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July 27, 2026 |
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A little avalanche of Bowmore,
including our 700th here on WF |
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| A classic view of Bowmore (WF Archive, 2015) |
Indeed we shall try to reach the milestone of 700 different Bowmores tasted on this humble little website today, which should not prove too difficult since we currently stand at 693, with quite a few more waiting in the wings. We should also visit some of the legendary, and occasionally gloriously over-the-top, Bowmores from the troubled 1980s, along with some of the early wine finishes that could be rather challenging (Darkest or Claret, anyone?) Yet there will also be a fair number of genuine stars, the sort Bowmore has always been capable of producing, and still is, provided the casks are handled with a little… tact. In short, let us set off on another little adventure, wandering across many different eras in the most gloriously haphazard order possible, simply because it is much more fun that way… |
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Bowmore 15 yo ‘Mariner’ (43%, OB, +/-2000) 
The last time I tasted this version, back in the day, I found it so poor that I did not even bother assigning it a score, suspecting some kind of technical flaw. It is high time we got to the bottom of it, bearing in mind that 2000 – 15 = 1985… Colour: gold. Nose: to put it plainly, we rather get the impression that bottle ageing gradually dissolves the FWP, which would be tremendous news for the community (right, S.) There is certainly a little gooseberry and a faint whiff of bee venom (banana liqueur), but beyond that it is all seawater, oysters, peat smoke and charcoal ash. There is still a very, very faint soapy note lurking in the background. Mouth: somewhere in the middle, with strawberry jam and seawater at first, then peat becoming pepperier, ashier and more lemony. There are distant echoes of the old profile, but on the whole, it has become thoroughly pleasant and unmistakably maritime. After all, they did call it ‘Mariner’. Finish: increasingly dominated by seawater. Comments: time heals everything, thankfully.
SGP:555 - 79 points. |
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Bowmore 11 yo ‘Essence of Islay’ (40%, OB, travel retail, 2025)
These 40% vol. do feel rather retro for a modern release, but it is worth noting that this baby was matured on Islay. Let us see whether it has retained a little oomph… Colour: gold. Nose: less expressive than the Mariner, yet more straightforward and cleaner, despite a fairly obvious sherry influence. A few raisins and goji berries at first, then rather assertive notes of peony and heather, almost unexpected. Some prunes as well. It becomes increasingly floral and jammy, with hints of rosehip preserve. Mouth: we rather prefer it on the palate in the end, even if it remains firmly on the jammy side. Figs and prunes, smoked over a wood fire, alongside salted butter caramel. Finish: not all that short considering the strength. Seaweed and caramel, why not? Comments: rather the same cluster as the Mariner, which is quite surprising. It is probably extremely difficult to strike the right balance between this style of salty, smoky distillate and regular sherry.
SGP:655 - 79 points. |
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Bowmore 17 yo ‘The Distiller’s Choice’ (43%, OB, +/-2015) 
Never tasted this baby before, although we had found the later 17 yo ‘White Sands’ perfectly respectable (WF 81). The older 17 yo ‘silkscreen label’ had been more to our liking (WF 84). In any case, this is distillate from the 1990s, and the 1990s at Bowmore were to the 1980s what Menuhin was to André Rieu. Right. Colour: gold. Nose: less sherry, which is always good news at Bowmore. Liquorice allsorts, shellfish, a few bandages, a touch of camphor balm, in short, everything is exactly where it ought to be. Mouth: a slightly yeastier palate, yet very well balanced, with a lovely bitterness that is almost Negroni-ready. Hints of tobacco, moules mariniere, and still a faint floral side, though it is not intrusive here, even if there are touches of raspberry jelly whose origin is rather mysterious, probably the sherry influence. Finish: good length, nicely balanced, with the raspberry jelly kept firmly under control. Comments: we do rather like this! Things are improving…
SGP:554 - 82 points. |
As long as we're in slightly odd territory… |
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Bowmore 22 yo ‘Sauternes Cask Finish’ (48%, OB, travel exclusive, +/-2025) 
Sauternes casks, provided they are free from sulphur, as empty sweet wine casks deteriorate quickly unless they are sulphured, are very much hit or miss, even with peated whisky. Kornog, for example, has produced some splendid ones, while other distilleries, which shall remain nameless, have handled them with all the finesse of a bull in a china shop. Anyway… Colour: deep gold. Nose: rather a success, and we can tell straight away. The sweet wine softens the peaty distillate without bullying it as sherry sometimes can, leaving all the smoky and maritime character intact, the whole leading to lovely notes of fruity pipe tobacco and even a few touches of kombucha, itself pleasantly fruity. Mouth: it hesitates ever so slightly at first, then the wine and the whisky begin to dance to the same rhythm, thankfully, we were beginning to worry. Above all, it never becomes overly sweet, nor does it drift too far towards apricots or roses, remaining attractively saline throughout. Finish: fairly long, harmonious, without any dissonance even at this stage. Pepper, Lapsang Souchong and bitter chocolate follow. Comments: this is a success. All the more so if these really are genuine Sauternes casks, because that means French oak.
SGP:655 - 86 points. |
Right, on to the indies, but still without straying too far from wine, with another 22-year-old… |
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Bowmore 22 yo 2003/2025 (54.9%, Murray McDavid, Mission Gold, Awakening Series, Callejo wine cask, 302 bottles) 
Callejo comes from Ribera del Duero, that marvellous Spanish appellation in the Burgos region. But this is a powerful red wine, the sort that is rather prone to clashing with whisky, so let us see… Colour: deep gold. Nose: we do notice the wine, the must, even the grapes themselves, yet everything is well integrated, which is encouraging. Lovely notes of kirsch, morello cherries and freshly soaked earth after a welcome shower, rather a precious thing these days, followed by a little green pepper that marries surprisingly well with the distillate. So far, we are pleasantly surprised. With water: more earth, bitter almonds and kirsch. Mouth (neat): whether this is sheer good fortune or entirely intentional, all that kirsch and those little cherries work remarkably well with Bowmore’s peat and salinity. It is quite unexpected, with a lovely peppery edge. With water: even the water behaves impeccably and does not pull the whole thing apart, quite the opposite, the salinity is amplified, and we rather like that. Nicely done, ACEO. Finish: long and even better integrated, it is almost becoming miraculous. Comments: had you told us we would one day award such a score to a Bowmore finished in Ribera del Duero, we would have said you were completely bonkers.
SGP:465 - 88 points. |
Right, here comes our 700th Bowmore, and we are certainly not going to do things by halves… |
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Bowmore 30 yo 1996/2026 (51.8%, Artist #15 by LMDW, Something in the Water, refill hogshead, cask # #9696001385) 
Brand new and looking every bit the part, once again adorned with those magnificent labels that make you want to display the bottles in your library rather than hide them away in a cupboard. Where, in any case, you would probably forget all about them… Colour: white wine (excellent news at 30 years). Nose: naturally, it sends every wine finish, deserving or otherwise, straight back to the school benches. Kelp, razor clams, green pepper, manzanilla (we know this is not a wine finish) and fresh almonds. With water: chalk, bread dough, grist and wheat beer gently remind us that this is, after all, whisky. Mouth (neat): astonishingly precise, to the point of seeming simple, almost minimalist, and we absolutely love that. Malevich, Klein, Hartung… With water: we might almost find oil paint if we were not paying attention. Bitter almonds, Korean-style smoked oysters, seawater and samphire. Finish: even saltier, with a little lemon keeping everything firmly on the straight and narrow. The aftertaste is nothing but pure seawater. Comments: that is the trouble with these labels, they transport you into worlds far beyond that of a ‘simple’ whisky. Perhaps that is a deviously clever plan after all, we had better stay on our guard from now on!
SGP:456 - 91 points. |
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Bowmore 30 yo 1995/2025 (45.5%, Artist #15 by LMDW & Elixir Distillers, Something in the Water, Itinéraires, refill hogshead, cask # 9595000033, 220 bottles)
Should this be considered the front label, with the other, much more artistic one, like the version shown above, serving as the back label? Or is it the other way round? These cask numbers really are absurdly long, are they not? Colour: pale bronze. Nose: quite a cruel dilemma, as they say. This is markedly more complex, and although the DNA is very much the same as the previous one, those wonderfully old-fashioned exotic fruits in the style of the 1960s (do we really need to list them?) simply bring us to our knees. Mouth: of great beauty, immensely complex and yet perfectly, coherently compact. Brimming with fruits, herbs, underwater impressions and all manner of tiny secret spices (eh?). Finish: not especially long, it loses a point here, but there is a remarkably unexpected yet rather sublime mezcal-meets-white-rum character. Comments: how shall we put it…
SGP:555 - 92 points. |
There we are, we have climbed a little too high now, so the next ones may struggle to keep up, but you never know. Right, let us throw caution to the wind and, while we're at it, head for the very young ones… |
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Bowmore 9 yo 2017/2026 (57.1%, Thompson Bros. for Limburg, refill bourbon, 209 bottles)
Nice indeed, we could not make it to Limburg this year, but at least we are getting a welcome catch-up session… Colour: pale gold. Nose: well now, someone has peated a blend of melon juice and orange juice, with a generous splash of seawater. Not such a bad idea after all… With water: a little more barley emerges, but apart from that it barely changes. Mouth (neat): this is spot on, lively, very smoky, lemony and salty, followed by a combination of smoked fish and smoked meats. Right, perhaps not quite a whisky for vegans (or perhaps it is!) With water: much the same, once again the water adds very little beyond bringing the salty side further to the fore. Finish: long, saline and peppery. You could almost use it as seasoning. Comments: a very young Bowmore with powerful peat and pepper. Excellent, naturally.
SGP:467 - 87 points. |
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Bowmore 7 yo (50%, Living Souls, second fill bourbon barrel, 2025)
This ought to be as sharp as a butcher’s blade… Colour: white wine. Nose: we are edging a little towards Mercurochrome and generic antiseptic, but there is also tart green apple juice, the whole somehow ending up more civilised than the Thompson Bros. Curiously so. Perhaps the reduction to 50% has something to do with it. With water: a few touches of Williams pear, always a tell-tale sign of youth. Mouth (neat): very good indeed, that second-fill cask still had a few things left to say, even if we are drifting a little towards new make territory here. Still, it remains very good, with lemon, ash, pepper, seawater, oysters and the like. With water: very little changes, apart from that little pear quietly making its entrance again. Finish: much the same. Comments: about as good as it could possibly be at this age. Very clever not to have drowned it in some cheap wine cask.
SGP:557 - 85 points. |
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Bowmore 11 yo 2014/2025 (62.4%, Douglas Laing, Old Particular, Itinéraires, refill bourbon barrel, cask #19582, 220 bottles)
This one ought to cut us clean in half straight away, so let us brace ourselves… Colour: white wine. Nose: more austere, closer to barley than the 7 yo, without the pear but with plenty of yeast, fresh bread and grist. With water: seawater, fresh mint, antiseptic and tart green apple juice. Mouth (neat): really lovely, razor-sharp, beautifully simple, all about lemon and plums in the middle of fermentation. There is something deeply satisfying about simple things… With water: the salinity takes complete control, then again, this is Bowmore. Green pepper joins in too. Has anyone ever had the bright idea of peat-smoking green pepper? Finish: very long, incisive, intensely peppery and increasingly bitter. Comments: Douglas Laing’s Taliskers at this sort of age are still a notch above, in our humble opinion, but this little Bowmore is already gloriously brutal. In short, perhaps not one for ‘the neighbours’…
SGP:366 - 87 points. |
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Bowmore 21 yo 2004/2026 ‘Old Islay’ (55%, Decadent Drinks, 264 bottles)
There is apparently some rather convoluted story involving a PX finish, but it became so complicated that we gave up trying to explain it in detail, you understand. Colour: full gold. Nose: watch out, we are in the upper cluster again here, very much in the style of certain official bottlings matured in perfectly ordinary casks, with a rich, textured nose full of bread dough, grated lemon zest, service berry eau-de-vie (a favourite at Château WF) and old-fashioned citrus liqueurs. Citrus equals Bowmore equals the 1960s. A little mint as well. With water: if this really is a PX finish, despite the lovely shoe polish that emerges here, I shall eat my beret. No way, it is simply too precise and too clean. Mouth (neat): green orange and seawater. To keep it short, this is magnificent. With water: splendid, lemony, lively, packed with little herbs circling around mint, alongside seaweed and citrus zests. Finish: well, bloody hell! Just be careful not to add too much water or it collapses into cardboard. Comments: I had first assumed that all these Old Whatever names and labels, more retro than a Harry Lauder record sleeve, were mostly a rather clever bit of marketing from Angus and the gang. Well, apparently not, because the whisky certainly lives up to the promise.
SGP:356 - 90 points. |
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Bowmore 27 yo 1997/2025 (51.3%, Wu Dram Clan, for Japan, hogshead, cask #56518, 44 bottles)
For just 44 bottles, they might have come up with a label that was a little less hypnotic, might they not? Colour: pale gold. Nose: pear juice and lemon juice, fifty-fifty. Then embrocations, almond milk, toasted sesame and salted peanut butter. Quite a mysterious nose, this one. With water: about-turn, now flint, ointments, mouthwash, fig leaf and fresh bark take centre stage. Mouth (neat): well now, this is pure Bowmore, even a little brutal, peppery, salty and marked by antiseptic notes. You could hardly make it any more ‘Bowmore’. With water: almost a revelation, with pepper, salt, lemon juice and wild strawberries. Finish: long and pleasantly fermentary, yet somehow it all leads towards a wonderfully playful fruitiness. Those wild strawberries! Comments: Bowmore so often throws in these little quirky touches, unexpected and, as here, utterly charming. First class.
SGP:555 - 90 points. |
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Bowmore 22 yo 2004/2026 (51%, Thompson Bros. x Bar Lotus, refill barrel, 88 bottles)
Once again, what a splendid label! Beside it, most official bottlings make us weep buckets and leave us wanting to toss a few coins at their design agencies. That said, we are perfectly aware that designing a label for 88 bottles and doing the same for two million is not quite the same exercise. Colour: gold. Nose: a very gentle Bowmore, almost Old Pulteney-ish, with vanilla, bourbon, mashed potatoes and just two or three little shellfish. Between us, you could almost forget there is any peat at all. With water: ah yes, smoke does return a little, though more in the shape of smoked almonds. We do love smoked almonds. Mouth (neat): rather sharper now, more medicinal and saltier, almost veering towards Laphroaig. Which reminds us that we still have millions of Laphroaigs and ‘Secret Islays’ waiting to be tasted. Almost, stay tuned… With water: increasingly bitter and herbaceous. Finish: long, curiously fermentary and bitter. One could almost imagine being inside a monastery. Comments: this markedly bitter finish is certainly rather unusual, but then again, that is the spice of life (excuse me?).
SGP:375 - 87 points. |
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Bowmore 28 yo 1997/2025 (49.1%, Scout Drinks, hogshead, cask #323047, 76 bottles)
Another micro-bottling, but that is very much the charm of these little gigs. Just imagine, we have even tasted one-of-one malts, surely the most pointless thing in the world. Colour: gold. Nose: 90+ guaranteed. Mangoes, menthol, papayas, wakame and damp earth. This is brilliant. Mouth (neat): incredible, almost a meta-spirit, somehow managing to be malt whisky, rum, berry eau-de-vie, mezcal, cachaça and even pisco all at once. Thoroughly disconcerting, yet magnificent. Finish: long, dry and wonderfully earthy, close to Gaia herself, our common mother. We are sure you know exactly what we mean. Comments: we should probably ask Mr Scout for a few explanations, but apart from that we absolutely adore this thoroughly bizarre creature we have, for the time being, in our glass. Which, of course, is unlikely to remain full for very long.
SGP:366 - 91 points. |
I should point out that WF 90 represents perfection, but to reach 91 or above, a whisky needs that little extra, because there is always something beyond perfection… Still, it is probably high time for one last Bowmore today, and perhaps we might cast another glance in the direction of Dornoch… |
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Bowmore 21 yo 2004/2025 (51.8%, Thompson Bros., Dornoch Castle 25th Anniversary, refill cask, cask #28, 289 bottles)
That label has certainly paid for itself by now… Colour: pale gold. Nose: it feels younger than its 21 years, leaning more towards beer, wort, green banana, almond milk and pistachios. In any case, it is rather waxy. With water: the peat remains decidedly discreet, while lightly smoky oils take command instead. Mouth (neat): rich and oily, centred on almonds, with a peatiness that seems embedded within the wax, making it rather restrained in expression. With water: it almost comes across as an east coast Bowmore, which is quite the paradox. Finish: long, drifting towards lime, and that is never bad news. Comments: I must admit I found this little ‘east coast’ Bowmore rather elusive, it certainly does not give itself away easily. Still, as you would expect, it is very good indeed.
SGP:465 - 87 points. |
That will do, let us stop here. See you next time… |
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July 26, 2026 |
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A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace! |
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The Rum Sessions,
Extreme rums all round |
At any rate, most of them are. This time we'll kick off with a slightly older bottle… Then we'll move on quickly and rather at random… |
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Duquesne 5 ans ‘Rhum Vieux’ (40%, OB, Martinique, +/-1985) 
Duquesne is Trois Rivières, but I don't believe I've seen the brand in recent years, is it still active? Colour: pale gold. Nose: this is very light, with hazelnuts and cardboard, croissants and herbal cough mixture. A few hints of aniseed and pastis. It's really not at all bad at this stage. Mouth: OBE has probably taken a bit of a toll on this profile, which wanders between aniseed, liquorice and a few soapy notes. In short, one half is rather charming, the other rather less so. In other words, it's an old rum with a decidedly ambivalent character. Finish: fairly short, still a little dusty and soapy. Comments: no doubt a lovely rum in its day, but it has probably seen better days. Best forgotten.
SGP:341 - 65 points. |
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Père Labat ‘Sélection’ (59%, Les Frères de la Côte, Marie-Galante, 760 bottles)
A rum matured for four years on Marie-Galante, then three months aboard a sailing vessel, and finally two months in mainland France. I'm not entirely convinced those last two months made much difference. We've already tasted several rums by Les Frères de la Côte, and they had all been very good. Colour: gold. Nose: very earthy and lemony, phenolic, then increasingly focused on salted liquorice. Fennel, aniseed, dill, wood glue... It's rather impressive. With water: tonnes of earth and litres of varnish. It's absolutely beautiful. Mouth (neat): powerful and precise, with fennel, lemon, liquorice and aniseed. With water: simply more of the same. Magnificent spirit, ultra-precise, fresh and powerful. Finish: very long, fresh, lemony and earthy, with a slight salty edge. Comments: there are several different batches, and they're not easy to tell apart, but this one is excellent.
SGP:552 - 87 points. |
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Full Circle ‘8 Nation Blend’ (61%, Raising Glasses, full proof, 2025)
A rum that's probably rather new wave, from a house that's probably rather new wave too. We rather like the spirit of it, provided those eight nations don't end up cancelling each other out. Colour: gold. Nose: engine grease, vanilla, banana wine, acetone, varnishes, petrol… In short, this is more Funkadelic than Gilbert O'Sullivan at this stage. With water: a little smoke and ash, plus whispers of ammonia. Mouth (neat): clever stuff. The esters are singing loudly in the front row, while vanilla and syrup wrap everything up rather neatly. With water: vegetables and spices, liquorice, caraway… Finish: much the same, with an increasingly rooty side that lingers for quite a while. Comments: esters are rather like peat, if you enjoy them you tend to want plenty of them, and half measures can become a little awkward. But this is very good indeed.
SGP:552 - 82 points. |
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Salvador 20 yo 2006/2026 ‘L.C.’ (59%, Ferrer, One Cask, El Salvador) L.C. must stand for La Cabana, the makers of Cihuatan, whom we rather like. Colour: gold. Nose: this is absolutely not one of those ex-high-column molasses rums devoid of soul and flavour, quite the opposite, with rather massive notes of nail polish remover and hairspray, rice vinegar, even baijiu. How interesting, and even rather amusing! With water: more varnish, more hairspray, more paint thinner. Mouth (neat): wow, this is good! Pineapple, concentrated lemon juice and varnish. With water: everything becomes a little more balanced, thanks to notes of... seawater and oysters! And salmiak. Finish: long, precise, saline and, if I may dare say so, bacterial... Comments: to keep it short, this comes as a complete surprise.
SGP:563 - 88 points. |
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Planteray Trinidad 25 yo 2000/2025 (56.4%, Planteray for LMDW Itinéraires, cask # Rime E4-04, 258 bottles)
As is almost always the case with Planteray/Plantation, there's a cognac finish, the precise purpose of which still rather escapes us, although I'm sure that's entirely our fault. Colour: gold. Nose: rather high-ester in style, with olives, brine, slightly overripe fruits, tar, petrol and liquorice. The trouble is, it's utterly gorgeous. With water: dried flowers and dried fruits emerge, alongside a generous helping of mint and liquorice. Mouth (neat): oh yes, peaches and mangoes, then those lovely little diesel oil notes, textbook TDL through and through. With water: magnificent, we're completely won over, cognac or no cognac. Very ripe pineapples, perhaps a shade too ripe, then varnish, brine, petroleum and liquorice. Finish: long, very long indeed, and showing no real intention of stopping. Comments: superb spirit. So then, Petite Champagne? Borderies? Only joking...
SGP:662 - 90 points. |
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Bonne-Mère 3 yo ‘Butterfly’ (53.5%, Vagabond Spirit, Harmony, Guadeloupe, 433 bottles)
A finishing period in a red vin doux naturel cask, but why ever not, this ought to behave itself. Bonne-Mère belongs to La Martiniquaise (Saint James) and has only recently launched its own brand, DBM (Distillerie Bonne Mère, got it) We simply had to taste it… Colour: full gold. Nose: proper French Caribbean exuberance! Ferments, fresh yeasts, bananas that have gone gloriously overripe, late-harvest Gewurztraminer, roses, lychees, damsons on the verge of collapse (no problem whatsoever), lilac, broom… With water: oh, this is beautiful! Mouth (neat): I just love this. Nervy, razor-sharp, hugely aromatic, fresh, almost smoky, now drifting more towards late-harvest Pinot Gris than Gewurztraminer… With water: yep, Pinot Gris indeed, together with Roussanne and Marsanne. Finish: long, extravagantly floral (rose), yet wonderfully elegant thanks to those delightfully petroly notes. And olives! Comments: in truth, this is really wandering into the realm of great baijiu, a considerably more meaningful gift to humanity than those poor BYD cars or conversational sex robots. In short, complete madness at just three years of age.
SGP:652 - 88 points. |
Under the circumstances, why would we leave the French West Indies? |
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Galion 2025/2026 ‘Grand Arôme’ (63%, Landier & Vingtier, Les Fontaines du Chai 27, Martinique, cask #15)
They certainly know what they're doing at L&V, and if France ever had a Ministry of Rum (heaven forbid!) they'd undoubtedly be handed the portfolio. Come to think of it, there's an idea… But do remember, Le Galion isn't agricole… Colour: gold. Nose: formic acid, lemon juice, diesel fuel, olive brine, anchovy brine, acetone and ammonia. Does that do the trick as grand arôme? With water: seawater trapped among the rocks between high and low tide. You'd swear there were even tiny green crabs in there, and barnacles without the slightest doubt. Mouth (neat): on the palate, this is the equivalent of a C<>H from H., in J. The rest is simply magnificent, razor-sharp, fiercely saline and gloriously petroly. With water: seawater flavoured with rum and liquorice liqueur. Finish: very long, rather more austere, salty, almost a little too demanding. Comments: This is the real thing, complete madness. And apparently, it's around a year old, give or take. Then again, we all know that age in rum is an almost esoteric concept.
SGP:463 - 90 points. |
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Long Pond 20 yo (69.4%, Gourmet Pool, bourbon barrel, Jamaica, 2025)
It mentions Long Pond and it mentions Clarendon, so I'm not entirely sure what this really is, but as always, the truth is in the glass. Function over design, always, that's what thirty years of working with this wretched Internet, the very thing that's leading us all to our doom, has taught me. But never mind… Colour: full amber. Nose: exhaust fumes from an old Jaguar, ethanol, acetone. The rest will simply have to wait for water… With water: the water certainly dilutes it, that's beyond doubt, but it also weakens it a little. Mouth (neat): not quite as dangerous as the strength would suggest. Shoe polish, eau de toilette, nail varnish. Truth be told, it isn't really drinkable in its natural state. With water: glues, varnishes, solvents, and the distinct impression of chewing your way through brand-new Ikea furniture. Finish: long and bitter. Comments: perhaps the limits of the concept, at least to my humble mind. Extremes are all very well, but there's little point once they start becoming genuinely unpleasant. But there might well have been a problem with the sample, we're putting the score on hold and shall retry this baby later.
SGP:263 – () points. |
While we're on the subject of very high strengths… |
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TDL 8 yo 2016/2015 (65.7%, The Colours of Rum, Trinidad, ex-bourbon, cask #3, 277 bottles) 
You wouldn't happen to know a decent international lawyer, would you? Every time we're confronted with strengths like this, ours is out on the golf course and impossible to reach. Colour: gold. Nose: high-ester TDL, yet outrageously fruity. Petrol and mango juice. A combination that's almost impossible to resist. With water: freshly pressed grass juice, just as it was all the rage back in the 1980s. You remember, the first time everyone suddenly became fascinated by vegetable, root and grass juices. Mouth (neat): varnish, venom, peach and apricot eau-de-vie (apricotine), and brand-new melamine board. With water: really very good, although it loses a little definition. Finish: long, just a touch imprecise. Earth, outrageously ripe fruits, petrol, freshly cut lawn. Comments: TDL is at its glorious best when it's razor-sharp, either unapologetically fruity or completely ester-driven. Somewhere in between, things always become just a little more difficult, in my opinion…
SGP:462 - 84 points. |
Well, today's real discovery was undoubtedly Le Galion by Landier & Vingtier. I think we could do with one more to bring this miserable little session to a close… |
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Galion 2021/2026 ‘Grand Arôme Wall Cask’ (55%, Landier & Vingtier, Les Fontaines du Chai 27, Martinique)
We suppose that 'wall cask' refers to casks matured close to the walls in warehouses or cellars, where they're naturally exposed to fewer swings in temperature and humidity thanks to thermal inertia, but that's pure speculation on our part. If only we had the time to dig into these matters! Colour: full gold. Nose: complete madness. Hugely acetic, loaded with varnish and solvents, then an almost excessive vanilla, rose petals, hairspray, concentrated sour cherry juice… With water: smoked oysters, chilli, wood glue… Mouth (neat): extreme, right at the limit. Ultra-concentrated liquorice, Mediterranean seawater, black olives, smoked fish… With water: much the same, plus rubber and wonderfully salty liquorice straight from the far North. Finish: long, a little softer now, a little fruitier too, but do be careful, this is deceptive stuff. One glass is quite enough. Comments: this is almost more of a condiment than a drink. We almost preferred the 2025, which was almost gentler. Almost… In any case, they're completely mad at Landier & Vingtier. BTW we’ll also try to unearth some new cognac by Landier.
SGP:364 - 90 points. |
 Check the index of all rums we've tasted
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July 24, 2026 |
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A small trio of splendid Blair Athol, spanning the years from 2011 back to 1991 |
The very epitome of the Midlander, wedged between the Lowlands and Speyside, yet lumped together with Highlanders stretching from Glengoyne to Pulteney and beyond... I would much rather call Blair Athol a Midlander than leave it buried in that Highland catch-all, even if I am probably the only one who does... |
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Blair Athol 14 yo 2011/2026 (56.1%, Fadandel, 1st fill bourbon hogshead, cask #308030, 114 bottles)
Colour: full gold. Nose: very much on fresh oak, chalk, lemon and apples, with a razor-sharp edge that we do not encounter all that often in Blair Athol. Dissolving aspirin tablets add an unusual, almost clinical touch. With water: wafts of orange zest, even, forgive me in advance, Fanta and 7Up, all wrapped up in a little vanilla custard. Mouth (neat): very much in keeping with the nose without water, still firmly on barley, chalk, fresh bark, lemon, green apples and grass. With water: it retains its wonderfully natural sharpness but becomes just a shade rounder, with a delicate honeyed softness. Finish: fairly long, still utterly natural, almost evocative of the Midlands countryside. Yes, really. Comments: it is not extraordinary, in the primary sense of the word, yet I find it quite exquisite within this utterly natural, unvarnished style.
SGP:451 - 86 points. |
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Blair Athol 28 yo 1998/2026 (52.8%, Decadent Drams, 160 bottles)
A marriage of two refill hogsheads, rather in the style of Cadenhead during the Mark Watt years. Colour: white wine. Nose: we are very close to the 2011, only with a little more depth, more fresh mint, lime instead of yellow lemon, then touches of Chartreuse, verbena and wormwood, all resting upon a bed of freshly milled barley. A beautiful nose, a little restrained perhaps, yet quietly delightful. With water: very little change, just a few leafy notes emerging. Mouth (neat): a lovely assortment of citrus fruits, with quite remarkable liveliness, almost too refreshing, in the sense of being almost dangerously drinkable. Little lemon cakes and chilled green tea. With water: once again it scarcely moves, merely revealing a few tiny jellybeans, yellow ones of course. Finish: much the same for quite a long while. Comments: within this ultimately rather restrained style, this is surely close to perfection. We cannot help thinking of the old Lowlanders, Rosebank in particular. Very well played.
SGP:561 - 90 points. |
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Blair Athol 34 yo 1991/2026 (50.8%, OB, Rare Series, sherry ex-European oak plus PX-seasoned new American oak hogsheads, 347 bottles)
Quite some cask wizardry behind this recent prestige Blair Athol from Diageo/Justerini & Brooks, but they do know how to pull it off. Colour: copper amber. Nose: not the easiest after the wonderfully graceful Decadent Drams, the casks making a much stronger statement here, with more roasted peanuts, slightly singed raisins, dark turrón, coffee, toffee, dark chocolate and even a touch of rum. Yet there are also handsome black teas, let us call them Assam since we may as well give them a name. With water: fig jam, dark chocolate and cracked black pepper. Mouth (neat): what a turnaround, it is far fresher on the palate, citrus fruits charging in at full speed, blood oranges, orange cake, thyme honey, chestnut honey and a splash of hoisin sauce. It is genuinely excellent on the palate, rich and oily yet wonderfully lively at the same time. With water: everything rounds itself off towards oriental pastries, makrouts, little fig cakes, dark honeys and even a touch of molasses. Finish: much the same, and it lingers for quite a while. A hint of tobacco and oak in the aftertaste. Comments: in the end it has caught up with the brilliant Decadent Drams in terms of quality, albeit in a style that is the complete opposite. That, after all, is one of the great pleasures of tasting fine whiskies, you see…
SGP:562 - 90 points. |
A thoroughly delightful session today! At any rate, for this humble taster. |
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July 23, 2026 |
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WF's Little Duos,
today indie Glencadam |
We don't come across Glencadam quite as often these days, after its rather spectacular arrival on the scene in the early to mid-2000s. I even remember Big Jim McEwan declaring, in the middle of a lively gathering at the Port Charlotte Hotel, that the new 15-year-old was his favourite malt, much to the mildly astonished amusement of the entire Bruichladdich team. Good old times, but enough reminiscing. Let's move on to the two little indie bottlings we wanted to taste today, one recent and one rather older, if only to keep the Glencadam flame alive on WF...
(The humble author with Jim, 2002) |
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Glencadam 14 yo 2011/2026 (56.2%, Single Malt Nation, 1st fill American oak oloroso hogshead, cask #180531, 155 bottles)
There are some very fine things coming out from the house Single Malt Nation at the moment. Colour: deep gold. Nose: a lovely sherry, dry and classical, full of old walnuts and a box of Cuban cigars. There are raisins, certainly, but they're restrained and impeccably behaved. Then it gradually drifts towards walnut cake topped with a marc glaze. With water: beautifully pure, all walnuts, mustard and Pu-erh tea. The raisins remain remarkably well-mannered. Mouth (neat): pretty lively for a sherry cask, with our favourite bitter oranges, our equally favourite walnut cake, and those wonderful little chestnut flour biscuits they make in Corsica, on which quite a few tourists have already chipped a tooth. Much wiser to dunk them into a glass of white wine, Corsican of course. With water: indeed, there are also a few drops of white vermouth. Finish: long, with mild walnut mustard and orange marmalade. A faint touch of boot polish in the aftertaste. Comments: it's the balance and purity that impress me the most. Big Jim ought to give this a try...
SGP:561 - 88 points. |
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Glencadam 1985/2010 (55.4%, Malts of Scotland for Interwhisky Frankfurt, bourbon hogshead, cask #3990, 245 bottles)
It was about time we tasted this baby, although these little impromptu pairings are always the perfect excuse. Colour: full gold. Nose: plenty of acacia honey, elderflower liqueur, mandarin marmalade and banana cream, the banana cream staying rather discreet. In short, this is as cheerful as could be, and perhaps there's the faintest positive OBE already, along with an almost imperceptible soapy note. With water: more gum Arabic than soap now, and in any case, that quickly vanishes into thin air, making way for a gloriously fruity and earthy combination of apples and citrus fruits. Think unfiltered juices. Mouth (neat): excellent, lively, very much on yellow citrus fruits, lemons and grapefruit, with white pepper, fresh turmeric and angelica. Lovely tension throughout. With water: it softens, bringing a little vanilla along with a return of the elderflower liqueur. Finish: long, magnificently earthy, although the citrus fruits remain firmly at the helm. Lovely pink pepper in the aftertaste. Comments: how on earth did I manage to keep this baby in the stash for fifteen years without ever tasting it?
SGP:561 - 89 points. |
There we are, I think we've flown the Glencadam flag rather handsomely today. See you. |
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July 22, 2026 |
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WF's Little Duos,
today Benromach,
Côte-Rôtie vs Golden Promise |
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| Côte-Rôtie in the Northern Rhône Valley (ODG Côte-Rôtie) |
We have shifted our views a little on the use of red wine for finishing. After a rather hit-and-miss twenty-year spell, we've noticed that the easier, more neutral and less characterful malts now tend to emerge from the exercise in fairly better shape, certainly better than the sturdier, more distinctive and more full-blooded spirits such as... Benromach. To survive a clash, you need… little character! That said, you could always argue that Côte-Rôtie isn't quite a red wine in the strictest sense, since it traditionally contains a small proportion of Viognier, say five to ten per cent, usually co-fermented rather than simply blended in afterwards. As you know, Viognier is a white grape variety. Then again, plenty of growers now produce less traditional Côte-Rôtie made from 100% Syrah. In any case, Côte-Rôtie is, of course, officially classified as a red wine. The whites from the region are Condrieu. Anyway... |
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Benromach 12 yo 2014/2026 ‘Contrast Côte-Rôtie Wine Cask’ (46%, OB)
Bourbon then roughly two years in Côte-Rôtie cask. Let's see whether this can outshine the fairly recent Bordeaux (WF 83), Super Tuscan (WF 83), the older Sassicaia (WF 78), or even the older Hermitage (WF 78). Oh, and let's not forget the Cissac from ten years ago (WF 65). You see, they're all getting better... Colour: ripe apricot. Nose: flinty minerality, coal smoke, gas, truffle, raspberries, blackcurrants, boot polish, cabbage and leek soup, basalt... It's rather intriguing, although the integration may not be quite complete yet, even if there are some lovely Syrah spices weaving through the whole. Mouth: plenty of pepper, plenty of blackcurrant buds, then ripe tomatoes and a peatiness that feels particularly assertive in this context, very much on ashes and slightly burnt engine oil. Finish: fairly long, not quite as dissonant as we had feared, though still a little awkward. The peppers are rather attractive, mind you. Comments: I suppose every fine family needs two or three lame ducks. Well, it's really not all that bad after all...
SGP:463 - 80 points. |
Well, much as I adore the wines of Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage, if you were to ask me whether, as far as malt whisky is concerned, I wouldn't rather have another edition built around Golden Promise barley, I suspect you already know what my answer would be... |
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Benromach 13 yo ‘Golden Promise Barley Edition’ (46%, OB, exclusive for The Whisky Club, Australia, first fill sherry cask, 2026)
Not too sure this has been released yet, but it has certainly been bottled. Colour: gold. Nose: good heavens, Breton crêpes, pancakes, sourdough, polenta, pizza dough, fougasse... Have we ever come closer to barley itself? I rather doubt it. Lovely little hints of mandarin lurking in the background, adding another dimension to this malt that is, for the moment, almost brilliantly binary. Mouth: even better on the palate. Pumpernickel, Swedish crispbread, white pepper, more crêpes and mandarins, then a duo of coriander seed and juniper that brings an extra layer of depth, almost like a very high-end gin, if such a thing really exists. Finish: fairly long, with smoke suddenly charging in, followed by ashes and even a touch of horseradish. Comments: this is wonderfully dry. We almost get the impression we've plunged our head straight into a barley field. Let's hope they distilled enough Golden Promise to treat us to a few more bottlings over the coming months and years... In short, I love it.
SGP:364 - 90 points. |
And the winner is… Benromach! |
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July 21, 2026 |
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Mr William Duff, manager of Clynelish
Distillery in... 1934 (D.C.L. Gazette)
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A new quartet of Clynelish (or a mini vertical tasting)
One can hardly leave this wretched little website running without slipping in a few Clynelishes from time to time. Preferably once a month... More or less. We'll revisit the official 14-year-old one of these days, but for the moment we've a few new independents to get our teeth into... It's true that our relationship with the '14 OB' has often been a rather turbulent one... |
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Clynelish 10 yo 2015/20126 (52.8%, The Whisky Exchange, Zodiac series, Virgo, cask #51246, 255 bottles)
A new series from the witches and wizards at TWE. It couldn't have come at a better time, as I happen to be a Virgo myself. The wise Virgo, naturally, not the wild one. Colour: sauvignon blanc. Nose: a Clynelish that is above all wonderfully fresh, brimming with cucumber, gooseberries, angelica, plums and green melon. In short, it's gloriously green. The trademark wax is keeping a pretty low profile for the time being, although a few hints of coconut milk are beginning to emerge. With water: fresh beer and newly baked bread. We almost drift back towards the mash, with a generous helping of jellybeans straight from a family-sized bag. Mouth (neat): what really impresses here is the precision, even more so than the texture once again. Chalk, lemon and crisp green apples. Very much a no-wax Clynelish indeed. With water: now we're firmly into little fruit sweets and even Jell-O. Well, almost. Finish: medium in length, very fruity, bright, exuberant and rather demonstrative. Right at the death, perhaps just a little touch of beeswax. Pink peppercorns. Comments: an excellent youthful Clynelish in an overtly fruity style.
SGP:651 - 86 points. |
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Clynelish 12 yo 2013/2026 (52.4%, Lucky Choice & Oxhead Whisky, Time’s Telling, hogshead, cask #334328, 160 bottles)
Colour: deep gold. Nose: the complete opposite of the previous one, this is much richer, fatter and packed with preserved citrus fruits, alongside little mentholated and liquorice-laced molecules. Lovely touches of Nuoc-mam sauce and candle wax too. Quite indeed. With water: a lightly smoky, cured meatiness joins the party. Bottarga as well. Mouth (neat): immensely rich and powerful yet still displaying that wonderfully razor-sharp edge that is so typical. Bitter oranges, green walnuts, chestnut honey, smoked nougat, if such a thing were ever to exist, and mandarins. With water: absolutely no change, the combination remains exactly the same. Finish: long, resinous, waxy and citrus-led. Comments: absolutely excellent. Now tuck it away in the cellar for another twenty years and, presto, you'll have a very great bottle of 'modern' Clynelish.
SGP:561 - 89 points. |
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Clynelish 25 yo 2001/2026 (49.4%, Thompson Bros., website exclusive, refill hogshead, cask #215, 130 bottles)
It's worth remembering that from the top floor of their castle in Dornoch, the two Thompson brothers have what is almost a direct view of Clynelish distillery. Give or take a few dozen kilometres... They can therefore keep an eye on all the comings and goings and spot the casks that the warehousemen are handling with particular care... At least in theory... Colour: deep gold. Nose: very much in the same vein as the 2013, only with a little extra complexity and a more accomplished fusion of citrus zests and waxes. Nutshell, it's rather magnificent. With water: lovely little notes of fresh rubber and bitter almonds emerge. Mouth (neat): much the same story, the 2013 again, only thicker and tauter at the same time. With water: remarkable how water lifts it and adds layers of complexity, even if it does make it decidedly herbaceous at this stage. A little salted butter caramel quietly slips into the picture. Finish: long. It's edging ever closer to textbook Clynelishness, only in a far more herbaceous guise than usual. Comments: in truth, this is quite an atypical Clynelish, seemingly driven by a single ambition, to keep you guessing every step of the way. In short, it's something of a lovable troublemaker.
SGP:461 - 89 points. |
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Clynelish 30 yo 1995/2025 (51.6%, Lucky Choice for Acorn & The Antelope, refill sherry butt, cask #8765, 233 bottles)
We have every reason to believe this baby is going to be excellent. Especially the refill part, because remember, 'refill is the deal'. Colour: deep gold. Nose: it opens on furniture polish, those red dipping sauces served with dim sum, do forgive my ignorance, quince jelly, top-notch finos, whether from PX seco or Palomino, snapped branches, green walnuts, mustard and horseradish. With water: an increasingly obvious mead-like side emerges, along with dried fruits, and the whole becomes noticeably rounder. Mouth (neat): an immediate explosion of tertiary aromas. Preserved lemon peel and myriads of spices from every corner of the globe. With water: and there we are, textbook Clynelish, all honey and wax, alongside that fino-like profile once again, green walnuts, seawater and a little touch of mustard. Finish: tobacco, rather like sucking on your puro. As far as I can remember, it's been almost twenty years since I last did that. Comments: excellent, of course.
SGP:461 - 89 points. |
Well, probably no outright superstar today, but we've nevertheless remained firmly in the upper echelon. See you soon for many more Clynelishes, especially from the early 1970s or the early 1980s. The crème de la crème of the crème (of the crème) ... |
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July 20, 2026 |
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WF's Little Duos,
today Burnside
versus Sideburn |
There seem to be quite a few old teaspooned Balvenies around at the moment, and it's probably best not to let ourselves fall too far behind, especially as we've already tasted some truly magnificent Balvenies from these vintages. Most were absolutely packed with oranges, quinces and mirabelles, unless they were dominated by sherry or some rather odd casks, though that sort of thing wasn't really done back then anyway. Naturally, one can't rule out a more recent re-racking, but in these very cases, we're inclined to trust these indies… It's worth noting that we tasted another 35-year-old 1989 from Archive last month, and that it was excellent (WF 90). |
A Balvenie enthusiast, circa 1970. |
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Teaspooned Side-Burn 35 yo 1989/2025 (51.1%, Thompson Bros., for Dornoch Castle, refill wood, cask #Bal.001, 333 bottles)
Colour: chardonnay. Nose: forget it, this baby is exactly what we were expecting (forgive this outburst of immodesty), packed with oranges, quinces and mirabelles, plus an extra helping of pink grapefruit, light vanilla and the traditional slightly damp chalk. Truth be told, it almost brings to mind a modern Champagne from one of those young, rather cutting-edge growers. With water: the fruit recedes a little, making way for citrus peels and touches of lanolin. We are perfectly happy with that. Mouth (neat): magnificent citrus fruits, blood oranges, pink grapefruits, then chalk and a well-mannered green pepper. Splendid tension, an almost vertical profile, which is perhaps not quite as Balvenie as one might have expected. With water: this time the water does not diminish the fruit, quite the opposite, it amplifies it, and here we are with quince and mirabelle jam, lifted by orange zests and a few little roots. Finish: long, with the profile holding steady throughout, only the signature shifting a little more towards grapefruit. Perhaps also a small cherry, and almost certainly a touch of bergamot. Comments: we are hardly going to pretend this came as a surprise.
SGP:651 - 90 points. |
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Burnside 35 yo 1989/2025 (51.6%, Oxhead Whisky & Lucky Choice, Dram-addicts, hogshead, cask #577, 136 bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: this too was entirely to be expected, we are very close indeed, this baby simply showing a little more richness and oiliness, with touches of pollen and beeswax, followed by slightly more herbal notes. With water: much the same impressions. Mouth (neat): we are even closer to the previous one here, only this time a shade more lemony and nervier, if this were Champagne it would almost be a brut nature (zero dosage). With water: little lemon sweets and a faint impression of a luxury Scottish mojito. It is remarkably lively for its age, despite touches of resin, propolis and even a little fatty soap appearing along the way. Everything is absolutely fine, indeed that is perfect in this context. Finish: long, razor-sharp, lively and refreshing, almost dangerously so when the weather is very hot. But we are hardly going to rinse our throats with 35-year-old Balvenie, are we! Comments: in any case, yet another example of the beauty that comes from combining a great distillate, proper age and almost-inactive casks. A winning combination, provided the bottlers know how and have the means to be patient.
SGP:651 - 90 points. |
In short, they're virtually identical twins today, but then again, that's exactly what we were expecting. |
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July 19, 2026 |
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A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace! |
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Today a few rums to celebrate the end of the heatwave
As though we needed an excuse… Anyway, let us simply pick a few at random from the ever-growing stash… |
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Belize ‘XO’ (40%, Fair, +/-2025)
No great powers of deduction are required to guess that this is a Travellers. They are generally very good indeed, if seldom especially distinctive, but that also means they tend to display a pleasingly classical profile. It had been quite a while since we last tasted a rum from Fair, all of which are Fair Trade, naturally. Colour: gold. Nose: lovely touches of dill, fennel and liquorice to start, followed by preserved citrus fruits and very ripe bananas. This is a thoroughly attractive nose. Mouth: we immediately rediscover the liquorice and candied oranges, followed by ripe bananas and a delicate mentholated note. The palate is almost a mirror image of the nose. Finish: not especially short, gently earthy and herbaceous at first, before becoming a little woodier. Comments: we rather like this cheerful little Belizean. The liquorice is particularly attractive, fresh and vibrant, while the whole reminds us of a little of young Doorly’s from Barbados.
SGP:541 - 82 points. |
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Demerara ‘Solera No.14’ (40%, Rum Nation, Guyana, +/-2024)
We have already tasted a few earlier batches of this ‘solera’, generally rather soft and sweet. Colour: reddish amber. Nose: cane syrup, honey, maple syrup, roasted peanuts, coffee liqueur, chocolate liqueur, Frappuccino… Well, you get the idea… I must admit I rather like this. Mouth: properly syrupy, very much on coffee liqueur (Tia Maria, Kahlua and the like). It has been a long time since we last tasted an El Dorado, but I seem to remember some of the younger versions being a little like this. A touch of liquorice and an amusing hint of radish bring a welcome little burst of liveliness. Finish: not especially long, very much on molasses and, once again, coffee liqueur. Comments: just as last time, and although it is not quite my favourite style, I do think this is very well made.
SGP:740 - 79 points. |
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Saint James 2005/2022 ‘Les Éphémères Lot n°5’ (51.8%, OB, Martinique, agricole, 5,006 bottles)
Here we are with a cask strength bottling. The 2007 Lot n°7 that followed had been very much to our liking (WF 89) but, as usual, we never do things in the right order… Colour: amber. Nose: glue, varnish, cane honey, blood orange, ylang-ylang and vetiver, followed by little wild mangoes at perfect ripeness. This is an aromatic yet elegant nose, utterly seductive at this stage. With water: fresh earth, faded flowers (rose) and delightfully unexpected touches of dry-cured ham, very much in the style of Parma. Hints of eucalyptus too. Mouth (neat): magnificent razor-sharp citrus, once again intertwined with slightly salty liquorice and a few notes of varnish, even a touch of Plasticine. A quite remarkable marriage of casks. With water: it becomes far more herbaceous, almost vegetal, with green beans, artichokes and even manioc, since we are over there after all. It loses a point along the way, dura lex sed lex. Finish: long, a little woody but also with the return of salmiak. And we do love salmiak. Or rather, those little Cachous, that venerable French speciality whose brand seems to be enjoying something of a revival at the moment. A touch of pine sap in the aftertaste. Comments: a magnificent small batch, warmly recommended.
SGP:651 - 89 points. |
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Pur Jus de Canne 2018/2023 ‘Rh07 Cuvée So Rhum’ (60.8%, Antilles Française, ex-bourbon, 328 bottles)
A few indiscreet remarks online suggest this would be a Martinican rum from Distillerie du Simon (HSE, Clément, J.Bally…). I must humbly admit that, for a while, I was convinced it was rather a Bielle from Marie-Galante, and I am slightly embarrassed about that... Colour: full gold. Nose: fresh cane juice in abundance, and it is hugely impressive. Behind that come vetiver, kumquat and, above all, dark honey. The darker the honey, the more flavour it tends to have, and the greater its health benefits, or so we are told. With water: we move closer to tropical rain, petrichor, mushrooms and roots… Mouth (neat): lovely fresh cane juice once again, combined with top-quality mead and plenty of apple mint (Mentha Suaveolens according to Wikipedia, let us remember to support Wikipedia!) Magnificent tension despite the very honeyed profile. Incidentally, the 60% vol. goes down as easily as posting a letter, which is almost rather alarming. With water: there we are, roots, fresh turmeric, wild carrots and citrons. Finish: long, close to the earth, humus and roots. Comments: this little thing is wonderful. I genuinely thought it was Bielle (S., shame on you!).
SGP:652 - 90 points. |
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Foursquare 19 yo 2005/2025 (58.2%, Dram-Addicts, for Oxhead Whisky & Lucky Choice, Barbados, bourbon barrel, cask #77A, 103 bottles)
A question between us, which we have probably already asked several times, can we really use the word ‘dram’ when talking about rum, or do we risk immediate and unanimous condemnation from the professional chatteratti? Incidentally, we remain on the lookout for a pure pot still Foursquare, perhaps this is the one? We shall know for certain in just a moment… Colour: gold. Nose: oranges in every conceivable form, liqueur, marmalade and fresh juice, with a gentle rooty side in the background once again (carrots) and an overall profile that feels pleasingly balanced. Not pure pot still. Vanilla. With water: plenty of tobacco now, cigars but also green tobacco, rather in the style of Indonesian cigars. Wafts of patchouli. Mouth (neat): ah, there is both more richness and more razor-sharpness here. Fresh ginseng, celeriac, oranges and pink peppercorns. With water: earthier notes emerge, together with liquorice, and we rather get the impression that the proportion of pot still is somewhat higher than usual. A faint Margarita side, lemon and salt… Finish: long and fairly fresh, although some honey comes along to round everything off in the end. And the ginseng returns, it cures everything, does it not? Comments: we remain at a very high level, which is splendid. You might say that, throughout this session, we have carefully avoided the monstrously sweetened yet commercially rewarding bottlings…
SGP:651 - 88 points. |
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TDL 16 yo 2009/2025 (57.5%, The Good Spirits & Anchor, Trinidad, barrel, cask #100)
A Hong Kong-Australian bottling, which is splendid, as it lets you travel in your glass, and not only to Trinidad & Tobago. The only question is which style of TDL we are dealing with… Colour: full gold. Nose: not quite the ultimate fruit bomb, yet there is a lovely combination of peaches and mangoes, complemented by mint and liquorice. Water should wake all this up a little… With water: it does not change all that much, although a little rubber and tar join the party. Mouth (neat): lively citrus wrapped in a little petrol and glue. In short, there are esters here, but we are not quite falling headfirst into a vat of acetone and olive brine. If you see what we mean… With water: once again, it does not evolve all that much, but it remains very good indeed. Green olives with lemon juice. Finish: oh, now it wakes up, perhaps a little late, but this combination of seawater, seaweed and lemon can only call for… oysters. Comments: apart from the first two aperitifs, we have remained firmly within the 88 <–> 90-point tunnel today, and we are very pleased about that.
SGP:652 - 89 points. |
While we are in the mood for the big and the brutal, we have not yet tasted this baby… |
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Uitvlugt 32 yo 1989/2022 (64.1%, The Colours of Rum, Guyana, 222 bottles)
This is the venerable Double Wooden Pot Still from Port Mourant that has been called into service here, after having been moved to Uitvlugt following the closure of Port Mourant/Morant. And indeed, this baby came out in 2022, we are still running behind… Colour: deep amber. Nose: wood glue and fig jam in perfect symbiosis, together with a faint touch of smoke. Above all, though, plenty of ethanol… With water: superb fresh rubber, smoked almonds, toasted sesame and little pink olives. Mouth (neat): take no more than half a drop, or it will send you ad patres subito presto, with an utterly extreme vinegary side. I speak from experience (very, very, very recent experience, I almost collapsed because it just went the wrong way) … What a monster! With water: well played, we have tamed it, while it gains in texture, rather like salted butter caramel cream. Finish: almost endless, more on glues, acetone, chilli and concentrated lime juice… In short, the little rascal strikes back. Comments: this is not a tasting, it is a battle. They ought to print a warning on the label.
SGP:562 - 89 points. |
Let us head back to Trinidad… |
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Caroni 28 yo 1998/2026 (58.1%, Oxhead Whisky, Lucky Choice & Bar Shelter, Trinidad, barrel, cask #37, 190 bottles)
Rarely has a label been quite so explicit about the aromas supposedly lurking inside the bottle, here we can make out mangoes, blackcurrants and then a few other things we cannot quite identify, although that is probably our fault. Colour: full gold. Nose: ski wax, paraffin, grilled aubergines, used engine oil and capers. Now that is what you call a distinctive profile! With water: formic acid, rather like when you disturb an anthill (quite unintentionally, of course), together with UHU glue. A few autumn leaves as well. Mouth (neat): these 1998 Caronis really are great rums, and here is yet another demonstration, but those notes of mature Gouda, paraffin, kirsch, extreme salmiak and Savoyard fondue (all right, Swiss if you insist) are truly astonishing. Then again, they do rather suit the skiing theme. With water: rather oddly, it loses a little of its sparkle with water, although that often happens with Caroni, in my admittedly limited experience. Water is precious, let us not waste it. Finish: long, noticeably more bitter and peppery, becoming almost a little tough. That said, the salinity in the very petrol-driven aftertaste is much more to our liking. Comments: I have no idea where those mangoes and blackcurrants have disappeared to, but this remains a magnificent Caroni. One more for the tally, it is simply a little… demanding on the taster.
SGP:563 - 90 points. |
… And of course, we shall finish in Jamaica… |
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Clarendon 19 yo 2007/2026 (65.9%, Wu Dram Clan, bourbon barrel, 228 bottles)
Judging by the strength, here comes yet another attempted assassination, although they should be careful because we know where they live… That said, the Voodoo/Masai/Zulu label remains very handsome. You do remember the old Zulu warriors' motto, do you not? If you retreat, you die, if you advance, you die, so why retreat? That is very much our frame of mind at this precise moment… Colour: full gold. Nose: a veritable explosion of lavender flowers, most unexpected, followed by lime, oysters and finally petrol. We shall keep mentioning petrol for as long as it has not completely vanished from our daily lives. Right. With water: it moves towards wax and smoke… Wafts of twigs and aromatic herbs, especially thyme. Mouth (neat): utterly typical! Pepper, salt, tar, olives, varnish and petrol. Pronounced bitterness, but we rather like that. With water: it remains bitter, razor-sharp and fairly demanding. Nicely earthy too. Finish: long, dry, bitter, herbaceous and salty, although rescued in the end by a burst of lime, with a rather obvious Margarita effect. Comments: a very warlike Jamaican that does not hand out many favours. We absolutely love it while, I repeat, we know where they live.
SGP:363 - 89 points. |
They was something of the World MMA Championships today, but we had great fun all the same. See you, peace, love and understanding (cheers, Nicks). And yes to bombs, but only when they explode in our glasses as notes of fruit, esters and phenols! |
Check the index of all rums we've tasted |
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July 17, 2026 |
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WF's Little Duos,
today indie Deanston |
You know, we receive tonnes of press releases from distilleries and, generally speaking, they all announce innovations, 'firsts', world premieres, which almost invariably boil down to the use of 'innovative' casks. Just like everyone else. The very same ones, syrah, mizunara, double-char, PX, ruby Port, and all the rest of it. This worldwide herd instinct is becoming thoroughly tedious, to the point where we almost no longer read any press releases at all, since they're all exactly the same anyway, almost word for word. And no, we have absolutely no desire to join a video call with the master whatever, it would merely be time lost forever (unless it’s Brora, ha). The last time we did so, the very engaging and indeed very talented master blender explained to us at great length how the blueberries growing in the valley where the distillery is located influenced the flavour of the whiskies. I very nearly gave up Scotch whisky on the spot (joking). Anyway, if I'm telling you all this, it's because we're about to taste one of the undisputed champions of bizarre, yet sometimes excellent finishings, albeit from independent bottlers. And clean. Coz indies tend to do it better (and rarely send fluffy PR pieces)... |
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Deanston 8 yo 2017/2025 (53.1%, Decadent Drams, 1st fill bourbon barrel, 247 bottles)
Frankly, Mr Decadent Sponge, aka Angus, had better have some jolly good reasons for putting us through an 8-year-old Deanston like this. Between us, we do love Deanston, but the ever-growing parade of improbable finishings from the distillery has rather worn us down of late. Colour: gold. Nose: beers, barley, overripe apples and fresh breads of every description. So far, so good, we're staying reassuringly close to Mother Nature. Bourbon, baby. With water: a little oil, sunflower and the like, ripe apples, buckwheat pancakes, bread... Mouth (neat): this is really very good, this is malt whisky. You take barley, you wait until the dormancy period is over, you malt it, you run it through the mill, you add hot water, you add yeast, you leave it to ferment, you distil it once, you distil it a second time, you reduce it a little, you fill good old regular oak casks, then you wait while saying your prayers. That's it. With water: nothing to add. This is young malt whisky, it is very good, it is for lovers of nature and, perhaps, for the ever-growing ranks of survivalists. Lovely touches of orange in the aftertaste. Finish: long, yeasty, bready, fruity, beery... Citrus fruits and Timut pepper following. Comments: there seem to be countless tiny flavours and aromas lurking about, but it would take a whole evening to pin them down, and even longer to comment on them all. Seriously, this is really very good, it's just that there are many others of a similar ilk, including a fair few from D.D.
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
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Deanston 16 yo 2009/2025 (56.3%, The Whisky Blues, hogshead, cask #300845, 171 bottles)
You know, whenever we read nothing more than 'hogshead', we positively quiver with delight. As for the label, it reminds us of the latest fashionable Québécois band, 'Angine de Poitrine'. Crazy stuff, we love them, do check them out. Colour: light gold. Nose: it is simply the age that makes the difference. May I remind you that age is the principal constituent of any so-called 'matured' spirit, and that anyone telling you otherwise is either a wee clown or being paid by the distilleries. Barley + water + yeast + oak + TIME. Right, what we have here is simply a central-style malt, without any particular personality yet displaying remarkable aromatic precision. Once again, it is all about nature... With water: lemon syrup and barley syrup. One could scarcely make it any simpler. Mouth (neat): now this is very, very good indeed, full of liquorice wood and freshly grated lemon zest. Millimetric, simple, almost austere, yet excellent. With water: beers, liquorice, peppers. It loses a little of its focus, though it remains genuinely very good. Finish: fairly long, though less interesting now, rather too herbal, with fairly bitter yeasty notes. Comments: oops, it doesn't swim especially well, this is neither Mark Spitz nor Léon Marchand. Too bad, the foundations were solid.
SGP:461 - 81 points. |
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July 16, 2026 |
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WF's Little Duos,
today official Glenlivet |
Another great name whose expressions we simply have to taste from time to time, particularly the entry-level versions that are so widely available across the globe. We're so often reproached for not tasting enough of these in favour of rarities or older bottlings. As you can see, after nearly twenty-five years, we're still trying to improve things at WF Towers... |
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Glenlivet 12 yo ‘Double Oak’ (40%, OB, +/-2025)
The last time we tasted this baby it was a 2020 version, during a vertical that went all the way up to G&M's celebrated 80/1940. Well, this little 12-year-old acquitted itself rather well in that company (WF 80). Colour: pale gold. Nose: this Double Oak, now almost compulsory for entry-level malts from a marketing perspective, naturally means American and European oak. On the nose, we find barley, croissants, vanilla, pale beer and pancakes. Rather good, really, staying very close to the raw ingredients, which always pleases us. Mouth: this is really rather good, gently honeyed, with almost blotted apples, black tea, vanilla, a few touches of fruitcake, malt and a little fresh oak, veering towards sawdust but never excessively so. Finish: not especially long, and we once again find Japanese bean paste, just as we did last time (mochi). The aftertaste brings back beer and cider. Comments: I stand by my previous opinion, this is very, very honest stuff and, above all, free from make-up or tricks. At €30, it is really very honest indeed.
SGP:451 - 80 points. |
Right then, let's admit it, what we really wanted to taste today was this official version destined for the other side of the world... |
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Glenlivet 14 yo (58.6%, OB for The Whisky Club, first fill American oak, 2026)
This baby was ‘created exclusively for The Whisky Club’ and is distributed to its members in Australia and New Zealand. It would appear that this is the first time The Glenlivet has officially done such a thing, this cask strength version having been the Club's Whisky of the Month in June this year. Colour: gold. Nose: we immediately find ourselves back in the world of the lovely 12-year-old, only with rather more power, naturally. Apple tart, cinnamon, vanilla, barley, butter and sugar pancakes... With water: it now moves away from the 12-year-old, with more nougat, far more floral notes of honeysuckle and white clover, plus a few beautifully judged touches of orange marmalade. Lovely compactness and coherence. Mouth (neat): plenty of punch, cooked apples, green pepper, a little ginseng, cinnamon, mead... Once again, we are very close to nature. With water: the classic profile, only with more citrus and a splendid lemony tension. Honeyed water with lemon juice. Finish: long, with a few fresh oak spices, ginger, fresh turmeric, coriander seeds... The aftertaste settles back onto green pepper, apples and lemon. Comments: absolutely excellent at just 14 years of age. Plenty of integrity, in short everything we like. Do they accept Alsatian members at the Whisky Club of Australia and New Zealand? I promise we won't mention rugby...
SGP:551 - 87 points. |
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July 15, 2026 |
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A trio of rather fearless, almost dangerous Glenallachies
Two peated ones and one unpeated but heavily sherried version, which is therefore where we'll begin, if that's all right with you. (Porsche) |
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Glenallachie 18 yo 2006/2024 (61.5%, Signatory Vintage for World of Whisky by Waldhaus, sherry hogshead, cask #900442, 289 bottles)
Should you ever find yourself passing through St Moritz, do stop at Waldhaus and pay a visit to their incredible whisky bar. Mind you, you would be well advised to book a room beforehand, just in case... At any rate, you certainly won't be driving for the next few hours. Colour: amber. Nose: it isn't because we're in Switzerland that I'm saying this, but this is packed with chocolate, walnut wine and slightly mature Pinot Noir, evoking saddle of hare with wild mushrooms. They do make some excellent Pinot Noir in Switzerland, especially in the Valais. With water: it doesn't budge in the slightest, it's even more immovable than the Matterhorn. Mouth (neat): immensely powerful, taut and peppery, with splendid bitterness and, above all, Seville oranges, followed by chocolate in the style of 90% cocoa. With water: it relaxes, softens, moving towards chocolate sauce enriched with triple sec. On the other hand, green walnuts also come more to the fore. Finish: long, rather on crushed pepper and bitter oranges. Reminiscent of a fine Italian bitter. Not necessarily a red one, mind... Comments: there is undeniably a vermouth-like side to this. Excellent.
SGP:461 - 87 points. |
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Glenallachie 5 yo ‘Meikle Toir The Turbo 2025 Edition’ (50%, OB)
This is Glenallachie's Octomore, if you see what I mean. Let's just say it, we had loved the first edition back in 2023. At least I believe it was the first edition (WF 88). In any case, the peat comes from the mainland, and the peat ppm are twice those of the regular Meikle Toir, 72 versus 35. I also note that quite a few enthusiasts seem to be growing weary of peat at all costs, though not us. Not yet... Colour: deep amber. Nose: stylistically, this isn't Scottish at all. We would place it somewhere between the Netherlands (Millstone), and Germany (St. Kilian), but that suits us perfectly well, we're not fetishists. And above all, not Scottish... In short, bitter walnuts, bitter almonds, tar, black pepper, fresh rubber, neoprene glue... You get the picture. With water: an absolutely massive inkiness. Mouth (neat): it gives you a proper shake, gloriously bitter, rich, hugely tarry, peppery and, above all, packed with tobacco. With water: it barely softens, though oranges come in and take command, and we absolutely love that. Finish: long, with massive smoke, pepper and salt, followed by bitter oranges and gingerbread. The aftertaste is more herbal and utterly dominated by ashes. Comments: probably the least Scottish of Scottish malts. The trouble is, at just five years of age, it is frightfully good.
SGP:468 - 87 points. |
We're beginning to think we ought to have tasted the next one before this 'Turbo', but it's too late now, there's no way back... Besides, it's PX... |
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Glenallachie Meikle Toir 7 yo 2018/2025 (60.1%, OB for Kirsch Import, Awakening Series, PX sherry hogshead, cask #11562, 360 bottles)
Colour: reddish amber. Nose: this almost feels gentle after the Turbo, the peat and the PX are both remarkably well behaved, yet there are some lovely dark honeys, or rather honeydews. Chestnut honey is especially prominent. Behind that come peppers, sweet peppers, bitter walnuts and all manner of conifer resins. With water: pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco, pepper and fresh rubber, think brand-new wellies or a scuba diving suit. Or a new parcel from Temu or AliExpress. Mouth (neat): this time the peppery tension and bitter oranges are absolutely immense, it's just a little too powerful for me. I know, I know, but it really is massive and it could very well attack your gums. Indeed. With water: we've got it now, it calms down a little, with Corinth raisins, though, on the other hand, mustard now comes to the fore as well. Finish: the impression of chewing fir needles. Comments: really not an easy one, this isn't a tasting, it's a wrestling match. In any case, given the choice, we rather preferred the Turbo. Perhaps that's our inner Porsche enthusiast speaking.
SGP:567 - 85 points. |
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July 14, 2026 |
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Bastille!
At first, I thought we might sample some French whiskies today, as we have quite a few waiting to be opened while it is our national day (Bastille Day). On the other hand, while there is certainly nothing wrong with taking pride in one's country, if there is one thing I find difficult to claim any credit for, it is simply having been born somewhere. As one of our national singers, Maxime Le Forestier, put it: “To be born somewhere, for the one who is born, is always a matter of chance.” |
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So, instead, we'll be enjoying two or three Scottish malts, with a thought for the Auld Alliance of 1295, which, according to some historians, was never formally brought to an end by any treaty, even though it appears to be regarded by all parties as having just lapsed in practice. |
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The Time Warp Sessions,
today Miltonduff 2006 to 1966 |
Forty years indeed. We have a great many Miltonduffs in the pipeline, but today we wanted to pit a recent independent bottling, chosen almost at random, against an older version bottled under another name, one whose identity has long been the subject of speculation and debate. To put it simply, is Pluscarden, and its various incarnations, really always Miltonduff as far as independent bottlings are concerned? |
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After all, the distillery stands on the site of the former Pluscarden Abbey, but the only way to (try to) be sure is to find out in the glass. To begin with, then, a relatively recent indie, picked entirely at random from among dozens... (A not-so-subtle hint at Bastille Day in the picture). |
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Miltonduff 16 yo 2006/2022 (49.6%, Sansibar, Finest Whisky Berlin, bourbon, 351 bottles)
Ah, Sansibar, chance does work in mysterious ways, even if this version is already from four years ago, or nearly. Never mind… Colour: full gold. Nose: this is one of those ex-bourbon casks that somehow display notes of dry sherry, it does happen from time to time. The opposite happens too, for that matter. In any case, we find delicate hints of sherry vinegar at first, followed by a rich, sturdy ale laced with honey and vanilla. Then come wonderfully aromatic dried figs. I'm not entirely sure I would have guessed ‘bourbon’. Mouth: once again, it is remarkably aromatic, rich and almost jammy, with orange zests, candied kumquats, even a touch of cognac, pink peppercorns and peaches in syrup. I do like this Miltonduff very much, it keeps leading you gently astray, entirely to your delight. Finish: long, following much the same lines, with the spices becoming rather more assertive, as they so often do. Allspice, a touch of ginger, then a light note of pipe tobacco. Comments: disconcerting, yet excellent. Perfect for catching your friends out in a blind tasting, should that happen to be your plan.
SGP:651 - 87 points. |
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Pluscarden 19 yo 1974 (62.3%, The Whisky Connoisseur, cask #14018, +/-1993)
Once again, this incredible series by Arthur JA Bell, from which we've already tasted a few marvels, along with a handful of rather odder versions too. We have several more Pluscardens waiting in the wings, including some older Sestantes, but they'll come later. Chi va piano, va sano. Colour: gold. Nose: utterly focused on fresh barley, earth, the first summer rain and a fine fruit loaf, with pear and walnuts, for example. The alcohol isn't quite as fiery as expected at this stage, although we can imagine that almost thirty years in bottle may have rounded it off a little. With water: delicate floral touches, faded rose in particular, alongside apricots and a faint heavy IPA character. Mouth (neat): imagine pear compote with cinnamon. It may sound simple, but it is utterly beautiful. With water: the citrus fruits move firmly to the forefront, led by pink grapefruit, before this increasingly zesty citrus profile just takes over. Lovely freshness throughout. Finish: long, with the fruit loaf returning alongside cinnamon and hoppy notes. Comments: these Miltonduffs/Pluscardens are generally excellent, and this is simply further proof.
SGP:551 - 90 points. |
Well, we simply couldn't resist dipping a little further back in terms of vintage, but we promise, this is where we'll stop. |
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Milton Duff 22 yo 1966/1988 (43%, Sestante, sherry wood)
Many old Miltonduff, or rather Milton Duff bottlings by Sestante were released under the Pluscarden Valley name, but that isn't the case here, for reasons I’m simply not aware of. Unless I’m all wrong once more. In any case the Pluscarden Valley versions were sublime, let that be known! These babies were also frequently offered in crystal decanters of... shall we say, rather questionable taste. They did contain exactly the same whiskies, though. But always favour the bottles if the fill levels are sound, they stand the test of time much better, especially as so many of those decanters were stored on their sides, tucked away in presentation boxes lined, to varying degrees, with silk, velvet or felt. It is never a good idea to keep a spirit lying on its side for decades. Colour: light gold. Nose: the profile is extremely close to that of the 1974 at first, but then magnificent candied citrus fruits emerge, alongside touches of fir bud liqueur. A magnificent nose, displaying remarkable freshness. Mouth: an old Madeira, probably a Sercial, perhaps even a Terrantez, with tobacco and citrus leading the charge. There is a lovely maritime and earthy side, together with rather obvious nods towards Macallans from the same era. Finish: admittedly not immense, but it wanders into earthy territory in the most elegant fashion. Touches of very dark chocolate. Comments: just as with the Macallans of the period, the 43% vol. presents no problem whatsoever. Besides, 1966 was a truly great vintage, for reasons I cannot really explain, since the very notion of vintage in whisky makes rather little sense, I mean technically and agriculturally. Even so, Bowmore, Lochside, Springbank, Laphroaig and several others all lend weight to that view. And so does Miltonduff.
SGP:551 - 91 points. |
P.S. As you most probably know, Milton Duff and Milton are not the same thing at all. Milton was the former name of Strathisla until 1951. |
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July 13, 2026 |
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WF's Little Duos,
today Spectacular new indie Glen Elgin |
We really must taste a recent official Glen Elgin 12-year-old, but in the meantime, we'll have a couple of little independents. Well, little, we'll see. In any case, let me remind you that Glen Elgin, alongside Lagavulin, lay at the very heart of the finest versions of White Horse, the blend that malt lovers were so fond of. Then again, let's not generalise too much... |
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Glen Elgin 15 yo 2011/2026 (55.6%, Fadandel, 1st fill bourbon barrel, cask #800663, 185 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Nose: ah yes, that lovely oily side on the nose that recalls Clynelish, candle wax and apples, plums, Belgian white beer, naturally, even though the good people at Fadandel are Danish, ha, plus a few tiny touches of white balsamic vinegar. That last part is merely anecdotal. With water: magnificent, baker's yeast, bière de garde, damp earth, mosses... Mouth (neat): you can really sense just how much this distillate could be a top dresser in high-quality blends. We find Clynelish again, it is quicker to put it that way, isn't it, apples, beeswax, candied citrus fruits, a little Chartreuse... In short, this is excellent. In any case, right up my alley. With water: by Jove, this is good! Finish: long, precise, yet gloriously rich and waxy, with citrus fruits providing the signature. Comments: very impressed by this little Glen Elgin. I do find Glen Elgin remains far too little known, although I must have written that a good fifty times already.
SGP:661 - 89 points. |
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Glen Elgin 22 yo 2004/2026 (52.2%, Thompson Bros., for Dornoch Castle, refill hogshead, cask #801309, 261 bottles)
Those famous retro-minimalist labels seem to be enjoying tremendous success. Kurt Schwitters could have turned them into magnificent collages. Indeed, we are seeing more and more slightly Dada-esque labels here and there, much to our delight. But enough waffle, let's taste this baby. Colour: white wine. Nose: good heavens, this is the very same DNA, oily, fermentary, full of beers, hops and citrus fruits. It is simply a little earthier than the 15-year-old. With water: wort, beer, Riesling and soaked chalk. Mouth (neat): what a cutting edge! Magnificent lemons wrapped in a coating of beeswax and Timut pepper. With water: a slight esterness in the style of rum, liquorice wood, touches of beetroot and celeriac... Finish: not quite as long as expected in the end, though perfectly fermentary and citrus-led. Nah, it’s su-perb. Comments: scandalously good. I simply don't understand why the entire whisky planet isn't talking about these killer Glen Elgins.
SGP:561 - 90 points. |
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July 12, 2026 |
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The Rum Sessions,
today a few white rums,
part two |
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Himmaleh Distillery in Kashipur, in the Udham Singh Nagar district,
in the state of Uttarakhand, in northern India (Himmaleh). |
La Favorite and the other agricoles rather stole the show last week. This time, however, we'll be travelling much more widely, visiting a whole range of different countries, with our noses to the wind and a taste for adventure (c’mon)... So, off to the French Caribbeans again, to France’s mainland, to Laos, to Cambodia, to Australia, to India, to South Africa, to Brazil, and naturally, to Jamaica. All of this in the most gloriously haphazard order, as usual. |
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Mhoba ‘Select Release White Rum’ (43%, OB for Navigate World Whisky, South Africa, 300 bottles, 2025)
A South African rum for South Africa, everything should go well. Colour: white. Nose: the unmistakable earthy, deeply phenolic Mhoba profile, loaded with olives, a little manure, acetone and fresh varnish. Rather wonderfully, it all works, we do have a soft spot for this gloriously ‘funky’ style. Mouth: olives and varnish in abundance, then a touch of ultra-ripe banana, gherkins and plenty of brine. This is certainly high-ester territory, and we could almost believe ourselves in Jamaica. Finish: long, still packed with olives, varnish and brine, with the familiar salty aftertaste lingering nicely. Comments: excellent, naturally. With a little thought for the great South African pianist and early-WF-favourite Abdullah Ibrahim, aka Dollar Brand, who left us not so long ago. In any case, this simply has to be the most Jamaican of all African rums.
SGP:463 - 87 points. |
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WTF ‘Explosion’ (59%, Vagabond Spirit, Jamaica High Ester & Galion Grand Arôme, 150 bottles)
Double grand arôme from Jamaica and Martinique, do fasten your seatbelts, if you please. Colour: white. Nose: fruitier and rather more floral than expected, and not quite as explosive as anticipated, at least at first. Then increasingly assertive notes of graphite and brake dust begin to emerge. With water: plenty of carbon paper. Mouth (neat): immensely powerful, very salty, very liquorice-led, with heaps of smoked ham and ultra-ripe fruits. With water: now we are firmly in grand arôme territory, with masses of salmiak liberally splashed with diesel fuel. Finish: the olives return to put their signature on the whole affair. Comments: made for championship-grade daiquiris, I suppose.
SGP:563 - 86 points. |
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Straw Bale Rum (57.7%, OB, Maison Victors, France, +/-2025)
French rum, distilled near Toulouse. We believe this may well be a first for us. Colour: white. Nose: rather amusing, with aubergines, marshmallow and soft liquorice. Then geranium potting compost and a few strawberries. With water: engine oil, metal polish, in any case it’s noticeably more estery. Mouth (neat): really very good, and most original, showing plenty of ripe yellow fruits, a fine saline edge and a few capers. With water: pear and... Jamaican rum. We are still very much in the same family. Finish: a little more unruly now, with pepper, earth, juniper and salted anchovies. Comments: we really do like this rum a great deal, one that has come completely out of nowhere, at least for me as a whisky enthusiast.
SGP:652 - 84 points. |
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Rum de Luxe 2023 (60%, Wild Series, Australia)
From the artisanal Killik distillery in the state of Victoria. Colour: white. Nose: another rather dirty style on the nose, deeply earthy, with heaps of overripe fruits, especially longans, rambutans and jujubes. Once again, this is really rather lovely. With water: very little change. Mouth (neat): about-turn, now we are into very ripe strawberries, strawberry liqueur, indeed strawberries in every guise, mostly cooked. Most entertaining, and rather unexpected. With water: another about-turn, this time towards salinity. Let us call it salted strawberry soup or gazpacho. I know. Finish: long, rich and slightly jammy, with some rather distinctive esters. Even a little wild strawberry jam in the aftertaste. Comments: we find this both very good and highly amusing.
SGP:642 - 83 points. |
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Ampov ‘PJ 2023’ (55%, OB, Cambodia)
Pure cane juice rum. Colour: white. Nose: liquorice and dry-cured ham, Plasticine, ultra-ripe mangoes, natural rubber... Yet another highly original and thoroughly likeable nose. With water: fresh cane juice comes to the fore. Mouth (neat): Williams pear eau-de-vie and salted liquorice, delivered with plenty of oomph. With water: yet another excellent young rum, with a beautifully assertive cane character and, as is so often the case, plenty of salted liquorice. Finish: very long, bright, still packed with liquorice, but now joined by fresh grapefruit. Comments: yet another lovely little beast, straight from Phnom Penh. Cambodia is producing some remarkably fine rums.
SGP:642 - 84 points. |
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White Pearls 2024 (64%, Vagabond Spirits, Laos)
Pure cane juice rum, with six months' maturation in amphorae, now that is interesting. Colour: white. Nose: wonderfully bright and fruity, with mangoes and pink grapefruit leading the way. Precise, clean and really rather lovely, even at 64% vol. With water: plenty of banana. Mouth (neat): well, blow me down, they really are producing some beautiful pure cane juice rums in this part of the world! This time, though, the esters seem rather less exuberant than in some of the previous examples. Exotic fruit juices, honey and pears. With water: pears and bananas, plus a small glass of Chardonnay. Finish: long, with rather surprising notes of ripe vineyard peaches. Comments: very charming once again, although perhaps a little less ‘distinctive’ than the previous bottlings.
SGP:641 - 82 points. |
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Bielle 2023 (59.9%, Swell de Spirit, Easy Peasy, Marie-Galante, agricole)
Bielle is Bielle! (Right, S., right…) Colour: white. Nose: cane juice in all its glory, alongside fudge and toasted hazelnuts. With water: exactly the same. The hazelnut becomes even more prominent, rather surprisingly so. Mouth (neat): pure cane, with just a little lemon bringing freshness. With water: much the same again. Delicate hints of white asparagus emerge. Finish: long, razor-sharp and utterly expressive of its terroir. Grapefruit in the aftertaste. Comments: simply magnificent in its precision. We absolutely loved those hazelnut notes.
SGP:552 - 88 points. |
Let us finish in Brazil... |
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Alba Destilaria 2024 (54%, OB, Brazil, Aguardiente de Cana)
Made from green cane juice fermented for 20 days with its bagasse, pot distilled, with dunder added during the second distillation. Colour: white. Nose: pears first, then aniseed, fennel and green apples. Once again, this is really rather beautiful, fresh and wonderfully chiselled. With water: the pears come even further to the fore. Mouth (neat): perhaps a little less precise on the palate, with some curious cider-like notes, but it remains most attractive, nicely liquorice-led, with that familiar fennel character returning. With water: no significant evolution. Finish: fairly long, becoming a little earthier. The slightly petroly salinity in the aftertaste rather suggests the influence of the dunder. Comments: this really is rather lovely, all things considered, even after the almost-superstars we just tasted.
SGP:552 - 80 points. |
Actually, we feel like finishing this session properly with another wee Mhoba, what do you say? |
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Mhoba ‘Select White 2024’ (66.2%, Habitation Velier, South Africa)
We learn from the label, which is every bit as delightfully talkative as the bottler himself, that the ester content here reaches 839 g/hlpa. At HPDN, that would place it firmly in the <H> category. Colour: white. Nose: charcoal fire, UHU glue and almost scorched herbs de Provence. It is actually far prettier than that may sound, believe it or not, even at these almost lethal strengths. With water: oh, this is lovely. Drawing gum, charcoal, tiny lemons, seawater, carbolineum, rust remover and green olives. Nothing to discard here. Mouth (neat): goodness, we love this. Lime and green olives locked in a delightful duel. With water: and they simply carry on fighting. Finish: very long, razor-sharp, magnificent. Comments: the perfect example of a distillate that has absolutely no need for wood, indeed it might even lose something from it. Incredibly good for a humble little white rum.
SGP:563 - 89 points. |
And boom, another new white rum has just landed, right on cue... |
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Himmaleh Spirits (56%, Habitation Velier, India, 2026)
Made from Indian sugar cane juice, pot distilled at the Himmaleh distillery in Kumaon, in the Himalayas, where Neoli rum is produced. The congeners exceed 300 g/HLPA. Colour: white. Nose: pleasantly fresh, with touches of toasted buckwheat, then tea and hints of pink grapefruit. The esters are not exactly shouting for attention at this stage, but why should we complain? As a matter of fact, we had read the label a little too quickly, those 300 grams refer to the congeners rather than the esters, which explains the rather restrained profile. The ester content itself is only 35 g/HLPA, which is actually rather modest. With water: a touch of natural rubber, fresh brioche, soft white bread and just a whisper of fennel. Mouth (neat): the toasted buckwheat returns, joined by lemon and grapefruit, all carried by a lovely natural freshness. Perhaps even a discreet hint of cucumber. With water: it opens up nicely, revealing green pears and gooseberries. Finish: nicely long, centred on green pears, with that tiny saline edge appearing right at the end. Then come, perhaps a little late, delicate touches of olives, liquorice and varnish, undoubtedly the esters making themselves heard at last. Comments: this is rather different from some of the more wham-bam new rums now appearing from all over the world, but between us, we are rather fond of both styles.
SGP:552 - 85 points. |
Sorry, we really cannot go any further today, but there is every chance we shall be back with a third session of white rums very soon. In any case, all those ten little white rums were really good today. Stay tuned and stay focused. |
Check the index of all rums we've tasted |
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