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March 23, 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! |
Just a few more rums
… but we'll be turning back to cognac or armagnac. We're also planning to try publishing about clear eaux-de-vie, or mezcals, and even gins. Maybe this summer — there's no rush... |
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Plantation ‘Barbados Grande Réserve’ (40%, OB, Barbados, +/-2023) 
From just before Plantation became Planteray, for reasons that remain a little unclear to us—though seemingly a bit on the ‘woke’ side. We’ve nothing against wokism, of course, but we do rather like balance in all things and tend to think anything excessive becomes trivial. ‘Does ‘habitation’ still work by the way? Right then, shall we have a taste?... This must be from W.I.R.D., owned by the same fine folks. Colour: white wine. Nose: cooked sugar verging on ‘petit boulé’, sugarcane syrup and a generous splash of orgeat, with a few fluttering florals hovering about—white clover in particular, adding a faint pastoral lift. Mouth: pleasant at first, but the sweetness does rather take over. Think Malibu laced with molasses honey and sweet woodruff cordial. Finish: medium in length, gentle and sugary, with no real parting bite. Comments: clearly meant to be served over a good handful of ice, ideally dragged down to 8°C or so. In that context, it might even do the trick. At room temperature, however, it's a different story altogether.
SGP:730 - 70 points. |
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Braud & Quennesson ‘Signature du Chai’ (47%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-2024) 
Some very young rhum agricole from a brand I had never heard of before. It’s produced by Habitation Grand-Fonds in Le Marin, my gut feelings say the juice was sourced as I haven’t yet seen any pictures of stills, though I may be wrong. Colour: straw. Nose: very young on the nose, fresh sugarcane but without much development, which is entirely expected at such a tender age. Apples and bananas bring a pleasant fruity brightness. Rather nice, actually. Mouth: soft, with a slight lemony edge, vaguely reminiscent of rhums from French Guyana. Not a great deal of depth, but again, it’s quite likeable. A touch of fennel and a dab of acacia honey. Finish: medium length, with just the faintest saline glimmer. Bagasse and vanilla echo softly in the aftertaste. Comments: genuinely pleasant in fact, in a light and breezy style.
SGP:630 - 78 points. |
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Dominican Rum 2013/2022 (47%, Bristol Classic Rum, Dominican Republic, finished in Madeira wood) 
A pioneering and major house, though a discreet one, which it’s a pleasure to see again. They’ve supplied many far more, shall we say, thunderous rum brands over the years. Colour: gold. Nose: it’s a joy to taste a Dominican that hasn’t been doctored to death, even if some Madeira casks were indeed used. Light in nosing texture—even aromatically—but there’s a charming toasted side to it, and imagine this: some malty notes as well. Cane honey, orange syrup, and a little earthiness, perhaps from the Malvasia in the Madeira. Mouth: light and slightly sweet, but far removed from the typical sugarbombs offered by the DomRep. Banana, honey, and soft, gently sweet herbal infusions. Finish: a little short but clean, soft, honeyed, with a lingering touch of Malvasia. Comments: it may not be reaching for the stars, but this is certainly one of the finest Dominican rums I’ve tasted in recent years.
SGP:640 - 82 points. |
Since we were in Madeira… |
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Rum 970 2015/2023 (55.5%, OB, Madeira, agricole, Madeira wine cask, cask #304, 267 bottles) 
Made by Engenhos do Norte, where they still press their cane using steam-powered machinery. We’ve long been fond of Madeira’s agricoles, and it seems more and more people are joining the club. Let me remind you they benefit from a genuine and longstanding ‘agricole’ designation (GI), unlike many distilleries around the world who play a bit fast and loose with that term. Colour: gold. Nose: this is so distinctive! Imagine, let’s say, a blend of rosewater and cigars, with cypress, blood orange, then cardamom and juniper popping through. It’s frankly a bit loco-loco. With water: glue and varnish galore! Mouth (neat): utterly strange, utterly delicious! Clove and toothpaste, earthy blueberries, heather honey, camphor, myrtle, and some sweets flavoured with chlorophyll and pine sap… With water: it edges toward Greek retsina, but there’s still plenty of that ‘green’ honey, or rather honeydew. Finish: very long, peppery, still resinous, leaning into bitter orange. Comments: a big fan of this slightly eccentric dram, with a flavour profile that’s anything but ‘international’.
SGP:562 - 87 points. |
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Eminente ‘7 ans Reserva’ (41.3%, OB, Cuba, whisky casks, +/-2025)
Eminente is the Cuban rum from LVMH, made in Santo Domingo (Villa Clara), in the heart of the island, where they also produce the very light and diaphanous ron Cubay. Colour: deep gold. Nose: lovely, gentle, but not sugary—more on praline and peanut butter at first, before drifting into faintly phenolic, borderline synthetic notes (varnish, plastics), though everything is handled with grace. New wicker basket, white asparagus, toasted sesame—yes, toasted. Mouth: really quite good, even if just a touch light. Jaffa cakes and milk chocolate up front, then comes hay, earth, and eventually mashed red kuri squash. Finish: not very long but rather complex, with lingering traces of root vegetables mingling with that milk chocolate. Comments: very Cuban indeed, reminiscent even of those homemade aguardientes the locals discreetly serve when no one’s watching (a rare occurrence indeed). This sort of newfangled brand can be cause for concern, but I find the execution here quite successful.
SGP:451 - 82 points. |
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Santiago de Cuba 12 yo ‘Extra Anejo’ (40%, OB, Cuba, +/-2025) 
Santiago used to be our favourite Cuban rum the last time we were on the island, with a strong preference for the 11-year-old… which, alas, we’ve never come across again in Europe. However, the brand has seen pretty strong development in France over the past three or four years, so we’re very pleased to be able to taste this 12-year-old. Diageo, of course, is behind the whole operation. Colour: amber. Nose: here come the gently burnt cake, scones, praline, caramel popcorn, and maple syrup… in short, all the irresistible hallmarks of a thoughtfully composed ron. Mouth: it feels a little ‘trans’, with some sweetened coffee, but also hints of brandies—Jerezian or even Armagnac in style. It really works, though one wouldn’t mind a version with a few extra volts. There are also touches of violet liqueur. Finish: nicely long, increasingly on liquorice, with an odd but charming echo of violet on the aftertaste. Mind you, I’ve never seen violets in Cuba. Comments: unfortunately, the low ABV flattens it out a little, but the overall composition is truly charming. Now all we need is to put on some Irakere on the old Thorens.
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
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Monymusk 12 yo 2010/2022 (46%, Mezan, Jamaica, 5,500 bottles) 
We’ve always appreciated Mezan, particularly their knack for preserving the texture of a rum even when bottling at 40% ABV. Perhaps a ‘degree by degree’ reduction? But here we are at 46%, the sweet spot… Colour: light gold. Nose: oh yes, crystalline in style, with olives, charcoal, liquorice, engine oil, sea water and lemon juice. You see where we’re heading… Mouth: simply irresistible—undeniably Jamaican yet very approachable, wonderfully salty and smoky, the kind of thing you’d want chilled alongside smoked salmon or caviar. Or both. Could you pass the blinis, please? Finish: nice and long, salty, gently petroly but not too much, lemony, not too dry… Who could possibly resist? Comments: this is a lovely example of the ‘Mezan’ style. Fully trustworthy.
SGP:462 - 88 points. |
I think we’ll wrap up this session in Martinique, for a change… |
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Saint James 18 yo 2003/2021 ‘Single cask’ (42.3%, OB, Martinique, agricole, cask #67-05-2003)
The Saint James 18-year-old from the ‘core range’ (as we call it) is already extremely good, but this is likely a step above. Apparently, this cask came from the personal collection of Cellar Master Marc Sassier—though of course, one doesn’t buy into that sort of ‘pure yet gentle marketing’ piffle. No matter… Colour: amber. Nose: well, all right then—old beeswax, dried seaweed, antique copper and pewter, eucalyptus wood, smoked fish, cigar humidor, thuja wood, apple peelings, saltpetre, wild mushrooms… The most astonishing part is that this improbable gathering somehow forms a coherent whole. Mouth: there is a definite woodiness, quite resinous at that, marking the experience from the outset, yet from it rise tiny essential oils, more or less, with thyme, fir, rosemary, oregano and mint all swirling about. A cedary note builds in the background, though very ripe bananas and pineapples manage to keep it all in check. Finish: here’s where it gets tricky—it’s still very woody and resinous, with varnish notes, but a rather lovely liquorice saves the day, joined by a touch of Iberico ham and a lick of menthol. Comments: this is rather like a triple-jump with a double backflip in terms of oak, but it seems the rum gods were watching over the master blenders.
SGP:371 - 87 points. |
PS: A good number of these rums were discovered at the Lyon Whisky Festival last weekend. We also ran a rather ‘freewheeling’ masterclass there (a whisky-fuelled causerie actually) with our friend Gabriel Tissandier — it seems the participants, on the whole, survived the experience. |
 Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far
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March 22, 2025 |
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Angus's Corner
From our correspondent and
skilled taster Angus MacRaild in Scotland
Field notes from Orkney
I went to Japan, came home, and immediately got very ill for two weeks. This rendered my nose and palate totally out of action for the duration, hence the few weeks hiatus between notes. Now I’m on holiday on Orkney with the family for around ten days, which is wonderful and gives me a good excuse to check in with some recent Orkney single malts. |
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I hope to write more about Orkney, and all the rather deep things this utterly spellbinding place can make you think, here on Whiskyfun soon. But for now, some notes… |
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Scapa 10 yo (48%, OB, 2024) 
Ironically, Serge beat me to these new expressions just this past week. I’m a fan of the new look Scapa, and this 10yo at least seems pretty well priced and with an encouraging bottling strength. Colour: straw. Nose: zesty citrus, polished cereals and green fruit. Some green banana, apple, kiwi and melon. Typical bourbon driven, easy and fruity stuff. Mouth: lemony up front again, lemon meringue pie with the creamy sweetness of American cream soda, suggesting some pretty active first fill bourbon at play. Buy the same sense of easy, rich fruitiness is undeniable. Finish: good length, rather peppery and still sweet with green apple. Comments: excellent entry bottling, just a notch too much wood activity for me, but the quality is certainly high. I admire the adhesion to classical bourbon maturation, but I would have loved a bit of a refill component in the mix to bring a bit of freshness and a bit more Scapa distillate character.
SGP: 651 - 85 points. |
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Scapa 16 yo (48%, OB, 2024)
Colour: gold. Nose: same feeling but more coconut, toasty oak, candied citrus peel, cupboard spices and a touch of wax. Gets a little more complex with time, revealing some coastal and floral touches. Mouth: pretty spicy and peppery, with some slightly exotic notes, lime sweets, citrus curds and custard. It’s the texture and body which impress most here, very enjoyable. A similar feeling of some active oak just lurking in the background. Finish: medium, on wood spices, dessert wine sweetness and custard again. Comments: it’s the texture that really impresses here. I would just add the same comment as the 10yo, it would be nice to fell a slight balance of some refill rather than full on first fill.
SGP: 661 - 87 points. |
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Scapa 21 yo (52.9%, OB, 2024) 
Colour: gold. Nose: gingery, cinnamon and spices. Green peppercorn, charred pineapple, cereal, waxes and a little aniseed. With water: nutmeg, cedar wood and sandalwood, with some subtle beach sand and healthier horny vibes – feeling suitably ‘Orcadian’ and even a little bit HP, dare I say. Mouth: grippy spices and a nice menthol note on arrival. Eucalyptus, lemon verbena, bergamot and dried exotic fruits in muesli. With water: herbal, honeyed and waxier. Still quite spicy but the overall weight, texture and dried fruity vibes are lovely. Finish: good length, on coconut, herbal teas, heather honey and peppery spice again. Comments: very good, oak involvement once again but it’s a solid older Scapa with excellent development and a clear Orkney accent.
SGP: 661 - 88 points. |
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I bought a couple of bottles on my brief visit to Scapa distillery while the kids were napping in the car… |
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Scapa 14 yo Distillery Exclusive (48.1%, OB, 1st fill barrels, 1500 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: menthol, watercress, lemon verbena, mint, eucalyptus and flower honeys. An immediately enchanting profile that feels like what you ‘want’ Scapa to behave like. Lots of fruit teas, herbal extracts and crystalised honeys that go towards mead and waxy honeycomb. A superb nose! Mouth: a little more in line with the new 10 and 16 year olds, with a more peppery, wood spice driven character, but also more strong fruit teas, heather honey, waxes, camphor, wet wool and touches of white flowers and fir wood resins. Finish: quite long, with a drier peppery warmth, crème de menthe, fir woods, lemon oil and baked apples in custard. Comments: perilously easy to drink and crying out for a hefty measure in a tumbler, which is precisely what I think a distillery exclusive bottling should deliver. Extra points for the wonderfully expressive and fun nose.
SGP: 561 – 88 points. |
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Scapa 16 yo (57.4%, OB ‘Distillery Reserve Collection’, cask #2182, 1st fill sherry butt, 924 bottles)
I was impressed by the range of bottlings available at Scapa’s lovely wee visitor centre, but at £125.00 this wee 50cl 16yo seems too highly priced in my view. Now, we don’t score prices here on WF… Colour: amber. Nose: punchy modern sherry that’s full of beef consommé, Bovril, crusted port, cocktail bitters, celery salt and rather jammy dark fruit notes, like prune paste and strawberry jam. It’s a very powerful style, that flies in the face of Scapa’s usual grace and elegance. Goes on with some breads, dark ales and coffee grounds. With water: game meats, strop leather, aged pinot noir and liquid vegetable stock like Maggi. Full of broths, vegetal and herbal impressions. Mouth: tough and punchy up front, rather assertive wood spices, some cranberry gravy, freshly brewed espresso, walnut oil and black miso paste. Very spicy and very umami in profile. With water: lean, dry, meaty, leathery, gamey and earthy with a lot of black pepper, hints of aniseed and more umami broths and infusions. Becoming even pretty salty after a while… Finish: very long, umami, gamey, salty and with pickled walnuts, mustard powder and black pepper. Comments: a wee thug! Makes you feel not unlike you’ve been mugged twice! (I’m kidding, dear Pernod Ricard, sort of 😉). Anyway, this is a technically very good wee Scapa, but it’s just rather tough. I think I’ll leave this bottle open with a bit of headspace and re-visit it in a year or so. Probably the sort of very fun bottle to pour blind to your whisky friends and play find the distillery, I suspect people would hazard Parkmore before they guessed Scapa.
SGP: 471 – 85 points. |
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Let’s go up the road to Highland Park… |
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I have to say, I’m a fan of the new ‘de-Vikinged’ Highland Park livery. I think the decision to quietly shift focus to the more ‘natural’ aspects of Orkney is a highly sensible one. It also looks, from reading the various blurbs in the distillery’s official wee shop in Kirkwall, that they’ve upped the sherry cask component for most of their core range, top dressed here and there with some refill. So, we now have Scapa fully on bourbon, and Highland Park predominantly on sherry, and both placing a more ‘Orkney’ character front and centre in the way they try to talk about and sell themselves. I am a big fan of this directional shift (if not necessarily all the prices that go along with it). I also think the absence of unlikely wine casks from their bottlings is smart and speaks volumes in its own way. Let’s hope this approach works for them and that they keep it up. If distilleries such as Highland Park and Scapa need red wine casks to shift their product, then the whisky world is dead in my view. |
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Highland Park 12 yo (40%, OB, -/+ 2024) 
One other noteworthy wee aspect of these new HP bottlings is that they are all natural colour, which is also encouraging to see. For example… colour: bright straw (woohoo!). Nose: more heathery and honeyed than I recall, with a light background peat smoke. Damp leaves, some orange peel and more classic sherried notes such as sultana and fruit cake. Mouth: it’s the sherry that feels a bit louder now. More on dried fruits, some cinnamon bark, heather honey and again this very faint peat smoke note. Finish: quite long, getting a little spicier, more leaves, dark fruits and cedar wood. Comments: very good, feels like the lack of caramel leaves a more natural profile. I think it is also notably more sherried and ever so slightly more peaty than recent years batches. We had the recent ‘Viking Honour’ 12yo at WF83, but I think this is a notch better.
SGP: 463 - 84 points. |
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Highland Park 15 yo (44%, OB, -/+2024)
The last version of this was in a cream-coloured ceramic bottle and named ‘Viking Heart’, which we thought was pretty solid (WF84). Colour: pale gold. Nose. Appears quite similar to the 12, perhaps a little more overtly fruity with green fruits joining the darker ones. I also find some lovely notes of plum jam, unlit cigar, hessian and thicker notes of pure heather honey and restrained, drying peat smoke. Denser and more vivid than the 12yo I would say. Mouth: on marmalade, crystalised fruits, cedar wood, a slightly more assertive peat smoke and again this sense of damp leaves. Lovely texture and richness with a return once again to darker fruit impressions. Finish: medium, thickly on spiced marmalade, mead, camphor, pollens and lightly herbal smoky notes. Comments: I find this an excellent new addition to the core range at a rather smart ABV. Potentially my favourite of the main expressions and certainly an improvement from the previous iteration of the 15yo. Like the 12yo, it feels like there’s a slightly more distinctive peat character on display, which is really enjoyable.
SGP: 563 - 87 points. |
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Highland Park 18 yo (43%, OB, -/+2024)
It’s been a long time since I tasted anything other than some very old batches of the HP 18yo, so this is a long overdue refresher course for me... Colour: gold. Nose: more directly and classically sherried. Lots of fig, sultana, milk chocolate, honeycomb and soft wood spice. I also start to find it waxy and notably more pronounced honeyed notes emerging. A few greener fruit notes such as apple and gooseberry emerge, but balanced by tangerine, bergamot and herbal cough syrup. Mouth: feels like a logical continuation of the 12 and 15, only softer, still quite spicy, but with the fruit dialled down and focused on darker components. Lots of marmalade, heather honey, medicinal herbs and unlit cigars in humidors. You can see what they’re trying to do and it does more or less work. Finish: surprisingly long and a bit smokier and drier than expected. Rich cereals, waxes, wood resins and camphor all adding a late-stage sense of weight. Comments: gathered extra points at the end with that lovely finish. It’s not up there with some historic batches of the 18yo in my view, but it feels like a sensitively and rather meticulously composed bottling made with a sense of elevating distillery character front and centre. Same score as the 15yo for me, but I’d probably opt for a bottle of the 15 over the 18 if I had to choose.
SGP: 662 - 87 points. |
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Highland Park 20 yo 1974 (46%, First Cask, cask #4334) 
A bottling series supplied by Signatory to Direct Wines, we’ve had many very lovely bottlings in this under the radar wee series over the years. Colour: pale gold. Nose: waxy with leafy smokiness, cider apple notes that are simultaneously tart, sour and funky, then more on hessian, chalky coastal and mineral notes, lemon rind and a rather brittle, dry peat note. Feels oddly close to many of these excellent unnamed Orkney Malts that are commonly found at the indies these days. Mouth: soft peat, heather honey and many subtle notes of dried seaweed, miso, camphor, fir wood, lightly smoked olive oil and sandalwood. Very pure and vivid old Highland Park character on display here – utterly natural, charming and beautiful. Finish: long, salty, gently earthy peat notes, dried herbs and subtle notes of citrus, white flowers and coastal impressions. Comments: hard to argue with such simple, elegant bottlings that simply deliver unvarnished, beautiful distillery character without fuss or fanfare. The peat character in these old HPs is glorious.
SGP: 464 – 90 points. |
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Highland Park 10 yo 1999 (57.3%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 4.135 ‘Orcadian Tongue-Roaster’, 1st fill bourbon barrel, 109 bottles)
Always good to know that ‘tongue-roaster’ should be hyphenated. Also, a pretty low outturn after 10 years with a good ABV like this is usually an encouraging sign… Colour: bright straw. Nose: lemony waxes, beach sand and pebbles, sandalwood, flower honeys and some notes of orange marmalade and tiger balm. Sitting on the lighter but still distinctive side of the HP profile. Also, a lovely sense of freshness and brightness about this nose. With water: chalk, sandalwood, coastal flowers, lightly smoked sea salt and heather ales. Mouth: indeed, a lighter, perhaps more modern style with less peat influence, but still a lot of mineral impressions and coastal notes. Mineral salts, light briny aspects, seaweed crackers, eucalyptus and elegant waxiness. Delicate threads of peat smoke woven down in the mix. With water: really on coastal freshness, saltiness and also a more defined and textured waxy character. The peat smoke is elevated nicely too. Finish: long, drying, salty, on camphor, caraway, miso, brine and dried herbs. Comments: there’s a surprising amount of nuance and detail to this one, and it swims as effortlessly as a rugged Orcadian should. A lovely, slightly different take on the HP character from this era.
SGP: 462 – 88 points. |
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Highland Park 8 yo (100 proof, Gordon & MacPhail, -/+1978)
We’ve tried a number of bottles in this livery over the years on Whiskyfun, and they typically fetch north of 93 at least. There seems to be many variations and vattings out there, which would make sense given the fact that these were probably bottled as required in small volumes. This is a bottle I opened in Japan a few weeks ago and now seems like the most sensible occasion to record notes. Colour: light amber. Nose: stunningly herbal, leafy and earthy sherry, full of salted almonds, green walnut liqueur, verbena, bone marrow, wormwood, celery salt, camphor and resinous hardwoods. One of those aromas where you aren’t too sure what comes from peat, what comes from sherry and what comes purely from distillate, a perfect fusion of influences and forces. Stunning herbal qualities continue to emerge, along with more medicinal aspects and this persistently beautiful, earthy, drying, deep peat note. With water: becomes astonishingly herbal and complex, really a whole herb garden on display, with dried exotic fruits, bone-dry peat smoke, earth, roots, vegetable stocks and salt cured game meats. Totally defeats you. Mouth: another level still! Totally stunning old style peat smoke, tar, camphor, pinecones full of resins, treacle with sea salt, natural tar liqueurs, herbal cough syrup – the list goes on and on. But really this is all about total power and force of personality, of a cohesive and highly singular personality. With water: brilliant, tense, salty, peaty, immensely coastal and yet also deeply earthy, thick and dense in texture. A masterpiece. Finish: extremely long and utterly glorious; cavernous and echoing with myriad peat flavours. Comments: as we often point out, whiskies that get to this level tend to have one thing in common: they lead, you follow. That’s precisely what happens here, a whisky that just gallops along and all you can do is attempt to keep up. These sorts of drams are bewildering to the mind.
SGP: 564 – 94 points. |
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March 21, 2025 |
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A flight of Ben Nevis in several stages,
part un |
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| At Ben Nevis with Colin Ross in 2006 (WF Archive) |
There are all sorts of rumours circulating among the whisky chatterati about Ben Nevis, following quite a few successful years during which the distillery propelled itself into the spotlight—mainly thanks to its outstanding manager, Colin Ross, who is sadly no longer with us. For instance, there was talk of a large-scale staff redundancy some time ago, which is, of course, quite drastic. But personally, I’ve always preferred to focus on the whisky itself rather than getting too caught up in intrigues and rumours, which are often contradictory. That said, I must admit it would be a real shame if the distillery were to lose the incredible goodwill it had built up—not only because of the extraordinary vintages from the mid-1990s. In any case, let’s see what we have in the library these days, starting with the more recent vintages, to check whether these rumours of decline are well-founded or not... |
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Ben Nevis 11 yo 2012/2024 (46%, Cadenhead, Original Collection, bourbon)
We should have a pretty good idea of the ‘state of the distillate’ here. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: well, this is unmistakably the pure distillate’s style, with that mix of fresh cement, bread dough, mashed potatoes, green apples, and lemons, followed by natural yoghurt and a touch of ‘musty old basement’. The cask’s influence is extremely restrained. Mouth: slightly sharp, with mustardy notes at first, then onto rather tart green apples and green pepper. It carries on with blackcurrant buds and hints of bitter coffee, all while keeping that fresh cementy side. Finish: fairly long, bitter, saltier and earthier. Lemon zest. Comments: that ‘earthy’ style is very much here, this is pure BN through and through. Reassuring, isn’t it? Even if we’re not quite in the realm of ‘grandiose ages and vintages’ yet.
SGP:461 - 85 points. |
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Ben Nevis 10 yo 2013/2024 ‘Dawn Davies’ (60.2%, Whisky Show London 2024, sherry butt, cask #1276)
Dawn Davies MW is the very engaging head buyer (or Buying Director) at TWE/TWS. Honestly, one could give this little BN a very high score without even tasting it, but that wouldn’t be very serious, nor particularly respectful of this young BN, would it? Colour: deep gold. Nose: powerful and very compact, with solvents, green walnuts, wasabi, cider apples, and a few pine needles. It needs water. With water: walnut cake appears, along with quite a bit of garden earth. Mouth (neat): all sorts of nuts, salted and lemon-flavoured (cashew). Indeed, cashews with lemon, smoked almonds, even peanut butter, roasted sesame, then that rather typical mustard sauce making a return. With water: arrival of pepper liqueurs and bitter orange. A slight fizzy side. Finish: long, peppery, very Ben Nevis. Overripe—or even late-season frozen little apples in the aftertaste. Comments: this is almost a baby 1996/1997, if you see what I mean.
SGP:562 - 87 points. |
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Ben Nevis 8 yo 2016/2024 ‘Heavily Peated’ (57.1%, Signatory Vintage, Artist Collective 7.0, Foundations, first fill Montravel hogshead, 980 bottles)
As usual, a wonderful label here (by Katrin Bremermann). What’s less usual is the heavy peat, as well as the Montravel. It’s been ages since I last had Montravel; in reality, Montravel is a part of Bergerac, in southwest France. They make both reds and whites, but we don’t know what was used here. Colour: deep gold. Nose: peaty, quite bold, a little monolithic for now, but that’s fairly normal at this strength. To be honest, it reminds me of certain Octomores. With water: no ‘4 a.m. ashtray’ notes, but rather some new rubber and fresh tyres… Mouth (neat): I would have guessed an Octomore from an ex-sweet white wine cask, and sure enough, they do make sweet white in Montravel. It’s quite pleasant, very much on citron liqueur and fresh rhubarb, with a lovely acidity beyond the heaps of ashes. With water: creamier, with the arrival of vine peach and apricot, both in liqueur form. Finish: long. Someone must have smoked apricots. Comments: a little disconcerting, but very good—this new Octonevis.
SGP:657 - 85 points. |
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Ben Nevis 12 yo 2012/2024 (52.1%, Maltbarn, bourbon, 139 bottles)
Maltbarn has already had some rather lovely Ben Nevis. Colour: white wine. Nose: very refined, precise, with apples, pears, ashes, wet chalk, croissants, and paraffin… Still, this is quite a ‘clean’ young BN. With water: perhaps one of the gentlest BNs I’ve tasted in recent times. Syrups and fruit compotes, complemented by bananas, vanilla, and a touch of coconut. Mouth (neat): indeed, this is very fruity, very, very fruity. Blueberries, apples, cranberries, strawberry syrup, little pink bananas, tangerines… It’s rather disconcerting, as it strays quite a bit from the usual BN universe, leaning instead towards… perhaps a young Littlemill, if memory serves me right. With water: same impressions, though there are indeed tiny touches of leather, soot, and mustard, but they remain rather minor. Finish: medium length, now on apple juice and cinnamon. The aftertaste, however, is quite BN. Comments: fun and, in fact, really very good, undeniably so. If you enjoy blind tastings with your whisky chums, you should give this one a go.
SGP:741 - 86 points. |
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Allt’ A Mhullin 12 yo 2008-2009/2022 ‘Batch No.01’ (60.2%, Roslin Distillers, ex-bourbon barrel and ex-Californian red wine, casks #684 + 1958, 478 bottles)
This is Ben Nevis, actually a vatting of a 2008 and a 2009. Allt a Mhullin Burn is the name of their water source. Colour: full gold. Nose: very much on toasted bread this time, as well as grilled sesame oil. I think it needs water to expand its palette, so to speak. With water: and here comes the usual slightly ‘dirty’ earthiness, slags, mustard sauce, and walnuts (which don’t come from any sherry here) … The American wine, on the other hand, holds up much better than their President. Mouth (neat): vineyard peach, pink pepper, other peppers… but this is seriously powerful. With water: same, but with added black pepper. That earthy peach note really stands out. Finish: long, still very peppery. A few red fruits in the aftertaste, but in a whispering way. Comments: Roslin Distillers was founded by Colin Ross and his son after they left the distillery. Hugs, and rest in peace Mr Ross.
SGP:651 - 87 points. |
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Ben Nevis 10 yo 2014/2024 (58.9%, James Eadie, refill oloroso hogshead finish, cask #369683, 300 bottles)
Colour: deep gold. Nose: loads of cocoa, plenty of wood smoke, leather, crushed slate, saltpetre, toasted malt, and white asparagus. Perhaps not the most coherent, but it’s hugely enjoyable. With water: soot, laterite, an old cellar and new wellingtons, plus orange zests from the fruit aisle. And still those white asparagus. Mouth (neat): great lemony and peppery tension, actually quite aggressive. Quick… With water: bang, yellow and white fruits come rushing in and slot themselves among the peppers. Finish: long, even fruitier, rather on bananas and apples, plus a few drops of riesling. A properly lemony aftertaste, as it should be. Comments: top young Ben Nevis, that’s all.
SGP:652 - 88 points. |
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Ben Nevis 9 yo 2013/2023 (48%, The Single Malts of Scotland, Elixir Distillers, Reserve Casks, refill butt, parcel 12)
Colour: straw. Nose: soot and a touch of exhaust fumes, plus rubber, bananas, and apples. Just pure BN, in other words, no need to dwell on it. Mouth: ah, very, very good, right between that typical sootiness and stewed yellow fruits, all wrapped in a hefty dose of milk chocolate. Finish: long, with the arrival of that dear pepper and fresh white wine. Let’s say a Sancerre, with hints of honeysuckle and mandarin. Comments: a lovely little Ben Nevis, carefully composed. Glory to small batches when they’re executed like this!
SGP:651 - 88 points. |
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Ben Nevis 11 yo 2012/2024 (57.3%, Single Cask Nation, 1st fill American oak sherry hogshead, cask #160359, 275 bottles)
37 months in that sherry hogshead—surely enough to qualify as a ‘maturation’. Colour: deep gold. Nose: slightly restrained, which is perfectly normal, especially compared to the Elixir above, which was immediately chatty due to its 48% ABV. Leather and chocolate do express themselves, though. With water: and here comes flint, chalk, very ripe peaches, baked quinces, bread dough, and damp earth… Mouth (neat): stunning on the palate straight away, with a cigar-like note and fresh fruits, quite amusing. Plenty of blood orange too, which is just perfect. With water: a cocktail of tropical fruits, lightly smoked over charcoal. That must be possible to do, no? Finish: long, with a positively piercing fruitiness, while the soot and chalk remain ever-vigilant, so to speak. Comments: greatly done here, Single Cask Nation! We'll now listen to a bit of Zappaesque prog-punk by the band Kimono Draggin'.
SGP:651 - 89 points. |
Not Your
Average Joe
We’re taking this opportunity to recommend an extraordinary book that was published last year. It’s Not Your Average Joe by Tim Smith, which you can easily find on Amazon in print or as an eBook, or through the publisher, Troubadour Publishing.
This book of over 300 pages retraces the life and incredible adventures of Joseph ‘Joe’ Hobbs (1891–1963), one of the whisky barons of the last great (re)founding era. Just before the war, he found himself at the helm of Bruichladdich, Glenlochy, Benromach, Fettercairn, Strathdee, Glenury Royal, and Hillside. Then, from 1943 onwards, he took over Ben Nevis, and finally, Lochside—a brewery he converted into a distillery from 1957. In fact, he was already selling Ben Nevis whisky in bulk to the Nikka group, which eventually acquired the distillery in 1989. At that time, it was owned by Whitbread/Long John, who had replaced the experimental concrete washbacks installed by Joe. |
(Avalable at amazon) |
In any case, Not Your Average Joe is packed with delightful anecdotes and rare photos, which we highly recommend savouring—ideally, of course, accompanied by one or three glasses of Ben Nevis. |
See you on Monday for more, much more Ben Nevis! |
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March 20, 2025 |
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A small trio of Bladnoch
Bladnoch was part of our quartet of Lowlanders twenty years ago or more, back when there was still plenty of Rosebank around. So, Glenkinchie, Auchentoshan, Rosebank, and then Bladnoch, which had started operating intermittently I think—whereas Rosebank had ceased production. And from time to time, a little drop of St Magdalene for good measure. Since then, new distilleries have appeared in the Lowlands… |
Blackcurrant and cassis jelly (Tesco) |
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Bladnoch ‘Dragon Series I - The Field’ (46.7%, OB, Rare Release, Refill Bourbon, 2,000 bottles, +/-2024)
One might often think that modern whisky is an industrial product, made in facilities run by two or three people and some quasi-quantum computers. But then you read this on Bladnoch’s website and feel reassured: ‘The Dragon Series showcases the scale of variability encountered throughout the process, which is seemingly chaotic and unpredictable.’ That’s exactly what we love, is it not? Colour: pale white wine. Nose: apple cake and lemon cake, neither quite baked enough, which really brings out the cereal and yeasty notes we always enjoy. A few spring flowers and very gentle touches of honey. Feels rather close to those Bladnochs from the 1990s, really. Mouth: indeed, very typical, somewhere between Fanta and 7Up, fresh lemon juice, then fresh barley and orange juice. Nothing chaotic here, I find this very much ‘Bladnoch au naturel.’ Finish: medium length, still on barley and citrus, with a finale of green apple and a faint touch of coffee. Comments: I find this very pretty and refreshing, and it’s a great thing that two or three distilleries—perhaps even fewer—continue to preserve this delightfully simple and cheerful style.
SGP:641 - 85 points. |
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Bladnoch 15 yo 2007/2022 ‘Vibrant Stills’ (56.6%, OB, first fill Californian red wine cask, cask #705, 250 bottles)
It’s not entirely clear why something meant to celebrate the distillery’s ‘vibrant stills’ would then be poured into an American wine cask. But let’s not forget that some of our Scottish friends have significantly improved their use of red wine casks over the past 25 years. That said, the Bladnoch 17 yo ‘Californian Red Wine Finish’ was rather difficult for me a few years ago. Colour: deep gold. Nose: nothing to do with that one, this is lovely, even if rather deviant, with an astonishing amount of strawberry and morello cherry jams. The good news is that notes of mendiants and clafoutis soon come to the rescue, along with blood oranges—though thankfully without any sangria vibes. With water: blackcurrant in all its forms, cream, syrup, fresh fruit, even buds. A little bay leaf and some old tools in the background. Mouth (neat): now this is strange, like blackcurrant Jell-O made with alcohol instead of water. Behind that, green pepper and, again, Fanta. With water: not much change, though pepper and capsicum get louder. Finish: rather long, more on damsons and blackberries. The malt begins to express itself a little more in the background. Comments: a thousand times better than that old 17-year-old, though still a bit deviant for me. Or perhaps a touch ‘whisky arrangé.’
SGP:741 - 83 points. |
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Bladnoch 19 yo ‘2023 Release’ (46.7%, OB, PX sherry butts)
This appears to be full-term maturation in Pedro casks rather than just a finishing. Colour: rich gold. Nose: careful, this is a beautiful nose, not dominated by dried raisins, even though there are quite a few. Lovely little earthy and nutty notes, liquorice wood, pipe tobacco, fir honey… All very classic, but above all, very well balanced—sweet without being sluggish. Superb, with gorgeous walnut cake notes emerging later, topped with a gewurz marc glaze. Yes, that’s a thing! Mouth: a cask that makes its mark, but in a lovely way, very cocoa-driven, with another avalanche of nuts, then leather and tobacco. I insist, this is not one of those ‘ultra-sweet’ PX casks drifting towards moscatel. You know what I mean. Finish: rather long, once again on blood orange, with some bitter orange as well. Nuts and a faint hint of glue in the aftertaste. Comments: I find this excellent. Not really a surprise… but then again, maybe a little.
SGP:561 - 88 points. |
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March 19, 2025 |
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Whiskies from around a reshuffled world
Right… As always, we’re starting off from France.
(At Kimchansoo in South Korea - Kimchangsoo) |
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Cormeil ‘Peated Single Malt’ (43%, OB, France, +/-2024)
From Distillerie H. Leblanc (Busnel) in Normandy. We’ve already tasted a non-peated version finished in Calvados (Normandy, Calvados, capeesh), which wasn’t half bad at all. Colour: gold. Nose: rather nice, in the style of a young CI, fairly oily, with old hessian sacks and ash mixed with ink, then increasingly more pear and plum eau-de-vie, suggesting a certain youthfulness. Lovely freshness. Mouth: still rather nice, just a little light on the palate to support all that ash. Pear smoked with peat, ha. Finish: rather short, slightly bitter, but still pleasant. You could make a Martini with Noilly Prat and olives. Comments: another lightweight for a peated malt, but really well made.
SGP:545 - 80 points. |
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Domaine des Hautes-Glaces 2018/2024 ‘Episteme B17CS24’ (57.3%, OB for LMDW Foundations, France, Parcelle Vulson, cask #1678)
Colour: gold. Nose: more pears again, but here it’s pear tart drizzled with honey and butterscotch, with bits of toasted almonds. So far, it’s much rounder and fruitier than usual, and less on anything related to breadiness. With water: it bursts out—limestone, chalk, white Burgundy, wash… Mouth (neat): very oily texture, fruity style, pears and citrus, lemon bonbons… With water: and here’s our DHG at last, taking its time but now fully there—rye bread, green walnuts, woodruff, caraway and fennel seeds, lemon… Finish: long, curiously saline, rather earthy. Comments: this is fun, you almost feel like you’re taking part in the whisky’s creation, as the dilution you apply changes nearly everything. I’m quite proud of myself! (Getting a bit big-headed, am I?)
SGP:562 - 87 points. |
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Millstone 12 yo 2010/2022 (53.2%, OB for The Whisky Exchange, Netherlands, PX, 656 bottles)
Why, oh why hadn’t I tasted this baby yet? Especially since, in my experience, Millstone handles heavy PX even better than… let’s say Glendronach. Just a random example. Colour: dark amber. Nose: in the immortal words of Talking Heads, qu’est-ce que c’est? A pile of old copper kettles and saucepans, even some antique pewterware, then a landslide of raisins soaked in chocolate, sprinkled with warm liquid praline and drizzled with soy sauce. Or something along those lines. With water: out come dried morels, moss, parsley, prunes, and old genever. Ha-ha! Mouth (neat): utterly massive, extremely rich, meaty and slightly tarry, packed with dried fruits served on pumpernickel and drenched in the most powerful garrigue honey, then dusted with black pepper from the mill. With water: an avalanche of spices joins the party, on top of the pepper. This is the trickier moment—more tense, even aggressive—but still top-class. Oh, and we don’t back down! Finish: as long as the eighth season of a Netflix series, peppery, but brought back in line by a horde of Corinth raisins. Though there are a few black olives lurking in the aftertaste. Comments: I made a mistake—I should have saved this little beast for the end of our session.
SGP:662 - 88 points. |
We're taking a long break; we'll be back later. |
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Haran 12 yo ‘Traditional’ (40%, OB, Spain, Iberian oak cask, +/-2023)
This malt from the Spanish Basque Country, while ‘Iberian oak’ suggests, I suppose, either Spain or Portugal. I don’t know if there’s any connection with Agot, another Basque malt, or with Bikkun, a very fine blended malt. Colour: light gold. Nose: lovely, with a mix of shoe polish and fireplace smoke, plus citron, peach, chamomile, and fresh cake. Quite surprising, but it works well on the nose, with a certain delicately smoky finesse. Mouth: both sharper and fruitier at the same time. A touch of burnt butter, then black pepper and pear eau-de-vie. Lastly, hints of liquorice allsorts mingling with herbal juice. Finish: not as short as one might expect, staying on the same notes, with a bit of burnt wood lingering. Comments: a quality bottle, though perhaps best enjoyed in San Sebastián or Bilbao.
SGP:652 - 78 points. |
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Sherishor 12 yo ‘Moscatel de Pasas’ (54.3%, OB, Spain, 1,400 bottles, +/-2024)
We’ve already enjoyed quite a few Sherishors. These are all Scottish malts, matured in Spain—here first in proper sherry casks of up to 50 years (not just ‘seasoned’ for the whisky trade), then in Moscatel ‘de Pasas’ casks, which I hadn’t come across until now. The grapes are sun-dried, which must further amplify the sweetness of these Muscats of Alexandria. Let’s brace ourselves… Colour: full gold. Nose: deep in passito territory, with also rancio, sultanas, and hazelnut cake, plus a touch of damp earth. So far, it remains fairly balanced. With water: zucchini flowers! Mouth (neat): well, ripe strawberries, ripe apricots, very ripe yellow plums, and about the annual dried grape output of a small Mediterranean country. The muscat character is much more pronounced on the palate, but that’s always the case with muscats, in my experience. Also some black pepper. With water: full-on muscat, though it feels more like petit grain (small-berry muscat). Slightly suffocating, but if you control the doses, it’s really enjoyable. Finish: long, same story, almost like ultra-fortified muscat at this stage. Comments: I much prefer the brilliant oloroso version at 54% (WF 87), but if you’ve got a sweet tooth, I won’t be the one to stop you. Spectacular, within this style.
SGP:751 - 83 points. |
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Morris of Rutherglen ‘Sherry Barrel’ (46%, Australia, +/-2023)
Apparently, they’ve used their ‘apera’ (aka Australian sherry) casks here, though it’s unclear whether proper ‘world sherry’ wine casks are really any worse than Spanish casks that were merely ‘seasoned’ in haste before being filled with whisky. Oh well, here we go making friends again… Colour: gold. Nose: almond croissants, shoe polish, two drops of blackcurrant syrup, praline, and a touch of juniper. Naturally quite ‘winesky,’ but it’s a pleasant nose. Mouth: more unexpected, with rubber and bell pepper, then lots of leather and tobacco before some peanut butter and gin (Australian, of course) make an entrance. A very unusual profile. Finish: rather long, a little dusty but not in an unpleasant way. Cherry stems and blackcurrant buds. Comments: it’s tricky to form a solid opinion on cases like this.
SGP:571 - 79 points. |
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Elch Whisky ‘Torfduett – Auflage 5’ (50.6%, OB, Germany, 2024)
We tasted one of these ‘Torfduett’ five years ago and liked it a lot. Just a reminder, last time I checked, ‘Torf’ meant ‘peat’, and ‘Duett’… well, you get the idea. Colour: gold. Nose: I haven’t got time to check whether this is German or Scottish peat, but the result is here, elegant, with remarkable balance between an initial rustic side (soot, wood, cardboard) and a mix of small herbs, flowers, and citrus. Borage and bergamot seem particularly present. With water: more fermentary, on fresh bread and ashes (straight from an old bread oven). Mouth (neat): smoky pepper and citrus strike first, then as they fade, a touch of smoked ham appears, along with those bergamots, juniper, cumin, and toasted black bread. With water: small flowers and berries emerge—cranberries and violets, for instance. Finish: rather long, with ashes making a return. Comments: I forgot to mention, they partly use acacia wood, and I think you can feel it. In any case, this baby seems less on rustic bread than the first batch we tried, but really, we like it.
SGP:564 - 86 points. |
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Kimchangsoo ‘Gimpo - The First Edition 2024’ (50.1%, OB, South Korea) 
We’ve already enjoyed a few whiskies from this very talented small distillery, and here comes their first truly official release. Colour: apricot. Nose: okay, let’s stop here—this is too beautiful, too surprising, too well-constructed (coffee – mango – black bread, who says better?). What I find particularly astonishing are the saffron notes—I don’t think I’ve ever nosed a malt with such a pronounced saffron character. And we’re talking about real saffron here, not the cheap stuff sold in tourist markets. With water: a little varnish, rhubarb, sorrel, and fir honey emerge. Mouth (neat): slightly less spectacular, but have you ever tasted a mix of mint, olives, liquorice, honey, black tea, and… saffron? I hadn’t. With water: the wood takes a very slight lead, but elegantly so—no complaints possible. Some unexpected notes of wild strawberries as well. Finish: fairly long, in line with the rest, with none of the usual pitfalls of young, boosted whiskies, such as excessive woodiness. It feels like everything was well controlled, perhaps during the cask selection. Black bread makes a comeback in the aftertaste, reclaiming its spot. Comments: this is a ‘thinking’ malt—it makes the drinker smarter. Yes.
SGP:562 - 90 points. |
Right, we’ve got one slot left, but we’ll need to find a malt that can stand up to this admirable little Korean. Maybe another Hautes-Glaces? That would allow us to return to France in First Class… |
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Domaine des Hautes-Glaces 2016/2024 (56.3%, Swell de Spirits, France, vin jaune, cask #234, 202 bottles)
Vin jaune, the fino of France (or is it the other way round?). Well, vin jaune is made from the Savagnin grape, not fortified, and aged under veil/flor without cask changes, much like those trendy ‘añada’ casks in Jerez. As for Domaine des Hautes-Glaces, no need for introductions. Colour: full gold. Nose: wait, is that coffee? Or rather Ethiopian mocha? I must say, I love this. Of course, there’s more—grilled walnuts, for instance—but we’ll wait until we add water to dig deeper. With water: lots of liquorice wood, chicory root, speculoos, nocino… and that green walnut from vin jaune that asserts itself. We love this. Mouth (neat): explosive and massive. Sultanas (feeling more like vin de paille/straw wine at this stage), walnut cakes, dried apricots. With water: its finest moment, almost like a top-tier dry white vermouth. Finish: very, very long, powerful, a bit rustic but oddly well-balanced. The walnut reigns supreme though. Comments: not all whiskies aged or finished in vin jaune casks are equal—we’ve had some proper ‘3-men whiskies’ before (one drinking the stuff, the other two holding him up). But this one…
SGP:662 - 89 points. |
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March 18, 2025 |
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A little trio of recent official Scapa
Scapa is not often tasted, except perhaps in the form of indie ‘Secret Orkneys’, which are always believed to be from Highland Park. Pernod Ricard has given the brand a bit of a boost in recent times, so it’s high time we discovered their new expressions…
(Scapa) |
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Scapa 10 yo (48%, OB, American oak, 2024)
Worth noting is the rising alcohol strength, which could—just an observation—suggest a focus on malt enthusiasts rather than the wider public, which seems increasingly drawn to lightness, if not outright superficiality, in all things. Right. Colour: gold. Nose: indeed, not the rather light and airy malt one might have expected a few years back; on the contrary, it has presence, even a certain weight, with spicy notes on the nose, sunflower oil, very ripe apple, orange cake, exotic fruit jam, as well as Sichuan pepper and even a wee touch of curry. Style-wise, it seems to lean somewhat towards that other great Orkney name. Mouth: very fruity but with a lovely mentholated touch, almost medicinal, certainly a little salty, though it remains on pineapple and apple. Gradually shifting towards allspice, with a bit of turmeric and caraway. A small spoonful of mashed potato. Finish: great length, beautifully stewed fruits complemented by spices—pepper, turmeric, nutmeg, mint, ginger… Roasted pineapple lingers in the aftertaste. Comments: I forgot to mention the honeyed side. This is very good, with active oak, no doubt about it. Glad to see Scapa back!
SGP:651 - 85 points. |
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Scapa 16 yo (48%, OB, American oak, 2024)
Same elements, same battle, same manoeuvre here, with active American oak. I quite like that they seem to aim to preserve a ‘house style’ across multiple expressions rather than veering off in all directions (cabernet, PX, IPA, merlot, mizunara—you get the idea). Colour: gold. Nose: this is rather amusing, as you really feel like you’re standing in front of the same whisky, just six years older. It’s therefore rounder, more on exotic fruit preserves (banana and mango), orange blossom, honeysuckle, marmalade, but also beach sand and a hint of ‘old cellar’. Very pretty, with even a touch of ‘oceanic melon’ à la B’laddich. Mouth: same sensations, almost a concentrated version of the 10-year-old in every dimension. Beautiful notes of quince paste, oranges, and citron. Careful—high drinkability index. Finish: long, lovely, on candied fruits (orange zest) with a touch of liquorice and mint. Comments: I find this really very good. Give this one some of your precious time, you do get a bit of active white oak, but you have to look for it.
SGP:651 - 87 points. |
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Scapa 21 yo (52.9%, OB, American oak, 2024)
Same comments—it’s clever to showcase what additional years will do rather than highlighting different wine finishes like others do. Rioja vs. Bordeaux? What’s the point in your malt whisky? Now, we just need to find out why they added 4.9% ABV… Who can explain the how and why of it all? Colour: gold. Nose: of course, not an issue in itself, but the higher strength does somewhat restrain the aromas, even if very ripe apples and crème de menthe are already jostling at the gate. Beautiful wafts of baked apples with honey and cinnamon. With water: still a little less expressive than the 16-year-old, perhaps a touch less singular, but the arrival of Williams pear eau-de-vie makes a convincing case. Mouth (neat): that ‘blocking’ effect is far less noticeable on the palate, and this is quite clearly 10 years + 6 years + 5 years. Some bitters appear, but the overall profile is dominated by apples and honey—a simple yet utterly divine combination. With water: still apples and honey, now joined by a bit of cinnamon, liquorice, and lemon. Very, very good. Finish: long, with more citrus and honey, and that damn Williams pear trying to take centre stage in the aftertaste. Comments: in any case, this lovely trio of 10, 16, and 21 tells a great story. The use of active oak is well-controlled—nothing to add. I really like this 21, even if it’s ‘just a bit pricey’.
SGP:651 - 88 points. |
Check the index of all Scapa we've tasted so far |
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March 17, 2025 |
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Some Irish whiskies to celebrate
St Patrick's Day |
I know, it’s not exactly original, but sometimes we settle down a bit without even meaning to. We’ll try to have a bit of everything, without going overboard—after all, there are zillions of new Irish brands, and we gave up trying to keep track of them all a long time ago. Fingers crossed for Midleton as well, celebrating its 200th anniversary, though it seems production will be paused from April to summer. |
(Grok) |
That seems to be the trend everywhere, and what’s happening in the USA probably isn’t helping matters. In any case, support for all distillers, all over the world. That said, the Irish too seem increasingly keen on seasoning their whiskies with wines and other assorted beverages… |
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Tullamore Dew ‘Cider Cask Finish’ (40%, OB, Irish blend, 50cl, +/-2024?)
A small bottle for €20 in shops, so perhaps not the glory of glories... Colour: gold. Nose: frankly, this is all about very ripe apples, with just a hint of damp cardboard, shortbread, and a touch of vanillin in the background. Perfectly inoffensive, which is already something. Mouth: apple compote, a little white pepper, then green tea and a dusting of cinnamon. Finish: short, with a slight bitterness and an aftertaste reminiscent of certain artisanal meads. A metallic touch, as often found in some entry-level Irish. Comments: quite acceptable if you enjoy well-ripened, even slightly wrinkled apples. Very chilled sparkling water or a few ice cubes should do it some good.
SGP:330 - 75 points. |
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Green Spot ‘Finished in Zinfandel Château Montelena’ (46%, OB, Irish single pot still, +/-2023)
Here we are in Midleton, with a Green Spot finished in Zinfandel (red) from Napa, California, and not Cabernet Sauvignon as many websites seem to suggest. As we write this, one might wonder whether the proportion of American wine in this whiskey (10%? 15%?) should be deducted from any potential tariffs imposed by D. Trump, should they ever apply to EU whiskies. Incidentally, we rather enjoyed its cousin, the version finished in Léoville Barton (WF 84). Colour: apricot. Nose: no doubt, this is well done, the red fruits don’t come rushing in like a dog in a bowling alley but rather express themselves through bay leaf, peonies, and hints of grenadine and apricot liqueur. Danish pastries, cassata… Mouth: but of course, this is good. Still very much a whiskey, the Zin brings fruitiness and softness rather than any pronounced spice—despite it apparently being French oak. Ripe apple reappears, along with muesli and even a touch of mustard oil. Nice. Finish: fairly long, becoming slightly more bitter at this stage but still very enjoyable. Peach leaves. Comments: we don’t have the Léoville and this Montelena side by side, but we’d say they’re on a similar level.
SGP:541 - 84 points. |
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Bushmills 10 yo ‘Vino Dulce Reserve’ (43%, OB, Irish single malt, 2024)
They call it ‘Reserve’ but it’s only a finishing. Vino dulce means sweet wine, and we don’t have any further details, except that it was probably Spanish sweet wine, given the spelling. Colour: straw. Nose: cane and agave syrups, then very ripe plums and tinned fruit cocktail. So yes, very, very ‘dulce’, compadre. Mouth: same impression, tinned fruit cocktail with a drizzle of molasses honey. Ultra-soft, feeling closer to 37.5% vol. than 43%. Finish: short, slightly syrupy, almost ointment-like. Comments: perfect for pouring over your… tinned fruit cocktail. Actually, not bad, but it lacks the exotic edge found in many Bushmills malts.
SGP:640 - 79 points. |
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Gold Spot 13 yo (46%, OB, Irish single pot still, Generations Edition, 2024)
This one’s been partially aged—not just finished—in Recioto della Valpolicella, a very rich Italian wine made from dried grapes, somewhat like passito or certain vins de paille. Not too sure how it differs from Amarone, but let’s move on—our Italian friends will correct us. Right, let’s dive in… Colour: gold with pink hues. Nose: not too far from its green cousin finished in Zinfandel. Soft, fruity, far from the excesses one might expect, more on dried figs, proper meadow honey, then the tropical fruits we were hoping for—ripe banana and tinned pineapple drizzled with butterscotch. Lovely touches of damp plaster and chalk in the background, keeping it from feeling flabby. Mouth: let’s forget how they put this together—it just works. Chocolate with rum-soaked raisins, then dates and figs, before a burst of very, very expressive maple syrup. Worth noting: while it does lean sweet, at no point do you feel the thick red wine itself. Finish: long, more caramelised and spiced. Fruitcake. Comments: I think this is a success.
SGP:751 - 85 points. |
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Waterford ‘Micro Cuvée Racines’ (50%, OB, Irish single malt, Foundations, 2024)
50% of this baby was aged in ex-red Bordeaux casks, so this isn’t Waterford’s usual ‘cask bill’. Not much news from Waterford lately, but we keep praying to St Emilion and, above all, St Amour for them. May their pause be temporary! (as is the case with so many in the business). Colour: straw. Nose: incredible, the freshness of the barley holds its ground masterfully against the Bordeaux. This is like stepping into a proper bakery (one that actually bakes its own bread) at 5:30 in the morning. Brings back student days—when we weren’t even in bed yet at that hour. Now, we’re already up. Just kidding! With water: still all about barley, barley, and more barley. Mouth (neat): but where’s Waldo? Indeed, where’s the Bordeaux gone? Not that we’re complaining, mind you, as we’re still on fruity bread, with little bits of apricot, pear, and citrus zest. Excellent. With water: little change, except for a tiny saline touch, almost maritime. Finish: same. Lovely bitter notes in the aftertaste. Comments: of course, it’s young, and of course, the Bordeaux cask was a concern—but not anymore. Still, this is to barley what Meursault is to Chardonnay. There.
SGP:551 - 89 points. |
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Dingle 2015/2024 (59.4%, OB, Irish single malt, Kirsch Import, oloroso, 348 bottles)
Colour: full gold. Nose: plenty of porridge, cocoa powder, tapioca, yeast, tobacco, toasted pecans… Doesn’t quite feel like a classic oloroso. With water: coriander and juniper seeds, fresh sawdust, freshly sawn pine wood, sauna oils… Almost like stepping into an Ikea, though in a good way. Mouth (neat): rich, creamy, very spicy, heavily marked by the wood. Cedar, cherrywood, fir, ginger, turmeric… With water: it wakes up to fruit, but the woody spices still rule the game. Finish: remains extreme, still wood-heavy and for quite a while. Comments: not the easiest to grasp, this Dingle—very, very peculiar. But don’t overthink it, it’s probably just me.
SGP:361 - 75 points. |
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Dingle ‘Single Malt Small Batch 5’ (46.5%, OB, Irish single malt, bourbon, PX & Madeira, 30,000 bottles, 2020)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: there’s a noticeable woodiness, but the foundation remains on oriental pastries, panettone, orange blossom, honey, sultanas, and fresh barley… Very, very nice! Mouth: yes, this is easier, fairly soft, well-balanced, yet with a deep fruity and pastry-like profile. Apple tart and crème brûlée, with hints of limoncello. Feels like it’s been at least three weeks since we last mentioned limoncello. Finish: rather long, fruity, more on pear liqueur. Apples and a certain woody tannicity return in the aftertaste. Comments: I find this little one very good, and above all, easier than its more imperious woody sibling.
SGP:551 - 83 points. |
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Teeling 15 yo (50%, OB, Irish single grain, 2023) 
A one-year finish in Sauvignon Blanc, and a bottle that looks very bourbon-like in presentation. Let’s hope no one in Europe gets them mixed up. And one has to wonder, at this point, whether Irish whisky can hold its own without the widespread use of wine casks of all kinds. Colour: pale gold. Nose: a lovely grain that reminds us of a little of old Lochside ‘grain’, very citrusy and vanilla-forward, then we have honeysuckle. You’ll say honeysuckle is abundant in Sauvignon Blancs like Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé, and you’d be right. With water: coconut water and vanillin. Bad news. Mouth (neat): really lacks body here, like many grains, even the better ones—unless they’ve aged in top-tier sherry casks. Not my thing at all, this flabbiness and ‘empty’ feel. With water: hello? A few traces of wood, very vanilla-heavy. Finish: very short. Comments: I owe Teeling an apology for picking this poor grain to taste on St Patrick’s Day, when we still have so many wonderful Teeling malts left to try properly. We’ll make up for it soon, promise—cross my heart...
SGP:520 - 65 points. |
Right, let's step it up... |
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Knappogue Castle 20 yo 2002/2022 (51.9%, LMDW Singapore, Ex-Libris, ‘Invisible Harps’, Irish single malt, cask #61910)
Matured in French oak from the Tronçais forest and finished in a sherry butt. Sherry butts are okay, right. It’s been ages since aficionados split into two camps—those who believe these superb Knappogue Castles are Bushmills, and those who think they’re Cooley. Last we heard, they’re still arguing, but we have our own little idea. By the way, the name of this bottling refers to a major work by Salvador Dalí… or so we imagine. Colour: deep gold. Nose: a sublime mango, banana, and pear cake, 50%/50%/50%, all drizzled with a honey and Sauternes sauce. Pure indulgence. With water: fresh-cut hay, chamomile, sunflower oil, chickpeas, and damp earth appear. Mouth (neat): Williams pear takes the lead. That usually suggests youth, but not here. Then come avocado, papaya, and guava, blended into a fresh purée over ice. Got a straw? With water: little change, except for a touch of greenness layering on top. Pear and peach skins. Finish: not very long, but always on those knockout Williams pears. Comments: not much to add.
SGP:651 - 90 points. |
By the way, can you have an Irish session without Redbreast? |
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Redbreast 25 yo 1997/2024 (57.6%, OB for The Whisky Exchange, cream sherry butt finish, cask #14143, 534 bottles)
This has been ‘hand selected,’ you understand—no AI required, not even some MS-Excel sheet. By the way, ‘cream’ sherries are what some used to call ‘sweet oloroso,’ essentially olorosos softened with PX. Some finos are also fortified with mosto/paxarette, but that’s probably not the case here. Colour: deep gold. Nose: you can tell right away that water will be needed—at this stage, it’s oddly leafy and rather blocked. With water: there it is—damp earth, mushrooms, walnuts, an old wine cellar, ancient casks, a touch of saltpetre, Maggi, lovage… all that. Mouth (neat): hints of gunpowder, black pepper from the pepper mill… Water feels essential here as well. With water: no kidding! The gunpowder note remains, but now comes a procession of dried fruits and earthy notes. We’re deep into sherry territory here, much closer to Andalusia than to County Cork. Finish: Chinese black mushrooms, espresso, and bitter chocolate. That gunpowder note lingers in the aftertaste. Comments: more of a fighter than a civilised, easy-going Redbreast that strokes you the right way. Love it or hate it—we love it.
SGP:462 - 89 points. |
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Bushmills 32 yo 1991/2024 (43.4%, Lucky Choice & The Auld Alliance, barrel, cask #8393, 96 bottles)
Blimey, a 32-year-old Bushmills! Back then, it was still distilled by Irish Distillers/Pernod Ricard, I imagine… Colour: pale gold (!?). Nose: this is Jamaican rum, perhaps an extremely old Appleton. Banana and mango juice mixed with olive oil, essence, and linseed oil. In short, utterly sublime. Mouth: great Scott, could you please summon both the anti-rumoporn battalion and the anti-maltoporn brigade immediately? To be clear, there’s a bit of wood at the start (black tea-ish), but then come waves of oils (rapeseed, olive) and, above all, stewed exotic fruits, which carry everything away—especially as we’re once again catapulted to Jamaica, with tar, black olives, a touch of solvent, and even seawater and clams. Bonkers. Finish: long, increasingly saline, maritime, and varnishy. Crazy. The aftertaste is more bitter, but who cares. Comments: with spirits like these, what happens after 30 has little to do with what happens before. indeed, a gratuitous statement, but aren’t we living in the post-truth era anyway? In any case, as George Costanza rightly said, it’s not a lie if you believe it.
SGP:571 - 92 points. |
Well, happy St Pat’! While we’ve enjoyed some fine Irish whiskies today, you may have also noticed that, along the way, we’ve had cream sherry, PX, Madeira, oloroso, Valpolicella, vino dulce, zinfandel, cider, and… bourbon. That’s right. |
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March 16, 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! |
More rums, looking for malternatives |
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The magnificent Jurançon vineyard with the Pyrénées in the background
(P. Carton, La Vie Economique du Sud-Ouest) |
Always with one or two aperitifs... |
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Kirk & Sweeney ‘Gran Reserva Superior’ (40%, OB, Dominican Republic, +/-2024)
We tasted the ‘Gran Reserva’ a few weeks ago, rather akin to coffee liqueur, though within a fairly modest style—yet relatively drinkable (WF 68). This ‘superior’ version is a little pricier, so in theory, it ought to be a little better. In theory… Colour: full gold. Nose: it’s very much on maple syrup and cane juice, with bitter almond liqueur, a few fermentary and tarry touches that are quite pleasant, and even a drop of diesel oil. Not unpleasant at all—quite the opposite. Mouth: disaster, it’s very sweet, though there are notes of burnt cane and caramel that are relatively enjoyable. This carries on with moscatel and Cointreau, even elderflower liqueur, always with heaps of sugar, though I must admit the aromatic profile, aside from that, is rather likeable. Just-roasted coffee. Finish: not very long but a little tiring, due to all that sugar making itself known. Comments: I’ll say it again—with ice, why not.
SGP: 731 - 72 points. |
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Chairman’s Reserve ‘The Forgotten Casks’ (40%, OB, St. Lucia, +/-2023)
We tasted an older batch six years ago, and it wasn’t bad at all (WF 80). Colour: deep gold. Nose: lovely nose, with varnish, a touch of solvent, hay, herbal teas, and some tea… Alas! The low strength makes it feel a thousand times more fragile than the marvellous single casks we’ve been tasting in recent months and years. A cappuccino and orange blossom note emerges a little later, mind you. Mouth: the real handicap here is the strength, though everything else is of very good quality—walnuts, liquorice, a mentholated touch, heather honey… But there’s also the impression that a little sugar or syrup has been added, even if that seems surprising. Finish: liqueur-filled chocolates and cooled tea. Alas, still too light and, in this case, short. Comments: a truly frustrating version, especially when single casks at natural strength can hit 90/100 without raising an eyebrow on this miserable little ‘blog’.
SGP: 631 - 79 points. |
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Père Labat ‘Réserve familiale’ (42%, OB, Marie-Galante, agricole, +/-2024)
Hand-cut canes, naturally. Colour: pale gold. Nose: full-on sugarcane, really full-on, with a mix of brown sugar, violets, hibiscus, jasmine, and a touch of caraway. It’s a nose close to the earth and the cane, yet also very pure and fresh. I really appreciate the near absence of wood, even though the maturity is fully present. Mouth: same combination, plus heather and pine honey. A bit of wood this time, though more in the style of acacia. Finish: fairly long, with the arrival of more classic dried fruit notes and a hint of coffee. Comments: I find this cuvée much better than other low-strength versions from previous years. Lovely aromatic precision.
SGP: 551 - 85 points. |
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Rhum J.M 9 yo 2014/2024 (54.8%, OB, Martinique, agricole, LMDW Foundations, cask #170350, 257 bottles)
Kirsch Import in Germany had some superb J.M 2014s two years ago. I’ve found recent releases to be rather oaky, in a modern style, but everything was very well controlled—never just plank juice. Colour: amber. Nose: varnished, very much in a ‘bourbon of rum’ style, but with a backbone of very ripe banana, menthol, and eucalyptus, which gradually take us elsewhere, towards liquorice in all its forms. With water: mosses, pine needles, salted butter caramel… Mouth (neat): very rich yet also tight, deeply liquorice-driven, with plenty of lemon, ristretto, and cedarwood. The oak spices are in charge. With water: water barely tames it, with star anise, nutmeg, and cinnamon fully taking control. Finish: long, spicy, oaky, but the distillate had enough personality to keep everything balanced throughout. Comments: a very fine bottle, but the opposite of the Père Labat indeed.
SGP: 561 - 86 points. |
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Bonne Mère 3 yo (52%, Vagabond Spirits & Multiverres Spirits, Harmony, Guadeloupe, +/-2025)
Finished for three months in an ex-sweet white Jurançon cask (love many white Jurançons). Bonne Mère, owned by La Martiniquaise, is based in Sainte-Rose, where I believe they produce traditional molasses-based rhum rather than cane juice-based agricole. Colour: pale gold. Nose: it’s soft, fresh, joyful, with plenty of cane juice notes but, above all, kilotons of fresh pineapple, mango, and guava. This is utterly spectacular and completely irresistible. With water: it’s worth noting that white Jurançon, whether dry or sweet, already displays such exotic notes, though always with a fine freshness, given its proximity to the Atlantic. Splendid nose, even if, in a way, this all feels a little pleonastic. Mouth (neat): this is fortified fruit juice, no way around it… This time, passion fruit takes the lead, followed by mango, pineapple, papaya, and blood orange. A true tropical pop concert. With water: naturally, the question becomes how much of this profile comes from the Jurançon cask. Finish: the same unstoppable fruitiness, with no missteps whatsoever, except for a slightly ‘hot’, more alcoholic aftertaste. Comments: bonne mère! as the Marseillais would say. Brilliant for making an exotic fruit cocktail without adding a single exotic fruit juice.
SGP: 831 - 87 points. |
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TDL 21 yo 2002/2024 (54%, Valinch & Mallet, Trinidad, 300 bottles)
Always with those lovely back labels (but which one is the label, and which is the back label, at the end of the day?). Colour: deep gold. Nose: it’s a bit like a TDL that kept a close eye on its old colleague Caroni and the styles it was producing back when the distillery was still operational. A mix of petroly and tarry notes on one side, and very, very ripe fruits on the other. And right in the middle, freshly picked mint leaves. With water: banana cake drizzled with honey and paraffin, or something along those lines. Mouth (neat): superb, powerful yet fresh, taut yet fruity, and above all, quite phenolic and almost salty, though we’re still far from the raw style of some batches from its former compadre. With water: rich, still with that sensation of extra-ripe banana, salted liquorice, and hints of tar. Finish: long, in perfect continuity, just with more black pepper and even a touch of chilli. Comments: a very, very fine bottle in an ultra-British style. Talking about rum, of course.
SGP: 652 - 89 points. |
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Hampden 1 yo 'LROK' (64.6%, OB, La Maison & Velier, The 8 Marks Collection, Jamaica, ex-bourbon, 20cl, 2024)
From this superb series showcasing Hampden’s different marks, first released as whites two years ago, then as 1-year-olds last year. LROK is a fairly light mark, corresponding to 150–400 grams of ester per HLPA. Colour: white wine. Nose: I love these well-balanced Hampdens that combine seawater, anchovies, olives, and a restrained mix of tar and glues. With water: old magazines stacked in a cellar and a hint of wet dog, yet it all remains very clean. Right, so a clean wet dog. Mouth (neat): it’s very good, but the style is still extremely ‘high-ester’, and at this strength, it could set your throat on fire. Best to avoid, I’d say… With water: now that’s excellent—smoky citrus and fat oysters with lemon, along with green olives and tar lurking in the background. Finish: long, very elegant, saline, smoky, lemony, and almost refreshing. That’s its main flaw—luckily, we only have (or rather had) 20cl of it. Comments: Hampden is truly a rum that doesn’t rely on age. I mean, it can be splendid at 0 years old or at 40. Few spirits have that talent.
SGP: 563 - 90 points. |
In general, the rum that goes best after a Hampden is another Hampden... |
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HD 2000/2024 (52%, The Whisky Jury, Jamaica, refill barrels, casks #42, 48, 75, 173 bottles)
We don’t think, in this context, that ‘HD’ stands for ‘Harley-Davidson’. By the way, we have a Road King 1994 for sale if anyone’s interested, as we no longer ride American. Though it does need a bit of a restart. And no, the bike has never been fuelled with cask strength whisky, rest assured. Oh, and it’s a first-hand owner. Colour: gold. Nose: absolutely stunning—fairly gentle, with honeyed smoked banana, ocean water, oysters, olives, whelks… There really is that maritime edge that sometimes makes us say Hampden = Ardbeg (just as Neisson = Macallan or Bielle = Springbank). But moving on… With water: it turns highly mineral, almost basaltic – and ballistic. Mouth (neat): oh yes—medicinal, lemony, tarry, very much like Ardbeg, and above all, packed with more olives than an olive tree before harvest. With water: fruity resins of all kinds. Absolutely perfect. Finish: same story, lasting a good while, with tar putting up quite a fight and a bright lemon shining through in the aftertaste. Comments: how could anyone resist these rums? Should we even try?
SGP: 563 - 91 points. |
Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far |
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March 14, 2025 |
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Honourable amends:
A small trio of young Glencadam |
We admit, we were a bit harsh with some recent wine-enhanced Glencadam NAS releases, so today we’ll try to make amends—especially since we know that Glencadam can be absolutely excellent. Let’s see what we have on the table…
Glencadam Distillery (Glencadam) |
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Glencadam ‘Origin 1825’ (40%, OB, The Rather Elegant, +/-2017)
This little NAS has matured (presumably for a very short time) in first-fill bourbon casks before being finished in second-fill sherry casks. Never tried this one before. Colour: gold. Nose: I quite like it, it’s full of sweets, Fanta, pear juice, and liqueurs of pineapple and banana. A few light touches of nail polish remover. Mouth: pear cake and over-brewed tea, then white pepper and a handful of green walnuts. Finish: short, rather oaky, with apples, ale, and toasted malt. A slightly bitter aftertaste. Comments: not sure this is the most ‘rather elegant’ of Glencadams, but I find it quite pleasant and well within the realm of other entry-level offerings from Speyside.
SGP:551 - 80 points. |
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Glencadam 9 yo ‘A Dream of Scotland’ (52.6%, Brühler Whiskyhaus, bourbon, cask #287, 2020)
Here we are a little south of Cologne, Germany. Very amusing label—let’s see if this young Glencadam is as stratospheric as it suggests. Colour: gold. Nose: vanilla, varnish, and apple tart, then tinned mirabelles and marzipan. At this stage, I can’t detect the slightest flaw, it’s pinpoint precise. With water: hints of papier-mâché, otherwise it stays on yellow fruits and vanilla cake. A little butter croissant. Mouth (neat): lovely nervous power, with more apple, then grass and fresh barley. Notes of butterscotch, Werther’s Originals, a touch of praline, with rather chatty ethanol—but that doesn’t bother us in the slightest. With water: apples, pears, and a little caramel and black tea. Finish: medium length, pleasant, nicely malty. Comments: perhaps not the most extroverted personality, but we really like this little dream, which has no real flaws.
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
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Glencadam 10 yo 2012/2022 (59.8%, OB, bourbon barrel, cask #3686, 256 bottles)
We haven’t tasted many official vintage Glencadams. Colour: straw. Nose: very close to barley, crème brûlée, overripe apple, and quince tarte Tatin. No need to say, this is really lovely. With water: a bit of fresh plaster, plus Parisian baguette (no, no relation!) and still those stewed quinces. Mouth (neat): creamy, typically on vanilla and banana, unmistakably ‘fresh bourbon’, with a development towards mango ice cream. Now that’s delightful. With water: perfect. Admittedly simple, but I imagine that was part of the brief. Finish: rather long, on peppered overripe apples. A touch drying in the aftertaste. Comments: a classic composition, yet rather perfectly executed. We’ll try to hunt down some older official vintages in the coming months.
SGP:551 - 86 points. |
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March 13, 2025 |
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Whiskyfun's mixed bags
A few disguised Scottish malts
We'll just enjoy them quickly, without bothering to try to find out where they're from.
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Update: As has been suggested to us many times since we published this, observing clues, such as drawings representing distilleries, allowed us to leave no doubt about certain origins. We just didn't have the time... |
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Secret Speyside 14 yo 2008/2023 (55.6%, Tri Carragh, second fill sherry hogshead, 305 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: lovely, honeyed, with a light earthy and yeasty touch, biscuits, raisin rolls, and fig leaves. With water: little change, just a bit more yeastiness and some notes of infused tea leaves. Mouth (neat): really good, malty, in the style of Glenfarclas, a bit thick and oily. Touches of gunpowder. With water: cherry stalk tisane and a drop of blackcurrant cream. Finish: fairly long, slightly herbal. Blackcurrants, pepper, cherries in eau-de-vie, and a touch of pine needles. Comments: a bit rustic, but I find this really very good—the worst part is that it’s probably better than the official version of a similar age.
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
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Secret Speyside 13 yo 2008/2022 (52.3%, Roger’s Whisky Co., bourbon cask, cask #41, 283 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: surprising to find gunpowder notes in an ex-bourbon cask; this must be one of those naturally sulphury Speysiders. Beyond that, peach, ripe apple, banana, and croissants. With water: it swims beautifully, becoming more floral. Mouth (neat): this feels very ‘Dufftown’. Peppery, waxy, and fruity (white fruits). With water: excellent, with the arrival of a slightly saline edge. Orgeat syrup. Finish: fairly long and even lovelier. Pear and almond tart with a drizzle of honey, and still that touch of sea breeze, somewhat Highland Park-like. Comments: excellent. Wait, Highland Park isn’t in Speyside, is it? A shame—it might have been interesting for the distillery’s name to appear here. Just saying.
SGP:551 - 86 points. |
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Secret Speyside 15 yo 2007/2022 (51.8%, The Whisky Agency for Tiffany’s New York Bar and Hong Kong Whisky Festival, hogshead, 120 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: pure cassata and fresh panettone. An abundance of fresh white nougat, dandelion flower confit (a guilty pleasure), and juicy sultanas. Holy Suzy! With water: I’m now thinking of small white pears. Mouth (neat): a touch of smoke, litres of lemon juice, massive Timut pepper, and… a tiny cup of pu-ehr tea. With water: barely any changes, although the quinces start to rise to the surface. Finish: long and very much about quinces and pepper. It’s an unusual combination, but it works brilliantly. Comments: surprise, surprise. I adore this little Hong Kong baby.
SGP:562 - 88 points. |
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Distilled at a Speyside Distillery 15 yo 2009/2024 (54.9%, Watt Whisky, hogshead, 318 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: the rich and slightly sulphury style previously mentioned returns, with orchard fruits and a very, very subtle earthy note plus a hint of ham rind. No worries, it’s perfect. With water: wow, things get lively! Leather and herbal teas, tomato leaf, bay leaf… Mouth (neat): a rich, fruity, and peppery attack, with loads of green apples. The pepper is massive—you could almost use it as a condiment. For example, on Scottish smoked salmon. With water: yes, perfect, very active, spicy, and peppery, with honey-coated capers. This means business. Finish: long and rich. Fruit peels and paraffin, with marked pepper in the aftertaste. Comments: truly beastly, this middle-aged Speysider.
SGP:462 - 87 points. |
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A Speyside Distillery 13 yo 2009/2023 (53.2%, Duckhammer’s for Wu Dram Clan, hogshead, cask #200929, 326 bottles)
This one is said to be ‘peated’. Several ex-Seagram distilleries did peat at some time, but Benriach is the most famous of them. We’ve always thought results were ‘average’, but let’s see… Colour: pale gold. Nose: you can indeed detect a smoky layer, reminiscent of charcoal and next-morning fireplace ashes. For now, it feels a bit closed. With water: much better, with a fresh bread note accompanied by smoked ham and salted butter. We’re starting to feel hungry… Mouth (neat): much better than the nose, even if it’s simple and direct. Lemon and ashes. With water: now this is good—proof that we’re edging towards the style of a young Caol Ila. All it needs are crabs and oysters. Still, the ashes keep a firm grip. Finish: rather long, leaning more towards pickled gherkins. Comments: very nice, but 1. we don’t know the distillery, and 2. it doesn’t quite feel like a Speyside, naturally. Perhaps good for marinating salmon? Trout? Caviar?
SGP:465 - 83 points. |
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Speyside Region 27 yo 1991/2018 (48.5%, Whisky-Fässle, hogshead)
No, this can’t be true—where have the ducks gone from the label? Let’s be clear, we love Whisky-Fässle, its whiskies, and its ducks. Colour: pale gold. Nose: one word springs to mind—elegance. The elegance of ripe apples, the elegance of soft honeys (acacia), and the elegance of baked yellow and white fruits (peaches, apricots, quinces). It’s like a top-tier white from Pessac-Léognan, aged ten or fifteen years, no less. Mouth: the same impression of elegance, but with more citric, rooty, and herbal tension. Ginseng, turmeric, ginger, radish, grapefruit… It tingles a bit, but it’s for your own good. Finish: long, with similar notes but leaning even more towards salty root flavours. Perhaps samphire. Comments: it’s funny how the palate feels so different from the nose. Very good in any case—and I’ve no clue what this could be, I admit.
SGP:561 - 88 points. |
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Speyside 25 yo 1998/2023 ‘Elderly Elvis Tilting #2’ (55.4%, Dramfool, bourbon barrel, cask #4406979, 246 bottles)
What-iz-dat? Perhaps some fun… Colour: gold. Nose: a classic nose, focused on apples and chalk, with subtle hints of coconut in the background. Water should wake it up… With water: yes, not bad—pistachios emerge, along with almond milk and a pleasant touch of green tea. Mouth (neat): lovely, fairly powerful, but quite cask-driven, with plenty of green pepper. Feels a bit like Glen Spey or Glendullan (and we love them both, love them guys!). With water: yes, it’s nice—simple, classic, malty—a very good ‘filler’. Finish: fairly long, more herbal, with delightful pear notes and some white pepper in the aftertaste. Comments: very pretty, though I didn’t quite get the link to Elvis—then again, Elvis isn’t really my thing anyway.
SGP:441 - 84 points. |
Update: silly me, the name was an anagram. But of course. To whom this may concern, thanks! |
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Secret Highland Distillery 11 yo 2012/2024 (53.3%, Acla Selection, Ski Ladies, refill butt, cask #62491)
Magnificent label, almost Art Deco, and for once it ties in with the bottler and their local surroundings. Colour: white wine. Nose: just drop everything. The purity of the malt shines through, with wax and fresh citrus. With water: apple and quince juice. Mouth (neat): well yes, white cherries, citron, beeswax, mirabelles… With water: it’s fresh, it’s perfect. Beautiful touches of gentian (also quite local). Finish: moderately long but flawless, waxy and fruity (green, white, and yellow fruits). Comments: how good is this young ‘C’! I don’t know if there’s any left, but at around €55, forget Netflix and secure yourself 3 or 6 bottles immediately. Limit 88 points.
SGP:651 - 87 points. |
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Highlands 12 yo (40%, Canmore, Charles Edge London, bourbon & sherry, +/-2023)
Whoops, it certainly takes some serious co**nes to present a 12-year-old Highland malt at 40% ABV. But let’s see—after all, the highly praised Macallan 1938 ‘red ribbon’ was also bottled at 40% (a completely rubbish argument, S.). Colour: gold. Nose: it whispers, but it whispers rather nicely. Ripe apples, mild ale, liquorice, dried figs… Quite pleasant. But you and I both know that it’s on the palate where the real test lies… Mouth: well, blow me down—it’s good, and not even remotely weak. I’m surprised. Lovely pepper, walnuts, butterscotch, roasted pecans, peanut butter… Well, I’ll be. Finish: even the finish is very decent, well-constructed, with no flabbiness. Walnut cake and a small glass of palo cortado sherry with a touch of saline elegance. Comments: the worst part is that this baby at 40% comes after several cask-strength malts. One must now bow in respect and offer an honourable apology—well played, Charles Edge of London!
SGP:562 - 85 points. |
The tenth will be the last one for today... There will still be plenty left to enjoy later... |
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Secret Highland Malt 21 yo 2000/2022 (54%, Liquid Treasures, peated bourbon hogshead, cask #63, 319 bottles)
From what I gather, it’s the hogshead that was peated, not the distillate, correct? Colour: gold. Nose: pleasant if a bit undefined. Flint, sulphur, porridge, spent matches, an old sea captain’s coat, spent fireworks, and extinguished ashes à la Ardmore… It’s truly austere and most likely not Ardmore. With water: an old Zippo lighter. Mouth (neat): still those spent matches—it’s extremely intense on the ‘sulphur’ front. You have to like that sort of thing, especially as this profile is very rare when not from an ex-wine cask (sherry is wine, in case you hadn’t noticed—ha, sorry). With water: some wax and oranges try to steer it back on the right track, but honestly, it’s a hopeless mission. Finish: long, very sulphury. Comments: I struggle to understand this—it must be me. There are some redeeming qualities, and we know Liquid Treasures has delivered countless gems over the years. Honestly, I’m sure they did this on purpose to tease us a little and test our resilience. Well played—it worked perfectly. Or perhaps it was the Y2K bug that struck. Hugs.
SGP:363 - 70 points. |
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March 12, 2025 |
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WF’s Little Duos, today Dalmore and some red wine
To be honest, what we always look for first and foremost in Dalmore are the magnificent notes of orange that usually refresh the palate from the initial taste to the tail of the finish. Sometimes, these notes linger even when the sherry or other wine cask influence is very pronounced, even completely dominant. That said, Dalmore generally uses quality casks, which certainly helps when you’re following or have followed a hyper-premiumisation strategy. Besides, I find whisky enthusiasts/geeks/experts a bit too harsh on Dalmore in general, but let’s move on... |
Mary Queen of Scots
(Kelvingrove Art Gallery
and Museum, Glasgow) |
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Dalmore ‘Cigar Malt Reserve’ (44%, OB, +/-2024)
A NAS version matured in old Matusalem sherry casks (naturally old ,with a name like that) at 70%, plus 20% bourbon and 10% cabernet sauvignon, the latter supposedly not causing any particular issues at this dosage. We last tasted this expression back in 2012, though at the time, it apparently didn’t feature any cabernet sauvignon according to the brand’s website (back then). Colour: apricot. Nose: rather lovely, led by praline and maple syrup at first, before the raisins barge in and take over, though with a certain elegance. Heaps of Jaffa cakes, a touch of menthol and a hint of wood smoke round things off. Not bad at all, even without a cigar. Mouth: a leathery side, young bark, and quite a dominant green walnut note, followed by very dry raisins, then chocolate and pepper. Some orange marmalade shows up as well, along with a sweet-and-salty touch. Finish: fairly long but distinctly more bitter. Aubergines, bell peppers, and those green walnuts lingering on. Comments: I found it so-so thirteen years ago, but today this new version feels quite pleasant, despite the bitterness in the finish. Blame the cabernet?
SGP:561 - 84 points. |
One day on a boat (don’t ask), Master Richard Paterson explained to me where the name ‘marmalade’ supposedly came from. Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland and France, felt unwell while eating jam, and her entourage exclaimed in French: ‘Marie est malade!’ (Mary is sick!). To anglophone ears, ‘Marie est malade’ sounded like ‘marmalade’. However, after some fact-checking, it seems this story is somewhat debatable, dear Richard, but let’s move on—it’s still a charming tale... |
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Dalmore 12 yo 2012/2024 (55.8%, Berry Bros. & Rudd, butt + Barolo finish, cask #3577, 304 bottles)
Holy Mary, some Nebbiolo from Barolo! I do love Barolo, but I’ve witnessed some proper clashes between Barolo and whisky before, and let’s be honest, the combo can sometimes feel ‘Hawaiian pizza’. Colour: onion peel. Nose: heavily marked by the bold Italian wine, though without any real clash. Hints of rose petals, boiled sweets, and canned lychees, almost like a short-macerated gewürztraminer. Then come peonies, sultanas, and the blood oranges I promised earlier, followed by a clear ‘winery’ note. With water: much the same. Mouth (neat): mirrors the nose, with ultra-pronounced vinosity and a punch of black pepper. With water: blackberry and raspberry liqueurs, plums, plus marmalade and a hefty dose of pepper and liquorice. Finish: long, with even more pepper, liquorice, and prunes. A return of violets in the aftertaste. Comments: Berry Bros. are legendary wine merchants, so naturally, they can spell ‘Barolo’ properly, unlike some of their whisky-only peers. No, I won’t name names.
SGP:661 - 84 points. |
To be honest, we still don’t really know what to make of this recent invasion of whisky by red wine. Nor of ‘Doritos’ strategies in general... |
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March 11, 2025 |
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A lovely little bag of eight Bowmore
Let's see, how are we going to sort all this out?...
(Bowmore in the 1920s - Bowmore)
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Bowmore 12 yo ‘Sherry Oak Cask’ (40%, OB, 2024)
Alas, the 21-year-old version left me a little cold last year (WF 83), in any case, it wasn’t quite where I expected it to be. This is indeed an oloroso finish rather than full maturation, hence that slightly ‘patched-together’ feel. Colour: gold. Nose: well, well, they’ve almost recreated the 1985 style, with lavender-scented eau de toilette and even dried lavender thrown into a roaring fireplace. That said, it then shifts back to a more typical profile, more maritime, with freshly ground coffee straight from the packet. A touch of cured ham. Mouth: once again, we’re hurled twenty-five years back in time, this time with lavender-infused chocolate taking centre stage. It’s really quite amusing, especially as blood oranges start to emerge alongside an increasingly assertive salinity. Finish: curiously long given the strength, yet that perfumed quality keeps coming back. Comments: hmm, once again, that ‘collage’ effect, but of course, it remains interesting and certainly not bad at all. Hey, it’s Bowmore!
SGP:454 - 80 points. |
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Bowmore 8 yo 2016/2024 (46%, Douglas Laing Provenance, refill barrel, cask #DL19081, 316 bottles)
There are often some lovely ‘au naturel’ things in this small range, which has usually been very well priced. Colour: white wine. Nose: oh, it’s been a while since I found this much olive oil in a whisky. No need to say I love it, so let’s head straight to the palate… Mouth: brine, smoked water, oysters, lemon, and once again olive oil, though in much more reasonable quantities. A touch of paraffin. Finish: long, it’s almost seawater with a bit of boat engine oil and lemon. Impeccable, it’s almost got the taste of Loch Indaal’s water. Comments: no need to say it knocks the official 12 out in the first round.
SGP:466 - 89 points. |
Right, we might as well get the next one out of the way straight away... |
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Bowmore 10 yo ‘Inspired by the Devil’s Casks Series’ (46%, OB, oloroso sherry casks & red wine barriques, travel retail, +/-2017)
A rather amusing example of circular marketing. It’s true that there were some excellent ‘Devil’s Casks’ expressions entirely matured in oloroso, though I don’t believe there was any red wine involved. Colour: full gold. Nose: oh, this is funny, starting with Tesla exhaust fumes (hey, we can joke, right?), then tar, soot, coffee, ham, and dark chocolate. A little blackcurrant, though in very reasonable amounts. Mouth: it’s good, despite some dissonant touches in the background, like charcoal-smoked strawberries, but nothing too disruptive. The rest is rather nice, with oranges, soot, peat smoke, Périgord walnut liqueur (why not), and slightly peppery maple syrup. Finish: fairly long, on ashes, bell pepper, bitter oranges, juniper, leather… Comments: a bit unlikely on paper, but in reality, it’s been done with a certain finesse. We’re now waiting for the next Bowmore ‘Inspired by the 10-year-old that the first Devil’s Casks inspired.’ Always some good fun to be had in travel retail…
SGP:565 - 85 points. |
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Bowmore 21 yo 2001/2023 ‘Guianova’ (50.8%, The Antelope Macau for Casky 5th Anniversary, refill barrel, cask #80011716, 167 bottles)
Casky’s an awesome whisky bar in Hong Kong. Colour: straw. Nose: right, tropical fruits. Namely, mango and passion fruit. I reckon they must have made a stencilling error at the distillery—this must be a 1971, not a 2001. Anyway, an utterly dazzling nose. With water: fresh seaweed, seawater, langoustines, tangerines. Still sheer class. Mouth (neat): I swear, 1971. Mangoes, tiny pink bananas, seawater, clams, Sichuan pepper, and pink grapefruit. Frankly, we’re a bit stunned. With water: and it swims beautifully, with a saline explosion and a dozen assorted oysters drizzled with lemon and properly petroly Alsatian Riesling. Finish: not eternal but of great beauty, fresh and maritime. Comments: an absolute scandal, this stencilling mistake. Watch out if you’re passing through Hong Kong—this goes down like mother’s milk.
SGP:755 - 92 points. |
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Bowmore 26 yo 1997/2024 (52.8%, The Antelope 5th Anniversary, refill hogshead, cask #161221, 198 bottles)
Seems like everyone was celebrating their 5th Anniversary at the same time in the Greater Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Bay. Colour: chardonnay. Nose: here we have a peatier Bowmore, less expansive but still crystalline, medicinal, heavily smoky, packed with flint, petrol, engine oil, eucalyptus, limestone, and slate… With water: now fresh fougasse emerges, and we love that. Also a touch of plaster and a hint of casein. Mouth (neat): let’s just say it—this is the style we were expecting. Taut, austere, fairly dry, full of smoke and ashes, shellfish, and all things saline. Grapefruit skin (mind the pesticides). With water: citrus barges in, bringing along its mates, clams and whelks. A rather soft pepperiness. Finish: long, with curious hints of gin and ginger. Lovely aftertaste of lemon and oysters. Comments: less extravagant than its 2001 counterpart, more complex, perhaps more intellectual. Honestly, we love both, but the 2001 had that extra ‘wee wow’ factor.
SGP:555 - 91 points. |
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Bowmore 27 yo 1997/2024 (53.1%, Tri Carragh, release 06, butt, 144 bottles)
No-frills packaging, which is always nice. Colour: straw/light gold. Nose: more on garden fruits, barley, dandelions, a small handful of sultanas, chalk, cement, candle wax, then grapefruit… This baby is noticeably more discreet than the previous ones, more restrained, perhaps more ‘well-mannered’, if that expression still means anything these days. With water: classic Islay, raw wool, Islay mud, and sliced white bread from the Bowmore SPAR (sadly closed now, I’ve learned! Apparently, it’s a Co-op these days, but I’m clearly behind the times). Mouth (neat): big bang on citrus and peppers, then coffee (must be the butt) and almost-burnt walnuts. A rather unexpected hint of youthful eau-de-vie. Eau-de-vie distilled by the ocean, of course. With water: just perfect, very saline. Loads of brine. Finish: long, peppery, with an ever-present brininess. Comments: in the end, it revealed a bit of a cheeky side over time. Still splendid.
SGP:566 - 90 points. |
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Bowmore 35 yo 1989/2024 (50.1%, Douglas Laing, Xtra Old Particular, The Queen & King Black Diamond Collection, refill hogshead, cask #188391, 238 bottles)
In a way, this is the top of the top of the top of the top range from Douglas Laing. The 1989 vintage at Bowmore, in our humble experience, can be a little ‘odd’, in that mid-1980s style, or simply sublime and already leaning towards the ‘modern Bowmore’ profile of the early 1990s, which can be superb. Let’s see… Colour: straw (eh!). Nose: hard to pinpoint and describe. Lots of rapeseed oil, a touch of high-end shampoo, cider, Sauvignon Blanc, wool and Woolite, raspberry liquorice (that must exist, right?) … In short, all rather unusual and perhaps a little fragile. With water: all sorts of waxes, papers, and cardboard. Mouth (neat): the raspberry note is even more pronounced. Raspberry yoghurt, raspberry white chocolate, then small shellfish and a curiously graceful and fruity peat. Waxed paper. With water: indeed, a bit fragile, but very beautiful, like an old painting (or an old democracy) that just needs a little restoration. Fruit bread (strawberries, apricots) … Finish: medium length, with a rather unique saline and fermentary fruitiness. Sweet and sour. Comments: it’s not impossible that this very charming malt whisky has started to suffer the inevitable ravages of time, but for now, it retains an utterly unique charm. You know what I mean, right? Like an old black-and-white film…
SGP:563 - 90 points. |
One last little one, still backwards, so to speak... |
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Bowmore 1974/1990 (43%, Moon Import, The Birds II, 600 bottles)
The 1964/1987 The Birds I at 46% was phantasmagorical (WF 94), the 1962/1992 ‘crest’ a little disappointing (WF 89), and the 1957/1990 ‘crest’ perfect (WF 92). But here we are, having never formally tasted this 1974/1990—high time we did. In any case, it’s always an immense joy to add these yet-to-be-tasted old glories to a friendly verticale. It’s all a matter of perspective, you see. Colour: full gold. Nose: there’s something here we don’t find in any Bowmore today—those old massage oils, ointments, camphor, but also paraffin, dried apricots, peppermint, mead, fresh hazelnuts, baklava, resinous wood ashes, mint tea, buttery caramel, old books, inks, vintage magazines… You’re right, it’s going in all sorts of directions, but the charm is immense. Long live chaos in our whiskies! (right?) Mouth: these early 1970s vintages are not always easy to pin down, as their style could vary significantly—some extending the 1960s profile, others not. Here, it’s beautifully saline, perhaps a bit fragile at 43% after all these years, but overall, it’s an unfathomably delicate maritime whisky, almost evoking the deepness of the Mariana Trench (what?). Small citrus fruits, pistachio oil, fruit peels, camphor and eucalyptus, shellfish, almost cosmetic-like smoke… You see, it’s pure lace. Finish: not very long, light, but stunningly elegant. An afternoon on a northern Brittany beach in the Roaring Twenties—or something along those lines. Comments: absolutely sublime, but why, oh why, didn’t they stick to 46% ABV in 1990 at Moon Import? Yes, I know, that’s nitpicking at its finest.
SGP:454 - 91 points. |
(Thank you very mucho, Fuji and Thierry!) |
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March 10, 2025 |
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WF’s Little Duos, today young Aberlour |
We’re trying to catch up with the A'bunadh, but every time we taste a batch, another one comes out — it’s a real curse. A'bunadh was hugely successful among malt enthusiasts when it launched in the late 1990s because the selling point — “we blend very old whiskies with younger ones, which is why there’s no age statement” — seemed credible twenty-five years ago, and quite possibly was! Of course, with the rise of NAS whiskies, we now laugh ourselves silly at that. On the other hand, no one dares use that kind of selling point these days — or so it seems. Oh, and A'bunadh? Still tastes great. |
Filling your own bottle of 'Aberlour Glenlivet' at the
Distillery in 2003 (MM Archive, Krishna Nukkala) |
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Aberlour 12 yo 'Double Cask Matured' (40%, OB, +/-2024)
It’s the usual bourbon and sherry combo, a proper old-school classic. We did quite enjoy a batch from 2020 (WF 84), which felt rather serious despite the now somewhat unfashionable low strength. By the way, the packaging has changed since 2020. Colour: deep gold. Nose: classic Aberlour fruitiness, with cherries and other stone fruits, touches of varnish and kirsch, along with marzipan (the kirsch-laced kind!) and a few amaretti. Some panettone shows up too – you know how much we love panettone, don’t you? And there’s even a hint of mirabelle eau-de-vie, that typical one from France’s Eastern Marches. Mouth: drier and more on the woody side now, with notes of tobacco, dark chocolate and bitter orange. A handful of raisins pop up as well, but it’s noticeably drier this time, though still very pleasant. It feels less of an ‘allrounder’ compared to the last batch. Finish: not that short, fairly oaky, still carrying tobacco and chocolate, plus a faint leathery touch. Some walnuts in the aftertaste. Comments: if a little bitterness doesn’t scare you off, this offers very good bang for your buck.
SGP:451 - 85 points. |
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Aberlour ‘A’bunadh Batch #80’ (61%, OB, Spanish oloroso butts, 2023)
Good grief, we’re always running behind – this one came out in 2023! The last batch we tasted, back in December 2024, was #77, which had also been released in 2023. We’ll never catch up, shall we? The market’s probably already on batch #85! Colour: deep gold. Nose: powerful, rounded and, as expected, heavily on fruitcake. Lovely notes of beeswax coat the whole thing. I think we’d better add water straight away… With water: plenty of fresh glue, fig leaves, freshly sawn wood, ground coriander seeds and raw chocolate, all still wrapped in that lovely beeswax. The fruitcake notes aren’t as exuberant as anticipated, but who’s complaining? Mouth (neat): ultra-powerful, and once again dominated by walnut wine and bitter orange zest. Truth be told, we’re quite fond of this style, though we know water can completely turn things around… With water: here comes the malty sweetness, dried figs, currants, fir honey and a good dollop of marmalade. This is when it really starts to shine. Finish: long, spicier and simply more ‘oloroso’, though perhaps just a tad too spicy. Comments: in my humble opinion, this remains a lovely beast, nearly up there with its ancestor, Aberlour ‘100 proof’, one of the great NAS bottlings from the mid-1990s.
SGP:561 – 87 points. |
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March 9, 2025 |
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About ten spring rums with plenty great ones
Just a bit more rum of all kinds, as spring approaches in the Northern Hemisphere. And we’re starting with apéritifs…
(Montebello) |
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Guatemala Rum ‘Gran Reserva’ (40%, Rum Nation, +/-2023)
Here we are in Zacapa territory, with a young little rum that should be very sweet on the palate… Colour: gold, thick texture – it moves like oil. Nose: a very pretty nose, mainly on blood oranges and light acacia honey, with tangerines emerging thereafter. Highly seductive, no doubt about that, though without the somewhat heady aromatic side found elsewhere. Mouth: oily, very sweet, on cane syrup blended with tangerine juice and honey. It’s a bit ‘too much’ when sipped neat like this, but plenty of ice should make it more enjoyable and less cloying. Not that we’ll try, as that’s not how we operate. At least it isn’t overloaded with coffee. Finish: short, sweet. Honey, dates, cane syrup, and maple syrup. Comments: not at all our preferred style, but within this genre, undoubtedly a fine success. With ice.
SGP:730 - 75 points. |
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The Duppy Share ‘XO’ (40%, OB, Barbados, +/-2024)
Rather loved the other ones by Duppy Share, one was a Jamaican, the other one a blend of Bajan and Jamaican rums. Colour: rich gold. Nose: extremely aromatic yet elegant, let’s say a mix of triple sec, juniper, Timut pepper, and fresh cane juice. It’s an unusual nose, almost giving the impression that pink pepper has been added. Mouth: hmm, this doesn’t feel very natural—there’s even more pink pepper on the palate, along with pineapple liqueur and sweet gin. Very surprising, though not unpleasant. Finish: rather long due to all these peppery liqueurs, but once again, ice is an absolute must. But then, watch those intake levels… A touch of quinquina in the aftertaste. Comments: a humorous rum, shall we say. My favourite Duppy Share remains the Jamaican white, by far.
SGP:740 - 72 points. |
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Beenleigh 7 yo ‘Platypus Edition’ (43%, FRC, Australia, +/-2024)
This baby aged for 5 years in ex-bourbon on location and was then finished for 2 years in sherry wood in Europe. As for the platypus, it filled our childhood years—we loved seeing pictures of that bizarre creature from the Antipodes in National Geographic. I would add that its face also reminds us of certain Hollywood actresses who are no longer in the prime of their youth and who may have gone a bit overboard with plastic surgery. Right. Colour: gold. Nose: very typical, on old leathers and fresh tar, then modelling clay, cocoa powder, and cloves. Some metal polish. A very different profile, for sure. Mouth: brilliantly unusual, with flavours that rarely come together—thyme, tar, ashes, juniper berries, bitter oranges, the bitter nuts from sherry, plenty of green pepper, and even a faint peaty touch. Finish: long, tarry, and peppery, with Campari and oak bitterness in the aftertaste. Comments: a strange beast indeed. The choice of label design and name suits the rather unusual style of this rum perfectly.
SGP:462 - 85 points. |
Since we were in Australia... |
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Cargo Cult ‘Navy Strength Batch No.1’ (54.5%, Small Batch Spirits Company, blended rum, Australia, +/-2024)
An intriguing blend of 3 yo pot still rums from Fiji and Papua New Guinea, done in Australia and shipped to us. We're not going to look at the carbon footprint, are we? First time we’re trying rum from Papua New Guinea, hurray! Colour: light gold. Nose: the Fijian roars and hits you with its smoky and petroly profile. South Pacific Distillery for sure. Add green olives and a touch of custard laced with white chocolate, and you’ve got an excellent composition. With water: clearly in a Jamaican-Guyanese style. Love those wafts of fresh pleather. Mouth (neat): obviously excellent. The Fijian element is top-notch, leading the whole with its usual profile (you know, olives, seawater, tar, solvents), while some superb citrus adds a touch of softness (right?). With water: honeyed and smoky touches. Finish: long, maritime, and still tarry, while once again, the citrus brings everything back into balance in the aftertaste. Comments: well played, that’s for sure.
SGP:563 - 87 points. |
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We’d love to taste this Papua rum as a ‘single’ one of these days. Anyway, let’s carry on…
Montebello 8 yo ‘Batch Année 2022’ (42%, OB, Guadeloupe, agricole)
Another rather distinctive distillery from the French islands. Colour: gold. Nose: plenty of fudge and salted butter caramel laced with orange, with a distinctly agricole character. Hints of bitter almonds and jasmine, then liquorice with violet and mint, the liquorice quickly managing to dominate the whole. Mouth: a rather surprising style, both chocolatey and floral, with a light smokiness and resinous notes reminiscent of conifers, even veering towards thuja, then very ristretto-like coffee. Finish: long, with the return of bitter orange and liquorice. Violet notes linger in the aftertaste. Comments: I don’t know why, but this very lovely Montebello brings to mind a well-made young Pomerol.
SGP:562 - 87 points. |
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Uitvlugt 26 yo 1998/2024 (51.6%, Silver Seal, Guyana, cask #V44-24, 210 bottles)
They do have a thing for parrots at Silver Seal, as evidenced by the magnificent label on this old Demerara rum, distilled two years before the distillery closed. Colour: deep gold. Nose: a gentle and rather light style, leaning towards maple syrup and all sorts of citrus liqueurs. I reckon water will wake it up further. With water: the faint petrolic notes now emerge, along with metal polish, old copper pennies, blond tobacco, then a touch of parsley, chervil, Corinth raisins, and dried figs… Mouth (neat): very lovely, more refined than your usual Demerara, with orange cake and, once again, maple syrup—just missing the pancakes. With water: in come camphor, cough syrup, liquorice, and even a few wayward shellfish, adding a saline touch. Love them. Finish: not the longest but highly complex, a little sweet-and-salty. Salty liquorice lingers in the aftertaste. Comments: don’t be fooled by the relatively civilised bottling strength, water transforms it completely and takes it to near-supersonic levels.
SGP:562 - 91 points. |
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Mhoba 2020 ‘WR1’ (55%, OB, South Africa, for Navigate World Whisky, South Africa, bourbon, 241 bottles, +/-2024)
100% pot still and a South African rum for a South African (very skilled) distributor—how coherent is that? It was aged in ex-Woodford Reserve wood, and it’s said this rum has always seemed ‘smokey’. Let’s see… Colour: gold. Nose: well, yes, it’s smoky, petrolic, tarry, smelling of a brand-new iPhone (the thing no one actually needs) and grilled bacon, along with olive oil. In fact, it’s very beautiful. Borderline moringa, but let’s not overdo this. With water: no change, though none was needed. Mouth (neat): bonkers. Smoky indeed, very salty, packed with natural rubber and citrus peels, plus the usual liquorice and an unusually large dose of tarragon. With water: you’re practically propelled to Jamaica, except there’s also this fresh rubbery side that’s just delightful. Finish: lovely, saline, liquorice-laden, earthy, and—unless my brain is playing tricks on me—hints of amarula. Comments: no surprise, we’ve known for a few years now that Mhoba makes brilliant stuff. But this one is particularly brilliant.
SGP:462 - 90 points. |
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SVN 2003/2025 (61.3%, Vagabond Spirits, Silva Collection, Réunion, 240 bottles)
SVN, Réunion—it does bear a strong resemblance to Savanna. Let’s also take a moment to think of that wonderful island, which was struck just last week by a particularly violent cyclone. To you, friends! Colour: amber. Nose: even on the nose, it’s comforting, warm, with prunes, coffee, and black olives. I’m not sure if this is grand arôme, but it very well could be. That said, at this strength, one must protect both the olfactory bulb and receptor neurons… With water: earth and varnish galore, with a faint gamey touch… Mouth (neat): explosive, packed with concentrated liquorice and acetone. No suicidal tendencies here, mind you… With water: tons of orange blossom honey! Incredible… Finish: long and splendid, on coffee, black nougat, and natural varnish, then dark chocolate and, increasingly, cloves. Comments: as with the Mhoba, there are some, let’s say, ‘different’ elements—not exactly orthodox—but that only adds to the pleasure these rums provide. Let’s not forget that this rare Savanna (if it is indeed Savanna) is over 20 years old.
SGP:462 - 90 points. |
Here, let's try something... |
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Savanna 14 yo 2008/2024 (65.1%, Swell de Spirits, Wild Card series, Réunion, cask #699, 240 bottles)
This is a ‘traditional’ Savanna, meaning theoretically molasses-based. Colour: glowing red amber. That’s right. Nose: much gentler, softer, more restrained, despite the 65% ABV—which did lead us to contact our lawyer. Alas, as usual, he was out golfing, iPhone 16 Pro switched off. What a fool. With water: abundant cedar, spruce wood, and chocolate. Not particularly complex, but still extremely lovely. Mouth (neat): sublime varnish and old walnuts, but we won’t dwell on that further—at least not without H2O. With water: oh, delightful—orange cordial, cumin, and even a faint Chartreuse-like note. You can feel the lighter texture of these ‘traditional’ styles. Finish: fairly long, on chocolate, mint, and orange. A hint of glue in the aftertaste. Comments: without a doubt, about as good as it gets in this category.
SGP:561 - 88 points. |
Good, one last one—a Jamaican, of course... |
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Clarendon 13 yo 2010/2024 (56.6%, Valinch & Mallet, The Spirit of Art, Jamaica, cask #432920, 334 bottles)
8 years in the tropics, the rest under a European climate. Messrs Valinch & Mallet continue to offer us beautifully designed bottles, with the artwork here done by Luca Coser. I don’t know him, but he seems talented! Honestly, there’s nothing sillier than a plain bottle of rum or whisky—you might as well decorate it elegantly. Colour: gold. Nose: that slightly ‘mid-esters’ side of Clarendon/Monymusk is back, which can sometimes be frustrating, but not at all here—quite the opposite. Wonderful notes of brined anchovies, stuffed olives (stuffed with anchovies, to be precise), then paint, old varnishes, bitter almonds, and Calvados… With water: a stroll on the beach at low tide, with tar in the air. Mouth (neat): incredible, almost like being at Caroni, I swear! Perfect salinity, petroleum notes (only desirable in this context), and overripe exotic fruits at their pinnacle. With water: perfect. This must be a Clarendon at 500g (referring, of course, to the esters per hectolitre of pure alcohol). Finish: the olives come roaring back, supported by lemon. Comments: seriously ester-packed for a Clarendon. In short, excellent.
SGP:563 - 90 points. |
Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far |
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High scores and stuff |
I still need to repeat something. We are fully aware that there are a lot of top-tier whiskies, rums, and brandies on WF, many of which we believe deserve 90 points or more. I know we sometimes get criticised for this, but you have to understand that distillers, bottlers, and merchants almost never, or barely ever, send us entry-level or average-quality spirits. They’re not stupid!
That doesn’t stop us from publishing reviews of them as often as possible, but to do so, we have to source these ‘average’ spirits ourselves because, quite simply, no one will send them to us voluntarily. And certainly not the distillers, whose main objective is to try to control (or, let’s be honest, buy) what ‘influencers’ and the press have to say.
Between us, we can’t really blame them—they’re just doing their job, and many of them do it very well.
Angus would also add the point that we are at heart and remain absolutely spirits enthusiasts who love searching for and tasting the very best and most pleasurable drinks. It is fun to taste the average or downright bad on occasion as it adds very necessary perspective, but we are not masochists and we will always err on the side of pleasure and fun!
Right, let’s carry on…
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March 7, 2025 |
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WF’s Little Duos, today stunning recent Glen Elgin (de la muerte)
We love tasting Glen Elgin; there are always little twists and turns, depth, and texture. Well, I know what I mean… In any case, we always think of the extraordinary old ads run by White Horse, of which Glen Elgin was/is one of the main malts, if not the principal one. |
Imee Ooi (IMM Musicworks) |
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Glen Elgin 11 yo 2013/2024 (55.3%, Watt Whisky, hogshead, 170 bottles)
One should be as close to the natural distillate as possible here. Colour: white wine. Nose: a mix of oils, really—rapeseed, sesame, peanut, sunflower… I swear, it’s quite incredible, and I love it. In the background, a base of fresh apple juice, that’s all. And that’s plenty. With water: a chalky touch, a few drops of fountain pen ink, a little flour, and some sourdough… Mouth (neat): perfectly perfect. Barley eau-de-vie, beeswax, apple compote, a hint of fresh turmeric and mild pepper. Yes, it’s perfect indeed. With water: the Clynelish side of Glen Elgin emerges. Quite fitting, as it seems there hasn't been much Clynelish under its own name for a while now, and we do miss it. Finish: a playful touch of strawberry jam, then bread, waxes, and oils. More pepper in the aftertaste. Comments: rather brilliant, especially for fans of distillate-driven malts. Bottle to buy.
SGP:561 - 89 points. |
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Glen Elgin 33 yo 1991/2024 (54.2%, Signatory Vintage, Symington’s Choice, 1st fill oloroso sherry butt, cask #4073, 529 bottles)
Let’s get ready, check the glass, stretch a little… here we go. Colour: pure mahogany. Nose: insane, dark chocolate, toothpaste, cigar ash, clay, prunes, and loads of paraffin and plasticine. One doesn’t fully understand everything here, but we gladly surrender. With water: a piece of peat smouldering in the stove, antique embrocations, pipe tobacco, more prunes, and a touch of dried meat (biltong, beef jerky…). It’s unstoppable—you must yield. Mouth (neat): what even is this? Huge notes of old armagnac, lapsang souchong, 18th-century Jerez brandy at the very least, plus cinchona and liqueurs made from green walnuts and bitter oranges. There’s an utterly charming, almost moving antiquated feel to it—it’s like a recreation of a barely imagined past and I… (stop it now, S.). With water: pure madness now, with tonnes of pine sap. Please call the anti-maltoporn brigade. Finish: long, more tertiary, meaty, with morels and tobacco, and, of course, old oloroso. Comments: namo ratna trayaya, namo arya jnana sagara, vairochana, byuhara jara tathagataya, arahat e, samyaksam buddhaya (*) …
SGP:572 - 93 points. |
(*) It is the awesome and very soothing Buddhist mantra of great compassion, very fitting for the present times. We recommend Imee Ooi’s renditions. De nada. Oh and Akari Tamura's are very good too. |
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