| |
| |
May 25, 2025 |
|
  |
|
Our remote Feis Ile 2025, today at Bruichladdich
It's Sunday, let’s try to find some melon and a touch of sea spray today… |
|
Bruichladdich 2003/2025 (56.7%, Caora, refill barrel, cask #132, 273 bottles) 
No doubt already an unpeated Laddie, although let us not forget that the very first batches post-2000 had been lightly peated, around 5ppm if memory serves, under the influence of one Mr Jim McEwan. Colour: straw. Nose: these batches tend to be rather fat on the nose after more than twenty years, with plenty of candied citrus, cassata and limoncello... Yet the whole remains very clean, almost fresh. With water: I do seem to detect a little melon indeed, a wee chalky side with aspirin tablet and a few drops of yellow Chartreuse. Mouth (neat): citrus and linden infusion, and again this very textured, oily feel throughout. Perhaps even a faint saline touch. With water: eminently Bruichladdich. Melon, salt, mandarin, lime blossom, a tiny oyster and some lemon. You know what other malt it brings to mind? Pulteney! Finish: long, citrusy, waxy, with a splash of sea water. Comments: one does not so often encounter such coastal character in B, despite past mantras, if you see what I mean. At any rate, these refill barrels handily beat any other cask combination, in my view.
SGP:651 - 88 points. |
|
Bruichladdich 33 yo 1991/2024 (41.5%, Sansibar, Fazzino series, bourbon hogshead, 233 bottles)
Caution here, this may well have turned fragile, even though they were mostly filling into ‘very refill’ casks back then. Colour: very pale white wine. You see! Nose: it whispers, it speaks softly, sending you little apples, a touch of acacia honey, quince paste, a hint of damp earth, some dried flowers, potpourri... Mouth: a young lady Laddie (?!). Light, delicate, not tired in the slightest, mostly on apple and light beer, cedar wood, tiny plums, wild cherries, tisanes... One might almost call this an afternoon whisky. It is most lovely, very delicate, refined... Finish: not very long but firmer, fruity, mostly on yellow fruits, with quince returning for an encore – nature’s little wonder. You’ll tell me you’ve never seen a quince tree on Islay, not even in the wooded bit in the middle of the island. Comments: zero fatigue here, but this is truly delicate and quite beautiful, though you’d perhaps do well to wear sunglasses when reading the very shiny label. No, love you Sansibar.
SGP:541 - 89 points. |
|
Bruichladdich 22 yo 1965 (48.8%, OB, Riserva Veronelli, Rinaldi import, Italy, 2400 bottles) 
A fairly well-known official bottling from the golden vintages of the 1960s. Not to be confused with the superb 1966 Riserva Veronelli imported by Moon (WF 91). Colour: gold. Nose: Bruichladdich, like Bunnahabhain, was still peated up until the very early 1960s, and one would swear there’s a touch of peat here too, a bit of ash, whiffs of campfire smoke... It’s also rather earthy, with humus, old stumps, mushrooms, an old tin of mint tea, and even a good helping of pine nuts. Old herbal liqueurs, Bénédictine, Verveine du Velay... Mouth: yes, still some peaty notes, earthy, metallic, with ham, marrow, orchard leaves, Italian bitters (naturally), smoked ham, ashes... This is absolutely not your usual fruity old Bruichladdich. Finish: long, still on those old herbal liqueurs, salt, pepper, ashes... Comments: it may not be sexy as such, but these damp earthy tones are of great beauty and the saline notes are rather stunning. Perhaps a wee touch of OBE.
SGP:462 - 90 points. |
| |
May 24, 2025 |
|
|
|
Our remote Feis Ile 2025, today at Lagavulin
This year, we're getting back into the good habit of organising our own little Islay Festival at Château Whiskyfun, tasting the malts on the very day of their open days. But it's still a symbolic gesture—we're a bit behind schedule, so no lengthy sessions this year, just duos and trios. Well, we’ll see… Today, we thought it would be fun to feature just two very young independent Lagavulin, so naturally, not labelled as ‘Lagavulin’, but their origin is unmistakable. Watch out, things could get lively as we're heading to Taiwan and Germany… |
|
Secret Islay 9 yo 2013/2023 (53.9%, Whisky Picnic Bar and Cuckoo, hogshead, cask #13000581)
Here we are back in Taiwan. Colour: white wine. Nose: we’re firmly in the world of the 12 official C/S bottlings, though this one’s a tad drier, leaning more towards ashes, charcoal, dried seaweed, smoked ham, and even a hefty ashtray brimming with lit cigars. In the background, a hint of vanilla and a splash of cough syrup. With water: conifers in all their forms, pine and fir needles, wood smoke, buds, balms, sauna oil… we’ve drifted from an Islay beach to a Finnish forest. Mouth (neat): it’s charmingly austere, salty, smoky, loaded with ashes, with a touch of heather honey bringing just enough sweetness to round it out. With water: what class in this distillate! A burst of small citrus fruits, fresh herbs and spices, rosemary, and a suggestion of ground cumin… Finish: long, coming across as richer by this stage. Fabulous bitterness and pepper. Comments: an incredible little hogshead au naturel, the best style for Lagavulin, naturally.
SGP:477 - 90 points. |
In theory, since the next one has been mixed with wine (in one way or another), things might not turn out as hoped… |
|
Steel Cookers Railway 6 yo ‘Tripple Cask’ (62.1%, Jack Wiebers Whisky World, bourbon, sherry and wine, 2025)
A most improbable, yet thoroughly entertaining bottling involving 3D printing, some sort of glass sandblasting, and a 1938 steam locomotive. And wine! I do find the whole affair has a faint whiff of Mad Max about it, but come on now, let’s be brave and hold on tight… Of course I jest, the wee Lagavulins from JWWW can be superb… Colour: amber. Nose: well, this is massive, no doubt about that, yet curiously elegant too, very compact, packed with massage balms, thyme oil, bay leaf, leather, black olives in brine, and bitter oranges. I’d almost call it balanced, yes really. With water: it turns much more medicinal, deeply camphory, to the point where you wonder whether it’s not better suited for external application. Mouth (neat): extremely powerful, very salty, full of salted liquorice and tobacco, with a thick glob of tar that insists on taking centre stage. A lovely wee monster! With water: some fruity glimmers now, Lagavulin is often fruity, especially with strawberry eau-de-vie, though here you’ve also got cherry. The worst part is that it works. The rest remains very salty, and of course very peaty. Finish: long, still compact, massive, with a touch of ouzo. I assure you, you can dilute this down to 1/3 whisky, 2/3 water. Comments: there’s a comic edge to this formidable and explosive ultra-young Islay that, as they say, takes no prisoners. Highly recommended, it’s pure fun.
SGP:567 - 89 points. |
| |
May 23, 2025 |
|
|
Two Dalwhinnie, vintage vs. NAS
Not the most useful of sessions, I’m afraid, especially as it will feature two ‘finished’ versions, but we’re rather fond of Dalwhinnie. In fact, we warmly recommend the ‘chocolate + whisky’ tastings they organise at the distillery. |
Dalwhinnie's 'Whisky & Chocolate
Tasting Experience' (Diageo) |
One mustn’t forget either the crucial role Dalwhinnie played in educating budding malt enthusiasts, being one of the key players in the early days of the very, very – and I mean very – seminal ‘Classic Malts of Scotland’. I say they should restart the consumer club too and resend their lovely, very educational printed newsletters, especially since there's a significant revival in the popularity of print magazines. And remember that it is largely paper that helps maintain (you can see just how important this is) and replant forests, as well as store much more carbon as long as it is recycled. But we digress once again... |
|
Dalwhinnie 2004/2019 'Distiller's Edition' (43%, OB, D.SA.313) 
Finished in ‘oloroso-seasoned casks’. One appreciates Diageo’s honesty in not trying to make you believe, by omission, that these are genuine oloroso casks from authentic bodegas. Others could take note, we think. Colour: gold. Nose: lovely, soft, chocolatey indeed, malty, with hints of stout, roasted nuts, and caramelised apples. There’s a certain freshness. Mouth: it’s good, showing walnut wine and coffee, then orange marmalade before moving further into toasted malt, Ovaltine, and praline. To be honest, I find it superb, especially with the malty side so much to the fore. Finish: not immensely long, but still beautifully malty. A dry aftertaste of earth, nuts, and oloroso, with a very faint touch of wood smoke. Comments: there you have it. Perhaps the best of the Distiller’s Editions when compared to their non-finished counterparts (think recent Lagavulin DE vs. Lagavulin 16).
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
|
Dalwhinnie 'Distiller's Edition' (43%, OB, 2022) 
Adieu to vintages and thus to age statements. Remember, NAS doesn’t mean there’s no age, it means the age is concealed. Every whisky has an age. One imagines that in this case, the age has been reduced. Colour: gold. Nose: it does indeed feel younger, more straightforwardly fruity, with less pronounced oloroso influence, and a slightly more herbal and yeasty edge. Frankly, it’s still rather good, but definitely simpler. Mouth: closer to the 2004/2019 edition, but a bit rougher and less complex. There’s less development, with a touch more toffee, less toasted malt, Ovaltine, and the like. Finish: leaning more towards coffee, though the nuts remain present. No surprise to find a hint of Guinness here too, I’d imagine. Comments: the differences are quite notable when comparing the two versions, though it’s doubtful they’d stand out as much if tasted only days or weeks apart.
SGP:551 - 83 points. |
Starting tomorrow, we're holding our own Remote Islay Festival here on WF, get ready! |
| |
May 22, 2025 |
|
|
Tastings de la Muerte: Glentauchers part 2
Shall we carry on at random, moving along fairly quickly, if that’s alright with you…? |
|
Glentauchers 10 yo 2010/2020 (46%, Hepburn’s Choice, Hunter Laing, wine barrels, 581 bottles) 
Wine casks, always a tad alarming. Colour: gold. Nose: malt, bread, banana and strawberry jam. Fairly laden with stewed red berries and assorted confitures. Mouth: it’s cheerful and fruity, still very much on strawberries, rose jelly and raspberry sorbet, yet the malt keeps a firm hold of the reins and prevents the whole thing from veering too far into ‘Beaujolais’ territory. Finish: medium in length, now with more cherry, ham and leafy touches. Comments: not bad at all, we’re far from the disaster we feared, strawberries notwithstanding.
SGP:641 - 80 points. |
|
Glentauchers 2005/2019 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail, Distillery labels)
We’d really enjoyed the 2008/2023 but that one had been bottled at 46% vol. Colour: white wine. Nose: pears and apples, gooseberries, sourdough bread. Nothing much to complain about at this stage. Mouth: nice profile, though less precise than the nose, with cherry stems, apples, sour cherries, witbier and a touch of fresh ginger. Finish: medium length, same aromas, turning a little more herbal. Then green tea. Comments: nothing to add really, a good, clean malt whisky with no major faults. Just a little… yawn…
SGP:551 - 80 points. |
|
Glentauchers 21 yo 1992/2014 (52.7%, Duncan Taylor, Dimensions, cask #6045, 283 bottles)
Not sure this series is still active at DT. Colour: white wine. Nose: taut, on green pears, apples, grass and grapefruit zest. With water: the barley emerges beautifully. Beeswax, orgeat, and a faintly earthy honey. Mouth (neat): lovely, with demerara sugar, lemon tart and orangecello. With water: back to barley, limoncello and orgeat syrup. Hints of plaster. Finish: medium length, wax still hanging around, discreet hint of aniseed. Orange marmalade and a saline note in the aftertaste. Comments: it was a lovely bottle, but that was over… ten years ago. My apologies.
SGP:651 - 84 points. |
|
Glentauchers 22 yo 1997/2020 (48.1%, The Whisky Baron, Renaissance, bourbon barrel, cask #3884, 124 bottles)
A cracking series, these Whisky Barons. Colour: greenish white wine. Some nails? Patches? Nose: no metallic notes in sight, rather peaches and apples, greengage jam, quince jelly, mirabelles, fougasse, patchouli and maple syrup… All very, very charming. Mouth: excellent, taut, mineral and mentholated, then back to those splendid greengages and some fir honey. Unexpected and very good indeed. Finish: medium length but with complex spices, then heaps of fir sap and black pepper. Comments: that green hue was a little unsettling, but the whisky far less so. A very pretty bottle, and something to have fun with in good company, thanks to its rather striking verdant robe.
SGP:551 - 87 points. |
|
Glentauchers 8 yo 2013/2021 (62.6%, Franco Gasparri, The Art Collection, refill bourbon, Caol Ila finish, cask #800550, 221 bottles)
Warning, this little monster spent 36 months (they write ‘mounts’, but let’s assume they meant ‘months’) in ex-Caol Ila wood. Colour: white wine. Nose: mercurochrome, ashes, lime juice and green apples. Nothing to criticise, really. With water: same again. Fresh, peaty, coastal and citrusy. Mouth (neat): very explosive and to be honest, it’s much more Caol Ila than Glentauchers. With water: even more so, it’s a lovely Caol Ila. Finish: long, peaty, lemony, herbal and medicinal. Comments: one assumes the cask was still very ‘wet’ before its final fill. All in all, a very charming in-cask-blended malt.
SGP:464 – 85 points. |
|
Glentauchers 6 yo 2014/2020 (53.9%, Boogieman Import, Scottish Warrior, 199 bottles)
A rather frightening bottle, but our soul is pure and our heart brave, so let’s go. Colour: full gold. Nose: metal polish and… metal polish, then cumin, menthol and walnut liqueur. With water: waxed fir wood, beeswax polish, even a touch of solvent. Mouth (neat): rich, thick, modern, spicy and heavily cask-driven. Ginger and cinnamon at 300 miles per hour. With water: everything calms down, almost turns gentle. Hints of paint and paraffin, plus service tree berries and holly eau-de-vie. If you’ve never tasted anything like this, you really should. Finish: long, slightly drying, on speculoos, black tea and aubergine. Quite a bit of bitterness in the aftertaste. Comments: ultra-dry, a bit loco-loco, but we rather like it.
SGP:272 - 84 points. |
|
Glentauchers 8 yo 2012/2021 (61.3%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, #63.75, 2nd Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel, ‘Ett Tropiskt Party I Svenskt Norrsken’, 238 bottles)
An exclusive bottling for Sweden, hence the utterly incomprehensible name—unless you’re thoroughly sloshed, or a distinguished Swede, naturally. Even Ikea wouldn’t have dared. Colour: white wine. Nose: cold coffee, and not much else. With water: small apples, jujubes, service berries—not terribly expressive, but elegant nonetheless. Mouth (neat): hits hard, like uncut tutti-frutti straight off the still. Quick, quick… With water: still a bit brutal and rustic, but there are some lovely honeyed notes too. Finish: long, simple, robust, on green and white fruits. Comments: you’d be speaking near-fluent Swedish after two or three drams of this little monster, which could also double as antifreeze for your Volvo or that old Saab convertible (with leather seats, mind). But honestly, we quite like it.
SGP:461 - 82 points. |
|
Glentauchers-Glenlivet 12 yo 2007/2019 (60.0%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, hogshead, 252 bottles) 
Is this baby also going to try and rip our heads off? Colour: pale white wine. Nose: very simple, on apple spirit and green bananas. Pleasant enough, but nothing that’s going to win a prize in San Francisco at this stage. With water: frankly, these batches are tricky—we’re not far off antifreeze here. Mouth (neat): well now, this is nice, if simple, all on limoncello and apple spirit. With water: indeed, it’s fruity, very simple, clearly defined. Apple and lemon, with a pinch of salt. Finish: long but a bit more rustic. Comments: probably not the most dazzling single malt ever bottled by humankind, but not without its uses. Could serve nicely as a muscular decongestant or in a cocktail with exotic fruit juices.
SGP:361 - 77 points. |
|
Glentauchers 21 yo 1997/2019 (54.5%, The Whisky Exchange, barrel, cask #402, 182 bottles)
Here we have a kind of positive premonition. Colour: light gold. Nose: this one’s far oilier, more austere, more on sunflower oil and grape seed oil. It’s also more elegant, one might say. With water: ink, slag, fruit peelings—heavens, how charmingly austere! Mouth (neat): linseed oil, grapefruit zest, grass juice. With water: modelling clay and those bitter herbs, with an austerity verging on the Spanish Inquisition. Finish: long, entirely herbal. Comments: rare to find a profile this herbal and austere that remains so compelling; next to it, Stockhausen was Céline Dion (what?)
SGP:261 - 85 points. |
One last one for today (cross my heart, there won’t be another this time, I mean not today) … |
|
Glentauchers 27 yo 1996/2024 (51.1%, The Antelope Macau & Kanpakai Japan, refill barrel, cask #8003966, 181 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: we’re landing squarely in old fruity Speyside territory, with bananas, fully ripe Williams pears, orange cake and mead, then quite a bit of custard. With water: not much change, just a few extra herbs and even more custard. Mouth (neat): this is simply excellent, the influence of time is clear, with white pepper, honey and black tea, though the tannicity is steadily creeping up. In short, not a done deal yet. With water: veers into dried fruit territory—longans, jujubes, dried mulberries, goji berries… But there’s also quite a bit of rather drying wood. It all feels a tad undecided in the end. Finish: medium in length, herbal, fairly dry and a little drying. Comments: not the easiest customer in the end, unless we’ve somehow missed the point (though I doubt it). Still, this remains a very, very good, properly dry old Speysider.
SGP:351 - 85 points. |
| |
May 21, 2025 |
|
|
Tastings de la Muerte: Glentauchers |
|
| Glentauchers Distillery (Anne Burgess / geograph.org.uk) |
The principle is simple: one single distillery, loads of versions, chosen entirely at random, over several days, not necessarily in a row, until we throw in the towel or move on to something else.
Actually, I ought to explain the situation: you may already know that we make a point of regularly tasting malts from all Scottish distilleries, though of course the number of expressions of each we receive varies wildly. This means that for the more ‘abundant’ distilleries—especially from the indies—like Glentauchers in this case, the stocks tend to pile up much faster than our tasting pace can keep up with. Which is why, from time to time, we have to do a bit of a ‘clear-out’ with some of them. But alas, we’ll never manage to taste everything, very sadly… |
|
Glentauchers 15 yo 2008/2023 (46%, Gordon & MacPhail, Distillery Label)
G&M really have done a great deal to raise the notoriety of Glentauchers, they ought to be awarded a medal for their efforts! Colour: pale gold. Nose: it’s gentle, on garden apples and pears, groundnut oil, a little white nougat and some baker’s yeast. This may not be of extraordinary complexity, but yes, it’s genuinely charming. Mouth: it’s good, actually rather rich in the end, with a touch of sherry, some orange, still those apples and pears, and a wee note of liquorice. Finish: fairly long, fairly soft, malty, very fruity, apples and oranges, with cinnamon and pink pepper. Comments: bang in its lane, very, very pleasant, flawless, really.
SGP:641 - 85 points. |
|
Glentauchers 7 yo 2014/2021 (51.7%, SingleMalt.pl, PX sherry octave, cask #142)
Colour: gold. Nose: oily to the nose, also chalky, yeasty and mineral. Lovely notes of turrón, PX (but of course). With water: a little malt extract, onion jam, fig preserve, a touch of Nescafé. Mouth (neat): big PX, in a cappuccino and toasted hazelnut style, which works very, very well. With water: slight meaty hints, orange marmalade, cracked pepper, sultanas, young rancio. Finish: long, spices rolling in, tamed by the dried fruit. Comments: cracking little creature from Poland. We’re just a bit late to the party, yet again.
SGP:641 - 86 points. |
|
Glentauchers 16 yo 2008/2024 (46%, Royal Mile Whiskies, sherry butt, cask #900255, 885 bottles)
Even reduced to 46%, nearly 900 bottles from a single butt, that’s not bad at all. Colour: gold. Nose: a wee marvel of pecan pie drizzled with honey sauce, alongside a glass of Sauternes and a few Turkish delights. Mouth: same story, we’re very, very close to the G&M style, tarte Tatin, crema catalana, peanut butter and baked apples. Finish: long, on orange zest and a sauce of caramel and honey. Comments: this feels very ‘Elgin’, it’s really very good, nothing to complain about.
SGP:641 – 86 points. |
Since we’ve come this far… |
|
Glentauchers 23 yo 2000/2023 (55.8%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice for Kensington Wine Market, 1st fill sherry hogshead, cask #16602001, 329 bottles)
Colour: amber. Nose: lovely sherry, with a little gunpowder to begin, then bags of black nougat, very dry currants, a touch of crème de menthe, proper old oloroso, and hand-sliced pata negra—never machine-cut, heavens no! With water: whoof, gas, truffle, charcoal… Mouth (neat): that modelling clay quality returns alongside the gunpowder, clearly a touch of sulphur, then fig marmalade of the interstellar kind. The presence of this sort of sulphur can trigger debates of galactic proportions, as we know. With water: water only boosts the sulphuric side. It’s like with some mineral waters, some love the sulphur, others loathe it. Finish: long and even more sulphury. The worst part is, it’s all terribly coherent. Leather and bitter almonds in the aftertaste. Comments: very hard to score, it really is a sulphur story.
SGP:362 - 83 points. |
|
Glentauchers 33 yo 1993/2024 (51.9%, OB for The Whisky Exchange, Lost in Time, refill American oak barrels, cask #5218, 108 bottles)
Chivas and TWE at the helm here. Colour: pale gold. Nose: we’re in complex territory here, poetic even, bordering on nostalgic—old meads, honeys, farmhouse ciders… It’s truly very, very beautiful, delicate, almost Proustian (is it not?). With water: oh yes, almond milk, honeys, precious green teas, tanning oil, blond tobacco... Mouth (neat): it’s reminiscent of the 1972s. But why does 1993 so often echo 1972, across all Speyside distilleries? Honeys and waxes, bruised apples, tiny floral and herbal notes, hay, borage, pansies… With water: an unexpected arrival of faint maritime touches. Finish: not very long but outrageously elegant, with a woodiness more discreet than a cat stalking a mouse. Comments: an ode to time. And 33 years—the age of you-know-who!
SGP:551 - 91 points. |
|
Glentauchers-Glenlivet 14 yo 2009/2023 (50%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, bourbon hogshead, 264 bottles)
Colour: pale white wine. Nose: it’s immaculate, the cask was probably as idle as a particularly militant French railway worker, but there’s a lovely lemon nougat drizzled with honey and scattered with bits of toasted pistachio, atop the usual apple and pear combo. With water: lovely—let’s forget about French railway workers, they’re a bit too demoralising. Mouth (neat): it’s very good, fresh, close to barley, green apples, lemon, meringue and stewed rhubarb… With water: not much need for it on the palate, it gets a bit too grassy, nearly lawn-like. Best skip the water. Finish: medium length, taut, herbaceous indeed. Comments: better to shelter these babies from water, though that may not be the orthodox approach.
SGP:451 - 82 points. |
|
Glentauchers 11 yo 2011/2023 (51.5%, Club Qing, Kraken Go with the Flow, fino hogshead, cask #800436, 179 bottles)
Now then, Hong Kong. Colour: deep gold. Nose: slightly metallic, with tobacco, medlars, frozen sorbs, bread dough, a few ashes and green walnuts… The fino must be the culprit behind all this. It’s forgiven at once. With water: a hint of compost, paraffin oil, a bit of papier-mâché… Unusual but charming. Mouth (neat): quirky combo—leather, resinous oil, pepper, bitter chocolate, walnut liqueur, nocino, pumpkin seed oil… With water: same again. Slight touches of damp cardboard. Finish: medium length, rather earthy, really lovely but the fino leaves an unusual footprint. Comments: great finos are mythical beasts, but their influence on our whiskies might be, pure speculation of course, a bit uncontrollable. We saw the same with some Ardbegs, a good twenty years ago.
SGP:461 - 84 points. |
By the way, loads of Ardbeg coming up soon on WF, as we should be doing our usual remote Feis Ile sessions, but in the meantime, there’s still plenty of Glentauchers to come, so stay tuned. |
| |
May 20, 2025 |
|
|
A Germanic little trio of new Braeval
One of those distilleries that’s rarely talked about, but which we make a point of tasting as often as possible – for the glory, indeed, but also because they can be excellent. And Braeval handles wine well; its kind of profile doesn’t clash as often as others in my view. |
|
Braeval 10 yo 2014/2025 (65.4%, Alambic Classique, Bordeaux red wine barrel, cask #25012, 266 bottles)
The invasion of red Bordeaux casks continues in Scotland. Colour: gold with a faint orangey hue. Nose: the wine is immediate, as are the wood spices and the high-dose ethanol. With water: we head into cherry cake territory, clafoutis, stone fruit spirit with a touch of soap… We’re drifting a little into the land of old plum eau-de-vie from a rough still. We’re quite far from malt here, but it’s by no means unpleasant. Mouth (neat): it’s all right, though the strawberry yoghurt spiced with pepper and kirsch is rather overwhelming. With water: back come the ‘trans’ notes—peppery, stony, with fruit tree leaves and a faint hint of shampoo... Finish: very long, salty and peppery, very much eau-de-vie aged in wood. Comments: more of an adventure than a malt, really. I do think we could create a special category for these transgenre/premix malts. We don’t dislike them, actually.
SGP:471 - 80 points. |
|
Braeval 16 yo 2009/2025 (50.9%, The Whisky Agency, tawny Port barrique, 280 bottles)
Are we heading in the same direction? It’s not Bordeaux, but it’s still a red wine cask... Colour: partridge eye, or onion skin. Nose: Port on very classic, fairly neutral malts can work nicely—as seen here, this nose isn’t nearly as alarming as the colour might have suggested. Notes of strawberry cake, watermelon syrup… and young Port, quite simply. With water: the malt wakes up a little—bread dough, brown ale... Mouth (neat): clearly more vinous. Cherry, pepper, blood orange, cherry stalks, rosehip… With water: pink pepper, soapy touches, kirsch, trail mix. Finish: long, fairly vinous and peppery. A little touch of rancio. Comments: this little winesky also goes down very nicely. As far as red wine cask malts go, it’s well done.
SGP:561 - 80 points. |
Careful, the next one’s going to shake things up… |
|
Braes of Glenlivet 30 yo 1994/2024 (48.9%, Maltbarn, ‘The 26’, bourbon cask, 51 bottles)
Beginner 101: Braeval and Braes of Glenlivet are the same distillery. Colour: gold. Nose: almost shy after the winey ones, with whispers of mint and anise, fennel, dill, celery stalks—all set on a bed of chalk and brioche dough sprinkled with shards of pear and orange sweets. Ite Missa est. Mouth: very consistent with the nose, just a bit more on the sweets and the grist, baker’s yeast, scones and muffins. A lovely green tea note in the background, the whole continuing to display a rather charming fragility. Finish: medium length, more malty, with a touch of bitterness, and even a hint of cherry stem herbal tea. Comments: let’s admit it—we knew this would be a dead cert.
SGP:451 - 88 points. |
| |
May 19, 2025 |
|
|
|
The Time Warp Sessions,
today Macallan 2 x NAS + 1961
|
This isn’t the first time we’ve done this with Macallan, and it’s probably not the last either. The idea here isn’t to determine which period is the best — that would be too obvious, even a bit far-fetched — but rather to try and trace a kind of lineage in the style of the famous Speysider. You’ll note that the idea came to me as I was walking past the unmissable Macallan shop at Shanghai airport last week, with its striking candy-pink neon lights… |
|
|
Macallan ‘Green Meadow’ (40.2%, OB, The Harmony Collection, travel retail, +/-2023)
A little NAS in collaboration with Stella and Mary McCartney. These collaborations sometimes make about as much sense as a tomato with wheels, as Lord Blackadder might have said, but let’s be honest, we’ve a soft spot for the whole McCartney clan and there is, indeed a 'story'. Oh, and if you thought all the meadows were necessarily green, think again—there was also an ‘Amber Meadow’ we rather liked back in the day (WF 85). Colour: pale gold. Nose: this is discreet, rather elegant, on nougat, praline and herbal tea, say chamomile, then fresh hay and a touch of sherry, with walnuts and raisins. It’s truly elegant, and the very low strength isn’t bothersome (even though that extra 0.2% does make us chuckle). Mouth: this is where it turns a bit thin, grassy—but we can’t really fault it, as it’s called Green Meadow—and lightly dusty. Unsweetened herbal tea, no honey, a little tobacco, marzipan, orange zest, pink grapefruit peel, but all this merely whispers. Finish: a little short, with a few raisins and still those herbal teas. Comments: it’s not bad at all, there is a certain elegance, but everything comes in little dabs, which is a tad frustrating, especially north of €200.
SGP:441 - 83 points. |
|
Macallan ‘Vibrant Oak’ (44.2%, OB, The Harmony Collection, 200th Anniversary, 2024)
Another rather unlikely collaboration, this time with Cirque du Soleil, though I’ve heard very favourable opinions about this baby raised in sherry. Colour: gold. Nose: this is lovely, with polish, beeswax, black tea with vanilla and wafts of liquorice and violet, then a pack of menthol cigarettes. Truly a lovely nose, rather complex, very well put together. I fear it casts quite a long shadow over poor little Green Meadow. Mouth: good presence, less precise than the nose but still well built, rather on green peppercorns, grape pips, dark chocolate and very oaky tisanes, quite marked by cinnamon. A few bits of walnut, then it turns more herbal, a touch bitter but in a good way. Raw cocoa powder. Finish: medium length, still rather dry. Liquorice wood, black tea, cinnamon, fir honey, lemon marmalade and green pepper in the aftertaste. Comments: I think this is a very successful composition this time.
SGP:451 - 87 points. |
So, let’s now take a leap back more than 50 years… |
|
Macallan-Glenlivet 15 yo 1961 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail, Pure Highland Malt, Co. Import, Italy)
We did, of course, rather adore the 1960 and 1962 versions by Campbell, Hope & King for Rinaldi, but this wee 1961 from G&M doesn’t immediately ring a bell. For now... Mind you, these bottles can be heavily forged, but this one’s entirely authentic—we’ve our ways of telling, you see. Colour: pale gold. Nose: best remain seated! We’re immediately greeted by that grandeur—those delicate smokes, citrus jams, every kind of honey one could dream of, this nose of bee pollen, then the fractal development, on camphor, furniture polish, a hint of tar and natural rubber, overripe apples, sultanas, dried figs, and old Sauternes... Must have been pure golden promise. Mouth: menthol, praline, sultanas and honey, then all the variations and developments of those four major flavour groups. We’ll stop there, if you don’t mind, even though the 43% vol. pose no issue here, as it’s the ‘congeners’, not the ethanol, that brings the power. Finish: almost long, on tobacco, mint, maple syrup and honey, then it dries out with elegant restraint in the aftertaste, with returning hints of polish, that famous chamomile, and even verbena and white pepper. Comments: always a joy to taste these Macallan vintages that helped make the name what it’s become.
SGP:551 - 93 points. |
In conclusion, the Vibrant Oak really held its own next to the 1961 and was far from looking out of place. We’ll be doing more Time-Warp Sessions with Macallan very soon, that’s a promise. |
| |
May 18, 2025 |
|
|
|
|
A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace! |
A wee Cognac verticale spanning 50 years, from 2015 to 1965
Starting with a ‘petit’ apéritif before we tackle the little big cognacs – or big little cognacs – from the F1 teams currently leading the race to the World Championship. Hope you see what I mean. |
|
'It's Hine! It's dry!
A lovely twilight. The setting sun. A dry air filled with memories. For truly unforgettable moments, that rare and precious taste that warms the heart. Hine Cognac — acclaimed as the finest Cognac by connoisseurs the world over, because it is… dry.'
(Magazine ad, USA, early 1960s). |
|
Hine ‘Homage to Thomas Hine’ (40%, OB, Grade Champagne, +/-2025)
Here we have a rather top-tier XO (100€+) The ‘Antique’ version didn’t quite win us over a few years ago, but this Homage has a fine reputation… It’s a blend of cognacs aged in England—thus early landed—and very old cognacs matured in Jarnac. Let's see if it§'s 'sec'... Colour: amber. Nose: rather light, fairly dry, with a touch of sandalwood and hints of incense and eucalyptus lending it a distinctly Far Eastern character. Mouth: more assertive on the palate despite the low strength, with fruit peels, hints of lightly burnt caramel, liquorice, pistachio cream, then a touch of triple sec, candied zest, lemon liqueur, melon, peach… All of it becomes increasingly lively and fresh, it’s really very pleasant. Finish: nice length considering the strength, with those citrus elements still present, a touch of menthol, and a slight hint of green tea and fresh hay. Comments: I really like this Hine, it’s a fine house in any case. One might note the English spelling ‘Homage’ rather than the French ‘Hommage’. But then, Thomas Hine was indeed English…
SGP:551 – 85 points. |
|
Jean-Luc Pasquet 8 yo 2015/2024 (57.8%, C. Dully Selection, Grande Champagne, folle blanche, cask #338, 214 bottles)
From a few rows of folle blanche planted by the Pasquet family in the 1970s. Cognacs made exclusively from folle blanche remain rare—though they were of course far more common before phylloxera. Colour: gold. Nose: now this is distinctly off the beaten track, more textured right from the start, heavily camphory, marked by eucalyptus and massage balms, then we move into more classical notes—maple syrup, natural vanilla, oranges and peach. Lovely aniseed notes bide their time in the background, along with hints of white and yellow flowers. With water: a few earthy touches, otherwise it stays the course—it swims like a champion. Mouth (neat): that same firmness and tension on the attack, liquorice with menthol, almost a whiff of smoke (let’s say something Ben Nevis-ish), even a saline edge. Citrus zest. With water: we dive into the heart of the grape, though if one yields to it, one is swept off to both Scotland and Martinique. Finish: long, with a cavalry charge of candied citrus. Liquorice and fir bud in the aftertaste. Comments: I wouldn’t say I’m surprised, but it’s not often that such young cognacs come across as this ‘complete’, if you see what I mean. We’re already brushing up against perfection, proof that the finest cognacs, too, don't necessarily need long ageing.
SGP:662 – 89 points. |
|
Domaine du Chêne ‘XXO d’avant 1992’ (48.4%, Art Malts, Bons Bois, Series of Art 6, L’Or de Jo, barrique, casks #7100–7108, 2024)
Colour: deep amber. Nose: cider apple and wood varnish, then natural rubber and myrtle, the whole thing wrapped in a fine marmalade of orange and grapefruit, then misted with vineyard peach liqueur. Very handsome woodiness, slightly resinous, very elegant. Mouth: all this translates onto the palate in a most charmingly rustic fashion, almost ‘non-commercial’ if you see what I mean, with constant nods towards its Armagnac cousins. I hope I’m not offending anyone by saying that. Fir, black tea, fennel, lime, liquorice wood etc. Finish: long, with these rather green tannins and still plenty of lime. It just tickles a bit. Comments: a Domaine du Chêne version with a slightly more country-house style than others we’ve already tried, yet still obviously of very high calibre. The young folle blanche may have overshadowed it a touch, I shall have words with whoever assembled this line-up. Right.
SGP:561 - 88 points. |
|
Voyer ‘Lot 85’ (53.7%, Grape of the Art, Grande Champagne, 295 bottles)
A nice example of a very fine house that used to offer some truly charming cognacs, though they could have lacked a bit of oomph, simply due to the customary 40% vol. One imagines the thirsty horde of indies (love you guys) must have encouraged them to release higher-strength bottlings, with results that now seem quite self-evident. Colour: full gold. Nose: a magnificent lemony cavalcade, very lively, almost acidic on the nose, though swiftly rescued by chalk and a touch of honey. Lovely. With water: candle wax, damp earth, shoe polish. Mouth (neat): very, very compact. Mint, liquorice, lemon, chalk, basta cosi. With water: the water draws out even more citrus, we find blood orange, bergamot and so on. Finish: long, slightly earthier, with a touch of ‘dunnage’. Comments: nothing to add, it’s singular, so it’s perfect (what?)
SGP:651 - 90 points. |
|
Jean-Luc Pasquet ‘L.53.y Le Cognac de Limburg Whisky Fair 2025’ (51.4%, OB, Confluences, Fine Champagne, 1 bottle)
Don’t bother reading this tasting note, it’s entirely pointless since there was only one bottle. You’ve been warned. Right, we’ll be quick about it… Colour: amber. Nose: it’s a dialogue between vineyard peaches stewed in honey and fir liqueur enriched with a touch of liquorice. With water: mint tea wraps it all up. Mouth (neat): sandalwood, cinnamon stick, bergamot, sultanas, a whisper of muscat. With water: orange salad dressed with honey, olive oil and mint. Killer stuff. Finish: this is the worst bit, it’s the bottom of the bottle, and now not a single drop remains. In the entire world! Comments: one really shouldn’t score such a unique flask, but let’s say somewhere bang between 90 and 92.
SGP:661 - /points. |
|
Héritage ‘Lot 74’ (44.7%, Authentic Spirits, Grande Champagne, 2024)
Pure ugni blanc, single-origin though undisclosed. That’s quite all right. Colour: amber. Nose: we’re in slightly old-school territory here, with caramel, toffee, buttercream, tobacco, then a lovely burst of peppermint and a few puffs of lavender, all with fine elegance. We’re now rather curious about the palate… Mouth: it opens with something almost medicinal, yet also saline, then shifts towards mint, orange and eucalyptus, with a touch of black tea providing the tannic backbone. After all, this baby is fifty years old! Finish: medium in length, earthier, with touches of mushroom, peppermint, cedarwood… and still that… let’s say darjeeling tea. Comments: my grandfathers and my father would have absolutely adored this magnificent slightly old-skool cognac and I’m certainly not going to contradict them.
SGP:451 - 88 points. |
|
La Prenellerie ‘Lot 73’ (52.6%, Authentic Spirits, Bons Bois, 2025)
Here we are at the mouth of the Gironde, then, in a setting that’s almost maritime. Colour: amber. Nose: oh, the honeys! And fudge with touches of pink pepper and mint chocolate. With water: mint tea with a mocha spoonful of fir honey, and a hint of sauna oil. Mouth (neat): very fine tension, on citron, eucalyptus and myrtle. We wonder whether this baby wasn’t in fact distilled in Corsica. We love Corsica at WF – Bons Bois too, of course. With water: a very lovely fruity simplicity, heading towards all kinds of plums, the whole sprinkled with a bit of ground cinnamon. Finish: not eternal but certain aspects do recall old agricole rums. Comments: let’s not forget that old spirits tend to converge – and tannicity to become a bit more talkative.
SGP:451 – 89 points. |
|
Jean-Luc Pasquet 52 yo 1972/2025 (54.5%, Maltbarn, Grande Champagne)
1972, that’s so rock and roll! Colour: dark red amber. Nose: it’s almost brutal, a bit blurry, not terribly orderly, a touch ‘cooked’, stewed, with rubber… And it ends up being dominated by damson, vieille prune from Souillac and the like. This is really one of those cases where you tell yourself you ought to add a few drops of water straight away. With water: total old bachelor’s jam and vintage mint liqueur. And I swear there’s an old Bunnahabhain vibe in there (with my profuse apologies). Mouth (neat): the opposite of the nose, precise from the outset, old bourbon, varnish, tinned peaches, overripe apples, hints of natural tar. With water: it slips the leash so to speak, heading into fern, vintage orange liqueur, blond tobacco, hay… Finish: long, with rising tannicity, but as it veers towards liquorice wood, everything remains just perfectly fine. Comments: who said rock and roll? We’re bordering on Captain Beefheart here, nothing in particular makes sense, yet the whole exudes undeniable, immense charm. In other words, a bit of organised chaos – love it.
SGP:561 – 90 points. |
A last one, from another discreet house we’re very fond of… |
|
Rémi Landier ‘Lot 72-73-74 Les Champs Fruités’ (50.13%, Malternative Belgium, Fins Bois, 350 bottles, 2025)
Colour: deep gold. Nose: the exact opposite of the previous one, because even if this baby is multi-vintage, we’re in the realm of precision here, of near-simplicity – this is almost Bauhaus cognac. Chamomile, very ripe vineyard peaches, heather honey, and that’s it. All right then, let’s say these are different heather honeys, especially white and ling. In short, it’s magnificently compact, I’m almost afraid. With water: arrival of balms and ointments, camphor and the like. Mouth (neat): cedar and balsa, then oranges and honey, followed by a light maritime oloroso side and a touch of Iberian ham. Indeed, that’s also the oak ‘rising’. With water: it’s even more noticeable once you’ve added water, as almost always. That familiar mint tea and bitter chocolate note. Finish: it’s an amusing sensation, the tannicity slightly closes in on the spirit, almost like a door. Doesn’t stop a few classic touches of peach, orange and sultanas from continuing their patrol, but the whole becomes dry if not drying. Comments: one wonders whether there’s any real point in declaring the ABV to the hundredth of a degree, but maybe it makes it even more ‘distinctive’. A magnificent ‘seco’ cognac, at any rate.
SGP:461 – 89 points. |
But who said the previous one was going to be the last, who?... |
|
Les Grandes Jouberteries ‘Lot 65’ (49.6%, Authentic Spirits, Fins Bois, 2025)
Ugni blanc and full maturation in wood. We tasted a sister bottling last year and it was sublime (WF 91). Colour: amber. Nose: this is pure fudge, mixed with pistachio nougat, the whole bound with toasted sesame oil laced with a touch of orange peel essential oil. So, what are we listening to from 1965? Why, of course, The Zombies and Rod Argent with ‘She’s Not There’. Or Santana’s version, on Moonflower. Right then, let’s press on… Mouth: splendid fir honey, and to be fair there’s very nearly only that, in the end, the question is whether or not you like fir honey. I agree, who doesn’t. All right, that’s an exaggeration, there are apples and oranges too, then peaches and dried apricots, and quite a bit of cinnamon. It’s splendid and it’s… 60 years old, give or take. Finish: long, with inevitably more marked tannins, black tea, dark chocolate and mint, thyme tisane, tobacco, a few Corinth raisins and black pepper in the aftertaste… The finish may not be the most dazzling aspect of such an old spirit, but the whole ‘holds up’ perfectly. Comments: a mighty beast!
SGP:461 – 91 points. |
Another fine selection today, or a real little treasure trove of cognacs. Au revoir, CU. |
| |
May 16, 2025 |
|
|
We're back
Back from a short but truly dazzling trip to Sichuan, which combined whisky (remarkable The Chuan), people of disarming kindness and elegance, and a few giant pandas. More on that later, tasting glass(es) in hand, but in the meantime and while we get our thoughts together, it’s back to business as usual. |
It's one of those distilleries that tend to fly a little under the radar and which, as a result, we enjoy tasting from time to time. There is an official range available at the moment, but the main brand, Singleton, somewhat sidelines the distillery's name. One day, perhaps, we'll understand the thinking behind this strategy, which has now been going on for—what—twenty years? |
Danse de St Guy (manie dansante, dancing mania)
in France, early 19th century (France Pittoresque) |
|
Singleton of Glendullan ‘Classic’ (40%, OB, Sweet Vibrancy, 1l, +/-2024)
I believe there aren’t many NAS versions, apart perhaps from a ‘Master’s Art’ that wasn’t half bad at all, nearly twenty years ago. This ‘Classic’ has appeared under various different outfits, though it’s not certain the profiles were ever the same. Colour: gold. Nose: very much on lemon and tart apple, concentrated lemonade, then hints of plaster and flintstone. Almost feels like an old-school Lowland, at least on the nose—it’s a style you don’t encounter very often these days. A touch of honey and stewed fruit then come in to add a little softness. Mouth: youthful, slightly bitter, especially on apple peel, with a few raisins making a late appearance. Considerably less distinctive on the palate than on the nose. Some bitter orange. Finish: medium length, still quite bitter, it could almost stand in for the bitter liquid in a Spritz. Comments: it’s genuinely decent.
SGP:461 - 78 points. |
|
Glendullan 11 yo 2012/2024 ‘100 Proof Edition #32’ (57.1%, Signatory Vintage, 1st fill oloroso butt)
One gets the sense that Signatory has turned this successful series into something of their own A'bunadh, in a way. Imagine—batch #32! We had rather enjoyed some Glendullans from the Signatory UCF series. Colour: amber. Nose: well then, metal polish, dark chocolate, roasted hazelnuts, tar, toffee, instant coffee, burnt raisins... In short, textbook sherry. With water: the arrival of unsurprising old walnuts. Mouth (neat): remarkable how much this brings to mind that other series we mentioned a few lines above. Bitter marmalade, chocolate, tobacco, leather and a pepper note that grows increasingly assertive. With water: there we go, it loosens up, though there’s even more spice—juniper, cloves, burnt sugar, pipe tobacco... Finish: very long, still on similar notes, with added pumpernickel. Comments: bone-dry oloroso, marching in step, just a little on the forceful side. No, this is very good...
SGP:461 - 86 points. |
|
Glendullan 12 yo 2011/2024 (59.8%, Berry Bros. & Rudd, Glens & Valleys, hogshead, cask #310542, 292 bottles)
Always a pleasure to see that little detail on the label— ‘Finish: none’. Though it’s quite mad that this now needs to be stated, given how finishing has crept into nearly every corner of Whiskydom, becoming almost the norm. Colour: pale white wine (yay). Nose: there we are—paraffin, green apple, gooseberry, slate and sourdough. Perfect. With water: lime kicks in forcefully, along with freshly mown grass. No messing about here (in the best sense of the phrase). Mouth (neat): creamy texture, a lemony and herbal arrival balanced out by barley syrup and mountain honey. Wax and plasticine in the background. Perfect. With water: all manner of pepper varieties doing a mad little jig (dancing mania, perhaps?) Finish: long, with properly lovely bitterness. Green Chartreuse, but without all the sugar. Comments: really excellent, this very austere yet highly expressive young Glendullan from BB&R.
SGP:361 - 87 points. |
| |
May 13, 2025 |
|
|
A trio of very young, slightly mad Aberfeldy
There aren’t many left that haven’t been finished in some improbable cask, are there?
Common myrtle (Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle) |
 |
|
Aberfeldy 9 yo 2014/2023 (59.7%, OB, Exceptional Cask Series, bourbon and Scottish oak finish, casks #590005–590009, 1152 bottles)
The last time Scottish oak was given this kind of spotlight, I believe it was by Glengoyne, quite a few years ago—unless you’ve got other examples... Colour: light gold. Nose: very toasty, crème brûlée, flambéed banana, fudge, nougat. It’s compact and cheerful! With water: ah lovely—white beers, small-berry eaux-de-vie, service tree, rowan... Mouth (neat): yes, this is good—on sesame oil, definite fudge, and a few drops of Gewurztraminer marc that are rather unmistakable (where does that come from?) With water: back to oils, grape pips, sunflower... What fun! Finish: long, curiously precise, oily, very prettily herbal, then toasty again right at the final signature. Peanut butter. Comments: a very, very lovely young creature—light-years away from those improbable and utterly pointless winey finishings.
SGP:461 - 88 points. |
|
Aberfeldy 10 yo 2013/2023 (58.7%, Signatory Vintage, Archangel No.3, Kirsch Import, 1st fill oloroso sherry butts, 1343 bottles)
Yet again with that rather fearsome label—so is this young whisky actually lethal? Colour: deep gold. Nose: at last, the return of deep-fried Mars bars, rust remover and slightly charred plywood. Just teasing—it does actually smell very nice. With water: loads of metal polish and motor oil, old tools and firwood charcoal. Mouth (neat): caramel with tar and pepper, smoked tea, and charred American-style bacon. A malt for the Bandidos? With water: a return to civilisation—well, nearly. Propolis and natural rubber. Finish: long, resinous, herbal, with even more propolis. Comments: a rather mad little Aberfeldy, let’s be honest. We do like a bit of madness at Château WF, but the surprising official might have ruined the game.
SGP:362 - 85 points. |
|
Aberfeldy 10 yo 2014/2024 (60.7%, Fragrant Drops, refill bourbon, cask #252, 207 bottles)
Fragrant Drops—what a lovely name! Colour: light gold. Nose: malt in its purest form, with oils (peanut, sunflower) and a little light earth, fresh sawdust, apples from an old garden and green tea. It’s absolutely pristine. With water: damp chalk and pizza dough, sourdough starter, grist, tapioca... Mouth (neat): oh yes this is good—not complicated, but full of gorgeous notes of young calvados, lawn juice, grape seed oil and green pepper. With water: in come the fresh fruits—admittedly a little late—but also myrtle, plus lime and prickly pear. Finish: long, fresh, natural, malty, with more green apple and lemon. Lovely crisp edge. Comments: couldn’t be more natural. A demonstrative young malt whisky, we’d say—just a whisper immature, but who cares, right?
SGP:451 - 87 points. |
| |
May 12, 2025 |
|
|
Three little Glendronachs,
perfectly cooked up
After recently tasting the 15-year-old, which has remained very pleasant, along with two rather fantastic ‘fill your own bottle’ editions, we stumbled upon three new releases that completely took us by surprise — NAS expressions that seem quite pushed-up, as is increasingly the trend everywhere. What really surprises us, in the end, is that no one has yet offered ‘do your own finishing’ editions, where you could fill mini-firkins of your choice and come back the next day to collect your bottles. Or even the very same evening… |
|
Glendronach ‘Ode to the Valley’ (46.2%, OB, The Master's Anthology, sherry and Port casks, 2024)
It does seem a tad premature to be compiling an anthology of the charming Master Blender already, doesn’t it? I know, that’s not quite what they mean with the name, but still… Colour: gold, leaning slightly rosé. Nose: rather kirsch-like to begin with, the Port seeming fairly fresh (young), offering rosehip, raspberry, all wrapped around a lovely barley eau-de-vie, with some muesli, cassata, and a touch of blood orange. Comes across very young, but it’s bright and cheerful. Mouth: youthful, eau-de-vie-ish again, but with more lovely raspberries and blackcurrant liqueur, before the malt begins to express itself quite nicely, bringing along a rather likeable impression of an IPA. Finish: of medium length, very fruity, with strong echoes of the Port. Perhaps some ruby in there? Comments: I find this rather pleasant, really, a touch winesky but done in a lovely manner. It’s well controlled, within that increasingly prevalent style in Scotland.
SGP:631 - 83 points. |
|
Glendronach ‘Ode to the Embers’ (48.4%, OB, The Master's Anthology, sherry and smoke, 2024)
Apparently, the smoke genuinely comes from the distillate itself, not from any sort of finishing in an ex-cask of… let’s say Laphroaig, as many tend to do. Colour: gold. Nose: a light smoke, nicely integrated into the sherry, with no clash. A faint whiff of exhaust fumes, which we rather enjoy, then some myrtle and cherries, pleasant touches of natural rubber, a hint of smoked meat (some kind of smoked beef jerky), followed by barbecue smoke and pine needles. Mouth: it’s a touch more dissonant for me, on rubber, pepper, bitter zest, sour cherries, and a faint note of prosecco, even Aperol Spritz. Finish: medium length and still rather marked by the Aperol. Aperol, that’s not owned by Brown-Forman, is it? Comments: I find it quite pleasant as well, with a few modern flavours and a slight cocktail edge. One must move with the times, I suppose.
SGP:633 - 82 points. |
|
Glendronach ‘Ode to the Dark’ (50.8%, OB, The Master's Anthology, Pedro Ximenez sherry, 2024)
Someone once said that PX had become one of the preferred crutches of modern Scottish malts, though I can’t recall who that was. Not that it matters, there aren’t many Cream casks left anyway… Colour: amber. Nose: there we are, the classic Glendronach profile as seen since the early 2000s, heavily marked by the sherry but in an elegant manner, this time on tobacco, currants (the Andalusian kind), dates, candied cherry, fir honey, and a touch of fresh mint… I find it rather nice, actually, even if it feels a tad sweeter than your typical old-school GDs. With water: a bit of fresh oak pokes through. Not that it really needs water, to be honest. Mouth (neat): frankly, this is not bad at all, more peppery, drier than expected, yet displaying a lovely note of orange liqueur with pepper and honey inside. If such a thing existed… With water: again, the oak shows up, somewhat like freshly cut joinery wood. Finish: of good length, nicely balanced, with dates and orange marmalade. Comments: a nice drop, more on the classic side, shame we had to go and try it with water too.
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
| |
May 11, 2025 |
|
|
|
|
A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace! |
Rums, always more rums...
Rums from around the world.
(Mhoba) |
 |
|
El Supremo 8 yo (40%, OB, Paraguay, +/-2024)
From Paraguay we mostly know the Fortin rums, which are frankly very decent and not stuffed with sugar like many of their neighbours in South America. But we didn’t know ‘El Supremo’… Colour: deep gold. Nose: well indeed, this isn’t half bad, very dry, somewhat in the style of the rums from Madeira, oddly enough. As it happens, there are notes of dry Madeira wine, a little potting soil, green walnut, a touch of horseradish, hints of fennel... Mouth: yes, this is very nice, it hasn’t been sugared up, it’s dry, with green spices, chervil, caraway, dill, a little oregano, green walnut again... Well, we’re quite taken with this unexpected little El Supremo. Finish: fairly long, salty, mustardy, dry. Comments: it really is quite close to the agricoles from Madeira. Was Paraguay conquered by the Portuguese? Well indeed, upon checking, the Spanish did cede part of Paraguay to the Portuguese in 1750. From there to claiming their influence lingers in this very pretty rum…
SGP:461 - 80 points. |
|
Mhoba ‘Select Reserve’ (48%, OB for Navigate World Whisky, South Africa, Bourbon cask, batch #2023B02, 300 bottles, +/-2023)
Pure cane juice. We’ve already tasted some excellent Mhobas. Colour: gold. Nose: the most ‘ester-forward’ of the pure cane juice rums in our view, it smells of new plastic, seawater and petrol fumes, and we absolutely love it. If you add olives, ink and lime juice, you’ve got a fairly complete picture. Mouth: but who had the brilliant idea to mix banana juice, brine and bone-dry white wine with salted liquorice? The salinity is rather immense. Finish: long, even more on glue, but also pears, garlic and tapenade. Mashed olives and anchovies. Comments: surprised, no, delighted, absolutely.
SGP:462 - 89 points. |
This session really got off to a great start… |
|
La Mauny ‘VSOP’ (40%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-2024)
A brand from Campari’s racing team. Generally, they’re fairly easy-going, without much in the way of a marked presence. Colour: gold. Nose: yes, it’s light, it whispers, but the profile is pleasant, earthy and close to the cane, with touches of anise and gillyflower, then chalky notes and a little manuka honey. It’s light but unmistakably agricole. Mouth: it’s good, with liquorice and honey biscuits as well as gingerbread, one just wishes for a few more watts in this lovely little rum that offers Christmassy notes. I know, it’s May. Finish: medium length, nice, saline, lemony, liquorice-led. A slightly earthy aftertaste, which we enjoy. Comments: this really is a lovely drop, a few extra degrees would be welcome, even if the trend seems to favour ‘light’ once more among the general public.
SGP:541 - 81 points. |
|
Vieux Sajous 5 yo 2019/2024 (58.3%, La Maison & Velier, clairin, Haiti)
This one from pure cane juice from the ‘Grand Terroir’ of Saint-Michel de l’Attalaye, distilled at Distillerie Chelo. We loved the 2017 (WF 89). Colour: gold. Nose: magnificently salty and vinegary, ultra-fermentary, full of glue, olives and pickles in brine. Glorious. With water: amusing touches of strawberry eau-de-vie, which is rather unusual, then it unfurls over tarragon and olives. Mouth (neat): incredible assault of lime, petrol, green olives and varnish. With water: very creamy, very salty, with a thunderous arrival of salted liquorice from the northern lands—where they put in more salt than liquorice, ha. Finish: same. It’s excellent for quite a while. Comments: it’s rather amusing to note how well this young clairin and Mhoba seem to understand each other—mind you, it’s a full 12,000 kilometres as the crow flies between the two countries.
SGP:563 - 89 points. |
|
Old Navy Rum ‘2024 edition’ (57%, Silver Seal, 1430 bottles)
With, on the label, a very old map of the… Gulf of Mexico. This one shelters rums from Jamaica, Guyana and Barbados. I think we all know which one will lead the charge, don’t we. Colour: gold. Nose: indeed, the esters are taking the lead, but there’s still a sort of balance, with tar, fudge, marrons glacés and a little varnish. With water: the water does it a world of good, bringing out honey and fudge without erasing the hydrocarbons. There’s a fairly clear Foursquare side. Mouth (neat): dominated by petrol, glue and olives, but you can also feel the Barbadian softness, with hints of roasted bananas and maple syrup. With water: stewed fruits, mangoes, papayas, even a bit of grenadine syrup with pink pepper. Finish: fairly long, balanced, leaning towards the sweetness of cane sugar, if not orange bonbons. Comments: in the end, the esters played a bit of hide-and-seek with the rounder, fruitier side, which makes for a very entertaining glass. A superb blend!
SGP:652 - 88 points. |
|
TDL 14 yo 2009/2024 (51.3%, Valinch & Mallet, The Spirit of Art, Trinidad, 330 bottles)
There are different types of TDL, so let’s see what we’ve got… It reminds us that it’s been ages since we last tasted a rum officially labelled ‘Angostura’. Colour: gold. Nose: this is a soft version, neither high-ester nor a fruit bomb, more on bagasse, soft honey and apple and pear peelings for the moment. With water: not much development, it’s a very light TDL. Very faint earthiness. Mouth (neat): nougat, brioche, cane syrup, herbal teas, tinned pineapple... With water: well now, it feels a bit like a column-heavy Foursquare. Sugar syrup, orangecello (all right, arancello), white nougat... Finish: medium length, sweet, light, heading towards syrupy. Comments: perfectly middling, if you catch my drift. No esters and no marked fruitiness, but it’s very good, no doubt about that.
SGP:640 - 83 points. |
|
Foursquare 17 yo 2006/2024 (56.8%, Valinch & Mallet, The Spirit of Art, Barbados, cask #103, 200 bottles)
Colour: deep gold. Nose: oh! At first it seems there’s more pot still than the usual 15–20–25% (depending on rumour), but it quickly shifts back to banana liqueur, oddly fruity potting soil, and nail varnish. With water: touches of lanolin, orange peel (very Foursquare), geranium (very Foursquare), banana skin (very Foursquare) … Mouth (neat): lovely pot still presence, pepper, cinnamon, bitter orange, varnish, berry eau-de-vie, caraway and even mustard… With water: now it’s perfect. Or how to craft an agricole-style profile without being 100% fresh cane juice, nor 100% Creole column. Finish: same again. Lovely fruity and herbal freshness. Comments: we haven’t kept up with the official releases in some time, but this very clever indie (whatever that means) gives us great pleasure.
SGP:651 - 90 points. |
How about finishing off with two Worthy Parks? |
|
Worthy Park 6 yo 2017/2023 (54%, OB, Exclusive to The Whisky Exchange, Jamaica, bourbon cask)
Young pure pot still from Jamaica, and it feels like this one’s going to go down very well. Colour: gold. Nose: forget it, this is just ultra-precise—indeed, I believe WP is the most precise of all Jamaican rums. Banana and papaya juice, both ultra-ripe, all smoked then blended with tar liqueur and Mediterranean seawater. There you go. With water: carbon, motorbike exhaust, rubber bands. Mouth (neat): curious and excellent. Loads of lemon, camphor, natural rubber, and always litres of Mediterranean seawater—where it’s at its saltiest, off the west coast of Sicily (according to our friends in western Sicily, ha). With water: superb juice, not complicated but as sharp as a Japanese sabre. Superb lemons of every breed and origin. Finish: long and curiously very fresh. Liquorice allsorts and little pink olives in the aftertaste. Comments: how we do love these sharply chiselled Jamaicans!
SGP:463 - 90 points. |
|
Worthy Park 2006 (57.6%, Rum of the World, Kirsch Import & Eye for Spirits, Jamaica, cask #WP06WP35, +/-2020)
Prices really have settled, €65 now for a bottle like this, bottled a few years back—surely a bargain. Colour: deep gold. Nose: quite different, softer, even easier, though less precise. Flambéed banana and toasted sesame oil rule the moment. With water: oh, this is lovely, there’s suntan lotion, shea butter, seawater and castor oil. Mouth (neat): it’s got all the WP kick, and in fact I really like this simple, peppery, gluey palate. Very good. With water: oh yes, this is truly excellent, soft yet powerful, salty, toasted, with a playful ‘Ikea’ tendency. Finish: long, ever salty, veering more and more towards liquorice. Salted liquorice, of course. Chlorophyll chewing gum in the aftertaste—well now, that’s fun. Comments: very pretty WP, full of twists and turns.
SGP:463 - 88 points. |
Right, one last one – though I’ve honestly no idea if it makes any sense at all… |
|
Hampden 2023/2024 ‘C<>H’ (64.1%, LMDW Foundations, Jamaica, ex-peated whisky cask, cask #775, 285 bottles)
This marque means roughly 1.4kg esters per HLPA, and on top of that they’ve found a way to add peat via an ex-Laphroaig cask, and even though it’s just one year old, they’ve also managed to stick the somewhat superfluous statement ‘Fully matured at Hampden Estate’ on the label (just joking). Right. Colour: white wine. Nose: the Laphroaig has nothing to say here—they might as well have used a Glenkinchie or Auchentoshan cask, if you ask me. In short, this is pure Hampden on the nose: glue, brine, juniper, carbon and ink (let’s say purple ink, old school style). With water: in come roots, gherkins, and a hard-to-pin-down sweet-and-sour side. Also a whiff of shellfish that’s seen better days. Mouth (neat): pure Hampden, glorious. Solvents, roots, charcoal, and indeed, a peaty element starting to emerge. Truth be told, at this point the dram gives the impression of parachuting without having remembered to wear the parachute. With water: the peat kicks in, and it gets tough, as the ash and tar components start escalating exponentially. I may need to call my insurance company. Finish: very long, though the aromatic balance begins to stumble a little. Everything piles up and becomes slightly… wobbly. Comments: next time, why not chuck in a little mezcal while you’re at it, for a near-nuclear blend. In any case, it’s very funny, that’s for sure. I’d also add that the medicinal edge from Laphroaig might be a bit of a handicap—we believe Hampden’s more of an Ardbeg kind of thing, as we’ve probably already written 45,342,725,434,812 times. In any case, glad to have come across a Hampden that didn’t immediately blow us away, it makes a change, and it’s good for our fragile ego.
SGP:375 - 83 points. |
Nothing – absolutely nothing else – could possibly be enjoyed after this astonishing little monster. CU. |
 Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far
|
| |
May 10, 2025 |
|
|
|
Angus's Corner
From our correspondent and
skilled taster Angus MacRaild in Scotland
Bowmore Part Three
A (very) belated final part of this loose trilogy of Bowmore notes. We're focused solely on the 1970s and 1960s this session, so we appreciate your understanding at this difficult time. |
 |
|
|
 |
Bowmore 27 yo 1973/2000 (50.5%, Blackadder 'Raw Cask' for Heartland, USA, hogshead, 244 bottles) 
Colour: pale gold. Nose: it's honeys and waxes that strike first, giving an almost deceptively 'highland' character at first nosing. But then we're going towards a more coastal profile, full of fragile, drying peat notes, seashells, grapefruit and then mango and passionfruit - we've arrived at old Bowmore, in other words. With water: more fragrant and slightly farmy now too, with cider apple, dried flowers, soft herbal notes, camphor and pollens. Mouth: same feeling that this is an earthier, waxier and marginally less fruit-driven profile, which seems to the case for these early 1970s years. There are still some wonderful fruity components that suggest dried exotic fruits and tropical teas, but that's balanced by tiny hints of sandalwood and lavender soaps, gorse flower, mineral salts, crystallised old honeys and a really fantastic waxiness, of both flavour and body. With water: stunning honeys and waxes, dried exotic fruit chunks, sandalwood, lightly smoked sea salt and citrus peels. Finish: long and back onto these earthy waxy and honeyed qualities, with tiger balm and bone-dry peat smoke whispering in the background. Comments: these vintages are a little overshadowed by the 1960s, understandably, but they remain utterly captivating in their own right.
SGP: 663 - 92 points. |
|
|
 |
Bowmore 23 yo 1972/1995 (54.7%, The Whisky Connoisseur 'Cask Master Selection No.2', cask #909) 
Colour: pale straw. Nose: much sharper, greener, narrower, on seawater, rock pools and something ever so slightly chemical. Like some kind of gooseberry flavoured Haribo! Gets saltier with time, becoming more umami with things like squid ink and anchovy paste. With water: wood ashes, cement, crushed aspirin, seaweed crackers - a bit tight and closed surprisingly. Mouth: rather narrow again, and quite pushy, with pure seawater, petrol and lemon juice on fresh oysters. Elements of this profile are more suggestive of the early 1990s than the early 1970s I would say. It's good but there's a rather immovable austerity about it. With water: softens but the sense of salinity, austerity, chalk, wet wool, beach rocks and sand never quite departs. Some subtle citrus and tiny exotic notes in the background, but the dominant element is this rather tough dryness. Finish: long, salty, full of bone-dry smokiness, soot and slight vegetal hints. Comments: quite far from the 1973, but this is still a rather entertaining wee brute. The austere qualities make it quite a challenge, and I actually think it works far better without water, but it serves as yet more evidence that Bowmore is one of the most ever-shifting distillates in Whisky.
SGP: 465 - 85 points. |
|
|
 |
Bowmore 1969/1978 (58%, OB for Fecchio & Frassa, sherry, cask #6638, 75cl)
Colour: white wine. Nose: a profile that immediately creates cognitive dissonance. It's such an utterly singular, almost monstrously individualistic profile. And, yet, beneath that it's also extremely complex and detailed in a way that, as with all these truly legendary whiskies, is nigh on impossible to describe or capture in a mere note. I'd simply say it is hypnotically and immensely maritime, in a way that's extraordinarily evocative and powerful. This is bound up with pristinely sharp and bright exotic fruits, then endless combinations of waxes, minerals, stones and medicines. It's really the sense of vividness, life, brightness and power that you come away with, above listing mere aromas. With water: the same but, perhaps, if it's even possible, with more cohesion and intensity, while also simultaneously managing to become broader and even more complex. Accordingly, the cognitive dissonance goes up several notches as well. Mouth: so good it kind of makes you put your head in your hands and chuckle. Astonishing and intense salinity matched by exotic fruit acids, mineral oils, salts, pure waxiness, mechanical elements, all manner of medicines, ointments, bouillon stock, marrow, citrus rinds - everything, all at once! With water: perfect, everything in balance, intensely powerful and charismatic, while also harmonious, elegant and still persisting in this kind of granular, fruity, waxy and medicinal detail that is little short of breathtaking. Finish: extremely long and pretty much perfect. Comments: cognitive dissonance is, I feel, quite correct in describing the impression these whiskies create. They manage to inhabit multiple profiles simultaneously in a way that should not be possible and doesn't entirely make sense. Perhaps the simplest and most correct way to put it, is that they are just really fucking incredible.
SGP: 566 - 95 points. |
|
|
I just so happen to have a sample of the sibling cask #6639 to hand. I last recorded a (very long) note for this back in 2020 at a now legendary Bowmore tasting event in Hong Kong. I think it would be a missed opportunity not to revisit this alongside #6638. Now, we were even higher, at WF96 for this one last time, let's try to be highly efficient with our note taking this time. After all, this is purely for scientific purposes, naturally... |
|
|
 |
Bowmore 1969/1978 (58%, OB for Fecchio & Frassa, sherry, cask #6639, 300 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: we are actually very close and the 'feeling' is the same, which is to say the same discombobulation and cognitive dissonance strikes fast and deep! However, I do believe you notice that extra point in the form of slightly more pronounced exotic fruit character and perhaps an even more elevated sense of farmyard, mechanical and waxy qualities. At this level of the 100-point scale, remember that the distance between points becomes quite wide and to go from 95 to 96 is quite a jump that can be written about in potentially great detail. You'll be greatly relieved to know that I don't intend to do that today. With water: an artwork in distillate form. Salty coastal qualities, fruits, waxes, medicines, oils - everything that's already been mentioned but the immense power and elegance of its presentation is mind blowing. Mouth: yes! Utterly astonishing, the same as its sibling, but every aspect is elevated slightly but noticeably. The most striking deviation is the fruit intensity, not only tropical and citrus fruit flavour, but also this sense of acidity and gelatinous texture as well. You feel like there might be mango pulp in your glass at points. Utterly spellbinding power, salinity, waxiness and fatness. With water: goes up even further in terms of texture and mind-melting fruity power. Finish: astonishingly long and mesmeric, drenched in sharp, intense exotic fruits, minerals, oils, fatty waxes and mechanical/medicinal combinations. Comments: Last time I tried this one, we followed with Bowmore Bouquet Samaroli 1966, and that's precisely the whisky that this one brings to mind in many ways. Unquestionably, this is a bottling that's up there with the greatest spirits ever created by man. It's both humbling and extremely useful to taste these sorts of bottlings on occasion, it puts both you the taster, whisky as a category, and the whole wider world of spirits, firmly in perspective. What I love most about both these wonderful old single cask Bowmores is that they are young whiskies, almost entirely about the power, beauty and enigmatic character of impeccably made distillate, and precisely nothing to do with additive wood influence.
SGP: 676 - 96 points. |
|
|
PS: a 50/50 blend of the two is pretty racy stuff too. Would recommend! |
|
|
| |
May 9, 2025 |
|
|
A quartet of
OB Balvenie and IB Burnside
There’s never been any proof that Burnside blended malts were teaspooned with Glenfiddich or Kininvie, but the AI had no trouble illustrating the process. We believe it's not far from the truth – we've always suspected the Dufftown Scrabble Club had a hand in it… |
 |
|
Balvenie 12 yo ‘Golden Cask’ (43%, OB, +/-2024)
Ex-bourbon cask, but alas, finished in rum-seasoned wood. A real pity—we love Balvenie in natural ex-bourbon, but you never know, perhaps they didn’t use Don Papa this time... Colour: gold. Nose: well now, the classic young Balvenie style is here—cake, quince, mirabelle, vanilla and acacia honey—and the rum stays relatively discreet. Likely not Hampden, probably Cuban as usual? Mouth: no, this is good, definitely, very easy, very soft but not without backbone, with honeyed touches beyond the assorted plums and ripe apple, plus a few earthy hints—maybe that’s the rum speaking. Also a bit of banana, though ripe banana does appear in Balvenie without the need for added rum. Finish: not very long but pleasant, more herbaceous and honeyed at once. Only the aftertaste is a little bitter—what a wee shame. Comments: ultra-decent.
SGP:551 - 83 points. |
|
Balvenie 15 yo ‘Madeira Cask’ (43%, OB, +/-2024)
This too is simply a Madeira finish, but we know that Madeira and malt whisky can do a proper Jagger/Richards. Colour: gold. Nose: oh indeed, Madeira and malt, this works. Really charming, almost coastal, with lovely roasted pistachios and walnuts, a hint of camphor, driftwood, seaweed, mustard-and-sesame crackers (utterly killer) and a few little cider apples. A very pretty nose, well done. Mouth: this is really good, with hints of damp soil, tobacco, still those killer crackers, plus a few truly dry raisins and black tea. Very amusing salty touches. Finish: not eternal but always fresh and saline, with those nut/mustard combinations typical of some Madeiras. Comments: a smart finishing. If only this kind of stunt encouraged the uninitiated to take a closer interest in proper Madeira!
SGP:462 - 86 points. |
|
Sideburn 31 yo 1992–1993/2025 (53.6%, Decadent Drams, Decadent Drinks, 1st fill and refill bourbon, 461 bottles)
The chap on the label reminds us a little of the singer from Slade, doesn’t he? Cum on Feel the Noise… I mean the Nose… Colour: light gold. Nose: very emblematic—mirabelles, apples, quince, vanilla, not-too-ripe banana and tiny hints of mint and sorrel. With water: a marvellous ocean of yeasts and beer notes, softened by vanilla. Mouth (neat): beyond the zestiness, there’s a green, almost brutal side that’s a little unusual for Balvenie and calls instantly for water—so here we go Balvenie, Cuz I Luv You... With water: yes, there we are, it feels almost 1970s in style. I’m serious. Yellow fruits, stones, little herbs, Wulong tea, chamomile, quinces… Finish: just the same, and it goes on for quite a while. Comments: not an ultra-demonstrative baby, but this blended malt couldn’t be any closer to the natural house style of its main distillery (that’s right, that’s right...)
SGP:551 - 89 points. |
|
Burnside 35 yo 1989/2025 (53.8%, Le Gus’t, fino cask, cask #3912, 310 bottles)
Listen closely—it would seem this is the oldest Burnside ever bottled. And what’s more, it’s from a fino sherry cask, so perhaps we’ll get some flor? Fresh walnuts for sure… Colour: light gold. Nose: one stops, reflects, and yes, the core profile of the base distillery is right here, enhanced with delicate fino touches. So, green walnuts and watercress, mingled with apples and quinces, a little damp ash, faint whiffs of eucalyptus, and a very fine flint-and-chalk combo. Superb freshness after 35 years—the joy of casks that know how to behave. With water: same again, just with a little more cut grass. Mouth (neat): oh excellent! Mint, camphor, mirabelles, apricots and quinces. The perfect improbability of an old refill cask—magic triumphing over technique (yes, S.). With water: a full arrival of tinned fruits—greengages, peaches, pears, grapes, papayas… All of it carried by beautifully elegant bitterness. Finish: long but now more restrained again, herbal, austere. In short, it had already said what it came to say. Comments: very elegant, not at all extravagant. Nothing more to add.
SGP:561 - 90 points. |
| |
May 8, 2025 |
|
|
The Time-Warp Sessions: Old Clynelish is back on the tasting table
To commemorate the official end of WWII in Europe, 80 years ago. Stop killing children, stop all wars.
(SMD/DCL)
|
 |
Rather oddly, we discovered ‘Old’ Clynelish via Brora, as it was when we tasted the latter for the first time that, after two or three quick searches, we learned the ancient history of this legendary Highland malt, notably that it used to be called Clynelish, until its whisky was renamed ‘Brora’ instead of, very temporarily, ‘Clynelish II’, a decision made by the D.C.L. as early as December 1969. And not in 1975, as a few distinguished sources continue to claim – although, gulp, we've just seen that ChatGPT is, more or less... right. |
In any case, we published our first tasting notes for the famous ‘Old’ Clynelishes more than twenty years ago, and perhaps is it high time we revisited the two best-known versions: the 12-year-old ‘light vatting’ and the 12-year-old ‘dark vatting’ bottled for M Di Chiano in Italy, both at 43% ABV instead of the 70° proof/40% ABV of the British releases. Then we’ll add a very rare older version… |
|
Clynelish 12 yo (43%, OB for Di Chiano, light vatting, short golden cap, early 1970s)
Il’s worth bearing in mind that Clynelish ceased using its own maltings in 1965, so these earlier batches were still very much ‘floor-malted on site’, which might partly explain their rich, textured body, despite the low bottling strength. Naturally, the 100° proof versions done for Giaccone are a different kettle of fish altogether… Back then, M Di Chiano in Milan was Clynelish’s exclusive importer for Italy. Colour: white wine. Nose: the smoke here is rather more dominant than in other old Clynelish, with heaps of ashes, paraffin, linseed oil, those delicately balsamic notes we’re so fond of, plus chalk, limestone, almond oil, citrus, a chalky, cementy edge, hints of spent fireworks, seaweed... Without a doubt, this is the most ‘Islay’ of the old Clynelishes, and it’s hardly surprising that the owners chose this distillery to pursue an ‘Islay-style’ whisky towards the end of the 1960s. That’s the spirit of Brora. Mouth: a tad austere at first, very Old Clynelish, all on lemons, menthol, camphor and, once again, a surprisingly peaty character. At least, compared with other versions. Lovely yeasty, saline touches, and never does it bow its head. Finish: supremely long, salty, packed with ashes, seaweed and soot. That sootiness is a bit of a hallmark here as well. Comments: always a massive pleasure to revisit these babies, hugely elegant yet with that rustic touch we adore. After all, this is a true Highland malt. Naturally, the 100° proof bottlings belong to an even higher league.
SGP:365 - 92 points. |
|
Clynelish 12 yo (43%, OB for Di Chiano, dark vatting, short golden cap, early 1970s)
A darker batch, well known in its own right, though I’ve no idea where the stark difference in colour stems from. More sherry? More first-fill? More caramel? One should recall that in those days the trend leaned towards ‘lightness’, and paler hues were thought to indicate a lighter spirit. Colour: gold. Nose: quite a different beast altogether, almost certainly more sherry-driven, with a more expansive nose showing farmyardy and even meaty tones (smoked bacon), already hinting at the polishes (metal, leather, wood) that would later become hallmarks of early Brora. Gorgeous notes of dried mushrooms (morels, porcini), coffee, pu-ehr tea and tobacco. Hugely impressive. Mouth: but it’s almost aggressive, despite over fifty years in glass! Smoked teas, cured meats, seaweed, tobacco, mandarins, a dash of seawater, then that proverbial wax… Finish: long, more austere, with the arrival of walnut wine, perhaps from the sherry influence. Quite peppery as well. Comments: my previous notes—granted, for a different bottle—date back to January 2005. Yet I see no reason to alter my older score.
SGP:464 - 94 points. |
|
Clynelish 27 yo 1965 (51%, Scotch Malt Sales, Japan, 500ml, +/-1992)
The wee blurb on the label is a charming reminder of the ‘amateur’ nature of these bottlings at the time, very likely re-packaged from other legendary bottlings such as the 1965s from Signatory Vintage or Cadenhead. ‘This whisky is casked malt served from the barrel directly to this bottle for carring’, it reads, how utterly delightful, it's even more unlikely than the idle chit-chat on WF! In any case, this is a very rare bottle, and it’s our first encounter with it, though given the reputation of these Japanese babies, we know it’s in the glass, not on the label, that truth prevails. As it should be. Colour: gold. Nose: slightly hesitant at first, it takes a good thirty seconds or so for the full ‘Old-Clynelishness’ to kick in, but when it does, it roars forth with boot polish and motor oil, followed by pipe tobacco and bone-dry old white wines. Then come ancient herbal liqueurs and the whole contents of a granddad’s rusty toolbox… With water: musty old cellars, vintage tools, dried paint tins, and even a hint of coal dust. Mouth (neat): huge, all on polish and citrus, so indeed, very Clynelish. Then faint touches of turnip and slightly rancid butter. Not the most immediately charming of old Clynelish. With water: and bang, it opens wide—chartreuse, verbena, grapefruit liqueur, dill, eucalyptus, camphor, shellfish, waxes, propolis, pine sap… Finish: fairly long, carrying those same notes forward, getting nearly medicinal, and with a strong maritime edge. A final flash of Sicilian citrus liqueur brings it all to a close. Comments: it’s not immensely powerful, but even after all these years, it still needs water. A stunning Old Clynelish nonetheless, one that simply demands your patience to reveal its full, eternal, impressive glory.
SGP:563 - 95 points. |
(With heartfelt thanks to Max and KC) |
| |
May 6, 2025 |
|
|
WF’s Little Duos, today Isle of Jura
OB vs. IB |
|
| (Visit Scotland) |
Feis Ile on Islay is coming up soon, and Jura is part of it! |
|
Jura 'Islander's Expression No.3 Cabernet Sauvignon cask' (40%, OB, 2024)
Ex-bourbon with a 'finishing' in red wine? Honestly, what is it with them and red wine these days? It's getting a tad embarrassing. Of course, red wine casks have long existed in Scotland, but they were usually humble transport casks, not posh 'château' wood, and were typically vatted or watered down with the rest. Colour: gold. Good news, it's not salmon pink. Nose: alright, this has been handled with a degree of tact. The raspberries and blackcurrants are decently buried beneath toffee sauce, barley syrup and a spoonful of orange marmalade. In truth, there’s more Cabernet Sauvignon on the label than in the dram. Ahem. A few salty coastal whiffs. Mouth: the wine’s more apparent now, taking us down the cherry clafoutis route, with some tired oak notes that jar a little, though to be fair, it's not unpleasant. Roasted apricot with a whisper of salt. Finish: not quite as short as the modest ABV might suggest, and the salinity does pull it back together somewhat. Comments: all in all, not bad at all.
SGP:631- 79 points. |
The Scots do seem to be continually improving their wine cask finishes — one might imagine they’re gearing up to become winemakers, once global warming has further intensified its impact on the mainland and its islands. Seriously, I still clearly preferred No.1 (Barbados rum – naturally) and No.2 (ale cask). I think that with exceptions, there may need to be a relationship between the whisky and the cask’s previous contents, either the raw material (like ale), or it was a spirit (such as rum), or it was a fortified wine truly matured - not just made and kept for a short time - in oak (like sherry, etc.). Just a wild theory! Let's move on... |
|
Isle of Jura 2009/2024 (50.1%, Caora, No.13, refill barrel, cask #90103514)
A most soothing label amidst the current avalanche of AI-generated oddities. Thank you, Caora. Colour: straw. Nose: classic Jura on display here, with natural oils—sunflower, sesame, peanuts—alongside hints of engine oil, modelling clay and the gentlest of sea breezes. With water: the bare minimum of vanilla, the rest remains unchanged and we're not complaining. Mouth (neat): very good indeed, properly coastal with a saline profile, notes of green banana and a flicker of yellow curry. With water: similar, with a fairly discernible touch of peat showing through. A gentle, rather stylish mustardy edge emerges in the background. Finish: medium length, fresh and coastal, with faint soot and ashes. Comments: excellent Jura—and hats off again for the restful label.
SGP:552 - 88 points. |
Previous entries
(archived)
|
|
| |
|
|
