MrWizard's Ramblings

Some quick notes, some in-depth, mostly due to sample sizing. I have a lot of speyside bottles and samples. Perhaps I’ve got a type?

Secret Speyside 17 (Macallan 2005), 57.5%
Signatory Vintage collection, 1st fill Oloroso. The nose is dark rish varnish oloroso note, nearly bordering on smoke. The palate is hot and bursting with flavor richness. Spicy, woody palate, with toasted sugar and wood being just a sliver below bitter. Yet again, there are some nearly smoky notes in the most awesome ways. Aftertaste is medium length, spicy and sticks around for a while. Overall: This is some of the best representation of what a viscous cask can do to good quality malt. It’s good weird, but it’s still ‘weird’. Perhaps a little too saturated on the toasted notes after repeated sips, this starts to slip into bitterness. Value: N/A (~$210-ish)
https://www.whiskyba … ret-speyside-2005-sv
Score: B+
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Secret Speyside 17 (Macallan 2005), 57.6%
Another single cask, same year… same proof… same age… same cask type being 1st fill Oloroso. The nose is quite light for 1st fill, bursting with fruit compote composed of apples and oranges with perhaps some cherries in the background. The palate is much more classic Macallan cask strength. Malt, cherries, spices, orange rinds, speyside red apple notes. Aftertaste is more of the same from the palate and seems to last for a while before fading. Overall: This is very classic Macallan in its profile and blindly I’d struggle to call this an independent bottling. This is a good reminder of Macallan potential. An excellent, classically-represented sherried Speyside pour. Value: N/A (~190-ish)
https://www.whiskyba … ret-speyside-2005-sv
Score: A

Cragganmore 25 , Hunter Laing Old & Rare SiB, 57.4%
A single cask of Cragganmore from 1995. The cask is first fill sherry butt, not much other info; though see details in link below. Classically sherried speyside nose, with sherry taking the first note and fruits taking secondary roles. Definite apple/pear note in the background. Rich, sweet & sticky, sherried, spicy palate with more red apples. The notes continue to the medium-length aftertaste with spicy peppers that linger around with time turning into light ash notes. Overall: Good, but not uniquely outstanding. This is another solid speyside cask that showcases rich and fruity malt in a sherry cask. I’ve not had enough Cragganmore to really form an opinion as they tend to be rare and low proof. Am I tasting the cask or Cragganmore? I really don’t know. Value: N/A / Overpriced (~$250ish)
https://www.whiskyba … /cragganmore-1995-hl
Score: A-

Unnamed Speyside 30 years old, K&L / Thompson Brothers, Single Cask, 50.4%
Source… Unknown. A 30 year old refill american oak cask from speyside region from 1990. The nose is white peaches all the way in a very classic fruity speyside character. Some white honey, vanilla, pears. The palate is somewhat thin on texture for the age, oh so flavorful. Most of the notes from the nose continue but sichuan peppers really kick in from midway onwards and into the aftertaste. There’s a touch of a metallic note at the very end but it’s barely felt and if anything adds another dimension to the experience. Overall: This is bloody good. It won’t be sweeping competitions but 30 years of good malt in a good cask is nothing to scoff at. Well executed, great representation of 90s ex-bourbon cask malt. Random guess: Benriach. Value: K&L Sold these for $209… Kinda worth it perhaps, for the specs.
https://www.whiskyba … isky/212057/1990-pst
Score: A-

Secret Speyside (Macallan) 30, Maltman SiB, 45.2
A 1993 vintage, supposedly, Macallan single cask in sherry for The Maltman. The nose is insanely fruity with a touch of sherry spice note. This is well worth sniffing for a while. The experience is similar to smelling a glass of fruit punch, red fruits and sugars dominate. The palate is amazing, just the right amount of richness, sherry spices and fruit flavors in their concentration. It falls unfortunately flat in the aftertaste. There is nothing wrong with the overall experience but the aftertaste is mostly sweet toasted wood and some spice without anything outstanding to distinguish itself. Overall: Amazing overall experience, old school funky, slightly metallic sherry… until the aftertaste lets it become pedestrian. Is this a great pour? Yes. Is it amazing one? Not quite. Value: At $500+ for the bottle this is definitely not cheap but considering where Macallan 30 falls on the price tag when it’s an original bottling… Well I won’t mention that price. I’ll say that I won’t be spending this kind of money myself.
https://www.whiskyba … iskies/whisky/228661
Score: A
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Scoring Breakdown: https://www.aerin.or … age=scores_breakdown