We're setting off again on a journey around the world of whisky


January 31, 2025

	We're setting off again on a journey around the world of whisky
	Let’s start from France as usual, then we’ll fly to Sweden, Canada, China again, Germany, England and Tasmania…

Daikin

Daikin Distillery, Fujian. Isn't she lovely? (Daikin)

Domaine de la Pèze 2021/2024 ‘Moyssou 2020’ (46%, OB, France, ex-cognac cask)

Here we are in Savignac in the Aveyron, where they use barley from the distillery’s own estate, malted at a regional malt house, then distilled on-site in a small Armagnac-style column still. The harvest took place in 2020, and, as is often the case, after its dormancy period, the barley was used the following year. Colour: white wine. Nose: fresh, with notes of bread, malt, pastries, a touch of earth, and a few seeds (fennel, poppy). There’s some pear and plum, but not excessively so. Mouth: very fruity at first, with that eau-de-vie-of-berries quality you find in many young malts from distilleries not using pot stills (over 95% of them, roughly). The texture isn’t heavy but features a delightful combination of mirabelle plums, apricots, and quince that works very well. The fresh seeded bread note is still lovely, along with lemon and anise. Finish: very slight tannicity, but overall gentle. Comments: typical of a young, carefully made craft malt without excessive cask influence.
SGP:641 - 84 points.

Mackmyra ‘Vision 1999’ (45.2%, OB, Sweden, 25th Anniversary Edition, new Swedish oak, bourbon, and PX, 2024)

You may know that the distillery filed for bankruptcy in 2024, though there’s reportedly a candidate for its acquisition (my information is a bit dated, I admit). It seems the distillery reopened at the end of 2024, but their website remains oddly quiet. Never mind the websites, though. That said, the ‘1999’ on the label doesn’t appear to be a vintage, which always feels a bit cheeky. Colour: deep gold. Nose: it works, though it’s very unusual. Think dark chocolate infused with lapsang souchong, clove, and allspice, along with plenty of damp potting soil and black pepper. Hints of lavender. Mouth: lots of pepper and bitter wine (retsina), then dark chocolate and quite a bit of soy sauce and balsamic. It becomes slightly sour and fuel-smoky after that (or at least that’s the impression). Finish: long and very oaky. There’s a strong oloroso-like character, followed by salted chocolate sauce and bitter orange. Comments: it certainly doesn’t do things halfway, that’s for sure. We appreciate the ‘no compromises’ approach, but this is yet another one that’s very hard to score.
SGP:563 - 83 points.

Macaloney’s ‘Kildara Batch 1’ (46%, OB, Canada, Signature Collection, 611 bottles, 2022)

The cask bill here reminds us of the Mackmyra: bourbon, oloroso, Pedro Ximenez, and virgin oak. There’s no STR or mizunara, but still, one wonders, “is there whisky too?” (just joking). It seems this follows the Irish method: malted and unmalted barley, triple distilled in pot stills. Colour: reddish amber. Nose: not bad at all, very cask-driven, with raisins, patchouli, rosewood, butterscotch, a slight meaty touch (bacon), and an overall light profile. Mouth: I enjoy this violet-flavoured liquorice, alongside notes of ripe strawberries and mangos, layered over fruitcake and mendiant. It really has an Irish character—hope I’m not offending anyone. Finish: good length, spicier, mostly peppery. Comments: despite all the complexity from the casks, I find this very good, very easy-drinking, and dangerously quaffable. No wonder Donald J. might want to annex the country—even if he doesn’t drink (but NYC bartenders say he used to).
SGP:641 - 85 points.

Laizhou ‘Blender Inaugural Edition’ (43%, OB, China, single blend, 1,999 bottles, +/-2024)

We were quite impressed by the inaugural single malt from Laizhou (Szechuan) the other day, and now here’s the ‘self blend’ or ‘single blend,’ which seems to consist of 70% malt. I’m not entirely sure I’ve understood everything, but it seems that the grain whisky was also distilled in pot stills, like the malt, and not in columns. Colour: gold. Nose: I believe this is three years old, and for three years, hats off—it’s soft and fruity yet has complexity. Notes of white chocolate, roasted hazelnuts, ripe peach, and those subtle menthol touches we already found in the single malt, along with eucalyptus and a tiny puff of peony. Mouth: a bit more unusual, with prominent woodiness right from the start (a sawdust sensation), then pear, honey, and vanilla. Scottish blenders, when composing a young blend, often add a bit of older malt to smooth out the youthfulness, but when you’ve only been distilling for three years, that’s naturally impossible. Still, this is very well made. Finish: fairly short, with little evolution apart from some orange notes. Comments: the single malt was truly excellent (WF 85), and this charming blend will need a bit more time. Understandable. It’s also admirable that they didn’t try to source older malt and/or grain whisky from abroad, in the Japanese fashion.
SGP:531 - 80 points.

Daiking ‘Double Cask’ (51%, OB, China, bourbon and oloroso sherry, +/-2024)

Here we are in Fujian, and we’ve already enjoyed several fine Daikings. Colour: deep gold. Nose: this starts with a lovely dusty note (yes, dust can be beautiful), evoking pollen, old books, and vintage beeswax polish, before moving into dried fruits, including longans, goji berries, and dried jujubes, followed by very ripe apples and sweet sherry. A truly delightful nose, with a distinctly ‘Chinese’ character that I really like—just a personal impression. With water: yeast, raisins, Ovaltine, and sherry. Mouth (neat): a very polished dram, with spices reminiscent of cinnamon rolls, a slight peppery touch, then marmalade, dark chocolate, and walnut tart. We’ll try not to mention pu-ehr tea too much, but yes, it’s there. With water: absolutely excellent, even with saline touches. Finish: long, a bit woodier (oak, cedar), but the dried fruits do their job. Also, candied sugar and orange marmalade. Comments: and to top it off, the distillery is stunning.
SGP:541 – 87 points.

Bimber ‘Chopin the Composer’ (52.0%, OB, England, Shoulders of Giants, for Poland, fino, cask #513/28, 328 bottles, 2023)

Another release for Poland, naturally. At WF, we’re fino-ists—and manzanilla-ists too. Colour: gold. Nose: the fino influence is quite massive, with gunflint, gunpowder, bitter apple, and mustard, not to mention those famous fresh walnuts and a touch of mocha. With water: no real change, everything stays almost identical. Mouth (neat): lots of bitters, beer, mocha indeed, Seville oranges, chervil, tobacco, leather, chilli chocolate, and juniper berries… There’s a lot going on here—this is no little nocturne composed by Frédéric Chopin himself. With water: water smooths it out a bit, though cooked bell pepper also emerges. Finish: long, softer, with raisins finally making an appearance. Comments: more Frank Zappa than Frédéric Chopin, but we love them both.
SGP:461 - 87 points.

To stay somewhat in the realm of extremes...

St. Kilian 2017-2021/2024 ‘Signature Edition Fourteen’ (49.8%, OB, Germany, 4,260 bottles)

Brace yourself, as this was matured in French casks: ex-Rhum Agricole (190 litres, 21%), ex-Armagnac (400 litres, 20%), ex-Cognac (300 litres, 14%), ex-Sauternes (225 litres, 11%), ex-red Margaux (225 litres, 12%), and ex-Champagne Vin Clair (350 litres, 22%). Long live Europe! Colour: light gold. Nose: nothing really stands out, but that’s perfectly fine, and the nose is anything but extreme. It’s beautifully malty, with notes of pastries, a touch of wine influence (though subtle), yeast, hints of young Alpine Gruyère, vineyard peaches (as found in summer Gruyères), and a bit of white nougat. Ultimately, it’s very delicate. Mouth: wonderfully fruity, with stewed and candied fruits, notably cherries and angelica, buttery pears, some raisins, praline, and always those peaches (probably from the Sauternes and Cognac duo). Finish: long, spicier, leaning more into wood spices now—cumin, nutmeg, and pepper. Comments: how could I not love this? Spitzentropfen, truly classy.
SGP:551 - 87 points.

By the way, the vin clair in Champagne is the first stage of production. Initially, a “normal” wine, the vin clair, is made, and then it undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle. For high-quality cuvées, the vin clair can be made and aged in oak barrels, often Chardonnay barrels brought in from Burgundy, just to the south, particularly pièces from Chablis, or demi-muids, or larger vats... It must be this type of barrel that our friends at St. Kilian used. Right then, one last drop for the road…

Hellyers Road 21 yo 2002/2024 (62.4%, OB for La Maison du Whisky & Kirsch Import, Australia, American oak, cask #3093.04)

I don’t need to elaborate further on my thoughts about this Tasmanian distillery and, above all, its products. While the earliest releases didn’t impress me, each passing year has been more and more convincing. Let’s keep this quick, like having a small spoonful of caviar swallowed in one go (why not?). Colour: gold. Nose: just brilliant. Vanilla cream, passion fruit, mango, orange, nectarine, fir honey, and plenty of pollen—all in complete and total harmony. With water: meadow honey. Mouth (neat): explosively fruity, with touches of varnish and glue, likely from the wood—or perhaps the 62%. With water: what I particularly love are these faintly minty herbal tea notes that join the fruits, mostly yellow fruits, and of course, the honey. Finish: long, with subtle wood emerging and tiny hints of coffee (ditto). Peach skin. Comments: you could almost use this wee marvel to replace honey. Well, maybe not for breakfast.
SGP:651 - 90 points.

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