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August 6, 2026 |
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No grain, no gain:
continuing from yesterday and the day before…
I promise this will be the last grain whisky session for quite some time. Thank you for your patience. But first, here's a lesser-known practice... |
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About fresh oak and grain whisky
Back when highly active casks weren't considered essential for maturing malt whisky, as they so often are today, it was not uncommon practice to fill first-fill or new oak casks with cheaper grain whisky first. This helped tame the more aggressive characteristics of fresh oak before entrusting them with precious malt spirit. |
Here's a perfect example: a photograph taken at Lagavulin in 2005. These empty Cambus 1992 casks (from Cambus's penultimate year of distillation), having spent around twelve years shedding the less desirable aromas and flavours imparted by fresh wood, were finally ready to be filled with Lagavulin's powerful yet pretty complex new make spirit.
(WF Archive)
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Invergordon 58 yo 1965/2025 (50%, Duncan Taylor, Signature Reserve, Frank McHardy 60th Anniversary bottling) 
It is obviously rather fascinating that such a towering figure of malt whisky as Frank should have taken an interest in grain whisky, although it helps to remember that he began his career at Invergordon in the early 1960s, are we still allowed to mention that, Frank? Colour: gold. Nose: a delightful marriage of melon, apricot and acacia honey, does that sound tempting? Add farmhouse cider, ripe mangoes and a few chalky touches. In truth, we are firmly in the territory of an excellent malt here, and we struggle to accept that this is grain whisky, even if it is Invergordon, and even at the grand age of 58 years. With water: the most delicate of Wulong teas, straight from the heart of Taiwan. Mouth (neat): oh my, this is beautiful! It might almost have held its own after yesterday’s magnificent Hazelwood, after all. Ripe banana, maple syrup, fresh vanilla, hay jelly, wild carrot, sweet woodruff and mullein syrup. It is perhaps only missing the tiniest touch of muscle, but then again, according to the label, it is grain whisky. With water: a cocktail of exotic fruits softened with coconut milk yet enriched by waxes and roots. Finish: this is usually the point where grain whiskies begin to lose lift, but here it skims through in perfect low flight. Comments: I know I am frightfully late, as always, but sixty years in the business deserves nothing less than a proper Roman triumph, Mr Frank McHardy! Awesome old grain.
SGP:641 - 90 points. |
We are coming gently back down to earth, with even more North British… At this rate, we shall end up emptying the warehouses! |
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North British 20 yo 2005/2025 (54.9%, Dràm Mor, refill bourbon barrel, cask #602953, 184 bottles) 
Colour: white wine. Nose: vanilla, turnips, nougat and a faint wisp of smoke from who knows where. With water: milk chocolate and café macchiato. Now that is very much grain whisky territory. The smoke, meanwhile, has vanished. Mouth (neat): as fruity and rooty as they come. Carrot cake splashed with lemon juice, or something along those lines. With water: the root vegetables become even more prominent, celeriac, gentian and swedes. Incidentally, swede eau-de-vie, as our dear neighbours across the Rhine make it, really is quite something. Finish: not all that short and, thinking about it again, very much on swede and perhaps Jerusalem artichoke. A touch of coffee in the aftertaste. Comments: good fun, good earth.
SGP:651 - 83 points. |
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North British 32 yo 1992/2025 (47.9%, Dramfool, bourbon barrel, cask #320, 188 bottles)
The sheer quantity of North British around these days is quite extraordinary, although when you have to keep Diageo’s and Edrington’s blends flowing, you do need some serious capacity. Well, mostly Diageo’s, to be fair. Colour: white wine. Nose: gentle, even more so on tinned sweetcorn than any of the others, with white chocolate, vanilla dessert cream, Danette, Mont Blanc, and suntan lotion made with shea butter and coconut milk. Happy holidays at the seaside, everyone! Mouth: camomile infusion, orange blossom water, a little Japanese roasted tea, hojicha, together with soft, fragrant oak. Sandalwood. Finish: much the same, though earthier and more herbal. Fairly short all the same, but some lovely citrus notes lift the aftertaste and earn it an extra point, there. Comments: simply very good.
SGP:551 – 84 points. |
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North British 31 yo 1993/2025 (44.3%, Lady of the Glen, refill bourbon barrel, cask #52734, 113 bottles) 
It is only because this is Whiskyfun that we are not even going to suggest there might be ‘rather a little too much’ of North British in our independent friends’ bottling portfolios. I promise you, we are holding up remarkably well… Colour: pale white wine. Nose: we cannot really claim there is a great deal of substance here. It is chiefly on tinned sweetcorn, vanilla and soft nougat. At least we have escaped the coconut this time. Mouth: ah, this is a little on the skinny side, diaphanous, transparent and gently sweet. This baby is going to set us a rather low benchmark, and perhaps we needed one. Finish: short and rather hollow. Comments: in a cocktail rather than neat, if you please. Mind you, there is plenty worse out there, malt whiskies included.
SGP:631 - 78 points. |
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North British 34 yo 1991/2025 (43.5%, Tri Carragh, refill bourbon barrel, 165 bottles) 
I do not think that when we started WF, twenty-four years ago, we ever imagined we would one day end up tasting more than a dozen North British in a single session. We would probably have devoted ourselves instead to growing cyclamens, tuning Porsche flat-twins or settling the eternal Clapton versus Page debate. Not forgetting Jeff Beck and Hendrix, of course. Colour: white wine. Nose: much like the previous one. Tinned sweetcorn, herbal infusions and apple juice. Mouth: quite pleasant, thanks to those nicely ripe apples setting the rhythm. Sweet cider, herbal infusions, barley syrup, yes indeed, and popcorn caramelised with lemon blossom honey. I may be gilding the lily ever so slightly, but it is for a good cause. Finish: not especially long, though gently lemony and pleasantly earthy. Comments: the balance is there, and so is the freshness.
SGP:551 - 80 points. |
You must be joking, more North British… |
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North British 29 yo 1995/2025 (49.9%, James Eadie, Distilleries of Great Britain & Ireland, refill hogshead, 361 bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: now this is interesting, with echoes of white wine somewhere between Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, followed by wheat beer. Quite a shift, you must admit! In short, a remarkably fermentary grain whisky, something we encounter only very rarely. The cask has probably had a hand in this… Mouth: grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, this time more aromatic white wines, Viognier and Gewürztraminer, alongside floral syrups, mullein and acacia. This is really rather good, despite the fragile structure that so often comes with grain whisky. Finish: not all that short, nicely focused and almost oily, with some lovely bitter notes that are themselves rather unusual in grain whisky. Comments: this is clearly a very good North British, but we have simply had enough North British for the time being. I think we shall declare a ban until at least 2030.
SGP:651 - 84 points. |
You know what, I think it is time we brought this madness to an end. We still have quite a few grain whiskies waiting in the wings, but they can have their turn another day. Instead of yet another North (gulp) British (gulp), let us finish by digging out something a little more unusual. Assuming we can find such a thing… |
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De Lepelaar 2021/2024 ‘Seaweed Tricolore Smoked Grain Whisky’ (45%, OB, palo cortado, 240 bottles) 
Straight from the island of Texel. Judging by the language spoken by the owners, we are either in the Netherlands or Belgian Flanders. I hope I am not ruffling any feathers here, but above all I wanted to break away from the admittedly rather wearisome procession of Scottish grain whiskies produced by the million litres every year. Some are good, some decidedly less so, but on the whole, they are about as exhilarating as a Bergman trilogy or a speech by Pete Hegseth. It is ‘Hegseth’, is it not? Right then, Pete Hegseth… Colour: gold. Nose: at last, some action! Bread, yeasts, beers, squashes and pumpkins, bitter oranges, bitters, Cynar, Fernet-Branca, Noilly Prat and the like. This is really rather lovely. Mouth: earth, spices, roots, bitters, ginseng, ginger, turmeric, bitter oranges and cumin. Finish: long, with pronounced yet very attractive bitters, plus a salty touch in the aftertaste. Comments: this really is a splendid little creature, one I did not know at all. Nor, for that matter, had I ever heard of ‘De Lepelaar’. Bravo, Mr or Mrs Lepelaar, assuming they actually exist. BTW this is probably not ex-high column.
SGP:462 - 85 points. |
Mind you, in Scotland and in other places they tend to call ‘grain whisky’ anything that is not purely malt batch-distilled twice or more in proper pot stills. |
… But come on then, one last North British for a good long while. After all, that famous Diageo and Edrington distillery has rather set the tempo over the past three days. After this, though, I promise, no more grain whiskies, and none for a veeeeery long time… |
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North British 30 yo 1993/2023 (48.9%, Volpe & Castello, Stonyhurst, Hong Kong Exclusive, cask #48668)
They certainly seem like rather nice people. Colour: chardonnay. Nose: custard, English breakfast tea, nougat, Chardonnay, quite specifically, blancmange and caramelised popcorn. In short, as gentle as a lamb. With water: roughly three tonnes of marshmallows. Mouth (neat): plenty of white nougat and vanilla fudge, with a generous splash of orgeat syrup. With water: a little orange syrup, pistachio syrup, milk chocolate and orange blossom infusion. It all feels rather ‘Dubai’, truth be told, one of the contemporary world's lower depths (hey, we're only joking). Finish: not especially long, sweet and a little syrupy. Comments: within this very rounded, sweet style, it ranks among the better examples. Even if that is not saying all that much…
SGP:630 - 81 points. |
We really must s-t-o-p now, okay? |
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August 5, 2026 |
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No grain, no gain:
continuing from yesterday…
And we shall try to pick up the pace a little, as there are really rather a lot of them still waiting in the wings… |
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North British 33 yo 1991/2024 (43.3%, Tri Carragh, refill barrel, 163 bottles)
… and North British is made from… maize, well done, you were paying attention yesterday. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: very attractively lemony, bringing to mind lemon pie, perhaps even rhubarb tart, with just a little vanilla cream. It comes rather close to some old Lowland malts, Bladnoch, Rosebank… Mouth: we notice the alcohol a little, alongside sweets, gelatine and a touch of eau de Cologne, yet it remains nicely balanced. Also, a little lemon vodka, much like in one of yesterday’s drams, though I cannot quite remember which one. Finish: not especially long and without any major developments, leaving a small measure of limoncello in the aftertaste. Comments: this really is a matter of… the cask. Yesterday’s Morisco 1991 had rather more texture.
SGP:651 - 82 points. |
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Invergordon 47 yo 1977/2025 (43.6%, Exquisite Casks, refill bourbon barrel, cask #7, 204 bottles)
Ah, here is one of those famous old Invergordons, and not dressed up in sherry. All the better, we ought to be rather closer to the distillate itself… Colour: pale gold. Nose: clearly fresher, tauter, more herbal and earthier, before gradually moving towards pastries, scones and croissants. Mouth: it retreats a little towards plain ethanol, even at this venerable age, yet the texture and its gentle porridge-like character are sufficient to carry it through the journey that eventually leads us to… column-still rum. Finish: medium in length, with hay, coconut and vanilla. Comments: we rather miss the sherry, but this remains a very good old grain whisky in my opinion.
SGP:451 - 83 points. |
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North British 15 yo 2010/2025 (43.7%, Jean Boyer, Gifted Stills of Scotland, 2nd fill Port finish, 356 bottles)
Well now, in this context, a Port finish might actually make rather good sense, let us find out… Colour: gold. Nose: Iindeed, it does, adding a welcome layer of complexity without taking anything away from a grain whisky that is, by nature, not exactly the most complex creature. Tomato vine, peonies, freshly cut grass and strawberry soup, all without drifting into an excess of red fruits. No doubt the refill cask has played its part… Mouth: it continues to work rather well, with blueberry muffins and perhaps a few drops of crème de cassis. It would make a rather good kir. Finish: fairly long, with a slightly rough edge, but we rather like rough-edged grain whiskies, it makes a pleasant change from endless coconut. Comments: a thoroughly charming little baby, and a very good idea from the house Jean Boyer.
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
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Strathclyde 30 yo 1994/2025 (44.2%, Tri Carragh, 1st fill bourbon barrel, 204 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: wonderfully gentle, with white chocolate mousse, a few touches of pineapple, nougat and popcorn. In the background, a faint hint of aniseed. Mouth: we find that utterly gentle profile once again, a little fruitier this time, with little sweets, Jell-O and apricot, yet remaining beautifully balanced and, above all, free from the intrusive ethanol notes encountered elsewhere. Finish: not especially long, though still balanced and… wonderfully gentle, as smooth as cream. Various herbal infusions linger in the aftertaste. Comments: did I mention that this is a grain whisky full of kindness?
SGP:641 - 85 points. |
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Cambus 31 yo 1993/2025 (50.9%, James Eadie, sherry butt, cask #48088, 349 bottles)
I do not think we have ever been quite so delighted to stumble upon a fine old sherry cask! Colour: full gold. Nose: and there is hardly any gunpowder, struck matches, truffles or cabbage soup to be found! Instead, plenty of chocolate, praline, chestnut cream, pepper and espresso, make that a double, if you please. With water: a little artichoke and aubergine emerge all the same. Mouth (neat): really very good, just slightly earthy at first, then becoming pepperier before turning properly chocolatey. Dark chocolate filled with cherry liqueur. With water: the chestnut cream returns, joined by three drops of kirsch and a generous helping of whipped cream, if you please. Finish: fairly long, still on chestnut cream, though this time laced with rum. Comments: the texture remains just a little lean for the malt enthusiast, yet this is still an excellent grain whisky.
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
We are not dipping much below the 80-point mark, are we? That is surely an encouraging sign for the quality of the single grains being offered by the independents these days… |
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North British 26 yo 1998/2024 (56.5%, Lady of the Glen, oloroso hogshead, cask #596158, 142 bottles)
I can already hear you, ‘Another North British!’ Indeed, but this one comes from an ex-sherry cask… Colour: reddish amber, or partridge eye, or onion skin… Nose: lovely oloroso, full of tobacco, soy sauce, potting soil, coffee dregs and walnut wine. With water: a pack of dark cigarettes. I shall leave you to choose the brand. Mouth (neat): a little less straightforward on the palate, very much on stone fruit eau-de-vie before it has quite settled down. Mind you, that reddish hue was rather unusual for oloroso, could this not actually be Port? Not on the nose, certainly, but on the palate… (None of that makes the slightest sense, S.) With water: we come back to the grain, with a few faint soapy notes that may well come from the water we have added, a touch of saponification perhaps, but we have no time to wait for them to disappear, assuming they ever do. Finish: not especially long, with kirsch to the fore. Pink grapefruit in the aftertaste. Comments: slightly bewildering, but there is certainly plenty happening here, and that is worth an extra point or two.
SGP:641 - 83 points. |
This is turning into a full-blown North-British-a-thon… |
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North British 32 yo 1991/2023 (45.6%, Zn09, Cyberpunk, first fill barrel, 244 bottles)
We do rather enjoy Zn09, aka Zero Nine Spirits, and their delightfully post-apocalyptic labels, all the more so since they do not even appear to have been churned out by some vulgar AI. Magic! Colour: white wine. Nose: now this is a first, a medicinal single grain with distinct touches of acetone. There is a little nail varnish all the same, alongside asparagus and hairspray. In short, this is enormous fun. Very little vanilla or coconut for a first fill cask, bravo. Mouth: highly entertaining indeed, with the asparagus returning alongside eucalyptus and even a little camphor. We would never have guessed first fill, rather an ex-lightly peated cask. Finish: surprisingly long, with celeriac and carrots before gentian takes over. Comments: what on earth is this thing?
SGP:462 - 87 points. |
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Dumbarton 25 yo ‘Batch 1’ (50.5%, Living Souls, refill barrels, 2025)
Most likely distilled in 2000, remember that Dumbarton closed its doors in 2002. Colour: white wine. Nose: once again, good fun, Maggi seasoning, umami, oyster sauce and fermenting fruits. In short, all manner of things we rarely encounter in grain whisky, and this is not even ex-sherry. With water: back to the cereals, pancakes and cornflakes, in other words, breakfast. Mouth (neat): going all in on coconut liqueur, Malibu and certain Irish whiskeys, Midleton springs to mind, with a little glue and almond milk alongside. With water: it regains its footing somewhat, moving towards sweet root vegetables, sweet potato in particular. Finish: no longer than the others, though once again it drifts slightly towards arranged rum, vanilla-flavoured, for example. Comments: at the end of the day, this is certainly a very good grain whisky, provided light textures are not an issue for you.
SGP:641 - 82 points. |
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Invergordon 36 yo 1988/2024 (57.8%, Dramfool, Middle Cut, bourbon barrel, cask #1486, 156 bottles)
Can we really speak of a middle cut when dealing with spirit distilled continuously? A matter for debate… Colour: gold. Nose: we find broken twigs and vanilla pods once again, alongside white chocolate, blancmange, meringue and buttercream. With water: fresh hay. Mouth (neat): a complete about-turn. Most attractive, now edging surprisingly close to a rather high-ester, grand arôme-style rum, although I have not the faintest idea where that might be coming from. Acetone, varnish, petrol and capers. With water: the varnish remains, although the whole becomes rather gentler after dilution. Finish: not especially long, both soft and herbal at the same time. Little bananas. Comments: this baby certainly kept us on our toes, and that alone is worth an extra point.
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
Now then, trumpets and drums if you please, unfurl the banners, for here comes… something entirely different. |
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House of Hazelwood 1968/2022 (49.2%, OB, The Cask Trials, single grain, 303 bottles)
Every Hazelwood by William Grant that we have tasted has been magnificent, and we rather suspect this Girvan, because I suppose it can only be Girvan, built in 1963, may well prove no exception, despite the ‘Black Barrel’ adventures that failed to convince us all those years ago. But that was a long time back indeed and a great deal of Balvenie has flowed under the bridge since then, has it not? Colour: amber mahogany. Nose: let us say it plainly, if every single grain were like this, we would launch singlegrainfun.com on the spot and set off to evangelise the world. In short, this is magnificent, displaying gloriously ripe exotic fruits, papayas and mangoes in abundance, alongside a breathtaking collection of honeys, from thyme to manuka. In the background, a few little figs and dark nougat. A dazzling nose, and I find it hard to believe this is grain whisky. And yet, it most certainly is… Mouth: sublime, extraordinarily complex, brimming with long-forgotten herbal liqueurs, Arquebuse, for one, and honeys unknown even to seasoned beekeepers. Then come the tobaccos and teas, so many of them that we would need an entire day simply to list them all. Finish: not eternal on the palate, perhaps, but eternal in spirit, with every conceivable nuance of conifer. I shall spare you the full inventory. Comments: This is no longer grain whisky, it is meta-spirit, they are all here, Cognac, rum, whisky, tequila, Armagnac, brandy and pisco. A genuine masterclass in cask maturation.
SGP:662 - 93 points. |
… There is one drawback with drams of this calibre: it becomes quite pointless even to contemplate tasting any other grain whisky after such a session-killer. Which simply means we shall be back tomorrow, with yet more grain whiskies. |
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August 4, 2026 |
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No grain, no gain:
an avalanche of North British and other grain whiskies, Part 1 |
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| North British Distillery (North British) |
Quite a few years ago, we were rather having the impression that many single grains were being bottled chiefly because that highly marketable little word ‘single’ might tempt enthusiasts. At times it all felt a little borderline, at least to my humble mind. Over the past few years, however, things have improved markedly, perhaps thanks to a broader selection of well-aged casks becoming available. In short, the grain whiskies now reaching the market seem rather less ‘empty’ than they once did, unless, of course, I am simply growing softer with age… Anyway, let us dive in at random… |
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Strathclyde 12 yo 2013/2025 (43.5%, Jean Boyer, Gifted Stills of Scotland, small batch, 1st fill St Estèphe, 2153 bottles)
Saint-Estèphe is a fairly powerful Bordeaux wine, situated in the northern part of the Médoc, so we may expect, for instance, deep cassis. Colour: gold, with no reddish trace whatsoever. Nose: we do indeed find the cabernet very close at hand, with green pepper, vine leaf and fig leaf, alongside a few earthy touches that are not at all unpleasant. The wine almost invades the little grain whisky, yet the balance has somehow been preserved, and therefore it remains interesting. A pleasant peppery note as well. Mouth: it is truly very marked by the wine, yet with a successful balance. The combination is unexpected, but it works, almost creating a kind of spirit reminiscent of tequila, with that vegetal, slightly earthy profile intertwined with cassis and spice. Finish: good length, fairly earthy and quite spicy, with blackcurrant in the background. Comments: a lovely surprise, I must admit, I was not expecting this at all.
SGP: 551 - 84 points. |
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North British 30 yo 1995/2026 (41.6%, Lady of the Glen, refill bourbon barrel, cask #55185, 216 bottles)
There seems to be an awful lot of North British about at the moment, both youthful expressions and rather older ones such as this. North British, as you know, is a joint venture between Diageo and Edrington. Its production capacity stands at 2.5 billion (no typo) litres of pure alcohol per year. In short, this is no Daftmill… Colour: pale white wine. Nose: gentle little touches of camomile, coconut milk, dulce de leche, blancmange, corn syrup and white chocolate. In short, it whispers, but it whispers rather beautifully, with admirable delicacy. Mouth: it settles itself very nicely indeed, the alcohol making itself just slightly felt despite the modest strength, yet this remains comfortably superior to the vast majority of grain whiskies we have tasted. Very much on herbal infusions, with white chocolate returning alongside a few hints of bison grass vodka. Finish: short, still focused on the herbal infusions… after a second sip. Comments: a thoroughly charming old grain, all about delicacy, elegance and effortless lightness…
SGP:441 - 82 points. |
There are some genuinely ancient ones among them… |
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North British 43 yo 1982/2025 (52.6%, Milroy’s of Soho, Vintage Reserve, 2nd fill hogshead)
Remember, North British is made entirely from maize. Colour: full gold. Nose: fairly taut, with lemon meringue pie to the fore, alongside caramel-coated popcorn. Very lovely indeed. With water: a very faint touch of rubber. Mouth (neat): nicely lemony once again, in short, it is still all about lemon pie. The texture remains light, though rather less frustrating than in many grain whiskies, no doubt thanks to the age. Lovely notes of rhubarb and vanilla cream emerge as well. With water: coconut comes through. Finish: respectably long, though still very gentle. The lemon lends it a welcome little burst of energy all the same. Comments: grain whiskies are almost always a touch frustrating for malt lovers, especially on the palate, yet this baby has acquitted itself rather well. Forty-three years old, after all…
SGP:341 - 83 points. |
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North British 34 yo 1991/2025 (40.1%, Thompson Bros. for The Whisky Exchange)
At this strength it ought to be whispering ever so softly but let us see what secrets it has been keeping… Colour: pale gold. Nose: apple juice, vanilla milk, white nougat and popcorn. The fact is, there is not a single false note here and, above all, no overbearing coconut. That is so often what rather spoils grain whisky, at least to my humble mind. Mouth: we are very close to the 1982, only with just a little more punch. We did say just a little. Herbal infusions, coconut, vanilla, muffins and scones, then a little diluted orange juice. Finish: not especially long, but elegant. A few jellybeans and a coconut that knows its place. Comments: very likeable indeed, and not quite as fragile as we might have expected.
SGP:431 - 83 points. |
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Port Dundas 35 yo (50.5%, Living Souls, refill bourbon barrel, 2025)
Port Dundas was closed by Diageo in 2011 in favour of Cameronbridge. And yet, Port Dundas was where D.C.L. originally began. Colour: light gold. Nose: a lovely little oily side, with sunflower oil, beeswax and a few touches of rosehip infusion. With water: pine nuts and still plenty of oil, perhaps rapeseed this time? Mouth (neat): ah, this is very pleasant, richer and more energetic than the North Britishs, showing little cider apples and angelica. With water: a few hints of malt whisky, just imagine that! A faint touch of rubber. Finish: fairly long, with a pleasing texture, staying on oils and ripe apples. Comments: a very good old grain whisky, with a few knowing nods towards malt.
SGP:541 - 85 points. |
Well, let us be honest, unless we stumble upon very old grain whisky from an exceptional sherry cask, as with certain Invergordons, it is probably going to be rather difficult to stray outside the 78 to 85-point corridor. Still, let us keep trying… |
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North British 32 yo 1993/2025 (52.2%, Corman Collins, Taste Still, 1st fill PX, cask #49576)
The second name here is ‘I Will Always Love You’, a declaration that goes straight to our hearts. Colour: red amber. Nose: plenty of cherries in eau-de-vie, liquid caramel, dark turrón and toffee. Well, you get the picture. With water: gentle pipe tobacco, alongside roasted hazelnuts and peanuts. Mouth (neat): very good indeed, somewhere between an old Cuban rum and a liqueur made from fir and coconut, if such a thing were ever to exist. With water: it comes surprisingly close to an Irish pure pot still, while also recalling a fine café latte. Finish: fairly long, now becoming decidedly macchiato-like. Comments: I must admit I find this really rather excellent. And it seems we have finally broken the curse.
SGP:641 - 86 points. |
Well, much as the dreadfully lazy assertion that ‘in whisky, the cask does everything’ tends to irritate us, I must admit that in the rather particular case of grain whisky, it may actually be true… |
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Cambus 35 yo 1990/2025 (48.2%, Fadandel, refill hogshead, cask #93601, 217 bottles)
Colour: white wine, remarkably pale for a 35-year-old. Nose: a family-sized bar of white chocolate studded with desiccated coconut, followed by vanilla cream, chestnut purée and barley syrup. Hang on, could there actually be some barley in this one? Mouth: the very epitome of grain whisky, with a light texture yet an appealing combination of sweetcorn cream, coconut milk and vanilla that works rather well. Finish: fairly short, though with lovely notes of Wulong tea. That will be the oak speaking. Comments: If you ever have the chance to visit Cambus Cooperage, it is well worth the trip!
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
So far, it would appear that we are remaining firmly in top-grain territory… |
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Dumbarton 23 yo 2000/2024 (57.1%, Dràm Mor, refill bourbon barrel, cask #211885, 182 bottles)
Dumbarton was closed and almost entirely demolished in 2002, so we are dealing here with one of the very last vintages. Is that not rather moving? Colour: pale gold. Nose: dried flowers, a touch of rubber, little notes of caraway, green pear and pine needles. This is fairly unusual and rather attractive so far. With water: peach syrup. Mouth (neat): most amusing, with limoncello and tutti-frutti eau-de-vie, displaying a fine sense of vigour. Lemon vodka. With water: very little change, still that lemon vodka, rather in the Polish style. Finish: not especially long, though pleasantly fresh and lemony, really quite agreeable. Comments: a very good Dumbarton, but as they say in Sutherland, it is still no Brora.
SGP:451 - 81 points. |
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North British 33 yo 1991/2025 (43.1%, Morisco Spirits, Wunderkammer, refill bourbon barrel, cask #204407, 160 bottles)
Wonderful label, as always. And love, love, love the cabinets of curiosities, let us see whether we have a worthy new member here… Colour: pale white wine. Nose: yep. Fats and oils, with no obvious clue as to where they come from, yet it works perfectly. Roasted pumpkin seeds, sesame and rye bread… All things that, in theory, have very little to do with grain whisky. Mouth (neat): we plunge straight into the earth and every seed under the sun. That said, the structure remains a little fragile and reminds us that this is, after all, grain whisky. Lovely brut cider, nonetheless. Finish: an earthy edge adds welcome dimension, and we rather like that. The cold café latte in the aftertaste is not bad either. Comments: another very fine grain whisky.
SGP:451 - 85 points. |
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Strathclyde 31 yo 1993/2025 (54.6%, Lady of the Glen, The Ghosts of Dumbarton Castle, refill oloroso hogshead, cask # 243367, 145 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: lovely floral notes of lavender, violets and pansies, alongside plum eau-de-vie and damsons. The damsons are especially prominent here. With water: as so often, the rubber decides to make an appearance. Barbour grease. Mouth (neat): rich and almost thick, this is nearly malt whisky, lemony, with plenty of hops and green apples. With water: a faint dustiness emerges, but all remains perfectly in order. Finish: not quite its strongest point, as it loses a little definition, though it remains perfectly respectable. A little lavender returns in the aftertaste. Comments: still a thoroughly charming grain whisky, without a doubt.
SGP:441 - 82 points. |
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Carsebridge 25 yo 1979/2005 (56.4%, Duncan Taylor, Cask #32901)
Let us admit it, we have already tasted this baby, but that was back in 2005 and we absolutely a-do-red it. So, more than twenty years later, let us see whether it can single-handedly lift the standard of this modest little session… Colour: pale gold. Nose: wonderfully lively, taut and lemony, going all in on verbena and limoncello. I rather suspect it was this razor-sharp simplicity that we had fallen for back then. We are simple folk at Whiskyfun, you see. A few touches of coconut, almost inevitable. With water: geranium, fig leaf and cherry tomatoes. Mouth (neat): above all, remarkably creamy for a grain whisky. We shall mention limoncello for the umpteenth time, then citron liqueur and lime. All this is bordering on the miraculous for grain whisky. With water: I can only confirm it, though do avoid adding too much water, as with so many grain whiskies it can collapse rather suddenly. Finish: not especially long, though no grain whisky ever truly has a long finish anyway, and perhaps just a wee bit too coconut-driven. Comments: apart from the finish, this really is a great grain whisky, even if I am just a little less enthusiastic than I was twenty years ago. Time flies.
SGP:551 - 86 points. |
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Strathclyde 19 yo 2005/2024 (61.1%, James Eadie, first fill European oak oloroso finish, cask #367502, 315 bottles)
A finishing period of 28 months is almost double maturation, is it not. Colour: reddish amber. Nose: hazelnuts, peanuts, cashews and toasted sesame seeds. Now, who could possibly object to that? With water: lovely umami, soy sauce, hardwood and thuja. Mouth (neat): there we are, the cask doing all the talking. Nescafé, pepper, lemon, liquorice and dark nougat. With water: the roasted nuts return, together with plenty of citrus zest. Mind you, as is so often the case, I insist, water can make it burst like a balloon and wipe away all sense of structure. At 61% vol., that is always a tricky balancing act… Finish: medium in length, though very much on dark nougat and Nescafé now, perhaps even Ricoré. Coffee and chocolate. Comments: excellent, provided you preserve its rather fragile structure.
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
We shall stop here for now, though we may well be back tomorrow with yet more grain whiskies. |
July 2026
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Serge's favourite recent bottling this month:
Longmorn 56 yo 1968/2025 (54.3%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice Heritage Collection, first fill sherry butt, cask #5833, 200 bottles) - WF 94
Serge's favourite older bottling this month:
Longmorn 30 yo 1964/1995 (53.2%, Signatory Vintage, oak cask, cask #51, 208 bottles) - WF 92
Serge's favourite bang for your buck this month:
Kornog (46%, OB, France, Brittany, +/-2026) - WF 87
Serge's favourite malternative this month:
Galion 2025/2026 ‘Grand Arôme’ (63%, Landier & Vingtier, Les Fontaines du Chai 27, Martinique, cask #15) - WF 90
Serge's thumbs up this month:
Glen Garioch 52 yo 1973/2026 (53.8%, WhiskyLand, Decadent Drinks, 1st fill sherry butt, 240 bottles) - WF 94
Serge's Lemon Prize this month:
Bonpland ‘Blanc VSOP’ (40%, OB, Germany, blended rum, +/-2020) - WF 50 |
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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July 31, 2026 |
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Little duos, today some proper Glenfiddich
It has been absolutely ages since we last came across an independent Glenfiddich, apart from the occasional one released under the Wardhead trade name, so today's line-up was always going to consist of official bottlings. Among them is a co-branded edition with Aston Martin, following in the footsteps of Bowmore's earlier collaborations. The real question, of course, is whether such rather contrived partnerships can genuinely generate any meaningful halo effect from one brand to the other.
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 driver (Aston Martin) |
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Glenfiddich 15 yo ‘Our Solera’ (40%, OB, +/-2026)
I rather like the new presentation here, more retro and considerably more elegant than the previous ones. I should remind you that this isn't a true solera as in Jerez, but rather a perpetual vatting. I had rather enjoyed the Vat 03 released in 2022 (WF 84). Colour: gold. Nose: reminiscent of an IPA, with apple and quince compote, a touch of ginger, a hint of fino, fresh apple juice and a little cinnamon. It feels rather less innocuous and livelier than the versions from ten or twenty years ago. In short, I like it rather more. Mouth: really very attractive despite the relative lack of oomph, hence that apple juice with cinnamon profile. Green walnuts, a faint touch of fudge, tea, vanilla and a gentle, malty beer. Very pleasant indeed, although it really becomes kind of a little lightish because of the modest strength. Finish: fairly short but clean. This is generally the point at which this style of malt tends to lose a few marks, let's be honest. Comments: I still find it distinctly superior to the last 15-year-old we tasted in 2023 (WF 79).
SGP:541: 82 points. |
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Glenfiddich 19 yo ‘Aston Martin’ (43%, OB, +/-2025)
At 43% vol., this is unlikely to be a V12, or even a Mercedes-Benz-derived V8. All right, AMG. That said, the 16-year-old had very much been to my liking (WF 85). I should also point out that, in Glenfiddich's case, the co-branding was done with the Aston Martin Formula One team rather than, it would seem, the marque itself. A subtle but important distinction! Colour: gold. Nose: richer, almost waxy, more vegetal, with some very lovely teas and walnuts, both fresh and older, together with a little menthol tobacco. Light touches of Fanta, or Schweppes Orange, though nothing remotely troublesome. Mouth: much closer to the 15-year-old, rather taut for Glenfiddich, fairly lively, with plenty of citrus, unfiltered apple juice, cola and apples in all their guises. Apples are a marvellous thing in a fine malt. A small touch of fresh turmeric. Finish: medium in length, very much on apples, cinnamon, ginger and a few bitter almonds. Comments: it remains a little light, but in this context that is by no means a flaw. A gentle fino-like side that is thoroughly charming for those who enjoy that style as much as we do.
SGP:551: 85 points. |
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July 30, 2026 |
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WF's Little Duos,
today St Magdalene |
It would appear there have been no recent bottlings of St Magdalene (aka Linlithgow), the supreme patron saint of the Lowlands, although I may well be mistaken. We can only hope Diageo will unleash one upon us one of these days, tucked away in one of its marvellous über-premium ranges! In the meantime, we shall have two independents from days gone by. One we last tasted more than twenty years ago, with decidedly mixed results, and I am not inclined to leave matters there, while the other will be an entirely new discovery. |
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Linlithgow 1975/1999 (56.3%, Scott Selection)
A bottle from the days when they told you precious little about casks, numbers, filtration or the distillery manager's age. All in all, it was rather refreshing, and at least we had the vintages and even, in a staggering display of innovation, the bottling year. Colour: gold. Nose: a razor-sharp St Magdalene, as keen as a proper Japanese ceramic knife, displaying marked austerity, hovering between tart little apples, clay and barely ripe tiny lemons. Remarkable hints of watermelon lurking in the background, and goodness knows watermelons are hardly the most aromatic of fruits, alongside an unmistakably sour edge. Sour cherries too, which we had already found, it would seem, back in… 2004. With water: we plunge straight into damp earth, chalk and clay… Mouth (neat): I am utterly convinced this bottle has improved immensely over more than twenty-five years, the whisky having become far more precise, magnificently lemony and rid of the slightly feinty, dirty notes that still lingered when it was bottled. It even brings the Rare Malts to mind, which is saying something, albeit with rather less complexity all the same. With water: I feared it might have drifted towards damp cardboard and stale herbal infusions, as sometimes happens, but not at all, instead we are treated to a flawless lemon and lime sorbet, utterly perfect in the height of summer. Finish: long, scarcely any less precise. A faint touch of beer. Comments: the miracle of time, certainly time in cask, but also time in bottle, that lovely patina. Provided everything goes well, of course, there are no hard and fast rules. Twelve extra points over twenty-two years, just imagine that.
SGP:461 - 91 points. |
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St Magdalene 1980/1992 (62.8%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, #49.4)
A twelve-year-old! Just imagine, by 1980 we were already drawing close to the end of the life of this now legendary distillery. You will also note that, back then, the SMWS told you precious little more, and those wonderfully amusing names later bestowed upon the malts by highly motivated tasters, presumably motivated by the liquids they had been consuming, had not yet appeared. Colour: very pale white wine. Nose: white sugar! It is rather uncommon to find that straight away in a malt, even a young one. And I do not mean barley syrup. Then pistachio syrup, which is hardly commonplace we must admit, along with a surprising popcorn note. In short, I have the feeling this baby needs water, plenty of water… With water: rich, high-protein barley, bread dough, sourdough starter, but also clay once again. I am not quite sure where the citrus has disappeared to, but let us persevere… Mouth (neat): this time we are immediately greeted by lemon and smoke, almost smoked peaty lemon, if such a thing were ever to exist. It is immediate, straightforward, uncompromising, and we surrender to it with delight. There is even a medicinal side reminiscent of Laphroaig, camphor, ointments, surgical alcohol… With water: we catch up with the Scott Selection, although it remains just a shade less emphatic when it comes to citrus power. Finish: lovely, oily, yeasty, sharp, a little challenging, yet that is rather what we expect from St Magdalene. The good news is that the lemon makes a very welcome and highly noticeable return in the aftertaste. Comments: tasting youthful malts from distilleries that have long since closed is always an immense pleasure, despite, or rather because of, their imperfections. Imperfections that could just as easily be called rough edges, character, singularity or individuality. Malt whisky is life, it is almost human, is it not?
SGP:461 - 90 points. |
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July 29, 2026 |
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Around ten Mannochmores, and a vain attempt to break a curse |
Another session that makes precious little sense, although then again... Anyway, let's see how far we can get, while carefully steering clear of any Loch Dhu we haven't yet tasted, assuming there are any left. That said, in a way, we shall end up with one after all. But for now, let's just start at random. |
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Mannochmore 10 yo 2015/2025 (50%, Elevenses, English Scottish Trifle, bourbon hogshead, 680 bottles)
Colour: very pale white wine. Nose: apple juice, whitecurrants, fresh varnish, kirsch, liquorice allsorts, cloudy lemonade, all rather charming and almost childlike, were it not for the alcohol, of course. With water: barley comes to the fore, alongside damp clay and fresh earth. Mouth (neat): bubblegum, jellybeans, limoncello, bright, playful and irresistibly fruity. With water: a little green pepper, melon skin and a simple triple sec, think the lighter style, without the richer profile of Cointreau, Grand Marnier or similar. Finish: medium in length, returning to the barley, with a faintly varnishy touch lingering in the aftertaste. Comments: a thoroughly delightful young malt, as fruity as one could wish for, and impeccably clean throughout.
SGP:641 - 85 points. |
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Mannochmore 11 yo 2014/2025 (60.3%, Lady of the Glen, bourbon hogshead, cask #10367, 279 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: much the same, although this time wrapped in an extra layer of vanilla cream and banana custard. With water: damp clay emerges and adds a pleasing earthy edge. Mouth (neat): very much in the same vein, citron, triple sec, limoncello and all the usual citrusy suspects. With water: really excellent, bright and lemony, with a delicate earthiness keeping everything beautifully in check. Finish: long, increasingly focused on citrus zests, green pepper and even a touch of fresh ginger. Comments: a lovely, ultra-clean and gloriously fruity malt that never bothers with unnecessary complications. Life is already complicated enough as it is, isn't it?
SGP:641 - 85 points. |
Let's at least try to keep some sort of logic... |
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Mannochmore 10 yo 2014/2024 (59.7%, Lady of the Glen, bourbon hogshead, cask #10366, 283 bottles) Obviously a sister cask, judging by the numbers, although we've managed to do everything in the wrong order, as usual. Colour: full gold. Nose: essentially the same whisky as the previous one, only a little cakier, slightly rounder and a touch more caramelised. With water: really extremely close. Mouth (neat): a little sharper and more focused on the palate, with a pleasantly earthy, lively profile. Lovely lemons. With water: almost identical, which is no bad thing at all. Finish: much the same. Comments: let's not overthink it, it's the same batch, the same type of cask and even the very same day of distillation. And it's very good indeed.
SGP:641 – 85 points. |
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Mannochmore 11 yo 2014/2025 (52.4%, Tri Carragh, 2nd fill bourbon barrel, 236 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: almost the same again, although a little oilier and more herbal this time, with rather more barley and damp earth, making it just a shade less expressive and a touch more restrained. We're beginning to split hairs now... With water: no, it's really extremely close. And therefore very lovely indeed. Mouth (neat): closer still to the previous ones, perhaps just a touch earthier and more herbal, and consequently a touch less fruity. With water: back come the citrus fruits, Jelly Babies and bubblegum, exactly as expected. Finish: long, leaning a little more towards grapefruit, although the whole remains firmly within the same basic template, so to speak. Comments: don't tell me all these Mannochmores, excellent though they undoubtedly are, are going to be virtually identical today!
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
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Mannochmore 15 yo 2009/2025 (48.5%, Decadent Drinks, Equinox & Solstice, autumn 2025, refill hogshead, 239 bottles)
Not entirely sure these equinox and solstice themes really mean much to people who don't live in northern countries like Scotland, but then again, there's room for everything. Colour: gold. Nose: very little difference, to be perfectly honest, despite the extra years. This remains a single malt that stays firmly anchored in its barley. Mind you, that's hardly a criticism... Mouth: exactly the same aromatic territory, no point labouring the description. Finish: long and lovely, with citrus fruits, barley, damp earth and just a wee hint of coconut. Oops. Comments: seriously, it's still excellent. Not especially distinctive, perhaps, but excellent all the same.
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
These 85 points are turning into a proper curseindeed. I rather suspect it'll take some wine to move the needle, upwards or, more probably, downwards... |
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Mannochmore 12 yo 2012/2025 (55%, Fadandel, 1st fill PX barrique, cask #231201, 64 bottles)
PX in a barrique and only 64 bottles, the whole thing sounds rather amusing, and perhaps just a little dangerous... Colour: deep gold. Nose: well, we're not straying all that far from the previous ones after all, there's simply a little more nougat, caramel, café latte and dark ale. It's really rather good. With water: the earthiness comes back to the fore, and we do like a bit of earth, it's our rootsy side, ha. Mouth (neat): well now, this is good, very much on oranges, bitter or otherwise, with marmalade, fig preserve and sweet paprika. With water: sweet paprika, mild pepper and even more bitter orange. Finish: fairly long, clean, with peppers and orange zests taking the lead. The aftertaste turns more bitter, as is so often the case with these casks. Comments: I do tend to prefer the more 'bourbon/hoggie' versions, but I certainly won't deny that this little PXed baby is very good indeed. In short, there's simply no escaping it...
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
We are beginning to wonder whether it's still worth sticking with the classic 100-point scale, aka the percentage scale, or whether we ought to introduce a little more granularity by adding decimals. Mind you, that would fly in the face of our profound dislike of those inflated scoring systems, puffed up like the ego of who-you-know in D.C... Ah well, we'll worry about that another day. This is hardly the moment. |
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Mannochmore 16 yo 2008/2025 (54.6%, Signatory Vintage, Symington’s Choice, 1st fill PX hogshead finish, cask #3, 347 bottles)
It's a little surprising to find a middle-aged Mannochmore with a PX finish in this range, but there must be a reason, so let's see if we can uncover it... Colour: full gold. Nose: capeesh, this is a delicate finishing, certainly a well-controlled one, and let's not forget that Mannochmore's rather mainstream distillate makes it an almost ideal candidate for this sort of treatment. I mean, compared with Springbank, Ben Nevis, Laphroaig or Clynelish, if you see what I mean... In short, chocolate truffles, Turkish coffee, cracked black pepper, black tea and Corinth raisins. With water: lovely dried figs, damp black earth and a little pipe tobacco. Mouth (neat): chocolate, coffee liqueur, prunes, Armagnac, black pepper and more pipe tobacco. With water: very good indeed, fairly rich yet remaining thoroughly elegant. Prunes and dried figs take centre stage. Finish: long, becoming jammier, with even more prunes, especially those soaked in Armagnac. Comments: I'll gladly concede that this finishing has worked perfectly, just not quite well enough to break today's curse...
SGP:561 - 85 points. |
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Mannochmore 12 yo 2013/2025 (52.7%, James Eadie, cask finish, cask #378492, 284 bottles)
We didn't add it to the bottle description because it would simply have been too long, but what we're dealing with here is a 'first fill PX hogshead oak European finished for 14 months', if you follow... What we do know, however, is that James Eadie have a knack for getting this sort of thing absolutely right. Colour: very deep gold. Nose: magnificent caramel, toffee and fudges de la muerte, and all that jazz. It's almost disappointing that it's quite this good. With water: damp earth rises to the surface. Mouth (neat): walnut cake packed with sultanas and Cognac, wonderfully moist and generously soaked, the sort that has you asking for a fourth slice before you've quite finished the third, if you see what I mean. With water: they really are masters of this sort of thing, terrifying on the label, utterly delicious in the glass. Lovely peppers too. Finish: long, although becoming progressively drier, with peppers, juniper berries and cloves. Comments: today's Indian sign still hasn't quite been broken, but we're at, let's say, 85.999 points. But dura lex, sed lex, we hardly ever round upwards.
SGP:561 - 85 points. |
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Mannochmore 13 yo (53.7%, Dràm Mor, 1st fill tawny Port hogshead finish, cask #2690, 243 bottles, 2025)
Colour: ripe apricot. Nose: a little truffle at first, a faint whiff of gas, then fig leaves, tomato leaves, fresh bread dough, cherry stalks and blackcurrant buds. We're venturing into rather curious territory here... With water: intensely vegetal earthiness, manure, peelings, green beans and green pepper. Mouth (neat): much better on the palate, even if it's undeniably odd, rustic, rather too kirschy, quite unbalanced and distinctly over-peppery. That said, the Campari side is impossible to ignore, and one of our greatest faults is that we happen to love Campari. We're not even ashamed of it, although, of course, we probably should be. Love and hate, all over again. With water: the Port's blackcurrant notes emerge more clearly, together with leafy flavours. Finish: long, vegetal and bitter. Comments: exactly the sort of whisky we hate to love. Rather like that blasted Campari.
SGP:361 - 85 points. |
We're not getting out of this, it would seem. Should we simply give up? Never! You see, our cause is just, if rather demanding, and we knew that from the very start... |
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Mannochmore 15 yo 2009/2025 ‘Loch Do!!’ (50%, Decadent Drams, refill hogshead, 254 bottles)
LOL! Colour: gold. Nose: allow me another little grumble, this has absolutely nothing to do with Loch Dhu beyond the distillery it came from, and that's all to the good. Turnips, orange peel, morels, a whiff of gas, pearl barley and damp compost. With water: the orange zests play exactly the same role here as the woodblocks, or are they cowbells, in Honky Tonk Women, they're simply indispensable. Mouth (neat): walnut cake glazed with kirsch, pistachio syrup, service berry eau-de-vie, sesame paste and artichoke cream. We do love artichoke cream, don't you? Give it a try... With water: and now comes toasted sesame cream as well. Finish: this is where it loses a little coherence, becoming just a shade too rustic, with a touch too much earthiness and fermentary character. I told you, it's a genuine curse... Comments: I rather think it was written in the stars that we wouldn't escape today, that we'd be condemned to these blasted 85 points.
SGP:452 - 85 points. |
This seems as good a moment as any to remind you that 85 is an excellent score, isn't it! See you soon… |
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July 28, 2026 |
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Hello! Today,
Whiskyfun turns 24
But don't worry, we haven’t planned to publish a retrospective on the past twenty-four years, or even on the year just gone, except perhaps to say how immensely we enjoyed the three or four festivals where we were invited to speak. They call that masterclasses; we simply call them freewheeling guided tastings. |
Over the past twelve months, Paris, London, Hamburg and Hong Kong have all become pearls on our necklace, while the wonderful people we had the pleasure of meeting there have been the diamonds between those pearls. Thank you all once again – it was absolutely brilliant. And there’s more to come after the summer break, including the regular Whisky Live Paris and the Whisky Show London, the new Whisky Live Hamburg already returning for its second edition, and, in all likelihood, the Hong Kong Whisky Festival again next year. |
| Looking a little further ahead, next year will mark Whiskyfun’s 25th anniversary, and this time we’ll try to do something rather special. We’ll even probably, if all goes well, unveil a $2 Billion AI-powered Embedded Self-Comparative Online Tasting System (E.S.C.O.T.S.) right here on this little website. No, only joking… but stay tuned all the same! |
| In the meantime, instead of our customary Clynelish and Brora, we’ve decided to celebrate our 24th anniversary by tasting a distillery that also ranks among our all-time favourites… |
From 2009 back to 1964, a verticale of eight splendid Longmorns |
With a little wave to the ‘Longmorn brothers’, Govert and Hans! Now tasting these Longmorns in the middle of summer was a bold move, we can all agree on that. Mind you, Longmorn dances the tango with heavy, warming sherry to absolute perfection. Sadly, there are rather few official bottlings these days that truly catch our attention, but indeed it has long been rather the independents who have kept us thoroughly entertained with Longmorn. And not only Gordon & MacPhail either, even if they remain the undisputed über-specialists. |
Amlou |
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Longmorn 16 yo 2009/2025 (52.5%, The Duchess, PX hogshead, cask #34)
Colour: full gold. Nose: we are firmly in old-school Pedro territory here, with damp earth and mushrooms layered over bitter oranges and, above all, dark raisins, rather in the style of black muscat, perhaps even prunes. A slight touch of gunpowder too. With water: indeed, a few spent matches, then hay and almond milk. Mouth (neat): rich, creamy and earthy, packed with pipe tobacco and triple sec, plus plenty of freshly ground pepper. With water: the raisins return, rich and highly aromatic, almost nudging the whole towards Moscatel, although the balance remains elegant throughout. Finish: fairly long, moving more towards fruitcake, clootie dumpling and all the usual companions. The matches and gunpowder have quietly disappeared. Comments: rich and thoroughly good, a solid foundation for a modest (?!) verticale.
SGP:641 - 85 points. |
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Longmorn 16 yo 2009/2025 (60.8%, Watashi Whisky, Seven Catly Sins – Lust, 1st fill bourbon barrel, cask #336, 120 bottles) 
Colour: full gold. Nose: we are back to the classic fruitiness of the great fruity Speysiders, Longmorn of course, Balvenie, Aberlour… In short, it is packed with beautifully ripe apples and pears, with floral touches recalling lavender honey and honeysuckle. The oranges are not far behind either. With water: melon sorbet. Surely you have nothing against melon sorbet? Mouth (neat): lust indeed, creamy and gloriously citrus-led, rather like a blend of bergamot, orange and citron liqueurs. Topped up with Krug or Salon, this would make one hell of a spritz! With water: very little changes, apart from the arrival of classic lemon and a few touches of fresh mint. Finish: long, fresh and chalky. We really do keep thinking of Champagne… Comments: and there we are, already climbing very high. Longmorn is a superb distillate, we shall keep insisting upon that, while the cask employed here is high quality and impeccably well behaved. More often than not, we are in the presence of a little beauty. We should have a few more examples today…
SGP:651 - 89 points. |
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Longmorn 15 yo 2008/2024 (56.4%, Archives, for Taiwan, 2nd fill hogshead, cask #1178, 249 bottles)
This series is called ‘Birds from the Orient’. That suits us perfectly but let us see whether the song lives up to the plumage… Colour: full gold. Nose: we are very much in line with the previous one, only with a few more exotic touches, bananas and mangoes, plus perhaps a little manuka honey. This nose is simply perfect. With water: we tasted some 1989 Balvenies just before, I have no idea whether we shall publish them before or after these Longmorns, but in any case, this Longmorn and those Balvenies are even closer than Jagger and Richards. Right. Mouth (neat): very little separates it from the previous one, lively, classy, highly elegant, lemony and refreshing. Lovely tea and green pepper emerge after a few moments. With water: this is what we call as good as good bread. Beautiful fruitiness, invigorating and precise. Finish: we are entering a tunnel now, it often happens when whiskies are so close to one another, but do not worry, we shall remedy that forthwith. Comments: delicious, although hardly surprising from our friends at Archives.
SGP:651 - 89 points. |
Let us wind the clock back a little further through the vintages… |
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Longmorn 30 yo 1985 (52.3%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, #7.142, refill bourbon hogshead, ‘Dynamic & Delightful’, 90 bottles, +/-2016)
Colour: deep gold. Nose: a sublime marriage of citrus fruits and mints, which we shall not even bother to describe in detail since there were only 90 bottles (too easy, S.) Wonderful little citrus fruits, ham, borage, pansies… This is simply beautiful… and dynamic indeed. With water: little touches of damp earth and potting soil, humus and mosses, all wrapped in the most beautiful freshness. A walk through the forest. Mouth (neat): wonderfully sharp, very refill in style, with magnificent lemons of several kinds, angelica, perhaps just showing the faintest hint of tiring compared with that utterly sublime nose, though we remain at a very high level indeed. With water: I am talking nonsense, it is still absolutely beautiful. Finish: medium in length but with remarkable liveliness for a 30-year-old. Little lemons, lemon balm, lemon blossom honey and liquorice wood. Comments: these natural Longmorns really are utterly splendid…
SGP:651 - 90 points. |
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Longmorn 1976/2010 (53.8%, Duncan Piper, Millenium Malts, bourbon, cask #5890, 185 bottles)
A Millennium whisky bottled in 2010, which rather suggests an admirably elastic view of the passage of time. That suits us perfectly. I must confess we have had rather little experience with Duncan Piper, although we did have some acquaintance with Duncan the Piper, who used to play with great flair. But once again, I digress… Colour: gold. Nose: this baby is not especially extravagant or demonstrative, a classically fruity Longmorn with ripe apples, a little honey, yoghurt and touches of mead. For now… With water: it remains within this rather rural universe. Mouth: very good, fairly rustic, with a few touches of pepper and even a little cardboard, though never to the point of becoming distracting. Apple peelings, cider… With water: we find ourselves drifting a little closer to the official bottlings, the 15, the 16… The first 16, frankly, was almost an industrial accident considering Longmorn's potential, once again demonstrated here today. Finish: medium in length, becoming more honeyed but also rather more herbal. Comments: be careful with water, it collapses rather quickly, as so many of these malts do.
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
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Longmorn 1974/1996 (58.3%, IC Millar Esq & G Pollard Esq)
A private Longmorn for two gentlemen from Northampton, we are most intrigued… Colour: full gold. Nose: oh, this is beautiful, with orange blossom, oriental pastries, honey, but also argan oil, fresh mint and fresh morels. This slightly unusual combination is simply dazzling, partly because it is so unusual. With water: do you know Moroccan amlou? Freshly ground almonds, Atlas honey and argan oil, all pounded together with a pestle. An absolute killer, no two ways about it. In any case, we find that very same amlou in this Longmorn, at least on the nose. Mouth (neat): one can only bow to Messrs Millar and Pollard, they had excellent taste. Superb pink grapefruits, mints, eucalyptus, seaweed, lime and even a few touches of high-ester Jamaican rum. With water: you will never guess, the amlou is back. Finish: the citrus fruits return to take command of the proceedings, all with great elegance. Comments: tremendous class. Only, once again, and Longmorn is rather sensitive in this respect, do keep a close eye on how much water you add.
SGP:661 - 91 points. |
And now, maltoporn alert… |
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Longmorn 56 yo 1968/2025 (54.3%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice Heritage Collection, first fill sherry butt, cask #5833, 200 bottles)
And here comes the black label again, familiar from the old (and their new and last) Taliskers, but also from the mysterious Avonsides, for example… What was Avonside? They could tell us after so many years… Shall we have a proper chat about those Avonsides one day, G&M? Colour: American coffee. Nose: naturally, this is packed with speculoos, Corinth raisins, toffee, prunes, old Ténarèze, crushed pepper and bitter chocolate. Let us not forget the pipe tobacco either, something from Dunhill in London, let us say, purely at random. Then there is the beeswax polish. It is, I was just about to add, utterly magnificent. True, G&M no longer commission new fillings, but I do believe they ought to preserve a few seminal marques, especially those in which they were instrumental, Longmorn being a perfect example. Ah well, not my business anyway… With water: oh, that Pata Negra ham! Mouth (neat): extraordinary, massive yet curiously airy, deeply chocolaty and marked by tobacco, salmiak, peppers, black nougat and, above all, the ultimate weapon: black olives. With water: bitter oranges begin to weave their way in, alongside very old sherry, very old Madeira, antique herbal liqueurs, soy sauce, something glutamatey and even the own walnut wine of the Empress of Austria (I am joking… slightly). Finish: long, even saline. A little juniper appears. Comments: I say that by around 2060, whisky enthusiasts will be wondering why G&M stopped commissioning new fillings from these emblematic distilleries (we are not talking about Allt-A-Bhainne or Glen Spey, are we, even though we have the greatest respect for Allt-A-Bhainne and Glen Spey, which I believe we demonstrate every two or three month). Because the G&M versions are, or rather were, and our descendants will have it all properly documented, systematically better. On top of everything else as far as those few distilleries are concerned (L., G.G., GL…)!
SGP:662 - 94 points. |
What did you expect, we are not quite finished yet! … |
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Longmorn 30 yo 1964/1995 (53.2%, Signatory Vintage, oak cask, cask #51, 208 bottles)
We are delighted to learn from the label, just as we used to with Cadenhead, that this Scottish single malt was matured in an ‘oak cask’. How we miss those blessed days when nobody gave a hoot about these blasted casks or what had previously been in them! Remember, in Scotch whisky you cannot add anything to the spirit itself, yet you can add almost whatever you like to the casks before filling afterwards. It is rather like not salting your steak, while having liberally salted the frying pan previously. Well, you see what I mean. In any case, I know I keep banging on about it. Colour: a magnificent pale gold, worthy of adorning a Van Cleef jewel or one of Patek Philippe’s wonderfully complicated watches. Oh well… Nose: oh, this is simplicity itself, utterly precise, waxy, without the slightest flourish, and driven by pollen and beeswax. Sweet woodruff. Its simplicity is almost disconcerting. With water: we head straight into a barley field after a heavy shower. Mouth (neat): buds in abundance, little citrus fruits, gentian liqueur, mint and aniseed. With water: little berries, little citrus fruits, little wild herbs, wormwood, genepy, little roots… Finish: long, but above all astonishingly refined, rather like an elegant lady quietly taking her leave before the end of a party, bidding everyone a discreet good evening before departing. A graceful retreat, certainly, but never slipping away unnoticed. Comments: superb, especially after the utterly devastating G&M.
SGP: - 92 points. |
(Merci to Aaron, Angus, KC, Rafael, Simon & Phil) |
It’s now my pleasure to hand over to my fellow taster and good friend Angus, who has two Caperdonichs and two Bowmores in store for us that are anything but ordinary... |
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Angus's Corner
From our correspondent and
skilled taster Angus MacRaild in Scotland
Caperdonich & Bowmore
24 years old? Happy birthday Whiskyfun, if you were a whisky we'd be having you re-gauged to determine if you'll make 25yo and thus achieve a new pricing bracket. |
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As for me, I remain humbly delighted to still be able to contribute to this wee blog. Whisky may well be work for me, but Whiskyfun is 100% a hobby and one I adore. As we head into Whiskyfun's 25th year, Serge remains undeniably in the driver's seat of the Whiskyfun motorcycle - I am but a rogue Scottish midge, hitchhiking on his beret ribbons as they flutter in the Alsace sunshine! So I say: congratulations Serge! Please keep it going, and let's lay down some casks for a special Whiskyfun 50th anniversary 25yo bottling this year ;) |
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Caperdonich 32 yo 1970/2002 (53.6%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 38.11) 
Colour: deep gold. Nose: we have struck beehive! This magnificent combination of exotic woods full of resins, many honeys (both runny and more crystallised in presentation) and a wealth of yellow, green and a few dried exotic fruits as well. Taken together it's really in the same vein as those classic 1972 Caperdonichs; a profile that, I would add, remains slightly yet definitely distinct from its sibling: Glen Grant. Continues, with tiger balm, touches of eucalyptus, flower nectars and further rich and resinous qualities. With water: aromatically it develops much more in the way of dried herbs and flowers, cedar wood boxes full of unlit cigars, old pine wood and camphor. Mouth: terrific arrival! A lorry full of fruit molasses, antique furniture and several cubic metres of beeswax has just overturned and crashed into a giant beehive. Indeed, the palate is several notches waxier, glycerol and fat than the nose suggested. Really drilling into this waxed hessian, old waxed cloth jacket and sheep wool oil territory. With water: mead, very old cider brandy, strop leather, sandalwood and circling back to a deep and profound mix of pure honeycomb and beeswax. Finish: long, glowing with more of those luscious yellow and green fruits, in the form of preserves and syrups, then soft peppery and waxy qualities into the aftertaste. Comments: absolutely top class, perhaps not as purely luscious as some of the 1972s, but I feel these 1970s had something 'extra' about them in terms of density, power and texture that makes them almost more interesting.
SGP: 651 - 92 points. |
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Caperdonich 31 yo 1967/1998 (48.8%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 38.6, 'Muscovado, Sugar and Friar's Balsam')
I made the tricky decision to do this one after the older, higher ABV bottling on the assumption that this would be something of a sherry bomb. Let's put this questionable judgement to the test... Colour: deep reddish mahogany. Nose: hoho, it's different for sure, this in fact a glass of very old Enmore! Seriously, this is dominated by fresh brown breads, treacle, date molasses, medicinal herbs and embrocations, also Blackjack sweeties (maybe a UK thing?), sweet liquorice and bramble wine. One of those old spirits that converges on rum, as well as other ideas with fade in and out, such as very old Armagnac and Fins Bois cognac. Now we have a whole punnet of raspberries, drenched in kirsch and dark chocolate. One of those whiskies were many tiny aromas and modulations of profile continue to emerge. Mouth: thankfully, this holds its own against the 1970. This is once again going towards old demerara rum, with these treacle and medicine combinations, but into the bargain goes old bruised cider apples, miso paste, black olive, salted caramel and sweet pipe tobacco. Add in some creme de menthe, walnut wine and beautiful bitter herbal qualities. Finish: long, perfectly bitter, full of freshly baked brown bread, espresso, spiced dark winter ales, star anise and liquorice root. Comments: poles apart, and probably as much about the sherry cask as about the Caperdonich, but it holds its own against the magnificent 1970, even if the latter is more my speed by a single point. This is still an extremely lush and moreish sherry bomb, where the softer cask strength seems to perfectly balance the more bitter herbal and earthy/bready components of the profile and make the whole rather terrifyingly quaffable.
SGP: 462 - 91 points. |
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Bowmore 1964 (43%, OB for Soffiantino in Italy, circa mid-1980s)
A sort of proto-Black Bowmore, at least in terms of liquid, if not quite branding... Colour: bright mahogany. Nose: obviously, this is amazing. Let's just get that out of the way quickly. But what's pretty interesting, and what strikes me first, is that this feels quite different from the later OB Black Bowmore 1964s. There is a lighter, more playful profile going on here, probably due to the relative youth and lower ABV, but I thought it worth commenting on. A humbling beautiful fusion of dried exotic fruits, coal smoke, soot and damp dunnage earth, sack cloth, mulling spices, medicinal herbs and green walnut liqueur. It also develops a really beautiful salinity that goes towards the best VORS oloroso money can buy! Then freshly roasted coffee beans and Maggi. Quite stupendous stuff. Mouth: like so many of these bottlings, it just devastates even at only 43%. In fact, it's really the density and texture in the mouth that is so impressive. It carries over all these flavours of peat, medicine, salty feelings and dark plus exotic fruit but supercharges them with an immense impression of weight and texture. The fruit profile truly is beautiful now as well. Simultaneously deeply earthy, richly peaty, resinous, tarry, slightly meaty and popping with these bursts of crystalised exotic fruits and tiny hints of lemon, star fruit, yellow plum and baked apple. We had better stop here, I'm sure you get the drift. Finish: long, and again quite deeply peaty, glowing with dry, peppery, thick peat ember qualities, kumquat, orange rind, dried mango and more superbly salty old dry sherry impressions. Herbal bitters and Claquesin in the aftertaste! Comments: exactly as good as you either remember, hope or imagine.
SGP: 666 - 94 points. |
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Bowmore 1969/1978 '15th Anniversary Monica Brothers' (58%, OB for Fecchio & Frasa, cask #6636, sherry cask, 300 bottles)
Most of the casks in this series have been absolutely devastating, world class drams. No notes on WF for this wee baby yet, let's see if it stacks up with the likes of 1969 #6635 (WF95), or 1969 #6639 (WF96) ... Colour: white wine. Nose: an almost otherworldly freshness. Arguably closer to the sea than being... in the sea! A literal distillation of all that is good, noble and evocative about the west coast of Scotland: beach sand, pebbles, seashells, rock pools, seaweed, chalk, brine etc. All balanced by some dazzling notes of lemons, grapefruits and limes. Then it starts to get a little grassy as well, gorse flower, actual grass and lemongrass. Beyond that: lovage, chive, pure seawater and natural tar extracts. A totally sublime precision paired with breathtaking evocative power. With water: several levels upwards again. Hard to describe, other than to say it retains all this immense coastal character but starts to incorporate the land and the farmyard as well. Earther tones emerge, sheep wool characteristics, hessian, old wooden malt bins, caraway, roasted asparagus, shoe leather. Too many things to keep track of let alone record. Mouth: utterly astonishing power, salinity and freshness; literal sunshine in a glass, but at the same time also literal petrol in a glass! More thrillingly bright and green grassy qualities, white flowers, squid ink, miso, seawater, fresh citrus juices and a Samurai sword made of pure, bone-dry peat smoke, goes swishing past. When you get to this level in whisky, you rather lose all control when it comes to tasting notes. With water: everything as before, but it seems to move outwards in all directions, becoming simultaneously fatter, sweeter, saltier, oilier, peatier, more coastal, more farmy and more fruity all at the same time. It's not so much that it has a flavour profile, rather that you may have to go exploring and chose to focus on one area or direction of flavour at a time. Taken as a whole, it's almost too much. Finish: simply stunnning, emotional and compelling whisky that ends with some kind of poetry written in citrus and seawater. Comments: how long will such bottles exist before they're all drunk or evaporated and oxidised away? What was this like to drink when it was freshly bottled? What cumulation of actual ingredients and process created this insane profile in the first place? Whiskies of this power and such dominating personality just leave you scratching your head I'm afraid. Not that I'd have it any other way.
SGP: 565 - 95 points. Maybe 96. I am not to be trusted with these mad bottlings I'm afraid. |
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In case you were wondering, I can confirm that a blend of those two Bowmores is very, very, very, very good. |
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Eternal hugs to Cicada and Enrico! |
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July 27, 2026 |
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A little avalanche of Bowmore,
including our 700th here on WF |
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| A classic view of Bowmore (WF Archive, 2015) |
Indeed we shall try to reach the milestone of 700 different Bowmores tasted on this humble little website today, which should not prove too difficult since we currently stand at 693, with quite a few more waiting in the wings. We should also visit some of the legendary, and occasionally gloriously over-the-top, Bowmores from the troubled 1980s, along with some of the early wine finishes that could be rather challenging (Darkest or Claret, anyone?) Yet there will also be a fair number of genuine stars, the sort Bowmore has always been capable of producing, and still is, provided the casks are handled with a little… tact. In short, let us set off on another little adventure, wandering across many different eras in the most gloriously haphazard order possible, simply because it is much more fun that way… |
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Bowmore 15 yo ‘Mariner’ (43%, OB, +/-2000)
The last time I tasted this version, back in the day, I found it so poor that I did not even bother assigning it a score, suspecting some kind of technical flaw. It is high time we got to the bottom of it, bearing in mind that 2000 – 15 = 1985… Colour: gold. Nose: to put it plainly, we rather get the impression that bottle ageing gradually dissolves the FWP, which would be tremendous news for the community (right, S.) There is certainly a little gooseberry and a faint whiff of bee venom (banana liqueur), but beyond that it is all seawater, oysters, peat smoke and charcoal ash. There is still a very, very faint soapy note lurking in the background. Mouth: somewhere in the middle, with strawberry jam and seawater at first, then peat becoming pepperier, ashier and more lemony. There are distant echoes of the old profile, but on the whole, it has become thoroughly pleasant and unmistakably maritime. After all, they did call it ‘Mariner’. Finish: increasingly dominated by seawater. Comments: time heals everything, thankfully.
SGP:555 - 79 points. |
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Bowmore 11 yo ‘Essence of Islay’ (40%, OB, travel retail, 2025)
These 40% vol. do feel rather retro for a modern release, but it is worth noting that this baby was matured on Islay. Let us see whether it has retained a little oomph… Colour: gold. Nose: less expressive than the Mariner, yet more straightforward and cleaner, despite a fairly obvious sherry influence. A few raisins and goji berries at first, then rather assertive notes of peony and heather, almost unexpected. Some prunes as well. It becomes increasingly floral and jammy, with hints of rosehip preserve. Mouth: we rather prefer it on the palate in the end, even if it remains firmly on the jammy side. Figs and prunes, smoked over a wood fire, alongside salted butter caramel. Finish: not all that short considering the strength. Seaweed and caramel, why not? Comments: rather the same cluster as the Mariner, which is quite surprising. It is probably extremely difficult to strike the right balance between this style of salty, smoky distillate and regular sherry.
SGP:655 - 79 points. |
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Bowmore 17 yo ‘The Distiller’s Choice’ (43%, OB, +/-2015)
Never tasted this baby before, although we had found the later 17 yo ‘White Sands’ perfectly respectable (WF 81). The older 17 yo ‘silkscreen label’ had been more to our liking (WF 84). In any case, this is distillate from the 1990s, and the 1990s at Bowmore were to the 1980s what Menuhin was to André Rieu. Right. Colour: gold. Nose: less sherry, which is always good news at Bowmore. Liquorice allsorts, shellfish, a few bandages, a touch of camphor balm, in short, everything is exactly where it ought to be. Mouth: a slightly yeastier palate, yet very well balanced, with a lovely bitterness that is almost Negroni-ready. Hints of tobacco, moules mariniere, and still a faint floral side, though it is not intrusive here, even if there are touches of raspberry jelly whose origin is rather mysterious, probably the sherry influence. Finish: good length, nicely balanced, with the raspberry jelly kept firmly under control. Comments: we do rather like this! Things are improving…
SGP:554 - 82 points. |
As long as we're in slightly odd territory… |
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Bowmore 22 yo ‘Sauternes Cask Finish’ (48%, OB, travel exclusive, +/-2025)
Sauternes casks, provided they are free from sulphur, as empty sweet wine casks deteriorate quickly unless they are sulphured, are very much hit or miss, even with peated whisky. Kornog, for example, has produced some splendid ones, while other distilleries, which shall remain nameless, have handled them with all the finesse of a bull in a china shop. Anyway… Colour: deep gold. Nose: rather a success, and we can tell straight away. The sweet wine softens the peaty distillate without bullying it as sherry sometimes can, leaving all the smoky and maritime character intact, the whole leading to lovely notes of fruity pipe tobacco and even a few touches of kombucha, itself pleasantly fruity. Mouth: it hesitates ever so slightly at first, then the wine and the whisky begin to dance to the same rhythm, thankfully, we were beginning to worry. Above all, it never becomes overly sweet, nor does it drift too far towards apricots or roses, remaining attractively saline throughout. Finish: fairly long, harmonious, without any dissonance even at this stage. Pepper, Lapsang Souchong and bitter chocolate follow. Comments: this is a success. All the more so if these really are genuine Sauternes casks, because that means French oak.
SGP:655 - 86 points. |
Right, on to the indies, but still without straying too far from wine, with another 22-year-old… |
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Bowmore 22 yo 2003/2025 (54.9%, Murray McDavid, Mission Gold, Awakening Series, Callejo wine cask, 302 bottles)
Callejo comes from Ribera del Duero, that marvellous Spanish appellation in the Burgos region. But this is a powerful red wine, the sort that is rather prone to clashing with whisky, so let us see… Colour: deep gold. Nose: we do notice the wine, the must, even the grapes themselves, yet everything is well integrated, which is encouraging. Lovely notes of kirsch, morello cherries and freshly soaked earth after a welcome shower, rather a precious thing these days, followed by a little green pepper that marries surprisingly well with the distillate. So far, we are pleasantly surprised. With water: more earth, bitter almonds and kirsch. Mouth (neat): whether this is sheer good fortune or entirely intentional, all that kirsch and those little cherries work remarkably well with Bowmore’s peat and salinity. It is quite unexpected, with a lovely peppery edge. With water: even the water behaves impeccably and does not pull the whole thing apart, quite the opposite, the salinity is amplified, and we rather like that. Nicely done, ACEO. Finish: long and even better integrated, it is almost becoming miraculous. Comments: had you told us we would one day award such a score to a Bowmore finished in Ribera del Duero, we would have said you were completely bonkers.
SGP:465 - 88 points. |
Right, here comes our 700th Bowmore, and we are certainly not going to do things by halves… |
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Bowmore 30 yo 1996/2026 (51.8%, Artist #15 by LMDW, Something in the Water, refill hogshead, cask # #9696001385)
Brand new and looking every bit the part, once again adorned with those magnificent labels that make you want to display the bottles in your library rather than hide them away in a cupboard. Where, in any case, you would probably forget all about them… Colour: white wine (excellent news at 30 years). Nose: naturally, it sends every wine finish, deserving or otherwise, straight back to the school benches. Kelp, razor clams, green pepper, manzanilla (we know this is not a wine finish) and fresh almonds. With water: chalk, bread dough, grist and wheat beer gently remind us that this is, after all, whisky. Mouth (neat): astonishingly precise, to the point of seeming simple, almost minimalist, and we absolutely love that. Malevich, Klein, Hartung… With water: we might almost find oil paint if we were not paying attention. Bitter almonds, Korean-style smoked oysters, seawater and samphire. Finish: even saltier, with a little lemon keeping everything firmly on the straight and narrow. The aftertaste is nothing but pure seawater. Comments: that is the trouble with these labels, they transport you into worlds far beyond that of a ‘simple’ whisky. Perhaps that is a deviously clever plan after all, we had better stay on our guard from now on!
SGP:456 - 91 points. |
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There we are, we have climbed a little too high now, so the next ones may struggle to keep up, but you never know. Right, let us throw caution to the wind and, while we're at it, head for the very young ones… |
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Bowmore 9 yo 2017/2026 (57.1%, Thompson Bros. for Limburg, refill bourbon, 209 bottles)
Nice indeed, we could not make it to Limburg this year, but at least we are getting a welcome catch-up session… Colour: pale gold. Nose: well now, someone has peated a blend of melon juice and orange juice, with a generous splash of seawater. Not such a bad idea after all… With water: a little more barley emerges, but apart from that it barely changes. Mouth (neat): this is spot on, lively, very smoky, lemony and salty, followed by a combination of smoked fish and smoked meats. Right, perhaps not quite a whisky for vegans (or perhaps it is!) With water: much the same, once again the water adds very little beyond bringing the salty side further to the fore. Finish: long, saline and peppery. You could almost use it as seasoning. Comments: a very young Bowmore with powerful peat and pepper. Excellent, naturally.
SGP:467 - 87 points. |
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Bowmore 7 yo (50%, Living Souls, second fill bourbon barrel, 2025)
This ought to be as sharp as a butcher’s blade… Colour: white wine. Nose: we are edging a little towards Mercurochrome and generic antiseptic, but there is also tart green apple juice, the whole somehow ending up more civilised than the Thompson Bros. Curiously so. Perhaps the reduction to 50% has something to do with it. With water: a few touches of Williams pear, always a tell-tale sign of youth. Mouth (neat): very good indeed, that second-fill cask still had a few things left to say, even if we are drifting a little towards new make territory here. Still, it remains very good, with lemon, ash, pepper, seawater, oysters and the like. With water: very little changes, apart from that little pear quietly making its entrance again. Finish: much the same. Comments: about as good as it could possibly be at this age. Very clever not to have drowned it in some cheap wine cask.
SGP:557 - 85 points. |
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Bowmore 11 yo 2014/2025 (62.4%, Douglas Laing, Old Particular, Itinéraires, refill bourbon barrel, cask #19582, 220 bottles)
This one ought to cut us clean in half straight away, so let us brace ourselves… Colour: white wine. Nose: more austere, closer to barley than the 7 yo, without the pear but with plenty of yeast, fresh bread and grist. With water: seawater, fresh mint, antiseptic and tart green apple juice. Mouth (neat): really lovely, razor-sharp, beautifully simple, all about lemon and plums in the middle of fermentation. There is something deeply satisfying about simple things… With water: the salinity takes complete control, then again, this is Bowmore. Green pepper joins in too. Has anyone ever had the bright idea of peat-smoking green pepper? Finish: very long, incisive, intensely peppery and increasingly bitter. Comments: Douglas Laing’s Taliskers at this sort of age are still a notch above, in our humble opinion, but this little Bowmore is already gloriously brutal. In short, perhaps not one for ‘the neighbours’…
SGP:366 - 87 points. |
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Bowmore 21 yo 2004/2026 ‘Old Islay’ (55%, Decadent Drinks, 264 bottles)
There is apparently some rather convoluted story involving a PX finish, but it became so complicated that we gave up trying to explain it in detail, you understand. Colour: full gold. Nose: watch out, we are in the upper cluster again here, very much in the style of certain official bottlings matured in perfectly ordinary casks, with a rich, textured nose full of bread dough, grated lemon zest, service berry eau-de-vie (a favourite at Château WF) and old-fashioned citrus liqueurs. Citrus equals Bowmore equals the 1960s. A little mint as well. With water: if this really is a PX finish, despite the lovely shoe polish that emerges here, I shall eat my beret. No way, it is simply too precise and too clean. Mouth (neat): green orange and seawater. To keep it short, this is magnificent. With water: splendid, lemony, lively, packed with little herbs circling around mint, alongside seaweed and citrus zests. Finish: well, bloody hell! Just be careful not to add too much water or it collapses into cardboard. Comments: I had first assumed that all these Old Whatever names and labels, more retro than a Harry Lauder record sleeve, were mostly a rather clever bit of marketing from Angus and the gang. Well, apparently not, because the whisky certainly lives up to the promise.
SGP:356 - 90 points. |
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Bowmore 27 yo 1997/2025 (51.3%, Wu Dram Clan, for Japan, hogshead, cask #56518, 44 bottles)
For just 44 bottles, they might have come up with a label that was a little less hypnotic, might they not? Colour: pale gold. Nose: pear juice and lemon juice, fifty-fifty. Then embrocations, almond milk, toasted sesame and salted peanut butter. Quite a mysterious nose, this one. With water: about-turn, now flint, ointments, mouthwash, fig leaf and fresh bark take centre stage. Mouth (neat): well now, this is pure Bowmore, even a little brutal, peppery, salty and marked by antiseptic notes. You could hardly make it any more ‘Bowmore’. With water: almost a revelation, with pepper, salt, lemon juice and wild strawberries. Finish: long and pleasantly fermentary, yet somehow it all leads towards a wonderfully playful fruitiness. Those wild strawberries! Comments: Bowmore so often throws in these little quirky touches, unexpected and, as here, utterly charming. First class.
SGP:555 - 90 points. |
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Bowmore 22 yo 2004/2026 (51%, Thompson Bros. x Bar Lotus, refill barrel, 88 bottles)
Once again, what a splendid label! Beside it, most official bottlings make us weep buckets and leave us wanting to toss a few coins at their design agencies. That said, we are perfectly aware that designing a label for 88 bottles and doing the same for two million is not quite the same exercise. Colour: gold. Nose: a very gentle Bowmore, almost Old Pulteney-ish, with vanilla, bourbon, mashed potatoes and just two or three little shellfish. Between us, you could almost forget there is any peat at all. With water: ah yes, smoke does return a little, though more in the shape of smoked almonds. We do love smoked almonds. Mouth (neat): rather sharper now, more medicinal and saltier, almost veering towards Laphroaig. Which reminds us that we still have millions of Laphroaigs and ‘Secret Islays’ waiting to be tasted. Almost, stay tuned… With water: increasingly bitter and herbaceous. Finish: long, curiously fermentary and bitter. One could almost imagine being inside a monastery. Comments: this markedly bitter finish is certainly rather unusual, but then again, that is the spice of life (excuse me?).
SGP:375 - 87 points. |
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Bowmore 28 yo 1997/2025 (49.1%, Scout Drinks, hogshead, cask #323047, 76 bottles)
Another micro-bottling, but that is very much the charm of these little gigs. Just imagine, we have even tasted one-of-one malts, surely the most pointless thing in the world. Colour: gold. Nose: 90+ guaranteed. Mangoes, menthol, papayas, wakame and damp earth. This is brilliant. Mouth (neat): incredible, almost a meta-spirit, somehow managing to be malt whisky, rum, berry eau-de-vie, mezcal, cachaça and even pisco all at once. Thoroughly disconcerting, yet magnificent. Finish: long, dry and wonderfully earthy, close to Gaia herself, our common mother. We are sure you know exactly what we mean. Comments: we should probably ask Mr Scout for a few explanations, but apart from that we absolutely adore this thoroughly bizarre creature we have, for the time being, in our glass. Which, of course, is unlikely to remain full for very long.
SGP:366 - 91 points. |
I should point out that WF 90 represents perfection, but to reach 91 or above, a whisky needs that little extra, because there is always something beyond perfection… Still, it is probably high time for one last Bowmore today, and perhaps we might cast another glance in the direction of Dornoch… |
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Bowmore 21 yo 2004/2025 (51.8%, Thompson Bros., Dornoch Castle 25th Anniversary, refill cask, cask #28, 289 bottles)
That label has certainly paid for itself by now… Colour: pale gold. Nose: it feels younger than its 21 years, leaning more towards beer, wort, green banana, almond milk and pistachios. In any case, it is rather waxy. With water: the peat remains decidedly discreet, while lightly smoky oils take command instead. Mouth (neat): rich and oily, centred on almonds, with a peatiness that seems embedded within the wax, making it rather restrained in expression. With water: it almost comes across as an east coast Bowmore, which is quite the paradox. Finish: long, drifting towards lime, and that is never bad news. Comments: I must admit I found this little ‘east coast’ Bowmore rather elusive, it certainly does not give itself away easily. Still, as you would expect, it is very good indeed.
SGP:465 - 87 points. |
That will do, let us stop here. See you next time… |
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July 26, 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,
Extreme rums all round |
At any rate, most of them are. This time we'll kick off with a slightly older bottle… Then we'll move on quickly and rather at random… |
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Duquesne 5 ans ‘Rhum Vieux’ (40%, OB, Martinique, +/-1985) 
Duquesne is Trois Rivières, but I don't believe I've seen the brand in recent years, is it still active? Colour: pale gold. Nose: this is very light, with hazelnuts and cardboard, croissants and herbal cough mixture. A few hints of aniseed and pastis. It's really not at all bad at this stage. Mouth: OBE has probably taken a bit of a toll on this profile, which wanders between aniseed, liquorice and a few soapy notes. In short, one half is rather charming, the other rather less so. In other words, it's an old rum with a decidedly ambivalent character. Finish: fairly short, still a little dusty and soapy. Comments: no doubt a lovely rum in its day, but it has probably seen better days. Best forgotten.
SGP:341 - 65 points. |
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Père Labat ‘Sélection’ (59%, Les Frères de la Côte, Marie-Galante, 760 bottles)
A rum matured for four years on Marie-Galante, then three months aboard a sailing vessel, and finally two months in mainland France. I'm not entirely convinced those last two months made much difference. We've already tasted several rums by Les Frères de la Côte, and they had all been very good. Colour: gold. Nose: very earthy and lemony, phenolic, then increasingly focused on salted liquorice. Fennel, aniseed, dill, wood glue... It's rather impressive. With water: tonnes of earth and litres of varnish. It's absolutely beautiful. Mouth (neat): powerful and precise, with fennel, lemon, liquorice and aniseed. With water: simply more of the same. Magnificent spirit, ultra-precise, fresh and powerful. Finish: very long, fresh, lemony and earthy, with a slight salty edge. Comments: there are several different batches, and they're not easy to tell apart, but this one is excellent.
SGP:552 - 87 points. |
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Full Circle ‘8 Nation Blend’ (61%, Raising Glasses, full proof, 2025)
A rum that's probably rather new wave, from a house that's probably rather new wave too. We rather like the spirit of it, provided those eight nations don't end up cancelling each other out. Colour: gold. Nose: engine grease, vanilla, banana wine, acetone, varnishes, petrol… In short, this is more Funkadelic than Gilbert O'Sullivan at this stage. With water: a little smoke and ash, plus whispers of ammonia. Mouth (neat): clever stuff. The esters are singing loudly in the front row, while vanilla and syrup wrap everything up rather neatly. With water: vegetables and spices, liquorice, caraway… Finish: much the same, with an increasingly rooty side that lingers for quite a while. Comments: esters are rather like peat, if you enjoy them you tend to want plenty of them, and half measures can become a little awkward. But this is very good indeed.
SGP:552 - 82 points. |
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Salvador 20 yo 2006/2026 ‘L.C.’ (59%, Ferrer, One Cask, El Salvador) L.C. must stand for La Cabana, the makers of Cihuatan, whom we rather like. Colour: gold. Nose: this is absolutely not one of those ex-high-column molasses rums devoid of soul and flavour, quite the opposite, with rather massive notes of nail polish remover and hairspray, rice vinegar, even baijiu. How interesting, and even rather amusing! With water: more varnish, more hairspray, more paint thinner. Mouth (neat): wow, this is good! Pineapple, concentrated lemon juice and varnish. With water: everything becomes a little more balanced, thanks to notes of... seawater and oysters! And salmiak. Finish: long, precise, saline and, if I may dare say so, bacterial... Comments: to keep it short, this comes as a complete surprise.
SGP:563 - 88 points. |
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Planteray Trinidad 25 yo 2000/2025 (56.4%, Planteray for LMDW Itinéraires, cask # Rime E4-04, 258 bottles)
As is almost always the case with Planteray/Plantation, there's a cognac finish, the precise purpose of which still rather escapes us, although I'm sure that's entirely our fault. Colour: gold. Nose: rather high-ester in style, with olives, brine, slightly overripe fruits, tar, petrol and liquorice. The trouble is, it's utterly gorgeous. With water: dried flowers and dried fruits emerge, alongside a generous helping of mint and liquorice. Mouth (neat): oh yes, peaches and mangoes, then those lovely little diesel oil notes, textbook TDL through and through. With water: magnificent, we're completely won over, cognac or no cognac. Very ripe pineapples, perhaps a shade too ripe, then varnish, brine, petroleum and liquorice. Finish: long, very long indeed, and showing no real intention of stopping. Comments: superb spirit. So then, Petite Champagne? Borderies? Only joking...
SGP:662 - 90 points. |
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Bonne-Mère 3 yo ‘Butterfly’ (53.5%, Vagabond Spirit, Harmony, Guadeloupe, 433 bottles)
A finishing period in a red vin doux naturel cask, but why ever not, this ought to behave itself. Bonne-Mère belongs to La Martiniquaise (Saint James) and has only recently launched its own brand, DBM (Distillerie Bonne Mère, got it) We simply had to taste it… Colour: full gold. Nose: proper French Caribbean exuberance! Ferments, fresh yeasts, bananas that have gone gloriously overripe, late-harvest Gewurztraminer, roses, lychees, damsons on the verge of collapse (no problem whatsoever), lilac, broom… With water: oh, this is beautiful! Mouth (neat): I just love this. Nervy, razor-sharp, hugely aromatic, fresh, almost smoky, now drifting more towards late-harvest Pinot Gris than Gewurztraminer… With water: yep, Pinot Gris indeed, together with Roussanne and Marsanne. Finish: long, extravagantly floral (rose), yet wonderfully elegant thanks to those delightfully petroly notes. And olives! Comments: in truth, this is really wandering into the realm of great baijiu, a considerably more meaningful gift to humanity than those poor BYD cars or conversational sex robots. In short, complete madness at just three years of age.
SGP:652 - 88 points. |
Under the circumstances, why would we leave the French West Indies? |
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Galion 2025/2026 ‘Grand Arôme’ (63%, Landier & Vingtier, Les Fontaines du Chai 27, Martinique, cask #15)
They certainly know what they're doing at L&V, and if France ever had a Ministry of Rum (heaven forbid!) they'd undoubtedly be handed the portfolio. Come to think of it, there's an idea… But do remember, Le Galion isn't agricole… Colour: gold. Nose: formic acid, lemon juice, diesel fuel, olive brine, anchovy brine, acetone and ammonia. Does that do the trick as grand arôme? With water: seawater trapped among the rocks between high and low tide. You'd swear there were even tiny green crabs in there, and barnacles without the slightest doubt. Mouth (neat): on the palate, this is the equivalent of a C<>H from H., in J. The rest is simply magnificent, razor-sharp, fiercely saline and gloriously petroly. With water: seawater flavoured with rum and liquorice liqueur. Finish: very long, rather more austere, salty, almost a little too demanding. Comments: This is the real thing, complete madness. And apparently, it's around a year old, give or take. Then again, we all know that age in rum is an almost esoteric concept.
SGP:463 - 90 points. |
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Long Pond 20 yo (69.4%, Gourmet Pool, bourbon barrel, Jamaica, 2025)
It mentions Long Pond and it mentions Clarendon, so I'm not entirely sure what this really is, but as always, the truth is in the glass. Function over design, always, that's what thirty years of working with this wretched Internet, the very thing that's leading us all to our doom, has taught me. But never mind… Colour: full amber. Nose: exhaust fumes from an old Jaguar, ethanol, acetone. The rest will simply have to wait for water… With water: the water certainly dilutes it, that's beyond doubt, but it also weakens it a little. Mouth (neat): not quite as dangerous as the strength would suggest. Shoe polish, eau de toilette, nail varnish. Truth be told, it isn't really drinkable in its natural state. With water: glues, varnishes, solvents, and the distinct impression of chewing your way through brand-new Ikea furniture. Finish: long and bitter. Comments: perhaps the limits of the concept, at least to my humble mind. Extremes are all very well, but there's little point once they start becoming genuinely unpleasant. But there might well have been a problem with the sample, we're putting the score on hold and shall retry this baby later.
SGP:263 – () points. |
While we're on the subject of very high strengths… |
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TDL 8 yo 2016/2015 (65.7%, The Colours of Rum, Trinidad, ex-bourbon, cask #3, 277 bottles)
You wouldn't happen to know a decent international lawyer, would you? Every time we're confronted with strengths like this, ours is out on the golf course and impossible to reach. Colour: gold. Nose: high-ester TDL, yet outrageously fruity. Petrol and mango juice. A combination that's almost impossible to resist. With water: freshly pressed grass juice, just as it was all the rage back in the 1980s. You remember, the first time everyone suddenly became fascinated by vegetable, root and grass juices. Mouth (neat): varnish, venom, peach and apricot eau-de-vie (apricotine), and brand-new melamine board. With water: really very good, although it loses a little definition. Finish: long, just a touch imprecise. Earth, outrageously ripe fruits, petrol, freshly cut lawn. Comments: TDL is at its glorious best when it's razor-sharp, either unapologetically fruity or completely ester-driven. Somewhere in between, things always become just a little more difficult, in my opinion…
SGP:462 - 84 points. |
Well, today's real discovery was undoubtedly Le Galion by Landier & Vingtier. I think we could do with one more to bring this miserable little session to a close… |
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Galion 2021/2026 ‘Grand Arôme Wall Cask’ (55%, Landier & Vingtier, Les Fontaines du Chai 27, Martinique)
We suppose that 'wall cask' refers to casks matured close to the walls in warehouses or cellars, where they're naturally exposed to fewer swings in temperature and humidity thanks to thermal inertia, but that's pure speculation on our part. If only we had the time to dig into these matters! Colour: full gold. Nose: complete madness. Hugely acetic, loaded with varnish and solvents, then an almost excessive vanilla, rose petals, hairspray, concentrated sour cherry juice… With water: smoked oysters, chilli, wood glue… Mouth (neat): extreme, right at the limit. Ultra-concentrated liquorice, Mediterranean seawater, black olives, smoked fish… With water: much the same, plus rubber and wonderfully salty liquorice straight from the far North. Finish: long, a little softer now, a little fruitier too, but do be careful, this is deceptive stuff. One glass is quite enough. Comments: this is almost more of a condiment than a drink. We almost preferred the 2025, which was almost gentler. Almost… In any case, they're completely mad at Landier & Vingtier. BTW we’ll also try to unearth some new cognac by Landier.
SGP:364 - 90 points. |
 Check the index of all rums we've tasted
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July 24, 2026 |
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A small trio of splendid Blair Athol, spanning the years from 2011 back to 1991 |
The very epitome of the Midlander, wedged between the Lowlands and Speyside, yet lumped together with Highlanders stretching from Glengoyne to Pulteney and beyond... I would much rather call Blair Athol a Midlander than leave it buried in that Highland catch-all, even if I am probably the only one who does... |
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Blair Athol 14 yo 2011/2026 (56.1%, Fadandel, 1st fill bourbon hogshead, cask #308030, 114 bottles)
Colour: full gold. Nose: very much on fresh oak, chalk, lemon and apples, with a razor-sharp edge that we do not encounter all that often in Blair Athol. Dissolving aspirin tablets add an unusual, almost clinical touch. With water: wafts of orange zest, even, forgive me in advance, Fanta and 7Up, all wrapped up in a little vanilla custard. Mouth (neat): very much in keeping with the nose without water, still firmly on barley, chalk, fresh bark, lemon, green apples and grass. With water: it retains its wonderfully natural sharpness but becomes just a shade rounder, with a delicate honeyed softness. Finish: fairly long, still utterly natural, almost evocative of the Midlands countryside. Yes, really. Comments: it is not extraordinary, in the primary sense of the word, yet I find it quite exquisite within this utterly natural, unvarnished style.
SGP:451 - 86 points. |
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Blair Athol 28 yo 1998/2026 (52.8%, Decadent Drams, 160 bottles)
A marriage of two refill hogsheads, rather in the style of Cadenhead during the Mark Watt years. Colour: white wine. Nose: we are very close to the 2011, only with a little more depth, more fresh mint, lime instead of yellow lemon, then touches of Chartreuse, verbena and wormwood, all resting upon a bed of freshly milled barley. A beautiful nose, a little restrained perhaps, yet quietly delightful. With water: very little change, just a few leafy notes emerging. Mouth (neat): a lovely assortment of citrus fruits, with quite remarkable liveliness, almost too refreshing, in the sense of being almost dangerously drinkable. Little lemon cakes and chilled green tea. With water: once again it scarcely moves, merely revealing a few tiny jellybeans, yellow ones of course. Finish: much the same for quite a long while. Comments: within this ultimately rather restrained style, this is surely close to perfection. We cannot help thinking of the old Lowlanders, Rosebank in particular. Very well played.
SGP:561 - 90 points. |
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Blair Athol 34 yo 1991/2026 (50.8%, OB, Rare Series, sherry ex-European oak plus PX-seasoned new American oak hogsheads, 347 bottles)
Quite some cask wizardry behind this recent prestige Blair Athol from Diageo/Justerini & Brooks, but they do know how to pull it off. Colour: copper amber. Nose: not the easiest after the wonderfully graceful Decadent Drams, the casks making a much stronger statement here, with more roasted peanuts, slightly singed raisins, dark turrón, coffee, toffee, dark chocolate and even a touch of rum. Yet there are also handsome black teas, let us call them Assam since we may as well give them a name. With water: fig jam, dark chocolate and cracked black pepper. Mouth (neat): what a turnaround, it is far fresher on the palate, citrus fruits charging in at full speed, blood oranges, orange cake, thyme honey, chestnut honey and a splash of hoisin sauce. It is genuinely excellent on the palate, rich and oily yet wonderfully lively at the same time. With water: everything rounds itself off towards oriental pastries, makrouts, little fig cakes, dark honeys and even a touch of molasses. Finish: much the same, and it lingers for quite a while. A hint of tobacco and oak in the aftertaste. Comments: in the end it has caught up with the brilliant Decadent Drams in terms of quality, albeit in a style that is the complete opposite. That, after all, is one of the great pleasures of tasting fine whiskies, you see…
SGP:562 - 90 points. |
A thoroughly delightful session today! At any rate, for this humble taster. |
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July 23, 2026 |
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WF's Little Duos,
today indie Glencadam |
We don't come across Glencadam quite as often these days, after its rather spectacular arrival on the scene in the early to mid-2000s. I even remember Big Jim McEwan declaring, in the middle of a lively gathering at the Port Charlotte Hotel, that the new 15-year-old was his favourite malt, much to the mildly astonished amusement of the entire Bruichladdich team. Good old times, but enough reminiscing. Let's move on to the two little indie bottlings we wanted to taste today, one recent and one rather older, if only to keep the Glencadam flame alive on WF...
(The humble author with Jim, 2002) |
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Glencadam 14 yo 2011/2026 (56.2%, Single Malt Nation, 1st fill American oak oloroso hogshead, cask #180531, 155 bottles)
There are some very fine things coming out from the house Single Malt Nation at the moment. Colour: deep gold. Nose: a lovely sherry, dry and classical, full of old walnuts and a box of Cuban cigars. There are raisins, certainly, but they're restrained and impeccably behaved. Then it gradually drifts towards walnut cake topped with a marc glaze. With water: beautifully pure, all walnuts, mustard and Pu-erh tea. The raisins remain remarkably well-mannered. Mouth (neat): pretty lively for a sherry cask, with our favourite bitter oranges, our equally favourite walnut cake, and those wonderful little chestnut flour biscuits they make in Corsica, on which quite a few tourists have already chipped a tooth. Much wiser to dunk them into a glass of white wine, Corsican of course. With water: indeed, there are also a few drops of white vermouth. Finish: long, with mild walnut mustard and orange marmalade. A faint touch of boot polish in the aftertaste. Comments: it's the balance and purity that impress me the most. Big Jim ought to give this a try...
SGP:561 - 88 points. |
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Glencadam 1985/2010 (55.4%, Malts of Scotland for Interwhisky Frankfurt, bourbon hogshead, cask #3990, 245 bottles)
It was about time we tasted this baby, although these little impromptu pairings are always the perfect excuse. Colour: full gold. Nose: plenty of acacia honey, elderflower liqueur, mandarin marmalade and banana cream, the banana cream staying rather discreet. In short, this is as cheerful as could be, and perhaps there's the faintest positive OBE already, along with an almost imperceptible soapy note. With water: more gum Arabic than soap now, and in any case, that quickly vanishes into thin air, making way for a gloriously fruity and earthy combination of apples and citrus fruits. Think unfiltered juices. Mouth (neat): excellent, lively, very much on yellow citrus fruits, lemons and grapefruit, with white pepper, fresh turmeric and angelica. Lovely tension throughout. With water: it softens, bringing a little vanilla along with a return of the elderflower liqueur. Finish: long, magnificently earthy, although the citrus fruits remain firmly at the helm. Lovely pink pepper in the aftertaste. Comments: how on earth did I manage to keep this baby in the stash for fifteen years without ever tasting it?
SGP:561 - 89 points. |
There we are, I think we've flown the Glencadam flag rather handsomely today. See you. |
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July 22, 2026 |
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WF's Little Duos,
today Benromach,
Côte-Rôtie vs Golden Promise |
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| Côte-Rôtie in the Northern Rhône Valley (ODG Côte-Rôtie) |
We have shifted our views a little on the use of red wine for finishing. After a rather hit-and-miss twenty-year spell, we've noticed that the easier, more neutral and less characterful malts now tend to emerge from the exercise in fairly better shape, certainly better than the sturdier, more distinctive and more full-blooded spirits such as... Benromach. To survive a clash, you need… little character! That said, you could always argue that Côte-Rôtie isn't quite a red wine in the strictest sense, since it traditionally contains a small proportion of Viognier, say five to ten per cent, usually co-fermented rather than simply blended in afterwards. As you know, Viognier is a white grape variety. Then again, plenty of growers now produce less traditional Côte-Rôtie made from 100% Syrah. In any case, Côte-Rôtie is, of course, officially classified as a red wine. The whites from the region are Condrieu. Anyway... |
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Benromach 12 yo 2014/2026 ‘Contrast Côte-Rôtie Wine Cask’ (46%, OB)
Bourbon then roughly two years in Côte-Rôtie cask. Let's see whether this can outshine the fairly recent Bordeaux (WF 83), Super Tuscan (WF 83), the older Sassicaia (WF 78), or even the older Hermitage (WF 78). Oh, and let's not forget the Cissac from ten years ago (WF 65). You see, they're all getting better... Colour: ripe apricot. Nose: flinty minerality, coal smoke, gas, truffle, raspberries, blackcurrants, boot polish, cabbage and leek soup, basalt... It's rather intriguing, although the integration may not be quite complete yet, even if there are some lovely Syrah spices weaving through the whole. Mouth: plenty of pepper, plenty of blackcurrant buds, then ripe tomatoes and a peatiness that feels particularly assertive in this context, very much on ashes and slightly burnt engine oil. Finish: fairly long, not quite as dissonant as we had feared, though still a little awkward. The peppers are rather attractive, mind you. Comments: I suppose every fine family needs two or three lame ducks. Well, it's really not all that bad after all...
SGP:463 - 80 points. |
Well, much as I adore the wines of Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage, if you were to ask me whether, as far as malt whisky is concerned, I wouldn't rather have another edition built around Golden Promise barley, I suspect you already know what my answer would be... |
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Benromach 13 yo ‘Golden Promise Barley Edition’ (46%, OB, exclusive for The Whisky Club, Australia, first fill sherry cask, 2026)
Not too sure this has been released yet, but it has certainly been bottled. Colour: gold. Nose: good heavens, Breton crêpes, pancakes, sourdough, polenta, pizza dough, fougasse... Have we ever come closer to barley itself? I rather doubt it. Lovely little hints of mandarin lurking in the background, adding another dimension to this malt that is, for the moment, almost brilliantly binary. Mouth: even better on the palate. Pumpernickel, Swedish crispbread, white pepper, more crêpes and mandarins, then a duo of coriander seed and juniper that brings an extra layer of depth, almost like a very high-end gin, if such a thing really exists. Finish: fairly long, with smoke suddenly charging in, followed by ashes and even a touch of horseradish. Comments: this is wonderfully dry. We almost get the impression we've plunged our head straight into a barley field. Let's hope they distilled enough Golden Promise to treat us to a few more bottlings over the coming months and years... In short, I love it.
SGP:364 - 90 points. |
And the winner is… Benromach! |
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July 21, 2026 |
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Mr William Duff, manager of Clynelish
Distillery in... 1934 (D.C.L. Gazette)
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A new quartet of Clynelish (or a mini vertical tasting)
One can hardly leave this wretched little website running without slipping in a few Clynelishes from time to time. Preferably once a month... More or less. We'll revisit the official 14-year-old one of these days, but for the moment we've a few new independents to get our teeth into... It's true that our relationship with the '14 OB' has often been a rather turbulent one... |
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Clynelish 10 yo 2015/20126 (52.8%, The Whisky Exchange, Zodiac series, Virgo, cask #51246, 255 bottles)
A new series from the witches and wizards at TWE. It couldn't have come at a better time, as I happen to be a Virgo myself. The wise Virgo, naturally, not the wild one. Colour: sauvignon blanc. Nose: a Clynelish that is above all wonderfully fresh, brimming with cucumber, gooseberries, angelica, plums and green melon. In short, it's gloriously green. The trademark wax is keeping a pretty low profile for the time being, although a few hints of coconut milk are beginning to emerge. With water: fresh beer and newly baked bread. We almost drift back towards the mash, with a generous helping of jellybeans straight from a family-sized bag. Mouth (neat): what really impresses here is the precision, even more so than the texture once again. Chalk, lemon and crisp green apples. Very much a no-wax Clynelish indeed. With water: now we're firmly into little fruit sweets and even Jell-O. Well, almost. Finish: medium in length, very fruity, bright, exuberant and rather demonstrative. Right at the death, perhaps just a little touch of beeswax. Pink peppercorns. Comments: an excellent youthful Clynelish in an overtly fruity style.
SGP:651 - 86 points. |
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Clynelish 12 yo 2013/2026 (52.4%, Lucky Choice & Oxhead Whisky, Time’s Telling, hogshead, cask #334328, 160 bottles)
Colour: deep gold. Nose: the complete opposite of the previous one, this is much richer, fatter and packed with preserved citrus fruits, alongside little mentholated and liquorice-laced molecules. Lovely touches of Nuoc-mam sauce and candle wax too. Quite indeed. With water: a lightly smoky, cured meatiness joins the party. Bottarga as well. Mouth (neat): immensely rich and powerful yet still displaying that wonderfully razor-sharp edge that is so typical. Bitter oranges, green walnuts, chestnut honey, smoked nougat, if such a thing were ever to exist, and mandarins. With water: absolutely no change, the combination remains exactly the same. Finish: long, resinous, waxy and citrus-led. Comments: absolutely excellent. Now tuck it away in the cellar for another twenty years and, presto, you'll have a very great bottle of 'modern' Clynelish.
SGP:561 - 89 points. |
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Clynelish 25 yo 2001/2026 (49.4%, Thompson Bros., website exclusive, refill hogshead, cask #215, 130 bottles)
It's worth remembering that from the top floor of their castle in Dornoch, the two Thompson brothers have what is almost a direct view of Clynelish distillery. Give or take a few dozen kilometres... They can therefore keep an eye on all the comings and goings and spot the casks that the warehousemen are handling with particular care... At least in theory... Colour: deep gold. Nose: very much in the same vein as the 2013, only with a little extra complexity and a more accomplished fusion of citrus zests and waxes. Nutshell, it's rather magnificent. With water: lovely little notes of fresh rubber and bitter almonds emerge. Mouth (neat): much the same story, the 2013 again, only thicker and tauter at the same time. With water: remarkable how water lifts it and adds layers of complexity, even if it does make it decidedly herbaceous at this stage. A little salted butter caramel quietly slips into the picture. Finish: long. It's edging ever closer to textbook Clynelishness, only in a far more herbaceous guise than usual. Comments: in truth, this is quite an atypical Clynelish, seemingly driven by a single ambition, to keep you guessing every step of the way. In short, it's something of a lovable troublemaker.
SGP:461 - 89 points. |
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Clynelish 30 yo 1995/2025 (51.6%, Lucky Choice for Acorn & The Antelope, refill sherry butt, cask #8765, 233 bottles)
We have every reason to believe this baby is going to be excellent. Especially the refill part, because remember, 'refill is the deal'. Colour: deep gold. Nose: it opens on furniture polish, those red dipping sauces served with dim sum, do forgive my ignorance, quince jelly, top-notch finos, whether from PX seco or Palomino, snapped branches, green walnuts, mustard and horseradish. With water: an increasingly obvious mead-like side emerges, along with dried fruits, and the whole becomes noticeably rounder. Mouth (neat): an immediate explosion of tertiary aromas. Preserved lemon peel and myriads of spices from every corner of the globe. With water: and there we are, textbook Clynelish, all honey and wax, alongside that fino-like profile once again, green walnuts, seawater and a little touch of mustard. Finish: tobacco, rather like sucking on your puro. As far as I can remember, it's been almost twenty years since I last did that. Comments: excellent, of course.
SGP:461 - 89 points. |
Well, probably no outright superstar today, but we've nevertheless remained firmly in the upper echelon. See you soon for many more Clynelishes, especially from the early 1970s or the early 1980s. The crème de la crème of the crème (of the crème) ... |
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