MrWizard's Ramblings

Did i mention it’s big backlog of rums yet? And few others…

What — Notes — Score

Brandy

1985 Domaine de Baraillon 38 Year Old Armagnac, K&L SP, 47% — Fruits and oak and everything nice. This is *really good*. Really-really good — Score: A
1990 Domaine du Cardinat 32 Year Old Bar-Armagnac, 56% — Dark fruits and lots of wood. Spices, wood varnish, light mint. Fans of oak-forward brandies are welcome — Score: A-
1975 Marcillac 38 Year Old Armagnac, 42% — Lots of wood here, dark fruits and spices, strong tannins even at low proof. Somewhat drying, tannic palate and aftertaste — Score: B
1973 Bhakta 49 Year Old Armagnac, 50.3% — Sweet dried dark fruits, oak forward but not tannic. Well balanced, dark and woody armagnac. — Score: A-

Mezcal

2022 Real Minero: Espadin, Largo, Batch DRMM2-15 50.1% — Extremely clean, little sweet and mineral-forward, slightly smoky with notable cigarette tobacco notes — Score: B+

Rum

Flor De Cana 20 Years Old, 130th anniversary, Nicaragua, 45% — Dark color; caramel and deep wood notes on the nose. Oak, dark fruits, a bit of spice on the palate. Well balanced and sippable but not a standout for me. Perhaps a touch too much oak for perfect balance. — Score: B-
2007 Jamaica ITP 15, Long Pond, Holmes Cay, 56% — Viscous, minty, woody, sweet, vanilla, ripe tropical fruits, lightly funky. ITP is ‘low ether mark’. Ridiculous flavor bomb, bordering on ‘too much’. Drinks hotter than it should be, oddly enough. Really-really good. — Score: A-
2012 Guyana 10, Smuggler’s Cove SP, Holmes Cay, 55% — Tropical custard full of light fruits, nicely spiced in a liquid form. Deliciously tropical pineapple and chili cake. — Score: A-
2012 Australia 10, Rapid Liquors SP, Beenleigh, Holmes Cay, 61% — Somewhat yeasty nose, funky, vanilla-forward, sweet, with very light mint on the palate. Well balanced and excellent experience nose-to-aftertaste. — Score: B+
2009 Holmes Cay Foursquare, Premier Crue, 55% — Less wine-y than I expected. More of toasted cask spice. Fairly typical, lighter version of foursquare profile somewhat reminding me of 2004 with warming chili heat. — Score: A-
2004 Foursquare 11, ECS 3, 59% — Light foursquare profile, none of the dark ex-bourbon stuff compared to more recent vintages. A touch of ginger or chili spice in the aftertaste. Excellent, even if somewhat ‘light’ compared to later versions. — Score: B+
Foursquare Criterion, ECS 5, 56% — Ex-bourbon + madeira casks. Rum and wine. Dark fruits and rum. Surprisingly gentle on alcohol, but somewhat wine-forward and spicy. Sweet mulled wine is a good summary here. This one is wildly experimental in a good way. — Score: B+
Foursquare Sovereignty, ECS 19, 62% — Ex-bourbon + sherry cask. A much more modern foursquare now. Again, typical foursquare profile, sweeter and woodier due to sherry. Drinks like a very sweet, very sherried malt. Quite oaky and borderline too sweet to balance that out. — Score: B+
Foursquare Nobiliary, ECS 12, 62% — Ex-bourbon foursquare here. Still typical wood and oak and sweet vanilla notes, but this one leans a slightly hot & funky in an odd twist. Somewhat of an interesting bridge between 2004 (ECS 3) and modern ECS bottles. — Score: B+

More to come!

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Scoring Breakdown: https://www.aerin.or … age=scores_breakdown

Timorous Beastie 24, Sherried Edition 46.8%
A Douglas Laing production of the Highland blended malts no less than 24 years old, this one was aged in sherry. Components unknown but are all from Highland as per the theme. The nose is black currant berry, some alcohol, dark tea. Palate is sweet, cocoa-forward, yet not overwhelming and surprisingly thin in texture. Some cinnamon and orange peel round off the palate. The aftertaste is medium long with more or less whatever was in the palate rounded off and finished by the sweet vanilla and a malt hug with an absolute miniscule touch of ashy smoke in the very tail end. Overall: Enjoyable and mouth-watering, this is an imminently-consumable pour that is deceptively complex, but at the same time doesn’t quite evoke my need to dissect its layers that are perhaps too jammed together to be dissectable. It’s enjoyable for what it is nonetheless. Value: Picked up at $109… I’ll say yes, value’s there for the age for sure
Score: A-

Benrinnes 12, Mahler-Besse, Rum Cask 56.2%
A plantation rum cask bottling of Benrinnes… Color-wise is very pale straw which suggests the cask was at least once refilled. Likely ex-bourbon to age rum, then this. The nose is very sweet apples and tropical fruit compote with a note of apple brandy weaving through. WIth a bit of time the palate settles down yet still keeps few notes around the edges. The palate got marzipan, vanilla cake, surprising amount of chili heat and baking spices leaning towards peppers and chilies. Aftertaste is more enjoyable than the palate for me, with orchard and tropic fruits again and gently fading heat. Overall: For a 12 year old in rum cask this is by no mean a slouch on the flavor department but it doesn’t quite move a needle on the ‘remarkable’ or ‘must have’ sort of bottling. Value: Acquired at 80… Not a bad value for the price.
Score: B

Compass Box Myths and Legends 1, Balblair, 46%
The nose got some light honey and orchard fruits, with a touch of melons in the mix, quite floral. The palate isn’t very complicated. Light vanilla, toasted grain, good dollop of white pepper. The same light flowers and melon notes underpin the palate experience. Aftertaste lingers for a while with light oak, more peppers and rounded maltiness. A touch of savoriness rounds off the experience. No water needed here. Overall: Efficiently executed, this draws unfortunate comparisons to balblair 2005 i have on the shelf as they are very similar to each other. Functional, drinkable, enjoyable, if a touch too green-wood oak forward in the blending this a quality pour for a casual conversation. Value: ~150 msrp when it got released originally … Pretty bottle but overpriced.
Score: B+

Craigellachie 15, Old Malt Cask, K&L SP, 52.2%
Cask #HL20936, Old Malt Cask. Hunter Laing, distilled in 2009 and bottled in 2024 for K&L wines, refill sherry hogshead. Sherried speysider? Yup! Dark chocolate and very toasty caramel on the nose. Palate is very clearly chocolate covered raisins, and perhaps some other dark berries covered in chocolate, blueberries perhaps while dusted on top with chili powder. Medium length aftertaste that’s both pleasant yet lacking any distinct character from the aforementioned notes. The dark chocolate berry notes fade first, then the chili and baking spices. Overall: A competent and a confident bottling with all the earmarks of the modern whiskey profile, this doesn’t disappoint across the board by lacking flavor or having bad notes in it. This isn’t a subtle pour that hides in the layers, but an impact on the palate. At the same time, I’m feeling that it lacks some of the complexity to elevate it beyond that. That being said, it’s just fine, an enjoyable sherried, generic, speysider at cask proof with nothing to really complain about. Value: Sold at $109 from K&L it’s a reasonable value these days to fill a spot for sherried malt in your collection.
Score: B+

Talisker 18, 45.8%
An original Talisker bottling… Thank you friend Mark. If I’m reading the laser code right it’s from ‘22. Smoked red fruits on the nose, cherries, and perhaps a touch of prune, a note of tobacco. The peat isn’t overwhelming the palate with lots of fruits still showing through. It alternates between sweet and nutty to somewhat smoky and drying depending on the sip and timing. The palate flip-flop always pulls towards the other side of the spectrum from where it started on a particular sip. Notes of pepper and a salty-sweet composition round off the experience. The long aftertaste with slightly numbing pepperiness follows without being too spicy. Couple of drops of water make it slightly sweeter to round off the somewhat salty peat and peppery character. This is very welcome as I was wishing it was just a touch less dry out of the bottle. Overall: A classy and somewhat old-school dram, this is akin to being on an average-ish old time sailboat. There’s nothing wrong with a classic but there are better options that offer more. Value: $180 at total wine. I’m not paying it. Get it at a bar if the price is right.
Score: B

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Scoring Breakdown: https://www.aerin.or … age=scores_breakdown

Tiny Samples First, thanks friend Jason!:

Bluegrass Distillers, Elkwood Reserve 15, Kentucky, 58% — These come as single casks so your experience may vary… Woody, sweet, punchy, somewhat spicy. This is classic bourbon through and through. Well balanced, if slightly hot, sipper. — Score: Yay-
Four Gate, Seelbach’s? SP, Toasted Barrell, Heaven Hill, ~60% — Nutty, high proof. Quite woody, little corny, spicy, the usual. Seems to lack a truly enjoyable bourbon depth and texture. That being said it’s almost too easy to drink. Would enjoy a bottle — Score: Yay-
Quixotic Spirits Rebirth; Heaven Hill, 64.8% — Minty. Woody, perhaps too woody. Spicy, warming, velvet texture. Not overpowering for the proof, being surprisingly gentle. Fantastic front to back. — Score: Yay

Sweeten’s Cove “Specialty Release 2021” (Dickel), 56.48%
A true Dickel blend of different ages with high proof. Dickel is a polarizing distillate. Many associate it with Flintstone’s vitamins, especially those that had those. For me it just typically tastes nutty bad… or flowery good. This one happens to lean towards flowers; a small win I guess. Toasted wood and cologne on the nose. Slightly nutty but not offensive, well-balanced palate, dry oak, baking spices, black pepper. Aftertaste lingers for a bit with dried orange peel, little pepper and cinnamon, backed by toasted wood and some vanilla. Overall: Certainly one of the better (possibly best) Dickel bottlings I’ve had, it leaves little to complain about provided you fundamentally enjoy the peanuts-or-flowers profile. In this case it’s dry oranges, oak, and balanced baking spices. Value: Picked this up at $30 on clearance. Avoid at 160 MSRP.
Score: B+

Sweetens Cove “Kennessee”, 55.35%
A brief one: This is a blend of Dickel (Tennessee) and Undisclosed Kentucky bourbons in a secret proportion, “finished with toasted sugar maple wood”. That’s from the bottle. Little maple-sweet note on the nose, backed by strong alcohol. This is a younger blend here. The nose is surprisingly Kentucky once the maple dissipates. I’m going to skip describing and go straight to: Overall: It’s a decent Dickel and Kentucky blend. Nothing more, nothing less, it’s exactly as it sounds. The peanuts are somewhat balanced by the Kentucky spice in the blend but are still there. Mix 1792 and Dickel BiB together and this is what you get. Somewhat sweeter than typical faire due to sugar maple finish which makes it both more and less tolerable depending on mood and what you are tasting in the glass from Dickel DNA. Value: Picked up for $10 on clearance. Not worth it at MSRP of about 60.
Score: C+

Subtle Spirits Bourbon (MGP) #77, 57.8%
MGP distillate aged 10 years. Smells very nice, bourbon, distinct tobacco note on the nose too. Layered complexity in the palate, steeped black tea, balanced sugars and cinnamon, toasted vanilla. Surprisingly gentle for the proof. Long aftertaste with more or less whatever was on the palate unchanged, just lingering for a while. Overall: It’s really really good. Arguably one of the more enjoyable and balanced bourbons in a while for me. Value: Priced at $129… it’s a maybe? considering that 10 year MGP is hard to come by.
https://shop.subtles … le-spirits-selection
Score: A

Frey Ranch Bourbon, Starrs & Staves SP, 60.50%
Barrel #1260. Frey Ranch just outputs excellent stuff all around. Dark caramel, lots of toasted wood, depth of flavor that belies age. The nose is sweet with dry pencil shavings and alcohol. Palate is all toasted wood, orange oil, lots of very very dark caramel, cinnamon. The palate hangs around for medium-long time and gently fades from the palate, no surprises there. Overall: Youngish bourbon par-excellence. Easy counterpart to best of 5 year old SAOS few years back by being woodier and darker with saos being sweeter and cinnamon forward. An excellent drinker. Value: These are usually ~$99 which is a somewhat reasonable price for the quality
Score: A-

MGP Light Whiskey 18 year old, James Vo SP, 75%
A hazmat! A light whiskey from MGP pick by James, called “Annual Gift Man Presents X-MAS Special”. This is a private cask select. No information about it online. Barreled in 2005 and bottled in 2023. Nose is similar to a sweet cologne. The palate start gentle for the proof but then kicks into overdrive on the alcohol in the secondaries. Deceptively powerful but not overwhelming. Lots of sweet vanilla, brown sugars, hot cinnamon. Water brings out depth of oak and baking spices. Overall: Proofy but very enjoyable, especially with a touch of water. There’s little not to like here. Value: N/A, a gifted open bottle.
Score: B+ (w/ water)

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Scoring Breakdown: https://www.aerin.or … age=scores_breakdown

ONGOING!!!!! Oh, not another one!?

Another local group I’m part of is doing a Christmas Calendar of blind samples. There are 19 samples with 19 guesses and 19 blind reviews. Organized by friend Ian this time who apparently doesn’t like scotch :) as per rules. The bottles are supposed to be $80+ whiskey, no scotch. I’ll be updating this as I go! Previous year’s events are here:
https://www.aerin.or … y:entry231203-180411
https://www.aerin.or … y:entry221204-210258
https://www.aerin.or … y:entry241206-234357

Name — Brief Notes — Guess: — Like/Dislike — Reveal:

1. IT — Proofy. Peppery. Flowery. Bourbony. Lots of wood through. Not corny. Perhaps a touch too intense for me. Kentucky hug. Something familiar here, very woody though. — Guess: Four Roses. Lark guess: Russell’s 15. — Yay — Reveal: Frey Ranch Bourbon Cask Proof, Golden Gate SP, 63.8%
2. JF — Spicy. Sweet! Cinnamon and wood. Not too weak not too strong. Lots of cinnamon in the aftertaste. — Guess: MGP (Remus?, but could be any number of independents that bottle or bottled it) — Yay — Reveal: AWS Fiddler (MGP) Heartwood, Unwind SP, 59%
3. Gino — Nuts?… Bitter Nuts! Light, flowery soapiness (as best as i can describe it). Well integrated. Sweetness on the aftertaste. High proof. — Guess: Old Forester SiB. Brown Forman something. Four Roses due to SbS? — Yay- — Reveal: Four Roses BS OESO ‘22, Total Wine SP, 55.3%
4. ChrisJ — Cologne. Reasonably light nose. Very proofy and hot on the palate. Flowery. Sweet, light cinnamon. Apparently SbS with the one above. I don’t quite see similarities. — Guess: Four Roses. MGP (Murray Hill). Old Forester BS — Yay- — Reveal: Four Roses BS OESQ ‘22, Jackson’s SP, 58.6%
5. GN — Honey roasted nuts on the nose. Sweet, peanutty, little spicy, flowery. Touch of cinnamon and good balance with wood. Fairly typical of higher age bottles from this distillery, though higher proof than commonly found. — Guess: N/A (That’s mine) — Meh+ — Reveal: Sweeten’s Cove “Specialty Release 2021” (Dickel), 56.48%
6. MJ — Nuts! Spices! High proof. Lots of roasted nuts, though not quite peanuts here. Still feels bourbony. Nice amount of lingering aftertaste after the high proof palate. — Guess: Tennessee style. Uncle Nearest. Something Dickel or Beam. — Meh+ — Reveal: Bookers 2021-02 “Tagalong Batch”, 63.95%
7. NS — Another one with nuts and spices. This one leans very sweet and woody. While i still suspect it’s a bourbon this doesn’t have a clear profile to me. Blend of somethings. — Guess: Barrell or MGP, Redwood Empire? — Yay- — Reveal: Old Scout 6, Healthy Spirits SP (Jordan’s Barrel), 58.8%
8. JJS MTZ — Looks dark. Smells good. Wood Varnish in a good way here. Not high proof (comparably)… Soft, good balance, leaning towards toasted wood notes, lots of gentle pepperiness in the back. Something wheated? — Guess: Weller Full Proof (BT Stills). — Yay — Reveal: Michter’s Rye ‘22, Barrel Strength Toasted Finish, 54.4%
9. DK — Hot. Woody. Walnuts! My palate hits an odd wall once primary flavors end. Touch ethanol forward. Little spicy, but not quite full rye to me, so let’s go with high rye. Grain-forward in a good way. — Guess: Four roses. Heaven Hill (Grain to Glass). — Yay- — Reveal: Four Roses BS OBSF ‘23, Total Wine SP, 55.2%
10. CF — WHAT IS THIS. This makes me happy. I don’t think it’s whiskey at all. Tons of sweetness, wood, vanilla, gentle hot peppers in the secondaries. Way too sweet for bourbon. — Guess: Rum, Foursquare? Possible alternative (covering my bases): malt. Glenglassaugh Single Cask Sherry — Yay — Reveal: Obtainium 13 MGP Light Whiskey, Finished in PlumpJack Cab Casks, 69.9%
11. JS — Second one on in a row that makes me happy. This is supposed to be SbS with the one above. It does taste like this one is unfinished (unsherried?) version of the above. Still not whiskey though. Less wood and burnt sugars, more of the vanilla. Same heat, sugars and pepperiness on the aftertaste — Guess: Same distillery but different cask combo. Still tastes a *lot* like a Rum. Possible alternative (covering my bases): malt. Glenglassaugh Sandend — Yay+ — Reveal: Obtainium 17 MGP Light Whiskey, NEBC SP, 62.5%
12. Acme — Familiar beats here. Kentucky likely. Very proof. Lots of wood. Lots of sweetness. Deeply toasted sugars and vanilla. Long aftertaste that’s same notes start to finish. Consistency is the name of the game. — Guess: ECBP/SP — Yay- — Reveal: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, B524, 65.3%
13. GZ — Final SbS of the set with below… *Very* Cologne-forward, though opens up to some wood and anice notes after a time in a glass. Spicy, but doesn’t seem like a rye, it’s wood and alcohol instead leaning towards unbalanced. Feels wheated. — Guess: Redwood Empire CS. Maker’s Stave Recipe. — Meh — Reveal: Old Forester Barrel Strength Rye, 65.9%
14. JK — Light cologne on the nose here but mostly wood, making it more typical nosing experience. Extremely spicy palate. Same underpinnings as above, but much spicier. Really not my thing. Bordering on rye in spicy department. Very high rye mash. — Guess: Redwood Empire another CS. Maker’s Stave Recipe — Nay+ — Reveal: Old Forester Barrel Strength Bourbon, Hops & Scotch SP, 63.35%
15. MC — Smells great. Fantastic warming palate. Just keeps me warm all the way down. Very VERY enjoyable. Seems like a bourbon. I finished this before i could even make a guess. Can I have more please? — Guess: Weller Full Proof. No idea currently. — Yay+ — Reveal: J.T. Meleck, Louisiana Rice Whiskey, Spec’s SP #263, 61.05%
16. JAX — Pencil shavings and flowers on the nose. Another good one. Typical bourbon palate of sweet sugar wood vanilla in excellent balance. Cinnamon in the aftertaste that lingers forever. Not super proofy but well sugared and woody. — Guess: MGP something (Remus guess like i always do, but more likely NBC) — Yay- — Reveal: Maker’s Mark Recipe #20422, Beer Baron SP ‘20. 55.75%
17. MQ — Nutty nose, sweet palate, but falls flat on the palate past the primary flavors. Very odd, hollow, experience front to back. Light chili heat that lingers for long time on the aftertaste. Some nuttiness comes in later on… Doesn’t taste uber strong. Likely under 115 — Guess: Widow Jane. Peerless. Still Austin? Some oddball from Jack? — Meh- — Reveal: Redwood Empire Screaming Titan Wheated Bourbon, Distilled in Sonoma, 48%
18. PC — Strong roasted nuts here… but lowish proof. What?! Lots of wood. Flowers. Soft and gentle. — Guess: Dickel of appropriate MSRP. Beam is a maybe but nothing specific comes to mind. Jack or Uncle Nearest are also possible due to flavor — Meh+ — Reveal: Wild Turkey 12 Distiller’s Reserve, 50.5%
19. KK — Last one, let’s make it good. Higher proof, not overwhelming. Roasted, toasted caramel, wood, vanilla. Lots of cinnamon and some heat, but balanced by other things and not super sweet. Chili heat lingers for a while afterwards. — Guess: Turkey (Russell’s 13). Stagg. Oddball Heaven Hill Mash — Yay — Reveal: Parker’s Heritage Malt 8 years, 54%

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Happy Holidays!

A local group I’m part of is doing a Christmas Calendar of blind samples. There are 19 samples with 19 guesses and 19 blind reviews. This is organized by friend Chris, thus the title. The bottles are supposed to be $80+ which both limits the choices and makes it much harder to guess. I’ll be updating this as I go! Previous year’s events are here:
https://www.aerin.or … y:entry231203-180411
https://www.aerin.or … y:entry221204-210258

Name — Brief Notes — Guess: — Like/Dislike — Reveal:

1. KTHI — This is hot. The nose seems typical toasted vanilla, wood, burnt sugar of heaven hill. The palate is hot, lots of wood, hot chili peppers, more burnt sugars. Not overly complex so perhaps not very old. About 8 years. — Guess: Elijah Craig Private Barrel Store Pick — Yay- — Reveal: Four Roses Royal Liquors SP OBSF, 54.5%
2. TVO — Similar notes to the above. Toasted Vanilla, wood and burnt sugar. Notably less hot and spicy and much better balanced. Rather epic and notable runners in the glass here. Probably about 12 years old judging by better balance and integration of flavors and more subtle flavors being present. — Guess: Still likely to be something from Heaven Hill. Could be Rare Character Exceptional cask series bourbon — Yay — Reveal: Four Roses Bevmo SP, OBSV, 52.9%
3. DW — Very clean nose. Seems bourbony. Sweet and pleasant palate with wood and sugars. Not very high proof, but still a kick. Sweet yet somewhat unremarkable aftertaste. I wish it lasted longer, but it sorta falls flat at the end — Guess: Stumped. Wilderness Trail? Subtle Spirits? Michter’s Something? — Yay — Reveal: Elmer T. Lee, 45%
4. GN (That’s me!) — Nose is nutty and a little floral with dark wood notes. More deep-roasted nut notes on the palate. Good balance of flavors and baking spices, lots of cinnamon sugar in tasting notes that continue into aftertaste. Very enjoyable if somewhat typical of the distillery profile, this falls somewhere in the middle on proof — Guess: N/A — Yay- — Reveal: Jack Daniels 150th Anniversary, 50%
5. IT — Eye-wateringly proofy. Fragrant cologne on the nose. Palate brings notes of toasted honey, nuts, coffee, tobacco and alcohol. Sweet cinnamon on the palate and aftertaste. Enjoyable but feels little young and very hot — Guess: Beam. Probably Bookers of some sorts. Could be one of the oddly blended Little Books — Yay- — Reveal: Old Ravenholdt Rye 10 (Beam), 60.5%
6. MC — Nutty nose, not overpowering proof. Baking spices, hot chile, toasted wood. Mellow, almost malty in the aftertaste. A dollop of well aged toasted wood flows through this, yet still nutty. — Guess: Another Beam. Knob Creek 15, 100 proof? Elijah Craig 18? — Yay — Reveal: Elijah Craig Ryder Cup 2023 Edition, 47%
7. KJF — Oooh, a truly well balanced cologne on the nose here. This is *very* spicy on the palate. Likely a rye. High proof too. Gamut of flavors from eucalyptus to juniper. Delicious — Guess: Redwood Empire Cask Proof. Second guess: Templeton 10 year CS Rye. — Yay+ — Reveal: Barrell Whiskey, Total Wine SP, AJ60, 63.05%
8. JeremyL — Flowery and gentle on the nose. High proof and punchy on the palate. MALT! It’s malt! Super creamy texture. Sweet with coffee notes. — Guess: Westland Single Cask, quad malt. Tastes just like an American Malt. — Yay — Reveal: Aberlour A’Bunadh, Batch 79, 60.5%
9. KK — Toasted wood and vanilla showcase. High proof. Roasted pecans covered in cinnamon and cayenne. Little rough around the edges with the proof. Big booze hug at the end. — Guess: Come on! Is it Bookers, finally? — Yay- — Reveal: Old Forester Bourbon SBBP, Bevmo SP 2021, 64.05%
10. Admins Pick — Spicy, very spicy. Feels like a rye at first but then mellows out into more of a bourbon. Roasted corn, full-flavored wood and burnt sugar notes. Typical bourbon palate. Falls somewhat flat in the aftertaste that cuts off abruptly. — Guess: Hirsh Single Cask — Yay- — Reveal: Old Forester Bourbon SBBP, NDA/QBB SP, 64.05%
11. JDK — Younger bourbon nose that opens nicely into anise and tobacco character. Reasonably high proof, lots of spices and chili peppers especially in the aftertaste. Feels spicy, but not quite rye not quite bourbon. — Guess: Palate suggests MGP. — Yay- — Reveal: Four Roses OBSF, Royal Liquors SP, 54.5%
12. MH — Bitter nut oil nose, walnuts. Spicy, slightly bitter palate with light ginger tingle. The texture is thin but the palate is flavorful. A weird oddball. My palate was broken or something that evening. — Guess: Hancock’s Reserve? — Nay! — Reveal: Baby Jane Bourbon, Batch 11, 45.5%
13. MBA — Young distillate on the nose. Slightly nutty in a good way. Sweet, not over-proofed but still punchy. Bourbon palate. Somewhat bitter lingering aftertaste. — Guess: Redemption Rum Cask. Bardstown. — Meh+ — Reveal: Kentucky Owl Bourbon, St Patrick’s Edition, 50%
14. VS — Burnt sugar hard candy nose. Oh that is flavorful. Lots of sugars and oak. Cologne and flowers in the aftertaste notes but mostly punchy, almost burnt, oak sugars. Tastes like something actually good. — Guess: Stagg. Frey Ranch. RC Exceptional Cask — Yay+ — Reveal: Weller Full Proof, Single Store Pick, 57%
15. KM — Smells like a good rye. Tastes like a good rye. Spices, pine, wood, vanilla, sugars. Excellent if a little youngish, lacking clear secondary flavors — Guess: Frey Ranch (Rye) — Yay- — Reveal: Smoke Wagon Bourbon 7 (MGP), Single Cask, 57.92%
16. SR — Peated scotch. Very sweet, smoky, high proof. Touch of salty iodine quality. Drying ash on the aftertaste. This is going to be polarizing for many due to peat. — Guess: Laphroaig Cairdeas (possibly white port) — Yay — Reveal: Lagavulin 12, Special Edition 2022, 57.3%
17. CB — Pine. Toasted wood. Grains. About 100 proof. Not too strong, not too weak — Guess: Whistle Pig Rye. Could be Frey Ranch Rye. Wildcard: Smoke Wagon Malted Rye — Yay (rye) — Reveal: Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Rye, 61.6%
18. The Josh — Coffee Coffee and more coffee. Plus a touch of caramel. Tastes very much like a coffee liquor. I think it’s malt… it’s too gentle. Absolutely wild stuff. Was it finished in coffee cask? Or or or… STOUT casked something — Wild guess: Dragon’s milk origin. 2nd guess: Westland/Westward just in case. — Meh+ — Reveal: Alley 6 Batch No. 3 Black Barley Single Malt, 43%
19. Venk — Oak and caramel on the nose. High-ish proof. Very sweet and caramel forward on the palate. Almost syrupy. Nuts, peppers, baking spice. Lots of wood all the way through. — Guess: ECBP — Yay- — Reveal: Stagg Jr, Batch 15, 65.55%

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Happy Holidays!