One last solera session, fearlessly


December 17, 2025

One last solera session, fearlessly, before the end of the year

Just a reminder that these whiskies are tasted almost one by one, whenever we have five minutes, rather than during a large, specifically organised session. Thank you for your understanding and patience...

Symington’s 10 yo (46%, Signatory Vintage, blended Scotch, sherry and bourbon, 2025)

I daresay that if I had access to Signatory’s immense warehouses, I’d have quite the time cobbling together a few batches myself. Only snag is, I’ve no idea how to operate one of those snazzy modern forklifts, I’m afraid… Colour: gold. Nose: rather more malty than your average blend, regardless of the label, showing a lovely green walnut, some ale, wisps of snapped branches and orange zest, with apple making a cheerful appearance as well. Truth be told, we know a fair number of young Speyside single malts that are less enticing on the nose than this. Mouth: the sherry comes through with greater insistence on the palate, bringing nuts, oranges, black pepper and nutmeg, along with black tea and a clutch of little matching biscuits, including shortbread for good measure. Finish: medium in length but fresh and most enjoyable. Apples and cinnamon. Comments: let’s not forget this goes for €30 a bottle. Jolly well done.
SGP:431 - 84 points.

Coachbuilt (46%, OB, blended Scotch, +/-2025)

A whisky concocted by a coterie involving former F1 driver Jenson Button and Williams Racing, who proclaim their ambition to ‘Redefine Blended Scotch Whisky’. Naturally, we’ve heard that line some 3,458,241 times before, but we’ll keep our ears and palates open, although revolutions tend not to announce themselves in advance. Colour: white wine. Nose: pretty, fresh, somewhat coastal, well balanced and refreshing. For now, it’s not exactly earthshattering, but it’s well put together, with a genuinely charming brightness on apples and a touch of seaweed. Mouth: a tad sweet, on marshmallows and lemon drops, then gently turning more malty and faintly smoky. Finish: not very long, but clean. Slight hints of SevenUp. Comments: this isn’t bad at all and doesn’t come across as completely absurd following the Symington’s, which was clearly playing in another division. There is a slightly odd sweetness throughout, but let’s not forget Mr Button was Formula 1 world champion in 2009. Worth an extra point or two for that alone (shame on me!) Please note that there’s also another version which is quite superior we think, we’ll be tasting it here soon.
SGP:641 - 79 points.

Fable Blend 5 yo ‘The Fiendish King’ (46.5%, Pendulum Spirits, Batch 4, 2022, 9,000 bottles)

I fear we may have lost touch a little with these charming folk, but one thing’s for certain, their labels remain absolutely splendid. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: apple and lemon juice, with greengages and a touch of barley syrup. Fairly straightforward stuff, but it works for me. Mouth: really quite enjoyable, gently smoky, salty, coastal, peppery and with a noticeable lager or pilsner-like edge. The apple does most of the heavy lifting and does it rather well. Finish: a little short but following the same general path, which is no bad thing. Some smoke. Comments: does the job very nicely, not overloaded with caramel, and the vanilla and coconut are kept to a blessed minimum.
SGP:552 - 80 points.

House of Hazelwood 36 yo ‘The Lowlander’ (45.9%, OB, The Legacy Collection, American oak, 432 bottles, 2024)

It’s a blend and it’s a Lowlander, though let’s not forget that many grain distilleries are—or were—based in the Lowlands, notably Girvan. The question remains as to which Lowland malts William Grant may have employed here… Ladyburn, perhaps? And why not? Colour: pale gold. Nose: a kiss of vanilla and coconut, as they say, though to be honest it’s really very pretty, very elegant, with notes of honeysuckle and dandelion, orange custard, blancmange, marshmallow, fresh American oak (a bit of re-racking perhaps?) and white nougat. Lovely! Mouth: oh, this is lovely indeed, one might call it an anti-Ardbeg, all softness and gentleness, with honey ice cream, hay jelly (a sublime thing when done right) and floral puddings whipped up by top pastry chefs. Finish: not terribly long, granted, but delightfully floral, with no intrusive oak despite the age and the spirit’s relative delicacy. Comments: truth be told, we approached this one with some hesitation but came away thoroughly charmed. Only the aftertaste is a touch frail, with light tannins turning just slightly sour.
SGP:631 - 88 points.

While we're at it...

House of Hazelwood 56 yo ‘The Long Marriage’ (48.7%, OB, blended Scotch, The Charles Gordon Collection, American oak hogshead, 288 bottles, 2022)House of Hazelwood 56 yo ‘The Long Marriage’ (48.7%, OB, blended Scotch, The Charles Gordon Collection, American oak hogshead, 288 bottles, 2022)

House of Hazelwood 56 yo ‘The Long Marriage’ (48.7%, OB, blended Scotch, The Charles Gordon Collection, American oak hogshead, 288 bottles, 2022)

One imagines Balvenie and Glenfiddich are calling the shots here… Colour: dark amber. Nose: this is an old Rolls-Royce in liquid form, full of aged waxes, precious woods, varnishes, glacé chestnuts, and a humidor crammed to the brim, with just the faintest echo of very ancient Calvados. Did you notice we did not mention any used engine oil that has leaked onto a concrete floor? A magnificent nose, truly one for the museum. Mouth: oh, this is glorious indeed, with far more structure than expected, no fatigue whatsoever, still those roasted chestnuts, old orange liqueur, and vintage Cognac—which reminds us that these venerable Scotch whiskies, or rather their forefathers, found their audience after phylloxera vastatrix had ravaged the vineyards of Cognac. You know the tale. A magnificent palate, whichever way you cut it. Finish: not very long, but perfect, on praline, toasted and caramelised nuts, old rum, old Cognac—in short, very ‘world’. And superb. Comments: one bows without resistance, as before a masterpiece by an old Italian master, in Firenze or elsewhere.
SGP:651 - 91 points.

Since we're taking a step back in time…

The Antiquary ‘De Luxe’ (43.5%, OB, blended Scotch, Wax & Vitale, Italy, 75cl, 1960s)

We’ve already sampled some marvellous old Antiquary in the past, and the more recent ones haven’t been half bad either. Colour: white wine. Nose: brings to mind White Horse, with peat, axle grease, wax, withering apples and a whole contingent of dried fruits, not overdone, mind. Mouth: how good is this, how good is this! A blend that would send quite a few modern malts back to school, complexity module first. That said, Antiquary always carried a mighty reputation, and this sample more than justifies it. Lovely notes of small dried fruits, jujubes, sultanas, citrus peels… Finish: a little saline, earthy, citrusy and gently phenolic. Brilliant lemon zest in the aftertaste. Comments: a thousand times better than that ‘J&W Hardie Ltd’ version we had back in… May 2005. So not that long ago, eh.
SGP:562 - 87 points.

You cannot imagine the deep shame we feel as we prepare to taste the next baby, two years late…

A delightful print advert for The Antiquary, from the early 1960s, by Tomi Ungerer (Strasbourg 1931 – Cork 2019)

You cannot imagine the deep shame we feel as we prepare to taste the next baby, two years late…

Black Friday 15 yo ‘2023’ (54.2%, The Whisky Exchange)

It’s true we do feel that Black Friday is something of a symbol for the hollowness of the age, the dumbing-down of society, and the pernicious, hyper-commercialised influence of the degenerate Western barbarians. I may be exaggerating ever so slightly here… Anyway, rumour has it this one’s Glenkinchie. Colour: amber. Nose: wax and fading apples and pears, then pine needles. With water: waxes and polishes, then walnut butter. Mouth (neat): lovely resins, mint, salted butter caramel, gingerbread and a touch of rum. With water: drifting towards tobaccos, citrus peels and all things mentholy. Finish: same ballpark, lovely, not very long. Comments: I’m fully aware that publishing such a tasting note two years late makes no sense whatsoever. Must be our punk side showing (eh?) …
SGP:451 - 85 points.

Avon 9 yo 2016/2025 (51.5%, Milroy’s Soho Selection, hogshead, blended malt)

We are getting a bit fed up with the guessing games, let’s be honest. There, it’s said, with a free mind and peace in our heart. Colour: white wine. Nose: this is lovely—waxy, precise, mineral, lightly smoky, just perfect. With water: beer and malt start to peek through. Mouth (neat): but this is delicious! Apples, green walnuts, tart pears. With water: honey and yellow and green fruits. Excellent. Finish: long, fresh, taut, on small apples and wild pears. Comments: so, what is it? Granted, we know that the River Avon is joining the River Spey near Ballindalloch Castle…
SGP:552 - 85 points.

Scottish Glory (40%, OB, blended Scotch, Duncan Taylor, +/-2025)

Scottish Glory (40%, OB, blended Scotch, +/-2025)

Moving on to simpler things, and mercifully not too expensive. We’d tasted an earlier version under a different label about a dozen years ago (WF 60). Colour: white wine; at least it’s not drowning in caramel. Nose: well, this is fairly fresh, very much on apple, hay and pear, with no overt cardboard notes, rather a few hints of dandelion. In short, far from dreadful—on the contrary. Ideal for a summer day, with ice cubes, out in the open… Mouth: quite a bit drier here, slightly cardboardy in fact, with no obvious fruitiness, and leaning towards bitterness. That hay was lovely on the nose, less so on the palate. Finish: short but bitter. Bitter orange. Comments: there are some good sides, especially the nose, but elsewhere you’ll want a fair amount of ice, I reckon. Not terribly glorious, this Glory.
SGP:331 - 62 points.

Queen Anne 12 yo ‘Light De Luxe Whisky’ (43%, Hill Thompson, Giovinetti, 75cl, +/-1975)

A Seagram’s/Glenlivet brand. The “light” mention is typical of the era—everyone wanted lightness, and some whiskies were even decolourised rather than dosed with caramel. Paler = lighter, as it were. Colour: pale gold. Nose: it’s very light indeed, with hints of peanuts, herbs, old beer, and also infusions—chamomile especially—with a faint waxy touch. Gradually, a little peat emerges, lending it something of a White Horse… light. Very light. Mouth: this is actually better on the palate, with broths and herbal teas, smoke, tobacco… That White Horse light profile becomes even more evident. Finish: fairly long in the end, saline and smoky. Comments: it really opened up after a few minutes. A very charming old blend, in fact, worth noting that age-stated versions like this 12-year-old were top-tier in their day!
SGP:352 - 84 points.

Glen Mavis (43%, OB, Italy, blended Scotch, +/-1970)

The brand still exists, currently selling, for example, for €21.50 at the excellent Whisky Lodge in France. For 1 litre. Colour: full gold. Nose: OBE is very noticeable, with soapy notes, old paper, but also hints of old liqueurs, fir, orange… the jury’s still out. Mouth: it’s really on its last legs, though one can still pick up a smoky, even maritime character, more clearly expressed in the Queen Anne. Finish: very short, dry. Comments: noted here for the record. Still drinkable, hence the relatively decent score, but it must have been far better ‘in its day’. A shame, the label is absolutely lovely.
SGP:231 - 40 points.

Just one last one for now…

John Haig ‘Gold Label’ (No ABV mention, Liqueur Scotch Whisky, Haig & Haig, Markinch, spring cap, 1936)

We know it’s from 1936 because the original owner pencilled the date onto the label. Very much in period style, the label is festooned with medals, though curiously there's no mention of the World Whisky Awards or the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. It doesn’t yet reference ‘the late King George V’, who had passed in January 1936, merely stating ‘by appointment’ beneath the royal seal. Colour: full gold. Nose: this is lovely, brimming with roasted nuts, pecans, scones and muffins, pizza dough, damp earth and savoury broths, very much in the style of many truly old blends. Antique orange and citrus liqueurs. Mouth: Turkish delight with peanuts, more roasted nuts, sesame paste, certainly some peat, old dry sherry… all wrapped in a texture and strength that haven’t faded a bit, feels close to 80° UK proof or thereabouts. Finish: begins to fade at this stage, which is to be expected, drifting into dry tobacco and cardboard. Comments: a moving pre-war blend, likely with distillate from the 1920s. Don’t we catch a glimpse of these bottles and their wooden crates in the original version of Whisky Galore? We really ought to check…
SGP:352 - 87 points.

(Max, Tom, Wouter, you’re kings)