MrWizard's Ramblings

ONGOING!!!!! Oh, not another one!?

Another 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. Organized by friend Ian this time who apparently doesn’t like scotch :) as per rules. The bottles are supposed to be $80+ whiskey, no scotch. 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
https://www.aerin.or … y:entry241206-234357

Name — Brief Notes — Guess: — Like/Dislike — Reveal:

1. IT — Proofy. Peppery. Flowery. Bourbony. Lots of wood through. Not corny. Perhaps a touch too intense for me. Kentucky hug. Something familiar here, very woody though. — Guess: Four Roses. Lark guess: Russell’s 15. — Yay — Reveal: Frey Ranch Bourbon Cask Proof, Golden Gate SP, 63.8%
2. JF — Spicy. Sweet! Cinnamon and wood. Not too weak not too strong. Lots of cinnamon in the aftertaste. — Guess: MGP (Remus?, but could be any number of independents that bottle or bottled it) — Yay — Reveal: AWS Fiddler (MGP) Heartwood, Unwind SP, 59%
3. Gino — Nuts?… Bitter Nuts! Light, flowery soapiness (as best as i can describe it). Well integrated. Sweetness on the aftertaste. High proof. — Guess: Old Forester SiB. Brown Forman something. Four Roses due to SbS? — Yay- — Reveal: Four Roses BS OESO ‘22, Total Wine SP, 55.3%
4. ChrisJ — Cologne. Reasonably light nose. Very proofy and hot on the palate. Flowery. Sweet, light cinnamon. Apparently SbS with the one above. I don’t quite see similarities. — Guess: Four Roses. MGP (Murray Hill). Old Forester BS — Yay- — Reveal: Four Roses BS OESQ ‘22, Jackson’s SP, 58.6%
5. GN — Honey roasted nuts on the nose. Sweet, peanutty, little spicy, flowery. Touch of cinnamon and good balance with wood. Fairly typical of higher age bottles from this distillery, though higher proof than commonly found. — Guess: N/A (That’s mine) — Meh+ — Reveal: Sweeten’s Cove “Specialty Release 2021” (Dickel), 56.48%
6. MJ — Nuts! Spices! High proof. Lots of roasted nuts, though not quite peanuts here. Still feels bourbony. Nice amount of lingering aftertaste after the high proof palate. — Guess: Tennessee style. Uncle Nearest. Something Dickel or Beam. — Meh+ — Reveal: Bookers 2021-02 “Tagalong Batch”, 63.95%
7. NS — Another one with nuts and spices. This one leans very sweet and woody. While i still suspect it’s a bourbon this doesn’t have a clear profile to me. Blend of somethings. — Guess: Barrell or MGP, Redwood Empire? — Yay- — Reveal: Old Scout 6, Healthy Spirits SP (Jordan’s Barrel), 58.8%
8. JJS MTZ — Looks dark. Smells good. Wood Varnish in a good way here. Not high proof (comparably)… Soft, good balance, leaning towards toasted wood notes, lots of gentle pepperiness in the back. Something wheated? — Guess: Weller Full Proof (BT Stills). — Yay — Reveal: Michter’s Rye ‘22, Barrel Strength Toasted Finish, 54.4%
9. DK — Hot. Woody. Walnuts! My palate hits an odd wall once primary flavors end. Touch ethanol forward. Little spicy, but not quite full rye to me, so let’s go with high rye. Grain-forward in a good way. — Guess: Four roses. Heaven Hill (Grain to Glass). — Yay- — Reveal: Four Roses BS OBSF ‘23, Total Wine SP, 55.2%
10. CF — WHAT IS THIS. This makes me happy. I don’t think it’s whiskey at all. Tons of sweetness, wood, vanilla, gentle hot peppers in the secondaries. Way too sweet for bourbon. — Guess: Rum, Foursquare? Possible alternative (covering my bases): malt. Glenglassaugh Single Cask Sherry — Yay — Reveal: Obtainium 13 MGP Light Whiskey, Finished in PlumpJack Cab Casks, 69.9%
11. JS — Second one on in a row that makes me happy. This is supposed to be SbS with the one above. It does taste like this one is unfinished (unsherried?) version of the above. Still not whiskey though. Less wood and burnt sugars, more of the vanilla. Same heat, sugars and pepperiness on the aftertaste — Guess: Same distillery but different cask combo. Still tastes a *lot* like a Rum. Possible alternative (covering my bases): malt. Glenglassaugh Sandend — Yay+ — Reveal: Obtainium 17 MGP Light Whiskey, NEBC SP, 62.5%
12. Acme — Familiar beats here. Kentucky likely. Very proof. Lots of wood. Lots of sweetness. Deeply toasted sugars and vanilla. Long aftertaste that’s same notes start to finish. Consistency is the name of the game. — Guess: ECBP/SP — Yay- — Reveal: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, B524, 65.3%
13. GZ — Final SbS of the set with below… *Very* Cologne-forward, though opens up to some wood and anice notes after a time in a glass. Spicy, but doesn’t seem like a rye, it’s wood and alcohol instead leaning towards unbalanced. Feels wheated. — Guess: Redwood Empire CS. Maker’s Stave Recipe. — Meh — Reveal: Old Forester Barrel Strength Rye, 65.9%
14. JK — Light cologne on the nose here but mostly wood, making it more typical nosing experience. Extremely spicy palate. Same underpinnings as above, but much spicier. Really not my thing. Bordering on rye in spicy department. Very high rye mash. — Guess: Redwood Empire another CS. Maker’s Stave Recipe — Nay+ — Reveal: Old Forester Barrel Strength Bourbon, Hops & Scotch SP, 63.35%
15. MC — Smells great. Fantastic warming palate. Just keeps me warm all the way down. Very VERY enjoyable. Seems like a bourbon. I finished this before i could even make a guess. Can I have more please? — Guess: Weller Full Proof. No idea currently. — Yay+ — Reveal: J.T. Meleck, Louisiana Rice Whiskey, Spec’s SP #263, 61.05%
16. JAX — Pencil shavings and flowers on the nose. Another good one. Typical bourbon palate of sweet sugar wood vanilla in excellent balance. Cinnamon in the aftertaste that lingers forever. Not super proofy but well sugared and woody. — Guess: MGP something (Remus guess like i always do, but more likely NBC) — Yay- — Reveal: Maker’s Mark Recipe #20422, Beer Baron SP ‘20. 55.75%
17. MQ — Nutty nose, sweet palate, but falls flat on the palate past the primary flavors. Very odd, hollow, experience front to back. Light chili heat that lingers for long time on the aftertaste. Some nuttiness comes in later on… Doesn’t taste uber strong. Likely under 115 — Guess: Widow Jane. Peerless. Still Austin? Some oddball from Jack? — Meh- — Reveal: Redwood Empire Screaming Titan Wheated Bourbon, Distilled in Sonoma, 48%
18. PC — Strong roasted nuts here… but lowish proof. What?! Lots of wood. Flowers. Soft and gentle. — Guess: Dickel of appropriate MSRP. Beam is a maybe but nothing specific comes to mind. Jack or Uncle Nearest are also possible due to flavor — Meh+ — Reveal: Wild Turkey 12 Distiller’s Reserve, 50.5%
19. KK — Last one, let’s make it good. Higher proof, not overwhelming. Roasted, toasted caramel, wood, vanilla. Lots of cinnamon and some heat, but balanced by other things and not super sweet. Chili heat lingers for a while afterwards. — Guess: Turkey (Russell’s 13). Stagg. Oddball Heaven Hill Mash — Yay — Reveal: Parker’s Heritage Malt 8 years, 54%

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Happy Holidays!