Compass Box 5th & Harrison II, K&L Limited edition, 53.2%
A blend of Compass Box malts from Bowmore, Glendullan, and Caol Ila, this is the second release they’ve done for K&L Wines to commemorate one of their milestones — in this case, the opening of a new location. I’ll skip the minutiae; you’re welcome to look up the details online. I will note that this is a preview for a bottle I also have stashed away for later, so I’m hoping it’s good. Nose: Strong fresh pine needles, smoke, and dried citrus peels. Palate: Lively and feels stronger than the proof. The pine notes continue prominently — very reminiscent of fresh pine resin on the tongue. Smoke, citrus, and a light peppermint note are also present. The bourbon casks that make up most of the blend balance things out with reasonable sweetness and a bit of spice. Aftertaste: Did I mention pine sap yet? Mostly sweet, peppery, and somewhat smoky. There’s a savoury-sweet note that makes the finish mouthwatering rather than drying. Overall: A very competent peated blend that feels like something of its own — I don’t recall encountering this exact sweet, smoky, pine-forward profile before. Fans of that style will likely enjoy it. It’s good, and I wish I could rate it higher, but it simply doesn’t stand out enough. Value: Priced around $169 if I recall correctly, which feels like a solid price given the age of the components.
Score: B+
Compass Box Transatlanticism, 51.1%
A Compass Box + t8ke venture, a blend of Spice Tree with Clynelish and Linkwood (and Miltonduff) — more or less everything I like. Let’s dig in. The nose is excellently balanced: subtle yet potent spice notes lead, with candied orange peel and malt following behind. The palate brings a mix of fruity, sherried Speyside flavors—dried, stewed fruit dipped in sweet sherry — backed by that familiar Spice Tree spice. It’s a really nice marriage of spice, fruit, and candied sweetness. The finish lingers for quite a while, carrying more of that fruit-spice-sugar profile. No need for water here; at 51% ABV, the intensity feels just right. Overall: very much a “what you see is what you get” result. I suspect t8ke advocated for a more intensity for the ‘American palate’ while Compass Box delivered the classic Scotch profile. A competent, very enjoyable, and easy-to-understand “spicy Speyside” (plus a bit more) blend. Value: Eeeeeeeh… at $199 MSRP, that’s… spicy (HA!) — unless you’re specifically collecting Compass Box releases. Best approached at a discount.
Score: B+ (Spicy Speyside)
Glenallachie 10, Spanish Virgin Oak, 48%
Thanks to my friend Jeffrey for a generous “sample”! This is Billy Walker’s Glenallachie 10, first aged in American ex-bourbon and then finished in Spanish virgin oak—part of their Virgin Oak series, which is exactly as it sounds. The nose is distinctly oaky, with darker wood notes. Not quite juniper wood, but approaching that territory— more of a neutral, dry, wood than juniper overall. The palate is spicy, woody, and sweet without tipping into bitterness, with vanilla-forward notes that come together as an integrated whole. The finish is long and lingering, carrying that woody profile with a touch of bitterness. Oddly, it leans almost bourbon-like on the aftertaste, or what I wish more bourbons would deliver. Overall: a competent bottle that showcases the finishing cask, backed by quality spirit and a skilled blender’s hand (Billy Walker is a living legend for a reason). This is something I’d happily drink on a random day. Value: N/A (gift). MSRP is $115… which feels just a touch too high.
Score: B+
Kilnaughton (Ardbeg) 8, Cooper’s Choice SP, Tempranillo Cask, 56.5%
Kilnaughton—a bit of internet sleuthing suggests it’s almost certainly Ardbeg—aged 8 years in a Spanish Tempranillo red wine cask and bottled in 2020. Time to dig in. The nose is fantastic: smoked, salty dried fish alongside sweet fig jam and slightly tannic wood. With time, the wood and fruit largely displace the smoke in the glass, and it becomes quite cologne-y. The palate opens with spicy-sweet, heavily toasted oak—think burnt almonds, cloves, nutmeg, and a peppery spice to a nearly overwhelming degree—then the smoke arrives to rein it in a bit. The charred bitterness lingers into the finish—thankfully never overwhelming—and ends up tying everything together rather than distracting. A bit of water relieves some of the wood intensity, but also amplifies the wine and definitely heightens the spice. Overall: definitely a weird one. I don’t love it, I don’t hate it. The cask shows quality, but the intensity is borderline too much—an overall flavor bomb that’s both off the beaten path and somehow familiar compared to other good bottlings from this distillery. I don’t mind that it’s only 8 years old; the flavor stands up well to bottles nearly twice its age. Value: MSRP was around $80; I’ve seen ~67€ online too. Very solid.
Score: B- (w/ water)
Craigellachie 11, Thompson Bros SP, 50%
We’ve got Craigellachie 11 here, distilled in 2012 and bottled by Thompson Brothers in 2023. I’ll note the label has a drawing of pineapple and worms, which my wife hates, though I digress. Let’s try it. The color is very pale. The nose brings malt and dried tropical fruits—dried candied orange and, well… dried pineapple. There may be a theme here. The palate starts gentle and slightly sweet, but before long there’s an avalanche of peppery spice rolling in like a wave. The Sichuan comparison is strong—it’s almost numbing in its intensity. The reasonably short finish acts as a sweet, gentle relief from the spice flood of the mid-palate. Interestingly, the more I sip it, the sweeter and less aggressive the spice becomes as my palate adjusts, but that first sip is quite a shock for 50% ABV. Overall: an inoffensive sweet-and-spicy sipper that feels like a near-pure demonstration of distillery character, with a Sichuan-like backbone that drinks better with repeated sips as your palate adjusts. Good for repeated pours. The more I sip, the better it gets—but that’s not ideal in a lineup where it’s a one-and-done situation. Value: I paid $80, which feels quite decent for the age.
Score: B
Aultmore 13, Total Wine Sp, A.D. Rattray #9000259, 63.3%
An Aultmore, distilled in 2008 and bottled by A.D. Rattray, aged in a sherry butt. A Speyside scotch—let’s go. The nose brings dark raisins and stewed figs—definitely sherry-forward. The palate balances spice and sweetness well, with cherry and oak. Those fruits evolve into a chili dark chocolate note on the finish, which lingers pleasantly. Overall: a well-executed sherried Aultmore that doesn’t quite stand out from a pack of other well-executed bottles. There’s not much else to say. It runs slightly hot, so it benefits from a few drops of water, though that also amps up the wood notes. Value: priced at $135 at Total Wine, it feels at or slightly above average—especially for a less well-known distillery, though the quality is there. I’ll leave it at “average” value.
Score: B+
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Scoring Breakdown: https://www.aerin.or … age=scores_breakdown