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| Hi, you're in the Archives, May 2026 - Part 2 |
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May 24, 2026 |
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Some cognac again
We’ll do as usual, starting with our traditional little old-fashioned aperitif, if you don’t mind… We’re going to have VS cognacs, which correspond to ***s, but quite a few producers adopted ‘VS’ because the *** designation, much like in wine, had a rather poor reputation. VS is a bit classier, after all. |
Cabanne (Old Masters/Cabanne) |
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Courvoisier ‘VS’ (40%, OB, blend, +/-1985) 
The famous cognac of Napoléon, straight from Jarnac. Imagine this is the first time we’re tasting this well-known version. Colour: deep gold. Nose: plenty of sultanas and wildflower honey, with just a little old bottle effect showing through in the shape of faint metallic and dusty touches, though nothing remotely troublesome. The whole thing is firmly driven by raisins. Mouth: decent, still very much focused on raisins, alongside caramel and corn syrup. Finish: rather short, getting slightly schmalzy by now. Comments: perfectly acceptable, though we shall quietly move on, the interest remains rather limited, and these little cognacs have become far too fragile after forty years in bottle.
SGP:630 - 72 points. |
Another VS. We’re rather fond of VS cognac… |
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Château de Montifaud ‘VS’ (40%, OB, petite champagne, +/-2025) 
Montifaud is a very lovely house indeed, we’ve tasted some excellent ones lately, though not yet this humble VS. Colour: gold. Nose: very fruity and floral, honeysuckle, apricot, sultanas, muscat grapes… Mouth: the muscaty side carries on, with a little caramel and liquorice as well, then nougat and the tiniest touch of menthol. Nothing whatsoever to complain about, it does the job perfectly well. Finish: not quite as short as expected, with liquorice still fairly prominent and orange marmalade arriving in the aftertaste. Comments: it is not all that uncommon for VS expressions to outshine VSOPs, thanks to their freshness when they haven’t been overly obscured.
SGP:641 - 82 points. |
Let’s carry on while we’re in the swing of things… |
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Richard Delisle ‘VS’ (40%, OB, blend, +/-2025) 
Colour: gold. Nose: this feels more rustic, slightly grassy, with notes of stalks and grape pips, alongside a rather tutti-frutti eau-de-vie. The interest remains a little limited for now, we would say. Mouth: better on the palate, with liquorice, stewed fruits, zest, honey and a light touch of caramel. It has become very respectable indeed by this point. Finish: not terribly long, with unexpected little touches of violets. We find that slightly spirity side again in the aftertaste. Comments: very decent, though the previous one rather stole its thunder.
SGP:541 - 78 points. |
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Larsen ‘Viking Ship’ (40%, OB, grande and petite champagne, +/-2025)
One has to say the bottle is rather ‘unusual’, though we have already tasted some excellent Larsens. Colour: deep gold. Nose: honey, roasted mangoes, white flowers. Nothing to complain about here, this is charming stuff. Mouth: a lovely combination, slightly caramelised, with notes of butterscotch and soft liquorice. A little hint of orange gianduja as well, though the 40% vol. handicaps the whole slightly. Finish: not especially long, which is a pity, I’m sure this would have been much better at 43%. Maple syrup. Comments: a little more punch would do it a world of good, because this is undeniably a very pretty spirit.
SGP:641 - 79 points. |
Right then, let’s talk seriously, even if we do jump from one extreme to another… |
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Famille Cabanne ‘A.100’ (46.6%, Old Master Spirits, Grande Champagne, 2026) 
Careful now, this is serious stuff, here comes a hundred-year-old cognac offered by friends from… Australia. I should add that we have already tasted some extremely old Cabanne that were utterly magnificent. Colour: deep amber. Nose: old honey jars, just very slightly fermentary, gingerbread, dandelion flowers, multi-floral pollen, and a very old pack of English cigarettes. I shall leave you to choose the brand, though I would suggest Craven ‘A’. We are naturally speaking only about the aromas of the tobacco, in no way whatsoever are we suggesting anyone should smoke it (c’mon, S.). Mouth: what beauty! Herbal teas by the thousand, countless honeys, ancient Sauternes and Barsac, then flavours growing drier, spicier and more chocolatey, yet never becoming drying. We could easily write a tasting note running to three pages, though in a rare burst of generosity, we shall spare you such an ordeal. Finish: if there had to be the slightest Achilles’ heel, it would be a finish that turns a little drier and fractionally less transcendent, though it would be rather inelegant to dwell on such details. Black tea. Comments: an extraordinary journey through time, and I promise we are judging only the strictly organoleptic side here. Completely mad, in fact.
SGP:651 - 91 points. |
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Famille Duluc ‘Lot 70’ (46.1%, Authentic Spirits, Grande Champagne, ugni blanc, 2026) 
Here we are in Touzac, a former commune of Charente now attached to the charmingly named Bellevigne (Lovelyvine). And from a decidedly rock’n’roll vintage. Colour: dark amber. Nose: it starts with plenty of praline and black nougat, before moving towards Corinth raisins and prunes, alongside a few thin mints and a splendid cordial of fir and eucalyptus. There is even a touch of very old Dutch genever. Mouth: magnificent dryness, recalling a very old amontillado infused with dark chocolate and, this time, French brown tobacco. We shall refrain from naming any brands. Finish: fairly long and very dry, becoming more mentholated, more reminiscent of Russian-style black tea. Pure cocoa in the aftertaste. Comments: more demanding perhaps, though magnificent if you like your cognacs… seco. We certainly do.
SGP:461 - 89 points. |
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Fins Bois ‘Lot 45’ (58.2%, Malternative Belgium, Asia-Pacific exclusive, 96 bottles, 2025)
How on earth are our friends supposed to cope with fewer than 100 bottles for the whole of Asia and the Pacific? In any case, this V-vintage is legendary, for all manner of reasons. Think Latour or Lafite 1945! This is a bouilleur de cru cognac, therefore anonymous. The strength is pretty astonishing too, either this baby spent a great deal of time in demijohns, or it matured in an ultra-dry warehouse. Or perhaps both. Colour: amber. Nose: the slightly rustic gracefulness of fins bois, with melon and peaches alongside chic perfume, musk, dried apricots, rice powder and carnations… With water: damp earth, old greenhouse, faded flowers, patchouli. Mouth (neat): utterly mad stuff, all on zests, white pepper, angelica and pink peppercorns. It is extraordinary to taste a 1945 cognac at almost 60% vol. Proper backbone here. With water: superb rusticity, very much on the wood (awesome wood that is), we are truly plunged straight into the immediate post-war years. Finish: fairly long, more on leaves, stalks, green pepper and fruit skins. Comments: the youthfulness of this baby is utterly astonishing, there is not the slightest sign of old age, never would you imagine it was harvested eighty years ago. That eau-de-vie side is also precisely what gives it such colossal charm.
SGP:561 - 91 points. |
One last one, please, we’re heading back to Australia… |
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Peyrot ‘V.61 A.64’ (43.8%, Old Master Spirits, Grande Champagne, 2026)
A legendary 1961 vintage, only slightly overshadowed by 1959 in the wine world, fully matured in cask. What more could one ask for? We are in Mainxe-Gondeville here. Colour: deep amber. Nose: white chocolate and green walnuts, what a magnificent combination. Also black truffle, morels, and those tobaccos already mentioned above. Dried mint leaves as well. A splendid nose. Mouth: one of those cognacs that may occasionally bring Ténarèze to mind, with plenty of chocolate and black tea, though here it is both rustic and gentle, with prunes and liqueur, even hints of pineau. Or pousse-rapière. So, there is a faintly syrupy side, surprising and rather unusual indeed, yet very charming, rather in the style of old El Dorados (eh?). One imagines these spirits may have been slightly ‘adjusted’ at some point, though all this remains eminently traditional. Finish: long, powerful, very slightly sweet and liqueur-like. A tiny touch of old plum spirit. Comments: there is a faintly ‘kitcheny’ side to it, though one ought to respect the work of our grandfathers and grandmothers, whatever their customs and methods may have been. Such as, indeed ‘kitchen’ works on Sunday mornings, when everyone, including the authorities, were at Mass or down the bistrot. Or still in bed recovering from the previous Saturday night. It is almost moving to come across this slightly old-style profile once again.
SGP:641 - 89 points. |
Well, we won’t have kept to any vintage chronology this time, but we’ll always do as we please, if you don’t mind (S., pleeease…). Tomorrow, back to whisky. |
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May 23, 2026 |
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Angus's Corner
From our correspondent and
skilled taster Angus MacRaild in Scotland
Springbank and Longrow on Location in Campbeltown
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This week is the Campbeltown Malts Festival, and we are on location in the Wee Toon! I'm afraid I don't have to hand any of the current festival releases (I know, rather shameful), so we'll just revisit a couple of old beauties today... |
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Springbank 12 yo (80 proof, OB, ceramic decanter, -/+ late 1970s) 
We've tried quite a few of these over the years and I've found the colour and profile can vary pretty wildly, although the quality of these funny old ceramics is usually very high... Colour: bright straw. Nose: greasy hessian rags, mineral oils, bone marrow, steel wool and beeswax. Also bags of camphor, linseed oil and crushed seashells. Do these ceramics show more or less (or different) old bottle effect? Mouth: like chewing your way through a warm draff smoothie! Very mashy, mineral, saline, faintly medicinal with this lovely herbal medicine character. Also very sooty, oily and fatty in texture. Herbal infusions, smoked olive oil and cornichons with tarragon. Finish: long, very salty, some wafer-thin wisps of bone-dry peat smoke. Comments: maybe not as luminous as some batches could be, but still utterly superb. I love the fatness and almost greasiness of the texture combined with this precise salinity.
SGP: 563 - 91 points. |
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Longrow 18 yo (46%, OB, 2008 release)
I have very fond memories of buying this from Loch Fyne Whiskies when it was first released. Colour: white wine. Nose: stunningly precise and ashy Campbeltown peat smoke. Then whelks grilling in butter, sardines in olive oil, lemon juice, wet sheep wool and even a tang of apple sours. Mouth: powerfully and more assertively peaty, with farmyard qualities, coal scuttles, muddy wellies, tarred rope and roof pitch. Much more powerful than I remember it, in fact. Some lemon juice cut with top class olive oil, charred mackerel and stunning wee briny and olivey touches. Finish: very long, on miso, tar, brine, anchovy paste and turfy peat smoke. Comments: amazing power and precision while also showcasing quite a broad spectrum of peat profiles (farmyard, medicinal, coastal etc). I am sure this has evolved a bit since it was first bottled, but it seems only to be gathering power!
SGP: 466 - 92 points |
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May 21, 2026 |
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The Time Warp Sessions,
two top-level indie black Glenlivets, 35 years apart
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We shall begin with the older one, if that suits you, as it is much paler in colour and a little lower in strength… And besides, it does carry a certain reputation. |
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Glenlivet 18 yo 1972/1990 (54.9%, Cadenhead, black dumpy, 75cl)
I have never had much luck with these 1972s, although I had never tasted this single cask before. Because it was indeed a ‘special individual cask bottling’, as the label proudly states. Colour: deep gold. Nose: utterly bonkers, in any case highly unusual, on some improbable combination of onion soup, petrol, leek, paraffin oil, and all of this lingers for quite some time before… mango eventually emerges, rather in the style of certain TDL rums. Frankly, blind, I would have said TDL, it really is bizarre. With water: it goes straight back to fresh mango salad. Mouth (neat): directly on mango once again, alongside heather honey and some curious orange-and-strawberry soup. Glenlivet, really? With water: fruit salad with honey and a drop of olive oil. Amusingly enough, traces of vegetables and paraffin reappear right in the background. Finish: fairly long, let us say on a mix of asparagus, mangoes and honey, certainly not your everyday profile. Comments: at first, especially on the nose, you rather fear an almost ammoniac disaster. And then, little by little, it becomes magnificently fruity. One very rarely witnesses this sort of transfiguration, even if a few charming flaws remain along the way. Quite possibly one of the maddest Glenlivets out there.
SGP:661 - 91 points. |
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Speyside (GL) 16 yo ‘Exceptional Cask #7’ (57.1%, Signatory Vintage, 100 Proof series, 1st fill oloroso hogshead, 2024)
Most likely a 2007, they had quite a few of those. There remains a little controversy regarding the origin of these ‘GLs’, Glenlivet or Glenfarclas? Although the majority still seems to favour the former. Colour: red mahogany. Nose: precious woods, freshly sawn cherrywood, then incense, cedar, balsa wood, furniture polish, beeswax, kirsch, prunes, walnut wine, bière de garde… The sherry has done a splendid job here. With water: it simply becomes earthier. Mouth (neat): rum-and-raisin chocolate, alongside bitter orange, pepper, fortified wine, rather ratafia, and green tea, no doubt from the oak. A certain earthiness then makes the whole feel even more satisfying, almost filling. With water: back come the shoe polish, grey pepper and mandarins. Finish: long, more on tobacco and leather this time. Coffee grounds in the aftertaste. Comments: it emerged from the shadow of that thunderous Cadenhead remarkably well.
SGP:561 - 88 points. |
(Merci to the Absolutely Nuts!) |
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May 20, 2026 |
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A new Talisker mini-verticale
This time we’ll have the new official release from the ‘Rare Series’, a 1992 vintage (there’s also a 1970 Glenury Royal amongst them!!!), followed by an older, and therefore younger, 1989, and finally, the last one in every sense of the term: a 1987 from Gordon & MacPhail. Because it was their last cask!
The new Talisker Rare Series in its natural environment, by the sea. (Diageo) |
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Talisker 33 yo 1992/2026 (60.1%, OB, Rare Series, 331 bottles)
This version is said to be ‘experimental’ insofar as it spent the last twenty years, and therefore most of its life, in amoroso cask, another name for ‘cream’ sherry, therefore a blend of dry sherry and very sweet sherry, which we imagine may originally have been a batch of ‘Distiller’s Edition’, seeing as Taliskers are finished in amoroso in this series. But we have no proof of that… In any case, it worked extremely well in the ‘DE’ versions, so there is no reason why it should not have worked here. Colour: full gold. Nose: we immediately think of a kougelhopf or a panettone that may have spent a little too long in the oven, with the raisins having become slightly… charred. The thing is, it works perfectly, there is absolutely zero clash between the very coastal side of the distillate and the sweetness of the amoroso, quite the opposite in fact. But at this strength, we shall quickly add water… With water: it becomes drier, more ‘sherried’, more on walnuts and smoked fish, although those very grilled raisins are still there. Mouth (neat): this sweet sherry maturation really does work remarkably well; I am almost surprised. We find the grilled raisins again, the proverbial pepper, seawater, and even hoisin sauce, or ‘sweet sushi sauce’ to put it crudely. On the palate, the high alcohol strength goes down astonishingly well. With water: this time, the water brings out the sherry even more, yet it combines rather perfectly, with menthol and a touch of mustard now emerging. Finish: long, and truth be told, we would gladly dip a few very high-grade sushi into it. We really ought to try that… Bitter chocolate in the aftertaste, and that is even more perfect. Comments: a splendid success indeed but let us not forget that 20 years out of 33 is really not just finishing.
SGP:655 - 91 points. |
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Talisker 27 yo 1989/2016 (51.6%, Whisky Lovers Hong Kong, for Rex Tong, hogshead, cask #912, 138 bottles)
Here is the sort of beast one may come across at the wonderful Hong Kong Whisky Festival which took place last weekend at the superb InterContinental Grand Stanford hotel, which we warmly recommend. Colour: white wine. Nose: this is Talisker in its natural state, sharp, smoky, mineral, coastal and rather vibratory. Almost a little simple perhaps, but here simplicity pays back a hundredfold. With water: much the same, neither better nor worse. A few touches of sourdough bread. Mouth (neat): seawater, lemon juice and green pepper, all in perfect symbiosis. This goes very fast indeed… With water: lovely slightly fatty oysters with a little Tabasco and lemon juice. And perhaps zero-dosage champagne. Finish: long, a little oilier and more on lemon liqueur at first, before the slightly peppery oysters come back and settle the matter for everyone. Comments: more or less the finest batches of the 10-year-old, with 17 extra years on top. What else did you expect to happen? A magnificent blade.
SGP:566 - 91 points. |
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Talisker 39 yo 1987/2026 (51.4%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice Heritage Collection, refill sherry butt, cask # 22601101, 300 bottles)
It is rather splendid to see the old black CC labels again, the ones in use during the 1970s, before the ‘brown banner labels’ which themselves preceded the ‘old map labels’. It is true that this series once sheltered many wonderful Taliskers, especially those from the 1950s. I also find, as I believe I may already have written, that there is something exceedingly chic about releasing malts at 39 years of age, rather than waiting a few more months in order to display ‘40’. In any case, this is the last Talisker cask from the honourable house of G&M, so there should not be any more after this. Colour: full gold. Nose: to be honest, we are once again in the upper spheres here, and one immediately feels that it would be inelegant to award a markedly different score. We also notice the finesse of G&M’s refill casks, at no point do you feel any excess wood, it remains as fresh as a daisy despite the 40 years. I mean, the 39 years. We therefore find oysters again, bergamots, rather green pepper here, along with touches of toasted sesame oil, and perhaps a peat that is just slightly less forward than in its two companions. With water: a walk along the seashore in rainy weather, kumquats in the pockets of your oilskin jacket. Mouth (neat): sublime soft pepper over a base of smoked oil, with small citrus fruits. With water: it is the sheer ‘oneness’ that impresses, along with the preserved and smoky side. Finish: not enormous, but clear, fresh, still preserved, smoky, and guarded by oysters. Only the pepper is a little less forward than in the two previous ones, while there may also be a slight medicinal and camphory side in addition. Comments: at the risk of contradicting myself, I would still add one extra point, though this is obviously anecdotal and highly personal. Yet another marvel.
SGP:555 - 92 points. |
What a trio! In any case, everyone knows that Talisker ages exceptionally well, while the really young ones are often superb too. Unless when damped in crazy casks, I say it’s always pure class. |
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May 19, 2026 |
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The Time Warp Sessions,
today indie Bruichladdich 2010 versus 1969
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We have a great many Bruichladdichs in the pipeline, and we shall try to organise another remote Feis Ile this year, during which we shall taste plenty of Islay whiskies from all the distilleries, Jura included, but in the meantime, let us indulge in another little Time Warp of sorts… 1969 versus 2010, shall we?
Typical Feis Ile view (WF) |
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Bruichladdich 13 yo 2010/2024 ‘release 9.1’ (63%, Dramfool’s Jim McEwan Signature Collection, premier grand cru supérieur Sauternes barrique, cask #2339, 236 bottles) 
Back once again into the world of Bruichladdich wineskies. It should be noted that there is only one premier grand cru supérieur in Sauternes, and that is Yquem. The funniest part is that I happened to be at the distillery when these casks arrived empty, and I could talk about it for hours. Quite an adventure! Colour: gold. Nose: apricot, peach, honey, mirabelle, all turned up to ten. With water: banana cake drenched in honey and… Sauternes. Mouth (neat): sweet, liqueur-like, on plum paste, quince paste, peaches and apricots in syrup… With water: Williams pear bursts in with force and conviction. Finish: long and as fruity as one could wish for. Comments: that said, the Bruichladdichs from the 1990s, such as those bottled by Cadenhead, already displayed this fruity side, although more on melon back then. Still, this remains fruit eau-de-vie at heart, and very good fruit eau-de-vie at that.
SGP:641 - 85 points. |
Truth be told, over the years we have never really managed to establish any direct relationship between the quality of the wines used for finishing in Scotland and the eventual quality of the whiskies themselves. In other words, great crus, Margaux and Yquem included, have never automatically produced great whiskies in my opinion. Nor the opposite, for that matter… Anyway, let us move on to an older Bruichladdich of similar age, although distilled 41 years earlier… |
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Bruichladdich 15 yo 1969/1985 (54%, Gordon & MacPhail for Intertrade & Turatello)
Not entirely convinced by this mention on the label, ‘Oldest Islay malt Scotch whisky’, given that Bruichladdich, much like its cousin Bunnahabhain, was founded in 1881. Nadi? That said, the Intertrade/Turatello 24 yo 1965 was an absolute marvel (WF 93). Colour: gold. Nose: of incredible gentleness, simplicity and finesse. We were speaking of great Sauternes earlier, this is great Sauternes by analogy rather than impregnation, if you see what I mean. Sublime apricots, vanilla, quinces, pumpkins, red kuri squash and yellow melons. With water: that very great white wine character remains. Fresh barley comes through once more, alongside bread and freshly made pancakes… It never lost its connection with the raw materials! Mouth (neat): oh but this is glorious! Mint, eucalyptus, angelica, verbena, quince, mirabelle, thyme honey, grapefruit… With water: exceptional herbal infusions, honeys, waxes… Finish: anecdotal and disappointing, given that it means the end. Seriously though, this is magical. Comments: the Italians, infuriating as ever in the way they instinctively understand everything they put into their mouths, were the true promoters of Bruichladdich. Everything that followed was merely froth and opportunism.
SGP:651 - 93 points. |
The seminal question remains the same as it has for the past thirty years: why can nobody seem capable of continuing to produce the same level of quality as back then? At least when it comes to the stars, mind you, we are not speaking about average quality levels, which, in our opinion, have rather improved… |
(Many thanks indeed to the Absolutely Nuts.) |
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May 18, 2026 |
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The Time Warp Sessions,
today Mortlach with 45 years between them
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Mortlach is an ideal malt for this sort of exercise. This time we shall begin with the more recent one, as it also happens to be the one with the more, let us say, reasonable strength. |
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Mortlach 13 yo 2013/2026 (56.5%, Lady of the Glen, oloroso finish, cask #5753, 248 bottles)
Colour: golden amber. Nose: rose essence, oranges, prickly pears, apricot liqueur and fig jam. Is there anything to throw away in all this? Certainly not, even if it is not terribly Mortlachian. With water: magnificent profile on fig vinegar. Mouth (neat): fortified wine, Madeiran sercial, orange wine, pepper liqueur… This is really not very Mortlachian, although I do find it very good in its own right. Quite a concoction, and if one is going to do finishings, one may as well do them like this. With water: careful now, not too much water or it becomes drying. Finish: long, on zests, leather, pepper and increasingly dry elements. Comments: I find that certain houses, and Lady of the Glen / Hannah Whisky Merchants is certainly among them, have genuinely improved their finishing methods. Ten years ago, these sorts of profiles wandered around the low-80s, whereas they have gained six or seven points since then. And no, it is not my tastes that have changed.
SGP:651 - 87 points. |
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Mortlach 15 yo (57%, The Wine Society, twist cap, 1980s)
The Wine Society is a UK-based, member-owned wine co-operative founded in 1874 and, it would appear, still very much active. Often described as the world’s oldest wine club! Colour: deep gold. Nose: and here comes the full Mortlach attitude, that sulphury distillate character, green walnuts, shoe polish, then figs and English cigarette tobacco, which we keep mentioning for as long as nobody decides to sue us. Let us say old unfiltered Benson & Hedges, those red metal tins. We no longer smoke them, needless to say, although we still adore sniffing old packets and tins, it is every bit as complex as pre-Trump Cuban cigars. With water: more on waxes, putty and propolis. Mouth (neat): honeys and waxes running riot, joined by peppers of all kinds. OBE galore here, rather like in a great old wine, one rather thinks of an ancient white Graves. With water: a proper brawl between waxes, shoe polishes, oils and fruity ointments, all drifting towards the herbal. Finish: fairly long, drier now, on herbal teas, leather and tobaccos. Magnificent saline signature. Comments: it has preserved the distillery’s DNA throughout all these years. Can one still join The Wine Society? And do they still happen to have old bottles like this lying around in stock?
SGP:462 - 91 points. |
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May 17, 2026 |
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A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace! |
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The Rum Sessions,
just a few more rums
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Going a bit faster than usual because of a packed schedule. Yep… apéro please… |
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Trinidad 3 yo (40%, Rum Bullion, Jean Boyer, +/-2025)
A tiny little beast without any airs and graces, but they really do know what they’re doing at Jean Boyer. The art of the proper liquoriste! Colour: almost white. Nose: wonderfully fresh, with grated lemon zest, angelica, fresh cane juice, citron, fresh turmeric, plus a tiny touch of shoe polish. There’s also a faint agricole side to it, all on straw and dry grass. Mouth: a lovely combination of aniseed, lemon and angelica. Careful now, this slips down dangerously easily. Finish: not that short after all, very fresh, with turmeric and ginger coming back in the aftertaste. Comments: we can just imagine sipping this nicely chilled at the table, alongside some acras or a proper rougail saucisse. I absolutely adore this wee baby.
SGP:562 - 86 points. |
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Black Tot ‘Master Blender’s Reserve 2025 Edition’ (54.5%, Elixir Distillers, blended rum)
Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados. The 2024 had been excellent (WF 84) and we’ve been following these every year since, I believe, the beginnings. Despite a name that remains rather terrifying for German speakers… Colour: full gold. Nose: we’re getting that earthy, fermentary side, esters though kept nicely in check, the softer sweetness of Barbados rum, and plenty of candied orange tying everything together rather elegantly. With water: moving a little closer towards nougat, softer and cakier things emerging, although a superb note of shoe polish also appears. Mouth (neat): punchier on the palate, tighter, more liquorice-driven and zesty at the same time, with little flashes of menthol. Very lovely indeed. With water: notes of gentian, could that really be possible? Finish: long, classy, deep, slightly petroly and varnishy, though never excessively so. Liquorice keeps hold of the aftertaste. Comments: I do get the feeling this one is a little more estery than previous batches. I absolutely adore this very harmless version of the black death.
SGP:562 - 88 points. |
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MariGold II (57.5%, Art Malts, rum series, blended Caribbean rum, +/-2025) 
It would seem this blend combines HD with rums from Panama, the Dominican Republic, Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad. That’s the charming thing with blended rums, they happily marry different countries together, something that only very rarely happens with whisky. Well, at least for now, ha… Colour: pale gold. Nose: rather refined, elegant and well-balanced, herbal though with restraint, faintly petroly, and tending steadily towards aniseed-y things. We do like this style. With water: fennel and earth. Mouth (neat): Jamaica speaks a little louder here, it’s very young indeed but that hardly matters, fresh, vigorous, taut, citrusy, saline, slightly varnishy… With water: no real change after reduction. Finish: no more than medium. Comments: nothing to add really, a very lovely blend, it simply suffers a little after the Black Tot.
SGP:561 - 84 points. |
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T.D.L. 2009/2025 (61.3%, The Roots & The Antelope, Trinidad)
These batches can be magical, we know that already… Colour: gold. Nose: Formica and lino, but above all masses of ethanol. Only one remedy for that… With water: wood glue and vinegar, plus this uncanny feeling of ‘Saturday morning at Ikea’. Mouth (neat): who on earth mixed together mango, liquorice, tar, seawater and pepper? With water: sublime fruitiness now, blood oranges, mango, guava, pear… Finish: same again. Magnificent little vinegary touches coming back in the aftertaste. Comments: it’s rare to find a nose and palate so completely unrelated to one another. It only adds to the interest and pleasure of this rather loco little Trinidadian. Which I absolutely adore.
SGP:642 - 90 points. |
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Trinidad 25 yo 2000/2025 (56.4%, Planteray, LMDW Itinéraires)
Nine years in a cognac cask in… Cognac. Very ‘Ferrand’, this one. Colour: gold. Nose: softer, leaning towards cabbage, asparagus and lentils at first, then peach and melon skins. Water ought to turn it completely upside down. With water: not quite to that extent, it remains rather discreet though nicely complex and full of legumes, although liquorice and mango are quietly dancing the tango in the background. Mouth (neat): much more directly in the TDL style this time, so mango, papaya, tar, liquorice, pink grapefruit… With water: woof, a huge burst of fruit and phenols, somewhere between seawater, tar, mango juice and lime. It’s fully unlocked now. Finish: long, though with a slight strategic retreat towards green pepper, while the citrus fruits take care of the aftertaste. Comments: excellent, even if a little less ‘clear line’ than some other Trinidadians.
SGP:562 - 87 points. |
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Vieux Le Rocher 9 yo 2017/2026 (51.4%, Velier, Haiti, ex-Mount Gay cask)
Strictly between us, I fail to see what influence an ex-Mount Gay cask could possibly have on a quality clairin. And you? Still, needless to say, we do have the utmost respect for Mount Gay. Colour: light gold. Nose: admirably acetic, acidic, fermentary and downright cheesy. It rather brings to mind a three-year-old Comté or an even older Gouda. With water: it barely calms down at all. Superb acids, bacterial fermentation at its absolute pinnacle. Mouth (neat): astonishingly fermentary and vinegary. Which means extreme, and therefore utterly lovable, especially as huge bundles of liquorice wood come along to polish everything up. With water: arrival of those fruits that are almost consubstantial with these acids, especially ultra-ripe strawberries. Finish: long, incredible, different and salty. Not saline, salty. Comments: there’s almost as much to eat as there is to drink in this fantastically brilliant clairin.
SGP:362 - 90 points. |
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JMWP 18 yo 2006/2025 (54.3%, The Whisky Blues and Screwdriver, Jamaica, cask #28, 222 bottles)
It’s rather mad that some brands refuse to let their names appear on bottlings which, quite often, represent the absolute summit of their style. True across many spirits, really. It’s a bit like Porsche forbidding independents from using their name at Le Mans, as though that would somehow diminish the official factory versions. Surely quite the opposite, it only improves their chances of winning. Anyway, this is of course Worthy Park. Colour: gold. Nose: papaya smoked over beechwood, and overall a fruitier profile than usual. Most likely a low-ester marque. With water: more varnish, glue, petrol and fresh bark. Slight touches of formic acid. Mouth (neat): extremely lovely, very elegant, saline and fruity in perfect balance. Most impressive on the palate. With water: very vegetal now, tomatoes, fern, rubber, tar, bitter almonds. Finish: fairly long, more balanced again, though the tail of the comet grows increasingly salty. Comments: it may have suffered ever so slightly from comparison with the wildly extreme clairin, but this remains something of a marvel all the same.
SGP:352 - 88 points. |
One last one, and of course, a Hampden… |
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HD Distillery 42 yo 1983/2026 (48.7%, Distilia & Robert Bauer, The Virtues, Chastity, Jamaica)
Some will eventually start believing, after so many independents are more or less forced into using acronyms, that Harley-Davidson has entered the rum business. Anyway, this is probably a maturation in Northern Europe, and therefore a profile where the esters haven’t been too flattened by high temperatures. Colour: gold. Nose: Hampden is immune to time; the number of years matters very little when the environment is right. In short, this is extremely lovely, saline and resinous, tarry, acetic and ‘just chemical enough’. Brand-new 1980s car, stuffed with plastics, phthalates, bisphenol and all the rest… Love that, believe or not. With water: I’m hesitating between Renault and Volkswagen. Diesel of course. Mouth (neat): magnificent, acetone, wine vinegar, lime, seawater, oysters, chervil… With water: even more chemical now, edging towards ammonia and carbon. We absolutely adore these ‘industrial’ extremes. Finish: long, saline, tarry, acidic, fermentary, and yet with a marked softness throughout. Concentrated lemon juice, a very salty margarita… Comments: indeed, you really did have the 1980s in your glass, in every possible dimension. I think this is a Hampden best reserved for slightly mad enthusiasts, though certainly not insecure ones.
SGP:362 - 91 points. |
 Check the index of all rums we've tasted
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Best spirits Serge tried those weeks, 90+ points only
Bruichladdich 15 yo 1969/1985 (54%, Gordon & MacPhail for Intertrade & Turatello)
Glenlivet 18 yo 1972/1990 (54.9%, Cadenhead, black dumpy, 75cl)
Mortlach 15 yo (57%, The Wine Society, twist cap, 1980s)
Talisker 33 yo 1992/2026 (60.1%, OB, Rare Series, 331 bottles)
Talisker 39 yo 1987/2026 (51.4%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice Heritage Collection, refill sherry butt, cask # 22601101, 300 bottles)
Talisker 27 yo 1989/2016 (51.6%, Whisky Lovers Hong Kong, for Rex Tong, hogshead, cask #912, 138 bottles)
HD Distillery 42 yo 1983/2026 (48.7%, Distilia & Robert Bauer, The Virtues, Chastity, Jamaica)
T.D.L. 2009/2025 (61.3%, The Roots & The Antelope, Trinidad)
Vieux Le Rocher 9 yo 2017/2026 (51.4%, Velier, Haiti, ex-Mount Gay cask)
Famille Cabanne ‘A.100’ (46.6%, Old Master Spirits, Grande Champagne, 2026)
Fins Bois ‘Lot 45’ (58.2%, Malternative Belgium, Asia-Pacific exclusive, 96 bottles, 2025)
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