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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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April 21, 2026 |
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The World Sessions,
today just a few more whiskies from around the world |
As we all need to reconcile ourselves with the world, wouldn’t you agree? Let’s begin with France, as usual… |
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Warenghem 2019/2026 ‘Silvae’ (46%, Version Française, LMDW) 
Warenghem is Armorik. Here we have a vatting put together by La Maison du Whisky from the same malt, yet doubly matured in four singular oaks (if that makes any sense), Breton oak, mizunara, American oak, French oak. Do not worry, Breton oak is French as well. We also happen to have each of these expressions separately, though we shall taste them later. Colour: gold. Nose: a bakery at six in the morning, with baguettes but also country loaves, brie with kirsch, croissants, mochis, Paris-Brest, that’s of course even more buttercream… And in this bakery, they also sell you bananas and apples. Mouth: the wood dominates in a young bourbon style, there is plenty of curry, hay, sawdust, green banana, even plantain and perhaps cassava. The impact of the wood is maximal, so this is not quite balanced, yet as they say, it is through imbalance that we move forward. Right. Finish: long, with a few notes of pear juice that come to reassure us. Fir buds in the aftertaste, just as they are. Comments: they have pushed the sliders to the maximum, rather in a heavy metal style. I suspect there are enthusiasts for this extreme style, not only amateur carpenters. Seriously, it is really good, but it needs to settle down. Let us put a few bottles in the cellar for future generations…
SGP:450 - 80 points. |
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TER 5 yo ‘Lignum’ (40%, OB, Italy, triple wood cask aged, 2025) 
A whisky from the house of Roner, in Trentino Alto Adige. It is true that 40% vol. does not send a very encouraging message, yet the truth is in the glass… Not entirely sure this is barley malt. Colour: gold. Nose: extremely light, fleeting, with touches of vanilla and fresh wood. A little apple juice. Mouth: a little better, there is some texture, yet we remain on fresh wood, vanilla and apple juice. Finish: same. Comments: a ‘world whisky’ in the style we used to encounter twenty-five years ago. I am sure they will improve, all the more so as Trentino Alto Adige is one of Europe’s high places of distillation.
SGP:231 - 56 points. |
Come on, let’s have some German-Mexican fun… |
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Beverbach ‘Tequila Cask Finish’ (43%, OB, Germany, +/-2024) 
We had always made fun of tequila casks, yet since Lagavulin did it, we laugh rather less. Indeed, L.a.g.a.v.u.l.i.n. Colour: white wine. Nose: very light as well, yet there are rather pretty rooty notes, carrot, celery, then vanilla… Then some curious notes of anchovy and tinned sardines appear, that must be the tequila. The worst part is that we are not against it. Mouth: it is pleasant, we find that briny side again, anchovy, but also some light manzanilla and a few capers. Finish: of medium length and surprisingly saline. The carrots return in the aftertaste. Comments: it is genuinely pleasant, even if we would not be downing a double magnum while pondering the future of the world.
SGP:451 - 78 points. |
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La Roja ‘Melquiades Lot #2’ (44.6%, OB, Switzerland, +/- 2025)
A mix of barley malt and maize, organic to boot. In these times when everyone rather does not care about organic, especially in whisky, this ought to be applauded, despite the PX finish, was it organic PX by the way? What is more interesting is the six months in stainless steel that followed. Colour: full gold. Nose: shortbread, damp earth, vanilla, bread dough, fresh barley, porridge. No PX detected, I repeat, no PX detected, unless perhaps in those marzipan notes that appear later. Mouth: it is a good whisky, rather in the style of the newer American malts, yet this time the PX asserts itself, with a somewhat marked bittersweet side. Finish: fairly long, more saline and fermentary. Indeed, we find notes of sweetcorn topped with salted butter, as well as peanut butter. Comments: I would have left it one more year in stainless steel, or better still, in concrete. I am not joking. This is a very pretty whisky.
SGP:351 - 79 points. |
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Ki One 2021/2025 (57 .1%, OB, The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show exclusive, Korea, new American oak, cask #21-0200, 243 bottles) 
The brand positions itself as the first Korean malt, yet according to my notes, it may rather be Kimchangsoo. At least Kimchangsoo was the first one I, ever saw. No matter… It is really very young. Colour: full gold. Nose: sawdust, vanilla, light coconut, semi-ripe bananas, clay and carbon dust. This latter part is interesting. With water: porridge. It even folded in on itself, like a frightened oyster. Mouth (neat): much better on the palate than on the nose, with a rather unusual side of bananas roasted with pepper and curry bread. Very good, very unusual indeed. With water: bread, pepper, cardamom, chilli… The kimchi of malt. Finish: long, dry, peppery, yet we then find curry cookies, or cod fritters. Comments: the nose is anecdotal, there has to be one, yet the palate is very, very interesting. Not just the PC word here.
SGP:362 - 85 points. |
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Millstone 11 yo 2014/2025 (51.1%, Decadent Drams, Netherlands, 1st fill ex-bodega PX sherry hogshead, 320 bottles) 
Since when have proper maturing bodegas had hogsheads. Not sure we want to know, yet on the other hand, the label is very pretty. And then, it is Millstone… Between us, when indies such as DD and a few others select one or another world whisky, it is the equivalent of the kiss of love. Colour: dark amber. Nose: these Millstones is the blending of a great bourbon and a great Scottish malt, figuratively, and here is further proof. Fudge, varnish, charcoal, roasted bananas, milk chocolate, seeded bread, toasted sesame… With water: fresh paint. Mouth (neat): it is so good! You take a great bourbon, you add pastis and pepper liqueur, bitter orange, and there you are. With water: superb spices. Where do they come from. I do not know, in any case this is a very fine liquid gingerbread. Finish: long, on spiced fruitcake, Christmas style. Comments: all the world-trade and Hanseatic (well) side of our friends the Dutch, you find all the spices of the world in this magnificent young whisky.
SGP:361 - 88 points. |
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Taichung 2013/2023 ‘Sorghum’ (55.5%, OB, Taiwan, bourbon, cask # 12131328, 92 bottles)
Brilliant, sorghum! Here it is TTL at the helm, also known as Nantou, also known as Omar, and I should add that the brand’s representatives are charming. There, that is said. Colour: gold. Nose: we are clearly in the realm of grain, yet there is this damp earth and geranium side that is really rather pretty, even if we are extremely far from the nosing texture of a malt. Touches of pineapple. With water: delicate, fruity and floral, moving towards coconutty white chocolate. Mouth (neat): a very fruity grain that does not rely solely on coconut. That said, it could also be a light rum, it is not so different. With water: back to a whisky side, rather in a wheated bourbon style. Pleasant flavours, very light texture. Finish: like a comet’s tail, on syrups. Comments: the Omars and Nantous can be grand, indeed we have had a large session waiting in the wings for quite some time, yet this much lighter version is not bad at all either.
SGP:630 - 82 points. |
Go on then, while we’re at it… |
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Nantou 6 yo 2018/2025 (57.6%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Taiwan, ‘Thrills, gills and skills with grills’, 1st fill bourbon barrel, #138.28, 180 bottles)
It would seem that the people responsible for finding names for new SMWS releases continue to consume twenty percent of the production before settling on said name. Colour: gold. Nose: a very fine combination of small apples and camphor, plus fresh mushrooms. With water: rubber boots and linseed oil. Mouth (neat): green bananas, mint sweets, toasted sesame and very gentle olive oil. Very pretty. With water: oh very lovely, with the arrival of small apples and crème de menthe. Finish: long, creamy, on mint, apples and lemon, in rather perfect synchronisation. Touches of aniseed in the aftertaste. Comments: it is astonishing that the Scotch Malt Whisky Society have already bottled 28 casks of Nantou, and no doubt more as we speak. Astonishing, yet not surprising…
SGP:561 - 87 points. |
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Penderyn 20 yo 2004/2024 (59%, OB, LMDW Foundations, Wales, bourbon barrel, cask #37, 115 bottles) 
Indeed we are late once more, yet the days when Penderyn was boosted with Madeira to the point where it was hard to detect the character of the distillate are long gone. Indeed, we have had some very fine ones since those slightly darker times… Colour: gold. Nose: pure banana juice with oats and white chocolate. With water: even more banana. Mouth (neat): pure and elegant, fruity like some lighter Japanese, yet it then becomes then frankly herbaceous, with moreover a coconut that seems keen to take charge as well. But perhaps it is the high strength that gives this impression. With water: the balance returns, on green banana and green tea, with a saline touch. Finish: of medium length, without major change. Rather herbaceous aftertaste. Comments: a pretty bottle, actually pleasantly shy.
SGP:451 - 84 points. |
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