Around the world for the first time in 2025


January 13, 2025

	Around the world for the first time in 2025
	We’re keeping up with good traditions—starting in France, then heading to China, India, Australia, and London.

Moon Harbour ‘Signature’ (41.2%, OB, France, +/-2024)

A very young single malt from Bordeaux, naturally matured in Bordeaux casks. Everyone’s doing it worldwide, so it would be quite ironic if the Bordelais didn’t follow suit. One imagines the stills used might be either cognaçais or Stupfler. Colour: pale gold. Nose: heavily influenced by woody spices and sweet wine, Sauternes, pencil shavings, lychees, rose petals, apricots, pink peppercorns… It’s rather exuberant and far removed from classic malts, almost veering towards rye. Mouth: the woody spices and sweet wine immediately take centre stage. Cherries, blackcurrants, pepper, apricots, cinnamon, nutmeg, and barley sugar. Very fruity. Finish: fairly short, quite focused on the sweet wine, with a return of pencil shavings in the aftertaste. Comments: quite similar to other ‘wine inside’ malts produced in the south-west. Not exactly my style, but it’s very young yet well made.
SGP:730 - 75 points.

We’re sticking with some signatures…

BM Signature 8 yo (42%, OB, France, +/-2024)

BM is Bruno Mangin, from the now sadly defunct Distillerie Rouget de Lisle in the French Jura. The still used was an Armagnac-style column, and the casks were mostly local wine casks (in France, it’s practically a tradition). Colour: gold. Nose: a rather pleasant fino-like edge, with acidity and fresh walnuts layered over damp earth and vineyard peaches. The walnuts dominate, but who doesn’t love walnuts? Mouth: still that slightly sour edge, those walnuts, dry wine (Madeira), plus a salty note that really makes it take off, and it keeps improving as it goes. Quite Jerez-like, if I may say so. Finish: medium length, with tart little apples and more walnuts. Impeccably dry. A drop of gentian in the aftertaste. Comments: I was a bit sceptical at first, I must admit, but it won me over in the end. There will be other BMs.
SGP:361 - 85 points.

We’re changing continent…

Laizhou ‘Inaugural Edition’ (46%, OB, China, single malt, +/-2024)

Another young Chinese distillery, this time from Szechuan. There are more and more of them in China, and I can’t help but feel this could play out much like the car industry—everyone dreams of selling their whiskies to our Chinese friends, but now they’re starting to produce their own, and doing it well (we’re far from Red Labial or Chinas Regal here). In any case, what I’ve already tasted was rather a little impressive! Moreover, Laizhou appears to be employing some ‘wood technology’ that would make quite a few people in Tain (Scotland) green with envy. Colour: gold. Nose: wow. A highly unusual smoke, resinous, empyreumatic, wrapping around candied citrus fruits and a touch of top-notch yellow curry. A very pretty nose, compact and highly engaging. Mouth: creamy, still smoky (eucalyptus wood), saline, almost mustard-like, followed by roasted nuts of all kinds—pecans, pine nuts, hazelnuts, almonds… That little yellow curry makes a welcome return, which we rather love. Finish: long, beautifully dry, and ever so slightly charred. Comments: what impresses me is that they haven’t tried to ‘copy’ (OK, perhaps take inspiration from) Scottish malts. It’s genuinely different, with what seems to be excellent cask work. Real new world. This malt too, we’ll be seeing more of.
SGP:362 - 85 points.

Paul John 2016/2023 (58.5%, OB, India, peated, Madeira cask, cask #14363, 186 bottles)

Straight from India through our dear friend Krishna who is also a great oyster connoisseur. Colour: golden amber. Nose: pretty sulphury (no prob) and camphory at first but this aspect gradually gives way to overripe mangoes and fudge, with some rather unexpected background touches of game birds and tobacco. This creates a highly dramatic profile overall, let’s press on... With water: barely tamed, highly aromatic, with hints of rose petals and sugar-coated caraway. Truly beautiful and it really takes you on a journey. Mouth (neat): it’s almost like mango jam with spices and honey, to be honest. Oily texture. With water: an absolute indulgence. Honey, mango, apricot, rose, jasmine, cardamom... A touch of leather and tobacco, possibly from the Madeira. Finish: long, spicy, now drier. Notes of chocolate, coffee and pink peppercorns. Comments: what an adventure!
SGP:761 - 87 points.

Amrut 2016/2024 ‘Virgin Oak Refilled’ (60%, OB, India, Foundations, cask #915, 102 bottles)

Let’s address the question straight away—does ‘virgin oak refilled’ not sound like an oxymoron? Probably not... Well, we get the idea; it’s neither refill bourbon nor refill sherry, etc. In any case, we’re not entirely sure, but it’s amusing—much love for Amrut. Colour: amber. Baltic amber (indeed). Nose: ultra-compact and brilliant. Mango liqueur, parsley, bay leaf. Slightly crazy in its precision. With water: all kinds of mint, especially peppermint. Mouth (neat): medicinal mango! Someone had to invent that. With water: still mango, but also banana and a hint of truffle dust. Finish: long, with similar notes but eventually leaning towards citrus (oranges). Comments: this tasting note might be a bit all over the place, I’m sorry, but the whisky is perfect.
SGP:651 - 89 points.

Kinglake 2018/2021 ‘In The Blood’ (49%, OB, Australia, 93 bottles)

Speaking of finishing, those crazy Australians matured this single malt in an ex-Buffalo Trace barrel before transferring it to a Red Gum barrel (no idea what that is—though I suppose one could look it up) seasoned for six months with Moondog stout and another six months with barley wine. Right then, let’s take a deep breath and dive in… Colour: reddish amber. Nose: it’s all about chocolate. Chocolate filled with a touch of raspberry liqueur, a combination that feels distinctly... Alsatian. Mouth: absolutely bonkers. Still plenty of chocolate, but also very young Pinot Noir and pink grapefruit. The flavours are so explosive that the 49% ABV feels more like 60. Really. Finish: very long, with more crazy nuances—raspberry making a return, dark beer, cloves, malt extract, cumin, black cherry, and so on. Mad stuff. Comments: it’s so explosively aromatic that if they bottled this at 60% ABV, it might just shatter your tasting glass without hesitation. Mad, I love it.
SGP:771 - 87 points.

One last stop, that's enough of the colonies... (S., be careful—as a French person, you might not grasp all the nuances these words entail) ...

Bimber ‘Witkievicz the Artist’ (58.7%, OB, England, Shoulders of Giants, for Poland, oloroso, cask #460, 285 bottles, 2024)

I note that, for now, there hasn’t been a bottling in this series dedicated to Elon M. Colour: gold. Nose: a combination of ripe bananas and roasted nuts, followed by slightly burnt cake. Light hints of concrete dust in the background. With water: oh, very lovely—lighter, almost floral. Blood oranges and wisteria. Mouth (neat): this is clearly very well done—raisins, strawberry liqueur, pink peppercorns, chocolate cake, and a drop (just one) of banana liqueur. With water: gentle spices emerge, adding a stronger impression of dark chocolate. Finish: fairly long, chocolatey. Notes of dark tobacco. Comments: we tend to favour ex-bourbon, but I must admit this ex-oloroso has been crafted with great attention to detail and, above all, freshness. Freshness matters. Na zdrowie.
SGP:661 - 87 points.

Check the index of all world whiskies we've tasted so far