17/11/2025 LaLaLand

tOMoH got lucky on Saturday, and only managed to pick samples from OB's bag o' tricks that are not exactly tOMoH's favourite style. Peaters, Sherry monsters, Rye... Today's weather is finally seasonal, so we will have some peaters!

Laphroaig 7yo 2006/2013 (54.9%, Wiebers Brothers, Bourbon Cask, 120b): Wiebers Brothers, rather than Jack Wieber, did this one. Nose: well, it is compatible with the distillery's reputation: TCP, guaicol, antiseptic. It also has smoked  paprika, smoked harissa, and saffron capsules where the impregnated plastic is as loud as the threads themselves. Further on are gauze, embrocation and decades-old bandages. tOMoH somehow feels like he just walked into a field hospital from the Great War. Tilting the glass gives away old Tupperware containers baked by the sun. The second nose is less medicinal and more straightforwardly smoky. It is a woolen jumper one wore to a bonfire (think: Feux de la Saint-Jean rather than the British version with firecrackers). There is a drop of brine too and Tupperware gear comes back, filled with preserved lemons. Mouth: crisp, citrus-y and quite sweet, it is acidic too. Calamansi or heavily-sweetened grapefruit juice. A single chew stirs the smoke, and the dram reclaims a bit of its medicinal character too -- only a bit. It takes quite a lot of swirling around for burnt wood and antiseptic to become bolder again, surprisingly -- and then, what comes out are algae, vase water and ashes, rather than bandages. Only a tiny drop of surgical alcohol keeps this linked to the nose. All in all, however, it stays fruity and fresh. The second sip sees preserved lemons in brine, now more acidic, smoked lemons, smoked tangerines, still sweet(ish), despite being impregnated with acrid smoke, a pinch of soot, or, indeed, residue from a chimney-sweep at a cocktail bar. Finish: thin, juicy, it goes down all fresh and citrus-y, then explodes into a cloud of smoke. Iso Betadine, moist-wood smoke, cold tobacco smoke that sticks to one's clothes no matter how many times one washes them, dried algae and lichen in an empty vase. The second gulp doubles down on empty vases, reminiscent of that Tyrone thing, albeit on illegal steroids, here. Beside the lichen-y, algae-like main character, we have an assembly of extras in the background, exuding heat from a charcoal fire. This is not only warming, it probably causes lung cancer in seventeen minutes, from all that coal smoke it generates. Today, that is a good thing. Listen: this will not change lives, but it is perfectly honest a dram. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, OB)

Lagavulin 12yo b.2013 (55.1%, OB Limited Edition, Refill American Oak Casks): nose: urgh! Bile. You read correctly: it smells acidic and unhealthy. Fortunately, that quickly makes way for fermenting cereals (barley, one would imagine), still humid from the malting floor and ready to be kilned. That kiln, by the way, is not far away; one can easily smell its smoke. It has something of smoked cucumber peels, which is pretty original, and black olives in brine. In the background, someone is spraying windscreen defroster, and that vapourised liquid brings the smoke down a notch -- not that it was too bold to being with. The second nose has unripe apricots, cut then heavily smoked, difficult to recognise, xylene or laser-printer toner, and a lump of blue plasticine in the back. Mouth: it is sweeter than foreseen, yet it still has bile. Butyric, lactic acid, milk on the brink. Chewing brings that milk back to safer-consumption territory and makes for a pleasant texture. However, it also amplifies the barley fermentation; we are left sipping milky barley water in a smoky cafeteria. Some will certainly love that. It is less tOMoH's bag. Mezcal-y eggnog is up next with a mineral touch, now, as if the millstone used to grind the cereals had deposited stone dust amongst the grist and flour. The second sip sprays some defroster on all that, which somehow increases the Mezcal impression and brings agave into the mix. It feels fibrous and a tad drying. Finish: in quick succession, we witness barley water, citrus juice, heat from burning straw, and thick smoke. The tonsils glow like embers for the longest time, as if one were drinking collected water from a peat bog surrounded by burning peat and sphagnum moss. Retro-nasal olfaction emphasises that last note: sphagnum moss, some dried, some alight. The second gulp adds some juice (papaya or guava), which is refreshing, if neither particularly fruity, nor even that juicy. Perhaps it is agave again, or yucca leaves, rather than fruits? The smoke recedes, and it takes a few deep breaths to realise it has simply set camp in the back of the mouth, undetected, until it jumps on the taster like an ambushed predator, at which point, it is all burnt wood and smoked lemons in brine. This is alright. It is not my favourite, but it is objectively well made. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, OB)

15/11/2025 OB the Ba(n)ker

OB is sadly leaving the country for the Land of Inferior Chocolate. We cannot let him go without one last hurrah.

cavalier66, JMcD, SOB, YM, WhiskyLovingPianist and JS join me to wish OB farewell.

With enough whisky to make sure he never reaches his destination

With the number of whiskies and guests, much time is spent on logistics, banter and rushing through drams. Notes are consequently succinct.

The soundtrack: Cthulhu - Le sortilège

cavalier66 opens fire with a North of Scotland, which is as far away from OB's destination as any Scottish distillery can be. It is 44% ABV, which is OB's age today -- or 44.4%, to be precise, two third of 66.6, the Devil's number. cavalier66 argues that OB is selling his soul to the Devil by going to Neutralandia, and will turn into a full devil himself. The label, in pure Douglas Laing fashion (the parent company of Hunter Hamilton), tells of great expectations, which is what OB has for that new life, and of a great single blend -- and cavalier66 adds that OB is a great man we are losing.

cavalier66: "If I remember correctly, the nose is more impressive than the rest."
YM: "Should we put it into a dickhead glass?"

North of Scotland 39yo d.1966 (44.4%, Hunter Hamilton The Clan Denny, C#HH2240)

Nose: raisins, dusty sultanas, dried peach slices. It has a whisper of cured meat, honey-glazed pork roast or such. Beyond are vanillin and candied citrus. Perhaps a sprinkle of white-wood dust too. More and more pineapple and papaya cubes emerge with time.
Mouth: candied orange segments ride on a fairly-thin body, then we get pineapple cubes dunked in marmalade augmented with a dash of wine.
Finish: an explosion of raisins and resins, and the most distant dark-wood sawdust -- an old shelf sawn in smaller chunks. It has tannins, though they merely add to the complexity.
Comment: wonderful old grain. Cue memories of a time when these were "just there" and no-one was buying them. What a way to start! 9/10

tOMoH explains that OB is e-Scapa-ing from London.

Scapa 19yo 2000/2019 (49.9%, Chivas Brothers Distillery Reserve Collection, 1st Fill Barrel, C#26, 312b, b#38)

Nose: bakery scents (WhiskyLovingPianist), brighter (cavalier66) and chalkier (WhiskyLovingPianist) [than the previous dram]. For me, it has sweet grapes, nectarines and a spoonful of honey.
Mouth: it has body and acidity to complement a clear custard-y profile.
Finish: long, sweet and citric, with calamansi and Ugli fruit playing first and second trumpets.
Comment: WhiskyLovingPianist teases that Scapa is a lower-tier distillery, but really, everyone agrees this is "not bad," even if they are in denial about its true greatness. My notes are here. 9/10

cavalier66: "A little bit of soap in this. Is it just me?"
tOMoH: "Just you."
WhiskyLovingPianist: "Soon as you said it..."

The soundtrack: Cthulhu - Chronicles of the red sun

SOB explains that the theme, OB the Ba(n)ker, made him think that bakers no longer use imperial measures, but that bankers still occasionally talk of shillings or guineas. He therefore brought an Imperial.

Imperial 26yo 1994/2020 An ever changing world of impossibility (45.3%, The Whisky Exchange for Whisky Show, Barrel, C#5874, 198b)

Nose: pure ozone photocopier (cavalier66), citrus (WhiskyLovingPianist), glossy magazines, ozone indeed, vine leaves and flowers -- chiefly carnations.
Mouth: photocopied flowers (cavalier66), certainly glossy magazines. This is boldly flavourful and a trifle bitter.
Finish: creamy, custard-y, long and fudgy. The death brings a hint of mocha-y rubber or rubbery mocha -- who knows?
Comment: excellent. More nostalgia about Imperial (tsk! WhiskyLovingPianist again). I have to remind him that the ones that came out twenty years ago were not all stellar. This one is excellent. 9/10

tOMoH: "Glossy magazines."
cavalier66: "Top shelf."
WhiskyLovingPianist: "Oh..."
cavalier66: "Don't go there!"
tOMoH: "Are the pages stuck together?"

Gruyere, a cheese from OB's destination

WhiskyLovingPianist: "I think Mark Watt owns most of the Imperial that came out around that time."
cavalier66: "Wasn't it Elixir [Distillers]?"
WhiskyLovingPianist: "He bought it in bottles."

Alp Blossom, with the Alps having a foot in both France and Switzerland
(and Italy, Germany and Austria, but EG, MV and JH are not here)

cavalier66: "You can barely tell you're drinking alcohol at all..."
OB: "One could say: fruit."
SOB: "Write that down, tOMoH!"

WhiskyLovingPianist brought houmous and guacamole.
The latter turns out to be green tzatziki

OB opens, then closes the next bottle.

OB: "Ah! Okay. I've had bad luck with broken corks, lately..."
tOMoH: "So you put the cork back in to double your chances."

cavalier66 also brought beetroot-cured smoked salmon

OB presents his favourite bottle of whisky. Not his favourite whisky, not his favourite bottling, but his favourite bottle. He tells the story of how he acquired it, how he randomly met the bottler in a bar in Japan, and rolls out more incredible anecdotes all linked to this.

Tomatin 38yo 1976/2015 (47%, OB imported by Japan Import System for Whisky Hoop, C#31, 190b)

Comment: I know this from a previous encounter and take no note, today. It is still amazeboulanger. 10/10

OB: "Switzerland, as a tourist destination, makes no sense, because it is so expensive."
cavalier66: "And a bit boring, to be honest."
tOMoH: "Unless you want to ski."
cavalier66: "Even then, skis resorts are a bit boring."
WhiskyLovingPianist: "It's all downhill from here!"

JMcD: "Last time, there was a debate about chocolate..."
tOMoH: "No, there wasn't. No Swiss was here, so, no, there could have been no debate [about who makes the best chocolate]."
OB: "That's right. The best chocolate is French."
KMcD: "Wait! French?"
tOMoH: "Only for those who think that Belgium is a province of France."
cavalier66: "Well, half of it is..."

JMcD presents a whisky from the Old Bakery distillery.

Old Bakery 8yo (47.2%, Old Bakery Distillery for Gerry's, American 40% Toasted Oak ex-Bourbon Casks finished in Cuban Rum Barrels, b#7B)

Nose: cucumber juice poured on rubber, a new snorkel, nail polish thinner, with lemon rinds in the back and cypress resin.
Mouth: oh! yes, this has a strong rum-y side, with rubber, hevea brasiliensis and chewy wood, cork style.
Finish: bold, rubber, with enough pineapple to fill a wheelbarrow.
Comment: ideally placed, after the previous glories: so different it not only stands out, but stands its own. 7/10

The words on the label make little sense, on the other hand

WhiskyLovingPianist: "Dave Broom's Atlas. First edition, there were 3,500 whisky distilleries. Latest edition, there are 5,000.
tOMoH: "And that's just in Scotland! Nay! The Highlands!"
WhiskyLovingPianist: "Just in Glasgow!"

SOB notices that cavalier66's shirt is covered in Drambuie bottles.

JS: "How is this Drambuie thing?"
YM: "It's sweet and flavoured with herbs."
tOMoH: "It's called aqua vitae -- or uisquebaugh."
WhiskyLovingPianist: "You're such a ninja."

WhiskyLovingPianist wanted to pour the following bottling, Pink wafers in a ladies hat shop, and suggested Bundt Day / confectionary as a theme to be able to do so easily.

48.41 25yo d.1988 Pink wafers in a ladies hat shop (48.3%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 239b)

Nose: it starts off woody, if not plank-y. Dusty shelves and dried staves. It quickly opens up to reveal orchard fruit -- conference pears, poached apples, and a whiff of dried rosemary too. The second noses serves peaches.
Mouth: lemon-y and herbaceous, it has calamansi juice and limoncello, pineapple turnovers sprinkled with dried rosemary, then cypress branches coated in Golden Syrup. The second sip has a bitter lick from the rosemary, and that complements the fruit well.
Finish: pastry aplenty, still with a softly-bitter-herbaceous note. It is essentially peaches and herbs.
Comment: lovely. The bitterness will prevent a higher score today, but in other circumstances, who knows? 8/10

JS: "WhiskyLovingPianist, what is that bread you brought?"
WhiskyLovingPianist: "Heritage sourdough."
JS: "Oh, really? Is it made with Maris Otter and brewer's yeast?"
WhiskyLovingPianist: "Yeah, and the Thompson Brothers' spit."

The soundtrack: Cthulhu - Beyond the gate to the eternal slumber

tOMoH explains he looked for a Swiss bottling. The only one easily accessible was this Arran bottled for a Swiss festival. He added the Barrel Bonfire, because OB is making a bonfire of his London life, at the moment.

Arran 17yo 1997/2014 (51.6%, The Whisky Agency & Acla da Fans Acla Selection specially selected for Whisky-Schiff Zürich 2014, Refill Sherry Cask, 120b)

Comment: a citrus malt, especially the finish. Full notes here. 8/10

vs.

Arran 11yo b.2024 Edition 2 -- Barrel Bonfire (50%, OB The Signature Series, Peated Quarter Casks, 14822b)

Comment: full notes here. 8/10

WhiskyLovingPianist: "This is really pastry. It is almost in the Nordic- sorry! in Nordic Zone of Whisky Show. Did you go to Nordic Zone of Show, SOB?"

OB presents a Brora from his birth year, because he wants to finish the bottle before he leaves.

Brora 27yo 1981/2009 (51.3%, Duncan Taylor Rare Auld, C#291, 330b, b#76)

Nose: ashy and waxy, it has nectarines and bubble gum of some sort.
Mouth: acidic and ashy, it also has a touch of yellow fruits. I find it very bitter in the long run.
Finish: more ash and wax, soot, desert dirt. WhiskyLovingPianist calls it sugary, almost sherbet-like.
Comment: WhiskyLovingPianist says "lovely" and "comfort," while cavalier66 says it is almost more Clynelish than Brora. I find it delicious. Better than previous times (here and here), in fact. 9/10

cavalier66: "I've had some that were not as good. It wasn't Duncan Taylor -- who was it?"
tOMoH: "Chieftain's and Dun Bheaghan. Ian McLeod and Wm. Maxwell."
WhiskyLovingPianist: "Yeah, they were quite poor."
cavalier66: "I've had three or four of those, and..."
tOMoH: "Do you want a dickhead glass to say that?"

SOB went for the banker side and brought a Springbank. In a Madeira Cask. He also brought Madeira, tough not the one the Springbank was aged in.

Barbeito Madeira Bastardo Duas Pipas (unknown ABV, OB Reserva, B#2, C#46+735)

Nose: butter not far from turning rancid, pressed raisins (sultanas, to be accurate), dried figs, then it turns drier, earthier
Mouth: earthy-mushroom-y profile submerged by dried dates and prunes. It is syrupy at second sip, almost cloying. Then, that dissipates and leaves Manzanilla and prunes.
Finish: coating, incredibly sweet, with rehydrated dates and figs. Incredibly, it is sweeter and juicier at second gulp, with Smyrna and cloudberries or salmonberries.
Comment: pleasant, and an adequate break in the line-up to recalibrate. 7/10

vs.

Springbank 8yo 2017/2025 (54.7%, OB Springbank Society, Fresh Madeira Cask, 1761b, 25/169)

Nose: it is dramatically farm-y with a mineral touch. We have sun-baked farm paths, tractor tyres in the summer, with a rubber that suggests quite a bit of Madeira indeed. Then, it peddles walnut stain, peppery earth, dark-strawberry (Benihoppe, Camarosa) coulis, and black bun dragged through a dry field. A drop of water reveals a scrumptious berry paste and increases the lovely fruitiness.
Mouth:  oh! my, this is so farm-y. Peppery clay pots dragged through a field of dark earth. That pepper is strong! Is this a mislabelled Talisker? Water adds loads of wine-y fruits such as lychees and peaches.
Finish: strong, dark, peppery again. Juicy prunes, Corinth raisins, and, especially, a lot of earth and chilli peppers. Even with water, it remains on the side of earth and prunes, with only the spices taking a bit of a subtler front.
Comment: JS is not a fan -- too farm-y and impacted by the Madeira. I find it works well. 8/10

JS says she chose the next bottle, because OB is leaving UK to go to CH-i-CH-ibu. I add that OB is our resident expert on all things Japanese.

SOB: "Chichi-bye?"

Chichibu London Edition b.2023 (51.5%, OB Ichiro's Malt imported by Speciality Drinks, 1949b, b#1843)

Comment: I take no notes to avoid being too behind. It is well liked all round. For today, it is 8/10

WhiskyLovingPianist: "What does 'CH' stand for?"
tOMoH: "Chwitcherland."
cavalier66: "Canton Helvetica."
tOMoH: "Confédration helvétique."

cavalier66: "Do I detect a touch of red-wine cask?"
tOMoH: "Is that your glass of Madeira?"

cavalier66 checks online and confirms the Chichibu was partly matured in wine casks.

WhiskyLovingPianist: "When was the last Show you attended?"
tOMoH: "2018."
cavalier66: "No. When was last Show you attended."

From here on, we (attempt to) stop saying the word 'the'. For each 'the', the person who said the word has to pick a sample from OB's bag o' tricks. It leads to hilarious situations. That lasts until OB's bag is empty.

The soundtrack: Cthulhu - Chronicles of a pandemic

YM looked for an OB to bring (Official Bottling), but could not find an interesting one. He looked for a connection to bankers; none. Oban? He does not have any. So he took this bottling.

tOMoH: "It reads 'pudding' on the label. OB baked pudding."

Speaking of which...

9.210 17yo d.2003 Nostalgia-filled trifle pudding (56.7%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 205b)

Nose: apple pie? This is really, really closed, at first nosing. There are blackcurrants in the medium run, I suppose, maybe vapours coming out of a baker's oven too. Water opens it up and it releases perfume.
Mouth: hot marmalade, lemon marmalade, even, green chilli, split stones and orange peels so hot they are barely recognisable. This is hot. Water brings orange juice.
Finish: long, a tad metallic and hot again, with sage and bitter orange rinds. Water mellows it down. It becomes juicy and fruity.
Comment: challenging today, this will likely improve in the open bottle. 7/10

OB pulls one out that he wants to share before he leaves the country, especially with cavalier66, the only enthusiast in town who has never had it. Yes, the theme is a lot easier for some people than for others, is it not?

117.3 25yo 1988/2013 Hubba-bubba, mango and monstera (58.5%, SMWS Society Single Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 199b)

Comment: I skip it and keep it for later.

For the next one, cavalier66 has a whisky distilled in 1981, which is OB's year of birth. It is a Rose-bank(er), from a lost distillery -- "and we are about to lose OB" ("to alcoholism," adds WhiskyLovingPianist). cavalier66 explains he had preselected several bottles to pick from. This is the one that OB guessed correctly, so he brought it.

Miraculously, the cork does not give in

Rosebank 25yo 1981/2007 (61.4%, OB Natural Cask Strength, 4710b, b#01138)

Nose: musty warehouses, soaked corks, mushrooms in planters. Later, it is a ball of cat's hair, warming. It also has gum. It promises to be drying (it singes the nostrils), with hot blankets and herbs on cobblestones.
Mouth: fiery, it has quarry dust, strawberry-flavoured toothpaste, and a lot of red flowers (carnations, peonies, begonias, dahlias).
Finish: huge. Flowers on fire. There is a fair amount of fruits too, baked nectarines in front.
Comment: at last, tOMoH tastes this legend. It is very good. However, for the price it commands, one can obtain better things (including other from the same distillery), in my opinion. This confirms that 1981 is not tOMoH's favourite year for Rosebank. The Rare Malt is also too hot for its own good. Still... 9/10

cavalier66: "I'm trying to think of what it reminds me of. I think it reminds me of itself."

YM chose a bottling called Spices and syrup, which are things one might use when baking.

94.30 11yo d.2011 Spices and syrup (62.1%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill #3 Char Barrel, 224b)

Nose: toffee and milk chocolate. WhiskyLovingPianist detects English rye whisky. Obviously drunk. Well, there is a soft lick of Irn Bru on a sheet of metal, I suppose, which spells rye. Further nosing has warmed cardboard and chocolate slabs on a wood plank.
Mouth: ooft! it is a little grain-like, with melted chocolate that gets added chilli pepper over time. The second sip has quarry dust, heat and a little fruit.
Finish: hot and softly metallic, with dark chocolate and aluminium cans. Hot Dr. Pepper, cassia-bark splinters, later on. It is a bit drying, though that is tolerable.
Comment: I really like this. 8/10

WhiskyLovingPianist: "You could try Rosebank for free at th-... at Show."
cavalier66: "No, you can say it, now."
WhiskyLovingPianist: "Not for Show!"

JS points out that our guest is OB a(n asset) Manager('s Dram), rather than a banker.

Oban 19yo (59.5%, OB The Manager's Dram, Refill Cask, SE 102, b.1995)

Comment: a dram I know very well and, therefore, take no notes for. It is universally liked, and as good as it always is. Incredible how well it fares, at this late stage, after the heavy hitters. 9/10

WhiskyLovingPianist observes the ABV is high, yet well integrated.

WhiskyLovingPianist: "It's almost as if we didn't just have eighteen drams!"

cavalier66: "This is rather good."
tOMoH: "What a shocker! Kept a decent dram for last!"
cavalier66: "Well, it comes after..."
tOMoH: "Sixteen drams."
OB: "Huh?"
tOMoH: "One of them was a Madeira."

cavalier66 gets up and prepares to let his offspring in, who forgot the key."

tOMoH: "You'll want to stay a little longer."

I remind OB and cavalier66 that, in 2017, they left a tasting early and missed a dram, which only JS, GL and MR ended up enjoying. cavalier66 knows immediately and exactly what I am talking about. Time to pour it again.

cavalier66: "And it is from 1981. OB's year!"

Lochside 30yo 1981/2011 (54.9%, Cadenhead's, Bourbon Hogshead, 246b, 11/396)

Nose: olive oil and fruits (cavalier66). It is fruits in various stages of ripeness (WhiskyLovingPianist).
Comment: I reviewed this masterpiece yesterday (quality check, you understand), so no notes today. 10/10

WhiskyLovingPianist: "It's when the tropics become dusty."
YM: "this, I think, you could snort."
cavalier66: "I know the word to describe this whisky: 'exquisite'!"

I still have a dram, which I kept for now.

117.3 25yo 1988/2013 Hubba-bubba, mango and monstera (58.5%, SMWS Society Single Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 199b)

Comment: it still rawcks, even after the glorious Lochside. Fuller notes here. 10/10

Well, that was an epic send-off. Goodbye, OB! Come see us again!

In pure English fashion, cavalier66 left us half a bite of pie.
Could not possibly finish it; that would be rude!

14/11/2023 Lochside

Lochside 30yo 1981/2011 (54.9%, Cadenhead's, Bourbon Hogshead, 246b, 11/396): need to check the quality before tomorrow's shindig. It has been a while. Nose: well, after fourteen years in glass (in an open bottle, too), it seems to have lost nothing. Here are musty-dusty dunnage warehouses and wave after wave of fruits. Plump cherries (Chelan, Lambert) as well as vibrant maracuja and nectarine slices. A couple of minutes in, we find dusty staves from a barrel disgorged ages ago and fruity yoghurt topped with desiccated coconut gratings. Then come persimmon and fresh coriander, served in that musty warehouse we discovered at the start. It has berries too, mulberry and bilberry, so tart one would hesitate to eat them, but they do a good job of balancing the undeniable woodiness on display. The second nose has more musty stacks of staves in a fusty warehouse, dusty, stale, yet full of fruits, in a bizarre way. At once musty and incredibly fresh, perhaps reminiscent of toothpaste in an outdated bathroom in which the plumbing is decades (if not centuries) old and needs maintenance. Mouth: ooft! Creamy as a liqueur-infused smoothie, it quickly throws acidic darts in all directions. That causes a bit of a ruckus on the palate, as if under attack from red chilli peppers. The most subtle chewing stirs a pot of lukewarm fruits (in terms of temperature; they are otherwise bold as fook), namely pink maracuja, nectarine, peach, honey-glazed canary melon, carambola, and a bitter touch of blanched hazelnut. We also find apples (Ruby Frost, Brock), barely-ripe berries and currants or gooseberries. The second sip is just as gorgeous: powerful, sparkly and very fruity. Those fruits may be a little greener, at this point -- not unripe, but putting more emphasis on carambola, white guava or golden kiwi, crisp, acidic and entrancing. Chewing revives others too, such as blackberries and currants fighting for attention on a playground of dusty clay in a warehouse. Finish: phwoar! Here is a wonderful fruity paste, with the texture of a coarse blackberry jam and the explosiveness of ripe peach. It does not stop there, naturally: currants, papayas, poached apples, nectarines, purple maracujas, as well as a pinch of fresh herbs (coriander and/or mint). An earthier bitterness lingers gently, initially rancio-y as a warehouse's clay floor, then fresher and fresher tickling liquorice allsorts, in the long run. The second gulp seems bolder and stronger yet. It adds ginger shavings to the fruit paste, and peach slices and golden kiwi blended to a pulp. It is now frankly acidic and coats the tonsils with a delicious fruity-minty freshness. Lastly, it offers peeled orange segments at the death. Not peeled-orange segments: the segments are peeled. Intense, acidic, yet cushion-y at the same time, with zero bitterness from pith, peel, or, indeed, segment skin, since none of those is there. This is an undebatable masterpiece that probably became even better with time. 10/10

10/11/2025 Ardnamurchan

This is the leftover from Thursday. Instead of forcing it down on the night and regretting it the following morning, I put the remainder of the dram in a vial kindly provided by DW to try in better conditions later -- now.

149.17 9yo 2016/2025 To sup by starlight (61.7%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill Spanish Oak ex-PX Butt, 638b): nose: it is very briny, today, with pickled herring and distant gherkins. Next up are a drop of pitch-black ink, crayons and plasticine in a smoky bothy, as if one had decided to practise visual arts in the middle of nowhere, between two legs of a long mountain trek. It settles for plasticine in brine, which is unusual, and adds some flowers, maybe chrysanthemums or such, in a green-plastic planter on a window sill. Indeed, it has a subtle earthiness too. The second nose takes us to a drinks cabinet, with brandies, liqueurs and oiled mahogany, as well as lacquered cigar boxes. Mouth: sweet and orange, this has cough syrup and candied citrus. Marmalade, liquorice sweets, a drop of camphor. Chewing adds jelly capsules and flower sap. It takes a few seconds for the taste buds to clock how powerful this is. When they do, it becomes a procession of camphor, peppermint, liquorice bootlaces and a dollop of tar. It stays a little fruity, with dried orange peels, as bitter as that reads, and adds rubber, or melted Bakelite. The second sip makes the fruits juicier (tangerine, kumquat) and adds heather brushes (virtually none of the flowers themselves). Cured orange rinds, a drop of lemon juice and liquorice shavings. Camphor makes a timid comeback too. Finish: softer and fruitier here, this displays citrus slices and soaked segments (orange, clementine, mandarine) alongside darker notes (liquorice allsorts, honey-glazed black cumin seeds, rubber joints). It is a relatively long one, warming, adequate for this grey, rainy day, yet not tOMoH's preference. The second gulp delivers a kick of peppermint that fortunately transforms into orange peels (pretty dried out) and topped with white pepper from the mill. Decent, yet one of my least-favourite expressions from this distillery, to-date. 6/10

08/11/2025 November outturn at the SMWS

We are not here to do a PS and try the whole outturn thrice. We are here to complete unfinished business: JS and I were here on Thursday and could not finish our list of drams, because others kept giving us other things to try. How rude!, I know.

Today, only PS and GT are here whom we know. And they are socialising with another table, which means they will have less time to drown us in whisky.

44.193 20yo 2005/2025 Deep, rumbling intensity (58.1%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 1st Fill ex-Oloroso Hogshead, 206b): nose: well, the Oloroso maturation is not masquerading as anything else. It has earth and a syrupy sweetness, prunes and raisins (Corinth). Soon thereafter, it is dusty staves -- dare I say from a barrel? It certainly has dusty toffee that becomes more and more buttery with each sniff. Past the smashed prunes, the second nose has confectionary aplenty and ends with blueberry-scented plasticine. Mouth: boozy sangria, prunes syrup, pressed sultanas doused in new-make, toffee patties on white-hot stainless-steel plates. It also has red-chilli powder. The second sip seems even stronger and desiccating, borderline chalky and, in any case, searing. Finish: big and in line with the above, it is hot, syrupy and earthy, with hot caramel coating baked prunes and raisins. Here too, the second take is drier and earthier, if not chalky. The earth is very hot -- not scorched; just plain hot. The dried fruits now take the back seat -- a worn-out, crackly leather seat, that is. 7/10

70.60 16yo 2008/2025 Homer's delight (58.5%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 158b): nose: delicate, ethereal, this has a flurry of pastry or confectionary-sugar-coated sweets. Sweet dust leaps out of the glass. Then, we have poached pears, baked peaches... and a drop of urine. That last one dissipates and reveals a herbal touch, bay leaf or oregano, before coming back to powdered sugar. Over time, it develops a lovely coffee-soaked-biscuit cake with a thick butter cream. Lovely. Mouth: if it still has pastry, it is now filled with citrus -- lemon, to be precise. There is a slight bitterness at play, with one bay leaf adorning lemon curd. We also have thyme leaves, which works well with these baked lemon turnovers. It is more custard-y at second sip and showcases more butter cream, before before the chalkiness returns that we spotted earlier. Finish: a pinch of aromatic leaves (thyme, oregano) sprinkled on top of a lemon-curd-filled doughnut. Or is that because the picture in the booklet has a doughnut? This is cracking! 8/10

Homer's delight -- geddit?

4.398 19yo 2006/2025 Tugboat tiramisu (63.4%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 1st Fill STR ex-PX Barrique, 281b): nose: smoked meat on the barbecue, merguez sizzling above incandescent embers, chorizo slowly dripping its fat over flames, then a blend of pitch and soup. Later on, we have a drop of syrupy peach nectar, shoe polish and rubber beads. The second nose is drier and drier, with earth and leather, perhaps some dark mushrooms, and a warm dog by the fireplace, who spent the day outdoors. Mouth: ooft! This is a lot more sherried than I would prefer, syrupy and wine-y. Chewing brings cut peaches, soaked prunes, rehydrated sultanas, green chillies, and piping-hot custard. The second sip has Fino splattered over fleshy fruits (apricots, peaches, plums), and it has compote too. Finish: here too, it is big and syrupy, with a more-pronounced earthiness. Peach liqueur, wine-cured apricots and plums. The second gulp is huge, sweet, it has lots of hot (apricot) compote and baked peach slices. Of all the sherried whiskies we try in this outturn, this is my favourite. 8/10

JN: "I had twelve beers, two shots of tequila..."
Punter: "You had twelve beers?"
JN: "Yes."
Punter: "But, you're... I mean, you don't look..."
JN: "Thank you."
tOMoH:"It wasn't meant as a compliment."

4.400 15yo 2010/2025 Savour the sweetness (62.2%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 225b): it starts off with a veil of smoke, then slices of citrus (lemon and calamansi). The second nose has a touch of chocolate in a smoked citrus custard. It becomes more and more tropical with time, which is, of course, excellent. Mouth: sweet-citrus juice, calamansi juice, limoncello, no added sugar. It also has papaya cubes and candied pineapple cubes, chewy and bursting with flavours, only a smidgen of alcohol, despite the arresting ABV, which keeps it interesting. Finish: candied papaya and pineapple wrapped in a thin cloak of smoke. This is beautiful! The second gulp brings a hint of hay to boot. This just beats the Balblair and probably deserves 9. It is on par with the excellent sister cask we had last week. For tonight, it is 8/10

JN: "What can I do for you?"
Punter: "Nothing. I'm going to the toilet."
JN: "That's something you need to do on your own."
All: "Well..."
JN: "If you pay me enough..."

3.354 20yo 2004/2025 The crown jewels of ancient kings (56.3%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 2nd Fill ex-Oloroso Hogshead, 235b): nose: virtually no smoke, some fruit and a lot of butter. Peaches so ripe they melt in the plate, suede slippers, Mirabelle plums seared in butter. We find clay upon second nosing, earthy and moist. Mouth: ooft! I find this difficult. It has meat and lots of chalk -- lots of it! More chewing piles on the chalk until it is overly drying and chewy. This is like munching on Junior Aspirin, which is to say it retains a certain fruitiness, but is mostly chalky. The second sip is even chalkier, desiccating and challenging. Finish: long and fruity, it seems to have shaken off the chalkiness to only keep strawberry -- phew! The second gulp brings chewy fruity clay. Over time, it ascertains that fruitiness and becomes more and more pleasant. That palate, though... Disappointment. 6/10

GT: "Pour one dram [of 76.72], please."
DS [looks at tOMoH]: "Only one?"
GT: "Yes, one for JS."
DS: "What about tOMoH?"
tOMoH: "tOMoH sucks! [looks at punter from earlier] But I'm not going to the toilet with you!"

Bunnahabhain Mòine 7yo 2013/2020 (59.5%, OB for Feis Ile 2021, Bordeaux Casks Finish, 5166b, b#3720): nose: this is super earthy. It has squid ink, blotting paper, tarry clay, crushed seashells and razor clams tarred by a black tide. Mouth: well, it is very peaty, with a good dose of tarry sands and smoked seashells, but it also has bold fruits (fresh peaches) and the heat of red chilli. Finish: more tarry sands and crushed seashells, as well as smoked apricots. It is a bit one-dimensional, I guess, but respectable all the same. After a while, we get dried kelp and algae sprinkled with smoked-peach juice. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, JN)

The venue closes, we are all encouraged to leave. So glad we were allowed to finish the session today, though! It made for a much more enjoyable moment and a better following morning. Not to mention the chance to chat with other people too.

06/11/2025 November outturn preview at the SMWS

Today is the first of two big days. The November outturn is so huge the SMWS is hosting two preview nights. Tonight is the first. I join DW, PS and Tm. JS joins us later on.

Before I even look at the menu, PS hands me his dram.

76.159 17yo 2007/2025 Catalan if you can (60.1%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Oloroso Butt, 570b)

Comment: this is really souped-up Sherry, rather than whisky. It has syrupy prunes and lots of horsepower. A hot Sherry. 6/10 (Thanks, PS)

164.1 10yo 2015/2025 An embarrassment of riches (61.8%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill STR Barrique, 265b)

Nose: boutique milk chocolate to start with, it quickly acquires berry liqueur. It follows up with spirit spilled on stainless steel. Time brings confectionary, while water increases the metallic shine.
Mouth: berry liqueur by the bucket and melted milk chocolate. It is pretty potent, though that does not hide the sweetness. The second sip sees a slight chalky chew.
Finish: glazed cherries, milk chocolate again, this time filled with a strawberry paste. It has a comforting breakfast-y allure, which fills me with content. It also has a fleeting touch of timid tropical fruits, at some point. JS says that water adds peanut butter.
Comment: from distillery 128, but distilled in their pot still, rather than their Faraday still. It convinces. 8/10

9.302 21yo 2003/2025 Perfume of the library's bookworms (57.7%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 155b)

Nose: minty oilcloth, chococino, melted toffee. It is a tad buttery, with lily-of-the-valley or jasmine in the back. Later on, it seems to provide a whisper of tobacco smoke.
Mouth: nut spread on desert-dry crackers. The palate exhibits an impressive balance of dry and oily, augmented with chocolate-y stuff.
Finish: a continuation of the palate, bursting nutty chocolate spread is made even more appealing by ripe peaches. 8/10

PS enters a long hypothetical match between the new 112 and the new 121. Then he walks up to the bar and comes back with drams of both.

112.140 9yo 2015/2025 Berliner beer with a shot of woodruff syrup (58.5%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 218b)

Nose: mentholated paste, crumbly biscuits, followed by custard-coated corroded metal at second nose. Warm radiators show up too.
Mouth: mellow, it has yellow fruits such as peaches, melon (DW) and pineapple. It has a surprising heat on the tongue. We get the peaches' stones at second sip.

Finish: potent, fruity, topped with a dollop of custard. Candied pineapple and papaya cubes.
Comment: lovely. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, PS)

PS [about the next dram]: "It's a perfectly cromulent Isle of Arran."

121.121 9yo 2015/2025 Sparkling mango lemonade (61.3%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 230b)

Nose: slightly-medicinal sponge cake, warm Lycra clothes, spandex. On the second nose, we find salted vinegar without the crisps and, perhaps, dishwater.
Mouth: green fruits (greengages), sparkly lemonade and a rubbery wetsuit. Hazelnut appears on the second sip, as do greengage and unripe kiwi.
Finish: not too long, it has honeysuckle fruit, green gooseberry and a hint of metal that lingers on the tongue.
Comment: the symmetrical number alone is good enough a reason to like this. One can read it forwards, backwards, or upside down. In addition, it is a perfectly cromulent Arran indeed. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, PS)

DW makes a lot of noise about 29.301 -- specifically, how much he does not like it. He lets me smell it: it smells of smoky currants and Port, quite faithful to its Oloroso maturation. I suspect what he is complaining about is the pricing more than the taste -- and at £495 a bottle, it is hard to not see where he is coming from. JS wonders who will buy this; I remind her that not everyone has access to a venue to try it and will buy an aged expression from a specific distillery on spec. Not to mention some may even like this style.

The staff brings more glasses.

68.131 16yo 2008/2025 A shilling in the study (54%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 2nd Fill Toasted Barrique, 220b)

Nose: sanitary detergent or urinal cookies sprinkled with confectionary sugar. The second nose injects a whiff of dried fruits (dates and Smyrna raisins).
Mouth: it is both dry and syrupy, which does not compute. Smashed plums and lots of pressed currants. Very sweet indeed!
Finish: and the sweetness continues with a parade of Smyrna raisins and Mirabelle plums coated in Golden Syrup. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, JN)

DW makes his way out with his new bottles in a suitcase.

JS: "DW is leaving a lot heavier than he arrived."
PS: "That's unusual! You usually leave me lighter than you came."

85.79 14yo 2007/2023 A drop of dessert (57.7, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 2nd Fill ex-Sauternes Barrique, 254b)

Nose: this oozes oilcloth tablecloth from the 1970s. The second nose bears burning balsa wood.
Mouth: thick marmalade, and that is the texture more than the taste of orange. This has some pepper, somewhere too. It is juicy and citrus-y at second sip, with marmalade aplenty.
Finish: bitter orange marmalade, Seville style. Orange peels, stewed and coated in syrup. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, JN)

Back to our regular programme. We have been here for three hours and are only two drams into a ten-dram tasting. Ahem.

19.105 22yo 2003/2025 Custard on marmalade on rye (52.6%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 2nd Fill ex-Oloroso Hogshead, 174b)

Nose: honey-glazed peaches and jasmine. Later on, it has tame incense and blue chocolate (cioccolato colorato). The second nose has talcum powder on tyre, or on bicycle inner-tube. That is augmented with a drop of lemon juice.
Mouth: earthy, woody chocolate spread (without nuts), a drop of raisin juice and a mineral note too, which is a little drying. Juicier at second sip, it has a lick of rubber with a dusting of talcum powder.
Finish: big, raisin-y, and, as the official notes state: "new car tyres and bramble jelly." 7/10

165.1 8yo 2016/2025 Smoked Thai holy basil (52.8%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 248b)

Nose: peat-smoked hay, preserved lemons and a firm farm-y scent: cows' bottoms and leather boots in cow dung. It has preserved lemons in salty brine dragged through cow dung -- and that works! The second nose has strawberries, somehow.
Mouth: fruity and smoky, here are smoked lemons, farm paths in a lemon orchard dotted with grazing cows.
Finish: fruits in a greenhouse, with the gardener's rubber boots, dry lichen, an empty flower vase and lichen on beach pebbles.
Comment: aside a Mystery Malt by the Thompson Bros,, which is impossible to knowingly buy, this is the first independently-bottled Wolfburn. Hard not to think the distillery would be better known and regarded if the Indies had more access to it. 8/10

149.17 9yo 2016/2025 To sup by starlight (61.7%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill Spanish Oak ex-PX Butt, 638b)

Nose: raisins, rancio and clay floors. It is a little prickly in the long run.
Mouth: big, plastic-y. We have cellophane and other clingwraps.
Finish: long, it has cucumbers, chandeliers and...
Comment: oh! forget it, I need a break. Provisional 7/10

We are halfway through our selection and I am a bit worse for wear. There is hardly enough time to continue anyway. The staff kindly agree to let us finish the session on Saturday. Phew!

In the meantime, PS is also trying 29.301, is also not convinced by it, and also has us try it.

29.301 27yo 1998/2025 To your heart's content (50.3%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 1st Fill STR ex-Oloroso-Seasoned Barrique, 82b)

Nose: ultra-processed sausage. It has a fattiness that is really noteworthy; I simply cannot pinpoint it. Also clay pots. The second nose brings burnt glossy magazines and burnt maraschino cherries.
Mouth: broken clay pots bathed in water, a plethora of dried lichen and freshwater algae, the encrusted waterline in an empty vase.
Finish: robust, this peddles empty vases and empty aquariums. Even upon repeated quaffing, it sticks to empty vases and dried algae. Over time, it develops inky lichens and crushed seashells, augmented with tar and strawberry coulis.
Comment: it is decent enough, if one does not take the price into consideration. Also: 82 bottles! 7/10 (Thanks, PS)

We will be back!

05/11/2025 Banffire Night 2025

Would you believe we have not had a Banff for two years? Well, not for Banffire Night, anyway. And we will not have one today again.

Last year was a special anniversary (not Banff's), and, for this year, I have another designated candidate. An opportunity too good to pass. An Arran, while fireworks are crackling outside.

Arran 11yo b.2024 Edition 2 -- Barrel Bonfire (50%, OB The Signature Series, Peated Quarter Casks, 14822b): nose: a deep and comforting smoke wafts to the nostrils, part lit candles, part cosy fireplace. Just what the doctor prescribed, on this November evening, when the weather is supposed to call for a woolly jumper and a pair of warm slippers. Of course, with the climate as it is in 2025, it is actually rather mild, tonight, but the effect is comforting all the same. Further, we find squid ink, linseed oil and dark-green paint dry-brushed onto an old wooden surface. There is probably a drop of diesel in a mugful of sea water, slightly harder to pick up. Mostly, this is smoky wax and old ink, so far, maybe smoked crayons. The second nose is a tad farmier: we see currants and berries trampled into oily earth. Muddy leather boots also come into focus, and, of course, we keep the smoky, waxy crayons. In the long run, dried algae and lichens cut themselves a path too. Mouth: initially velvety and fruity, the droplets that did not make it past soon start to tickle the lips, while the tongue is cloaked in smoke. A little chewing unlocks wax, plum-scented plasticine, blackcurrant-and-blueberry paste, all with the right dose of acidic, sweet and smoky notes -- and smoky crayons again. It procures similar sensations as nibbling a purple crayon rescued from a house on fire -- or so one would imagine. At times, it threatens to give bitter vines (the stems), but, just as it is about to do precisely that, it recedes, as if conscious that would not be a welcome addition. Instead, chewy blackcurrant drops bounce off the roof of the mouth. Perhaps a little thinner at second sip, it still dishes out the perfect amounts of smoke, jammy fruits (currants, berries) and ink (lighter, now). We get honey-glazed blueberries, cloudberries and physalis for the same price. Finish: smoked-blackcurrant drops indeed, now embellished with a soft layer of liquorice, shards of cassia bark and a pinch of salt. For one fleeting second, it has stagnant water filling up a peat bog, and it coats the tongue with charred peat -- charred and oily at the same time, which is unusual. The berries and currants are subtle, in this finish, and come either charred, or ultra-processed (as sweets). The second gulp is as smoky, yet juicier. Smoked nectarines, smoked kumquat, smoked lychee, even, smoked rambutan combine with ink to present a counterpoint to the sweets and burnt peat from earlier. Oh! it retains a hint of burnt hydrocarbons alright; it is more than a one-note whisky is all. In fact, it is more than a little complex. Excellent! I think this unpeated spirit matured in casks previously used to mature peated whisky works better than when Arran distills peated malt themselves *. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, MR)

(*) Note from MR: "The malted barley used for this spirit was peated at 42ppm. It was one of James Mactaggart's experiments." I stand corrected.