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March 13, 2026 |
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WF’s Little Duos: today Balblair OB vs IB |
I’m not sure you’ll agree, but here at WF HQ we feel there simply isn’t enough Balblair. I know times are hard, but it is always a little sad to see very lovely malts seeming to slip quietly into the background. In any case, we love Balblair, especially since the first time we visited the distillery, twenty-five years ago… Back in the days of their old fruit bombs of a truly intergalactic level… |
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Balblair 2006/2022 (49.3%, OB, Distillery Only, refill bourbon barrel, cask #546) 
This is not entirely an official bottling, truth be told, since the fortunate visitors who acquire it must bottle it themselves, by hand. Well, you see what we mean… In any case, it is great fun of course. Colour: straw. Nose: pale barley, very soft acacia honey, almost acacia nectar in fact, the usual apples, fresh mint, cold-brew green tea, then a small dab of proper lady’s face cream and a vanilla touch. What we do not quite find at this stage is tropical fruit, except perhaps the faintest suggestion of ripe banana. Mouth: grapefruit pips and bitter orange zest step in, the rest being much more rustic than on the nose, far more herbal too, with more ginger ale and a slightly turmeric-like side. We do feel tempted to add water… With water: it draws out the oak on the nose and the fruits on the palate, which is most welcome. Oranges, greengages, melon… Finish: fairly long and curiously brighter, almost lemony. Comments: a very pretty bottle, with a slightly rustic side and rather less of the rather massive fruity profile we often find in Balblair plus bourbon.
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
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Balblair 17 yo 2008/2025 (56.2%, Decadent Drams, 1st fill bourbon barrel, 172 bottles)
It is really rather provocative of Decadent Drinks to create a label that simply displays a charming watercolour of the distillery. Do you not find that terribly disruptive? Colour: gold. Nose: extremely close territory to that of the official, with vanilla and banana just a shade more marked. With water: it moves towards farmhouse cider, though there are also a few fresh tropical fruits and even a very faint suggestion of double cream. Mouth (neat): the same impressions again, bitter orange, zests, green apples, a lively and cutting side, even a faintly tart edge… With water: it settles into a more obvious fruitiness, with lemon, bergamot and touches of passion fruit. Finish: medium length, rather on fruit yoghurts. Apricots, oranges… Comments: we had grown very accustomed to Balblairs with immaculate fruitiness, but we rather get the impression that to find that profile one needs rather inactive casks and plenty of years.
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
We’ll have to get our hands on a really old Balblair matured in refill casks. Last-minute note: once the two glasses are empty, they become much more floral and elegant. Orange blossom, etc… |
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March 12, 2026 |
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A lovely little bunch of Macduffs of all sorts
This time we’re going to proceed randomly once again, for a bit more fun. The ones that had really impressed us in their day were Duncan Taylor’s 1968 and 1969, but alas! we no longer have any left to taste. We are, of course, in Speyside, and Macduff was said to mean William Lawson’s, the blend preferred by Sharon Stone. Well, at least in the old adverts… It’s also Deveron, or Glen Deveron, but we won’t have any of those today. |
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Macduff 26 yo 1997/2024 (47.9%, Murray McDavid, Mission Gold, oloroso + Pauillac finish, 484 bottles)
A bold marriage of two casks, one finished in oloroso and the other in Pauillac. Let us see which will dominate, the flor, the palomino, the French oak or the cabernet sauvignon… Colour: very ripe mirabelle plum. Nose: very much on gunflint, blackcurrant buds, green walnut and damson tart at first, with a pleasant dusting of ground cinnamon over the top. The Pauillac is frankly dominating, yet a certain harmony has been found. Touches of fresh mint then become more and more noticeable. Mouth: much less winey, clearly more malty on the palate, with orange marmalade taking the whole ensemble under its wing, complemented by grey pepper and capsicum, still rather typical of Bordeaux. Finish: rather long, creamy, coherent, on Campari and orange, with a high proportion of Campari. Pepper and blackcurrant dominate the aftertaste. Comments: a fine bitterness in this admittedly improbable marriage, yet a successful one we think.
SGP: 561 - 85 points. |
Let’s move on to a classic cask… |
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Macduff 18 yo 2007/2026 (48.9%, Scout Drinks, hogshead, cask #800220, 210 bottles) 
The first bottlings of 2026 are arriving on our tasting table… Colour: gold. Nose: very lovely wafts of lime blossom, lime blossom infusion, marzipan, then candied cherry and kirsch. A light touch of hops. The whole works perfectly on the nose, with a fresh and cheerful profile. Zippy indeed. Mouth: we find again the malty and marmalade side of the previous one, but here we are much more on pale turrón, orange cake, kirsch and salted butter caramel, with also a little tobacco. Small touches of rubber wood, perfectly in their place here. We find this very good. Finish: long, more on citrus fruits and pepper, with a rather oily texture, close to a honey of… lime blossom. A rooty side in the aftertaste. Comments: excellent, rather rich in the end, yet with that zippy character running throughout.
SGP: 651 - 88 points. |
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Macduff 11 yo 2011/2023 (50%, High Spirits, Longvalley Selection, 1st fill oloroso finish, cask #900342, 404 bottles)
A bottle for our friends in Switzerland. Colour: full gold. Nose: amusingly, it is a little calmer than the previous one, with a rather lightly marked 1st fill oloroso side, yet with very pleasant notes of vegetable oils (sesame, sunflower) and amaretti. Also some forest honey (honeydew). With water: a little more leather and walnuts, that should be the sherry. Mouth (neat): the sherry is more pronounced on the palate, but it is strongly balanced by orange marmalade and dried figs. Very good. With water: closer to the Scout Drinks, which is inevitably good news. Finish: fairly long, once again quite oily and honeyed, with a comet-like tail on pepper and perhaps two or three drops of orangeade. It is not unheard of. Comments: yet another excellent young Macduff.
SGP: 651 - 87 points. |
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Macduff 10 yo 2006/2017 (56.5%, Single Cask Collection, bourbon, cask #101730, 309 bottles)
One of those malts that we should have tasted earlier. The photograph is that of another Macduff from the same very attractive range. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: even prettier, fresher, naturally much closer to barley, limestone, clay, fresh vanilla and flint… In short, this is a magnificent young malt in its natural state. With water: slightly rounder citrus fruits, on bergamot and kumquat (always a hit in the Netherlands). Mouth (neat): very lovely, apple, lemon, peanut oil, chalk, angelica, plum eau-de-vie… With water: the purity of aged barley spirit, not flavoured ones. Because there is a difference, is there not. Finish: long, sharper, lemony, tangy, very lovely. Comments: a superb counterpoint to the previous one, the two are very lovely. Macduff indeed!
SGP: 661 - 87 points. |
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Macduff 13 yo 2011/2024 (52.8%, Valinch & Mallet, Young Masters Edition, Tokaji cask, cask #800012, 300 bottles) 
As you know, Tokaji wines can be more or less sweet or extremely luscious, and in the latter case the use of the casks for whisky maturation or finishing can be rather acrobatic. We remember for example a Laphroaig in tokay that had been quite horrible, not to say undrinkable. But here this is Macduff, so let us proceed… Besides, we have complete confidence in the house of Valinch & Mallet. Colour: full gold. Nose: for the moment nothing clashes, one might even say that the very aromatic fruitiness of the Tokaji and the richness of the Macduff dance rather well together. Plum jam, quince jelly, aromatic honey… With water: more honey and rose water. Mouth (neat): a side of viognier, sauternes, muscat… and tokay. Rose liqueur, lychee, then pepper, thyme and tobacco. We shall need a little water to relax this slightly on the palate. With water: it works, bringing out pepper from the mill but also strawberry jam. Finish: pepper and strawberries, almost like a cocktail. Comments: less pure and clear than the others, yet it remains excellent despite the slightly improbable nature of the marriage. Tokay in whisky is rather the equivalent of a triple backflip in figure skating, in our opinion.
SGP: 642 - 84 points. |
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Macduff 15 yo 2009/2024 (55.2%, Lady of the Glen, 1st fill PX finish, cask #4089, 271 bottles) 
Colour: gold. Nose: it works, it is nicely caramelised, with pleasant raisins, dates and dried figs, gingerbread and candied oranges… Yes, this works. With water: damp earth begins to emerge, humus, fallen leaves… Mouth (neat): orange marmalade in full force, then pepper and very mineral touches, gunflint, gunpowder, bitter chocolate… With water: ginger and turmeric arrive. Ginger can sometimes be like a dog in a game of skittles. Finish: long, more spicy, more peppery. Comments: prety good, just a little tiring, as is very often the case in the presence of PX. Let us say it is not quite our favourite style. The most recent LotG have been clearly superior in our view.
SGP: 661 - 79 points. |
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Macduff 16 yo 2008/2025 (62.8%, Alambic Classique, 1st fill oloroso sherry butt, cask #25015, 469 bottles)
They are rather strong on sherry at Alambic. Colour: full gold. Nose: pure caramel, brown beer, dark nougat and maple syrup. Not much to criticise here, it is very solid. With water: with water, earthy notes and even mosses and mushrooms come dancing beneath your nostrils, in addition to the rest of course. Morels and truffles. Mouth (neat): ah, very lovely, Turkish coffee, dark honeys, peppers and blackcurrant jelly, though without the cabernet side, naturally. With water: ta-da… pumpernickel! Obviously, as if by chance, the bottler happens to be Germanic… Finish: long, drier, both rich and austere at the same time. Comments: but who could object to truffles and morels in their whisky? Do be careful though, reduction is delicate here, it may snap. Be progressive…
SGP: 462 - 88 points. |
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Macduff 16 yo 2008/2025 (66.7%, Milroy’s, Vintage Sherry Reserve, third-fill sherry butt, cask # 130900362)
Frankly, we rather love the designation ‘third-fill sherry butt’. Who has ever seen a fourth-fill? We do not know whether the almost lethal bottling strength here is related to that status, but in our view it is not impossible. Colour: amber, though where exactly does that colour come from? Nose: bourbon with strawberries and bananas. Forget that, this strength is indeed lethal, we shall add water immediately, even though we have a very positive feeling about it. With water: forest floor, fallen leaves and, above all, Havana cigar. A magnificent nose. Mouth (neat): magnificent, but we shall leave it at that. Oils and extracts, we might say, almost essential oils. Very powerful salted butter caramel. With water: humus, black earth, tobacco and foliage, including bay leaf, come rushing in. The bay leaf is rather massive and, to be honest, unbalances the whole a little. Finish: long and very peppery. Comments: we really like it a lot, but it is just a little tricky to follow, with a rather challenging finish, as they would say on Bloomberg (what?).
SGP: 362 - 84 points. |
Come on then, one last little Macduff, an older one… |
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Macduff 33 yo 1991/2024 (55.1%, The Whisky Blues, butt, cask #4587, 198 bottles) 
Once again the label is superb, what’s more we find those beacons of humanity named Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Trump and Schubert. Find the odd one out… Colour: full gold. Nose: the age does not show on the nose, it is fresh, lightly honeyed and caramelised, continuing with nougat and quality maple syrup. Light earthy wafts, quite beautiful. With water: malt and waxes. That is perfect. Mouth (neat): winner of the session. Teas, herbal infusions and honeys, in perfect synchrony. Surprising touches of seaweed of the wakame kind. With water: wait, is this Clynelish? Finish: we are joking, but you see what we mean. The finish is nevertheless a little less transcendent, drier and more herbal. Boom, one point less, dura lex sed lex. Comments: a perfect illustration that nothing can replace time as the principal ingredient of a matured spirit, all the more so with whisky, whose raw material is rather a little simple. Well, we are rambling again, we are afraid…
SGP: 551 - 90 points. |
They’re all lovely, these little Macduffs, aren’t they? Even the very sherried versions didn’t show those slightly over-gunpowdery notes that can sometimes appear when combined with this distillate. You will also have noticed that we nevertheless refrained from tasting any William Lawson’s, as in the end it was neither the place nor the time. |
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March 11, 2026 |
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A little bag of seven Tormore
A magnificent distillery that has been strongly revitalised by its new owners, Elixir Distillers. We cannot wait to taste the first whiskies of the new regime, but in the meantime we shall continue to pour older distillates into our tulip glasses, some of which being, fittingly, offered by the new owners themselves. Let’s choose them at random, as we like to do from time to time… |
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(Elixir Distillers) |
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Tormore 1992/2023 (42.5%, Malts of Scotland, Rare casks, bourbon hogshead, cask #MoS 23025, 224 bottles)
A Tormore already of a very fine age and at a strength that is all gentleness. Shall we find honey?... Colour: straw. Nose: it is gentle indeed, yet it begins rather with slightly overripe apple juice, rowan berry, quince, touches of caraway and fennel, then finally the honey arrives, or rather pollen. It is extremely elegant and complex, like an old cognac. Mouth: we remain with the softness of very ripe apple, then it moves more towards gentle herbal infusions, chamomile in particular. We find a little caraway again, though a whispering caraway. Very lovely. Finish: a finish that is not very long and a little less precise, yet that is perfectly normal at this age and at this strength. The apple juice remains very present and it shows touches of praline in the aftertaste. Comments: a gentle and elegant Tormore indeed, which we could almost drink like a white wine, as an aperitif.
SGP:441 - 87 points. |
Let’s linger with these old ones that whisper… |
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Tormore 29yo 1995/2025 (43.6%, Bedford Park, 1st fill oloroso hogshead, cask #20196, 153 bottles)
We imagine a re-racking into a 1st fill oloroso here. Colour: amber. Nose: amusing acetic and slightly varnishy notes at the first sniff, before walnuts and Parma ham (or Serrano since it is sherry, that would be more appropriate) then come to decorate the whole. Very ripe apple is present as well, once again. There is truly a very old sherry side to it, almost as if it were a genuine solera cask, although they of course do not use hogsheads in soleras… In any case, a very fine nose, very distinguished. Mouth: I do not think we often detect quite so much tobacco on the attack, nor such walnut toffee, toasted pecans, very gentle mustard, salmiak lighter than usual, pepper liqueur… I find this quite beautiful. Finish: rather long, very dry, on tobacco and walnuts. Comments: this time it is a whisky-wine to enjoy with proper Iberian ham, pata negra Bellotas if possible. Or the large olives they have in Andalusia, gordals. Magnificent sherry.
SGP:451 - 91 points. |
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Tormore 2009/2025 ‘Legacy’ (55.1%, OB for The Whisky Exchange, Whisky Show Exclusive, first fill bourbon barrel, cask #4046, 210 bottles)
Colour: straw. Nose: once again gentleness and subtle notes, pistachio nougat, custard, touches of carrot and celery, rhubarb… With water: various branches freshly sawn or snapped, clematis, honeysuckle… It is truly all about elegance, once again. Mouth (neat): more drive on the palate, beer, vanilla, turmeric, ginseng, with still that slightly rooty side. A few drops of mullein syrup and sweet woodruff add a lovely measure of complexity… gentle complexity. With water: a light return of fresh oak, but also the arrival of yellow citrus fruits. Finish: of medium length, gentle, fresh, without excess… elegant. A few drops of triple sec in the aftertaste. Comments: a truly subtle Tormore, almost a little quattrocento, if you see what I mean.
SGP:551 - 88 points. |
Well then, shall we look for the distillery’s DNA in a very young expression? … |
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Tormore 8 yo 2005/2013 (52.1%, Duncan Taylor, Dimensions, cask #80076, 138 bottles)
We are tasting this already rather old baby solely for research purposes, are we not. Colour: full gold. Nose: I fear the influence of the cask may be a little too present to allow the finesse of the distillate to express itself fully, yet the whole works very well, it is all about cakes, muffins, fudge, fudge, fudge and more fudge. With water: the beer returns, along with barley and malt. Mouth (neat): very good, on orange cake, Cointreau, white pepper and once again a handsome dose of fudge. Including, naturally, vanilla fudge for lovers of psychedelic rock. With water: little change, except for a mixture of beer and cider that begins to slip in. Finish: of medium length, more herbal, more bitter. Comments: the finish is a little less at the level of the rest, yet as we say in our valleys, it remains a very lovely drop.
SGP:451 - 83 points. |
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Tormore 10 yo 2015/2025 (56.2%, Dràm Mor, 1st fill PX barrique finish, cask #2100950, 276 bottles)
It is always amusing to see sherry barriques, curiously we have not yet come across any Bordeaux butts. Have you? Colour: reddish amber. Nose: they are truly strong when it comes to finishing, here we are fully on prunes, Corinth raisins and fir honey, with an absolutely perfect balance. Simple on the surface, complex in depth. With water: small citrus fruits rise to the surface. Mouth (neat): blast, this is good! Slightly salty, slightly camphory, a touch resinous, then packed to the brim with peppers, raisins of all kinds and more different dried fruits than at Fortnum & Mason in the weeks before Christmas. Well, you see… With water: the fruitcake side amplifies further, there is notably quite a lot of dried pears. And we do love dried pear. Finish: long, with a very fine fruity pepper that begins to take control. A few fresh tannins in the aftertaste. Comments: a perfect candidate for a blind tasting.
SGP:551 - 88 points. |
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Tormore 9 yo 2015/2025 ‘Edition #45’ (57.1%, Signatory Vintage, 100 proof, 1st fill oloroso butts & bourbon barrels)
A rather budget series for your wallet, though certainly not budget in your glass (that will be a glass of Amarone, okay?) Colour: deep gold. Nose: rather less marked by sherry than usual, and we find that rather clever. Orange cream, fudge, a packet of shortbread straight out of a Scottish airport, caramel, peanut butter, nougat (straight out of a Provençal airport) … With water: a few slightly cardboardy puffs perhaps, yet the whole remains very lovely. Mouth (neat): we find this horribly good, like the Dràm Mor version, only more peppery and less fruity. Plenty of pipe tobacco and roasted peanuts. With water: the barley returns, along with orange zests. And a little cardboard as well. Finish: long, just a little dry. Comments: perhaps not the greatest swimmer in Scotland, yet it is magnificent so long as you do not add water.
SGP:551 - 86 points. |
One last for the road. We also had another bottle of the old 10-year-old bottled for Dreher, but we’ll leave that for another time. |
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Tormore 2012/2025 ‘Legacy’ (60.8%, OB, 1st fill bourbon barrel, cask #921187, 230 bottles)
To each lord his honour, so we offer the final words to the new owners… In any case, the label clearly states that this is an ‘Official Pre-Release’. Colour: pale gold. Nose: despite the almost atomic strength, we find again the elegance of the distillate combined with bourbon cask, this time with a more marked tropical fruit side, notably banana and mango. All this combines very well with the vanilla and the small new world chardonnay side also present, along with some hoppy touches. With water: fresh wood, a vanilla pod just split open, brioche dough… Mouth (neat): simply excellent, even at 60%. Oranges, vanilla, mango, papaya… At least that is what we detect for the moment. With water: the saviours of malt whisky humanity arrive (eh?), lemon and mint. Slightly strong green tea as well (tannins). Finish: long, closer to oak and teas, though the fruitiness replies in the aftertaste. Oranges. Comments: a perfect end to the session. Our eyes and our palates are now turned towards the future…
SGP:651 - 88 points. |
Wait wait wait, we’ve got a last-minute entry… |
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Tormore 14 yo 1999/2014 (58%, Gordon & MacPhail, Cask Strength, refill bourbon barrels, casks #4732 + 4733 + 4734)
Colour: gold. Nose: delightful notes of farmhouse cider and hay, then dried flowers of all kinds and orange cake covered with icing made with Gewurztraminer marc. Try it, you will see what I mean. The whole is very charmingly rustic when no water has yet been added. With water: it is simply fresh barley that joins the festivities. Mouth (neat): excellent! Apple juice, orange juice, lemon juice, IPA, guava, you see the idea. And once again, a very light hint of Gewurztraminer marc. With water: it is truly surprising how almost all the cask strength versions from Gordon & MacPhail become cloudy when you add water. It is not very aesthetic, yet it is an absolute sign of quality! In short, honey now joins the party, and it is perfect. Finish: long, softer, honeyed and on very ripe orchard fruits. Comments: it is at once very different and very close in spirit to the last official one we have just tasted. In short, all is well in the best of worlds, and all this sweetness charms the soul, as Voltaire used to say…
SGP:651 - 88 points. |
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March 10, 2026 |
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Today two wee peated Jura
Another distillery we enjoy tasting from time to time, with its frequent quirks and turns. It’s sometimes a bit unusual, but it’s never boring! |
At sundrenched Jura, 2006 |
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Jura 26 yo 1989/2016 (58.9%, Signatory Vintage, Cask Strength Collection, heavily peated, bourbon barrel, cask # 30734+35, 243 bottles)
A peated version. Let us remember that there have been some superb ones, notably among the OBs. Colour: straw. Nose: hay smoke and tobacco smoke rather than peat, with lemon brioche dough and carbon paper, then seawater. All is well, and it is very ‘Jura’! With water: metal polish and melon skin, plus a few cindery notes. Mouth (neat): very lively, very sharp, more on a kind of saline, lemony and peppery peat. Plenty of fresh turmeric arrives afterwards, along with pink grapefruit and passion fruit. Very lovely texture. With water: very lovely peat, lively, more herbal, yet always with a surprisingly lively oiliness. A little smoked salmon. Lively, ha. Finish: long, still a little oily yet lively, with quite a lot of green pepper. Fresh barley pops up right at the end, together with a little banana. Comments: we had tasted a very lovely Jura from the same batch when it was released, this one seems rather superior to me, because of its fruits. And of its liveliness.
SGP: 555 - 89 points. |
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Isle of Jura 17 yo (48.5%, Elixir Distillers, Macbeth, Act 2, Second Murderer, oloroso sherry hogshead, 1,200 bottles, 2025)
Colour: gold. Nose: it is smoky but it is very different from the 1989, more on soot and ashes, paraffin and, above all, mutton suet, one of the markers of Jura for me, even if it really does not appear all the time. Then little touches of fresh mushrooms and camphor and eucalyptus. That should work very well as a rubbing lotion, as it happens I have a few bruises to treat (nice attempt, S.). Mouth: very lovely, very saline this time, much closer to the 1989 on the palate. Smoked oysters, lemon juice, ashes, smoked fish, grey pepper. Excellent, with a few echoes of the neighbour on the other side of the Sound of Islay. I mean C.I. Finish: long, fresh, very balanced, more on fish and shellfish. Comments: very lovely indeed, we are really licking the 90-point bar, so to speak.
SGP: 554 - 89 points. |
 Check the index of all Jura we've tasted
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March 9, 2026 |
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The Maclean Foundation’s recent Auchroisk, plus a few others |
The Maclean Foundation was established by the Maclean brothers and their father, star whisky writer Charles Maclean. In August 2025, the brothers completed their row across the Pacific Ocean, raising more than £1 million for clean water initiatives. These funds help provide safe drinking water to over 40,000 people in Madagascar. After some dazzling Ardnamurchan and Isle of Raasay releases, this Auchroisk continues the Maclean family’s commitment to supporting these efforts and is available at Royal Mile Whiskies.
Moreover, Auchroisk Distillery is one of the core malts used in J&B Scotch Whisky. When it was built in the early 1970s, as the label reminds us, it was the largest distillery in Speyside. |
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Sharing a wee old Clynelish with Charlie in WF's cellar, quite some moons ago |
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Auchroisk 34 yo 1991/2025 (44.4%, The Maclean Foundation, virgin oak, cask #572002, 248 bottles)
This is Diageo stock, while the cask was donated for the cause, I almost added ‘naturally’. The mention of virgin oak suggests a re-racking, but nothing is certain. Colour: full gold. Nose: we do feel the boost from the wood, yet the whole remains very elegant, rather on camphor, orange zests and pretty much every dried fruit imaginable, all with good liveliness. Whiffs of freshly sawn spruce wood, and, to go all the way, of Christmas tree. Very light touches of gingerbread and coconut macaroons. Alas it is a little late to sing Oh Tannenbaum. Mouth: entirely in line with the nose, just with a slightly different balance, here even more marked by resinous softwood while the candied orange and the famous macaroons remain a little in the background. Notes of amaretti and small butter and pepper biscuits. Finish: medium length, with the duo of fir liqueur and triple sec calling the shots. Elegant signature of coconut milk, with restraint. Comments: very surprising, and quite magnificent, perhaps even a welcome adjustment of the famous conflict between the old and the modern styles. It is both.
SGP:561 - 90 points. |
As you know, we never taste a malt entirely on its own, so we’ll take the opportunity to add a few other Auchroisks to the line-up, some rescued from the back of the shelves. Sadly, our last bottle of The Singleton of Auchroisk 1983 is buried at the bottom of a box. At least, I think it is… |
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Auchroisk 12 yo 2006/2018 (46%, Cadenhead, Small Batch, two hogsheads, 690 bottles) 
It was about time we tried this one, I agree… Colour: very pale white wine. Nose: cider apples, fresh barley, bread dough, vanilla cream. We could hardly make it more elemental, but because of that it is really very pleasant. Mouth: it suffers a little after the Maclean, but that is normal. More rustic, with touches of medicinal alcohol, even hints of barbecue firelighter (not that we swallow that everyday), and plenty of barley and slightly sweet beer. Chalky touches. Finish: of medium length, with a tiny hint of pineapple that slips in quietly. Comments: frankly, it is very pleasant and with absolutely no flaws. Truly.
SGP:551 - 80 points. |
While we’re in Campbeltown… |
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Auchroisk 14 yo 2008/2023 (56.7%, Watt Whisky, Denmark exclusive, 27 months red wine cask)
Watt&Co, brilliant, red wine cask, let’s see, if you please. Colour: full gold. No pinkish hues, phew. Nose: obviously, when a red wine finishing does not smell of red wine (wine dregs, little red and black berries) it is necessarily much better. In fact we rather move towards Banyuls, Rivesaltes, but also country fruit bread and ripe apricots. Very pleasant! With water: potting soil, geraniums, black earth, Brussels sprouts. Mouth (neat): blast, it works, notwithstanding the slight soapy and waxy side at the start. Bitter oranges, pink pepper, green pepper, a touch of chilli, then bell pepper, with this time a little more rather dry red wine. With water: the balance has been found, thanks to the intervention of our closest friends, at least during tastings, oranges. Come on, since the season is truly approaching, Campari-orange. Finish: I promise you it becomes more and more about Campari-orange. Comments: a truly obvious fun side here.
SGP:661 - 84 points. |
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Auchroisk 11 yo 2007/2018 (59.5%, James Eadie, first fill bourbon, cask #805594, 282 bottles)
2018? You see to what extent we have neglected our Auchroisks over these past years? We ought to be ashamed! Colour: white wine. Nose: light shoe polish at first, then barley, apple, lemon and vanilla. Elementary, my dear Watson. With water: very lovely, so close to barley, apple and chalk. Mouth (neat): it is simply very good, still just as elementary, yet still very good if you enjoy nature, especially grapefruit peel and, this time, mirabelles. With water: the purity of a great abstract work. Grapefruits and apples run wild. Finish: long, rather elementary, yet of great beauty. Comments: I must admit this unassuming little Auchroisk is a very pleasant surprise. Superb barley.
SGP:551 - 86 points. |
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Auchroisk 8 yo (60.6%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, European Whisky Festivals 2021, #95.47, ‘Red Bread’, 289 bottles, 2021) 
Sometimes we keep rather odd things on our shelves, do we not. Colour: gold. Nose: it suffers a little after the James Eadie on the nose, as it is the same style, just executed a little less well. A little yeastier and, above all, rather burning on the nose. With water: a little too young, a little too simple, and without any real singularities. Mouth (neat): it is good, but it burns. In fact we are almost entirely on Williams pear straight from the still, just after the heads. With water: a little better, yet still simple and basic. On a desert island, and if there were only this, we would drink it without batting an eyelid, but here... Finish: simple, on green fruits and leaves coated in simple caramel and nougat. Comments: I do not find it very motivating, but it remains genuinely rather good. On a desert island...
SGP:551 - 75 points. |
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Auchroisk 13 yo 2008/2021 (59%, Fable Whisky, Chapter 9, hogshead, cask #806196, 264 bottles)
One of the most successful brandings of the past ten years, at least from an aesthetic point of view. Colour: very pale white wine. Come on, shall we bet, barley and apple juice? Nose: barley, chalk, slightly fruity beer (IPA) and apple juice. Of course we love that. With water: the same again, with chalk leading the pack this time. Mouth (neat): barley eau-de-vie and Williams pear eau-de-vie, 50/50. Basta così. With water: a touch more complex, mandarins, lemons, quinces, but the whole remains pleasantly basic. Finish: fairly long, with a little more green pepper and still plenty of IPA. Did you see that, BrewDog? Comments: it is cool, though perhaps it does not quite set the world on fire, as they say in the south-west of France.
SGP:451 - 78 points. |
Careful, this is different… |
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Auchroisk 37 yo 1982/2019 (48.3%, Thompson Bros., refill sherry, 212 bottles)
Colour: full gold. Nose: incredible how close we come to the semi-official Maclean from the start of this session, here we simply feel there has been no boost, and consequently it is a little gentler, perhaps a little more fragile, yet in the end just as beautiful, and above all a little more complex. In short, at this age fragility and complexity seem to go hand in hand. Apart from that there are all sorts of apples here and all sorts of plums, and that is more than enough for our happiness. Mouth: livelier, almost taut, surprisingly mineral, and above all more marked by fresh walnuts, and that is the sherry speaking. Yet the apples continue to dominate the whole. Finish: fairly long, tangier, which is rather crazy at 37 years of age. The famous cider apples, or quite simply cider. I mean the real cider, not the rubbish they serve on tap in pubs. Comments: it is truly excellent, with dazzling freshness at nearly forty years of age. Okay, give or take a few years.
SGP:651 - 88 points. |
While we’re with the Thompsons… |
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Auchroisk 31 yo 1989/2020 (44.9%, Thompson Bros., ex-refill sherry puncheon, 122 bottles)
Colour: full gold. Nose: much rounder and fuller, on nougat and praline, walnut cake, menthol tobacco (Kool) and a whole box of eucalyptus lozenges. I find this perfect. Mouth: I love it, we are extremely close to the sherry, the malt hardly has a say anymore, yet we do not really mind because the sherry was perfect. Sublime walnuts, very fine tobacco. Finish: long, completed by the everlasting orange marmalade. Have I ever told you the story of Mary Queen of Scots and marmalade? Well, that will be for later. Raisins in the aftertaste. Comments: simply a superb bottle, and the raisins that rather rudely crept in at the end are certainly not going to change our opinion.
SGP:661 - 89 points. |
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Auchroisk 25 yo 1996/2022 (48%, First Editions, Hunter Laing, PX sherry butt finish, USA)
Colour: gold. Nose: we remain here on the classic notes, nougat, banana and pear cake, honey, barley syrup, stout, then more and more pear. Mouth: it is very good, despite the slight sulphury touches from the sherry. Fir wood, gunpowder, bitter orange, honey, dulce de leche. Finish: the same, plus a little pepper and bell pepper. The gunpowder remains rather present and twists the finish a little. Comments: it is good, though the finish is a little more difficult.
SGP:561 - 78 points. |
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Auchroisk 13 yo 2008/2022 (54.9%, Watt Whisky, 3 months in tawny Port, 318 bottles)
What 90 days in a cask of Tawny can truly bring to a malt whisky, I honestly do not know. Strawberries and blackcurrants? Let us see… Colour: gold, no pink hues, hurray. Nose: pleasant, bourbon, varnish, nougat, crème brûlée, cinnamon roll, custard, toasted sesame. With water: add a little praline. Mouth (neat): it is winey but a pleasant kind of wineyness, driven by sultanas and goji berries. Long story short, there is only that, yet it is good. With water: the same. Corinth raisins. Finish: long, even more on the raisins. Comments: very good, though the sweetness of the raisins might call for a little refreshing. Okay, two or three ice cubes.
SGP:641 - 82 points. |
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Auchroisk 2007/2023 (57.2%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, ‘Spice Surprise’, #95.100, 494 bottles)
This baby has been rather fiddled with, with 1st fill oloroso but also ‘New Oak HTMC Hogshead’. In truth we would rather not know, please keep that sort of rather frightening detail to yourselves, thank you. Colour: full gold. Nose: a young bourbon side, not really unexpected to be fair. Varnish, vanilla and coconut, not necessarily in that order. Maple syrup. With water: new leather and paint, never quite the most charming combo. Mouth (neat): not bad, just a little heavy and very much on fruity varnish and black pepper. Not easy, in fact. With water: perfectly acceptable, yet the leather and pepper remain in our way. Finish: well, it becomes bitter. Comments: I believe we shall pass. Spice surprise, bad surprise.
SGP:371 - 70 points. |
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Auchroisk 11 yo 2011/2023 (57.1%, Whisky is the Limit, 1st fill St.Estèphe barrique, cask #22074021, 470 bottles)
My goodness, St-Estèphe in my whisky! Calon? Cos? Rauzan?... Colour: light gold. It is fine. Nose: a miracle, no dissonance, sesame praline, malt extract, dried figs, argan oil. Now that really is miraculous, I think I shall put my pistol away. With water: sweet beer, and not really much St-Estèphe. Mouth (neat): earth and peppers, but also bitter oranges. Very bitter. With water: careful, water makes it snap, which often happens with red wine finishes. Keep that in mind. Finish: medium length, an overall bitter and salty profile, very much on bell pepper, very cabernet. Comments: WITL is a magnificent little house, that said this experiment was perhaps a little more difficult, in my view.
SGP:461 - 77 points. |
Right, we need to pick up the pace… |
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Auchroisk 8 yo 2010/2019 (59.7%, Brachadair, 1st fill oloroso hogshead finish, cask #79, 75 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: nougat coated with liquid caramel, maple syrup, peanut butter. With water: herbal infusions of buds, stems and flowers. Cherry. Mouth (neat): very powerful, very good, bitter oranges, praline, pumpernickel, truffle, dark chocolate. With water: walnut arrives and shakes everything up. Finish: the same. Bitter chocolate in the aftertaste. Comments: it is only a finish, but it has been well done.
SGP:451 - 84 points. |
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Auchroisk 1996/2018 (51.8%, Malts of Scotland, bourbon hogshead, cask #MoS18018, 267 bottles)
This baby is more than twenty years old after all. Colour: white wine. Nose: truly a fine Speyside in its natural state, very much on barley, overripe apples, small dried fruits, jujubes, longans, apples and beers. With water: ripe apples. Mouth (neat): lovely, fairly mineral and fermentary, with lemon and grapefruit and a touch of grey pepper. With water: it is good, moving towards overripe orchard fruits, yet quite frankly it is not immensely deep. Finish: medium length, a little cardboardy. Comments: difficult finish. It is a little odd, generally Malts of Scotland is rather vastly superior.
SGP:451 - 78 points. |
Well, we still have plenty of other Auchroisks, but we’ll keep them for another time. Perhaps early 2027… Because, truth be told, beyond the superb Auchroisk Maclean and two or three others, Auchroisk can sometimes be a bit of a bore… Zzz zzz zzz… |
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March 8, 2026 |
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A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace! |
A couple more rums
A bit of everything today, Barbados, Jamaica, Thailand, Guyana, Guadeloupe, Trinidad… And quite a lot of fumes too, as well as spent engine oil and burnt tyres, petrol, carbon dust, acetone… |
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Planteray ‘XO 20th Anniversary’ (40%, Planteray, Barbados, 2025)
Rums aged between 12 and 20 years, probably based on W.I.R.D., if not entirely W.I.R.D. The presentation is particularly polished, it would not look out of place alongside the current décor of the Oval Office. We are joking… Colour: deep gold. Nose: pleasant, very close to the cane, with charming little metallic and liquorice touches, as well as coconut, dried apricot, thyme and brown sugar. Mouth: less light than we feared, even a little warm, very marked by liquorice, orange zest and a small handful of sultanas. Not very complicated, but simply ‘really good’, which is already quite a lot. Finish: medium in length, with surprising touches of goji and maple syrup. A saline note in the aftertaste. Comments: truly a lovely composition, rather cognac-like in spirit, which will surprise no one.
SGP:641 - 85 points. |
On the subject of cognac… |
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Captain Flint 8 yo ‘Extra’ (43%, Famille Cabanne, Guyana, cognac cask, 2025)
We had rather enjoyed the 12-year-old Dominican in the same series, but in theory this 8-year-old ought to be superior, given its origin. Colour: white wine. Nose: very metallic, with carbon paper and charcoal as well, the whole is really very dry despite the cognac cask, but we rather like this style. Hay, apple peelings, even a little dry cider. Pleasant. Mouth: it gains breadth on the palate, rather fatter, with peanut butter and a few touches of tar, there must well be a few esters wandering about here. Then it moves towards more classic territory, vanilla, honey, cane syrup… Finish: medium in length, rather fresh, finishing on soft liquorice with a faint touch of salt. Comments: a lovely little Guyanese rum in a natural style.
SGP:551 - 83 points. |
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Chalong Bay ‘American Double Barrel’ (51%, OB, Thailand, +/-2025)
A version probably rather boosted by vanilla-ed wood, but with natural fermentation without added yeast, matured for 28 months and not chill-filtered. Nor flavoured of course. Colour: white wine. Nose: we do find those slightly metallic touches again, old copper, sugar cane, marzipan… But we find it really rather gentle for Chalong, at least for now. With water: much the same, bagasse and beer, but softly. Mouth (neat): the saline power is found here, sardines and anchovies, salmiak, and above all black olive. All that, we do adore. With water: it becomes drier, very prettily so. Finish: fairly long, with lovely bitters. Comments: very discreet on the nose but rather explosive on the palate, which is not so common. We are not quite at the level of their splendid ‘Lunar Series’, but it remains excellent nonetheless, in our humble opinion.
SGP:462 - 85 points. |
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Père Labat ‘Le Rhum Soleil’ (55%, OB, Marie-Galante, agricole, +/-2025)
This is amber rum, therefore lightly aged, hence the very pretty name they bestow upon these batches. We had already tasted a version from three years ago, but we never neglect any excuse to taste this expression again, quickly and efficiently. Do note, it makes perfect ti-punches. Colour: very pale white wine, almost white. Nose: pure cane juice, chalk, star anise, olives, fennel, liquorice. Irresistible. With water: damp earth and seawater. Mouth (neat): aniseed, lemon, chalk and olive. It is already a cocktail in itself. With water: the damp and salty earth returns. Coastal soil, salt meadows… Finish: long, both rich and taut at once, with a dangerously fresh character. Olives and oysters marinated in limoncello. Comments: careful, this goes down all too easily, so just imagine it in a ti-punch…
SGP:562 - 87 points. |
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Ten Cane 17 yo 2008/2025 (55.7%, Whisky Picnic Bar + Rum & Whisky + Bar Tre, Trinidad, cask #2901, 254 bottles)
Founded in 2005 in Trinidad by Moët Hennessy (perhaps to create the Ardbeg of rum?) Ten Cane Distillery aimed to produce a distinctive rum from fresh local sugarcane juice, using first-press juice and pot still distillation. The project ultimately failed to achieve the success it had hoped for and was stopped. The name came from the fact that ten sugar canes were said to be needed to produce one bottle. Colour: dark amber. Nose: this is lovely, somewhere between rum and bourbon, marked by oak, varnish, liquorice wood, pipe tobacco, toasted pecans, but also a little brine… With water: tar, new leatherette, Barbour grease… Mouth (neat): really very beautiful, very woody, but here everything works, it rather reminds us of an old Willett, we are not joking. Plenty of varnish, paint, glue, vanilla, salted liquorice, walnut liqueur, old Dutch genever… It somewhat recalls rums from the years before Keith Richards. With water: it becomes a mixture of rum, armagnac and nocino, frankly. Explosive. Finish: long, on pine tar liqueur. Comments: we do love this rather extreme thing, one simply needs to be at peace with wood, and not only oak.
SGP:372 - 90 points. |
Since we’re in Trinidad, and to save on transport (what?) … |
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Caroni 24 yo 1996-2019/2024 (62.4%, Velier, Rum Paradise #6, Trinidad, heavy, cask #5619, 115 bottles)
As usual we are doing nothing in order, we had already tasted more recent ‘Paradise’ versions. In short, this baby matured for 12 years in Trinidad, then was moved to Guyana at Demerara Dist. for 10 years, before joining the Cognac cellars in 2019 for a slow finishing in demijohn. Some say ‘to stop the ageing’ but everyone knows that, alas, in no field can ageing truly be stopped. Colour: amber. Nose: one may criticise the ‘inflated’ side of Caroni, yet here we must simply bow with the proper deference when approaching a very great spirit. In short, we oscillate between new Pirelli tyres, Iberian ham, chestnut honey, coal tar and naphtha, patchouli and roasted chestnuts. All that at more than 62% vol… With water: sublime. The greatest pu-ehr tea from China, we imagine this is what citizen Xi drinks. Mouth (neat): simply perfect. Sublime resins, tars, little lemons, forgotten herbal liqueurs, notably pre-war Chartreuse. You are right, in these times the expression ‘pre-war’ no longer carries much meaning. With water: incredible. Tars and precious oils, and above all massive doses of propolis. Finish: very long, increasingly on propolis. Propolis is not the easiest thing to enjoy, but it also boosts your immune system. Does it not? Comments: of course, you may prefer white chocolate and coconut dessert cream. For this is very extreme…
SGP:473 - 93 points. |
In theory we should stop there, but our spirits are still high and our throats still dry (now we really are joking) …. |
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Clarendon 14 yo 2011/2025 ‘MBS’ (60%, Velier, Jamaica, bourbon barrel, 172 bottles)
The MBS marque signifies a very low level of esters, almost non-existent. But we always say it, none of this is linear once it is in your tasting glass. That said, this rum seems to come from the distillery’s multi-column still rather than the pot stills. Right, let us hold on… Colour: amber. Nose: the strict opposite of the Caroni, we believe we may just have made a misstep. You see, we had spotted ‘Jamaica’… Roasted peanuts, multifloral honey, Nutella, slightly meaty molasses, ham fat… But wait, it remains interesting, nonetheless. Beef jerky, old paint, feathered game… Very strange, very amusing. With water: even more on game, haggis, wild boar ham cooked with honey… Mouth (neat): very surprising, candied, strongly infused with wood, very resinous yet the resins are loosened by lime juice… Between us, we believe we have tasted things like this in Cuba, at someone’s home… With water: really very funny, very much ‘to the fore’, with a light texture yet an imposing presence on the palate, almost minty and mustardy at the same time. Finish: not that long, almost short but rescued by citrus, as often. Comments: never tasted anything quite like this, once the surprise has passed you find it very good indeed. In short, it is a little brief but it goes quickly, like a dragster. See what I mean?
SGP:561 - 87 points. |
Right then, tradition says we finish with a Hampden, while we do respect tradition… |
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HD 2018/2025 ‘C<>H’ (64.3%, The Whisky Jury, Jamaica, The Ester Hunter Catch 5, bourbon barrel, cask #CH-56, 201 bottles)
Of course, in the manner of WF we have already tasted ‘Catch 6’. Do not ask the French to respect any kind of order, not even us the Alsatians (smile). In short, C<>H means 1,300-1,400 gr ester/HLPA, but that is small beer, is it not? Err… Colour: straw. Nose: you have just opened the bonnet of your Porsche (this also works with Dacia, Toyota or Skoda, simply not with electric cars) after driving the Nürburgring twenty times flat out. Tar, burnt plastics, petrol, hot oil, brake dust and so on. And it is splendid, all the more so as a few olives happen to join the party. With water: it grips the road even better than your Porsche if it is properly shod. Perhaps a little formic acid, have you ever disturbed an anthill? Mouth (neat): massive, chemical, petroly, salty, acidic, bitter, relentless. With water: incredibly saline, acidic, rough, vegetal, grassy and… chemical. And above all more peppery than usual, almost jalapeño-like. Finish: almost eternal. Comments: even more extreme than usual, and therefore outstanding. We shall truly need to make an appointment with a good psychiatrist, provided he is not a rum enthusiast, naturally.
SGP:363 - 92 points. |
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March 6, 2026 |
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WF’s little duos, some young Knockdhu
We’re fond of Knockdhu, even if it’s never been easy to keep track of the changes, between Knockdhu (sometimes mistaken for Knockando), An Cnoc, AnCnoc… In any case, we’re going to taste two of them today, hoping to see many more appear on our table in the coming months or years. We shall see, it’s not exactly a seminal malt either… |
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AnCnoc 12 yo (40%, OB, +/-2025)
Inevitably, at 40%, it feels a tad cheap and bit stingy. The last time we tasted the ‘12’, it was in 2020, and it had been perfectly respectable all the same (WF 83) At this strength, really… And here we are, five years later… Colour: white wine. Nose: pear juice, cider, pineapple liqueur, hairspray, mid-range IPA… In short, amyl acetate. Mouth: it is a charming malt, very close to the raw ingredients, barley, pear, green tea, melon, jellybeans, then yet more pear… Finish: touches of caramel and nougat, followed by a very light soapy note afterwards. Comments: truly a lovely malt whisky that reminds us that, in the end, we are in the presence of a barley eau-de-vie. The lack of oomph is nevertheless slightly problematic, these 40% do feel rather cheap indeed. The new Whisky Loch should encourage the brands to raise their game a little. I know, taxes and all that, remember I am French…
SGP:441 - 81 points. |
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Knockdhu 10 yo 2012/2022 (54.9%, Whisky Picnic Bar, cask #11534843)
Colour: full gold. Nose: we find a side of fresh bread and pear cake, but there is inevitably rather more conversation here, with a marquetry note, rosewood, pear cider (poiré), fig… With water: orange cake, with grated zest and ginger. More or less… Mouth (neat): lively, fermentary, peppery, in short this is not joking. Ginger cake, grey pepper… With water: no major change. Some rather bitter ales and walnut liqueurs, and in any case distinctly artisanal. Finish: long, even more bitter still. Comments: in general, these independent versions literally outshine the official ones, all distilleries taken together, but perhaps not this time because of the bitterness. Let he who has never sinned cast the first stone, eh?
SGP:461 - 80 points. |
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March 5, 2026 |
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Three barrelled Imperial of similar age
Despite its grand-sounding name, Imperial has never struck me as a particularly important, or indeed imperial, malt, despite a few very great ones here and there. Sadly the distilery,was demolished and replaced with Dalmunach. But perhaps our perception will change today… |
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Imperial 27 yo 1998/2025 (42.2%, Living Souls, refill bourbon barrel)
Colour: gold. Nose: an avalanche of jellybeans, then banana wine and pineapple juice. Behind this very fruity arrival, some very fine green teas, cold brew of course. Magnificent notes of lime blossom infusion. Mouth: very fine oak, delicate, on balsa wood, followed by dandelion jelly, camomile and quince. This is a very slow malt, it simply keeps developing over the minutes, on very gentle spices and numerous herbal infusions, one after the other. Finish: not especially long but beautifully balanced, very much on herbal teas and dried fruits. Touches of lemon balm. Comments: it murmurs and it whispers, it is discreet, yet it is very, very elegant. Lemongrass in the aftertaste.
SGP:441 - 86 points. |
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Imperial 26 yo 1998/2025 (44.4%, Whiskyland, Decadent Drinks, refill barrel, 134 bottles)
I have a vague feeling that we are heading towards similar territories… Colour: pale gold. Nose: it is virtually the same whisky, gentle, fresh, elegant, discreet, almost shy. Little fruit sweets and floral and pectoral herbal infusions. Mouth: frankly, it is the same again, just a shade more nervous, but consequently a little less, say grand siècle. Finish: not especially long, with a light sweet pepper, then rather subdued dried fruits and a touch of earth. Comments: casks that are not tired, but which may perhaps already have said all that they had to tell us.
SGP:441 - 86 points. |
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Imperial 27 yo 1998/2025 (53%, Whisky Picnic Bar, bourbon barrel, cask #9, 120 bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: we are obviously in the same territories, it is just a shade more mentholated, closer to fruit peelings and herbal infusions. With water: herbal teas in abundance, but rather little energy. Mouth (neat): very good now, fruity, peppery, but a little dry. Fewer sweets, more herbal teas and infusions. With water: even more herbal teas and teas. Finish: medium, lovely notes of ripe bananas. Comments: we have strictly no reason to score this cask, most certainly from the same batch, differently, even if there is a little more grip. And grip is important, as they say in the Himalayas (S., come on).
SGP:441 - 86 points. |
I’m not sure this was the most important tasting session we’ve ever held, but life is made up of small things, as poor Benjamin Franklin once said (good heavens, what a legacy!). |
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March 4, 2026 |
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Three 16-year-old Craigellachie |
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It’s quite an original theme, don’t you think? What’s more, we’re even going to pit refill bourbon against first-fill Madeira and first-fill oloroso, just to make things interesting… |
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Craigellachie 16 yo 2009/2025 (54.4%, Tri Carragh, 2nd fill bourbon barrel, 125 bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: beautiful, very pure, on vanilla, vanilla yoghurt, and vanilla custard. A few touches of quince and apricot compote in the background. With water: a small slice of lemon cake also emerges in the background. A little chalk as well. Otherwise it does not move an inch. Mouth (neat): fine tension from the arrival, on lemon and green apple, with touches of acacia honey to soften the whole, some pilsner-style beer, and of course our friend vanilla. With water: teas and herbal infusions from the cask begin to show. Finish: medium length but with a greater variety of fruits, quince returns, accompanied by peach and apricot. Comments: this cask was re-racked recently. Re-racking into a 2nd fill, that suits me perfectly. Very much to my taste indeed, even if it is not ultra-distinctive.
SGP:551 - 86 points. |
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Craigellachie 16 yo 2009/2025 (55.6%, Signatory Vintage, Cask Strength Collection, 1st fill Madeira hogshead finish, cask #211, 306 bottles)
A sister cask, #205, had been very good (WF 86). Colour: partridge eye, very slightly pinkish. Nose: the vinosity is pronounced, with blackcurrant, crushed pepper, leather, tobacco, mustard and bay leaf. Then a little saltpetre and fig leaf. With water: it is really much drier than the bourbon version, we are heading towards a very dry amontillado. Mouth (neat): walnut rules the roost, alongside tobacco and mustard. It is very marked, but we like it a great deal. With water: raisins come to the fore, the pepper is still there, the tobacco too, some paprika… And walnuts and bitter almonds. Finish: long, on exactly the same notes. Comments: I find that it has emerged very well after the very good refill bourbon. I reread my notes for the sister cask and realise that they are truly very close, no reason to assign a different score.
SGP:561 - 86 points. |
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Craigellachie 16 yo 2007/2024 ‘100 proof edition #4’ (57.1%, Signatory Vintage, Exceptional Cask, 1st fill oloroso sherry butt)
Colour: gold. Nose: earth, potting soil, nocino, brown tobacco, dark chocolate, molasses, toffee and orange blossom water. Not much to discard. With water: I know that soon I may no longer be able to risk this kind of descriptor without ending up in gaol for ten years, but I do find notes here of English cigarette packs from the 1980s, such as Senior Service or Craven “A”. Mouth (neat): rich, almost heavy, yet with a pepper, tobacco and walnut liqueur combination that is just perfect. All the more so as the expected notes of very bitter orange marmalade and fir honey join in. With water: softer, fruitier, more on raisins and, truth be told, more PX than oloroso. Perhaps some old-style ‘cream’? I doubt it, in any case it is excellent. Finish: long, rich, yet also fresh and joyful, a small miracle indeed. Comments: a shade above the others for me. It should behave very well in the cellar, for two or three decades.
SGP:661 - 87 points. |
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March 3, 2026 |
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A few Inchdairnie
(or Finglassie, Ryelaw, Balgothrie, Strathenry, Kinglassie…)
(Inchdairnie) |
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Indeed these fairly recent Lowlanders are not so easy to keep track of, as they appear under different names here and there, particularly among the independents, and they distil both malted barley and rye, using a Lomond still in addition to traditional pot stills. What we understand is that Kinglassie (OB) and Finglassie (IB) are peated, whereas Inchdairnie (OB) and Strathenry (IB) are not.
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Inchdairnie ‘Ryelaw’ (46.3%, OB, 2022)
At more than 120€, that stings a little, as we say. 53% rye, the rest malted barley. Colour: gold. Nose: a very handsome rye, we do adore rye, with lavender, violet, pumpernickel, fresh fir sawdust and gingerbread. Mouth: soft, almost sweet, yet very much to my liking. Violet sweets, pink peppercorn, salted butter caramel, liquorice marshmallow and blood orange. Finish: not especially long but fresh and very much in line with the rest. Comments: I regret not having tasted it earlier, but I confess that we have been somewhat caught off guard by the explosion of new distilleries in recent years.
SGP:750 - 85 points. |
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Inchdairnie ‘Strathenry’ 6 yo 2018/2025 ‘Tropical Fruit Salad’ (50%, Elevenses, 1st fill bourbon barrel, 589 bottles)
This time it is indeed a single malt. Colour: chardonnay. Nose: light on the nose, not so much on that famous tropical fruit salad, rather more on apples, pears and greengages. But that is just as well, is it not? A fairly discreet nose for the moment. With water: a very slight smoky touch, flint, otherwise orchard fruits. Mouth (neat): cane syrup, pear juice, barley eau-de-vie, a hint of banana, sponge cake. Nothing much to add, it is very simple, but it is good. With water: little change. Finish: of medium length, very clean, fruity and on barley. Comments: I like it a lot, but it of course does not quite have the slightly exuberant personality of the rye.
SGP:541 - 80 points. |
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Inchdairnie ‘Finglassie’ 8 yo 2017/2025 (57.9%, James Eadie, Malaga cask finish, cask #374467)
A finishing of 19 months, all the same. Colour: deep gold. Nose: here we are absolutely on flint, gunflint, coriander seed, even juniper, charcoal, barbecue and chimney smoke, the ‘good’ exhaust fumes, I am not saying that it is good for the planet, mind you… With water: very lovely, toothpaste, patchouli, cedarwood, lit cigar, linoleum… Mouth (neat): powerful, jammy, very smoky, very much on resinous wood and tar liqueur. With water: peppermint arrives and brings it all smartly to heel. Notes of briarwood and old pipe… Finish: long, rather jammy and infused, grapefruit and mint, yet it all works. Comments: the Malaga has done a splendid job. I like this baby very much, especially its originality… A true wee beastie that does not copy Islay, if you see what I mean.
SGP:565 - 87 points. |
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Inchdairnie ‘Kinglassie’ 8 yo 2017/2025 ‘RAW Edition’ (46.3%, OB, ex-bourbon)
Peated malt at 50ppm and a design in the style of Arlen Ness, circa 1990. I say that for the Harley enthusiasts, if any remain. Not Steve Harley, mind. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: gherkin juice and carbon and marble dust, it is truly very original and we rather like it. That briny edge is quite spectacular, let us see what it does on the palate… Mouth: ah this is pleasant, very cross-category, with notes of pisco and tequila, even gin. It is rather disconcerting, but I rather enjoy it. Ginger liqueur, miso, brine, oysters… Finish: fairly long, on those same notes. Comments: a great deal of fun and you know, we are in this game solely for the fun. Obviously, the question that will arise is what to do with the bottle once it is empty. Perhaps make chilli oil in it for your pizzas or pasta?
SGP:555 - 85 points. |
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Inchdairnie ‘Kinglassie’ 8 yo 2017/2025 ‘Double Matured’ (46.3%, OB, ex-amontillado)
50ppm once again. In the RAW one did not quite feel it as much, we were not entirely in Ardbeggian territory... Colour: gold. Nose: a slightly ‘American’ nose, if you see what I mean, fairly wood-driven yet coherent. Fir, liquorice, rye… And not an enormous amount of amontillado. Mouth (neat): very good, not hugely amontillado indeed, but nicely taut where it needs to be, with fresh and slightly resinous smoke, well-controlled tannins, and that faintly jammy side found in many modern young malts that rely rather heavily on their… casks. Here, it is well played, certainly. Finish: fairly long, a touch resinous, yet elegant. Comments: please do not ask me to choose between this and the previous one, both are handsome modern beasts. It is very good, without any doubt, and to be honest, I think it could wake up quite a few old distilleries that are resting somewhat on their laurels. No, no names.
SGP:555 - 85 points. |
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Inchdairnie ‘Balgothrie’ (63.4%, James Eadie, Project 1927, spirit drink, 2025)
We have already a-do-red all the new makes from this series that we have tasted. But really, yet another new name for Inchdairnie! … Colour: white as proper water. Nose: here we are absolutely on Williams pear eau-de-vie, though there are still lovely touches of dill and, of course, fresh bread. That said, it may not have quite the full dimension that the others possessed… With water: little whiffs of smoke. Mouth (neat): perfect eau-de-vie, 75% pear, 25% sour cherry. Nothing to add. With water: pear to the fore, forget the cherry. Finish: long, still on pear, with just a small salty touch. Comments: as always, we wonder whether it might not be possible to sell these new makes, but of course the name British Plain Spirit has nothing attractive about it. Perhaps for a punk band, circa 1978?
SGP:740 - 82 points. |
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March 2, 2026 |
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Charles C. Doig's sketch for the recently rebuilt Dail-Uaine Distillery,
in The Building News, Dec. 6, 1889 (Whiskyfun Archive, republished) |
And so we find ourselves back near Aberlour… |
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Dailuaine 11 yo 2014/2025 (57.9%, Lady of the Glen, recoopered US oak barrique finish, cask #309560, 262 bottles)
Pst, do our American friends really use the term ‘barrique’? Perhaps for their Bordeaux blends from Napa or Sonoma? Or is it American oak used to make barriques elsewhere? Colour: very ripe apricot. Nose: the colour does seem to corroborate the idea that it was a red wine cask, recoopered or not. But this nose is not overly about red fruits; still, there are indeed notes of cooked green pepper or even ratatouille, which would suggest cabernet. Blood oranges. With water: blood orange and pink grapefruit, plus a few drops of rum and liquid shoe polish. Mouth (neat): redcurrant jam and plenty of green pepper, plus touches of café latte. By the way, as we used to say fifteen years ago, the recipe for a latte is a normal coffee plus £5. It must be rather more by now. With water: we return to more amusing things, closer to the world of whisky, such as mint liquorice. Finish: long, with a coffee that does not abandon the fight, but into which you might have poured your glass of kirsch or plum eau-de-vie, as the old fellows used to do (who would then go off for a nap). Comments: really not very orthodox, but very well made and very pleasant. One ought to ask what the young guard thinks.
SGP:651 - 84 points. |
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Dailuaine 15 yo 2010/2025 (54.9%, The Whisky Blues, for BAM and Barrel Malt Bar, 1st fill bourbon barrel, cask #302844, 258 bottles)
If someone could one day explain to me the meaning of this very Taiwanese label, I should be most grateful. No, forget it, you have better things to do… Colour: pale gold. Nose: we are in hay, straw, paraffin oil, banana skin, bread dough… Could one be more natural than this? In any case, on the nose it is very textural, very ‘Dailuaine’. With water: exactly the same, no change. Mouth (neat): a perfect illustration of the fact that whisky is distilled beer. Ales and pilsners, under-ripe apples, artichokes, breads of all sorts… With water: … and shoe polishes and pistachio oil. Finish: long, oily, fat, with very handsome bitters. Comments: a rather demanding malt but one hundred per cent on the distillate’s style. That is well worth a small handful of extra points.
SGP:361 - 86 points. |
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Dailuaine 16 yo 2007/2024 (57.4%, Artful Dodger, Ardbeg sherry butt finish, cask #149, 732 bottles)
As far as the number of bottles is concerned, and before you start wondering what sort of sorcery this may be, do note that these are 50cl bottles. Still, this Ardbeg story is most intriguing… (we have dozens of Ardbeg or Kildalton to taste but I confess we are struggling to get down to them). Colour: lightish gold. Nose: difficult to categorise. Damp earth, pizza dough, rye bread, modelling clay, metal polish, little Italian-style preserved lemons… For the moment it feels slightly uncertain, slightly hesitant. With water: it reminds me of the Ardbeg 17-year-old from years ago, with that mix of strength and softness. Old tweed soaked through by repeated rains. We jest, but we probably have had far more rain lately than Scotland. Drill, baby, drill… yeah right. Mouth (neat): the Ardbeg is a thousand times more present, with a trio of peat, lemon and seawater that sweeps everything along in its wake. Even this little Dailuaine, which was probably fairly fat to begin with. That tells you something… With water: it rises to the occasion, with a touch of vinegar and above all gherkin brine. The acidity wipes out part of the fatness. Finish: long and much tenser, peaty, lively and lemony, yet without Ardbeg’s tar. Comments: rather a rollercoaster, this baby asks you to put in some work. It is for a good cause.
SGP:364 - 85 points. |
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March 1, 2026 |
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Rums make a triumphant return on WF
(Right.)
Shall we start by finding a little aperitif, if you don’t mind… Perhaps this one? ... |
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Savanna ‘Le Must’ (45%, OB, La Réunion, +/-2025)
This is a traditional rum, therefore from molasses, partly grand arôme, therefore with plenty of esters; we do not, however, know the exact proportions, but we do know that the maturation took place in ex-cognac casks. Colour: gold. Nose: fresh, marked by liquorice flavoured with fruits, especially orange and orange blossom, with light petroleum and mineral touches, all kept in fine balance. A few gentle, softer notes and perhaps a handful of sultanas, no doubt stemming from the cognac wood. Mouth: rather rounded, in any case not at all a grand arôme ‘that tears your head off’, as I think you sometimes read on the forums, with a honeyed side, still liquorice-led, still on candied orange zest, with just a slight salinity in the background, which in fact only grows. Finish: fairly long, genuinely very good, even if the cask is a little assertive to my taste. A small liqueur-like touch of strawberry and cherry right at the end. Comments: very good, just a little cask-driven.
SGP: 651 - 83 points. |
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Maurice ‘Very Special Coffee Product’ (55.7%, Vagabond Spirits, Mauritius, +/-2024)
Well then, here is a rum from Gray’s, infused with coffee beans. It probably has no real place in a session such as this one, but since we are here… Coffee, as you know, is in any case a perfect resetter of both nose and palate. Colour: gold, in no way dark like coffee. Nose: rather surprising, above all very floral, somewhere between rose and nuts, coconut and Brazil nuts… For the moment, however, no very obvious coffee that we can clearly detect. Yet it is rather pleasant indeed. With water: an explosion of buttery coconut. We could almost be on a beach in the Balearic Islands, circa 1970. Mouth (neat): we find exactly that toasted coconut character again, which is quite disconcerting. Some orange liqueurs as well. With water: the same profile remains, although the orange steadily takes on more prominence as we add water. Finish: of medium length, with no notable change. Comments: all that remains is to put Aphrodite’s Child or early Pink Floyd on the stereo. Do take my score with a pinch of salt, it is out of category in any case.
SGP: 630- 78 points. |
Since we were talking about the Balearic Islands… |
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La Palma Suave 17 yo (40.5%, Tres Hombres, Canary Islands, 2086 bottles)
It is from Aldea, of course. The casks were brought back to France by boat, seasoned with PX and Pineau des Charentes. They call this dynamic ageing, how amusing! We wait to see what Elon M. will make of the idea… All this may sound a little improbable, but the truth lies in the glass, does it not. Colour: deep gold. Nose: well now, this is far more pleasant than the Aldeas we have already tasted, no doubt thanks to the casks, and perhaps to the ageing at sea. It is particularly the pineau that seems to assert itself, peaches, sultanas, dandelion, soft honey… Suave indeed. Mouth: the pineau returns, with white nougat, tobacco, peanut butter, gingerbread, ginger biscuits. It is genuinely very good, even if the ‘rum’ aspect sits somewhat in the background. Acacia blossom liqueur. Finish: not so short, and more or less on the same notes. Vanilla and pretty aniseed touches right at the end. Comments: a very good surprise for me, even if a few ice cubes might be welcome. This summer perhaps?
SGP:430 - 82 points. |
Since we stayed in Spain… |
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El Ron del Artesano 10 yo (57.6%, OB, Panama, Tobia Reserve Tinto Cask finish, cask #351-25, 150 bottles, 2026)
This baby was only just bottled in February 2026. We are dealing with a finishing in a Rioja cask, therefore Tempranillo. As they say, it either works or it fails, and we do love great Rioja… I am not entirely sure that a little Panamanian can withstand such treatment, but perhaps that is precisely the good news… Colour: apricot gold. Nose: no marked vinosity, I repeat, no marked vinosity. Certainly there is candied cherry and clafoutis, but also sugar cane, honeys, a few earthy puffs, even zucchini flowers… With water: cherry pipe tobacco! Mouth (neat): rich, very smooth, very much on cherry and orange liqueurs, but also almond and maraschino… With water: fried doughnuts, elderflower liqueur, do prepare the Hugos… Finish: fairly long and, above all, not overly sweet, which is a blessing for us. Comments: you see, when you are a whisky chap and you taste rum, what I have learnt is that you need a much more open mind. Goodness me, I feel as though I am speaking like Frank Zappa. A very lovely rum, surprising and very well made.
SGP:641 - 85 points. |
We’d quite like some mineral rums, actually. Maybe this one? (no joke!) |
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Captain Flint 12 yo ‘Extra’ (52%, Famille Cabanne, Dominican Republic, cognac cask, 2025)
A brand bottled in France, in keeping with the age-old tradition of our harbours. We had rather a poor image of Dominican rums, owing to all those brands that fiddle extensively with their juice, but we have recently tasted a few versions from independent bottlers that were not bad at all. Colour: pale gold. Oh! Nose: of great softness, with a marked lightness, on vanilla, hay, herbal infusions, dried flowers, mandarin peel… In short, at this stage, we are rather taken with it. With water: a touch of metal polish and linseed oil, which is rather pleasant. Mouth (neat): a present yet fairly restrained sweetness, bagasse, hay, cold tea, lime blossom, a little mint… Truly nothing to complain about. With water: a few roots and a little earth, that too is pleasant. Finish: short but fresh and without a false note. Comments: perhaps not immense in expressiveness, but for once here is a Dominican that is balanced and not ‘doctored’ to the point of nausea, I may exaggerate again. In short, it is light, and it is good.
SGP:331 - 80 points. |
A little jaunt to South Africa… |
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Mhoba ‘Imbasha’ (61.5%, OB, South Africa, LMDW Foundations, bourbon cask, cask #WRD6, 289 bottles, 2024)
We have already had ample opportunity, on many occasions, to say all the good we think of Mhoba. Colour: gold. Nose: forget it, I love it. Sea water, old leather, ointments, fresh paint, and myriads of other molecules. And what is more, I am sure that with water it will go fractal. With water: indeed it does, in a rather meta-Jamaican style. Mouth (neat): they are a nuisance, they were already beating us at rugby, now they are beating us at rum as well. Incredible freshness and razor-sharp precision, Sicilian lemons, brine and tar, salmiak… With water: magnificent. At 3°C, with proper caviar, alas no more Russian and no more Iranian… Finish: long, with plenty of little lemons coming to joust with all that brine and those notes of paint. Comments: enough said.
SGP:463 - 90 points. |
At that stage, you’re more or less obliged to turn to Jamaica… |
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Jamaica Blend 3 yo 2022/2026 (55.4%, Fadandel, new virgin oak, cask #RUM001, 390 bottles)
It is a blend of Clarendon and Long Pond, and the mere mention of ‘new virgin oak’ already makes us smile. If any distinguished linguists are kind enough to read Whiskyfun, then tell us, pleonasm or not pleonasm? Colour: very deep gold. Nose: this combination of pencil shavings, graphite and above all cedarwood, together with the varnished and briny side of the Jamaicans, works very well on the nose. A little coconut and peanut butter coat the whole. Goodness me, for the moment, it works. With water: we move towards new rubber, the Nike corner and a parcel from Temu. The worst of it is that we adore these aromas. Mouth (neat): you are drinking a pot of paint, loosened with varnish, sea water, almond milk, lemon juice and Ardbeg. That last part is important. With water: cedarwood and speculoos come in to seal the deal. Finish: long, with the arrival of orange marmalade with ginger and pepper. Salty aftertaste, as it should be, and candy sugar to finish. Comments: I love this little brute which, in the end, we managed to tame rather easily. Very high score to age ratio.
SGP:563 - 87 points. |
Given that we had some Long Pond… |
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Long Pond 26 yo 1998/2024 (58.3%, The Whisky Blues, Jamaica, barrel, cask #10272, 143 bottles)
Parrots rule the roost on many rum bottles, and that is perfectly fine. Colour: straw. Nose: this appears to be a very gentle version, almost cosmetic, with a mixture of almond milk, face cream, a few ashes of resinous wood, and lanolin. The esters here are extremely civilised. With water: what is this, apple juice? Dry cider? Perhaps a marque such as CRV or LRM. Mouth (neat): well now, that is quite something, there is far more punch on the palate, ashes mingled with lemon juice, cider vinegar, concentrated lemon juice, petrol… With water: it is bitter almond that comes along to settle the matter. Finish: long and soft. Amaretti, Campari and limoncello. It could hardly be more Italian. Comments: beware, water makes it snap, best avoided, or just a drop.
SGP:452 - 86 points. |
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Monymusk 25 yo 2000/2025 (53.5%, Thompson Bros., Jamaica, 126 bottles)
Well, we can already guess what is going to happen, can we not. As they say on the curling rink, it ticks all the boxes. Colour: white wine. Nose: who had the wild idea of smoking a mixture of pineapple and lemon juice over beechwood? With water: and of adding carbolineum and anti-rust? Mouth (neat): it is so good that you could almost forgive the design of the label. You will retort that at least the label makes it clear that it is what is IN the bottle that truly matters. You are quite right. With water: it fans out in all directions, on medicinal notes, mineral notes, smoky notes and fruity notes. We could attempt to list them all, but we do not have all day, do we. Finish: not especially long, almost discreet, in any case possessed of impeccable politeness now. A very fine soft brine and Atlantic water. Comments: very limited impact from the cask, infinite charm from the distillate. In short, it evolves like a quality Islay.
SGP:463 - 90 points. |
Inevitably, some Hampden… |
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HD 2019/2025 ‘HGML’ (65.8%, The Whisky Jury, Jamaica, The Ester Hunter Catch 6, refill barrel, cask #HG-ML-8, 231 bottles)
Okay, HGML means 1000 to 1300 grams of esters per HLPA, so that guarantees aromas of puncture repair glue and acetone. Colour: gold. Nose: puncture repair glue and acetone. No, seriously. Behind that, oysters perhaps not of the first freshness and a sort of ammoniated peach juice. I know this may sound highly improbable, even off-putting, but in reality it is very beautiful. With water: small glues and varnishes, a medium-sized IKEA warehouse, and all that. No, not the meatballs, oh no. Mouth (neat): a Tyson of rum. Forget it, we are not reckless, we add water immediately, given that our lawyer is still unreachable and probably on a golf course where ‘there is no signal’. Yeah, right. With water: carbon, ashes, pure lemon juice, varnish and glue. No compromise, no mercy. Finish: long and taut, very saline and petroleum-like. Comments: to think that some marques from Hampden are even more ester-driven. This one is already quite extreme, to be honest… But we love it.
SGP:364 - 90 points. |
Right then, just one more, no point overdoing it (right)… |
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Hampden 41 yo 1983/2025 (55.1%, The Colours of Rum & Absolutely Nuts, Jamaica, This Time No Colours, Edition No.1)
This is what is terrifying about spirits such as Hampden, there is absolutely no guarantee that a very old version, such as this one, will be superior to a very young one, or even to a white simply rested with care for a few months in stainless steel. That is both the fate and the glory of the very greatest distillates. Colour: gold. Nose: let us be frank, at this stage it could be 10, 20, 30 or indeed 40 years old. This distillate defies time. Bitter almonds and varnish, sea water, lemon zests, linseed oil, shoe polish, olive oil. With water: add wafts of beeswax polish, old libraries, a brand-new vinyl record, let us say Bad Bunny… Mouth (neat): frankly, this is marvellous. Not a gram of fatigue, superlative bitters, though you must enjoy that style, and a mixture of olives, capers, samphire and ashes. With water: simply incredible. A cold soup of miso, chervil, parsley, oregano and parmesan. Indeed, parmesan. Finish: an incredible dryness, you might think of one of the very greatest finos. Comments: it would be extraordinary were Hampden to team up with Equipos or Tradicion to fino-ise some of these rums. But I do not wish to meddle in what is not my business.
SGP:373 - 92 points. |
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February 28, 2026 |
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Angus's Corner
From our correspondent and
skilled taster Angus MacRaild in Scotland
Benthreeach
As you can see, the quest for silly titles at Whiskyfun knows no bounds!
This weekend, a trio of Benriach, if you please. We'll be looking out for fruits of all shades and variety... |
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Benriach 15 yo 2008/2023 'Summer' (51.9%, The Whisky Exchange 'The Seasons', hogshead, cask #47387) 
Colour: bright straw. Nose: pretty straight, modern and classical Speyside profile, with some nice up-front notes of mashed banana, runny honey, flower nectars and soft cereal qualities. With water: goes towards shoe leather, cooking oils and clay, even a slightly ashy component emerging. Also a little quinine and orange zest. Mouth: lovely arrival, full of easy charms, natural sweetness, barley sugars, sweet wines, custard and some background waxy notes. The easiness is pretty disarming. With water: as on the nose, it gathers a little oiliness and a slightly fatter, drier and earthier profile. Some cereals, sunflower seed oil, putty and muesli. Finish: medium, slightly drying, pressed flowers full of pollen, some miso, some butterscotch. Comments: very pleasurable, perhaps thanks to the slightly lower bottling (cask?) strength, also entertaining in the way it goes from sweeter to drier with water.
SGP: 552 - 85 points. |
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Benriach 31 yo (53.1%, Elixir Distillers 'Macbeth Act I - The Thanes', bourbon barrels, 650 bottles) 
Colour: deep gold. Nose: plasticine, brake fluid, agricole rhum and flower honey - go figure! It certainly feels like a fusion of a classically honeyed, mature Speyside profile with some funny mechanical aspects. With some time, it's the honeys and fruits that take the lead, with green banana, gooseberry and lemon curd emerging. With water: hothouse flowers, dried fruits including mango, banana chips and apple rings. Also some slightly sharper impressions of fruit eau de vies (kirsch and mirabelle). Mouth: a richer and slightly drier than expected profile. Some lovely waxiness, some cedar wood, dried flowers full of pollen, dried mint, subtle impressions of herbal liqueurs and herbal teas, along with a slightly spicy and sappy element from the wood. I like it a lot. With water: again, it becomes drier, more sappy, slightly more astringent, piney, waxy, more bitterly herbal, along with camphor and feelings of dried out old dessert wines. Finish: quite long, maintaining these themes of dried flowers, pollens, cedar wood, along with light sappy and herbal combinations. Comments: for me, the fact that it deviates from this more common (but usually lovely) modern, mature Speyside profile of green fruits and honeys, is really an asset here. It plays with being woody, without every actually tipping over into being too woody. A rather compelling dram to follow.
SGP: 561 - 89 points. |
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Benriach 28 yo 1997/2025 (58%, Auld Alliance '15th Anniversary', 59 bottles)
A special anniversary bottling selected by the Auld Alliance's amazing bar chief in Singapore, Natasha! Colour: deep orangey gold. Nose: a far more concentrated profile than the previous two, really on orange oils, tangerine liqueur, sweet muscat, hardwood resins and flower honeys. Even so, it also retains and slightly tight and compact profile at full strength. With water: green fruits and altogether a more luscious and classical profile now, with bergamot, aged orange peel (cheng pi) and hints of quince jelly. Mouth: very spicy! This is what happens when you only have 59 bottles left in a cask! Orgeat syrup, top class marzipan, varnished hardwoods, camphor, bay leaf, tiger balm and beeswax. I'd also add some rather extractive and exotic teas. With water: lovely tension between the spices and the waxier textures of the spirit itself. Some juniper, pineapple jelly and cedar wood. Finish: long, spicy, lots of concentrated citrus oils and zests, fruit liqueurs and spiced fruit teas. Comments: an excellent selection and an unusually powerful profile that teeters on the brink of being too woody but always manages to pull back. I love the overall sense of concentration and intensity. Happy 15th birthday Auld Alliance (even if I am late!).
SGP: 661 - 88 points. |
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February 2026 |
Serge's favourite recent bottling this month:
Ben Nevis 1996/2025 (45.7%, The Whisky Jury, refill hogshead, cask #1648, 260 bottles) - WF 92
Serge's favourite older bottling this month:
Highland Park 20 yo 1966/1986 (86° US Proof, Duthie for Corti Bros., USA) - WF 92
Serge's favourite bang for your buck this month:
Secret Lowland 11 yo (57.1%, Dràm Mor, refill oloroso sherry hogshead finish, cask #105, 324 bottles, 2025) - WF 88
Serge's favourite malternative this month:
Vallein Tercinier ‘Grande Rue 34’ (42%, OB, bottled in 2014) - WF 93
Serge's thumbs up this month:
Orkney Island Distillery 25 yo 1999/2025 (51.5%, Scotch88 & Scyfion, Ukrainian Troyanda Karpat Barrique from Château Chizay, cask #Z20/07061, 187 bottles) - WF 90
Serge's Lemon Prize this month:
None (phew!) |
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February 27, 2026 |
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WF’s Little Duos, today: young Tamnavulin in red wine
A Speyside distillery and brand that seems to have become more discreet, it strikes us. Not that it was ever particularly flamboyant. But we have tasted some truly excellent ones from it in the past. (Tamnavulin) |
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Tamnavulin ‘Port Cask Edition’ (40%, OB, +/-2024)
A version finished in tawny port. Why, I do not know, I confess, but I do know that it is very much ‘budget’, at under 30 euros just about everywhere. Colour: apricot. Nose: a little sour at first, yet on rather pretty notes of fruit brioche dough and, above all, a vast bag of tiny jellybeans and jelly babies in shades ranging from pale pink to deep violet. Strawberry, cherry, blackcurrant, raspberry, you name it. In short, it is slightly ueberfruity on the nose, but not unpleasant, we ought to be able to turn it into some sort of spritz. Mouth: glacé cherry cake and orange loaf, with a few drops of triple sec and blackcurrant liqueur. Finish: fairly short, still fruity and slightly fermentary. That Belgian ‘Kriek’ beer that we mention from time to time. Comments: really not too bad if you enjoy red fruits and sweets. And cherry beer! Very light salinity.
SGP:641 - 78 points. |
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Tamnavulin 10 yo (46%, Living Souls, ex-Chianti wine cask, 2025)
I confess that we are rather fond of Sangiovese, though not necessarily in our whiskies, so let us see about this one. Colour: very ripe apricot. Nose: more malt than in the little ex-Port, cassata, guignolet (cherry liqueur), poppy sweets, geranium (the flower, not the stems or leaves) … Mouth: I find this rather good, it starts with a little Thai broth, with a touch of chilli, quite a lot of salt, some coconut milk, coriander… Then it tilts more and more towards blood orange. Everyone likes blood oranges, do they not? Finish: fairly long, with touches of cranberry juice and once again that little Thai broth in the aftertaste. Comments: more presence and complexity than in the official ex-Port. Lovely tension brought by the blood orange.
SGP:651 - 83 points. |
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Whisky and Red Wine
(oh, no, not again!) |
There are so many new expressions finished in red wine casks that we’re receiving more and more questions — perfectly legitimate ones, of course — about why we don’t particularly care for these combinations, even though our friends among the distillers and bottlers are making them better and better. All the more so as we also profess a love of wine, red wine included. |
| So indeed, given that we’re very fond of red wine, why is it that we generally don’t much enjoy whisky finished in red wine casks? |
| First of all, it is, of course, as always, a matter of personal taste. But for my part, I would answer with an analogy: I adore coffee and I adore mustard, but I can assure you that mustard in coffee is, frankly… rather vomit-inducing. Or take this: I love Led Zeppelin and I love Gustav Holst, like everyone does, but I can’t imagine Led Zeppelin playing Holst. What’s that you say, they’ve actually done it? |
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