Must Try

Stillman’s Sonder American Single Malt Whiskey Aged 10 Years

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

Stillman’s Sonder American Single Malt Whiskey Aged 10 Years

48.2% ABV
$70
Website
Stillmans Sonder American Single Malt 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

What began as a collection of orphaned barrels evolved into a project more than 10 years in the making. From 2010 to 2016, distillation at MGP in Indiana included a series of large exploratory test runs which resulted in a number of unused barrels. Recognizing their potential, the Maas family quietly acquired and curated these stocks over time, with a vision to release them as 10 plus year aged whiskey.

Led by Tom and Nick Maas, the Dancing Goat team embarked on an 18-month process of analysis, blending, finishing, and refinement to take the most choice barrels from their elusive aged stocks. Stillman’s Sonder American Single Malt was distilled in Indiana and aged in Wisconsin. After initial maturation, it underwent three rounds of blending, re-barreling, and finishing across a range of casks—including virgin oak, ex-bourbon, Wisconsin brandy, Cognac, and Calvados—before bottling at 96.4 proof (48.2% ABV).

“Stillman’s Sonder is both a tribute and a celebration of everything made possible by the spirit makers of America’s Heartland,” said Nick Brady Maas, Contemporary Stillman and Blender, Stillman’s Sonder.

What Gary Says

Nose: Fruit salad with peaches, pears and apricots, caramel, toffee, malted grain, and a hint of fresh walnuts.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, vanilla flan, pears, apples, oak, cinnamon, cloves, and a touch of cedar.
Finish: Moderately long with honey, caramel and cinnamon.
Comments: This is impressive. American Single Malt is a growing category, and bottles like this are a big part of the reason why. This is delicate, with the cedar note hinting slightly at juniper (not like you’d mistake this for a gin, but like there was a drop of gin in the mix). For me the newness of the category is what makes it interesting, as we don’t have some preconceived notion of “This is what American Single Malt should be” – it can surprise us. And most importantly – sipping it on the back porch was most enjoyable!

Rating: Must Try

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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

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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

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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

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Booker’s 2026-02 “Milkshake Batch”

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Booker’s “Milkshake Batch” 2026-02
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

7 Years, 6 Months, 12 Days
62.2% ABV
$100
Website
Bookers Milkshake Batch 2026-02
We would like to thank Beam Suntory and SAVONA COMMUNICATIONS for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says:

The second US release of Booker’s 2026 Collection is Booker’s Batch 2026-02 “Milkshake Batch”. Dad loved his dessert as much as he loved his bourbon. And being the inventor that he was, he found a way to bring the two together. His famous malted chocolate milkshake brought us all together, too. Every time we enjoy one today, it reminds us of good times with the Big Man.
When I was young, Dad and I spent many an afternoon out fishing at a nearby lake. We had plenty of fun out there, but the best part came later, on the way home. We’d pull up to an ice cream dip and order ourselves two chocolate malted milkshakes – a reward for our hard work.
One day, Dad tried out mixing some Jim Beam into his own shake, and a tradition was born. By the time Freddie came along, Dad figured out how to make them from scratch.
When we lived next door, Dad would have Freddie go over to his house whenever he got a craving for that chocolate malted milkshake. He’d whip some up for himself, Freddie and me – and today, whenever we get the same hankering, we use the family recipe that Booker invented for us all those years ago.
If you want to try it out for yourself, the recipe’s simple. All you need is chocolate malt, ice cream, and milk – and of course a good pour of Booker’s.
— FRED NOE, BEAM FAMILY 7TH GENERATION MASTER DISTILLER

MASTER DISTILLER’S NOTES
Booker’s “Milkshake Batch” is made up of four production dates that were stored in four different storage warehouses. The age will be 7 years, 6 months, 12 days old and the proof is 124.4. the breakdown is as follows:
• 26% came from the 5th floor of 7-story warehouse 3
• 23% came from the 3rd floor of 7-story warehouse L
• 19% came from the 3rd floor of 7-story warehouse M
• 32% came from the 5th floor of 7-story warehouse G at waterfall

The color of this batch is rich golden amber that came from the time spent in the barrel resting in the changing seasons of Kentucky. The color of aged bourbon always reminds me of the thoroughbreds that will be racing now that spring has finally sprung here in Kentucky. The aroma is rich and thick with vanilla and oak that is inviting you to take a taste. The taste of the blend is full of flavors that are a pleasure to assess and invite you to take another sip. I enjoyed the full, flavorful finish that lingers and makes you want another sip. I am going to make a milkshake tonight and add some of this batch of Booker’s. I know it will be great and bring back memories of my dad enjoying his favorite treats, a chocolate milkshake with some bourbon added to it.

TASTING NOTES
Taste: Aromas of vanilla, spices
Aroma: Big and bold, and unmistakably Booker’s® Bourbon
Finish: Long and delightful

What Gary Says

Nose: Thick, vanilla, oak, caramel, dark chocolate, turtle brownies, leather and roasted peanuts.
Palate: Chocolate, caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, peanut brittle and pepper spice.
Finish: Moderately long, slightly drying with oak, cocoa, caramel and pepper spice.
Comments: Classic Booker’s. And like many higher proof drams, this one benefits from some time in the glass – helps to tamp down the heat a bit. Could be that it’s been a minute since having a Booker’s, but this is hitting all the right notes for me. Just thick, chewy, robust flavor all the way through. A bit of water doesn’t hurt this one bit, and brings out toasted orange zest on the nose, and chocolate orange on the palate (definitely a citrus bend).

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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