Stillman’s Sonder Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 10 Years

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Stillman’s Sonder Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 10 Years

47% ABV
$70
Website
Stillmans Sonder Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 10 Years
We would like to thank Dancing Goat Distillery and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says:

The Dancing Goat team embarked on an eighteen-month journey—analysis, blending, reentry testing, gauging, finishing, re-blending, and regauging—to take the most choice barrels from their elusive aged stocks. Stillman’s Sonder is a whiskey that is polished and reimagined, crafted through generational knowledge and responsibility. From 2010 to 2016, distillation in Indiana included a series of large exploratory test runs and orphaned barrels. The Maas Family carefully collected these barrels in secret until their stocks grew and aged to a point where a 10+ year aged whiskey could be blended and produced with consistency and growth.

The 10-Year Straight Bourbon Whiskey utilizes both Andean and American oak aged barrels with texture and concentration pushed through several double oaked components. Spoon proofed in barrels at times with encouraged oxidation through short fills and vatting, this is a remarkably expressive bourbon crafted through extreme care and reflection.

TASTING NOTES
Aroma: Milk chocolate, ripe strawberry and chai tea with a curious hint of the outdoors like a forest stream in autumn.
Taste: Sweet cream and brown sugar touched with vanilla bean. Strawberry notes transform to a more structured sweet cardamom.
Finish: What starts as sweet meets a robust wall of oak and tannin. Chocolate and berry notes prevail with an inviting, long and pleasant finish.

What Gary Says

Nose: Rich chocolate malt, vanilla, caramel, oak and a hint of black cherry.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, dark chocolate, vanilla, peanut brittle, nutmeg, strawberry and a hint of tobacco.
Finish: Moderately long with chocolate covered strawberries and oak.
Comments: Wow! I’ve had plenty of MGP bourbon (which is where this was distilled, although the finishing, re-barreling and blending was all done in Wisconsin), but this is some of the best by far. Strawberry is a note I rarely get (in fact only once before have I gotten that from a bourbon, and less than a handful of times in Scotch). The thick, richness of the nose and palate are a treat – and definitely a unique pour. While I’d love to see this with a bit more proof on it – this is one of the best new bourbon’s I’ve had in a while.

Rating: Must Try/Must Buy

Stillman’s Sonder Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 10 Years Read More »

Old Grand-Dad 7 Year Bottled-In-Bond

/ / Bourbon /

Old Grand-Dad 7 Year Bottled-In-Bond
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

50% ABV
$40
Website
Old Grand-Dad 7 Year Bottled-In-Bond
We would like to thank James B. Beam Distilling Co. and SAVONA COMMUNICATIONS for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says:

Released in 2025, JBBDCo. has introduced an annual expression of Old Grand-Dad® 7 Year Bonded Bourbon. Each year’s release of our high-rye Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey will be produced from a single distillation season in accordance with the Bottled-In-Bond Act. This year’s 2026 release highlights its distillation and barreling in the Fall of 2018. Historically inspired by vintage releases, this fine bourbon is cut to 100 proof to reach its optimal and distinctively classic OGD flavor and body. Patiently aged to a minimum of 7yrs while converging the high rye recipe bourbon drinkers know and love.

TASTING NOTES
Color: Golden with deep copper tones
Aroma: Bold caramel, cinnamon, and vanilla
Taste: Full-bodied. Sweet velvety caramel flavors with notes of charred oak and vanilla
Finish: Long lingering peppery finish
How to serve: Best served in any number of classic cocktails calling for a full and layered bourbon.

What Gary Says

Nose: Peanut brittle, vanilla, toasted oak, hint of caramel and baking spices.
Palate: Caramel, orange zest, cinnamon, vanilla, oak and nutmeg.
Finish: Moderate in length, drying with brown sugar and baking spices.
Comments: A nice, solid, spicy bourbon. I’ve always been a fan of the Old Grand-Dad lineup, and this one sits comfortably in that wheelhouse. The extra age brings a little more oak and structure, but there’s still plenty of that familiar caramel, peanut and spice character underneath. It’s straightforward, flavorful bourbon—and sometimes that’s exactly what I’m looking for.

Rating: Stands Out

Old Grand-Dad 7 Year Bottled-In-Bond Read More »

Cambus 35 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Single Grain / ,

Cambus 35 Year Old “Old Particular”
K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky

52.3% ABV
$180
Website
1982 Cambus 35 Year Old "Old Particular" K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky

What the Retailer Says

The Cambus distillery is easily one of the best grains out there. The large facility just to the north of the River Forth has been converted to a cooperage and connects to Diageo’s massive Blackgrange warehousing facility. That’s why it’s so tragic Diageo mothballed the distillery in 1993. Its right around 30 years of age that Cambus begins to take on a complexity that made the great old blends (like Johnnie Blue) so well loved across the world. This is absolutely decadent stuff. Grain whisky, which was once written off by aficionados, is becoming more accepted not only because you can find great old whiskies from closed distilleries for relatively affordable prices, but because sometimes you just don’t need the intensity of a single malt. When you’re craving something with depth and complexity, but don’t necessarily want want to get intellectual about it, grab the Cambus. You might not be inspired to write a dissertation, but you will have an unsurpassable drinking experience that’s all about pleasure. We’re moving toward the upper echelons with this one in terms of texture and complexity, but it remains full of sweet confectioners’ sugar and stewed fruit. No bitterness or harshness and the mouth feel is voluptuous, nearly chewy in texture, with a length that few grains under 50 years old can match. Here is a whisky that you can literally give to almost anyone in any context and they’ll appreciate it. Easily one of the finest grains we’ll put out this year.

What the Bottle Says

Cambus Distillery 35 Glorious Years Old

One of 197 Bottles Charged from a Refill Hogshead Ref – DL12716
This Single Cask Was Distilled December 1982 and Bottled August 2018
No Colouring | No Chill Filtration

Specially Selected for K&L Wines
NOSE: Tinned peaches, dried apricots, candy floss and charred oak deliciousness
PALATE: Peach cobbler with thick vanilla ice cream alongside milky cereal and cocoa
FINISH: Lingers sweetly with caramelized bananas, apple peel and brown sugar

What Gary Says

Nose: Vanilla buttercream on a freshly baked pastry, hint of maple and peaches.
Palate: Pastry with maple and vanilla frosting, honey, slowly building spice notes and caramel.
Finish: Moderately long and drying slightly with oak spice.
Comments: A lovely, gentle single grain whisky. This one benefits from some time in the glass (some say a minute in the glass for each year in the cask; I wasn’t that patient but 15-20 minutes definitely helped). It also benefits from a couple drops of water, which on the nose brings out a toffee note along with brown butter, and on the palate brings out some fruit notes as well we thickens the mouthfeel nicely. A really nice example of a well aged single grain! A shame that Cambus was shut down in 1993..

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

Cambus 35 Year Old “Old Particular” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Grain Scotch Whisky Read More »

Glenmorangie Spìos Private Edition No. 9

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Glenmorangie Spìos Private Edition No. 9
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$60-100
Website
Glenmorangie Spìos Private Edition No. 9 Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Distillery Says

A spirited tribute to American rye

Step into a world of bold spice and silky sophistication with Glenmorangie Spìos – the ninth release in our esteemed Private Edition series. Gaelic for ‘spice’, Spìos is inspired by America’s iconic rye whiskey heritage, and is the first Glenmorangie ever fully matured in ex-American rye whiskey casks.

These rare casks infuse our signature Highland single malt with a vibrant, peppery character, elegantly balanced by creamy vanilla and sweet toffee. On the nose, expect curious hints of clove, cinnamon and fresh herbs. The palate opens into a lively burst of orchard fruits, nutmeg and baking spice, before melting into a long, warming finish.

Non-chill filtered and bottled at 46% ABV, Spìos is a connoisseur’s celebration of spice – complex, adventurous, and unmistakably Glenmorangie.

Tasting Notes
Aroma: Fresh, herbal nose with hints of cherry, clove, green grass and perfumed oak.
Taste: A full-bodied, spicy dram with bursts of toffee, clove, cinnamon and sweet spice.
Finish: Long and warming, with layers of sweet and dry spice unfolding gently.

What Gary Says

Nose: Herbal and floral, with both citrus and grape notes, hint of Riesling.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, orange creamsicle, cherries, apples, cinnamon, clove and honey.
Finish: Tilting towards long with citrus spices building.
Comments: This is a very interesting dram. My first impression (without knowing anything about it at the time) was this was a white-wine matured single malt, as the grape notes on the nose reminded me a bit of cognac. Definitely different with the rye cask maturation; I like it! I hadn’t heard of rye casks being used like this, but I can see where this would provide a lot of interesting possibilities in blending (and with American rye whiskey gaining popularity over the last decade, those casks need a home!)

Rating: Stands Out

Glenmorangie Spìos Private Edition No. 9 Read More »

Remus Repeal Reserve Series VIII Straight Bourbon Whiskey

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Remus Repeal Reserve Series VIII
Straight Bourbon Whiskey

50.5% ABV
$100
Website
Remus Repeal Reserve Series VIII Straight Bourbon Whiskey

What the Distillery Says

Remus Repeal Reserve Series VIII is the eighth annual limited-edition release in the Remus Repeal Reserve collection, created by Ross & Squibb Distillery to commemorate the repeal of Prohibition on December 5, 1933.

The 101-proof, non-chill-filtered bourbon is a blend of three high-rye bourbons aged between 10 and 17 years:
• 9% 17-year bourbon with a 21% rye mash bill
• 24% 10-year bourbon with a 21% rye mash bill
• 67% 10-year bourbon with a 36% rye mash bill

For Series VIII, Master Distiller Ian Stirsman and the blending team increased the proportion of the 36% rye recipe and selected 101 proof after evaluating the blend at several proofs.

Official tasting notes describe aromas of cherry, candied pecans and leather, followed by maple syrup, cherry and fig on the palate. The finish features vanilla, oak and lingering baking spice.

What Gary Says

Nose: Caramel, dark chocolate, vanilla, oak, leather, wood polish, cigar paper, black cherries and tobacco.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, cherry, figs, black walnut, caramel, chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, honey and vanilla.
Finish: Moderately long with tobacco, caramel and baking spices.
Comments: I bought this in 2026 at Lux Row distillery (on-sale even!) As I loved Remus Repeal Reserve Series VII and Remus Repeal Reserve Series IX even more, it was a no brainer to pick this up. I’m not sure why they still had it on the shelves in late April 2026, because this is just delightful! Right in-line with those, and even at full retail (I think I paid $90 at the distillery) this is a really well made bourbon and I’d have had no regrets. A bit of water brings out notes of cherry cola on the nose, and some orchard fruit notes (apple) on the palate.

Rating: Must Try/Must Buy

Remus Repeal Reserve Series VIII Straight Bourbon Whiskey Read More »