A few more whiskies from around the world


October 29, 2024

A few more whiskies from
around the world

This time, we’re sticking to tradition and starting in France.

Armorik's pair of proper pot stills, built 1993 (Armorik)

Armorik 12 yo 2012/2024 ‘Sherry Cask’ (56%, OB, LMDW, oloroso sherry butt, cask #3868, 310 bottles)

Armorik, or Warenghem if we’re being precise, is one of those French (sorry, Breton) distilleries that seem to have made their mark abroad with remarkable ease. To be fair, they've avoided dabbling in the weird or the unlikely—no bizarre stills or dodgy wine casks here. Simply put, they’ve kept things pleasingly classic. Colour: dark amber. Nose: very much in the classic vein, with walnut cake, dark nougat, toffee, mocha, and cocoa. With water: loads of chocolate and a touch of instant coffee. Since Nestlé still hasn’t sent over that promised cheque (let alone any bitcoins), we’ll stop mentioning their brands here. Mouth (neat): it’s just very good. Brings to mind a certain beast from Dufftown, with black pepper, juniper, dried meats, a hefty dose of tobacco, dried mushrooms, and of course, old walnuts. With water: it edges towards pure oloroso, but with a faint ‘cream’ aspect—so slightly sweeter. A few raisins as well. Finish: long, very sherried, very good. Comments: essentially classic, quintessentially good.
SGP:551 - 88 points.

Off to Canada!

Lot 40 'Dark Oak' (48%, OB, Canada, Rye whisky, +/-2024)

I certainly wouldn’t want to upset my Canadian friends, and even less so dear Davin, but for quite some time, the standard Lot 40 was considered the main Canadian whisky truly worth its salt. Now, that’s not to say things haven’t changed... Colour: full gold. Nose: it’s like a perfect blend of maple syrup (how predictable!) and polish, with chocolate toffee and rich, dark earth. Very appealing indeed. Mouth: I’ve no idea what this ‘dark oak’ is exactly (though I suppose we could look it up), but we absolutely love this mix of juniper and molasses. Throw in a handful of Werther’s Originals, some coriander seeds, demerara sugar, chocolate cake, and a mountain of all sorts of nuts, each roasted to perfection. Finish: long, chocolaty, spicy, and earthy, with hints of lavender and liquorice lingering in the aftertaste. Comments: there’s a bit of a ‘too much’ quality here that we rather enjoy, though it may not be for the purists. In short, definitely not a boring whisky.
SGP:651 - 86 points.

And now, we're going to... Well, where are we going?

Sangam ‘World Malt Whisky’ (43%, OB, Rampur, 2024)

Ah, the familiar notion of a ‘world’ malt, though this time hailing from India. Not entirely sure what’s in the blend, but Rampur’s likely playing a part, and that’s no bad thing since Rampur’s always rather good. Colour: gold. Nose: a delightful mix of barley, honey, apple compote, and a touch of something like pancake syrup. Mouth: very much a pleasing, easy-going malt, reminiscent of those approachable entry-level Macallans, Glenlivets, or Glenfiddichs. Nothing here to grumble about, really. Finish: quite nice, though it does feel a tad delicate towards the end, with tea-like notes and a bit of molasses honey and apple juice lingering in the aftertaste. Comments: a genuinely enjoyable dram from… from where? I’m glad they haven’t shipped and bottled it in Japan, then called it ‘Japanese whisky’.
SGP:531 - 80 points.

Millstone 5 yo 2019/2024 ‘Special No. 31’ (46%, OB, Netherlands, Palo Cortado Peated, 2,365 bottles)

Do we really need to repeat all the praise we’ve showered upon Millstone? Honestly, everything about this one sounds a bit improbable, but that’s already half of the fun, isn’t it? Colour: pale gold. Nose: it’s as if you’ve just stuck your head into an old coal stove after spritzing yourself with lemon juice. Caraway and poppy seed bread, a touch of Dutch-style pipe tobacco (naturally), and a waft of seaweed, maybe some driftwood too. Mouth: truly bizarre, but brilliant. A medley of smokes and ashes from all sorts of origins – coal, peat, fir wood, tobacco, that grass – and a curious mix of grapefruit juice, green apples, and coriander leaves. It’s really quite odd, but it all comes together so coherently in the end. Finish: long and wonderful, with lemon-drenched ashes and a little cumin kicking in right at the finish. Comments: not quite as loco as it first seems. We’re huge fans of these whiskies that are anything but boring. Right, or delicate.
SGP:565 - 89 points.

Let’s head a little further south, where there are also beautiful things to see...

Filliers ‘Cask Strength’ (58.5%, OB, Belgium, PX, 2024)

While Pedro Ximénez may not be particularly Belgian, the spirit behind this dram is pure and determined. That said, perhaps it’s time to gently remind all the brilliant distillers worldwide that not every whisky needs a dose of PX to be excellent. Colour: dark amber. Nose: heavily leaning on chocolate, rum, and raisins, with a light floral hint of geranium. With water: earthy tones come forward, rye, moss, chocolate, masala, and a touch of clove. Mouth (neat): bold and robust, with orange peel, black pepper, wood, and even a flash of chilli heat. There’s also a bit of juniper in there, no surprise as Filliers are renowned genever distillers after all. With water: wonderfully earthy, which I always love. It dries things out a tad, but in a way I find most enjoyable. Finish: long, turning more floral and spicy. A hint of black tea, saffron perhaps, and a salty edge lingering on the aftertaste. Cumin. Comments: truly excellent, though perhaps not quite for pairing with shrimp croquettes (just joking!). What it does offer, though, is a real sense of place, which I think is something rather precious.
SGP:561 - 86 points.

As long as we're over there...

Stauning ‘Host’ (40.5%, OB, Denmark, 2024)

It says ‘Smooth & Delicate’—well, what’s that about then? Seems to be a 50/50 split of malted barley and rye, aged in a mix of American virgin oak, ex-Bourbon, and ex-Port casks. We reckon, with a bit of luck, this could work. Colour: gold. Nose: very light, but not unpleasant, rather like an herbal tea. Might even call it a breakfast whisky. Fresh bread, gentle fennel, caraway seeds, and a touch of spice… Mouth: it’s good, not even too weak. There’s bread and spices aplenty, but it tends to nod off after thirty seconds or so, becoming a bit drying. Finish: fairly short, though nicely bread-forward. Comments: It’s from a Diageo-backed distillery, so they clearly know what they’re up to, and it’s really not bad at all. Just a pity about the ABV—perhaps a typo crept in somewhere during production? At 46%, it could’ve been a little gem.
SGP:441 - 81 points.

Cardrona ‘The Falcon’ (52%, OB, New Zealand, 2023)

Now then, this one’s a bit complicated—a mix of an ex-Oloroso butt filled in 2016, an ex-Bourbon barrel also filled that year, and a Pinot Noir cask (if they really must) filled in 2018, all married and bottled in 2023. Quite the concoction, but we do like what Cardrona’s doing down there at the other end of the world. That said, it’s rather pricey in Europe (£170), so perhaps this is a concept that may not last. Colour: gold. Nose: not immensely expressive, with fresh bread and a bit of ash. With water: not much more, really. A hint of cherry stalk tea. Mouth (neat): it’s good, with baked cherries and toasted bread, though I don’t think the Pinot Noir adds much. With water: nicely spiced, with a bit of blood orange and clove, while the Oloroso starts to show itself with some walnut and leather notes. Finish: fairly long but not very precise. Still that cherry stalk tea. Comments: to be completely honest, despite my fondness for Cardrona, I don’t see much sense in importing a very good but maybe not totally exceptional whisky like this all the way to Europe or the US in world3.0. Perhaps our friends in Australia or NZ should enjoy it first and foremost. Unless they start finishing it in manuka honey casks, of course...
SGP:451 - 80 points.