MrWizard's Ramblings

Aultmore 11, Old Malt Cask, K&L SP, 64.7%
A 2010 Aultmore, aged 11 years in sherry butt #HL18923, K&L’s single cask store pick. A high proof offering for sure with Scotch malt casks at > 63% aren’t very common, but I digress. Nose’s got toffee nut notes together with unmistakably high proof. The runners on the glass are quite prominent and it just covers the glencairn, refusing to let go. The palate is rich and spicy with dried fruit and chocolate notes. Sherry influence integrates well and doesn’t overwhelm. Dark chocolate lingers on the aftertaste with some spices and molasses notes. Overall: An absolute chocolate flavor bomb in a good way, this is a great example of a well integrated wood influence where it’s flavor bomb without being drowned in sherry. Another great example of what can only be assumed to be a dry cask of excellent quality. Value: This was $55 originally in late 2022 and possibly early 2023. Screaming good deal, but as is with most once-and-gone single cask sales, oftentimes it is well after the fact that we discover how good or bad a particular bottle is.
This: https://shop.klwines … ucts/details/1636991
Score: A-

Ardmore 21, Old Malt Cask, K&L SP, 49.7%
An 1996 Ardmore, aged 21 years in refill hogshead #HL15360. K&L’s single cask pick. This was bottled (and acquired) in 2018, an old purchase for me for sure. A highland peated malt. Apparently I’m secretly an Ardmore fan as I’ve reviewed some past single casks positively, or it just takes to single casks well and I’ve never had interest in trying their OBs… But, yet again, I digress. Refill hogshead, so I’m not expecting much cask activity here, though with the respectable age period this may not be the case. Nose got vanilla, fresh apples and sugar powder. The palate is quite different, almost subtle, light fruity notes, balanced with a touch of highland (primarily smoky, less acrid) peat. Medium length aftertaste that’s peppery and subtly sweet, nearly no smoke. Absolutely perfectly balanced at the proof, no water needed. Overall: A spent cask somewhat redeemed by long time of maturation as is often the case with these Old Malt Cask bottlings. Can i call it amazing? Unlikely. Can I call it “subtle, enjoyable, and very drinkable”? Decidedly yes! The K&L description mentions it being reminiscent of ‘a cleaner Springbank’ and now i cannot get that image out of my head. Value: Priced at $89 back in 2018 such values don’t exist anymore.
This: https://shop.klwines … ucts/details/1380518
Score: B+

Redacted (Thomson/Dornoch) 19, Blended Malt, 44.2%
A Blended malt scotch from Thomson/Dornoch group who cannot use that name in US, thus the ‘Redacted’ label. 2001 distillation, sherry cask for 19 years and 200 bottles total. Very likely 200 were allocated to US market with the rest going to EU under original label. Let’s just assume that this is something+something from Speyside based on speculation online. Nose’s got concentrated fruit compote sherry note mixing up with the wood. The palate is gentle, evokes milk chocolate and raisins, lightly fruity, inoffensive. Lots of sherry cask influence here. The proof keeps things from being too concentrated to the point of being almost too soft in places. Medium-long aftertaste with some baking spice and light pepper. Overall: Nice heavily sherried ‘generic’ Speysider. Fruits, raisins, milk chocolate, it drinks like a slightly sweeter Glenallachie 15. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this bottle. There’s also nothing outstanding about it. The impression it evokes is an ‘average’ of all that is representative of sherried Speyside scotch. I like components of this average, thus it is enjoyable. Value: Listed at $80 in K&L about two years ago this was a solid deal for the specs.
This: https://shop.klwines … ucts/details/1531951
Score: B+

Glenlivet 14, Signatory Vintage, K&L Sp, 46%
A quick one: 2007 Glenlivet, 1st fill sherry butt, cask #900653. Bottled on 01/10/2021. Spoiled cask or bad run. Incredibly sulfuric. Entirely undrinkable by itself. I add few drops of this to boring sherried pours to give them a touch of funk. No other use of it. Deeply flawed. Avoid this cask.
Don’t believe me? https://www.whiskyba … 86/glenlivet-2007-sv
Score: D-

Auchroisk 19, Alexander Murray, Trader Joe’s SP, 58.2%
Is this the real life? Is this just Fanta sea? Trader Joe’s got a full proof single cask with clear label info? Miracles do happen. Alexander Murray bottling, this is a 1998 Auchroisk aged for 19 years in ex-bourbon cask number #11745 and one of only 222 bottles. I recall this showing up in west coast Trader Joe’s stores around early 2021 or late 2000. A bygone era. Nose is typical ex-bourbon tropical notes, vanilla, a touch of wood, and a whiff of alcohol. The palate is sweet with candied burnt oranges and light tropical notes. The aftertaste is all cloves and mouth-coating dried fruit rind note that lingers for quite a while. It also takes water like a champ though does become somewhat sweeter and more peppery, oddly enough. Overall: Extremely enjoyable, if somewhat typical, ex-bourbon cask with Speyside distillate in it. Blindly, it evokes a well-known Taiwanese distillery in a positive way if i had to compare it to something. I feel like the aftertaste peppery clove note is a touch too much thus bumping down the grade slightly. It may have benefited from a few years less time inside the cask. Value: This was dirt-cheap at Trader Joe’s. Somewhere around 70 or so. Like I said above, a bygone era of values.
Score: B+

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