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September 8, 2026 |
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The Time Warp Sessions (and more), today Bruichladdich |
Not easy to keep up with Bruichladdich, they’re firing on all cylinders…
We’ll see what we manage to do, probably in fairly absolute disorder and with quite some wines involved, but starting with a wee ‘Time Warp’ session indeed…
A two-litre bottle done for Corade in France, early to mid 1990s (WF Archive) |
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Bruichladdich 10 yo ‘Old Skool’ (50%, OB, 2026) 
This baby celebrates 25 years since the distillery reopened. Hum, I believe we were there, and I’ll take this opportunity to tell you that the finest version of the ten-year-old from the days of this label (the Jim Beam Brands/Invergordon era), back in the 1980s and 1990s, was the ‘sherry’ version for France. We also had two-litre bottles of the 10-year-old with this label, but not the ‘sherry’ version. Nothing is ever perfect in this world. Colour: gold. Nose: we often talk about melon with natural Bruichladdich, and that’s exactly what we have here, together with apple tart and the faintest touch of smoke. Wood smoke. With water: very lovely, vanilla, ripe apples, whelks. Indeed, whelks. Mouth (neat): dried apples, figs, quince paste, lovely green pepper, and perhaps a few maritime touches. With water: the barley comes to the fore, as does mint, blossom honey, hay… Finish: fairly long and fresh, fruity (apple), slightly saline. Comments: a very fine commemoration, executed with great care, bravo. Good grief, 25 years already…
SGP:551 - 87 points. |
So we had originally planned to do a short ‘time warp’ session, and that is indeed what we’re going to do, but we have unilaterally decided to add a few other expressions afterwards. We’ll see what we end up with, but in the meantime… |
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Bruichladdich 17 yo 1976/1994 (52.1%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection) 
Naturally, this baby had been matured in an ‘oak cask’, as duly specified on the label. That never ceased to make us laugh. Colour: deep gold. Nose: a truly astonishing family resemblance, immediate and indisputable, with little cider apples, stewed apples, melons, camphor, seashells and wet beach sand. Quince liqueur, bergamot liqueur… Utterly beautiful. With water: that famous old tweed jacket that has weathered so many rains and storms, chervil, lime, porridge for the gods… Mouth (neat): rich and textured, almost creamy, and sublimely saline. We could almost believe there was a little peat involved, unless they borrowed a cask from one of the local distilleries, perhaps just to the east, or indeed right down in the south of the island. A magical arrival. With water: all the little mints and all the little yellow fruits. Finish: medium in length, but perfectly balanced. Citrons, melons, seashells… Comments: it’s not that I’m surprised… But yes, I am surprised… What unfathomable beauty!
SGP:562 - 93 points. |
Come on, let’s celebrate this lovely duo with a few more Bruichladdichs, selected completely at random… While trying to avoid Rhinns, Lochindaal, Port Charlotte and other peaty deviations… |
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Bruichladdich 11 yo 2010/2022 (52.7%, Whisky Picnic Bar & The Whisky Agency, Rivesaltes barrique, cask #2136) 
Ouch, wine, that’s something that may have hampered a few Laddies in the past, so let’s see… That said, Rivesaltes is a fortified wine, just like sherry… Colour: rich gold. Nose: pear tart, runny caramel, apricots roasted with honey… Hard to argue with that, we’ll agree. With water: raisin and caramel tart, cinnamon, walnuts, a little sulphur. Mouth (neat): apricot liqueur, mirabelle liqueur, one drop of seawater, one drop of pepper liqueur. It’s still a little too much for me. With water: even more so after adding water. Finish: rose liqueur, lychees, pepper. Comments: I must confess I struggled a little this time.
SGP:751 - 79 points. |
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Bruichladdich 18 yo 2008/2026 (57.3%, Halcyon Spirits, oloroso sherry finish, 185 bottles)
Colour: full gold. Nose: oh lovely, turrón, walnut tart, caffè latte, chocolate truffles, a little pepper, parsley, basil, pipe tobacco, damp potting soil… With water: those peppers are rather magnificent on the nose. Mouth (neat): excellent, walnut and orange liqueurs, cinnamon and pepper. That potting-soil side is there too. With water: very beautiful, tobacco, coffee, peppers, candied walnuts, nutmeg, toasted buckwheat. Finish: fairly long, spicier, more peppery, this is the only point where it becomes a little ‘marked’. Comments: no, this is a very, very fine bottle, with a finishing indeed, but it was an ultra-classic finishing.
SGP:561 - 87 points. |
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Bruichladdich 30 yo 1991/2021 (41.3%, Whisky Maniac & Sansibar, bourbon hogshead)
A fragile but adorable little creature, perhaps… And then, we do love seeing tartans and clans back on our labels, just like in the good old days, it makes a nice change from dragons, unlikely celebrities, cats or monuments of the entire world. Colour: light gold. Nose: oils, fresh almonds, pistachios, macadamia nuts… We love all that, but it can sometimes lead to a slightly tired palate, so let’s see… Mouth: but no, indeed it isn’t terribly powerful, yet the melon skins, fresh almonds, little apples and herbal teas are quite enough to make this admittedly fragile malt rather charming. Finish: short, on herbal tea and tea. Comments: this fragile little beauty drinks rather like a white wine. May I suggest scallops or sole meunière?
SGP:441 - 87 points. |
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Bruichladdich 22 yo 2002/2025 (54.1%, Dramfool, bourbon barrel, cask #1231, 122 bottles)
The very good people at Dramfool are great specialists in Bruichladdich including its more or less peated versions. Colour: pale gold. Nose: there is peat, it’s quite medicinal, but we shouldn’t forget that right at the beginning of the revival they were lightly peating their distillates, under Big Jim’s influence. With water: grapefruit and charcoal. Mouth (neat): this really is peated, it feels like pre-Port Charlotte, or perhaps already Port Charlotte? With water: mangoes and melons smoked over beechwood, or something along those lines. Finish: long and frankly peaty. Bitter oranges and charcoal in the aftertaste. Comments: there may be some misunderstanding here, but we certainly won’t deny that it is very, very good, nevertheless.
SGP:553 – 86 points. |
We persist, naturally, this is Whiskyfun, isn’t it? … |
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Bruichladdich 13 yo 2011/2025 (61%, Dramfool, Middle Cut, bourbon barrel, cask #3203, 216 bottles) 
Colour: pale gold. Nose: the barrel is doing the talking, with brioche, custard, and above all coconut sweets. With water: fresh baguette, coconut milk, fresh hay. Mouth (neat): coconut, lemon, bay leaves. The impact of the cask is maximal here. With water: melon and orange manage to rebalance things a little, but it remains very much about fresh oak. Finish: fairly long, woody, with plenty of black and green teas. The coconut returns in the aftertaste; it simply refuses to leave us alone. Comments: this really is great, you just have to enjoy twigs and coconut more than yours truly does.
SGP:651 - 80 points. |
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Bruichladdich 13 yo 2010/2024 (63%, Dramfool, Jim McEwan Signature Collection, Sauternes, release 9.1, cask #2329, 236 bottles) 
An Yquem affair. There is strictly nothing in common between a great Sauternes such as Yquem and malt whisky, at least no more than there is between coffee and mustard. Or between Pavarotti and Duran Duran. Colour: gold. Nose: and yet it works. Smoked apricots, grape must, yeasts, muesli, sourdough. With water: touches of lavender. Mouth (neat): it’s good, fat, sweet-and-salty, with roasted apricots and honey. Lovely lemony tension. With water: little change, it’s saline and fairly bitter. Lemon peel. Finish: long, green, tart and bitter, but the honeyed apricot returns and carries the day. Comments: gentle madness, very emblematic of what was going on fifteen or twenty years ago.
SGP:561 - 83 points. |
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Bruichladdich 12 yo 2011/2023 (55.9%, Rest & Be Thankful for Navigate World Whisky, bourbon barrel) 
Colour: white wine. Nose: we couldn’t possibly get any closer to the raw materials, starting with the barley, and it’s all wonderful. Rapeseed oil, melon skins. With water: light-coloured earth, limestone, fresh almonds, macadamia nuts. Mouth (neat): wonderfully fresh and pure. Lime, artichoke, green walnut. With water: the lemon takes control but does so with elegance and full awareness of the extent of its power. Right. Finish: long, precise, on barley, salt, walnuts… Comments: what sorcery is this? Everything is simple, even elementary, yet utterly beautiful.
SGP:551 - 89 points. |
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Bruichladdich 17 yo 2006/2023 (59.1%, Rest & Be Thankful for Navigate World Whisky, ex-mourvèdre finish, cask #535)
Okay, we adore mourvèdre, the great red grape variety of Bandol, but it would never have occurred to us to mix it with malt whisky. Now we know they were having many casks, we’ve seen them. Colour: bronze gold. Nose: pistachio biscuit, genever, bay leaves, wine vinegar. Not an easy environment for malt. With water: some rather massive wafts of crushed black pepper. Mouth (neat): toffee, old Dutch genever, dark propolis, pepper, ristretto. It’s very nice indeed, but we’re moving a long way away from malt. With water: pepper, genever, cloves, all turned up to eleven. Extreme coffee. Finish: very long, very bitter, very much on the trio of spices we have just mentioned, plus coffee. Comments: sheer madness. Consequently, we rather like it, since life is so short.
SGP:262 - 85 points. |
It is probably time for one very last one… |
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Bruichladdich 22 yo 2001/2024 (54.4%, Artful Dodger Whisky Collective, Sauternes, cask # R190200001, 275 bottles) 
Let’s admit it, very long cask numbers, even six-digit ones (something like 3XX.XXX), are always a little worrying, but very often for no reasons. And the use of Sauternes casks at Bruichladdich is too, we insist, even if that sometimes works. Colour: amber gold. Nose: sulphur, leek, it’s a tad unpleasant, truth be told. With water: no way. Mouth (neat): burnt walnuts, sulphur, bitter pepper. With water: it doesn’t work any better. Finish: no better. Comments: this is frankly tough, but at least today we’ll have learnt that even a company as quality-minded and motivated as the fantastic Artful Dodger Collective can sometimes fail a wee bit. So, after all, they are human. To be precise, we were at the distillery when these casks were being delivered, and they were difficult, at any rate sulphured to death and, in theory, unusable. When you nosed the bung hole, you almost passed out. Yquem or no Yquem, they should have been thoroughly rinsed, perhaps even long-steamed. But try telling that to a very distinguished Ileach, charming certainly, but perhaps a little stubborn … Anyway, half the points are for the bottler’s overall quality, demonstrated once again just yesterday by a wonderful Caperdonich.
SGP:272 - 60 points. |
All right, we’d better stop the slaughter. In the end, we haven’t had much natural Bruichladdich today, but we promise we’ll put that right at the first opportunity. Because Bruichladdich is a great distillate! Ex-bourbon or proper refill all the way... Stay tuned. |
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September 7, 2026 |
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A little trio of very fine Caperdonich,
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28 29 30 |
Glen Grant 2 |
| Straight from Glen Grant 2, aka Caperdonich, closed only very recently, in 2002. Indeed, 2002 is very recent by our standards. Just imagine, they closed Caperdonich just as we started Whiskyfun. |
Caperdonich has become something of a cult amongst a section of the maltosphere, admittedly a small one, but a devoted one. Angus is amongst them… Let’s see what we have… Here, a 28, a 29 and a 30, will that do? |
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Caperdonich 28 yo 1997/2025 (42.7%, The Whisky Blues, STR barrel, cask #5835, 146 bottles)
A genuine STR barrel necessarily means a re-racking here, doesn’t it? Note that this baby was bottled for the highly distinguished Bar Finch, Bar Drambuie (really), Bar Luckenbooth and Bar Brera (no typo, it isn’t Brora). Colour: gold. Nose: you do feel the STR (or simply the rejuvenated cask), with immediate little touches of fresh coconut and banana, but that’s no problem whatsoever, especially since mango, light menthol and farmhouse cider soon take over, followed by papaya and avocado juices. Vanilla too, but with restraint, phew. Mouth: the re-racking has clearly put a little oomph back into it, and that seems to have worked extremely well. Exotic fruit juices with honey, cider, very old fino, touches of sorrel and basil, all of this is very good and even rather fun. Some very ripe apple comes in to coat the whole lot. Finish: not long, that’s for sure, but with a lovely herbal freshness. Kiwis and green melons, skins and all. Comments: you can feel a little fragility, but that makes the whole thing even more charming.
SGP:551 - 87 points. |
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Caperdonich 29 yo 1995/2024 (58.6%, Artful Dodger Whisky Collective, bourbon hogshead, cask #95065, 308 bottles)
There ought to be quite a bit more oomph here… Colour: white wine. A whisky this pale after 29 years suggests a maturation that relied on time rather than on the wood. Nose: a very lovely composition, with white nougat, sesame oil, fresh apple juice (and above all unfiltered) and barley. A little latte or macchiato side. With water: closer to the earth, humus, mushrooms, mosses, in short, a walk through the forest. Mouth (neat): absolutely excellent. Pink grapefruits, fresh mint, liquorice wood, pink peppercorns, groundnut oil and pink grapefruit (you’ve already said that S.) With water: perfect now, lively, committed, motivated, assertive and close to a very good white Burgundy. There. Finish: rather long, on Italian lemon biscuits, macaroons, and a little roasted chestnut. An amusing Williams pear in the aftertaste. Comments: very impressive, we can understand why Caperdonich has its unapologetic aficionados.
SGP:661 - 90 points. |
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Gone Grant 30 yo 1994/2025 (51.2%, WhiskyLand, Decadent Drinks, refill barrel plus 1st fill sherry hogshead, 230 bottles)
I don’t know whether Decadent Drinks’ use of the expression ‘Gone Grant’ is merely some affectation of Scottish urban hipsters or whether displaying the name Caperdonich is strictly forbidden. Okay, I’ll ask them. Colour: deep gold. Nose: we’re fully on citrus fruits to begin with, marmalade, slightly peppery orange, then it veers towards even more exotic fruits, papaya, guava, mango, coconut milk… It’s difficult to resist all this fruity sweetness, especially as there are also touches of old-school IPA. With water: same, only a little oilier. Peanut butter, sesame oil. Mouth (neat): first syrupy, then waxy, then herbal, then spicy… it moves around a lot, with pink grapefruit as the common thread. With water: water calms it down slightly, and in the end it’s the oily texture that’s quite impressive. Almond milk, very light coconut, groundnut oil, lupins. Finish: rather long, with herbal teas rushing in and imposing their light tannicity. Comments: careful, as sometimes happens, reduction needs to be controlled almost half a drop at a time, it can suddenly ‘snap’ if you’re not careful. Otherwise, it’s a magnificent beast, and it’s time we paid more attention to Caperdonich. You’ll tell me it was about time indeed, given that we’ve already tasted more than one hundred and twenty different ones.
SGP:561 - 90 points. |
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September 6, 2026 |
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A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace! |
Just a few more rums
We continue our exploration of sugarcane spirit, its various derivatives, and the occasional unmentionable organic substance, which, by some pure miracle, we usually manage to dodge. Sugars, syrups, fruits, infusions and other acts of botanical (in the most favourable cases) vandalism here… Anyway, let’s begin with our traditional aperitif and try to raise the bar straight away… |
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Jamaica & Guyana 1995/2025 (45.5%, The Whisky Jury, The Many Faces of Rum, blended rum, cask #1, 216 bottles)
The distinguished bottlers tell us that this baby was ‘blended many years ago’, which does not rule out some blending at birth, am I wrong? Or immediate post-import blending? In any case, we are firmly in an English style… Colour: gold. Nose: that combination of olives, liquorice and anti-rust paint that is so typical of Royal Navy rums. Black olive biscuits, coffee caramel, the engine of an old motor car, lemon, ultra-ripe bananas… In short, there is some very lovely complexity here and we cannot help thinking of certain versions of Black Tot. Mouth: very fine woodiness, with balsa and cedar, then salted liquorice and grapefruit, the whole being gentler and more civilised than on the nose. A little charcoal, pencil lead… Finish: fairly long, with more brine and even seawater. Comments: excellent, even more so as an apéritif. A votre santé.
SGP:462 - 87 points. |
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Mainland Rum 8 yo 2017 (61.1%, Superlative Spirits, USA, California, Hawaiian molasses, ex-bourbon cask, 240 bottles, +/-2026)
There had been a 10-year-old for K&L that had been excellent (WF 87). Colour: light gold. Nose: wood glue, marzipan and whiffs of brand-new Tupperware, could you make it any more American? Then thuja wood and cedar, a new humidor etc. With water: it retreats a little towards white turrón, fudge, peanut butter… Mouth (neat): much gentler on the palate, with oranges and roasted nuts, but also cedar wood once again. With water: a little ginger and some salty touches. Finish: same. A little rubber. Comments: perhaps less distinctive (and mad) than the K&L, but this remains very much to my taste.
SGP:441 - 81 points. |
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Ten Cane 12 yo 2012/2025 (59%, Holmes Cay Rum, Trinidad, The Whisky Exchange exclusive, cask #128)
I must confess I hadn’t heard of Holmes Cay, but they seem to have been around for several years, which proves once again just what an expert on rum I am. Apparently this is from an ex-cognac cask, while I should remind you that Ten Cane was an LVMH distillery that was active for only a few years in the early 2000s. Colour: deep gold. Nose: very lovely precision, simple and effective, with triple sec, very ripe mango and a few touches of peaches in syrup, perhaps coming from the cognac? No high esters so far. With water: a little wet cardboard, carbon, fir smoke… Mouth (neat): rather more salmiak than on the nose. We also find the trio of lemon, mango and pink peppercorn. Very light varnish. With water: it remains salty and lemony, but also rather fat on the palate. Finish: long, rather on lapsang souchong tea with a little lemon inside. But who would do that? Comments: very, very, very presentable, this little Ten Cane.
SGP:442 - 85 points. |
Since we’re in Trinidad & Tobago… |
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T.D.L. 22 yo 2003/2025 (57.8%, Lucky Choice for The Good Spirits & Picnic Bar, Trinidad, barrel)
With TDL, the question is always the same: few esters? A moderate amount of esters? Loads of esters? Quite a Jamaican question, when all is said and done. Colour: golden amber. Nose: that monstrous and oh-so-typical assortment of ripe bananas, mango liqueur, passion fruit and fir honeydew. This is going to be quick. With water: a little rubber, tar, lanolin… Mouth (neat): sublime salty exotic fruits and a lime that gradually takes over, together with fresh mint. Rest assured, we’re not heading towards some beach mojito. With water: goodness, this is good! What’s more, some superb bitters come rushing in and rebalance the whole thing. Finish: long, clean, on ultra-premium-quality liquorice allsorts, with salty touches. Tar in the aftertaste. Comments: the only flaw is that there are precisely zero surprises.
SGP:652 - 90 points. |
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The Scarlet Ibis 18 yo (55%, The Whisky Exchange, Trinidad, ex-bourbon barrels, 2026)
We’re duly warned that this is a ‘Single Modernist Rum’. Mind you, Modernism in art gave us Art Nouveau, did it not, so perhaps ‘Modernist’ is already splendidly old-fashioned. Colour: deep gold. Nose: TDL through and through, ripe bananas, mangoes, honey, melon, pineapple, liquorice allsorts… With water: there seem to be a few more esters than in the 2003 and, to be fair, a little touch of Ten Cane as well. Mouth (neat): kiwi, melon, banana, light camphor, mint, heather honey, slightly salty liquorice… There really is nothing to throw away here. With water: much the same, while the mint grows more prominent, with even a slight touch of aniseed or pastis. Finish: fairly long, fresh, and even more liquorice-driven. Lime in the signature. Comments: I’ve just seen the price of this bottle and almost sent them a fax to tell them they’d forgotten a zero.
SGP:662 - 89 points. |
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French West Indies 2019/2026 (58%, Kirsch Import, Journal des Kirsch, Martinique, agricole, bourbon cask, N°14, 140 bottles)
Almost everyone says this is La Favorite, but should we really believe everyone? Especially since others say it’s Neisson… Colour: amber. Nose: it’s really interesting to taste this Martinique after the Trinidads, something we wouldn’t normally have done, as it really brings out the spicy, toasted side, cinnamon rolls, eucalyptus, wet earth, even potting soil, balsamic notes, toasted walnuts… With water: ras el hanout from an old tin box. Mouth (neat): really excellent, camphor, liquorice, even more eucalyptus, throat lozenges, honey… It almost makes you want to pretend you’ve got a sore throat just so you can have some more. Or buy six bottles, if there are any left. With water: perfect, now with a surprising rye-like side that doesn’t feel out of place at all. Finish: not that long, but complex, with magnificent spices. Violet liquorice. Comments: this is certainly a slightly different agricole, and I love it. As for the prices, I almost sent Kirsch a fax too, about those missing zeroes. There really are some terrific bargains to be had.
SGP:561 - 90 points. |
We’re off to Jamaica. You know the rule, no WF session without a Jamaican! |
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Jamaïque ‘STR BDX TDJ’ (55%, Landier & Vingtier, Jamaica, 2026)
If you know what ‘STR BDX TDJ’ means, please send me a telegram or a telex. Right, STR Bordeaux cask it must be, but TDJ? Trelawny Distillery Jamaica, perhaps? We shall await the telex. Colour: rich gold. Nose: esters turned up to eleven, formic acid, olive oil, diesel fuel, acetone, this positively reeks of Trelawny Distillery Jamaica. Right, Hampden or Long Pond. The very ripe apples now coming to the fore aren’t giving away any further secrets. With water: those caramelised Brussels sprouts (indeed) aren’t telling us any more either. Mouth (neat): absolutely perfect, anchovies, olives, pepper, cider vinegar, salmiak, capers… With water: tapenade loosened with seawater and lemon. Finish: same. Comments: it’s very young, but it’s already excellent. I should add that I found strictly nothing Bordeaux-like in here, and I’m certainly not complaining, quite the opposite. While just like everyone, I adore Bordeaux.
SGP:463 - 87 points. |
 Check the index of all rums we've tasted
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September 4, 2026 |
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The Time Warp Sessions,
today a pair of high-strength independent Aberlours, bottled almost twenty years apart |
The headline rather gives the game away, does it not…You'll have noticed, though, that we’re still resisting the wave of clickbait titles so fashionable among the new generations. The sort of thing along the lines of: ‘The Two Greatest Independent Aberlours Ever Bottled??? You Won’t Believe the Score of the Last One!!! Read to the End, and Don’t Forget to Tell Us Your Favourite Aberlour in the Comments!!!!!!’ |
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Aberlour 12 yo 1994/2007 (60.4%, C&S Dram Collection, hogshead, cask #8863, 245 bottles)
We’ve had this baby waiting in the wings since it came out, so it’s well past time we gave it a proper tasting. Colour: pale gold. Nose: textbook Aberlour in its natural state, full of orchard fruits, wild strawberries, peaches and melon ice cream. With water: a few delicate floral touches emerge, along with wormwood, peonies and the like. Mouth (neat): the very same fruits return, this time as compotes and sweets. With water: still very much on sweets and fruit syrups, with plenty of pear and peach. Finish: fairly long, slightly rustic, with leafy herbal infusions made from leaves, stalks and stems. Cherry stalk tea, for example. Comments: this is really rather lovely, close to the distillate, entirely natural, yet without too many rough edges. In short, we do like this pretty much indeed, despite its relative rusticity.
SGP:641 - 84 points. |
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Aberlour 14 yo 2012/2026 (61.9%, Signatory Vintage, Cask Strength Collection, 1st fill oloroso sherry butt, cask #4, 660 bottles)
We ought to be much closer to the official bottlings here, such as the A’bunadhs. Which reminds me that it’s been almost two years since we last tasted any of the newer A’bunadhs, some whisky blogger we are! Colour: dark reddish amber. Nose: Armagnac-filled chocolate truffles, that’s how we’d sum this nose up for the time being. Add to that a few drops of good old family kirsch and a touch of fresh rubber. With water: chocolate, brown tobacco and light hints of Marmite, perhaps even Maggi, that liquid we either loathe or adore, depending on our family background and cultural upbringing. Honestly. Mouth (neat): once again that very kirsch-driven profile, very much in the style of well-aged fruit eau-de-vie matured in oak (not always the greatest idea), with plenty of Marc de Bourgogne as well. With water: this time it’s genuinely impossible not to think of A’bunadh, surely because of the oloroso. Finish: much the same. Long and punchy, packed with kirsch once again, together with touches of brandy, from Jerez this time. Bitter oranges in the aftertaste. Comments: ‘A’bunadh Indie’.
SGP:561 - 87 points. |
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September 3, 2026 |
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Here we are, back on the Isle of Jura
We’ve always had a soft spot for Jura, for its ever-so-different character, those fabulous peated expressions from a few years back, and also some rather improbable finishings… Not to mention those Orwellian dystopias that seem to be cropping up more and more often in real life (are you sure about that, S.?) … |
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Jura ‘French Cognac Casks’ (40%, OB, Cask Editions, 2026)
A simple finishing, NAS, and above all a dazzling pleonasm if you only take the words ‘French Cognac’ (the equivalent of Scottish Scotch). Nit-pickers may always argue that in the expression ‘French Cognac Casks’, it’s the casks that are French, or indeed the oak, but the oak has to be French anyway. Although even more dedicated nit-pickers may point out that it’s only the years required to qualify for the appellation, so the first two years, that have to be spent in French oak (we do see cognacs finished in mizunara), but does an XO, for example, have to be entirely matured in French oak? This is the moment when I realise that we’re doing a whisky tasting, not a cognac tasting. And so… Colour: gold. Nose: you can smell peach skins, elderflower liqueur and mild honey from miles away, I promise you. Which isn’t remotely unpleasant… Mouth: the malt regains a little control, with even that amusing combination of walnuts (lots) and mustard (a little) that’s so typically Jura, the whole lot liberally sprinkled with mead. Finish: not that short, with the walnut-and-mustard duo now joined by pepper and other spices. The cognac no longer has much to say, unless some of those spices come from the… French oak. Comments: mystery upon mystery, but I rather like the whole thing.
SGP:551 - 82 points. |
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Isle of Jura 16 yo 2009/2025 (51%, The Whisky Agency, Wave Farewell to 2025, Tawny Port barrique, 292 bottles)
The Roaring Twenties again… Right, port or cognac for the digestif? Colour: red amber. Nose: there really is this blood-orange and very fruity tomato-sauce side, and I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like that. Then pumpernickel and Läckerli, a few prunes, and amber beer, bière de garde of course. With water: a whole tray of winachts bredalas, fig cakes, Armagnac liqueur (pousse-rapière) … Mouth (neat): the port is massive, but for once I find this excellent, even if it’s very deviant. Back come the pumpernickel, fruitcakes, very thick pepper liqueur, genever, cloves, and that famous rich and thick beer too… With water: it’s become almost a liqueur. I’m not saying I won’t have a little of this as a misuwari this very evening. Finish: long, but this is where it does a complete U-turn, becoming much drier and more bitter, in the style of ultra-dry Italian bitters and 95% cocoa chocolate. Comments: it’s a little crazy and, indeed, rather Roaring Twenties.
SGP:671 - 85 points. |
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Isle of Jura 17 yo 2009/2026 (51.8%, The Whisky Agency & Sansibar, Artists, Tawny Port barrique)
So, the same or not the same? In any case, the colours are similar… Colour: red amber. Nose: no, this is even fruitier, with morello cherries in eau-de-vie, Black Forest gâteau, guignolet… But I must say I adore cherries, there’s even a large cherry tree in the garden at WF Towers. Some very lovely whiffs of very dark and very moist pipe tobacco too. With water: a gigantic Black Forest gâteau for twelve people. Or six people like us. Mouth (neat): we’re getting very close to the 16 yo, but once again candied cherries and cherries in alcohol rule the roost, then kirsch, black pepper, cloves… With water: we’re heading straight towards black cherry jam, Basque-style. With pepper… Finish: same… Comments: I ought to hate this, but in fact I love it. What on earth is happening? In any case, those people at TWA are mad, but that was already an established fact.
SGP:661 - 87 points. |
We imagine the fourth and last one will be much more ‘natural’… |
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Old Jura 17 yo 2009/2026 (54.8%, Decadent Drinks, refill barrel, 125 bottles)
With, of course, George Orwell on the label. Old Jura also brings to mind Vieux Jura, a cheese rather close to Comté that comes, for its part, from the French Jura. I should point out here, without wishing to give anyone any ideas, that a Jura whisky matured in a Jura wine cask could be fun. In France, finishing in Jura vin jaune casks is not totally uncommon. Mind you, I’m not saying it always works particularly well… Anyway, let’s forget all that and taste this baby. Colour: white wine. There. Nose: obviously. Flint, riesling, paraffin, yellow apple. With water: and crushed mustard seeds. A slight fino or… vin jaune side. Flor, at any rate. Mouth (neat): this version perfectly captures Jura’s coastal side, too often erased by the maturation in my humble opinion. We find that little mustard note already mentioned, green apple, green walnut, seaweed, perhaps paprika… Or there, oysters with paprika. Yes. With water: peppered apple juice mixed with pinot gris. I promise you. Finish: fairly long, more saline yet. A very typical sour side, this would probably work extremely well with a top-notch gin in a championship-level martini. Comments: forget that!
SGP:462 - 88 points. |
A lovely little session today. We should NEVER underestimate Jura. |
Check the index of all Jura we've tasted |
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September 2, 2026 |
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A little trio of Tullibardine
We’ve always had a certain fondness for Tullibardine, alphabetically speaking, the last of the distilleries we’re fond of. |
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Tullibardine 9 yo 2016/2026 (55.6%, Maltbarn, bourbon, 154 bottles)
A young Tullibardine au naturel from an excellent house, this should be interesting… Colour: white wine. Nose: rather hot and very much on young eaux-de-vie, especially kirsch straight from the still. A light coating of barley syrup and custard. Hard to get much closer to nature than this. With water: even more ‘kirsch’, with fresh almond joining in. Mouth (neat): more herbal and lemony, then increasingly salty. Very taut and… natural. With water: same combination. I must say the saltiness is rather surprising. Finish: nicely long, with the barley syrup returning… salted. Comments: I don’t know whether this is actually salty or whether it simply triggers a sensation of saltiness on the palate, but it’s quite spectacular.
SGP:362 - 83 points. |
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Tullibardine 13 yo 2012/2025 (54%, Cadenhead, Chairman’s Stock, tawny Port hogshead finish, 210 bottles)
Two years in Port, so this is indeed a finishing here. Colour: apricot. Nose: a curious mixture of metal polish and blackcurrants, raspberries and grenadine, before even some shoe polish starts to show. The influence of the Port is very obvious. With water: earth, old cask, dunnage, wet hessian, saltpetre, all that on top of the grenadine… Mouth (neat): blood orange, paraffin, black pepper and… some rather dry Port. Let’s say it’s rather adventurous. With water: this works better, although there’s also a wee shampoo-like side, amusing, I should add. Finish: long, on, shall we say, some very peppery raspberry liqueur. Red pepper sauce. Comments: this is rather amusing but quite deviant. The Port really makes its mark.
SGP:371 - 78 points. |
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Tullibardine 32 yo 1993/2026 (47.1%, Maltbarn, bourbon and Madeira, 158 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: this is slightly strange too, but Madeira works a thousand times better than tawny Port in my humble opinion, and you can certainly feel that here. Lovely walnuts, artichoke, aubergine, a little mustard, tobacco, nutmeg, basalt… You cannot help thinking of some lovely, bone-dry and assertive Sercial. Mouth: yes, very good, with chocolate and toasted hazelnuts, plus once again a salty, mustardy side that works beautifully here. Touches of sage and olive. Finish: nicely long, earthy, close to Madeira at its finest. A little ‘fino’ side. Comments: a very fine counterpoint to the previous one, with a lovely dryness.
SGP:361 - 85 points. |
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September 1, 2026 |
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Quite a few Australian whiskies
We’ve been seeing some very fine things coming out of Australia for years now. For us, it all started with ‘The Great Outback’, a whisky that really wasn’t very good, then came Lark, Sullivans Cove, Hellyers Road and a few others, and our opinion began to change… Right, let’s start with one of the pioneers… |
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Lark ‘Cask Strength’ (58%, OB, Australia, Small Cask Aged, sherry, cask #486, 2013)
A strong contender at the Malt Maniacs Awards 2013, for which we never actually wrote any tasting notes. It was about time! Oh and indeed, here we are in Tasmania… Colour: golden amber. Nose: it’s powerful, marked by resinous wood and really quite extractive overall, while the sherry is more about a mixture of walnuts and raisins for now. With water: it shifts towards chocolate and tea with a cloud of milk, so rather British in style. So to speak. Mouth (neat): very rich, very much marked by the wood and sherry, in a style that’s fairly close to a young high-quality bourbon, but with some subtle je ne sais quoi, a kind of balance. With water: the raisins have taken over, PX, currants… Finish: long, still rich and raisiny, with more and more pepper coming through afterwards, as often happens when the wood is prominent. Comments: almost fifteen years later, this remains very lovely. It had won a high Bronze medal.
SGP:651 - 85 points. |
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Kinglake 2021/2025 ‘Goodbye Popeye’ (OB, Australia, 800 bottles)
Here we are in the province of Victoria with an astonishing distillery from which we’ve already tasted some very fine bottles in the past. This baby was secondarily matured in American rye, then in Australian tawny. Quite some cooking, let’s see how that worked out… Mind you, this baby is nevertheless ‘carbon neutral’. Colour: reddish amber. Nose: it kicks off with a rather surprising combination of black truffle and blackcurrants that works remarkably well, then comes liquorice, while the truffle keeps growing and growing, but careful, this has absolutely nothing to do with sulphury whiffs, strictly nothing. With water: beef broth, Thai sauce, hoisin, always with great elegance. Mouth (neat): very lovely, smoky and marked by juniper, then chocolate and, once again, truffle (tuber melanosporum). With water: pure truffle and foie gras soup, Bocuse-style. I swear. Finish: long, even meatier, leeks, truffles, chives, dark chocolate… This is superb. Comments: lovely mastery of maturation and casks! We can also find a kind of kinship with Lark, I hope we’re not offending anyone by saying that…
SGP:562 - 88 points. |
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Kinglake 2021/2024 (46%, OB for Whisky Abbey Festival, Australia, ex-rye, 206 bottles, 2024)
The Whisky Abbey Festival takes place in Melbourne, I hope we’ll get the chance to go there one day. Colour: white wine. Nose: lovely stuff! Green apple, whitecurrants, sesame, sourdough, aniseed bread… Mouth: … and wee lemons, rye bread, juniper, with a slight shochu side, grey pepper, cinnamon… Finish: fairly long, with touches of lemon that ‘lift’ the finish and freshen up the aftertaste. Comments: this really is very successful, with a surprising Scandinavian side. In Australia!
SGP:462 - 87 points. |
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Lawrenny Estate ‘Heritage’ (46.2%, OB, Australia, 2024)
No age statement, so very young. Here we are back in Tasmania. This single malt was matured in an apera cask, so Australian ‘sherry’, then ‘real’ PX and oloroso sherry, in a solera-style system. Colour: deep gold. Nose: once again, plenty of loveliness, this time around tapioca and walnuts, without any particularly assertive sherry, let alone the slightly exuberant side of some PX. A square and coherent style. Chocolate. Mouth: the sherries are much more pronounced on the palate, with raisins, chocolate and pepper, then walnut wine, naturally. Finish: fairly long, on country bread with figs and raisins. Black pepper marks the aftertaste. Comments: the casks do leave their mark on the whole thing, but I like the result rather a lot.
SGP:451 - 84 points. |
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Lawrenny Estate ‘Tarkine’ (50%, OB, Australia, Port & sherry, 2025)
The label mentions the influence of ‘Huon’ pine but doesn’t say whether they actually used any for maturation. We shall see, I’m not sure whether the definition of Australian malt allows that kind of gymnastics… Colour: deep gold. Nose: I like this a lot right from the start, there’s rusk, toasted bread, some very lovely slightly metallic notes, fig leaf, grey pepper… With water: orange wine. I mean wine made with oranges. Mouth (neat): very lovely. Oranges, peppers, cinnamon, turmeric, sultanas in moderation, grapefruit… With water: wee figs and even more orange. Finish: long, with some adorable little green spices. Green pepper, grated zest… Comments: we didn’t really detect the Huon pine, but then we wouldn’t know how to recognise it anyway. Apart from that, we love this little Tarkine.
SGP:561 - 87 points. |
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Timboon Railway Shed 2011/2015 (41.5%, OB, Australia, Port expression)
Here we are back in the state of Victoria. An expression that’s still in production these days. This is the first time we’ve tasted anything from this distillery! Colour: Australian chardonnay (but naturally...) Nose: the Port doesn’t show at all, or perhaps it was a very young white Port? On the other hand, there are some charming notes of aniseed and fresh barley, as well as touches of pineapple. Nothing to complain about, this is very pretty. Mouth: amusing, with aniseed and liquorice allsorts, semolina, light yoghurt, grey pepper, a touch of lavender and olive… All this is a little unlikely, but it remains very pleasant and, above all, original. Finish: not very long and slightly cardboardy, but the grey pepper and aniseed hold the line nicely. Comments: I find this very likeable, and above all much less technical than the previous ones.
SGP:441 - 80 points. |
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Sullivans Cove 16 yo 2008/2025 (47.5%, OB, Australia, Mizunara’s 10th Anniversary, Hong Kong, American oak, cask #TDO331, 215 bottles)
Back in Tasmania. Colour: white wine. Nose: lots of fresh, lemony oak, a slight cucumber side, then aniseed bread and yellow and green plums. A little beeswax and certainly something rather ‘northern east coast of Scotland’. Mouth: more modern, with some very gorgeous fresh and sharp spices, lime and, above all, green pepper that comes to complete a bed of candied citrus fruits. Candied angelica. Finish: long and still just as fresh. The candied citrus and green pepper dominate proceedings. Comments: a very very nice bottle. Sullivans Cove has been at the top of its game for a few years now.
SGP:561 - 88 points. |
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Hellyers Road 21 yo 2003/2025 ‘Waking Dreams’ (62.5%, La Maison du Whisky, Ex Libris, Australia, 1st fill American oak, cask #3352.08, 147 bottles)
We’re still in Tasmania, of course… And a little bit in Paris too. Colour: gold. Nose: the precision of mango, wee banana, custard, thyme and melon. It’s not very complicated, but it’s superb. With water: leaves, stems, herbs and, above all, sorrel. Mouth (neat): very powerful, perhaps a little too much so, with coconut and peppery tannins becoming a little dominant. Water seems compulsory to me. With water: everything relaxes and becomes fruitier, a real joy. The mango and lime are back, although the coconut hasn’t completely disappeared. Finish: long, peppery, herbal, even with quite a lot of water. Green banana then puts everything back in order. Comments: don’t even think of tasting this rather combative little wonder without water.
SGP:371 - 87 points. |
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Hellyers Road 8 yo 2016/2025 ‘Seize the Fire’ (63.7%, La Maison du Whisky, Ex Libris, Australia, 1st fill American oak, cask #16322.01, 206 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: this is more medicinal, there must be peat in there, quite a lot of peat in fact. Camphor and Mercurochrome, over lemon and seaweed. As for the rest, we won’t insist, given the strength… With water: hugely elegant, very fresh, with an utterly clear profile, plus a little fresh plaster and virgin wool. Brand-new jumper. Mouth (neat): roots, lemons, ginseng, turmeric, peppermint, light tar and rubber. With water: lemons with tar, mint and aniseed. High definition. Finish: long, almost refreshing, provided you don’t taste this baby at its lethal original strength. Comments: I hate giving this sublime 8-year-old a higher score than the very fine 21-year-old, I’m almost ashamed of myself. Peat may well work like nicotine or ethanol, it can get you addicted.
SGP:466 - 89 points. |
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Hellyers Road 9 yo ‘Richly Peated’ (48.3%, OB, Australia, 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel, 2026)
This baby is brand new, and what’s more, bottled at a strength that lets you put away your competition-grade pipette and bottle of mineral water without the slightest remorse. Colour: gold. Nose: this won’t take long, someone Downunda had the bright idea of smoking bananas and mangoes, then adding a few drops of mint essence and olive oil. A success, I’m afraid, and quite a resounding one. Mouth: rather surprisingly, it’s the fruitiness that dominates, especially mentholated passion fruit. Also chervil, verbena, mugwort, woodruff… It’s crazy what grows in Tasmania (ha). Finish: very long and, let’s not beat about the bush, very peppery, in the style of some herbal liqueur from a small republic of the former Soviet Union. Love you. The aftertaste is dominated by fir extract (same comment) and lovage. Comments: a very impressive little beast, don’t be fooled by the relatively low strength, this has almost the power of a cask strength.
SGP:466 - 88 points. |
I’d like, to round off this already slightly overlong session, to take just a wee sideways step towards New Zealand. Seen from WF Towers, it’s next door… |
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Scapegrace ‘Anthem’ (46%, OB, New Zealand, French oak + Manuka smoke, 2025)
I don’t think I’ve quite understood everything about this manuka smoke business, but never mind, let’s press on… Colour: gold. Nose: spruce at full blast, kelp, rubber, capers. There, that should give you an idea. Mouth: a carbon copy of the nose, herbal, very fermentary, acetic, with wee pickled onions, pickled mushrooms, and an impression of charcoal ashes. Finish: fairly long, yeasty, briny, with some somewhat lovely acidity. Comments: it’s weird and therefore interesting, even very interesting. Bravo!
SGP:363 - 80 points. |
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August 31, 2026 |
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A little trio of Torabhaig
Here we are back on Skye, but while we’ve tasted a fair number of old Taliskers lately, today we’ll be having some (necessarily) young Torabhaigs. It’s also interesting to see that the indies have some too. We’re very fond of Torabhaig, I should add.
(Torabhaig) |
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Torabhaig 7 yo ‘Batch 1’ (51.5%, Living Souls, 1st fill bourbon barrel, 2025)
Could this be from 2017, the distillery’s first year? Colour: pale white wine. Nose: disarmingly straightforward, magnificently minimalist, this is essentially apples and lemons smoked over beechwood and peat, with a little antiseptic and bitter almonds thrown in at the last minute. With water: we dive straight into young peat and almond milk. Mouth (neat): almost exactly as on the nose, smoked apples and lemons, Mercurochrome, seawater, green pepper. With water: it loosens up, but not too much, becoming even saltier, with oyster juice. Finish: long, very taut, peppery and salty. Comments: …with the impression that we’ve just drunk a large glass of seawater. Or swallowed a big top-notch oyster whole.
SGP:366 - 87 points. |
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Torabhaig 7 yo 2018/2026 (56.7%, Dràm Mor, 1st fill bourbon barrel, cask #1163, 280 bottles)
This should be close… Colour: white wine. Nose: very close indeed, perhaps a touch more metallic, and more powerful too, but that’s probably down to the higher strength. With water: perhaps a little more medicinal, with a little more antiseptic. Mouth (neat): same impressions, it’s very, very close. With water: the lemons seem to have taken the upper hand over the apples, but apart from that, and this is entirely normal at such a young age, these very sharp malts are indeed almost identical. Finish: same. Comments: naturally, our friends the oysters are here too.
SGP:366 – 87 points. |
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Torabhaig 2018/2025 (58.9%, OB, The Whisky Exchange exclusive, Signature Reserve, new Scottish oak finish, cask #2829, 251 bottles)
We love names such as ‘Signature Reserve’, they have a lovely whiff of the twentieth century about them. Colour: full gold. Nose: not so easy to follow those two crystal-clear youngsters when you’ve got a much more pronounced oak impact. Pencil shavings, new cupboard… but the base remains fresh, taut, lemony, saline, coastal and, of course, very smoky. With water: an astonishing amount of shoe polish. Mouth (neat): we find that very taut and lemony style again, but once more the wood makes itself felt much more. Peppers, strong teas, shoe polishes… With water: the little tart apple is back. Finish: long, almost cutting. Lots of pepper and leafy notes. Comments: this is very good, and all this is naturally a matter of personal preference, but I tend to favour the versions that are less marked by fresh oak. You see, it’s like racing cars, the ones making the most noise aren’t the ones that win the race (hey, for what it’s worth). But indeed, this remains excellent.
SGP:366 - 84 points. |
August 2026
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Serge's favourite recent bottling this month:
Enviable Blended Malt 36 yo 1989/2026 (46.5%, Thompson Bros., refill hogshead, Speyside) - WF 91
Serge's favourite older bottling this month:
Highland Park 8 yo (100 proof, Gordon & MacPhail, UK, +/1970) - WF 94
Serge's favourite bang for your buck this month:
Highland Park 8 yo ‘Old Orkney’ (47%, Decadent Drinks, bourbon and sherry refill hogsheads and butts) - WF 88
Serge's favourite malternative this month:
Prunier 1976/2026 (59.4%, OB, Fins Bois, 90 bottles) - WF 92
Serge's thumbs up this month:
House of Hazelwood 1968/2022 (49.2%, OB, The Cask Trials, single grain, 303 bottles) - WF 93
Serge's Lemon Prize this month:
Phew! None in August 2026. |
We would like to remind you
that we do not take prices
into account, except for the
“bang for your buck” category. |
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August 30, 2026 |
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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! |
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The Rum Sessions,
today thirteen rums in wildly varied styles |
Most of the time, rums put us in a good mood, and that’s not the effect of ethanol of course, which is in any case consumed in very carefully controlled quantities. But between us, what made me laugh most recently was this T-shirt unearthed at a festival, with ‘Drum & Bass’ written across it in huge letters, the first letters of both words having been crossed out in red. Thank goodness they didn’t have my size, which spared me the indignity of being refused entry to WF Towers by the family authorities… Right, let’s find ourselves a little aperitif… |
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Planteray ‘Xaymaca Special Dry’ (43%, Planteray, Jamaica, +/-2024)
By Special Dry I imagine they mean that this expression hasn’t been ‘dosed-up’. Colour: gold. Nose: this is a fairly typical Jamaican, only lighter than the classic ‘funky ones’, while still displaying some lovely notes of diesel, turmeric, brine, nutmeg, fresh paint… Mouth: indeed, it is dry, saline, more characterful than on the nose, with shoe polish and lemon zest, as well as a touch of gherkin, then some very ripe exotic fruits, such as bananas whose skins have almost turned black. Well, you see what we mean. Finish: long and saline, with more pepper too. Comments: not ‘sweet’ at all, very good, very ‘pot still’. And those 43% are rather restful...
SGP:462 - 85 points. |
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Spain Rum 17 yo (60.6%, Roaming Road Spirits, Spain, ex-bourbon, 2025)
With a finish in a whisky cask from Cotswolds in England. Is this rum from the Canary Islands? We’ve already tasted some very good ones, fairly firmly in the style of Madeira rums rather than the usual very light style, but here it is specified that this is made from molasses, not cane juice. Colour: full gold. Nose: rather oily, malty, vanilla-led, woody, very much on pastries. Raisin rolls, streusel, orange syrup and assorted candied fruits. With water: coconut comes to the fore. Mouth (neat): once again very much on pastries, with orange liqueur and quince paste taking centre stage. A little maple syrup. With water: coconut, vanilla, orange syrup. The texture is light. Finish: medium in length, gentle, with orange blossom and cinnamon. Comments: not exactly my preferred style, but this is good and easy-going, certainly in the upper tier of Spanish rums.
SGP:631 - 82 points. |
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Hispaniola 18 yo ‘n°6’ (57.4%, les Frères de la Côte, Dominican Republic, oloroso, 900 bottles)
After ageing on Hispaniola (that used to be the future the DomRep + Haiti, if I’m not mistaken) this baby then aged in the holds of the sailing ship Tres Hombres in 2021-2022, before arriving in France. They call that dynamic ageing, which makes perfect sense… Colour: full gold. Nose: rather lively, earthy, with fallen fruits, citrus, grapefruit, spices, ras-el-hanout, allspice… This is lovely and doesn’t smell ‘sweet’ at all. With water: oops, caramel comes rushing in. Mouth (neat): this time it is sweet, beyond the spices, you could almost believe this was a sweet pepper-infused rum, or rather some kind of pepper liqueur. Perhaps one of those Dominican rums that are dosed when filled into cask, as El Dorado did, or perhaps still does, in Guyana. Rather a pity… With water: same feelings. Finish: medium in length, bursting with triple sec. Figuratively speaking… Comments: this had started so well, rather a pity indeed.
SGP:630 - 77 points. |
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Black Tot ‘Historic Solera’ (46.2%, Elixir Distillers, blend, 2025)
I don’t think this is a solera as they have in Jerez, it’s probably a perpetual blending vat, typical of what they do in Scotland, but I’m not certain. I’ll ask them. Colour: reddish amber. Nose: but this is really lovely, with damson tart, currants, old PX, a few touches of tar (and new tyres), prunes in Armagnac, Malvasia… In short, we like this so far. What’s more, it shouldn’t be overly sweet on the palate, let’s check that… Mouth: there must be some fairly high-ester Jamaican or Guyanese in there, it’s earthier, saltier, with plenty of salmiak beyond the raisins. Very lovely notes of tobacco. Finish: long, even more saline. Touches of black tapenade. Comments: the unlikely balance between PX and the funky side (we’ll have to find a better term for that one day) works perfectly here. In short, someone knew exactly where to set the dial, I really like this a lot. And if you ask me, that was by no means a foregone conclusion…
SGP:652 - 88 points.
Breaking news: Elixir has just informed us that this is a genuine Jerez-style solera, and that the casks come from an authentic solera in Spain. Our speculation was therefore unfounded, and we hereby declare that we now owe the entire board a glass of Gewurztraminer from Turckheim. |
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Rainforest 2024/2025 (58%, Habitation Velier, Philippines, 1500 bottles)
Fear not, this has nothing to do with Don Papa, it’s from one of those young distilleries that are springing up all over Asia. That said, I don’t know whether they have anything to do with the very good Tarlac/Luisita. Colour: gold. Nose: lovely smoke, oil lamp, plasticine, then mild curry, masala, bitter orange… With water: garden soil, seaweed, cedarwood and sandalwood… Mouth (neat): rich and simply excellent, I really like these notes of angelica, absinthe, liquorice, black pepper… With water: really very much to my taste. Some superb fresh turmeric. Finish: long, more on citrus fruits in brine. Hardly surprising, Velier is Italian, ha! I also learn that the ageing took place in chardonnay casks. Well, I didn’t really notice that… Comments: a lovely surprise!
SGP:562 - 87 points. |
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Heavy Rum Espagne 18 yo 2006/2026 (59%, Landier & Vingtier, Spain, Thai cask finish)
To be honest, I don’t understand much of what’s going on here, but I trust the house. One of their Galions had been magnificent. Colour: gold. Nose: this is funny! You can really sense the fight between the esters and the orange liqueur, each dominating the other in turn, Ali vs Frazier style. Pink peppercorn is refereeing the bout… With water: but who had the mad idea of smoking a crème brûlée over beechwood? Mouth (neat): really excellent, once again with this creative dichotomy, custard, tobacco, pepper, samphire, crema Catalana, ginger liqueur, Chartreuse… With water: totally Brownian, buttercream, Paris-Brest, ashes, mirabelle liqueur, earth… Excuse me, but what a glorious mess! Finish: long, same story. Comments: not your average Spanish rum, that’s for sure. Very long fermentation, we imagine.
SGP:651 - 87 points. |
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Mhoba ‘Satara Horizon’ (64.6%, OB for LMDW, Itinéraires, South Africa, bourbon cask, 2025)
I think I’ve already expressed, probably in fairly glowing terms, what I think of Mhoba. One sign never lies: quite a few top-tier indies have already got their hands on the brand/the distillate. Colour: gold. Nose: the sheer clarity of a great distillate wrapped in the gentle vanilla of a quality bourbon cask. Olive oil, carbon paper, brine, banana cake, custard. With water: notes of brand-new trainers straight out of the box, choose your brand and your size. Mouth (neat): but this is so good! Acetone, varnish, olives, lime… With water: it heads towards brine, the sea, the ocean, oysters, concentrated lime… Finish: same. Very tarry aftertaste. Comments: all that remains is to make a South African daiquiri with it and sip it while listening to Abdullah Ibrahim solo (RIP). But who on earth is this Mr ‘Satara Horizon’?
SGP:563 - 90 points. |
Since we’re in the Southern Hemisphere… |
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Fiji Rum 16 yo 2009/2025 (58.9%, The Antelope, cask #R789)
Pure pot still from the South Pacific Distillery, of course. When is the next Rugby World Cup again? Colour: gold. Nose: this is a fairly gentle SP, not exactly explosive in terms of esters, but very lovely, with this feeling of smoked banana sprinkled with seawater and olive oil. Or something along those lines. With water: that petroly Riesling side, plus the first thunderstorm rain hitting earth baked by a heatwave. Mouth (neat): superb precision, olive oil with basil and lemon, plus tar and seawater. With water: lovely brine, olives, little lemons… Finish: careful, add the water sparingly, it can weaken a little quickly. Comments: excellent, lively, precise, saline, for lovers of the style, among whom we most certainly count ourselves.
SGP:362 - 88 points. |
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Le Galion 2023/2026 (59.1%, The Whisky Jury, The Ester Hunter, catch 8, Martinique, refill barrel, cask #101205, 255 bottles)
Le Galion really is the Dua Lipa of the moment when it comes to funky rums. Just six months ago, hardly anyone was talking about it. Careful, I’m talking about their grand arômes, and this is grand arôme… Colour: pale white wine. Nose: ultra-acetic, packed with ammonia, acetone, UHU and Loctite glues, and medicinal alcohol. Since it’s just us here, few people understand why we like this stuff, do bear that in mind at your dinner parties… With water: dried starfish, samphire and goose barnacles. Mouth (neat): barbecue lighter fluid mixed with cucumber juice, lemon juice, and oysters that are almost dead. This is extremely extreme, let’s admit it. With water: saved by salted liquorice! Finish: very long, utterly magnificent, provided you belong to the 0.00001% of the population who deeply enjoy this style. Comments: very loco rum, that’s all, but this would wake a pirate who’s been dead for ages. What’s more, I reckon it’s unusable in cocktails, it’s just too extreme.
SGP:264 - 89 points. |
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New Yarmouth 2009/2025 (59.7%, The Whisky Jury, Jamaica, refill barrel, cask #04, 221 bottles)
Colour: chardonnay. Nose: the kinship with the Martinican is obvious, but this is cleaner, less ‘chemical’, less dystopian in fact, closer to rubber tree sap and small green olives. With water: more on wet cardboard, papier-mâché, lawn grass, green olives… Mouth (neat): it’s still very sharp, salty, acidic, lemony, briny… That said, I haven’t checked the marque, HM? RR? With water: increasingly salty, increasingly on green olives and their brine… Finish: long, more acidic, almost cutting, but we like that. We really ought to go and see a shrink. Just like you, yes, you. Comments: it’s extreme, certainly, but in that department Le Galion rather stole its thunder. Still, this is a very fine young New Yarmouth, that’s for sure.
SGP:363 - 87 points. |
Come on, just one last one, we’re not going to swallow twelve kilograms of esters in a single session, are we? |
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Enmore 37 yo 1988/2026 (49.6%, Gourmet Pool, Guyana, bourbon barrel, cask #35)
Some old wooden still stuff, romanticised to the extreme by all the rum chatterati. And rightly so, just look at the colour… Colour: bright reddish amber. Right. Nose: wonderfully delicate (quite a change after the Jamaicans and their relatives we’ve just tasted), with precious woods, rosewood, also sandalwood, incense, cedar, pepper and cherry cream (an absolute killer), porcini cream, parsley cream, Italian sage sauce… The whole thing starts going fractal, it’s extremely impressive, we’re almost more in the territory of Michelin high cuisine than that of spirits. In short, a magnificent nose. Mouth: let’s answer the obvious question straight away: too woody? Rather peppery and on very black tea, certainly, but too woody, no. Orange soup, hoisin sauce, Peking duck, fermented plum sauce, pepper sauce… We’re really staying firmly in culinary territory. We’re not going to tell that little joke again about the chef who always cooks with booze and, occasionally, even adds some to his dishes, are we? Too late, done. Finish: long, on black cherry jam with pepper, and loads of other little flavours, including some grand black teas. Comments: these old spirits are a little like parabolic flights in an Airbus or a 737 (forget the 737s), it’s just before they start nosediving that they’re at their most beautiful. Provided everything is under control, obviously…
SGP:562 - 92 points. |
Well, since we were talking about planes, how about attempting a soft landing? It’s tricky, as lighter rums tend to suffer after the heavy hitters, but let’s see how it goes anyway… |
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Foursquare 19 yo 2006/2025 (50.6%, The Wealth Spirit x Milroy’s, Barbados, 175 bottles)
We have very little contact with the official Foursquares, but I’m sure they’re doing very well. On the other hand, we have tons of independent Foursquares, which is more than enough for our happiness… Colour: full gold. Nose: this is much gentler, of course, lighter, rounder, more pastry-like, with little herbs and little spices, all revolving around oranges of several kinds and at various stages of ripeness. With water: cedarwood and incense, a well-stocked humidor... Mouth (neat): soft landing indeed, but there are some very lovely woods, some smoky, fir, oak, spruce, even a little touch of briar (new pipe, oh forget it, how many people still remember what it feels like when you’ve just bought a new pipe and take your very first puff on it while it’s still empty?) … With water: some very lovely liqueurs, somewhere between fir buds and orange. Quite an oily texture too. Finish: long and spicier. Pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg. Comments: a very fine independent Foursquare that negotiated this little impromptu trap like a pro.
SGP:561 - 88 points. |
Come on, we’ll try to squeeze in one last one, but we’ll need something seriously weird… |
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Thailandais 12 yo (59.3%, Landier & Vingtier, Thailand, 1st fill bourbon, 2026)
Well, the bottle says 59.8%, the Web says 59.3%, such are the joys of craftsmanship, you see. And when the AIs get involved (they already are, S.), it’ll just become one glorious mess, and the actual truth won’t matter much anymore. Colour: red amber. Nose: raw chocolate and Ethiopian mocha, toffee, raspberry ganache, and increasingly some top-notch chocolate. We’re not talking about industrial rubbish here, are we. With water: fruity varnish. Peach, plums, hairspray… Mouth (neat): very singular, heavily marked by spruce, thuja, black pepper, varnish… Frankly, it’s not easy, the wood is very dominant. We imagine this is Chalong or Issan, both very fine distillates, but here they’re getting rather clobbered by their containers, to be honest. With water: caramelised and ultra-toasted wood… Finish: long and massively oak-driven. Comments: the limits of the exercise, as they say in the US Navy, especially on aircraft carriers. I won’t deny that it’s quite spectacular, but it really is heavily marked by resinous wood. I should add that the Thai character rather escapes me.
SGP:362 - 82 points. |
Come on, rum lovers, we’ll see each other again here next Sunday, if the God of spirits grants us life. That must be Bacchus, right? |
Check the index of all rums we've tasted |
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August 29, 2026 |
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Angus's Corner
From our correspondent and
skilled taster Angus MacRaild in Scotland
Wee duos with Bunnahabhain, Glenfarclas and Macallan
Let's do a wee session of mixed pairs, if you please. It's always fun to do these kinds of bundled pairings. |
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Bunnahabhain 32 yo 1990/2022 'New Acquaintance' (49.2%, OB, Canasta cream sherry casks and new oak cask finish, 318 bottles) 
Cream sherry and new oak finish sounds a little scary, but we fear nothing*... Colour: deep gold. Nose: it's not quite pina colada territory, but it has a lot of banana foam sweeties, coconut, pineapple juice and hints of cupboard spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, quite a few things that feel like they come from the wood, although the net effect is not necessarily 'too woody'. I like it, in other words. Further aromas of creme caramel, white chocolate and a dollop of pistachio ice cream. Mouth: a creamy and spicy arrival, where the wood certainly comes to the fore more assertively. Vanilla cream, green tea with lemon, spiced custard, sawn hardwoods, a little dried mint and some slightly vinous sherry characteristics. I'm not too convinced to be honest. Finish: decent length and the Bunna distillery character of salty peanuts, honey and slightly coastal and green fruity qualities come back into play, which rescues things well enough. Comments: I don't think the effects of these various woods have quite gelled with the spirit in this case, I enjoy the nose and the finish more than the palate. Now, other whisky folk seem to rate this higher, so please take my two cents with a fistful of salt.
SGP:651 - 81 points. |
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Bunnahabhain 1974/1984 (58.0%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, #10.1) 
The first SMWS Bunna! There are many very fun wee gems sheltered in these early SMWS bottlings, most of them pure distillate driven rocket fuel. We already had SMWS 10.7 during lockdown and rated it very highly (WF90), so let's see how this even younger sibling performs... Colour: white wine. Nose: petrol, lemongrass, wet rocks of all suggestive types, your mind fills with ideas of granite, flint, chalk and limestone! Also mineral salts, Bakelite, stock cubes and animal fats. As with so many of these older era distillates, it's really all about texture. With water: becomes very fresh, peppery, grassy and with a brighter mineral profile emerging. Like some excellent old dry Riesling. I'd add a few wee notes of lemon powder and laundered fabrics. Mouth: austere, petrolic, mineral and waxy with cooking oils, sheep wool, coastal 'vibes' and wee hints of things like mustard powder and sandalwood. With water: not quite the same impressive development as on the nose, still rather cruising along this austere, mineral and petrolic profile. Finish: medium, sharp, saline and with more of these gravelly, flinty, austere qualities. Comments: excellent distillate, recalls some of the later Cadenhead Authentic Collection bottlings with these austere and petrolic character. Probably a tad brutal and simple to go above 90, but it's still an excellent window into some older style, fatter distillate. Not hard to see how this liquid could stand many more years of maturation and still retain great integrity and charisma.
SGP: 361 - 87 points. |
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Glenfarclas 1979/2014 (50.8%, OB 'Family Cask' for The Bow Bar and Shinanoya, plain hogshead, cask #8801, 212 bottles) 
Colour: pale gold. Nose: almond oil, blossom, sponge cake infused with citrus syrups, acacia honey and flower nectars. A glorious sense of brightness and freshness about this one, also a delicate herbal tea note too. With water: dried mango, banana chips and unlit cigars. Mouth: the perfect balance of maturity and freshness. Beautiful variations on honeys, pollens, flowers, cedar wood, citrus jams and dessert wines, but also with a nice bite of spice and a tiny nip of an acidity. With water: mandarin liqueur, lemon icing, bitter orange marmalade with spices, more unlit cigar vibes, soft waxes and some earthier impressions. Finish: medium, focussed on more of these citrus and particularly orange qualities, some tea tree oil, dried herbs and olive oil. Comments: extremely charming and finely detailed old Farclas. These late 70s vintages could be really great sometimes, even if they tended to be overshadowed by the more dominant early 70s bottlings.
SGP: 651 - 89 points. |
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Glenfarclas 1978/1992 (54.7%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, #1.32) 
Colour: bright mahogany. Nose: fresh, fruity, black coffee joined by fig and damson jams, prunes in Armagnac and very lovely, lean earthy and tobacco combination. A superbly classy old school sherry profile! With water: rather glorious development, towards many types of honey, plum wine, old dried out sauternes, vieille prune, miso and candied orange peel. Mouth: It really makes you think of some top-quality old Fins Bois cognac, with these flower nectars, rich seams of earthy and tobacco notes, cedar wood and underlying impressions of dark honey. Wonderfully bright, deep and perfectly balanced sherry influence. With water: gets a tad drier, leaner and more precisely around earth, tobaccos, bitter chocolate, Maggi, herbal bitters and sorrel. Finish: long, earthy, bitter lemon notes coming through, clove, wintergreen, aniseed and some rich, ruby ale notes. Comments: terrific and compelling old sherry bomb Glenfarclas. Another under the radar old gem from the Society.
SGP: 562 - 91 points. |
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Macallan 1962 (80 proof, OB Campbell, Hope & King, Rinaldi Import 1970s)
A famous bottling of a famous distillery from a famous series by a famous old bottler. At least, 'famous' amongst us highly cliquey niche of whisky geeks that is. Colour: amber. Nose: indeed, worthy of its reputation if this nose is anything to go by. An immediate similarity to that 1978 Glenfarclas with this impeccable sherry profile, however, what this has in addition is a stunning dimension of fruitiness. Exotic and dried dark fruits together with a bountiful array of honeys, medicinal herbal notes, dried mushrooms, dessert wines, old liqueurs of the honey and herbal varietals - in short: one of those noses that just about has it all. Mouth: some faded notes of facecream and tiny ideas of soapiness, but they're fleeting and what quickly comes to dominate are the excessive rancio, earthy and dried exotic fruit characteristics. Also tiny notes of coal smoke, dried tarragon, passion fruit juice and balancing umami characteristics. Finish: long, glowing with honey, more exotic and plummy dark fruit notes and assorted teas and liqueur characteristics re-emerging. Comments: amazing, as expected, despite the tiny wobbly on the palate. The nose in particular is pretty breathtaking.
SGP: 652 - 93 points. |
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Macallan 1974/1985 (58.8%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, #24.1)
Very cool to be trying the first ever Macallan by SMWS, even if we anticipate that it may struggle slightly after the effortless swagger of the 1962! Colour: pale gold. Nose: in a funny way, it's not dissimilar to the Bunna 10.1 we had earlier, in that it's all about pure distillate and texture, these early SMWS bottlings really had something of a 'house style' about them. But this is altogether richer and more emphatic, bringing in more definite honeyed qualities, barley sugar, mint, tea tree oil, eucalyptus, flapjack full of dried fruit, buttercup and some nice hints of plasticine and wax. With water: soda bread, white stout beer, dandelion, ink and more plasticine. Mouth: superb power and great waxy, oily texture. Mineral qualities but well-balanced by a lot of flower honey, some jasmine tea, white flowers, shilling ales, breakfast cereals dusted with icing sugar, lemon barley water and even some slightly funky cider apple notes. Extremely entertaining, with just the right amount of natural sweetness to balance these very fatty and dominating distillate qualities. With water: still superbly fat and textural, more waxes, oils and ointment notes emerging. A glimmer of honey and barley sweetness is deftly retained. Finish: good length, drying, with crystalised honey and peppery watercress. Comments: not hard to see why such broad-shouldered distillate would not only withstand, but flourish in good sherry casks over many years. Always a great pleasure to try old Macallan 'au naturel', and of course to tick of this wonderful wee historical bottling.
SGP: 462 - 89 points. |
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Big thanks to Bora and to everyone else who gave me samples for this session! |
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August 28, 2026 |
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Even more blends and even more secrets
We continue, we rather enjoy these sessions that are a little more unlikely than usual. We’ll try to have some older ones too…
(Candied angelica) |
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The Speyside Star 12 yo (50%, North Star Spirits, refill sherry butt, #BR 001, 600 bottles, 2018)
We had been wanting to taste this intriguingly named baby for quite some time. We’d had it waiting in the wings since it came out. Apparently, it’s Benrinnes, so neither GF nor M behind this particular ‘star’. Colour: pale gold. Nose: very ‘refill’ indeed, although the sherry does make itself known, it’s rather yeasty, close to a fine beer, with plums, flint and chalk. With water: we’re getting even closer to chalk and grape skins. In short, marc. Mouth (neat): lovely, mineral and lemony, rather taut and pretty fresh. With water: apples are coming through. Finish: fairly long, fresh, more lemony. Comments: a really lovely, very fresh little Speysider, to think it took me 8 years to open it.
SGP:451 - 85 points. |
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Secret Speyside 15 yo 2009/2024 (55.2%, Chin Chin Bar, Hong Kong, first-fill Oloroso quarter cask finish, 155 bottles)
Colour: deep gold. Nose: very lovely sherry, more vibrant, lemony and peppery, rather in the manner of a Sercial Madeira, with green walnuts and marmalade from a Scottish brand. Of course. With water: same, it barely moves. No problem. Mouth (neat): I think it’s the quarter cask that adds this layer that is both lemony and oily, and I also think we could easily mention a 50/50 mixture of limoncello and nocino. With water: a little less thrilling once water has been added, not that it falls apart, but we probably couldn’t say it’s the greatest swimmer of all time. Finish: long and very lovely without water. Comments: more active woods are often a little trickier to handle when you add water. It remains a very, very lovely bottle.
SGP:551 - 86 points. |
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Blended Malt ‘Over 17 Years’ (44.1%, Thompson Bros., sherry wood, 2026)
Colour: deep gold. Nose: how amusing, we were just mentioning Sercial Madeira, and here we are virtually facing a 5-year-old Blandy’s Sercial. A little acetic marvel, taut and oily at the same time, to be enjoyed with some scallops just given a quick sear. I mean both the Blandy’s AND this Thompson’s. Very lovely touches of basalt and fresh tobacco. Mouth: wow, well played. Just take what I’ve scribbled above about the nose and add a drop of seawater. Finish: long, saline, peppery, wonderfully acetic. Old balsamic vinegar. Comments: the finest alternative to Noilly. I imagine you could also use it to flambé your shellfish.
SGP:362 - 89 points. |
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CRN57° 18 yo (43%, Gordon & MacPhail for The Cairn, blended malt, 2025)
A range put together to keep us going until the first The Cairns finally come of age. We had absolutely loved the 30-year-old earlier this year (WF 90). Colour: full gold. Nose: if there isn’t any Benromach in there, I’ll eat my beret, my stripy sailor’s jersey, and my entire baguette. Enough said. Mouth: same comments. And I’ll even pledge to watch the French news channels with their constant moaning and endless lamentations, the cruellest of penances. Magnificent blended malt, even at 43%. Mustard, pepper, salt, turmeric, bitter almonds, a little aniseed, Seville oranges… Finish: same, and it’s certainly not short at 43% vol. Comments: simply terrific. So, do I have to eat my beret?
SGP:462 - 88 points. |
A word of caution, when we speak of Benromach in such glowing terms, we mean the post-1998 distillates by G&M. The older Benromachs, while sometimes relatively charming, generally have very little to do with those. |
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CRN57° 25 yo (43%, Gordon & MacPhail for The Cairn, blended malt, 2025)
In theory, there could already be some G&M Benromach in this baby. Colour: deep gold. Nose: I think I slightly prefer the 18 for now, but this is very lovely too, with autumn leaves, cigars, boxwood, fig leaves, caraway and a slight touch of cork (not TCA, mind)… Mouth: no, forget that, this is magnificent. Sublime bitters, taut yet rich, old walnut liqueurs, and once again that dry Madeira side we found in the perfect 17-year-old from the Thompsons. Finish: same. A little tar, ashes, cigars, walnuts, jujubes, service berries... Comments: the bitters are superlative. It remains to be seen whether this superb range will survive once The Cairn has completely taken over the market (or almost).
SGP:362 - 89 points. |
Right, we’ll carry on with two 30-year-olds and two 36-year-olds, then we’ll go and watch the French news channels with the sound off, JOMO-style. Good, let’s have a multi-vintage, in the manner of Mark Watt during his Cadenhead’s days, when he could blend two 85-point casks and come up with an 87-point ‘small batch’. Pure magic, albeit sacrificial at the altar of the ‘single cask’ totem. |
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Highland Single Malt 30 yo 1994-1995/2026 (47 .1%, Decadent Drams, refill hogshead, 250 bottles)
Handwritten labels in the style of old armagnacs or calvados have always set whisky independents dreaming, don’t ask me why… Colour: gold. Nose: buttercups, dandelions and mandarins, with one tiny spoonful, mocha-spoon-sized, of custard… The key is the mandarin. Mouth: excellent, waxy, still with an entire family of mandarins, a little green apple, and beeswax. And, while we’re at it, fresh pollen. Finish: not eternal but displaying the same very lovely notes. The wood starts to make itself felt at this stage (slightly over-infused green tea), but everything remains under control. One of the casks must be the culprit, but is it the 1994 or the 1995? Comments: we don’t care, it remains a very lovely whisky, classically Highland. It’s verging on perfection, with a slight Meursault side, only cheaper. Have-you-seen-the-price-of-Meursaults?
SGP:461 - 89 points. |
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Speyside Single Malt 30 yo 1990/2021 (50.4%, Thompson Bros., for the Netherlands, refill American barrel, 278 bottles)
Quite right, once again, we’re late. By the way, apparently that’s the Queen of the Netherlands on the label, is that true? Admittedly, we’re old republicans at WF, and we didn't mean to be disrespectful, naturally… Colour: light gold. Nose: green banana, vanilla, ‘pils’ beer and very ripe apple. With water: a little hay and straw. It retreats somewhat. Mouth (neat): very good, just not terribly distinctive. Go on, name the distillery… Cider apples, greengages, green pears, lemon and orange drops, green pepper… With water: we find that cold green tea side again, with a little lemon. Finish: medium in length, retreating towards beer and barley. Comments: I’m not sure it loves water. At any rate, not Vittel (Nestlé, where’s the bloody cheque? Remember we take bitcoins too, even US bonds…) They should add a sticker, ‘no water’. Or ‘keep water for Africa’. Anyway, you get the idea… In short, a fine example of a whisky that really ought to be tasted ‘naked’. Oh, come on…
SGP:341 - 85 points. |
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Enviable Blended Malt 36 yo 1989/2026 (46.5%, Thompson Bros., refill hogshead, Speyside)
Enviable? You only need to rearrange the letters to find the distillery, I think. Or to think of an old bottle of 50 years old.The brothers are certainly occupying the terrain, and very cleverly so, especially since the vast majority of their whiskies are of a very, very high standard. We love this permanent guerrilla approach, the sort of thing they used to teach us back in my business-school days. Colour: white wine. Yep, at 36. Nose: a collection of little apples, wild, cultivated or forgotten varieties, complemented by touches of fresh mint. Behind all that, a barley field at sunset, after a scorching hot day followed by a sudden and joyfully abundant summer shower. Yep. Mouth: this is something else entirely, much more vibrant, like an old white Graves of interstellar quality that would have retained all its liveliness. Salted citrons, little white or pink olives, green peppercorns… Finish: long, briny, very lovely. Comments: I wouldn’t mind a few explanations, but in the meantime, this is quite dazzling. That combination of freshness and fine age, it’s almost like Sir Paul. S.u.p.e.r.b. bottle.
SGP:462 - 91 points. |
And the last one, since we promised you… |
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Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 36 yo ‘Tun 89’ (52.4%, Milroy’s Vintage Reserve, Speyside, 2026)
I love these tun numbers, the equivalent of batch numbers in cognac. Or how to suggest a vintage without actually displaying it… Or to hint, more or less discreetly, at Balvenie too, famous for its… ‘tuns’… Or its alter ego Burnside, right. Colour: white wine. Nothing pleases me more than a 36-year-old that’s as pale as a 2025 pinot grigio. Or 2026, at the rate the harvests are going in these days of global warming… Nose: pinot grigio, ha. Hay, ripe apples, cider, dried flowers, patchouli, a little vetiver… then mirabelles and quince. With water: it remains a little restrained, it doesn’t exactly burst with aromas. Quince paste. Mouth (neat): a very lovely display of mirabelles, quinces, rhubarb paste and candied angelica. With water: once again it retreats a little, although less so than on the nose. Quinces and mirabelles are completely calling the shots. Finish: same. Fruity and herbal beer. Comments: very exquisite, but as almost always with these old ex-refill malts, use water with reverence and circumspection. Otherwise, some may remind you that originally, this was only barley, so nothing truly spectacular in aromatic terms.
SGP:451 - 88 points. |
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August 27, 2026 |
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More blends and more secrets
That says it all, doesn’t it? |
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St Bridget’s Kirk 10 yo 2014/2026 ‘Robert Burns’ (48.5%, Hannah Whisky Merchants, blended malt, 1st fill oloroso quarter cask finish, 194 bottles)
It’s great, they tell you what’s in it, namely Glen Spey ex-ruby Port, Glen Moray ex-bourbon and Caol Ila ex-ruby Port. In short, it’s Caol Ila. We’re joking, but the peated ones generally tend to dominate even in very measured doses… Colour: golden apricot. Nose: peat and blackcurrants doing a rather unlikely yet very pleasant tango, over a basaltic carpet strewn with prunes. In short, that’s more or less it… Mouth: Caol Ila is calling the shots even more now, but we were expecting that, weren’t we. Fruits in brine, salted fruit paste (very good!) and some kind of mixture of manzanilla and… well, ruby Port. Finish: long and pepperier, as is often the case. Peppers, grape stalks, then a slightly medicinal signature. Comments: frankly, I was a little worried, but strangely enough, the combination really works.
SGP:656 - 84 points. |
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The Teuchter 10 yo ‘Batch 2’ (47%, Decadent Drinks, Highland secret malt, refill hogshead, 2026)
Colour: pale white wine. Nose: green apple and candle wax, plus sea spray and gusts of offshore wind, could we be somewhere around Brora? Touches of flint and seashells. Mouth: more wax, apple and lemon, then a large bag of jellybeans from you-know-who. Very faint touches of pear drops. Finish: long, fresh, more herbal, while the aftertaste remains typically salty. Comments: has anyone ever thought of vatting Clynelish and Pulteney? Anyway…
SGP:452 - 87 points. |
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The Teuchter 10 yo ‘Batch 4’ (47%, Decadent Drinks, Highland secret malt, refill hogshead, 2026)
Colour: gold. Nose: oh, I thought this was going to be from the same source, but no, and I believe the owners admit that this is Ben Nevis. Typical Ben Nevis, drier than the Clynelish, more bitter on the nose, with more dark chocolate, fresh concrete, mustard sauce, the sea… In short, it’s fatter, almost Campbeltownian. Mouth: it’s fascinating to compare the two, as they’re two of my favourite distilleries and here, they’re on an equal footing in terms of age and cask, and even strength. Let’s say this BN is a little more ‘messy’, dry, peppery, less cheerful, but perhaps a little deeper, and even more complex. Finish: long, peppery, drier than batch 2. Comments: I love both, but it’s the Clynelish I’d take to a desert island. If I were only allowed to take one, of course…
SGP:462 - 87 points. |
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The Teuchter 17 yo ‘Batch 1’ (46%, Decadent Drinks, 1st fill PX hogshead, 330 bottles, 2025)
This time it was Tomatin, so a lighter and less textured malt than BN or Cly, at least in theory. Colour: gold. Nose: rather superb, but I’m less fond of this style, with more emphasis on raisins and old cellar. Coffee fudge, basalt, old pebble (no one in particular, ha), gunflint. Mouth: same feelings, it’s very good, but the impact of the PX is truly massive and while it combines rather nicely with Tomatin’s fruitiness (kind of relative in these vintages, mind you), it remains a little thick. Orange peel-flavoured oil. Finish: long, still rather thick, and very honeyed too. Comments: make no mistake, I like this, but the two younger ones that came before it rather dominated it, at least by my own personal criteria.
SGP:651 - 84 points. |
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Highland Malt 10 yo ‘Hermanos Thompson’ (45.5%, Thompson Bros., 2026)
Was this baby distilled in a clandestine laboratory somewhere near the Mexican border? Well, no, actually, it was finished in a manzanilla cask! Colour: gold, slightly cloudy. Nose: for sure! Green walnuts, mild mustard, seaweed, light brine, oatcakes and a drop of sherry vinegar. Now those maritime touches don’t really let you work out whether they come from the distillate or the manzanilla. Or both. Mouth: excellent! Quite acidic and bitter, in a very lovely way, fresh, sharp, invigorating. Lime, grapefruit, mustard, oysters, touches of whitecurrants. A little yeast. Finish: quite long, a little earthier. Comments: a very lovely little bottle, with the fino from Sanlucar making its presence felt. Would you pass me the langostinos, please?
SGP:462 - 86 points. |
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Secret Highland Distillery ‘Chinese Yellow Wine Cask Finish’ (53%, HK Whisky, for Whisky Live HK 2024, cask #2a)
There was also an excellent 13 yo Speyside (WF 89). Chinese yellow wine is ‘huangjiu’, made with rice, it’s got nothing to do with vin jaune. This is experimental, you understand. Colour: deep gold. Nose: it is true that rice is a cereal too, and consequently rice wine is closer to malt than, say, cabernet sauvignon or touriga nacional, no? In any case, I like this nose a lot too, it’s rather magnificently earthy, slightly fermentary, and bursting with yellow plums with a little pink pepper added. I find this works perfectly. With water: polenta! Mouth (neat): lots of toasted sesame and buckwheat, with even a faint smoky sensation. Excellent! With water: don’t add too much, it relaxes the whisky a little too much and makes it lose focus somewhat. Finish: very lovely pepper mingling with barley and buckwheat. Comments: we really ought to campaign for the use of these casks to be authorised by the Scotch Whisky Association, even if that means having to ship them to Scotland before filling and maturation. Between us, we’ve already seen stranger things up there…
SGP:662 - 88 points. |
Hard to follow that very special baby. So, we’ll carry on later… |
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August 26, 2026 |
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WF's Little Duos,
today Tomintoul |
We have survived Tomintoul’s many vinous convolutions in recent years and shall celebrate that with two small, official and classic expressions, probably rather light but which we haven’t tasted for almost ten years, the 14 and the 16. You’ll notice that, rather strangely, the 16-year-old is at 40% while the 14 is at 46%. I’m not saying that’s quite as important as peace in the Middle East, but still, it does make you wonder a little… So, let’s start with the lighter one… |
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Tomintoul 16 yo (40%, OB, +/-2026)
The packaging hasn’t changed for a long time, which is quite a good sign, in theory at least. I mean, compared with the almost constant rebranding elsewhere… Colour: gold. Nose: very malty and very close to beer, so very much about the raw materials, with a discreet floral side (heather, naturally) and a little liquorice. Some cider too, and even a touch of calvados. Mouth: pleasant but rustic, even more on beer and malt, very ripe apples, a little vanilla, then notes of stout. The whole remains light, almost featherweight. Finish: rather short but more herbal, while the malty-beer side remains. A very faint touch of bitter lemon peel in the aftertaste. Comments: nothing to add, it still won’t change the face of the malt world, but it’s perfectly all right.
SGP:441 - 78 points. |
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Tomintoul 14 yo (46%, OB, +/-2025)
There are several wine-boosted 14-year-olds around (notably white Port, PX), but this is the natural version, from ex-bourbon casks. Colour: white wine. Nose: I’ve rarely found quite so many gooseberries and so much stewed rhubarb as here, all wrapped in white chocolate and custard. It’s all rather childishly comforting, in the best possible sense. Mouth: fairly lively but less precise than on the nose, as if the lightness of the profile and texture were having a little trouble keeping the alcohol in check. Still, these notes of pink grapefruit work very well and add some… joy to the whole. A little bitter green tea then. Finish: medium in length but fresh, on apples, with a noticeable and welcome return of the gooseberries. Comments: I find this simple but really good, and I’m not saying that on a desert island, with no hope of ever returning… … …
SGP:551 - 80 points. |
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