MrWizard's Ramblings

Maker’s Mark, SFWBSS SP, ‘Separation Anxiety”, Recipe: 22051, 56.2%
Another Maker’s pick?! I’ve made it no secret in the past that, on average, I don’t consider Maker’s products anything special, though their limited releases occasionally hit that magical balance I enjoy. This is a single-cask pick by the SFWBSS group, of which I am a member, so it’s only prudent to share my thoughts. The nose leans heavily into vanilla sugars and caramel, with almost none of the bourbon funk that sometimes plagues the spirit, plus a whiff of dry wood—more Home Depot lumber aisle than workshop. The palate is surprisingly clean, again free of yeast notes, instead offering a light cherry note followed by toasted spices and balanced by vanilla wood. The finish carries the same spices and lingers nicely. Overall, this is a surprisingly good Maker’s pick, whether due to luck, stave combination, or both, ranking among the most enjoyable Maker’s releases I’ve had. It even gives the impression of a very stiff Manhattan, which I love. Value: At $69, the value is pretty darn solid.
Score: B+

Metamodernity Straight Bourbon, 52.5%
A straight bourbon from Matchbook Distilling in NY, made from a 67/21/12 (corn/rye/malted barley) mash bill. On the nose, it offers candied ginger and dried grass with a touch of oak and vanilla extract. The palate brings overripe bananas, pepper, ginger, grassy notes, and an unexpected sesame nuance, followed by an aftertaste of sweet oak, vanilla, pepper, grass, and more sesame. Overall, it’s an unusual flavor profile that fits well in the “variety” category on my shelf—definitely not for classic Kentucky bourbon purists. Approached with an open mind, it delivers unique, non-traditional flavors that are interesting without being off-putting. Picked up on clearance for $43, it’s great value; at the $100 MSRP, it’s worth trying but not necessarily worth a full bottle.
Score: B

Old Elk Cigar Cut Island Blend, 55.85%
Old Elk’s Cigar Cut Island Blend is a marriage of three robust straight whiskeys—bourbon, rye, and wheat—each aged at least six years and finished in a variety of casks including Sherry, Port, Rum, and Sauternes (plus a few extras). The nose is lively and layered, weaving between the base spirits and their cask influences, with bourbon richness, rye spice, and a hint of rum funk. It’s reminiscent of a soft, sweet rye that’s bold yet balanced. The palate mirrors the nose—sweet, spicy, and multi-layered—without letting any one element dominate. A warm, lingering finish brings toasted oak, baking spices, and a touch of chili cinnamon. Overall, this is an excellent whiskey blend with precise balance and superb integration, offering a cohesive and engaging experience. Highly recommended for most drinkers, though perhaps not for the staunchest Kentucky bourbon traditionalists. Value-wise, I scored mine on clearance, making it an easy win; at full MSRP, I’d be more hesitant, though it still outshines many bottles in its price range.
Score: A-

Ruou De; Rice Whiskey, 45%
A spirit distilled from rice and slightly aged, it opens with a nose that’s yeasty and pungent—in a somewhat good way—though still reminiscent of a soft newmake. The palate is velvety and soft, with a hint of yeastiness that’s thankfully overshadowed by floral notes and a sweet, gentle texture, almost like drinking unflavored mochi. The aftertaste unfortunately brings back some of the newmake character, though it’s tempered by sweet vanilla and a touch of chili. Overall, it’s soft, light, somewhat funky, sweet, and interesting to try, but not my preferred style of distillate. Value: N/A, free sample.
Score: Meh

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

Komagatake Mars, US edition 2022, 50%
Another Fog City release and another U.S. bottling from Japan’s Mars distillery, this one from 2022 and named Komagatake. It’s super lightly peated at around 3–5 PPM, non-age statement, and aged 3–5 years in a mix of ex-bourbon, sherry, and port casks. It comes across like a less peated version of Tsunuki. I can pick up all the cask types in the nose, nicely rounded by orchard fruits—somewhere between plums and pears—which is a big plus. The palate starts sweet and somewhat woody, carrying over the fruit notes before transitioning smoothly into flavorful, slightly spicy chili pepper tones. The finish lingers with a malty sweetness that mellows out the spice. Overall, I wasn’t initially impressed—seemed like a decent intro to 50% ABV whiskies for those working their way toward cask-strength—but it’s grown on me over time and makes for a pleasant, if not overly complex, pour. Value-wise: I got it as part of Fog City Social event admission, which was fair, but at the $100 MSRP, it feels a bit steep and maybe just below average on value.
Score: B+ (neck pour was B)

Oban 15 Cask Strength Edition, 55.3%
Big thanks to my brother from another mother, Orpheus, for leaving me a sample of this—love you, buddy! Finished in Oloroso and Palo Cortado casks, this is billed as an “exclusive release,” whatever that’s supposed to mean. The nose is fantastic to me—best described as a highly fortified white port or maybe Sauternes: macerated raisins in alcohol, a hint of wood, malt, and vanilla. The palate is sweet, raisiny, nutty, slightly fermented, with those rehydrated raisins again, some wood spice, and prune compote. The aftertaste lingers, mouth-coating and sweet, balanced by prune and raisin notes. While a bit on the sweet side, this is 101% in my wheelhouse—fantastic stuff. Value-wise, ehh… not amazing, but not bad either at 150. Available at Total Wine.
Score: A-

Ardmore 14, Cadenhead, 52.4%
Part of Cadenhead’s Chairman’s Stock Cask Strength Series, this was finished in a Manzanilla sherry cask for three years. The nose is proofy, woody, and strongly salty-smoky without showing the iodine notes often present in peated malt. While it doesn’t quite reach the depth smoky complexity of an old smokehouse, it does evoke fresh smoker grill notes. The palate is salty-sweet as expected, woody and smoky, with the balance leaning toward salted, smoky roasted almonds. The aftertaste continues that roasty-smoky almond trend and lingers for a while. Overall: Usually, finished whiskies aren’t as good as their counterparts, but this one happened to hit that magical mark where excellent cask and spirit come together into something well worth drinking. Yes, I know it’s peated. I’m enjoying it regardless. Value: Pretty darn good at the MSRP of $90.
Score: A-

Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique, Krisshop SP, 59.4%
This is Kavalan Solist (Single Cask) aged in a wine barrel, bottled exclusively for KrisShop in Singapore—more specifically, Singapore Airlines’ exclusive shop. This particular release features a batik design on the box and label, earning it the nickname “Batik Edition.” The nose isn’t particularly winey; instead, it leans toward a sherry bomb profile with lots of dusty spices, very dark wood notes, and toasted sugars. There’s a hint of wine character, but it’s quite subtle. The palate is intense, typical of Kavalan’s maturation style, with strong cask influence—though I suspect this may actually be an STR cask, as the wine-forward character is again minimal. Interestingly, there’s a faint smokiness here, possibly from the STR process. Honestly, it drinks a lot like a somewhat dry port cask. It’s quite possible the cask held some sort of fortified wine—essentially making it a port-not-port cask. The finish brings hot pepper heat, malt sweetness, and dark fruits, with chili spice lingering. Overall: very, very good—a wine/STR/port hybrid profile that’s a pleasure to sip and pairs especially well with a smoky environment. Value: Picked up for $125 via private transaction—an excellent deal considering the MSRP is around $170+ (varies); exclusive to Singapore.
Score: B+

Kavalan Solist Madeira Cask, 59.4%
Another Kavalan Single Cask, this time aged in a Madeira fortified wine cask. Notably, it has a sweeter, nuttier nose compared to the Vinho bottle above. The palate is more balanced overall, though again leaning sweeter and nuttier—less plum influence and more vanilla extract and caramel. The aftertaste carries similar notes, though with less chili spice present. Overall: a sweeter, somewhat nuttier cask compared to the Vinho; it comes across as less spicy but also better balanced, depending on your perspective. Either way, it’s no less delicious. Value: N/A… but Kavalan bottles are typically expensive at retail, so your mileage may vary.
Score: B+

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

Some Single Cask bottles from Binny’s and other stuff

Teeling Single Malt, Binny’s SP, Chestnut Cask, 58.7%
This is a NAS, but young, single malt, aged in Chestnut Cask #77557. If you’re not familiar, Teeling Distillery in Dublin was founded in 2015, so any malt distilled prior to that is from the shuttered Cooley distillery. I’m fairly sure that this particular bottle, at this point in time, is original Teeling. The nose reminds me of old furniture and wood chips—syrupy sweet, lightly nutty, yet somewhat yeasty, with an unexpected cinnamon-raisin note. Basically, it smells like the inside of an alcoholic cinnamon-raisin bagel. Palate is… rather hot initially, with more cinnamon and raisin notes, toasted sugars, and a touch of wood. The aftertaste lingers for an incredible length of time (I’ve taken a 20-minute break at one point and could still taste it), with a subtle maltiness and cinnamon sugar. Overall: Interesting and different cask. A reasonably enjoyable malt and not something I would come across every day. FOMO is pleased that I’ve tried it. Value: Highly pleased after picking it up at $50 on clearance.
Score: B-

Compass Box, Artist’s Blend, Binny’s SP, 49%
Did someone say “ex-Linkwood Palo Cortado sherry cask finish”?! Oh yeah, I’m a sucker for single casks like these. The nose is somewhat grainy, as expected of a grain-and-malt blend that Artist’s Blend is… but most thoughts about grain whiskey disappear on the palate. Linkwood in general tends to be a heavy, malty, somewhat spicy distillate, and it really shows here. Lots of fruity and peppery flavors, a malty, velvety palate, and what is essentially a second-fill sherry cask rounding off the flavors with subtle nuttiness and sugar notes. Frankly, blind, this tastes a lot like something from a refill bourbon cask. Overall: Honestly, blends hardly ever get better than this one. It’s immensely drinkable without being overwhelming and carries enough complexity to satisfy almost anyone. Two thumbs up from me… Value: Picked up at $49—well worth it.
Score: B+

Ardnamurchan; Binny’s SP, 58.5%
I have no idea how to read this but here you go: AD/12:16, Cask 1322. A young highland distillery owned by Adelphi. They typically do 50/50 peated/unpeated malt blends in their releases but this particular cask happens to be unpeated first fill spanish oak, ex-PX hogshead. The nose is very dry cherry forward with wood and spices backing up that cherry note. The patate is consistent with the nose and starts quite strong, then immediately settles into earthy cask spices, dry wood and non-smoky touch of wood ash. The aftertaste lingers for a while with more cherries, wood spice and some of that sherry woodiness. Overall: This really rather reminds of me of a dry A’bunadh… or a well-toasted cherry pie that was baked on a campfire, without getting smoke all over it… First time trying this distillery and I’m very impressed. Being a spectacular cask does not hurt. Value: Picked this up at $80 from Binny’s clearance… yet again well worth it.
Score: B+

Glengoyne 16, K&L SP, Old Malt Cask, 58.7%
Aged in refill butt #HL20938. Very oily, with epic runners on the glass—this cask was ready to give and give and give! The nose brings fruitcake in the best way: dark stone fruits and berries take the lead, with a subtle hint of mint in the background. The palate starts mellow and sweet but quickly shifts to a bold mix of spice and fruit. The aftertaste is packed with chili pepper heat and a touch of peppermint. Surprisingly intense for a refill, it feels slightly over-oaked, with a bitterness riding along with the spice. A few drops of water help mellow out the harsh edges, transforming the bitterness into a more pleasant, nutty richness—think near-burnt honey-roasted cashews. Water is definitely recommended. Overall: A unique and layered malt with an unusually spicy character straight from the bottle. Too intense for me to enjoy neat, but with a bit of dilution, it opens up beautifully.
Score: B+ (w/water)

Benrinnes 19, Old Malt Cask, 50%
This was aged in a Canasta (sherry liqueur) cask and bottled for OMC’s 25th anniversary in 2023, complete with the old-style label. For reference, this is another release from the same series as the Linkwood reviewed earlier. The nose is slightly sour, funky, and sweet—classic sherry cream—and at 50% ABV, it’s surprisingly punchy. With time in the glass, it settles into a nicely sweet balance. The palate is mouth-watering, flavorful, and nutty, yet oddly lacking in substance. The cask takes center stage, while the malt plays second fiddle. The aftertaste is medium in length—gentle and sweet, with a note of hot pepper. Overall: An excellent, if sweet, cask that unfortunately overwhelms the delicate spirit. That said, it doesn’t stop me from consuming it in frankly dangerous amounts—it’s crazily drinkable. Think chili cream soda with alcohol. Value: Priced at $120… that’s not exactly cheap for such a light spirit, but fair considering the age—so I’d call it “average-ish” value.
Score: B+

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

Secret Speyside 2008, 15 years old, Faultline/K&L SP, 55%
Faultline is K&L’s private label. This is a 15-year-old Speyside Scotch. As per the website, it’s mentioned that it’s either Glenrothes or Macallan (or not, or a mix of the two—who knows). The cask is almost guaranteed to be ex-bourbon, with the color of fresh straw. The nose is very typical of the Speyside style: orchard fruits. The palate is gentle despite the proof—dried biscuits, toasted grains, perhaps some walnut skins, burnt honey. The aftertaste is mellow malt, a touch of near-bitter barrel char, and baking spices that linger for quite a while.
Overall: Surprisingly enjoyable. A good blend of malt and cask that’s not overwhelming, yet brings a good amount of character into the glass. It is not mind-blowing, yet very enjoyable at the end of the day.
Value: At 50!? For 15-year-old malt? YES!
This: https://shop.klwines … ucts/details/1840739
Score: B+

Cameronbridge 12, SigVin/K&L SP, Single Grain Scotch 62.9%
SigVin stands for Signatory Vintage, of course. Aged for 12 years in a 1st fill bourbon barrel. This is potent from the bottle. The nose is a mix of cask spices and rubbing alcohol, reminding me somewhat of a light cologne or a fancy aftershave. After some time in the glass, some ripe bananas and tropical fruit notes show up… but it doesn’t become any less potent. The palate starts sweet, then quickly swings into fairly intense and somewhat funky young distillate, toasted oak notes, then changes again into intense chili peppers and baking spices backed by strong alcohol. The finish is medium-short and mostly a combination of sweetness and those chili peppers fading away. Some water relieves the intensity but amplifies that somewhat yeasty funk. Water is recommended—but with caution.
Overall: An oxymoronic cask that, by all accounts, should never have been tasting as good as it is. It’s got its shortcomings for sure, but it’s a fun one.
Value: At $40, this was still a gamble… but even then, it’s hard to lament such a low price.
This: https://shop.klwines … ucts/details/1789691
Score: B-

Courage & Conviction 6, Fino Sherry, K&L SP, 60.5%
An American malt here, picked by Brendan P, cask #1718, aged its entire life in a fino sherry cask. If you’re not familiar, fino sherry is a very dry sherry—rather than the typical sweetness one would expect from other sherry examples. A side note: I’m a little sad they either stopped including neck ribbons, or my particular bottle didn’t get one. Let’s dig in! The nose has strong alcohol, herbal notes, and dry toasted wood dominating, backed by some sort of dried fruit leather. The palate is quite dry and oddly gentle, coming in from a reasonably rough nose. We’ve got almond nuttiness, herbs, some chili spices, and burnt vanilla that’s not too sweet. The aftertaste lingers with drying herb notes and more chili almonds—more specifically, drying, toasted almond skins. Few drops of water tone it down to a more balanced and enjoyable sip. Water is recommended here, with caution as to the amount of it.
Overall: Fans of very good sherry bombs that aren’t too sweet should apply. This gives some of the best (heavily sherried) Scotch a run for its money. Dry, punchy, malty, herbaceous, nutty—it’s got it all. Very good one for sure. Do note that it does need a moment to open up in the glass, and to be fair, that nose… is a touch disjointed from the rest.
Value: Ooooh boy… I picked it up on clearance for 25% off the original. Though I’d been watching it like a hawk for a while, I snagged it as soon as it went on sale. Somewhat of a break-even compared to its competition at the original MSRP of $100—if there are plenty of bottles in the backlog, definite buy on discount.
This: https://shop.klwines … ucts/details/1719095
Score: B+

A side-by-side:
Balvenie 15, Original Bottling, Single Cask #1570, 47.8%
Did I mention I like my Balvenie? This is a single cask from the distillery, dated 28/01/98 – 08/11/13, and aged in a bourbon cask. Okay, look, it’s an older Balvenie from when the quality was simply stellar. Toasted vanilla honey on the nose, very slightly metallic with dried red apple skins. The palate is somewhat gentle, offering more of those toasted almond skins, maltiness, cereal notes, orange rind, some vanilla, and a velvety texture. Surprisingly not too sweet or fruity for a Speyside malt—this one leans more into a toasted, roasted grains profile. A long aftertaste turns into prominent cask spices and finishes with a touch of chili cinnamon.
Overall: Extremely enjoyable, if a touch spicy for a casual drinker bottling. I wouldn’t describe this as a “smooth” drink, but more of a spicy snack. Though, add a little touch of water and it smooths out into a stunningly approachable pour for anyone.
Value: N/A due to being a legacy bottle.
Score: B+
vs
The Huntley (Balvenie) 25, K&L SP, Faultline, 51.2%
An oddball side-by-side, considering the 10 years of aging difference here. This is an independently bottled 25-year-old single cask from 1998, aged in a sherry hogshead. I’ll note that this isn’t super dark—almost matching the ex-bourbon cask above—so very likely a refill or second-fill cask. The nose has dried oranges dominating orchard apple-pears, with the alcohol giving it all a warm hug. The palate starts out sherry-sweet but very quickly veers into prominent dry baking spices and chili peppers, somewhat spoiling the enjoyment by overwhelming the palate. There’s some sort of jam and herbaceousness to this experience that lingers for a while in the aftertaste too. Water thankfully takes some of the edge off and brings in rather notable orange oil notes, allowing the toasted wood to let its presence be known after hiding well—considering the age.
Overall: This is a multilayered, highly complex, spicy, and interesting bottle. I feel it benefits from a few drops of water to tone down the intensity that fights with the complexity.
Value: Priced at $250, I’ve not bought it myself—because I’m poor—but it’s certainly no slouch on the “reasonable” value side, especially considering how much comparable Balvenie OBs go for.
This: https://shop.klwines … ucts/details/1840740
Score: A-
So, the sherried Balvenie OB won… But, also, come on! It’s a sherried Balvenie 25! Jokes aside, it may not have been a truly fair side by side due to cask types and age, but I’ll call myself the winner cause I got to try both. Ultimately, one is somewhat casually enjoyable pour for a lighter weather and the other one is more complex and contemplative for deep thoughts in front of a fireplace.
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Scoring Breakdown: https://www.aerin.or … age=scores_breakdown

Here we go again!

What — Notes — Score

Catador Itinerante EU Malts:

Four European (not scotch) Malts… that are a little different. Slyrs is from Germany and Broger is from Austria. Consider the grades to be separate from the typical scotch grading.

Catador Itinerante Slyrs 9 Years Pineau des Charentes Finish, 55.9% — Red fruits on the nose. Cherry pie? Ooooh… spiced cherry pie, in a good way. Clean and consistent experience of malt in a wine cask. No water needed. — Score: B
Catador Itinerante Slyrs 7 Years Sauternes Finish, 55.4% — Fruity-sweet nose, baked apples, toasted honey. Chili pepper and simple syrup. Secondary flavors and aftertaste complexity fall somewhat short. Water makes it more consistent front-to-back, but weakens the flavors — Score: B-
Catador Itinerante Broger 10 Years Smoked Oloroso Sherry, 71.6% — Smoked coffee notes on the nose. Multilayered palate with old oak and good oloroso cask influence. Drinks under its proof. Darkly herbal and medicinal, balanced by proof and sweetness. Not-quite-tannic, yet deeply toasted and oaky, somewhat smoky aftertaste. — Score: B
Catador Itinerante Broger 13 Years French Oak Madeira Finish, 62.1% — Coffee liqueur nose! Dark chocolate liquor palate. Dark and sweet espresso with date syrup concentrate. Sticks around forever on the aftertaste. After-dinner dessert, herbal and somewhat drying — Score: B+

Rums:

Guyana 13 (Diamond), Hamilton SP, Port Mourant PMP, 55.7% — Somewhat funky vanilla, minty, tropical, heavy on flavor, light on cask char. Basically vanilla, chili spices, light mintiness throughout. Falls somewhere in-between on the funky-to-tropical scale of Guyanese rums — Score: B+
Jamaica Hampden Pagos, 52% — Somewhat funky, yet balanced vanilla, lots of sherry cask influence. Surprisingly balanced sweetness with toasted notes and cask spices. Very enjoyable for those that like this sort of funky, wood varnish, sweet and slightly bitter profile — Score: A-
1992 Cuba 31, Wu Dram Clan SP, 50.7% — A bit of a treat for myself. It’s *dark*. It’s very vanilla forward. It’s sweet. It’s almost like a creme puff in my mouth or spiced vanilla custard. It’s somewhat straightforward, but there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s good stuff for vanilla sugar rum enthusiasts. Also Cuba, so I shared some with my dad who loved it — Score: A-
Mount Gay 1703. 6 years old. Madeira Cask. 55% — Wood, alcohol heat, some madeira influence. Did i mention lots of heat here? Sweetness of rum mixes well with cask spice and wood notes and gives it an illusion that it’s older than it is. Oddly, reminds me of Foursquare ex-bourbon bottlings. Plenty of flavor but not a lot of depth here, relying on cask to make up for age — Score: B+
Privateer Convergence #132, 7 years. Queen’s Share Yankee, Ex-bourbon Cask, 59.6% — Heck of a name to type out and that’s not even all the info from the label. The nose is young and booze-forward, opening into honey and some grassy sugars with time. It’s basically hot vanilla sugar. More sugar, some grain and vanilla on the palate. Dusting of clove in the aftertaste notes. Kinda reminds me of single grain scotch. It’s probably better used as a mixer — Score: C-
Privateer Echelon #130, 7 years. Queen’s Share Yankee, American Oak, 62.7% — Close markee but notably better than it’s counterpart above. Now actually balanced on flavors. The cask offsets alcohol nicely bringing restrained wood to the hot vanilla sugar, thus balancing it. Still somewhat light and sweet overall, this is much better package overall. Still somewhat single grain scotch-y… but much better version this time — Score: B
Privateer Fulcrum #131, 7 years, New England, New Oak, 59.4% — Now we’re talking! Toasted vanilla wood. Nice balance between spirit and cask influence. Peppermint, caramel, vanilla pancake. A little young and lively but nearing the sweet spot — Score: B+
2000 Chairman’s Reserve 21, St Lucia. Fred Minnick/Seebach’s, 63% — John Dore 1 Still. Glorious wood bomb! Eucalyptus oil, vanilla, not super thick or overpowering. This is fantastic. Not overly funky or medicine-forward, while still retaining a very strong character of that herbal apothecary shop full of dried herbs and essential oils. Easy score here — Score: A-
1998 Chairman’s Reserve 21, St Lucia. Fred Minnick/Seebach’s, 67.7% — John Dore 1 Still. Somehow darker and more concentrated than the above, but it drinks softer. Holy cow, this is good one indeed. Repeat all the notes from above, but make it better balanced by sweet vanilla and toasted oak. — Score: A

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