Having a bit of fun all over the world


April 25, 2025

	Having a bit of fun all over the world (for a change)
	People often ask me what has changed in the world of whisky over the past twenty-five years. Quite a lot, of course, but the main thing—unsurprisingly, I’d say—is the wave of new whiskies emerging from all over the world, including places like Mexico and Cambodia.

We’ve spoken about this often already; it’s no longer breaking news, but still, at the most recent festivals I attended—in France, where there were dozens of new French whiskies I’d never come across before, and in Switzerland, where exactly the same trend was happening—it was clear this was a real movement. And no doubt Limburg, where we’re heading in a few days (as we write this), will be just as revealing.
Although many of these new distilleries and brands are quite small, I believe Queen Scotland made a major strategic error: putting far too much emphasis on the casks used, both in maturation and in finishing, and as a result, significantly downplaying the role of their actual distillate and its environment. “The wood makes the whisky,” they used to say, but while it’s extremely difficult to produce something like Ardbeg or Macallan in Outer Mongolia, it’s very easy to use exactly the same highly active casks as those two famous distilleries. Which means it’s entirely possible to achieve something increasingly close to their style—and this can be demonstrated ‘glass in hand’.
We’ll soon be heading to China to take a closer look at all this, but for now, let’s focus on what we’ve got on the tasting table today, starting—as usual—with little France…

Évadé ‘Maple Cask Finish’ (47%, OB, France, single malt, +/-2025)

A creation by ‘Whiskies du Monde’, somewhat alarming at first glance, although I must admit to having already sampled it informally. Still, it’s amusing to encounter ‘in the flesh’ many of the descriptors we so often bandy about. At this rate we’ll soon be seeing finishes in limoncello, Earl Grey tea or indeed… tar casks. Ha. At any rate this wee ex-pot still number, presumably sourced, first spent four years in bourbon casks, 1st fill and refill. Colour: gold. Nose: mounds of stewed apples and overripe pears to begin with, but soon enough the maple syrup comes marching in and utterly overpowers the nose, eventually giving you the impression that you’re sniffing neat maple syrup. Now, the trouble here is that we happen to adore maple syrup, and so what we have is an almost regressive nose, against which resistance is frankly futile. A touch of grilled bacon and smoked ham then puts in an appearance, which doesn’t hurt. Mouth: frankly, this is a whisky that puts a smile on your face. It’s completely improbable, but unless you happen to harbour a deep-seated aversion to maple syrup – or indeed to goulash drenched in coffee liqueur – it’s a real treat, even if it does start to feel ever so slightly suffocating. Finish: long, much more on oak, with a bitterness that attempts to restore some semblance of balance. Just about manages, perhaps. Lingering notes of gently burnt caramel. Comments: yes, they do maple syrup whiskies in Canada and the USA too (Koval!) but this little French number (apparently from Hepp in Alsace) really tickled me. Well done, it’s genuinely fun.
SGP:751 - 85 points.

Let’s be honest—more flexible regulations than those in Scotland in some areas (and less flexible in others, such as the origins of the barley) can offer real advantages to ‘outsider’ nations.

Distillerie du Mont Blanc 2019/2024 (50%, LMDW Version Française, Vermouth cask, single grain, 300 bottles)

An assemblage of barley and wheat distilled in an Armagnac-style still (petite colonne). I’ve little experience with this wee distillery, I must confess, though they’re brewers first and foremost, and I have indeed already enjoyed their rather good beer, ‘Brasserie du Mont Blanc’. The sort of thing one drinks while skiing. Colour: gold. Nose: this is fresh, firm – not your average grain – with citrussy notes and the inevitable hints of genepy (but of course) and verbena. The vermouth certainly plays a part, yet never takes over, it’s not overtly ‘winey’. With water: very light sulphur. Mouth (neat): the same profile unfolds on the palate, practically note for note. Lemon, herbs, gooseberries… That said, it does veer slightly more wine-forward this time. With water: that faintly sulphurous note returns, along with a fermentary edge, natural wine style… Must be the vermouth. Finish: fairly long, even more on fermentation. We do enjoy that side. Comments: you do get a bit of that whisky + wine character in the end, but it’s rather nice.
SGP:451 - 80 points.

Tchankat ‘Brut’ (47.3%, OB, France, +/-2024)

A new maize-based Gascon whisky by the famous Armagnac house Samalens. Now they rather used Charentais stills here (Cognac stills) and matured their spirit in recharred – not STRised – ex-Gruaud Larose barriques, a Second Cru Classé of Saint-Julien. Colour: deep gold. Nose: one gets the impression it’s really the casks that have done the heavy lifting here, but then again, Gruaud is Gruaud and it all works rather well, with heaps of vineyard peaches, green peppercorns, blackcurrant buds and button mushrooms. A few glimmers of strawberry jam, though one wouldn’t exactly say it smells like red wine. Nor would one call it faint or weak, quite the opposite in fact, especially given it’s maize-based, which might’ve suggested otherwise. Mouth: has something of a ‘fine de Bordeaux’ vibe, so not terribly whisky-like, but we’re not complaining at all – quite the contrary. Grapes, zest, cherries, buds, pips, leaf matter… Finish: same style, with lovely length. Comments: this is quite a ‘cross-category’ spirit, and honestly, this profile suits the south-west of France down to the ground. Best enjoyed after some goose foie gras followed by confit de canard with ceps, and a generous helping of pommes sarladaises. You’ll tell me that’s also the domain of Armagnac… Well, I’m thoroughly into it.
SGP:561 - 83 points.

Stillhead ‘Vancouver Island Rye’ (62.2%, OB, for Switzerland, Canada, 108 bottles, 2024)

We recently tasted another Stillhead and it had been very good indeed. At this strength, be warned, the Canadians can turn fierce – and not just on the ice rink. Colour: full gold. Nose: powerful yet refined, with elegant wood spices, curry, ginger, and a lovely medley of artisan bread notes (poppy seed, sesame, maize, caraway, barley of course…) With water: touches of sawdust, as one might expect, but also hints of polish and even a whiff of natural tar. Perhaps they slipped in a dash of Port Ellen, ha. Mouth (neat): ultra-potent, with a creamy texture, absolutely loaded with caraway and… maple syrup. I kid you not. With water: oh yes, this is excellent, earthy, very ‘rye’. Notes of bitter orange. Finish: same register, then more peppery citrus, nutmeg, and a touch of honey. Spruce honey, I’d wager, something very local. Comments: I like this a great deal, it’s nearly on par with their marvellously superlative ‘Garry Oak’.
SGP:561 - 87 points.

Bimber ‘Dickens The Novelist’ (58.3%, OB, England, Shoulders of Giants, bourbon, cask #398, 259 bottles, 2024)

Bimber in bourbon is generally a bit of a showstopper. And well, Dickens, that’s about as British as it gets… Colour: gold. Nose: oh yes indeed, nothing terribly complicated here but absolutely spot on. Vanilla, orange cake, banana loaf, a wee touch of papaya, a dusting of chalk and a small basket of freshly baked morning croissants. With water: honeysuckle and mullein. Mouth (neat): liqueurs of yellow fruits, dandelion syrup, vanilla, American oak, banana, pear. With water: triple sec rounds it all out nicely. A whisper of gluey notes in the far distance. Finish: long, clean, rounded, deceptively easy-going if you’re not paying close attention. Comments: none of this really feels all that Dickensian, truth be told, but then again you might say we’re not British ourselves. At any rate, it’s excellent and nudges close to the Canadian style, even if the two are miles apart.
SGP:651 - 87 points.

Newborn ‘Collaboration Double Malt’ (55.4%, OB, South Korea/Japan, 402 bottles, 2025)

We often dream of this kind of transnational collaboration, though they’ve been rather rare to date. Here we have a ‘vatting’ of one-year-old Korean Craftbros (2024/2025) aged in ex-first-fill oloroso and new American oak, blended with a 2020 Japanese Nagahama matured in an ex-Islay quarter cask and red wine cask right up to 2025. So yes, it’s quite the concoction, but we love this bold idea which, if anything, seems designed to show just how daft it would be for any country to turn in on itself. Anyway, let’s taste… Colour: apricot gold. Nose: rather incredible, really, every component is distinct and clearly perceptible, starting with the red wine, then sherry, and finally the peat, which remains subtle. It all stays in a fermentary register, with notes of cherry clafoutis. I reckon water might shake things up a bit. With water: back to the brewhouse – yeasty, sourdoughy, unfermented wort… All of that, which we love. Mouth (neat): peated kirsch (the peat really comes through on the palate), artichoke liqueur, ultra-dark chocolate, bay leaf, green pepper, blackcurrant… With water: yes, this is great – green pepper, blackcurrant buds, blood orange, bitter beer… Finish: long, on similar notes, though those smoky whisky-soaked cherries do bid a proper farewell in the aftertaste. Comments: a true puzzle of youthful and highly dynamic flavours, miles away from yet another safe Speysider lazily PX'd into oblivion. Well done, Craftbros (and Nagahama too, naturally).
SGP:563 - 88 points.

Vardberg 4 yo (48%, OB, Norway, oloroso sherry hogshead, cask #66, +/-400 bottles, 2024)

I rather liked Vardberg’s ‘Born’ (which, amusingly enough, seems to mean ‘born’ in Norse) back in 2023. This one’s made by Berentsens Brygghus, where they dabble in all manner of liquids – gin, of course, and aquavit too, naturally. Colour: gold. Nose: how utterly delightful! In truth, this doesn’t smell much like whisky – more like smoked fish, pine smoke, tiny forest berries, pistachio nougat, fir honey (again), and, hold on tight… maple syrup! I swear it. Mouth: again, we seem to be in an alternate flavour universe, with bud notes, cumin, orgeat, woodland honeys, pine sap, coriander seeds… To be honest, in this setting the oloroso barely gets a word in, save for a few green walnuts tossed into the mix. Smoked salmon with dill. Finish: rather long, with those flavours one might lazily label ‘Nordic’ from over here. Lovely honey and chocolate in the aftertaste. Comments: right, does it actually resemble malt whisky? The answer is ‘No’. But is it any good? The answer is most certainly ‘Yes’. Best enjoyed lightly chilled alongside smoked salmon. And did you notice? We didn’t even mention genever…
SGP:661 - 84 points.

Kavalan 2017/2024 (59.4%, OB, Taiwan, Solist, OBE/Club Bâtard Exclusive, Madeira cask, cask #D170314035A, 210 bottles)

We always approach Kavalan with a touch of hesitation, the issue being that the Solist bottlings are invariably very, very good. That said, we’re quite intrigued by this Club Bâtard affair – one imagines it’s closer to Bâtard-Montrachet than to some ‘pure bastard’ from the backstreets (apologies, if needed). Colour: dark amber. Nose: boom, this is pure old Malmsey – or Bual – or Sercial, take your pick. Fig jam, dates, peach liqueur and the most precious of precious sultanas. Not a foot wrong. With water: on the move the raisins – Corinth and otherwise – storming the stage and claiming command without a fight. Mouth (neat): in-cred-i-ble. Monumental Madeira, massive, almost overpowering, but it seems all top gear, and honestly, one could mistake this for a glorious old cask. Basically, it’s as if someone fortified a grand old Madeira with Kavalan. With water: in comes a barrage of chocolate and hazelnut liqueur. Finish: long, creamy, irresistible. Comments: this is truly excellent and impeccably controlled from start to finish. People sometimes say Kavalan is very ‘technical’, but at this level, three cheers for technique!
SGP:751 - 90 points.

Well, since we're already tasting Madeira at Kavalan – or the other way around…

Kavalan 2017/2024 (61%, OB, Taiwan, Solist, Crown Cellars Exclusive, JP’s Choice, Madeira cask, cask #D170317055A, 196 bottles)

Back to Canada for this one, specifically to Calgary, Alberta. Colour: dark amber. Nose: clearly very close to the ‘Bâtard’ (either you master the technique, or you don’t), though this one feels a tad less rounded and jammy, and with a slightly more mineral and dry profile – though by no means a ‘dry’ Kavalan. Whiffs of damp forest floor, followed by a box of little Cuban cigars, the sort JFK supposedly enjoyed post-embargo. With water: you’re wandering through an old bodega… Mouth (neat): oh lord, this is good! But watch out – it’s mighty powerful, with a rather head-snapping tendency (rather like a few Canadian hockey players, come to think of it). Glorious walnuts, tobacco and earthy notes. With water: honeys, figs, raisins, and some balsamic touches all jockeying for attention. Finish: long, almost saline. Bone marrow hints with a dash of marc or grappa. Madness! Comments: one would love to have a word with this ‘JP’. Then again, best leave him in peace…
SGP:661 - 91 points.

Not much could top this Taiwanese-Canadian-Portuguese Kavalan, so let’s call this session to a close.

That said, we should point out that while this selection of world whiskies was quite exciting—largely thanks to their unconventional character—we could easily see ourselves buying a whole case of any Clynelish, but I don’t think we’d do the same with any of the whiskies we tasted today. See you.

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