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| Hi, you're in the Archives, November 2025 - Part 1 |
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November 5, 2025 |
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Dailuaine, Act II
Yesterday was an absolute treat, the Special Release was excellent, with special mentions for Watashi and the two Ukrainian editions! Let’s keep going… |
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Dailuaine 2012/2024 (48.9%, The Firkin Whisky Co., oloroso and amontillado, cask #SC37) 
This baby was matured (or finished?) in a custom double oak cask made from ex-bourbon staves and virgin French oak, then seasoned with oloroso and amontillado sherry. Quite the kitchen recipe... Colour: gold. Nose: once again, we’re in shoe polish territory, with a touch of sulphur, quickly counterbalanced by green pepper, alongside the proverbial walnuts and a hint of mustard. In short, it’s very amontillado, as expected. Mouth: very firm, even more 'amontillado' at this point, with a saline touch over walnuts, again a bit of mustard, perhaps even capers, before more green pepper emerges. We rather like this very dry, Jerez-style profile, especially as any stray sulphur notes have long since vanished. Finish: fairly long, on green walnuts and a drop of seawater. From the mouth of the Guadalquivir, naturally. Comments: a real treat for lovers of bone-dry sherry, among whose ranks we firmly count ourselves.
SGP:461 - 86 points. |
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Dailuaine 13 yo 2008/2022 (46%, Hepburn’s Choice, sherry butt) 
Colour: full gold. Nose: a similar arrival to the previous one, with puffs of spent matches and shoe polish, gradually offset by bitter orange, old walnuts, and some chalky albariza-style earth (naturally). Mouth: this time the sulphury side remains, mixed with lemon juice and green walnut, which almost sends a shiver down your spine, I assure you. Slightly on the sour side. Finish: fairly long, dry, more peppery and nutmeggy. The rounder side of the sherry, with dried raisins, barely appears except in the aftertaste. Comments: not bad at all, though likely even more polarising than the previous one.
SGP:461 - 81 points. |
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Dailuaine 12 yo 2011/2023 (52.1%, The Whisky Exchange, Seasons: Autumn, rejuvenated hogshead, cask #316960)
Colour: white wine. Nose: it’s the fats and oils coming through this time, especially sunflower oil, followed by almond milk and marzipan. All rather lovely. With water: fresh white bread and a bit of damp earth. Vanilla sits at its contractual minimum. Mouth (neat): pink grapefruit and lemon sweets lead the charge, to our great delight. Timut pepper and that same fairly oily texture. With water: just very good—barley syrup with lemon juice, a touch of light honey and a hint of bitter almond. Finish: fairly long, quite fresh, ultra-balanced. Comments: this one, you could drink a lot of. A lot of.
SGP:551 - 86 points. |
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Dailuaine 2012/2022 (57.1%, Malts of Scotland, Corona Edition, bourbon hogshead, cask #MoS 22024, 269 bottles) 
Colour: straw. Nose: this time we’re closer to beer, barley, pot ale, grape seed oil, tart little apples and crusty country bread. All things we always enjoy greatly… With water: splendid beer. I mean, splendid malt whisky. Mouth (neat): rich yet tight, saline, spicy, and full of little oily seeds, pine nuts and sesame in particular, drizzled with lemon juice. There’s even chickpea in there, so we’re practically in the presence of a near-royal houmous. With water: perfect, especially as a touch of mint, liquorice and eucalyptus appears, which suits this oily structure beautifully. Finish: not very long but fresh and highly moreish. Apple, lemon, saline touch. Comments: I’d love to cellar a bottle like this for thirty years, just to see. Reminds me a little of St Magdalene, I swear.
SGP:561 - 88 points. |
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Dailuaine 13 yo 2012/2025 (55.1%, Dràm Mor, refill bourbon, cask #301327, 157 bottles)
I once again extend my humble apologies to the honourable bottlers for always missing one of the accents in their name. Colour: gold. Nose: amusingly petroly touches to start, then oils again (grape seed, even some soft Provençal olives), followed by sourdough and oranges. It’s all rather lovely. With water: magnificent vegetal oils, but also something more mineral. Mouth (neat): I love it, it’s minty, peppery citrus, full of freshness and zing. A touch of hashish resin too—perhaps that’s the zing. With water: perfect, the lemons play their part to a tee, to the point where they almost seem to cut through the richness of the whole. Finish: yes, more taut, even more lemony, almost acidic, but in a delightful way. Rather like “English Champagne”, ha. Comments: a real success. I nearly added an extra point in apology for always bungling the accent, but let’s not get carried away…
SGP:651 - 88 points. |
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Dailuaine 10 yo 2013/2024 (57.1%, Royal Mile Whiskies, cask #311621, 314 bottles)
Colour: pale white wine, so probably a naked malt. Nose: very naked indeed, minimalist, still on those vegetal oils, peanut butter, small apples and a touch of damp chalk. With water: doesn’t move an inch—and that’s just fine. Mouth (neat): absolutely lovely, oily but taut, fresh, citrusy, slightly saline, in short, everything’s in place. With water: lime going wild, a few drops of mezcal, and a selection of peppers plus a pinch of cumin, which gives it real character. Finish: fairly long, fresh, carried by citrus and backed by the spices. Comments: yet another lovely bottle of Dailuaine. We really don’t talk about Dailuaine enough.
SGP:561 - 86 points. |
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Dailuaine 15 yo 2009/2024 (57.4%, Wilson & Morgan, Barrel Selection, PX sherry hogshead finish, cask #310719, 302 bottles)
Well then, they say it’s a four-year finish, which shows perfect ethics—anything over three years could’ve been called ‘maturation’, as many officials do. In truth, it’s the independents who tend to be more honest about these things, have you noticed? Colour: light gold. Nose: 80% lemon juice and 20% pineapple juice—admit it, that’s rather original—and the malt, bread, earthy tones and oils that follow are all top-drawer. The PX, for now, stays quiet at the back of the classroom. With water: ashamed to say it, but water is pointless here. It even slightly spoils it. Mouth (neat): orange and lemon liqueurs, plus green and black pepper. A cracking bit of tension, quite magnificent really. Lemon blossom honey. With water: easier, edging towards apple juice; once again, water might be superfluous here. Finish: without water, it’s perfect. With water... forget it. Comments: a superb Dailuaine, despite its mild aversion to dilution, rather like the five cats who rule Château Whiskyfun.
SGP:561 - 87 points. |
Remember: dogs have owners, cats have staff. But let’s get back to Dailuaine — we’re not done yet… |
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Dailuaine 10 yo (46%, James Eadie, first fill bourbon and refill hogshead, casks #307072 + 313778, 754 bottles, 2021)
We do get the sense that this wee beastie is going to be both easy and excellent. You’ll say it was about time we tried it. Colour: gold. Nose: orange zest, mango smoothie, a faint basaltic touch and a bit of Play-Doh, fresh malt, IPA, and perhaps slight hints of shoe polish that would go perfectly with the boots on the label. Mouth: but how good is this! Very malty, with a faint note of toasted malt and chicory coffee, then those citrus zests come charging in, to our great delight. Light saline touches as well, once again. Finish: rather long, still on orange zest, though with a little savoury broth lurking underneath. And yet, there’s no sherry, unless that hoggie was ex-sherry. Who knows… Comments: total success, once again.
SGP:651 - 87 points. |
I insist, I know it’s everywhere at the moment, maybe even a bit too much, but whisky lovers really should be paying more attention to Dailuaine, especially for its oily character. |
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Dailuaine 12 yo 2010/2023 (55.5%, James Eadie, cask finish, UK exclusive, cask #369627, 325 bottles)
An 11-month finishing in first fill oloroso sherry hogshead. Colour: full gold. Nose: roasted peanuts, roasted peanuts and—roasted peanuts. In other words, it’s a bit narrow this time, though water should open things up… With water: and here come the polish and old walnuts! Mouth (neat): light peppers and earthy notes, cumin liqueur, clove, pronounced maple syrup… Let’s not exaggerate—it’s not exactly suffocating, but you get the idea. With water: clearly better, though the peppers do stage a proper coup. Finish: fairly long, rather peppery, quite herbal, a thousand times less approachable than the splendid previous one. Comments: this one’s more for the intellectuals among us.
SGP:361 - 82 points. |
Since we’ve come this far… |
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Dailuaine 14 yo 1979 ‘The Auchtertyre’ (59.7%, The Whisky Connoisseur, The Robert Burns Collection, cask #8965, 5cl, +/-1993)
A miniature that’s been loitering at the back of the shelves at Château WF for a good twenty years or more, time to sacrifice it for the common good. Worth noting: this cask was bottled under several guises, including 35cls of ‘Balcarron’. Anyway… the fill level on the miniature is excellent and, thankfully, the cap hasn’t been lacquered. Colour: white wine. Nose: you realise straight away that the oils—vegetable and engine alike—plus that greasy sulphur à la Mortlach, were already present in 1979. The rest is nicely austere and highly distillate-driven, with apple peelings and walnut skins doing the heavy lifting. With water: even fatter now, with bits of cardboard and paraffin. Mouth (neat): hot, almost aggressive, very waxy, resinous, and totally uncompromising. We love the attitude, but one still hopes for a touch of seduction, no? With water: back to salted apples. Finish: long, full-on oils, savoury notes and green fruit skins. Not an easy one... Comments: this wee Dailuaine plays hide-and-seek—in every sense of the phrase. But at least we realise that Dailuaine’s DNA was already well in place in 1979.
SGP:462 - 82 points. |
Right, we would’ve liked to carry on a bit, Dailuaine can be quite fascinating, after all but more than 20 is probably enough for now. We’ll dig deeper into the subject… later on. |
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November 4, 2025 |
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Dailuaine: Time to Catch Up |
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| (Geograph + AI) |
Dailuaine has quietly become one of the most commonly seen names among independent bottlers these days. And I have to admit, WF has let this one slip a little, as we have with quite a few others, to be fair: Glenburgie, Ledaig, Bunnahabhain, Ardmore, Loch Lomond, Malt Mill, Ben Nevis… and more besides (spot the odd one out!). So, today we’re setting out to start thinning the Dailuaine stocks, not least because we’ve got the new Special Release on hand, which has already been receiving high praise. We’ll be taking a fairly spontaneous approach to this little session, just to keep things lively, and hopefully a bit of fun too. |
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Dailuaine-Glenlivet 12 yo 2013/2025 (46%, Cadenhead, Original Collection, bourbon hogsheads)
This baby was bottled quite recently… Colour: white wine. Nose: vanilla fudge lightly scented with aniseed, which I find rather charming, then touches of ladies’ moisturiser and just half a glass of pear juice. The whole affair is fresh and most delightful. Mouth: very good, youthful, a little rustic but in a lovely way, on small apples and wild plums, a touch of lemon, and a return of the aniseed and liquorice, with a slight sensation of pastis (insert La Marseillaise here). Finish: fairly long, slightly saline, with more apples and stewed pears. Comments: I’m very fond of this wee malt, not expensive at all, and it offers plenty of character.
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
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Dailuaine 10 yo (48.3%, James Eadie, oloroso sherry hogshead, 2024)
Colour: full gold. Nose: loads of shoe polish! Then a bag of old walnuts and a touch of dry-sweet pipe tobacco. Lovely sherry influence, you’re gently whisked away to the magic triangle. Mouth: nicely done, a fine effort, the polish has turned into smoked chocolate or something along those lines. Then some dark rye bread baked in a wood-fired oven, with a dusting of cinnamon. Finish: fairly long, on lovely bitter chocolate notes, bitter orange, and once again a salty touch, which is quite surprising. Is Dailuaine supposed to be saline? Comments: yet another very nice young dram from Andalusia. I mean from Speyside.
SGP:461 - 85 points. |
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Dailuaine 2011/2024 (59%, The Whisky Jury, first fill bourbon, cask #800376, 204 bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: quite simply a banana cake smothered in three litres of custard. Or let’s say five. With water: an enormous vanilla sponge. Mouth (neat): livelier, on small green fruits and yellow citrus, plenty of fresh herbs and Japanese green tea in the matcha style, then white pepper. On the palate it’s as taut as a bowstring, almost alarming. With water: not to worry, it retains that greasy tension, but everything has relaxed. Lovely bitter herbs, veering towards Fernet Branca or Italian amari. Finish: long, even greener, though here that’s a virtue. Comments: I reckon adding 5cl of this to a pint of beer would be a brilliant idea. That’d be one hell of a pint.
SGP:461 - 86 points. |
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Dailuaine 21 yo ‘Marbled Treasures’ (54.3%, OB, Special Releases 2025, fully matured in Spanish ex-sherry, 2025)
Colour: amber honey. Nose: there’s a very slight cosmetic note, for well-groomed ladies, and a bit of polish, but the sherry rises quickly, in the form of a full basket of all sorts of raisins, with tiny touches of dry-cured ham in the background—Spanish, naturally. With water: hints of old-school orange liqueurs genuinely built on proper Cognac. Mouth (neat): excellent, on rum and raisin, then orange liqueur. Delightfully straightforward. With water: still rather simple, though you may now add some proper Central European Christmas biscuits. We’re already looking forward to them, even if we’ll put on five kilos in two weeks. As always, blame the booze, it’s always the booze’s fault. Finish: fairly long, with mulled wine-style spices appearing, or even a touch of Conditum Paradoxum. ChatGPT is supposed to be your friend – not too sure about that. Chocolate. Comments: excellent and very ‘Christmas’. How convenient.
SGP:641 - 89 points. |
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Dailuaine 8 yo 2016/2024 (57.9%, Watashi Whisky, bourbon, cask #3010248, 95 bottles)
Back to Taiwan, always a pleasure. Colour: white wine. Nose: ultra-clean, on fresh barley, ripe apples and acacia honey. Again, it’s very simple, but the molecules are perfectly in place. With water: add some milk chocolate, the double cream sort from Lindt. Mouth (neat): I love this simplicity, on green apples, lemons, pepper and fresh barley, then a light honeyed touch. Nice fatness. With water: bitter and earthy herbs come in, bringing lovely tension. Finish: long, flawless. Comments: for such a young beast, I think this is simply excellent, almost going toe to toe with the rather splendid Special Release.
SGP:551 - 88 points. |
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Dailuaine 12 yo 2011/2024 ‘Ashish Basnet’ (53.1%, The Whisky Exchange, Whisky Show 2024)
Hard to believe the 2025 Whisky Show has already passed and we hadn’t yet tasted this 2024 baby. I feel as guilty as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables. Colour: straw. Nose: it’s basically an IPA, just redistilled. The citrus and hops are rather assertive. With water: not much development, it folds back a little, onto apples. Mouth (neat): that fatty Dailuaine texture, yet with mint and sorrel, then cider apples, though not very expressive. The hops are still there too. With water: there it is, we’ve got it, it’s really lovely now, a little austere but full of the small fruits from an old orchard in a sleepy village out in the countryside. The kind of ageing fruit trees no one’s had the heart to replace. You know the sort... Finish: fairly long and well balanced, on apples and pears. Comments: there’s a slightly faded, poetic quality I really enjoy.
SGP:551 - 85 points. |
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Dailuaine 16 yo 2007/2024 (55.8%, Scyfion, Calvados cask finish, 150 bottles)
Delighted to be tasting another bottle from Ukraine, Slava Ukraini! If there’s one thing the Ukrainians have earned in recent years, it’s the immense respect and lasting admiration of truly democratic peoples. There you go… Oh, and we do rather like the Arc de Triomphe on the label… Colour: gold. Nose: the pairing of this very natural, fairly textured malt with what seems to be a fresh and fruity Calvados appears to work beautifully. Imagine yourself tucking into a tarte tatin that’s three-quarters apple and one-quarter quince, drizzled with malt whisky. Magnificent. With water: the Calvados becomes more prominent, but it’s a very fine one—fresh and full of spirit. Mouth (neat): the match still works a treat, here it’s more taut, slightly lemony, and with a kind of basaltic edge. Cider apples and light honeys, plus a fairly yeasty beer. With water: even prettier, with some mint and linden tea coming through. Finish: fairly long, with tiny herbal touches of thyme. Comments: deepest friendship to our Ukrainian mates.
SGP:551 - 87 points. |
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Dailuaine 12 yo (53.3%, ProtectUASea, 1st Fill Tennessee Whiskey, cask #300648, 69 bottles, 2024)
Still in Ukraine. Slava Ukraini! Presumably a stint in a Dickel cask… Colour: pale gold. Nose: we’re back to the polish we found previously, then some bruised apples, and it’s all simple and spot-on. With water: a bit of fresh wood comes out here. Mouth (neat): same high level as its cousin from Scyfion, though a touch more rustic, much like Tennessee itself (right). Citrus more present. With water: still close to the last one, just that bit more rough-hewn again. In short, it depends on which worked better for you, the Calvados or the Dickel. Please don’t ask me to pick sides… Finish: fairly long, more herbal and spicier. Comments: really good. I reckon people don’t think enough about Dailuaine… Or Ukraine, for that matter. And have you noticed the two names end with the same four letters?
SGP:561 - 87 points. |
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Dailuaine 13 yo 2011/2024 (53.5%, Cooper’s Choice, Port Wood finish, 300 bottles) 
Colour: apricot/smoked salmon/very ripe mirabelle, which is always a bit scary, but let’s give it a go anyway… Nose: right then, here come notes of apricot, along with quince paste and cranberry. Let’s be cautious and add water straight away… With water: not bad at all. Cherry-stem herbal tea. Mouth (neat): well now, this is actually very good on the palate, you do feel the Port, but we do love old Port, and after all, they are red wines, but fortified ones. Gorgeous cherry tarts and vineyard peaches. Some bud notes coming through later, which are a touch less thrilling. With water: not bad, even if it edges a little toward strawberry jam, but there’s also pepper, and the pepper + strawberry combo is clearly part of humanity’s shared heritage (isn’t it?). Finish: not its best angle, leans more towards leafy and budding notes. Comments: inevitably a little chaotic, as always when red wine is involved, but we’ve landed on our feet here, it’s still very good.
SGP:651 - 84 points. |
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Dailuaine 11 yo 2012/2023 (58.8%, Watt Whisky, refill sherry butt, 552 bottles)
Colour: straw. Nose: nature in a glass, slightly oily, earthy, charmingly acrid, more on those little orchard fruits we mentioned earlier. With water: a few green walnuts from the sherry (presumably), still apples, and the tiniest hint of honeysuckle. Perhaps… Mouth (neat): far fruitier and even cheerful on the palate, still on cider apples and near-wild pears. With water: water works very well here, we’re back to death-by-IPA as hinted above, but it stays robust and a touch rustic. Strongly reminiscent of holly eau-de-vie, or even bison grass vodka. Finish: long, very herbal, austere like a Lada. But yes, it goes anywhere. Fun spices around clove and cumin on the aftertaste. Comments: straight from the freezer, then served with caviar or proper wild smoked salmon.
SGP:361 - 85 points. |
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Dailuaine 12 yo 2012/2025 (57.7%, Fadandel, 1st fill oloroso hogshead, cask #300650, 62 bottles)
We love micro-bottlings, they give us the feeling we’re tasting things almost no one else will ever get to try. Colour: gold. Nose: it smells of oil, almost deep-frying oil, and that’s a true Dailuaine marker. For me, it makes all these malts quite singular, though perhaps not for the broader public—that is, the thirsty Marxist masses (ahem). Paraffin oil and little green apples. With water: the return of posh lady cosmetics! And a few drops of Thai broth. Mouth (neat): it’s very good, rustic, grilled, and unlikely, with coffee and apple eau-de-vie. Apple eau-de-vie is usually of little interest, but there are (rare) exceptions, such as Gravenstein from Rochelt. With water: coffee, wax, small apples, tobacco, walnuts… The oloroso seems to be waking up a bit. About time, you might say. Finish: fairly long, though perhaps not sharply defined. Comments: another bottle we find terrific, though we feel like popping it straight into the freezer as well.
SGP:451 - 84 points. |
Alright then, one last dram, we’ll be back with more rather mad Dailuaines very soon. Maybe even as soon as tomorrow… who knows? |
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Dailuaine 30 yo 1995/2025 (55.5%, Kanpaikai & The Antelope, refill hogshead, cask #803066, 143 bottles)
Will this baby knock the Special Release off its perch? It’s not out of the question, thirty years in refill is a magical combo that can bury all those improbable finishing escapades in one elegant swoop. Let’s find out right away… Colour: gold. Nose: forget it, honeys, pollens, baked fruits and old resiny woods strike immediately and make it clear who’s in charge. But that doesn’t mean it’ll all carry through to the palate… With water: old beeswax, old furniture, old libraries, old rectories. Amen. Mouth (neat): slightly fragile, with fruits giving way to camphor and very dry herbal teas, not to mention pronounced bitter almonds and a rather strong old furniture polish character. It feels right at the tipping point; so which way will it fall? (S., for heaven’s sake, this isn’t TikTok). With water: no, don’t add water, it literally pulls the whole thing apart. Finish: with just one drop of water, it’s delicate, very much on teas and herbal infusions, slightly drying but really lovely. Almond milk. Comments: that famous point of balance where everything can suddenly turn too fragile. Fascinating to taste. And love it.
SGP:461 - 87 points. |
Good, after twelve Dailuaines, see you soon. |
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November 3, 2025 |
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Another two or three Craigellachies
We’ve still got the official 41-year-old from three years ago to taste, and we don’t want to keep it waiting any longer. We'll take the opportunity to add two or three independent bottlings as well. We were impressed by the texture of the Craigellachies we tried not long ago...
(P'tit Noir, assistant mouser at WF Towers, doing what he does best.)
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Craigellachie 11 yo 2013/2024 (60.6%, Lady of the Glen, refill butt, recharred cask finish, cask #30080, 215 bottles)
Colour: deep gold. Nose: perhaps a little acrid and brutal at first nosing, with rather assertive notes of green pepper and a strong suggestion of extremely rustic kirsch. Sour cherries abound, followed by a few smaller apples that come across as slightly more civilised. Water might well work wonders here. With water: markedly improved, as expected, shifting towards black tea, pipe tobacco, leather, bay leaf and ginger root, all rather nicely harmonised. Mouth (neat): massive and extremely taut, displaying loads of bitter oranges alongside that persistent green pepper, then a touch of perfume, slightly scorching in its intensity. With water: it retains a faintly perfumy and floral dimension, yet the bitter oranges and grapefruits, not to mention some mountain honey and tiny drops of herbal concoctions, bring things back into balance rather smartly. Finish: long, now fairly fresh. Ginger and black pepper return in the aftertaste, accompanied by the faintest trace of soap. Ultimately, it’s the pepper that reigns supreme across your palate. Comments: one understands quite clearly why certain independent bottlers prefer to bring their whiskies down just a touch, say to 57% or 100° proof, to sidestep those more challenging tasting phases.
SGP:461 - 84 points. |
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Craigellachie 14 yo 2009/2023 (53.4%, Whiskyfacile, Black Cat series, hogshead, cask #90305000, 300 bottles)
Very pretty label, approved by 'P’tit Noir', one of the five mousers here at WF Towers. Which, as you’ll have guessed, is entirely black. Colour: gold. Nose: the cask is less pronounced here and as a result we find the distillate’s oily side coming through, with peanut oil, sesame, a touch of flint, ashes, and even a little peat, to the point where one wonders whether this hogshead hadn’t previously held a peated malt. Most likely! In any case, this is most delightful, almost like Ardmore. With water: damp earth and little apples from a very old tree, in an ancient orchard near a weathered old house. You see... Mouth (neat): wonderfully oily, lemony and as camphory as one could wish, with a faint hint of Laphroaig. No matter, as it’s excellent. With water: still excellent, with a wee menthol cigarette note and a touch of salt. Finish: fairly long, continuing in the same vein. Comments: whether it’s Craigellaphroaig or not, it’s really excellent.
SGP:563 - 88 points. |
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Craigellachie 41 yo 1980/2021 (46%, OB, Exceptional Cask Series, refill hogsheads, casks #2036, 2038, 2040, 2043, 402 bottles)
Colour: straw. Nose: typical of those older Speysiders that haven’t seen much sherry, instead brimming with pollen, honey, beeswax and yellow flowers, to which are soon added overripe apples and plums. It’s absolutely charming, perhaps a tad fragile, and probably a little less complex than the 37-year-old we tried last time. Mouth: perhaps showing a touch more fatigue on the palate, with hints of stale beer, dust and cardboard, though all of that remains moderate and it hasn’t completely run out of steam either. Mead, followed by oranges which, as usual, manage to rescue the whole affair somewhat, lifting it back up the liveliness scale. You know what I mean? Finish: rather short but still very pretty, on various honeys and, once again, orange. The aftertaste brings to mind some old beeswax polish. Comments: perhaps the sort of casks that would more often have ended their days in some venerable ultra-premium blend. But it remains very charming indeed...
SGP:451 - 87 points. |
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November 2, 2025 |
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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! |
More rums, with thoughts for Jamaica (and the other islands affected by Melissa) |
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| Ariège (Ariège Tourisme) |
Let’s start with a little aperitif… |
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Naga 12 yo ‘Kingdom of Siam Edition’ (40%, OB, Thailand, +/-2024) 
We had tried a rather good 10-year-old some years back, so here comes its elder sibling. The Thai rum landscape has evolved markedly over the past dozen years or so, back from the days when the thoroughly unconvincing SangSom still held sway. That said, while Siam was indeed Thailand’s former name before WWII, the label here simply states ‘Asian Rum’, although if you were to consult a globe, you’d quickly realise that Asia, well, that’s fairly broad, isn’t it. Ha. Colour: amber. Nose: loads of very ripe banana, along with some poached williams pear in sweet white wine and a few hints of ‘oriental’ herbal tea. Lovely! The real question will be whether the palate leans heavily towards sweetness or not. Mouth: no, no sugary avalanche here, quite the contrary in fact, more on sugarcane with touches of bay leaf and nutmeg. A little orange and a drop of Earl Grey. Finish: a tad short but rather likeable, close to the cane, with a little molasses, liquorice and honey lingering in the aftertaste. Comments: really quite nice, I’m sure this would sit a notch higher at 43 or 46% vol.
SGP:541 - 79 points. |
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Thailand 8 yo 2016/2025 (61%, La Maison du Whisky, Flag Series, Itinéraires, 253 bottles)
A column still rum aged for 4 years in situ, then another 4 years on the continent (which in this context means Europe). LMDW also inform us that Thailand is the second largest exporter of cane sugar in the world, did you know that? Colour: dark amber. Nose: all in on furniture polish, natural rubber and milk chocolate, then assorted and sundry buds. Still a touch strong and perhaps slightly closed. With water: it shifts towards herbal teas and banana leaf. Mouth (neat): like cask strength triple sec! Oranges are clearly taking centre stage for now, with a sprinkling of coriander seed over the top. With water: it becomes a little more refreshing, livelier, and amusingly, we’re finding that same williams pear as in the previous one. Do they grow williams pears in Thailand? Also a few roasted and very lightly salted peanuts. Finish: not very long but very clean and gentle, slightly chocolaty, faintly spiced. Comments: excellent, and it’s not one of those petroly ones like Chalong Bay and the rest.
SGP:541 - 85 points. |
Since we’re on the topic of flags… |
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Saint Lucia 21 yo 2004/2025 (58.3%, La Maison du Whisky, Flag Series, Itinéraires, 199 bottles) 
Hailing from a Vendôme still and naturally from the only active distillery in Saint Lucia, the one behind those Chairman’s Reserve bottlings we’re so fond of, St Lucia Distillers. Colour: straw. Nose: magnificent. First you’re topping up your Ferrari or your Golf at some old petrol station, then snipping a bit of dill and spring onion from the garden, and finally unwrapping the latest parcel of utterly useless and highly questionable electrical gadgets you ordered from Temu three weeks ago during a moment of weakness. Tsk tsk. Superb. With water: it retreats marvellously towards fresh herbs and petrol. Mouth (neat): a pure cocktail of lime, oil paint and varnish. With water: but how good is this! Entirely distillate-driven, so presumably continentally aged. Finish: long, precise, vibrant yet fat. Eau de vie of tiny berries, lime zest, and three drops of iodine tincture. Comments: we jest a little, but this is a marvellous bottle, with pitch-perfect liveliness.
SGP:362 - 90 points. |
Time to hop over to France… |
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Montebello (52.7%, Les Frères de la Côte, Guadeloupe, agricole, ex-bourbon, 730 bottles)
Aged 1 year on site, then 4 months at sea aboard a sailing cargo ship, followed by a further year in mainland France. We've always found Montebello rather singular, so as they say, we can hardly wait… Colour: pale gold. Nose: glorious rotting fruits (yep) and olive oil, plus that little plant one always finds in Montebello but which I've never managed to identify. Not terribly helpful, is it? Perhaps a cactus of some sort? In style, we’re close to the finest agricole rums of Madeira, unless it’s the other way around. With water: waxed paper, ink, a little caraway… Mouth: same remarks, word for word. The olive oil stands out even more, and there’s also a touch of unrefined cane sugar. With water: unchanged, it doesn’t budge an inch after dilution. Or perhaps just a hint of banana skin. Finish: long and more earthy, more saline, leaning further towards olives. Comments: it’s really very distinctive! That alone is worth a couple of extra points…
SGP:462 - 87 points. |
Let’s take a little detour to Guyana… |
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Port Mourant 21 yo 2003/2024 (44.6%, C’Rhum by Corman Collins, Guyana)
Full maturation took place at Bristol in England, hence the very pale and rather seductive colour. Colour: chardonnay. Nose: it perfumes the room instantly, all on balsamic, bleach and olives. The worst part is that it’s fantastic—closer to the distillate than this and you may as well give up, as they say. Then come a few anecdotal additions, such as overripe apple and surgical bandages. Mouth: very amusing, very unusual, all on charcoal, mutton suet, white ham, a touch of graphite, and above all, peated smoked lemons. Though I rather doubt anyone has ever actually tried to peat-smoke lemons. Finish: not immensely long, but bursting with seawater, tar and carbon dust. A bit of burnt matter in the aftertaste. Comments: strictly for fans of naked distillate, with cask influence as restrained as you-know-who’s vocabulary in D.C..
SGP:363 - 91 points. |
Here you go, for a little contrast in terms of strength… |
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T.D.L. 14 yo 2010/2025 (67.3%, The Colours of Rum, LMDW Itinéraires, Trinidad)
Probably one of the highest strength Angosturas we've ever tasted. The only question left—while we ring our solicitors—is whether this ultimate bomb leans towards fruitiness or petroleum. Colour: amber. Nose: petroleum-led and packed with acetone and varnish, with some ultra-ripe mango lurking in the background. So, a bit of both, really… With water: moves closer to fermenting cane. Mouth (neat): good grief, it burns! And the solicitor’s not picking up, probably still on the golf course… Concentrated lemon juice and biofuel. One to approach with caution—and I speak from bitter experience—beware the wrong pipe. Aaaargh… With water: there we are, passion fruits and mangos come storming in like one man. Finish: long, like a tightrope walker over a pit filled with tropical fruit and every petroleum by-product imaginable. Comments: fed up with these solicitors…
SGP:653 - 90 points. |
Just wait, we’re going even ‘higher’… |
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Travellers 2008/2023 (68.1%, Swell de Spirits, Belize, Private Garden #5, for Caves Deymier)
11 years in the tropics, the rest on the continent, and a bottling for an excellent house in Ariège—a splendid region I warmly recommend next time you’re roaming about the south of France. And 68% vol.! And the solicitor still won’t pick up… Colour: amber. Nose: very gentle, rather ‘bourbony’, though it’s likely the high strength is numbing things a bit. With water: copious amounts of Vittel are required (but Nestlé, where the hell is that blasted cheque?) to bring this baby down to the level of fine praline and delicate black tea with a dash of milk. Aww… Mouth (neat): coconut, vanilla, oranges, honey, and above all, a lot of alcohol. With water: it turns very pastry-like, with a Cuban touch as well, a bit of coconut milk, milk chocolate, cappuccino… Finish: fairly long, though not particularly full-bodied, in keeping with Travellers’ lighter style. Comments: one of the finest Travellers I’ve tasted in recent months—or years—even if it’s not entirely ‘my style’.
SGP:441 - 87 points. |
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Jamaican Blend #13 (64.7%, Swell de Spirits & Rums of Anarchy, 100 bottles, 2024)
A blend of Hampden 2007 C<>H (40%), Hampden 2013 <>H (40%), New Yarmouth 2009 (20%) and a dash of madness (100%). Colour: white wine. Nose: it reeks of terpenes even before you’ve uncorked the bottle. Then come the green olives, black olives, diesel fuel, pitch and lime juice. I forgot the customary acetone. With water: slightly ‘aged’ shellfish, though still edible (very light ammonia), and peated smoked lime. That’s the second time today! Mouth (neat): splendid, ultra-tight, fizzy, still full of varnish and olives, with an impressively saline edge. The high strength goes down like cream, as they say. With water: smoky green freshness, tarry, lemony and olive-y. That about sums it up. Finish: very long, impressively precise for something that’s supposedly ‘just’ a blend. Very salty aftertaste. Comments: after Melissa, let’s support Jamaica as much as we can, and not only by knocking back their marvels as if there were no tomorrow.
SGP:473 - 91 points. |
We all know it, Hampden is the only rum that can follow Hampden in a lineup… |
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Hampden 2013/2025 ‘<>H’ (59%, The Roots x The Antelope, 205 bottles)
5 years tropical ageing, 6 years continental, so presumably the best of both worlds. Colour: gold. Nose: incredibly gentle and medicinal to start with, but as we know in these cases, it’s like the opening to La Traviata—it’s all about anticipation… Gorgeous seaweed, bandages, ointments, a surprising salted fudge, a refined touch of tar, a drop of wild strawberry eau-de-vie (I swear!), and the ever-present green olives. With water: what’s this now, aniseed and liquorice? Mouth (neat): forget it, this is just pure Hampden, with glorious salinity. With water: how utterly charming, some mildly sweet lemons appear to rebalance things and make it almost approachable. Almost. Finish: long, varnished, lemony, salty, tarry, rather medicinal, yet fresh. Comments: these Hampdens are becoming borderline problematic—they’re just so overwhelmingly dominant.
SGP:563 - 92 points. |
Hang on, there’s still a small spot available… |
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Hampden 'Great House Distillery Edition 2025' (57%, OB, Jamaica)
We have the honour and privilege of tasting this splendid edition each year. That said, it’s almost unthinkable that this youngster could climb above the incredible 2013 by The Roots, but we know it’s going to be very, very, very, very good… Unless… Colour: gold. Nose: what’s remarkable here is the absence of any extreme barrage (acetone and such), allowing the very ripe tropical fruits to shine through. Bananas and pineapples of course, sharp apples, guavas… But a few little shellfish pop in quickly. It’s utterly charming. With water: Hampden is like Mick Jagger’s voice, completely idiosyncratic no matter the situation or setting. Mouth (neat): nope, it’s loaded with carbon, tar, varnish, olive oil, samphire, and above all, seawater. With water: oh, it softens up a little, slightly oily, without the jaw-clenching character of some of the more extreme expressions, and quite astonishingly, there’s a touch of wild strawberry in here. Yes, I swear. Finish: long, with more brine. Comments: alternately heavyweight and welterweight, wild and civilised, biting and fruity. This baby might just be toying with us…
SGP:563 - 90 points. |
Stay strong, Jamaica! And to the other affected islands, stay strong too! |
 Check the index of all rums we've tasted
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November 1, 2025 |
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October 2025 |
Serge's favourite recent bottling this month:
Ex aequo:
Glenlivet 85 yo 1940/2025 'Artistry in Oak' (43.7%, Gordon & MacPhail, sherry butt, cask #336, 125 bottles) - WF 95
Port Ellen 42 yo 1983/2025 (56.4%, OB, 200th Anniversary, 150 bottles) - WF 95
Serge's favourite older bottling this month:
Glenfarclas-Glenlivet 15 yo (57 G.L., OB, All Malt Unblended, Pinerolo for Edward Giaccone, 75cl, early 1970s) - WF 93
Serge's favourite bang for your buck this month:
Talisker 10 yo (45.8%, OB, +/-2025) - WF 90
Serge's favourite malternative this month:
Cabeza Llena 1948/2025 (49.1%, La Maison & Velier, Cuba) - WF 94
Serge's thumbs up this month:
Ballindalloch 2016/2024 (60.8%, OB, for Germany, 1st fill bourbon barrel, cask #4, 265 bottles) - WF 90
Serge's Lemon Prize this month:
None (hurray!) |
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Best spirits Serge tried those weeks, 90+ points only
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