Hazelburn 15 (2023), 55.8%
Hazelburn 15, oloroso cask matured. Bottled in September of 2023… Number of bottles in this batch 9,000. Hazelburn - for those unaware - is the unpeated branch of Springbank. The nose is sweet, slightly funky and inviting. The main note other than toasted wood spices that I’m getting here are a fig-and-plum compote. The palate velvety-smooth, more of those figs-and-plum sweetness, immediately counterbalanced by baking spices, lots of nutmeg, black pepper, chili, dark chocolate. The aftertaste lasts and lasts, more of the vanilla dark chocolate truffles dusted by chili flakes. Quite sweet, yet somewhat savory at the same time. Overall: A pleasure to drink for sure. It’s phenomenal and delicious. An easy A score from me. Value: I believe MSRP on this was $240 or so, which i think is a touch too much for a 15 year old.
Score: A
Inchmurrin Madeira Wood Finish, 46%
Inchmurrin is one of the several brands distilled at Loch Lomond distillery, this one happens to be somewhat peated variant. This bottling was part of Island Collection and finished in madeira - Portuguese fortified wine - casks. I quite enjoy the nose, the cherry notes and wine sweetness balance light smoke and alcohol well, and it ends up smelling like hot cherry pie. The palate is soft due to proof, reasonably mildly, sweet and cherried. There are some toasted nuts in the mix as well as tingling spices, perhaps nutmeg? Medium long aftertaste that’s bitter-sweet in a pleasant way wraps it up. Overall: I’m quite pleased with this. It’s by no means overwhelming or too memorable, but it’s ‘just right’. Just right amount of intensity, just the right amount of everything. Very solid evening dram, thought perhaps not impressive to most connoisseurs. Value: I believe the MSRP was ~$75 which is reasonable, while I paid $25 for this… a win for me!
Score: B
Tomatin 10, Cadenhead, 46%
A Tomatin 10 from Cadenhead Original Collection, matured in oak and bottled at 46%. This isn’t a single cask, but instead a Tomatin blend, still keeping it’s single malt designation. Quite pale in the color department and 46 abv does not make this a flavor bomb, but is it still good? Aromatic dried orange skins on the nose, integrated alcohol, some grain notes that are complementary here. The palate… is more or less same as the nose. The aftertaste is more or less same as the palate, with a touch of gentle chili spice emerging towards the end, making the finish somewhat savory and mouth-watering, which makes me want more of it. Overall: Gentle, enjoyable and incredibly ‘crushable’ this is a surprise drink that I can just continue drinking and continue enjoying. Is it memorable? No. Is it enjoyable? Yes. Value: N/A I’d guess $60-80, whereas I - once again - paid $25… Another score for me.
Score: B
Teeling 14 (Single Malt), Carcavelos Cask, 55.8%
A Teeling 14 Single Malt - really a Cooley Single malt - aged for 14 years in Carcavelos, a Portuguese white port, casked in Ireland. Distilled in 2002 and bottled in 2016 this is 100% guaranteed to be Cooley malt. Nose… interesting but notable honeycomb note under somewhat unidentifiable spice mix that leans sweet - maybe garam masala, but it’s sure is complex even if not punchy. The palate got heavily toasted nuts, sugars, and while it tries to be sweet initially, it descends into savory chili notes almost immediately. Proof here plays to its strengths and maintains intensity without being overpowering. Lingering sweet and savory aftertaste that’s quite hard to classify in terms of where it’s going. I’ll approximate it to warm spice mix combined with oatmeal cookie. Overall: I’m genuinely at a loss of how to really describe this as it’s really unlike just about anything else i had in the past. It’s clearly a malt through and through. It’s tasty. It’s sweet. It’s also quite ‘odd’. Value: N/A since this is from 2016. These prices don’t exist anymore.
Score: B+
Glendronach, Ode to the Dark, 50.8%
Glendronach Ode to the Dark is a new NAS expression from distillery, aged exclusively in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. Bit of a throwback to the good old days of single sherry type maturation as opposed to current expressions are a mix of different style casks. First of all, this is dark in color. On the nose, dried plums and other dark dried fruits, reasonably balanced by the proof. Interestingly, it leans slightly towards sour prunes and cherries - and leather - a opposed to sweet molasses. The palate is rich, somewhat drying, woody, spicy, dark chocolate, a light touch of tobacco, sweet - not too sweet - only enough vanilla extract to balance the rest of the notes. Baking spices and chili peppers show up in secondaries and continue into a lingering aftertaste. Overall: A highly concentrated, very enjoyable Glendronach tribute to sherry wood. Value: At about $90 it’s rather well worth it if one likes that slightly over-wooded sherried speyside note.
Score: B+
Westland x Holy Mountain Cask Exchange, 50%
Another Westland and brewing house collaboration. This time wetland malt has been aged in holy mountain’s casks that had held American Strong Beer. The nose is herbal, caramel-forward, very slightly beer-y and full of the typical Westland coffee-chocolate note mixed with a bit of a stout beer nose. The palate is an impressive combination of flavors where reasonably mellow beer profiles meshes excellently with the proof. This consistently carries into a lingering aftertaste with more coffee/chocolate beer/westand notes, maltiness and chili spice. Overall: This is somehow more-’Westland’ Westland bottling. If you like craft beers that aren’t overwhelming on the profile (light stouts, heavy lagers).. This will be right up your alley. It’s really quite enjoyable for what it is. There’s no really getting away from beer note here, but it’s by no means unwelcome! Value: Gift from a friend… but should have been about $100. Reasonable deal for a unique bottle.
Score: B
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Scoring Breakdown: https://www.aerin.or … age=scores_breakdown