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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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June 25, 2025 |
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Some rather old Laphroaigs and secret Islay, part 3 |
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| Let’s carry on! Right then, this time we’ll start with a vintage from the 1980s, but in a younger version... |
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Laphroaig 12 yo 1984/1996 (59.9%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection)
There were quite a few little bombs in this series which, barring a few sherried versions, often came extremely close to the distillate itself (or to kerosene, ha). In short, we love these ‘small cream labels’ that always stated the whisky had been aged in oak casks (and not in walnut, beech, chestnut, fir, macassar, amourette, olivewood…). Colour: pale white wine. Off to a good start. Nose: marvellously simple. Almost laughably simple, on lemon, bruised apples, chalk, wool, ashes, seashells and iodine. With water: plasticine and motor oil come in broadly speaking, though lovely mandarins appear in the background. Mouth (neat): citrus bridging the gap with earlier decades, though in a slightly aggressive way, with a sensation of lime smoked over firwood and mixed with seawater. No surprises there. With water: doesn’t change much, remains a bit aggressive and rugged, definitely more rustic than the officials from the same era. Finish: a slightly fizzy side, the whole turning fairly bitter. Think Schweppes, only without the sugar. Alright then, not Schweppes. Comments: admirable at times, more austere at others.
SGP:466 - 88 points. |
Speaking of Schweppes, if you come across the Schweppes Guide to Scotch by Philipp Morice (circa 1985), it’s well worth it! Let’s carry on, still in the 1980s... |
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Secret Islay 34 yo 1989/2024 (51.8%, The Whisky Jury, Fifth Anniversary, refill bourbon, cask ref #LP89-2, 248 bottles)
A very distinguished label. Colour: pale gold. Nose: bonkers stuff, on chalk, fresh paint, bread dough, sourdough, and above all a fat, mentholated peat wrapped in virgin wool. You’re virtually on Islay. |
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The 34 years don’t show in the slightest. With water: the exotic fruits rise up, particularly mango and guava, with a noseful of fruity Swiss cheese, like summer Gruyère. Absolutely beautiful. Mouth (neat): still bonkers, with, let’s say, lemony coffee dusted with ashes, then green pepper and bitter vegetables, something like aubergine. With water: once again the exotic fruits emerge post-dilution, though this time leaning more towards zesty citrus, grapefruit and the like. Also a note of lemon balm water. Finish: long, veering more towards a western orchard, particularly on green apple. The medicinal and saline character of Laphroaig asserts itself more clearly in the aftertaste. Comments: well, we were expecting as much. It’s a fairly dry old Laphroaig of frankly interstellar quality.
SGP:466 - 92 points. |
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An Islay Distillery 30 yo 1993/2024 (52.7%, Abyss x AquaVitae, Synergy Collection #001, bourbon barrel, cask #4406888, 140 bottles)
We already had #002, which was magical (WF 92). Indeed, we never do things in order, I’m afraid. Sorry, Hong Kong! Colour: white wine. Nose: far too sublime, ultra-precise, surgical almost, on wool, chalk, lemon, bitter almonds, iodine tincture and oysters. With water: the wool takes over everything else. Islay sheep’s wool, naturally. Mouth (neat): such liveliness! There’s a rather admirable ‘chemical’ aspect, if that sort of thing doesn’t put you off, a note of detergent, Play-Doh, plastics, paraffin, then 7up and model glue. Sounds dreadful, I know, but it really isn’t, it all locks together perfectly. Did I mention lemon and seawater? With water: the fruits come bursting in, citrus, passion fruit… Though the paraffin stays put. Finish: long, with no notable change. Comments: I think #002 was a little more mainstream, this one’s a touch more ‘specialist’.
SGP:467 - 90 points. |
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Secret Islay 30 yo 1993/2023 (52.7%, The Whisky Jury, refill barrel, cask ref #199323, 231 bottles)
Colour: straw. Nose: more classic, more balanced, softer, more aligned with the distillery markers, menthol, Mercurochrome, lemon, apple, seawater, ashes, oysters, bandages, balms, camphor and so forth. With water: damp wool and chalk, fresh almonds, a dash of rowanberry eau-de-vie. I reckon you could pour 1 or 2cl of this beauty over pistachio ice cream to dress it properly. Mouth (neat): just spot on. Lemon tart laced with seawater, ashes and antiseptic. But what kind of deranged mind would concoct such a thing? With water: it all relaxes and becomes almost gentle. Finish: the bitters come in and take over from the fruits, it’s quite lovely. Comments: in my view, you could make a deluxe spritz with this, just swap out the supermarket prosecco for a decent Champagne.
SGP:566 - 91 points. |
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Secret Islay Distillery 33 yo 1990/2024 (52.3%, Whisky Picnic Bar, Emblem 07, bourbon barrel, cask #4404322, 110 bottles)
Colour: white wine/straw. Nose: more delicate than the 1993s, it feels as though there’s been more ‘transmutation’ of the peat with age. That said, we’re also getting kirsch-like notes, candle wax, sunflower oil, those tiny seashells we love so much (hurrah for winkles!) and a touch of paraffin. With water: wool! Mouth (neat): simple, direct, perfect, close to the officials. Lemon and apple, cigar ashes, more liquorice than in the last few we’ve tasted, and certainly fewer of those ‘interesting deviations’, but it’s excellent. With water: above all, perfectly balanced, saline, fresh, almost youthful, which is rather miraculous. Still, let’s not forget that 33 is the age of Christ (though perhaps not the most fitting reference). Finish: fresh, easy, good length. Comments: I reckon this marvellous bottle would please almost everyone, shame there are so few of them.
SGP:566 - 90 points. |
We’ve also got a few litres of Williamson to taste (Laphroaig single malts disguised as blended malts), but that’ll be for later. We’ll finish with a much older vintage, to round things off nicely... |
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Laphroaig 1966/1997 (49.6%, Dun Eideann, Signatory Vintage for Divo Switzerland, cask #1095, 280 bottles)
Already a whisky of fine age, it was 30 or 31 when bottled! We ought to find here the terribly seductive side of the old 30-year-old official. The one you could just drink like milk. And indeed, that’s not far off. What else to add, except that the 1966s under the original Signatory label were… terrifyingly beautiful. So, let’s cling to the table now… Colour: pale gold. Nose: this is a completely different beast from the 1980–1990s, it’s chock-full of shoe polish, lanolin, oil paint, turpentine, and a medley of embrocations, while crucially it’s not at all a ‘fruit bomb’ like the officials distilled during that same period could be. In fact, this goes right to the heart of what makes indies so compelling, their ability to show variants… That said, there is grapefruit surging in with metal polish, the metallic edge becoming increasingly dominant. Old coins and old tools, something rarely encountered in modern whiskies. Mouth: another world entirely, one of jazz and rock and roll, old London and old Glasgow, vinyl and faux leather, powdered fruit drinks, vintage cars, seaside holidays… It’s astonishing how this Laphroaig reflects its era! Finish: not tired in the least, still with much to say, especially salty and fermentary things, but let’s just keep that between us, if you don’t mind. Comments: none, better like this.
SGP:465 - 94 points. |
Next, Williamson galore, but that’ll be a bit later. |
(Merci Christian, merci again KC) |
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June 24, 2025 |
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Some rather old Laphroaigs and secret Islay, part 2 |
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| I think the title speaks for itself. This time, we’ll go at it randomly, except for our traditional little aperitif... |
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Laphroaig 1983/1999 (43%, MacKillop’s Choice, Moon Import, Italy, cask #1711)
We tasted a cask strength version of this one many moons ago and found it rather underwhelming, but that was before WF even existed, which says a lot. This is a selection by the distinguished Lorne MacKillop, said to be a descendant of one of the few survivors of the redcoats’ massacre of his clan in 1745, just quoting the back label, mind. Colour: white wine. Nose: it’s pure, soft, with touches of plasticine, tangerines, a little soot, almond milk and tiny flat oysters from the furthest reaches of Brittany. It’s elegant, it’s charming. Mouth: much smokier on the palate, quite in the style of the old official bottlings, not much in the way of tropical fruit but with a lovely dryness, ashes, and a good dose of brine. The 43% works very well here, perhaps even better than a cask strength version might have. Finish: rather long, salty, lightly sooty, fairly peppery. Comments: it’s almost missing a classic marker, the medicinal side! Which means all is well, ha. A fine selection by Pepi Mongiardino.
SGP:466 - 89 points. |
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Laphroaig 25 yo 1998/2023 (54.8%, OBE, Club Bâtard, 198 bottles)
OBE is an exclusive whisky bar nestled within a private dining club in Hong Kong, known as Club Bâtard. Love the cheeky name. Cheeky in French, at least. This bottle also marked the advent of the Year of the Snake. Colour: light gold. Nose: more gentian than in a gentian eau-de-vie from Michel’s in La Chapelle sous Bois, and just as many maritime elements as in a heaving seafood platter. The rest splits itself between sesame oil and fairly gentle citrus fruits. With water: hessian sack and brand-new jumper in pure virgin wool. Mouth (neat): a landscape not far from that of the finest officials. Peppery presence, iodine, zest, smoked almonds, a few drops of limoncello… With water: still that relative softness, a perfect balance, saline, mineral, crystalline and most delightfully fermentary (fresh bread). Finish: not eternal but very clean, if you see what I mean. Lemon cocktail, lapsang souchong, seawater and gentian eau-de-vie. Cheers. Comments: another version of Laphroaig’s potential gentleness in its natural state.
SGP:566 - 90 points. |
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Laphroaig 26 yo 1998/2025 (57%, Whiskyland, Chapter 10, 212 bottles)
From two refill barrels, later finished in refill sherry for two years. The mighty forces of refill. To the question ‘do two successive refills equal a first fill?’ I’d reply that it depends. I’ll add that it’s glorious to see these 1998 indies appearing under their proper name! Colour: full gold. Nose: a butter and lemon cream, lightly smoked with hay by a three-star pastry chef. With water: those typical wafts of lapsang souchong return, along with touches of iodine tincture. Mouth (neat): plenty of oomph, green pepper, lime, bitter liqueurs, a little mint and let’s say it, a Jamaican side. We’re talking about high-ester rum here. With water: a whirlwind arrival of all manner of marmalades, in their salted versions. Finish: long, with a rather terrifying balance. Comments: the spiel with the casks seems to have worked to perfection. Note that this tasting note could easily have been much longer, but one must impose limits now and then. Grand Laphroaig.
SGP:567 - 92 points. |
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An Islay Distillery 24 yo 2000/2025 (51.8%, Maltbarn, sherry cask, 175 bottles)
The label, bathed in that typically sunset-red glow of Islay’s southern coast, hints at a distillery that seems to be neither Ag. nor Ln. Colour: full gold. Nose: the sherry brings that slight gunflint edge and a touch of tallow, blood oranges, a dab of mustard sauce, and of course both fresh and older walnuts. With water: natural rubber steps in, new trainers, used matches… Mouth (neat): pink peppercorns, bay leaf, chilli, walnuts… This is markedly different from the earlier ones we’ve tried! With water: the sherry’s influence eases off a little, but it remains salty, peppery and spiced, almost in a Creole rougail fashion. Finish: long, with walnut wine, chocolate, glacé cherries and still those soft peppers. Comments: the cask must have had quite a personality, it nearly managed to tame the proud distillate.
SGP:567 - 87 points. |
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Laphroaig 26 yo 1998/2024 (56.8, Douglas Laing, Xtra Old Particular, The Queen & King Black Diamond Collection, refill sherry hogshead, cask #DL18841, 191 bottles)
This baby is one half of a duo, the other being a 35-year-old Bowmore that’s really quite the dazzler. Colour: gold. Nose: Laphroaig and sherry, even in small doses, often spark fireworks, though here it’s all very restrained. Just a touch of flint to start, then those smoky, salty citrus fruits of great beauty. Followed by herbed breads, caraway, aniseed, poppy seeds, altogether rather lovely. With water: classic, chalk, Islay earth, virgin wool (Islay-sourced as well, naturally), bread dough… Mouth (neat): tight, very lemony, earthy and above all stuffed with menthol and other molecules of the same ilk. Verbena and a faint note of pencil lead. With water: everything melts together into a joyous maelstrom of salty and peaty notes, with citrus taking up its post at the watchtower. Finish: long, nicely candied, with an ultra-classic aftertaste by now. Pepper and shoe polish. Comments: these 1998s really are of a very high calibre.
SGP:567 - 91 points. |
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Laphroaig 25 yo 1998/2024 (54.2%, Jon Tung ‘Noah's Ark’, cask #8612, sherry hogshead, 200 bottles)
Let’s see if this 1998 is of biblical simplicity, and if it takes to water, of course. Right. Colour: deep gold. Nose: more extractive, more concentrated, more medicinal too. More camphor, lemon balm, ointments, grapefruit zest, ashes… With water: back to wet wool, an old Harris tweed jacket, baker’s yeast… Mouth (neat): aligns with the previous one, though leaning more into the ashes, with a very dry side, bitter cocoa, paraffin, a few drops of lemonade, bergamot… With water: careful now, not too much water, but otherwise, these slightly invasive ashes are quite beautiful. Very fine lemon. Finish: long, on a mix of ashes and earth. Comments: same conclusion about the Laphroaig + sherry duo. This one handled it with grace.
SGP:566 - 90 points. |
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Laphroaig 31 yo 1993/2024 (52.4%, Abyss Synergy Collection, #002, barrel, cask #4406887, 109 bottles)
We’re still in Hong Kong, which we really don’t mind at all, it must be said. Colour: pale gold. Nose: back to a well-mannered austerity, with great elegance, yellow citrus fruits, and above all, that proverbial medicinal side of Laphroaig, less present in the 1998s. Lovely camphor, fine green Chartreuse. With water: a bit of potting soil, small citrus fruits, green teas, lemon and mint marmalade… Mouth (neat): here we’re edging back towards the best officials, with tight, lemony peat, a bit like a 10-year-old C/S that’s aged for much longer. Watch out, this one seems indestructible, it could probably have gone on to 50 years. With water: the magic of the barrels. Pure, precise, magnificently lemony, medicinal, peppery, salty… Finish: long, always chiselled, tireless, with notes of bitter almonds and ashes. Comments: a thoroughbred Laphroaig.
SGP:567 - 92 points. |
Admirable Laphroaigs. We’ve soared very high today, and it’s not over yet, hold on tight. The scores may seem high, I realise that, but compare all these Laphroaigs to young Speysiders flavoured with cabernet sauvignon, or even to a few wood-pumped NAS Laphroaigs, and you’ll probably think we could have gone even higher. Really! Right then, let’s have one last dram, a younger one, for the pleasure and a bit of perspective... |
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Big Peat’s Finest Distillery on Islay 13 yo 2010/2024 (62.4%, Douglas Laing, Old Particular, for Whisky Picnic Bar Taiwan, refill butt, cask #DL18001, 611 bottles)
This remarkable youngster was also bottled for Isman whisky tasting room, O’my bar, Get lost in the Whisky and Flavour of the Night. All sounds like great fun, perfect for some quality bar crawling… Colour: full gold. Nose: staying within the same groove, mind you, with mentholated peat, citrus marmalade, ashes, camphory ointments and some rather charming rooty notes. With water: still fairly close to fresh oak, but without tipping into planky territory. Very nice indeed, though still some distance from the older, more complex versions. Mouth (neat): definitely in the modern OB style this time, with toasted oak, coffee, peppered lemons… And really quite a lot of ethanol here. With water: turns creamy in texture, like lemon liqueur with pepper, smoke and salt. Big Peat indeed. Finish: long, very peppery at this stage. Ashy aftertaste. Comments: we made a bit of a mistake, really, this sort of youthful peater shouldn’t be tasted after the splendours of 25- or 30-year-olds. Still, it held its ground rather well in the end, despite its, say, simplicity.
SGP:657 - 86 points. |
(Merci to Aaron, Fuji, Jon, KC) |
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June 23, 2025 |
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Some old Laphroaig and secret Islay,
as promised |
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| They’re part of the two batches of marvels available from independent bottlers since two or four years: Laphroaigs around 30 years old, or Springbanks of a similar age, the latter being much pricier than the former. Right then, enough waffle, let’s start with a little aperitif to suit the occasion... |
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Laphroaig ‘Càirdeas Lore Cask Strength’ (59.6%, OB, Feis Ile 2025)
We learn that the ‘complex flavour is achieved by combining different casks’, which we find extremely interesting, do we not. Perhaps this is meant to compensate for the absence of an age statement, always a little disconcerting, particularly for a bottling purportedly of the special persuasion. But let us move on… Colour: full gold. Nose: let us not deny that this nose strikes fast and hard, compact and immensely medicinal and smoky, which cannot fail to delight us. Quite a bit of charcoal smoke and firwood ash. With water: almost feels like peated malt trying to mimic Laphroaig, as we do find the usual suspects front and centre, iodine, ash, cough syrup, smoke, firwood. Mouth (neat): ultra-massive. No room for finesse here, especially with that heavy oak presence, though it all works rather well in this beefy style, which could very well pair with surströmming. Well, I suppose so, never having tried it (please don’t). With water: a rather massive, lemony and resinous woodiness takes over proceedings. Finish: very long, now saltier still. The proverbial kippers! Comments: heavily steeped in oak but it does work, no doubt about it. Just, please, no surströmming…
SGP:377 - 86 points. |
A second official one, but it’ll be the last for today... |
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Laphroaig 30 yo ‘2024 Release’ (45.8%, OB)
This baby ex-American oak and European sherry oak) I must admit we haven’t kept up with the official 30 year old in recent years, perhaps a missed opportunity, as we did love the old 30 at 43%, which went down like mother’s milk (albeit in far more generous pours, so drinkable it was…) Colour: deep gold. Nose: gone is the explosion of tropical fruits once found in earlier batches, yet what we have is rather coherent, a touch of camphor, massage oils, oysters, a little lime, then come whiffs of a beach at low tide. A few bits of bandage too. Lovely nose, no doubt. Mouth: beautifully saline, with a touch of active oak that might point to recent rerackings, followed by a fine, mentholated smokiness evocative of menthol cigarettes, along with those famous tropical fruits, though appearing only in measured quantities. Passion fruit and grapefruit. A little green walnut too, likely from the sherry. Finish: medium in length but very nicely medicinal and fruity at once, on lemon marmalade for instance. The aftertaste turns back towards ashes, with a touch of rubber and menthol, not unlike the profile of that NAS Feis Ile. Comments: clearly a success, despite the presence of active oak that does show just a little, I find.
SGP:566 - 89 points. |
The next one goes first among the indies due to its low strength... |
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Alambic's Special Islay Malt 1991 1991/2023 (41.9%, Alambic Classique, Rare & Old Selection, cask #23012, refill sherry butt, 349 bottles)
Colour: full gold. Nose: brimming with softness, on baked apples with heaps of butter and caramel, hessian cloth, bergamots, pistachio and almond syrups, ancient beeswax polish and quince paste like gran used to make. Then come lovely whiffs of ‘old Laphroaig’, very beautiful, very subtle, with hints of mango and a light, elegant lapsang souchong. Quite splendid, sheer lacework! Mouth: almost feels like a re-creation of 1970s Laphroaig, perhaps thanks to a sherry influence leaning towards manzanilla, all in fine style. Lovely citrus fruits, shellfish, seaweed, grapefruit, sauvignon blanc (yes, I know, not exactly something you’ll find in Jerez) … Finish: not that short, saltier now, more on ashes. All in all, a tad more modern. Comments: more complex than the official 30-year-old, which it rather outshines in the end. As the great late Greg Lake said, c’est la vie, that’s life.
SGP:566 - 90 points. |
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Islay Single Malt 32 yo 1991/2024 (49.4%, Wein&Whisky, bourbon barrel, cask #4404742, 244.5 bottles)
That bottle count from the Whisky Kanzler is rather amusing, makes you wonder whether the final bottle was a 35cl, measured to the last drop) Colour: straw. Nose: yes, of course, here we are, the sheer beauty of a plain old bourbon barrel, with wheat, soft vanilla, sunflower oil, fresh almonds, then mango, very ripe banana, salves, touches of oil paint, wax, whelks and winkles, and an exquisitely refined and discreet peatiness. Mouth: glorious citrus notes, salty and joined by a rather petroly riesling. Less complex on the palate perhaps, but my word, how good it is! Finish: same idea, with striking freshness and that unbeatable combo of ashes, lemons and seawater to which resistance is entirely futile. Comments: a superb bottle, and we’ve only gone and forgotten to mention the green and pink peppers.
SGP:566 - 91 points. |
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Islay Single Malt 32 yo 1991 (49.8%, C. Dully Selection for Aqua Vitae Taiwan, bourbon barrel, cask #4402740, 258 bottles)
The famed theory of sister casks (eh?) would have us believe we’re extremely close to the previous one here. Naturally, no complaints on our end. Colour: straw. Nose: everything’s nearly identical in fact, though this one feels just a notch tighter, more nervous, fresher, one might even say more invigorating. Don’t tell me it’s the extra 0.4% ABV making all the difference. Mouth: once again, the same brilliant Laphroaig. Sure, one might unearth the tiniest differences with some forensic nosing, but we’d probably need a double magnum of each to draw firm conclusions. We wouldn’t object, but best not go there. Finish: again just a shade nervier and tauter, more vertical, though not enough to affect the high score. Comments: these not-so-secret Laphroaigs really are fantastic!
SGP:566 - 91 points. |
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Secret Islay 32 yo 1990/2022 (51.3%, The Whisky Blues, barrel, cask #904404365, 247 bottles)
Bach, Beethoven, Schubert and Mozart all gracing a single label, now that’s a promising sign for this baby which, that said, shouldn’t differ too drastically from its predecessors either. Let the music play!... Colour: straw. Nose: well then, we’ve talked ourselves into a corner, let’s admit it and make peace. Once again, we’re very close to previous editions, even if the vintage differs. No complaints here though, it’s magnificent, fresh, lively, joyful, precise, and more like a JSB fugue than a WAM requiem. Perhaps a tad closer to the original barley. With water: damp hessian steeped in seawater. Mouth (neat): goodness me, we’re close again! Lemon, pepper, seawater, ashes, riesling… Like a blade that slices you neatly in two, Uma Thurman-style, as they say. With water: just delicious. Slightly drier than the others, perhaps a notch more medicinal. Finish: long, perfect. In my view, you stash this in the freezer and sip it slowly with proper, genuine caviar. Comments: scrap the caviar, smoked salmon will do just fine.
SGP:566 – 91 points. |
Right, let’s give it one last go, and if it doesn’t work out, well, we’ll just start over later. |
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Islay (LA) 34 yo 1990/2025 (51.7%, Signatory Vintage for WuDramClan, bourbon barrel, cask #4342, 221 bottles)
I’ve got a feeling about this one… Colour: straw. Nose: oh my, it’s lovely, very close again, with notes of lemon hummus and toasted sesame oil, the rest drifting between camphor, menthol, cough syrup, iodine, whelks, oysters and hessian. With water: a stack of fresh laundry in an old wardrobe and high-performance motor oil (ha.) Mouth (neat): oh, but this one’s a bit fuller, a bit oilier, a touch weightier than the others, and yet even tauter at the same time, with a wonderfully peppery lemon and even a pinch of chilli. Packs quite the punch for a 34-year-old, especially with no signs of reracking, or so one assumes. With water: small flat oysters, a hint of lemon, and champagne, with a curious touch of olive oil in the aftertaste. And that signature toasted sesame oil again. Finish: tighter, salty and oily, then orchard apples, followed by mezcal in the aftertaste. How amusing. Comments: seems we’ve managed to veer off the well-trodden path. A true gem, a little more brutish at moments, yet also more distinctive. Thirty-four years old, after all!
SGP:576 - 92 points. |
The only small issue when tasting a series that’s all quite similar is that it gets rather tiring, especially, perhaps, when the drinks are of an exceptionally high standard. Anyway, see you next time, we’re off to bed. Figuratively speaking. |
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June 22, 2025 |
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A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace! |
The return of the rums this June |
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And to kick things off, we’re going to have some supposedly “WTF” rum, followed by great classics that have proven themselves time and again.
(One of those fake vintage advertising signs that are all over the internet. You do wonder, though, whether society doesn't need to be heavily sweetened too.)
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Don Papa ‘Gayuma’ (40%, OB, Philippines, +/-2025)
We used to take the mickey out of Don Papa quite a bit, but if Diageo bought the brand, it must have been highly profitable. I’ll add that it seemed to me there have been a few improvements since then, honestly, I swear… This one spent 3 years in ex-bourbon, then was ‘finished’ in Rioja at high temperature, followed by a spell in ex-Islay casks. Lagavulin? Did they really dare? In any case, it’s said that this improbable thing pays homage to shamanic rituals practised on the island of Negros. As long as they haven’t added magic mushrooms or Pink Floyd, I’d say we can go for it… Colour: gold. Nose: to get something similar, try mixing some crème de cassis from LIDL with orange liqueur from ALDI. The difficulty lies in getting the ratio right. Mouth: now smoke is coming through, with a hint of pepper and tomato plant, but to be fair, it’s not bad. Clever work on the aromas, though it has absolutely nothing to do with a ‘natural’ spirit. Finish: medium in length and slightly sweet, but decent, with the cassis making a return. Comments: honestly, it’s pretty decent, and even interesting in places.
SGP:640 - 74 points. |
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Dictador 24 yo 1996/2020 ‘Capitulo I’ (44%, OB, Colombia, sherry cask, cask #ExSH-548, 900 bottles) 
This certainly looks the part of a prestige rum, doesn’t it? We’ve always had a good laugh at Dictador’s marketing, including at the various fairs. Colour: dark amber. Nose: hey, not bad at all, nicely fermentary, not overly ‘sweet’, and above all, there’s a lovely sherry note which, in the end, gives us the impression of a Jerez brandy with a touch of Madeira rum. In short, it’s very Iberian—in the best sense of the word. Mouth: not bad! Plenty of coffee, walnut wine, tobacco, molasses, deeply roasted mixed nuts, with mild mustard, raisins and a pleasant salty edge. Finish: same again. The 44% vol. is clearly an advantage. Comments: I won’t surrender, I mean capitulate, I’d even say this Capitulo is now my favourite Dictador, though the sherry casks no doubt did most of the heavy lifting.
SGP:651 - 79 points. |
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Braud & Quennesson ‘Signature du Chai Double Essence’ (49%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-2025)
Newcomer from Martinique, matured for around a year in French and American oak. We’ve already tasted a B&Q before, and while it was genuinely good, it felt a tad light for an agricole. Colour: gold. Nose: indeed light, with a n aged cachaça-like note probably brought on by the rather active wood. But it’s a pleasant nose, with a charming herbal side, think fennel and celery stalks. Mouth: more body here, still obviously young but with some lovely spice, again that fennel, star anise and celery, all softened with honey and a touch of carrot. It works, it’s fun, it’s charming, and once again we find that little Madeira agricole rum accent. And we do like Madeira’s agricoles. Finish: medium length, a bit sweeter now, on pear liqueur and white pepper. Comments: charming and quite different from your typical Martinique agricole.
SGP:551 - 79 points. |
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Jamaican Rum 14 yo 2010/2025 (52.9%, Fadandel, refill barrel, cask #4, 254 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: new tyres, new tyres, and… new tyres. With water: salted anchovies and tapenade! Mouth (neat): smoked mangoes and bananas grilled over charcoal, then a hearty dose of salt and varnish, just as it should be. With water: it kicks a bit, becomes acetic, almost violent, packed with glues and varnish; and the worst part is, we love it. Finish: very long, still aggressive, almost chemical, almost unsettling. Comments: absolutely one for lovers of bold spirits only. Count me in, but they’re clearly a bit mad over at Fadandel, just imagine the Danish police stumbling upon this lot!
SGP:473 - 87 points. |
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Caroni 25 yo 1998/2024 (62.8%, The Whisky Blues, Trinidad, STR barrel, cask #2290, 202 bottles)
What’s quite notable here is that a cask from the legendary 1998 vintage has been transferred into a shaven-toasted-recharred (STR) barrel, for reasons that remain rather mysterious, to be honest. Colour: dark amber. Nose: rubber, new trainers, a parcel from Temu, brake pads… In short, the jury’s still out. With water: it’s like a new delivery from Ikea. Sawdust, glue and varnish galore. Mouth (neat): sharp, with heavy notes of petrol, tobacco, cannabis oil, propolis… But beware, it’s nearly 63% vol., which may explain a few things. With water: a little better, somewhat fruitier at least, but still incredibly extreme. Sadomasochistic rum let’s say. Finish: long, packed with rubber, green pepper and varnish. Comments: I’m not quite sure what to say, this is really very, very extreme and seriously unbalanced. I’d have loved to taste it before the STR-ification.
SGP:374 - 81 points. |
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Clarendon 22 yo 2000/2023 (44.3%, Rum Sponge, Jamaica, 146 bottles)
The Sponge’s Clarendon 1997 was superb, it must be said. Colour: white wine. Nose: ‘spongey’, meaning close to the distillate, with quirky sultanas, smoked and pickled, plus a touch of menthol tobacco and a few bay leaves. Sawn spruce. Mouth: this is practically a wine at this strength, you could absolutely serve it at the table, with a seafood platter or, quite the contrast, some firm cheeses like Comté, Gruyère, Fribourg and so on. I believe the art of serving spirits at the table deserves far more attention and promotion, just not in China, where it’s already rather customary. Finish: long, fresh, mentholated, rather spot on. A touch of rubber in the aftertaste. Comments: sheer beauty, this crisp and precise little Clarendon.
SGP:562 - 88 points. |
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Hampden Estate 'Pagos Batch 3' (52%, OB for LMDW and Velier, Jamaica, sherry, 2024)
I’ll give you the short version of the story, shall I. This one involved Fundador casks this time, which previously held Hampden HLCF. Colour: gold. Nose: yes indeed, formic acid, lemons, glue, linden blossom, green olives. It’s rather seductive, let’s be honest. With water: old varnishes, tiny hints of acetone, hair lacquer, nail polish… Mouth (neat): utterly Hampden, with liquorice ruling the whole thing, no contest, no regrets. With water: absolutely lovely, salty, maritime, lemony, but above all monstrously saline. The liquorice is still very much there, naturally. Finish: same story. Comments: it’s horribly excellent, and the worst part is we don’t even know the age of this baby.
SGP:463 - 89 points. |
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Caroni 1999/2024 (63.9%, Silver Seal, LMDW Foundations, Trinidad, cask #184, 150 bottles)
No two ways about it, those old ships on a rum label really pop, but of course, we’re well beyond mere ‘navy strength’ here. Colour: deep gold. Nose: metal polish, loads of metal polish, then something like an old library, waxes, floor polish, camphor, varnish, aged leathers, dusty papers… All very charming, even at nearly—wait for it—65% vol.! With a lot of water: if you give it just a moment, it takes you towards a rhubarb tart drizzled with eau-de-vie of wild berries, rowan, service tree, holly… Mouth (neat): it’s a bit like licking a glue stick, UHU-style. I think we’ll skip ahead and add plenty of water straight away. With water: a bit tricky to tame, as it changes completely depending on how much water you add. In theory, water softens it. In practice, it brings out the tannins and the resins. Good luck. Finish: very long and very, very resinous. But it’s from these extremes that redemption comes (just not in politics, right) … Comments: honestly, this isn’t just an old rum at a slightly high strength, it’s total warfare in your glass. One of the most extreme recent spirits around.
SGP:273 - 86 points. |
A little Bajan bonus, enjoyed on its own… |
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Foursquare 20 yo 2004/2025 ‘Fidelitas’ (55%, La Maison & Velier, Barbados)
This ‘single blend’ (80/20?) was matured for 19 years in ex-bourbon and 1 year in ex-Marsala, all in the tropics. And straight away one starts dreaming of Marco de Bartoli, whom we visited in April, and their Vecchio Samperi… But let’s not digress into Bacchic musings, we’re here for the rum, aren’t we. Colour: amber. Nose: it’s uncanny how the brain works, suddenly I’m in Marsala, Sicily, and I’m certainly not complaining. The wine clearly bolstered the ‘pot still’ side—don’t ask me how—giving it a richer, almost oilier texture. Beautiful whiffs of fresh walnuts, plus tobacco, damp earth, morels (do they grow those in Barbados?), and hints of old wood, let’s say a vintage humidor filled with Cuban puros. With water: saline notes emerge, along with truffle broth and, again, cigars. A faint touch of tar adds even more dimension. Mouth (neat): orange liqueur and nocino running wild, molasses, toffee, and above all, some top-tier Sicilian rum-and-raisin gelato. With water: now we’re fully in rum territory, with sugarcane stepping forward confidently, a flurry of citrus zest, and always that little salty-tarry undertone, all presented with the utmost charm. Finish: same again, rather taut, yet rich at the same time. Peppers and Italian bitters come tumbling in at the end. Comments: a triumph, I was about to say a Roman triumph. Most of all, it’s supremely elegant, and could easily be sipped like a sherry. Or indeed a Marsala (from De Bartoli, naturally). Yu got it, I love it.
SGP:562 - 91 points. |
We’ll have quite a few rums again next Sunday, if you’re up for it. |
Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far |
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June 20, 2025 |
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Another little bag of unknown malts and sometimes incongruous blends
We really enjoy these slightly off-the-wall sessions, you never quite know what to expect… Especially the first one, which already had us in stitches given its name… |
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Dewar’s 8 yo ‘French Cask Smooth’ (40%, OB, blended Scotch, apple spirit cask finish, +/-2024)
On the brand’s website they claim this one’s seen some Calvados wood, and that it ‘reveals the unexpected flavours that are crafted when Scotland meets France’. How utterly delightful, though I daresay they weren’t referring to rugby! Colour: pale gold. Nose: the most surprising part is that it actually seems to work, the Calvados appears to have quashed the grain whisky and lent it greater texture and a sense of depth. Vanilla, damp earth, woodruff, apple ice wine… This is honestly rather lovely. Mouth: indeed, it is good, pity they didn’t bottle it at a slightly higher strength. Frozen apples, vanilla, honeyed compote, touches of fresh mint, then a more herbaceous side emerging, which is most agreeable as well. Finish: a tad short, but that’s solely down to the low strength. Comments: surprising indeed. Beware, over ice this one goes down like a charm. Long live the Auld Alliance!
SGP:541 - 83 points. |
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Velvet Fig (46%, Wemyss Malt, blended malt, +/-2024)
Another intriguing bottle with packaging that’s been increasingly jazzed up in recent years, sporting a palette that leans rather ecclesiastical. We were quite fond of the early versions, well over a decade ago now. Colour: gold. Nose: naturally, there are dried figs front and centre, along with dates, barley and cane syrups, charming herbal teas, a few notes of wicker, and rather a lot of Earl Grey tea, with some golden sultanas in tow. This nose cannot be faulted, it is simply disarmingly seductive. Mouth: I daresay this could be the pinnacle of NAS blended malts, though admittedly I haven’t tried that many. The raisins seize control from the outset and never let go, even when confronted by those celebrated dried figs so proudly advertised on the label. Finish: long, with a trio of honey, raisins and marmalade. Let us not forget the figs. Comments: I’m not sure whether they’ve changed the recipe, but I’m just as fond of it now as I was back in… 2014.
SGP:651 - 86 points. |
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Milroy’s Heavily Peated 13 yo (48%, Milroy’s, 60th anniversary, Jamaican rum barrels, 2024)
This appears to be a peated Jura, finished in Monymusk casks. It’s been ages since we last came across a properly peated Jura, though there were some marvellous ones back in the day. I should add we’ve often toyed with the idea of finishing Islay whisky in Jamaican casks, or the other way round. Mind you, it’s already been done... Colour: white wine. Nose: oh yes. Yeast, ashes, lemon and chalk. As they say, it’s got its ducks in a row. Given a little time, there’s carbon, olives, seawater, petroly Riesling and wee touches of glue. For our purposes it ticks all the boxes. Mouth: I’m not saying it’s flawless, but I am saying it’s absolutely up my street. You may as well copy and paste what I just wrote about the nose. Finish: long, and there’s one element that takes the lead, and it’s not the peat. It’s the olives! Comments: this improbable concoction impresses me greatly. I do hope they’ll be releasing further batches on a regular basis – and while we’re at it, how about Ardbeg plus Hampden?
SGP:566 - 89 points. |
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Seaweed & Aeons Digging & Fire 18 yo (40%, Atom Brands, peated Highland, 2022)
A secret single malt from the Highlands, though it does feel a touch peculiar presenting this sort of thing at 40% vol. Ex-Seagram/Pernod Ricard stock, perhaps? Ardmore, maybe? Colour: light gold. Nose: well yes, it’s charming, fresh yet peaty, with notes of bacon, lemon zest, engine oil and tar, and above all a good deal of toasted sesame oil. Mouth: it holds its own at 40%, smoky, bordering on sooty, yet indeed there’s not the faintest whiff of the sea, not even the shyest of periwinkles. Thoroughbred peated Highlands, in short. Finish: surprisingly long, with smoked tea and lemon... Comments: no, this is both lovely and delicious, it’s just that I can’t quite locate the ‘seaweed’ element, but no complaints otherwise.
SGP:456 - 87 points. |
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The Huntly 27 yo 1996/2024 (52.8%, Duncan Taylor, The Single Cask Collection, blended malt, cask #227408, 220 bottles)
No speculation here, let’s just get on with the tasting, shall we? Colour: gold. Nose: there’s a bit of ham fat, peanut oil, cigarette smoke (nightclub at 4am), then a full-on parade of barleys, beers and all manner of fresh breads. Any guesses? With water: still very much on barley and beer. Hardly something to complain about. Mouth (neat): apples, plums, waxes, grapefruits and fats. This thick, textured profile is really quite striking. Pink grapefruit and blanc de noirs Champagne. With water: it’s starting to bug me that I can’t quite pin down what this is, but it does have a bit of an east coast air. Finish: long, fairly austere now, more on herbs and yeast. Paraffin. Comments: I did think of Glenturret but that’s a good 200km from Huntly, surely they wouldn’t do that to us. Glen Garioch’s much closer, though Glen Garioch tends to show more fruit in these vintages. Anyway, we said we wouldn’t speculate…
SGP:451 - 89 points. |
Update: it can't have been Glen Garioch, which was mothballed from late 1995 until mid-1997. Thanks, Thijs. some rumours mention Burnside/Balvenie, thanks, Bo. |
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Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 8 yo (41.5%, Kirk & Bright, +/-2025)
This bottle, from The Whisky Lodge in Lyon, is aimed, I quote, at ‘beginners with high standards, particularly attuned to current trends.’ That’s us to a tee! Colour: pale white wine. Nose: pear and lemon juice, chalk, apple peel, sunflower oil, grist, young Chardonnay… What more could one reasonably ask for? Mouth: pear eau-de-vie, vanilla, candied lychees, white peaches, buttery croissants, and that ever-charming Chardonnay still in the mix. Finish: much the same, with pear still taking the lead. Comments: it’s rather striking how much extra oomph those 1.5% bring to a young malt. A delightful barley eau-de-vie character throughout.
SGP:631 - 85 points. |
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Blended Scotch 25 yo 1999/2024 (44.3%, C. Dully Selection, sherry butt, cask #24, 639 bottles)
Very likely another of those Edrington-style blended malts/scotches, led by the unmistakable ‘M’. Let’s see what we’ve got here… Colour: gold. Nose: heavy on praline, nougat, fudge, Calvados (really), and the sherry’s sultanas. Then we veer a little towards milk chocolate and that famous country’s ice wine—the one that, by all fervent accounts, will never join the United States of America, it seems. A touch of quince jelly too. Mouth: it’s really rather good, with a slightly more assertive woodiness and notes of cooked wines, PX, and again that ice wine. Finish: fairly long, with hints of lemon nougat. Lemon nougat is, as it happens, a lovely thing. Comments: delightful stuff, and the price is equally pleasing.
SGP:541 - 87 points. |
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St Bridget’s Kirk ‘N.A.S. Solera Batch #4’ (48.5%, Hannah Whisky Merchants, fino/oloroso finish, 142 bottles)
Goodness me, I still remember when we first started tossing around the acronym ‘NAS’ with the Malt Maniacs, the entire industry practically reached for their rifles. Colour: gold. Nose: this leans towards a rather fermentary style of sherry, with notes of bread, pasta, sourdough, walnuts and citrus zest, along with whiffs of smoked teas... Mouth: it’s got more punch on the palate, despite a fairly prominent paraffin note. Old-fashioned orange cordials, wax, ginger, saline touches, and slivers of candied zest... Finish: fairly long, and rather ‘mixed’, with a floral and perfumed streak, a saline, herbaceous peatiness, and then a medley of plums in all shapes and colours. Hints of lavender in the aftertaste. Comments: this takes me back to those trendy ‘living casks’ from twenty years ago. A very charming rusticity.
SGP:451 - 84 points. |
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June 19, 2025 |
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A small bag of unknown malts
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Of course, we know what they are in terms of the house style or brand, but we’ve no idea what they actually contain, what with the real and fake blended malts, and those mysterious names that seem designed purely to wind us up a bit. Between ourselves, twenty years ago the buzzwords were ‘traceability’ and its sidekick ‘origin’. A sense of the place, as they used to say. But never mind, let’s stop moaning and dive in at random…
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Distilled in the Speyside 13 yo (56.7%, A Dream of Scotland, 1st fill sherry butt, 596 bottles, 2020)
Colour: amber. Nose: massively sherried, as clearly hinted at by the label, with bags of spent matches, gunpowder, chocolate, a whiff of fermented tofu (thankfully not quite natto, let’s not be dramatic) and plenty of pipe tobacco. These bottlings tend to be more Macallan than Glenfarclas these days, though I dare say there's no real chance of pinpointing the distillery here. With water: touches of carbon dust, black tea, and a dash of brake pad powder. Mouth (neat): thick and assertive, full of sulphur, yellow mustard, beef bouillon, coffee, dark chocolate and orange marmalade. There's also a sweet edge not unlike corn syrup. With water: veering ever closer to those wildest young hyper-sherried (M)s from Signatory. Finish: long, with rubber coming unmistakably to the fore.
Comments: it's a bit mad, rather full-on, but certainly enjoyable if you’re in the right frame of mind. Which, fortunately, we are.
SGP:562 - 84 points. |
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Speyside Region 43 yo 1973/2017 (52.1%, The Whisky Agency for Water of Life Japan, cask #8)
Angus has tasted this one and adored it, though I haven’t. I mean, I haven’t tasted it. Most likely a Glenfarclas, selected by our Japanese friend Hideo, who kindly brought a bottle to Limburg this year. Huzzah!
Colour: straw.
Nose: ah yes, that gloriously fat fruitiness, those ripe mangos, citrus peels, unmistakably in the style of those marvellous refill GF casks from the 1960s. With water: absolutely stunning.
Mouth (neat): an incredible fruitiness, candied and honeyed to the core. Sublime, nothing more to add. With water: utterly sublime, a divine throwback to Glenfarclas’ golden age.
Finish: fairly long, becoming far waxier, with citrus zests and a medley of tiny herbs.
Comments: if Hideo’s still got bottles of this, do pester him into parting with one or two (just don’t say I put you up to it, pretty please). Far superior to anything from the more recent ‘OB’ bottlings, which they wouldn’t dare let us taste anyway.
SGP:661 - 93 points. |
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A Highland Distillery 12 yo 2011/2023 (59.1%, Watt Whisky, Denmark exclusive, bourbon barrel, 246 bottles)
As ever with these little chaps, there are whispers it might be Clynelish, though we haven’t the faintest.
Colour: straw.
Nose: wax, chalk and tangerine. Rather punchy too, but that's down to the strength. With water: damp limestone, church candles (amen) and a wee satchel of tangerines.
Mouth (neat): but of course. High-definition tangerine with heather honey and beeswax. Do watch out, Glen Ord can sometimes produce something along similar lines. With water: splendid stuff, taut, waxy, mineral and—dare we say—just a tad Meursaulty. We do love our barbarisms at WF HQ.
Finish: long, zestier, sharper, more on green apple and lemon peel.
Comments: I’d like a quote for three pallets of this wee dazzler, shipped straight from Denmark to Alsace, if you please.
SGP:562 - 90 points. |
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Highland Single Malt 22 yo 1996/2018 (54.7%, C. Dully Selection, refill bourbon barrels, cask #CDI18, 342 bottles)
There's a map on the back label that leaves absolutely no doubt as to this malt’s origin—somewhere on the east coast between Inverness and Wick. Just to be clear, it's neither Glenmorangie nor Pulteney. It was high time we tasted this wee chap, especially since it’s not a sherry cask. You know what I mean.
Colour: pale gold.
Nose: barley in its purest form, with very ripe apples and furniture polish, all kept delightfully simple for now. With water: every wax in the known world, and every citrus too.
Mouth (neat): utterly lovely, splendid waxiness, tiny citrus fruits… But it’s rather compact without water. Still, we know more or less what’s going to happen when water’s added, don’t we? With water: immediate lift-off, grapefruit, Sauternes, old Chenin blancs from the Loire, assorted herbal teas, cold-brewed green tea, and even a wee grassy touch that gently brings you back to earth.
Finish: long, waxy, fresh, just perfect.
Comments: it’s wonderful, of course, though it’s striking how remarkably close it is to that Watt Whisky despite the fifteen-year age gap.
SGP:561 - 91 points. |
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Secret Highland Distillery 14 yo 2008/2022 (44%, Acla Selection, 10th Anniversary, sherry butt #452, 120 bottles)
These labels, featuring animal photography by Claudio Gotsch, were among the most handsome ever used by any spirits bottler.
Colour: pale gold.
Nose: it’s less straightforward here to guess the distillery, with notes of nougat, toffee apples, farmhouse cider, and cold herbal infusions.
Mouth: very good indeed, showing fudge, vanilla cream, a hint of paraffin, curious touches of lavender, a slight salinity, and an overall profile not unlike that of young official HPs from sherry wood. Very ripe apples too.
Finish: fairly long, leaning into pear territory.
Comments: the sherry makes it rather tricky to determine the distillery, so we shan’t hazard a guess—especially since we still enjoy a certain reputation in the village. At least in our street. Or so I hope… Not Clynelish.
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
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Peated Highland Single Malt 19 yo 2004/2023 (48%, Hogshead Imports, refill barrel)
You’ll find such oddities lurking in the WF Library! Whoever knows what this really is, speak now or forever hold your peace.
Colour: white wine.
Nose: it’s so very Ardmore! That fermentary edge, with bruised apples, cigarette and pipe ash, balms and cough syrups, fresh white bread...
Mouth: that peculiar balance so typical of Ardmore indeed. A touch of sweetness, ashes, wee herbs, a fino-like quality (yes yes, it’s a barrel), light olive oil, gentle resins, a pinch of salt…
Finish: same story, for quite a stretch, even heading towards seawater and lemon.
Comments: it’s rather lovely, just a touch perplexing and hard to pigeonhole. You know what I mean.
SGP:553 - 85 points. |
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Green glass is better |
| Green glass is generally more recycling-friendly and can be more sustainable in many systems. White/clear/flint glass requires very pure recycled material, which means contamination from coloured glass is a much bigger issue. |
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Speyside Blended Malt (45%, Samaroli, bourbon, 810 bottles, 2023)
A most elliptical proposition—basically we know nothing, and the white fox on the label isn’t about to reveal much more. That said, I do love this bit of label prose, which I’ve translated for your delight: ‘A princely malt in bloom, whisking our nose across a multitude of realms: the aroma is Moorish, perhaps Latin, or rather Byzantine… evoking the stone walls of Otranto, that bridgehead of Italy and what remained of the Western Empire, facing sumptuous Constantinople.’ We rather have to bow, have we not?
Colour: gold.
Nose: indeed, bitter almond liqueur, fougasse, overripe apples, sesame and olive oils, a dab of houmous, half a drop of rosewater and another of orange blossom water… Clearly Eastern in style, though perhaps I’ve been swayed by the blurb. Shame on me.
Mouth: the trouble is it’s jolly good, with waxes, citrus zests, soft honeys and wee infusions.
Finish: same again, even veering towards shellfish (presumably from the Strait of Otranto, right).
Comments: I’d have sworn there was some Clynelish in the mix, but Clynelish isn’t in Speyside, last time we checked. No provenance, no age, no vintage, yet it's undeniably very good.
SGP:561 - 87 points. |
Right then, let’s round off this series with a little Compass Box… |
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Chez Lion (46%, Compass Box, bespoke release, blended scotch, 1710 bottles, 2024)
Ouch, it’s a blended scotch, not a blended malt. Never mind, let’s carry on if you’re game… It appears to be a custom creation for a well-known bar in Hamburg. One hopes our friends in Hamburg are feeling rather thirsty—1710 bottles is a decent haul.
Colour: gold.
Nose: gentle and easy-going, with the grain showing but not overstepping—vanilla, coconut, macaroons—and a textural maltiness evocative of Ord, Glen Elgin, Clynelish or suchlike. There’s even a touch of the freshness you’d find in a young Glenkinchie, though there’s a 99% chance I’m wrong. Fearless, as ever.
Mouth: actually, I quite like it—pistachio, sesame, with again that grain component, though kept relatively in check (a whiff of coconut water, hmm). The grain just adds a faint sugary softness we might have done without. Let me remind you, our gang was called the Malt Maniacs, not the Blend Maniacs.
Finish: loses a bit of drive here, becoming a touch sweet and thin, with perhaps a shade too much grain in the mix, if I may say so.
Comments: and yet, it started off rather promisingly. It was no doubt a great mistake on our part to place it after all those marvellous malts; we are terribly sorry.
SGP:631 - 78 points. |
Come on then, let’s try to lift our spirits… |
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Highland Malt 38 yo 1983/2021 (51.4%, Maltbarn, The 26, #2, sherry cask)
Obviously, I must admit, this is the heavier artillery.
Colour: gold.
Nose: well then, we’re greeted with a little coconut and vanilla, hints of avocado, hay, wicker, old magazines, ink, and slightly stale tobacco… As they say, the jury’s still out. With water the waxy tones begin to steer you towards the small town of Brora and its, pardon me, their famed distilleries, though what we have here is a whispering version, light-footed, not exactly weary but a tad delicate.
Mouth (neat): far cleaner and better defined on the palate, with a lovely salinity, roasted apricot, verbena, pine nuts… Yet there’s that same fragility, marked this time by rising notes of overripe apples. With water slight alcoholic notes emerge first, then waxes, pollens, fruit compotes, deeply ripe plums… What we’re missing for a clear Sutherland signature are citrus fruits, mandarins, bergamots…
Finish: not very long, a bit delicate, fading like the sea as it withdraws with the ebbing tide. Forget that.
Comments: very, very lovely, but a tad frustrating.
SGP:541 - 86 points. |
We’d best leave it there. See you tomorrow? |
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June 18, 2025 |
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WF’s Little Duos, today Glenkinchie OB vs IB ex-sherry |
We haven’t often had the chance to enjoy Glenkinchie, except occasionally as a ‘secret Lowland’ over the past two or three years. |
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Glenkinchie ‘Distillers Edition’ (43%, OB, +/-2022)
A rather recent non-vintage release, yet still finished in American oak casks ‘seasoned’ with amontillado. We do love a good amontillado, of course.
Colour: gold. The amontillado has barely marked the colour here.
Nose: it feels as though the wine is less dominant than in some of the vintage batches, as if the finishing has been shorter this time. It’s lovely, all on barley and withered apple, rather natural, also showing fresh brioche, then white chocolate with bits of fruit, a trendy little thing seen here and there. There’s muesli too, the whole showing a nice brightness.
Mouth: much more expressive on the palate, with caramel, vanilla fudge, a faintly earthy and smoky aspect probably coming from the sherry, then those walnuts we were expecting. Honestly, it’s rather enjoyable.
Finish: medium in length, a touch more bitter, with notes of brown ale and salted butter caramel.
Comments: truly pleasant, well put together and well balanced, though it’s lost a bit of the ‘lightness’ found in classic Glenkinchie.
SGP:541 - 82 points. |
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Glenkinchie 16 yo 2008/2025 (51.9%, The Whisky Agency, sherry hogshead, 300 bottles)
Very intrigued by this bottle, and pleased they didn’t label it as a ‘Secret Lowland’.
Colour: deep gold.
Nose: the sherry and oak are doing much of the heavy lifting here, there are lovely varnishes, fresh fir wood and roasted nuts, quite a bit of nutmeg and ginger, and a surprising bourbon-like character we hadn’t anticipated. Touches of baked aubergine. With water: it folds back a little onto conifer wood but remains most enjoyable.
Mouth (neat): ah indeed, I’m loving this, it’s powerful, full-bodied, not very ‘Glenkinchie’ truth be told but we’ll get used to it. Lovely caraway, cinnamon rolls, wormwood, juniper, honey, maple syrup, grey pepper. I really do like this a lot. With water: what’s more, it swims beautifully, only becoming a tad sweet, though I can’t quite place the source.
Finish: long, still a little ‘bourbon’ for a sherry cask but it’s American oak after all, with some coconut notes. Still that lovely varnish in the aftertaste.
Comments: surprising and, to my palate, excellently modern.
SGP:651 - 87 points. |
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June 17, 2025 |
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World Whiskies: three French
and three Chinese malts |
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At The Chuan Distillery in Sichuan, China. A saying goes like 'If you can
see Mount Emei, it will bring peace and good fortune.' In fact, the famous
mount is just off to the left of the photo, but we chose to show the still
house instead. Some things will never change at Whiskyfun. (May 2025) |
So, this time, we're setting off from France, as usual, heading straight to China—Sichuan, to be precise—where the teas are splendid, the food delicious though rather spicy (cough, cough), the people absolutely lovely, the pandas truly in their element, and the local whiskies... well, you'll see for yourself!
But first, three French malts... |
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Bellevoye ‘Triple Malt Finition Grand Cru’ (43%, OB, blended malt, France, +/-2025)
This isn’t a distillery, rather they’ve blended malts from three French regions—Alsace, Lorraine and the Nord—before finishing the whole lot in Saint-Émilion Grand Cru casks – although there are 220 ‘Grands Crus’ in Saint-Émilion, not to be confused with the 85 ‘Grands Crus Classés’, including the famous 14 1er Grands Crus Classés. So then, what could possibly go wrong with this ‘pure malt’ that’s widely distributed across France? Well, thanks to modern whisky, we get to keep brushing up on our wines. Colour: gold, so nothing pinkish. Nose: very dry, dominated by sawdust, with no real presence of distinctive distillate character, clearly very young malts. Unexpected wafts of brine and anchovies... Mouth: again, marked woodiness, very dry liquorice, unsweetened black tea, and once more this odd saline edge. Finish: rather long, still strikingly saline. A right bank effect, perhaps? Comments: a tough one for me, the Saint-Émilion influence doesn’t seem to have brought it all together.
SGP:261 - 50 points. |
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Moon Harbour ‘Dock 3’ (45.8%, OB, France, single malt, 2023)
A cracking pedigree, as this youngster was distilled in Bordeaux from French barley smoked—not malted—with seaweed from the Arcachon basin, then matured in Sauternes casks before being finished in La Louvière casks from Pessac-Léognan. At any rate, it’s quite the lark! Colour: straw. Nose: what leaps out is warm rhubarb and apple compote, followed by a light yet rather intriguing smokiness, with notes of caraway, mead, and an odd touch of eucalyptus and vegetal tar that might well stem from... seaweed. Amusing stuff. Mouth: the smoke is far more assertive on the palate, leaning towards a salted lapsang souchong with a twist of lemon zest. Rather curious, not unpleasant at all—in fact, quite the opposite—but one does need to come to terms with the vegetal notes from the seaweed. Yes, peat is vegetal too, but the peat used in Scotland has aged over several millennia. Finish: long, still rather tarry and eucalyptus-led, then drifting towards myrtle and saltiness. Comments: fun and rather charming! Should the peat supplies ever run dry, we could always fall back on seaweed.
SGP:465 - 78 points. |
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Vilanova ‘Rivesaltes Finish’ (49%, OB, LMDW Foundations, cask #396, 2024)
Another smoky one, by Distillerie Castan in Albi in the Tarn, this time peated, matured for two years in Chardonnay and one year in sweet Rivesaltes, so once again this is rather a wine affair. I would be curious to know the proportion of French whisky that isn’t aged or finished in wine casks. Colour: gold. Nose: very light soapy and paraffin-like notes to begin with, but the sweet wine character soon takes over in intriguing fashion, mingling with the peat over cooked apricots, orgeat, ‘medicinal’ fig and camphorated orange. In fact, it works rather well on the nose. Mouth: this is really quite nice, highly unusual but surprisingly coherent this time, rather rich, with a blend of cough syrup and citrus marmalade that works remarkably well. Even more surprising, the peat is beautifully integrated, never feeling ‘tacked on’. Finish: long, increasingly tarry and resinous. A touch of coriander seed and juniper. Comments: it’s been quite a while since I last tasted it, but parts of it do remind me of Caol Ila Distillers Edition.
SGP:556 - 84 points. |
Let’s head to China now—first to Hunan, then on to Sichuan… |
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Goalong ‘Single cask’ (46.5%, OB, China, bourbon whiskey cask, cask #51L306, 370 bottles)
I suppose the issue when presenting a whisky from a country as identity-rich as China—particularly if you aim to export—is finding a way to add something distinctive, something intrinsically Chinese, rather than offering something overly international. Just my humble opinion. We’re in Hunan here. Colour: pale gold. Nose: vanilla, sawdust, underripe bananas, cake batter, then apples and pears. In fact, it’s not bad at all. Mouth: very decent, rather aromatic, with banana and orange, vanilla, pear, acacia honey, then white pepper—it’s somewhat in the Glenmorangie style, though not quite as deep. A pity the American oak stands out rather plainly. Finish: good length, with a nice honeyed and malty profile, a faint earthy/resinous note appearing as a late signature. Comments: nothing to fault, really. A very good young malt which, in my view, I say it deserves better than some of the remarks seen here and there in Europe.
SGP:551 - 79 points. |
Let’s move on to The Chuan, a Pernod Ricard venture we visited in mid-May. It’s worth noting that here at WF, we’re quite fond of China—our first trip there was back in 1987! But it was a completely different country back then, and people were more likely to be drinking Baijiu at $1 a litre... In fact, in 2025 Baijiu still accounts for 97% of all spirits consumed in China by volume. |
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The Chuan ‘Travel Retail’ (48.6%, OB, China, Pure Malt, 2025)
This is the traditional blend from The Chuan, combining ex-bourbon casks, ex-sherry casks, and Chinese oak casks (Danling oak, Quercus mongolica). This is still a ‘pure malt’ rather than a ‘single malt’, as the distillery is very young and only began distilling in 2021, so some of the spirit here comes from Pernod-Ricard’s thoroughbred stock in Scotland, using a blending system also employed in a number of recent high-profile Japanese ‘pure malts’. Naturally, The Chuan single malt will come later, and given the very high potential of their newmake (which we’ve tasted), that’s something to look forward to. Importantly, theirs is not one of those generic newmakes made simply to be bolstered later by active wood, far from it. |
Colour: gold. Nose: starts out floral, with broom, dandelion, and perhaps some Chinese yellow flowers we, ahem, don’t quite know by name. Then the Danling oak steps in, never overtly ‘woody’, bringing caraway, sandalwood, spruce buds, and teak deck oil, with also obvious touches of this chen-pi we love so much (aged mandarin peel; we’re currently using some 20 yo at WF Towers – that’s right). Also wild carrot, and fennel lurking in the background. Lovely structure, with the spruce and sandalwood leading the rhythm—that Danling oak clearly in play. Mouth: finely wooded but not at all pushy, showing green banana and pine buds, wrapped in just a whisper of sweet wine, tangerine, honeys, and maple syrup. The woodiness gets gradually absorbed by these softer, rounder elements—it’s fun to follow on the palate, like a little film—just add Gong Li and bring it to Cannes next year. Elsewhere, the reverse often happens, with tannicity gradually dominating. Finish: good length, with more pine bud liqueur and verbena, a spoonful of citrus jam, this aged citrus peel we’ve already mentioned and a signature on sandalwood, caraway and liquorice. |
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In the finest of the experiential
rooms, with Dr YANG Tao, Master
Distiller The Chuan Malt Whisky
Distillery, Pernod Ricard.
(photo Tim Hartfield) |
Comments: I really liked this one on site at the distillery, though I always take distillery tastings with a pinch of salt, especially when the place and people are rather exceptional. The retsina effect, you see. So, I made a point to revisit this at WF HQ in peaceful surroundings—and found it… even better, honestly. Well done The Chuan, well done Pernod Ricard, this is genuinely ‘distinctive’ despite the still (partly) Scottish provenance, the ratio of which we don’t actually know. Not that we didn’t ask, mind you. In short, this lands more or less in the same cluster as the new, personality-rich and pretty posh Japanese malts.
SGP:561 - 89 points. |
Right then, have you ever noticed how tasting notes always seem longer when you've just visited the distillery? Could we call that an experiential bias? Go on then, a second The Chuan—we’ll save the rest for another session, like a squirrel stashing its nuts… |
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The Chuan ‘Distillery Only’ (61.3%, OB, China, cask #003, hand-filled May 2025)
In the heat of the moment, we didn’t ask about the pedigree of this cask. Incidentally, we were able to taste a 2021 ‘single malt’ drawn straight from its Chinese Danling oak cask in one of the warehouses, and it was an absolute beast! But it seems they’re guarding that one like a treasure and aren’t planning to bottle it just yet, which is a pity… Colour: gold. Nose: lemony, with the same spruce and sandalwood note as in the previous dram, a hint of chartreuse, quite a bit of dill, and naturally, a good dose of power. Faint notes of banana foam and vanilla. With water: the signature I discovered in that now-fabled 2021 cask comes back through clearly—this is unmistakably ‘The Chuan’, with no ‘blending’ effect whatsoever. In fact, it’s packed with bergamot, tangerine, and honey, with a small touch of celery lending some structure. And always those little hints of Christmas tree. Mouth (neat): very creamy, very good, honeyed but not cloying, balanced by the liveliness of the lemon and that coniferous side. With water: if there’s a Scotch malt this vaguely calls to mind—not that it’s similar—it would be Aberlour A’bunadh Alba. At this stage, the malty side comes through: dough, muesli, vanilla, ripe banana, and Sichuan meadow honey, I’d wager… Finish: long, fresh, lemony, textured without going over the top. The chen-pi is back, loud and clear, in the aftertaste. Comments: almost worth trekking to the foot of Mount Emei just to fill your own bottle of this ‘distillery only’ edition.
SGP:661 - 88 points. |
To wrap up, here’s a quick personal summary about The Chuan:
- Located in Emeishan, not far from Chengdu, in a truly stunning landscape—a UNESCO World Heritage site
- A 13-hectare estate deeply integrated into its surroundings: Mount Emei, forests, and local wildlife and flora are strongly highlighted
- Strong cultural and artistic identity: contemporary architecture, artworks including a fractal piece by Zhan Wang scattered across the site; a sophisticated atmosphere rich in Chinese, particularly Sichuanese, symbolism
- On-site Michelin-level restaurant and top-tier customer experiences with an ‘immersive’ approach
- Entirely Chinese staff, some of whom trained in Scotland—highly skilled
- Distillery Manager: the renowned Yang Tao
- First distillation: November 2021
- Pair of traditional Forsyth pot stills
- Capacity capped at 1.5 million LPA (compare with Glenlivet’s 21 million LPA)
- Uses both traditional international distilling barley and Chinese barley with higher protein content and lower yield
- Maturation in a mix of bourbon, sherry, and Chinese Danling oak (Quercus mongolica) casks
- Storage capacity for ten years of production
- Currently producing pure/vatted malt, transitioning towards single malts
- The new make and young single malt still maturing in cask already show a strong personality, with similarities to cutting-edge Japanese distilleries (Shizuoka, Chichibu, Wakatsuru…)
- Genuinely Chinese in character, it’s Chinese malt, not an international-style malt made in China
- First export outside China is imminent, but limited to travel retail (APEC countries only)
- At WF, we’ll be keeping a very close eye on the release of The Chuan’s first single malts!
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| The Chuan at night (WF) |
A final little smile: before stepping into the distillery, you’ll spot signs warning you to watch out for… snakes. |
And one last anecdote: on the evening of our visit, we went out with the very charming Pernod Ricard China team to a trendy bar in Chengdu, whose owner—by complete coincidence—had been inducted into the Keepers of the Quaich on the very same night as I was, a few years ago. Quite the coincidence indeed! We then tasted a few of Pernod Ricard’s Scottish jewels (Aberlour, Longmorn, Glenlivet—all 18 years old, if memory serves), which, far from outshining The Chuan, actually made the distillery’s early success stand out even more by contrast. Very clever—and so diplomatically done! (deep smile) |
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Here it is , Mount Emei, also known as Emei Shan, in all its glory
and serenity, as seen from the Distillery. (WF) |
Final Bonus: I've always dreamt of a tasting glass made of terracotta or porcelain — but not too thick, unlike the ones you often see here and there. Especially one for blind tastings, something a little less grim than those black or blue ISO glasses that have been de rigueur for so long. So I'd like to warmly thank the awesome Amber, The Spirit Hunter, for this genuine little Chinese gem!
Naturally, I’ll also be trying it with tea, which it will no doubt showcase far better than those traditional tiny little ‘gung-fu’ style cups, all while avoiding the rather too delicate Riedels or Spiegelaus. So thanks again, Amber!
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June 16, 2025 |
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WF’s Little Duos, today Tamnavulin ex-wine OB vs IB
Let’s see what gives, Tamnavulin is one of those malts that are now mainly finished in wine…
(Those who love wine, love life. French poster, 1960s)
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Tamnavulin ‘Red Wine Cask Edition – French Cabernet-Sauvignon Finish’ (40%, OB, +/-2021)
The line goes something like: “Through our Wine Cask Editions, we bring typical flavours from grape varieties around the world to enrich our Single Malt.” Well, at least that’s clear. Worth noting, we’d found the more recent ‘German Pinot Noir’ edition merely passable (WF 75).
Colour: gold.
Nose: blackcurrant, cherry, bay leaf, cherry beer (Belgian kriek), pink grapefruit, kirsch-soaked marzipan, a few fruit pastilles, even a bit of jelly—this smells like a pretty decent winesky, or so it seems to me.
Mouth: things start to clash here, with a bit of red wine, a salty note, bell pepper, minestrone, cherry cake, cassis liqueur, green pepper…
Finish: medium length, herbes de Provence, bay, cherry and blackcurrant liqueurs, and those purple jelly beans…
Comments: a blend that doesn’t crash entirely, to be fair, although the wine influence is arguably more dominant than the malt whisky itself. Still, remember the old adage: “Trends, like horses, are easier to ride in the direction they are going.” And when it comes to malt whisky, the trend seems increasingly to be adding wine…
SGP:751 - 77 points. |
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Tamnavulin 11 yo 2013/2025 (57.4%, James Eadie, Exclusive to Germany, first fill European oak oloroso butt, cask #373071, 315 bottles)
Colour: amber.
Nose: dominated by hazelnut cream, damp earth, black tea and liquorice wood. Nothing to complain about here, it’s very well put together. With water: stock broth, juniper and clove, along with puffs from a very damp old wine cellar. The best kind.
Mouth (neat): creamy, very spicy, heavily peppered and mustardy, plus bitter orange and strong dark ale. With water: the bitter orange leads the dance. Lovely pepper notes and a spoonful of chestnut cream.
Finish: very long and once again increasingly spicy. Always those lovely peppers, bitter chocolate, and then mocha without the slightest trace of sweetness in the aftertaste.
Comments: a beautifully spiced sauce, quite exotic as a whole. Well, I’m afraid it wasn’t much of a contest.
SGP:551 - 86 points. |
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June 15, 2025 |
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Today we're having a few more cognacs and armagnacs just for fun |
In short, a cheerful mix of grape-based drinks, starting with an old cognac as an apéritif, since we’d really enjoyed the Rémy Martin Centaure last Sunday. And then we’ll have a bunch of malternatives...
By the way, since more and more people are now using the term 'malternative', I’d like to remind everyone that originally, Michael Jackson—followed by the Malt Maniacs and thus Whiskyfun—used it to describe aged spirits of sufficient quality to rival top Scottish malts. It was never meant to refer to just any cognac, armagnac, rum or tequila! |
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Camus ‘Grand V.S.O.P.’ (40%, OB, La Grande Marque, cognac, +/-1980)
This expression was said to be 100% Borderies, although such a claim is nowhere to be found on this old square-shouldered bottle. On its website, the still-independent house boldly declares, ‘We produce the finest cognac in the world, for those who savour the most refined things in life.’ We’re more than happy to take their word for it.
Colour: deep gold.
Nose: it’s certainly charming, rather natural too so no egregious adulteration, with a pleasant trio of soft apples, oranges and peaches, rounded off with the expected raisins and some rather fetching honeyed touches. It’s genuinely fresh and appealing, and it has held its own splendidly in glass these past 45 years.
Mouth:: a very faint caramelly note this time, along with more raisins than on the nose, a slightly syrupy corn sweetness, hints of coffee and orange liqueurs… Still quite attractive but it does seem a tad ‘boosted’. Who knows…
Finish: rather long yet still carried by caramel and those liqueur-like tones. A little aftertaste of pear lingering in the distance.
Comments: Perhaps a touch ‘too much’ by today’s standards, but it’s still genuinely good.
SGP:641 - 78 points. |
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Camus ‘V.S. de Luxe’ (40%, OB, cognac, +/-2000)
A blend of Borderies and Fins Bois this time around. Despite the ‘De Luxe’ moniker, it was more of an entry-level offering, so expectations remain modest.
Colour: gold.
Nose: well, this isn’t bad at all, more on the herbaceous side, somewhat akin to a marc or grappa, with a marked vivacity leaning towards lemon and orange. Quite nice!
Mouth: the mysteries of old bottles! I actually prefer this one, it’s livelier and tauter, still on lovely citrus notes, a few touches of lime blossom, green tea, and even a slightly mineral edge. And it does feel distinctly stronger than the stated 40%.
Finish: rather long, almost a touch aggressive, would you believe. A bit chalky and still pleasantly grassy in the aftertaste.
Comments: a charming little surprise.
SGP:551 - 80 points. |
Let’s get back to our usual malternatives… |
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Maison Prunier 1992/2024 (56.4%, Art Malts, The Vintage Reserve, bons bois)
What’s featured on the label bears more than a passing resemblance to a McLaren F1 from the same year—here’s hoping this little Bons Bois neither veers off track nor breaks down (S.!).
Colour: gold.
Nose: lovely tension straight away, varnish, lemon juice, cider, white peaches, with a faintly mashy yet curiously minty edge… With water: oh, the glorious medley of all kinds of mint…
Mouth (neat): I’m smitten! A flawless combination of strong liquorice, cider apples and grapefruit, with a bit of white nougat in the background adding a touch of softness. A superb Bons Bois. With water: truly magnificent, still with that vibrant tension, now on dainty, precious citrus fruits. Precious indeed…
Finish: long and just right, almost refreshing, which makes this little number all the more dangerous if you’re not careful (like that F1 I suppose). A return of varnish, even a touch of old kirsch in the aftertaste.
Comments: but crikey, only 36 bottles? Life can be terribly unfair…
SGP:561 - 91 points. |
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Garreau 32 yo 1992/2025 (52.6%, Liquid Treasures, Bas-armagnac, Collection du Chai Doré, Bar Arrangé 5th Anniversary, Korea)
Splendid label, most soothing in these turbulent times (truly).
Colour: deep gold.
Nose: oh bother, we’re flying very, very high again, with splendid varnishes and oil paint right off the bat, then an orchestration of peaches and apricots to make the botanical gardens of any European capital turn green with envy. Sort of. Well, you get the picture. Deeper down, faint notes of game and woodland mushrooms with a splash of balsamic remind us we are indeed in armagnac territory. With water: we drift towards manzanilla-like notes, quite incredible.
Mouth (neat): the oak is very pronounced but most glorious, assuming you’ve no quarrel with tobacco, buds, leaves, nuts, citrus peel, even a few salty touches. With water: what structure!
Finish: long and gently pastry-like. Butter cream with walnuts, and always that gorgeous old oak.
Comments: we bow down, this is eminently and thoroughly malternative.
SGP:562 - 91 points. |
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Jean-Luc Pasquet 29 yo (49.9%, OB for Balkan Whisky Club, 28 bottles)
The joy of micro-bottlings. We do come across quite a few JL Pasquets in our cognac sessions, but as I often say, there are quite a few Porsches at Le Mans too. Oh, never mind… (and never drink and drive). I’m told this is a Fine Champagne.
Colour: deep gold.
Nose: rather oily on the nose, more elegant than showy, starting with sesame and grape seed oil, then unfolding into a fairly protracted fruity expansion—small apples first, then the expected apricots and peaches, followed by fresh almonds, orgeat, stone kernels and so on.
Mouth (neat): an amusing start on pear and rowanberry eau-de-vie, even something like undiluted marc de gewurz, before it shifts towards something a touch more honeyed and waxier. It hasn’t quite shed its youthful vigour. With water (just to see): a light touch of Swiss apricotine, still with that persistent stone kernel note. Beware apricot stones! (we digress) …
Finish: rather long, still quite ‘eau-de-vie’, which of course is a virtue if you’re Alsatian.
Comments: superb once again, just a tad more restrained.
SGP:551 - 90 points. |
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Domaine de Mouréou 1988/2025 (45.8%, Authentic Spirits, Bas-armagnac)
100% Baco. We previously encountered a young and rather funky Mouréou 2011 from Authentic Spirits that was nothing short of a firecracker (WF 88). This one should—could—be a little more civilised.
Colour: amber.
Nose: I don’t mean to go all bargain-bin poetic on you, but the entire landscape fairly leaps out at you. Hay, mushrooms, pine, bark, the odd hedgerow fruit, especially plums… And then there’s a faint echo of rustic local white wine, the sort one downs by the hectolitre every evening in South-Western cafés—even in the capital.
Mouth: a proper country armagnac, rough-hewn, robust, almost tart (but delightfully so), still close to the grape despite all these years, and brimming with orchard fruits straight from the Gers. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine anything more ‘authentic’.
Finish: amusingly, it’s here that it starts to mellow out a touch, with even a few notes of vanilla and soft liquorice, beneath the thick plum jam. Buds and sprigs lingering in the aftertaste.
Comments: the extra 23 years make no difference—it stands shoulder to shoulder with last year’s 2011 at the same (very high) level.
SGP:561 - 89 points. |
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Marquestau 25 yo 1998/2024 (51.7%, Grape of the Art, Bas-armagnac, cask #225, 310 bottles)
100% Baco once again, and yet another domaine new to me (though I remain an eternal newcomer). They’re based in Hontanx, Landes.
Colour: amber.
Nose: it’s rich and woody, in a proper traditional style, what one might call ‘restaurant armagnac’. There’s a vinous edge to it, almost Pauillac-like in some respects, and heaps of prunes with little earthy touches throughout. Pine forest after the rain. With water: damp soil, woodland, pinecones, humus. And honestly, how could one be against any of that?
Mouth (neat): still rich, powerful, woody and traditional, very close to pipe tobacco, orange marmalade and coffee. You’d swear there were even garlicky cèpes in there. With water: a miracle! The clouds part and suddenly you’re handed a fantastical cocktail of chartreuse, Bénédictine and Verveine du Velay.
Finish: long, aromatic and herbal (with water).
Comments: the impact of just a few drops of water here is both maximal and spectacular.
SGP:461 - 90 points (only 87 without water, so do try it with!) |
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Hontambère 45 yo 1980/2025 (45.4%, OB, Selected by RAC Spirits, Ténarèze, cask #A10, 80 bottles)
A Pouchégu 100% Ugni Blanc with textbook ageing—starting in new Limousin oak before moving to ‘roux’ or ‘red’ oak, meaning refill. Exactly what our friends in whisky ought to be doing as well, rather than the other way round. I know, I know, here I go again…
Colour: dark red amber.
Nose: sublime balsamic notes, tinned prunes, black truffle, ripe banana and pipe tobacco. A marvel of compactness and coherence (indeed, even the ripe banana), not much else to add at this stage.
Mouth: ah, the old Ténarèze when they decide to seize control of your palate and your tastebuds! The oak is prominent again, but bolstered by soy sauce, crème de menthe glaciale, of course fir sap and bud, before it ventures into the realms of old oloroso, ancient madeira, mature Catalan rancio and even those very powerful black teas. This is all fairly explosive and we do advise a ‘drop by drop’ approach to tasting. Thank me later.
Finish: long, dry, concentrated on tea tannins and bitter chocolate, but rounded out with a splendid minty liquorice and a little orange marmalade to sign off.
Comments: a proper time machine, straight back to the days of The Stranglers, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, Pere Ubu, and since we’re in France, Gainsbourg and Bashung… Excessive and completely mad!
SGP:571 - 91 points. |
It's time to bring this celestial ride to an end (wait, what?). |
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Aurian 1930 (42.5%, OB, selected by Spheric Spirits, armagnac, bonbonne #D8)
It goes without saying how moving it is to taste such an old Armagnac.
Colour: reddish amber.
Nose: sheer delicacy from the outset, all on stewed fruits, medlars, apples, quinces, plums of every persuasion, peaches too, interwoven with old sweet wines, Marsala, Port, honeys and gentle resins, followed by faint yet elegant inklings of ham and mushrooms, though always with decorum and gentleness.
Mouth: I dare say whoever decided to house this venerable Armagnac in glass demijohns knew exactly what they were doing. It had begun to whisper somewhat, with a fruitiness leaning towards herbs, broths, a touch of hay, ancient waxes, the faintest suggestion of brine, and just a wisp of paper and cardboard… Yet it remains thoroughly beautiful, with an increasing profusion of raisins of all kinds, as though it were stirring anew after its long slumber.
Finish: not exactly protracted, but rather exotic nonetheless, reminiscent perhaps of a Thai broth laced with fruit. One even detects a little coriander and Thai basil.
Comments:: these very old spirits become utterly charming as age takes its rightful hold. Quite moving indeed… By the way this baby spent 70 years in wood and 23 years in a demi-john.
SGP:451 - 88 points. |
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