MrWizard's Ramblings

Got my hands on some old mini bottles with distillation times mostly in mid-90s… While my record with minis has not been great… Why not try something different. Full disclaimer… In my limited exposure these seem to easily go bad or just not be great to begin with…

Glenrothes 1992, Sample Room Mini. 43%
Bottled in 2004 this makes a 12 year old sample. The time not been kind to it either with perhaps 1/6th gone to the angels. It’s also either (by design) not filtered… or the bottle cap deteriorated. Visual inspection suggests unfiltered spirit though as cap isn’t nearly as bad as the cloudy contents leads me to suspect. WIth the angels taking their share this is whiskey flavored water mostly and low proof really isn’t helping. Very little true malt remains though nutty and somewhat tasty long aftertaste suggests it could have been great when it was just bottled. Do not recommend this though. I wouldn’t wish this onto anyone… but being a unique and direct from tasting room… it gets a reluctant pass on grading.
Score: N/A (D-)

Royal Lochnagar 12, 40%
I cannot quite figure out the bottling date, but let’s assume sometime in early-mid 2000s. Quite malty on the nose and palate it’s is reminiscent of the dry cigarette and coffee funk I got in the sherry cask I have reviewed earlier but without the sherry… Sweet, nutty, malty and long aftertaste. This is highly flavorful despite the low proof, and the flavor is really almost better without the excessive sherry. I quite like it, it tastes very slightly peated (nutty smoke) and somewhat reminds me of Loch Lomond 12 I have. Plenty of better things out there… but this is really not that terrible and I’d enjoy it at a bar or @work.
Score: B-

Amrut (NAS) bottled in 2004, 40%
No age stated Amrut bottled in 2004… You know… I now get why nobody likes older bottlings of Indian whiskeys… The nose and palate are basically swamp water while the aftertaste is quite malty and pleasant, if mercifully short. The Indian malts have come a very VERY long way since then. Even that Glenrothes above tastes better, if barely.
Score: F

Tullibardine 1988, 46%
Unclear when this was bottled with laser code on the back reading “09078”… Nutty, slightly acrid and heavily malted, with what I suspect a slight tinge of peat. It’s not too bad… but it’s also all that great for me. It’s got everything going for it
with the year, region and proof… yet not quite hitting the spot. Probably worth a try but I’m skipping a bottle decision here.
Score: C

Tomintoul 10, 40%
Tomintoul 10, bottled circa 2005. Oh finally something drinkable in this samples set. Yes it’s a 10 year old but… Honey. malt, nuttiness and ex-bourbon cask. This is actually reasonably tasty. Slightly sulfuric but almost un-noticeably so. Really enjoyable for a 10 year old 40% single malt.
Score: B

Tomintoul 16, 40%
Now a 16 year old from the same gift set as the 10 above… likely bottled in 2004. More honey and better definition vs the 10. I quite like it in fact. Only real detriment is the low proof here. Nutty, vanilla, some light honey, well balanced and less ‘funky’ vs the 10. Long aftertaste of fruits and mellow bourbon spices. I’d probably be down for a bottle of this. It’s still more of a sharing/guests/@work stuff but it’s certain to be a cloud pleaser (sans sherry).
Score: B+

Tomintoul 27, 40%
Also bottled in late 2004. Some sherry in this one at least in the color and the nose. Dried fruits, lots of malt sweetness and vanilla. The back is warming bourbon spice primarily. More nutty than sweet this got some tobacco leather notes to balance out the old vanilla bomb. Enjoyable certainly but for 27 years I expected more. The low proof is really a distraction here. I’m so glad that no respectable distillery puts a 40% abv on their flagship bottles in the recent times.
Score: B+

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

Some Samples Ahoy!

Booker’s ‘Tagalong Batch’ 2021-02, 63.95%
It’s been a while since I wrote about Beam. And perhaps I didn’t need to, but gotta get back into the habit of writing these once again. You know what… It’s a Booker’s. A pecan pie with cinnamon and vanilla Booker’s. A good one, actually. I tried it SbS with 2018 batches to compare and those are a lot hotter and cinnamon-forward, with Tagalong being nuttier, with less cinnamon. The typical Beam stuff is there but subdued. A well balanced, if a different take on a familiar spirit that should have fans wanting for more… unless the fans really want Red Hots… Then, it’s not your thing. Vanilla, some cherry and so many pecans, slightly changing between sips on the balance without becoming overwhelming. The typical Beam cinnamon aftertaste lasts a long time. This may not be a perfect ‘bourbon’ but it’s certainly a one of the best ‘Beams’.
Score: A-

Dewar’s Double Double 32, 46%
Some sort of Dewar’s brand-owned scotch blend finished in Pedro Ximenez Sherry Casks. Supposedly only two distilleries in the mix (thus the Double). The color is rich chestnut. The nose positively reeks of PX characteristic sweet figs. It’s going to be awesome! It’s very very good if you like sweet syrup whiskeys. Fortunately… I do indeed like those. The palate is sweet nutty fig syrup that’s for sure, sliding into spicy ex-bourbon (nearly metallic) secondary notes. Long aftertaste is clear mix of ex bourbon cask spice notes and sherry sweetness. Overall I really like it… but… This is PX finish so bourbon notes and sherry notes aren’t really well integrated so there’s a flavor canyon between primary flavors and aftertaste that feels like it’s missing something. This also got a lot of sherry in it that will mask any number of minor flaws. One of the easier ones to score at that age… Extremely easy drinker and worth seeking out to try… yet not quite enough to be amazing. It’s a little hard to describe, but basically for a heavily sherried pour there’s no body substance to it, some describe it as ’smooth’. It could be an 18 year old Alexander Murray and I’d struggle to tell the difference.
Also I’m not the only one that liked it: https://www.insideho … h-whisky-of-the-year
Score: A-

Linkwood 37, Distilled in 1978, Bottled in 2016, 50.3%
An official (Limited Edition) bottling of Linkwood at 37 years old… Cask proof… Celebration time! Omg! The nose… may just get this a high score before I even taste it. Ex-bourbon… Holy cow! Orchard fruits, mellow spices on the nose. Apples, pears, peaches! The nose is spectacular! You know what? I give up on ever bothering to review it. This is just straight up spectacular stuff. Top 3 non-sherried and non-peated scotch I’ve tried. Ex-bourbon and malt nuts must apply. Nuff said.
https://forwhiskeylo … od-37-year-old-750ml
Score: A+

WhiskyFest 2021 Special Report:
Super quick report in no specific order…
Michter’s ‘21 Rye is not that great, everything else was not available anymore
Paul John Mithuna is freaking AMAZING (but also EXPENSIVE)
Benromach 21 is fantastic & so are most of Gordon & McPhail casks at the show
Frey Ranch is great for grain-forward, young American stuff, not to mention weird 100% oat whiskey bottling which is… oat-forward
Courage & Conviction is middle of the road
Widow Jane is all over the place with Decadence being amazing and the rest being a Hit and Miss
Heaven’s Door regular is passable, but Redbreast edition is actually great (though probably still won’t buy)
Peerless is junk for everything that’s been poured
Bardstown stuff ain’t too special
Fuji whiskey was okay I guess, yet again no buy there.
Westward is alright at cask proof, though a little hot without substance
Overall: See you again in a few years

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

Part 2 of the VS series… This time with some scotch

anCnoc 12; 43%
Ah so many Knock-Knock jokes in zoom chat about it. Orchard fruits; apples, peaches and green pears on the nose. Clear indicators of bourbon cask maturation. The palate is a malty beast, starts with fruits, goes almost minty and then tropical fruits come in. Drinks little hotter than it actually is, which is good since it’s reasonably low proof. The aftertaste is kinda my least favorite of this, with drying pepper that goes slightly bitter with dry (and cheap) pencil shavings and some astringent notes. It’s got some notes for me that are unpleasantly familiar. Maybe because it’s somewhat salty instead of sweet, it tastes like i rinsed my mouth with salty water? Starts sweet and malty and finished bitter and slightly salty. Definitely an interesting profile that I’d like to explore later but will not be buying a bottle. A sample is enough. A much older bottling could be *very* interesting though. Value: At $50 it’s about what the average pricing is for a 12 year old scotch is, not wallet-breaking for sure.
Score: B-

Speyburn 15, 46%
Another sample… This time something sherried seems like. Nose is light sherry notes with alcohol-forward balance, surprisingly shy as it takes me effort to get any significant notes out of the glass initially. Thankfully it seems to be opening up with time a bit. Seems like Oloroso varnish and toasted wood, orange oil. Palate got toasted nuts, more orange oils, some sherry sweetness and gentle spice. Aftertaste continues with warming gentle spiced orange theme of the experience though it fades rather quickly into a leftover tingle. Overall, not bat at all and certainly up my alley on flavor profiles. Can easily compete with Alexander Murray Costco bottlings at the proof and price and just pleasing all around. It does lack a distinct interesting character that a lot of single casks can bring, but there’s not a lot of things to ding on here. Value: At $70 this is yet again around median space where a 15 year old single malt should be…
Score: B+

Old Pulteney 18, 46%
An original distillery bottling from another Hotaling-imported brand. Technically, wasn’t part of the sample set, but why not I already have it. Thanks, Mike for the sample! Seems like bourbon-casked, intensely fruity with peaches and apples, quite strong on the alcohol and that makes it rather perfume-forward. With time this opens up a becomes softer and more flowery. The palate is cereal grains, some citrus zest, bourbon spices and vanilla malt. Medium length, warming, sweet and tingling aftertaste rounds it off. Enjoyable, inoffensive and unremarkable are the best ways I’d describe this. I would absolutely drink it, and it’s actually a solid way-above-average daily pour, it’s super smooth and drinkable but it’s also highly generic. From proof to palate there’s nothing to really make it stand out for me in the myriad others out there. Value: Total wine lists this at $135. Not really a deal in my mind vs plenty of independent ex-bourbon bottles.
Score: B-

Old Pulteney Huddart, 46%
A NAS limited annual release from Old Pulteney distillery aged in peated casks, because why not, right? Value: Well, it’s got a peat note alright. Nose is mostly typical of Old Pulteney with orchard fruit, bourbon spices and peaches, now with a bit of iodine and a tiny smoke note drifting up. Surprisingly sweet palate vs the nose which is very restrained comparably. The aftertaste got some smoke and brininess floating up with toasted bagels and a little bit of coffee. Interesting and rather fun to drink, with peat being an enhancer vs a dominant note. Overall: I like it, yes it’s peated but it starts as almost as something salty, the palate is actually sweet, and aftertaste is yet again salty. This is a rollercoaster ride. Not too complex this is another daily drinker for those that enjoy a little bit of intrigue tinged with smoke. This is circa $70, I’d say an OK on valuation being a NAS but it’s competing with 12 year olds here.
Score: B+

Barrell, American Vatted Malt, 59.11%
An August 3rd, 2021 release, one of 2239 bottles. This Vatted (aka Blended) American Malt. Aged between 3.5 and 10 years and sourced from NY, TX, IN, NM, WA & AZ. This is going to be a kitchen sink of flavor isn’t it? A note that the original super limited run of this had peated malt in the blend. This batch is unpeated… But not guaranteed to stay unpeated. Toasted wood, anise seed, cloves, nutmeg and vanilla nose. The palate is spicy with similar flavors from the nose, with some mint and dill taking a lead followed by sweet sweet malt. The aftertaste is numbing, peppery, rich with more banana and vanilla flavors. Overall, I’m torn. It’s primarily youn malt that’s relying on cacophony of flavors to overwhelm drinker’s palate, but after I work through all the noise (and there’s a lot of noise here) there’s not much secondary complexity underneath. I really want to like it but it’s so different and all over the place from just about anything else I’m finding it hard even placing it on the literal shelf. It’s certainly isn’t a bourbon and definitely not a scotch but a unique thing on it’s own. Well worth a try at the bar, I would caution buying a bottle as this is definitely not for everyone. Price: This was $89 and I’d wager is a worthwhile experiment, considering there are not too many american malts out there, and even less blended american malts, though I’d still mark it a whim purchase. If it was anywhere past $99 I’d definitely would have passed on it. It does take water reasonably well, becoming slightly woodier and losing some of the dill intensity thankfully. Few drops of water are to be considered on this one.
Score: B-
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Scoring Breakdown: https://www.aerin.or … age=scores_breakdown

Part one of Irish vs Scottish whiskey brands by Hotaling. And a random American bourbon which I cannot fit with anything.

The Irishman 12, 43%
Aged 12 years in ex-bourbon casks at least it’s a single malt. Nose is quite malty and mineral-rich. Palate has sweet vanilla, toasted grains, some peppers and ginger spice with a bit of milk chocolate to it. Warming; medium length aftertaste with some malty with a little bit chocolate in the very end. Overall: This starts out delicious but is underproofed; this really should be at least 46%, the mid-palate just falls straight into the aftertaste with zero secondary flavors, or could have used few more years in the cask. Try it at a bar for a checkbox. It’s probably best paired with a meal or a conversation. Value: At $75 in Total Wine… I’m not sure it’s really worth it for a 12 year old Irish whiskey… though then again… the prices for brown gold has been climbing.
Score: B-

Writer’s Tears; Marsala Cask finish, 45%
A 45% abv writer’s tears, vs regular 40%… Finished in sweet marsala Sicily wine cask… Which is basically a Sicilian variant of sherry. This is a good start on paper. This is single pot still, which means a blend of malt and grain whiskeys. The nose is quite sweet and little bit dessert-forward with vanilla notes sharing domination with wine. The palate is… Woody primarily; with sweet vanilla, surprisingly soft and gentle with very little spice. Aftertaste is basically missing… Overall: Sweet and inoffensive this is best described as ’smooth’ which means it’s actually boring. Do not bother; unless for novelty or a FOMO checkbox. Value: for $80 fairly low value; it’s a cool gimmick but it’s still an Irish whiskey with sherry cask finish.
Score: C

Writer’s Tears; Cask Strength, 54.2%
I’m assuming this 2021 vintage release. https://www.walshwhi … tears-cask-strength/ … The nose is intense and delicious. Berries primarily with some malt and vanilla, peaches and flowers rise to rule over time. Intensely woody almost to the point of bitterness at first, this slides into leche fruits and peaches after few seconds. The aftertaste is long and rolling with waves of vanilla, ginger, and slightly bitter wood notes leaving my mouth salivating for more or ready for the next course. Overall: Certainly not what i was expecting in here from Writer’s Tears as their other bottlings are somewhat middling. There are other of Cask Strength Irish whiskeys and them claiming “our vatting combining both Pot Still and Single Malt is truly unique” is silly; as Blue Spot AND Redbreast been doing it also. Really delicious though though the wood notes act more of an aperitif forcing me to get through the initial hit and it’s really the only letdown here as the rest is quite a solid package. A very good bottling from the brand; highly unexpected and I’m very pleasantly surprised. Value: At ~$150. This is expensive for a NAS Irish. See my Blue Spot blurb for an interesting comparison: https://www.aerin.or … y:entry210712-201944
Score: B+

Prideful Goat; Batch 1; 15 year Heaven Hill’s 78.5% / 13% / 8.5% mash. 57.5%
A single cask bottling by Kristopher Hart of Houston Whiskey group (and many others). Woody vanilla on the nose, some much vanilla and burnt sugar here. Palate is somewhat reminiscent of roasted corn notes that come from Heaven Hill, though reasonably balanced by the wood and the age. Aftertaste is medium or so, starts with sweet toasted wood, then goes into mediterranean dill dip then finishes with vanilla and a little bit of spice.Overall this is quite drinkable though not what most folks would expect from similarly age-stated bourbons, perhaps best to describe it as a mix of ECBP and a Booker’s; or perhaps if Fighting Cock (Also heaven hill) were to release their over-aged 15 year old edition somehow I can see these being similar. Coming off from tasting single malts… this is a little toasted wood-forward as is the case with most older bourbons. Value: This was $99 and is reasonably worth the price comparing to other 15 year old Kentucky bourbons that share the mash bill.
Score: B
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Scoring Breakdown: https://www.aerin.or … age=scores_breakdown

More of the sample catching up…

Balblair 13, 2006 Vintage, K&L SP, Cask 76; 56.2%
I actually happen to have a bottle of this so an preview so to speak. Nose is nutty red wine. Palate is nutty oloroso fighting with dark chocolate and a little few cherry notes. Aftertaste is long sweet and spicy. Overall: An absolute monster of a flavor bomb this is everything a sherred scotch lover would want… and more, but could be a bit overwhelming to some. Oddly reminiscent of Starward bottling I’m enjoying with the similar nutty cherry chocolate notes. Value: At $109 for a single cask 13 years old… About medium though being a single cask from distillery does give it a bit of a valuation bump.
https://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1485852
Score: A-

Blair Athol 12, 2009 Sovereign, K&L SP, 59%
A sherry butt-aged Blair Athol? Sure I’ll try, considering this is a preview of a bottle I have. Very funky nose, bordering yet again on light rubber smell though mostly fig compote due to sherry, little meaty, malty and chocolatey. Very classically sherry palate, sweet, with lots of milk chocolate and figs. Unfortunately not super deep or complex the primary palate almost immediately drops into a long but very subtle aftertaste with some residual spices and some coffee. Overall: Not particularly a fan though it’s a workable as a vertical tasting or even as an casual drink with others that appreciate scotch. Nothing particularly special other than the sweetness that pushes it almost into dessert category and the ‘weirdness’ of this one may upset a more casual drinker as it’s certainly is funky. Value: at $59 I guess that’s fine for a single casked sherried single malt, considering that Glendronach 12 is creeping into $50-ish now.
https://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1556889
Score: B-

Stranahan’s Rum Cask, Distillery Exclusive, 45%
Technically, a bottle split… But essentially a big sample… I’m not going to go too deep into this. It’s american malt so it’s sweet and banana-forward plus rum casks makes it basically caramelized bananas. Sweet, malty and banana-y. Nothing too good or bad to say about it. It’s young it’s not super interestersting. Overall: Nothing special, worth trying a bar though. Value: It was $82 total shipped, since it’s distillery exclusive from Colorado, mostly so-so price but worth it if considering uniqueness and a fan of that profile.
Score: C+

Mortlach 16, Signatory Vintage, K&L SP, 55.8%
A 1998-2014 vintage matured in Hogshead with 33 month Oloroso sherry finish. Something tasty and special? Let’s find out… Nose is allspice and sun-dried apricots. Oh the palate is meaty mortlach with bourbon spice and that tasty oloroso sherry from mid 2010’s. Aftertaste lingers for long time with woody bourbon cask spice tingle and some malt. Averall: Oh this is great stuff, I wish I had more to say about it but really, it’s just good stuff. Go read someone else’s review for more words. https://whiskeyapos … ach-16-year-kl-wine/. Value: It was $100 in 2014… ahahhahaah. Yeah that’s a steal now. To be fair; in context that was pretty steep for an independent at the time. These prices don’t exist for the quality anymore. Anywhere under $150 is probably fair game, alas.
Score: A

Mortlach 12, Sovereign, K&L SP, 58%
A 2008 vintage Mortlach, aged in sherry. Sounds yum! Another preview of a bottle I already have. Well this smells PEATED… Seriously… sherry peat? I don’t get it, Mortlach shouldn’t be peated. Perhaps the cask is heavy peated malt then refilled with Mortlach here? The nose is salted and smoked figs and apricots mixed with some habaneros. Palate is meaty, chewy, salty, sweet, reminds me somewhat of teriyaki jerky. Aftertaste lasts a long time and full of peppery spice and very light smoke tingle. Overall: This is very very good stuff if you don’t mind a little smoke with the sherry and is certainly one of the very few exceptions that I am truly enjoying that smoke profile. Realistically, not seeing any faults here other than my sample is too small at the moment. Value: This was $59… solid price value wise for a single malt.
https://www.whiskyba … iskies/whisky/189863
Score: A

Side note: WoW… Mortlach combines well with some sherry… Just wow.
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Scoring Breakdown: https://www.aerin.or … age=scores_breakdown