More remarkable blends and secrets


October 13, 2025

More remarkable blends and secrets (a solera session)

A solera session means we add tasting notes whenever the fancy takes us, and publish them when we feel like it too. Yeah, alright, it’s a weird concept, just one more for the pile.

Scallywag 'Noir' (52.8%, Douglas Laing, Speyside blended malt, 2025)

'Predominantly finished in PX' does it say on the label. One might quietly wonder whether this isn’t a cheeky rehash of the infamous Loch Dhu, 'the black whisky'. Let’s have a little look then... Colour: not quite black, rather a deep amber, I would say. Nose: this is quite the concoction, no question about that, and indeed, Loch Dhu isn’t a million miles away. Buckets of blackberry and blueberry jam, hefty spoonfuls of black Corinth raisins, then blackstrap molasses and a good pot of strong Russian tea, naturally of the darkest kind. With water: a slight earthiness emerging now. Black soils, naturally. Mouth (neat): what it immediately brings to mind is those old Macallan 'Gran Reserva' bottlings from some twenty years ago. Incredibly sherried. Back then, we did rather raise an eyebrow or two, yet these days they’re rather sought-after. O tempora, o mores. Still brimming with Corinth raisins, thick jams, stuffed dates and even a splash of Armagnac. From Ténarèze, naturally. With water: this edges closer to classic sherry, but in a sweet, rich and very thick PX-driven sort of way. Finish: long and tremendously jammy. Have we mentioned the Corinth raisins? Comments: at one point, we did fear this little fellow might become a bit suffocating, but in the end it remains vastly superior to... Loch Dhu, The Black Whisky.
SGP:641 - 85 points.

Still at DL's...

Timorous Beastie 'Phantom Smoke' (54%, Douglas Laing, Highland Blended Malt, 3,000 bottles, 2025)

This was '100% finished in heavily charred crocodile casks'. I believe this is entirely new, the less seasoned enthusiast will be relieved to learn that 'crocodile' refers not to the material used to build the cask (this isn’t a handbag), but to an extremely intense charring method also known as 'alligator'. Colour: white wine. Nose: fresh, very much on 'eau-de-vie', with touches of wax and apple and pear skins, then orange blossom focaccia. With water: waxes, lanolin and leatherette, plus plenty of small fruits from the garden. To be honest and fair, we’ve tried our best but are failing to locate any trace of 'phantom smoke'. It's true that we do not believe in them. Mouth (neat): this is simply excellent, crocodile char or not. A gently earthy maltiness, close to raw barley, husk, grist, and, well, you get the idea. And apples. With water: becoming increasingly 'Sutherland', which is most delightful. Waxy apples and oranges. Finish: long, fresher and crisper, more on green apple. Comments: I fear we’ve entirely missed both the 'crocodile wood' and the 'phantom smoke', but what’s certain is that this is a superb offering, well done to the wee mouse.
SGP: 551 - 87 points.

House of Hazelwood 33 yo (57.3%, OB, The Legacy Collection, blended grain, 291 bottles, 2024)

They say this is a 'transatlantic blended grain scotch whisky'. We’ll take their word for it, although how a Scotch can be transatlantic is anyone’s guess. Reading the label more closely, we learn there was extended maturation in virgin American oak, which may explain the claim. Fair enough! Colour: rich gold. Nose: this does indeed sit somewhere between old bourbon and mature Scottish grain. Coconut, macaroons, fresh oak and popcorn aplenty. With water: even more towards the fresh oak, joiner’s workshop, perhaps even a luthier’s atelier. Mouth (neat): white chocolate, coconut liqueur, soft nougat, charred corn on the cob and just a couple of drops of orgeat. It’s really very gentle. With water: softer still, edging into liqueur territory now, even more coconut, then milk chocolate with crushed hazelnuts. Finish: not particularly long, but the white chocolate and grated coconut come roaring back with a vengeance. Comments: rather an anti-malt, and in that sense not quite a whisky for us nasty purists, but I’ll readily admit this is absolutely delicious. One for pudding!
SGP:630 - 87 points.

Sutherland Blended Malt (47.9%, Thompson Bros., blended malt, Limburg 2024 exclusive, 120 bottles)

Yep, late again etc... Colour: white wine. Nose: apples, apples, apples and plums, arranged in a fresh, youthful and lively composition, reminiscent of what one finds in the charming seaside town of Brora, though with less wax. Could there be a spot of Westport in here? Mouth: we adore this honesty, this very earthy purity, full of terroir, orchard fruits and even a slight salinity. Finish: long, more on herbs now, and even saltier. Comments: don’t tell me they added seawater when no one was looking? In any case, we’re rather fond of this slightly unruly youngster in the end.
SGP:562 - 88 points.

While we're in Limburg...

Blended Scotch Whisky 19 yo 2005/2025 (45.1%, Fadandel, Whisky Fair 2025, refill sherry butt, cask #91)

Oops, not for Limburg after all, but for Kolding. We’ll look up where Kolding is later. There are whisky fairs everywhere these days. And let it be known that many so-called blended Scotches now contain not a drop of grain. Colour: gold. Nose: this is very gentle, very soft, rather moderately aromatic, and actually seems to contain a fair bit of grain on the nose. So, it is a proper 'blended Scotch', my bad. Milk chocolate, dried flowers, maize and vanilla. Mouth: more pleasing on the palate, the malts begin to show, with sunflower oil, light beer, chamomile infusion, and half a spoonful of marmalade. Finish: medium in length, leaning back towards the grain. Popcorn, dried apples and delicate honeys. Comments: a blend that may be finding its feet, but it remains thoroughly good, like everything coming from Fadandel, really.
SGP:640 - 83 points.

Enigma 40 yo (44.5%, Cadenhead, Highland single malt, bourbon hogsheads, 636 bottles, 2025)

A Scottish malt sporting the flag of England, really? Right, rumour has it, unrefuted, mind you, that this is in fact Glenmorangie 1985. So, let’s go in search of almond, plum and vanilla pastries, shall we... Colour: gold. Nose: take a young Sauternes from a respectable little château, pour in some orange and quince juice, toss in a few shards of vanilla fudge, and you’ll be hard pressed to claim this couldn’t be Glenmorangie. Or Westport, come to that. Mouth: a rather entertaining arrival, sweet, salty, sour, bitter, we’re only missing umami. Then it opens up on beer, hops, a fairly delicate oakiness and a hint of English cigarette tobacco. Finish: fairly long, more on wood now, with apricot and peach skins. Then oolong tea, quince and a drizzle of honey. Comments: there’s absolutely nothing here to prove this isn’t Glenmorangie. A cask that’s held beautifully through four full decades.
SGP:551 - 89 points.

Old Perth 21 yo 'Macallan & Highland Park' (43.6%, Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers, blended malt, oloroso sherry casks, 2025)

This is indeed a blended malt, but we’re told exactly what’s in it, even if not the proportions. It’s one of those Edrington blends that pop up here and there, though in this case with no grain whisky whatsoever. The Highland Park dates from 2004, while the Macallan was older. The marriage took place in 2015, quite by chance according to the story, and they lived happily ever after in cask for another ten years, until now. Rather touching, no? Colour: mahogany. Nose: it’s a Christmas chocolate selection box, complete with pralines, dark chocolate, gianduja, and of course, whisky truffles. Then come notes of jam—blackberry, raspberry, blackcurrant—and some marmalade, with a faint coastal touch, no doubt from the HP. Mouth: really very good, still chocolatey, with a dry sherry style that does recall younger Macallans from thirty years ago. Then those jams return, lifted by lemon juice and black pepper. Nothing to complain about here, this is excellent, with also a faint saline note, perhaps from the HP. Finish: good length, perfectly in line with the palate, with full-cocoa dark chocolate ultimately taking charge. Comments: utterly excellent and very old-school sherry, very oloroso-y indeed.
SGP:462 - 89 points.

Couvreur 2016 'Garden Party Edition 2024' (51%, Michel Couvreur, for Au Jardin Vouvrillon, 200 bottles)

Pure Golden Promise barley here, and an unnamed Scottish single malt, matured in first fill cream sherry in the house’s cellar in Burgundy. Logic would suggest Glen Garioch, since the label reads 'Old Meldrum', but nothing is certain. Colour: golden amber. Nose: the cream sherry—a mix of oloroso and sweet PX, sometimes with a hint of Moscatel—certainly makes itself known, but I must say the combination with Golden Promise screams old-style Macallan, here as well. On the other hand, there’s a faintly earthy note, even wet beach sand, that could suggest Glen Garioch from quite a few years ago, albeit unpeated. The abundance of walnut, naturally, calls back to the sherry. With water: water brings out touches of pine resin, oil lamp and old cellar. In Burgundy, naturally. Mouth: the sherry is assertive, but it’s a lovely cask, balanced, sitting somewhere between toffee, fudge, chestnut cream, toasted sesame oil and walnut liqueur. In the background, a few dried Corinth raisins and hints of tobacco. With water: moves toward dried fig. Classic stuff... Finish: fairly long, rather creamy, reminding me somewhat of a tobacco ice cream I once tasted long ago. Comments: I must confess this is excellent, without the overly sweet notes one might fear from something labelled 'cream'.
SGP:561 - 88 points.

The Bastard No.2 14 yo 2009/2024 (62%, The Whisky Dudes, blended malt, refill butt and fresh Madeira finish)

Madeira often works rather well. Colour: full gold. Nose: an immediate blast of sulphur (from candles), then spent matches, then flintlock stone. No leek and cabbage soup let’s not exaggerate, but yes to mains gas. This takes quite a while to settle, but oddly, it doesn’t clash entirely with the Madeira. I suspect water will be crucial here. With water: it’s calmed down a little, but the sulphur remains front and centre, now mingling with MSG and Brussels sprouts. What a strange beast! Mouth (neat): again, very odd, but that oddness is oddly likeable. Right. Pepper, mustard and truffle oil. With water: devilled sauce, horseradish and toffee, green pepper and leather, cinnamon infusion, Sichuan pepper, liquorice wood... It’s really quite mad and, in any case, totally deviant. Finish: very long, very peppery, rather bitter. A huge dollop of mustard in the aftertaste, but it’s true that dry Madeiras can exhibit pronounced mustardy notes. Comments: well, we were warned, they didn’t call it 'The Bastard' for nothing. Great fun, but technically, no way this can climb to 80 points or more, it’s just too... deviant. The sulphur is omnipresent but the whole is very... fun.
SGP:472 - 79 points.

We’re wrapping up our Solera No.1 here – Solera No.2 will be kicking off soon.