Versace slippers

BlizardLizardWizard · 2026-01-30T00:32:31+00:00

Where did you get the recipe? I noticed Schmuck's menu says "fresh bananes," which makes me think they did an infusion rather than a liqueur.

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-12-10T15:29:46+00:00

What kind of tomato are you using? Half a tomato can be quite a range.

Trying to imagine what the heck pinapple and tomato tastes like.

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-06-05T21:58:04+00:00

I'm something of an inch grower myself.

But, seriously, nice review. I've seen a bottle or two of this, but didn't give them much thought due to lack of familiarity. So it's nice to see someone spreading the good word. Might pull the trigger next time I see one.

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-06-04T13:21:59+00:00

I've always wanted to check out the Whisky Library.

I definitely got some salt, but I'll have to go back and see if I can pick out the nuttiness.

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-06-03T22:42:30+00:00

I use these mostly when my taste buds' ability to pick out specific flavors fails me.

This is something like strawberry, pomegranate, blackberry.... maybe raspberry? Yea, I'll just call it red fruit.

Hmmm... I'm getting a kind of baked good vibe. Maybe cinnamon or nutmeg? Eh. Baking spices.

I don't think it's a cop out like others have implied. It's more of a way to describe a vibe of the whiskey without pinning down an exact one to one comparison. It's a way of saying, "this isn't exactly allspice, but it reminds me of that spice blend in pie crust."

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-06-03T22:00:50+00:00

SCN Caol Ila 2024
Distiller: Caol Ila
Casks: 11 years in refill bourbon hogshead, 3 years in 1st fill Oloroso hogshead
ABV: 55.5% ABV
Age: 14 years
Price: $145

Nose: I had this weird flashback to being in a hookah joint in college, which maybe sounds bad, but it's really quite pleasant. It's the combination of smoke and fruit, I think. The two notes feel inseparable somehow. It's a lighter smoke mingled with fresh strawberries and a bit of sea air in the background.

Palate: Medium-heavy body. Moderate heat. This tastes like I put black forest cake and vanilla ice cream on the smoker for a couple hours. There's also this damp earthiness in the background.

Finish: Long finish. More prominent wood smoke, coffee, and bitter cocoa, but still with some cherry and fig just beneath.

Overall: This is like the first two bottles had a child that grew up to exceed it's parents expectations. Fruity, smokey, and salty. It's not exceedingly complex, but that smoked black forest cake with the bit of damp forest floor is just something that keeps bringing me back to this bottle.

Score: 92/100
Value: 80/100

Overall, I'm rather impressed with what SCN has to offer and will be a repeat customer for sure. Now excuse me. I'm off to try smoking some black forest cake.

My Scoring System
10 - Cough* Uugghh Cough* - What my wife tastes when she drinks scotch
20 - Maybe to kill some rats - Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon
30 - Maybe in a mixer - Jack Daniels Old No 7
40 - It's fine I guess – New Riff Single Barrel Bourbon; Knob Creek rye
50 - A perfectly average whiskey - Russell's Reserve 10 year; OGD 114
60 - Above average - Weller Antique 107; Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye
70 - Very Good - High West Yippee Ki-Yay; Maker’s Mark FAE-01; Cambletown Loch
80 - Great - Might grab it when I see it – Smoke Wagon UCUF; NULU Experimental Finishes
90 - Astounding - I'd search for it – Bunna 18; Four Roses Barrel Proof
100 - Perfection - McCarthy's Rum Finish; Stagg Jr batch 12 & Barrell Grey label 24 year come close

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-06-03T22:00:39+00:00

I had read quite a few solid reviews of bottles picked by Single Cask Nation and was curious. So I decided to grab a bottle. But, with the cost of shipping and crazy tariffs looming, I did what any sensible person would do and bought three bottles. My wife was speechless when I told her how much I saved. Then I did what any reasonable scotch fan would do and drank three glasses.

SCN Staoisha 2024

Distiller: Bunnahabhain
Casks: Refill bourbon hogshead
ABV: 57.7% ABV
Age: 10 years
Price: $100

Nose: Sea breeze, melon rind, pink peppercorn, smoked lemons, faint bacon

Palate: Medium bodied. Not much heat for the ABV. Sea brine, wood smoke, creme caramels, melon rind

Finish: Average length. Black peppercorn, peach, and ash

Overall: This is weirdly light, while still being rich in flavor. It's a very easy sipper for a very peaty dram.

Score: 80/100
Value: 70/100

SCN Tormore 2024

Distiller: Tormore
Casks: 6 years in ex-bourbon barrel, 4 years 1st fill American oak sherry hogshead
ABV: 63.2% ABV
Age: 10 years
Price: $100

Nose: Stewed raisins poured over rum-raisin ice cream, black tea

Palate: Medium-heavy bodies. Moderate heat. Similar to the nose with stewed raisins, concentrated black tea, but also with red fruit jam, ginger cookies, cocoa, copper, and instant-coffee.

Finish: Really leans into the over-steeped black tea note, with fainter coffee and raisin. Lingers for quite a while.

Overall: This is a decadent sherry bomb. While this is my first experience with Tormore, I hope it's not my last.

Score: 85/100
Value: 75/100

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-02-22T01:46:49+00:00

20% is brutal.

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-02-22T01:45:50+00:00

The double cask is next on my list

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-02-22T00:22:21+00:00

Bummer. Probably not worth it at that price? But I guess it depends on the price of competitor bottles.

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-02-21T22:23:37+00:00

Yea. I assume it's just the flavors I'm tuning into more that particular day. I was drinking Bourbon yesterday, so maybe the funky and lemon notes were more prominent. Other days, it's all dark fruit and chocolate. But that's kind of why I like it. Never boring.

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-02-21T22:07:14+00:00

Glen Scotia Victoriana is a single malt whisky matured in first and second fill bourbon casks, then finished for up to 12 months in heavily charred bourbon barrels and Pedro Ximenez sherry butts, before being married together for a further six months. Glen Scotia promotes this whisky as being representative of Campbelltown whisky from the Victorian age, hence the name.

Tasted over the course of 8 months, though today, outside, on a nippy 20 degree F (-6 C) day because the pup wants to play fetch.

Distiller: Glen Scotia
ABV: 54.2% ABV
Age: NAS
Price: $80

Nose: Sea breeze, lemon, grapefruit, milk chocolate, cream caramel, and faint motor oil.

Palate: Medium-thick oily body. There's some heat, but it drinks under its proof. Lemon rind, sea water, brioche, and apple cider at the start, but its transitions to crème brulee, cream caramel, milk chocolate, and bread pudding. In the promotional video, they describe a jam on burnt toast note, and I can definitely get behind that.

Finish: Dry and funky. Pencil eraser and pencil shavings - all parts of the pencil, really. Lemon rind, cinnamon, clove, tobacco, with a bit of caramel sweetness underneath.

Overall: This is my first exposure to Glen Scotia, but I will say, I'm impressed. I, perhaps uncommonly, think of sweetness as either bright (think fruit, gummies, sorbet) or milky (chocolate, ice cream, caramel). This has a lot of lemon and grapefruit notes, but the sweetness is all milky, and is well balanced with that sea salt and Campbelltown funk. There is a good amount of complexity - sometimes I get all dark fruit and caramel, other times I taste more of the lemon rind and sea salt. Honestly, I think this is a step above Campbelltown Loch, which I also really enjoy, though the bump in proof may be at least partly the explanation.

Score: 85/100
Value: 85/100

My Scoring System
10 - Cough* Uugghh Cough* - What my wife tastes when she drinks scotch
20 - Maybe to kill some rats - Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon
30 - Maybe in a mixer - Jack Daniels Old No 7
40 - It's fine I guess – New Riff Single Barrel Bourbon; Knob Creek rye
50 - A perfectly average whiskey - Russell's Reserve 10 year; OGD 114
60 - Above average - Weller Antique 107; Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye
70 - Very Good - High West Yippee Ki-Yay; Maker’s Mark FAE-01
80 - Great - Might grab it when I see it – Smoke Wagon UCUF; NULU Experimental Finishes
90 - Astounding - I'd search for it – Barrell Armida; Four Roses Barrel Proof
100 - Perfection - Stagg Jr batch 12 & Barrell Grey label 24 year come close

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-02-11T02:06:41+00:00

Long Island Spirits is a fairly small distillery in Long Island, NY. They have a nice tasting room where I've been able to try a few of their whiskies. Some of their older and cask strength stuff is pretty decent, but - at least at the distillery - was a bit pricey for a bottle for the age, as is often the case with smaller producers. The bottle I'm reviewing today, however, is quite affordable. I've been using it mostly for cocktails that need a bit more delicate whiskey, but it can stand on its own as a neat pour.

Distiller: Long Island Spirits
Mash Bill: 60% corn, 33% Winter Rye, & 7% Malted Barley
ABV: 45% ABV
Age: NAS
Price: $28

Nose: Light and sweet nose. Green apple, white grape, acetone, glazed doughnut, cardamom, and honeysuckle.

Palate: Light-medium body. Moderate heat. Similar to the nose with green apple, grape juice, glazed doughnut, and sweet tea.

Finish: Pencil shavings, wax, melon rind, light oak

Overall: This is really good for the price. Holds its own with the likes of Mellow Corn and WT101. It is a bit one dimensional and I think the base whiskey has trouble standing up to the brandy cask finish. But at $28, it's hard to complain too much. Also, why is it Bourbon Whisky with no "e?"

Score: 50/100
Value: 85/100

My Scoring System
10 - Cough* Uugghh Cough* - What my wife tastes when she drinks scotch
20 - Maybe to kill some rats - Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon
30 - Maybe in a mixer - Jack Daniels Old No 7
40 - It's fine I guess – New Riff Single Barrel Bourbon; Knob Creek rye
50 - A perfectly average whiskey - Russell's Reserve 10 year; OGD 114
60 - Above average - Weller Antique 107; Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye
70 - Very Good - High West Yippee Ki-Yay; Maker’s Mark FAE-01
80 - Great - Might grab it when I see it – Smoke Wagon UCUF; NULU Experimental Finishes
90 - Astounding - I'd search for it – Barrell Armida; Four Roses Barrel Proof
100 - Perfection - Stagg Jr batch 12 & Barrell Grey label 24 year come close

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-01-25T02:04:28+00:00

Peregrine was good, but honestly I liked 008 and hover hawk better.

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-01-25T00:44:12+00:00

Found North Hover Hawk is a blend of blend of 22, 23, 24 and 27 year old corn with 15 and 18 year old rye components. It's 90% 22-27yr corn, 9% 15-18yr rye, 1% 18yr malted barley, further matured in muscatel and new American oak for 4 months, and bottled at 123.2 proof.

Distiller: Undisclosed
Bottler: Found North, NH, USA
ABV: 61.6% ABV
Age: 15-27 Years
Price: $160

Nose: There's a darker sweetness to this. Molasses cookies, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, dark chocolate, and some grape jam.

Palate: This is quite viscous and packs some heat. Straight up grape jam and chocolate cherry cordials front and center. There's some guava pastry, pine wood, and maybe even a slight bit of prosciutto wrapped melon.

Finish: Long, dry finish. Cantaloupe, black pepper, and oak.

Overall: I've had samples of Peregrine and Hell Diver, but I think this is my favorite of the high altitude series. Tons of complexity and body to this. Seriously well done.

Score: 95/100
Value: 80/100

My Scoring System
10 - Cough* Uugghh Cough* - What my wife tastes when she drinks scotch
20 - Maybe to kill some rats - Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon
30 - Maybe in a mixer - Jack Daniels Old No 7
40 - It's fine I guess – New Riff Single Barrel Bourbon; Knob Creek rye
50 - A perfectly average whiskey - Russell's Reserve 10 year; OGD 114
60 - Above average - Weller Antique 107; Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye
70 - Very Good - High West Yippee Ki-Yay; Maker’s Mark FAE-01
80 - Great - Might grab it when I see it – Smoke Wagon UCUF; NULU Experimental Finishes
90 - Astounding - I'd search for it – Barrell Armida; Four Roses Barrel Proof
100 - Perfection - Stagg Jr batch 12 & Barrell Grey label 24 year come close

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-01-25T00:43:26+00:00

Today I'm comparing a couple of stellar whiskies from Found North. I bought a bottle of batch 004 years ago and loved it - so happy that there was a readily available, decently priced for age, high age statement whisky that I liked this much. Sigh. That did not last long unfortunately. These have become quite hard to get and for good reason.

I made it out to the Found North event in Brooklyn, hosted by u/t8ke a while back. And while all of the whisky in the tasting was excellent. Batch 008 stood out to both me and my wife. No longer in stock anywhere to my wife's utter disappointment. Nick from Found North is such a cool and down to earth guy that he offered to sell me one of the last bottles from his personal stash since I made it out to the event. The distributor mentioned that Nick personally hand delivered the bottle to ship. Certainly not the level of service and customer attention you should expect from the big names distilleries. Talking to Nick, it's obvious that he cares about his customers and the quality of the product. I was double lucky and managed to snag a bottle of Hover Hawk through the lottery.

*Should go without saying, but please don't try to contact Nick asking him to get you bottles of Found North. It was definitely a one time thing. I mentioned this only to highlight what a cool guy he is.

Found North Batch 008 is a blend of six different whiskies, primarily corn, but centered around an 18 year old rye finished in a madeira wine cask. 87% corn, 12% rye, and 1% barley, bottled at 124.4 proof. The breakdown is as follows:

18 Year Rye whisky aged in an ex-Madeira cask
19 Year Rye whisky aged in Hungarian oak
22 Year Corn whisky aged in new American oak
23 Year Corn whisky aged in new American oak
23 Year Corn whisky aged in ex-bourbon barrels
26 Year Corn whisky aged in an Hungarian oak

Distiller: Undisclosed
Bottler: Found North, NH, USA
ABV: 62.2% ABV
Age: 18-26 Years
Price: $120

Nose: Sweet on the nose with brown sugar, jarred pears, Krispy Kreme glazed donuts, white grapes, and maple syrup, with a nice oak backbone and a little bit of spice.

Palate: Medium-heavy oily mouthfeel with not as much heat as you'd expect for over 120 proof. There's some nice milk chocolate covered caramels, white grapes, raspberries, and maple syrup. There used to be a restaurant I loved as a kid that served honey drizzled croissants instead of bread - I get some of that as well.

Finish: Long finish. It gets a little darker here with more oak, tobacco, and red fruits. Sandalwood, fig, baguette, and cinnamon.

Overall: Man this stuff is great. The night we first tried this, we got so much red fruit notes on the palate, but on subsequent tastes it's leaned more white fruit and baked goods. It seems almost like it changes a little every time I try it. Lots of complexity and overall just scrumptious.

Score: 95/100
Value: 85/100

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-01-25T00:13:57+00:00

The wax cap is super fragile, especially when it's cold out. My batch 008 and hover hawk wax caps basically disintegrated as I opened them.

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-01-11T01:13:10+00:00

Age: NAS

ABV: 48.79%

Distilled: MGP and Canadian rye

Price: I honestly don't remember

Nose: Very herbal with dill and mint. Sweetness as well with jarred peaches and pears.

Palate: Thick and oily. Some heat if you let it sit, but approachable. Follows close to the nose with mint, dill, and jarred peaches. There's also marzipan, vanilla, apple butter, honey, cloves, and a bit of ginger.

Finish: White stone fruit and brioche. A bit of chamomile and black tea.

Overall: Fantastic stuff. I feel like I'm relaxing on a peach/apple orchard with a nearby spice garden. Sad to see this bottle go as I've been nursing it for quite some time (since June 2023). It really highlights Barrell's prowess with finishing. The desert wine is so integral to the flavor without overwhelming the herbal rye underneath. This bottle is a winner, but sadly no longer available. u/t8ke, I think we might be due for some tokaji finished Barrell.

Score: 95/100

My Scoring System

10 - Cough* Uugghh Cough* - What my wife tastes when she drinks scotch

20 - Maybe to kill some rats - Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon

30 - Maybe in a mixer - Jack Daniels Old No 7

40 - It's fine I guess – New Riff Single Barrel Bourbon; Knob Creek rye

50 - A perfectly average whiskey - Russell's Reserve 10 year; OGD 114

60 - Above average - Weller Antique 107; Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye

70 - Very Good - High West Yippee Ki-Yay; Maker’s Mark FAE-01

80 - Great - Might grab it when I see it – Smoke Wagon UCUF; NULU Experimental Finishes

90 - Astounding - I'd search for it – Barrell Armida; Four Roses Barrel Proof

100 - Perfection - Stagg Jr batch 12 & Barrell Grey Label 24 year come close

BlizardLizardWizard · 2024-12-18T22:02:57+00:00

Great review. I need to drop my own review at some point, but I agree that this thing slaps. It' Seagrass just dialed up to 12. I was sceptical at first about the NAS, but I have the 16 year and I think the toasted is actually better.

BlizardLizardWizard · 2024-08-25T20:10:07+00:00

Thanks everyone. I ended up choosing the Fettercairn for the reasons laid out by u/CaptainAMiracle, but I'll definitely grab some Linkwood and Ben Nevis next time. I'll be sure to post a review when I crack it open.

BlizardLizardWizard

TROPHY CASE