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| Hi, you're in the Archives, May 2026 - Part 1 |
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May 7, 2026 |
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Some Japanese whiskies, part 3 and final
Well, here we are again. It’s true that the recent big names are still holding their own, but we are noticing a slight decline among the long-established old malts, just as in Scotland, for that matter. It is, in fact, quite a curious phenomenon, this sort of strategic withdrawal, and the way they seem perfectly happy to leave the spotlight, or at least the conversation, to the newcomers. Is it simply a matter of stock levels?
Thomas Blake Glover, the Scottish Samurai (1838-1911) |
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Ichiro’s Malt & Grain ‘Kintsugi Edition’ (60.8%, OB, for The Spirit of Salud, Japan, blend, ex-2nd fill peated bourbon, batch #B0064, 259 bottles, 2025) 
We’re generally less keen on blends, it has to be said, especially when they’re standing next to pure Chichibu. Or worse, ex-bourbon Chichibu. That’s precisely why we should rather taste these M&G first, my bad. Not terribly fond either of peated cask finishing, it always feels a bit over-engineered, there, said it. Colour: gold. Nose: actually rather good, rich and oily, full of maize and vanilla cream, with little touches of charcoal ashes, then freshly grated carrots. With water: much the same, more or less. Earthy. Mouth (neat) rather austere and herbal, not entirely sure this was meant to be tasted without water. With water: the peat and lemon emerge, then rather take over the whole affair. Pepper steps in afterwards. Finish: long, still austere, not the easiest, rugged and rustic. Comments: we’ve never entirely understood the fascination with these I’s M&G, although we’re fairly sure the problem lies with us. Still, it remains very good indeed, and that Delft-style label is absolutely splendid.
SGP:554 - 82 points. |
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Ichiro’s Malt & Grain ‘Delfts Blauw Edition’ (61.8%, OB, for The Spirit of Salud, Japan, blend, 2nd fill bourbon, batch #B0054, 239 bottles, 2025) 
No peat this time, which could change everything. Colour: light gold. Nose: indeed, this is more elegant, indeedy, on fresh bread, cornbread, a touch of maple syrup, a little grapefruit… With water: pistachio oil and a few drops of an extremely light tequila. Mouth (neat): this is lovely, a superb blend, rather lively, lemony… With water: corn syrup comes through, lemon syrup too, no problem there. Finish: fairly long, fairly soft, still on lemon syrup and a faintly vodka-ish side, a very high quality vodka that is. If such a thing exists (they say it does). Comments: really charming, although the grain does remove some structure, which just so happens to be one of Chichibu’s great strengths in our humble opinion. A little bit like a four-cylinder Porsche, if you see what we mean, though there have been some very fine ones indeed.
SGP:551 - 84 points. |
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Kanosuke 2010/2024 ‘Nouveau Beginnings’ (59%, OB, for Whisky Abbey, cask #24270, sherry)
Perhaps we ought to point out that in French you’d say ‘Nouveau Départ’, but as fully certified specialists in the highest grade of globish, we’ve absolutely nothing against mixing languages, quite the opposite in fact. Colour: gold. Nose: honey-glazed orange cake drenched in caramel sauce. A pack of Camel cigarettes on the side, plus a tiny touch of malt extract. With water: dried and smoked meats, flints, lighter stone… Mouth (neat) quite a lot of gunflints to start with, you may use the ‘S’ word if you wish, then baked artichokes and coffee that’s both slightly bitter and slightly sour. This does not seem to have been the easiest sherry cask. Also a feeling of walnut stain. With water: there we are, it finally settles down, thanks to the citrus fruits, although aubergines, artichokes and simply bitter walnuts continue to dominate the proceedings. Finish: long, and now very peppery. Comments: still rather extreme, if you ask us, in the bitter department… Very ‘S.’
SGP:272 - 83 points. |
After that little monster, let’s try to find a more civilised Japanese malt. We know there are plenty of them… |
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Mars Komagatake 2017/2025 (59%, OB, for OBE, 1st fill cream sherry hogshead, cask #BT3671, 256 bottles) 
A cream sherry hogshead, now who’s ever seen one of those in real life? Colour: full gold. Nose: this is lovely, on mirabelle jam, apricot jam, and just a little very soft muscat. Add a touch of beef stock over the top and presto, it works beautifully. With water: a floral side emerges, largely driven by freshly blossomed honeysuckle. We adore this, it’s gloriously fragrant. Mouth (neat): tasted blind, we might have said Amrut or perhaps Omar. Mangoes, muscat, apricot liqueur, orange blossom honey, white pepper… With water: the barley tries to regain control, bringing aniseed, sesame seeds, sourdough bread and oat crackers… Finish: everything falls into place, fruity and floral, yet without tipping into excess. For us, the limit would be gros grain muscat, just a little too worldly, if you see what we mean. Comments: cream sherry, wasn’t that supposed to be for elderly English ladies? Only joking.
SGP:651 - 85 points. |
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Mars Komagate 2016/2025 ‘Tsuki Otoshi - Yakushima Aging’ (58.4%, OB, for LMDW Itinéraires, oloroso sherry hogshead, cask #2067, 204 bottles) 
Colour: deep reddish amber. Nose: this is bigger, meatier, more on flints, old walnuts, fig leaves, brown tobacco, Noilly Prat… With water: coffee fudge and simply latte. The more bitter and herbal notes retreat somewhat. Mouth (neat) magnificent this time, on walnut liqueur, crushed pepper and Seville oranges. All this is classic and dry as a donkey’s truncheon across a mule’s back, as they say… in French. Right. With water: the bitterness and green walnuts return, and frankly, we adore that sort of thing. Even if we suspect the distillate itself has absolutely nothing to do with any of it. Finish: indeed, a lovely sherry cask, bitter, dry, and even pleasingly acidic. Comments: if you enjoy bitterness, this is for you. Just avoid pouring it over ice cubes, it would dismantle your entire spine. As you know, cold brings out bitterness and acidity while muting sweetness.
SGP:471 - 88 points. |
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Mars Komagate 2018/2025 ‘Yori-Kiri - Komagate Aging’ (62.8%, OB, for LMDW Itinéraires, American white oak barrel, cask #1964)
There we are, we’ve finally understood, all these curious names are to do with sumo! Why on earth did we not realise that earlier? Colour: gold. Nose: pure vanilla, banana, ripe apples, mangoes, acacia honey, barley syrup, toasted hazelnuts… With water: coconut, macarons, marzipan… Mouth (neat) essentially Williams pear eau-de-vie at more than 60% vol. Quite brutal, believe us. With water: the banana returns, along with herbal infusions and green teas. Not easy to find the right strength, this changes quickly, moving from fruit to lawn clippings in no time while you’re adding drops of H2O. You see what we mean. Chlorophyll. Finish: the artisanal pear spirit rules the roost, and does entirely as it pleases, emboldened by so much power. Comments: we’re struggling slightly to rediscover the clarity of the Tsunukis, although perhaps that’s just us…
SGP:461 - 84 points. |
One last try, then adios Japan — for now… Next session: Macallan versus Dalmore, official bottlings only. Just joking ;-)… |
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Mars Komagate 2018/2025 ‘Oshi-Dashi - Tsunuki Aging’ (58.4%, OB, for LMDW Itinéraires, bourbon barrel, cask #5458, 180 bottles)
Colour: light gold. Nose: smoked ham, new rubber, barbecued herbs de Provence, grilled bacon… With water: not that much change really, this is ultra-rustic. Soaked grains, virgin wool under the rain. Mouth (neat) lively peat, peppery, powerful, almost violent. With water: bitter, dry, herbal, austere, rather difficult. Finish: bitter. Small tart apples. A thimbleful of strawberry syrup in the aftertaste. Comments: this one rather escaped us; we readily plead guilty.
SGP:261 - 82 points. |
Tsunuki over Komagatake any day this time. Right then, one very, very, very last one, which is also ‘rather’ Japanese… |
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The Glover 8 yo ‘Batch 7’ (56.4%, Adelphi, blended malt, Ardnamurchan & Chichibu, 482 bottles, 2024)
A cheerful marriage of Chichibu and Ardnamurchan, so in a way a sort of self-blend, as there are clearly similarities between the two distillates. That said, we do not know the proportions within this world blend. Next time they could push things even further and do the blending exactly halfway between the two distilleries, although that would probably land somewhere near Novosibirsk, and we’re not entirely sure this would be the ideal moment. Colour: gold. Nose: never has a blend of two distillates so geographically distant felt quite so coherent. In truth, this could easily have passed for pure Ardnamurchan or pure Chichibu, and frankly nobody would have argued otherwise blind. Small apples, chalk, virgin wool, grist, baker’s dough trough, bière de garde… With water: touches of camphor, eucalyptus and fresh mint begin to emerge… All this feels absolutely perfect to us. Mouth (neat): same impressions here, lively, taut, very close to the nose though more lemony and herbal, really excellent. With water: the little tropical notes arrive at last, passion fruits, air-freighted mangoes… Forget Novosibirsk! Finish: long, lively, more saline now, ultra-coherent. Comments: a blended malt that entirely behaves like a single malt, now that’s clever! We love this. Watch out, there do seem to have been one or two more recent batches of this Glover.
SGP:461 - 89 points. |
We were having a few more but that'll be for another time. |
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May 6, 2026 |
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Japanese whiskies Part 2: some great and rare ones
(Nikka)
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After the beautiful Chichibu and Shindo yesterday, we’re continuing our exploration of Japan in its malty, liquid form, also trying to track down more Chichibu, and likely heading over to Mars (but in a different way from that of the ultra-wealthy tech tycoons), and of course Kanosuke as well. But we’ll start with one of the pioneers rather than a Japanese new kid on the block… |
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Nikka Whisky ‘From the Barrel Extra Marriage’ (51.4%, OB, Japan, blend, 2025)
A version to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the famous NAS ‘From The Barrel’ from Nikka, created in 1985. This brings together malt from Yoichi and Miyagikyo, with grain from Miyagikyo distilled in the former Scottish Coffey still previously installed at Nishinomiya, an assemblage ‘married’ for twice as long as the regular versions. Colour: gold. Nose: we find touches of freshly sawn oak and vanillin at first, then little by little yellow fruits join in, apples, quinces, yellow peaches, alongside fudge and a little corn syrup. With water: arrival of fresh bread, popcorn, green tea, liquorice wood… Mouth (neat): once again a sensation of fresh wood, a little bitter. It really needs water. With water: it remains powerful, woody, rather gripping, like a marriage that may have lasted a little too long. Only joking, it is very good, but we hope Mrs Whiskyfun never reads these lines. Finish: like certain malts we tasted yesterday, the fruits and sweetness only truly arrive in the finish. The aftertaste is spicier, with some tannicity. Comments: a little woodier than the ‘base’ version, which I prefer slightly, actually.
SGP:451 - 85 points. |
So long as we’re talking about the old guard… |
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Suntory 17 yo ‘Hibiki’ (43%, OB, Japan, blend, +/-1992)
One of the earliest versions of the 17-year-old, with the number 17 in black. Hibiki had been launched in 1989, also to mark an anniversary. We had never been the greatest admirers of Hibiki, let us be frank, the 17-year-old had always hovered around WF 80, yet we had never tasted this version. Let us proceed swiftly… Colour: gold. Nose: soft, beautifully fruity and floral, then come lovely notes of fresh plaster and a light peat. A thousand times better than we had expected. Mouth: similar on the palate, with a discreet grain and thus a rather present malt, still with fruits and those honeyed and mineral touches which, frankly, here rather evoke Highland Park. It is even more beautiful on the palate than on the nose. Lovely earthy and saline peat at once. Finish: not very long but perfectly balanced and rather very ‘northern Scottish coast’. There is no mention of Japanese origin on the label in any case. Comments: excellent, even if it has closed up a little. It would seem that even whiskies open and close according to lunar cycles, I swear.
SGP:552 - 87 points. |
Wait, can one really imagine a proper Japanese session without any Karuizawa? There’s still plenty we’ve never had the chance to taste. Yeah, it’s good to have goals in life, isn’t it. |
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Karuizawa ‘Ambassadors' Collection’ (59.1%, OB, Japan, sherry, 2019) 
A marriage of various vintages ranging from 1972 to 1999 and possibly the rarest Karuizawa ever because you can count the number of bottles on the fingers of the right hand of an English archer during the 100 Years’ War (according to a legend disputed by historians). Colour: amber. Nose: sumptuous, which was not entirely obvious given that there are some ‘young’ vintages within. A crazy wild mango and heather and fir honeys, then camphor and eucalyptus in a rather wild duet. We shall say no more for now. With water: shoe polish, beeswax polish, fresh mint, gentleman’s pipe tobacco, potting soil, morels… All this is so very Karuizawa… Mouth (neat): the power of a small aircraft carrier, even if that analogy has become a little unfashionable of late, we grant you that. Water is absolutely required, otherwise it smothers you like a famished boa constrictor. Or like an old Ténarèze at cask strength. With water: there we are, it relaxes, with returning honeys, prunes, very damp tobacco, waxes… Finish: truly very long, rich, almost thick, it is almost a miracle that it does not cling to your palate. Tannins of excellent quality in the aftertaste, around a very fine Darjeeling, chocolate and a saline touch. Comments: it is this alliance of complexity and coherence that impresses. Among other things… You see, we could have gone overboard, yet we tried to keep a low profile.
SGP:662 - 93 points. |
A break is in order… Right, we’re back… let’s look for the opposite of K: something young, light and fresh… or at least, that’s the hope. |
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Mars Tsunuki 4 yo 2020/2025 (56%, OB, Japan, for Rudder, bourbon barrel, cask #5392)
They have used liquid ale yeast here, which is interesting. Colour: white wine. Nose: exactly what we had expected, a Chablis-malt, on chalk, yellow flowers and no less yellow fruits, with a slight preference for grapefruit. It is rather elementary, yet that is precisely its charm. Chablis at least premier cru in any case, perhaps on the smaller side of the Serein, opposite the grands crus, let us say Côte de Léchet, which we adore. With water: very small and wonderful tarry touches appearing. Linoleum. Mouth (neat): superb lemony and chalky purity. Have we already mentioned Chablis today? Chablis at 56%, that does speak… With water: superb, this time with little preserved lemons. Finish: it merely prolongs the beginning, straight as an I. Comments: we are very fond of this very streamlined style, of perfectly clear line. Well, we shall have spoken as much about Chablis as about Tsunuki, apologies…
SGP:551 - 89 points. |
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Mars Tsunuki 7 yo 2017/2025 ‘Uwate Nage - Komagate Aging’ (59.8%, OB, for LMDW Itinéraires, Japan, bourbon barrel, cask #3518)
Colour: white wine. Nose: well, you take the previous one, you add peat smoke and ashes, you give it all a good shake and there you are. It feels a little like a two-headed eagle, yet it works. With water: it has come together into a mix of soaked charcoal, ashes and limestone, with a slightly volcanic, basaltic side. Mouth (neat): more coherent on the palate from the first drop, yet as they say in certain sports, it rather hits hard. An extremely medicinal side before adding water. With water: and there we are, a fresh, lemony peat, almost gentle and now rather rounded. Finish: long, on lemon marmalade and ashes. A little eucalyptus in the aftertaste. Comments: we just find the unpeated version a tiny bit ‘purer’. More ‘design’, if you like, yet this peated one remains splendid.
SGP:567 - 88 points. |
You know what, we never e.v.e.r. have enough Chichibu… |
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Chichibu ‘Casa de Vinos 15th Anniversary’ (64%, OB, Japan, for Australia, American white oak refill sherry, cask #7535, 267 bottles, 2025)
Colour: light gold. Nose: well this is a very gentle yet very characterful olive oil. The rest is probably hidden by the 64% vol. With water: fresh farmhouse bread with a few small candied fruits within. Mouth (neat): sublime, even at these lethal strengths. Orange peel, olives, green walnuts, angelica, lemongrass. With water: when the sherry simply punctuates a great malt in this way, it is magnificent. Oranges in full majesty. Finish: long, almost fresh, characterful, yet oily. Those touches of green walnuts are sublime. Comments: fabulous. We take this opportunity to offer our most sincere apologies for yesterday’s rather stoopid joke about our Australian friends who live upside down yet still manage to keep their whisky in their glass. Yesterday, we were operating at nursery level on this slightly wretched ‘blog’.
SGP:651 - 91 points. |
“Never enough Chichibu,” he said… As for the 64%, that was nothing… |
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Chichibu 8 yo 2017/2025 (64.3%, OB, for LMDW Itinéraires, collection In the Wake of Silence, 1st fill bourbon barrel, cask #7492, 171 bottles)
Everything is aligned, every box is ticked here, and we rather know in advance what is going to happen… Colour: light gold. Nose: we immediately find the oils, certainly olive, but also grape seed, peanut, sesame… while someone has just added, with an almost distracted gesture, a touch of lime. But do mind, 64.3%, so… With water: this time we move a little away from the realm of great Chablis towards that of great white Graves/Pessac. We shall not however, no cheque having arrived thus far, mention any specific Château. Mouth (neat): rich, yet lemony, oily, yet taut. There, we have kept it brief. With water: it is almost a karate bout on your palate. Have no hope, you are going to lose, because of those bitter and acidic citrus peels, those magnificent waxes and oils, and that heap of clay, chalk, slate, oyster shells… Finish: one might call this an eternal citrus-led minerality. Comments: we forgot to mention the barley, which punctuated the whole from beginning to end.
SGP:561 - 91 points. |
Shall we finish with a Kanosuke, what do you reckon? And we’ll be back tomorrow with more Japanese whisky. |
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Kanosuke 2018/2025 (57%, OB for Kirsch Import, Awakening series, Japan, sherry, cask #19466, 108 bottles)
Colour: dark amber. Nose: prunes and damson tart, plus soy sauce and even miso. It makes for a rather surprising ensemble, yet extremely coherent, all the more so as Iberian ham and marrow broth quickly join in, while never letting go of the prunes, nor indeed of the ultra-ripe guava. Ultra-ripe guava, that is quite something. With water: the meaty and fermentary side remains. Maggi, Bovril, and even Marmite. Do they have Marmite yeast extract in Japan? Mouth (neat): it almost feels like a rather crazy rye aged in PX, in the style of Millstone. Borderline genever, indeed. Some curious notes of rose and lychee as well. With water: it has become incredibly saline, yet also more chocolatey. All this is a little unusual and rather extreme, and what works quite perfectly is to taste it after the Chichibu, as they are the exact opposite in style, though not in quality. Finish: long, now increasingly peppery. Comments: it may not be the most delicate, yet what a spectacle it is.
SGP:662 - 88 points. |
So, we’re changing tack and adding a ‘clean’ Kanosuke, at least judging by its colour… |
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Kanosuke 2019/2025 ‘The Heart Cut’ (54%, OB for The Whisky Exchange, for the Whisky Show 2025, bourbon quarter cask, 150 bottles)
We are not entirely sure what The Heart Cut is, but we shall look it up, promised. Colour: gold. Nose: a handful of Haribo little bears, another of jelly crocodiles from Marks & Spencer, and a glass of viognier, since we were speaking of wine. All this is delicately coated in custard. With water: an avalanche of fennel seeds, poppy seeds, cumin, caraway, and even absinthe. How amusing, how charming. Mouth (neat): the explosive fruitiness of Kanosuke… explodes. Truth be told, orange sweets rule the roost here and now. With water: it no longer changes, which is rather unexpected, although it then does shift more and more towards simple bread, focaccia, sourdough bread… What a turnaround! Finish: barley, vanilla, herbal infusions, everything has been tamed. Comments: in the end, we had remained close to the raw materials all along. Excellent.
SGP:651 - 87 points. |
We’ll pick things up again tomorrow for a third, and perhaps the final, Japanese session this week. |
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May 5, 2026 |
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Japanese whiskies: from the very top tier to the more average ones
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| Shindo Distillery (Shindo) |
We probably won’t be tasting only genuine Japanese whiskies, meaning whiskies actually distilled in Japan. Matters may seem obvious to 90% of people, and yet… That said, the situation does seem to have become clearer over the past three or four years, though you still come across horrors here and there whose only Japanese credentials are the samurai or Mount Fuji on the label. I know, we’re repeating ourselves, but the millions of bottles of ‘fake’ Japanese whisky have still been the biggest scandal of the past fifteen years in the whisky world. What’s that, rum? Who mentioned rum? … In any case, we’ll proceed at random; we shouldn’t, at any rate, reach the heights of the thirteen Chichibus we tasted on 20 April. |
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Kiyokawa ‘The Cask’ (61.1%, OB, Japan, PX, 398 bottles, 2026)
Here we are in Nagano, and this is their first single malt, brand new and rather handsome, made ‘from farm to bottle’ entirely in Japan. Except for the PX, of course, but perhaps they have planted some ‘Pedro’ in Japan? Moreover, it would seem they are using ‘wet casks’, so not rinsed as is done elsewhere. In theory at least. Colour: gold. Nose: powerful, youthful but we rather like that, close to the grain yet also to sherry, in a fresh and elegant manner, with no raisiny effect. Speculoos, amber ale, flint, marzipan and fruitcake that is not overly sweet. With water: gingerbread! The PX is doing its job and doing it well in this instance. Mouth (neat): oily, very good, on pepper and speculoos, bitter orange, and a mix of peppers, coriander seeds and juniper. With water: it becomes honeyed, also on prunes and currants. The PX keeps playing its part. Finish: long, rich, candied. Comments: it is always rather odd to put farm-to-bottle malt into PX or other wines from the far ends of the earth when you are not, say, in Andalusia, to me that slightly contradicts the chosen approach, but in the glass, here, it worked very well for me. But do not ask me to tell you about Kiyokawa’s distillate. We hope to avoid ruby Port in mizunara next time, if indeed there is a next time. And if there is ruby Port in mizunara, may God preserve us.
SGP:671 - 84 points. |
If we’re going to make comparisons, we might as well try to do it properly… |
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Chichibu ‘Australia Edition 2024’ (52.5%, OB, Japan, 480 bottles)
Hey it is not because we tasted quite a few Chichibu last month that we are going to deprive ourselves today. Here is a vatting of peated and unpeated matured in several different kinds of casks. Colour: pale gold. Nose: I find myself thinking that the main marker of Chichibu on the nose, across all styles and cask types combined (and there have been some oddish ones), is as much the fattiness as the minerality. Am I mistaken? Here is a fine example, combining a rapeseed oil side with a little basalt, ginger, sweet pepper, toasted hazelnuts, wood ash, and even tomato sauce, although these were very fruity tomatoes. Tomato is a fruit after all. Behind all that, a few drops of orange juice and oyster juice. I love this nose, one just needs to take one’s time. Tomato, that is something! With water: herbs, cut flowers, dried flowers, tomato bush. Mouth (neat): that oily side again. A slight cabernet edge, the rest revolves around peppers and ashes. And tomato, I swear, like a slightly spicy Tuscan sauce (and lengthened with grappa, ahem). With water: still a little mad and with such an unusual side that we already like it for that alone. Finish: long and fatty, yet a little tighter on more classic flavours, peat, seafood… Comments: in theory, I ought not to like this too much, but I am already admiring the Australians simply for the fact they manage to keep their whiskies in their glass while walking around upside down (rest assured, all is well at WF HQ)…
SGP:465 - 90 points. |
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The Daisen ‘Red Wine Cask’ (40%, OB, blend, Japan, The Matsui, Kurayoshi, Japan, +/-2025) 
At least it was Japanese red wine, apparently, that was used for this quick finishing. The wine may well have been more Japanese than the whiskies used in this blend… Colour: straw. No pinkish hue whatsoever. Nose: light, pleasant, without fault, without rough edges, on apple juice and yellow plum juice, barley syrup, scones… Mouth: not too bad at first, malty, but it then drifts into cardboard and sawdust, with nevertheless a few agreeable citrus notes. Finish: short. No sign of red wine and we are not going to complain about that. Perhaps a hidden raspberry right at the very end? Comments: what were we talking about? Seriously, it is not bad.
SGP:341 - 75 points. |
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The Daisen ‘Sakura Cask’ (40%, OB, blend, Japan, The Matsui, Kurayoshi, Japan, +/-2025) 
But of course, cherry wood cask used for a quick finishing. Likely staves, heads, or perhaps chips? Frankly, I had quite liked those ‘Matsui’ in pure malt form at 48% vol., but here it is different, it would seem. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: close to a floral eau-de-vie, mullein, woodruff… I rather like it, but alas, no notes of cherry stalks, which I had hoped for. Nor any kirsch… Mouth: we are not very far from the ‘Red Wine’ (which red wine was anecdotal in any case), on the palate it loses a little freshness and clarity. The floral or cherry eaux-de-vie seem to have vanished… But there is pear! Finish: short but those pear notes do work. Comments: cherry that smells of pear, why not? I quite like it.
SGP:441 - 78 points. |
We’re certainly no longer up in the Chichibu heights, but we shall press on… Like Confucius, we hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and take what comes… |
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Maen ‘The Perfect Circle’ (43%, OB, Japan, blend, bourbon barrel, +/-2025) For me, a ‘perfect circle’ is a very old 45 rpm record by Zappa, Miles or Coltrane, but let us move on… If this is 100% Japanese, I am Céline Dion’s guitarist. May God preserve her from that. Colour: gold. Nose: well it is not bad, it is a bit like Chivas, there is barley, overripe apple, nougat, barley, overripe apple, nougat, barley, overripe apple, nougat, barley, overripe apple, nou… Mouth: I shall not do the same trick again, but it is rather good, a little less rounded, perhaps a little rougher. Finish: fairly short, a little indistinct, cardboardy and on tea. Comments: we are back in the territory of the two previous ones. Nothing to cry wolf about either.
SGP:431 - 75 points. |
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The Daisen ‘Mizunara Cask’ (40%, OB, blend, Japan, The Matsui, Kurayoshi, Japan, +/-2025)
Oops, I nearly forgot the mizunara, even if there is probably less mizunara here than lark in lark pâté. But do you know a whisky brand that does not use mizunara these days? The forests must be getting devastated! Colour: pale white wine. Nose: hey, not bad at all, on asparagus, artichoke and hyacinth which softens it all a little, then a few drops of fir bud liqueur. Light aniseed and fennel. For now, it is my favourite… I mean of the blends. Mouth: not bad indeed, there is less of that ‘beer’ effect than in most of these blends, but we are not quite reaching the heights either. Curious touches of ham with lemon and fir. Really. Finish: quite good, fairly fresh, less scattered than the other. Touches of lime, aniseed and mint, that is rather pleasant. Comments: my favourite of the three. We do joke a lot about mizunara, but if they use it so much, there must be a reason after all.
SGP:441 - 79 points. |
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The Tottori ‘Bourbon Barrel’ (43%, OB, Japan, blend, +/-2025)
It is ‘aged a minimum of three years’, can you imagine! I rather fear we may be scraping the bottom of the drawer here, but do not worry, we shall quickly set things straight afterwards… Well, we hope so. Colour: pale gold. Nose: no, it is perfectly decent, on vanilla cake and a few root vegetables. Carrot tart. I do quite like these cake batter notes here, truth be told. Mouth: indeed, not bad at all, carrots, honey yoghurt, turnips cooked in syrup, all that I rather enjoy, one has to be honest. Finish: and even a few saline touches. It really is rather good, this little Tottori, especially as a little fennel then appears. The aftertaste is a touch rougher, but that is only to be expected. Comments: a pleasant surprise, I was expecting nothing. And as usual, 43% makes an enormous difference compared with the rather stingy 40%.
SGP:351 - 79 points. |
The Daisen Mizunara would probably come in at WF 81–82 if it were bottled at 43%. Right then, let’s raise our game, but we’ll stop after the next one and pick things up again tomorrow, all being well, or very soon depending on our schedule… |
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Shindo 3 yo 2022/2025 (59%, OB for AF Trade & The Antelope, bourbon barrel, cask #10332)
Straight from Fukuoka Prefecture, on the northern coast of Kyushu. We had literally a-do-red cask #10254 (WF 90). Colour: white wine. Nose: Shindo, this is grand, it is rich, it is textured, it is almost thick, even on the nose. Lemon cake and, since we are in Japan, mochis with green bean paste and whipped cream. And a scoop of toasted sesame ice cream, hoppla. With water: white soils soaked by the rain, focaccia dough, clay, slate… Mouth (neat): what class! Lemon green tea with a pinch of salt, that is more or less all there is, but it is so high-definition that it carries everything. With water: it inevitably remains focused at this age, but those little lemons and those clays are magnificent. Finish: enough natural beauty. Comments: one of the names that already matter, but we knew that. Just imagine, we have now already tasted three Shindos. Three!
SGP:551 - 90 points. |
Just to be clear, we don’t want older whiskies all the time, we simply don’t want the age of our whiskies to be hidden from us.
Right then, we’ll add one last of the last ones, as we often do (S., there’s always a last one, no?). We’re sometimes a bit like one of those dreadful Tesla Cybertrucks, we find it hard to stop… |
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Kanosuke 2021/2025 (60%, OB, for Casa de Vinos, 15th Anniversary, Japan, bourbon, 198 bottles)
Here we are back in Australia. There is something rather amusing on the label, it says ‘Founded in 1833, established in 2017’. Feels a bit like ‘a Bushmills’, does it not? Colour: light gold. Nose: this is tough against the Shindo, as we are a little in the same league, except that this Kanosuke is far more extroverted, with more exotic fruits dressed in mint and honey. Philosophically, we prefer the elegant austerity of the Shindo, yet we are still human, and this magnificent fruitiness cannot leave us indifferent. Who mentioned Bushmills? With water: it folds back a little towards bread dough and earth, plus lemon zest. Mouth (neat): the two come closer on the palate, but the 60% prevents us from exploring further without adding water. With water: boom! Citrons, kumquats, limes, bergamots, yuzu, finger lime… Right, we shall not list them all, but it is a magnificent cavalcade of sharp citrus fruits. Finish: and it rolls on and keeps going… Comments: in the end, the two arrive very close in terms of level, and in styles that are ultimately kind of similar on your palate. They are much more different on the nose than on the palate.
SGP:651 - 90 points. |
Unless they start extreme tinkering with yeasts, and with a few exceptions, the new Japanese producers (and I do mean new genuinely Japanese malt whiskies distilled entirely in Japan) don’t seem to be taking the shortcuts sometimes used elsewhere, including in Scotland. Perhaps it’s a question of purity of concept, something we fully subscribe to. Many more Japanese whiskies in the coming days on WF... |
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May 4, 2026 |
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WF's Little Duos,
today two Imperial for Asia and two horses |
Let’s sample two more malts from the Imperial distillery, which was demolished and replaced by Dalmunach, which began production in 2014, at a time when the whisky tide was rising. We’re also starting to see more and more young Dalmunach expressions from independent bottlers, incidentally, but let’s focus on these two Imperials, which appear quite similar… |
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Imperial 27 yo 1998/2025 (52/5%, The WhiskyFind, for CYD Taiwan, bourbon barrel, cask #11, 125 bottles)
Colour: light gold. Nose: fresh apple juice, chalk and limestone, grist and leaven, greengages and green tea, then touches of angelica. Nothing to fault in all this naturalness. With water: it becomes softer, more refined, more on candied citrus and, above all, on pure barley, sweet and majestic. Mouth (neat): fairly explosive on the palate, with even more chalk mixed with grey pepper, small green pear, apple and pomelo. It is rather taut like a wee bow and continues frankly onto grass. With water: it quite likes water, and it is green pepper that steals the show, if you enjoy that as much as we do here at WF HQ. Very fine austerity in the end. Finish: long and still peppery, with basil, nettle, or grass juice, you know those herb reductions that starred chefs and others have been making for some years now. Tropical fruits appear in the final signature. Comments: very fine, even if this sort of profile slices you up a little. Or perhaps because of that?
SGP:461 - 88 points. |
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Imperial 27 yo 1998/2025 (52.6%, Lucky Choice for 2nd Anniversary Anchor, bourbon barrel, cask #119, 175 bottles)
Another flamboyant horse, of course for the year of the horse. Or is it the Cavallino Rampante of a certain Italian car brand? Colour: light gold. Nose: we rather expected this, we are extremely close, it may well be the same malt in the end, the tiny little nuances could stem from a warehouseman having changed his aftershave during the maturation of this barrel. Or perhaps they changed the cat’s kibble? Or was one barrel two rows closer to the door? With water: the same. Mouth (neat): a hair’s breadth fruitier on the arrival, or perhaps not. With water: no real difference, beyond what our imaginations may… imagine. Finish: the same. I do rather like this finish on green tea and not quite ripe kiwi. Comments: truly very fine whiskies. We shall see what Dalmunach will deliver in twenty years, if our planet has not completely exploded by then…
SGP:461 - 88 points. |
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May 3, 2026 |
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The Rum Sessions,
today a new journey through rum, from France to Trinidad |
After that stunning headline, so bold that even David Ogilvy wouldn’t have dared to write it and that is bound to revolutionise the way tasting notes are written (all you adorable newborn recyclers/regurgitators on YouTube or elsewhere, do take note!) let’s get straight to it… For once, in any case, we’ll be setting off from France, as we usually do with ‘world’ whiskies.
Old vintage bottles of Trois Rivières, such as this 1953, can still be found fairly easily in France for a few hundred euros. However, be cautious when buying any oldies online from unknown sellers: AI now makes it very easy to artificially raise the fill levels or refresh the labels in photos. |
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Trois rivières ‘VO Cuvée du Moulin’ (40%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-2025)
On the label they specify ‘French plantation rhum’, and I who thought the word plantation rather recalled our colonial past and smelt a bit too much of Tarantino’s Django. Here the bottle is at €18.92 at E. Leclerc at the time of writing, as part of the ‘French Days’ (don’t ask), I have just seen that. Colour: light gold. Nose: a rather lovely agricole nose, quite aromatic, floral (hyacinth, slightly spicy) and lightly on aniseed and liquorice. Also touches of blood orange and cumin. For now, it is well worth its price (good one, S.). Mouth: entirely consistent with the nose but less precise, a little more on stewed fruits of all kinds and candied sugar. But it remains typical and the liquorice and mint duo at the end is rather charming. Finish: light saline touches. It holds its 40% vol. well. Comments: I find it clearly better than the brown-liveried version from some fifteen years ago (WF 80).
SGP:562 - 84 points. |
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El Supremo 5 yo (38%, OB, Paraguay, +/-2025)
All these slightly inflated cuvée names in South or Central America. Have you noticed that the more basic the cuvées, the more grandiloquent their names? Here it is a cane honey rum, whose 8-year-old version had nevertheless pleased us quite a bit two years ago (WF 80). Colour: gold. Nose: I remember, the style of the agricoles of Madeira, with that earthy side, on tobacco, pepper, old walnuts, caraway, leather, and even ashes, then pink pepper and touches of patchouli. Mouth: a little oily, probably slightly ‘darkened/obscured’, but we find aniseed, liquorice, caraway, peppermint, and quite simply sugar cane, very lightly peppery. It is really rather lovely, what a shame it is bottled at 38% vol. Finish: not very long of course, but this one too is fairly saline. Some sweetness in the aftertaste. Comments: a lovely little beast. If only it were at 40%, like the eight-year-old.
SGP:551 - 79 points. |
Come on then, another little five-year-old… |
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Doorly’s 5 yo (40%, OB, Barbados, +/-2025)
We had quite liked it some ten years ago (already!), but it had been eclipsed by the excellent 12-year-old. Time to revisit it. It is rather an entry-level version (the distillers generally say ‘core range’) from Foursquare Distillery, as everyone knows, even if it seems that Doorly’s is pure column still, and not a blend of column and pot still. But as usual, the sources of information diverge in this post-truth era. Colour: gold. Nose: vanilla, coconut, light varnish, mashed banana, orange cake, acacia syrup, marzipan, orgeat. A certain gentleness but no naivety (what?). Mouth: the sugar cane is more present than in the others, while the structure is light, a little more herbaceous. Touches of sherry, nuts, but all in great discretion. Finish: rather short, soft, very lightly spiced. A touch of tobacco in the aftertaste. Comments: a jolly little Foursquare in a lighter style. We shall have Doorly’s of greater calibre shortly.
SGP:441 - 80 points. |
Right, purely for scientific purposes, we need a Foursquare here and now, let’s pick one entirely at random… |
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Foursquare 22 yo 1998/2021 (58.8%, The Colours of Rum, No.8, ex-bourbon, cask #25, 227 bottles)
I believe this one too was pure column. Colour: gold. Nose: it is amusing how we remain close to the Doorly’s, but with, naturally, more power and a more chiselled combination of mango, orange, coconut and vanilla. With water: we move closer to sugar cane but also to a bag of entirely unrefined brown sugar. Mouth (neat): those oranges spiced with pink pepper and light ginger are magnificent. A very fine freshness on the citrus fruits. With water: are we convinced there is not a small proportion of pot still? Or is it the maturation mainly in northern Europe that has preserved the esters? Light tar and petrol, even a little seawater, even a touch of varnish. Gently… Finish: rather long, with a pleasing texture and a style that is at once more earthy and coastal. Comments: if it was column, it was short column, and the plates were mostly raised. Whether that is possible at FS, I have absolutely no idea, I am not a rum blogger.
SGP:541 - 87 points. |
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Venezuela Rum 20 yo (57.2%, Roaming Road, ex-bourbon, 2024)
A ‘single column rum’. Ah, now that is a concept! As long as there is that magic word ‘single’, it can only be excellent, right. Probably rum by Corporacion Alcoholes Del Caribe (CADC). Colour: mahogany/coffee. Nose: it is rather lighter than the ABV suggests, we are somewhat on very strongly infused black tea to which fennel and liquorice have been added, along with fir honey. For now, it does not feel like its 57%. With water: it changes very little, except that cedarwood and fir emerge. Mouth (neat): it is very good, on orange zest dipped in dark chocolate, with a present but pleasant woodiness. With water: again it changes little, let us say we are on a very lovely combination of orange, chocolate and liquorice, always underlined by those pleasing woody notes (dark chocolate, fir, cedar, black tea). Finish: fairly long and a little fruitier, dominated by orange zests. Crushed pepper and tobacco arrive right at the end. Comments: a very pretty bottle, great Venezuelan rums are not so common. Will they be serving this in the new White House ballroom? An absolute miracle of refinement and the ultimate culmination of 5,000 years of architectural history; Ramses II and Julius Caesar themselves would be jealous. We now await a new Colosseum and to find out whether they’ll use tigers or lions.
SGP:551 - 86 points. |
Right, a word from the American empire… |
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Mainland Rum 11 yo 2014/2026 (65.2%, Superlative Spirits, USA, Louisiana, ex-rye cask, 64 bottles)
Another micro-batch of Mainland Rum, we had very much enjoyed their ‘Barrel Number 01’ last Sunday (WF 88), but it was Californian, whereas this one comes from Louisiana, where many speak French by the way, sorry dear Charles III. Colour: apricot amber. Nose: this is café latte, garnished with triple sec and ground cinnamon, but let us not forget we are at 65.2%. With water: high-class bourbon. Mouth (neat): oh that magnificent young high-pedigree bourbon side! Everything is there, black pepper, acetone touches, varnish, candied zests, spruce… Are we quite sure this is not bourbon? Or does it all come from the ex-rye cask? With water: the same! One of the best ‘bourbons’ it has been given to us to taste in recent months. Finish: long, on wood, varnish, pepper and rye. Comments: excellent. I imagine it is technically rum but believe me it tastes like bourbon. Perhaps does a country as liberal as the good old US of A allow bourbon to be bottled under a name such as ‘Mainland Rum’?
SGP:561 - 89 points. |
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TDL 25 yo 2001/2026 (57.2%, Compagnie des Indes, Asia Exclusive, Trinidad)
TDL has truly been the discovery of recent years, thanks to the independents. Who would have said, when we were tasting rather simple, let us say not terribly complicated Angosturas, that such distillates were lurking behind them? Colour: red amber. Nose: oh my, what fruity beauty, it feels like a blend of a Benriach 1971 or 1976 with a pre-war grande champagne cognac. Everything is sublime here, peaches, mangoes, cranberry, guava and honeys of every kind. Sublimely beautiful, truly, and we have not even mentioned the flowers. With water: we shall not even dwell on it. Let us say it is the same after reduction, only a little softer. Also astonishing notes of honeysuckle and hibiscus. There we are, we have mentioned the flowers. A light fresh mastic, more good news. Mouth (neat): utterly exceptional, between fir bud and mango, and everything that may lie between those two markers. All the dials are at maximum. This is it, turned up to 11 (forget, boomer stuff). Quite a lot of propolis too, both dark and green. With water: it moves towards mints, resins, and indeed propolis. A touch of salmiak as well. Finish: it is superb to the point of becoming almost tiring, we begin to run short of adjectives. Comments: this will do nicely!... Was expected, that said.
SGP:752 - 92 points. |
Right, to try to counter such a beast, and also to bring this wild session to an end, perhaps we might call upon a… blend. A blend? |
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The Duo Chapter 4 (54.2%, The Whisky Jury, Long Pond & HD, Jamaica, refill bourbon, 183 bottles)
Well then, our friends at The Whisky Jury (love it that they have never created The Rum Jury, that is class) have decided to assemble 60% Long Pond 1998 and 40% Hampden 2014 <>H, which must be the same as <H>, or conversely, therefore +/- one kilo of esters per hectolitre of pure alcohol. It is probably time to drink a large glass of water… there, that is done. Colour: white wine. Nose: incredible how the molecules have combined, it feels like a single distillery hitherto unknown. Smoked bananas, soft liquorice, flambéed oysters, brake dust, salted butter caramel… With water: indeed, Paris metro brake dust, new rubber boots, oysters… Mouth (neat): the HD seems to have the upper hand, it is very saline, briny, the oysters are back, with tar and new rubber, but also lemon balm, wakame, olives, capers… With water: magnificent, on olive oil with lemon and a dash of seawater. Salmiak then takes back the lead, in the company of its friend lemon juice. Finish: very long and even more saline. You almost feel as if you are tasting the Atlantic Ocean. Comments: magnificent, it is simply not that easy to follow the incredible fruity bomb that was the TDL.
SGP:462 - 90 points. |
Right then, let’s try a triple backflip to properly wrap things up… |
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TDL 8 yo 2016/2025 ‘Trinidad Xmas 2025’ (53.6%, The Colours of Rum, #8, 132 bottles)
Well, let us just say it, when you are tasting a Christmas spirit in May, you frankly look a bit of a fool. This will not do much for our self-esteem, especially as it is far from the first time… Colour: pale gold. Nose: nothing like the splendid Compagnie des Indes, this is very pleasant but more on geraniums, prickly pear, rye, buckwheat, bananas… There are, as you know, various TDL styles. With water: hay and herbal infusions. It is not ultra-distinctive, but it does the job. Mouth (neat): artisanal pear eau-de-vie and grain vodka from ex-pot still. With water: some saline elements return, alongside the artisanal pear spirit. Finish: long, with a few bitter touches. Comments: thoroughly good, to be enjoyed with a Savoyard or Swiss fondue, at Christmas indeed. Or to be poured into the fondue.
SGP:641 - 82 points. |
 Check the index of all rums we've tasted
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May 2, 2026 |
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April 2026
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Serge's favourite recent bottling this month:
Talisker 47 yo ‘Magma’ (48.8%, OB, 622 bottles, 2026) - WF 93
Serge's favourite older bottling this month:
Ardbeg 1973/1988 (57%, R.W. Duthie & Co., Samaroli, 20th Anniversary, 540 bottles) - WF 94
Serge's favourite bang for your buck this month:
Malt Mill 17 yo 1959/1976 (80° proof UK, Cadenhead, Black Dumpy, green glass) - WF 94 (OK, that was our rather pathetic April Fools’ joke for 2026).
Serge's favourite malternative this month:
François Voyer ‘Lot 19.60’ (48%, Malternative Belgium, private bottling, 42 bottles, 2026) - WF 93
Serge's thumbs up this month:
Kimchangsoo 2021/2025 (50.8%, OB, Korea, travel exclusive, 1st fill European oloroso sherry quarter cask, 138 bottles) - WF 90
Serge's Lemon Prize this month:
TER 5 yo ‘Lignum’ (40%, OB, Italy, triple wood cask aged, 2025) - WF 56 |
We would like to remind you
that we do not take prices
into account, except for the
“bang for your buck” category. |
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May 1, 2026 |
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Who remembers the first official Benriach releases from the Billy Walker era, true fruit bombs? The 1971s, the 1976s… Before that, the poor official 10-year-old from the previous owners had gone completely unnoticed, its character being… somewhat non-existent. But a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, and independent bottlers now seem to provide most of the interesting expressions, at least to our mind. Let’s try a few to test that theory, at random, for a bit more fun…
Today's winner. Sort of. (Christ enthroned, The Book of Kells, Codex Cenannensis, Trinity College Library, Dublin.) |
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Benriach 31 yo (53.1%, Elixir Distillers 'Macbeth Act I - The Thanes', bourbon barrels, 650 bottles, 2023)
Colour: gold. Nose: nothing but on beeswax and stewed apple and quince, with a light touch of honey and a little almond milk. it is pretty, but without the extravagant fruitiness we had been expecting. With water: we stay on the same aromas. Mouth (neat): rather taut, fresh, on small apples and pears, with a chardonnay side from the south of Burgundy, Pouilly-Fuissé and all that. With water: the same, a little softer, barley syrup. Finish: medium length, a little more on marzipan, with a touch of anise in the aftertaste. Comments: we know some who would have re-racked this into 1st fill or even virgin oak to bring out the mango, but that might have been deemed a bit inelegant, I suppose. A very pretty bottle in any case, but without any major asperities, to my humble opinion.
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
Come on then, another 31-year-old… |
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Benriach 31 yo 1995/2026 (49.6%, Maltbarn, sherry cask, 130 bottles)
Does Benriach need relatively active wood? Colour: gold. Nose: more on wax, pistachio syrup, orgeat, and a box of brand-new rubber bands. Mouth: ah here it speaks more, there is even a Guyanese rum side, low-mark, walnut cream, marzipan, green tea with lemon… Finish: medium length, more herbaceous, cider apples, a very light smokiness in the aftertaste. Comments: despite the sherry, we are rather close to the Macbeth, it is very pleasant, but perhaps not entirely extremely distinctive enough for 31 years of age. But no, it’s a great whisky, no questions.
SGP:451 - 85 points. |
All right, we’ll press the point a little and bring out some heavier weapon. Sorry for that silly rhetoric which, alas, is rather in vogue these days. |
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Benriach 55 yo 1966/2021 (51.2%, Gordon & MacPhail, The Dram Takers, refill American hogshead, cask #607, 52 bottles)
With the wonderful ‘Book of Kells’ label, the most beautiful of all time. To think it dates from the year 800, therefore from the time of Charlemagne! Well, almost… Colour: full gold. Nose: we enter an old library, with old papers, old leather, polishes, rose water, orange blossom, jasmine, incense, a basket of old apples abandoned in a corner and a stack of fir logs sawn during the week. And a little thuja wood… With water: the resinous woods are more to the fore, fir buds, thyme infusion… Mouth (neat): absolutely, obviously, fresh strawberries with mint leaves, peach yoghurt, reminiscences of menthol cigarettes, gentle olive oil, and a marked tannicity but centred on resinous woods, therefore elegant and not too drying. With water: the water relaxes all that, dissolves part of the tannicity at the start (for once!), but the resinous woods reply immediately. Very, very infused mint herbal tea. Finish: long, on black teas, without sugar or honey. That said citrus fruits come rushing in the aftertaste. Comments: we have somewhat flirted with the limits of tannicity, all the more so as the distillate itself was already rather light, but it remains a wonderful bottle.
SGP:471 - 89 points. |
Right then, let’s try the younger ones… |
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Benriach 17 yo 2007/2024 (53.7%, Timeless & Tasty, 90 bottles)
A new version of Manet’s Déjeuner sur l’Herbe, it would seem judging by the lovely label. Colour: gold. Nose: on gentle beer, cider, fudge and a bag of caramel and eucalyptus sweets. A light vanilla varnish. All is well. With water: a little damp earth and flint join the ensemble. Mouth (neat): a copy of the nose, very malty beer, instant chicory, calvados. With water: the same, very much on fudge and coffee toffee. It is very malty. Finish: long, more on fir bud liqueur and still plenty of malt. Comments: timeless, we are not so sure, tasty that is certain. Bravo.
SGP:451 - 85 points. |
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Benriach 18 yo 2007/2025 (49.8%, Fadandel, refill bourbon hogshead, cask #700193, 109 bottles)
Colour: straw. Nose: once again that very malty side, with quite a lot of beers, some rather hoppy, then fern, fresh cheese with garlic and parsley, and even some… raclette. Seriously, and what is more we do like that. Mouth: ah this is lovely, malty and earthy, then moving towards ripe apples baked in the oven and drizzled with bitter caramel. Finish: long, herbaceous and caramelised. Aftertaste: very malty, with a hint of pear. Comments: a very pretty little bottle, not necessarily hugely marked by the original distillate, yet very attractively malty all the same.
SGP:451 - 86 points. |
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Benriach 13 yo 2010/2023 (63.4%, Milroy’s Soho Selection, American oak hogshead)
Milroy’s have released quite a few superb bottles of late, so we are rather curious here. Let us expect a few oddities… Colour: white wine. Nose: this is a peated one, there is some slightly warm smoked ham, petrol, tequila… and 63% alcohol. So, with water: ah this is much better, above all very earthy and fermentary, with some lovely touches of cumin. Mouth (neat): oily, smoky, saline, brutal. In short, it is simply not drinkable as it stands, even half a drop, didn’t we accidentally pick up a wee bottle of white spirit instead?. With water: touches of caraway, ideas of black soap, rye bread, shoe polish… Finish: very long, ultra rustic, a tad soapy indeed, fairly peppery, increasingly saline. Comments: truth be told, this is a monster. Nothing is in place, nothing is coherent, yet in the end, it is great fun. That said, we are just not quite sure that our dear descendants will manage to finish even half a bottle before the end of this century. Utterly mad stuff.
SGP:367 - 83 points. |
Perhaps one last, as Benriach is starting to test our patience a little… |
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Benriach 13 yo (58.6%, Adelphi for The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show, first fill PX, cask #38, 234 bottles, 2025)
Colour: copper amber. Nose: varnish and roasted peanuts, shoe polish. With water: earthy, on pecans and peanut butter. Very light menthol and liquorice. Mouth (neat): very good, molasses, maple syrup and pepper. The roasted peanuts are not far away (with a thought for Jimmy Carter). With water: a fine development on sorrel, lemon zest, cardamom and pepper. A touch of shoe polish. Finish: long and more peppery. Much more peppery, and bitter. Comments: of course it is good, it is Adelphi, the official partner of Scottish opticians, as I think we’ve already said. Between ourselves, if you are over fifty and you can read an Adelphi label without a magnifying glass or without using your miserable iPhone, you have the eyesight of a well-fed grey wolf or a golden eagle at the height of its powers. Congratulations!
SGP: 362 - 85 points. |
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Best spirits Serge tried those weeks, 90+ points only
Chichibu ‘Casa de Vinos 15th Anniversary’ (64%, OB, Japan, for Australia, American white oak refill sherry, cask #7535, 267 bottles, 2025)
Chichibu ‘Australia Edition 2024’ (52.5%, OB, Japan, 480 bottles)
Chichibu 8 yo 2017/2025 (64.3%, OB, for LMDW Itinéraires, collection In the Wake of Silence, 1st fill bourbon barrel, cask #7492, 171 bottles)
Kanosuke 2021/2025 (60%, OB, for Casa de Vinos, 15th Anniversary, Japan, bourbon, 198 bottles)
Karuizawa ‘Ambassadors' Collection’ (59.1%, OB, Japan, sherry, 2019)
Shindo 3 yo 2022/2025 (59%, OB for AF Trade & The Antelope, bourbon barrel, cask #10332)
The Duo Chapter 4 (54.2%, The Whisky Jury, Long Pond & HD, Jamaica, refill bourbon, 183 bottles)
TDL 25 yo 2001/2026 (57.2%, Compagnie des Indes, Asia Exclusive, Trinidad)
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