MrWizard's Ramblings

ONGOING!!!!!

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:
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:
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:
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:

—

Happy Holidays!