September 2026 - part 1 <--- September 2026 - part 2 ---> Current entries


September 18, 2026

WF's Little Duos,
today some Swiss Glen Moray

Whenever we taste Glen Moray, we think of Stuart Thomson. Whenever we taste Ardbeg too, for that matter. Here’s to you, Stuart in the sky!

Glen Moray 18 yo 2007/2026 (51%, C. Dully Selection, bourbon barrel, cask #6302, 179 bottles)

Glen Moray 18 yo 2007/2026 (51%, C. Dully Selection, bourbon barrel, cask #6302, 179 bottles)
Christian Dully is Swiss, of course, although its reputation travels well beyond Switzerland (for sure). Colour: chardonnay. Nose: a fruit salad for twelve, containing apples, pears, grapes, banana, papaya, cherries in syrup, and some less important but amusing exotic fruit, such as star fruit. All you need to add is a vanilla pod and half a spoonful of mild acacia honey. As they say both in Switzerland and Alsace, hoppla. With water: add some grist and fresh bread. Mouth (neat): very precise fruitiness, of the kind only barley can generate. This time, apples and pears are firmly in charge. A little green tea. With water: much more complex once water is added, lemongrass, angelica, woodruff, wormwood, thyme and lime-blossom honey… Finish: not extremely long, but still perfectly balanced. Herbal teas from the Alpine pastures (ha) and a touch of lime. Comments: very, very fine Glen Moray, entirely natural, with no make-up, Botox or mascara.
SGP:551 - 88 points.

Glen Moray 28 yo 1994/2024 (55.6%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, 30th anniversary in Switzerland, toasted hogshead, #35.386, ‘A cup of kindness’, 225 bottles)

‘A cup of kindness’, how lovely! And how badly needed just now! Switzerland, naturally, coming to the rescue. Colour: full gold. Nose: bonkers, much more deviant, all on cep powder and… cep powder. And morel powder. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered such a profile before, you almost wonder whether this couldn’t go straight into a fondue instead of the kirsch. Swiss fondue, obviously, let’s remain geographically coherent. With water: and on it goes! Very fermentary notes too, most unusual in an old malt. Mouth (neat): peat, lemon, dried ceps… This simply cannot be Glen Moray, unless the cask previously held Lagavulin or Laphroaig. Or Ardbeg. With water: now it heads towards mezcal and eaux-de-vie made from small berries. Or celeriac. Finish: long and surprisingly salty. Comments: the sample has passed all our usual checks, vial, perfectly sound stopper (there are so many utterly useless ones on the market!) etc. So no, that’s not it, this is simply a slightly bonkers Glen Moray. A cup of kindness indeed… Swiss precision, perhaps, but with the compass spinning. And we love it, great fun.
SGP:462 - 85 points.

Check the index of all Glen Moray we've tasted


September 17, 2026

A few whiskies from France

This is a ‘solera’ session, in other words, a session to which we add whiskies as we go along, so they are not all tasted at the same time, lined up in front of the taster as if on parade, which is the method we use in 95% of cases.

I’ll take this opportunity to point out that our distilling friends in France, when translating the word ‘finish’ or ‘finishing’, use two quite distinct terms: affinage or finition, and sometimes its maybe a little less flattering variant finissage. We shall have to ask the highly distinguished Fédération du Whisky de France and its dashing president what the official position is on the matter.

Laferté ‘Tourbé’ (41%, OB, France, blended malt, +/-2024)

A blend of malt whiskies from various French origins, matured in a wide variety of cask types. The bottle is very pretty. This is our first time trying Laferté. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: this is lovely, rather like ash-dusted bread sprinkled with cider and orange juice, with a few drops of Verveine du Velay and some very gentle vanilla. As for the peat, let’s just say Ardbeg needn’t call an emergency meeting. Mouth: fresh, light, with smoked almonds and bitter orange, the whole thing rather whispering away. Then cereals and yeast. A little green peat. Finish: not very long, but fresh and well balanced. The verbena returns in the aftertaste. Comments: nothing to complain about, this is very well put together. Rather refreshing too.
SGP:453 - 82 points.

Artésia ‘Classique’ (45%, OB, +/-2025)

We’ve already tasted some very good limited versions of this single malt from northern France, but never this standard expression. We always do everything backwards at WF. Colour: white wine. Nose: let’s say it’s moderately expressive, mostly on apple and gooseberry. A little lemon and plenty of youth, signalled by pear and a touch of pharmacy alcohol. Mouth: not bad at all, with lemon, apple and a surprising pineapple, over a little fresh oak. Very slight saponification, even without adding water. Finish: not very long but lovely, still with that surprising lemon-and-pineapple duo. Comments: nothing to add.
SGP:451 - 80 points.

Northmaen 3 yo ‘Thor Boyo’ (42%, OB, +/-2023)

Here we are in Normandy, although it would appear that red Bordeaux casks were used. In theory, the colour should tell us whether Bordeaux has left its fingerprints at the scene. Thor Boyo is a pun on ‘Tord-Boyaux’, which means more or less… rotgut. Hmm, humour at last! Colour: gold, not pink. Bordeaux pleads not guilty. Nose: raspberry eau-de-vie, aged in wood and topped up with a few geranium and cherry blossoms. Ah, Bordeaux may need a better lawyer after all. Mouth: halfway between red berry liqueurs and eaux-de-vie made from those same red berries, especially cherry. Guignolet and kirsch. Some barley emerges in the background. Finish: not very long, a little maltier. ‘Kriek’ beer. Comments: a genuinely humorous malt, how could anyone be against that? But we’re quite a long way from their superb ‘Cuvée 1110’ (WF 87).
SGP:640 - 78 points.

Naguelann 2022/2025 ‘Start’ (63.1%, OB for Malt in France, 253 bottles)

Here we are in Brittany, the historic birthplace of French whisky. Colour: white wine. Nose: not hugely expressive, but pure, cereals and orchard fruits, with a little earthiness. With water: Weissbier and greengages. Mouth (neat): very lively, very much on green apple and kiwi. This is lovely and much more expressive than on the nose. With water: now excellent, rooty, peppery and lemony. A touch of genepy. Finish: same, long, fresh, on gentian, fresh turmeric and lime. Caraway and fennel seeds in the aftertaste. Comments: it all happens on the palate!
SGP:561 - 85 points.

Moon Harbour ‘Dock 2’ (45.8%, OB, +/-2024)

This is 100% malted maize, so grain whisky, matured in a Château Rieussec cask, perhaps the best value for money in Sauternes. And we’re in Bordeaux. Colour: gold. Nose: yeast, apricot, wet earth, honey, pencil shavings. Let’s say it’s rather unusual… Mouth: not easy, very different from anything you might taste elsewhere, with bruised bananas, tapioca, balsa wood… Not too sure about all this, but it’s fun. Finish: not very long, on Fanta, cinnamon and apricot again. Comments: let’s say it may divide opinion… There are some good sides!
SGP:441 - 75 points.

Let’s head back to Brittany…

Eddu ‘Héritage’ (40%, OB, Distillerie des Menhirs, affinage en pommeau de Bretagne, 2,300 bottles, 2026)

Buckwheat whisky as usual, here finished in Pommeau de Bretagne casks, another speciality of the Distillerie des Menhirs. It is apple must fortified with cider brandy, let’s say it’s the equivalent of Pineau in Cognac or Ratafia in Champagne. Or Floc de Gascogne. This baby celebrates the distillery’s 40th anniversary. Colour: gold. Nose: we could call this a ‘self-finish’, just as there are ‘self-blends’. Apple steals the show, but just as Jacques Chirac used to, we love apples. He even won some election because of that, true! The whisky itself may not have much to say for the moment, but that could be down to the surprisingly low strength. Mouth: proper applesky! The worst part is that it works perfectly, perhaps because buckwheat whisky is itself very fruity and can sometimes veer towards… apple. Finish: not very long but totally dominated by apple, which, we repeat, we love. But toasted buckwheat reappears in the aftertaste, how funny. Or perhaps a Breton galette. Comments: between us, this rather reminds us of Rochelt’s Gravenstein. Very nicely done!
SGP:740 - 87 points.

Eddu 10 yo ‘Brocéliande’ (48%, OB, for LMDW Anthologie, 288 bottles, 2026)

This teenager was finished in new Breton oak from the forest of Brocéliande, a thoroughly legendary and esoteric place ruled by druids and tourists. We prefer the druids. Colour: gold. Nose: a proper short film on fast-forward, buckwheat, then oranges, then ripe apples, then service berries, then waxed cardboard, then linseed oil, then fresh salsify, then caraway… It never stops moving. Mouth: excellent, spicy, earthy, peppery just as it should be (the Brocéliande effect, we suppose), unfolding towards resins and little green berries, then citrus zest. Finish: long, with some very exquisite spices and green saps. Comments: on paper, this whole Brocéliande business sounds a little too neatly scripted, but in the glass, it works perfectly. I told you, the druids… Or the fairy Mélusine? We could almost swear there was also mistletoe in there.
SGP:561 - 88 points.

Domaine des Hautes-Glaces ‘Epistémé Single Track B19F26 Amphora’ (47.9%, OB, 572 bottles, 2026)

Just imagine, this baby was finished in amphora, and we’ve been dreaming for ages of whiskies matured, or at least finished, in terracotta, in stoneware as some eaux-de-vie are, in porcelain, or even simply in ‘breathable’ glass. Yes, we do have hobbies. Incidentally, we’ve been tasting quite a few old wines matured in amphorae lately, and I can tell you that after twenty years, they’ve become splendid. Anyway… Colour: pale white wine. See? We were right to have hobbies. Nose: it’s the precision that strikes you here. Apples and clays. Lots of different apples and lots of different clays. Then countless little berries, flowers and spices, almost impossible to pick out individually, the whole thing eventually converging on citron, king of the citrus fruits. Mouth: roots, citrus fruits and earths. Finish: same. Oh, and citron. Comments: the true love-it-or-hate-it whisky isn’t Laphroaig, it’s DHG. I chose my side a long time ago.
SGP:561 - 90 points.

Domaine des Hautes-Glaces ‘Epistémé Single Track B19F26 Macvin’ (47.2%, OB, 540 bottles, 2026)

Why make things simple when you can make them complicated? Here’s a version finished in a Macvin cask, a Jura (not Isle of Jura) speciality with an improbably Scottish-sounding name indeed, the equivalent of Pineau des Charentes or… Pommeau de Normandie or de Bretagne. In short, must and eau-de-vie. So, you add eau-de-vie, and then later you add whisky. Why not fortify it directly with whisky? Well, you’d lose the Macvin appellation, I suppose (I hope they hanged whoever chose that name from the highest tree in Arbois) … Colour: white wine. Nose: it’s not so different from the amphora, but it’s less distinctive, fruitier, and probably more commercial (the horror!) Joking aside, this is rather gorgeous, with superb musts in full fermentation, which is precisely what the Macvin process would have interrupted. I think we’re tying our brains in knots here… Mouth: the amphora is superior, less vulgar (this isn’t vulgar at all, but the amphora is even less so, well, you see what I mean). There are still rather a lot of raisins here. Finish: amphora all the way. Comments: amphora all the way.
SGP:651 - 83 points.

One last one. More French whiskies will probably follow after Whisky Live Paris later this month…

Alpenglow 2015/2024 (55.3%, LMDW Version Française, Foundations, PX finish, 291 bottles)

PX is always a little frightening, isn’t it? In fact, the journey here was oloroso, then Pineau des Charentes, then PX. Quite some cooking, let’s hope the original distillate still has something to say (even if we trust LMDW completely) … Colour: reddish amber. Nose: volcanic soils, ceps, truffles, varnishes, a pronounced terpenic side, bitter chocolate, Pu-erh tea… Some sorcery seems to be at work here. With water: and cigars and old Gouda! Mouth (neat): biting, bitter, acrid, very resinous, and yet it works. Almost like a very old VORS that’s gone completely dry. With water: we’re drifting towards some very old Ténarèze that’s completely off-market. The oak is so extreme that it almost becomes soft and light through sheer saturation. Finish: long, essentially on walnut husk and salted bitter chocolate. Comments: I don’t know whether this concoction is legal, but it’s certainly spectacular. And very Jerezian.
SGP:262 - 85 points.

(Merci, Franco!)

Check the index of all French whiskies we've tasted


September 16, 2026

Three Japanese days on WF, day 3

We’re picking up where we left off yesterday, with the new Yoichis and Miyagikyos from Nikka, as interpreted by LMDW for their artistic series, the aptly named ‘Artist’ series. Rest assured, the creativity is on the labels, in real life, and in the bottles.

Yoichi 20 yo 2005/2026 (59.1%, Artist by La Maison du Whisky, virgin mizunara puncheon, cask #407529, 297 bottles)

The 10 yo was very fine but had been narrowly pipped by its Miyagikyo cousin of the same age. Let’s see whether another ten years can turn the tables… Colour: full gold. Nose: rich, highly aromatic, even enveloping on the nose, with plenty of honeys, proper bitter orange marmalade, and a very delicate smokiness, very vegetal, almost resinous. Mango liqueur then comes in, together with manuka honey and salted butter caramel. Nothing less. With water: a little more towards fig leaves, tomato leaves… Mouth (neat): smokier, more resinous, with a slight roughness that isn’t out of place at all (see our comments on the integration of oak in Japanese whiskies a little further up), and some salted citrus paste. Superb and powerful, with a slight Ardbeggian side. With water: it softens, almost falls into line, and moves even closer towards candied citrus. Finish: long, elegant, much less invasive than I had expected. Comments: I’m repeating myself, but these babies are very sensitive to water, so careful with that pipette, Eugene.
SGP:364 - 91 points.

I think we’ll change barrels (that's smart, S.) and finish this little Yoichi vertical first, then move on to the Miyagikyos. It should be more interesting that way after all, and a little less, shall we say, schoolroom.

Yoichi 35 yo 1991/2026 (65.4%, Artist by La Maison du Whisky, sherry butt, cask #129880, 144 bottles)

Impressive power for a 35 yo! We’ve already tasted quite a few 1991s. The very young ones had been a little brutal, the older ones much more charming and seductive. Colour: coffee. Nose: a fine example of an old malt where the sulphury side is perfectly integrated, as in some old Mortlach, let’s say. We’re talking truffles, bitter chocolate, ristretto coffee, and above all game birds, hung just long enough. Do they have grouse in Japan? With water: everything relaxes, moving towards candied citrus, bergamot, Iberian cured ham, with still plenty of dark chocolate and coffee. Touches of old plum spirit (vieille prune from Souillac!) Mouth (neat): absolutely massive, all on very old fir-tar liqueur, with an amusing little flash of Clacquesin. Incidentally, La Maison du Whisky held their first proper festival, before Whisky Live Paris, at the old Clacquesin distillery in Malakoff. We were there, naturally, and it was brilliant. Old bottles of Clacquesin are still easily found at auction and are well worth trying. End of commercial break, back to our Yoichi… With water: lots of little herbs, salted prunes, a few touches of anchovies and olives, there’s even a black tapenade side. Finish: very long, returning to very high-cocoa dark chocolate. And salmiak. Comments: hard not to think of certain Karuizawas, as well as old Mortlachs! In fact, I find it absolutely magnificent, with its slightly extreme side.
SGP:373 - 93 points.

Yoichi 40 yo 1986/2026 (59.4%, Artist by La Maison du Whisky, remade hogshead, cask #252819, 39 bottles)

The Yoichis from this era that I’ve been lucky enough to taste seemed globally peatier to me than they are today, although of course they were much younger. I haven’t tasted many 1986s, but the 1987s were certainly well peated (P = 4-5). Anyway, a forty-year-old Yoichi is a first, wow! And quite a privilege to be able to taste it… Colour: full gold. Nose: completely different, this is concentrated mandarin, peel and all, with touches of chen-pi and peppermint. Incredibly clear and fresh, with quince paste coming through after a while. We love this. With water: spruce buds, faded rose and geranium, very ripe guava, then more and more woodruff. Our pet plant! Mouth (neat): exactly the same combination on the palate, mandarins, chen-pi, quinces, mint, with just the addition of a little liquorice wood and lemon marmalade. Incredibly fresh, you could easily put away half a litre. I’m joking, okay? With water: even fresher, even more citrusy, even more dangerous, especially as it then starts going fractal on you, provided you haven’t added too much water. Finish: nicely long, more on mint tea with pine nuts, quite simply, then a little almond milk and white amaretto. Comments: it’s strictly impossible for me to tell you whether I prefer the 35 or the 40. Anyway, I’d change my mind tomorrow, then again the day after, and so on. Perhaps the slightest edge to this 40 because of its more pronounced fruitiness but trying to separate the two would become vulgar.
SGP:563 - 93 points.

Let’s move on to the Miyagikyos, then.

Miyagikyo 15 yo 2010/2026 (58.8%, Artist by La Maison du Whisky, Port hogshead, cask #125892, 204 bottles)

What’s always rather puzzling with these babies is that there seems to be absolutely no relationship between their bottling strengths, so cask strengths, and their ages. In theory, strength can rise in hot, dry environments, as in Kentucky for example, but I don’t think we could claim that’s the case here. Yoichi is up north (Hokkaido), while Miyagikyo is near Sendai, on Honshu, in a very humid environment. Unless, of course, the casks are stored somewhere hot and dry… Mystery… Colour: full gold. Nose: we’re facing oriental spices, masala, also bergamot, very pronounced, and some little resinous touches that are much more discreet than in the Yoichis. And then, mango! With water: this is probably the most ‘Scottish’ so far, at least among these little beauties from Nikka. Ripe apple, acacia honey, blond tobacco, while the mango has gone rather quiet. Mouth (neat): very powerful, very distinguished, with lemons, clementines, candied angelica, and one drop of pear liqueur. Japanese pear, naturally. With water: a little oak now, kirsch, almonds, and even a drop of sour cherry juice. Finish: rather long, a little more marked by the wood. Comments: this is of course very beautiful, but I think I slightly preferred the 10 yo.
SGP:561 - 89 points.

Miyagikyo 25 yo 2000/2026 (60%, Artist by La Maison du Whisky, sherry butt, cask #117935, 425 bottles)

Colour: amber. Nose: this time the rubber tree is back, even with some metallic touches, slightly smoky tea, potting soil, fruit skins, and an amusing chocolate-mint side. A little walnut stain, amontillado, dark tobacco… With water: cedarwood, cigar box, then straight into an old box of Caran d’Ache pencils, the big one, thirty colours at least. You remember, the Matterhorn on the lid? Mouth (neat): it’s very different on the palate, spicier but also fruitier. Peach soup, paprika, then more and more tobacco, like when we used to smoke unfiltered cigarettes, back in the last century. Indeed, there’s also a little tar, but nothing like the Yoichis. With water: the walnuts are back, as is the amontillado side… Finish: rather long, with no major changes, except that it’s rather dry, with black tea and cocoa. Comments: the 10 yo still remains my favourite so far.
SGP:461 - 89 points.

One of my favourite Miyagikyos was the 18 yo 1996 LMDW #42439 (WF 91), a peated one. Are we about to beat it?... Suspense…

Miyagikyo 40 yo 1986/2026 (59.9%, Artist by La Maison du Whisky, virgin oak puncheon, cask #78858, 174 bottles)

This is, naturally, the oldest Miyagikyo of them all. And as usual, it refuses to play by the rules, being remarkably pale for such a venerable age. Colour: full gold. Nose: oh yes, a greenhouse in full bloom, little rubber objects, school erasers, bitter almonds, toasted pecans, sesame cream, peanut butter… Then pink grapefruit and the tiniest touch of fresh turmeric. The coherence and compactness of the whole are quite sublime. With water: little flowers and herbs come rushing in, pansies, borage, wood sorrel… And you can eat all of those too! (a very French concern). Mouth (neat): incredible citrus fruits and the finest Wulong tea. That implies a certain tannicity, very obvious here, but mingled with those citrus fruits, it melts into the whole and becomes a tremendous asset. A touch of linseed oil. With water: a veritable collection of little oils, peanut, rapeseed, sesame, hazelnut, pistachio… Finish: fairly long, very elegant, with pistachio at the helm. Thin Mints in the aftertaste. Comments: what a beauty! But once again, mind the water. These high strengths can tempt you into adding too much ‘without thinking’, and there’s no way back. A glorious drop, nonetheless.
SGP:452 - 93 points.

Right, I’d have loved to vat the two 40-year-olds, Yoichi + Miyagikyo, just to see whether the marriage might tickle 94 or even 95 points. Sadly, being hopeless philistines, we drank the evidence before conducting the experiment. Like savages, and like you-know-whom.

I should add, in closing, that all these Yoichi and Miyagikyo ‘Artist’ bottlings are beautifully adorned with photographs by Yoshiki Hase, taken on location in and around the distilleries. Here are two superb examples:

Yoshiki Hase

Check the index of all Japanese whiskies we've tasted


September 15, 2026

Three Japanese days on WF, day 2

Let’s start, once again, with one of Ichiro’s blends…

Ichiro’s Malt & Grain ‘The Dragon Awakes’ (61.1%, OB, Lucky Choice & The Antelope, sherry finish, cask #B0026, 284 bottles, 2025)

Colour: full gold. Nose: it strikes me as a little more grain-driven than yesterday’s, with corn cream, vanilla and a faint touch of coconut, but there’s also some lovely shoe polish and wood smoke. Let’s see what water has to say about that… With water: orange cream, sweetcorn, praline, pancakes… Mouth (neat): extremely powerful and rather ‘bourbon’ at this stage. It really does need water… With water: it rdoes seem more grain-driven. Lemonade, Fanta, a few drops of chardonnay… Finish: fairly long, with a profile that rather recalls those old Scottish ‘blended at birth’ single blends. Rather uncommon, admittedly. Comments: I find this really good, with a lighter texture despite the sherry.
SGP:541 - 85 points.

Japan 10 yo 2014/2025 (54.5%, Elixir Distillers, The Whisky Trail, cask #11044, 240 bottles)

Whoops, I thought this was a secret Japanese, but I’ve just noticed it’s actually a Chichibu. So, we’ll have to file it with the Chichibus, especially as the colour itself is already looking very promising by our standards… Colour: Chablis, alright. Nose: all the freshness and liveliness we were expecting. Small ripe apples, fresh barley, clay, one drop of lapsang souchong, then suddenly, an explosion of mangoes, uppercut-style. There, that’s quite enough to make us happy. With water: apple and mango juice. Mouth (neat): it’s a gentle Chichibu at first, all simplicity and delicacy. High-quality green tea, apple peel, lemon… and bang, full-on mango once again. With water: yellow fruits everywhere, ending on passion fruit. Finish: long, lively, but thickened by mango liqueur. Comments: I have to admit, it’s very difficult to resist this mango bombardment. We do adapt our tasting notes to current affairs, as you can see.
SGP:751 - 90 points.

So…

Chichibu 10 yo 2016/2026 (64.7%, Spirits of Salud, 7even Gods of Fortune, 1st fill barrel, cask #5731, 144 bottles)

Chichibu 10 yo 2016/2026 (64.7%, Spirits of Salud, 7even Gods of Fortune, 1st fill barrel, cask #5731, 144 bottles)
This wee yet mighty god is called ‘Takarabune’. Colour: full gold. Nose: let’s say it, this is strikingly close to the 2014/2025 Chichibu we’ve just tasted, with mangoes, apples, passion fruits, a little cedarwood, papayas... It’s beautiful, almost immaculately simple, I was about to say biblical, really very ‘clear line’. With water: it gets even narrower, like a small bergamot you’re squeezing between your hands, right under your nose. A little cedar too. Mouth (neat): superb, with mangoes and grapefruits, joined by verbena and Chartreuse, although all that remains discreet and elegant. Wow. With water: it becomes a little easier, but with the same grapefruits, which have now overtaken the mangoes, plus a touch of lemony salinity. Finish: long, bewilderingly simple and magnificent. Almost a daiquiri made with Hampden and mango juice, in the required proportions. I mean… Comments: yet another Chichibu that ought to come with a warning sticker about its frankly excessive drinkability. It goes down like mother’s milk, even without water. But I’m not recommending that, don’t go putting words into my mouth, right.
SGP:651 - 91 points.

Let’s (try to) tone things down a little…

Mars Komagate 22 yo (43%, OB, +/-2026)

Mars Komagate 22 yo (43%, OB, +/-2013)

A rather astonishing oldish expression at a very ‘1990s’ 43%, straight out of the old Macallan playbook. A deliberate wink towards the famous distillery in Craigellachie? Colour: deep gold. Nose: well, there we are, this could almost pass for 1980s Macallan, with that faint smokiness and little touch of shoe polish complementing a whole bed of camphor, dead leaves, walnuts and mushrooms. Superb sherry. Mouth: goodness, this is good! 43% or no 43%, there’s magnificent complexity here, that shoe polish again, those famous walnuts, tobacco, balsamic touches, amontillado, orange liqueur from some brand everyone forgot fifty years ago… Well, you see what I mean… Finish: wow wow wow wow…. Comments: to be tasted on a Sunday morning, after Mass, from a tiny glass, among friends. Nothing says you can’t refill that tiny glass several times. Sublime surprise, is this available in Europe?
SGP:452 - 91 points.

Hinomaru ‘The 1st Edition’ (48%, OB, 3,000 bottles, +/-2023)

A malt made by Kiuchi Brewery, which we don’t know, but then again, we know more about the breeding of domestic beavers in Manitoba than about the breweries of the world. Colour: pale gold. Nose: it’s fresh, yeasty, close to barley and apples, so certainly pleasant, even if it isn’t going to change the face of the whisky world, let alone the malt whisky world. Mouth: really good, although very slightly soapy at first, then developing along classic lines, almonds, apples, a little saltiness, beer… Finish: same, with a slightly sour and salty side right at the end. Comments: nothing to complain about, it may not be hugely distinctive, nor particularly exciting, but it’s very well made.
SGP:441 - 82 points.

Right, now we need to talk. Because the slightly mad but passionate people, unless it’s the other way round, at La Maison du Whisky (that’s Paris, baby) have just released a series of superstars from Nikka, namely Yoichi and Miyagikyo, at progressively older ages, which rather reminds us of what Springbank did with their Millennium series… well, thirty years ago. The seminal question, the cruel dilemma, is how to taste them: do we run through each distillery separately, Yoichi from youngest to oldest and then Miyagikyo, or do we pair the two distilleries at each age and work our way upwards together? I’m not sure I’m making myself clear, but we’ll go with the latter, since we believe time is the main ingredient in malt whisky. Even if the Chichibus and other grand Japanese whiskies we’ve just tasted rather contradict that assertion. But never mind, off we go, this is Whiskyfun and we do as we please…

I should also point out that while tasting this series we won’t look at the cask types, it’s more fun (and challenging) that way. We’ll add them to each whisky’s details afterwards, before we put all this online, you see.

Yoichi 10 yo 2015/2026 (63.1%, Artist by La Maison du Whisky, virgin oak puncheon, cask #148028, 471 bottles)

Colour: full gold. Nose: a cured ham sandwich, pata negra-style, with fresh bread, black pepper, fresh butter, and a generous splash of Scandinavian-style fir liqueur. Quite a massive amount of natural rubber too. With water: lupin, toasted sesame, roasted tea (hojicha), in short, very Japanese indeed. Mouth (neat): very punchy, very concentrated, rather resinous but never stifling, with lime and, above all, plenty of verbena and gentian. You couldn’t exactly say it’s dawdling along the way. With water: everything falls into place, verbena, yellow Chartreuse, roasted tea, small citrus fruits, but without the saltiness we so often find elsewhere. Finish: long, woody, but everything is nicely integrated. The aftertaste is distinctly smokier. Comments: some aspects remind me of the Yoichi ‘Woody & Vanillic’ that could be found at the distillery ten years ago, only better. Much better. Mind the amount of water, though, in fact I find that most great Japanese malts require you to be both precise and sparing with your favourite pipette.
SGP:463 - 89 points.

I find that heavily oaked Japanese whiskies aren’t quite like heavily oaked Scottish whiskies, the oak seems better integrated, more part of the profile, even when it’s still obvious in your glass. Quite remarkable, really… Anyway, enough amateur dendrology for today, let’s have one last expression today…

Miyagikyo 10 yo 2015/2026 (55.3%, Artist by La Maison du Whisky, recharred puncheon, cask #11621, 507 bottles)

We’ve often given Miyagikyo the narrowest of leads over Yoichi, but they say only fools never change their minds. Let’s see if today is the day… Colour: gold. Nose: nope, Miyagikyo keeps the lead. Perhaps tomorrow? Mango, figs, castor oil, fresh almonds, very ripe apples. That’s all, but it’s already huge, as the balance is perfect. With water: sheer class, little cider apples and mentholated lemon. Or rather lemon-mint. Mouth (neat): we’re getting a little of what we found in the Komagatake 22, those ripe mangoes, those notes of great white Burgundy, whitecurrants, very gentle mint, the faintest touch of artichoke, green walnuts, fresh tobacco… With water: strawberry cream. Is there anything more regressive than strawberry cream? Finish: rather delicate, strawberry, fir buds, thyme tea. Comments: this is very complex, ultimately less woody than the very fine Yoichi, and closer to a great white wine. After careful consideration, I’ll suggest Fonsalette blanc but make of that what you will. Cheers Emmanuel up there.
SGP:551 - 90 points.

Nothing says the older ones will be better. Age may have a surprise or two up its sleeve, as Methuselah used to say (S.!)… We’ll find out tomorrow, stay tuned.