Chichibu 'Japan Airlines Exclusive' (50%, OB, 400 bottles)
A non-age stated, small batch composed of six different casks, predominantly 1st fill and refill bourbon barrels, with one hogshead and a ‘Chibidaru’ quarter cask involved too. Colour: pale gold. Nose: lemon oil and pinewood sap, also herbal teas, woodruff, dried mint and hints of toasted fennel seed. A lovely roundness to the profile, that also starts to become slightly waxy and honeyed. It definitely ‘shows’ better than it did on the plane. With water: scented candles, subtle aniseed notes, heather ales, wildflowers and their pollens and a slight sappy note. Mouth: again it’s all on lemons, honey and waxes, sort of like a hot toddy pre-mix. Also some subtle herbal cough syrup notes, more resinous hardwood vibes and some coconut shavings and sandalwood as well. With water: doubles down on these lemon and honey notes, with flower honeys, lemon marmalade, white pepper adding a wee bite and some more sandalwood qualities. Finish: medium, with crystalised citrus rinds, delicate exotic fruit teas and more honey and waxy notes. Comments: a charming wee Chichibu, very elegantly composed, but I think it shows best at around 4 feet off the ground rather than 40000.
SGP: 561 – 87 points.

Glenfarclas ‘108’ 12 yo 2012/2024 (61.6%, OB for The Highlander Inn Chichibu, cask #2216, 1st fill sherry butt, 613 bottles)
Much love for the great folks at The Highlander Inn! Colour: amber. Nose: dense, fudgey and with delicate impressions of old leather and dried mint. A style that rather straddles older and more modern versions of ‘sherry cask’. I also find some lovely notes of tobacco leaf and fresh espresso. With water: an Olympic swimmer! All on spiced marmalades, grenadine, strawberry syrup, orange cocktail bitters and hints of clove and nutmeg. Mouth: pretty hot and punchy at cask strength, rather herbal with assertive wood spices, unlit cigars in cedar wood boxes, some treacle and cayenne pepper. With water: much improved with water, as on the nose it develops an effortless, sherried charm. Lots of milk chocolate, coffee and walnut cake, marzipan, clove, cinnamon breakfast cereals and fruit loaf. Perilously sippable now! Finish: long, with many softer dark fruit notes, more wood spices and hints of dark fruit chutneys and boozy Dundee cake. Comments: I would say water is obligatory, but once tamed, it’s a top class modern Farclas! 
SGP: 561 – 88 points.

Glen Elgin 14 yo 2009/2023 (53.3%, Club Qing, cask #806925, 1st fill sherry hogshead, 254 bottles)
Colour: deep amber. Nose: pickled walnuts straight away, along with camphor, leather, walnuts and a generally damp, earthy and pretty old school sherry profile. Surprisingly old school really. With water: prunes in Armagnac, intensifying rancio and hints of kirsch. Mouth: excellent arrival, with a very creamy texture and a superbly old school, rich sherry character with quite a bit of raisiny sweetness sitting alongside walnut wine, black liquorice and salted treacle. With water: getting a tad spicier now, but the sherry remains indubitable with game meats and bacon frazzles. Finish: good length, with many spiced dark fruits, more wood spices and further aged Armagnac notes. Comments: extremely impressive! Some very old school sherry character on display, even if it becomes a tad too spicy at times, the overall effect is a serious and top class sherry bomb! 
SGP: 561 – 89 points.

Port Ellen 16 yo 1980 (46%, First Cask for Direct Wines, cask #89/589/44)
This series was supplied by Signatory and shelters many lovely drams. Colour: white wine: Nose: creamy smokiness, wood ashes, petrol and mineral salts, then that familiar and pleasing Port Ellen ‘grubbiness’. In time that gathers an almost farmyard quality to it. Mouth: big, pure and densely smoky, with a rather compact peat profile and plenty tarry rope. Gets increasingly salty with seawater and soy sauce notes. Simple, but ticking all the right boxes. Finish: medium, some bright lemony notes, more ashes and still pretty coastal and fresh. Comments: a daily glugging Port Ellen, from when such things were possible. 
SGP: 366 – 88 points.

Port Ellen 15 yo 1980/1996 (62.5%, Cadenhead ‘Authentic Collection’)
Colour: straw. Nose: a dazzling cocktail of seawater, petrol and lemon juice! Immensely potent, petrolic and coastal, with a wonderful sense of fatness. With time it reveals a more rugged side with impressions of fisherman’s wellies, creel nets, hessian cloth and oily sheep wool. With water: a more fragrant and elegantly coastal side emerges, I’m also finding it a notch more medicinal with bandages and mercurochrome. Mouth: Brilliant arrival! Thick peat smoke, peppered mackerel, iodine, boiled shellfish, nori and smoked mussels in brine. A stunning richness and vivid intensity, yet with no aggression or intrusion from the high alcohol. With water: brilliant! Chiseled, razor sharp perfection. Broadens slightly without losing any definition, or an iota of power. Finish: very long! Razor sharp still, with more lemon juice, seawater, oyster sauce, smoked sea salt and waxes. Comments: Magnificent young Port Ellen, this whole parcel of 1980 casks from Cadenhead seem to have gone under the radar a little over the years, but I’ve found them consistently terrific, and this one is no exception. 
SGP: 367 – 92 points. 

Port Ellen 20 yo 1982/2002 (61.7%, Anderson & Mortimer Private Reserve, sherry)
A very obscure old bottling, not sure if it was entirely imported into Japan at the time? Colour: ruby/amber. Nose: magnificent intensity, full on natural tar resins, iodine drops, root beer cordial, sarsaparilla and then stunning umami depths full of black olive tapenade, Maggi and salted liquorice. Amazing intensity and concentrated power. With water: a softer side emerges, with a little the sherry influence a little more vocal, quite a few pickled dark fruits, aged balsamic, walnut liqueur and plum wine – anti-maltoporn brigade required please! Mouth: as on the nose, immediate brilliance I’m afraid. Superbly tarry, chock full of pure, dry peat smoke, more olives of both shades, salted liquorice again, soy sauce, dried seaweed and herbal bitters. Perhaps also artichoke liqueur and some ancient pinot noir. This stunning balance of herbal, bitter, earthy and peaty emerges. With water: more of the same but with even more depth and complexity, one of those drams you could write lists and lists of tiny notes for. But I’ll save us both that faff and simply say: call the anti-maltoporn brigade! Finish: outrageously long! More of everything! Sticks to your mouth like roof pitch! Comments: a total star of a Port Ellen, and probably among the small pantheon of truly great old Islay whiskies that meld peat and sherry together in perfect balance. 
SGP: 577 – 93 points.