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| Hi, you're in the Archives, March 2026 - Part 1 |
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March 4, 2026 |
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Three 16-year-old Craigellachie |
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| (Visit Forres) |
It’s quite an original theme, don’t you think? What’s more, we’re even going to pit refill bourbon against first-fill Madeira and first-fill oloroso, just to make things interesting… |
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Craigellachie 16 yo 2009/2025 (54.4%, Tri Carragh, 2nd fill bourbon barrel, 125 bottles) 
Colour: pale gold. Nose: beautiful, very pure, on vanilla, vanilla yoghurt, and vanilla custard. A few touches of quince and apricot compote in the background. With water: a small slice of lemon cake also emerges in the background. A little chalk as well. Otherwise it does not move an inch. Mouth (neat): fine tension from the arrival, on lemon and green apple, with touches of acacia honey to soften the whole, some pilsner-style beer, and of course our friend vanilla. With water: teas and herbal infusions from the cask begin to show. Finish: medium length but with a greater variety of fruits, quince returns, accompanied by peach and apricot. Comments: this cask was re-racked recently. Re-racking into a 2nd fill, that suits me perfectly. Very much to my taste indeed, even if it is not ultra-distinctive.
SGP:551 - 86 points. |
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Craigellachie 16 yo 2009/2025 (55.6%, Signatory Vintage, Cask Strength Collection, 1st fill Madeira hogshead finish, cask #211, 306 bottles)
A sister cask, #205, had been very good (WF 86). Colour: partridge eye, very slightly pinkish. Nose: the vinosity is pronounced, with blackcurrant, crushed pepper, leather, tobacco, mustard and bay leaf. Then a little saltpetre and fig leaf. With water: it is really much drier than the bourbon version, we are heading towards a very dry amontillado. Mouth (neat): walnut rules the roost, alongside tobacco and mustard. It is very marked, but we like it a great deal. With water: raisins come to the fore, the pepper is still there, the tobacco too, some paprika… And walnuts and bitter almonds. Finish: long, on exactly the same notes. Comments: I find that it has emerged very well after the very good refill bourbon. I reread my notes for the sister cask and realise that they are truly very close, no reason to assign a different score.
SGP:561 - 86 points. |
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Craigellachie 16 yo 2007/2024 ‘100 proof edition #4’ (57.1%, Signatory Vintage, Exceptional Cask, 1st fill oloroso sherry butt)
Colour: gold. Nose: earth, potting soil, nocino, brown tobacco, dark chocolate, molasses, toffee and orange blossom water. Not much to discard. With water: I know that soon I may no longer be able to risk this kind of descriptor without ending up in gaol for ten years, but I do find notes here of English cigarette packs from the 1980s, such as Senior Service or Craven “A”. Mouth (neat): rich, almost heavy, yet with a pepper, tobacco and walnut liqueur combination that is just perfect. All the more so as the expected notes of very bitter orange marmalade and fir honey join in. With water: softer, fruitier, more on raisins and, truth be told, more PX than oloroso. Perhaps some old-style ‘cream’? I doubt it, in any case it is excellent. Finish: long, rich, yet also fresh and joyful, a small miracle indeed. Comments: a shade above the others for me. It should behave very well in the cellar, for two or three decades.
SGP:661 - 87 points. |
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March 3, 2026 |
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A few Inchdairnie
(or Finglassie, Ryelaw, Balgothrie, Strathenry, Kinglassie…)
(Inchdairnie) |
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Indeed these fairly recent Lowlanders are not so easy to keep track of, as they appear under different names here and there, particularly among the independents, and they distil both malted barley and rye, using a Lomond still in addition to traditional pot stills. What we understand is that Kinglassie (OB) and Finglassie (IB) are peated, whereas Inchdairnie (OB) and Strathenry (IB) are not.
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Inchdairnie ‘Ryelaw’ (46.3%, OB, 2022)
At more than 120€, that stings a little, as we say. 53% rye, the rest malted barley. Colour: gold. Nose: a very handsome rye, we do adore rye, with lavender, violet, pumpernickel, fresh fir sawdust and gingerbread. Mouth: soft, almost sweet, yet very much to my liking. Violet sweets, pink peppercorn, salted butter caramel, liquorice marshmallow and blood orange. Finish: not especially long but fresh and very much in line with the rest. Comments: I regret not having tasted it earlier, but I confess that we have been somewhat caught off guard by the explosion of new distilleries in recent years.
SGP:750 - 85 points. |
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Inchdairnie ‘Strathenry’ 6 yo 2018/2025 ‘Tropical Fruit Salad’ (50%, Elevenses, 1st fill bourbon barrel, 589 bottles) 
This time it is indeed a single malt. Colour: chardonnay. Nose: light on the nose, not so much on that famous tropical fruit salad, rather more on apples, pears and greengages. But that is just as well, is it not? A fairly discreet nose for the moment. With water: a very slight smoky touch, flint, otherwise orchard fruits. Mouth (neat): cane syrup, pear juice, barley eau-de-vie, a hint of banana, sponge cake. Nothing much to add, it is very simple, but it is good. With water: little change. Finish: of medium length, very clean, fruity and on barley. Comments: I like it a lot, but it of course does not quite have the slightly exuberant personality of the rye.
SGP:541 - 80 points. |
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Inchdairnie ‘Finglassie’ 8 yo 2017/2025 (57.9%, James Eadie, Malaga cask finish, cask #374467)
A finishing of 19 months, all the same. Colour: deep gold. Nose: here we are absolutely on flint, gunflint, coriander seed, even juniper, charcoal, barbecue and chimney smoke, the ‘good’ exhaust fumes, I am not saying that it is good for the planet, mind you… With water: very lovely, toothpaste, patchouli, cedarwood, lit cigar, linoleum… Mouth (neat): powerful, jammy, very smoky, very much on resinous wood and tar liqueur. With water: peppermint arrives and brings it all smartly to heel. Notes of briarwood and old pipe… Finish: long, rather jammy and infused, grapefruit and mint, yet it all works. Comments: the Malaga has done a splendid job. I like this baby very much, especially its originality… A true wee beastie that does not copy Islay, if you see what I mean.
SGP:565 - 87 points. |
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Inchdairnie ‘Kinglassie’ 8 yo 2017/2025 ‘RAW Edition’ (46.3%, OB, ex-bourbon)
Peated malt at 50ppm and a design in the style of Arlen Ness, circa 1990. I say that for the Harley enthusiasts, if any remain. Not Steve Harley, mind. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: gherkin juice and carbon and marble dust, it is truly very original and we rather like it. That briny edge is quite spectacular, let us see what it does on the palate… Mouth: ah this is pleasant, very cross-category, with notes of pisco and tequila, even gin. It is rather disconcerting, but I rather enjoy it. Ginger liqueur, miso, brine, oysters… Finish: fairly long, on those same notes. Comments: a great deal of fun and you know, we are in this game solely for the fun. Obviously, the question that will arise is what to do with the bottle once it is empty. Perhaps make chilli oil in it for your pizzas or pasta?
SGP:555 - 85 points. |
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Inchdairnie ‘Kinglassie’ 8 yo 2017/2025 ‘Double Matured’ (46.3%, OB, ex-amontillado)
50ppm once again. In the RAW one did not quite feel it as much, we were not entirely in Ardbeggian territory... Colour: gold. Nose: a slightly ‘American’ nose, if you see what I mean, fairly wood-driven yet coherent. Fir, liquorice, rye… And not an enormous amount of amontillado. Mouth (neat): very good, not hugely amontillado indeed, but nicely taut where it needs to be, with fresh and slightly resinous smoke, well-controlled tannins, and that faintly jammy side found in many modern young malts that rely rather heavily on their… casks. Here, it is well played, certainly. Finish: fairly long, a touch resinous, yet elegant. Comments: please do not ask me to choose between this and the previous one, both are handsome modern beasts. It is very good, without any doubt, and to be honest, I think it could wake up quite a few old distilleries that are resting somewhat on their laurels. No, no names.
SGP:555 - 85 points. |
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Inchdairnie ‘Balgothrie’ (63.4%, James Eadie, Project 1927, spirit drink, 2025)
We have already a-do-red all the new makes from this series that we have tasted. But really, yet another new name for Inchdairnie! … Colour: white as proper water. Nose: here we are absolutely on Williams pear eau-de-vie, though there are still lovely touches of dill and, of course, fresh bread. That said, it may not have quite the full dimension that the others possessed… With water: little whiffs of smoke. Mouth (neat): perfect eau-de-vie, 75% pear, 25% sour cherry. Nothing to add. With water: pear to the fore, forget the cherry. Finish: long, still on pear, with just a small salty touch. Comments: as always, we wonder whether it might not be possible to sell these new makes, but of course the name British Plain Spirit has nothing attractive about it. Perhaps for a punk band, circa 1978?
SGP:740 - 82 points. |
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March 2, 2026 |
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Charles C. Doig's sketch for the recently rebuilt Dail-Uaine Distillery,
in The Building News, Dec. 6, 1889 (Whiskyfun Archive, republished) |
And so we find ourselves back near Aberlour… |
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Dailuaine 11 yo 2014/2025 (57.9%, Lady of the Glen, recoopered US oak barrique finish, cask #309560, 262 bottles) 
Pst, do our American friends really use the term ‘barrique’? Perhaps for their Bordeaux blends from Napa or Sonoma? Or is it American oak used to make barriques elsewhere? Colour: very ripe apricot. Nose: the colour does seem to corroborate the idea that it was a red wine cask, recoopered or not. But this nose is not overly about red fruits; still, there are indeed notes of cooked green pepper or even ratatouille, which would suggest cabernet. Blood oranges. With water: blood orange and pink grapefruit, plus a few drops of rum and liquid shoe polish. Mouth (neat): redcurrant jam and plenty of green pepper, plus touches of café latte. By the way, as we used to say fifteen years ago, the recipe for a latte is a normal coffee plus £5. It must be rather more by now. With water: we return to more amusing things, closer to the world of whisky, such as mint liquorice. Finish: long, with a coffee that does not abandon the fight, but into which you might have poured your glass of kirsch or plum eau-de-vie, as the old fellows used to do (who would then go off for a nap). Comments: really not very orthodox, but very well made and very pleasant. One ought to ask what the young guard thinks.
SGP:651 - 84 points. |
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Dailuaine 15 yo 2010/2025 (54.9%, The Whisky Blues, for BAM and Barrel Malt Bar, 1st fill bourbon barrel, cask #302844, 258 bottles)
If someone could one day explain to me the meaning of this very Taiwanese label, I should be most grateful. No, forget it, you have better things to do… Colour: pale gold. Nose: we are in hay, straw, paraffin oil, banana skin, bread dough… Could one be more natural than this? In any case, on the nose it is very textural, very ‘Dailuaine’. With water: exactly the same, no change. Mouth (neat): a perfect illustration of the fact that whisky is distilled beer. Ales and pilsners, under-ripe apples, artichokes, breads of all sorts… With water: … and shoe polishes and pistachio oil. Finish: long, oily, fat, with very handsome bitters. Comments: a rather demanding malt but one hundred per cent on the distillate’s style. That is well worth a small handful of extra points.
SGP:361 - 86 points. |
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Dailuaine 16 yo 2007/2024 (57.4%, Artful Dodger, Ardbeg sherry butt finish, cask #149, 732 bottles)
As far as the number of bottles is concerned, and before you start wondering what sort of sorcery this may be, do note that these are 50cl bottles. Still, this Ardbeg story is most intriguing… (we have dozens of Ardbeg or Kildalton to taste but I confess we are struggling to get down to them). Colour: lightish gold. Nose: difficult to categorise. Damp earth, pizza dough, rye bread, modelling clay, metal polish, little Italian-style preserved lemons… For the moment it feels slightly uncertain, slightly hesitant. With water: it reminds me of the Ardbeg 17-year-old from years ago, with that mix of strength and softness. Old tweed soaked through by repeated rains. We jest, but we probably have had far more rain lately than Scotland. Drill, baby, drill… yeah right. Mouth (neat): the Ardbeg is a thousand times more present, with a trio of peat, lemon and seawater that sweeps everything along in its wake. Even this little Dailuaine, which was probably fairly fat to begin with. That tells you something… With water: it rises to the occasion, with a touch of vinegar and above all gherkin brine. The acidity wipes out part of the fatness. Finish: long and much tenser, peaty, lively and lemony, yet without Ardbeg’s tar. Comments: rather a rollercoaster, this baby asks you to put in some work. It is for a good cause.
SGP:364 - 85 points. |
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March 1, 2026 |
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Rums make a triumphant return on WF
(Right.)
Shall we start by finding a little aperitif, if you don’t mind… Perhaps this one? ... |
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Savanna ‘Le Must’ (45%, OB, La Réunion, +/-2025)
This is a traditional rum, therefore from molasses, partly grand arôme, therefore with plenty of esters; we do not, however, know the exact proportions, but we do know that the maturation took place in ex-cognac casks. Colour: gold. Nose: fresh, marked by liquorice flavoured with fruits, especially orange and orange blossom, with light petroleum and mineral touches, all kept in fine balance. A few gentle, softer notes and perhaps a handful of sultanas, no doubt stemming from the cognac wood. Mouth: rather rounded, in any case not at all a grand arôme ‘that tears your head off’, as I think you sometimes read on the forums, with a honeyed side, still liquorice-led, still on candied orange zest, with just a slight salinity in the background, which in fact only grows. Finish: fairly long, genuinely very good, even if the cask is a little assertive to my taste. A small liqueur-like touch of strawberry and cherry right at the end. Comments: very good, just a little cask-driven.
SGP: 651 - 83 points. |
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Maurice ‘Very Special Coffee Product’ (55.7%, Vagabond Spirits, Mauritius, +/-2024) 
Well then, here is a rum from Gray’s, infused with coffee beans. It probably has no real place in a session such as this one, but since we are here… Coffee, as you know, is in any case a perfect resetter of both nose and palate. Colour: gold, in no way dark like coffee. Nose: rather surprising, above all very floral, somewhere between rose and nuts, coconut and Brazil nuts… For the moment, however, no very obvious coffee that we can clearly detect. Yet it is rather pleasant indeed. With water: an explosion of buttery coconut. We could almost be on a beach in the Balearic Islands, circa 1970. Mouth (neat): we find exactly that toasted coconut character again, which is quite disconcerting. Some orange liqueurs as well. With water: the same profile remains, although the orange steadily takes on more prominence as we add water. Finish: of medium length, with no notable change. Comments: all that remains is to put Aphrodite’s Child or early Pink Floyd on the stereo. Do take my score with a pinch of salt, it is out of category in any case.
SGP: 630- 78 points. |
Since we were talking about the Balearic Islands… |
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La Palma Suave 17 yo (40.5%, Tres Hombres, Canary Islands, 2086 bottles)
It is from Aldea, of course. The casks were brought back to France by boat, seasoned with PX and Pineau des Charentes. They call this dynamic ageing, how amusing! We wait to see what Elon M. will make of the idea… All this may sound a little improbable, but the truth lies in the glass, does it not. Colour: deep gold. Nose: well now, this is far more pleasant than the Aldeas we have already tasted, no doubt thanks to the casks, and perhaps to the ageing at sea. It is particularly the pineau that seems to assert itself, peaches, sultanas, dandelion, soft honey… Suave indeed. Mouth: the pineau returns, with white nougat, tobacco, peanut butter, gingerbread, ginger biscuits. It is genuinely very good, even if the ‘rum’ aspect sits somewhat in the background. Acacia blossom liqueur. Finish: not so short, and more or less on the same notes. Vanilla and pretty aniseed touches right at the end. Comments: a very good surprise for me, even if a few ice cubes might be welcome. This summer perhaps?
SGP:430 - 82 points. |
Since we stayed in Spain… |
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El Ron del Artesano 10 yo (57.6%, OB, Panama, Tobia Reserve Tinto Cask finish, cask #351-25, 150 bottles, 2026)
This baby was only just bottled in February 2026. We are dealing with a finishing in a Rioja cask, therefore Tempranillo. As they say, it either works or it fails, and we do love great Rioja… I am not entirely sure that a little Panamanian can withstand such treatment, but perhaps that is precisely the good news… Colour: apricot gold. Nose: no marked vinosity, I repeat, no marked vinosity. Certainly there is candied cherry and clafoutis, but also sugar cane, honeys, a few earthy puffs, even zucchini flowers… With water: cherry pipe tobacco! Mouth (neat): rich, very smooth, very much on cherry and orange liqueurs, but also almond and maraschino… With water: fried doughnuts, elderflower liqueur, do prepare the Hugos… Finish: fairly long and, above all, not overly sweet, which is a blessing for us. Comments: you see, when you are a whisky chap and you taste rum, what I have learnt is that you need a much more open mind. Goodness me, I feel as though I am speaking like Frank Zappa. A very lovely rum, surprising and very well made.
SGP:641 - 85 points. |
We’d quite like some mineral rums, actually. Maybe this one? (no joke!) |
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Captain Flint 12 yo ‘Extra’ (52%, Famille Cabanne, Dominican Republic, cognac cask, 2025)
A brand bottled in France, in keeping with the age-old tradition of our harbours. We had rather a poor image of Dominican rums, owing to all those brands that fiddle extensively with their juice, but we have recently tasted a few versions from independent bottlers that were not bad at all. Colour: pale gold. Oh! Nose: of great softness, with a marked lightness, on vanilla, hay, herbal infusions, dried flowers, mandarin peel… In short, at this stage, we are rather taken with it. With water: a touch of metal polish and linseed oil, which is rather pleasant. Mouth (neat): a present yet fairly restrained sweetness, bagasse, hay, cold tea, lime blossom, a little mint… Truly nothing to complain about. With water: a few roots and a little earth, that too is pleasant. Finish: short but fresh and without a false note. Comments: perhaps not immense in expressiveness, but for once here is a Dominican that is balanced and not ‘doctored’ to the point of nausea, I may exaggerate again. In short, it is light, and it is good.
SGP:331 - 80 points. |
A little jaunt to South Africa… |
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Mhoba ‘Imbasha’ (61.5%, OB, South Africa, LMDW Foundations, bourbon cask, cask #WRD6, 289 bottles, 2024) 
We have already had ample opportunity, on many occasions, to say all the good we think of Mhoba. Colour: gold. Nose: forget it, I love it. Sea water, old leather, ointments, fresh paint, and myriads of other molecules. And what is more, I am sure that with water it will go fractal. With water: indeed it does, in a rather meta-Jamaican style. Mouth (neat): they are a nuisance, they were already beating us at rugby, now they are beating us at rum as well. Incredible freshness and razor-sharp precision, Sicilian lemons, brine and tar, salmiak… With water: magnificent. At 3°C, with proper caviar, alas no more Russian and no more Iranian… Finish: long, with plenty of little lemons coming to joust with all that brine and those notes of paint. Comments: enough said.
SGP:463 - 90 points. |
At that stage, you’re more or less obliged to turn to Jamaica… |
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Jamaica Blend 3 yo 2022/2026 (55.4%, Fadandel, new virgin oak, cask #RUM001, 390 bottles)
It is a blend of Clarendon and Long Pond, and the mere mention of ‘new virgin oak’ already makes us smile. If any distinguished linguists are kind enough to read Whiskyfun, then tell us, pleonasm or not pleonasm? Colour: very deep gold. Nose: this combination of pencil shavings, graphite and above all cedarwood, together with the varnished and briny side of the Jamaicans, works very well on the nose. A little coconut and peanut butter coat the whole. Goodness me, for the moment, it works. With water: we move towards new rubber, the Nike corner and a parcel from Temu. The worst of it is that we adore these aromas. Mouth (neat): you are drinking a pot of paint, loosened with varnish, sea water, almond milk, lemon juice and Ardbeg. That last part is important. With water: cedarwood and speculoos come in to seal the deal. Finish: long, with the arrival of orange marmalade with ginger and pepper. Salty aftertaste, as it should be, and candy sugar to finish. Comments: I love this little brute which, in the end, we managed to tame rather easily. Very high score to age ratio.
SGP:563 - 87 points. |
Given that we had some Long Pond… |
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Long Pond 26 yo 1998/2024 (58.3%, The Whisky Blues, Jamaica, barrel, cask #10272, 143 bottles)
Parrots rule the roost on many rum bottles, and that is perfectly fine. Colour: straw. Nose: this appears to be a very gentle version, almost cosmetic, with a mixture of almond milk, face cream, a few ashes of resinous wood, and lanolin. The esters here are extremely civilised. With water: what is this, apple juice? Dry cider? Perhaps a marque such as CRV or LRM. Mouth (neat): well now, that is quite something, there is far more punch on the palate, ashes mingled with lemon juice, cider vinegar, concentrated lemon juice, petrol… With water: it is bitter almond that comes along to settle the matter. Finish: long and soft. Amaretti, Campari and limoncello. It could hardly be more Italian. Comments: beware, water makes it snap, best avoided, or just a drop.
SGP:452 - 86 points. |
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Monymusk 25 yo 2000/2025 (53.5%, Thompson Bros., Jamaica, 126 bottles)
Well, we can already guess what is going to happen, can we not. As they say on the curling rink, it ticks all the boxes. Colour: white wine. Nose: who had the wild idea of smoking a mixture of pineapple and lemon juice over beechwood? With water: and of adding carbolineum and anti-rust? Mouth (neat): it is so good that you could almost forgive the design of the label. You will retort that at least the label makes it clear that it is what is IN the bottle that truly matters. You are quite right. With water: it fans out in all directions, on medicinal notes, mineral notes, smoky notes and fruity notes. We could attempt to list them all, but we do not have all day, do we. Finish: not especially long, almost discreet, in any case possessed of impeccable politeness now. A very fine soft brine and Atlantic water. Comments: very limited impact from the cask, infinite charm from the distillate. In short, it evolves like a quality Islay.
SGP:463 - 90 points. |
Inevitably, some Hampden… |
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HD 2019/2025 ‘HGML’ (65.8%, The Whisky Jury, Jamaica, The Ester Hunter Catch 6, refill barrel, cask #HG-ML-8, 231 bottles)
Okay, HGML means 1000 to 1300 grams of esters per HLPA, so that guarantees aromas of puncture repair glue and acetone. Colour: gold. Nose: puncture repair glue and acetone. No, seriously. Behind that, oysters perhaps not of the first freshness and a sort of ammoniated peach juice. I know this may sound highly improbable, even off-putting, but in reality it is very beautiful. With water: small glues and varnishes, a medium-sized IKEA warehouse, and all that. No, not the meatballs, oh no. Mouth (neat): a Tyson of rum. Forget it, we are not reckless, we add water immediately, given that our lawyer is still unreachable and probably on a golf course where ‘there is no signal’. Yeah, right. With water: carbon, ashes, pure lemon juice, varnish and glue. No compromise, no mercy. Finish: long and taut, very saline and petroleum-like. Comments: to think that some marques from Hampden are even more ester-driven. This one is already quite extreme, to be honest… But we love it.
SGP:364 - 90 points. |
Right then, just one more, no point overdoing it (right)… |
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Hampden 41 yo 1983/2025 (55.1%, The Colours of Rum & Absolutely Nuts, Jamaica, This Time No Colours, Edition No.1)
This is what is terrifying about spirits such as Hampden, there is absolutely no guarantee that a very old version, such as this one, will be superior to a very young one, or even to a white simply rested with care for a few months in stainless steel. That is both the fate and the glory of the very greatest distillates. Colour: gold. Nose: let us be frank, at this stage it could be 10, 20, 30 or indeed 40 years old. This distillate defies time. Bitter almonds and varnish, sea water, lemon zests, linseed oil, shoe polish, olive oil. With water: add wafts of beeswax polish, old libraries, a brand-new vinyl record, let us say Bad Bunny… Mouth (neat): frankly, this is marvellous. Not a gram of fatigue, superlative bitters, though you must enjoy that style, and a mixture of olives, capers, samphire and ashes. With water: simply incredible. A cold soup of miso, chervil, parsley, oregano and parmesan. Indeed, parmesan. Finish: an incredible dryness, you might think of one of the very greatest finos. Comments: it would be extraordinary were Hampden to team up with Equipos or Tradicion to fino-ise some of these rums. But I do not wish to meddle in what is not my business.
SGP:373 - 92 points. |
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Best spirits Serge tried those weeks, 90+ points only
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