April 2025 - part 2 <--- May 2025 - part 1 ---> Current entries


May 5, 2025

Time

The Time Warp Sessions,
100 years apart, today indie Glenlivet: 2024 vs. 1924

Distillery staff at The Glenlivet Distillery in 1924, one hundred years after
it was officially founded. It was these delightful people who produced
the 1924 we’re going to taste today. Only the managers didn’t wear caps!

Alright, we’re cheating a bit – it’s a Glenlivet bottled in 2024 (and of course not distilled in that year), but the older one is indeed a 1924 from Harvey’s, sourced directly from the famous Dornoch Whisky Bar. We can still say there’s a hundred-year gap, can’t we? (Anyone who disagrees will be sternly reprimanded and banned from WF for life).

Glenlivet 17 yo 2007/2024 (64.7%, Signatory Vintage, Horsemen & Archangels, Kirsch Import, Archangel No.4, 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt, 1109 bottles)

One suspects that two butts were blended here, given the rather murderous strength and the high outturn. The theme feels a bit ‘Russian mini-series on Netflix’, but there, let us bravely press on… Colour: dark amber. Nose: textbook stuff, with that rather bourbony side (I know), occasionally found in these ultra-high strength ex-sherries. Nail polish, hot mustard, slightly singed walnuts, candle wax, fresh paint... It’s a touch brutal, but what did we expect? With water: what a turnaround! Here come the little broths, poultry in mushroom sauce, Turkish coffee, soy sauce… In short, all the things we love in these Glenlivets from SV. Mouth (neat): let us pray... Okay, it’s rich, obviously extremely powerful, with those nail polish notes reappearing, kirsch straight from the still, chocolate… I shan’t mention Mon Chéri (too late, S.) but you get the picture. With water: again with the return of the chicken stock, parsley, nutmeg, European oak (but that’s probably American), marmalade… Finish: long, bordering on vinegary, with lashings of coffee and bitter chocolate. Comments: clearly not for the sworn enemies of oloroso, but still, utterly delightful. And not quite as lethal as one might have feared, dear Archangel.
SGP:561 - 88 points.

Smith’s Glenlivet 1924 ‘Superior Liqueur Whisky’ (John Harvey & Sons, Bristol)

With a driven cork. We might assume this wee darling was bottled just after WWII, as the royal coat of arms doesn’t yet appear to be that of Elizabeth II, judging by the style of the banner at its bottom. There’s no ABV listed, but the distinguished proprietors of the Dornoch Whisky Bar have measured it at 44.85% ABV, which is rather high for a whisky this venerable that was presumably—though we cannot be certain—bottled at 80° proof. John Harvey & Sons, known for their sherry ‘Harvey’s Bristol Cream’, are still around today, though after a detour via Beam, the brand is now in Filipino hands.

Colour: gold. Nose: that faintly mentholated and camphory side one often finds in the oldest Scotch bottles, though we can’t be entirely sure this isn’t simply bottle ageing at play. In any case, this is top-tier, streets ahead of many a modern behemoth, including the Signatory brute. Aromas of both vegetable and animal fats, fine rubber, fir smoke, tar, flint, and once again, fatty broth. An extraordinary journey one hundred years into the past! And yes, there are even traces of barley truly malted using peat. Mouth: sublimely focused on broths and soups (nettle, sorrel, leek, asparagus), with honeyed notes and not the faintest sign of weakness. Wonderful fine peat, unguents, camphor, and hints of fig jam. This Glenlivet could easily stand up to a fine foie gras, while there are also faint notes of very dry old gewurztraminer, by the way. Finish: the only moment when it pricks the nose ever so slightly, which was entirely expected. Comments: we readily understand why Professor Saintsbury, in his celebrated work ‘Notes on a Cellar-Book’ first published in 1920, extolled the virtues of a vatting of Glenlivet and Clynelish.
SGP:462 - 94 points (strictly for quality, not for rarity or historical interest).

To help us recover, a little bonus, since we’d just had a heavy sherry from SV (but the next one will be ten degrees lower) …

Glenlivet 17 yo 2006/2023 (54.8%, Signatory Vintage for Tiffany’s New York Bar and A.P.E. Hong Kong, first fill sherry butt, cask #900795, 153 bottles)

According to a very well-placed source at Tiffany’s New York Bar in Hong Kong, the label ‘reassembles the vibrant neon lights of Hong Kong within a Mong Kok street scene.’ Colour: deep gold. Nose: this is a less muscle-bound sherry than the Archangel’s, more elegant, fruitier, and perhaps even more complex. Beautiful notes of quince, mirabelle plums, figs, damp earth, roots, bergamot and liquorice. A true little jewel, this Glenlivet for Tiffany’s (now that’s clever, S.) and the rooty character is just lovely. With water: encaustic wax, beehive, old leather and aged orange liqueurs. Mouth (neat): even more roots, especially carrots, gentian, even celeriac, followed by the usual dried fruits, figs up front, then dates, candied citrus peels and prunes. With water: would you believe me if I told you certain elements remind me of the 1924 Harvey’s bottling? Perhaps it’s that very faint touch of mint sauce. Truly beautiful. Finish: long, creamy, honeyed, lightly salty, ending on citrus zest. Comments: a great Glenlivet, matured in a sherry of remarkable refinement. This is proper class in a glass…
SGP:651 - 91 points.

Delighted with this session!

Check the index of all Glenlivet we've tasted so far


May 4, 2025

A few rums to get ready for
the arrival of summer

Dillon in Fort de France, Martinique (Dillon)

What a smart headline! Sounds almost like cheap AI, don’t you think? Ah well, let’s move on and head to Guadeloupe…

Longueteau 3 yo ‘Souvenir La Tradition’ (45%, OB, Guadeloupe, agricole, +/-2024)

An assemblage of blue and red cane, the white having undergone degassing in stainless steel for eight months before spending three years in a cognac cask. I must say I remain particularly impressed by Longueteau’s white rums. Colour: gold. Nose: this is clean as a whistle, with that lovely spicy side that clearly stems from the distillate itself rather than the wood. It gradually turns coastal, bringing sea breeze aplenty, then unfolds with honeysuckle and juniper, and this rather intriguing note of liquorice-tinged peach. Or perhaps peach-tinged liquorice, you’re quite right. Mouth: perhaps a little less precise than the nose, yet it’s still most charming. Hard to say whether there’s a tangible cognac influence—maybe that peach again? Still that liquorice, then a touch of earth and tobacco, with some aniseed and salty notes we often encounter in younger agricoles. Finish: fairly long, increasingly saline, with a spoonful of custard arriving late to coat everything. A hint of ginger too. Comments: this remains really jolly good, and it’s brilliant how they’ve managed to preserve a wee 'blanc' character throughout.
SGP:452 - 85 points.

Let’s move on to dear Mawtinik…

Dillon 5 yo (43%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-2024)

Made at Depaz but aged at Dillon. Dillon is one of those brands you’ll often spot in French hypermarkets, which does somewhat tarnish its image. We’ve not had much hands-on experience with Dillon, truth be told. This one was aged in first fill white oak and ex-bourbon. Colour: deep gold. Nose: rather amusing and quite entertaining, with notes of leek, asparagus and balsa wood, gradually veering towards something reminiscent of cachaça. We’re no cachaça experts, but the few we’ve tried have certainly left a lasting impression. Mouth: still very curious, let’s say cabbage with cinnamon, lemon and caraway, all wrapped in honey and ginger. Finish: fairly long, heading toward orange marmalade and cedarwood. Comments: a funny little creature, surprising and, most importantly, never boring. A lovely surprise overall, and at under €40, it’s also a bit of a steal.
SGP:551 - 83 points.

Clément 7 yo 2016/2024 (54.5%, OB for Drinks & Spirits, Martinique, agricole)

Part of a lovely box set of rums agricoles, not available by the bottle. Colour: deep gold. Nose: you’d swear there’s a fair whack of esters here—glue, varnish, overripe banana and a pack of blond cigarettes, then more damp earth by the spadefuls. Quite charming, actually. With water: solvents, acetone, fir wood. We’re very much on board (indeed). Mouth (neat): oh yes, this is good—more citrus-forward, with liquorice aplenty and even some rather assertive notes of pastis, before things take a turn towards increasingly bitter lemon. A touch of acetic sharpness too, which is lovely and unexpected. With water: everything falls into place, now we’re getting tropical fruit—papaya and mango—with a bit of earthy green tea. Finish: long, fresh, mostly on salted liquorice and aniseed. Comments: we do like this Clément a great deal—it leans ever so slightly towards Jamaica, and I say that’s never a bad thing.
SGP:462 - 86 points.

Caribbean Premium Rum 12 yo (44%, The Duchess, Marine Life, 2024)

‘Marine Life’ indeed, though do they really have orcas in the Caribbean? Colour: pale gold. Nose: esters are leading the conga line here, and we shan’t complain. Acetone, then varnish, followed by hairspray, then overripe bananas, pear eau-de-vie, a little carbon dust and a splash of olive oil. We think it’s absolutely smashing. Mouth: this is frankly Jamaican in character—excellent stuff, saline, tarry, and brimming with olives and seawater. Marine Life indeed! Finish: long, softer perhaps, yet still briny to the end. Comments: I’m not entirely sure this is truly a blend, but whatever it is, it’s superb.
SGP:463 - 88 points.

While we’re at it…

Sipper’s Rum ‘Batch 1’ (49%, The Whisky Jury, blend, refill wood, 2025)

A blend ranging from ‘0 to 20’ years of age, hailing from South America, Asia and Jamaica. Truly ‘world’ in style, to say the least. Looks a bit like Colonel Sanders is on the label, doesn’t it? Help!... Colour: gold. Nose: Jamaica is loud and clear—it’s like Ardbeg, you can’t hide it no matter the measure. Charcoal, barbecued bananas, perhaps a guava-and-seawater cocktail, and a dab of mango espuma. Well, more or less. Mouth: starts out like mango and banana yoghurt—utterly irresistible—before smoothly sliding into the high-esters zone, and there’s not a thing you can do about it. Olives, soot, tar, liquorice, seawater—you know the tune. Finish: long, leaning towards sweet liquorice, though still salty. A bit of varnish and even some hand cream right at the end. Comments: in the end it’s a touch rustic, but really excellent stuff, Colonel Sanders notwithstanding. Any Fijian in there?
SGP:563 - 87 points.

Beenleigh 2014/2024 (64.2%, Transcontinental Rum Line for The Whisky Exchange, Australia, cask #AU14SB01, 400 bottles)

One really ought to start taking the Australians at Beenleigh more seriously—though you might say it’s a very old distillery. I believe so, anyway. Colour: gold. Nose: we’ve nosed a few like this before—gentle yet present esters, geranium, candied orange peel, a bit of saltpetre and soot, then half guava juice, half avocado purée. Mind the strength though—it’s very high and could easily distort everything. With water: (immense viscimetry!) now some rubber, paraffin, shoe polish, then quality triple sec. Mouth (neat): very much on pear and plum eau-de-vie, straight from the still, with a dainty coating of white chocolate and muesli. Quickly now… With water: the salty, liquoricy side emerges, along with gentian and little chunks of salted anchovy. Good fun for sure. Finish: long, and everything mingles gleefully, to the point you’re no longer sure where to turn. Some quince in the after-aftertaste. Comments: one extra point for originality—bravo, Downunda.
SGP:652 - 88 points.

Very Fine Old Caribbean Rum from La Morita Caribena 58 yo 1967/2025 (50.8%, The Whisky Agency, barrel, 359 bottles)

It’s tricky to find much about this one online—it appears to be Cuban rum, operated by a Spanish outfit, and bottled here by the crème de la crème of Germany’s indie bottlers. So absolutely nothing could go wrong. Colour: amber. Nose: wait a moment—this is like triple sec aged in an ex-old-genever cask, with a few smoky touches à la Islay and a slab of dark turrón. Delightful and very original. With water: now we’re wandering into the scented silence of an old Buddhist temple—cedarwood, incense, a swarm of bees tucked away in a corner, wax and all that. Mouth (neat): rich, clearly somewhat ‘composed’, slightly sweet but with a marvellous array of spices, very much in the Spanish style. Pine liqueur, ginger, rowanberry, cumin, coriander, orange, honey… With water: doesn’t change much, save that it remains a bit liqueur-like, akin to yellow Chartreuse. Finish: of medium length, still fresh, now edging into mentholated territory. Some coffee in the aftertaste. Comments: heaven knows what went on in Cuba in 1967 for this amusing little thing to be ‘conceived’, but it’s clearly been augmented here and there—still, the overall charm is immense. At WF, we do love Cuba.
SGP:640 - 90 points.

Diamond 23 yo 2001/2025 ‘SWR’ (48.9%, The Rum Cask, Guyana)

SWR stands for Skeldon William Ross, though Skeldon itself closed in 1960—this one was produced using the usual Coffey still, so we’re dealing with a sort of modern-day Skeldon facsimile. Colour: mahogany. Nose: chocolate, peonies, pipe tobacco, Corinth raisins, prickly pear juice and a few touches of crème de cassis. Great fun, quite light in texture on the nose, but with a toasty note slowly taking over, giving it a rather original edge. Mouth: but this is armagnac! I swear, it tastes like a good Ténarèze laced with chocolate and prune juice. Just like any self-respecting Ténarèze, you’ll say (only joking!) Then comes more cassis, maple syrup and those Corinth raisins again. Finish: full-on prune! Incredible… Comments: I’ve no idea how they ended up making armagnac in Georgetown, honestly. The mysteries of spirits… And the worst part is, it’s absolutely excellent.
SGP:751 - 88 points.

Skeldon 27 yo 1978/2005 ‘SWR’ (60.4%, Velier, Guyana, 3 barrels, 688 bottles)

Skeldon has become something of a magical name, and here we’ve got the distillate from the original Coffey still, which had been moved to Uitvlugt like many others before being decommissioned. So, this is ‘SWR’ from Uitvlugt, as opposed to the more recent D.D.L. versions (see above). For us, the 1973 Velier was magnificent when we tried it in 2016, though perhaps not totally and utterly transcendent (WF 90). Let’s see what the 1978 brings... After all, it was ‘just’ Coffey still output—let’s not forget. Colour: mahogany. Nose: prunes and pine sap, peppermint, natural tar liqueur, pipe tobacco, glacé cherries, rosewood. Honestly, this is soft and rather glorious. With water: tiny waxes, discreet ointments, those mysterious compounds… Mouth (neat): plenty of waxes, paraffin, polish, a rough edge almost like grape stalks or black truffles, then an utterly irresistible trio of liquorice + menthol + orange. As they say, this one talks and babbles. Mid-palate, you’re handed a ristretto espresso. With water: right, fair enough, we yield. You know what it reminds me of? Ardbeg ‘Provenance’. Finish: long, liquorice-laden, salty, admirably rubbery, even faintly medicinal. Could probably cure quite a few ailments. Comments: a fractal old rum. As a reminder, that means each aroma splits into sub-aromas, each of which divides again, and again, and again, until death do us part. And yet, it’s anything but deadly… Amazing.
SGP:572 - 93 points.

(Merci Stéphane!)

Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far


May 2, 2025

WF’s Little Duos,
today Glen Spey young and old

A wonderful commercial postcard for Glen Spey Pure Malt Whisky,
aka 'all barley malt whisky', W&A Gilbey, UK, circa 1910.

Not the most famous of distilleries today, but Glen Spey is still enjoyed from time to time – though it remains rather rare. It's a bit like, say, Gendullan. That said, one shouldn't forget that Glen Spey was quite actively promoted by its owners, W&A Gilbey, as early as the 19th century – a reminder that the notion Scottish single malts only began to be distributed from the late 1950s, spread all over the web like a bad meme with high staying power, is sheer nonsense.

Glen Spey 9 yo 2015/2025 (57.1%, Signatory Vintage, 100 Proof Edition #37, 1st fill oloroso sherry butt)

Always these very affordable series from Signatory, with that heavily worked sherry that perhaps doesn’t always let the character of the distillate shine through, but does its job very, very well. Colour: full gold. Nose: ah this is pretty, there's a touch of exhaust fumes (not pleasant in the street but sometimes rather charming in your glass), then green walnuts, cherry stalks, and peach leaves. A few hints of satay sauce, followed by pear cake. With water: marked saponification but it fades quickly, then comes a mix of Indian spices, think tandoori seasoning. Mouth (neat): surprising, on mustard, pepper, tar and dark chocolate, quite the unusual trio. With water: this time, beyond the Indian spices, there's candied ginger and fir bud. Really very unusual. Finish: long, and there's even a flavour of poppadums at the end. Comments: very hard to categorise, this isn't your typical sherry cask. In any case, it feels much more Indian than those super Indian malt whiskies, ha.
SGP:371 - 84 points.

Glen Spey 29 yo 1995/2024 (54.1%, Maltbarn, The 26, sherry cask, 42 bottles)

A rather demure label this time from Maltbarn, unless this fish happens to be extremely venomous, or ultra-rare, or capable of flight... you see what I mean. Colour: gold. Nose: it’s soft, floral, delicately waxy, with hints of freshly snapped twigs, dandelion blossom, a few puffs of cedarwood, and above all, bergamot sweets, the king of sweets. At least where they make them, in the city of Nancy, Lorraine, France. A tiny note of coconut. With water: Chablis with touches of menthol. Fresh barley in the background. Mouth (neat): ah this is lovely, taut, on herbal teas and citrus, with noticeable but delicate wood, which somewhat evokes old English cigarette tobacco. You’ll see what I mean if you’ve ever smoked untipped English cigarettes, like Senior Service or those red-pack Bensons. Not that I recommend doing that if you never have, mind you! (Smoking seriously harms your health and that of others around you). With water: still very elegant, this time on citrus cordials. Finish: medium length, on orgeat syrup and pistachio. Comments: rather impressed by the balance and poise of this old Glen Spey. A pity there aren’t more bottles.
SGP:451 - 89 points.

Check the index of all Glen Spey we've tasted so far


May 1, 2025

A little Linkwood quartet
(3 from 2013 + 1 from 1978)

We enjoy tasting Linkwood, which Michael Jackson once said had a rose-like aroma. But was he referring to the old distillery or the new one? In any case, both operated in tandem between 1972 and 1985, a situation that inevitably brings to mind Clynelish and Brora. The old one closed in 1985, so it’s quite possible that the 1978 we’re about to try today comes from it.

Paul Bocuse's Soupe VGE (P. Rougereau)

Linkwood 11 yo 2013/2024 (46%, James Eadie, Small Batch, recharred hogshead, casks #301827, 301830, 301834)

Colour: straw. Nose: this is fresh as a daisy, on green apples and pink grapefruit, all draped over a bed of chalk and clay, with some grist humming in the background, the whole laced with custard but without a whisper of excess. A lovely nose, extremely natural. Mouth: the barley malt is given full stage here, with returns of chalk and grist, plus this time more like apple peelings, alongside a charming bitterness and even a surprising salty flick, as if one of the hogsheads had previously held an Islay – before being recharred, naturally. Finish: of medium length, fresh, leaning more towards fruit eaux-de-vie, even a touch of slightly soapy kirsch peeking through. The salty note comes back in the aftertaste. Comments: very pleasant, very ‘natural’.
SGP:551 - 85 points.

Linkwood 11 yo 2013/2024 (54.8%, Dràm Mor, refill French oak oloroso hogshead, cask #900162, 325 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: quite the surprise, on fresh concrete, soot, walnut and a stack of glossy magazines, then ashes. One’s rather curious what a few drops of water might do. With water: rubber and tar, green walnuts, and a few dabs of mustard. Mouth (neat): it’s big stuff, all on chocolate and caramel stirred with ashes and a dusting of pepper. Quite striking, really. With water: that curious saline touch from the Small Batch edition pops back up, but otherwise it veers drier, more classically oloroso. Finish: long and dry, on bitter chocolate, ashes yet again, and a smoky, peppery edge. Comments: fascinating. I like it a lot, even if it leads you down an odd little path now and then. I wonder what Michael Jackson would have made of it – I suspect he wouldn’t have found a single rose petal.
SGP:352 - 85 points.

Linkwood 10 yo 2013/2024 ‘Edition #19’ (57.1%, Signatory Vintage ‘100 Proof’, 2nd fill oloroso sherry butts)

Colour: full gold. Nose: and here we are, peonies and rose petals straightaway, then chocolate, a pack of Ricola originals, caramel, nougat, blood orange and walnut liqueur. With water: marzipan soaked in kirsch and a fine walnut cake. Mouth (neat): very good, textbook stuff from this recent series, on ginger, very black tea, peppermint, fruitcake and an ever-increasing grind of pepper. A touch of leather and tobacco to round it out. With water: back to a more classical sherry style, with prunes steeped in Armagnac. Finish: long, fairly rich, ever so slightly salty once again, ending on dates. Comments: no reason to give this lovely wee baby anything but the same score.
SGP:551 - 85 points.

Linkwood-Glenlivet 17 yo 1978/1995 (55.5%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, sherrywood matured)

One does love that text on the back label: “This whisky has been bottled from a selected individual cask in its natural state and shows the character of that cask. It has not been diluted with water. It has not been treated to change its colour and is free from all additives. It has not been subjected to any filtration that might remove natural constituents and spoil its flavour. It is the authentic product of its distillery.” They really were pioneers, and of course this baby was ‘Matured in an Oak Cask’, as was only proper at Cadenhead’s, since chestnut and acacia had already been banned. Ahem.

Colour: chestnut (ha!). Nose: this is old-school sherry all right, much more on game and hoisin sauce than today’s sherries, on ristretto coffee – fresh back from Italy, they really are the only ones who know how to make a proper espresso – and coal tar. Magnificent. With water: it’s the walnuts leading the charge now, along with a few pecans and a splash of beef stock with bone marrow and parsley. I even suspect there’s a shaving or two of truffle. Mouth (neat): unbelievable sherry, dry, meaty, smoky, salty, tarry and intensely chocolatey. With water: a glorious broth, in the style of Paul Bocuse. Finish: long and salty, more on citrus now (finger limes), but the walnuts remain firmly at the helm, and for a long time. Liquorice salted to the hilt in the aftertaste. Comments: what a sherry, what a beast! You simply don’t come across this sort of thing in modern production anymore, that’s for sure.
SGP:562 - 93 points.

(Thank you Philipp)

Check the index of all Linkwood we've tasted so far

April 2025

Serge's favourite recent bottling this month:
Glendronach 1993/2024 ‘Hand-Filled’ (55.5%, OB, oloroso, cask #2463) - WF 92

Serge's favourite older bottling this month:
Benrinnes 19 yo 1971/1991 (55.3%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection) - WF 93

Serge's favourite bang for your buck this month:
Talisker 10 yo (45.8%, OB, +/-2024) - WF 90

Serge's favourite malternative this month:
Hontambère 26 yo 1997/2025 (53.8%, Grape of the Art, Ténarèze, cask #B4, 295 bottles) - WF 91

Serge's thumbs up this month:
Glen Scotia 8 yo 2016/2024 (59.1%, The Maclean Foundation, first fill bourbon barrel, 210 bottles) - WF 87

Serge's Lemon Prize this month:
Old Finil 3 yo (40%, OB, Italy, Licor S.R.L, +/-2024) - WF 20