MrWizard's Ramblings

After dry January, some flu and a vacation break. Here are some more reviews!

Glencadam 11, SMWS #82.48 “The Big Yellow”, 62.8%
First fill ex-bourbon-aged bottling from a new-to-me distillery. The nose is big and bold, with citrus oils dominating, followed by lovely perfume notes of lavender and sweet vanilla. The palate is big, punchy and quite hot, a vanilla bomb that remains enjoyable, spicy, vanilla-forward and slightly oaky on the finish. A few drops of water help cut through the proof, though too much and it falls apart. Overall: A competent ex-bourbon cask showing a rare-for-USA distillery that doesn’t disappoint but doesn’t quite wow either, feeling a touch young and slightly too high proof to be truly interesting. Value: Probably somewhat overpriced as is the norm with SMWS bottles, but since this was a gift, N/A.
Score: B

Waterford Irish Malt, Dunbell Edition 1.1, 50%
A bottle from the — sadly now defunct — Irish malt producer Waterford, a distillery that proudly leaned into terroir, documenting soil composition and other gloriously geeky details about each farm supplying its grain. Bottled without coloring or chill filtration, so bonus points there.The nose opens with dry malted grains, minerality, citrus peel, and sugar candy sweetness. The texture is pleasantly oily — somewhat surprising for an NAS bottling. The palate carries forward the mineral and candy notes, joined by a faintly meaty, almost saline undertone that balances the cask sweetness nicely. A noticeable oak char emerges mid-palate and lingers into a fairly short, drying finish of vanilla, sugar cookies, gentle oak spice, and pepper. Overall: An unusual and interesting Irish malt that stands well apart from the regional norm. I can’t say I dislike it, though the pronounced char feels slightly compensatory — as if masking youthful spirit underneath. Still, this works exceptionally well as a blend fixer: an ex-bourbon component that adds structure and flavor without disappearing, punching well above its apparent age even if subtlety isn’t its strongest suit. Value: Picked up for $40–50 at Binny’s clearance — absolute score. At the ~$100 original MSRP, considerably harder to justify.
Score: B

Dailuaine 15 K&L SP, Old Particular, 57%
A Dailuaine bottled by Old Particular for K&L Wines, distilled in 2008 and bottled in 2024 from sherry butt DL17719. Color is about what you’d expect for the age and cask type — nothing unusual there. The nose brings plenty of spice along with stewed, sugared dark fruits and a clear sherry influence. The palate starts in the same direction: brown sugar, baking spices, and rich fruit sweetness. Then comes a surprise. Mid-palate shifts hard into spicy tobacco notes, followed by coffee and dried fruits that carry into the finish. A few drops of water smooth the transition a bit, though it doesn’t really need it. Overall: A slightly weird one. It begins like a fairly typical modern sherried malt, then turns into something quite different halfway through. Not bad at all — just a bit disconnected between the front and back halves. Starts like fruit leather, finishes more like licking a cigar. Value: Listed at $99 at K&L, which feels like reasonable value for the age and a single sherry cask.
Score: B

Highland Park 10, K&L SP # 5434, 66.1%
A Highland Park single cask, distilled in 2011 and bottled in 2022 for K&L Wines. This was aged in first fill European oak sherry butt. Honestly, I’m going to be brief here. This is a sherry bomb that is typical Highland Park single cask, with an impressive proof. It actually drinks a touch below its proof and isn’t super peat-forward. Value: Priced at 119 it may not be best deal on paper for each year but solid price for the quality.
Score: B+

Glenlivet 17, Signatory Vintage, 62.2%
I actually have another bottle of this, so yay — early preview. Glenlivet 17, bottled in 2023 by Signatory from 1st fill Oloroso sherry butt #900810. Nose opens with slightly sulfuric sherry and sweet vanilla extract. The palate is meaty, sweet, and gently spiced — very modern sherry in style. That light sulfur note plays nicely with the savory meatiness and settles into more of a supporting role behind the sherry. Am I getting oily, salty-sweet roasted almonds? The finish turns drying, woody, and leathery, with a faint minty edge, medium-long in length. Overall: I’m really enjoying this. It’s a bit off the beaten path, but it drinks well at proof, and the progression from nose to finish feels coherent and steady. Definitely falls into that “funky-but-good” quality malt category. Value: Listed at $149 at K&L — honestly, a pretty solid deal.
Score: A-
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Scoring Breakdown: https://www.aerin.or … age=scores_breakdown

Few final samples for the end of the year.

What — Notes — Score

Grosperrin FD Truau 1996, Bas Armagnac, 55.5% — Sweet stewed fruits in vanilla sugar. Almost no wood tannins. Later sips bring spirit note and wood spice, but still nearly zero bitterness. Toasted sugar, vanilla, fruit cake. Perhaps too sweet to be balanced — Score: Yay-
High West, Midwinter’s Night Dram, Encore Act 1 Scene 1, 50.8% — MGP & High West Rye, aged in white port. Dilly but in a good way, lots of sugar vanilla and wood. Not too deep but definitely sweet, balanced and desert-like. Probably better one of recent releases. — Score: Meh+
Laird’s Apple Brandy 5.7 years, Single Cask, 60.5 — Ummmm… Pretty tasty apple brandy? Apple, chili, vanilla, good balance without leaning too much into something odd. Think boozy apple sangria with some solid amounts of mulled spice, sans cinnamon. — Score: Meh+
Old Pulteney 16, 2006, K&L SP, Cask #2061, 53% — (Tiny sample). Clean, subtle, ex-bourbon cask. Citrus and stone fruit, some minerality. Utterly beautiful and clean in its style. — Score: Yay+
High West, Light Whiskey 14, Batch 3, 46% — Corn whiskey, aged in 2nd fill casks. Gentle Vanilla in the name here with an odd - yet warming - spiciness upfront. I’m voting this a Canadian well-aged corn vodka. — Score: Meh+
Smooth Ambler Old Scout Rye 7 (2014), 49.5% — This is possibly MGP. Woody… soap? — Score: YUCK!

Tomatin 27, Carn Mor, 46.3%
Distilled in 1987 and bottled in 2014, this Tomatin was aged in a sherry hogshead (#495) and opens with an impressively expressive nose for the proof: roasted vanilla, brown sugar, and sun-dried apricots. The palate leans into black tea with toasted honeycomb or dark honey, and the finish continues that black-tea-and-honey thread with touches of vanilla and malt. The sweetness lingers as clean sugars without becoming heavy or cloying, and notably without drifting into figgy richness or overt spice the way PX or Oloroso often do. Overall: this feels very much like a Palo Cortado sherry cask — and a very good one at that — landing squarely in my preferred lane thanks to those tea and honey notes. Value: N/A; acquired opened on the secondary market.
Score: A-

Ledaig/Tobermory 27, Redacted (Thompson) Bros, K&L SP, 47.4%
This is a 27-year-old Tobermory distillation run with fermentation and cut points identical to Ledaig, but made with unpeated barley — effectively unpeated Ledaig aged in oak rather than a typical Tobermory malt. My suspicion is that this was an in-between “clean-out” run, meant to flush residual peat from the stills and condensers after Ledaig before returning to Tobermory production. Interestingly, the cask was split, with the EU release bottled at 26 years. The color is striking — olive oil. The nose is intensely malty, loaded with orchard fruit, waxy yellow apple and pear skins front and center. The palate is multilayered: it opens with soft sugars and malt, then spins outward into a wild, tropical-fruit-laden compote with spices, chili, and ginger. It reminds me of an unusually balanced, very boozy white sangria — but far more interesting — where the flavors aren’t coming from fruit directly, but from high-quality oak, age, and malt. The different distillation cuts (when condensation starts and stops) seem to contribute both lighter, front-loaded notes and heavier, almost savory layers on the back end. Those savory elements linger into the finish alongside sweet spice, ginger, and just the faintest wisp of smoke. Overall: a super-interesting, highly unusual, and genuinely unique bottling — very much a likely once-in-a-lifetime experience born from a near-magical combination of circumstances. The real question, though: do I love-love it? Grudgingly, yes — but it’s one I had to think my way into appreciating, and that thinking didn’t come easily. Value: I paid $200, which was an excellent deal at the time a few years ago; today, this would likely land closer to $300.
Score: A+

Happy 2026. What a way to end the year!

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

Catching up on rums, both samples and open bottles.

Rums!

What — Notes — Score

Rhum Clement 2002, Martinique, 17 years single cask, 55.2% — Aged agricole… very old-aged agricole. Tons of cask influence, utterly insane flavors. Somewhat drying vanilla and wood bomb. Weird and interesting. — Score: Yay
Alambique Serrano, Oaxacan/Mexican Unaged Rum, 68.7% — Some sort of unaged single cask of Mexican rum. Drinks like a mix between agricole and ‘regular’ rum. Clean, sweet, slightly grassy. I dig it. Not super exciting but I dig it. — Score: Yay
Fiji 2004, 17 years, Holmes Cay SP #57, 58% — Fijian rum from Holmes Cay!? Sign me up! Rather hot but all that vanilla forward with a touch of funk. It’s delish! Perhaps not outstanding, this leans towards a delicious mix of foursquare profile and somewhat funky agricole/jamaican/guyana profile — Score: Yay
Samaroli Caribbean Rum, 48% — Light base with white-tropical fruits galore and complex secondary flavors that stay mostly subtle — mango, pineapple, a hint of coconut. Sugars, spice, a touch of tobacco, lots of nice touches throughout. Just minutely too light to be truly outstanding. — Score: Yay+
Jamaica 1994-2020 (26), Plantation, 53.6% — This is plantation after all so likely finished in cognac cask. Holy cow this is great stuff. Slightly funky but not too much. Great balance of wood to rum funkyness. Some of the best stuff for me! — Score: Yay+
Foursquare 12, Total Wine Master Series #2, 62% — Ex-bourbon and Ex-sherry. It’s Foursquare… What am I expected to say here? — Score: Yay
Foursquare 14, Total Wine Master Series #4, 62% — Ex-bourbon and Ex-madeira. It’s Foursquare… More wine influence vs sherry sweetness. Gentle spice burn that lingers for a while. Different balance from above but still delicious. — Score: Yay

Malts!

Mars, The Y.A. #1, 52%
Mars The Y.A. #1 is the first release in Mars’ “Yakushima Aging” (Y.A.) series—a limited, NAS blended malt meant to showcase the effects of aging on humid, subtropical Yakushima. It’s fairly wood-forward, with vanilla, light honey, and white-tropical fruits. The palate is somewhat creamy, carrying more tropical notes—leaning pineapple-orange—backed by a near-bitter oak presence rather than char. Supposedly there’s a touch of peat here, but if it exists, it’s buried under the wood. The aftertaste is medium-length and enjoyable, carrying through the palate’s better elements while, thankfully, dropping most of the bitter note. Overall: Young, punchy, and drinkable, though the assertive, somewhat bitter oak keeps it from being more than an occasional or situational sip. Value: N/A; internet pricing around ~$120 sits higher than I’d recommend and that was in 2022.
Score: B

Benriach 15, G&M SP, 59.6%
A 2005 Benriach from refill American hogshead #118. The nose opens with lemonade, minerality, and cereal notes—initially sharp but settling down nicely. The palate is creamy and sweet, with pineapples and sweet orange oil supported by vanilla creaminess and more cereal character. Secondary notes bring chili spice, black pepper, and sweet-heat chilies that carry into a medium-long finish of malty sweetness and a touch of drying pencil shavings. Water pulls the more disjointed layers together, softening transitions and creating a more cohesive experience. Overall: With prominent cereal and citrus notes, this shows a level of flavor impact that exceeds expectations. It’s multilayered, though not fully integrated at full proof, offering complementary yet distinct layers that could interest a connoisseur (HA! Coincidentally, this is a bottle under G&M’s “Connoisseurs’ Choice” brand). A touch of water brings those layers together. However, as is often the case, too much softens its overall impact. Value: N/A, though likely around ~$150 in today’s market—placing it squarely at a solid midpoint on the value bell curve.
Score: B+ (w/ water)

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

A local group I’m part of is doing a Christmas Calendar of blind samples 2025 holidays. There are 13 samples with 13 guesses and 13 blind reviews. This is organized by friend Chris, thus the title. The bottles are supposed to be $80+. I’m usually fairly wrong on my guesses but it’s fun to try. I’ll be updating this as I go! Previous year’s events are here:
https://www.aerin.or … y:entry241206-234357
https://www.aerin.or … y:entry231203-180411
https://www.aerin.or … y:entry221204-210258

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

1. KK — Nutty, not very high proof. Rich in vanilla and oak tannins. Low proof helps here. Higher would be dangerously bitter. — Guess: Jack. Heritage Barrel of some sorts — Score: Yay — Reveal: Knob Creek 15 (2001), Batch 1, 50%
2. V1 — Proofy… Sharp roasted nuts note, doesn’t overwhelm. Lots of wood. Lots of vanilla too. Quite sweet. Coats the palate and sticks around for a while. — Guess: Heaven Hill. Larceny BP or Wheated Grain-to-Glass — Score: Yay — Reveal: Russell’s Reserve QBB/NDA “Parabola” 2021, 55%
3. JLazz — Full proof something. Lots of chili, cinnamon that linger around. Good dollop of wood as usual here. A bourbon I’m fairly sure. While still sweet, there’s a touch of a sour note in this for me, though it makes it more mouth-watering. — Guess: Old Forester SBBP — Score: Yay- — Reveal: Woodinville, SFWBSS SP, Bourbon Butcher, 59.17%
4. IT — It’s Ian! This tastes… Rye-forward, though still I think it’s a bourbon… Or a very soft rye. Pine, eucalyptus, dill. Sweet notes stick around for quite a bit. Lots of wood, leaning bitter on repeated sips rather than sweet. Probably decent amount of time in cask or some sort of double-dip. — Guess: Heaven Hill ~15, the 8.5% malted barley mash. — Score: Yay- — Reveal: Bardstown Rye. West Virginia Barrell Company Toasted Cherry Oak Casks, 55%
5. YN — That’s me. Fiery, off-profile Macallan that needs a ton of water to be coherent. Not too bad, just not great without water. — Guess: N/A — Score: Meh+ — Reveal: 2009 Secret Speyside (Macallan) 15 Year Old “Signatory” K&L Exclusive DRU17 A197 #5, 65.2%
6. JL — Bubble gum and flowers! Oh my! And a miniscule touch of coffee? This could be a malt finished in a something else or just a super interesting malt by its nature. Fairly thin palate suggests younger age. Lots of flavor though. The aftertaste is short and sweet with some funk. I wish the aftertaste lasted longer and was a touch cleaner for better enjoyment. — Guess: Milk & Honey. Westward ? — Score: Meh+ — Reveal: Lost Lantern Gentle Giant (3yo Balcones), 57.6%
7. ML — A peated scotch almost certainly, but which one?! Sweet & smoky nose, quite intense on proof, but not too much. Lots of woody, smoky notes on the palate and aftertaste. Almost no salinity that’s indicative of Islas. Some fruits. Doesn’t feel sherried… Lingers for a while. I like it! — Guess: Ardmore. Peated Arran. Benriach. Orkney/Highland Park. — Score: Yay — Reveal: Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch 2 (released 2019), 60.9%
8. KJF — Sweet, funky, cinnamon, vanilla wood. Light nuttiness. Aftertaste that lingers. Bourbon. This is familiar stuff. — Guess: MGP-sourced something. Too many things to list of off as possibilities. — Score: Yay- — Reveal: Penelope 4 (MGP) Toasted Barrel Shoppe SP, 57%
9. KM — Very sweet and fragrant. A bourbon again I think. Lots of fruits rather than typical bourbony things, yet still leather, baking spices, and burnt vanilla. I’d be shocked if it’s not something finished. — Guess: Old Elk. Finally something from Heaven Hill? — Score: Yay — Reveal: Hirsch (Willett) Double Oak, 9 years. California Food Mart SP, 56.2%
10. MBA — Nuts. Lots of roasted… Pecans? High proof, somewhat spicy, but not quite enough to be a rye. Just a spicy bourbon I am thinking. Lots of wood here too. Cinnamon lingers but leans more woody and more baking spices. — Guess: (Beam) Baker’s 13? — Score: Yay- — Reveal: Bookers, 2020-2 “Boston Batch”, 63.25%
11. V2 — Finally a rye, I think! Maybe? Quite gentle for a rye. Lots and lots of wood. The usual dill, mint, eucalyptus are heavily restrained and hiding behind a wood mesh, balancing each other. — Guess: Redwood Empire Rye? Sagamore? Angel’s Envy SiB. Something off the beaten path — Score: Yay+ — Reveal: Found North Double Barrel, New Char & Tawny Port 13 & 14, Bitters & Bottles SP, 56.8%
12. CB — Now it’s definitely a rye! Dill pickles, yet still sweet! Lots of wood, vanilla, spices. Maple syrup. Chili in the aftertaste. This is quite high proof compared to most samples this year. — Guess: I don’t really know ryes! Willet? — Score: Meh+ — Reveal: Short Barrel Straight Rye, G1-005 “Barrels United Pick”, 63.5%
13. MH — Another rye. Slightly bitter-wooded, but that may be my palate right now. Lots of toasted oak and char flavor notes. Sichuan peppers and baking spices in the aftertaste bring interesting numbing sensation. Middle of the road proof — Guess: EH Taylor Rye — Score: Yay- — Reveal: Parker’s Heritage Bourbon finished in Curacao Barrels, 55%

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Happy Holidays!

… Wild Turkey Diamond, BuffTurkey 15, Redemption 18 Bourbon…

Geez what a title! Samples time! Courtesy of… Friends!

What — Notes — Score

Westland, Colere #1, 50% — We’ve got dried pineapples, ginger, bitter chocolate, coffee grounds, black pepper at various points start-to-finish. Oddly thin texture, yet a flavor bomb. Lots of big flavors to unpack here, but it’s missing a common thread to tie it together. — Score: Meh+
Westland, Colere #2, 50% — Classical bourbon-casked Scotch notes, interplaying with American malt style, amping up cereal flavors. It invokes thoughts of a young Scotch malt from a new distillery of some sorts. Typical Westland notes are muted, but overall this is balanced and enjoyable. — Score: Yay
Westland, Colere #4, 50% — Yet again classic bourbon-casked Scotch, interplaying with American malt style. Compared to #2 above, the cereal note stands out less. Really reminds me of that Old Malt Cask Speyside scotch. Balanced cereal notes, vanilla, some spice. — Score: Yay
Bimber, Ex-Bourbon Batch #4, 51.2% — I’ve reviewed Batch #3 before. I won’t repeat myself. It’s mostly same, perhaps a little better balanced. Still same deal, starts pretty solid ex-bourbon refill… but the more you drink of it, the less balanced it gets — Score: Meh
Glenmorangie a Tale of the Forest, 46% — The name involuntarily starts invoking earthy notes. Mineral-forward, the malt sweetness is balanced by moderate spice, earthy, not too sweet, not too dry, clean and somewhat wood-smoked palate. This is really good actually, in a simple, but flavorful way — Score: Yay
Glenmorangie a Tale of Winter, 46% — Marsala wine casks at the fore. Warm and gentle spices, honey, toasted nuts, mulled wine. Gentle on the alcohol. The whole thing drinks like a big, warm, winey hug. Definitely for mulled wine lovers, and/or cold weather with that warming aftertaste — Score: Yay
Glenmorangie a Tale of Spices, 46% — A blend of four casks, PX, STR, Red Wine and New Oak. This is less wine-y, more oaky version of Winter above. Granted, at 46% abv there’s not a lot of wiggle room for impact, yet, it is wine, vanilla, sweetness, oak and spices balanced well — Score: Yay
Lindores NAS, Scotch, 46% — Bourbon, Sherry and Wine Barriques. No other info provided. Young, light(ish), reasonably balanced. Grains, lots of spices and some light cask character notes. Doesn’t break the mold, but doesn’t dirty the mold either — Score: Meh+
Frey Ranch, Malted Four Grain Bourbon, SFWS SP 2025, 65.58% — Cask #3048. A bourbon made of 4 malted grains? American Single Malt with a weird mashbill? Hot, woody, grain-forward, yet well aged, no notes of raw distillate here. Did I mention hot? Very nice with a dash of water. — Score: Yay-
Remus VIII, 50.5% — MGP (original) blend. Prominent minwax wood varnish nose, not in a good way. Prominently nutty and woody character with chili spice. Opens up with a little time in a glass but doesn’t quite ensnare my interest. — Score: Meh+
Four Roses 2024, Small Batch Limited Edition 54.1% — Excellent blending technique, good balance, excellent all around. Par excellence, especially for Four Roses fans. Falls solidly into flowery four roses profile without cherry or heavy wood notes of other bourbons. — Score: Yay

Wild Turkey Diamond, 45.5%
This Wild Turkey release commemorates Jimmy Russell’s 60 years of making whiskey. Released in 2014, it’s a blend of 13–16-year casks, and I was genuinely excited for it. The nose has that wonderful character somewhere between a perfume cabinet and a cigar box. The proof is strong enough to make itself known without overwhelming anything. The palate is flavorful, though the texture feels a bit thin—coming across more like an exceptionally good Russell’s Reserve (Eddie’s influence showing) than the old-style Wild Turkey it ought to echo. That said, the flavor is here in spades: dried plums, apricots, apples, loads of leather and baking spices, and an excellent balance of bitter wood against classic sweet bourbon notes. The finish lingers with more dried fruit and wood. The relatively low proof keeps it extremely drinkable without sacrificing flavor. Overall: This lands as an incredibly good Russell’s Reserve rather than a classic Wild Turkey, but the distinction is mostly academic—blind, it’s simply delicious. At the same time, it sits firmly in the ‘excellent bourbons’ cloud without quite crossing into that truly memorable, standout tier. Value: Back in 2014 it was $125, which felt obscene; today it probably tracks with modern Turkey releases in the $250+ zone. Still very expensive—though it is unique and genuinely good. If you’re rich, do as the rich do.
Score: A-

Redemption 18 Bourbon, 51.7%
This is a 2025 release of 18-year-old bourbon distilled at LDI/MGP. The nose is full of sweet, deeply toasted wood, caramels, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. The palate is classic MGP goodness: everything from the nose plus the signature cinnamon, cloves, and a touch of nutmeg spice. The aftertaste lingers with those bittersweet spices, and thanks to the lower proof, they don’t overwhelm—just hang around pleasantly. Overall: Spectacularly executed 18-year-old MGP goodness. I’d drink this any day, every day. The proof is right, the palate is spot-on, and the flavors and textures are exactly where they should be. Value: MSRP is $400… screeching stop! Terrible value! Buy Gatsby Reserve instead—it’s nearly as good for almost half the price.
Score: A

K&L Liquors’ Every Drop 16 (BuffTurkey) Bourbon, 60%
This is the weird one. It’s allegedly Wild Turkey mashbill, distilled at Buffalo Trace 16 years ago and bottled in 2025. Let’s see how it measures up. The nose is surprisingly restrained for the proof, but what does open up hints at good things ahead: plenty of alcohol (unsurprising), hard candy, candied fruits, and caramel apples. The proof is a lot to take in—though that may just be my palate tonight. Classic Kentucky bourbon notes follow: toasted wood, caramel, vanilla, lots of chili spice (that’s new), and a very prominent bubblegum note underneath it all. More chili spice carries into the aftertaste, lingering like a spoonful of sweet-and-hot sauce—pleasant burn, mouthwatering, and making me want more… just not too much more at once. With water, it settles into a still-spicy sip that leans hard into those sugary chili-oil notes. Overall: I’m genuinely not sure what to make of this. On one hand it’s tasty; on the other it’s a bit of a hot mess that somehow still works. Value: At $275 from K&L, it’s worth trying as a sample, but probably not worth buying a bottle unless you’re checking every box: “Kentucky,” “Buffalo Trace,” “Wild Turkey,” “high proof,” “hot mess,” and “flush with cash.”
Score: B+ (Possibly higher)

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