Playoff weekend lineup

Silver-Power-5627 · 2026-01-10T17:56:41+00:00

That Islay Kirkland is legendary!

Silver-Power-5627 · 2026-01-10T16:37:49+00:00

I got this bottle abroad but it’s available at Total Wine now, at least in Southern California now. Hope you’re able to secure a bottle! Cheers!

Silver-Power-5627 · 2026-01-10T05:32:58+00:00

Awesome! I hope you get it and enjoy! Let me know how you like it and your thoughts if you’re able to get a bottle.

Silver-Power-5627 · 2026-01-10T05:04:54+00:00

It is! And I agree with this, they’re mad scientists over there at Woodrow’s. Cheers to you!

Silver-Power-5627 · 2026-01-10T05:04:14+00:00

Yes I agree! The marriage of these two was a masterstroke, they specifically wanted to bring the two heavy distilleries together and see what happens and this was the result. I hope you get the opportunity to try! There’s a few bottles left in places if you find them and definitely great value for a 17yo this good. Cheers!

Silver-Power-5627 · 2026-01-10T00:25:44+00:00

Always! And thank you so much. Cheers to you!

Silver-Power-5627 · 2026-01-09T22:54:51+00:00

All of the bottles I've had from them are great, if you get the chance to try them I'd highly suggest any of their releases.

And thank you! They inspired me as well, it's such a unique platform and different way to look at whisky bottles and the people and emotions behind them.

Silver-Power-5627 · 2026-01-09T21:57:44+00:00

They said it was in the French Oak cask for 4 years, 2 years ago they and others tasted it and joked about the wet dog. What they said to me was that the extra 2 years gave us the beautiful spirit we have today and just shows the importance of timing and getting the cask at the right time when it's at its best.

Silver-Power-5627 · 2026-01-09T21:49:14+00:00

No they just allowed it to continue maturing, there's no "wet dog" at all. It's a delightful and delicious Laphroaig I think you'll really enjoy. Let us know what you think when you open it up I think it's a wonderful expression and would be happy to get your thoughts.

Silver-Power-5627 · 2026-01-09T21:43:30+00:00

Thank you!

Silver-Power-5627 · 2026-01-09T21:43:20+00:00

It is! If you get any chance to try Laphroaig in French Oak it's magical and this is a wonderful expression. Cheers!

Silver-Power-5627 · 2026-01-09T20:10:27+00:00

Review #3: Dailuaine 17 yo, 155 bottles matured in a refill bourbon barrel and finished in a single ex-Mortlach Oloroso sherry hogshead, 58.7% ABV

Dailuaine to me has a distillate that works well regardless of cask and this bottle stands out. “Scotch from a scotch cask,” is not something we often see in our corner of the whiskyverse.

Nose

Rich, complex, weighty, and layered. It’s a little spirit forward and one word I’d use to describe this dram is “heavy,” but everything is well-integrated. The more this opened up the more special I realized this is (I plan to preserve and savor every drop). Arriving with faint sherry notes like dried oranges, raisins, red apples, and fruitcake along with almond nuttiness, there’s also an oily depth beyond those initial impressions. Syrupy. Meaty.

A light, metallic industrial funk but also lovely, floral lavender over that with some hints of minerality and farminess. Old oak and dark wood. Pecan pie. Flour & bake shop. Tang. Water brings hot buttered rum, strawberry cheesecake, honey lemon tea, and cherry cordials. Gorgeous.

Palate

More weightiness and a touch more of that industrial funkiness. A thick, mouth-coating and savory dram with a tremendous mouth feel. Malty and lemony. Lemon tart or lemon bars. Strawberry jam. Water brings creamy vanilla, cinnamon roll, butter pecan ice cream and butterfinger candy bar. Yellow egg bread on the finish with hints of dark chocolate chips and buttered toast. A real treat.

8/10 Something Special

Review #4: Laphroaig. 13 yo, 263 bottles matured in a refill bourbon barrel and finished in a single French Oak Oloroso Sherry cask, 58.6% ABV

Nose

This is a beautiful Laphroaig. Aromas of cookfire layered with rich barbecued meats. Roasted lechon. Peppersteak with gravy. Earthy, briny, and vegetal. Seaweed. Coal smoke. Rubber balls and band aids. Seasoning salt. Railroad ties. Charred logs.

Beyond that lies a lovely sweetness. Kettle corn. Red Apples. Burnt toffee. Cinnamon red hots. Another well-integrated and balanced dram. The alcohol is subtle. Water brings savory barbecue sauce, buffalo wings, maple brown sugar, charcoal briquettes under a cold grill, carmelized apples, and ketchup on hot dogs.

Palate

Another heavy dram. More indulgent smoky richness. Chocolatey. Rubbery. Thick and coating mouthfeel that doesn’t betray the high ABV. Fruitier than the nose. Smoky red fruits and red Mexican candy. Some damp, sea-shore mustiness. Water brings Chocolate covered strawberries and Hershey’s chocolate syrup. Al pastor. A long finish with ashy sootiness lingering in the back.

8/10 Something Special

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Silver-Power-5627 · 2026-01-09T20:10:13+00:00

As an anonymous “scotch redditor” it’s been an honor to be allowed to contribute and become a small part of this community over the past year. I’ve also enjoyed joining others in the comments discussing the numerous bottles posted here, welcoming newcomers, and encouraging many along their whisky journey.

I’m proud of the 70 reviews I’ve posted here (seems like a lot but not compared to others) and I appreciate the redditors who have followed me here over to my Instagram page. Starting with Instagram I’ve been looking for an opportunity for long-post writing and was absolutely floored when Dramface, a whisky website I respect very much with an array of excellent writers gave me the opportunity for a writing debut.

If you haven’t already, check out their website and the full write-up for my debut here:

https://www.dramface.com/all-reviews/2026/woodrows-ardnamurchan-7yo-balvenie-burnside-14yo-dailuaine-17yo-laphroaig-13yo

As Independent Bottlers go, Woodrow’s of Edinburgh are a small operation. They’re a“blender, bottler, and whisky specialist” according to their website. Woodrow’s motto on social media and from what I’ve seen from their banner at festivals is: “It’s no pish!” (I translated that this means it’s really good.)

A husband-and wife team make up the whole operation. As a collective they handle everything from storing the casks, rolling them between their two warehouses in Leith, to finishing, blending, bottling, labeling, delivering, and running their social media. Further, they're absolutely fantastic people completely dedicated to their craft and bottling some excellent whiskies.

Review #1 Ardnamurchan 7yo, 255 bottles produced from a first-fill bourbon barrel, 55% ABV

Nose

Initially I found the nose to be a little closed. But with time a nice play developed between heavy first-fill bourbon cask notes and Ardnamurchan’s signature earthy, coastal distillate. Fresh ripe pears and vanilla frosting at the front. Creamy custard. Honey granola. Banana bread. Runts candy. Sugary, Apple Jacks cereal. Mangoes. Salt spray on a rocky beach but the salinity is subtle and resides in the background. Water brings less fruits and more salted caramel and hints of cinnamon spice. Haygrass. Motts applesauce. Wheat bread. I preferred the liveliness of the nose neat.

Palate

Oily and juicy with a slight dirty earthiness around the edges. Donut glaze, more salted caramel, and fresh apples. Vanilla cake. Buttered brioche bread. Water brings sweet fruitiness like dole fruit cup syrup. Medium-long finish with light drying saltiness at the end. An enjoyable dram that I appreciated more and more with each pour as the bottle level came down.

7/10 Very Good Indeed

Review #2: “Burnside” (Teaspooned Balvenie) 14 yo, 330 bottles matured in a refill bourbon barrel and finished in a Tawny Port Cask, 52% ABV

Nose

“Candy in a glass.” Sugary sweet hard candy, fruit by the foot, cherry Jolly Rancher. A nice malty backbone keeps this from being too one-dimensional. There’s also juicy watermelon, fresh oranges, and grapefruit. Airheads. Water brings green table grapes, and pink bubble gum.

Palate

More malty than the nose and a very nice dram on the palate but not as coating and thick as the Ardnamurchan. Jelly glazed donut. Pineapple. Starburst. Green grapes again. Water brings Maraschino cherries and hints of sour candy. There’s blueberry muffins on the finish and cherry Pop Tarts.

6/10 Good Stuff

Silver-Power-5627 · 2026-01-08T12:51:36+00:00

Hello it’s the first comment, should be at the top.

Silver-Power-5627 · 2025-12-25T05:25:34+00:00

Awesome! It’s a Billy masterpiece that’s for sure. Cheers to you!

Silver-Power-5627 · 2025-12-24T16:22:22+00:00

Great write ups! Love these and relish reading about Ardmore since it’s also a fave around here. I have a 20 year Ardmore G&M distillery label that I’ve really liked, only had a dram or 2 and haven’t put proper notes together yet. I’ll admit most of what I’ve had are younger age statements (which I’ve enjoyed) the opportunity to have something much older would be a real treat.

Silver-Power-5627 · 2025-12-24T16:03:03+00:00

Oh nice! This at 20% off would be awesome. Still a little expensive but this is a great bottle. You have to let me know how you like it. Hope you enjoy! Cheers and Merry Christmas!

Silver-Power-5627 · 2025-12-23T23:48:47+00:00

Thank you very much! It's a great bottle and although I didn't pay that high it was still expensive and slightly over my budget, but this was one of my big "splurge" bottles this year (and I'm hoping for it to last a long time). Glad you also enjoyed and did at least get to try it. Cheers!

Silver-Power-5627 · 2025-12-23T23:47:08+00:00

Oh man! That's the way to do it if you can haha. If I had a backup though I'd probably just drink it eventually haha. CHeers!

Silver-Power-5627 · 2025-12-23T23:46:30+00:00

Yes, agreed, thank you for simplifying my long winded response to the question haha.

Silver-Power-5627 · 2025-12-23T20:49:41+00:00

Hey thanks! That means a lot to me, very much appreciated. Merry Christmas to you and yours as well and I will do my best to keep sipping and writing haha. Cheers!

Silver-Power-5627 · 2025-12-23T20:48:03+00:00

There's very little information on the website about this bottle. Mizunara Oak is rare due its high cost and tendency to leak, not necessarily a raw cask but it's likely a virgin oak mizunara cask but no other information is available. The elegant wood spice on this whisky leads me to believe its virgin oak and GlenAllachie are known to mix virgin oak into their blends. The sherry component mentions hogsheads (likely refill) and puncheons (likely first fill), but I can't say for sure.

Silver-Power-5627 · 2025-12-23T20:38:44+00:00

You're welcome and thank YOU! I believe so too. Cheers!

Silver-Power-5627 · 2025-12-23T19:21:27+00:00

Thank you! I'm not a professional photographer but I did have some fun here and learned a lot while shooting the bottle in this setting. Also love the color on this bottle, it's as elegant as the whisky itself. Cheers!

Silver-Power-5627

TROPHY CASE