MrWizard's Ramblings

Springbank time! I’ll use SB sometimes to mean Springbank.

Springbank Campbeltown Loch Blend, 40%
Note that this is the ‘original/old’ bottling. A ‘cheapo’ springbank blended scotch, Campbeltown Loch was originally a blended Scotch whisky that contained Springbank and Longrow that had been blended with grain whisky in a 40 / 60 split. Malty and with a slight off-note nose. The off-note reminds me of old mechanical gearwork machinery or inside of a generator. Slightly salty and very lightly smoked… but that’s not surprising considering this is partially peated. Palate is ‘frankly’ very thin, flavorful, but very thin. Lots of butter, some salinity, touch of smoke, some sweetness. But that salinity and butter combined with low proof, almost give it mineral water-like impression to me. Light and very slightly peppery aftertaste. Overall: Lack of proof just destroys everything. At 43 or 46 this could have been something, but at 40, it’s too watery for grain and light malt with zero sherry. I didn’t expect much and I didn’t get much here. Drinkable, but there are tons and tons and tons of better things out there, even the cheaper Laing and Compass Box blends are (arguably) better than this. Value: N/A since it’s a discontinued bottling.
https://www.wine-sea … campbeltown+scotland
Score: C-

Springbank 15, Rum (Cask) Wood, 51%
An official bottling from 2019. Salted honey on the nose, lots of malt, very light smoke. Sweet, almost sugary without feeling syrupy, smoked honey again, some saltiness, malty butter on the palate. Aftertaste is not too long, sweet and peppery, but doesn’t get too overwhelming, peat finally shows up in the secondary notes and lets itself be known by bringing somewhat ashy cigar flavor. That ash lingers for quite a while actually. Almost like a second-hand smoke. Overall: This is excellent drinker assuming one likes light cigars… and lightly smoked honey. The proof is just perfect too. As much as I am not a fan of peat, this combination of sweetness and light ash is right up my valley. Value: It’s Springbank limited bottling… The sticker price was probably okay if slightly overpriced, but the secondary is sure to be outright unapproachable.
https://www.whiskyba … ringbank-15-year-old
Score: A-

Springbank 18, 46%
A Springbank 18 bottling from 2016. As of note the different year batches do vary slightly in composition so what follows should only be seens my view on that specific bottling year. The nose is straight up cologne or maybe some very musky perfume. Something of a reminder of sniffing grandmas old perfume bottles back in my childhood days. My pining aside, it’s super light smoke, sherry nuttiness, and salted honey. Very slight bitterness on the palate, similar to walnuts, the rest is the same as nose, light smoke, salted honey, sherry nuttiness. Lightly ashy, warming, long aftertaste follows. None of the experience is actually sweet, if anything it’s slightly charry and ashy and little less sweet than say their Rum cask bottling. Overall: Oh this is rather great. If it was a touch sweeter it’d be a slam dunk. As it stands, that ash pulls by a nose ahead of the other flavors. Amazing for most I’m sure, somewhat distracting for some. Value: Eeeeeh. The sticker price for 18 is $279.99 at Total Wine. Yes, there’s something to be said about SB distillery quality but they’re competing with some truly great stuff in that price range. Heavily overpriced as is most Springbank because reasons.
Score: A

Springbank 11, Sauternes Single Cask, 57.2%
Ooooh my, I’m looking forward to this. Springbank in general really works well with sweeter casks, having a natural ashy character. Also this one is kinda dark too. Fairly typical SB nose with addition to sweet sauternes notes. Light smoked and salted honey primarily. It’s really hitting on the sweeter side of the spectrum. Oddly reminds me of hot-smoked smoked salmon with the sweetness, salinity and smoke notes. Boom! Smoked honeyed dessert in a glass… just wow. Almost too sweet, but the natural character and smoky ash is holding up nicely on palate. Medium length sweet finish and the fact that it’s only medium length is the only downside here really. Overall: Sweet dessert, tropical, slightly smoky. Amazingly delicious. Really well balanced, yet definitely falls on the ‘a tad too sweet’ side of the balance. Ever so close to A-plus as I’ve had. Value: This was originally ~$110 back in the day which is… kinda expensive at the time… but now, considering it’s SB, that price is laughably cheap. These go for ~$400 on secondary for context.
Fairly sure it was this: https://www.whiskyba … ringbank-11-year-old
Score: A

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Some quick notes on hand filled samples from Springbank stills… All these hand filled on 8/24/2022 at the distillery

Distillery — Age — Score — Notes

- Hazelburn, 57% — Age: N/A — A- — Very pale. Sweet, light peat, malt, very peppery aftertaste. Delicious.
- Kilkerran, 57.4% — Age: N/A — B+ — Very pale. Sweet, lightly ashy, high proof aftertaste. Very good.
- Longrow, 56.9% — Age: N/A — B — Medium amber. Nutty nose, salty, smokey, and nutty palate, ashy and drying aftertaste. Smoked fish that turns into a cigar.
- Springbank, 54.9% — Age: N/A — B- — Pale. Ashy smoke nose. Lots of ash overall. Neutrally balanced palate between salt and sugars. Sichuan peppers in the aftertaste.
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Scoring Breakdown: https://www.aerin.or … age=scores_breakdown

Making these puns is probably only slightly less painful than reading them. Anyways. More Hart Brothers bottlings.

Glenallachie 12, Hart Brothers, K&L SP, 58.6%
A Hart Brothers bottling as is the theme here. This is from a 2009 Hogshead and looking at a color that’s very much a refill hoggie. It’s a very very pale straw, nearly white. This is punchy pour alright. It also definitely benefits from sitting in the glass. Fresh pour was all funk and weirdness, after few mins it’s much more approachable. Baking spices, vanilla/malt, over-ripe bananas, lots of lemon or yuzu citrus rind on the nose. Very sweet and vanilla forward on the palate, almost like sugar crystals lingering on the tongue. Nearly none of the funkyness from the nose is present and what remains of those notes are in good balance with the rest. Not at all buttery as some malts can get the texture is reasonably ‘thin’ here. While the analogy is poor, imagine creme soda and not sugar syrup. Sweet and peppery aftertaste follows for about medium length, warming up as it goes down. Overall: This is quite enjoyable to be honest. Definitely a near-rarity to see zero sherry in a bottle from Speyside and that lack of sherry doesn’t hurt here. I can drink more of this gladly. Value: This is listed at 89 for 700ml bottle. Eeeeeh… Slightly above average here, if compared it to Aberlour Alba which at about same price and is similarly ex-bourbon cask strength Speysider.
https://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1610418
Score: B+

Old Pulteney 10, Hart Brothers, K&L SP, 57.6%
A 2011 Hogshead is the game here. Yet again, very pale color in the glass. The nose is overwhelmed by pine needles. It’s basically pine needles, pine resin, more pine, arguably it could be red/pink peppercorns instead! Piney, slightly astringent but primarily sweet palate. Some malt does show up in vanilla and butter notes of course, but those are mostly muted. Almost entirely lacking aftertaste on the tongue, there’s a lot of pepper in the back of my throat that fade with time. Overall: This is very ‘meh’. Definitely off-profile palate and nose and weird flavor emptiness where aftertaste should be doesn’t give it any favors. Is it bad? Absolutely not… Is it great? Also no. It’s… just okay. Unless you’re a fan of the distillery, skip this bottle. Value: This is listing at $70. I’d say it’s slightly over the average for a 10 year old-old refill.
https://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1610402
Score: B-

Strathisla 10, Hart Brothers, K&L SP, 61.9%
A 2010 Hart bottling, exclusively for K&L… This time from Strathisla distillery from Highlands. Majority of Strathisla ends up in Chivas blends so most of their bottlings are IBs. I also fairly sure I’ve had a bottle from the distillery long time ago, but am unable to locate my review, so it must have been a while. Floral fruitiness and tropical notes on the nose with some intensity, very fitting for ex-bourbon. That proof is no joke but the complexity and the intensity of more tropical fruits are still there. Tropically sweet rather long-lasting aftertaste with a little bit of spice in the very end. With water this becomes very approachable, with slightly more wood and sichuan spices in the aftertaste and even more honeyed palate. Overall: This is… rather good. Straight up pour is toe-curling on the proof; but add a bit of water and this is highly complex, honey-sweet, spicy and enjoyable. Value: K&L has this at $70… about average on the pricing.
https://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1610424
Score: B+

Miltonduff 16, Hart Brothers, K&L SP, 59.5%
A 2005 Hart bottling, exclusively for K&L… Another Chivas Regal-owned distillery, another one that’s hard to find as an original bottling. Salty, lightly smoked, wax on the nose. Once past the salty notes, there is a layer of buttery honeycomb hiding in there. Sort of a savoury honey on the palate. Salted honey caramel layers on the palate. Rather intensely peppery aftertaste that lasts a while follows. Overall: This would have been amazing in sherry refill cask. We get a refill refill ex-bourbon here with very pale color which leaves it… wanting something extra. Excellent and flavorful everyday drinker… but somehow underwhelming on its own… Like an empty canvas. Value: Listed at 119 this is… kinda overpriced for a 16 year old IB in refill bourbon.
https://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1610381
Score: B

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

Almost exactly 20 months ago I’ve done a Mystery Tasting with some fancy samples from a Generous Benefactor. https://www.aerin.or … y:entry210301-223652 … It’s time for another one, this time with slightly less fancy components and slightly more mysterious undertones. None of the components were revealed to me beforehand so the guessing is completely blind. Of course, I’ll post the reveal and perhaps some thoughts afterwards, but generally, blind tastings are a big equalizer. I do know this:

• It is not all cask strength components.
• This is a blend of Kentucky and Indiana distilled bourbon.
• It is a blend of four different bottles from three different distilleries.

Quick note on scoring here. I was asked to rate these 1-10. As my system isn’t numeric-based, I’ll approximate 10 to A+, 9 to A, 8 to A-, 7 to B+… etc all the way to 1 being a unified ‘D/Avoid’
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Sample 1
N: Oooh I like this nose! Slightly metallic cinnamon. Old leather. Old wood varnish workshop with lots of cedar chips in the rafters. Aaaand then some nuttiness comes up.
P: This is proofy and tasty. Lots of nuts of the roasted variety (without being overwhelming, which is great). No off notes, this slides directly into peppers and cinnamon.
A: Peppery cinnamon, cloves, sichuan peppers, very light nuttyness. Slightly on the sweeter side. Almost zero off-notes or funkyness.
O: This distillery needs to put out more of whatever this specific bottle was. Borderline A.
Score: A- (8/10); Guess: This is the blend of everything. Proof is ~105.

Sample 2
N: Nose is reminiscent of Beam (#4) though less potent. Funky corn, wet leather.
P: The palate is very pleasant and highly complex. None of the funky notes are around anymore. Toasted baking spices, burnt pie crust notes. Very balanced. Not much to complain about. Slightly low proof is my only real nitpick here.
A: Long warming aftertaste that sticks around for a while. Surprisingly gentle.
O: I really like this. It starts like Knob Creek but finishes like something entirely different. The low proof is a problem though.
Score: B+ (7/10); Guess: Something from Beam again… Not too sure what this is. Basil Hayden’s maybe? ~95 proof. No clue on age but let’s say ~7.

Sample 3
N: Slightly nutty baking spices. Salted pickle (dill) notes. Lots of complexity. What I’d call great bourbon nose.
P: Lively palate with layers of wood, cinnamon, vanilla, burnt caramel… etc. Very slightly too sweet.
A: Perhaps a touch too heavy on cinnamon in the aftertaste. I’m also starting to feel the proof in this one.
O: Extremely enjoyable. This really reminds me of SiB Magnus stuff. This also seems like the proofiest of samples.
Score: B+ (7/10); Guess: Remus/Magnus bottling from MGP. ~115 proof. ~10 years old.

Sample 4
N: High proof nose. Slightly funky nuttyness. Light cinnamon that fades quickly.
P: Rather gentle palate… Perhaps ~100 proof. Funky nuttiness from the nose, yet again funk fades quickly. This is like pecans perhaps. Definitely not peanuts. High rye, it’s spicy.
A: Lots of warmth and baking spices here. Long aftertaste with slightly bitter notes at the very tail end.
O: Very enjoyable experience most of the way. The bitter aftertaste isn’t enjoyable and borderline off-putting on its own.
Score: B- (5/10); Guess: Something from BEAM stills. Since they all taste roughly same… ‘Knob Creek 12, 100 proof’, but could be almost anything from there.

Sample 5
N: Whoa… Road tar? Sulfur? Sweet saltiness? This smells *WEIRD*… good weird, but still strange. Thankfully most weird notes leave after some time. But it reminds me of salted nuts from snack machine.
P: Sweet and wood-bitter at the same time… Somehow falls flat on the palate; this is missing that leather and minwax notes it’s also isn’t corny. Wheated mashbill I suspect.
A: Lots of heat in the back that gets sweeter with time.
O: This is not that interesting and not offensive at the same time. The palate falls onto flat one-note; the aftertaste is warming and enjoyable but the rest of the experience is skewed.
Score: B- (5/10); Guess: Makers Mark of some kind. ~100 proof. Wheated mashbill. Age ~6.
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This will be edited later to add the reveals… but for now my rating is: 1>2>3>4>5

Personal note: This was really hard. The samples came as 1oz (for wider distribution reasons), so trying to glean insights from small pours while leaving a little bit on the bottom to revisit later is really tough. I initially thought that #2 is the blend but due to doubt that The Benefactor would voluntarily proof down their creation… I’ve decided to do tiny amount of math and assume something that’s proofed in the middle is likely the blend.
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The reveal was the following and I’ll put some notes below:

Blind 1: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof K&L Single Barrel (10yr 128.2pf)
Whaaaat?! I actually have this bottle. I should revisit this. Totally didn’t taste like typical Heaven Hill. I’m way off on guessing across all parameters.

Blind 2: Buffalo Trace Neat Drinker’s Single Barrel (NAS, 90pf)
Also whaaaat!? Totally didn’t smell or taste like any BT I’ve had. But, I’m told this is a very funky BT cask, not at all typical. Close guesses on proof and age.

Blind 3: Redemption High Rye Barrel Proof Bourbon (10yr 114.4pf)
Spot on guesses here on it being MGP. At least this one is makes me feel a little better.

Blind 4: Old Weller Antique Eureka Single Barrel (NAS, 107pf)
Whaaaat!? For the record, this tasted almost exactly like Knob Creek 15 year old pick I have. Reasonably close guess on proof, very wrong guesses on everything else. I did call out same distillery correctly with #2 though not its location.

Blind 5: Steve’s Blend (45% ECBP, 25% BT, 20% Redemption, 10% OWA)
Also whaaaat!? I cannot believe after the blend with those components worked out to taste like a funky Cask Select of Makers. Sorry, sir, this isn’t really my jam. But most Maker’s aren’t my jam either.
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Scoring Breakdown: https://www.aerin.or … age=scores_breakdown

Black Bottle Taiwan Blend, 40%
This is a blended whiskey for Taiwan market. If I recall this is a dusty from couple of decades ago. Maybe? Friend Charu supplied the source. Nice nose with malt, slightly nutty and lightly peated. More light peat on the palate, I think that’s fighting with the nuttyness. The palate itself is watery. Aftertaste is kinda flat; spice, malt, and wood mix that’s been watered down. Overall: This is interesting for curiosity sake and checkbox, but ultimately bland and disappointing experience. Don’t bother. The fact it’s not revolting and can be drank without gagging are positives in this case. Value: N/A
Score: D-

Glen Garioch 12, Old Particular, K&L SP, 52.6%
A 2008 Glen Garioch bottling by Laing’s Old Particular label from a refill ex-bourbon cask. Oh boy, the nose has a very familiar note for me, which ironically I seem to be unable to place. Baked apple or plum candy perhaps? Let’s go with plum hard candies from the Motherland. More of that candy note on the palate, backed by malt and vanilla. More herbal notes, that transform into some spice, vanilla and malt, with some citrus zest in there. That same zest leaves a slightly bitter leftover note that spoil repeated sips by running into each other. Oddly, with time, the same plum candy notes seem to transform into more pine and mint notes. In context, mind association games are an interesting thing. Overall: Quite enjoyable though perhaps a little too ‘zingy’ for some (most?). Value: The preorder for this was $50? Solid value!
https://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1558739
Score: B

Longmorn 10 Sherry Butt, Hart Brothers, K&L SP, 56.0
A 2006 Longmorn 10, bottled by Hart, aged in 1st filled sherry butt… An interesting bottling here, considering it’s 1st fill sherry… The actual malt is… straw-colored. Probably a very dry cask there as the malt went in. Nose is certainly sherried and quite punchy. Grassy, malty, buttery, peppery notes whiff from the glass. Slightly bitter, anice-y notes on the palate, backed by some white candle wax. Long peppery finish. Overall: Certainly flavorful but not quite my glass of whiskey. The sherry influence is barely felt (very odd on how light it is for 1st fill). If I cringe while trying this straight then it should be something to consider. The glass is a lot more interesting with some water. Tons more sweetness comes up as proof takes a step back. Very meaty, almost sweet-and-savory notes. Value: This was ~$75 for a 10 year old malt… Perhaps about average here.
https://www.klwines. … whisky-700ml/1565108
Score: C+

Benriach 12 Sherry Butt, Hart Brothers, K&L SP, 58.2%
A 2008 Benriach from 1st fill sherry butt. This one is properly light chestnut, though not a full monster as some get occasionally on the color. Familiar varnish nutty notes on the nose, quite pungent, mostly due to the alcohol. There’s something particularly funky with either BenRiach distillate or with this bottling specifically as it’s got some unaged whiskey note in there. Perhaps an odd cut has been done on this particular batch that kept bunch of funkyness in. The palate continues with the punchy notes, but there’s a reasonable amount of sherry that balances itself out. There are a few bitter notes in there, like burnt spices. Long finish that gets spicier and mintier towards the very end. Overall: I’m torn. This starts weird, then is decent, but the more I drink it the less interesting it becomes. I taste some bitter, drying, or burnt notes on repeated sips. They are light, but they are there, like more and more varnish. Water helps a bit here scaling back the strange notes and letting cask and malt through. Nothing is particularly bad here… but it’s also not particularly great either. On a revisit, this is tasting slightly better than its grade may suggest… but still not spectacular. Value: This was ~$99. For a sherry cask from a good distillery? I’d say slightly above average price.
https://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1609386
Score: B

Benriach 15 Port Pipe, Hart Brothers, K&L SP, 56.5%
A 2006 Benriach 15 from a 1st fill port pipe. For what it’s worth, the discontinued circa-2015 special cask finishes Benriach bottlings were all of 15 year old, but I digress. Back to this pour! Slightly funky on the nose. Now I’m really beginning to wonder if that is something specific to do with Benriach stills as it’s 2nd in a row that’s ‘funky’. Sweetly spiced plum jam on the nose, kinda as expected of port. Slightly syrupy, proofy, spicy, malty, palate with mostly prune notes that come in the fruit section of my brain while trying to taste it. It really does have that dried fruit compote, oddly enough. Lots of sichuan pepper in medium-long aftertaste that sticks around for a while. Interestingly, most of the sweetness is contained to the palate and a few drops of water can take care that. The aftertaste is balanced well. This leaves an enjoyable, no-gimmick malt with some spiciness that’s got a bit of a port notes in there. Overall: Enjoyable overall, if a touch too sweet on the palate, add few drops of water to deal with that. Hope you enjoy some peppers as it’s got plenty of that left. It’s a consistent experience that is honest with me. Value: This was $109 preorder… very slightly above average on price.
https://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1562598
Score: B+
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Scoring Breakdown: https://www.aerin.or … age=scores_breakdown

I’ve got a list of stuff ahead of me… Let’s get into it finally.

John McCrae (Spooned Balvenie) 28, Hepburn’s Choice, Single Cask, 43%
This is one of the 153 bottles, teaspooned Balvenie malt, sold as John McCrae by Hepburn’s Choice label… Exclusively at K&L wines. I’ve written about teaspooned malts before so no need to repeat myself. I’ve also had John McCrae before too, though that one was from Sovereign (in 2017) and that was fantastic! But, let us dig into this one. The nose is lemon vanilla cookies. Palate is lemon vanilla cookies. The aftertaste is lemon vanilla cookies with a solid pepper kick towards the end and lasts for quite a while but ultimately fades. There’s some thick vanilla and a touch of oaky dryness somewhere in there but it’s not of too much consequence. Overall: I’m disappointed here. I’ve expected greatness but what I got is quite citrucy, very malty, somewhat peppered, kinda generic malt. Good everyday drinking. Nothing special in my book. I really wanted it to be special in my book. Value: This was ~160 or so. On paper a 28 year old Balvenie is many times more expensive… Value per year is great. Value per experience isn’t particularly great.
Score: C+

Glen Scotia 15, 46%
This is a lightly peated bottling of Glen Scotia… Whose limited editions have been… positively been looked at in the past https://www.aerin.or … y:entry200411-073247… Anyways… The nose is lightly peated, malty and got the typical ex-bourbon spice mixture present. The palate is more of the same… and slightly nutty. The aftertaste is yet again more of the same, lightly drying. Overall: This isn’t great; this isn’t terrible. Somewhere middle of the road malt that’s lightly peated. Actually inoffensive everyday drinker. Nothing special is perhaps its weakest point. Look elsewhere if you want something special. Value: Total Wine lists this at ~$70 and I would argue is okay for a 15 year old age statement.
Score: B (Light Peat)

Blue Hanger, 7th Limited Release; Blend; 45.6%
This is a Blend by the Berry Bros and Rudd independent bottlers. I guess this is them trying for a premium blend? To compete with new wave of premium blenders? Limited to only 3,088 bottles, this this variant of Blue Hanger is comprised of the following whiskies; one hogshead of Bruichladdich 1992, one butt of Bunnahabhain 1990, four hogsheads of Miltonduff 1997, and two hogsheads of Bunnahabhain Moine (peated) 2006. Let’s dig in! The nose is unmistakably peated… and basically smells like Peated Bunna and/or Laddie. It’s got that salt and smoke and a little bit of nuttiness. Almost like an old BBQ smokehouse. Salt combines with sweetness here, malt, peat (though reasonably balanced and restrained). Shockingly flavorful for the proof, this isn’t pulling its punches on the palate. Mouth-watering aftertaste with some coffee, tobacco, salted butter that finishes up with ginger spice tingle at the tail end. Overall: Not bad! Really, not all that bad… The peat works against me… but it’s reasonably enjoyable, balanced blend. Value: K&L was selling it for $99 back in the day… and I don’t usually go into packaging here… but for $99 this better have some legit wealth of information on the label… but this doesn’t! It’s a rubbish label! So blindly, for a blend, this is a terrible value, but knowing more about components, and having tried it… this is an interesting bottle that’s worth picking up… Provided one likes peat.
Just look at it! It’s ugly: https://whisky.aucti … -7th-limited-release
Score: B+ (Peat)

Amrut Malted Rye 2016, Batch 2, 50%
How did this get lost in here? Oh wait… It’s a 100% single malt… except it’s a Rye malt…. Like Old Potrero (and few others). Did I mention I like malted rye yet? I’ve had American Malted Rye… French Malted Rye… Now for Indian Malted Rye! The nose is cedar sawdust and freshly baked rye bread crust. This is all resin, no pine. A little bit of pine comes through the palate with more of the punchy rye bread notes. The aftertaste is all malt and some solid fruitiness shows up among the spices, of those a most prominent being a solid pepper kick. Perhaps, buttered rye toast with fruit and jalapeno jam on top. Very impressive ‘legs’ on the glass too here confirming the viscosity. Overall: This is like Old Potrero single cask cut with some young cognac/brandy and some single malt. Very interesting and certainly to be polarizing as it doesn’t fit into typical niche of flavors. This has to be contemplated to really ‘get’; and it may be a little too hard to get for me other than scratching the surface. Value: SRP is around $200 which I would say is a terrible deal for a full bottle, when Old Potreros are found for ~$100… but it’s definitely worth trying for the curiosity sake.
Score: B+

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