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May 13, 2025 |
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A trio of very young, slightly mad Aberfeldy
There aren’t many left that haven’t been finished in some improbable cask, are there?
Common myrtle (Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle) |
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Aberfeldy 9 yo 2014/2023 (59.7%, OB, Exceptional Cask Series, bourbon and Scottish oak finish, casks #590005–590009, 1152 bottles) 
The last time Scottish oak was given this kind of spotlight, I believe it was by Glengoyne, quite a few years ago—unless you’ve got other examples... Colour: light gold. Nose: very toasty, crème brûlée, flambéed banana, fudge, nougat. It’s compact and cheerful! With water: ah lovely—white beers, small-berry eaux-de-vie, service tree, rowan... Mouth (neat): yes, this is good—on sesame oil, definite fudge, and a few drops of Gewurztraminer marc that are rather unmistakable (where does that come from?) With water: back to oils, grape pips, sunflower... What fun! Finish: long, curiously precise, oily, very prettily herbal, then toasty again right at the final signature. Peanut butter. Comments: a very, very lovely young creature—light-years away from those improbable and utterly pointless winey finishings.
SGP:461 - 88 points. |
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Aberfeldy 10 yo 2013/2023 (58.7%, Signatory Vintage, Archangel No.3, Kirsch Import, 1st fill oloroso sherry butts, 1343 bottles) 
Yet again with that rather fearsome label—so is this young whisky actually lethal? Colour: deep gold. Nose: at last, the return of deep-fried Mars bars, rust remover and slightly charred plywood. Just teasing—it does actually smell very nice. With water: loads of metal polish and motor oil, old tools and firwood charcoal. Mouth (neat): caramel with tar and pepper, smoked tea, and charred American-style bacon. A malt for the Bandidos? With water: a return to civilisation—well, nearly. Propolis and natural rubber. Finish: long, resinous, herbal, with even more propolis. Comments: a rather mad little Aberfeldy, let’s be honest. We do like a bit of madness at Château WF, but the surprising official might have ruined the game.
SGP:362 - 85 points. |
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Aberfeldy 10 yo 2014/2024 (60.7%, Fragrant Drops, refill bourbon, cask #252, 207 bottles)
Fragrant Drops—what a lovely name! Colour: light gold. Nose: malt in its purest form, with oils (peanut, sunflower) and a little light earth, fresh sawdust, apples from an old garden and green tea. It’s absolutely pristine. With water: damp chalk and pizza dough, sourdough starter, grist, tapioca... Mouth (neat): oh yes this is good—not complicated, but full of gorgeous notes of young calvados, lawn juice, grape seed oil and green pepper. With water: in come the fresh fruits—admittedly a little late—but also myrtle, plus lime and prickly pear. Finish: long, fresh, natural, malty, with more green apple and lemon. Lovely crisp edge. Comments: couldn’t be more natural. A demonstrative young malt whisky, we’d say—just a whisper immature, but who cares, right?
SGP:451 - 87 points. |
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May 12, 2025 |
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Three little Glendronachs,
perfectly cooked up
After recently tasting the 15-year-old, which has remained very pleasant, along with two rather fantastic ‘fill your own bottle’ editions, we stumbled upon three new releases that completely took us by surprise — NAS expressions that seem quite pushed-up, as is increasingly the trend everywhere. What really surprises us, in the end, is that no one has yet offered ‘do your own finishing’ editions, where you could fill mini-firkins of your choice and come back the next day to collect your bottles. Or even the very same evening… |
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Glendronach ‘Ode to the Valley’ (46.2%, OB, The Master's Anthology, sherry and Port casks, 2024) 
It does seem a tad premature to be compiling an anthology of the charming Master Blender already, doesn’t it? I know, that’s not quite what they mean with the name, but still… Colour: gold, leaning slightly rosé. Nose: rather kirsch-like to begin with, the Port seeming fairly fresh (young), offering rosehip, raspberry, all wrapped around a lovely barley eau-de-vie, with some muesli, cassata, and a touch of blood orange. Comes across very young, but it’s bright and cheerful. Mouth: youthful, eau-de-vie-ish again, but with more lovely raspberries and blackcurrant liqueur, before the malt begins to express itself quite nicely, bringing along a rather likeable impression of an IPA. Finish: of medium length, very fruity, with strong echoes of the Port. Perhaps some ruby in there? Comments: I find this rather pleasant, really, a touch winesky but done in a lovely manner. It’s well controlled, within that increasingly prevalent style in Scotland.
SGP:631 - 83 points. |
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Glendronach ‘Ode to the Embers’ (48.4%, OB, The Master's Anthology, sherry and smoke, 2024) 
Apparently, the smoke genuinely comes from the distillate itself, not from any sort of finishing in an ex-cask of… let’s say Laphroaig, as many tend to do. Colour: gold. Nose: a light smoke, nicely integrated into the sherry, with no clash. A faint whiff of exhaust fumes, which we rather enjoy, then some myrtle and cherries, pleasant touches of natural rubber, a hint of smoked meat (some kind of smoked beef jerky), followed by barbecue smoke and pine needles. Mouth: it’s a touch more dissonant for me, on rubber, pepper, bitter zest, sour cherries, and a faint note of prosecco, even Aperol Spritz. Finish: medium length and still rather marked by the Aperol. Aperol, that’s not owned by Brown-Forman, is it? Comments: I find it quite pleasant as well, with a few modern flavours and a slight cocktail edge. One must move with the times, I suppose.
SGP:633 - 82 points. |
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Glendronach ‘Ode to the Dark’ (50.8%, OB, The Master's Anthology, Pedro Ximenez sherry, 2024)
Someone once said that PX had become one of the preferred crutches of modern Scottish malts, though I can’t recall who that was. Not that it matters, there aren’t many Cream casks left anyway… Colour: amber. Nose: there we are, the classic Glendronach profile as seen since the early 2000s, heavily marked by the sherry but in an elegant manner, this time on tobacco, currants (the Andalusian kind), dates, candied cherry, fir honey, and a touch of fresh mint… I find it rather nice, actually, even if it feels a tad sweeter than your typical old-school GDs. With water: a bit of fresh oak pokes through. Not that it really needs water, to be honest. Mouth (neat): frankly, this is not bad at all, more peppery, drier than expected, yet displaying a lovely note of orange liqueur with pepper and honey inside. If such a thing existed… With water: again, the oak shows up, somewhat like freshly cut joinery wood. Finish: of good length, nicely balanced, with dates and orange marmalade. Comments: a nice drop, more on the classic side, shame we had to go and try it with water too.
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
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May 11, 2025 |
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A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace! |
Rums, always more rums...
Rums from around the world.
(Mhoba) |
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El Supremo 8 yo (40%, OB, Paraguay, +/-2024)
From Paraguay we mostly know the Fortin rums, which are frankly very decent and not stuffed with sugar like many of their neighbours in South America. But we didn’t know ‘El Supremo’… Colour: deep gold. Nose: well indeed, this isn’t half bad, very dry, somewhat in the style of the rums from Madeira, oddly enough. As it happens, there are notes of dry Madeira wine, a little potting soil, green walnut, a touch of horseradish, hints of fennel... Mouth: yes, this is very nice, it hasn’t been sugared up, it’s dry, with green spices, chervil, caraway, dill, a little oregano, green walnut again... Well, we’re quite taken with this unexpected little El Supremo. Finish: fairly long, salty, mustardy, dry. Comments: it really is quite close to the agricoles from Madeira. Was Paraguay conquered by the Portuguese? Well indeed, upon checking, the Spanish did cede part of Paraguay to the Portuguese in 1750. From there to claiming their influence lingers in this very pretty rum…
SGP:461 - 80 points. |
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Mhoba ‘Select Reserve’ (48%, OB for Navigate World Whisky, South Africa, Bourbon cask, batch #2023B02, 300 bottles, +/-2023)
Pure cane juice. We’ve already tasted some excellent Mhobas. Colour: gold. Nose: the most ‘ester-forward’ of the pure cane juice rums in our view, it smells of new plastic, seawater and petrol fumes, and we absolutely love it. If you add olives, ink and lime juice, you’ve got a fairly complete picture. Mouth: but who had the brilliant idea to mix banana juice, brine and bone-dry white wine with salted liquorice? The salinity is rather immense. Finish: long, even more on glue, but also pears, garlic and tapenade. Mashed olives and anchovies. Comments: surprised, no, delighted, absolutely.
SGP:462 - 89 points. |
This session really got off to a great start… |
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La Mauny ‘VSOP’ (40%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-2024)
A brand from Campari’s racing team. Generally, they’re fairly easy-going, without much in the way of a marked presence. Colour: gold. Nose: yes, it’s light, it whispers, but the profile is pleasant, earthy and close to the cane, with touches of anise and gillyflower, then chalky notes and a little manuka honey. It’s light but unmistakably agricole. Mouth: it’s good, with liquorice and honey biscuits as well as gingerbread, one just wishes for a few more watts in this lovely little rum that offers Christmassy notes. I know, it’s May. Finish: medium length, nice, saline, lemony, liquorice-led. A slightly earthy aftertaste, which we enjoy. Comments: this really is a lovely drop, a few extra degrees would be welcome, even if the trend seems to favour ‘light’ once more among the general public.
SGP:541 - 81 points. |
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Vieux Sajous 5 yo 2019/2024 (58.3%, La Maison & Velier, clairin, Haiti)
This one from pure cane juice from the ‘Grand Terroir’ of Saint-Michel de l’Attalaye, distilled at Distillerie Chelo. We loved the 2017 (WF 89). Colour: gold. Nose: magnificently salty and vinegary, ultra-fermentary, full of glue, olives and pickles in brine. Glorious. With water: amusing touches of strawberry eau-de-vie, which is rather unusual, then it unfurls over tarragon and olives. Mouth (neat): incredible assault of lime, petrol, green olives and varnish. With water: very creamy, very salty, with a thunderous arrival of salted liquorice from the northern lands—where they put in more salt than liquorice, ha. Finish: same. It’s excellent for quite a while. Comments: it’s rather amusing to note how well this young clairin and Mhoba seem to understand each other—mind you, it’s a full 12,000 kilometres as the crow flies between the two countries.
SGP:563 - 89 points. |
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Old Navy Rum ‘2024 edition’ (57%, Silver Seal, 1430 bottles)
With, on the label, a very old map of the… Gulf of Mexico. This one shelters rums from Jamaica, Guyana and Barbados. I think we all know which one will lead the charge, don’t we. Colour: gold. Nose: indeed, the esters are taking the lead, but there’s still a sort of balance, with tar, fudge, marrons glacés and a little varnish. With water: the water does it a world of good, bringing out honey and fudge without erasing the hydrocarbons. There’s a fairly clear Foursquare side. Mouth (neat): dominated by petrol, glue and olives, but you can also feel the Barbadian softness, with hints of roasted bananas and maple syrup. With water: stewed fruits, mangoes, papayas, even a bit of grenadine syrup with pink pepper. Finish: fairly long, balanced, leaning towards the sweetness of cane sugar, if not orange bonbons. Comments: in the end, the esters played a bit of hide-and-seek with the rounder, fruitier side, which makes for a very entertaining glass. A superb blend!
SGP:652 - 88 points. |
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TDL 14 yo 2009/2024 (51.3%, Valinch & Mallet, The Spirit of Art, Trinidad, 330 bottles)
There are different types of TDL, so let’s see what we’ve got… It reminds us that it’s been ages since we last tasted a rum officially labelled ‘Angostura’. Colour: gold. Nose: this is a soft version, neither high-ester nor a fruit bomb, more on bagasse, soft honey and apple and pear peelings for the moment. With water: not much development, it’s a very light TDL. Very faint earthiness. Mouth (neat): nougat, brioche, cane syrup, herbal teas, tinned pineapple... With water: well now, it feels a bit like a column-heavy Foursquare. Sugar syrup, orangecello (all right, arancello), white nougat... Finish: medium length, sweet, light, heading towards syrupy. Comments: perfectly middling, if you catch my drift. No esters and no marked fruitiness, but it’s very good, no doubt about that.
SGP:640 - 83 points. |
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Foursquare 17 yo 2006/2024 (56.8%, Valinch & Mallet, The Spirit of Art, Barbados, cask #103, 200 bottles) 
Colour: deep gold. Nose: oh! At first it seems there’s more pot still than the usual 15–20–25% (depending on rumour), but it quickly shifts back to banana liqueur, oddly fruity potting soil, and nail varnish. With water: touches of lanolin, orange peel (very Foursquare), geranium (very Foursquare), banana skin (very Foursquare) … Mouth (neat): lovely pot still presence, pepper, cinnamon, bitter orange, varnish, berry eau-de-vie, caraway and even mustard… With water: now it’s perfect. Or how to craft an agricole-style profile without being 100% fresh cane juice, nor 100% Creole column. Finish: same again. Lovely fruity and herbal freshness. Comments: we haven’t kept up with the official releases in some time, but this very clever indie (whatever that means) gives us great pleasure.
SGP:651 - 90 points. |
How about finishing off with two Worthy Parks? |
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Worthy Park 6 yo 2017/2023 (54%, OB, Exclusive to The Whisky Exchange, Jamaica, bourbon cask)
Young pure pot still from Jamaica, and it feels like this one’s going to go down very well. Colour: gold. Nose: forget it, this is just ultra-precise—indeed, I believe WP is the most precise of all Jamaican rums. Banana and papaya juice, both ultra-ripe, all smoked then blended with tar liqueur and Mediterranean seawater. There you go. With water: carbon, motorbike exhaust, rubber bands. Mouth (neat): curious and excellent. Loads of lemon, camphor, natural rubber, and always litres of Mediterranean seawater—where it’s at its saltiest, off the west coast of Sicily (according to our friends in western Sicily, ha). With water: superb juice, not complicated but as sharp as a Japanese sabre. Superb lemons of every breed and origin. Finish: long and curiously very fresh. Liquorice allsorts and little pink olives in the aftertaste. Comments: how we do love these sharply chiselled Jamaicans!
SGP:463 - 90 points. |
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Worthy Park 2006 (57.6%, Rum of the World, Kirsch Import & Eye for Spirits, Jamaica, cask #WP06WP35, +/-2020)
Prices really have settled, €65 now for a bottle like this, bottled a few years back—surely a bargain. Colour: deep gold. Nose: quite different, softer, even easier, though less precise. Flambéed banana and toasted sesame oil rule the moment. With water: oh, this is lovely, there’s suntan lotion, shea butter, seawater and castor oil. Mouth (neat): it’s got all the WP kick, and in fact I really like this simple, peppery, gluey palate. Very good. With water: oh yes, this is truly excellent, soft yet powerful, salty, toasted, with a playful ‘Ikea’ tendency. Finish: long, ever salty, veering more and more towards liquorice. Salted liquorice, of course. Chlorophyll chewing gum in the aftertaste—well now, that’s fun. Comments: very pretty WP, full of twists and turns.
SGP:463 - 88 points. |
Right, one last one – though I’ve honestly no idea if it makes any sense at all… |
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Hampden 2023/2024 ‘C<>H’ (64.1%, LMDW Foundations, Jamaica, ex-peated whisky cask, cask #775, 285 bottles)
This marque means roughly 1.4kg esters per HLPA, and on top of that they’ve found a way to add peat via an ex-Laphroaig cask, and even though it’s just one year old, they’ve also managed to stick the somewhat superfluous statement ‘Fully matured at Hampden Estate’ on the label (just joking). Right. Colour: white wine. Nose: the Laphroaig has nothing to say here—they might as well have used a Glenkinchie or Auchentoshan cask, if you ask me. In short, this is pure Hampden on the nose: glue, brine, juniper, carbon and ink (let’s say purple ink, old school style). With water: in come roots, gherkins, and a hard-to-pin-down sweet-and-sour side. Also a whiff of shellfish that’s seen better days. Mouth (neat): pure Hampden, glorious. Solvents, roots, charcoal, and indeed, a peaty element starting to emerge. Truth be told, at this point the dram gives the impression of parachuting without having remembered to wear the parachute. With water: the peat kicks in, and it gets tough, as the ash and tar components start escalating exponentially. I may need to call my insurance company. Finish: very long, though the aromatic balance begins to stumble a little. Everything piles up and becomes slightly… wobbly. Comments: next time, why not chuck in a little mezcal while you’re at it, for a near-nuclear blend. In any case, it’s very funny, that’s for sure. I’d also add that the medicinal edge from Laphroaig might be a bit of a handicap—we believe Hampden’s more of an Ardbeg kind of thing, as we’ve probably already written 45,342,725,434,812 times. In any case, glad to have come across a Hampden that didn’t immediately blow us away, it makes a change, and it’s good for our fragile ego.
SGP:375 - 83 points. |
Nothing – absolutely nothing else – could possibly be enjoyed after this astonishing little monster. CU. |
 Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far
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May 10, 2025 |
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Angus's Corner
From our correspondent and
skilled taster Angus MacRaild in Scotland
Bowmore Part Three
A (very) belated final part of this loose trilogy of Bowmore notes. We're focused solely on the 1970s and 1960s this session, so we appreciate your understanding at this difficult time. |
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Bowmore 27 yo 1973/2000 (50.5%, Blackadder 'Raw Cask' for Heartland, USA, hogshead, 244 bottles) 
Colour: pale gold. Nose: it's honeys and waxes that strike first, giving an almost deceptively 'highland' character at first nosing. But then we're going towards a more coastal profile, full of fragile, drying peat notes, seashells, grapefruit and then mango and passionfruit - we've arrived at old Bowmore, in other words. With water: more fragrant and slightly farmy now too, with cider apple, dried flowers, soft herbal notes, camphor and pollens. Mouth: same feeling that this is an earthier, waxier and marginally less fruit-driven profile, which seems to the case for these early 1970s years. There are still some wonderful fruity components that suggest dried exotic fruits and tropical teas, but that's balanced by tiny hints of sandalwood and lavender soaps, gorse flower, mineral salts, crystallised old honeys and a really fantastic waxiness, of both flavour and body. With water: stunning honeys and waxes, dried exotic fruit chunks, sandalwood, lightly smoked sea salt and citrus peels. Finish: long and back onto these earthy waxy and honeyed qualities, with tiger balm and bone-dry peat smoke whispering in the background. Comments: these vintages are a little overshadowed by the 1960s, understandably, but they remain utterly captivating in their own right.
SGP: 663 - 92 points. |
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Bowmore 23 yo 1972/1995 (54.7%, The Whisky Connoisseur 'Cask Master Selection No.2', cask #909) 
Colour: pale straw. Nose: much sharper, greener, narrower, on seawater, rock pools and something ever so slightly chemical. Like some kind of gooseberry flavoured Haribo! Gets saltier with time, becoming more umami with things like squid ink and anchovy paste. With water: wood ashes, cement, crushed aspirin, seaweed crackers - a bit tight and closed surprisingly. Mouth: rather narrow again, and quite pushy, with pure seawater, petrol and lemon juice on fresh oysters. Elements of this profile are more suggestive of the early 1990s than the early 1970s I would say. It's good but there's a rather immovable austerity about it. With water: softens but the sense of salinity, austerity, chalk, wet wool, beach rocks and sand never quite departs. Some subtle citrus and tiny exotic notes in the background, but the dominant element is this rather tough dryness. Finish: long, salty, full of bone-dry smokiness, soot and slight vegetal hints. Comments: quite far from the 1973, but this is still a rather entertaining wee brute. The austere qualities make it quite a challenge, and I actually think it works far better without water, but it serves as yet more evidence that Bowmore is one of the most ever-shifting distillates in Whisky.
SGP: 465 - 85 points. |
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Bowmore 1969/1978 (58%, OB for Fecchio & Frassa, sherry, cask #6638, 75cl)
Colour: white wine. Nose: a profile that immediately creates cognitive dissonance. It's such an utterly singular, almost monstrously individualistic profile. And, yet, beneath that it's also extremely complex and detailed in a way that, as with all these truly legendary whiskies, is nigh on impossible to describe or capture in a mere note. I'd simply say it is hypnotically and immensely maritime, in a way that's extraordinarily evocative and powerful. This is bound up with pristinely sharp and bright exotic fruits, then endless combinations of waxes, minerals, stones and medicines. It's really the sense of vividness, life, brightness and power that you come away with, above listing mere aromas. With water: the same but, perhaps, if it's even possible, with more cohesion and intensity, while also simultaneously managing to become broader and even more complex. Accordingly, the cognitive dissonance goes up several notches as well. Mouth: so good it kind of makes you put your head in your hands and chuckle. Astonishing and intense salinity matched by exotic fruit acids, mineral oils, salts, pure waxiness, mechanical elements, all manner of medicines, ointments, bouillon stock, marrow, citrus rinds - everything, all at once! With water: perfect, everything in balance, intensely powerful and charismatic, while also harmonious, elegant and still persisting in this kind of granular, fruity, waxy and medicinal detail that is little short of breathtaking. Finish: extremely long and pretty much perfect. Comments: cognitive dissonance is, I feel, quite correct in describing the impression these whiskies create. They manage to inhabit multiple profiles simultaneously in a way that should not be possible and doesn't entirely make sense. Perhaps the simplest and most correct way to put it, is that they are just really fucking incredible.
SGP: 566 - 95 points. |
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I just so happen to have a sample of the sibling cask #6639 to hand. I last recorded a (very long) note for this back in 2020 at a now legendary Bowmore tasting event in Hong Kong. I think it would be a missed opportunity not to revisit this alongside #6638. Now, we were even higher, at WF96 for this one last time, let's try to be highly efficient with our note taking this time. After all, this is purely for scientific purposes, naturally... |
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Bowmore 1969/1978 (58%, OB for Fecchio & Frassa, sherry, cask #6639, 300 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: we are actually very close and the 'feeling' is the same, which is to say the same discombobulation and cognitive dissonance strikes fast and deep! However, I do believe you notice that extra point in the form of slightly more pronounced exotic fruit character and perhaps an even more elevated sense of farmyard, mechanical and waxy qualities. At this level of the 100-point scale, remember that the distance between points becomes quite wide and to go from 95 to 96 is quite a jump that can be written about in potentially great detail. You'll be greatly relieved to know that I don't intend to do that today. With water: an artwork in distillate form. Salty coastal qualities, fruits, waxes, medicines, oils - everything that's already been mentioned but the immense power and elegance of its presentation is mind blowing. Mouth: yes! Utterly astonishing, the same as its sibling, but every aspect is elevated slightly but noticeably. The most striking deviation is the fruit intensity, not only tropical and citrus fruit flavour, but also this sense of acidity and gelatinous texture as well. You feel like there might be mango pulp in your glass at points. Utterly spellbinding power, salinity, waxiness and fatness. With water: goes up even further in terms of texture and mind-melting fruity power. Finish: astonishingly long and mesmeric, drenched in sharp, intense exotic fruits, minerals, oils, fatty waxes and mechanical/medicinal combinations. Comments: Last time I tried this one, we followed with Bowmore Bouquet Samaroli 1966, and that's precisely the whisky that this one brings to mind in many ways. Unquestionably, this is a bottling that's up there with the greatest spirits ever created by man. It's both humbling and extremely useful to taste these sorts of bottlings on occasion, it puts both you the taster, whisky as a category, and the whole wider world of spirits, firmly in perspective. What I love most about both these wonderful old single cask Bowmores is that they are young whiskies, almost entirely about the power, beauty and enigmatic character of impeccably made distillate, and precisely nothing to do with additive wood influence.
SGP: 676 - 96 points. |
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PS: a 50/50 blend of the two is pretty racy stuff too. Would recommend! |
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May 9, 2025 |
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A quartet of
OB Balvenie and IB Burnside
There’s never been any proof that Burnside blended malts were teaspooned with Glenfiddich or Kininvie, but the AI had no trouble illustrating the process. We believe it's not far from the truth – we've always suspected the Dufftown Scrabble Club had a hand in it… |
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Balvenie 12 yo ‘Golden Cask’ (43%, OB, +/-2024)
Ex-bourbon cask, but alas, finished in rum-seasoned wood. A real pity—we love Balvenie in natural ex-bourbon, but you never know, perhaps they didn’t use Don Papa this time... Colour: gold. Nose: well now, the classic young Balvenie style is here—cake, quince, mirabelle, vanilla and acacia honey—and the rum stays relatively discreet. Likely not Hampden, probably Cuban as usual? Mouth: no, this is good, definitely, very easy, very soft but not without backbone, with honeyed touches beyond the assorted plums and ripe apple, plus a few earthy hints—maybe that’s the rum speaking. Also a bit of banana, though ripe banana does appear in Balvenie without the need for added rum. Finish: not very long but pleasant, more herbaceous and honeyed at once. Only the aftertaste is a little bitter—what a wee shame. Comments: ultra-decent.
SGP:551 - 83 points. |
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Balvenie 15 yo ‘Madeira Cask’ (43%, OB, +/-2024)
This too is simply a Madeira finish, but we know that Madeira and malt whisky can do a proper Jagger/Richards. Colour: gold. Nose: oh indeed, Madeira and malt, this works. Really charming, almost coastal, with lovely roasted pistachios and walnuts, a hint of camphor, driftwood, seaweed, mustard-and-sesame crackers (utterly killer) and a few little cider apples. A very pretty nose, well done. Mouth: this is really good, with hints of damp soil, tobacco, still those killer crackers, plus a few truly dry raisins and black tea. Very amusing salty touches. Finish: not eternal but always fresh and saline, with those nut/mustard combinations typical of some Madeiras. Comments: a smart finishing. If only this kind of stunt encouraged the uninitiated to take a closer interest in proper Madeira!
SGP:462 - 86 points. |
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Sideburn 31 yo 1992–1993/2025 (53.6%, Decadent Drams, Decadent Drinks, 1st fill and refill bourbon, 461 bottles)
The chap on the label reminds us a little of the singer from Slade, doesn’t he? Cum on Feel the Noise… I mean the Nose… Colour: light gold. Nose: very emblematic—mirabelles, apples, quince, vanilla, not-too-ripe banana and tiny hints of mint and sorrel. With water: a marvellous ocean of yeasts and beer notes, softened by vanilla. Mouth (neat): beyond the zestiness, there’s a green, almost brutal side that’s a little unusual for Balvenie and calls instantly for water—so here we go Balvenie, Cuz I Luv You... With water: yes, there we are, it feels almost 1970s in style. I’m serious. Yellow fruits, stones, little herbs, Wulong tea, chamomile, quinces… Finish: just the same, and it goes on for quite a while. Comments: not an ultra-demonstrative baby, but this blended malt couldn’t be any closer to the natural house style of its main distillery (that’s right, that’s right...)
SGP:551 - 89 points. |
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Burnside 35 yo 1989/2025 (53.8%, Le Gus’t, fino cask, cask #3912, 310 bottles)
Listen closely—it would seem this is the oldest Burnside ever bottled. And what’s more, it’s from a fino sherry cask, so perhaps we’ll get some flor? Fresh walnuts for sure… Colour: light gold. Nose: one stops, reflects, and yes, the core profile of the base distillery is right here, enhanced with delicate fino touches. So, green walnuts and watercress, mingled with apples and quinces, a little damp ash, faint whiffs of eucalyptus, and a very fine flint-and-chalk combo. Superb freshness after 35 years—the joy of casks that know how to behave. With water: same again, just with a little more cut grass. Mouth (neat): oh excellent! Mint, camphor, mirabelles, apricots and quinces. The perfect improbability of an old refill cask—magic triumphing over technique (yes, S.). With water: a full arrival of tinned fruits—greengages, peaches, pears, grapes, papayas… All of it carried by beautifully elegant bitterness. Finish: long but now more restrained again, herbal, austere. In short, it had already said what it came to say. Comments: very elegant, not at all extravagant. Nothing more to add.
SGP:561 - 90 points. |
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May 8, 2025 |
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The Time-Warp Sessions: Old Clynelish is back on the tasting table
To commemorate the official end of WWII in Europe, 80 years ago. Stop killing children, stop all wars.
(SMD/DCL)
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Rather oddly, we discovered ‘Old’ Clynelish via Brora, as it was when we tasted the latter for the first time that, after two or three quick searches, we learned the ancient history of this legendary Highland malt, notably that it used to be called Clynelish, until its whisky was renamed ‘Brora’ instead of, very temporarily, ‘Clynelish II’, a decision made by the D.C.L. as early as December 1969. And not in 1975, as a few distinguished sources continue to claim – although, gulp, we've just seen that ChatGPT is, more or less... right. |
In any case, we published our first tasting notes for the famous ‘Old’ Clynelishes more than twenty years ago, and perhaps is it high time we revisited the two best-known versions: the 12-year-old ‘light vatting’ and the 12-year-old ‘dark vatting’ bottled for M Di Chiano in Italy, both at 43% ABV instead of the 70° proof/40% ABV of the British releases. Then we’ll add a very rare older version… |
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Clynelish 12 yo (43%, OB for Di Chiano, light vatting, short golden cap, early 1970s)
Il’s worth bearing in mind that Clynelish ceased using its own maltings in 1965, so these earlier batches were still very much ‘floor-malted on site’, which might partly explain their rich, textured body, despite the low bottling strength. Naturally, the 100° proof versions done for Giaccone are a different kettle of fish altogether… Back then, M Di Chiano in Milan was Clynelish’s exclusive importer for Italy. Colour: white wine. Nose: the smoke here is rather more dominant than in other old Clynelish, with heaps of ashes, paraffin, linseed oil, those delicately balsamic notes we’re so fond of, plus chalk, limestone, almond oil, citrus, a chalky, cementy edge, hints of spent fireworks, seaweed... Without a doubt, this is the most ‘Islay’ of the old Clynelishes, and it’s hardly surprising that the owners chose this distillery to pursue an ‘Islay-style’ whisky towards the end of the 1960s. That’s the spirit of Brora. Mouth: a tad austere at first, very Old Clynelish, all on lemons, menthol, camphor and, once again, a surprisingly peaty character. At least, compared with other versions. Lovely yeasty, saline touches, and never does it bow its head. Finish: supremely long, salty, packed with ashes, seaweed and soot. That sootiness is a bit of a hallmark here as well. Comments: always a massive pleasure to revisit these babies, hugely elegant yet with that rustic touch we adore. After all, this is a true Highland malt. Naturally, the 100° proof bottlings belong to an even higher league.
SGP:365 - 92 points. |
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Clynelish 12 yo (43%, OB for Di Chiano, dark vatting, short golden cap, early 1970s)
A darker batch, well known in its own right, though I’ve no idea where the stark difference in colour stems from. More sherry? More first-fill? More caramel? One should recall that in those days the trend leaned towards ‘lightness’, and paler hues were thought to indicate a lighter spirit. Colour: gold. Nose: quite a different beast altogether, almost certainly more sherry-driven, with a more expansive nose showing farmyardy and even meaty tones (smoked bacon), already hinting at the polishes (metal, leather, wood) that would later become hallmarks of early Brora. Gorgeous notes of dried mushrooms (morels, porcini), coffee, pu-ehr tea and tobacco. Hugely impressive. Mouth: but it’s almost aggressive, despite over fifty years in glass! Smoked teas, cured meats, seaweed, tobacco, mandarins, a dash of seawater, then that proverbial wax… Finish: long, more austere, with the arrival of walnut wine, perhaps from the sherry influence. Quite peppery as well. Comments: my previous notes—granted, for a different bottle—date back to January 2005. Yet I see no reason to alter my older score.
SGP:464 - 94 points. |
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Clynelish 27 yo 1965 (51%, Scotch Malt Sales, Japan, 500ml, +/-1992)
The wee blurb on the label is a charming reminder of the ‘amateur’ nature of these bottlings at the time, very likely re-packaged from other legendary bottlings such as the 1965s from Signatory Vintage or Cadenhead. ‘This whisky is casked malt served from the barrel directly to this bottle for carring’, it reads, how utterly delightful, it's even more unlikely than the idle chit-chat on WF! In any case, this is a very rare bottle, and it’s our first encounter with it, though given the reputation of these Japanese babies, we know it’s in the glass, not on the label, that truth prevails. As it should be. Colour: gold. Nose: slightly hesitant at first, it takes a good thirty seconds or so for the full ‘Old-Clynelishness’ to kick in, but when it does, it roars forth with boot polish and motor oil, followed by pipe tobacco and bone-dry old white wines. Then come ancient herbal liqueurs and the whole contents of a granddad’s rusty toolbox… With water: musty old cellars, vintage tools, dried paint tins, and even a hint of coal dust. Mouth (neat): huge, all on polish and citrus, so indeed, very Clynelish. Then faint touches of turnip and slightly rancid butter. Not the most immediately charming of old Clynelish. With water: and bang, it opens wide—chartreuse, verbena, grapefruit liqueur, dill, eucalyptus, camphor, shellfish, waxes, propolis, pine sap… Finish: fairly long, carrying those same notes forward, getting nearly medicinal, and with a strong maritime edge. A final flash of Sicilian citrus liqueur brings it all to a close. Comments: it’s not immensely powerful, but even after all these years, it still needs water. A stunning Old Clynelish nonetheless, one that simply demands your patience to reveal its full, eternal, impressive glory.
SGP:563 - 95 points. |
(With heartfelt thanks to Max and KC) |
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May 6, 2025 |
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WF’s Little Duos, today Isle of Jura
OB vs. IB |
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Feis Ile on Islay is coming up soon, and Jura is part of it! |
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Jura 'Islander's Expression No.3 Cabernet Sauvignon cask' (40%, OB, 2024) 
Ex-bourbon with a 'finishing' in red wine? Honestly, what is it with them and red wine these days? It's getting a tad embarrassing. Of course, red wine casks have long existed in Scotland, but they were usually humble transport casks, not posh 'château' wood, and were typically vatted or watered down with the rest. Colour: gold. Good news, it's not salmon pink. Nose: alright, this has been handled with a degree of tact. The raspberries and blackcurrants are decently buried beneath toffee sauce, barley syrup and a spoonful of orange marmalade. In truth, there’s more Cabernet Sauvignon on the label than in the dram. Ahem. A few salty coastal whiffs. Mouth: the wine’s more apparent now, taking us down the cherry clafoutis route, with some tired oak notes that jar a little, though to be fair, it's not unpleasant. Roasted apricot with a whisper of salt. Finish: not quite as short as the modest ABV might suggest, and the salinity does pull it back together somewhat. Comments: all in all, not bad at all.
SGP:631- 79 points. |
The Scots do seem to be continually improving their wine cask finishes — one might imagine they’re gearing up to become winemakers, once global warming has further intensified its impact on the mainland and its islands. Seriously, I still clearly preferred No.1 (Barbados rum – naturally) and No.2 (ale cask). I think that with exceptions, there may need to be a relationship between the whisky and the cask’s previous contents, either the raw material (like ale), or it was a spirit (such as rum), or it was a fortified wine truly matured - not just made and kept for a short time - in oak (like sherry, etc.). Just a wild theory! Let's move on... |
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Isle of Jura 2009/2024 (50.1%, Caora, No.13, refill barrel, cask #90103514)
A most soothing label amidst the current avalanche of AI-generated oddities. Thank you, Caora. Colour: straw. Nose: classic Jura on display here, with natural oils—sunflower, sesame, peanuts—alongside hints of engine oil, modelling clay and the gentlest of sea breezes. With water: the bare minimum of vanilla, the rest remains unchanged and we're not complaining. Mouth (neat): very good indeed, properly coastal with a saline profile, notes of green banana and a flicker of yellow curry. With water: similar, with a fairly discernible touch of peat showing through. A gentle, rather stylish mustardy edge emerges in the background. Finish: medium length, fresh and coastal, with faint soot and ashes. Comments: excellent Jura—and hats off again for the restful label.
SGP:552 - 88 points. |
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May 5, 2025 |
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The Time Warp Sessions,
100 years apart, today indie Glenlivet: 2024 vs. 1924 |
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Distillery staff at The Glenlivet Distillery in 1924, one hundred years after
it was officially founded. It was these delightful people who produced
the 1924 we’re going to taste today. Only the managers didn’t wear caps! |
Alright, we’re cheating a bit – it’s a Glenlivet bottled in 2024 (and of course not distilled in that year), but the older one is indeed a 1924 from Harvey’s, sourced directly from the famous Dornoch Whisky Bar. We can still say there’s a hundred-year gap, can’t we? (Anyone who disagrees will be sternly reprimanded and banned from WF for life). |
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Glenlivet 17 yo 2007/2024 (64.7%, Signatory Vintage, Horsemen & Archangels, Kirsch Import, Archangel No.4, 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt, 1109 bottles)
One suspects that two butts were blended here, given the rather murderous strength and the high outturn. The theme feels a bit ‘Russian mini-series on Netflix’, but there, let us bravely press on… Colour: dark amber. Nose: textbook stuff, with that rather bourbony side (I know), occasionally found in these ultra-high strength ex-sherries. Nail polish, hot mustard, slightly singed walnuts, candle wax, fresh paint... It’s a touch brutal, but what did we expect? With water: what a turnaround! Here come the little broths, poultry in mushroom sauce, Turkish coffee, soy sauce… In short, all the things we love in these Glenlivets from SV. Mouth (neat): let us pray... Okay, it’s rich, obviously extremely powerful, with those nail polish notes reappearing, kirsch straight from the still, chocolate… I shan’t mention Mon Chéri (too late, S.) but you get the picture. With water: again with the return of the chicken stock, parsley, nutmeg, European oak (but that’s probably American), marmalade… Finish: long, bordering on vinegary, with lashings of coffee and bitter chocolate. Comments: clearly not for the sworn enemies of oloroso, but still, utterly delightful. And not quite as lethal as one might have feared, dear Archangel.
SGP:561 - 88 points. |
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Smith’s Glenlivet 1924 ‘Superior Liqueur Whisky’ (John Harvey & Sons, Bristol)
With a driven cork. We might assume this wee darling was bottled just after WWII, as the royal coat of arms doesn’t yet appear to be that of Elizabeth II, judging by the style of the banner at its bottom. There’s no ABV listed, but the distinguished proprietors of the Dornoch Whisky Bar have measured it at 44.85% ABV, which is rather high for a whisky this venerable that was presumably—though we cannot be certain—bottled at 80° proof. John Harvey & Sons, known for their sherry ‘Harvey’s Bristol Cream’, are still around today, though after a detour via Beam, the brand is now in Filipino hands. |
Colour: gold. Nose: that faintly mentholated and camphory side one often finds in the oldest Scotch bottles, though we can’t be entirely sure this isn’t simply bottle ageing at play. In any case, this is top-tier, streets ahead of many a modern behemoth, including the Signatory brute. Aromas of both vegetable and animal fats, fine rubber, fir smoke, tar, flint, and once again, fatty broth. An extraordinary journey one hundred years into the past! And yes, there are even traces of barley truly malted using peat. Mouth: sublimely focused on broths and soups (nettle, sorrel, leek, asparagus), with honeyed notes and not the faintest sign of weakness. Wonderful fine peat, unguents, camphor, and hints of fig jam. This Glenlivet could easily stand up to a fine foie gras, while there are also faint notes of very dry old gewurztraminer, by the way. Finish: the only moment when it pricks the nose ever so slightly, which was entirely expected. Comments: we readily understand why Professor Saintsbury, in his celebrated work ‘Notes on a Cellar-Book’ first published in 1920, extolled the virtues of a vatting of Glenlivet and Clynelish.
SGP:462 - 94 points (strictly for quality, not for rarity or historical interest). |
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To help us recover, a little bonus, since we’d just had a heavy sherry from SV (but the next one will be ten degrees lower) … |
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Glenlivet 17 yo 2006/2023 (54.8%, Signatory Vintage for Tiffany’s New York Bar and A.P.E. Hong Kong, first fill sherry butt, cask #900795, 153 bottles)
According to a very well-placed source at Tiffany’s New York Bar in Hong Kong, the label ‘reassembles the vibrant neon lights of Hong Kong within a Mong Kok street scene.’ Colour: deep gold. Nose: this is a less muscle-bound sherry than the Archangel’s, more elegant, fruitier, and perhaps even more complex. Beautiful notes of quince, mirabelle plums, figs, damp earth, roots, bergamot and liquorice. A true little jewel, this Glenlivet for Tiffany’s (now that’s clever, S.) and the rooty character is just lovely. With water: encaustic wax, beehive, old leather and aged orange liqueurs. Mouth (neat): even more roots, especially carrots, gentian, even celeriac, followed by the usual dried fruits, figs up front, then dates, candied citrus peels and prunes. With water: would you believe me if I told you certain elements remind me of the 1924 Harvey’s bottling? Perhaps it’s that very faint touch of mint sauce. Truly beautiful. Finish: long, creamy, honeyed, lightly salty, ending on citrus zest. Comments: a great Glenlivet, matured in a sherry of remarkable refinement. This is proper class in a glass…
SGP:651 - 91 points. |
Delighted with this session! |
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May 4, 2025 |
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A few rums to get ready for
the arrival of summer |
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| Dillon in Fort de France, Martinique (Dillon) |
What a smart headline! Sounds almost like cheap AI, don’t you think? Ah well, let’s move on and head to Guadeloupe… |
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Longueteau 3 yo ‘Souvenir La Tradition’ (45%, OB, Guadeloupe, agricole, +/-2024)
An assemblage of blue and red cane, the white having undergone degassing in stainless steel for eight months before spending three years in a cognac cask. I must say I remain particularly impressed by Longueteau’s white rums. Colour: gold. Nose: this is clean as a whistle, with that lovely spicy side that clearly stems from the distillate itself rather than the wood. It gradually turns coastal, bringing sea breeze aplenty, then unfolds with honeysuckle and juniper, and this rather intriguing note of liquorice-tinged peach. Or perhaps peach-tinged liquorice, you’re quite right. Mouth: perhaps a little less precise than the nose, yet it’s still most charming. Hard to say whether there’s a tangible cognac influence—maybe that peach again? Still that liquorice, then a touch of earth and tobacco, with some aniseed and salty notes we often encounter in younger agricoles. Finish: fairly long, increasingly saline, with a spoonful of custard arriving late to coat everything. A hint of ginger too. Comments: this remains really jolly good, and it’s brilliant how they’ve managed to preserve a wee 'blanc' character throughout.
SGP:452 - 85 points. |
Let’s move on to dear Mawtinik… |
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Dillon 5 yo (43%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-2024)
Made at Depaz but aged at Dillon. Dillon is one of those brands you’ll often spot in French hypermarkets, which does somewhat tarnish its image. We’ve not had much hands-on experience with Dillon, truth be told. This one was aged in first fill white oak and ex-bourbon. Colour: deep gold. Nose: rather amusing and quite entertaining, with notes of leek, asparagus and balsa wood, gradually veering towards something reminiscent of cachaça. We’re no cachaça experts, but the few we’ve tried have certainly left a lasting impression. Mouth: still very curious, let’s say cabbage with cinnamon, lemon and caraway, all wrapped in honey and ginger. Finish: fairly long, heading toward orange marmalade and cedarwood. Comments: a funny little creature, surprising and, most importantly, never boring. A lovely surprise overall, and at under €40, it’s also a bit of a steal.
SGP:551 - 83 points. |
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Clément 7 yo 2016/2024 (54.5%, OB for Drinks & Spirits, Martinique, agricole)
Part of a lovely box set of rums agricoles, not available by the bottle. Colour: deep gold. Nose: you’d swear there’s a fair whack of esters here—glue, varnish, overripe banana and a pack of blond cigarettes, then more damp earth by the spadefuls. Quite charming, actually. With water: solvents, acetone, fir wood. We’re very much on board (indeed). Mouth (neat): oh yes, this is good—more citrus-forward, with liquorice aplenty and even some rather assertive notes of pastis, before things take a turn towards increasingly bitter lemon. A touch of acetic sharpness too, which is lovely and unexpected. With water: everything falls into place, now we’re getting tropical fruit—papaya and mango—with a bit of earthy green tea. Finish: long, fresh, mostly on salted liquorice and aniseed. Comments: we do like this Clément a great deal—it leans ever so slightly towards Jamaica, and I say that’s never a bad thing.
SGP:462 - 86 points. |
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Caribbean Premium Rum 12 yo (44%, The Duchess, Marine Life, 2024)
‘Marine Life’ indeed, though do they really have orcas in the Caribbean? Colour: pale gold. Nose: esters are leading the conga line here, and we shan’t complain. Acetone, then varnish, followed by hairspray, then overripe bananas, pear eau-de-vie, a little carbon dust and a splash of olive oil. We think it’s absolutely smashing. Mouth: this is frankly Jamaican in character—excellent stuff, saline, tarry, and brimming with olives and seawater. Marine Life indeed! Finish: long, softer perhaps, yet still briny to the end. Comments: I’m not entirely sure this is truly a blend, but whatever it is, it’s superb.
SGP:463 - 88 points. |
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Sipper’s Rum ‘Batch 1’ (49%, The Whisky Jury, blend, refill wood, 2025)
A blend ranging from ‘0 to 20’ years of age, hailing from South America, Asia and Jamaica. Truly ‘world’ in style, to say the least. Looks a bit like Colonel Sanders is on the label, doesn’t it? Help!... Colour: gold. Nose: Jamaica is loud and clear—it’s like Ardbeg, you can’t hide it no matter the measure. Charcoal, barbecued bananas, perhaps a guava-and-seawater cocktail, and a dab of mango espuma. Well, more or less. Mouth: starts out like mango and banana yoghurt—utterly irresistible—before smoothly sliding into the high-esters zone, and there’s not a thing you can do about it. Olives, soot, tar, liquorice, seawater—you know the tune. Finish: long, leaning towards sweet liquorice, though still salty. A bit of varnish and even some hand cream right at the end. Comments: in the end it’s a touch rustic, but really excellent stuff, Colonel Sanders notwithstanding. Any Fijian in there?
SGP:563 - 87 points. |
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Beenleigh 2014/2024 (64.2%, Transcontinental Rum Line for The Whisky Exchange, Australia, cask #AU14SB01, 400 bottles)
One really ought to start taking the Australians at Beenleigh more seriously—though you might say it’s a very old distillery. I believe so, anyway. Colour: gold. Nose: we’ve nosed a few like this before—gentle yet present esters, geranium, candied orange peel, a bit of saltpetre and soot, then half guava juice, half avocado purée. Mind the strength though—it’s very high and could easily distort everything. With water: (immense viscimetry!) now some rubber, paraffin, shoe polish, then quality triple sec. Mouth (neat): very much on pear and plum eau-de-vie, straight from the still, with a dainty coating of white chocolate and muesli. Quickly now… With water: the salty, liquoricy side emerges, along with gentian and little chunks of salted anchovy. Good fun for sure. Finish: long, and everything mingles gleefully, to the point you’re no longer sure where to turn. Some quince in the after-aftertaste. Comments: one extra point for originality—bravo, Downunda.
SGP:652 - 88 points. |
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Very Fine Old Caribbean Rum from La Morita Caribena 58 yo 1967/2025 (50.8%, The Whisky Agency, barrel, 359 bottles)
It’s tricky to find much about this one online—it appears to be Cuban rum, operated by a Spanish outfit, and bottled here by the crème de la crème of Germany’s indie bottlers. So absolutely nothing could go wrong. Colour: amber. Nose: wait a moment—this is like triple sec aged in an ex-old-genever cask, with a few smoky touches à la Islay and a slab of dark turrón. Delightful and very original. With water: now we’re wandering into the scented silence of an old Buddhist temple—cedarwood, incense, a swarm of bees tucked away in a corner, wax and all that. Mouth (neat): rich, clearly somewhat ‘composed’, slightly sweet but with a marvellous array of spices, very much in the Spanish style. Pine liqueur, ginger, rowanberry, cumin, coriander, orange, honey… With water: doesn’t change much, save that it remains a bit liqueur-like, akin to yellow Chartreuse. Finish: of medium length, still fresh, now edging into mentholated territory. Some coffee in the aftertaste. Comments: heaven knows what went on in Cuba in 1967 for this amusing little thing to be ‘conceived’, but it’s clearly been augmented here and there—still, the overall charm is immense. At WF, we do love Cuba.
SGP:640 - 90 points. |
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Diamond 23 yo 2001/2025 ‘SWR’ (48.9%, The Rum Cask, Guyana)
SWR stands for Skeldon William Ross, though Skeldon itself closed in 1960—this one was produced using the usual Coffey still, so we’re dealing with a sort of modern-day Skeldon facsimile. Colour: mahogany. Nose: chocolate, peonies, pipe tobacco, Corinth raisins, prickly pear juice and a few touches of crème de cassis. Great fun, quite light in texture on the nose, but with a toasty note slowly taking over, giving it a rather original edge. Mouth: but this is armagnac! I swear, it tastes like a good Ténarèze laced with chocolate and prune juice. Just like any self-respecting Ténarèze, you’ll say (only joking!) Then comes more cassis, maple syrup and those Corinth raisins again. Finish: full-on prune! Incredible… Comments: I’ve no idea how they ended up making armagnac in Georgetown, honestly. The mysteries of spirits… And the worst part is, it’s absolutely excellent.
SGP:751 - 88 points. |
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Skeldon 27 yo 1978/2005 ‘SWR’ (60.4%, Velier, Guyana, 3 barrels, 688 bottles)
Skeldon has become something of a magical name, and here we’ve got the distillate from the original Coffey still, which had been moved to Uitvlugt like many others before being decommissioned. So, this is ‘SWR’ from Uitvlugt, as opposed to the more recent D.D.L. versions (see above). For us, the 1973 Velier was magnificent when we tried it in 2016, though perhaps not totally and utterly transcendent (WF 90). Let’s see what the 1978 brings... After all, it was ‘just’ Coffey still output—let’s not forget. Colour: mahogany. Nose: prunes and pine sap, peppermint, natural tar liqueur, pipe tobacco, glacé cherries, rosewood. Honestly, this is soft and rather glorious. With water: tiny waxes, discreet ointments, those mysterious compounds… Mouth (neat): plenty of waxes, paraffin, polish, a rough edge almost like grape stalks or black truffles, then an utterly irresistible trio of liquorice + menthol + orange. As they say, this one talks and babbles. Mid-palate, you’re handed a ristretto espresso. With water: right, fair enough, we yield. You know what it reminds me of? Ardbeg ‘Provenance’. Finish: long, liquorice-laden, salty, admirably rubbery, even faintly medicinal. Could probably cure quite a few ailments. Comments: a fractal old rum. As a reminder, that means each aroma splits into sub-aromas, each of which divides again, and again, and again, until death do us part. And yet, it’s anything but deadly… Amazing.
SGP:572 - 93 points. |
Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far |
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May 2, 2025 |
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WF’s Little Duos,
today Glen Spey young and old |
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A wonderful commercial postcard for Glen Spey Pure Malt Whisky,
aka 'all barley malt whisky', W&A Gilbey, UK, circa 1910. |
Not the most famous of distilleries today, but Glen Spey is still enjoyed from time to time – though it remains rather rare. It's a bit like, say, Gendullan. That said, one shouldn't forget that Glen Spey was quite actively promoted by its owners, W&A Gilbey, as early as the 19th century – a reminder that the notion Scottish single malts only began to be distributed from the late 1950s, spread all over the web like a bad meme with high staying power, is sheer nonsense. |
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Glen Spey 9 yo 2015/2025 (57.1%, Signatory Vintage, 100 Proof Edition #37, 1st fill oloroso sherry butt)
Always these very affordable series from Signatory, with that heavily worked sherry that perhaps doesn’t always let the character of the distillate shine through, but does its job very, very well. Colour: full gold. Nose: ah this is pretty, there's a touch of exhaust fumes (not pleasant in the street but sometimes rather charming in your glass), then green walnuts, cherry stalks, and peach leaves. A few hints of satay sauce, followed by pear cake. With water: marked saponification but it fades quickly, then comes a mix of Indian spices, think tandoori seasoning. Mouth (neat): surprising, on mustard, pepper, tar and dark chocolate, quite the unusual trio. With water: this time, beyond the Indian spices, there's candied ginger and fir bud. Really very unusual. Finish: long, and there's even a flavour of poppadums at the end. Comments: very hard to categorise, this isn't your typical sherry cask. In any case, it feels much more Indian than those super Indian malt whiskies, ha.
SGP:371 - 84 points. |
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Glen Spey 29 yo 1995/2024 (54.1%, Maltbarn, The 26, sherry cask, 42 bottles)
A rather demure label this time from Maltbarn, unless this fish happens to be extremely venomous, or ultra-rare, or capable of flight... you see what I mean. Colour: gold. Nose: it’s soft, floral, delicately waxy, with hints of freshly snapped twigs, dandelion blossom, a few puffs of cedarwood, and above all, bergamot sweets, the king of sweets. At least where they make them, in the city of Nancy, Lorraine, France. A tiny note of coconut. With water: Chablis with touches of menthol. Fresh barley in the background. Mouth (neat): ah this is lovely, taut, on herbal teas and citrus, with noticeable but delicate wood, which somewhat evokes old English cigarette tobacco. You’ll see what I mean if you’ve ever smoked untipped English cigarettes, like Senior Service or those red-pack Bensons. Not that I recommend doing that if you never have, mind you! (Smoking seriously harms your health and that of others around you). With water: still very elegant, this time on citrus cordials. Finish: medium length, on orgeat syrup and pistachio. Comments: rather impressed by the balance and poise of this old Glen Spey. A pity there aren’t more bottles.
SGP:451 - 89 points. |
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May 1, 2025 |
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A little Linkwood quartet
(3 from 2013 + 1 from 1978) |
We enjoy tasting Linkwood, which Michael Jackson once said had a rose-like aroma. But was he referring to the old distillery or the new one? In any case, both operated in tandem between 1972 and 1985, a situation that inevitably brings to mind Clynelish and Brora. The old one closed in 1985, so it’s quite possible that the 1978 we’re about to try today comes from it. |
Paul Bocuse's Soupe VGE (P. Rougereau) |
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Linkwood 11 yo 2013/2024 (46%, James Eadie, Small Batch, recharred hogshead, casks #301827, 301830, 301834)
Colour: straw. Nose: this is fresh as a daisy, on green apples and pink grapefruit, all draped over a bed of chalk and clay, with some grist humming in the background, the whole laced with custard but without a whisper of excess. A lovely nose, extremely natural. Mouth: the barley malt is given full stage here, with returns of chalk and grist, plus this time more like apple peelings, alongside a charming bitterness and even a surprising salty flick, as if one of the hogsheads had previously held an Islay – before being recharred, naturally. Finish: of medium length, fresh, leaning more towards fruit eaux-de-vie, even a touch of slightly soapy kirsch peeking through. The salty note comes back in the aftertaste. Comments: very pleasant, very ‘natural’.
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
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Linkwood 11 yo 2013/2024 (54.8%, Dràm Mor, refill French oak oloroso hogshead, cask #900162, 325 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: quite the surprise, on fresh concrete, soot, walnut and a stack of glossy magazines, then ashes. One’s rather curious what a few drops of water might do. With water: rubber and tar, green walnuts, and a few dabs of mustard. Mouth (neat): it’s big stuff, all on chocolate and caramel stirred with ashes and a dusting of pepper. Quite striking, really. With water: that curious saline touch from the Small Batch edition pops back up, but otherwise it veers drier, more classically oloroso. Finish: long and dry, on bitter chocolate, ashes yet again, and a smoky, peppery edge. Comments: fascinating. I like it a lot, even if it leads you down an odd little path now and then. I wonder what Michael Jackson would have made of it – I suspect he wouldn’t have found a single rose petal.
SGP:352 - 85 points. |
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Linkwood 10 yo 2013/2024 ‘Edition #19’ (57.1%, Signatory Vintage ‘100 Proof’, 2nd fill oloroso sherry butts)
Colour: full gold. Nose: and here we are, peonies and rose petals straightaway, then chocolate, a pack of Ricola originals, caramel, nougat, blood orange and walnut liqueur. With water: marzipan soaked in kirsch and a fine walnut cake. Mouth (neat): very good, textbook stuff from this recent series, on ginger, very black tea, peppermint, fruitcake and an ever-increasing grind of pepper. A touch of leather and tobacco to round it out. With water: back to a more classical sherry style, with prunes steeped in Armagnac. Finish: long, fairly rich, ever so slightly salty once again, ending on dates. Comments: no reason to give this lovely wee baby anything but the same score.
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
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Linkwood-Glenlivet 17 yo 1978/1995 (55.5%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, sherrywood matured)
One does love that text on the back label: “This whisky has been bottled from a selected individual cask in its natural state and shows the character of that cask. It has not been diluted with water. It has not been treated to change its colour and is free from all additives. It has not been subjected to any filtration that might remove natural constituents and spoil its flavour. It is the authentic product of its distillery.” They really were pioneers, and of course this baby was ‘Matured in an Oak Cask’, as was only proper at Cadenhead’s, since chestnut and acacia had already been banned. Ahem. |
Colour: chestnut (ha!). Nose: this is old-school sherry all right, much more on game and hoisin sauce than today’s sherries, on ristretto coffee – fresh back from Italy, they really are the only ones who know how to make a proper espresso – and coal tar. Magnificent. With water: it’s the walnuts leading the charge now, along with a few pecans and a splash of beef stock with bone marrow and parsley. I even suspect there’s a shaving or two of truffle. Mouth (neat): unbelievable sherry, dry, meaty, smoky, salty, tarry and intensely chocolatey. With water: a glorious broth, in the style of Paul Bocuse. Finish: long and salty, more on citrus now (finger limes), but the walnuts remain firmly at the helm, and for a long time. Liquorice salted to the hilt in the aftertaste. Comments: what a sherry, what a beast! You simply don’t come across this sort of thing in modern production anymore, that’s for sure.
SGP:562 - 93 points. |
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April 2025 |
Serge's favourite recent bottling this month:
Glendronach 1993/2024 ‘Hand-Filled’ (55.5%, OB, oloroso, cask #2463) - WF 92
Serge's favourite older bottling this month:
Benrinnes 19 yo 1971/1991 (55.3%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection) - WF 93
Serge's favourite bang for your buck this month:
Talisker 10 yo (45.8%, OB, +/-2024) - WF 90
Serge's favourite malternative this month:
Hontambère 26 yo 1997/2025 (53.8%, Grape of the Art, Ténarèze, cask #B4, 295 bottles) - WF 91
Serge's thumbs up this month:
Glen Scotia 8 yo 2016/2024 (59.1%, The Maclean Foundation, first fill bourbon barrel, 210 bottles) - WF 87
Serge's Lemon Prize this month:
Old Finil 3 yo (40%, OB, Italy, Licor S.R.L, +/-2024) - WF 20 |
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April 30, 2025 |
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A handful of sprightly young Glen Scotias
More from Campbeltown, as the Campbeltown Malt Festival is coming up soon, and what's more, we have a lovely Glen Scotia for the Maclean Foundation…
Charlie's sons Lachlan, Ewan and Jamie (The Maclean Foundation) |
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Glen Scotia 8 yo 2016/2024 (59.1%, The Maclean Foundation, first fill bourbon barrel, 210 bottles)
The 2nd release from the Maclean Foundation, a charity founded by our friend the brightest whisky expert Charles Maclean and his sons. It is sold through Royal Mile Whiskies, all profits supporting clean water projects in Madagascar, with each bottle helping provide clean water for one person for life. Colour: white wine. Nose: bright and breezy, opening on distillate-born pears and apples waltzing merrily with mangos and bananas that must have slipped in from the cask. The exuberant youthfulness is a real asset here and, thankfully, there's not a plank in sight. With water: hardly any change, it remains crisp and buoyantly fruity. Mouth (neat): truly a family-sized assortment of jelly babies, jellybeans, Jesuses and crocodiles, all courtesy of Maison Haribo. One hopes Haribo are chipping in to the Maclean Foundation! Lovely notes of banana cake and finger biscuits too – one could almost mix up a new cocktail with this. Charlie, what about a Maclean Spritz? Has a ring to it, doesn’t it? With water: same medley, all fruity charm and ease, even a dash of something Littlemill-esque – after all, they were once kin. Finish: in the same vein, with liquorice allsorts and jellybeans, plus a dollop of orange sponge. Comments: thoroughly fresh and fruity, though it does sing even better with a drop of water. Which is rather apt, considering the mission of The Maclean Foundation to bring clean water to Madagascar! I’ll drop the link again for good measure.
SGP:641 - 87 points. |
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Glen Scotia 9 yo (56.2%, OB, Campbeltown Malts Festival 2024, first fill bourbon and fino sherry finish)
You’ll say it was high time we gave this one a proper go, at least before the Campbeltown Malts Festival 2025! Colour: white wine. Nose: clearly in the same ballpark as the Maclean, though a little less defined and cheerful, showing more paraffin, modelling clay and leafy greenery. Could that be the fino influence? With water: bread dough, fresh sawdust, baker’s yeast. Mouth (neat): same general remarks, the casks do make themselves known, but the fruitiness persists. Plenty of apples and a slight earthy, twiggy side. With water: it takes water well, bringing out liquorice and lemon zest. Very nice bitterness too (liquorice wood, ginseng). Finish: fairly long, youthful, with the sherry rounding off the whole ensemble. Comments: very pleasant indeed, just lacking the Maclean’s sense of ‘clear line’.
SGP:651 - 84 points. |
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Glen Scotia 1992/2012 (40%, Samaroli, first fill sherry, cask #4, 600 bottles)
This is not Samaroli by Silvano Samaroli, as he had sold the company in 2008, but make no mistake, there were some excellent ‘Samaroli by Bleve’, even if 40% vol. might seem a touch odd these days. Colour: gold. Nose: this is lovely, gentle and polite, very civilised in fact, on apple juice with hints of natural vanilla, a little cinnamon, then tinned peaches and ripe yellow melon. Soft, pretty, calming… Mouth: light without being weak, though as so often, the lower strength does let a little more woodiness and dryness through. The melon and ripe peach are back, followed by a few drops of fruity beer – something like an IPA – and a touch of mint. Finish: short but charming, fresh and classic, with a hint of plum. Comments: a little gentleness in a brutish world. The 40% vol. really works here – all in all, very charming stuff.
SGP:541 - 85 points. |
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Campbeltown Distilleries 8 yo 2016/2024 (48%, Hogshead Imports, 1st fill barrel, 318 bottles)
Officially a blended malt, though one rather suspects – deep down (what?) – that it’s Glen Scotia in disguise. Colour: white wine. Nose: yes indeed, it’s soft, fruity and vanilla-led, all on apples, a touch of gentle honey (acacia – the trees are in bloom here just now), and warm brioche. Mouth: a little more presence on the palate, though still very much in the GS house style, with apples joined by a whiff of pineapple. Floral jelly too – dandelion and mullein especially – with vanilla, a touch of apricot, fruit pastilles and the like. Finish: similar again, with the cask pushing slightly forward now, adding a citric edge. Comments: very pleasant, flawless, right in the expected groove.
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
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Glen Toon 11 yo 2012 (53%, Whisky Sponge, Campbeltown Malts Festival 2024 exclusive, 1st fill bourbon hogshead, 225 bottles)
You can’t make a label more retro than this, short of scrawling directly onto the bottle in white paint like those old-school port or madeira jobs. RU Game, Decadent Drinks? Colour: light gold. Nose: perhaps not the brightest idea to line up a series of young ex-bourbon Glen Scotias in the same session. We’re back on apples, croissants, baker’s yeast, vanilla, sweets, melon, and the whole shebang. With water: a few hints of petrol, fresh concrete, and a touch of metal polish. Mouth (neat): banana, sponge cake (!) and an increasingly herbal character, just about held in check by mango and passion fruit. With water: fair enough, it’s pleasant, fresh, fruity, slightly minty. Finish: same again. Comments: honestly, it’s really good – it’s just not terribly thrilling to be tasting these babies back-to-back.
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
So, shall we have one last dram and call it a night, yeah? |
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Images of Campbeltown (53%, Malts of Scotland, Davaar Lighthouse, cask #MoS 24015, 285 bottles)
In theory this is Glen Scotia – otherwise it would cost rather more. Colour: white wine. Nose: apples, pears, gooseberries, tinned peaches, Juicy Fruit chewing gum and fresh plaster. With water: fresh panettone, which is not half bad! Mouth (neat): a pretty fruit allsorts juice, though quite a bit of alcohol too – more or less a tutti-frutti eau-de-vie. Barley syrup. With water: green apple, barley syrup again, and a wee flash of blanco tequila. Finish: similar. Comments: still very nice indeed, though we are gently drifting off by this point…
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
Oh, hang on, there’s still a local bottling left to sample… |
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Campbeltown Blended Malt 7 yo 2017/2024 (57.1%, Watt Whisky, barrel, 246 bottles)
Attention, this was the 100th bottling from Watt Whisky aka Campbeltown Whisky Company Ltd.! That’s worth celebrating! As usual, we’re a bit late to the party, but bravo Kate and Mark! Colour: light gold. Nose: well now, this is more engaging – there’s a touch of engine oil, linseed oil, amaretti, pumpernickel spread with fresh butter, even a few tiny oysters, all layered atop the classic apple and pear base. With water: a brand-new Harris Tweed jacket. I swear. Mouth (neat): we’re back on oil, oyster shells, a few drops of petrol, a dab of light peat, and even hints of diesel and acetone, Jamaican style. Truly. With water: right, at heart it’s still apple, beer and barley. Finish: same again – apple, beer and barley – though there’s a persistent saline tang hanging in the background. Comments: absolutely lovely! Bravo!
SGP:462 - 87 points. |
Wait a sec, we could finish off with an older one… |
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Campbeltown Single Malt 32 yo 1992/2024 (45.8%, Vintage Bottlers, Secret Series #4, 60 bottles)
The number of bottles is very limited, but the geographical data is abundant – the distillery’s coordinates are given as 55°25'46.8"N 5°36'13.7"W. And these 1992s are known to be excellent, as previous examples from… Cadenhead have amply demonstrated. Colour: full gold. Nose: but of course. Candlewax, farmhouse cider, fresh croissants, sunflower, sesame and olive oil, sourdough, then more farmhouse cider alongside clay and chalk. Mouth: excellent again – salty and a tad acetic, on olives, marinière mussels, quince jelly, smoked meats, balsamic, peppers, beers… There's a lot going on here, bordering on ‘funky and dirty’. All rather unexpected, even a touch offbeat, but jolly good fun. Finish: long, on salty pasta, olive focaccia, amaro – one wonders whether there weren’t some Italians involved in this little one. Comments: this is ultra-fun, slightly punk, and even if it’s Glen Scotia, there’s a definite Longrow streak. Yes indeed, it’s true.
SGP:462 - 89 points. |
We've got more ‘Campbeltowns’ waiting in the wings, but this time we’re really calling it. CU. |
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April 29, 2025 |
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The Time Warp Sessions,
today Longrow IB vs. OB |
The Limburg Whisky Fair is always a chance to discover old bottlings we've never come across before – even in over twenty-five years. It's always quite surprising, and I reckon the most important word at Limburg isn't ‘whisky’, it’s ‘sharing’. In short, it's mad, but it always gives us the opportunity to do a few ‘Time-Warp sessions’, where we line up an old version and a more recent expression from the same distillery which can bet rather revealing. So, today it'll be Longrow, with two relatively young versions. Let’s get to it... |
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Longrow 17 yo 1990/2007 (56.1%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, #114.6, ‘A Dragon’s Dram’, 583 bottles)
There were, back in the early 2000s, some rather challenging batches of Longrow, not because of the distillate itself, but due to a few wine casks that had been, let’s say, on the very odd side. Tokaji, anyone? Or something veering towards the style of that notorious Springbank ‘Spiritus Sulphuris Volatilis’. In short, the SMWS had the good sense to offer rather more ‘clean’ alternatives, not unlike those immaculate 1987s from Signatory/Samaroli. Colour: gold. Nose: extraordinary notes of brine, mutton suet, cigar smoke, cumin, mustard, flint, smoked salmon… With water: boot polish, beeswax and always that suet. Mouth (neat): brings Brora to mind, very saline, slightly acetic, resolutely mineral (clay, basalt), then getting tenser and tighter, with a most straightforward impression of smoked lemon. Excellent. With water: you’ve swallowed seawater while bathing in the ocean, then comforted yourself with a wee mezcal laced with lemon and salt. Nicely done. Finish: long, even fresher, salty, smoky… The kippers aren’t far off. Comments: we never truly understood why Springbank produced so little Longrow. There, it’s said.
SGP:466 - 92 points. |
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Longrow ‘100° Proof Batch 1’ (57.1%, OB, refill bourbon and refill pinot noir, 2025 release)
This is in fact the follow-up to the well-known ‘Red’ series which, generally speaking, had left us rather cold, as the combination of peat and red wine often evoked something like coffee and mustard mixed together – the sort of concoction we used to dish out to freshers when I was a boy scout. However, in this case, although it is pinot noir, the fact that it’s second fill does offer some reassurance. Let’s see… Colour: pale gold (victory!) Nose: no cherries, no blackcurrants, no raspberries, no woodland mushrooms, no hare pâté, and no Russian leather. Hurrah! This is more of a clean, taut Longrow, very much in the vein of those solid NAS entry-level bottlings, which are always rather good – something like a Campbeltown mojito. Lemon, seaweed, smoke, beach sand and fresh garden mint, along with a faint yeasty note (which likely betrays its youth). With water: amaretti and wood-fired white bread. Virgin wool and a touch of chalk in the background. Mouth (neat): some hints of cherry-stem herbal tea but well removed from the lees of chambertin or Bollinger. More pepper, lemon zest, a dash of tarragon, grapefruit (not even the pink kind!) With water: tinned sardines appear, along with lemon and even a splash of olive oil. Finish: fairly long, and highly maritime. One might as well be standing on a fishing quay. Comments: a great success, with the pinot noir element now little more than an anecdote. We’re rather pleased.
SGP:466 - 88 points. |
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April 28, 2025 |
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WF’s Little Duos, today Kilkerran from Glengyle
Back in the Wee Toon, listening to Andy Stewart and awaiting David Stirk’s new book on Campbeltown’s whiskies, titled in the style of Fritz Lang: Whiskyopolis.
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Kilkerran 16 yo (46%, OB, 2024)
Matured in bourbon, sherry and just the tiniest dash of rum (5%) We shan’t be asking, at that dose, what sort of rum it was. Just imagine, it seems this might be the first time we’ve tasted one of these sixteen-year-olds, which have existed since 2020. Naturally, since Glengyle first started speaking up back in 2004. Colour: straw. Nose: one rather gets the feeling of undergoing an inhalation of lemon and apple juice, quickly followed by crushed chalk, sourdough and a smidgen of paraffin oil, very much in the modern Springbank style. Extremely delicate hints of aniseed and cumin float just above this elegant and mineral-driven structure. A minute dab of salted fresh mango somewhere in the distance. Mouth: I’ve always found it quite amusing that Glengyle positioned itself in Springbank’s slipstream rather than opting for something entirely different. Then again, you might say, when the recipe works, why meddle? This is immediately salty, chalky, with that ‘good sulphur’ you’ll often find at Springbank, along with boot polish, ashes, that well-known artisanal mezcal note, some clay, olive brine, and even a few white asparagus tips nudging their way in. Finish: similar again, of fine length, with lemon returning as a kind of house signature. Comments: it’s elegant, it’s charming, it’s mineral and very salty, and it’s jolly lovely. Just what we were expecting.
SGP:452 - 88 points. |
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Kilkerran ‘Heavily Peated Batch 11’ (57.9%, OB, 2024)
Both batch 9 (WF 86) and batch 10 (WF 85) were excellent, though perhaps ever so slightly immature, a tad on the rough side for my taste, but let’s admit it, we were nitpicking. Colour: straw. Nose: it’s the 16-year-old, only younger, livelier, and above all far more medicinal. With gallons of iodine tincture and mercurochrome, sea water and a splash of lemon balm infusion, one could almost use this as a balm, an anaesthetic or indeed as a repellent against mosquitoes and, more crucially, midges. Well, no guarantees there. We like it. With water: well now, it rounds out and softens completely, but also brings seaweed and, above all, plenty of sage and tarragon. Worth trying in a béarnaise sauce. Mouth (neat): this slaps you twice across the face, a proper one-two. Brimming with salt, ashes, camphor, iodine tincture, lime, oysters and smoked fish. With water: a more classical peater, though still immensely salty, with notes of machine oil and even penetrating oil. Could come in handy. Finish: very long, with salt, lemon and bitter almonds. Black pepper in the aftertaste. Comments: hey, we’re moving forward! A fine beast, really. We should set up a blind tasting, twelve young Longrows versus twelve young Kilkerrans. Who do you reckon would win?
SGP:455 - 87 points. |
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April 27, 2025 |
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Today is a great Cognac Sunday
In theory, we should have nothing but good things! In fact, we're planning to increase the number of “malternatives” on WF over the coming months, in order to give more prominence to less ‘industrial’ spirits... |
The harbour of Chenac-Saint-Seurin-d’Uzet, in Charente-
Maritime... And within the Bons Bois appellation
(Mairie de Chenac). |
In particular, authentic cognacs, distilled from grapes grown very locally – if not from the producers’ own estates – matured on site in virgin or ex-cognac French oak casks, and bottled in the region where they are produced. That’s a far cry from a spirit distilled from imported raw materials, then casked and aged elsewhere in barrels from the other side of the world, which may have previously held a completely unrelated beverage – though that certainly doesn’t rule out high quality, as we've seen on thousands of occasions. It’s really a matter of philosophy, you see… |
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Symphonie des Terroirs N°2 ‘L.40Y’ (48.8%, OB, Jean-Luc Pasquet, Confluences, 255 bottles, 2025)
A blend with an average age of forty years, comprising 15% Grande Champagne, 50% Fins Bois and 35% Borderies. Symphonie N°1 was rather magnificent back in 2023 (L.31, WF 89). If Maison Pasquet is playing the role of Mozart, then in theory they ought to craft forty-one symphonies over time, and to think we’re only on the second. Colour: full gold. Nose: very lovely. Sicilian cassata, honey-packed nougat, oriental biscuits scented with orange blossom, then some wonderfully ripe peaches that seem to have tumbled to the ground, with a charming earthy edge softened by a few drops of Sauternes, mostly sémillon. Mouth: warning—danger ahead! All sorts of stewed fruits, sweetened with honey, vanilla and liquorice, with just a dusting of cinnamon. I don’t mean to sound smug, but this really does feel ‘composed’. Lively oranges arrive next, adding even more sparkle. Finish: perfect length, not too short, not too long, and above all, incredibly moreish. An amusing note of cracked pepper dances in the aftertaste. Comments: malt freaks, if you’ve never tasted great Cognac before, start here—it’s outrageously good and ‘easy’ (and yes, that’s a compliment!).
SGP:651 - 90 points. |
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Jean-Luc Pasquet ‘Le Cognac d’Annick L.92’ (45.9%, OB, Grande Champagne, 152 bottles, 2025)
A Grande Champagne from Criteuil-la-Magdeleine. Any beverage bearing that first name, from St Magdalene in Scotland to Château Magdelaine in Saint-Émilion, really ought to be of high quality. Colour: full gold. Nose: even more oriental, bursting with honey, orange blossom and dried figs, before rolling out the full parade of peaches and nectarines—vine peach, yellow peach, nectarines, spring ladies, babcocks, redhavens (I think they’ve got the idea, S.) … A splendid nose, and once again, both effortless and seductive. Mouth: exceptional attack, firmer and even tauter than expected, almost mineral or even saline, more floral than fruity, with violets arriving and even a whisper of lavender. Then come mandarin and apricot liqueurs (like that great one from Roulot, if you must know). Finish: long, fresh, mineral, surprisingly more complex than the finish of the L40 blend. Comments: rather masterful, and it’s quite brilliant to compare a blend and a single cask like this, both of very high standing. Beware though, this is precisely the sort of bottle that’s criminally prone to evaporation, if you catch my drift.
SGP:651 - 91 points. |
That’s it, we’ve already gone too high. Blame JL Pasquet. |
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Pierre de Segonzac ‘Lot 76’ (47.2%, Art Malts, Le Grand Final, Grande Champagne, dame-jeanne #D80, 2025)
Once again some Belgian friends at the helm, which is of course a good sign. What we have here is a Cognac distilled on its lees, so not just a distillate from ‘clear wines’, which should bring extra body and complexity—let’s see… Colour: light amber. Nose: despite being fifty years old, or nearly so, this is quite a fresh Cognac, very classic on the aromatic front, all about overripe apricots and mirabelles, honeyed sultanas, honeysuckle and white clover, nougat, and since May Day is just around the corner, genuine woodland lily of the valley. Add to that a few wee touches of curry and liquorice. Mouth: very ripe peaches and orange cake, orange drops, triple sec and Muscat of Alexandria. Careful—yet again, this is seriously seductive and thus dangerously easy to drink. Also notes of liquorice allsorts and a hint of green tea bringing balance to the ensemble. Finish: medium in length, very fruity. Apricot liqueur and sultanas, with honey and liquorice lingering in the aftertaste. Comments: honey and liquorice, that’s scandalously tasty and ‘easy’, so this is another one that’s a bit of a menace in bottle form.
SGP:641 - 89 points. |
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Gousseland ‘Lot 72 La Dernière Goutte’ (40.2%, Art Malts, Series of Art #5, Bons Bois, barrique, cask #3, 60 bottles, 2022)
‘The last drop’ may sound a bit sombre, but the label is really quite lovely, if sad. We’re in Chenac-Saint-Seurin-d'Uzet, practically on the Gironde estuary, a place once apparently famed for producing… caviar. And ‘bons bois’ Cognac too, of course. Colour: amber. Nose: we’re getting that quieter, more restrained character typical of bons bois, but it’s not rustic in the slightest, and the great age here doesn’t translate into any weakness. Lovely notes of small herbs and spices—sage, coriander, oregano, myrtle, rosemary—it’s almost like a walk through the maquis, and it’s all very elegant, subtle, and ultimately complex. Mouth: absolutely no reason to fear the low alcohol level, it’s still full of life, if not exactly booming. Sweet baby tomatoes, dates, sweet wine, pineau, apricots, a bit of vin cuit… Finish: naturally not very long, but gracefully soft, heading towards rosehip jam, with a few notes of sultanas and floral jelly. Comments: a charming old Cognac of great gentleness.
SGP:541 - 89 points. |
I’ve just seen that some websites, which automatically steal and aggregate external data, are showing a WF score of 91 for the baby that follows – but I can confirm I’ve never tasted it until now. Things are starting to stink pretty badly on Web 3.0, don’t you think? |
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Petite Champagne 53 yo 1969/2022 (59.8%, Michiel Wigman, Precious Moments)
Colour: amber. Nose: well, the trouble is I might very well agree with my ‘false self’, and we’ll all end up with serious psychological issues thanks to this post-truth world driven by mass delusion, DJT-style. At any rate, this Cognac is perfectly tight and compact, all on nougat, fudge and raisin bread. But given that rather surprising strength, water is absolutely required… With water: in comes mint tea, bergamot, Earl Grey, light nougat, mirabelle jam… Mouth (neat): powerful, edgy, jammy, honeyed, and fairly hot. Quickly now… With water: spicier, still powerful, hearty, and full-on rustic. Apples, peaches, raisins, damsons and cinnamon. Finish: long, on the same notes, with an extra turn of pepper. Comments: excellently rustic.
SGP:551 - 89 points. |
Same here – I’ve never tasted the next one either, yet it's showing a score of 91 on those nauseating pirate sites that do nothing but steal content. If only they didn’t also tamper with it! As we say back home in Alsace, 's’esch necht mehr scheen’ – “it’s just not nice anymore.” Anyway, just joking (sort of), we don’t really care… but still, we kind of wish a million fleas would eternally itch those folks’ backsides – as our Chinese friends would say (I think). |
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Petite Champagne 55 yo 1968/2023 (59.1%, Michiel Wigman, Precious Moments, 132 bottles)
Colour: amber. Nose: take one third Rosebank, one third Balvenie and one third Glenmo, then stir in a dash of proper PX. With water: perfect, with rather surprising notes of garden cress. I’m not joking—I adore garden cress. Mouth (neat): excellent, just a little… strong. Fig spirit and dried raisins. With water: yes, excellent again, even if reducing this sort of spirit properly on your own isn’t exactly a breeze. Blood oranges, white pepper, Thai basil, pomegranates, and those peppery watercress-like notes return. Incredible—and I’m in love. Finish: long, with a light touch of brown sugar, candy sugar and such. Very curious slightly salty aftertaste, like in a Cognac from Ré or Oléron. Comments: fifty-five years in cask and not a wrinkle! One imagines—without being entirely certain—that it was a well-used cask from the start, back in 1968.
SGP:562 - 90 points. |
A final little one – the latest from one of the current stars of independent cognac bottling – and I must say, truly bravo to them… |
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Ma Cerise ‘Lot 68’ (50.3%, Malternative Belgium, Petite Champagne, 364 bottles, 2025)
A Cognac from a bouilleur de cru in Réaux-sur-Trèfle, Charente-Maritime, not far from Jonzac. I must admit I’d never heard of most of these villages, and I’m most grateful to independent bottlers for helping me discover them. Talk about being a French citizen—I’m even a little ashamed… Then again, we do have thirty-six thousand communes in France, all feeding into an administrative mille-feuille that would make even the most ambitious Los Angeles pastry chef weep with envy. Colour: orangey amber. Nose: a lovely little fruity gem, straightforward and uncomplicated, on mirabelles, liquorice, quince and honey. It’s absolutely precise. With water: mirabelle liqueur, apricot liqueur, quince liqueur, pine liqueur—amen. Mouth (neat): I don’t quite know why they called this ‘ma cerise’ (my cherry), though I do indeed find hints of kirsch and Calvados here, with a clear ‘bouilleur de cru’ character. We’re miles away from the high-volume, big-brand style. With water: the florals and spices burst wide open—borage, fennel, liquorice, caraway, chamomile, poppy, little lemons, all manner of citrus zests… Boom, that’s three more points right there. Finish: medium length, with a slight herbal liqueur touch—chartreuse, verbena, genepy… Leaves the palate feeling perfectly fresh. Comments: splendid, once again. But who is this Cerise anyway? In French, Cerise is a woman’s name.
SGP:661 - 91 points. |
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April 26, 2025 |
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WF’s Little Duos, today Aberlour
Always a pleasure to taste Aberlour. The old bottles you come across in Limburg are always exceptional – ah, the ’64 – but here we’ll be sampling more recent offerings. |
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Roseanna Smith, Eggshells on White
with Orange Leaf, 2018 |
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Aberlour 18 yo 2002 (54.8%, OB, for The Whisky Lodge, sherry butt, cask #3266, 612 bottles, 2025?)
I believe this baby only came out this year, for reasons I couldn’t explain. Colour: deep gold. Nose: this is absolutely textbook Aberlour, and while we’re at it, rather evocative of some older-style bottlings too. A beautiful sherry, elegant yet taut, closer to amontillado, faintly smoky – or almost – and above all dominated by pecan pie, always a deadly delight. Gorgeous notes of salted toffee, or shall we say salted Breton caramel, the kind you really shouldn’t eat more than one of at a time. With water: earthen floors, dunnage warehouses, ancient casks, warm wash, copper pots… it does take you on a tour of the distillery, in a way. Mouth (neat): punchy, unmistakably Aberlourian again, salty, tarry, then veering completely towards toffee and dark nougat. Hints of cherry liqueur and blackcurrant cordial. With water: ah perfect, no half-measures here, a dry, devilishly oxidative sherry, saline, with mounting notes of old walnuts and pipe tobacco. Boom. Finish: long, unwavering, merely handing your tongue back to you in slow motion. Sixty caudalies at the very least. Comments: now that is chatty, as they used to say in those old 60s French films.
SGP:462 - 90 points. |
Independent Aberlour bottlings are generally more focused on orchard fruits — let’s see if that holds true here… |
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Aberlour 22 yo 2003/2025 (52.7%, Maltbarn, A dram is born, sherry cask, 193 bottles)
These conceptual labels are quite something, Maltbarn will soon be able to exhibit their bottles at Art Basel or the Armory Show in New York (assuming that fair hasn’t been banned by you-know-who by then). Colour: gold. Nose: this one’s different, more polished, showcasing almond or pistachio cream at first, then modelling clay and a kind of chilled soup made from woodland mushrooms and double cream. Something along those lines. A lovely earthy profile, with humus, damp woodland, mosses… how could anyone resist such things, I ask you? With water: ah, splendid sherry! Walnuts, mustard, seawater, shellfish, mint, soy sauce – a proper coastal pantry. Mouth (neat): blimey, we’re back in official territory – tar, toffee, salt, walnuts, orange marmalade, coffee, oloroso… With water: quite a bit of black pepper muscling its way in, along with generous notes of bitter orange. It settles down a touch here – we had it at 91 before. Finish: long, dry, leaning towards bitter chocolate, still carrying that pinch of salt. Comments: we’re forced to lower the score, you see, but in doing so we land on what amounts to a very elegant stalemate.
SGP:462 - 90 points. |
Well then, these two drams turned out to be much closer to each other than expected! |
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