MrWizard's Ramblings

Back to malts! Oh what a backlog I got there…

Oban 18, 43%
A sample from friend JasonW. An obvious upgrade from the regular release if only in the years counted from inception. Nose is intense with vanilla, pears, stone fruit and melon, perhaps some tropical notes come in eventually. The palate is great. The tropical fruits really shine, sweet mango, papaia, litchi fruits, vanilla. Thick texture that wants to coat your tongue, though not quite succeeds. Aftertaste sees bourbon spices come out into nicely rolling aftertaste that’s unfortunately at best medium in length. Overall: This is highly enjoyable though I wish the aftertaste was a sliver longer than it is… And perhaps proof bumped up to 46%. Still, it’s very tasty and will please almost any scotch drinker. It’s malty, it’s tropically fruity, it’s pleasant and inoffensive. It’s quite above the level of the regular 14. Very big plus there in the grade, just a tad short due to short-ish aftertaste. Value: Total Wine got this at ~$150 which is reasonably high for an 18 year old malt. Then again… with current rising pricing about average… Honestly though… I’d skip buying it.
Score: B+

Amrut 8, “SCWC” Ex-Port Pipe. #4672; 60%
South California Whiskey Club bottling though K&L Wines… Another tiny sample from friend JasonW. The nose is glorious. All sorts of dark fruits compote, concentrated! The color is chestnut! I gotta admit this is actually awesome. I’d like to sniff it for awhile… but I got a thing to do. Palate is an experience. Dried figs, candied nuts, plums/prunes. Amazing complexity on the darker side of the flavors spectrum. Then the cask spices show up in spades in secondary notes and gallop into long sticky sweet and baking spice laden (yet still delightful) aftertaste. Overall: This is amazing as long as one likes wine (Port) influence on their malt. About as good as anything from Kavalan I’ve tried for comparison. Absolute bomb on flavors. Easy score. Value: Priced at even $200 this is… eeeeeeh and makes me think twice on value proposition here.
https://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1571026
Score: A

Glenallachie 19, Hart Bros, Single Cask. 56.7%
Hart Brother’s bottled Glenallachie 19 in 2015. Supposedly aged in oak cask but this is pretty dark so it could have been something else prior to Glenallachie. Either way it doesn’t quite smell like ex-bourbon. The nose is butter, vanilla, something salty and spicy, and perhaps a touch fermented. Somewhat reminds of a good salmon spread. Really complex into fatty-salty direction. Very deserving to be sniffed at for a while. Very wood-laden palate, slightly rubbery, yet again suggesting some sherry in there, bordering on too much wood which unfortunately overwhelms almost every primary note. Very little sweetness in the notes, more of a bitter vanilla. Baking spices and secondary notes finally come out in the long aftertaste that finishes with some chili tingle. Perfume and flowers in the tertiary notes right at the end of that aftertaste fading. Overall: Oh really wish to love it as it’s on paper everything I do love… Yet, it’s too woody in the middle for me to enjoy to the fullest. It’s a shame, as the core of this is fantastic… Likely quite polarizing this is certainly not a casual pour, though during right conditions it’s amazing… but if conditions aren’t perfect this will be… not perfect. A chameleon that keeps on changing as I sip it. Way up there on complexity, little too ‘mental’ for unadulterated enjoyment. Value: Going by paper… this is ~$110 and is a solid value.
https://www.klwines. … whisky-700ml/1559889
Addendum after finishing the bottle: It has opened up after opening and went into somewhat toasted honeycomb direction while keeping the complexity.
Score: B

Stranahan’s American Single Malt, Distiller’s #3, Carcavelos Cask, 53.65%
Something quite special, this is Distiller’s Experimental Series from Stranahan’s aged 7y11m in Carcavelos (white port) casks. American single malt from Colorado… This is ‘old’ for american single malt. Also distillery exclusive. Let’s just say ‘very limited supplies’. The nose is creme brulee laden with baking spice, change that to bourbon creme brulee, not too sweet though vanilla and sugar are present but it’s got a solid core of that burnt sugar top note. Incredibly well balanced, velvety on the palate. More of of the same combination of roasted balanas, burnt caramel, dusted with nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon and perhaps a scoop of banana ice cream on top. An interesting twist as it starts quite sweet, but almost immediately becomes funky, spicy, and almost (good) rum-like. Long aftertaste with more cinnamon and some bitter chocolate chili notes. Overall: This is extremely good stuff. One of the best single malts from America I’ve had, easily on par with best from Westland, also same age as best stuff from Westland so perhaps that helps. I have mostly discounted Stranahan’s in the past due to low age of their regular bottles but this does put a solid case for their older offerings that will be coming down soon enough hopefully. Value: I’ve paid $55 for a 375 ml bottle which is actually rather solid for the age statement, exclusivity and high proof in American malt.
Score: A

Rogue SIngle Malt, SFWBSS Pick, Cab Franc, 58.89%
A bottle exclusive to visitors of Fog City Social, organized by SFWBSS that happened in the Spring of 2022. The event was pretty great, but we’re not here to talk about it. Let’s talk about the bottle that came with the gift bag, generously provided by Rogue Spirits. This is a single cask, full proof single malt aged in Cab Franc wine cask. I’m not going to sugar-coat my hesitation approaching this as I’ve not too high opinion of regular Rogue releases based on prior experience with them. Here: https://www.aerin.or … y:entry210729-205754, Let’s dig in: Nose is… malt, wood spice and alcohol-strong red wine, something almost fruit tea-like. Lots of plums, some sour cherries, and dried apples. The wine cask bring a lot of complexity to the table here and balances out the alcohol. Supposedly, this is lightly peated, and on the palate some of that smokes shows up with somewhat bitter char notes. The bitterness is yet again balanced by wine cask influence which brings tons of red fruit and sweetness. Aftertaste is somewhat cherry bubble-gum like, with medium length gently fading cinnamon, some bitter baking spice mix, maltiness and yet again that red fruit leftovers. Malt takes a bit of setback here, and the aftertaste is nearly bourbon-like, still rich with red wine influence. Overall: The red wine cask does a miracle here. Honestly, it tastes a little bit like a ‘weird’ Starward that’s a little higher proof than common single cask and slightly more unbalanced. Frankly that’s the ’spot’ this bottle will occupy on my shelf… an American riff at Starward. It’s complex, not too old, very red wine-forward and good on occasion. There’s not much dislike here, but it’s also impossible to pigeonhole it into a category that is recognized by a casual drinker, leaving it a niche audience. Value: Tough to judge as it came ‘free’ with the ticket. Let’s assume about 50% of the ticket price was the bottle… So let’s give this a ~$50 valuation…. Which is honestly fairly solid for a no-gimmick single malt at high proof.
Score: B-

Westland 4.5, Silver City Cask Exchange, 51.2%
A bottle that’s been open on my shelf for a while, a great thank you to friend David from Seattle for getting it for me. This is a cask exchange bottle, meaning it’s American Single Malt aged in a beer cask… while there was some beer aged in a cask(s) from Westland. This particular one is with Silver City brewery and a marriage of output of casks that had Magnificent Bastard and Fat Woody in them prior to malt. I’ve written about a similar cask exchange bottle prior: https://www.aerin.or … y:entry210127-170948… A side note that Westland is quite coffee-forward naturally, so it works well with beer casks as a lot of darker kinds of beer have coffee in them or have a lot of coffee notes. Back to the malt: the nose is full of strong chocolate porter notes. The palate starts sweet and malty with velvety texture… The secondary notes kick in and drive those flavor notes way high. Mostly chocolate and coffee, bit of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, szechuan peppers galore. Aftertaste is strong porter, espresso, more szechuan peppers in the mix there, substantial sweet undertones from malt, gives it almost spiced italian espresso impression. Overall: Enjoyable but not an everyday pour for me. This proudly occupying ’something different’ spot and it’s happy to own that classification. Value: Tricky… this was ~$100… Perhaps for an interesting bottle… but I’d say it’s average value. Not great… not bad.
Score: B-

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

It’s been a nice little break. But back to action…

Old Potrero Straight Rye Whiskey, Malted Rye. 48.6%
Let’s start with an old favorite of mine… Old Potrero Malted Rye. Sample generously provided by way of… friendly booze fairies. Notably, this is a regular release of theirs which happens to be 100% single malt rye, at respectable 48.5%. Old Potrero bottles have just went through a label change rebranding and, honestly it’s for the better. I do like the new labeling. Anyways, back to the sample. The nose is sweet fruit compote, mixed with old wood varnish, this is very cologne-like and sweetly musky. Eucalyptus and perhaps some boxwood notes. There really isn’t anything quite like OP ryes out there. Bitter burnt vanilla sugar on the palate, those malted rye notes, pine, tons of complexity. Both savory and sweet, full of vanilla and nearly amaro-bitter this mostly covers the entire spectrum of darker saturated flavors. Thick texture. Long and slightly bitter herbaceous aftertaste. Overall: Not as glorious as some of the single casks, which are higher proof and of course vary in quality. This is fantastic for a general (reasonably) widely available release provided one actually enjoys malted rye flavor profile. The proof is no slouch, so kudos to OP’s folks there; and I would recommend it for those that are unable to locate a single cask or don’t want to risk single cask variability… or scary proof numbers. The malted rye is a polarizing thing and I would argue that it cannot be everyone’s favorite… but when it clicks… it clicks. Value: MSRP being a $60 this is solid deal for a bottle with clear age statement and being something different that’s not produced in bulk at a very large distillery.
Score: B+

Michter’s Barrel Strength Rye 2022, 54.8%
Barrel #22B582 and sample provided by friend Michael (thank you Michael!), who’s really into the ‘22 crop of bottles of this release. Let’s dig in! The nose is complex and like a chameleon, keeps on changing. One moment it’s dried peanuts; another moment it smells like my shampoo, next it’s vanilla and wood, and then it’s back to peanuts. As far as peanuts concerned, some distilleries often got a clear roasted peanut butter note (looking at you Dickel…); this is specifically dried but not roasted peanuts. The palate is surprisingly just as dynamic as the nose. It keeps on shifting underneath me from vanilla bomb to something nutty while staying complex. It’s definitely a rye through and through, yet this isn’t a typical minty, spicy rye, but more of a nutty, woody, vanilla forward number. Long and slightly bitter aftertaste, with wood, it shockingly brings everything together and calms down with some cooling peppermint notes. One of the better aftertastes in quite awhile. Overall: Amazing aftertaste! Shifting and complex nose and palate that are more interesting in their shifty nature than any particular facet there. That multiple personality does bring a lot to the table and makes an experience dynamic. Value: Reasonable at MSRP ~$100… this is highly sought after on the secondary so buyer beware anything more that MSRP and the value declines fast.
Score: B+

J Mattingly PCS Pick, Private Barrel. Bourbon. 56%
I have this sample… I think it’s from friend Charu. Another of J Mattingly’s picks. No other information given. Gotta assume this is MGP since it smells like it. Vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg nose with a few roasted nuts in the background. Eye-wateringly hot for the proof. Lots of sweet vanilla and deeply roasted hazelnuts, slight soapiness. Bitter wood notes come up in the secondary notes and continue into medium length aftertaste. Overall: Not my thing here. It echoes some of the good bourbons out there and plenty of folks would enjoy but it’s not the profile I like… It’s too hot for me which is saying a lot and is quite odd for the 56% abv, suggesting it’s horribly unbalanced… A little bit like drinking liquid cinnamon spiked with charry wood. Value: J Mattingly’s are usually ~$100-120 or so… They’re not a good value unless a unicorn bottle.
Score: D+

Jack Daniel’s Bourbon, Heritage Barrel, 50%
A 2018/2019 special release, these are single casks proofed down to 50% abv. This is the blue-labeled Jack release, followed by green rye and red high proof editions. Thanks friend Charu! Nose is cherry and burnt vanilla caramel riot, feels almost a little sherried. The palate is sweet, woody, full of vanilla, velvet in texture and high in spice. That dry sherry or herbaceous associations continue here. Just half a step over the comfort zone for me on the bitterness. Aftertaste is a long with bitter chocolate woody notes lingering for a long while. Overall: Oh… I really like this! It may not be an everyday pour for me… but it’s actually real good one. The proof is right, the nose is just fantastic, the palate and aftertaste isn’t too overwhelming but jam-packed of flavors and complexity. The overall experience is great. Value: Originally priced ~$70… that’s fantastic value. Good luck now since it was a limited run. If you see it for anywhere under ~$100 gathering dust on the shelf it’s still a good deal.
Score: B+

New Riff Bourbon, Royal Liquors SP, Cask #7264, 52.55%
New riff Single Cask from Royal Liquors. I didn’t have a New Riff for a while now, so perhaps my new casual sip? Freshly opened bottle here, so it may change a bit with time. Orange marmalade on the nose, the good kind, where rind is used. Very much not what I was expected on the palate, almost zero sweetness. Tons of burnt orange zest, some butteriness in that thick texture. Lots of complexity. Mental image, burnt toast with citrus marmalade. Quite a bit of complexity, and gently rolling well balanced finish here that becomes buttery with time as bitterness fades leaving an interesting cinnamon and grilled orange skins aftertaste. Those orange cinnamon notes stick around for a very long time too. Overall: Totally not what I was expecting here. Almost too bitter, initially, the off notes thankfully fade. This will not break anyone’s mind but it’s a solid daily drinker so far that’s very ‘different’ from other bourbons I got… And I like different. Very solid after-dessert pour. Value: Solid for $45… New Riff generally presents a good value in bourbons from a craft distiller.
Score: B

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

A friend Jason passed to me a literal box of (open) rum bottles. There are mostly single casks, aged in the tropics are from all over the world. A rum world tour perhaps? By the nature of rum ‘tasting’ I’ll try to be brief in covering what’s going to be 11 bottles of rum. To be clear this is not Bacardi, Captain Morgan or Malibu. This is real stuff most of which aged in tropics and is 100% actual ‘rum’, not 51% rum + 49% vodka + flavorings + colorings which a lot of cheaper brands do.

Doorly’s (Foursquare) 12 year old, 43%
Barbados Rum from Foursquare distillery, not even disguised from foursquare bottled under special label and exclusive to Total Wine. Comes in 40% and 43% variety depending on when it was bottled. I happen to have a 43% but 40% is mostly same, but slightly sweeter because of marginally less proof. Wood, baking spices, burnt sugar and little menthol; this is classic Foursquare exceptional cask ex-bourbon at lower proof with 12 year age statement. Overall: Fantastically drinkable both in a mix or sippable, I’ve taken a liking to this for warmer days. Not quite bourbon and not quite malt but something in-between. Value: This is like $30 in Total Wine. One of the best values for very accessible truly tasty rum.
Score: B+

Foursquare Detente, 10 year old, 51%
Another Foursquare, this time is exceptional cask selection mark XIV (14). 10 Years old blend of ex-bourbon and ex-port casks. The port really takes over in this one and makes very slightly… port-y. Would definitely please any fan of port casks finish in Single Malt land (looking at you Portwood) and this is quite tasty, if a little bit confused between burnt sugar and port sweetness. With repeated sips, becomes slightly bitter with wood notes perhaps very burnt sugar. Overall: Would I drink it? Yes, though not every day. Value: Foursquare… is slightly expensive but not too bad for the quality and the flavor. Surprisingly their official bottlings tend to be cheaper than independent ones.
Score: B

Lost Cask/Rolling Fork/Seelbach’s Foursquare 22 year old, 57.7%
Independent Foursquare from 1998. This is concentrated vanilla, little bit of anice, and seasoned wood all the way. Exceptionally concentrated and basically a ‘true’ brown sugar apple pie of sorts, it’s quite delicious thought surprisingly not that complex. Like a well aged bourbon, this has plenty of character even if notes mostly are the same across the board. Very oddly this evokes the images of BTACs for me. Perhaps it’s similarly shaped bottle? Overall: Oh my, this is a flavor bomb in it’s own way. Pretty much a apple pecan pie with ice cream ala-mode. Would I eat that every day? Perhaps, until I grew tired of it a week in. I’d still enjoy it! Value: This was priced at $299.99, while unique-ish this is an atrocious value proposition. Hard pass on paying for it.
Score: A

Travellers Distillery (Belize), 15 year old, The Nectar, 52%
The Travelers Distillery in Belize, bottled for The Nectar in Belgium from a private collection. A note is worth it here… This is rather full of sediment unfortunately. This is also rather not rum-like at all! Mint, eucalyptus, savory notes galore, very burnt sugar comes up eventually with tropical lychee fruits and perhaps some charred pineapple. Overall: Very different and very unexpected here compared to the foursquares and other tropical rums. Definite flavor bomb but not nearly as sweet at first as just about any tropical rum is. Very complex and almost chilling with the mint notes. Value: This was $150… yeah no dice. What’s with the independent bottlers being worse than retail original bottlings!?
Score: B

Travellers Distillery (Belize) 2008, 13 year old, Holmes Cay, 61%
A single cask bottled by Holmes Cay company. From the same Travellers Distillery as the one above. The Holmes Cay premise of pure barrel to bottle is on full display here. Pine needles on the nose in a harsh way. The proof is very punchy in the glass. Eucalyptus and pine resin with some funky medicinal notes to start on the palate, then followed by sweet sugar and toasted nuts. The label isn’t joking when it’s suggesting a small splash of water in this one. Overall: This is rather pine-y with a complex rock sugar candy notes following. I don’t dislike it by any means but I prefer it somewhat less than most of the bottles above for what it’s worth. Value: Eeeeh about average as with everything Holmes Cay… With the single cask difference some are unicorns and some are just okay though nothing is particularly overpriced.
Score: B-

Panama Kill Devil 2006 11yr, 61.5%
Kill Devil is of course an Independent bottler in Scotland. Very medicinal and almost menthol like. This is very much like thin mints in liquid form. Or those thin dark chocolate mint-filled treats I recall from my childhood or for simplicity, dark chocolate mint Ghirardelli Squares. Lots of ex-bourbon spice and some interesting funk in the secondary notes. Though seriously this is numbing mint notes all over without being actual mint tingle. Overall: Quite different but drinkable for something different and refreshing. Value: This was originally ~$130… Pass!
Score: B-

Guyana Diamond Distillery Kill Devil 2005 16yr, 59.9%
A 16 year old from French Guyana. This is very blond, suggesting non-tropical maturation here as tropics really pull out everything from wood asap due to climate/heat/humidity. Very funky on the nose. My friend described it as ’smelling a swamp’ and while I disagree about the swamp part, it’s definitely got that green banana and freshly cut grass thing going on in there. The funk disappears mostly when it hits the palate but it tastes… ‘green’ and young. The aftertaste is alright with a nice peppery tingle that lasts for quite a while. Overall: There’s something medicinal in this rum. The sweetness is there and some of the mint notes are present, but the nose isn’t quite great and overall this seems like a miss for my palate as this combination isn’t particularly what i like. Value: This was ~$150… Pass!
Score: C

Guyana Diamond Distillery Kill Devil 1998 23yr, 48.5%
An older brother to the one above, coming at extremely respectable 23 year old. Still quite light in color for a 23 year old the nose is somewhat restrained forest after the rain with some perfume. The palate is nice with layers and layers of complexity in a pseudo ex-bourbon palate that’s missing most of the rum sugars. Really this reminds me of slightly over-aged single malt on the palate from an old malt cask. The aftertaste is where it hits a snag… And it doesn’t happen every time… but somehow this ‘tastes like a swamp’. The last few notes are like my compost bin smells after a week in a the sun. It’s super weird not unlike fresh earth on the palate. Although somehow I’m not getting that weird aftertaste currently… Though I did get it when I took a quick sip earlier and when i tasted this the first time. Overall: Not a fan. I really hope that after 16 year old being ’smell the swamp’ and 23 year old being ‘taste the swamp’ there isn’t a 30 year old that is ‘be the swamp’ out there. Value: This was ~240!?… Pass!!!
Score: C+ (D+ with aftertaste present)

Cuba S.B.S. Bourbon and Virgin Oak Cask 2012, 50%
A Cuban rum!? In USA? Did we end embargo yet? After quick wikipedia check. we have not. It’s stupid but oh well, plus not here to talk about politics, but about rum! Nose is classical ex-bourbon rum casks. Oh this reminds me a lot of Foursquare products. As aside, Cuba is well known for their rums and cigars so I guess it’s not surprising that this tastes pretty darn good. Lot’s of sugars and bourbon cask notes here. Extremely easy drinker that’s not over complicated. Some medicinal and mentholy notes in the back that appear eventually but it makes me think of tropical rain rather than distract from the overall experience. Overall: Enjoyable and interesting for rum drinkers this is another example of excellent tropical rum that would be pleasing for a whiskey drinker. Value: ~$145 in price this is… slightly below average on value… Geez independents rum values are way over-inflated.
Score: B+

Mauritius SBS 2008 10yr Port Cask, 55.7%
This is absolutely nuts. I’ve heard of the name of the country this was made in before but didn’t know where it was located. Crazy tiny island east of Madagascar. Well World Tour of Rums indeed! A port cask finish from Grays distillery and distilled from molasses. The nose is really interesting and almost reminds me of Coca Cola or perhaps Rum and Coke. Crazy spiced and nearly slightly sour the whole Coke parallels continue with what I can only describe as light fizziness. It’s a lot like Sprite/Coke mixed with Captain Morgan. Very delicious and unusual stuff. Overall: Different but really enjoyable, especially for Rum and Coke fans. Not to mention this is about as far as it gets distance-wise at least for trying something from there. Value: ~$150 kinda a tough tag to swallow, especially blindly. Below average value, but certainly some credit is due for uniqueness.
Score: B+

Dominican Republic S.B.S. 2007 13yr Madeira Finish, 50%
Madeira (basically red wine) cask finish, distilled from cane juice in column still. The nose is punchy combination of wood, burnt sugar and plum jam with a bit of tobacco notes in there perhaps coming from charry casks. The color is also very very dark but it’s almost certain due to madeira. Very much wine-forward on the palate while staying true to its rum roots. Aftertaste is nice, and warming with mulled wine spices. Overall: This more than reminds of Starward single casks in the overall profile though slightly lighter overall. Mulled spices galore though somewhat muted and reasonably balanced on the palate. An interesting cask but nothing outstanding and madeira hides too much of the rum character. Tropical rum purists will stick their nose up on this and while this is imminently drinkable there are better rums out there. Value: This was ~$130… I’d say it’s at priced little bit above average.
Score: B
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Scoring Breakdown: https://www.aerin.or … age=scores_breakdown

More samples than I know what to do with… other than review them as I consume them. As usual thanks for the samples to friends Logan and Shaun.

Croftengea 16, Single Cask Nation, 51.2%
This is one of the several brands that comes off Loch Lomond stills. This particular one was aged in a single Ex-bourbon cask and distilled in 2005. Nose is delectably ex-bourbon orchard fruits with a whiff of sweet and fruity smoke. Well spiced, fruity and slightly ashy mouthfeel that’s quite thick on it’s texture. It really is a bit of a liquid cigar as the best way to describe it. Lots of warming sichuan peppers in the aftertaste that are balanced off by malt sweetness and light smoke. Overall: It’s a liquid cigar pretty much. This is quite enjoyable if a bit dry and ashy at certain points. Doesn’t quite reach the awesomeness of Kilkerran but it sure tries. Extremely enjoyable situationally just like a cigar is enjoyable to a non-smoker sometimes. Value: As with most SCN’s likely about average.
Score: B+

Westport 16, Single Cask Nation, 50.6%
Westport is another name for Glenmorangie btw ;) not to dilute the brand name it’s most often used with independent bottlings or private labels. Distilled in 2005 this is aged in 2nd fill oloroso sherry cask. The nose is gloriously malty with a whiff of oloroso sherry funk and nutty spice. The palate is exactly the sugar-toasted and lightly spiced nuts that my palate goes nuts for, alternatively… it’s ‘charred orange’. Quite long aftertaste with more spice, some charred wood, malt and tons of sichuan peppers at some point lingering forever. Overall: This is rather good, especially if burnt orange zest if right for you as is the overall profile for Glenmorangie. The mid-palate is very slightly chopped off at the rise and but more than makes up for in the a cohesive experience. This reminds me of Glenmorangie 18 from early 2010s, with candied spiced walnuts all the way. Value: As with every Single Cask Nation, slightly above average.
Score: A-

Kavalan Solist, Vinho Barrique, 57.1%
A single cask Kavalan? One of the fancier casks? Hell yeah! Thank you, friend Logan! Obviously it’s wine cask and barrique is just it’s size. The nose is hot and full of wine notes and red fruits. Primarily red cherries and fresh plums mixed with prunes. The palate is scorchingly hot which is surprising for a single malt and being sub 60% avb, the baking spices, more red fruits, and healthy dose of sichuan peppers. The peppers continue into a medium length aftertaste and leave with a small tingle on the tongue. Overall: Very enjoyable… but… I wouldn’t call this cask amazing. It’s like a very peppery Starward single cask and those are quite findable… On the other hand, kavalan vinho… good luck. Value: Horrible awful no good value on these bottles. Kavalan single casks are already overpriced and the premium cask like Vinho carries an extra… Accept pours all night long. Don’t pay for these.
Score: B+

Mystery Sample…
Blinds are a great equalizer… A mystery sample from friend Logan… I wonder what can it be… So knowing a little bit about Logan’s… price range… this can be *literally anything* though there’s good chance it’s ‘fancy’ or at the very least different. Well; the nose… smells a lot like the French Malted Rye i got from DHG that was aged in Macvin (herbal wine) casks… it basically smells like aromatic dry herb mix or a very funky herbal tea. The palate… is flatter than a lot of cask proof stuff… suggesting 40-46% abv. The notes are quite complex with full of heavily roasted nuts and orange zest with some sweetness, yet again suggesting a mix of things. It’s definitely a malt though… The aftertaste is medium and a little drying; that dry sawdust sensation sticks around for a while now and is not unwelcome. Overall: This could be sherried but it also tastes a bit like a blend… What it could actually be… I have absolutely no idea, this doesn’t taste quite like anything else I’ve had other than the nose. That being said… If I had to guess I am getting a solid whiff of burnt orange here… which may suggest Glenmorangie thought it’s not anywhere near the concentration of single casks. Totally random guess: Glenmorangie 25.
After some talking… It’s this: https://www.whiskyan … dro-al-navile-ws0038 A 12 year old Speysider from the 90s bottled for Italian restaurant at 40% abv. While Logan thinks it could be Macallan, my personal guess based on more info and palate is Glenfiddich.
Score: N/A (Solid B+)

Ardmore 23, Single Cask Nation, Rechar Hogshead, 52.5%
An Ardmore from 1997 in a refreshed cask. There be peat in there but overall this seems good. Peat and salty vanilla on the nose with a good dose of fruitiness for bourbon hogshead, salty fruit compote basically. There’s smoky, salty, sweet, almost bubbly palate on this one. It reminds me somehow of a good and very dark smoked porter. Long aftertaste with lingering ashy smoke that lasts for a very long time though overall the aftertaste is quite subtle and fades quickly outside of the smoke notes. Focusing only on the aftertaste, it is rather ashy and drying and reminds of a ashtray which isn’t a good association. Overall: Interesting for peat folks and I really want to like it but it just doesn’t do it for me due to smoking association. That memory aside, it’s rather excellent drinking in its own way that’s full of flavor and would certainly please almost everyone that likes some peat in their glass. Value: As with every Single Cask Nation, slightly above average.
Score: B+

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

Let there be rums! Thanks for Friends Charu and Shaun for the samples and SFWBSS/Holmes Cay for others.

TL;DR: Holmes Cay is a direct bottler of rums around the world. They are one of the few independent rum bottlers in US or almost certainly one of the first ones. They got plenty of good stuff that’s cask-to-bottle without any bull…

Armagnac notes:

Chateau de Pouchegu — awesome
Chateau de la Grangerie — isn’t my jam
L’Encantada Le Freche — great
L’Encantada Lous Pibous — fantastic
Domaine de Baraillon — great, kind of a soft creamy-woody flavor
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Holmes Cay samples, probably going to be little blurbs… but we’ll see:

Guyana 2010, Diamond Distillery; 11 years, 60.4%
Funky to the point of being nearly acrid. Bananas on the nose. Definitely has a lot of that weird rotting vegetable notes going on there. It’s worth mentioning again quite acrid bordering on smelling salts… Fried bananas galore hiding behind peppery front on the palate. Numbing peppers in the aftertaste that’s quite long. As soon as it hits my palate the acrid notes disappear or melt into the overall experience. Overall: Enjoyable on it’s own though I’d prefer this in a tropical drink.
Score: C+

Belize 2006, Traveller’s Liquors Distillery; 15 years, 61%
Burnt sugar candies on the nose, with a healthy dollop of alcohol. Toasted tropical fruits on the palate. Somewhat reminds of grilled pineapple that’s nearly burnt. Pleasantly sweet but forgettable aftertaste with complex and peppery spice. Overall: Tasty but uninspiring. Yet again I’d prefer it in a drink but would enjoy on its own in a tropical day. In other words… “It’s okay”
Score: B

Fiji 2014, South Pacific Distillers; 17 years, 58%
A 17 year rum, for real? Now we’re talking! Well the dry leather funk is back and the alcohol is quite sharp indeed. Bit of wood, leather, baking spices are all present. Oh… Oh. this is quite nice on the palate. Still sugary as rum can be.. there are tons and tons of spice notes, cinnamon, cloves, all spice, this is reminiscent of MGP bourbons (without the corn of course). Long, baking spice-laden and sweet aftertaste follows. Overall: Very enjoyable and quite nice indeed. I can see myself drinking this.
Score: B+

Barbados 2012, Foursquare Port Cask, 9 years, 55%
This smells great like a rye, some mint and eucalyptus on the nose. This is foursquare through and through basically a whiskey in rum form. Honestly kinda missing port cask notes other than it’s a little extra sweet. Aftertaste is light, rye like here. Overall: This is basically a high rye bourbon or high corn rye here. Enjoyable but not as good as official releases from foursquare.
Score: B+

End of Holmes Cay Samples!
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Epris 10, Single Cask Nation, Brazilian Rum. 52.6%
This spent 10 years in first fill bourbon cask #113 and distilled in May of 2011. Brazilian rum? Okay Let’s try! Funky and spicy wood varnish on the nose, not quite licorice but more mastic, a smell I typically get out of 1st fill sherry malts, though there is no sherry in this bottle. Baking spices spiked candy basically. Salty sweet palate with some licorice and chocolate notes, pine needles or pine resin for sure, tobacco, somewhat grassy, salty green olives hiding under the spice. More licorice on the aftertaste that’s not nearly as sweet as you’d expect out of a rum. Overall: This is an interesting one for sure. Reminds of me of some sort of agricole rum that St George did few years back from green sugarcane which was basically olive juice. This seems like infinitely better version of that yet still retaining some of that juniper, salty and grassy complexity hiding under an admittedly great bourbon cask. This seems like a mix of a rum and a basic gin. Would be fantastic in a mixed drink but not going to be enjoying this further than the sample I got. The more I drink it the more confusing it gets at least for my whiskey-wanting palate… Reminds me of something out of Spirit Works stills which are all juniper-contaminated. This is enjoyable… yet it’s flawed in its own way.
Score: C+

Guyana 2003, Diamond Distillery; 16 years, 54.5%
A bottling by Gregarious Grump (Kris Hart of Prideful Goat and others fame) this is a 16 year old Guyana rum distilled in 2003 and bottled in 2020 from Diamond Distillers. Ohhh (pre-emptive yum!) this thing is *dark* chestnut color. Deep sugar caramel nose, dried fruit strips (fruit leather). The palate has vanilla coke, wood, some baking spice, coffee and more fruit leather notes. Those dried fruits really come forward in a long aftertaste that eventually fades into the distant sweetness. Overall: Enjoyable but for me it feels right on the edge of being too woody… Arguably it may have spent a little too long in the casks under tropical climate. I’ll equate this to a decent armagnac… It’s definitely got those fruit notes and wood spices going on. Enjoyable but isn’t mind-blowing for me.
Score: B+

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