskey that delivers good value for its price. Cheers.

Nose: 83/100

Taste: 81/100

Finish: 80/100

Price: 34€

My ratings are generally based on Whiskybase tradition and calibration, and while scored out of 100, they are structured within a narrower range.

<79 May have flaws.
80-82 Borderline acceptable.
83 Average daily good.
84 Good, nice, pleasant, liked.
85 Very good, deep, rich.
86+ Excellent.

Hi all, I'm here with another rather interesting Japanese whisky, and this one is an OB from the now defunct Karuizawa distillery!

The Karuizawa distillery was founded in 1955 under Daikoku Wine (later renamed Ocean, then Mercian Corporation), which was originally a winemaker and liquor distributor. During its heyday in the 1960s-80s, they were one of the major players in the Japan whisky market, butting heads with the likes of Suntory and Nikka despite being much smaller in scale than the two. 

However, Karuizawa was hit particularly hard by the Japanese bubble economy burst in the 1980s and the following depression in the 90s. This led to them gradually cutting production, and eventually ceasing distillation in 2000 due to poor sales during the whisky glut. The distillery officially closed in 2011, where the remaining casks were sold to overseas independent bottlers. 

Ironically, several of these later IB releases earned major international recognition as well as exceptionally high prices on auctions- something Karuizawa themselves never did during their time. The prestige from these standout IBs, coupled with the now defunct status, meant any whisky made by Karuizawa had become highly sought after collectors' items.

A short while ago, I remember seeing a post asking about a few older bottles from the 1990s~2000s, and amongst them was the bigger bottle version of this exact whisky. So I figured why not write about it!

Details in comments!

*Oh, a kind of important side note: due to the prestige linked to the Karuizawa name, several shameless ripoff products exist on the market (particularly sold outside of Japan). The "Karuizawa Kohaku Roman" blended whisky seen in pic 2 is a prime example- it is made by San.Foods, a food processor/winery company that *doesn't even own a distillery*. You can even find this bottle on several international auctions, with oblivious bidders mistakenly thinking it to be a Karuizawa OB. I'd hate to be that guy lmao

As always, I do my reviews live and it’s a review of my experience with this pour. It’s not meant to be aggregated.

This is such a great bottle. It’s a little quirky and it’s definitely not for everyone but as someone who loves single malts and bourbon, it’s a fun concept and maybe I’m just the kind of sucker for something like this.

I look forward to blinding it in the future. I grabbed a bottle at the distillery before they ran out and then saw that they were going for under MSRP on Unicorn so I grabbed two more.

What is it? A collab between Bardstown and Mars: A blend of Bardstown Kentucky bourbon and Mars Japanese single malts.

69% 10 Year Old Bardstown bourbon (74/18/0/8)

8% 16 year old Bardstown bourbon (75/13/0/12)

20% Komagatake 5 year old Single Malt

3% Tsunuki 5 year old single malt

ABV: 54.9%

Price paid: $99.99 or $109.99. I don’t remember exactly. I bought it at the distillery this Spring. As mentioned earlier these go for as low as $85 or $90 at auction. One of those weird anomalies. I guess most people d on t love it like I do.

The other cool thing is this was all aged in barrels together in Kentucky. There will be another version next year led by Mars and it’ll all be aged in barrels in Japan and it’ll be heavier on the single malt and lighter on the bourbon.

Nose: Chocolate up front. Like powdered chocolate for an instant cake almost. Vanilla. A hint of fruit. A nice bit of malted barley. There’s something of ice cream - vanilla / chocolate ice cream swirl.

Palate: There’s some hard candy up front. Not werthers original quote but something like that. It’s a quite buttery mouthfeel. Definite graham cracker. Some maybe raspberry or plum notes - maybe cherry. Definitely a fruit layer.

Finish: Cherry comes out more on the finish. It’s a nice long finish, really pleasant. Some toasted oak. More of those fruits that I can’t 100% place.

9.2/10

I’m a fucking sucker for this bottle. I’ve rated it anywhere from an 8.1-9.3, I guess depending on my mood. That’s absurd. I’m admittedly just so in love with the concept that it probably skews me high. But this is one of my favorite whiskies of 2026.

I've looked through the posts on here and there are some decent suggestions. But looking for some fresh ideas- I need to get a decent but low cost whisky. I tend to default to famous grouse or JW at this price point, but anyone got a surprisingly good option for £20?

Fist post here, this is my usual Friday drink! I really do enjoy both whisky, bourbon and whiskey straight. This is great as well though.