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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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December 4, 2025 |
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The World Sessions,
today a new short selection of whiskies from the rest of the world... |
… As the Scots used to say. We’ll start in France as usual, then head to Finland, China, Slovenia, England, Norway, Denmark and India. Does that suit you?
By the way, one of these whiskies—whichever it may be—will be the twenty-two-thousandth I’ve tasted since the launch of this rather unlikely little website… Yet it’s proven resilient, which surprises even me. Cheers, thanks for you support and constant kind words. Oh and once again, my apologies for the yellow background ;-). |
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Tchankat ‘Fumé’ (43%, OB, France, +/-2025) 
Whisky from Gascony with a majority of maize (80%) alongside rye (10%) and barley (10%), produced by the renowned Armagnac house Samalens. The peat smoke is introduced into the whisky via a micro-bubbling process applied during maturation, which is rather intriguing. The casks are recharred ex-Gruaud Larose. The unpeated Tchankats we've already tasted were truly good (WF 82-83) Colour: apricot. Nose: not particularly peaty, we’re rather greeted by fallen vineyard peaches, a touch of Earl Grey, a few drops of cough syrup and hints of sour cherry. Quite pretty, in fact. Mouth: the smoke is more apparent now, though we’re leaning more towards firwood smoke than traditional peat. There’s a certain astringency, a bit of bell pepper mingling with cherries (the Bordeaux influence?) and a faint note of tomato leaf with a whisper of sea salt. Finish: rather long, drier, even more on tomato leaf with a smattering of ashes. Comments: it’s fun and even good, but I believe I preferred the classic Tchankats.
SGP:463 - 79 points. |
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Kyrö ‘Sauna Stories N°2’ (51%, OB, Finland, 2025) 
This is malted rye, matured in bourbon and finished in apricot brandy casks ‘in the embrace of a sauna’. Or so I’ve understood. Needless to say, we’re already smiling… Colour: deep gold. Nose: Nordic crackers, oatcakes, rye bread, peanut butter, faint touches of fromage blanc. In short, this baby seems perfect for breakfast, the apricot remains discreet for the time being though I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s been overshadowed by the rye, as their aromas can indeed be rather similar (yes, really). With water: drier, more herbal and more vanilled. Hints of bitter almonds. Mouth (neat): much more marked by the brandy this time, very spicy, very peppery, very bready. That suits us well. With water: this is where it really shines, on gingerbread, rye bread, and indeed apricot, in the style of Jean-Marc Roulot’s excellent liqueur from Burgundy. Finish: long, very well balanced despite a slightly whacky streak. A miracle? Comments: I presume the apricots had been pitted, as their stones are laden with prussic acid. We didn’t detect any sauna notes, ha, but we loved the whole package.
SGP:562 - 87 points. |
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Kwun Cheung 5 yo ‘Peated’ (56.8%, OB, China, single malt, 2025)
A malt from Guangzhou Shunchangyuan Wine & Spirit Ltd. in Canton, matured in Changbai Mountains Mongolian oak. We’ve heard a lot of good things about this new Chinese malt, but it’s a first for us. Colour: deep gold. Nose: it’s very ‘craft’ and wouldn’t look out of place among the best from Europe or the American West, it’s rich yet taut, on blood oranges, zest, gingerbread, pumpernickel and resinous smoke, plus quite a bit of cracked pepper. Feels like water might open it up further. With water: the mizunara comes out more (spruce, balsa, eucalyptus) along with notes of nougat with orange zest and a slight fermentary touch. It likes water. Mouth (neat): powerful, slightly resinous, peppery, marked by bitter oranges. Feels even more like it needs water. With water: now it plays in the same league as the excellent Kyrö, despite a touch of drying oak, nicely counterbalanced by zest and mint. Great cask work. Finish: long, sharper, peppery, but with a return of Seville orange towards the end. Ash and smoke rule the aftertaste. Comments: this really is very ‘craft’ and very good. Our Chinese friends consume 97% baijiu among their spirits but this sort of malt, quite compatible with Chinese Pride, could shift things a little. Bravo!
SGP:463 - 87 points. |
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Broken Bones ‘Twis’ (46%, OB, Slovenia, 2025) 
We’ve already tasted a fair few Broken Bones (well, five) and we rather liked them. Colour: pale gold. Nose: mildly spicy oak, then vanilla, Golden Grahams, underripe banana, apples and oatcakes. At any rate, we’re close to nature here. Mouth: more distinctive on the palate, on candied citrus, lemon, caramelised pear and slightly peppered honey. Finish: long, a little more peppery and a little more honeyed at the same time. A faintly woody aftertaste (spruce). Comments: lovely. They also make superb honey in Slovenia with their famous Carniolan honeybees.
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
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London Distillery Company ‘Renascence’ (58%, OB, England, refill barrels and 1st fill sherry, 410 bottles, 2025)
Made from Plumage Archer barley and brewer’s yeast. Colour: straw. Nose: very well mannered, like all Londoners (isn’t it?) and full of nougat and custard, with just a few touches of yellow plums and toasted hazelnuts. With water: more or less the same profile, with just a few puffs of fresh tea (silver needle). Mouth (neat): very good, on citrus zest, white pepper and very fresh country bread. Lovely liveliness despite a creamy texture. With water: as on the nose, water doesn’t change much, though the oak comes through a little more, with more white pepper. But we still find it excellent. Finish: medium length, on fresh bread, fresh oak, white pepper and fresh plums. Zest in the aftertaste. Comments: nothing to complain about, it’s very well made, quite fresh while still nicely textured. One could easily have a few glasses without blinking…
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
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Thy 4 yo 2020/2024 ‘Limited Edition’ (51%, OB, Denmark, oloroso, casks #470-471, 213 bottles)
Odyssey barley smoked over beechwood. Oh, and it’s organic. I think we’re organic too. Colour: full gold. Nose: bingo. Fresh rubber, eucalyptus, new wellingtons, and a stroll through a tweed shop in Scotland. All of that suits us just fine. With water: fern and brand-new trainers. Mouth (neat): very good, this is exactly what one expects from a young distillery trying to stand out. Burnt spruce, rubber, almond milk, charcoal and green pepper. On paper it sounds odd, but in the glass it works a treat. With water: yes, spot on, very nicely rubbery and resinous. I know it may sound deviant, but it really isn’t. Finish: long, on the same profile, with even a touch of salt in the aftertaste. Comments: we didn’t quite catch the beechwood, but that’s probably on us. In any case, this is excellent, despite the marked oakiness.
SGP:363 - 86 points. |
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Myken 10 yo ‘First 10 Years’ (47%, OB, Norway, 1st fill bourbon, 565 bottles, 2025)
A bottle that perhaps looks a little, ahem, HP… We’re talking about the design, of course, and we don’t really care about the design, do we. Colour: white wine. Nose: delicate, precise, close to barley, beer, yeast and lemon zest. It’s very restrained, austere, and ultimately just right. Mouth: amusingly, it opens on notes of lemony anise, or anisey lemon, and remains narrow, controlled, close to the raw materials, with no embellishment save for a little cask pepper. All in all, it’s almost abstract, which is precisely where its charm lies. Finish: precise, slightly more candied. Candied lemon, ginseng, fresh turmeric. Comments: there’s a faintly intellectual side here, let’s be honest. Are the Myken folk a bit bookish? In any case, this is excellent. Happy 10 years, Myken!
SGP:461 - 86 points. |
Right then, we'll finish with something completely different, straight from the stock... |
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Amrut ‘Lightly Peated’ (60%, OB, India, for LMDW Singapore, 15th Anniversary, ex-bourbon, +/-2022)
Colour: full gold. Nose: like almost all Amruts, the nose is wonderfully attractive, even seductive, marked by mango, with peat that is, indeed, very ‘light’, and wee whiffs of hot tar presumably coming from that gentle peat. With water: freshly watered potting soil and mint tea. Mouth (neat): let’s just say it, orange, camphor and rubber all at once sounds wildly off-key, yet it’s absolutely beautiful. With water: this is almost a little hilarious, now showing that hospital-side character, with bandages, ointments, massage balms… and mangoes served to the patients. Finish: long, amusing, herbal and tropical, rubbery and tarry. Comments: in short, it’s a bit unlikely, but it’s stimulating. In any case, we’re big Amrutophiles, peat or no peat, light or not.
SGP:564 - 86 points. |
Hold on tight, we’re going to have hundreds of world whiskies in the coming weeks. I’m not exaggerating. |
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