More blends and secret droplets from Scotland


September 16, 2025

More blends and secret droplets from Scotland

You don't know what it is, but you give it a try anyway, out of curiosity. It’s a bit like when you hire a car from Hertz or Avis – you never really know what model you’re actually going to get, but you’re just glad to have a set of wheels.

Parkmore Selection 6 yo (46%, Aceo, bourbon cask finish, +/-2025)

We do somewhat doubt this could be genuine Parkmore, especially at six years of age, ha. Remember Parkmore distillery, although still standing, was mothballed in 14931. Still, it's single malt, and we do find the notion of a bourbon cask finish rather amusing. Colour: white wine. Nose: crikey, this is rather charming, all on ripe kiwis, apples, pears and gooseberries. In the background, a half pint of IPA and a little mead. Well well, this is a most delightful nose, fresh and breezy. Mouth: it's good, sweet, malty, fruity, honeyed, without any jagged edges and therefore without flaws. I must say I find this very good indeed. Finish: medium in length, on honey and fruit syrups. One thinks of mirabelle plums. A lovely splash of orange liqueur in the aftertaste, with a wee salty edge. Comments: the use of the Parkmore name, a mythical distillery that no living soul has ever tasted, did raise a few eyebrows but honestly, who actually remembers Parkmore?
SGP:641 - 85 points.

That said, tasting a real Parkmore remains one of our goals at WF… Well, they say it’s good to have goals in life, so we carry on…

World Peat Highball Premix 8 yo (5%, Decadent Drams, bourbon barrel, 2025)

A blend of peaters from Scotland, Germany and Sweden. We would suppose that Smögen and St. Killian had a hand in this improbable yet rather amusing creation. As for the Scot, no idea, perhaps there were several involved? Colour: white wine. Nose: we’re in a chemist’s shop, but under cheerful circumstances. Loads of mercurochrome and iodine, but also green apple and walnut stain, with ashes of all kinds, pine, coal, peat, barbecue charcoal… With water: surgical tape and camphor, though in a tempered, measured way. Mouth (neat): this is superbly rooty, with gentian, mezcal and Islay-style peat in carefully composed proportions. No doubt whatsoever. With water: I reckon there’s no need to add any, you might tear it apart a little. Finish: long, fresh, medicinal, perfect. Comments: the question is, can this be replicated? Or was it at least partly the result of sheer luck? At any rate, I do adore this United Nations side of things. You’ll note we didn’t try it as a highball.
SGP:556 - 88 points.

Delta Cephei II 8 yo 2013/2021 (56.2%, Scotch Universe, 1st fill ruby Port wine barrique)

Well well, dreaded ruby Port strikes again. It’s said to be Dailuaine in disguise, and this rather galactic way of naming malts might well appeal to Elon M. A welcome change from ketamine, wouldn’t you say? Colour: white wine, not pink. Nose: it does smell a little like cheap plonk, but it's not as unpleasant as that may sound. I believe a little water should help bring out subtler shades… With water: more on dough and fruit brioche generously packed with glacé cherries. Mouth (neat): it’s good now, very fruity, slightly peppery and earthy, otherwise on grenadine. With water: the glacé cherries return, along with a dash of raspberry liqueur. Finish: long, on red fruit liqueurs. Comments: this is frankly a fine spirituous drink. I also think it could well convert those friends and companions who ‘don’t like whisky’.
SGP:741 - 82 points.

Secret Highland 2013/2023 (52.4%, Whiskyjace, Edition #8, bourbon hogshead)

A Warholian label, rather nice. Colour: very pale white wine. Nose: ultra-tight, on grapefruit skin, chalk and fresh bread. With water: tangerines and beeswax come barging in. Mouth (neat): excellent, earthy, chalky, waxy, citrusy, salty. With water: same again, only deeper and even more taut. Finish: long, perfect, pure, waxy, saline, citrusy. Comments: superb distillate, but no name guessing please. Although I’m struggling to hold back…
SGP:562 - 88 points.

Speyside Region 25 yo 1993/2018 (51.7%, Whisky-Fässle, sherry cask)

Let’s say it — we do miss the ducks a bit, where have they gone? … But once again, we’re rather late to the party… Colour: amber. Nose: classic walnut cake, chestnut purée, roasted peanuts, pecan pie and slightly earthy raisins. With water: turrón, nougat, blond cigarettes, potting soil. Mouth (neat): oh, but this is very good, more complex than the nose suggested, with meats, mushrooms, leather, tobacco, dried fruits, cured ham, beef broth, coriander, parsley… It’s top notch. With water: in comes honey and sweet wine to smooth out the edges. Finish: long and full-on dried figs and dates. Comments: as we often say, we’ve no idea what this is but if we were the distillery, we’d be proud to slap our name on such a bottle. The exact opposite of the previous one, and yet…
SGP:561 - 89 points.

There, blends…

Blended Scotch 29 yo 1995/2025 (44.1%, St Bridget’s Kirk, refill butt)

They say this is ‘Speyside & Island single malt blended with Lowland grain’ and that does rather sound like a bit of Edrington stock, doesn’t it? Colour: straw. Nose: apple juice, waxy touches, mirabelle tart, quince paste, yellow fruit jellies (apricot, peach, pear) and the like. A wee trace of coconut, nothing troubling. Very pretty nose, that’s for sure. Mouth: very fruity, in proper Haribo style, with quite a lot of orange, lemon and grapefruit syrups, plus a clearly sweet undertone. In short, the fruit jellies are firmly in charge. Finish: very much on fruit jellies and syrups. Tiny sugared eggs. Comments: very good, you just shouldn’t overdo it, or that ‘sweet’ side may come crashing in. I do wonder where that’s coming from, could it really be just the grain?
SGP:740 - 85 points.

Blended Scotch Whisky ‘Ninety-Nine & One’ (46.3%, Living Souls, ‘Mostly Heavily Peated’, bourbon & sherry, 2024)

1991 — that does feel very Laphroaig, doesn’t it? Colour: full gold. Nose: fresh tar, tarmac, smoked hams and sausages, garden herbs, parsley, a hint of chicken broth… All wonderfully dry. Mouth: much more punch on the palate, with smoked oranges, mussels in white wine, honey biscuits, grapefruit liqueur… The salty side, courtesy of the mussels, is absolutely lovely. Finish: long and fresh, superbly coastal. Comments: should be tasted aboard a boat, seriously, to heighten the mood. This charming wee fellow wins you over in moments. As for the grain, if there is any, it’s purely incidental.
SGP:655 - 89 points.

Blended Scotch Whisky 40 yo ‘Batch #2’ (45.1%, Living Souls, refill sherry butt, 514 bottles)

Colour: pale gold. Nose: extremely resinous, we’ve stepped into another dimension here, this really smells like tar liqueur, or pine bud liqueur, or both. In short, we’ve left the whisky galaxy entirely. Mouth: we do return to whisky land a little, but only just. Verbena liqueur, chartreuse, rose syrup, pine bud liqueur again, aquavit… In truth, this is very good, it’s just not terribly ‘whisky’. Finish: same again, with added genepy and elderflower liqueur. Comments: ready for a top-class spritz, I’d recommend a splash of Henri-Giraud or perhaps Boizel, and a modest pour of Perrier. And quite a bit of ice, naturally. Great fun.
SGP:770 - 87 points.

Go on then, one last one, nice and peaty…

Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 27 yo 1997/2025 (55.6%, Murray McDavid, The Peat Chronicles, for Germany, 229 bottles)

This one’s a ‘Premier Cru Bordeaux Cask Finish’, not sure such an appellation exists ‘as such’. What we do know is that it’s a blend of Ardbeg and Laphroaig, so if the Bordeaux cask was virtually dead, all should be well. If not, brace yourself, unless it was a Sauternes… Colour: gold. Nose: I believe the Bordeaux is under control, the Islays are doing their job, and all things considered, it’s not the trainwreck we feared. According to our own gospel, mixing peated Islays with red Bordeaux is worse than pairing oysters with strawberry jam. With water: not so sure… Mouth (neat): there’s a kind of cheerful mêlée, like a village fête, with jams and seawater, ham and chocolate, grapefruit and coffee. In short, it clashes all over the place but does so gleefully. With water: no, the fruitiness fades and the rest doesn’t quite know what to do with itself. Smoked strawberry jam? Finish: fairly long, on cherry stem herbal tea and grapefruit liqueur à la Sarti Rosa, which isn’t terribly good, if we’re honest. Something had to be said. Comments: structurally it’s rather monstrous, but at the same time, there’s probably an educational value to it, and that’s well worth a good handful of extra points.
SGP:755 - 80 points.

Check the index of all secret or blended Scotch we've tasted