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July 18, 2025 |
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A mini selection of seriously
boosted Brackla |
No doubt this will be an adventure, as at least the official ones, like their mates over at Aberfeldy, can be finished in some rather unexpected casks. In short, we’ll see what’s in the stash... |
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Royal Brackla 10 yo 2014/2024 (46%, James Eadie, first fill barrel and refill butt, casks #1598-303564, 1155 bottles) 
We had tasted an excellent 2013 in the same series (WF 87). Colour: apricot. Nose: curiously winey to begin with, with poached peaches in red wine, stewed cherries, strawberry jam... But where on earth is that coming from? Mind you, it’s most enjoyable, especially as we then veer off towards Battenberg cake (like), chocolate mousse and rosehip herbal tea. Amusing and very pleasant, with vanilla appearing a little later on. Mouth: those surprising winey notes return on the palate, though less pronounced, together with blood orange, bay leaf, cherry stems tea, and a hint of ginger tonic… Finish: same composition lingering for quite some time, with a slightly bitter aftertaste (Seville oranges). Comments: a pretty good wee Brackla, though it feels somewhat less compact, polished and coherent than what James Eadie usually proposes, or so it seems to me. For once.
SGP:561 - 82 points. |
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Royal Brackla 10 yo 2014/2025 (48.2%, Signatory Vintage, Small Batch Edition #17, first fill sherry PX hogshead finish) 
Another young malt that's fairly ‘budget’, which we’ve absolutely no quarrel with. Colour: full gold. Nose: oh, how funny, we've just popped open a fresh tin of shoe polish while a teapot of lapsang souchong sits nearby, along with a hefty walnut and raisin loaf. You get the picture. Mouth: quite close to the previous one, with a certain tension, but also spiced herbal infusions, salmiak, dark honeys, and even the usual black turrón, here bolstered by black pepper and a wee lick of tar. Finish: fairly long, more peppery still. Peppermint and black pepper as the signature. Comments: again, this wee Brackla was far from typical, but the combination with PX worked rather well.
SGP:562 - 84 points. |
We’ll finish with an official bottling that’s also had a bit of a boost for a few months: |
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Royal Brackla 22 yo ‘Exceptional Cask - Tokaji’ (53%, OB, casks #50,000-50,004, 1380 bottles)
The label doesn’t seem to make it clear, but once again, this is just a finishing, although in the case of Tokaji, that might actually be good news. Incidentally, we’ve never quite understood why Sauternes finishings tend to work fairly well, while those in Tokaji have given us, over the past 25 years, some perfect little monsters. Longrow 1995, anyone? Right then, let’s get to work… Colour: gold. Nose: immediately dissonant, a bit like Ozzy singing Bach, but in the end, I think it sort of works, even if the apricot tart and banana cake notes are wildly ‘over the top’. Masses of cake batter too, pre-oven, already packed with sultanas steeped in kirsch. With water: notes of nougat with a heavy dose of honey. Mouth (neat): it’s like we’re sipping a very sweet muscat, say from Samos. Except this is stronger, of course. With water: imagine a mix of viognier, gewurztraminer and muscat. That’s rather fun too, though I reckon it could use a good deal of ice. Finish: same again, very fruity, almost sweet without quite crossing the line. Comments: perhaps best enjoyed over a Japanese ice ball? We do like it, though maybe not €300-like—it’s a pricey little muscat, ha.
SGP:741 - 84 points. |
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July 17, 2025 |
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A Fettercairn trio, formerly Old Fettercairn
Quite simply because it’s been a good while since we last tasted Fettercairn, which we consider to be one of the few truly transformed malts of recent years. Generally speaking, they’ve become very good — which isn’t something you can say about everyone, is it? |
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It's worth noting that Fettercairn celebrated its 200th anniversary in 1824, as it was the second Scottish distillery to receive an official licence. A series of limited and vintage editions was released, but we've never seen them anywhere. We probably just haven’t looked properly. (Picture Fettercairn) |
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Fettercairn 14 yo (47%, OB, ex-bourbon, travel retail, 2024) 
According to the owners, this is an expression where ‘tropical and orchard fruits intertwine with delicate sweet spice’ Let’s have a look then… Colour: white wine. Nose: there’s still a bit of that yeasty, slightly dirty/funky side found in older bottlings, which is exactly what makes Fettercairn a truly distinctive malt. A malt that isn’t at least somewhat distinctive is of no interest, is it? Anyway, it smells of bière de garde, crêpe batter, cider, pear, damp chalk, and indeed there’s a touch of tropicality, though more in the shape of not-quite-ripe bananas than anything properly exuberant. Mouth: much the same on the palate, it’s a little bittersweet, still fairly yeasty, peppery, leaning more towards pear juice than mango, if you catch my drift. Apple juice mixed with mirabelle plum juice, plus a little white pepper and a touch of paprika. Nice enough. Finish: fairly long, with a return of the bière de garde and pepper, and a marked gueuze-like character. Comments: in short, a very good Fettercairn that hasn’t let go of its dirtiness, nor its pepper, nor that very faint soapy edge. Applause!
SGP:662 - 86 points. |
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Fettercairn 17 yo (47%, OB, travel retail, 2024)
One learns from an airport website that this wee dram contains 259.7 kcal per 100 grams, which adds up to a rather staggering 1,817.7 kcal per bottle, thus explaining why it’s wiser to sip our whiskies in moderation if we don’t want to be upsized too quickly. Amongst other reasons, naturally. Colour: chardonnay. Nose: very honestly (I know, that never sounds like much when you open with that), this isn’t far off the 14-year-old, just more focused on citrus, tangerines, zest, old-school triple sec… Which means it’s less ‘dirty’, but still quite lovely all the same. Mouth: very good, all on mint and citrus, you could almost believe it was a Metropolitan French mojito with a splash of Cognac. Nothing more to add, except that the little combo of wax, ginger, pepper, and paraffin remains tucked away in the background. Finish: fairly long, with no major shifts other than a few touches of bitter orange liqueur. Comments: I like both versions.
SGP:661 - 86 points. |
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Fettercairn 28 yo (42%, OB, first fill bourbon, +/-2024?) 
Let’s be upfront: we weren’t particularly fond of the first version of this 28, some seven or eight years ago. The price was rather high too, though back then all the Scots seemed to believe anything around 30 years old was worth 1,000 Euros. Colour: deep gold. Nose: er… this is somewhere between new trainers, feints, bruised apples, cider vinegar and farmhouse yoghurt! It’s actually kind of likeable, eminently different from anything you’ll find elsewhere, and remarkably easy to intellectualise, if you see what I mean, though it’s a long way from being remotely crowd-pleasing. Right then… Mouth: oof, this is tough, honestly. Like the leftovers of a Swiss or Savoyard fondue from last week, diluted with Calvados by a vindictive soul. Finish: difficult, cheesy, yeasty, peppery, but again, kind of likeable in its sheer strangeness. Comments: a manzanilla gone wrong, without even passing through the amontillado or palo cortado stage. In fact, it’s the extreme oddness of this old juice that gives it charm, though it’s most definitely not one for ‘the neighbours’. Right, that’s enough politically correct commentary.
SGP:372 - 70 points. |
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July 16, 2025 |
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A small sack of grains
We do this from time to time, taste the few grains we've received over the past weeks or months. Note that we’ll be staying in Scotland and avoiding column-distilled malts, which because of that become grains up there. However, if you distil grains in a pot still, they still won’t count as single malts (ooh, S.). Let’s pick one at random... |
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Girvan 33 yo 1991/2024 (46.0%, Cadenhead, Original Collection, barrels) 
Colour: light gold. Nose: light and pleasant, on corn syrup, sweetshop treats, vanilla and coconut liqueur. A little chamomile as well. Mouth: still light, sugary, all on sweets and more coconut. A kind of sugary English tea with a good deal too much sugar. Finish: medium in length, no particular development. Sweet and rather narrow. Comments: no wonder it’s not very ‘malty’ at all (I know what I'm tryng to say), and no matter how hard I try, I shall never truly manage to enjoy these ultra-light whiskies originally designed to tame malts and cut costs. Unless we stumble upon some stellar sherry casks, but we shall see…
SGP:630 - 78 points. |
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North British 32 yo 1991/2024 (46.6%, Whisky for Leiden, first fill bourbon, cask #264532, 185 bottles)
In theory, it was corn. Colour: white wine. Nose: I find this much better on the nose, it’s less sweet and more herbal, with a much more restrained coconut and vanilla combo, along with lovely green teas and a touch of blond tobacco. Very pleasant at this stage. Mouth: it really makes a difference on the palate, with admittedly some notes that are a little too sugary for me but also touches of gentian and wild carrot. In short, some rootiness, and that’s something we quite enjoy. Finish: it gets sweeter but remains fairly under control. One just shouldn’t linger too long on the finish, perhaps by quickly reaching for a wee glass of water. Comments: not bad at all, I think.
SGP:540 - 83 points. |
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Invergordon 18 yo 2006/2024 (62.3%, Wilson & Morgan, sherry, cask #446) 
Let’s be honest, slipping an ex-sherry Invergordon into a grain line-up is almost unfair to the others. Colour: dark amber. Nose: immediately high-grade old bourbon territory, with varnish and wood glue, maple syrup, toffee, chocolate, chestnut cream and green walnut liqueur. With water: bouillons, cigars and leather! Mouth (neat): are we absolutely sure this isn’t Enmore in disguise? Though do mind the strength… With water: aggressive in a rather charming way, quickly turning ‘Japanese’, with umami, soy sauce and, to be honest, MSG. Frankly, it’s pretty extreme, but we’re not here to do embroidery (our warmest regards to embroiderers everywhere). Finish: varnish returns, alongside chestnuts and walnuts. Comments: top grain, and there really isn’t that much of it about, at least in my humble opinion. One barely even noticed that the aftertaste was actually a tad sugary.
SGP:661 - 88 points. |
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Butterscotch & Vanilla & Toast & a Generation 30 yo (40%, Atom Brands, blended grain, +/-2023)
Blimey, they really went for it! I shall taste this blended grain discreetly; I’d be far too worried someone might see me… Colour: light gold. Nose: well, blow me, it’s not bad at all, with touches of sesame, hay, white chocolate filled with grated coconut, and candy apples… Mouth: it’s light but not weak, featuring sweet herbal teas with rock sugar, still that white chocolate with coconut that might evoke childhood memories for some, roasted peanuts rolled in sugar… All rather pleasant. Finish: not long but as soft as a sunset over a Greek island (really?) A surprising little salty touch. Comments: charming and very understated, almost a no-lo whisky. Indeed, there are good ones!
SGP:330 - 84 points. |
Since we're on the topic of blended grains… |
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Compass Box ‘Hedonism 2024’ (43%, Compass Box, blended grain, 1st fill bourbon barrel, 7746 bottles)
Big effort on the label, very ‘Gustav Klimt’, with a decent budget clearly devoted to the gilding. Colour: straw. Nose: I rather like this, with vegetable oils, leaves, soft little resins, even a faint smoky touch, and above all, mercifully little of that deafening vanilla and coconut duo. Doesn’t feel too weak at 43% vol. Mouth: well, it’s still grain, but it’s neither too hollow, nor too mute, nor overly sweet. A sort of popcorn-in-the-haybarn with a squeeze of lemon, if such a thing existed. Finish: a bit short, but the lemony side saves the day. Not bad. Comments: does the warbling live up to the plumage? Perhaps…
SGP:440 - 82 points. |
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Strathclyde 20 yo (52.9%, James Eadie, Distilleries of Great Britain & Ireland, 1st and 2nd fill marsala hogsheads, 364 bottles)
Unlike malt, grain is really all about the cask, end of debate… And we’re rather chuffed, turns out we were in Marsala barely a month ago, I may have told you before. Yes indeed, that’s Sicily, southwest coast. Colour: full gold. Nose: very smart indeed, the grain has drawn in the earthy fudgey tones of the marsala, even the faint fermentary edge and a whiff of fire-baked bread. With water: gentian! Where on earth did that come from? Mouth (neat): still recognisably grain, the texture remains a little soft, but there are unsweet raisins stepping in to lend a hand. With water: and boom, the gentian returns to the rescue, more discreetly than on the nose. Gentian cordial (do you know Suze?) Finish: medium in length but pleasant, thanks to its earthy, rooty profile. Comments: very fine grain, and a rather unusual one at that.
SGP:451 - 84 points. |
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Girvan 9 yo 2015/2024 (59.3%, Single Cask Nation, 1st fill bourbon hogshead finish, cask #193413, 280 bottles)
Great Scott, they dared bottle a 9-year-old Girvan! Either the windows at Single Cask Nation HQ were already spotless, or this is actually very good… Colour: light gold. Nose: I’d wager it’s the latter, peanut oil and sunflower oil, with this unexpectedly fatty side, plus faint puffs of ink and light herbal teas. With water: proper popcorn and vanilla cream, then most of all, metal polish and motor oil. Hurrah! Mouth (neat): highly entertaining, it rather feels like swallowing a mix of limoncello and nail varnish—not exactly recommended, mind you. With water: it gets even funnier, with some asparagus, soft soap, varnish and paraffin. Finish: gentler, but marked by almonds, pistachios, and still that vegetable oil. And hey, a bit of pear on the aftertaste. Comments: this is great fun while still managing to be a bit intellectual. Do remember, this is 9-year-old Girvan we’re talking about.
SGP:550 - 85 points. |
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Strathclyde 34 yo 1989/2023 (51.1%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, oloroso hogshead finish, 366 bottles)
Colour: amber. Nose: not bad, the sherry does its job, with roasted peanuts, turrón, praline, a pack of blond cigarettes, honey, glacé cherries and raisins. With water: pu-ehr tea, earthy and almost smoky, which is rather nice. Mouth (neat): chocolate, chicory, dried raisins, salted butter caramel. With water: it loses a bit of stamina here, a pity, perhaps best not to add water. Some coconut begins to show, and in this particular context and only in this context, coconut is the enemy IMHO. Finish: not very long but reasonably pleasant, except for the aftertaste which leans a little too far toward stale tea. As usual, it lacks just a touch of texture. Comments: started off very well. Save the water, it’s better, and together, we’ll save the planet.
SGP:550 - 80 points. |
One last quick one, nicely done, hopefully… |
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Port Dundas 24 yo 1999/2024 (51.8%, Whisky Age, hogshead, cask #711825, 247 bottles)
Always those very handsome labels, perhaps just a little too handsome for plain old grain whisky. Alright then, I exaggerate. Colour: white wine. Nose: hold on, something’s gone terribly wrong, they must’ve blended mezcal and nail varnish and bottled the result. Glorious nose, but is this really mere grain whisky? I rather doubt it. That said, let’s not forget Port Dundas was the seminal grain distillery. With water: just glorious milk chocolate. Mouth (neat): crème brûlée and varnish, butter cream, orgeat, pistachio syrup, macadamia nuts… What sort of sorcery is this? With water: no, skip the water, it falls apart a little on the palate. Best forgotten… Finish: coffee storms in, mocha, all pairing beautifully with the crème brûlée. Comments: one might almost call this the perfect 5 o’clock whisky.
SGP:551 - 86 points. |
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July 15, 2025 |
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WF’s Little Duos, today peace, love and Tullibardine
Often a rather unusual malt, in the best possible sense. Let’s see what we’ve got…
(Tullibardine Distillery) |
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Tullibardine 13 yo 2012/2025 (53.5%, Liquid Treasures, The love and peace series, 1st fill palo cortado quarter cask, 117 bottles)
Now then, just like last time, this label feels tailor-made for us boomers. Colour: deep gold. Nose: indeed, it’s the palo cortado speaking loud and clear, and we’re not the least bit displeased. Gorgeous Andalusian vinosity, all on walnuts, mustard, herbs, bitter oranges, but also old cellar, ancient casks, mushrooms, saltpetre… We’re very much into this… With water: splendid walnut and raisin cake with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Already mouth-watering. Mouth (neat): very fine bitterness, just like in a true palo cortado, followed by those bitterish oranges, a bit of tobacco, and a rather surprising basaltic edge. Some preserved lemon too. With water: it rounds out and mellows nicely, though black pepper also makes an entrance. Let’s call it peppered and honeyed orange liqueur. Finish: long, attractively spiced and, above all, thoroughly Jerezian. Aftertaste on crushed pepper and dark chocolate. Comments: we may be closer to Jerez than to Blackford, but that suits us just fine.
SGP:561 - 86 points. |
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Tullibardine 12 yo 2012/2024 (55.8%, Alister Walker’s Infrequent Flyers, virgin oak finish, cask #804984, 227 bottles)
Well now, one can’t help wondering whether the next use of this cask will be a ‘2nd fill virgin oak finish’, even though that’s clearly an oxymoron, isn’t it. Colour: full gold. Nose: this is rather the polar opposite of the palo cortado version, even if there’s a shared DNA, on baker’s yeast and pepper. Banana skins, mandarin liqueur, sourdough, a drop of shampoo, and a little church candle (votive)… With water: pizza dough and oregano. I’ll have a napoletana, if you don’t mind. Mouth (neat): this is good, defined by pink pepper and a notably lemony hop. With water: that citrusy aspect from the fresh oak really bursts forth and does risk overwhelming the palate a touch. Finish: long, all on citrus syrups and liqueurs. Aftertaste somewhat liqueur-like, then oddly saline. Comments: the sherry version did rather outshine this baby, but it remains a fine little dram. So then, can one actually mature whisky in 2nd-fill virgin oak? Answers on a proper postcard, please.
SGP:551 - 83 points. |
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July 14, 2025 |
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WF’s Little Unlikely Duos, ex-Saladin box Glen Albyn and fitting guest
Times are tough for little WF. The days when we could line up four Millburns, five Coleburns, or even three Convalmore, or indeed, two Glen Albyn we’d never tasted before, seem to be long gone. |
Glen Albyn around the time when the 10 yo
was distilled (Diageo/SMD) |
But don’t worry, I’m not about to try to make you weep by saying we’re now reduced to tasting Speyside NAS whiskies dressed up in decommissioned red wine casks. Still, when we unearth, say, a rather irresistible Glen Albyn, as we have today, we have to do quite a bit of scheming to find it a worthy sparring partner. In this very case, we looked into which distillery was closest to the old Highlander and found that it was Ord—if we exclude Uile-bheist Distillery, which, having visited last year, still seems highly unpredictable for now. Will we ever get to taste it? We’ll see. But for the moment, feast your eyes on this likely little gem from Inverness… By the way, I thought I had some old Mackinlay blend that, indeed, used to include Glen Albyn, but I must have dreamed it. Anyway, let’s carry on… |
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Glen Albyn 10 yo (43%, OB, ‘Pure Highland Malt’, UK, bottled by John E. McPherson of Leith, clear glass, 75cl, +/-1970)
This is not the one for Italy (D&C Import). Actually, I must humbly admit I’ve often had a tough time with these Glen Albyns ‘OB’, knowing full well that there have been some splendid batches, but also a few rather more troublesome ones. We’re not talking about the 10-year-old cask strength for Giaccone here, are we, clearly a different league. That said, I was told this particular batch we’re having now was top-tier, though I wouldn’t know how to recognise it myself, save for the fact that it’s not one of the Italian-bound versions. Colour: gold. Nose: how about a mix of cauliflower, farmhouse cider, slag, chunks of zamak, paraffin and slate? This is seriously old-school! Mouth: roots of all kinds, with lemon and salt, some quality green peppercorns, curious notes of underripe pineapple, a touch of kale and, above all, papier-mâché with quite an invasive minerality, tinged with hints of vinyl, olive oil and various other dry oils. Finish: oddly long, continuing on salted liquorice and modelling clay blended with apple juice. Comments: it’s almost like listening to Roamin’ in the Gloamin’ by Harry Lauder on an old gramophone. You try scoring that!
SGP:462 - 88 points. |
So, permanently closed in 1983 and demolished in 1988, Glen Albyn was already using malt from a Saladin box rather than traditional floor maltings at the time this 10-year-old was distilled. As was, incidentally, ta-da!... Glen Ord (nice segue, S.). Indeed, Ord upgraded its malting operations in 1961, replacing its traditional floor maltings with a Saladin box. How fitting, as we’re about to taste a 1962… |
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Ord 24 yo 1962/1987 (46%, Cadenhead, Aberdeen, black dumpy, 75cl)
These 1962 Ords can be notoriously variable, despite their legendary reputation, some utterly sublime (such as the CAD 1962/1989 at 55.4%, or the Bouquet by Samaroli…), others more… improbable. Of course, the geeks mainly remember the brilliant ones. Or the utter disasters. Everyone recalls Loch Dhu the black whisky, for instance, but who remembers Jackson’s Row the blond whisky?? Anyway… Colour: gold. Nose: ace! as they used to say at Loch Fyne Whiskies. The most glorious mix of beeswax, sesame oil, peanut oil, basalt and wee citrus fruits, bergamots, kumquats (hello Dutch dentists), leading eventually to a few glints of copper polish, a classic trait of this series, though here it’s nicely restrained. Mouth: unmistakably a black dumpy. It’s very fine, though one day we ought to let some of these old liquids being analysed to see whether they’ve remained drinkable and haven’t been slightly poisoned or tainted by their closures and/or old glass. But let’s drop the decadent and unreasonable hygiene talk—this waxy, salty, and indeed metallic profile is beautiful. This time, it’s grapefruit that takes the lead, followed by a faint hint of leek soup. The wax does return, unmistakably Ord. Finish: rather long, with wax, metal, and metal polish all well accounted for. Some slightly salted apple and grapefruit bring it all together in the aftertaste. Comments: these babies are never easy to score. I’d say the cask strength versions age a little more gracefully, not that anyone will be shocked. But what a stunning bottle!
SGP:462 - 89 points. |
The profiles of this Glen Albyn and this Ord were still remarkably similar. Pure old-school Highlands! |
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July 13, 2025 |
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A few more rums, though not all of them are malternatives |
I'm afraid so… At any rate, not the first we’ll have, as we're making another attempt with A.H. Riise, following the rather terrifying sugar bomb from a fortnight ago, which went by the thoroughly immodest name of "Non Plus Ultra Ambre d’Or Excellence" (WF 30).
('The Neighbours', AI slop) |
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A.H. Riise ‘Family Reserve Solera 1838’ (42%, OB, Virgin Islands, +/-2024) 
The solera trick propped up by a pseudo-ancient vintage always seems to work. Naturally, your brain knows it’s a load of old nonsense, but these brands don’t speak to your brain, they speak to your gut. Here, the rums are also said to be ‘aged up to 25 years in oak casks’. The key part, naturally, being ‘up to’. Colour: pale gold. Nose: let’s be fair, this nose is rather pretty, on a blend of tangerines and ginger not entirely devoid of elegance, even if there’s also a faint whiff of Dr Pepper and a touch of lavender toilet water that’s a tad awkward. Still, over ice, this nose kind of works. Mouth: a sugary bomb, as expected, and one gets the distinct impression we’re dealing with far more than the 100g/l measured here and there. Do bear in mind that the legal EU limit is 20g/l, so this is not rum, not even close. And frankly, it’s not good, it tastes like some concoction of fake Apérol mixed with LIDL’s own-brand cherry liqueur. No, no, do not try this at home. Finish: suffocating, cloying, quickly now, three large glasses of sparkling water… Comments: while there’s undoubtedly even worse out there, we’re not far off the lakebed here. In fact, this is more the Mariana Trench.
SGP:920 - 15 points. |
Quick, a reward for our efforts… |
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Clairin Le Rocher 41 mo 2019/2022 (49.10%, The Navigator, Haiti, cask LR17 JD-2-V2)
Bottled by Providence/Velier for Navigate World Whisky in South Africa. Sounds cool. This is clairin ‘ansyen’, Creole for ‘ancien’, which of course means ‘old’. Colour: pale gold. Nose: much like with mezcals, one tends to favour the ‘blancs’, yet here the wood influence after these 41 months remains very restrained, allowing full expression to notes of cider vinegar, antiseptic, cracked olives and furniture polish. Really lovely. Mouth: the oak is a touch more noticeable now, but it morphs everything into a great big parcel of salmiak. So, we’re talking liquorice, olive oil, salt, nutmeg and pine sap, with a bit of ash in the background, which does lean rather ‘Islay’, it must be said. Finish: and it’s also slightly mezcal-like, since we mentioned mezcal earlier. Comments: a blend of salted liquorice and olive oil—hmm, that’s giving me ideas, like a martini of the dead. By the way, we adore this South African clairin.
SGP:363 - 88 points. |
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Diamond 2014/2025 ‘Port Mourant’ (53.6%, The Whisky Jury, The Ester Hunter catch 3, Guyana, bourbon, cask #5, 280 bottles)
A young ‘Port Mourant’ from the John Dore pot still. It seems the ester level was very high… Colour: gold. Nose: oh yes, smoked praline over fir wood, puncture-repair glue, brand-new trainers from an improbable DNVB doing business via Facebook, and a whiff of fresh formica that only boomers would recall, though apparently that glorious material is back in vogue. In any case, this feels bone-dry. With water: hay smoke, very trendy with certain chefs. Mouth (neat): this is ultra-dry, like an intensely salty manzanilla aged in fresh cedarwood, or something along those lines. With water: same again, though now we’ve got green olives charging in en masse. Finish: same story, and it lingers for quite a while. Aftertaste: ultra-dry. Comments: packs quite a punch, and as they say, ‘probably not one for the neighbours’. A baby that is to rum what brut nature is to Champagne (S., please, will you stop talking about Champagne?)
SGP:273 - 89 points. |
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Port Mourant 15 yo 2010/2025 (54.3%, Spirit of the Day, Guyana, bourbon, cask #5)
I’m rather fond of the very ‘IBM 1970’ style labels from these small French bottlers. Colour: gold. Nose: we’re extremely close to the previous one, so much so that I had to double-check I hadn’t poured the same rum into two different glasses. Let’s just say there are a few extra hints of dill and anise here, a touch more herbal freshness, but otherwise it’s much the same, which is of course excellent news. With water: it’s definitely that fresh rubber note that characterises these Port Mourant batches from Diamond. Mouth (neat): same story again, though this time there’s a little more pear, with the rest being conifer, olives, rubber and salted liquorice… With water: same comments again. Finish: likewise. Comments: excellent stuff, though still probably not one for the neighbours.
SGP:373 - 89 points. |
By the way, ‘the neighbours’ are absolutely lovely people, who won’t shy away from enjoying a good wine or spirit, though they don’t know the first thing about them, feel no need to learn more, and are perfectly happy with verdicts like ‘I like it’ / ‘I don’t like it’. Which, we quite agree, is far better than ‘it’s good’ / ‘it’s not good’ – the kind of judgement typical of people whose education has been a bit haphazard. That said, ‘the neighbours’ are truly charming people, who might even share our level of geekery, though rather in areas like politics, batik, gardening or country music. We all have our ‘neighbours’, don’t we. Now, let’s move on to Jamaica (the neighbours are also very fond of Bob Marley but they never heard of Sly and Robbie) … |
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Clarendon 24 yo 1999/2023 ‘JMM’ (53.4%, The Whisky Blues, Jamaica, barrel, cask #1, 238 bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: all the classic markers of a Jamaican, but delivered gently, it bridges the gap between olives, petrol and varnish on the one hand, and ripe bananas, slightly underripe mangoes and pineapples on the other. With water: a burnt and resinous side comes through, but the fresh fruit keeps things in balance. Some modelling clay. Mouth (neat): more intense on the palate, with lovely salty bitters, tar, sea water, fresh grass, and a few acetoney touches… With water: the esters really lift off, clearly more prominent than in the Port Mourant, which once again highlights the beauty of comparative tastings. Finish: long, just a touch drying, and a little oaky. Comments: we’re still a fair way off the most boisterous Jamaicans, yet this rather lovely Clarendon is already very typical, with a pronounced mango-varnish character.
SGP:462 - 87 points. |
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Hampden 8 yo 2016/2024 ‘<>H’ (65%, Rest & Be Thankful, LMDW Foundations, Jamaica)
Between their Octomores and their Hampdens, one could say that the house of Rest & Be Thankful has truly carved out its own style, which isn’t all that common among independents. In short, we’re not dealing with chamber music here… I must admit I wasn’t familiar with the ‘<>H’ mark, but it seems it’s in the 1,000-gr ester/hlpa range, the equivalent of ‘<H>’. Geekier than that, you die. Colour: deep gold. Nose: Hampdens hit you like a freight train, instantly and without mercy. Diesel, olives, gherkins, acetone, a touch of ammonia, all wrapped in vanilla and banana cream, though with moderation. I do mean just the vanilla and banana cream. With water: enters the sea, or rather the docks of a northern port, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Hamburg and the like… Mouth (neat): no prisoners taken, but no complaints either. Classic, unfiltered Hampden—salty, petrolic, and then veering more towards something like a mix of cane syrup and frosty mint syrup, just at 65% ABV. Assassins! With water: textbook Hampden, deeply salty and packed with hydrocarbons. Finish: same story, very long, though once again rounded out by that vanilla. Comments: of course it’s rather masterful, but don’t even think about trying to get your neighbours to taste it.
SGP:563 - 89 points. |
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Hampden 1 yo 2023/2025 ‘Fino’ (61.9%, The Colours of Rum for Catawiki, cask #147, 75 bottles) 
We’re in the 1,300–1,400 gr ester/hlpa range here, which would also correspond to the C<>H mark. See last week’s little brother which had seen some Madeira rather than fino. While we say our prayers, let us remember that Hampden is one of those very rare spirits that really don’t need long ageing. Colour: gold. Nose: I’m sorry to say, I adore this. Utter precision, zero external influence, with a fino that, in any case, is probably playing in exactly the same league. Pushing things a bit, one might even claim Hampden belongs to the fino category of rum. Gorgeous carbon, acetone, and tidal sea water. With water: no change whatsoever. I reckon you could drop this to 10% ABV and it still wouldn’t make much difference. Mouth (neat): insanely vinegary and crammed with brine and ultra-concentrated liquorice. With water: what a creature! A bit more on the plastic side, but it’s plastic that harms no planet. Finish: ultra-long and ultra-saline. We wonder whether the famed fino didn’t just further amplify the profile of this little C<>H. Anchovy in brine. Comments: could we perhaps get more details about that famous ‘fino’? I liked this ‘fino’ a tad better than the ‘Madeira’, which was already quite stellar.
SGP:364 - 90 points. |
These little Hampdens remind us of one of Confucius’s precepts: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away.” The trouble is, they’re also session killers, so, adios. |
 Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far
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July 11, 2025 |
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WF’s Little Duos, today young
Glen Scotia for CMF |
Well, we’re two months behind. It’s always a bit of a challenge for a somewhat seasoned taster to rid themselves of the biases built up over decades of not always successful experiences with this or that brand or distillery. In any case, Glen Scotia has made great strides in recent years, as has the entire group by the way, starting with Loch Lomond.
(Bodega Vega Real, Castrillo de Duero, Valladolid) |
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Glen Scotia 9 yo ‘Heavily Peated’ (54.3%, OB, Campbeltown Malts Festival 2025, Ribera del Duero finish)
Given the extreme makeover (unusual peatiness, Spanish red wine), I must confess I rather hesitated before approaching this baby, but then again, why not, let’s see whether it truly jars or how badly it does. Right, see if we’re in the realm of strawberry-coffee-mustard style... Or not. At any rate, Spanish red wine continues its invasion of Scotland. Colour: great maiden's blush (that’s a real colour). Nose: indeed, there’s something of the artificial strawberry sweet and cigarette ash about it, but also a coastal breeze that feels quite pleasant, along with some blood orange. With water: a chalky note emerges, orange peel, sourdough, bakery scents. Mouth (neat): very odd but not unpleasant, very taut, very much on grapefruit and lime, with some scratchy ash in the background only. It almost feels like a syrup-free Caledonian ti-punch. With water: rather nice, though we’re quite far removed from traditional malt whisky territory. The flavours remain clean, sharp, nervy, and still heavily on vivid citrus. Finish: fairly long, with no major changes save for a touch of brine atop citrus peels. Raspberry makes a late entrance in the aftertaste, together with some… cinsault rosé. Not sure they have cinsault in Ribera del Duero, have they? The vast majority is tempranillo anyway. Comments: there’s something both youthful and uninhibited in this concoction that, all things considered, I find rather endearing, even if, truth be told, it’s not exactly ‘my thing’. But love the great Riberas.
SGP:755 - 82 points. |
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Glen Scotia 8 yo 2014–2016/2025 ‘Glen Toon’ (57.1%, Decadent Drams for Campbeltown Malts Festival 2025, 1st fill hogshead and barrel, 430 bottles)
A blend of 2014 and peated 2016 composed with evident care, well, one imagines. Colour: pale gold. Nose: shock and awe, this one blasts the official bottling without the slightest hint of shame. Far more mineral, and not far from a fine Chardonnay, with chalk, dandelion flowers, flint in a most Chablis-like fashion, some lees, bread dough, and honeysuckle. With water: lovely vanilla emerges, strudel too, but above all, a good deal of stones and wet pebbles. Mouth (neat): the balance is rather clever between the peat and the citrus-driven tension. At this stage, it’s closer to a Sauvignon Blanc, though still packed with flint. With water: excellent, bitter oranges and ginger tonic, with a pinch of salt and one of white pepper. All this works beautifully. Finish: long and curiously refined for such a young stylistic blend. Italian bitters in the aftertaste, Campari direction—I do mean direction. Comments: clearly, some proper work went into this, whether in the lab or in the kitchen. It clicks together shockingly well considering the age.
SGP:464 - 88 points. |
Hold on, we've found a third one – let's taste it quickly… |
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Campbeltown Blended Malt 9 yo 2014/2023 (54.3%, Whiskyfacile, Black Cat, sherry hogshead, cask #23, 96 bottles)
Colour: amber. Nose: rather lovely sherry with a faintly ‘bourbony’ touch (pencil shavings), featuring delicate notes of game birds, dried figs, toffee, and cigar box. With water: fresh cement and equally fresh pumpernickel. We're getting closer to the raw ingredients here. Mouth (neat): cedarwood is quite forward, alongside salted butter caramel, fudge, millionaire’s shortbread, and raisins… Very nice texture. With water: out come the fruit loaves, crusty farmhouse bread sheltering bits of candied zest, raisins, figs, and apricots. Would you kindly pass the butter? This should go down a treat with foie gras. Truly. Finish: long, just a wee bit more ‘dirty’, ‘leafy’, with the tiniest flecks of ‘gunpowder’. Comments: really very, very good, though ever so slightly on the ‘adventurous’ side.
SGP:552 - 87 points. |
Another lovely little tasting session today. Even if, frankly, we could do without those red wine casks, which are starting to get quite tiresome. Soon enough, the guidebooks will be saying that Scotch whisky is distilled beer, aged in neutral oak casks, then flavoured with wine from Spain, Italy or France. Let’s quickly light a few candles to make sure that never happens… In any case, may no one accuse me again of talking too much about wine in our very modest and rather clumsy tasting notes! LOL (as we used to add B.I.C. - before the informational chaos). |
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July 10, 2025 |
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Some Aberfeldy and some red wine
The brand’s use of wine has become so massive it’s actually quite funny. The trick is to take it all with a pinch of salt. Look, here are two new examples today – both limited editions. |
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The cynics might say that’s actually the best news in all of this... I just hope these babies won’t overshadow the impression left by their recent and very excellent Aberfeldy 2014 ‘Exceptional Cask Scottish oak finish'. |
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Aberfeldy 15 yo ‘Finished in Bolgheri Red Wine Casks’ (46%, OB, Red Wine Cask collection, batch #2924/B, 2024)
Now then, Bolgheri is the very place where those super-Tuscan Bordeaux-style blends hail from, which, truth be told, we rather struggle to finish (Sassicaia, Ornellaia and suchlike) The worst of Italy, really, despite their having so many other absolute marvels elsewhere. Imagine gleefully planting Sangiovese or Nebbiolo in France! Madness. Colour: gold. No rosé hue, thankfully. Nose: naturally it’s all right, it doesn’t reek of raw stave or new planks, but there’s a duo of pepper and green capsicum, along with blackcurrant bud, which always tends to set the nerves slightly on edge. It’s a layered nose, one might say, with a delayed and restrained arrival of raspberries and cherries. Mouth: decent, though not terribly charming, with a rather awkward and somewhat Janus-like split personality. Raspberry liqueur-filled chocolates, green pepper and cardamom, with cherry and black pepper stepping in a little later to help steady the ship. Finish: fairly long, though rather leafy. Comments: definitely an improvement over other, previous red-wined ones
SGP:561 - 77 points. |
Right, I’ve probably ruffled a few feathers again, I’m afraid. But wait, here comes a genuine Italian… |
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Aberfeldy 18 yo ‘Finished in Sangiovese Red Wine’ (46%, OB, Red Wine Cask collection, batch #2924/A, 2024)
Sangiovese is the noble grape of Chianti, responsible for some of the world’s greatest red wines. But in whisky, well, let’s see, though philosophically, we’ll take this over some dreary ‘Bordeaux blend’ any day. Colour: gold. Remarkable how little visual impact these wine casks actually have. Nose: phew, as expected, this is much better, more on Mediterranean scrubland herbs, myrtle, waxes, wild cherries, even olive oil and maraschino. Altogether a very Italian sort of Aberfeldy. Mouth: now that’s more like it indeed. Far more expressive, herbal, slightly acidic, jittery, with tart cherries and the kind of liqueurs our southern friends do so well, plus, predictably enough, a few pretty notes of grappa. Still not entirely Scottish malt whisky in soul, but the European flair is rather charming. Finish: long, and quite strikingly on bitter orange and pepper. I even get two or three black olives, though perhaps I’m dreaming. Comments: a lovely result from what sounded like a daft idea. Perhaps next time with the finest Gran Selezione?
SGP:561 - 85 points. |
Phew! Let’s move on to a young, naturally presented Independent, and that’ll be us done for today… |
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Aberfeldy 10 yo 2014/2024 (60.7%, Fragrant Drops, refill bourbon barrel, cask #252, 207 bottles)
This ought to be clean as a whistle. Colour: gold. Nose: new-make barley eau-de-vie, orange and banana peels, barley sugar, muesli, baker’s yeast, brioche dough… Exactly what one expected really, we’re firmly in raw ingredient territory here. With water: no real shift, save for a little vanilla and even more barley syrup showing up. Mouth (neat): rather like this, it’s all apples, pears and an assortment of little plums, with a fairly assertive farm-cider vibe. Nature at full throttle! With water: the beers come charging through, reminding us once again that whisky is, first and foremost, distilled beer. Finish: long, a touch more herbal, a notch more peppery. Comments: basic but very likeable, in a super-natural, very young, very rustic style.
SGP:551 - 82 points. |
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July 9, 2025 |
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Five Linkwood B and one Linkwood A |
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| Linkwood when A was still standing (geograph) |
There’s been quite a bit of Linkwood among the independents lately, and we’re certainly not complaining. Especially since we’ve also got a Linkwood from the old distillery up our sleeve – just wait and see… Let me remind you that Linkwood A was the original distillery, founded in 182, with production starting around 1824/1825. In 1971, a second facility, Linkwood B, was built next to it to increase production capacity. From 1971 to 1985, both Linkwood A and B operated in parallel. In 1985, the original distillery was permanently closed (and demolished around twelve years ago) and only Linkwood B remained active. Everything we’re going to taste, then, comes from Linkwood B, except the last one. |
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Linkwood 9 yo 2015/2025 (50%, Elevenses Whisky, Fairgound Delight, refill bourbon hogshead, 694 bottles)
Some newcomers to the scene, I presume, as I’d never heard of Elevenses before. The bottle’s rather amusing, it’s a bit reminiscent of Spanish grapeseed oil, and the price is almost as reasonable as that of actual grapeseed oil in Spain. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: it’s fresh, youthful, very close to the distillate, with notes of gherkin brine, pear juice and sunflower oil. This is clearly all about the raw materials. With water: a touch of geranium blossom, some cake batter, and a slight saponification after dilution… Mouth (neat): curiously a tad saline, otherwise quite barley-forward with hints of fruit peelings, apples… With water: more malty and more floral, even slightly peppery but that’s probably just its youth showing. Finish: medium length, on pear and still that faintly saline edge. Comments: jolly pleasant and above all very natural.
SGP:551 - 83 points. |
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Linkwood 8 yo 2016/2024 (57.8%, Fragrant Drops, oloroso quarter casks, casks # 29791-29792, 294 bottles)
From the same parent company, it would seem. The whisky’s pedigree, however, is clearly heading in the opposite direction… Colour: amber. Nose: coconutty oak, walnut wine, dried figs, dates, sultanas… All very pleasant indeed. With water: tobacco and Thai broth. Mouth (neat): creamy, on candied ginger and coriander seeds (the oak again), orange marmalade, a touch of yellow curry, dates… With water: works a treat, a lovely spicy, peppery profile with sweet paprika and lemon-tree honey. Finish: long, spicier still, with a big gingery comeback. Comments: serious work with those quarter casks, you either like it or you don’t, but there’s no denying it’s been very well crafted and tightly steered.
SGP:561 - 85 points. |
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Linkwood 10 yo 2013/2023 (57.1%, The Whisky Exchange, Seasons: Spring, refill bourbon barrels, cask # 307180)
Colour: white wine. Nose: pure pears and cherry clafoutis. With water: a drop of barley syrup. Mouth (neat): pretty superb, taut as a bowstring and bursting with fruit. Pear eau-de-vie straight off the still, with a few dashes of vanilla for good measure. With water: no major changes. Finish: long, same story, clean and fresh. And very much on the pear. Comments: slightly reminiscent of the Elevenses but with a bit more bite. Lovely bottle.
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
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Linkwood 15 yo 2009/2025 (56.2%, Signatory Vintage, Symington’s Choice, 1st fill oloroso sherry butt, cask #8, 683 bottles)
They’ve really become the emperors of sherry at Signatory over the past couple of years, haven’t they, with some rather prime space left vacant by certain major Speyside distilleries. Colour: mahogany. Nose: this is the expected style, cedarwood, touches of graphite, chocolate, umami notes, a lovely meaty character, and some proper Corinthian raisins… With water: in come mentholated and camphory touches, though the cedar stays firmly in place. Pencil shavings. Mouth (neat): oh, very good, more on the earthy side, black pepper, liquorice, walnut liqueur (big time) … With water: even more powerful, loaded with spices and wood extracts, yet oddly enough, balance has been struck. Finish: long, almost thick, still on pepper and cedarwood. Comments: this one really speaks volumes. Definitely a bottle to cellar for, say, thirty years, just to smooth out the corners.
SGP:462 - 87 points. |
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Linkwood 16 yo 2008/2025 (58.7%, Signatory Vintage, The Whisky Exchange exclusive, Bourbon Cask Series, cask # 800064, 174 bottles)
Now this, this is surely a clever one… Colour: gold. Nose: it’s oily yet bright, with a touch of fusel oil, but also splendid yellow citrus and wild wee apples, service tree berries, jujubes and the like. All this on a panettone fresher than a daisy at dawn. Gorgeous vanilla cream, plus a sheet of carbon paper. Okay, Gen Z? With water: in comes motor oil and even a bit of Bakelite. Boomer territory, barely. Mouth (neat): oh yes, fresh, rich, yet fresh, yet rich, on vanilla cream, sunflower oil, granny smiths and golden delicious. With water: lemony, fatty, very good, fresh, beautiful apples. Finish: fairly long, still on green apples, malt, and a very discreet vanilla + coconut combo. Rather brilliant. Comments: yes, very good, really taut.
SGP:551 - 87 points. |
It’s already time to wrap things up… |
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Linkwood 12 yo 1959 (43%, OB, for Samaroli Silvano, 2 litres, +/-1971)
Here comes Linkwood ‘A’! One of the very first imports by Silvano Samaroli! And bottled in a two-litre format no less, hence a ‘super magnum’. There were other vintages in this ‘black label’ series, 1958, 1960… But not in super magnum, I believe, those are exceedingly rare. Colour: gold. Nose: wait a moment, I was mistaken, this is Sicilian olive oil blended with a few drops of moped fuel mix. Ex-Malaguti, perhaps? This kind of opulent fatness could only come from an old-school distillery, here ‘old’ Linkwood indeed. Lovely little hints of charcoal, setting spray, ink, grated lemon zest… It’s the fatness and texture on the nose that truly impress. Mouth: to be honest, there’s a hint of soapiness, a touch of light-struck flavour, but the rest unfolds on plasticine, apple peel, walnut and almond skins, and above all that famously saline manzanilla character. Finish: same again, textured, oily, not showing its age in the slightest. The barley itself remains as well – just imagine, likely harvested in 1958! Comments: let’s be honest, this is clearly an old malt for die-hard geeks, but here’s to you, Silvano-in-the-sky!
SGP:352 - 89 points (though emotionally, much more). |
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July 7, 2025 |
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WF’s Little Duos, today middle-aged Longmorn OB vs IB |
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| We’re about to get the latest of the official 18-year-olds, which I believe followed the famous 16-year-old that somewhat alarmed enthusiasts at the time, due to its very high price compared to the previous 15-year-old. In short, we’re going to compare this latest 18-year-old with an IB of a similar age, randomly selected from the sample library at WF HQ. |
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Longmorn 18 yo (48%, OB, +/-2025)
Aged in American oak and traditional hogsheads. Careful, not to be confused with the Annual Releases 2023 or 2024, which are cask strength. Colour: gold. Nose: this strikes me as much better than the recent 16s (circa 2022) which rather lacked oomph, now this one’s quite rounded and soft, and clearly more on the pâtissier side than the fruity, especially if one compares it to bottlings from the 1980s. Custard, warm scones, shortbread, dandelion blossoms, notes of orange liqueur, touches of redcurrant and apple, then white chocolate and a little coconut, all with due restraint… In short, everything's ticking along nicely. Mouth: more malty on the palate, a touch rougher after that very civilised nose, more on candied oranges and lemon zest, then baked apples with a good bit of cinnamon. Stewed peaches. Finish: fairly long, more citrus-forward, with orange, pear, honey, and also a few grassy touches. A bit of panettone then turns up, especially on the aftertaste. No complaints whatsoever. Comments: what one might call a perfect allrounder, I don’t see who wouldn’t like this (barring a few fierce competitors). It does better than simply stand in the shadow of its cousin at Glenlivet.
SGP:551 - 87 points. |
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Longmorn 17 yo 2007/2024 (43.8%, Whisky-Doris, barrel, 132 bottles)
A small and thoroughly trustworthy German outfit, warmly recommended. Worth noting this is genuine cask strength, no reduction whatsoever. Colour: chardonnay. Nose: exactly what one hopes for from a slightly old-school independent bottler, meaning a malt close to the distillate yet with its own character—here we’re treated to some lovely notes of chalk and apples which, to be honest, bring to mind a good champagne made purely from pinot meunier. Those are all the rage these days, by the way. In short, I adore this nose. Mouth: getting closer to the fine official bottling, but even though it’s 5 degrees lower in strength, this one feels punchier, more lemony, with a touch of wax and those endlessly fascinating chalky or even limestone notes still very much in play. Even if this isn’t a malt of immense complexity. Finish: fairly long, on lemon, apples and beeswax. We shan’t bang on about champagne again, but still, I’m thinking of Boizel’s Brut Ultime or Drappier’s Clarevallis, both extra brut yet rather different. Comments: sorry for harping on about champagne instead of this truly lovely natural Longmorn. Entschuldigung.
SGP:561 - 89 points. |
In short, none of them disappointed. Promise, we’ll do a big Longmorn session very soon. |
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July 6, 2025 |
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Rums of all kinds, in the shade
Since it’s summer! Granted, rum isn’t – or shouldn’t really be – particularly associated with summer, but it’s probably hard to erase two hundred years of advertising built around parasols, daiquiris, and wide-eyed tourists spending the day in their swimsuits or Hawaiian shirts (white dinner jackets in the evening). Note that this time we’ll be steering clear of those 'apéritif' rums sweetened to a near-fatal degree, so as to maintain a touch of grace (excuse me?) this first weekend of July. Well, you know what I mean.
(Magazine ad, mid-1980s) |
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Isautier 10 yo (40%, OB, La Réunion, agricole, +/-2024)
We’ve already had a go at this baby, albeit in a previous guise. It wasn’t half bad, though those 40% will always be something of a handicap unless your distillate is truly big, big, big. Colour: gold. Nose: we’re in light agricole territory here, I’d say. A touch of rubber, a sprinkle of caraway, herbal orange liqueur, three drops of banana liqueur, then simply some cane syrup. Rather lovely nose, let’s just hope it doesn’t collapse on the palate. Mouth: not too far from some of the agricoles from Madeira, with a rather distinctive herbal side, a wee bit of burnt hay, some charming citrus and a discreet salty edge. Finish: not the longest but agreeably saline, herbal and spicy. The caraway’s back in the aftertaste, along with quite a bit of aniseed and black pepper. Comments: real pity about the 40% vol. All the more so since we’ve tasted quite a few high-voltage Isautiers (LMDW, Velier) that had been absolutely superb.
SGP:551 - 80 points. |
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Papalin 6 yo (54 .1%, Velier, Haitian blend, pot still only, ex-sherry, 2023)
This is a blend of three Haitian rums, matured at Distillerie de Port au Prince/Providence. Since it’s pot still only, I would suppose there’s no Barbancourt. Colour: amber. Nose: smells like there’s quite a bit of clairin in there, it’s very briny, very much on a mix of gherkins and lemons, with some cracking whiffs of bicycle inner tube (what with the Tour de France just about to kick off as we write this). With water: a freshly opened pouch of pipe tobacco. Or a box of Dunhills. Mouth (neat): I find the sherry behaves impeccably, first-rate salty liquorice all over the place, then throat pastilles made with lemon and eucalyptus. One feels instantly revived, doesn’t one. With water: some fresh walnuts, delightful acidity, a charmingly sharp and full profile all at once. Finish: long, still very saline. Comments: totally dominated by the clairin. No complaints, we adore that stuff. The sherry itself was characterful, possibly not only ‘seasoned for the business’.
SGP:563 - 88 points. |
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Agitator ‘Chestnut Reserve’ (40%, OB, Sweden, +/-2024)
Molasses-based rum, distilled and aged in chestnut casks in Sweden. All of this makes perfect sense, doesn’t it. Worth noting, chestnut wood was once used in wine, notably in Burgundy, as it was cheaper and easier to work than oak. It was mostly used for transport (hence all those chestnut casks once found in Scotland) or for modest table wines. It’s notably more tannic, which also helped to mask flaws in the wines, though I don’t believe that was the aim of the excellent folks behind Agitator. Colour: gold. Nose: again, rather odd to have bottled this at 40%. We’re getting some burnt tones, pine, cloves studded into oranges, a few whiffs of geranium and fig leaves… In short, it’s quite the curious thing. Mouth: quite an improbable combo of coffee and peppermint liqueur, rock candy sugar, myrtle liqueur, and a few touches of honey… Finish: fairly short and rather sweet. Cumin and coffee liqueur. Comments: it’s amusing stuff, though rather anecdotal for me. Not very ‘rum’ either, but then again, that figures—we are in Sweden. Personally, I much prefer their whiskies.
SGP:760 - 72 points. |
Let’s head back to la Réunion… |
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Savanna 2019/2024 (63%, The Nectar of The Daily Drams, for LMDW, La Réunion, finished in ex-Pineau des Charentes)
What’s the link between rum from La Réunion and Pineau des Charentes? Simple: they’re both French products. I know, it’s a bit of a stretch. Colour: very pale white wine. Nose: rose liqueur, pineapple liqueur and nail polish remover, 33/33/33. With water: a slight mousey note, then brand new trainers and acetone. High-ester. Mouth (neat): utter madness, it’s so crazy you end up loving it. Esters, hairspray, varnish, glue, peach liqueur, rosewater, grilled aubergines, even charred ones. With water: the spices charge in, Timut pepper, cumin liqueur, still glue, tar, then an oyster and a dash of lemon. Finish: liquorice takes over, as it often does. So do cough syrups. Bonkers. Comments: it’s not so much the end result (which is excellent) that fascinates me, but the sheer thought process behind it. A rum for the lunatics among us, in the best way.
SGP:663 - 88 points. |
We’re still in weird territory… |
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MacNairs ‘Exploration Jamaica Rum’ (46%, Glenallachie, Jamaica, peated, +/-2024)
Some Clarendon matured at Glenallachie, probably for a short period of time. It was actually finished in some ex-peated Glenallachie wood. Yeah, why not, other brands did this stunt, such as HSE in Martinique. What’s amusing is that this baby already seems to have scooped more medals than a retired Russian field marshal. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: on the nose, the Jamaican rum clearly takes the lead. Seawater, basalt, charcoal, acetone, lemon, petrol. Mouth: the peat must be there, no doubt, but what stands out most is the lime, the glue, the ashes (hey!), the seawater and all the expected ‘funk’ that comes with this idea. Finish: fairly long, a touch sweet, but the balance holds, especially as some amusing notes of pear and pineapple now appear. Salty aftertaste. Comments: terrifying idea, successful execution. Better that way round, I should think.
SGP:652 - 85 points. |
Now then, regarding Clarendon… |
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Clarendon 29 yo 1995/2025 ‘EMB’ (61.5%, The Colours of Rum, Jamaica, N°16, 148 bottles)
23 years in the tropics, mind you! And yet it’s paler than an Americano coffee in an airport lounge. The EMB mark suggests an ester level of 250g/HLPA, which is already not half bad. Colour: tea in some airport lounge (right). Nose: stop right there! This is pretty astonishing—passion fruit, mango, both gros and petit manseng, fresh mint, elegant glues and varnishes, plus a wee touch of new tyre. And it all remains remarkably compact and fresh. With water: just beautiful! Glorious exotic fruits with a little rubber and tar, all 100% natural. Mouth (neat): of course it’s a tad aggressive, and yes, it does feel like swallowing five litres of pine sap, but at 61.5%, hardly surprising. I’d be curious to know whether the casks were topped up during ageing in Jamaica (one cask nourishing the others, etc., which the Scots don’t and can’t really do, for example). With water: let’s admit it, it’s a bit ‘woody’. That said, unless you’re allergic or intolerant to conifer saps and resins, it’s utterly beautiful. Finish: long, ultra-mentholy and resinous. Comments: the nose takes you straight to the stars, and the rest remains top-notch too.
SGP:572 - 91 points. |
Since we're with Wealth Solutions, let’s wrap things up by trying the likely opposite… |
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Hampden 1 yo 2023/2025 ‘Madeira’ (62.2%, The Colours of Rum, Edition Green for Catawiki, Jamaica)
1,300–1,500 gr ester/HLPA, that’s the C<>H marque, right? At such a young age, they still managed to give it a Madeira cask finish, and judging by the colour, it wasn’t white Madeira. Let’s see, in any case we trust the Catawiki crew. And CoR, of course. Colour: Provence rosé wine, or partridge eye. Nose: careful, this does unscrew your nose and perhaps your whole head. Burning tyres, one might say. Or rather, tyres actively burning. Yet the background seems subtler, peach skins, gentle glues, sun lotion… With water: a staggering gangster vibe, submachine gun, cartridges… And heaps of glue. Mouth (neat): even at this extreme, Hampden remains one of the world’s greatest distillates, quite simply. Earth, chalk, petrol (yes, we once had petrol in the mouth back when we used to siphon tanks with mates, given how thirsty our cars were), and indeed this one’s colour does rather remind you of petrol. Also lots of black olives. With water: in come the brined fish—anchovies, sardines, mackerel… And lashings of salt. Finish: very long, on acetone and salt. Comments: perhaps the most discreet Madeira wine influence we’ve ever encountered, and yet it was clearly there, judging by the colour of this baby. In any case, we adore this baby Hampden.
SGP:464 - 89 points. |
Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far |
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July 5, 2025 |
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Angus's Corner
From our correspondent and skilled taster Angus MacRaild in Scotland |
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New old Irish
and old old Irish
Irish whiskey is no doubt going through a challenging time, although I will also admit, I have been terrible at keeping up with everything that has been going on there in recent years. It seems that the category has sort of exploded, but very quickly found itself in increasingly uncertain waters. It's not hard to see why when the fortunes of much of the industry are tied closely to the American market. |
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One of my ambitions is still to go on a proper whiskey trip to Ireland, hopefully before too long I'll make happen. Until then, we have an assortment of some very interesting Irish drams on the tasting table today. But first, a rather melancholy pair of aperitifs... |
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Waterford ‘Heritage Goldthorpe’ (50%, OB, 6,500 bottles, 2024) 
Distilled using a heritage malt called 'Goldthorpe' apparently, which is immediately appealing to my inner geek (who am I kidding, I'm all geek really). Colour: straw. Nose: a combination of soft yellow and green fruits, mingling with many variations of freshly baked breads, beer trub, meadow flowers and ripe melon with a touch of fir wood. I always associate this kind of profile with a very modern, craft character that you find in many European whiskies these days. With water: juniper and caraway, with a slightly more spicy / bready focus. Mouth: a little more accented towards green fruits, more melon, lemon curd and lemon barley water, and also a notably oily and viscous texture in the mouth. It's a sense of weight and body I often find in whiskies made using non-distilling malts, which is to say: heritage grains with a better balance of proteins and starches that give lower yields but more character. With water: more peppery but also overall softer in the mouth, more lemony notes (limoncello) and more green melon and soft herbal notes. Finish: quite long, on herbs, wildflowers, geraniums, olive oil and hints of hessian canvas. Comments: It's one of the growing numbers of evidential drams that go to show that these kinds of heritage varieties can make extremely good, very textural malt whiskies. I wonder if this sense of body and oiliness will sustain into greater age...
SGP: 561 - 88 points. |
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Waterford ‘Biodynamic Cuvée Luna’ (50%, OB, 2024) 
Colour: bright straw. Nose: very pure and precise, much more focussed on spicy pumpernickel bread, young rye whiskies, crystalised citrus fruits, flower honey and even a wee hint of mandarin. With water: an impression of pure barley eau de vie, youthful in the best sense. Mouth: quite a departure from the Goldthorpe, a fruitier profile that's still oily but perhaps not with quite the same textural oomph. Still, the fruitiness, that specific spicy bready charisma and those notes of honeys and crystalised fruits are still pronounced. With water: the spices take centre stage now, a real and assertive pepperiness, with curry leaf, aniseed, hints of chamois leather and salt and pepper crisps! Finish: good length once again, with bitter lemon, muddled herbs and grassy notes. Comments: At times it is brilliantly pure and precise, at others it perhaps stumbles ever so slightly. But this is still excellent, I just prefer the rich and emphatic textural heft of the Goldthorpe by a notch.
SGP: 551 - 87 points. |
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Now let us time travel... to the 1970s |
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John Power & Son 'Gold Label' (70 proof, OB, 1970s) 
This one would have been distilled at the old John Lane Distillery in Dublin, which closed in 1974 whereupon production moved to the Midleton Distillery. This should be pure pot still, if I'm not mistaken... Colour: pale gold. Nose: a freshly opened tin of varnish, some wood glue and all manner of 'old toolbox' aromas. Steel wool, coins, ink, lashings of boot polish and a tiny sprig of mint. It's actually a super fun nose, even if it is probably at tad rough or extreme at times. Although, another way of saying that is that it retains a surprising amount of freshness. Mouth: you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a cheap molasses column still rum. Indeed, it goes a bit funky and overly gluey here. Clearly a product intended for some variation of mixing. Although, you do wonder how much these funkier, gluey and rather extreme varnish notes were magnified by time in bottle? Finish: medium, on candied caraway seeds, sour honey, asparagus, cheap rum, brake fluid - we are in a new dimension now... Comments: always fun to taste these old oddities. This one really drills into these metallic and old toolbox vibes, although I wouldn't say it was 'really bad', but it's certainly whacky and extreme.
SGP: 571 - 77 points. |
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Old Comber 7 yo (70 proof, OB, 1960s)
Colour: bright reddish amber. Nose: hold moly! Another galaxy! A stunning medley of old waxes, hessian cloth, boot polish, camphor, paraffin, pine needles, bone marrow and pristinely preserved, rather fruity old cream sherry notes. Another one that oozes with a sense of fatness, oiliness and texture in the best and most classical 'pure pot' style. What a brilliant nose! Mouth: doesn't quite hold up to the promise of the nose, you feel the bottling strength has hobbled it slightly, and possibly some caramel? But that being said, there's still wonderful notes of waxes and shoe polishes once again. Herbal medicines, wintergreen, old ointments, long-aged green Chartreuse, dried mint, eucalyptus oil and more 'forest' stuff, like chestnut mushrooms and petrichor. Finish: medium length, but beautifully herbal, with a gentle bitterness, some cloves, more herbal cough syrup vibes, even a delicate salty and umami quality creeping in. Comments: amazing Old Comber, a world away from that pretty disappointing OB 30yo bottled around 1990. One of those old bottles that raises many more questions than it answers: what's the true age, what casks were used, was caramel involved? Only the slight softness on the palate will prevent me going to 90, but the nose along was 91-92 territory.
SGP: 561 - 89 points. |
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Dunville's Special Liqueur Whisky 'Three Crowns' (70 proof, OB, c1920s) 
Colour: pale gold. Nose: a gentler and more refined version of the Comber perhaps? Quite a classical old pure pot still profile with this combination of sooty coal scuttles, metal polish, old coins, ink and hessian. This also has a lovely sense of oiliness about it too, with a touch of grassiness and some bone marrow vibes. Mouth: still nicely within this old school, pure pot profile, with the associated oiliness, sooty and slightly bready characteristics, but there's also quite a bit of old bottle effect in evidence here, with these notes of baked vegetables, sweetened porridge and slightly stale camphor. In time it develops an even funkier side, with these wee notes of brake fluid and cider apple that recall from a distance that Power's. Finish: quite long, on aniseed, cooking oils, marrow, roast turnips and mineral oil. Comments: always fun and a privilege to taste these old historical drams. I think this one has probably declined somewhat in the bottle over many decades, but it remains extremely 'Irish' and full of character.
SGP: 471 - 84 points. |
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Samuel Gelston's 28 yo Single Malt Irish Whiskey (49.1%, OB, bourbon casks) 
Most likely Bushmills, I am told, so don't take my word for it. Colour: pale gold. Nose: pure fruit salad territory, that particular profile that so many of these wonderful modern Bushmills and Cooley possess. Pina colada, pineapple pulp, passion fruit, guava, all the pure exotic fruits in vivid focus. In the background that also familiar crisp, NZ sauvignon blanc sharpness. Mouth: pristinely and exuberantly tropical, towards early 1970s Bowmore or Longmorn, with crystalised honeys, lemon icing, crushed nettles, tiny menthol notes that go towards green herbal characteristics. So different from the old pure pot whiskeys, but also extremely 'Irish'. Finish: long, sharp, green, tense and riddled with fruits. Comments: it's arguably simplistic, but you could just drink litres and litres of such whiskey. Another deadly Irish fruitbomb!
SGP: 741 - 90 points. |
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Red Spot 31 yo 1991 (57.6%, OB for The Whisky Exchange, cask #50768, bourbon barrel with marsala finish, 516 bottles)
Single, pot still, triple distilled Irish whiskey from the Midleton Distillery. Colour: deep reddish amber. Nose: different again. This goes more towards a subtle, yet old school sherry cask profile - which, indeed, is a character that old Marsala can possess and I suppose transfer to a malt whisky. Some lovely aromas of roasted nuts, leaf mulch, very old cigars in a humidor, pine sap and birch beer. It's an unusual whiskey that manages to be simultaneously earthy and syrupy. With water: it gathers fruitiness now, some pomegranate, date molasses, fig jam etc. Mouth: superb concentration and power upon arrival. This really sits closer to the old pure pot whiskeys, it's no latter-day fruit bomb, but rather full of leafy notes, earthiness, breads, tobaccos, lime leaf, tiny hints of curry powder, subtle medicinal touches and a very particular sharp, tangy dark fruit character that no doubt comes courtesy of the marsala. With water: again a tad fruitier, going towards jams and preserves, quince jelly, bramble jam and some very old Fernet Branca. Finish: long, bitterly herbal, more preserves and tangy dark fruit chutneys. Comments: a distinctive and fascinating dram. It doesn't quite conform to either of the production styles or eras we tasted before, but it still feels thoroughly Irish. Also, what a success that marsala finish appears to have been. Complex, at times challenging, but highly detailed and rewarding whisky.
SGP: 661 - 91 points. |
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Check the index of all Irish we've tasted so far |
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July 4, 2025 |
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WF’s Little duos, today AnCnoc OB vs IB |
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I must admit I don't see them around much anymore; I remember that 20 years ago AnCnoc or Knockdhu were much more prominent, for example when they started producing peated whisky. Speaking of peated... |
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AnCnoc ‘Peatheart Batch 3’ (46%, OB, 2023)
This is interesting, they state on the label that there were 34ppm of peat in the malt, then 13.3ppm in the distillate. That said, we had found the first Peatheart rather uninspiring (WF 79), although there had also been a ‘Peatlands’ which, in our view, was somewhat better (WF 80). Colour: white wine. Nose: we’re finding again the style of certain other peated mainland malts, a fairly light profile, more on firwood or beech smoke than on straight peat, which imparts a medicinal side that’s not at all unpleasant—on the contrary—but it leans more towards lapsang souchong than, say Laphroaig. Mouth: soft, still somewhat resinous, with notes of smoked apples, indeed some lapsang souchong, then lemon and green pepper. A nice saline touch but overall, the whole is very mild and certainly not ‘heavily peated’ as proclaimed by the elegant black bottle. Finish: of medium length, on smoked lemons and chewing gums flavoured with chlorophyll and spearmint. Comments: definitely better than batch 1. Batch 2 never made it past the gates of Château Whiskyfun.
SGP:555 - 81 points. |
By the way, just a reminder of the story: the new name An Cnoc, or AnCnoc, or anCnoc was supposedly chosen to avoid confusion between Knockdhu and Knockando. |
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Knockdhu 11 yo 2013/2024 (52.9%, Valinch & Mallet, Young Masters, cask #45, 339 bottles)
We’re so pleased to see an independent Knockdhu again! Colour: gold. Nose: this is a pure, rather fatty malt, thick, with notes of candle wax, oils, overripe apples, hay and beer. There are also hints of walnut oil, possibly pointing to a refill sherry cask. With water: amusing whiffs of tar and old briar pipe. Mouth (neat): ah, very good, still thick, concentrated, liqueur-like in the best sense, and indeed showing a clear sherry influence. Bread dough, wax, pepper, hints of curry. With water: a lovely little beast, genuinely thrilled to be tasting a young Knockdhu again (I know, I do go on). What I especially like is the texture of the whole, which isn’t very common, I grant you. Finish: long, curiously salty and peppery. All in all, you could practically use this to season a mayonnaise. Honestly, I swear, it would work with prawns or langoustines. A touch of rubber in the aftertaste. Comments: we jest, but I’m genuinely a big fan of this young, robust and rather different malt.
SGP:562 - 88 points. |
I admit, this mini line-up wasn’t very fair to the little official NAS. We’ll take it easier next time. |
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July 3, 2025 |
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WF’s Little Duos, today a fairly stupid session
My fault, naturally, the very distinguished distillers have nothing to do with this choice. Indeed, we're going to compare two very young distilleries from the West that we really like, and whose names, moreover, both start with ‘Ardna’, which more or less means ‘high point’ in Gaelic, or summit, hill, that sort of thing. Indeed, I know, this doesn’t make much sense, but at WF we do what we like, capeesh? And this is almost Friday… |
A field of cultivated espadin
agaves in Mexico (Taqueria) |
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Ardnamurchan 2017/2025 ‘Mezcal Cask Release’ (55%, OB, 4968 bottles)
Frankly, they’re already chucking Lagavulin into tequila casks, so why shouldn’t others give mezcal a try? Especially since we’re rather keen on the great mezcals, whose aromas we occasionally stumble upon in certain malts or rums. That said, this is only a finishing, but then again so are those famous Lagavulins. Colour: white wine. Nose: very earthy malt, surprising at first, though things begin to settle, even if the whole remains slightly off-kilter, oddly medicinal for now (Alka-Seltzer-style). The idea struck me as brilliant, but for the moment we remain cautious. Some celeriac. With water: washing powder, new jumper, button mushrooms, fresh plaster, sourdough. Mouth (neat): rather a little clashing, to be honest. Peat plus mezcal sounds like a clever idea, but in the glass, it turns a bit dirty, oddly medicinal indeed, with an unusually styled salinity. With water: hold on, not so fast, the water really helps and seems to unite the two spirits, with candied lemon and gentian at the core. That’s more like it. Finish: much better indeed, salty, fresh, earthy, rooty and of course smoky. Comments: my free advice, just add water straightaway and bring it down to 45% vol. Give or take…
SGP:454 - 85 points. |
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Ardnahoe ‘Bholsa’ (50%, OB, oloroso, 2025)
I mean, it’s matured ‘predominantly’ in oloroso, which does feel a tad lord Black Adder, does it not? A ‘bholsa’, in Gaelic, seems to mean a bag, it may stem from the French word ‘bourse’, or perhaps from the Spanish ‘bolsa’, also meaning bag. Who knows, the ways of distillers are impenetrable… Colour: gold. Nose: but of course. Ardnahoe has been remarkably quick to express its Islayness (aye?) and to make sure its whisky oozes (aye again?) the island. Very fresh, with a nod to its neighbour across from the Paps of Jura, offering peated grist, virgin wool and soot. With water: grapefruit and chalk. Mouth (neat): rather perfect, though absolutely crammed with ashes. With water: the oloroso still sits high, though it’s true there’s only some of it, and only ‘predominantly’. From 51% upwards, that’s predominant, isn’t it? This terminology may go down in the annals of malt whisky history, I tell you (right?) Finish: fresh, long, uplifting and, indeed, exuding Islay. Pears, lemons, oysters and tar in the aftertaste. Comments: I think this is very well done, even if one tends to still lean toward the ‘predominantly natural’ versions.
SGP:456 - 87 points. |
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July 2, 2025 |
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Williamsons, as if they were falling from the sky, part 2
Alright then, we’ll try to speed things up… |
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Williamson 10 yo 2014/2024 (57.1%, Whisky Sponge, hogshead, Laphroaig butt finish, 100 bottles)
Some Williamson finished in Laphroaig, that’s funny and rather tautological, ha. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: lovely! Zesty and lively, very medicinal, but wrapped in sesame and pistachio oil, giving it both richness and lift. With water: nice touches of fresh rubber and gentian, this is a young Laphroaig both fresh and classic. A few more notes of walnuts, probably from the sherry. Mouth (neat): very lemony and very medicinal. Camphor solution, Mercurochrome etc. plus green pepper. With water: the salt and ashes come rushing in. Finish: long, taut, still very saline and medicinal. Comments: a very dry and tight young Laphroaig, fairly demanding. In short, perhaps not for the neighbours.
SGP:367 - 88 points. |
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Williamson 16 yo 2006/2023 (51.5%, Casky & The Antelope, barrel, Ferry Ticket Series 1, cask #800128, 198 bottles)
A bridge between Hong Kong and Macau, in a way. Colour: very pale white wine. Nose: very close, just with a little more roundness and fruitiness, also more almonds and olives. That’s a martini right there! With water: a slight retreat into natural rubber and sourdough bread. Mouth (neat): excellent, if you’re into ashy olives and slightly rough mezcal. With water: arrival of minty and camphory notes. Finish: long, bright, precise, very smoky. Comments: ultra-precision here, same top league as the Sponge, though the extra 6 years do make themselves felt a bit.
SGP:467 - 89 points. |
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Laphroaig 7 yo 2014/2021 (48%, The Single Malts of Scotland, Reserve cask, Parcel No.1, USA exclusive)
We almost forgot this little one which is not, as you’ll have noticed, a Williamson. Well, yes, it is. That is to say, no it isn’t (you’re being tiresome, S.) … Colour: pale gold. Nose: fruitier, closer to apples and pears, easier going if you like. Lovely bitter almonds, kirsch, lemonade… Mouth: very good, but a little fatter than the others, slightly less precise, with more vanilla, though still very good. Finish: long, saline, with youthful pear in support. Comments: now this one’s for the neighbours!
SGP:556 - 85 points. |
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Williamson 9 yo 2012/2022 (60.5%, Whisky Picnic Bar Taiwan, Just Dram It, refill butt, cask #SI 2022-02, 267 bottles)
Colour: very pale white wine. Nose: a bit of burnt rubber this time, some salsify, lemon zest, eucalyptus syrup, and quite a bit of ethanol. With water: back come the new wool and damp chalk, with touches of pickled gherkins. Mouth (neat): young Laphroaig, earthy and fruity. Powerful and spicy. With water: becomes more approachable, easier going. Nice lemon, salt and eucalyptus sweets. Finish: long, salty, medicinal to the max at this point. Comments: truth be told, it cuts you up a bit, as they say on the rugby pitch (in France, that is).
SGP:467 - 86 points. |
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Williamson 17 yo 2006/2023 (58.7%, The Whisky Blues, barrel, cask #800135, 193 bottles)
A great many of these #800*** casks seem to have made their way to the Far East, where our friends clearly have good taste. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: rather gentle, on lanolin, modelling clay, almond milk and kirsch. The ash and seawater notes are definitely there, though more in the background. With water: new basket and linoleum. Who remembers linoleum? Mouth (neat): malted barley eau-de-vie blended with ash, lime and seawater. It’s really quite beautiful, very lively. With water: now it’s perfect, more subtle, yet still with a rather stunning body. Finish: superb salinity, oysters, clams… Comments: a much livelier palate than the nose suggested. In the end, a magnificent Islay.
SGP:467 - 89 points. |
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Williamson 12 yo 2010/2023 (54.2%, The Whisky Agency for Taiwan, refill sherry hogshead, cask #4795, 118 bottles)
Colour: chardonnay. Nose: gold. Mouth: ultra-classic, very peaty, very close to the OBs. Ashes, apples, lemons, seawater, menthol, camphor. With water: very nice, with well-roasted pistachios and salted butter caramel. Mouth (neat): oilier, heavily citrusy and medicinal, yet wrapped in a bit of honey and barley syrup, which makes it oddly sweet. With water: back to earthy and rooty notes. Gentian, wild carrots, green asparagus… Finish: long, again more saline and maritime, as it should be. Three olives in the aftertaste and plenty of brine. Comments: another rather terrific young indie Laphroaig.
SGP:466 - 87 points. |
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Williamson 12 yo 2010/2023 (54.2%, Morisco Spirits, refill sherry butt finish, 150 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: now this is different, and that surely comes from the sherry, with walnut wine, cologne, grenadine syrup, and lavender cordial… It’s true, some aspects recall 1980s Bowmore or Glen Garioch, but with a more garden-like side, more floral greenhouse. Indeed. With water: five-star hotel soap. Mouth (neat): those ‘funny’ notes return, with perfume, violet, geranium… But what’s really amusing is seeing the massive and very saline peat come in to balance the whole thing. With water: still very unusual, and now edging even closer to, say, a 1985 Bowmore. Finish: long, very salty. Salt and green orange cologne (Hermès). Comments: there may have been some form of contamination (tape?), but in the end this is very pretty. And what’s more, it makes us smile.
SGP:656 - 85 points. |
Right then, one last young Laphroaig from the old stocks to wrap up this tasting series, during which we must have got through at least 25 kilos of peat. |
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Laphroaig 11 yo 1992/2004 (57.8%, Douglas Laing, Old Malt Cask Advance Sample for Alambic Classique Germany, refill butt, cask #1080)
A very likeable series from back in the day, with 70cl bottles but also 20cl minis that had one major flaw: the Bakelite screw caps would undo themselves, so you had to give them a twist every now and then. Colour: gold. Nose: very nice indeed, though perhaps a little less precise than the more recent vintages we’ve just sampled. That said, there’s something we really like in some peaters: whiffs of strawberry yoghurt. Lovely blood oranges too. With water: classic stuff appears, hessian, Islay mud, fresh tweed (from Islay’s Woollen Mill of course), a few coffee beans, liquorice… Mouth (neat): this is good, unusually floral and marked by varnish. In that sense, it’s not far off the previous one, without going full Bowmore either. With water: arrival of orange zest, salted to boot. Finish: long, softer than recent vintages, a little ‘jammier’ but that’s probably the butt talking. Orange liqueur. Comments: a very entertaining style of Laphroaig, one we don’t come across very often these days.
SGP:556 - 86 points. |
This baby wraps up our Laphroaig series, whether those were supposedly secret or supposedly blended. Still, it’s one hell of a malt whisky, clearly among the stars of the category alongside three or four other distilleries. Hasta la vista, keep in touch. |
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July 1, 2025 |
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So, many Williamsons, as promised and as if they were falling from the sky
Williamson is pure Laphroaig. Apparently, the so-called “teaspooning” never actually happened in real life (no joke, S.?). Ah well, it doesn’t really matter, even with a golden spoon, it wouldn’t change a thing. Right then, let’s dive in at random, they’re all more or less young anyway, and all technically single malts… Oh wait, here you go, an official aperitif to set the stage…
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Bessie Williamson (1910-1982) in 1964.
Legendary owner and manager of
Laphroaig Distillery from 1954 to 1972,
although sher sold her shares in the 1960s. |
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Laphroaig 16 yo (48%, OB, 1st fill bourbon, 11,500 bottles, 2019)
We're very late once more. The previous 16 at 43% for the bicentenary had been merely agreeable in my humble opinion (WF 82) but Angus, who is our in-house Mr Laphroaig, was very fond of this present version (WF 88). Colour: white wine – good news. Nose: it’s refined, not ultra-expressive but that’s not a requirement, rather on wax, lanolin, green apple, fino sherry, green walnut, seaweed, a touch of boot polish… Mouth: despite the colour, the wood is a little forward, and it’s certainly much more smoky/peaty than all the older ones we’ve tasted in recent days. There’s a bit of that sensation of ‘eating the ashtray’ but if you’re into peat, that’s obviously part of the charm. Also, tart apples, a bit of wheat beer, and above all, no more exotic fruit than you’d find at the North Pole. Finish: fairly long, still packed with ashes and a good deal of pepper. Slightly astringent. Comments: we shan’t be fussy, this is a very, very fine modern Laphroaig. Angus was right.
SGP:467 - 87 points. |
Right then, let’s get stuck into the Williamsons. They’re all labelled as ‘blended malts’ on paper and on the labels, but, well, you see… |
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Williamson 12 yo 2010/2023 (58.4%, A.D. Rattray for WhiskyFacile, refill bourbon barrel, 156 bottles)
Another elegant label. Colour: gold. Nose: cider, brine, olives, ashes… What more could the people ask for? With water: cider apples and hints of caviar. Go on then, make it Iranian caviar, since we’re talking about the people. Mouth (neat): lovely, on waxes, varnish, olives, seawater, peat and lemon peel. A fine bitterness, which comes as no surprise from our Italian friends. With water: perfect, with immaculate olives. It’s sharp and taut, yet oily at the same time. Smoked salmon with lemon. Finish: same again. Comments: exactly the same quality as the official 16-year-old. Perfect, we wanted a bridge, and we got one.
SGP:467 - 87 points. |
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Williamson 15 yo 2006/2021 (58.4%, Dickson So & Mandy Ng, barrel, cask #800133, 208 bottles)
Here we are back in Hong Kong, where a large part of the malt scene now resides, along with Taiwan and Singapore. Amusing that they added Ardbeg-style dogs to the label, but it’s true the Ardbeg mascot passed away a loooong time ago. No, it wasn’t marketing that killed the beastie, last we heard. Colour: white wine. Hurray etc. Nose: lovely, simple, efficient, on rubber, boot polish, paint, Mercurochrome and cider apples. With water: graphite! Mouth (neat): the cask was rather passive, it doesn’t feel its fifteen years, it’s mostly on polish, paraffin oil and rubber, with just a touch of green apple juice from the fruit aisle. With water: seawater, samphire, capers and green olives. Not a papaya in sight (ha). Finish: little change, but no complaints, this is ‘pure’ as they say. Comments: you’ll scream but it reminds me of a blend of gentian eau-de-vie and celery juice. No, we fear nothing.
SGP:467 - 86 points. |
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Williamson 13 yo 2010/2023 (52.3%, Jack Wiebers, Old Train Line, sherry hogshead, 239 bottles)
Ah, the old trains! Here, let me quickly tell you an anecdote. My grandfather, a proud Alsatian, knew Albert Schweitzer (Nobel Prize and all that). One day, local journalists asked the good doctor why he always travelled third class by train despite his fame. Yes, third class – that was still a thing back then. Schweitzer’s reply: “Because there’s no fourth class.” They don’t make them like that anymore! Cheers Lars-Goran! Colour: straw. Nose: just forget it, this is perfect, close to a good recent batch of the official 10yo C/S, so quite hi-def, medicinal, saline, with citrus and seaweed. With water: arrival of rain-soaked Islay soil (in short, Islay mud) and engine oil. Mouth (neat): perfect, pure Laphroaig, flawless and above all, a sherry hogshead of Olympic calibre. Walnuts, lemon, apple… With water: the seaweed and olives arrive, with salted liquorice. Finish: long, waxier and on ashes. Mint and liquorice in the aftertaste. Comments: ausgezeichnet at 10 years old.
SGP:467 - 89 points. |
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Williamson 10 yo 2012/2023 (48.9%, North Star Spirits, Obscurities & Curiosities, sherry hogshead, 63 bottles)
It’s very ‘micro’, but it’s a good laugh. Colour: gold. Nose: boot polish, ashes, menthol, hessian, liquorice, seaweed, camphor and overripe apples. Nothing to fault. Mouth: lovely, taut, earthy and rooty, then smoky and heavily ashy, to the point of becoming slightly astringent. No worries. Finish: keeps going down that rooty path, into turnips and celery, along with a good dose of salt. Much better than it might seem. Comments: a whisky of the wild, heavily peated, no frills, best enjoyed outdoors with sincere and loyal friends (yep). The sherry was even more discreet than a Sylvaner from Baden (our dear neighbours).
SGP:467 - 86 points. |
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Williamson 12 yo 2012/2024 (59%, Berry Bros. & Rudd for LMDW, Foundations, hogshead, cask #226, 278 bottles)
Colour: pale white wine. Nose: oh, it’s fresh, reminiscent of meadow herbs, discreet little plums, greengages, an extinguished kiln (an old kiln, in short) and fresh almonds. Charming and delicate. With water: it stays delicate, with notes of young Sancerre from a top-notch house. Mouth (neat): nothing to do with the nose, here comes wild lemon and half the Mediterranean Sea. With water: it’s been tamed a bit, but it’s still razor-sharp, very salty rather than merely saline, and garnished with a dozen plump oysters. We love it. Finish: same again. Comments: it’s not often the nose and palate are so diametrically opposed. But overall, this is a proper razor blade on the tongue, much more enjoyable than it might sound.
SGP:477 - 89 points. |
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Williamson 14 yo 2010/2024 (61%, Whisky Age, 2nd fill oloroso quarter cask, cask #1038, 150 bottles)
Alright, a 2nd fill oloroso quarter cask! Not sure we wanted to know. Just kidding. Colour: gold. Nose: smoked coffee and peanut butter. That’s the cask talking. With water: some pencil shavings and salted butter caramel. Mouth (neat): frankly, this could be a ‘Cairdeas’, whatever that’s supposed to mean. Salted coffee and salty walnut cake. The worst part is, it kind of works, but by this point it feels like someone dumped five kilos of sea salt into the infamous quarter cask. With water: as usual, water fixes everything, though the cask still feels like it had the upper hand. Finish: long and still loaded with salt. Comments: we all know that in theory, there can’t be salt in whisky, but there certainly can be in the cask. I’ve no idea what else to say, it’s a bit too much, but it’s Laphroaig.
SGP:467 - 85 points. |
One last one, this isn’t exactly easy to taste one after the other. Right then, let’s do it with Bessie firmly in mind… |
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Williamson 16 yo 2006/2023 (57.5%, The Whisky Blues, Mid-Autumn Festival, barrel, cask #800136, 209 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: it reeks of olives and brine from fifty kilometres away, or nearly. No complaints, especially as it’s joined by varnish and a million clams and mussels. Perhaps I’m exaggerating just a tiny bit. With water: carbon, pencil shavings, charcoal, raw wool, laundry detergent… Mouth (neat): very pure, very saline, slightly tarry. Grapefruit peel and ultra-salty pesto. With water: pear eau-de-vie with salt and olive oil. Finish: long, with far heavier ashes. Also linseed oil, leading to a faintly rubbery aftertaste. Comments: not the easiest of drams, this one, like many Williamsons. Would Bessie have approved?
SGP:467 - 85 points. |
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June 30, 2025 |
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A stroll in new Japan, Part 3 and last |
We still had two, three or maybe four more that we wanted to try; as for the other Japanese ones we have in stock, that’ll be for later. |
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Chichibu 2015/2023 ‘Edition 2023’ (53%, OB, 540 bottles)
A vatting of 3 casks, one bourbon barrel and two ex-umeshu according to the back label. As you know, umeshu is a plum liqueur, though it’s said that these plums are actually a kind of apricot, the ‘ume’. Colour: gold. Nose: I’ve had umeshu before, but I couldn’t tell you for certain whether what’s coming through here originates from that, but most likely. A slightly fruity and earthy side, with almonds (that must be the stones). What’s charming is how it reinforces the Japanese character, or what we perceive as ‘Japanese’, distancing itself from any ‘international’ style. With water: hints of rubber tree and sap from pine and cherry. Mouth: well, I do quite like this strong spritz with fewer bubbles. Plums, earth, tangerines, a fizzy aspirin tablet (which adds nothing here) and pickled ginger. With water: very pleasant fermentary side, still with that light medicinal note that’s nothing like the usual medicinal whiskies. Finish: rather long, mainly on mandarin, almonds and still that earthy side. Comments: I’d imagine they used some top-notch umeshu casks, and it shows. Truth be told, I didn’t know umeshu was aged in casks.
SGP:551 - 87 points. |
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Chichibu 2014/2023 (59.5%, OB, for The Whisky Exchange, The Cyborg Trilogy, Beer cask Imperial stout IPA, cask #11043, 236 bottles)
In principle, nothing beats a more natural cask. Certainly not a beer cask of this sort, but you never know… Is this Japanese beer? Or did TWE go for a British brew? Colour: gold. Nose: we’re diving straight into the odd – waxy, fermentary, concentrated orange juice, fresh cement, Earl Grey, new cuddly toys in the children’s aisle… With water: right then, now we’ve got Play-Doh too, and some linden blossom. Amusing combination. Mouth (neat): far too soapy for me, honestly. Citrus shampoo. With water: better, but this really is something for a cyborg, I must say. Finish: long. I don’t think I understand anything here. Comments: is a well-executed weird idea still a weird idea? Answers on a postcard please, they’re back in fashion! Ignore my score, it was a cyborg who picked it. No comprendo.
SGP:462 - 83 points. |
Alright, I admit it, I’d set aside the supposedly odd Chichibus we had for this… odd session. |
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Saburomaru 2021/2024 ‘V Heavily Peated’ (48%, OB, Japan)
This one’s called ‘The Hierophant’. I must admit, not being a card player or a great scholar of ancient Greece, I didn’t even know what a hierophant was until today. Cheers, Wakatsuru! Colour: white wine. Nose: we’re back to the stylistic purity of the previous ‘IV’ release, it’s almost narrow, simple, abstract, and yet very beautiful, on, let’s say, fresh pear smoked with peat and fir wood. No more, no less. Mouth (neat): splendid, abstract, chiselled as they say. A slightly resinous peatiness, on green apple and lemon. Lovely wee touch of green pepper. A few drops of water… change nothing (smart move, S.) Finish: long, with some chilli appearing and more pepper, which adds even more ‘blade’ to the whole. Loads of ashes on the aftertaste, including cigar ash. Comments: clean lines, flawless, it’s like a Calder or a Miró in a bottle. Very 1960s, aesthetically speaking.
SGP:467 - 88 points. |
Do you believe in the aesthetics of a spirit? |
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Saburomaru 2020/2024 ‘IV’ (60.9%, OB, for Abyss Whisky Bar Hong Kong, Japan, bourbon barrel, cask #200158, 179 bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: the bourbon cask influence smooths things out further and brings notes of banana, mango and guava into a peaty, medicinal ensemble, heavy on hessian, dunnage, bandages, camphor balms and the like. Pure line once again. With water: oddly, it tightens on iodine tincture and an extinguished fireplace. Mouth (neat): lemon juice, hints of myrtle, fir liqueur, pepper liqueur, and forty tonnes of ashes, with a sort of quasi-basaltic edge. Don’t ask me why forty. With water: it all unfolds at around +/-45% vol., with lots of little herbs around mint, liquorice wood and pomelo, though still with those truckloads of ash that almost make you cough. Cough, cough… Finish: long, clean, but with lovely bitters that come to take over. Artichoke liqueurs, green walnut and so on. Comments:
SGP:467 - 90 points. |
I believe there are now quite a few young Japanese distilleries offering pure, precise, very well-made malts, and above all, some not smothered by improbable casks sourced from around the Mediterranean. Speaking very humbly, I think our dear Scottish friends ought to take inspiration from them, rather than chasing after bargain Bordeaux barrels. On that note, a little joke to finish… |
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St. Kilian ‘Mizunara’ (54%, OB, Germany, 2023)
A full maturation in mizunara casks, aka Quercus Mongolica, though of course that only really carries weight if said maturation went on for more than three or four years. Anyway, we’re not too sure, but we absolutely love how St. Kilian doesn’t take itself too seriously. They should be giving lectures beyond Hadrian’s Wall, I say. And sell this stuff for a fortune. Colour, pale gold. Nose: but of course, this works, with underripe banana skins, fir needles, rustic muesli, loads of sourdough and yeast (I mean really loads) with an almost explosive sourdough character. Süweckla. With water: petrol and engine oil! Mouth (neat): ginger and mint running wild, followed by pine resin, mashed banana and marzipan. It probably won’t sweep the double-gold at the World Whisky Awards (category: German malts without age statement, matured in exotic casks, bottled between 53% and 55%) but we love it all the same. With water: ausgezeichnet. Finish: long, slightly too resinous and mentholated, but that’s likely part of the pitch, as they say in marketing. Comments: I love it. Fun, unlikely, and yet seriously good. Just be warned, pipette or teaspoon dilution is tricky to get right, as always when there’s heavy oak involved. Hoppla.
SGP:571 - 87 points. |
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June 2025 |
Serge's favourite recent bottling this month:
Glen Grant 70 yo 1954/2025 'Mr George Legacy Final Edition' (50.5%, Gordon & MacPhail, first fill sherry puncheon, cask #1823, 130 bottles) - WF 93
Serge's favourite older bottling this month:
Laphroaig 1966/1997 (49.6%, Dun Eideann, Signatory Vintage for Divo Switzerland, cask #1095, 280 bottles) - WF 94
Serge's favourite bang for your buck and favourite malternative this month:
Cuban Rum 76 yo 1948/2025 (48.9%, Chapter 7 Ltd, Spirit Library for Figee Fine Goods Switzerland, 108 bottles) - WF 95
Serge's thumbs up this month:
Shindo Distillery 3 yo 2022/2025 (56%, OB, Casky exclusive, Mahjong Series ‘East’, mizunara butt, cask #10254) - WF 90
Serge's Lemon Prize this month:
A.H. Riise ‘Non Plus Ultra Ambre d’Or Excellence’ (43%, OB, Virgin Islands, +/-2023) - WF 30 |
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June 29, 2025 |
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Rum, and yet more rum…
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As usual, some oddities to start with as an aperitif, then more classic, tried-and-tested options. Does that work for you?
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A.H. Riise ‘Non Plus Ultra Ambre d’Or Excellence’ (43%, OB, Virgin Islands, +/-2023)
Just the name is enough to make one chuckle, so much so that there's really no need to bother with vintages or age statements. Colour: gold. Nose: no trace of rum whatsoever, it's all orange liqueur, mirabelle plums and apricots, with a guest appearance from syrupy white wine. Mouth: same again, exactly the same. Sugary Easter eggs, bubblegum, sugar syrup, it's edging towards the unpleasant. Finish: rather short, which is frankly the good news. There’s a cloying edge that must be acknowledged. Comments: the issue lies in its classification as rum. As a liqueur, naturally, why not, ‘chacun son goût’ and all that, but it ought to be served at, say, 5°C. On the other hand, the brand’s founder was apparently a pharmacist, specialising in remedies for stomach ailments and other illnesses. Right.
SGP:910 - 30 points. |
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J. Bally 1999-2006-2007 ‘Cuvée Art Déco’ (43.5%, OB, Conquête, batch #2, Martinique, agricole, 6,000 bottles, +/-2023)
The Martiniquais are rather fond of assembling multi-vintage cuvées, and one gets the impression this may have inspired certain young Scots too... Colour: deep gold. Nose: lovely spices, cumin, ginger, poppy seeds, fennel, jasmine, nougat, butter caramel, figs, thyme honey, liquorice... A beautifully complex bouquet, perhaps owing to the vintage blend. Mouth: quite unusual, very peppery and rather drying (ground coffee, dark chocolate, cracked pepper), before the citrus and herbs take control. But there's a great deal of liquorice wood, walnut husk, and still more dark chocolate... Finish: long, oaky, with a great deal of bitter almond and pine resin on the aftertaste. Comments: a rather wood-driven cuvée, quite extreme in that regard, but following a hearty meal, it could easily stand in for a double espresso. Joking aside, we quite like this very original style, even if we tend to prefer the regular 7.
SGP:371 - 84 points. |
Well, the contrast with poor AH Riise, which tasted well and truly dolled up like a stolen lorry, couldn’t have been greater! |
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Foursquare 12 yo 2008/2021 (60.8%, The Colours of Rum, Barbados, No.12, bourbon cask, cask #26, 244 bottles)
This fiery youngster spent two-thirds of its life in the tropics. Colour: gold. Nose: very clean, the column still clearly in charge, with oranges, orgeat syrup and molasses honey. With water: orange liqueur, amaretti, maple syrup. It’s soft on the nose. Mouth (neat): very classic, again lots of orgeat, quite obvious, then triple sec and a tray of assorted cakes and biscuits. Including shortbread, would you believe. With water: light earthiness and sweet spices. Faint salty and tarry touches. Finish: medium length, now a little more herbal. Notes of lovage in the aftertaste. Comments: less personality than the Bally, but more balance overall. Very good, of course.
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
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Beenleigh 8 yo 2015/2023 (60%, Velier, Australia, Alex Webb Edition, Magnum Series #2, bourbon)
Ah, it’s a magnum! So, I shall double the score… only joking. Worth noting, Beenleigh employs unusual double distillation, column then pot still, which strikes me as rather unusual. It’s not a column-and-pot blend à la Foursquare, for instance. Colour: gold. Nose: the mix of varnish and strawberry is always a peculiar one, occasionally found in some Islays, actually. Then comes a wave of honeysuckle and jasmine, all very charming. But at 60%, things can shift drastically with water... With water: a sudden storm of cumin and pink pepper. Mouth (neat): excellent, unusual, let’s say along the lines of lemon, orange and mandarin liqueurs, with a wild streak of celery stalk. With water: it calms down, but remains wonderfully herbal and, above all, very original. Finish: long, on fruit peels, quince, muesli, peppercorns, and once again cumin... Comments: a style you won’t find elsewhere, and that alone is a mark of quality. We’re fans of Beenleigh.
SGP:561 - 87 points. |
Since we’re in the Pacific… |
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Fiji 2006/2024 (72.5%, Dos Deliquentes, FRC & WDC, bourbon, 256 bottles)
I do love that they clearly state it’s cask strength, not that one would have doubted it, mind you. Let’s hope both FRC and WDC have solid insurance cover... That said, we’re fond of South Pacific juice. Colour: pale gold. Nose: almost nothing, nada, niente, nichts, rien at all, and that’s clearly down to the ABV, I tell you. With water: we’re nearly adding more water than there is rum! In fact, this is a much lighter Fijian than usual, with apparently low ester levels. Cane syrup, peanut oil, white chocolate, cereals, light honey… Mouth (neat): yes, well, alright, let’s move on… With water: even with few esters, or almost none, this remains a very pretty rum, on orange and pear liqueur, nougat, preserved lemon, tinned pineapple… Finish: same again. Comments: the lighter side of Fijians, more of a winger than a prop, rugby-wise.
SGP:541 - 83 points. |
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Diamond 13 yo 2011/2024 ‘PM’ (59.7%, Swell de Spirits, for V&B, Guyana, Arcade series, bourbon, 348 bottles)
So, the double wooden pot still from Port Mourant. Colour: golden amber. Nose: stop it right there! A sublime and razor-sharp combo of acetone, ink and old papers. With water: perfection. Amontillado from the afterlife, dried seaweed, wood glue, new tyres. Mouth (neat): extraordinary salinity, with tarred lemons, peat-smoked olives, or something of that ilk. With water: sea water and varnish, mellowed with lemon juice and olive oil. Finish: very long, intensely saline, on ashes—superb. Comments: I wasn’t surprised, but still, yes, just a bit.
SGP:463 - 91 points. |
When putting together a line-up, surprises like this are always a bit of a headache, now we have to find something that can hold its own after that legendary young PM. Perhaps an old Enmore… |
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Enmore 30 yo 1994/2024 (46.2%, The Whisky Blues, Guyana, barrel, cask #70, 171 bottles)
The very young lady on the label looks a bit forlorn, she could certainly use a dram of this Enmore. Is she a character from the Brothers Grimm or from Andersen, by any chance? Colour: mahogany. Nose: please call the Anti-Rumporn Brigade. I love it when the wood takes the lead, yet balance is preserved, dwelling in that in-between world where all the molecules converse and compare feelings (you alright, S.?). Rosewood, cedar, hibiscus, wild strawberries, Timut pepper, meadow caraway… In truth, it’s all subtle and of great beauty. Magnificent aromatics. Mouth: I feared it might have tipped into over-oaked territory, and indeed there’s plenty of liquorice, pine and fir sap doing most of the heavy lifting, but minty flashes come in to balance it all out, and the end result is nothing short of magical. Finish: long, with little lemons arriving late to bring everyone round. Comments: the person who chose to bottle this cask without waiting another day is a sheer genius and deserves a statue. And what stunning liquorice—if you love liquorice as much as I do, that is.
SGP:363 - 92 points. |
We’ll finish in Jamaica, at this point, almost only Jamaica can rise to the occasion… |
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Hampden 13 yo (61.6%, Secret Cask, Ramseyer’s, 2025)
A fine run of independent Hampdens from this house in recent years, and here comes the latest instalment. Colour: gold. Nose: of course it’s fairly explosive, with great wafts of brake pads after a Stelvio descent, followed by sauna oils and, naturally, olives of every persuasion, yet it’s all well balanced, elegant, with notes of very saline, maritime manzanilla and a faint touch of game, rather unusual. This little Hampden is most pleasing, though we rather expected as much. With water: quite the surprise, it tones down into sunflower oil, hay, paraffin, Italian white olives, even smoked salmon. Mouth (neat): immediate, obvious. Sea water, black olives this time, acetone, tar, pine resin, lemon. And yet, it remains fairly elegant. I'm very curious at this stage... With water: never mind, it’s textbook Hampden, which is very good news indeed. Salted liquorice, olives, glue, sea water, a touch of fresh plastic. Finish: continues in the same direction for quite a long while. Comments: it held up beautifully after those sublime Guyanese bottlings.
SGP:463 - 90 points. |
Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far |
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June 27, 2025 |
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A stroll in new Japan, Part 2 |
We carry on with a calm mind and a sense of serenity. |
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Tenjaku ‘Pure Malt Sherry Cask’ (43%, OB, Japan, +/-2024)
The regular pure malt had been very decent (WF 76). Colour: gold. Nose: the sherry brings an extra layer of depth, without the slightest doubt. Apple compote with cinnamon, dried raisins, garden earth after the rain, lovely malt, ale… Mouth: ah, this is very well done, it’s fresh, lively, bursting with sultanas, figs, cinnamon rolls, and just a faint touch of molasses that's barely excessive. Finish: fairly long, sweet, on dried raisins and, perhaps, a few drops of ratafia de Champagne or Pineau des Charentes. Really. Comments: surprisingly good, frankly, and the bottle is truly pretty. Purple sells.
SGP:641 - 84 points. |
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Shindo Distillery 3 yo 2022/2025 (56%, OB, Casky exclusive, Mahjong Series ‘East’, mizunara butt, cask #10254)
The ‘4 Circles’ cask had already impressed us greatly, so we’re all ears this time. Colour: pale gold. Nose: oh, what precision! Olive oil, fresh cement, sourdough, fir buds and sandalwood. It’s chiselled. With water: hello, citrus. Mouth (neat): very striking, almost annoyingly good, flawless, incredible, ultra-precise. I adore this thing, with those sublime citrus notes. With water: how utterly delicious. Finish: same again. Perfect simplicity and precision. Comments: let’s just say it, sorry, this is extremely Chichibu-like. And here, the mizunara’s done a superb job. Three years old, by Zeus.
SGP:551 - 90 points. |
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Chichibu 2014/2021 (60.10%, LMDW Singapore 15th Anniversary, Flowers series #1, refill bourbon barrel, cask #3874, 218 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: right then, it’s deeper, oilier, but it’s twice the age. And it’s just perfect. With water: paraffin oil, damp limestone, fresh fougasse, proper bakery croissants. Mouth (neat): a marvel of concentration and precision. Olive oil and lemon, plus hints of tar and lemon fudge. Wow. With water: melon, quite a bit of melon. Careful though, too much water can make it overly sweet. Finish: long, flawless, with those wee touches of ash, fresh butter, candle wax… Comments: blimey, that was a close call, this ultra-classic Chichibu. Absolutely beautiful.
SGP:561 - 91 points. |
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Chichibu 8yo 2016/2025 (63.3%, Salud Spirits, 7even Gods of Fortune, Jurojin, bourbon barrel, cask #5726, 157 bottles)
You understand, Jurojin is the god of longevity. So, there’s absolutely no reason anything could go wrong here, except we’re already flying pretty high… Figuratively, of course. Colour: pale gold. Nose: fresh butter, grand cru Chablis, gooseberries, Champagne from the Montagne de Reims (hey?), and a slice of lemon. With water: it softens, moving towards vanilla and bread dough. Mouth (neat): my word, how powerful this is! 63.3%, that’s beyond human capability, wouldn’t you say? With water: right, it’s calmed now, bringing in bananas, papayas, muesli, acacia honey, and naturally the Chardonnay of both Chablis and Champagne. Don’t overthink it, it’s the same thing – just without the bubbles. Finish: long, sweet, honeyed yet firm, almost taut. Comments: a ravishing delight, one might say. Quite unsettling to find this kind of level at such a young age, isn’t it? The Japanese Mozart of whisky? (please don’t quote me).
SGP:561 - 91 points. |
Time to enjoy a classic... |
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Miyagikyo 13 yo 1999/2012 (61.9%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, refill butt, #124.3, All the Complexities of Summer, 509 bottles)
Here’s a lovely little monster from Suntory via Leith) … Colour: gold. Nose: bruised apples, fir buds, quince paste, sauna oil, cedarwood and sandalwood… Nothing to fault. The sherry is very, very discreet at this stage. With water: ouch, it tightens up a little, moving towards vanilla, sunflower oil and coconut. Mouth (neat): it’s remarkable how closely this aligns with Chichibu. Chardonnay, chalk, oils, fresh butter, honeysuckle, apples, lemon mint… With water: it turns into a sort of papaya and avocado juice cocktail with a splash of rum. Apologies. Finish: long, buttery, on citrus pastries and orange blossom. Pistachio cream and marzipan. Comments: a real dilemma here, water simplifies it a lot, but without water it’s a bit of a handful.
SGP:651 - 88 points. |
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Saburomaru ‘The Sun’ (48%, OB, Final World Blend, 2022)
Like quite a few young distilleries in Asia, in Japan but also elsewhere, the early batches were bolstered with Scottish malts and/or grains to maintain decent quality and help with cash flow. In any case, this is the final batch of that sort from Saburomaru. In the end, it’s something of a historic bottle… Colour: light gold. Nose: the fact that it’s a ‘world blend’ doesn’t take anything away from the quality, especially when everything is as transparent as it is here. Fresh baguette, wit bier, ripe apples, acacia honey, fresh barley, wee bananas… All’s well. Mouth: a slight ‘soapy and funky’ edge that brings Ben Nevis to mind (and therefore Nikka). The rest is gentle, very slightly cardboardy, with a pear and lemon note that grows steadily. Finish: good length, with salty, yeasty, peppery touches… That wee soapiness sticks around right into the tail end of the finish. Comments: I’m a little at sea here, but I’m quite sure it’s actually good. Those poor Scottish grains perhaps weren’t much help.
SGP:551 - 80 points. |
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June 26, 2025 |
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For a change, today we're switching from Laphroaig to Japan, but we should be back to Laphroaig by next week. |
A stroll in new Japan, Part 1
Let’s see what we have…
(Shindo Distillery, Shindo) |
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Enso (40%, OB, Japan, Blended Whisky, +/-2024)
‘A premium blend said to embody the harmony between East and West’, they claim. Well, at least that’s clear. They also say, ‘The story of ENSO Japanese Whisky unites tradition and rebellion to create a whisky that celebrates creative freedom and expression.’ Who could be against that? Now, is there even a single drop distilled in Japan within this suspiciously pretty bottle? Colour: straw. Nose: extremely light, a tad dusty, reminiscent of a low-strength tutti-frutti eau-de-vie. A little vanilla, apple juice and cardboard. Mouth: sweet, sugary, featherlight, it vaguely brings to mind Cuba’s Old Havana whisky beloved of Fidel, as well as light Scottish blends such as Bell’s, William Lawson, Passport and that whole tribe. Finish: short yet not unpleasant. Comments: a neat exercise in brand-building, typical of the pre-Covid era. The liquid is very light yet not off-putting, to be perfectly fair. But it’s no Enso… Ferrari (now that’s clever, S.!)
SGP:321 - 70 points. |
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Tenjaku ‘Pure Malt’ (43%, OB, Japan, +/-2024)
We did come across a ‘blend’ version at 40% some five years back that was rather dire (WF 60). Colour: straw. Nose: fairly dry, rather malty, though without any real roughness. Bruised apples, soggy breadcrumbs, the faintest whiff of rye, a touch of pepper, vanilla, and a hint of cooked turnip. Honestly, not bad. Mouth: very slightly salty, decently malty, but light in the flavour department. Bread, white pepper, vanilla, apple juice, a mild sweetness, with splashes of orange liqueur that do lift things. Finish: short, sweet, not unpleasant. Comments: pretty decent, clearly a step up from the humble Enso.
SGP:431 - 76 points. |
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Ichiro’s Malt & Grain ‘20th Anniversary Batch 8’ (48%, OB, World blended whisky, 2024)
If only all Japanese blends or blended malts that aren’t entirely, or at all, Japanese were labelled as ‘world blended whisky’, it would clear up quite a bit of the lingering suspicion post-charter/association. This baby is said to contain Chichibu, old Kawasaki and Hanyu, as well as Karuizawa and Benriach. Colour: gold. Nose: this isn’t Chichibu’s ‘clear line’, which would be impossible anyway, the whole feels more ‘historic’ than organoleptic, but it’s very nice, malty, with a good dose of American oak, vanilla, coconut, sponge cake, and both black and green teas… Mouth: far more presence than on the nose, with syrups (cane, agave) and plenty of resinous wood, vanilla, coconut, Earl Grey, and faint notes of triple sec… I find it genuinely good, even if it does feel a bit ‘blended’. But then again, it is a blend. Finish: medium in length, with sweetness stepping up, nougat, fruity sweets… Comments: blending a ‘historic’ mix like this, with old Hanyu or Kawasaki grain, must be quite the challenge. This is very good indeed!
SGP:651 - 87 points. |
Update : there have been multiple batches of the 20th anniversary, each blended with different content ratios. This series will be discontinued this summer, while the current batch is #11. |
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Ichiro’s Malt & Grain ‘Allegro’ (60%, Spirits of Salud, Symphonie, cask #14915, 240 bottles)
Colour: light gold. Nose: feels like a single malt, and frankly, rather Chichibu-esque, with plenty of chalk, ash, green banana, mercurochrome and fresh barley. With water: a touch of mint arrives, fir buds, eucalyptus, a whisper of camphor, grated lemon zest… Mouth (neat): powerful and precise, exotic (slightly underripe mango) and ashy. Not a great deal to analyse, it’s simply very good and very pure. With water: the ashiness comes to the fore. Lovely tension throughout. Finish: long, always very precise, one wonders whether there’s actually any grain in there. The green banana and mango surge back in the aftertaste. Comments: this is what we’d call ‘the clear line’, which is quite something in a blend, even if technically it’s a ‘single cask blended whisky’. Simply excellent.
SGP:652 - 90 points. |
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Ichiro’s Malt & Grain ‘Allargando’ (59.2%, Spirits of Salud, Symphonie, cask #12132, 267 bottles)
This ought to be slower… Colour: amber. Nose: more marked by roasted nuts, praline, chocolate, sherry, turrón, tobacco… With water: dead leaves, the grain whisky is more present here, with a high-column rum note, pine needles, and a faint dash of soy sauce, one might call it ‘umami’. Mouth (neat): bravo, it’s like biting into an orange and raisin cake soaked in triple sec, with a few drops of amaro. With water: it relaxes and gains a touch more complexity, though it remains overall fairly soft, with a rather light texture. Orange and nuts. Finish: medium in length, that rum-like note still showing. Comments: I clearly prefer the Allegro, but that’s entirely a matter of personal taste, as ever.
SGP:650 - 86 points. |
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Shindo Distillery 3 yo 2022/2025 (56%, OB, Casky exclusive, Mahjong Series ‘4 Circles’, bourbon barrel, cask #177)
A brand-new Japanese distillery, and here comes its very first vintage! Another first for WF HQ, the distillery lies in Fukuoka Prefecture, on the northern coast of Kyushu. Colour: white wine. Nose: pure, precise, unadorned, almost austere, and clearly untouched by any fiddling. If one had to draw a comparison, one might think of an Islay distillery that begins with ‘L’ and doesn’t end in ‘lin’. With water: ashes, iodine tincture, new tweed, seaweed, bandages… Mouth (neat): a flawless young peater from Isl—er, Kyushu. Honestly, you could be fooled, it’s excellent, in the style of that 10 yo C/S. You get the idea. With water: even more so, remarkable really, despite the pears of youth showing through. Finish: long, softer, a tad ‘sweeter’ than L, likely owing to its tender age. Comments: extremely impressive, that Japanese precision again.
SGP:657 - 88 points. |
We've got a few Saburomaru from Wakatsuru, we'll taste one at random, but the others will be with us very, very soon. |
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Saburomaru 2020/2024 ‘IV Highland Peat’ (48%, OB, Japan, The Emperor, bourbon, 12,500 bottles)
They also use Islay peat, for the record. We did have a lovely Saburomaru heavily peated for The Auld Alliance back in April this year (WF 90). Colour: white wine. Nose: it’s very tight, but in the best possible way. Ashes, fresh concrete, damp chalk, green pepper… Mouth: oh drat, this is far too good and far too easy to drink at 48%. At cask strength at least, there’s a bit of work involved, and it reins in your thirsty enthusiasm so to speak (slightly exaggerated, granted). Anyway, it’s just too perfect at 48% vol. These smoky and salty tangerines are simply sublime. Finish: not especially long, a touch sweeter and softer. One must find something to grumble about. Comments: cracking bottle. I haven’t checked the price, hopefully it’s not eye-watering.
SGP:656 - 89 points. |
I think we're heading towards something of an epic showdown between the new Japanese distilleries (and others in Asia) and the new Scottish ones (including the revived ones like Brora, PE, etc.), with marketing that's much more product-focused and educational. The next few years are going to be fascinating too, with the likely development of the CtC angle… (Cut the Crap!). Ah, we're ready, aren't we? Surely we’re not going to keep up this little WF madness just to gulp down improbable, NAS wineskies from Bowtonbulin or The GlenBizarre, are we… |
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