MrWizard's Ramblings

I’ve recently participated in a Canadian whiskey masterclass course over the course of 4 weeks. Aside from learning about bunch of different history facts about Canadian Whiskey I’ve got some samples. Here are (mostly) brief notes and perhaps my thoughts at the very end. The big difference between US and Canadian whiskeys, is that they are commonly distilled at 100% grain mashbills and then blended together after aging. There’s no strict regulation on casks types and stills so it’s mostly about the art of blending rather than production. TL;DR: All of samples below are blends.

J.P. Wiser’s Old Fashioned Cocktail, 35%
I believe these are findable pre-mixed in retail.
Quite orange forward. Straw colored. Orange and spicy nose as expected of old fashioned. Very thick and sweet almost syrup like body. Pleasantly warm aftertaste. Overall: Too sweet for me straight. Quite a bit better over ice, becoming reasonable to drink if someone were to give it to me at a dinner or a party.
Score: N/A

J.P. Wiser’s Manhattan Cocktail, 35%
Same with above, this is findable in retail.
Pouring over ice directly. Not bothering straight. I already know it’s going to be too syrupy. So this is quite aromatic bitters forward and surprisingly smells of cinnamon. The palate confirms it. I personally like my manhattans cherry-forward and this isn’t. Overall: Not my thing due to lack of cherries; though I imagine some will enjoy it enough to drink. Shockingly to myself I’ve enjoyed the old fashioned above more than this.
Score: N/A

J. P. Wiser’s Deluxe, 40%
Nose is rather grain-forward and slightly reminds me of Irish whiskeys. Palate is mostly grain, with a little bit of rye and I’m sure some other stuff mixed in. Aftertaste is not that great and will probably be alright if masked by other stuff. Overall: This is clearly targeted at mixing drinks. Just a smidgeon above ‘drain pour’.
Score: D-

The 15 year old is reviewed here: https://www.aerin.or … y:entry220301-232141

J. P. Wiser’s 18, 40%
The nose alternates between rubbing alcohol and woody vanilla. The palate is thin, sweet with vanilla sugar and pleasant baking spice. It evokes a bit an image of toasted spiced pie crust. There are some decent secondary notes and peppery aftertaste that lasts for a while. Overall: Alright, this is actually drinkable. Nothing write home about but serviceable as it is. The only real downside is the proof which needs to be 46% or so instead of flat 40. Value: Total wine lists this at $52… I guess it’s above average but… tolerable enough of a price to sate FOMO once.
Score: B-

Gooderham & Worts, 40%
So this is a somewhat of a legacy brand that’s been recently resurrected. From Hiram Walker this a bit of a mix of ‘everything’ in there being a 4 grain blend. Pleasant, Canadian rye-forward nose with mint notes. Rather flavorful palate with big initial flavors, rye is dominating the conversation, pleasant and a little spicy. Not a lot of secondary notes, suggesting a solid amount of grain whiskey in the mix. Slightly wooden and spicy aftertaste reminds me of inside of an old wooden wardrobe complete with moth balls which do somewhat smell of mint and ammonia now that I think about it. Overall: Serviceable and inoffensive; this is a ‘better’ bottle for mixing drinks. I wouldn’t ask for it at a bar but I would also not pour it down the drain.
Score: C-

Pike Creek 10 (rye?!), 42%
Pike Creek 10 year old finished in Rum casks. Nose is flavorful and complex with wood and mint notes. The palate is smooth, woody, slightly minty and sweet, with mint likely coming from tropical rum casks there. Maple syrup, cinnamon, like a breakfast roll. Similarly lots of complexity on the aftertaste with spices, pepper, vanilla, and some more mint notes lingering. Overall: Enjoyable. Drinkable… Wait… this is a RYE!? Value: MSRP $35 and findable as low as ~$25 this is good deal for what it’s worth.
Score: B-

I should start adding a disclaimer into these that I’m not a Rye-loving person.

J. P. Wiser’s Triple Barrel Rye, 45%
A shockingly ‘high’ 45% abv for a Hiram brand. Very rye bread forward with some caraway seed on the nose. Repeated nosing really does bring some of that fresh dark rye bread to mind. More rye notes, caraway seeds, and some mint on the palate. This is quite flavorful. The aftertaste is rather unfortunate as it spikes up with a to something bitter and metallic and then slowly goes down with more bread notes and spicy pepperiness. Overall: Mixer! Also images of bread loaves clash in my head with this being a distilled spirit. Value: $20 is reasonable enough.
Score: D

Lot 40 Rye, 43%
The nose is pleasant and smells like decent canadian rye that Whistlepig bottles. Slightly woody, savoury, little bits of vanilla and dill on the nose, reasonably complex. I dislike saying ’smooth’ but palate cannot be described as anything but ’smooth’. Velvety texture that coats mouth easily, some of the nose complexity continues to the palate. The aftertaste is quite different with a prominent bitter wood spike and a lot of pepper but there are no off-notes in there for me. Solidly enjoyable experience start to finish. Buuuuuuut. What does ‘good nose’… ‘missing palate’…’good aftertaste’ mean to me? It means a mixer where the other ingredients supplement the missing palate notes and sing their own story. Overall: Premium mixing spirit. Acceptable straight or on the rocks if needs be. Value: at ~$31-40 it’s reasonable I suppose for a ‘Lot 40′… get it? get it?
Score: B

Afterthoughts: I would like to provide a special thanks for Hiram Walker’s marketing department for providing these samples, educating me though the Canadian Whiskey Masterclass on Canadian whiskey history and on how and why these whiskeys are produced and being being hardworking and passionate folks at what they do.

PS: Alright… you may notice that none of the scores above are great and… well, frankly, none of the whiskeys above are great… for me and the way I enjoy them. This is by no means meant to reflect on hard work that folks that work for Hiram Walker company are putting into these products. I simply happen to not be their core audience. I am also highly appreciative of the opportunity to try these and if anyone asks which Canadian Whiskey I would recommend… I’m now in a much better position to make an informed recommendation or decision.
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Scoring Breakdown: https://www.aerin.or … age=scores_breakdown

Pardon a bit of a an absence. I was on vacation.

Kavalan Single Cask, Ex-bourbon, 54.8%
Here we have a bottle of Kavalan from a single ex-bourbon cask # B080825102 (meaning distilled on 08/25/2008) and bottled on 03/31/2016. So this is essentially an 8 year old Kavalan. tropically aged. First off, this really needs to sit in a glass for a while to open up. The nose is musky French cologne. Vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, dried tropical fruits with mango dominating… not too strong for the proof. Surprisingly bitter and slightly tannic palate, like over-steeped Lipton black tea. Tropical fruits are there with pineapple/mango/coconut but are almost buried by that spice intensity. Long aftertaste with more clove-nutmeg mix and then finally malt comes to the front and balances it out. Overall: I’m torn. I expected a sweet fruit bomb… This isn’t. The nose and aftertaste are great but the palate is weird. This is really almost like a mix of single malt and over-aged bourbon for the palate. Drinkable, yet this is also certainly not everyone’s pour due to unexpectedly bitter notes. This is likely a cask strength bourbon-lover’s dream pour. Great occasional pour but not quite ‘uninhabited island’ level for me compared to other similar Solist casks. Few drops of water tone down the bitter notes somewhat. Value: I bought this as a gift-pack with a Glencairn glass for $109 which is amazing value vs more common Single Cask Kavalan pricing of ~$250-300. I’ll say value-wise this particular price is a steal.
Disclaimer: Even within the same sale casks did vary. https://www.youtube. … /watch?v=9Hc6I7ENSL0 this video shows cask #108 (vs my 102), with the same distillation date, sale and source.
Score: B+ (It’s not what you’d expect from this cask)

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I promised a mix of things… So Pekut and Carwick (which are actually made up names, somewhat reminds me of Harry Potter, but I digress). Is a very small independent bottler that is just starting up and gave some samples of their product to the @SFWBSS group to taste. I was a fun tasting I will admit. As far as their product range is concerned, there seem to be no focus and it’s more or less anything that the founder/owner finds interesting or different. Basically a case of FOMO on the alcohol production side of things. I do wish them the best. Their website is https://www.pekutandcarwick.com/products. They also provide ridiculous amount of info with their bottlings which is always great to see for my geeky side.

Heritage California Single Malt, 61.5%
Distilled at Sutherland Distilling and bottled from two barrels. Oaky, minty, and with some pine on the nose this follows up with dark caramel notes. The glass doesn’t pull any punches with the proof. Smelling it blindly, it’s almost like a (malted?) rye. The palate starts sweet and almost mellow, but then builds up to dusty wet earth and leather notes, pine forest after-the-rain. Mint and vanilla and some wood char. More toasted rye bread with anise seed… Lots of cinnamon. That cinnamon with sichuan peppers slowly slide away in a long and warm aftertaste that lingers with residual maltiness. Few drops of water cut the proof slightly but amp up the sugar and mint notes, which makes it a bit of a easier sipper, few drops are definitely recommended. Overall: Wow, this thing is a wild ride. A good ride too. But just like mechanical bull, this ain’t for everyone. That spicy minty cinnamon flavor core is sure to be… different from a typical ‘malt’ expectation. Value: This is ~$90 so. I guess it depends on how much one likes wild rides. For the cask proof American malt this isn’t bad at all of a tag to take a gamble on (looking in your direction… Barrell Vatted American Malt mentioned here: https://www.aerin.or … y:entry211026-200236 and scored similarly).
https://www.pekutand … om/products/heritage
Score: B-

Wheat Whiskey, 62.5%
Wheat Whiskey from Spirit Works (SP) stills. Single cask; full proof. This one was presented as a challenge to the tasting panel to provide tasting feedback notes. Before tasting it, I’ll disclose that I have a bottle of Wheated Whiskey from Spirit Works bottled for Eureka Group which isn’t bad at all and I do drink it undiluted… I’ve reviewed and put my notes here: https://www.aerin.or … y:entry220203-230716.
Back to the sample: I really like the nose on it at full proof. It’s got none of the gin notes that I get with most Spirit Works products. I’m getting butter, vanilla, oak, a bit of spice; but not too much, perhaps toasted buttery oat cookies. The nose belies the proof for sure and feels lower than stated. The palate is certainly sweet wheat (no obvious corn/grain notes that many bourbons have) whiskey with nutty and woody flavors, surprising anice notes, baking spices, slight charry bitterness, grass and juniper in the secondary flavors. The palate is quite proof forward overall. Long, peppery and lingering aftertaste follows. Few water drops cuts the alcohol but amps up the bitterness. Alighty, this takes water like a champ and a solid amount is more or less required. I think I’m about 100 proof at this point and everything mostly snapped into place. Water is highly recommended. Overall: A fire at full proof this drinks way above its stated abv. I’ve dumped a solid amount of water into my glass to balance things into quite pleasant sweet and spicy concoction reminiscent of Red Hots that’s quite an easy drinking. As much as I personally hate to dilute good booze I’m of the opinion that water is needed here. Value: N/A this isn’t released yet.
Score: B+ (w/ Water, B otherwise)

Bulk Rum, 55.9%
I’ll be brief: A blended Guyana rum aged in used oak barrels. No age statement. Since its Guyana it’s almost certainly Diamond Distillery. Funky and quite pungent nose with menthol and esters. Quite sweet and little woody palate. Pleasantly spicy aftertaste. The nose is better than the rest of to be honest, which makes it a fantastic rum for mixing a tropical drink. This don’t seem tropically aged nor interesting enough to beat bottles from Foursquare and other amazing single casks that are being bottled and are finally becoming available on US market. Is it pleasant? Reasonably so! Will I drink it all night? Sure, if there’s nothing else to drink. Is it ‘generic, OK rum’? Yes, a little too generic. Is Diamond Distillery perhaps not for me? Also, perhaps. Overall: This is a generic version of Diamond single casks I’ve tried and they all didn’t particularly agree with my palate. Fantastic mixer though. Value: N/A make your tropical drinks with it.
Score: C (Top shelf mixer)

Umeshu Liquor, 23.6%
I’m going to add this here for completion, though I am not going to attempt to give this sample a letter grade. For context, umeshu is a liquor done with bitter/sour asian plums. The plums themselves are called ‘ume’ and are commonly found in pickled form in japanese cuisine… Also they’re closer to apricots than plums… But I digress. The smell of this i almost exact smell of plum hard candy from my childhood. The taste is sour-sweet, slightly tilted towards sour but sweetness lingers. A little bit of alcohol bitterness ties it all together. Overall: This is so delicious and very concentrated… Kind of a liquid/liquor take on my childhood candy memory. I think this would be amazing in high end mixology to add a bit of balance to a drink. In some ways this makes me think of a plummy version of limoncello. So make adult summer ‘plum-ade’ with this and some good soda water and I think you won’t be disappointed.
Score: N/A (Tasty soda drink flavoring)
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End of Tasting

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

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