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June 23, 2025 |
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Some old Laphroaig and secret Islay,
as promised |
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| They’re part of the two batches of marvels available from independent bottlers since two or four years: Laphroaigs around 30 years old, or Springbanks of a similar age, the latter being much pricier than the former. Right then, enough waffle, let’s start with a little aperitif to suit the occasion... |
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Laphroaig ‘Càirdeas Lore Cask Strength’ (59.6%, OB, Feis Ile 2025) 
We learn that the ‘complex flavour is achieved by combining different casks’, which we find extremely interesting, do we not. Perhaps this is meant to compensate for the absence of an age statement, always a little disconcerting, particularly for a bottling purportedly of the special persuasion. But let us move on… Colour: full gold. Nose: let us not deny that this nose strikes fast and hard, compact and immensely medicinal and smoky, which cannot fail to delight us. Quite a bit of charcoal smoke and firwood ash. With water: almost feels like peated malt trying to mimic Laphroaig, as we do find the usual suspects front and centre, iodine, ash, cough syrup, smoke, firwood. Mouth (neat): ultra-massive. No room for finesse here, especially with that heavy oak presence, though it all works rather well in this beefy style, which could very well pair with surströmming. Well, I suppose so, never having tried it (please don’t). With water: a rather massive, lemony and resinous woodiness takes over proceedings. Finish: very long, now saltier still. The proverbial kippers! Comments: heavily steeped in oak but it does work, no doubt about it. Just, please, no surströmming…
SGP:377 - 86 points. |
A second official one, but it’ll be the last for today... |
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Laphroaig 30 yo ‘2024 Release’ (45.8%, OB) 
This baby ex-American oak and European sherry oak) I must admit we haven’t kept up with the official 30 year old in recent years, perhaps a missed opportunity, as we did love the old 30 at 43%, which went down like mother’s milk (albeit in far more generous pours, so drinkable it was…) Colour: deep gold. Nose: gone is the explosion of tropical fruits once found in earlier batches, yet what we have is rather coherent, a touch of camphor, massage oils, oysters, a little lime, then come whiffs of a beach at low tide. A few bits of bandage too. Lovely nose, no doubt. Mouth: beautifully saline, with a touch of active oak that might point to recent rerackings, followed by a fine, mentholated smokiness evocative of menthol cigarettes, along with those famous tropical fruits, though appearing only in measured quantities. Passion fruit and grapefruit. A little green walnut too, likely from the sherry. Finish: medium in length but very nicely medicinal and fruity at once, on lemon marmalade for instance. The aftertaste turns back towards ashes, with a touch of rubber and menthol, not unlike the profile of that NAS Feis Ile. Comments: clearly a success, despite the presence of active oak that does show just a little, I find.
SGP:566 - 89 points. |
The next one goes first among the indies due to its low strength... |
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Alambic's Special Islay Malt 1991 1991/2023 (41.9%, Alambic Classique, Rare & Old Selection, cask #23012, refill sherry butt, 349 bottles) 
Colour: full gold. Nose: brimming with softness, on baked apples with heaps of butter and caramel, hessian cloth, bergamots, pistachio and almond syrups, ancient beeswax polish and quince paste like gran used to make. Then come lovely whiffs of ‘old Laphroaig’, very beautiful, very subtle, with hints of mango and a light, elegant lapsang souchong. Quite splendid, sheer lacework! Mouth: almost feels like a re-creation of 1970s Laphroaig, perhaps thanks to a sherry influence leaning towards manzanilla, all in fine style. Lovely citrus fruits, shellfish, seaweed, grapefruit, sauvignon blanc (yes, I know, not exactly something you’ll find in Jerez) … Finish: not that short, saltier now, more on ashes. All in all, a tad more modern. Comments: more complex than the official 30-year-old, which it rather outshines in the end. As the great late Greg Lake said, c’est la vie, that’s life.
SGP:566 - 90 points. |
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Islay Single Malt 32 yo 1991/2024 (49.4%, Wein&Whisky, bourbon barrel, cask #4404742, 244.5 bottles)
That bottle count from the Whisky Kanzler is rather amusing, makes you wonder whether the final bottle was a 35cl, measured to the last drop) Colour: straw. Nose: yes, of course, here we are, the sheer beauty of a plain old bourbon barrel, with wheat, soft vanilla, sunflower oil, fresh almonds, then mango, very ripe banana, salves, touches of oil paint, wax, whelks and winkles, and an exquisitely refined and discreet peatiness. Mouth: glorious citrus notes, salty and joined by a rather petroly riesling. Less complex on the palate perhaps, but my word, how good it is! Finish: same idea, with striking freshness and that unbeatable combo of ashes, lemons and seawater to which resistance is entirely futile. Comments: a superb bottle, and we’ve only gone and forgotten to mention the green and pink peppers.
SGP:566 - 91 points. |
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Islay Single Malt 32 yo 1991 (49.8%, C. Dully Selection for Aqua Vitae Taiwan, bourbon barrel, cask #4402740, 258 bottles)
The famed theory of sister casks (eh?) would have us believe we’re extremely close to the previous one here. Naturally, no complaints on our end. Colour: straw. Nose: everything’s nearly identical in fact, though this one feels just a notch tighter, more nervous, fresher, one might even say more invigorating. Don’t tell me it’s the extra 0.4% ABV making all the difference. Mouth: once again, the same brilliant Laphroaig. Sure, one might unearth the tiniest differences with some forensic nosing, but we’d probably need a double magnum of each to draw firm conclusions. We wouldn’t object, but best not go there. Finish: again just a shade nervier and tauter, more vertical, though not enough to affect the high score. Comments: these not-so-secret Laphroaigs really are fantastic!
SGP:566 - 91 points. |
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Secret Islay 32 yo 1990/2022 (51.3%, The Whisky Blues, barrel, cask #904404365, 247 bottles)
Bach, Beethoven, Schubert and Mozart all gracing a single label, now that’s a promising sign for this baby which, that said, shouldn’t differ too drastically from its predecessors either. Let the music play!... Colour: straw. Nose: well then, we’ve talked ourselves into a corner, let’s admit it and make peace. Once again, we’re very close to previous editions, even if the vintage differs. No complaints here though, it’s magnificent, fresh, lively, joyful, precise, and more like a JSB fugue than a WAM requiem. Perhaps a tad closer to the original barley. With water: damp hessian steeped in seawater. Mouth (neat): goodness me, we’re close again! Lemon, pepper, seawater, ashes, riesling… Like a blade that slices you neatly in two, Uma Thurman-style, as they say. With water: just delicious. Slightly drier than the others, perhaps a notch more medicinal. Finish: long, perfect. In my view, you stash this in the freezer and sip it slowly with proper, genuine caviar. Comments: scrap the caviar, smoked salmon will do just fine.
SGP:566 – 91 points. |
Right, let’s give it one last go, and if it doesn’t work out, well, we’ll just start over later. |
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Islay (LA) 34 yo 1990/2025 (51.7%, Signatory Vintage for WuDramClan, bourbon barrel, cask #4342, 221 bottles)
I’ve got a feeling about this one… Colour: straw. Nose: oh my, it’s lovely, very close again, with notes of lemon hummus and toasted sesame oil, the rest drifting between camphor, menthol, cough syrup, iodine, whelks, oysters and hessian. With water: a stack of fresh laundry in an old wardrobe and high-performance motor oil (ha.) Mouth (neat): oh, but this one’s a bit fuller, a bit oilier, a touch weightier than the others, and yet even tauter at the same time, with a wonderfully peppery lemon and even a pinch of chilli. Packs quite the punch for a 34-year-old, especially with no signs of reracking, or so one assumes. With water: small flat oysters, a hint of lemon, and champagne, with a curious touch of olive oil in the aftertaste. And that signature toasted sesame oil again. Finish: tighter, salty and oily, then orchard apples, followed by mezcal in the aftertaste. How amusing. Comments: seems we’ve managed to veer off the well-trodden path. A true gem, a little more brutish at moments, yet also more distinctive. Thirty-four years old, after all!
SGP:576 - 92 points. |
The only small issue when tasting a series that’s all quite similar is that it gets rather tiring, especially, perhaps, when the drinks are of an exceptionally high standard. Anyway, see you next time, we’re off to bed. Figuratively speaking. |
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June 22, 2025 |
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A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace! |
The return of the rums this June |
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And to kick things off, we’re going to have some supposedly “WTF” rum, followed by great classics that have proven themselves time and again.
(One of those fake vintage advertising signs that are all over the internet. You do wonder, though, whether society doesn't need to be heavily sweetened too.)
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Don Papa ‘Gayuma’ (40%, OB, Philippines, +/-2025) 
We used to take the mickey out of Don Papa quite a bit, but if Diageo bought the brand, it must have been highly profitable. I’ll add that it seemed to me there have been a few improvements since then, honestly, I swear… This one spent 3 years in ex-bourbon, then was ‘finished’ in Rioja at high temperature, followed by a spell in ex-Islay casks. Lagavulin? Did they really dare? In any case, it’s said that this improbable thing pays homage to shamanic rituals practised on the island of Negros. As long as they haven’t added magic mushrooms or Pink Floyd, I’d say we can go for it… Colour: gold. Nose: to get something similar, try mixing some crème de cassis from LIDL with orange liqueur from ALDI. The difficulty lies in getting the ratio right. Mouth: now smoke is coming through, with a hint of pepper and tomato plant, but to be fair, it’s not bad. Clever work on the aromas, though it has absolutely nothing to do with a ‘natural’ spirit. Finish: medium in length and slightly sweet, but decent, with the cassis making a return. Comments: honestly, it’s pretty decent, and even interesting in places.
SGP:640 - 74 points. |
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Dictador 24 yo 1996/2020 ‘Capitulo I’ (44%, OB, Colombia, sherry cask, cask #ExSH-548, 900 bottles) 
This certainly looks the part of a prestige rum, doesn’t it? We’ve always had a good laugh at Dictador’s marketing, including at the various fairs. Colour: dark amber. Nose: hey, not bad at all, nicely fermentary, not overly ‘sweet’, and above all, there’s a lovely sherry note which, in the end, gives us the impression of a Jerez brandy with a touch of Madeira rum. In short, it’s very Iberian—in the best sense of the word. Mouth: not bad! Plenty of coffee, walnut wine, tobacco, molasses, deeply roasted mixed nuts, with mild mustard, raisins and a pleasant salty edge. Finish: same again. The 44% vol. is clearly an advantage. Comments: I won’t surrender, I mean capitulate, I’d even say this Capitulo is now my favourite Dictador, though the sherry casks no doubt did most of the heavy lifting.
SGP:651 - 79 points. |
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Braud & Quennesson ‘Signature du Chai Double Essence’ (49%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-2025)
Newcomer from Martinique, matured for around a year in French and American oak. We’ve already tasted a B&Q before, and while it was genuinely good, it felt a tad light for an agricole. Colour: gold. Nose: indeed light, with a n aged cachaça-like note probably brought on by the rather active wood. But it’s a pleasant nose, with a charming herbal side, think fennel and celery stalks. Mouth: more body here, still obviously young but with some lovely spice, again that fennel, star anise and celery, all softened with honey and a touch of carrot. It works, it’s fun, it’s charming, and once again we find that little Madeira agricole rum accent. And we do like Madeira’s agricoles. Finish: medium length, a bit sweeter now, on pear liqueur and white pepper. Comments: charming and quite different from your typical Martinique agricole.
SGP:551 - 79 points. |
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Jamaican Rum 14 yo 2010/2025 (52.9%, Fadandel, refill barrel, cask #4, 254 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: new tyres, new tyres, and… new tyres. With water: salted anchovies and tapenade! Mouth (neat): smoked mangoes and bananas grilled over charcoal, then a hearty dose of salt and varnish, just as it should be. With water: it kicks a bit, becomes acetic, almost violent, packed with glues and varnish; and the worst part is, we love it. Finish: very long, still aggressive, almost chemical, almost unsettling. Comments: absolutely one for lovers of bold spirits only. Count me in, but they’re clearly a bit mad over at Fadandel, just imagine the Danish police stumbling upon this lot!
SGP:473 - 87 points. |
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Caroni 25 yo 1998/2024 (62.8%, The Whisky Blues, Trinidad, STR barrel, cask #2290, 202 bottles) 
What’s quite notable here is that a cask from the legendary 1998 vintage has been transferred into a shaven-toasted-recharred (STR) barrel, for reasons that remain rather mysterious, to be honest. Colour: dark amber. Nose: rubber, new trainers, a parcel from Temu, brake pads… In short, the jury’s still out. With water: it’s like a new delivery from Ikea. Sawdust, glue and varnish galore. Mouth (neat): sharp, with heavy notes of petrol, tobacco, cannabis oil, propolis… But beware, it’s nearly 63% vol., which may explain a few things. With water: a little better, somewhat fruitier at least, but still incredibly extreme. Sadomasochistic rum let’s say. Finish: long, packed with rubber, green pepper and varnish. Comments: I’m not quite sure what to say, this is really very, very extreme and seriously unbalanced. I’d have loved to taste it before the STR-ification.
SGP:374 - 81 points. |
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Clarendon 22 yo 2000/2023 (44.3%, Rum Sponge, Jamaica, 146 bottles)
The Sponge’s Clarendon 1997 was superb, it must be said. Colour: white wine. Nose: ‘spongey’, meaning close to the distillate, with quirky sultanas, smoked and pickled, plus a touch of menthol tobacco and a few bay leaves. Sawn spruce. Mouth: this is practically a wine at this strength, you could absolutely serve it at the table, with a seafood platter or, quite the contrast, some firm cheeses like Comté, Gruyère, Fribourg and so on. I believe the art of serving spirits at the table deserves far more attention and promotion, just not in China, where it’s already rather customary. Finish: long, fresh, mentholated, rather spot on. A touch of rubber in the aftertaste. Comments: sheer beauty, this crisp and precise little Clarendon.
SGP:562 - 88 points. |
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Hampden Estate 'Pagos Batch 3' (52%, OB for LMDW and Velier, Jamaica, sherry, 2024)
I’ll give you the short version of the story, shall I. This one involved Fundador casks this time, which previously held Hampden HLCF. Colour: gold. Nose: yes indeed, formic acid, lemons, glue, linden blossom, green olives. It’s rather seductive, let’s be honest. With water: old varnishes, tiny hints of acetone, hair lacquer, nail polish… Mouth (neat): utterly Hampden, with liquorice ruling the whole thing, no contest, no regrets. With water: absolutely lovely, salty, maritime, lemony, but above all monstrously saline. The liquorice is still very much there, naturally. Finish: same story. Comments: it’s horribly excellent, and the worst part is we don’t even know the age of this baby.
SGP:463 - 89 points. |
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Caroni 1999/2024 (63.9%, Silver Seal, LMDW Foundations, Trinidad, cask #184, 150 bottles)
No two ways about it, those old ships on a rum label really pop, but of course, we’re well beyond mere ‘navy strength’ here. Colour: deep gold. Nose: metal polish, loads of metal polish, then something like an old library, waxes, floor polish, camphor, varnish, aged leathers, dusty papers… All very charming, even at nearly—wait for it—65% vol.! With a lot of water: if you give it just a moment, it takes you towards a rhubarb tart drizzled with eau-de-vie of wild berries, rowan, service tree, holly… Mouth (neat): it’s a bit like licking a glue stick, UHU-style. I think we’ll skip ahead and add plenty of water straight away. With water: a bit tricky to tame, as it changes completely depending on how much water you add. In theory, water softens it. In practice, it brings out the tannins and the resins. Good luck. Finish: very long and very, very resinous. But it’s from these extremes that redemption comes (just not in politics, right) … Comments: honestly, this isn’t just an old rum at a slightly high strength, it’s total warfare in your glass. One of the most extreme recent spirits around.
SGP:273 - 86 points. |
A little Bajan bonus, enjoyed on its own… |
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Foursquare 20 yo 2004/2025 ‘Fidelitas’ (55%, La Maison & Velier, Barbados)
This ‘single blend’ (80/20?) was matured for 19 years in ex-bourbon and 1 year in ex-Marsala, all in the tropics. And straight away one starts dreaming of Marco de Bartoli, whom we visited in April, and their Vecchio Samperi… But let’s not digress into Bacchic musings, we’re here for the rum, aren’t we. Colour: amber. Nose: it’s uncanny how the brain works, suddenly I’m in Marsala, Sicily, and I’m certainly not complaining. The wine clearly bolstered the ‘pot still’ side—don’t ask me how—giving it a richer, almost oilier texture. Beautiful whiffs of fresh walnuts, plus tobacco, damp earth, morels (do they grow those in Barbados?), and hints of old wood, let’s say a vintage humidor filled with Cuban puros. With water: saline notes emerge, along with truffle broth and, again, cigars. A faint touch of tar adds even more dimension. Mouth (neat): orange liqueur and nocino running wild, molasses, toffee, and above all, some top-tier Sicilian rum-and-raisin gelato. With water: now we’re fully in rum territory, with sugarcane stepping forward confidently, a flurry of citrus zest, and always that little salty-tarry undertone, all presented with the utmost charm. Finish: same again, rather taut, yet rich at the same time. Peppers and Italian bitters come tumbling in at the end. Comments: a triumph, I was about to say a Roman triumph. Most of all, it’s supremely elegant, and could easily be sipped like a sherry. Or indeed a Marsala (from De Bartoli, naturally). Yu got it, I love it.
SGP:562 - 91 points. |
We’ll have quite a few rums again next Sunday, if you’re up for it. |
 Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far
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June 20, 2025 |
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Another little bag of unknown malts and sometimes incongruous blends
We really enjoy these slightly off-the-wall sessions, you never quite know what to expect… Especially the first one, which already had us in stitches given its name… |
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Dewar’s 8 yo ‘French Cask Smooth’ (40%, OB, blended Scotch, apple spirit cask finish, +/-2024) 
On the brand’s website they claim this one’s seen some Calvados wood, and that it ‘reveals the unexpected flavours that are crafted when Scotland meets France’. How utterly delightful, though I daresay they weren’t referring to rugby! Colour: pale gold. Nose: the most surprising part is that it actually seems to work, the Calvados appears to have quashed the grain whisky and lent it greater texture and a sense of depth. Vanilla, damp earth, woodruff, apple ice wine… This is honestly rather lovely. Mouth: indeed, it is good, pity they didn’t bottle it at a slightly higher strength. Frozen apples, vanilla, honeyed compote, touches of fresh mint, then a more herbaceous side emerging, which is most agreeable as well. Finish: a tad short, but that’s solely down to the low strength. Comments: surprising indeed. Beware, over ice this one goes down like a charm. Long live the Auld Alliance!
SGP:541 - 83 points. |
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Velvet Fig (46%, Wemyss Malt, blended malt, +/-2024)
Another intriguing bottle with packaging that’s been increasingly jazzed up in recent years, sporting a palette that leans rather ecclesiastical. We were quite fond of the early versions, well over a decade ago now. Colour: gold. Nose: naturally, there are dried figs front and centre, along with dates, barley and cane syrups, charming herbal teas, a few notes of wicker, and rather a lot of Earl Grey tea, with some golden sultanas in tow. This nose cannot be faulted, it is simply disarmingly seductive. Mouth: I daresay this could be the pinnacle of NAS blended malts, though admittedly I haven’t tried that many. The raisins seize control from the outset and never let go, even when confronted by those celebrated dried figs so proudly advertised on the label. Finish: long, with a trio of honey, raisins and marmalade. Let us not forget the figs. Comments: I’m not sure whether they’ve changed the recipe, but I’m just as fond of it now as I was back in… 2014.
SGP:651 - 86 points. |
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Milroy’s Heavily Peated 13 yo (48%, Milroy’s, 60th anniversary, Jamaican rum barrels, 2024)
This appears to be a peated Jura, finished in Monymusk casks. It’s been ages since we last came across a properly peated Jura, though there were some marvellous ones back in the day. I should add we’ve often toyed with the idea of finishing Islay whisky in Jamaican casks, or the other way round. Mind you, it’s already been done... Colour: white wine. Nose: oh yes. Yeast, ashes, lemon and chalk. As they say, it’s got its ducks in a row. Given a little time, there’s carbon, olives, seawater, petroly Riesling and wee touches of glue. For our purposes it ticks all the boxes. Mouth: I’m not saying it’s flawless, but I am saying it’s absolutely up my street. You may as well copy and paste what I just wrote about the nose. Finish: long, and there’s one element that takes the lead, and it’s not the peat. It’s the olives! Comments: this improbable concoction impresses me greatly. I do hope they’ll be releasing further batches on a regular basis – and while we’re at it, how about Ardbeg plus Hampden?
SGP:566 - 89 points. |
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Seaweed & Aeons Digging & Fire 18 yo (40%, Atom Brands, peated Highland, 2022)
A secret single malt from the Highlands, though it does feel a touch peculiar presenting this sort of thing at 40% vol. Ex-Seagram/Pernod Ricard stock, perhaps? Ardmore, maybe? Colour: light gold. Nose: well yes, it’s charming, fresh yet peaty, with notes of bacon, lemon zest, engine oil and tar, and above all a good deal of toasted sesame oil. Mouth: it holds its own at 40%, smoky, bordering on sooty, yet indeed there’s not the faintest whiff of the sea, not even the shyest of periwinkles. Thoroughbred peated Highlands, in short. Finish: surprisingly long, with smoked tea and lemon... Comments: no, this is both lovely and delicious, it’s just that I can’t quite locate the ‘seaweed’ element, but no complaints otherwise.
SGP:456 - 87 points. |
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The Huntly 27 yo 1996/2024 (52.8%, Duncan Taylor, The Single Cask Collection, blended malt, cask #227408, 220 bottles)
No speculation here, let’s just get on with the tasting, shall we? Colour: gold. Nose: there’s a bit of ham fat, peanut oil, cigarette smoke (nightclub at 4am), then a full-on parade of barleys, beers and all manner of fresh breads. Any guesses? With water: still very much on barley and beer. Hardly something to complain about. Mouth (neat): apples, plums, waxes, grapefruits and fats. This thick, textured profile is really quite striking. Pink grapefruit and blanc de noirs Champagne. With water: it’s starting to bug me that I can’t quite pin down what this is, but it does have a bit of an east coast air. Finish: long, fairly austere now, more on herbs and yeast. Paraffin. Comments: I did think of Glenturret but that’s a good 200km from Huntly, surely they wouldn’t do that to us. Glen Garioch’s much closer, though Glen Garioch tends to show more fruit in these vintages. Anyway, we said we wouldn’t speculate…
SGP:451 - 89 points. |
Update: it can't have been Glen Garioch, which was mothballed from late 1995 until mid-1997. Thanks, Thijs. some rumours mention Burnside/Balvenie, thanks, Bo. |
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Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 8 yo (41.5%, Kirk & Bright, +/-2025)
This bottle, from The Whisky Lodge in Lyon, is aimed, I quote, at ‘beginners with high standards, particularly attuned to current trends.’ That’s us to a tee! Colour: pale white wine. Nose: pear and lemon juice, chalk, apple peel, sunflower oil, grist, young Chardonnay… What more could one reasonably ask for? Mouth: pear eau-de-vie, vanilla, candied lychees, white peaches, buttery croissants, and that ever-charming Chardonnay still in the mix. Finish: much the same, with pear still taking the lead. Comments: it’s rather striking how much extra oomph those 1.5% bring to a young malt. A delightful barley eau-de-vie character throughout.
SGP:631 - 85 points. |
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Blended Scotch 25 yo 1999/2024 (44.3%, C. Dully Selection, sherry butt, cask #24, 639 bottles)
Very likely another of those Edrington-style blended malts/scotches, led by the unmistakable ‘M’. Let’s see what we’ve got here… Colour: gold. Nose: heavy on praline, nougat, fudge, Calvados (really), and the sherry’s sultanas. Then we veer a little towards milk chocolate and that famous country’s ice wine—the one that, by all fervent accounts, will never join the United States of America, it seems. A touch of quince jelly too. Mouth: it’s really rather good, with a slightly more assertive woodiness and notes of cooked wines, PX, and again that ice wine. Finish: fairly long, with hints of lemon nougat. Lemon nougat is, as it happens, a lovely thing. Comments: delightful stuff, and the price is equally pleasing.
SGP:541 - 87 points. |
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St Bridget’s Kirk ‘N.A.S. Solera Batch #4’ (48.5%, Hannah Whisky Merchants, fino/oloroso finish, 142 bottles)
Goodness me, I still remember when we first started tossing around the acronym ‘NAS’ with the Malt Maniacs, the entire industry practically reached for their rifles. Colour: gold. Nose: this leans towards a rather fermentary style of sherry, with notes of bread, pasta, sourdough, walnuts and citrus zest, along with whiffs of smoked teas... Mouth: it’s got more punch on the palate, despite a fairly prominent paraffin note. Old-fashioned orange cordials, wax, ginger, saline touches, and slivers of candied zest... Finish: fairly long, and rather ‘mixed’, with a floral and perfumed streak, a saline, herbaceous peatiness, and then a medley of plums in all shapes and colours. Hints of lavender in the aftertaste. Comments: this takes me back to those trendy ‘living casks’ from twenty years ago. A very charming rusticity.
SGP:451 - 84 points. |
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June 19, 2025 |
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A small bag of unknown malts
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Of course, we know what they are in terms of the house style or brand, but we’ve no idea what they actually contain, what with the real and fake blended malts, and those mysterious names that seem designed purely to wind us up a bit. Between ourselves, twenty years ago the buzzwords were ‘traceability’ and its sidekick ‘origin’. A sense of the place, as they used to say. But never mind, let’s stop moaning and dive in at random…
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Distilled in the Speyside 13 yo (56.7%, A Dream of Scotland, 1st fill sherry butt, 596 bottles, 2020)
Colour: amber. Nose: massively sherried, as clearly hinted at by the label, with bags of spent matches, gunpowder, chocolate, a whiff of fermented tofu (thankfully not quite natto, let’s not be dramatic) and plenty of pipe tobacco. These bottlings tend to be more Macallan than Glenfarclas these days, though I dare say there's no real chance of pinpointing the distillery here. With water: touches of carbon dust, black tea, and a dash of brake pad powder. Mouth (neat): thick and assertive, full of sulphur, yellow mustard, beef bouillon, coffee, dark chocolate and orange marmalade. There's also a sweet edge not unlike corn syrup. With water: veering ever closer to those wildest young hyper-sherried (M)s from Signatory. Finish: long, with rubber coming unmistakably to the fore.
Comments: it's a bit mad, rather full-on, but certainly enjoyable if you’re in the right frame of mind. Which, fortunately, we are.
SGP:562 - 84 points. |
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Speyside Region 43 yo 1973/2017 (52.1%, The Whisky Agency for Water of Life Japan, cask #8)
Angus has tasted this one and adored it, though I haven’t. I mean, I haven’t tasted it. Most likely a Glenfarclas, selected by our Japanese friend Hideo, who kindly brought a bottle to Limburg this year. Huzzah!
Colour: straw.
Nose: ah yes, that gloriously fat fruitiness, those ripe mangos, citrus peels, unmistakably in the style of those marvellous refill GF casks from the 1960s. With water: absolutely stunning.
Mouth (neat): an incredible fruitiness, candied and honeyed to the core. Sublime, nothing more to add. With water: utterly sublime, a divine throwback to Glenfarclas’ golden age.
Finish: fairly long, becoming far waxier, with citrus zests and a medley of tiny herbs.
Comments: if Hideo’s still got bottles of this, do pester him into parting with one or two (just don’t say I put you up to it, pretty please). Far superior to anything from the more recent ‘OB’ bottlings, which they wouldn’t dare let us taste anyway.
SGP:661 - 93 points. |
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A Highland Distillery 12 yo 2011/2023 (59.1%, Watt Whisky, Denmark exclusive, bourbon barrel, 246 bottles)
As ever with these little chaps, there are whispers it might be Clynelish, though we haven’t the faintest.
Colour: straw.
Nose: wax, chalk and tangerine. Rather punchy too, but that's down to the strength. With water: damp limestone, church candles (amen) and a wee satchel of tangerines.
Mouth (neat): but of course. High-definition tangerine with heather honey and beeswax. Do watch out, Glen Ord can sometimes produce something along similar lines. With water: splendid stuff, taut, waxy, mineral and—dare we say—just a tad Meursaulty. We do love our barbarisms at WF HQ.
Finish: long, zestier, sharper, more on green apple and lemon peel.
Comments: I’d like a quote for three pallets of this wee dazzler, shipped straight from Denmark to Alsace, if you please.
SGP:562 - 90 points. |
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Highland Single Malt 22 yo 1996/2018 (54.7%, C. Dully Selection, refill bourbon barrels, cask #CDI18, 342 bottles)
There's a map on the back label that leaves absolutely no doubt as to this malt’s origin—somewhere on the east coast between Inverness and Wick. Just to be clear, it's neither Glenmorangie nor Pulteney. It was high time we tasted this wee chap, especially since it’s not a sherry cask. You know what I mean.
Colour: pale gold.
Nose: barley in its purest form, with very ripe apples and furniture polish, all kept delightfully simple for now. With water: every wax in the known world, and every citrus too.
Mouth (neat): utterly lovely, splendid waxiness, tiny citrus fruits… But it’s rather compact without water. Still, we know more or less what’s going to happen when water’s added, don’t we? With water: immediate lift-off, grapefruit, Sauternes, old Chenin blancs from the Loire, assorted herbal teas, cold-brewed green tea, and even a wee grassy touch that gently brings you back to earth.
Finish: long, waxy, fresh, just perfect.
Comments: it’s wonderful, of course, though it’s striking how remarkably close it is to that Watt Whisky despite the fifteen-year age gap.
SGP:561 - 91 points. |
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Secret Highland Distillery 14 yo 2008/2022 (44%, Acla Selection, 10th Anniversary, sherry butt #452, 120 bottles)
These labels, featuring animal photography by Claudio Gotsch, were among the most handsome ever used by any spirits bottler.
Colour: pale gold.
Nose: it’s less straightforward here to guess the distillery, with notes of nougat, toffee apples, farmhouse cider, and cold herbal infusions.
Mouth: very good indeed, showing fudge, vanilla cream, a hint of paraffin, curious touches of lavender, a slight salinity, and an overall profile not unlike that of young official HPs from sherry wood. Very ripe apples too.
Finish: fairly long, leaning into pear territory.
Comments: the sherry makes it rather tricky to determine the distillery, so we shan’t hazard a guess—especially since we still enjoy a certain reputation in the village. At least in our street. Or so I hope… Not Clynelish.
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
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Peated Highland Single Malt 19 yo 2004/2023 (48%, Hogshead Imports, refill barrel)
You’ll find such oddities lurking in the WF Library! Whoever knows what this really is, speak now or forever hold your peace.
Colour: white wine.
Nose: it’s so very Ardmore! That fermentary edge, with bruised apples, cigarette and pipe ash, balms and cough syrups, fresh white bread...
Mouth: that peculiar balance so typical of Ardmore indeed. A touch of sweetness, ashes, wee herbs, a fino-like quality (yes yes, it’s a barrel), light olive oil, gentle resins, a pinch of salt…
Finish: same story, for quite a stretch, even heading towards seawater and lemon.
Comments: it’s rather lovely, just a touch perplexing and hard to pigeonhole. You know what I mean.
SGP:553 - 85 points. |
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Green glass is better |
| Green glass is generally more recycling-friendly and can be more sustainable in many systems. White/clear/flint glass requires very pure recycled material, which means contamination from coloured glass is a much bigger issue. |
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Speyside Blended Malt (45%, Samaroli, bourbon, 810 bottles, 2023)
A most elliptical proposition—basically we know nothing, and the white fox on the label isn’t about to reveal much more. That said, I do love this bit of label prose, which I’ve translated for your delight: ‘A princely malt in bloom, whisking our nose across a multitude of realms: the aroma is Moorish, perhaps Latin, or rather Byzantine… evoking the stone walls of Otranto, that bridgehead of Italy and what remained of the Western Empire, facing sumptuous Constantinople.’ We rather have to bow, have we not?
Colour: gold.
Nose: indeed, bitter almond liqueur, fougasse, overripe apples, sesame and olive oils, a dab of houmous, half a drop of rosewater and another of orange blossom water… Clearly Eastern in style, though perhaps I’ve been swayed by the blurb. Shame on me.
Mouth: the trouble is it’s jolly good, with waxes, citrus zests, soft honeys and wee infusions.
Finish: same again, even veering towards shellfish (presumably from the Strait of Otranto, right).
Comments: I’d have sworn there was some Clynelish in the mix, but Clynelish isn’t in Speyside, last time we checked. No provenance, no age, no vintage, yet it's undeniably very good.
SGP:561 - 87 points. |
Right then, let’s round off this series with a little Compass Box… |
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Chez Lion (46%, Compass Box, bespoke release, blended scotch, 1710 bottles, 2024)
Ouch, it’s a blended scotch, not a blended malt. Never mind, let’s carry on if you’re game… It appears to be a custom creation for a well-known bar in Hamburg. One hopes our friends in Hamburg are feeling rather thirsty—1710 bottles is a decent haul.
Colour: gold.
Nose: gentle and easy-going, with the grain showing but not overstepping—vanilla, coconut, macaroons—and a textural maltiness evocative of Ord, Glen Elgin, Clynelish or suchlike. There’s even a touch of the freshness you’d find in a young Glenkinchie, though there’s a 99% chance I’m wrong. Fearless, as ever.
Mouth: actually, I quite like it—pistachio, sesame, with again that grain component, though kept relatively in check (a whiff of coconut water, hmm). The grain just adds a faint sugary softness we might have done without. Let me remind you, our gang was called the Malt Maniacs, not the Blend Maniacs.
Finish: loses a bit of drive here, becoming a touch sweet and thin, with perhaps a shade too much grain in the mix, if I may say so.
Comments: and yet, it started off rather promisingly. It was no doubt a great mistake on our part to place it after all those marvellous malts; we are terribly sorry.
SGP:631 - 78 points. |
Come on then, let’s try to lift our spirits… |
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Highland Malt 38 yo 1983/2021 (51.4%, Maltbarn, The 26, #2, sherry cask)
Obviously, I must admit, this is the heavier artillery.
Colour: gold.
Nose: well then, we’re greeted with a little coconut and vanilla, hints of avocado, hay, wicker, old magazines, ink, and slightly stale tobacco… As they say, the jury’s still out. With water the waxy tones begin to steer you towards the small town of Brora and its, pardon me, their famed distilleries, though what we have here is a whispering version, light-footed, not exactly weary but a tad delicate.
Mouth (neat): far cleaner and better defined on the palate, with a lovely salinity, roasted apricot, verbena, pine nuts… Yet there’s that same fragility, marked this time by rising notes of overripe apples. With water slight alcoholic notes emerge first, then waxes, pollens, fruit compotes, deeply ripe plums… What we’re missing for a clear Sutherland signature are citrus fruits, mandarins, bergamots…
Finish: not very long, a bit delicate, fading like the sea as it withdraws with the ebbing tide. Forget that.
Comments: very, very lovely, but a tad frustrating.
SGP:541 - 86 points. |
We’d best leave it there. See you tomorrow? |
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June 18, 2025 |
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WF’s Little Duos, today Glenkinchie OB vs IB ex-sherry |
We haven’t often had the chance to enjoy Glenkinchie, except occasionally as a ‘secret Lowland’ over the past two or three years. |
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Glenkinchie ‘Distillers Edition’ (43%, OB, +/-2022)
A rather recent non-vintage release, yet still finished in American oak casks ‘seasoned’ with amontillado. We do love a good amontillado, of course.
Colour: gold. The amontillado has barely marked the colour here.
Nose: it feels as though the wine is less dominant than in some of the vintage batches, as if the finishing has been shorter this time. It’s lovely, all on barley and withered apple, rather natural, also showing fresh brioche, then white chocolate with bits of fruit, a trendy little thing seen here and there. There’s muesli too, the whole showing a nice brightness.
Mouth: much more expressive on the palate, with caramel, vanilla fudge, a faintly earthy and smoky aspect probably coming from the sherry, then those walnuts we were expecting. Honestly, it’s rather enjoyable.
Finish: medium in length, a touch more bitter, with notes of brown ale and salted butter caramel.
Comments: truly pleasant, well put together and well balanced, though it’s lost a bit of the ‘lightness’ found in classic Glenkinchie.
SGP:541 - 82 points. |
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Glenkinchie 16 yo 2008/2025 (51.9%, The Whisky Agency, sherry hogshead, 300 bottles)
Very intrigued by this bottle, and pleased they didn’t label it as a ‘Secret Lowland’.
Colour: deep gold.
Nose: the sherry and oak are doing much of the heavy lifting here, there are lovely varnishes, fresh fir wood and roasted nuts, quite a bit of nutmeg and ginger, and a surprising bourbon-like character we hadn’t anticipated. Touches of baked aubergine. With water: it folds back a little onto conifer wood but remains most enjoyable.
Mouth (neat): ah indeed, I’m loving this, it’s powerful, full-bodied, not very ‘Glenkinchie’ truth be told but we’ll get used to it. Lovely caraway, cinnamon rolls, wormwood, juniper, honey, maple syrup, grey pepper. I really do like this a lot. With water: what’s more, it swims beautifully, only becoming a tad sweet, though I can’t quite place the source.
Finish: long, still a little ‘bourbon’ for a sherry cask but it’s American oak after all, with some coconut notes. Still that lovely varnish in the aftertaste.
Comments: surprising and, to my palate, excellently modern.
SGP:651 - 87 points. |
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June 17, 2025 |
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World Whiskies: three French
and three Chinese malts |
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At The Chuan Distillery in Sichuan, China. A saying goes like 'If you can
see Mount Emei, it will bring peace and good fortune.' In fact, the famous
mount is just off to the left of the photo, but we chose to show the still
house instead. Some things will never change at Whiskyfun. (May 2025) |
So, this time, we're setting off from France, as usual, heading straight to China—Sichuan, to be precise—where the teas are splendid, the food delicious though rather spicy (cough, cough), the people absolutely lovely, the pandas truly in their element, and the local whiskies... well, you'll see for yourself!
But first, three French malts... |
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Bellevoye ‘Triple Malt Finition Grand Cru’ (43%, OB, blended malt, France, +/-2025) 
This isn’t a distillery, rather they’ve blended malts from three French regions—Alsace, Lorraine and the Nord—before finishing the whole lot in Saint-Émilion Grand Cru casks – although there are 220 ‘Grands Crus’ in Saint-Émilion, not to be confused with the 85 ‘Grands Crus Classés’, including the famous 14 1er Grands Crus Classés. So then, what could possibly go wrong with this ‘pure malt’ that’s widely distributed across France? Well, thanks to modern whisky, we get to keep brushing up on our wines. Colour: gold, so nothing pinkish. Nose: very dry, dominated by sawdust, with no real presence of distinctive distillate character, clearly very young malts. Unexpected wafts of brine and anchovies... Mouth: again, marked woodiness, very dry liquorice, unsweetened black tea, and once more this odd saline edge. Finish: rather long, still strikingly saline. A right bank effect, perhaps? Comments: a tough one for me, the Saint-Émilion influence doesn’t seem to have brought it all together.
SGP:261 - 50 points. |
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Moon Harbour ‘Dock 3’ (45.8%, OB, France, single malt, 2023)
A cracking pedigree, as this youngster was distilled in Bordeaux from French barley smoked—not malted—with seaweed from the Arcachon basin, then matured in Sauternes casks before being finished in La Louvière casks from Pessac-Léognan. At any rate, it’s quite the lark! Colour: straw. Nose: what leaps out is warm rhubarb and apple compote, followed by a light yet rather intriguing smokiness, with notes of caraway, mead, and an odd touch of eucalyptus and vegetal tar that might well stem from... seaweed. Amusing stuff. Mouth: the smoke is far more assertive on the palate, leaning towards a salted lapsang souchong with a twist of lemon zest. Rather curious, not unpleasant at all—in fact, quite the opposite—but one does need to come to terms with the vegetal notes from the seaweed. Yes, peat is vegetal too, but the peat used in Scotland has aged over several millennia. Finish: long, still rather tarry and eucalyptus-led, then drifting towards myrtle and saltiness. Comments: fun and rather charming! Should the peat supplies ever run dry, we could always fall back on seaweed.
SGP:465 - 78 points. |
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Vilanova ‘Rivesaltes Finish’ (49%, OB, LMDW Foundations, cask #396, 2024)
Another smoky one, by Distillerie Castan in Albi in the Tarn, this time peated, matured for two years in Chardonnay and one year in sweet Rivesaltes, so once again this is rather a wine affair. I would be curious to know the proportion of French whisky that isn’t aged or finished in wine casks. Colour: gold. Nose: very light soapy and paraffin-like notes to begin with, but the sweet wine character soon takes over in intriguing fashion, mingling with the peat over cooked apricots, orgeat, ‘medicinal’ fig and camphorated orange. In fact, it works rather well on the nose. Mouth: this is really quite nice, highly unusual but surprisingly coherent this time, rather rich, with a blend of cough syrup and citrus marmalade that works remarkably well. Even more surprising, the peat is beautifully integrated, never feeling ‘tacked on’. Finish: long, increasingly tarry and resinous. A touch of coriander seed and juniper. Comments: it’s been quite a while since I last tasted it, but parts of it do remind me of Caol Ila Distillers Edition.
SGP:556 - 84 points. |
Let’s head to China now—first to Hunan, then on to Sichuan… |
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Goalong ‘Single cask’ (46.5%, OB, China, bourbon whiskey cask, cask #51L306, 370 bottles)
I suppose the issue when presenting a whisky from a country as identity-rich as China—particularly if you aim to export—is finding a way to add something distinctive, something intrinsically Chinese, rather than offering something overly international. Just my humble opinion. We’re in Hunan here. Colour: pale gold. Nose: vanilla, sawdust, underripe bananas, cake batter, then apples and pears. In fact, it’s not bad at all. Mouth: very decent, rather aromatic, with banana and orange, vanilla, pear, acacia honey, then white pepper—it’s somewhat in the Glenmorangie style, though not quite as deep. A pity the American oak stands out rather plainly. Finish: good length, with a nice honeyed and malty profile, a faint earthy/resinous note appearing as a late signature. Comments: nothing to fault, really. A very good young malt which, in my view, I say it deserves better than some of the remarks seen here and there in Europe.
SGP:551 - 79 points. |
Let’s move on to The Chuan, a Pernod Ricard venture we visited in mid-May. It’s worth noting that here at WF, we’re quite fond of China—our first trip there was back in 1987! But it was a completely different country back then, and people were more likely to be drinking Baijiu at $1 a litre... In fact, in 2025 Baijiu still accounts for 97% of all spirits consumed in China by volume. |
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The Chuan ‘Travel Retail’ (48.6%, OB, China, Pure Malt, 2025)
This is the traditional blend from The Chuan, combining ex-bourbon casks, ex-sherry casks, and Chinese oak casks (Danling oak, Quercus mongolica). This is still a ‘pure malt’ rather than a ‘single malt’, as the distillery is very young and only began distilling in 2021, so some of the spirit here comes from Pernod-Ricard’s thoroughbred stock in Scotland, using a blending system also employed in a number of recent high-profile Japanese ‘pure malts’. Naturally, The Chuan single malt will come later, and given the very high potential of their newmake (which we’ve tasted), that’s something to look forward to. Importantly, theirs is not one of those generic newmakes made simply to be bolstered later by active wood, far from it. |
Colour: gold. Nose: starts out floral, with broom, dandelion, and perhaps some Chinese yellow flowers we, ahem, don’t quite know by name. Then the Danling oak steps in, never overtly ‘woody’, bringing caraway, sandalwood, spruce buds, and teak deck oil, with also obvious touches of this chen-pi we love so much (aged mandarin peel; we’re currently using some 20 yo at WF Towers – that’s right). Also wild carrot, and fennel lurking in the background. Lovely structure, with the spruce and sandalwood leading the rhythm—that Danling oak clearly in play. Mouth: finely wooded but not at all pushy, showing green banana and pine buds, wrapped in just a whisper of sweet wine, tangerine, honeys, and maple syrup. The woodiness gets gradually absorbed by these softer, rounder elements—it’s fun to follow on the palate, like a little film—just add Gong Li and bring it to Cannes next year. Elsewhere, the reverse often happens, with tannicity gradually dominating. Finish: good length, with more pine bud liqueur and verbena, a spoonful of citrus jam, this aged citrus peel we’ve already mentioned and a signature on sandalwood, caraway and liquorice. |
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In the finest of the experiential
rooms, with Dr YANG Tao, Master
Distiller The Chuan Malt Whisky
Distillery, Pernod Ricard.
(photo Tim Hartfield) |
Comments: I really liked this one on site at the distillery, though I always take distillery tastings with a pinch of salt, especially when the place and people are rather exceptional. The retsina effect, you see. So, I made a point to revisit this at WF HQ in peaceful surroundings—and found it… even better, honestly. Well done The Chuan, well done Pernod Ricard, this is genuinely ‘distinctive’ despite the still (partly) Scottish provenance, the ratio of which we don’t actually know. Not that we didn’t ask, mind you. In short, this lands more or less in the same cluster as the new, personality-rich and pretty posh Japanese malts.
SGP:561 - 89 points. |
Right then, have you ever noticed how tasting notes always seem longer when you've just visited the distillery? Could we call that an experiential bias? Go on then, a second The Chuan—we’ll save the rest for another session, like a squirrel stashing its nuts… |
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The Chuan ‘Distillery Only’ (61.3%, OB, China, cask #003, hand-filled May 2025)
In the heat of the moment, we didn’t ask about the pedigree of this cask. Incidentally, we were able to taste a 2021 ‘single malt’ drawn straight from its Chinese Danling oak cask in one of the warehouses, and it was an absolute beast! But it seems they’re guarding that one like a treasure and aren’t planning to bottle it just yet, which is a pity… Colour: gold. Nose: lemony, with the same spruce and sandalwood note as in the previous dram, a hint of chartreuse, quite a bit of dill, and naturally, a good dose of power. Faint notes of banana foam and vanilla. With water: the signature I discovered in that now-fabled 2021 cask comes back through clearly—this is unmistakably ‘The Chuan’, with no ‘blending’ effect whatsoever. In fact, it’s packed with bergamot, tangerine, and honey, with a small touch of celery lending some structure. And always those little hints of Christmas tree. Mouth (neat): very creamy, very good, honeyed but not cloying, balanced by the liveliness of the lemon and that coniferous side. With water: if there’s a Scotch malt this vaguely calls to mind—not that it’s similar—it would be Aberlour A’bunadh Alba. At this stage, the malty side comes through: dough, muesli, vanilla, ripe banana, and Sichuan meadow honey, I’d wager… Finish: long, fresh, lemony, textured without going over the top. The chen-pi is back, loud and clear, in the aftertaste. Comments: almost worth trekking to the foot of Mount Emei just to fill your own bottle of this ‘distillery only’ edition.
SGP:661 - 88 points. |
To wrap up, here’s a quick personal summary about The Chuan:
- Located in Emeishan, not far from Chengdu, in a truly stunning landscape—a UNESCO World Heritage site
- A 13-hectare estate deeply integrated into its surroundings: Mount Emei, forests, and local wildlife and flora are strongly highlighted
- Strong cultural and artistic identity: contemporary architecture, artworks including a fractal piece by Zhan Wang scattered across the site; a sophisticated atmosphere rich in Chinese, particularly Sichuanese, symbolism
- On-site Michelin-level restaurant and top-tier customer experiences with an ‘immersive’ approach
- Entirely Chinese staff, some of whom trained in Scotland—highly skilled
- Distillery Manager: the renowned Yang Tao
- First distillation: November 2021
- Pair of traditional Forsyth pot stills
- Capacity capped at 1.5 million LPA (compare with Glenlivet’s 21 million LPA)
- Uses both traditional international distilling barley and Chinese barley with higher protein content and lower yield
- Maturation in a mix of bourbon, sherry, and Chinese Danling oak (Quercus mongolica) casks
- Storage capacity for ten years of production
- Currently producing pure/vatted malt, transitioning towards single malts
- The new make and young single malt still maturing in cask already show a strong personality, with similarities to cutting-edge Japanese distilleries (Shizuoka, Chichibu, Wakatsuru…)
- Genuinely Chinese in character, it’s Chinese malt, not an international-style malt made in China
- First export outside China is imminent, but limited to travel retail (APEC countries only)
- At WF, we’ll be keeping a very close eye on the release of The Chuan’s first single malts!
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| The Chuan at night (WF) |
A final little smile: before stepping into the distillery, you’ll spot signs warning you to watch out for… snakes. |
And one last anecdote: on the evening of our visit, we went out with the very charming Pernod Ricard China team to a trendy bar in Chengdu, whose owner—by complete coincidence—had been inducted into the Keepers of the Quaich on the very same night as I was, a few years ago. Quite the coincidence indeed! We then tasted a few of Pernod Ricard’s Scottish jewels (Aberlour, Longmorn, Glenlivet—all 18 years old, if memory serves), which, far from outshining The Chuan, actually made the distillery’s early success stand out even more by contrast. Very clever—and so diplomatically done! (deep smile) |
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Here it is , Mount Emei, also known as Emei Shan, in all its glory
and serenity, as seen from the Distillery. (WF) |
Final Bonus: I've always dreamt of a tasting glass made of terracotta or porcelain — but not too thick, unlike the ones you often see here and there. Especially one for blind tastings, something a little less grim than those black or blue ISO glasses that have been de rigueur for so long. So I'd like to warmly thank the awesome Amber, The Spirit Hunter, for this genuine little Chinese gem!
Naturally, I’ll also be trying it with tea, which it will no doubt showcase far better than those traditional tiny little ‘gung-fu’ style cups, all while avoiding the rather too delicate Riedels or Spiegelaus. So thanks again, Amber!
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June 16, 2025 |
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WF’s Little Duos, today Tamnavulin ex-wine OB vs IB
Let’s see what gives, Tamnavulin is one of those malts that are now mainly finished in wine…
(Those who love wine, love life. French poster, 1960s)
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Tamnavulin ‘Red Wine Cask Edition – French Cabernet-Sauvignon Finish’ (40%, OB, +/-2021)
The line goes something like: “Through our Wine Cask Editions, we bring typical flavours from grape varieties around the world to enrich our Single Malt.” Well, at least that’s clear. Worth noting, we’d found the more recent ‘German Pinot Noir’ edition merely passable (WF 75).
Colour: gold.
Nose: blackcurrant, cherry, bay leaf, cherry beer (Belgian kriek), pink grapefruit, kirsch-soaked marzipan, a few fruit pastilles, even a bit of jelly—this smells like a pretty decent winesky, or so it seems to me.
Mouth: things start to clash here, with a bit of red wine, a salty note, bell pepper, minestrone, cherry cake, cassis liqueur, green pepper…
Finish: medium length, herbes de Provence, bay, cherry and blackcurrant liqueurs, and those purple jelly beans…
Comments: a blend that doesn’t crash entirely, to be fair, although the wine influence is arguably more dominant than the malt whisky itself. Still, remember the old adage: “Trends, like horses, are easier to ride in the direction they are going.” And when it comes to malt whisky, the trend seems increasingly to be adding wine…
SGP:751 - 77 points. |
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Tamnavulin 11 yo 2013/2025 (57.4%, James Eadie, Exclusive to Germany, first fill European oak oloroso butt, cask #373071, 315 bottles)
Colour: amber.
Nose: dominated by hazelnut cream, damp earth, black tea and liquorice wood. Nothing to complain about here, it’s very well put together. With water: stock broth, juniper and clove, along with puffs from a very damp old wine cellar. The best kind.
Mouth (neat): creamy, very spicy, heavily peppered and mustardy, plus bitter orange and strong dark ale. With water: the bitter orange leads the dance. Lovely pepper notes and a spoonful of chestnut cream.
Finish: very long and once again increasingly spicy. Always those lovely peppers, bitter chocolate, and then mocha without the slightest trace of sweetness in the aftertaste.
Comments: a beautifully spiced sauce, quite exotic as a whole. Well, I’m afraid it wasn’t much of a contest.
SGP:551 - 86 points. |
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June 15, 2025 |
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Today we're having a few more cognacs and armagnacs just for fun |
In short, a cheerful mix of grape-based drinks, starting with an old cognac as an apéritif, since we’d really enjoyed the Rémy Martin Centaure last Sunday. And then we’ll have a bunch of malternatives...
By the way, since more and more people are now using the term 'malternative', I’d like to remind everyone that originally, Michael Jackson—followed by the Malt Maniacs and thus Whiskyfun—used it to describe aged spirits of sufficient quality to rival top Scottish malts. It was never meant to refer to just any cognac, armagnac, rum or tequila! |
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Camus ‘Grand V.S.O.P.’ (40%, OB, La Grande Marque, cognac, +/-1980)
This expression was said to be 100% Borderies, although such a claim is nowhere to be found on this old square-shouldered bottle. On its website, the still-independent house boldly declares, ‘We produce the finest cognac in the world, for those who savour the most refined things in life.’ We’re more than happy to take their word for it.
Colour: deep gold.
Nose: it’s certainly charming, rather natural too so no egregious adulteration, with a pleasant trio of soft apples, oranges and peaches, rounded off with the expected raisins and some rather fetching honeyed touches. It’s genuinely fresh and appealing, and it has held its own splendidly in glass these past 45 years.
Mouth:: a very faint caramelly note this time, along with more raisins than on the nose, a slightly syrupy corn sweetness, hints of coffee and orange liqueurs… Still quite attractive but it does seem a tad ‘boosted’. Who knows…
Finish: rather long yet still carried by caramel and those liqueur-like tones. A little aftertaste of pear lingering in the distance.
Comments: Perhaps a touch ‘too much’ by today’s standards, but it’s still genuinely good.
SGP:641 - 78 points. |
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Camus ‘V.S. de Luxe’ (40%, OB, cognac, +/-2000)
A blend of Borderies and Fins Bois this time around. Despite the ‘De Luxe’ moniker, it was more of an entry-level offering, so expectations remain modest.
Colour: gold.
Nose: well, this isn’t bad at all, more on the herbaceous side, somewhat akin to a marc or grappa, with a marked vivacity leaning towards lemon and orange. Quite nice!
Mouth: the mysteries of old bottles! I actually prefer this one, it’s livelier and tauter, still on lovely citrus notes, a few touches of lime blossom, green tea, and even a slightly mineral edge. And it does feel distinctly stronger than the stated 40%.
Finish: rather long, almost a touch aggressive, would you believe. A bit chalky and still pleasantly grassy in the aftertaste.
Comments: a charming little surprise.
SGP:551 - 80 points. |
Let’s get back to our usual malternatives… |
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Maison Prunier 1992/2024 (56.4%, Art Malts, The Vintage Reserve, bons bois)
What’s featured on the label bears more than a passing resemblance to a McLaren F1 from the same year—here’s hoping this little Bons Bois neither veers off track nor breaks down (S.!).
Colour: gold.
Nose: lovely tension straight away, varnish, lemon juice, cider, white peaches, with a faintly mashy yet curiously minty edge… With water: oh, the glorious medley of all kinds of mint…
Mouth (neat): I’m smitten! A flawless combination of strong liquorice, cider apples and grapefruit, with a bit of white nougat in the background adding a touch of softness. A superb Bons Bois. With water: truly magnificent, still with that vibrant tension, now on dainty, precious citrus fruits. Precious indeed…
Finish: long and just right, almost refreshing, which makes this little number all the more dangerous if you’re not careful (like that F1 I suppose). A return of varnish, even a touch of old kirsch in the aftertaste.
Comments: but crikey, only 36 bottles? Life can be terribly unfair…
SGP:561 - 91 points. |
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Garreau 32 yo 1992/2025 (52.6%, Liquid Treasures, Bas-armagnac, Collection du Chai Doré, Bar Arrangé 5th Anniversary, Korea)
Splendid label, most soothing in these turbulent times (truly).
Colour: deep gold.
Nose: oh bother, we’re flying very, very high again, with splendid varnishes and oil paint right off the bat, then an orchestration of peaches and apricots to make the botanical gardens of any European capital turn green with envy. Sort of. Well, you get the picture. Deeper down, faint notes of game and woodland mushrooms with a splash of balsamic remind us we are indeed in armagnac territory. With water: we drift towards manzanilla-like notes, quite incredible.
Mouth (neat): the oak is very pronounced but most glorious, assuming you’ve no quarrel with tobacco, buds, leaves, nuts, citrus peel, even a few salty touches. With water: what structure!
Finish: long and gently pastry-like. Butter cream with walnuts, and always that gorgeous old oak.
Comments: we bow down, this is eminently and thoroughly malternative.
SGP:562 - 91 points. |
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Jean-Luc Pasquet 29 yo (49.9%, OB for Balkan Whisky Club, 28 bottles)
The joy of micro-bottlings. We do come across quite a few JL Pasquets in our cognac sessions, but as I often say, there are quite a few Porsches at Le Mans too. Oh, never mind… (and never drink and drive). I’m told this is a Fine Champagne.
Colour: deep gold.
Nose: rather oily on the nose, more elegant than showy, starting with sesame and grape seed oil, then unfolding into a fairly protracted fruity expansion—small apples first, then the expected apricots and peaches, followed by fresh almonds, orgeat, stone kernels and so on.
Mouth (neat): an amusing start on pear and rowanberry eau-de-vie, even something like undiluted marc de gewurz, before it shifts towards something a touch more honeyed and waxier. It hasn’t quite shed its youthful vigour. With water (just to see): a light touch of Swiss apricotine, still with that persistent stone kernel note. Beware apricot stones! (we digress) …
Finish: rather long, still quite ‘eau-de-vie’, which of course is a virtue if you’re Alsatian.
Comments: superb once again, just a tad more restrained.
SGP:551 - 90 points. |
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Domaine de Mouréou 1988/2025 (45.8%, Authentic Spirits, Bas-armagnac)
100% Baco. We previously encountered a young and rather funky Mouréou 2011 from Authentic Spirits that was nothing short of a firecracker (WF 88). This one should—could—be a little more civilised.
Colour: amber.
Nose: I don’t mean to go all bargain-bin poetic on you, but the entire landscape fairly leaps out at you. Hay, mushrooms, pine, bark, the odd hedgerow fruit, especially plums… And then there’s a faint echo of rustic local white wine, the sort one downs by the hectolitre every evening in South-Western cafés—even in the capital.
Mouth: a proper country armagnac, rough-hewn, robust, almost tart (but delightfully so), still close to the grape despite all these years, and brimming with orchard fruits straight from the Gers. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine anything more ‘authentic’.
Finish: amusingly, it’s here that it starts to mellow out a touch, with even a few notes of vanilla and soft liquorice, beneath the thick plum jam. Buds and sprigs lingering in the aftertaste.
Comments: the extra 23 years make no difference—it stands shoulder to shoulder with last year’s 2011 at the same (very high) level.
SGP:561 - 89 points. |
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Marquestau 25 yo 1998/2024 (51.7%, Grape of the Art, Bas-armagnac, cask #225, 310 bottles)
100% Baco once again, and yet another domaine new to me (though I remain an eternal newcomer). They’re based in Hontanx, Landes.
Colour: amber.
Nose: it’s rich and woody, in a proper traditional style, what one might call ‘restaurant armagnac’. There’s a vinous edge to it, almost Pauillac-like in some respects, and heaps of prunes with little earthy touches throughout. Pine forest after the rain. With water: damp soil, woodland, pinecones, humus. And honestly, how could one be against any of that?
Mouth (neat): still rich, powerful, woody and traditional, very close to pipe tobacco, orange marmalade and coffee. You’d swear there were even garlicky cèpes in there. With water: a miracle! The clouds part and suddenly you’re handed a fantastical cocktail of chartreuse, Bénédictine and Verveine du Velay.
Finish: long, aromatic and herbal (with water).
Comments: the impact of just a few drops of water here is both maximal and spectacular.
SGP:461 - 90 points (only 87 without water, so do try it with!) |
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Hontambère 45 yo 1980/2025 (45.4%, OB, Selected by RAC Spirits, Ténarèze, cask #A10, 80 bottles)
A Pouchégu 100% Ugni Blanc with textbook ageing—starting in new Limousin oak before moving to ‘roux’ or ‘red’ oak, meaning refill. Exactly what our friends in whisky ought to be doing as well, rather than the other way round. I know, I know, here I go again…
Colour: dark red amber.
Nose: sublime balsamic notes, tinned prunes, black truffle, ripe banana and pipe tobacco. A marvel of compactness and coherence (indeed, even the ripe banana), not much else to add at this stage.
Mouth: ah, the old Ténarèze when they decide to seize control of your palate and your tastebuds! The oak is prominent again, but bolstered by soy sauce, crème de menthe glaciale, of course fir sap and bud, before it ventures into the realms of old oloroso, ancient madeira, mature Catalan rancio and even those very powerful black teas. This is all fairly explosive and we do advise a ‘drop by drop’ approach to tasting. Thank me later.
Finish: long, dry, concentrated on tea tannins and bitter chocolate, but rounded out with a splendid minty liquorice and a little orange marmalade to sign off.
Comments: a proper time machine, straight back to the days of The Stranglers, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, Pere Ubu, and since we’re in France, Gainsbourg and Bashung… Excessive and completely mad!
SGP:571 - 91 points. |
It's time to bring this celestial ride to an end (wait, what?). |
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Aurian 1930 (42.5%, OB, selected by Spheric Spirits, armagnac, bonbonne #D8)
It goes without saying how moving it is to taste such an old Armagnac.
Colour: reddish amber.
Nose: sheer delicacy from the outset, all on stewed fruits, medlars, apples, quinces, plums of every persuasion, peaches too, interwoven with old sweet wines, Marsala, Port, honeys and gentle resins, followed by faint yet elegant inklings of ham and mushrooms, though always with decorum and gentleness.
Mouth: I dare say whoever decided to house this venerable Armagnac in glass demijohns knew exactly what they were doing. It had begun to whisper somewhat, with a fruitiness leaning towards herbs, broths, a touch of hay, ancient waxes, the faintest suggestion of brine, and just a wisp of paper and cardboard… Yet it remains thoroughly beautiful, with an increasing profusion of raisins of all kinds, as though it were stirring anew after its long slumber.
Finish: not exactly protracted, but rather exotic nonetheless, reminiscent perhaps of a Thai broth laced with fruit. One even detects a little coriander and Thai basil.
Comments:: these very old spirits become utterly charming as age takes its rightful hold. Quite moving indeed… By the way this baby spent 70 years in wood and 23 years in a demi-john.
SGP:451 - 88 points. |
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June 13, 2025 |
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WF’s little Duos, today Caperdonich
30 years old |
Caperdonich has truly become a ‘lost jewel’ after all this time. Goodness, the distillery was shut down in 2002 by Pernod Ricard, sold off, and then demolished not long after. Fortunately, the stills are still in use elsewhere (last we heard).
(Geograph)
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Gone Grant 30 yo 1994/2024 (51.5%, Whiskyland, Decadent Drinks, Chapter 9, second-fill barrel, 215 bottles)
Some label! Also a characteristic touch of whimsy from the house, which refers to Caperdonich as ‘Gone Grant’, in reference to its former status as the twin of Glen Grant, also known as Glen Grant 2, and thus indeed the Glen Grant that is now departed, of the two. Well, you see what they’re getting at. Incidentally, we already adored their 31/1993 (Sponge).
Colour: pale gold.
Nose: do you know what? It takes me straight back to those early 1970s Caperdonichs bottled by Duncan Taylor, proper fruity bombs absolutely crammed to the rafters with papayas, guavas, mangos and bananas. All of which is steeped in honey and natural vanilla. With water: full of wee church candles, amen.
Mouth (neat): let’s be swift about it, this could easily pass for a 1960s or 1970s Balblair or Benriach. Bananas drizzled with honey, pollen, gentle mentholated glimmers, beeswax, a touch of praline, white clover… With water: same again, not much deviation, save for a touch more citrus and some far-off whispers of Grande Champagne. Or Petite.
Finish: gentle, fairly rounded, medium in length but growing ever fruitier than actual fruits. Cheeky jellybeans and babies in the aftertaste, which is rather unexpected at thirty years of age.
Comments: all the beauty of a good old refill! Still very partial to this style, must be our inner child speaking.
SGP:741 - 91 points. |
Let’s see what a sherry cask has brought out in the same spirit… |
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Caperdonich 30 yo 1994/2025 (52.6%, The Whisky Cask, sherry cask)
They’ve already had some truly splendid Caperdonichs at The Whisky Cask, and here comes another one.
Colour: full gold.
Nose: this time, it’s Earl Grey tea and sandalwood and cedar that lead the charge, with the fruitiness naturally taking a bit of a back seat. Plenty of herbal infusions, linden blossom, chamomile, rosehip becoming increasingly prominent, a touch of almond syrup... I suppose it’s the interplay between the fruit and the sherry that’s given rise to all this. It’s rather splendid! With water: a very faint smokiness emerges, no idea where from, though we do know that there were indeed peated Caperdonichs at one point. Lovely whiffs of blond tobacco as well.
Mouth (neat): the fruitiness is far more assertive on the palate, with passion fruit and mango appearing to take the upper hand over the sherry on this occasion. Very good, with a dash of lemon blossom honey to (somewhat) rein it all in. With water: no smoke to be found on the palate, I must have imagined it. At any rate, all this is excellent, veering off towards yellow fruit preserves (plums, apricots, pears) brightened up with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Finish: same again. Lovely length.
Comments: in the end, we’re terribly close to the Whiskyland version, particularly with water. I see no reason why the scores should differ at all.
SGP:651 - 91 points. |
In short, a draw today, but what a cracking fight! |
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June 12, 2025 |
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Important Notice:
In a rare moment of benevolence, and seizing an unexpected wave of optimism, we’ve decided to test a major improvement to WF’s layout. Namely, making the different sections of our tasting notes (colour, nose, palate, etc.) more clearly distinguishable, as has been regularly requested for, oh, the past twenty years or so.
We’ll see in a few days whether this bold move is here to stay or quietly shelved with the other good intentions. Shall we chicken out or not?
Thank you for your understanding. |
WF’s Crazy Little Duo’s,
today Glen Garry vs. St. Magdalene |
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St Magdalene, Linlithgow (Historic Environment Scotland) |
| Not the sort of little tasting one can enjoy often, alas! We once did a Sandy Macnab versus Lochside thing, a long time ago, but I can’t even seem to get my hands on that mini session anymore. In any case, today it’ll be St. Magdalene ‘against’ its blend… |
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Glen Garry ‘Finest Scotch Whisky’ (John Hopkins & Co, 1950s-1960s)
This is an old bottle which shows neither ABV nor volume. Worth noting, there are ‘Glengarry’ whiskies around today which have nothing to do with this. This particular Glen Garry bottle explicitly cites St Magdalene as the malt of reference and gives one of the brand’s addresses as such, although this mention was later replaced—around the 1970s—by Oban or, in other versions, by Glen Elgin, both distilleries under DCL’s banner (The DCL had taken over John Hopkins before WWII). These distilleries were supposedly responsible for providing the main malt content for each batch, though there’s no shortage of rumours doing the rounds. What is certain is that John Hopkins was granted the licences for these DCL distilleries. Incidentally, their Oban single malts were sublime! No need to tell you that this ‘St. Magdalene’ version of this blend is much sought-after, although, as is sometimes the case, you might just stumble upon one for a few pennies if you stray outside the well-trodden paths of the connoisseurs. And to conclude this introduction—which is already far too long—I must admit I had absolutely no idea that John Hopkins at one point managed the licence for St. Magdalene.
Colour: gold.
Nose: sumptuously old-school with a puff of cigar smoke rolling through some rather earthy teas (think some stormy old pu-ehr), then a saucy shift towards marmalade jus, roast duck à l’orange style, ha, followed by those wonderfully evocative dusty old tomes and glossies banished in your attic. Drifts of wax and beehive honey appear too, as though a rogue swarm had taken up residence in the rafters half a century ago. Right…
Mouth: classically salty, metallic, loaded with chalk and concrete dust, and that familiar photolytic tang you sometimes get with some old bottles (taste of light). But here it's briskly corrected by a jolt of spicy beef broth, straight from a Bangkok street corner (that's enough two-penny travelogue, S.) With that lush oiliness you only find in those venerable blends where the malt content did the heavy lifting.
Finish: curiously persistent, as if someone had sneakily boosted it to 45% vol., with the orange bouncing back to tango with the mineral notes and bouillon spices.
Comments: a thunderous old blend, but then again, quite a few of them are when you catch them today. Case in point, the old Johnnie Walker Black – just saying… In any case, I’d wager there’s indeed quite a bit of St. Magdalene in there, along with that telltale ‘ancient’ peat. As for the grain – nowhere to be found.
SGP:463 - 90 points. |
In short, if you come across such a bottle at a small provincial auction, snap it up! Right then, for a clever, or at least entertaining, comparison, let’s taste a St. Magdalene distilled around the time this Glen Garry was released, or perhaps a bit later… |
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St. Magdalene 1965/1991 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice, ‘Old Map Label’, 75cl)
We’ve already tasted some St. M. 1964 Connoisseurs Choice bottlings from G&M, utterly sublime despite their modest strength, but never a 1965. This high calibre is no doubt partly due to the fact that, in the mid-1960s, St. Magdalene was still performing its own floor maltings (reportedly ceased in 1968) and still using direct-fired stills (phased out in 1971). You might say, well, that didn’t stop the Rare Malts 19yo 1979 from being dazzling either, and you’d be right.
Colour: gold.
Nose: I would have loved to come off clever and claim that the blend outshone the malt in the tasting, but that’s gone straight out the window – this bottle brings back all the hallmarks of the 1964s, most notably that mind-blowing tropical fruit salad, dressed with honey and sesame, leading into a development of great complexity, with a scatter of camphor, eucalyptus, sandalwood, returning tobacco smoke, patchouli, amusing hints of mothballs, then aged citrus liqueurs and a few fine slivers of well-mannered Iberian ham. A dazzling nose, reminiscent of the Broras 1972 from the same series and years of bottling.
Mouth: very close to the old blend on the palate, which might well support the idea that there was indeed a hefty helping of St. Magdalene inside it. A thing of beauty, with citrus, waxes, gently spiced broths still leaning Thai, a touch of peat dryness, and then a parade of tiny herbs and mineral touches, tricky to tell apart but wonderfully orchestrated.
Finish: perhaps the weak spot, as is often the case at this age and strength, with a slight edge towards the cardboardy, one might say. But then again, we’re hardly going to moan, are we.
Comments: we often fret over changes to kit and process at the distilleries but rarely consider what goes on at the independents. The vats, the pipes, the filters, the warehouses, the cask selection for fillings, and so on. Still, no need to badger G&M with all that, particularly given how fruitful the early 1990s were on this front!
SGP:562 - 92 points. |
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June 11, 2025 |
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A wee trio of peated Glenturrets |
Is the market still so heavily focused on peated expressions, especially for mainland distilleries, even the coastal ones? And careful, if you mention Brora, that’s a bit unfair (ha). That said, we’ve already tasted some excellent peated Glenturrets, aka Ruadh Maor, aka Ruad Mhor… |
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Glenturret 10 yo ‘Peat Smoked 2024 release’ (48.4%, OB)
The 2020 bottling ‘Maiden Release’ at 50% vol. had left us somewhat underwhelmed (WF 81), one would imagine they've had the time to refine things since then. Colour: gold. Nose: a nose that feels slightly sour, with whiffs of smoked cider, a fair bit of leather, bay leaf, barbecue smoke, perhaps a hint of mashed turnip… What it isn’t is ‘coastal’, even if there are also touches of iodine tincture. Mouth: here we are leaning towards something coastal, albeit faintly mustardy and vinegary, possibly the influence of sherry casks. More tar, lemon juice, brine… That’s really not bad at all. Finish: rather long, salty and lemony, with a growing ashiness. A trace of horseradish in the aftertaste. Comments: I do think this marks an improvement over the 2020 and I particularly enjoy the finish.
SGP:456 - 82 points. |
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Ruadh Mhor 2011/2024 (52.7%, Malt Universe, China, Modern Time, refill hogshead, cask #25, 367 bottles)
Colour: pale white wine. Nose: once again, it’s the independents who are entrusted with offering the distillates in their most natural state, unembellished by excessive wood or wine influence. This is a stellar example, it’s precise, compact, fresh, showcasing peated barley, ashes, lemon juice, chalk and a good dose of mercurochrome. We really could be on Islay. With water: we’re inside an old kiln in full operation! Mouth (neat): perfect, acetic, fresh, verging on acidic, with superb ashes and plenty of green pepper, with a mezcal-like edge that we’re very fond of. Any closer to the raw distillate and you’d be chewing a bushel of fresh-smoked barley, ha. With water: an A. quality emerging, not far off the K. Cross on the island of I. (well done, that’s subtle, S.) Finish: long, fresh, perfect, of high definition. Comments: simply lo-ve-ly. Superb clarity of line.
SGP:557 - 88 points. |
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Ruadh Maor 2011/2024 ‘Jack the Ripper’ (55.6%, Malts of Scotland, sherry hogshead, cask #MoS 24016, 313 bottles)
We do get a sort of premonition… In any case, as someone who isn’t British, whenever I hear “Jack the Ripper” I think of Blue Öyster Cult. I know, that was Reaper, not Ripper, but back then, my English was even more rudimentary than it is now. Apologies for the digression… Colour: full gold. Nose: a slightly awkward union of peat and sherry at first, as so often happens, but things quickly settle down, with fruits emerging (quince), alongside honey and mint, then a little mustard, camphor and tobacco. It works! With water: amusingly, there’s now a faint whiff of horse. Mouth (neat): coherence is immediate on the palate, once again very camphory, very smoky, with a fairly thick texture, pink pepper, salt, heather honey, rather spicy Thai sauce… There’s a lot going on… With water: swims beautifully, becoming nearly exotic, somewhat in the spirit of a Caroni rum. I do mean in the spirit. Finish: long, rich, rather multidimensional. A little ginger and nutmeg from the cask. Comments: if there’s one thing this Glenturret is not, it’s boring. In short, we love it, just as we’d suspected.
SGP:667 - 88 points. |
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June 10, 2025 |
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The Return of the Glentauchers (Part 5) |
We’ll stop after these last few, promise – cross my heart and hope to die… |
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Glentauchers 10 yo 2011/2022 (62.6%, The Single Malts of Scotland, Kirsch Import exclusive, sherry butt, cask #900247, 492 bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: we’re not in deep sherry territory here, rather we’re getting vanilla cream, white chocolate and proper Czech pilsner. But at this strength, one ought to proceed with caution… With water: barley syrup, soft honeys, stewed apples, it’s remarkable how water utterly takes control, though entirely to the whisky’s benefit. Mouth (neat): very fruity but also distinctly youthful, with very dominant pears at this stage, and even some Black Forest kirsch. Quite a bit of lemon too – although not from the Black Forest. With water: now beautifully balanced, fruity, orchard-driven, and pleasantly uncomplicated. Finish: long, gentle, with candied sugar and those pears still hanging about. Comments: the strength is daunting at first, but water tames it in no time. In the end, it’s a gentle, docile wee baby.
SGP:641 - 85 points. |
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Glentauchers 15 yo 2008/2023 (59.6%, DH Global Wine, Connoisseurs Dram, 1st fill amontillado, cask #900337, 339 bottles)
Amontillado, that does speak to us, doesn’t it. Colour: deep gold. Nose: quince jelly drizzled with maple syrup and honey, with the drier amontillado tones playing in the background – cigar boxes and pinecones. With water: old furniture newly varnished, and a touch of thuja… Mouth (neat): oh splendid, wildly expressive, medicinal, saline, with mustard and horseradish layered atop bitter oranges and a spice medley that feels most ‘Sichuan’, if you ask me. Though be warned, it’s a bit bonkers. With water: I believe Glentauchers serves as a perfect base for this kind of rather mad maturation. Amontillado squared. Finish: same ballpark. Salt, mosses, tobacco, pepper, leather, mustard, walnuts and the rest. Comments: I loathe to say this, but I do think this isn’t for everyone, and that it requires a rather sharp palate to fully enjoy this sort of beastie. I’m deeply – and humbly - sorry.
SGP:462 - 90 points. |
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Glentauchers 13 yo (54.8%, Morisco Spirits, Marble Collection, oloroso sherry, 2022)
Let me quote them, ‘The label is a detail of the pavement present in the church of Santa Prassede, Rome.’ In a world increasingly steered by uncultured halfwits, one can only applaud, wouldn’t you agree? Colour: gold. Nose: here we have a classic GT profile, with very ripe apple, banana and melon, alongside the subtlest touches of raspberry jam. So be it! With water: oh, a bit of old-school polish, even some seaweed and mint – we could almost believe ourselves on the northern coast way north of Inverness. Mouth (neat): fresh, fruity, with notes of fruity, lemony beer, and truth be told, the oloroso is very discreet at this stage. No problem at all. With water: now showing very nicely, more complex, with fruits in all manner of forms, juices, compotes, jams… Finish: same story. Fruit stewed with honey and sweet wine. Oranges lingering on the aftertaste. Comments: a very, very well-mannered oloroso.
SGP:551 - 87 points. |
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Glentauchers 13 yo 2009/2022 (53.8%, Whiskyjace, Art Edition #5, bourbon barrel)
We can’t help but be deeply fond of the 1950s/60s jazz vibe of the label. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: pure fruit, resting on chalk and grist. Apples, pears, small berries, yellow melons, gentle beer. With water: we edge closer to the earth, to the barley itself… Mouth (neat): utterly barley-forward with yellow fruits, and just two drops of Chartreuse. With water: faint touches of pencil shavings, perhaps even pencil lead. Now that’s amusing. Finish: medium length, leaning towards apple and soft, fruity beer. Comments: right where we expected it to land.
SGP:551 - 86 points. |
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Glentauchers 10 yo 2013/2023 (58.6%, The Whisky Exchange, The Seasons: Spring, barrel, cask #800435)
Well done, London, apples in springtime, that’s truly a city-dweller’s notion. At least if we go by the label, but of course we adore London and the Londoners, as all Frenchmen do. Colour: pale white wine. Sylvaner (ha). Nose: simple, pinpoint-precise, on chalk and apples, with a few hints of pistachio. You couldn’t be closer to the distillate, it almost feels like the barrel was made of stainless steel. With water: same story. Chalk, sourdough, lemon, cider apple. Mouth (neat): oh, taut and perfectly fruity. Rhubarb, green apple, lime. I’m telling you, there’s no arguing with this. With water: little pears descend en masse, like a flock of gulls on sardines (copyright Eric Cantona). Finish: medium in length but pure, brimming with barley, honey and apples. Comments: malt whisky as Nature intended. For a wee ten-year-old, it’s superb.
SGP:651 - 86 points. |
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Glentauchers 1996/2018 (52.3%, Or Sileis, Legends, The Arthurian Tales, bourbon, cask #618, 199 bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: oh, here’s a delightful soft mustard with yellow melon and sweet woodruff. It’s unusual and utterly charming. With water: faint touches of natural rubber, jasmine, perfumed sticky rice – all things we absolutely adore. Mouth (neat): sheer beauty, tangerines and citrus peels (also a whisper of soap – absolutely no issue at this stage). With water: a hint of salinity, waxes, paraffin, lotus blossom… Finish: not particularly long but beautifully fermentary. Floral wine and tiny berries. Comments: I’d genuinely love to know whether our Taiwanese friends selected this cask for its ‘Far Eastern’ inflections. What I’m saying may well be total nonsense, but I stand by it. A superb Glentauchers, in any case.
SGP:551 - 88 points. |
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Glentauchers 20 yo 1996/2016 (49.1%, Single Cask Collection, bourbon barrel, cask #3620, 173 bottles)
We are admittedly very late to this one, but here we are in Austria! Colour: straw. Nose: here we find the gentle, balanced character of bourbon cask maturation on a malt whisky with, shall we say, a moderately expressive personality. Apple, vanilla, the faintest touches of glue, melon, banana… With water: hints of sourdough, muesli… Mouth (neat): not much to add, fruity beers, almost young calvados, a very slight touch of cedarwood and rosewater… With water: it’s soft, simple, honeyed and malty. Finish: medium in length, on fruity beer and mead. Comments: not quite Mozart, but it’s very good.
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
Right then, it’s probably high time we enjoyed one last Glentauchers, for this year at least, and perhaps even beyond. It’s a fine malt, one that the best indie bottlers can really get the most out of, but can we truly say it has a bold, distinctive character? Then again, tasting forty of them more or less back-to-back probably doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. In any case, it’s probably all my fault. Come on then, let’s pick an old bottle to finish with… |
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Glentauchers 21 yo 1975/1997 (55.69%, Signatory Vintage, cask #8888, 306 bottles)
Naturally, this was ‘matured in an oak cask’ and so forth. In other words, the good old days, when everyone cared more about distillates than about those blasted casks we’ve been hearing about ad nauseam for the past fifteen years or more. That said, you’ll have noted the splendid cask number, #8888. Colour: pale gold. Nose: much more austere than expected, leaning on grape must, banana skin and apple peelings, with a hint of dark ale and two squares of chocolate. Aromatically speaking, it’s on the restrained side at this stage. With water: same again. I fear we may have missed our window, at least as far as these Glentauchers are concerned. Mouth (neat): rather improbable, patchouli, rosewater, cigarettes, rosehip tisane… With water: no, it’s quite alright, with some nice figs for instance, but it’s frankly lacking in character. There’s even a faint dustiness. Finish: something of a downward spiral, the strength drops away, and it becomes a touch cardboardy. Slightly stale apple juice. Comments: this one might have become a bit passé, there’s not a great deal of joy left to be had here, though of course it’s still a proper old malt whisky.
SGP:441 - 75 points. |
Right then, no regrets, we’ll move on to something else as of tomorrow. Don’t worry, that’s it for the Glentauchers, for quite some time. After all, we’ve had 43 of them in just a few days, I think that’s more than enough. |
Ah indeed, the little podium, as foolishly promised: |
WF91 |
| Glentauchers 33 yo 1993/2024 (51.9%, OB for The Whisky Exchange, Lost in Time, refill American oak barrels, cask #5218, 108 bottles) |
| WF90 |
| Glentauchers 15 yo 2008/2023 (59.6%, DH Global Wine, Connoisseurs Dram, 1st fill amontillado, cask #900337, 339 bottles) |
| WF89 |
| Glentauchers 19 yo 2002-2005/2024 (57.1%, Decadent Drams, 1st fill bourbon and 1st fill sherry, 138 bottles) |
| Glentauchers 24 yo 1996/2020 (49.7%, Asta Morris, bourbon, cask #AM139, 186 bottles) |
| Glentauchers 23 yo 1997/2021 (53.2%, The Single Malts of Scotland, barrel, cask #401, 157 bottles) |
| Glentauchers 15 yo 2009/2025 (54.6%, Whisky Age, 1st fill bourbon barrel, cask #800647, 233 bottles) |
| Glentauchers 2008/2024 (51.7%, Liquid Art, 10th Anniversary, sherry oak, 96 bottles) |
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June 9, 2025 |
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The Return of the Glentauchers (Part 4) |
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I couldn't tell you why we’ve accumulated so many Glentauchers over the past months or years, I imagine some distinguished brokers have unloaded quite a few cask lots onto the market. Not that we’re complaining; some of them are excellent. And once we’re done, we’ll put together a little ranking for the number crunchers. Right then, let’s carry on at random...
Four time Olympic chamion Kjetil André Aamodt (olympics.com) |
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Glentauchers 15 yo 2008/2022 (46%, Gordon & MacPhail, Distillery Label)
We had sampled the 2008/2023 the other day and quite enjoyed it (WF 85). In theory, this ought to be very similar… Colour: pale gold. Nose: again we find a rather lively edge, citrusy and on apple peel, in any case brisker than its elder sibling (by a year). A few tiny whiffs of geranium blossom, then candied apple, as it rounds out over a few seconds. Mouth: it’s fairly firm again, at least initially, still on citrus fruits, lemon fondant, then an amusingly authentic kir profile, thus with Burgundian aligoté and blackcurrant cream from Dijon. It’s really good and approachable, but without ever tipping into the simplistic. Finish: medium in length, a touch of limoncello. And indeed, blackcurrant cream. Comments: it is livelier than the 2005/2023, and of the same high calibre.
SGP:651 - 85 points. |
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Glentauchers 25 yo 1997/2022 (49.1%, Single Malt Dreams, bourbon barrel, cask #3870, 165 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: here we’re treated to a Chablis-like character, with limestone, apple, grapefruit, a touch of fresh cement, a few tiny blossoms (honeysuckle), a hint of blackcurrant bud… In short, it’s perfect. Mouth: indeed, a very pretty fruitiness on oranges and melons, that slightly chalky side, some fruit bonbons, again a little blackcurrant, and rather touches of… white Sancerre this time. How amusing. Finish: fairly long, fruity and fresh, slightly jammier in the aftertaste. A whisper of aniseed. Comments: this is superb and goes down effortlessly. And since it’s a Glentauchers for Norway, we shall thus call it ‘Kjetil André Aamodt’.
SGP:651 - 87 points. |
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Glentauchers 14 yo 2009/2023 (54.4%, Maltbarn, bourbon cask, 155 bottles)
Maltbarn have had some superb 1997s. Colour: white wine. Nose: we find again that chalk, dough, apple, lemon and yeast combo we’re so fond of. Lemon cream, delicate green tea. With water: a few mint leaves, chalky soil, cider apples. Mouth (neat): lovely taut fruitiness, with more spice this time, around candied ginger, with some rather unexpected sultanas for an ex-bourbon. Then again… With water: the water relaxes the barley and citrus; we drift towards grapefruit in barley syrup and light honey. Finish: medium length, returning to orchard fruits, apples and pears. Comments: excellent young GT, fresh and classic.
SGP:651 - 86 points. |
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Glentauchers-Glenlivet 10 yo 2009/2019 (59.9%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, bourbon hogshead, 330 bottles)
Colour: straw. Nose: it’s the same whisky as the Maltbarn. Of course it’s not exactly the same, but I assure you, you’d be hard pressed to tell them apart. Which is by no means a bad thing. With water: same again. Mouth (neat): same again, identical profile, perhaps just a little more lemony, tangier. With water: same again. Finish: same again. A faint touch of English ‘Champagne’, full of grapefruit. Comments: I think if you added some sugarcane syrup, you could fashion yourself a top-class ‘limoncello’. But don’t take that as a recommendation, mind.
SGP:651 - 86 points. |
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Glentauchers 24 yo 1996/2020 (49.7%, Asta Morris, bourbon, cask #AM139, 186 bottles)
I must admit we slightly dithered with their 8-year-old last time, but this ought to be a different story. Colour: gold. Nose: fruit salad, including exotic fruits, drizzled with a little runny honey. Bananas, mangoes, apples, pears… All this is exceedingly charming, which, in these times, becomes all the more a rare virtue globally, no? Mouth: magnificent, with a few drops of Sauternes from a fine château joining in, a touch of quince and mirabelle liqueur (they often go together), the rest consisting of that very same fruit salad and, let’s be honest, a very faint Clynelish-esque note, with beeswax. Finish: the citrus fruits make a comeback, tightening everything up at just the right moment. Comments: magnificent, brushing up against perfection. Bravo, master of the little frogs!
SGP:651 - 89 points. |
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Glentauchers 11 yo 2013/2024 (57.2%, Hogshead Imports for Chichibu Whisky Matsuri 2025, refill barrel)
Colour: straw. Nose: very, very faint smoky and medicinal touches that perhaps stem from the cask’s previous contents, with a slight Ardmore-like character, then apple, rhubarb, pear and greengage compotes, along with ferns and mint… An amusing profile. With water: the banana, pear and pineapple trio emerges, hence amyl diacetate. Be cautious if you’re out in nature; bees perceive these molecules as threats (I’ll explain one day), so best to avoid. Mouth (neat): this time we’re almost entirely immersed in the extravagant fruitiness of young Glentauchers. A family-sized bag of jellybeans, with a predominance of the lemon ones. With water: pear Williams liqueur in full swing and still tonnes of jellybeans. Finish: long, ultra-fruity. Juicy Fruit. Comments: a cracking creature, this young Glentauchers. As for the cask’s previous contents, I’m still pondering…
SGP:651 - 87 points. |
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Glentauchers 19 yo 2002-2005/2024 (57.1%, Decadent Drams, 1st fill bourbon and 1st fill sherry, 138 bottles)
The bi-vintage Whisky Sponge version was very good last time. It wouldn’t surprise me if we were in similar territory here, as the same vintages were used. Amusing surrealist label, slightly Dali-esque, or Chirico. Colour: gold. Nose: rather more complex than the others, you can sense that the blending has brought another dimension, even if perhaps a bit of precision has been traded for complexity. One must know what one wants in life, mustn’t one? Cigarette tobacco, ripe plums, a touch of leather, furniture polish, Brazil nuts, peppermint, rumtopf, bergamot… But do note, all of this remains fresh and lively. With water: fermentary notes emerge, bread, scones, a very slight trace of tar, mint… Mouth (neat): on the palate we’re much closer to a purer fruitiness, on citrus, rhubarb, whitecurrant, pink peppercorn (Timut)… With water: now all soft and gentle, on meadow honey. Finish: same. Lovely little pears and nicely ripe plums. Comments: both versions are ultimately quite close, even very close when tasted side by side, but I have a preference for this one. Hey, that’s my prerogative!
SGP:661 - 89 points. |
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Glentauchers 17 yo 2005/2023 (55%, Whisky Sponge for La Maison du Whisky, Decadent Drinks, New Vibrations, 1st fill sherry, cask #900402, 300 bottles)
The Arc de Triomphe on the label can only spur on this French taster further. Colour: gold. Nose: inevitably more compact than the multi-vintage bottlings, but we also enjoy these more serene profiles, on sultanas, mirabelle jam and papaya juice. And that’s it. There’s even a surprising bourbon-like side for a 1st fill sherry, though it’s certainly not the first time that’s happened. With water: dandelion honey. Yes, truly. Mouth (neat): if you like mirabelles and pears, this one’s for you. With water: the Williams pear takes even more of a lead. Which is fine, it’s one of the kings of fruits (not just durian, ha). A little raisin roll provides some welcome support. Finish: good length, lovely stewed fruits, Alsatian-style fruitcake of the ‘beerawecka’ sort… well, you might see what I mean. Comments: there’s an easy, obvious charm here, which of course we greatly enjoy (as we too are easy and obvious, oh yes).
SGP:641 - 88 points. |
Next time, one final flight of Glentauchers before moving on to something else. |
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