Speyburn 2004/2018 (52.5%, OB for The Netherlands, cask #218, first fill sherry butt, 678 bottles)
Our friends over there in the Netherlands are notoriously fond of smoked salmon... Colour: amber. Nose: some kind of lightly buttered gingerbread, toasted crumpets, marzipan, toasted almond flakes, weetabix drizzled with honey, a touch of earthy dunnage and some damp sack cloth. It’s very good, although I detect some rather active wood at play under the rather glossy surface. With water: develops more towards soft earthiness, brown bread and chocolate powder. Which is all good news in my book. Perhaps some lime leaf and butterscotch. Mouth: It’s a modern style of sherry but it’s all good clean fun. Lots of sweet pastries, icing sugar, raisins, hazelnuts caramelised with brown sugar, toffee apples and a hint of sultana. With water: softer, sweeter, again on butterscotch, caramel ice cream, Garibaldi biscuits, chocolate eclair and rather hefty nibble of new oak at the back. Finish: good length but here the oak is really getting a bit too much and the whole thing becomes a bit lopsided. Comments: Some parts are very fine, but other bits, especially the finish, remain somewhat unlikely. It appears this Salmon stumbled at the last rung on the ladder...
SGP: 631 - 80 points.

Speyburn 1988/2015 (52.3%, Berry Brothers, cask #2114, hogshead)
Colour: oaky chardonnay. Nose: a very different world. Lots of soft breads, green fruits, banana skin, lemon peel and other gentle citrus notes. Some hints of vanilla custard, young desert wines, coconut milk and something like rice pudding. There’s a natural sweetness and an elegance to this one that I really like. With water: green leaves, dill, sage, pot pourri and a tiny hint of mustard powder giving a sense of bite. Mouth: really great! Little touches of green tea, hessian, dried mango, pineapple syrup, a faint waxiness, some cough drops and a few dried herbs. With water: again this is really lovely. Easy, fruity, green plums, yellow flowers, damson conserve, runny honey on warm croissant and some muesli full of mixed nuts and dried fruits. Finish: Good length, lightly drying, citrus pith, oatmeal, buttered toast and another impression of soft waxes and hessian. Comments: In one word: time! A terrific wee Speyburn by Berry’s. This one definitely reached the spawning pool!
SGP: 651 - 89 points.

Speyburn 1974/2004 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseur’s Choice, refill sherry butt)
This one probably doesn’t make too much sense after the first two, but I said backwards in time and backwards in time we shall go! Colour: gold. Nose: Hey! This is some old Irish whiskey surely? It has something of this pure pot still ‘tropical’ style mixed with coked grains and damp cereals. Sounds odd but it really works very nicely. I also get ripe exotic fruits, honey, maraschino cherry, blossoms, dried apricot and fruit salad juices. Some stone fruits such as lychee as well. There’s also light sootiness that lends some sense of weight. Mouth: the ABV perhaps lets it down a notch here but we’re still in a very fragrant and lovely place with these soft cereals, soot, gentle waxiness, white pepper, furniture oil and various ripe fruits. In fact as time goes on it really becomes quite excellent. Shares something of this glazed pastries and lush fruits profile with the 1988. Finish: medium, but rather earthy, waxy, peppery and expressing orange oils, mushroom powder and cereals. Comments: Another excellent wee Speyburn. I suspect many of these older CC bottlings are worth revisiting, this was a lovely surprise.
SGP: 651 - 88 points.

Littlemill 25 yo 1992/2018 (48.4%, The Auld Alliance, hogshead)
A new bottling by our great friend Emmanuel for his legendary bar The Auld Alliance in Singapore. Well worth a visit if you find yourself in that crazy city. Colour: white wine. Nose: pure Loire sauvignon blanc at first. All struck flints, cut grass and lemon zest. There’s also ink, chalk, brioche and carbon paper. An extremely pure and elegant style that reminds me a little of St Magdalene rather than some of the other early 1990s Littlemills which were ubiquitous a few years ago and tended to veer more towards exuberant fruitiness. That said, there is indeed a bigger fruity aspect emerging, lots of lime, kiwi, star fruit and green apples. Perhaps even a wee kumquat or two. This is really just cask strength wine! Mouth: very grassy, petroly, mineral and flinty. Really towards a St Magdalene style in my mind. We’re more in riesling territory than sauvignon now. Some rye bread, pumpkin seeds and a very soft white pepper note. Finish: long, grassy, full of crushed nettles, limoncello, lime oil, icing sugar and delicate hessian notes. Comments: I like it a lot, it’s very straight and rather austere in a charming way. Although just a little more fruity opulence would have propelled it higher in my view. Still, an excellent wee Littlemill.
SGP: 541 - 88 points.

Littlemill 28yo 1988/2017 (49.2%, The Whisky Agency for Taiwan, hogshead, 48 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: similarly grassy but this is a bit fatter, more swollen and buttery in profile. Lots of seeds, grains, rye bread, olive oil - we’re not far off some Pure Pot Still Irish here in many ways. There’s also a gravely mineral aspect that sits alongside sweeter qualities like tiny hints of vanilla and creme caramel. Some fruits in the form of lemon peel and ripe gooseberry. Mouth: here it really starts to lift. There’s a big textural fatness to the whole and lots of grass, toasted seeds, gooseberry, olive oil, kiwi, lime zest and even a little curry powder. White pepper, turmeric, cinnamon powder, Jamaica cake and spiced fruit chutneys. Excellent Littlemill! Finish: good length, rather lemony and limey evolving towards more overtly tropical things like mango sauce and pineapple syrup. Some juicy fruit chewing gum, brown bread and poppy seeds. Comments: Classy stuff, as ever with these old Littlemills. Although, only 48 bottles, good luck finding one!
SGP: 641 - 90 points.

Angus:
Ardbeg 25 yo 1993/2019 (55.5%, Single Malts Of Scotland ‘Director’s Special’ for the Whisky Show Old & Rare, refill hogshead, 175 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: very pure early 1990s Ardbeg initially. That is to say smouldering beach wood, tarry fishing nets, carbolic soap, wee flecks of iodine, sea salt, oysters, hessian, sheep wool, drying kelp and a wealth of vigorous seashore notes. Parts of it really even call back to a circa 1977 style of Ardbeg with these almost fatty tarry qualities. Rope, fishing wellies, brine, black olives and seawater mixed with sardine oil. Camphor, ash-rolled goat’s cheese and an increasingly farmy, slightly animalistic side. Pretty superb I’m afraid. With water: there’s real charm and elegance now. The medical complexities become accentuated and there’s TCP, ointments, antiseptic, herbal mouthwashes and gauze. Salted cod and soy sauce. Mouth: a little straighter and more direct here; we’re returning to the 1990s again. Notes of smoked plasticine, burning hay bales, salty canvas, tar liqueur, ointments, mercurochrome, more brine, crushed seashells, grilled limpets and smoked mussels. There’s even a rather textural paraffin and creosote side to it as well along with some hefty doses of crushed black pepper. With water: as on the nose it similarly becomes more complex, only here there’s also a velvety softness that accompanies that. A kind of jellied peat spooned out of the glass with sandalwood ash, bonfire smoke, BBQ sauce and smouldering rosemary branches. Finish: long, lightly leathery, gently ashy, very salty, peppery, briny and full of typical Ardbeg touches like tarry rope, shellfish, anchovy paste, some chopped herbs, lemon juice and - of course - peat. Comments: I hesitate to praise this whisky for obvious reasons, but I promise this is fantastic stuff. I really enjoy the way it ducks and dives between 1990s and 1970s characteristics, never settling or alighting in one place too long. It also keeps developing with water and time in a way which totally commands your attention and respect. It reminds me that it’s such a rare thing to fall in love with a new Ardbeg these days. A whisky riddled with pathos.
SGP: 477 - 92 points.

Speyside Region 43 yo 1973/2016 (47.1%, Whisky Agency for The Auld Alliance & Three Rivers Tokyo, sherry wood)
Colour: straw. Nose: this is yet another of these really stellar old anonymous Speysiders. I’m sure many of you know the recipe by now: take many flagons of ancient Benedictine and Chartreuse, add a few bee hives, juice a few truckloads of guava, melon, nectarine and mango and then top with the pureed pulp of all the post-Brexit EU style ripe bananas. Finally drench the whole thing in heather honey and drizzle with some drops of molten wax. You could also add some jasmine tea, old leather, elderflower cordial and dried raspberry. Mouth: banana liqueur (could be bendy or straight - my palate isn’t that good!), mixed with tobacco, wood resins, fruit jelly sweeties, honeycomb, nectar, pollen, mint julep,  tea tree oil and wee hints of camphor and many very old sweet wines. Finish: long, resinous and full of supple waxes, tropical and green fruit cordials, freshly baked bread and toasted pine cones. Comments: Yet another killer cask from this big bundle of 73s which seem to have all been totally thrilling! Pure fruit liqueur. No doubt the Brexiters will want none of this multi-continental filth getting in the way of their rationing come March 29th.
SGP: 751 - 92 points.

Glenury Royal 30 yo 1973/2004 (49.7%, Signatory Vintage, cask #6860, sherry cask, 168 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: an extremely easy and elegant mix of leafy tobacco, mint leaf, forest mulch, fragrant waxes, metal polish and things like caraway and citronella. Wee hints of beef stock, mushrooms, old school textbooks, orange oils and shoe polish as well. Typical old style, well-aged Highland malt whisky. You can’t help but be charmed by this style and profile. Mouth: the perfect strength and a wonderful delivery, all on roasted hazelnuts, praline, waxes, dried dark fruits such as raisins, some plum wine, strawberry tobacco and herbal extracts. Continues this leafy, minty theme while also displaying some rather resinous aspects, soft oily qualities and denser hints of black truffle, hessian and coal dust. Finish: good length, all on button mushrooms, dried herbs, hints of milk chocolate, green and various fruit teas and pithy citrus notes. Comments: An excellent and pretty textbook old highlander. I doubt many of today’s distillates will possess this kind of character when they are of similar age.
SGP: 561 - 91 points.

Glenugie 31 yo 1966/1998 (53.9%, Signatory Vintage, Silent Stills, cask #5082, hogshead, 206 bottles)
Colour: straw. Nose: I don’t ordinarily like to summon Serge’s preferred deity but sweet Vishnu! A big wave of freshly cut grasses, lemon jelly, New Zealand sauvignon blanc, fresh limes, grapefruit, coconut milk, passion fruit and runny honey. An exotic hand grenade in a glass! Continues with cantaloupe melon, lime curds, glazed fruits, guava, pineapple syrup from a tin and some herb-infused waxiness underneath. Lush is the word! With water: a little drier, a little straighter and more direct, a tad more mineral, more waxy, more sooty, more notes of hessian, olive oil, tarragon, chalk, white stone fruits, lychee, dried apricot and a lightly peppery watercress note. Just wonderful and terrifically complex. Mouth: hugely syrupy in texture - like sooking the dregs from a fruit salad bowl! But there’s also a slightly savoury side with pine resin, precious hardwoods, waxes, lemon rind, crushed aspirin, dried thyme and some softer, rather buttery cereal tones. Totally thrilling! With water: tropical fruit syrups once again, only this time more resinous, more fatty, more extractive herbal notes, tea tree oil, green tea, yellow chartreuse, mineral oil, pineapple chunks and mango salsa. Finish: long, leafy, herbal, gently waxy and even getting slightly coastal with these delicate saline touches. Still fruity to the very end. Comments: I mean, are any of us really surprised?
SGP: 761 - 93 points.

Glenlochy 27 yo 1974/2002 (53.3%, Signatory Vintage, cask #4459, hogshead, 212 bottles)
Colour: yellow wine. Nose: Ahh Glenlochy! A big hearty waxy beast with these wee pinholes of white fruits, honey, fragrant chalk, hessian, lamp oil, sandalwood, toasted seeds and various fruit jellies. Also add to that some yellow flowers, verbena, vapour rubs and a slightly meaty salami note. With water: evolves more towards the mineral side of things with chalk, pebbles, ink and limestone. Sheep wool, crushed sea shells and an earthy turmeric aspect. Mouth: taught, punchy, waxy, oily and rather full of hessian, camphor, white pepper, green tea, lemon oils, white fruits and things like marc de gewurz and dried sage. Superb old school, fatty and very textural highland malt. With water: drier and much breadier and overall more autolytic. Notes of petrol, waxes, salted butter, some brilliant old riesling made by an Alsatian giant! Really spectacular with water. Finish: superbly long, resinous, flinty, mineral, waxy, slightly salty and with these fading oily and resinous qualities in the aftertaste. Comments: At times it leans towards austerity, but patience and attention yields a captivating and rewarding dram. Power, precision and beauty all rolled into one! I love Glenlochy.
SGP: 571 - 92 points.

Ledaig 1972/1995 (51.9%, La Maison Du Whisky)
A dram with something of a reputation... Colour: walnut. Nose: where do you begin? Liquid cola syrup mixed with freshly brewed espresso, walnut wine, root beer, sarsaparilla extract, some dark and ancient cough medicine, cherry eau de vie, raisins stewed in old cognac and a huge, simmering, earthy and tar-flecked peatiness. Greasy engines, old tool boxes, oily rags, hessian, brown bread, sooty coal scuttles, mushroom powder, coffee granules and game meats. Utterly immense and bewildering stuff! Like being miniaturised and dropped into the heart of an old Aston Martin DB5 engine parked in a desolate peat moor (Serge’s ultimate fantasy by the way). With water: rosewater, BBQ char, eucalyptus resin, strawberry wine, some very gloopy old balsamico and things like roast chestnuts, more tar and creosote. If you ever wanted to tar and feather someone from the inside out... Mouth: Bovril, bacon, beef stock, iodine, tar, lemongrass, peach stones, black coffee, peppered mackerel, biltong... maltoporn guys, are you around? With water: peat, oil, tar, medicine, seawater, liquorice, herbs, earth, bouillon, rancio... seriously, we’d better stop! Finish: glorious, immensely long, fatty, greasy, mechanical, earthy, herbal, medical and sooty. A laboratory, on a farm, in a field, next to a beach, downwind from a hospital, in a glass - with a workshop. And a cow! Comments: Silly whisky. Not suitable for vegans. (No offence vegans.) But seriously, what an incredible dram.
SGP: 488 - 95 points.

Port Charlotte 4 yo 2001/2005 (61.4%, OB / Private bottling, bloodtub sherry cask, 39 bottles)
I know what you might be thinking, but this one also carries quite a reputation. Bloodtubs were specially commissioned small casks made from deconstructed old sherry casks and used for private customer fillings by Bruichladdich during the early 2000s. Colour: rosewood. Nose: You’d never believe such things could be hewn by four meagre wee years. Smoked cherry wine, strawberry laces, cigar ash, burning rosemary wood, smoked mussels, raw peat smoke from a kiln, black olives in brine, peppered mackerel and anchovy paste. Then we’re back to darker fruitier things again, things like bramble wine, cassis, cloves, beef stock, kippers, roasted mushrooms, leaf mulch and raw antiseptic. Iodine droplets, cola cubes and damson jus. With water: we’re onto strawberry liquorice, key lime pie, salty old rope, fishing wellies, pitch, roof sealant and germoline. Some kind of Harry Potter potion gone wrong, or right? Mouth: natural tar liqueurs, gentian root, smoked game meats, red fruit cordials, more soft ashy notes and huge, textural meaty qualities. Jerk chicken spices, paprika, soot, limoncello, oyster sauce, balsamic, rancio and goats cheese. Mad, totally bonkers stuff but it just works in the most thrilling way. With water: concentrated herbal extracts, resins, herbal toothpaste, salted fish, more kippers, chewing an oxo cube while smoking a strong cigar. More tarriness, more cola syrup and a lean, saline-accented earthiness. Finish: long and pretty immense. On smoked fish, sandalwood ash, bonfire smoke, peat embers, caraway, soot, smoked mead, beeswax, lime pith and dried mint. Comments: A Dwarf from Lord Of The Rings in whisky form I think. Mad, intense and yet totally brilliant whisky.
SGP: 389 - 93 points.

Bowmore 1968/1977 (59.7%, OB, Feschio & Frassa, sherry cask, cask #222)
Another dram that has something of a ‘reputation’... Colour: gold. Nose: what strikes first is just this immense sense of control and poised power. It’s coastal in the extreme with these walls of seawater, crushed seashells, beach sand and drying beach kelp, but there’s also a core of fruit within that. A big, beating heart of pineapple, mango, guava and passion fruit that just screams 60s Bowmore. Around that swirls some cigar smoke, mineral salts, fresh butter, chopped chives, aspirin, lemon dust and - eventually - bushels of raw, freshly kilned malt. It keeps changing as well, veering at some points more towards medicine and then back towards the shoreline. In between there’s these wee notes of fabric, linen, putty and miso broth. Incredible complexity and power. A whisky that is totally in control; you can but follow... With water: all the above but add waxes, putty, cereals, pure acacia honey, various fruit eau de vies, Elastoplast, mead... utterly stunning! Mouth: holy fuck! A tidal surge of coastal complexities and ripe tropical fruits. Star fruit, mango, banana, apple, all shades of citrus, passion fruits again - even grape syrup and pomegranate. Just incredible! Beyond all this fruitiness there’s soft notes of tar, herbal ointments, fish sauce, lime juice, mouthwash, iodine, herbal toothpaste... Gah, I’m not sure I know how to continue describing this one. With water: we’re reaching perfection here. The fusion of oils, peat, seashore, salinity, waxes and immense tropical fruits is a combination that is near impossible to surpass in whisky in my experience. Finish: we’re well and truly down the rabbit hole now. And I for one have no interest in returning. Comments: It’s not the first time I’ve tried this whisky. I recall a bottle opened for a friend’s 50th birthday which was an utter monster when first cracked but revealed all its hidden qualities slowly over time. And by time I mean approximately 2 years. This one seems to be really at its peak, the kind of whisky that I think really only existed for a snapshot of human existence. Humbling stuff.
SGP: 667 - 97 points.

Glen Grant 1959/1999 (47.3%, Samaroli, sherry cask, #3790, 180 bottles)
Colour: deep rosewood. Nose: There’s something of a very old Karuizawa about this, that is to say dried porcinis, firecrackers dusted with paprika, pot pourri, jasmine tea and morello cherries. Ahh, but there’s just so much more! A sublime and lean earthiness with these pointed leathery notes. It’s a big sherry cask but it’s also bafflingly deft, elegant and controlled. Crushed walnuts, fresh espresso, juniper, verbena, herbal oils, cannabis resin, strawberry liqueur. Utterly stunning and just overwhelmingly beautiful and complex. The kind of aroma that involves medicines, natural oils, herbs and resins, fruits, earth and meats. All bound up in this web of nutty, salty, effortless sherry. You know who to call for God’s sake! Mouth: where do you begin! It feels stronger and more powerful than 47.3%, but it is also utterly perfect at that strength. A lean, salty and ropey sherry. You can practically feel the hessian twine between your teeth! There’s drops of the oldest balsamicos, truffle oil, maraschino juice and, in case you didn’t already suspect, the rancio to end all rancios. Some game meats confit in some ancient dry madeira. Keeps evolving, towards eucalyptus, mint and dried herbs like lemon thyme. Liqueurish but also still resinous, biting, lively and full of exotic notes of lapsang souchong, dried citrus peels, crystalised tropical fruits and aged cigars. Majestic! Finish: longer and with some fully blossoming tannin. Lots of toasted seeds, black tea, dry earth, mushroom powder, strawberry scented pipe tobacco, strong coffee, peppered game meats and - yet - a crystalised tropical fruit flourish in amongst it all as well. Comments: Glen Grant and Samaroli. Both resonating at some kind of lofty mutual pinnacle that resides somewhere in the general direction of Andromeda.
SGP: 671 - 96 points.

Springbank 12yo (100 proof / 57.1%, OB for Samaroli, early 1980s, 2400 bottles)
To think there were once 2400 bottles of this juice! I’d love to know if Springbank had the presence of mind to refill these casks? Colour: orangey amber. Nose: a quick grasp of waxes and putty, then it drags you hell for leather into a vortex of dried wild mushrooms, various tobaccos, oily sheep wool, golden sultanas soaked in honey, rancio, salted meats, leaf mulch, caraway, rosehips, red fruits such as red currents and cranberries and things like black pepper. There’s also animalistic notes of game, sweat and stables. The sherry is rather profound in that it displays multiple facets with such breathtaking distinction and precision. There’s this earthy side that encompasses coal scuttles and hummus, then the sinewed mineral side that nods towards preserved lemons, salinity and beach pebbles. And finally that fruity core of raisins, dates, kumquats, citronella, pineapple syrup and something floral like foxgloves or carnations. You can see the foundations of this whisky’s almighty reputation. With water: dark chocolate infused with sea salt and dried chilli, mirabelle, yellow wild flowers such as dandelions, a whole rack of dried herbs, toasted fennel seeds and more of this deep and profound rancio quality. Mouth: the thing that strikes first is this salty and oily meatiness, like a salami laced with fruity red chilli. But it gives way to this abundance of silky and sinewy dark fruits. Dates, fig, plums baked in sweet wines, prune eau de vie, camphor, linseed oils, dried tarragon and things like hawthorne, golden syrup, balsamic and lanolin. A level of intensity and a density of texture and flavour that goes beyond simply powerful but feels almost purposeful as well. With water: really evolves quite strikingly with water. I get things such as gun oil, strap leather, mint julep, pipe tobacco, bitter chocolate, a flicker of matchbox, flinty mineral notes, mineral oil itself and then ancient herbal liqueurs such as yellow chartreuse. You could really just go on and on picking out an endless list of flavours and aromas from this beguiling old Siren of Campbeltown. Finish: Ridiculously long. A slow drift through herbs, nuts, dunnage warehouses, Jerez bodegas, workshops, the Kintyre shoreline, some sweet wine orientated wine cellars, the farmyard and the delicatessen. Comments: It’s not the first time I’ve been fortunate enough to taste this whisky. It’s one of these drams that just seems determined to never give up its full self in one go. Every time I try it I come away feeling differently about it; with a sense that I’ve discovered something new or thought it was different from before. There’s not many drams that can toy with you in such a profound and affecting way. In that sense it really shares something with the Bowmore above. But anyway, Samaroli, pffft, what did that guy know...
SGP: 672 - 97 points. 

Islay Mist 8 yo (43%, OB Mario Rossi Import, 1970s)
The famous blended whisky brand that was renowned for containing a ‘heart’ of Laphroaig. There was also a version for Bonfanti as well which has quite a reputation. Colour: deep gold. Nose: it is indeed riddled with this old school Laphroaig character. That is to say embrocations, soot, some dried tropical fruits, old medicines, camphor, putty and a slightly acetic note of cider vinegar and green apple peelings, which probably comes from the grain component. Some sea salt crisps, a hint of bouillon and tar. Very good and with gentle and rather elegant OBE aspect. Mouth: big, fatty and oily. The malt - the Laphroaig in this case - is really what does the talking up front. Some notes of damp hay, olive oil mixed with brine, black olives, umami paste and cough medicines. Some old herbal liqueurs, grapefruit peel, anchovy butter and salted liquorice. Very good! More of these dried fruit notes such as banana chips and dried mango strips. Finish: good length, full of salt and pepper, Magi liquid seasoning, a little pine resin, pot pourri, more tarry and medicinal notes. Getting drying towards the end. Comments: an excellent old blend, full of Laphroaig character and extremely quaffable.
SGP: 463 - 89 points.

Laphroaig 21 yo 1996/2018 (48.9%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, 29.258 ‘Remembrance of fruits past’, bourbon hogshead / oloroso hogshead, 231 bottles)
Suitably named for this wee session’s theme... Colour: gold. Nose: there is indeed a wee glimmer of fruitiness. Things like lemon peel, guava, wet rocks, sheep wool and canvas. Wee touches of iodine, sweet peat smoke, tar and shellfish. No real evidence of a finish so far, that is to say there’s no jarring sherry or new wood - instead it’s more a classical and pure style of Laphroaig. Which you’ll never hear me complaining about. In time it gets more leafy, more gently medicinal and with this really fresh and elegant coastal side. Really excellent. Mouth: soft and syrupy on arrival. Lots of hessian, a touch of wood spice, some treacle, tar, iodine, soot, mercurochrome and indeed a little hint of tropical fruit jelly and fruit salad syrups. Rather lemony and limey with children’s cough medicine and juicy fruit chewing gum. Some orange soda tablets, pine liqueur and various smoked teas and black pepper. Really very good stuff that straddles two different characters of Laphroaig with real aplomb. Finish: long, gently medicinal, sooty, olive oil, hints of brine, lemon peel, caraway, white pepper and gently wafting peat smoke. Comments: Quite simply, a very very good mid-aged Laphroaig. And a very good finish as well, in that it was pretty much invisible and left the distillery character beautifully intact.
SGP: 664 - 91 points.

Laphroaig 25 yo (52%, OB, 2018, bourbon casks)
The most recent release. Obviously, I suppose, given it’s only the start of January. The label describes it as ‘extremely rare and unique liquid’, isn’t everything becoming ‘unique’ and ‘rare’ these days? Perhaps the good folks at the dictionary will simply relent and change the meanings of those words. Colour: straw. Nose: sharp and briny peat. Lemon juice drizzled over concrete. Some bonfire ashes, tarpaulin, creel nets, grilled oysters - it’s rather hefty and even slightly austere. In time there’s a few glimmers of bandages and orange peel. With water: more smoky, towards smoked paprika, smouldering leaves, light tarriness and green pepper. More straightforward ashy and salty notes. Mouth: sweeter, straightforward peat, black pepper, cured meats, black olives, more brininess, antiseptic and a fug of cigar smoke. Clean but rather simplistic. With water: some putty and clay notes, salt water, anchovy, hot smoky notes, beach pebbles and more antiseptic notes. Finish: medium in length with a wink of lusher, fruitier character about it. But it’s kind of fleeting and more of a sensation than a palpable flavour. You can also add more cured meat and salted butter. Comments: All fine, but I think it’s a tad simple and bit tough at times. Many superior Laphroaigs to be found in my wee book.
SGP: 365 - 82 points.

Laphroaig 25 yo (48.9%, OB, 2017, bourbon & sherry)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: softer, gentler, a leafy smokiness that nods to pipe tobacco, dried herbs, various medicines, white pepper, mustard powder and wee hints of citrus pith. There’s also salted almonds, some dried lavender, iodine and some grilling shellfish. Mouth: again it’s a more suave and gentle Laphroaig. Notes of preserved lemon, aspirin, iodine, tiger balm, salted trail mix, bread and olive oil. Herb-flecked smoke, lemony brine, cough medicine and a slightly kippery note. Very nice but again perhaps it’s a little too simple? Finish: medium and rather salty, gritty, ashy and more towards white pepper and lemon juice. Comments: I like it a little more than the 2018 but it’s still a tad underwhelming all things considered.
SGP: 455 - 84 points.

Laphroaig 25 yo (46.8%, OB, 2015, bourbon & sherry)
Colour: gold. Nose: well, hang about! There does indeed seem to be an immediate and rather striking fruitiness about this one. It certainly feels like quite a big departure from the previous two. This one opens all on lemon peels, bandages, ointments, caraway, softer medicines, grapefruit and boiled lime sweets. It’s pretty reminiscent of the late 1980s 10 year olds such as the Cinzano and Genova import examples. Gets more coastal and develops notes of things such as squid ink, seashells and clay. A wee prickle of iodine underneath it all as well. Mouth: gentle bonfire smoke, seashore freshness, lemon infused olive oil, peppered mackerel, guava, melon, dried herbs such as tarragon, sage and thyme and a slight fisherman’s welly note. There’s also stuff like salty honey, wood resin, mustard seeds, pineapple jelly and coal smoke. Finish: medium in length but nervously tropical, salty, coastal and full of gentle, wisping kiln air and smoky barley notes. Comments: another league from the later batches. This one really sings with a Laphroaig accent and does indeed show off some delicate but very charming fruity sides.
SGP: 574 - 90 points.

Laphroaig 10 yo ‘Original Cask Strength’ (57.3%, OB, mid 1990s, litre)
Some of these early batches were more exotic than others, let’s check this one... Colour: gold. Nose: not a fruit bomb, rather a huge blast of sea air, wet rocks, oysters, Atlantic freshness, sandalwood, brine, sardines in oil and smoked mussels. Hugely salty, tarry, iodine droplets, mouthwash, gauze and a rather pure and precise peatiness. In time it begins to move more towards pink grapefruit, lemon pith and various citrus peels. Some crystalised orange as well perhaps. It’s one of these aromas that just seems to gain in complexity with time. Notes of lanoline and coal tar smoke along with some burning rosemary and limoncello. With water: saline, fresh linen, mineral, delicately ashy and with hints of ink and carbon paper. Mouth: superb power! Farmyard earthiness and smoke with encroaching tropical fruits in the background, seawater, grilling shellfish, brine, preserved lemons, tar liqueur, ointments, antiseptic, putty, germoline, lemon oil. Totally spectacular! There’re a few wee nods to the raw ingredients as well with these slightly punchy gristy notes. With water: more of these syrupy lemon notes, a more elevated tropical character and things like hay, grist, fresh barley, orange oils and dried herbs. Finish: long, wonderfully smoky, gently herbal, immense coastal freshness and wee lingering tropical and sandalwood notes in the aftertaste. Comments: I love that the fruitiness is more profound on the palate than the nose, it makes for a constantly compelling whisky that evolves beautifully and in unexpected ways that continually command your attention. A bottle that certainly deserves its reputation in my book.
SGP: 566 - 92 points.

Laphroaig 10 yo (40%, OB, unblended, late 1980s)
What could go wrong here? Colour: deep gold. Nose: Wow! A superbly fruity one, straight away on pineapple, guava, passion fruit and mango mixed with tar liqueur and brine. Some sweet old herbal liqueurs, pomegranate molasses and a hint of grassy olive oil and various typical notes of mineral oil, cough medicine and softy sooty touches. Classical and brilliant. Mouth: this is really as good and as big as whisky can get at 40%. Tropical fruit salad mixed with soot, lemon infused olive oil, dried herbs, wet beach pebbles and seawater. This wonderfully meandering path that runs between fruits, coastal mineral inflections and hints of the farmyard. Finish: not the longest but full of lemon jelly, mineral salts, kipper smoke and hints of smoky bacon, passion fruit cordial and sheep wool. Comments: little wonder these bottles are so coveted these days, the phrase ‘pure class’ springs to mind.
SGP: 653 - 91 points.

Laphroaig 10 yo (45%, OB, Buckhingham Wile Co NY NY, late 1980s)
Colour: gold. Nose: It’s funny how there are these very obvious strands of DNA linking this one and the 2015 edition 25yo above. Although it lacks the immediate exoticness of the previous 10yo, this is initially more a combination of coastal elements, iodine and things like sandalwood and beached seaweed. However, give it a little space to breathe and you get these wonderfully textured and layered tropical fruits. A syrupy embarrassment of guavas, pineapple, lemon jelly, mango and passion fruit. Beyond that you also get many other complexities such as chalk, clay, dried banana and a kind of heathery, fragrant peat smoke. This feels different from the more common European bottlings of the 10yo from the same era at 40% and 43%. The extra alcohol really does elevate the impression of texture, weight and the depth and concentration of aroma. Mouth: Pow! Totally superb! Crushed seashells, rowan jelly, iodine, ointments, medical tinctures, brine, sea air, lemon balm, pineapple syrup, orange bitters, cough medicine, lime zest, red chilli and a kind of earthy, sooty peat profile. Not as overtly tropical on the palate as on the nose but these kinds of fruit jelly textures and flavours remain and the overall punchiness, poise and power are quite immense. Finish: long and full of syrupy peat, salted liquorice, ointments, medicines, tar, herbal liqueurs, mouthwash and saline mineral aspects. Comments: When casual malt whisky drinkers joked about Laphroaig being ‘undrinkable’ in the 1990s and 1980s, this is probably exactly the sort of bottle that inspired such perspectives. I’m comfortably in the ‘Love It!’ category.
SGP: 675 - 93 points.

Laphroaig 15 yo (45%, OB, Buckingham Wile Co Lake Success NY, late 1980s)
Back to the late 80s for this one, although again the company info appears to be slightly different. Did it have ‘tax issues’ perhaps? Colour: gold. Nose: this one is curiously more towards smoked cereals. A very fragrant, seashore bonfire kind of smoke with kippery notes, wild flowers, kelp, oysters, hessian and lamp oil. There’s a dusting of fruit notes across the surface as well: lychee, passion fruit, melon, orange and mango. The 15s always seem to stand apart from the 10s and this one is no exception. Hints of mushroom, coal dust, wet leaves, white asparagus and then moving more towards ointments and medical embrocations. Mouth: big, bold and fruity but also sharper than the 10s. More lemony, more yeasty and more salty as well. Notes of lime, lemon rind, fresh oysters, mango puree, salted butter and chopped chives. A fug of blue peat smoke slowly drifts across the palate which is pure Laphroaig. A touch of barley sweetness, some menthol tobacco and finally more medical and hospital notes such as good old iodine and TCP. Finish: long, full of smoked lemon barley water, engine oils, mechanical notes, soot, earth, mushrooms, tobacco, lemons in brine and herbal toothpaste. Salty peat notes in the aftertaste. Comments: Not quite as totally spellbinding as the 10. But we’re still flying exceptionally high with all the glory of old school Laphroaig. And, once again, the higher ABV is really helping the whisky sing loud and clear.
SGP: 564 - 92 points.

Laphroaig 12 yo (91.4 US proof, Prime Malt, Carlton Import USA, 1980s)
A pretty scarce bottling these days, there was also a 15 year old Laphroaig and some Glen Grants in the same series. Colour: gold. Nose: emphatic, punchy, briny and coastal Laphroaig. Loads of salted almonds, antiseptic, mouthwash, peat embers, wee glimmers of tropical fruit syrups, tar and iodine. Bursting with vibrancy and purity. There’s also things like smoked seawater, turf, petrichor, lime zest, kumquat and earthen dunnage floors. Some crushed coriander seed, hospital corridor, gauze, mint and a scatter of smelling salts. Mouth: massive! A real mix of olive oil, seawater, lime juice, pineapple jelly and mustard powder. Raw peat smoke, antiseptic, lemon jelly, paraffin and tar. Resinous, salty, earthy, peaty and profoundly excellent! Finish: long, lightly ashy, rolling tobacco, black olive tapenade with chopped parsley, boot polish, soot and many wee tropical inflections. Mineral salts towards the aftertaste. Comments: Superbly powerful, precise and dazzling old school Laphroaig.
SGP: 575 - 93 points.

Laphroaig 15 yo (91.4 US proof / 45.7%, Prime Malt, Carlton Import USA, 1980s)
Speaking of the 15... Colour: gold. Nose: far more resinous and earthy than the 12. More towards crystalised fruits, citrus fruit peel, camphor, wood resins, lapsang souchong and blood orange. Some very light barley sugar sweetness, coal tar soap, greengages and salty mead. Mouth: Herbal notes, hints of meat broth, salted peanuts, olive oil, camphor, lemon rind, waxes, salty bacon frying in a pan and a little hessian. Full bodied but a striking lack of peat I find. Beautifully salty, muscular and oily distillate. Hints of gorse, coconut, chamomile, herbal liqueur and a few drops of ointment. Finish: long, salty, muscular, drying, the fruitiness remains resinous and vibrant while these earthy and herbal tones remain pretty lasting and intact. Comments: It’s extremely good, old school Islay whisky. But it feels strangely far from Laphroaig, or at the very least it’s a surprisingly light example of the make. Still, as I say, excellent all the same - just very curious.
SGP: 452 - 90 points.

Laphroaig 10 yo (90 US proof / 45%, OB, Julius Wile Sons & Co New Hyde Park NY, circa 1980)
An even earlier example from the same importer as the previous 10 and 15 from the turn of the decade. Obviously a forerunner of the Buckingham Wile Corporation, or perhaps before a merger of some kind. I can find very little about it online. If any American friends know anything about the history and dates of this company please do get in touch with me. The label also states ‘Sole agents for the USA’. Colour: amber. Nose: we’re really going back in time here. This is every inch a 1960s, sherry-driven style of Laphroaig. It’s earthier, fatter, oilier and just deeper and heavier. Even though the peat itself is perhaps a little shier. Notes of fennel, strawberry tobacco, salted liquorice, old leather, furniture polish, walnuts, salted almonds and this fascination fusion of peat and rancio. A style that’s hypnotic and almost poetic. The fruits are kind of crystalised and resinous, although there’s still glimmers of tropical fruits they’re mixed in with raisins and sultanas from the sherry. Mouth: huge! Stupendous! But also broad, complex and teetering on perfection. These earthy medicinal tones mix with coffee, strawberry wine, dried cranberries, iodine, roasted nuts, charred hardwoods, ointments, mercurochrome and dried mango and papaya. Reminiscent of the Bonfanti to my mind. Now notes of polish, wax, leather, cranberry gravy, citronella candles, camphor and hessian. Please call a certain brigade! Finish: long, meaty, oily, mentholated, peaty, medical, coastal, lingering rancio. Just utterly beautiful! Comments: this really feels like proper 1960s Laphroaig, and that sherry influence running throughout is enough to raise goosebumps! A humbling and totally dazzling old Laphroaig.
SGP: 673 - 94 points.

Laphroaig ‘Non Peaty’ Old Liqueur Scotch Whisky (80 proof, OB, 1940s)
A bottle that’s been hovering at the top of my hit list for years now. A rather infamous old bottle that purports to be a ‘non peaty’ style of Laphroaig. Whether this was released due to an incidental batch of unpeated malt being used, or - as seems more likely - the owners recognised a commercial potential for a lighter style of Laphroaig, we’ll can’t be sure. But enough prevarication, let’s try this beauty! Colour: deep gold. Nose: I remember well the old Laphroaig 14 year old OB for America rotation 1953 that Serge recorded notes for here, this would have been distilled in a similar era (sometime in the 1930s) and there certainly is comparatively less peat in this one. Rather this is a stunning mix of herbal-infused waxes, hessian cloth, lamp oil, very old yellow Chartreuse, cough medicines and tiny hints of sea salt and brine. I find these wee notes of preserved lemon, iodine, vapour rubs and subtle hints of chamomile and lapsang souchong teas. A soft and gentle earthy side appears as well along with a touch of rancio and tar liqueur. Just beautiful! Whisky from another dimension that keeps aromatically evolving and unfolding in an almost poetic fashion. Mouth: it is indeed relatively light on the peat. However, it is still a big whisky. It also has some good OBE towards metal polish, furniture wax, soot and steel wool. Also hugely resinous and salty - we’re getting the bones and leathery sinew of very old style Laphroaig without its jacket of peat. Salted liquorice, brine, heather ale, many more soft waxy notes and things like paraffin wax and dried seaweed strips in miso broth. Some hints of sweetness akin to cola cubes and root beer emerge in the background. Some gentian root and medical throat syrups. Also rather peppery as well. Finish: long, leathery, salty and full of umami and black olive notes. Some more wispy smoky notes like burning heather and coal smoke. A slightly farmy and mechanical sensation in the aftertaste. Comments: The overall impression is that this is just such superb distillate. It doesn’t feel like and ‘old’ whisky in terms of years in cask (pffft, typical NAS!), rather you feel the weight and ‘fattiness’ of the spirit and the directness of many of the flavours. It still manages to give an impression of identity; of Laphroaigness; and an evocative sense of place. I was swithering around the 93 point level on the nose but the immensity and texture of the palate really propelled it a notch higher. Irrespective of the emotional aspect, this is thrilling and technically brilliant whisky.
SGP: 472 - 94 points.

Lagavulin 2002/2018 Distiller’s Edition (43%, OB, lgv 4/507)
Always enjoyed this bottling over the years, generally my favourite ‘finished’ whisky ever. Although quality has been a tad up and down in recent years I’d say. Colour: light amber. Nose: sweet peat, something like salted melon and then more classical things like bacon frys, smoked meats, hessian, black pepper, tar, smoked tea and vapour rub. Lots of smouldering wood, hints of brine, waxed canvas, squid ink and herbal toothpaste. Gets increasingly kippery, gristy and slightly greasy. A few wee hints of active oak with sawdust and pencil shavings peeping through. Mouth: oily hessian rags, sooty coal scuttles, damp earth, raw peat smoke and hot, smoky grist. Pancetta wrapped scallops on a BBQ, some charred toast and things like root vegetables and gentian eau de vie. The thing I always liked about this bottling is the integration of the PX and that’s very much the case here - you really can’t see the join. Hot cooking oils, black olives, anchovies and seawater. Getting increasingly medical as well with some hospital antiseptic and gauze. Finish: long, full of heathery smoke, new leather, ointments, iodine, dried seaweed in miso broth and soy sauce. Still very kippery. Comments: Still a delicious and dependable dram. Although I feel it’s lost some sense of depth over the years.
SGP: 476 - 85 points.

Lagavulin 8 yo (48%, OB, 2018)
I very much enjoyed the first release for the bicentenary in 2016, as did Serge who gave it 90 points at the time. Let’s see how this follow up compares... Colour: pale white wine. Nose: we’re really close to the raw ingredients here, raw smoked grist, smoky wort, yeasty sourdough starter, chalk, mineral salts, wet beach pebbles, lemon juice, sheep wool, freshly washed fabric, carbolic soap and green olives in brine. An extremely open and naked style that is pretty unforgiving to the base distillery character, however, this being Lagavulin, that’s no bad thing. If you like this fresh, in your face, distillate-forward style - which I do - then this is really great stuff. Little things like newspaper ash, ink and carbon paper emerge, along with a slight farminess which adds a touch of funk. Gets increasingly mezcal-esque with a bit of time. Not unlike the 12yo Special Releases from 2018. Mouth: hugely briny, pickled onion Space Invaders (I’ll bring you a pack Serge), freshly kilned malt, sea salt, smoked mussels, natural tar extract, burning rosemary, some fennel, tarragon and bay leaf and a big, dry, tarry rope note. Uncompromising is the word. Seriously salty stuff. Salt baked cod, more brine, anchovy paste, both shades of olive, some grass, lemon juice, oysters, fish sauce, miso. Packs a mighty punch and swooshes like a Katana (what?). Finish: long, full of bonfire smoke, ash, burning pine cones, malt vinegar, iodine, kelp and salt-cured meats. Comments: It’s very good. I’m swithering to an extent though. On one had the purity and power are impressive. On the other it is rather singular and perhaps lacks complexity. But, I’m feeling generous and it does doubtless fly the flag for excellent whiskies at younger ages that wear that age on their sleeve (label) with pride.
SGP: 367 - 89 points.

Lagavulin 'Distillery Exclusive Bottling' (54.1%, OB, 2017, 7500 bottles)
Diageo seem to be rather fond of these NAS distillery specials these days. Rumour has it this one contains a high proportion of 16 years old that was re-racked into ex-Moscatel casks married with some younger bourbon matured stocks. Moscatel being a sweet sherry similar to PX. Colour: gold. Nose: it certainly ‘feels’ like an older dram - although after the 8 that’s not saying much. A little more mentholated, herbal and petrolic with these lovely notes of salted almonds, kippers drizzled with lemon juice, salted mead, birch beer, cough medicine and iodine drops. There’s also a peppery vinaigrette note with watercress, waxed lemon rind and something like smoked shoe polish (which probably exists in some hipster modern man shop somewhere). Some ash-rolled goats cheese, cow shed, vapour rub, lemon balm and a rather strong note of mocha and a little very bitter chocolate. With water:   much more coal dusty, tobacco leaf, lemon rind, earthy mulch, seaweed and touches of beef stock. Mouth: thick, salty, fatty, lots of bacon, salted almonds, soy sauce, a few drops of good limoncello, old ointments, cough syrups and herbal extracts. Excellent delivery. Returns to these light menthol qualities such as eucalyptus vapours and balms. Sandalwood, black olives, mushroom powder and lapsang souchong. A big, emphatic, mouth-coating texture. With water: green peppercorns in brine, game meats, fir liqueur, antiseptic and plasticine. A big, fishy, oily and leathery Laga. Finish: long, leathery, slightly gamey, salted meats, tar, iodine, seaweed, brine and soot. Comments: A big, hearty Lagavulin. There’s obviously been a game of musical casks played with this one at some point but I think it worked very well.
SGP: 477 - 89 points.

Lagavulin 'Jazz Festival 2017' (57.6%, OB, refill American oak hogsheads and refill European oak butts, 6000 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: we’re is back to this more pure and direct style of Lagavulin. Lots of grilling shellfish, whelks, scallops, cured bacon, smoky grist, a lungful of kiln air, beach pebbles, tractor tyres, barnyard, bailed hay, chalk and minerals. It’s a rather busy, petroly nose with plenty between the farmyard and the seashore to keep it chattering away. Beach foam, smelling salts, clay and many ointments and punchy medicinal notes of floor cleaner and mercurochrome. Very good! With water: mineral salts, almonds, chamois leather, lighter fluid and a hint of salted pistachios. Pristine and chiselled. Mouth: hot and peppery at first with notes of smoked paprika, burning bracken, dried sage, hot smoked salmon, peppered mackerel and antiseptic mouthwash. Some cooked grains and roasted vegetables as well. Then a brinier edge of seawater and fish sauce. With water: really excellent with water now, swims very well. Gets fatter and oilier in texture but without losing that purity and that saline edge. Rather there’s touches of tobacco, some wee sweeter touches and hints of olive oil and freshly chopped herbs like chives and parsley. Finish: long, ashy, lemony and rather tart with light herbaceous qualities and autolytic notes of yeast, bread starter and baking soda. A soft and slightly wispy smokiness fades in and out. Comments: A very good and pretty classical Lagavulin that’s a lovely balance of power, precision and a good level of complexity with interesting development. A big fat 90 in other words. And a strong swimmer to boot.
SGP: 367 - 90 points.

Lagavulin 'Jazz Festival 2018' (58.5%, OB, 1st fill American oak barrels, refill American oak hogsheads & European oak puncheons)
Colour: white wine. Nose: tarter, sharper and slightly yeastier than the 2017. Rougher and more gravely as well with a rather more taught and punchy mineral profile. Malt vinegar on fish and chips, tar, aspirin, fresh oysters, lime juice, floor cleaner, caustic soda, air freshener and clean linen. Some brine, an abundance of ash and green olives. Not as interesting as the 2017 I don’t think, but still in possession of a commendably chiselled and sharp profile. With water: really pure petrol now. Mercurochrome, kerosene, sandalwood ash, beach sand and sea air. Mouth: white hot peat smoke, green peppercorns in brine, sea water, oyster sauce, lime juice, cigarette ash, coal tar smoke, lanolin, hot smoked white fish, tar liqueur, soot and miso. Quite a beast and a couple of notches better than the nose I’d say. Goes on with things like fermented fish paste, sardine spread, kippers in oil, germoline and antiseptic. Powerful stuff! With water: blue peat smoke, putty, raw barley, lemon thyme, a wee scoosh of WD40 and black olive tapenade. Finish: long and extremely smoky, a big rush of kiln peat smoke, the sweetness of an old barley wine, salt n vinegar crisps, brine and ointments. Comments: I wasn’t sure at first but it comfortably caught up with the 2017 in the end. An extremely useful bottle to have to hand in case you run out of fuel for your tractor or need to dissolve some barnacles from an old surfboard. Or perhaps listening to weird Jazz while slightly pissed in a random garage somewhere near Colmar...
SGP: 358 - 90 points.