27/10/2025 The BenRiach

The BenRiach 33yo 1976/2009 (51.6%, OB Limited Release Bottling specially selected and bottled for La Maison du Whisky, Hogshead, C#3551, 191b): nose: warm, welcoming honey turns into a burst of juicy tropical fruits, mango and maracuja, leading the pack. Behind them are carambola, canary melon, nectarines and plump apricots. Say, we are in for a treat, are we not? Apricot jam introduces the minutest whiff of smoke, as if the cauldron in which the jam had simmered was still on the embers of the kitchen hearth. More fruits come out soon: yellow cherry tomatoes and papaya join the above, though it remains (yellow) maracuja's game. The second nose unleashes a torrent of (milk-)chocolate mousse waiting for strawberry coulis. That turns into a milky chocolate sponge cake, then chocolate shortbread in seconds. How lovely! There is a whisper of dried wood mingling with cocoa powder and those shortbreads. Where have the fruits gone? Mouth: a strangely-bitter attack, it has rubber boots, rubber gloves, and none of that comes with unripe hazelnuts or flower stems -- phew! Just one chew reactivates the yellow fruits, much to this taster's delight. Maracuja is perhaps even louder than it was on the nose, and practically smothers everything else. Competing to be heard, we spot apricots, nectarines, papayas, carambolas, unripe almonds, creamy and bitter, and grape juice pointing at vinegar. Chewing some more adds pressed raisins, a dusting of cinnamon powder, and mango skins. Still that bitterness, eh? The second sip is similarly fruity and bitter, now pushing cocoa beans alongside carambola and dragon fruit. It musters up more acidity than ever before -- maracuja's last hurrah, clearly. Finish: creamy, pulp-like. Here is a smoothie made of all the afore-mentioned fruits and augmented with ground hazelnuts. Long, lingering, a tad bitter, and very, very fruity. As it settles in, it acquires smashed raspberries, blackcurrants and blackberries. It has the acidity and the slight bitterness of wild berries, in other words, and loses its tropical character somewhat. The second gulp sees smashed pineapple flesh coated in cocoa powder. There is a lick of mocha too, hot tin, but, to the death, it stays fruity-and-three-quarters, with even a puff of durian as a last note. Brilliant. 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, OB)

24/10/2025 Le Gus't

Since it may be named neither Balvenie nor Burnside, the name of the bottler will do. This is a sample I never got to try in Limburg, this year. Something I later discovered we had previously.

Blended Malt 27yo 1994/2021 (47.5%, Le Gus't Selection for Nanyang Whisky, Bourbon Hogshead, C#3525, 240b): nose: oh! how welcoming. Plump citrus slices, peach jelly, lemon curd, fresh brie. This promises all things soft and unctuous. Only after a couple of minutes does it sport a woody yoghurt -- with more emphasis on yoghurt than on wood. Then, it is smashed pineapple and white-grapefruit pulp. Unexpectedly, it acquires a more autumnal side, with tree bark, a creamy mushroom sauce and forest floor in a dense pine forest, yet it inexorably comes back to fruitier tones, citrus peels leading. The second nose has citrus-scented biscuits that have been drying for too long in an open tin and are no longer that enticing, too crumbly and dry. There are also dried-out flowers in there, probably carnations. Further nosing picks up a clean and fresh scent, maybe a cleaning agent of sorts. It is tempting to say, "pine-scented," but it is a far cry from the vulgar exuberance of such products. Also, it competes with a net of mandarines. Mouth: mellow with an undeniable-if-gentle bitterness. More citrus peels, tangerine segments and juicy freshness. Chewing releases a leafier note, likely citrus foliage, dried, bitter and a tad medicine-like (in a good way). We have mandarine foliage, tangerine leaves rubbed in chalk, citrus-flavoured Alka Seltzer, dried orange slices. Whether it is the sample or the fact  am trying this on a fresh palate, I do not know, but it is clearly more bitter than the first time we had it. Fruity too, but in a way that suggests pressed citrus mixed with mortar. The second sip is bitterer and leafier yet, dangerously tickling washing-up liquid. It takes all 47.5% to cover that up so it remains acceptable, but it is not a nice surprise. Further sipping increases the soapy side upon entry. It takes chewing and seconds of determined patience for that soap to fade away and leave the stage to dried citrus zest, sawdust and ginger powder. Finish: Seville-orange marmalade, fruity and bitter, long and calmly woody. We spot stem ginger, drained, rinsed and dried, Alka Seltzer residue in an empty glass. To call it chalky would be reductive; it is not merely chalk but citrus-flavoured chalk. The second gulp has virtually none of the detergent from the palate; only fragrant citrus leaves, some grated effervescent tablet (it is less clear whether it is Alka Seltzer again) and dried-out orange zest. A citrus-y-chalky number augmented with timid wood spices (cinnamon and cured ginger). It mostly redeems the somewhat-shaky mouth -- phew! Repeated quaffing adds more wood spices: ginger powder, asafoetida, mango powder. It has a pinch of baking powder too that nurtures grated Alka Seltzer tablet. Perhaps I should have emptied this sample sooner. I am not enthused, today. It is decent, with a good nose and honest finish, but I find the mouth a struggle, at times. In my head, the score goes from 8 to 7 to 6 to 7 again. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, Savoureur)

21/10/2025 Tormore at the SMWS

We are back again for this evening during which Sukhinder Singh will promote his distillery.

Not all of the regulars are here, but, of course, JS, PS, GT and Dr. CD are.

Tormore 10yo (48%, OB Blueprint Cask Program Official Pre-Release, Bourbon Barrels, 1500b)

Nose: well, this is pretty herbaceous, with dried rosemary and lots of citrus foliage (bergamot, kumquat, Ugli fruit). But it also has a distinct sweetness: lemon drops and crystallised citrus segments. Lovely. The second nose welcomes toffee and fudge.
Mouth: crisp and citrus-y, it has a growing metallic-herbaceous touch. We find more dried rosemary, but also dried thyme, now -- lemon thyme, in fact. The second sip is fairly neutral. Lemon juice, maybe?
Finish: yes, it is light, crisp, citrus-y, zesty, even, with only a light bitterness.  Some foliage, dried orange peels and pith turning stiff. The second gulp has more kick and more Bourbon character: custard and light toffee. Water renders the finish a little too close to windscreen-cleaning liquid. 7/10

Tormore 10yo (48%, OB Blueprint Cask Program Official Pre-Release, Cream Sherry Casks, 1500b)

Nose: entirely different. Here are cosmetic powder and cinnamon buns. Another sniff and it has chocolate truffles and a strange, lingering, woman's perfume, earthy, fragrant, vibrant, while also light. The second nose has a hint of chalk. Water adds nutshells to the lot.
Mouth: creamy, light. This is chocolate custard with a splash of fruity red wine. It has some wood spices (cinnamon powder, crushed cardamom), and berries (dark cherries). The second sip is full-on berry cereals with chocolate milk. Water brings out nutshells more on the palate too.
Finish: warming, it is custard-y with berries and tame wood spices. There is a lingering chocolate-y note, enhanced with a drop of red wine again. A drop of water adds a bitterer lick, including gherkin brine. 7/10

JS [to PS]: "Wait! Is that a second phone you have?"
PS: "Yes."
JS: "A mistress phone!"
PS [pointing at tOMoH]: "For the last time, I'm not his mistress."

Tormore 15yo 2009/2025 (55.2%, OB Legacy Casks Official Pre-Release, First Fill Bourbon Barrel, C#44036, 197b)

Nose: much ampler, of course, it has blotting paper stained with berry juice. A couple of sniffs in, it becomes very fruity, with a mix of cherries, red apples and glossy chestnuts (the husk is glossy, not the fruit).
Mouth: juicy, it rolls out peach, nectarine, then cured peach and mulled wine. Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, galangal. The second sip has plum liqueur (not umeshu), and chocolate milk augmented with pressed plums and an assertive alcohol kick.
Finish: big, long, woody in a good way. Hot almonds, cinnamon cream. The second gulp is creamy and berry-laden, with a touch of cinnamon dough (cinnabuns waiting to be baked). Water does not suit it. It makes the finish sharper. 8/10

PS: "The kind of wood I like."
tOMoH: "Imma treat your wood with nettles!"
PS: "If I don't see that on your blog, I'll be disappointed."

Tormore 21yo 2003/2025 (48.4%, OB Legacy Casks Official Pre-Release, First Fill Bourbon Barrel, C#647, 226b)

Nose: this is the closest to our first dram's nose. Verbena, thyme, citrus and citrus foliage. Later, it is cosmetic powder on oilcloth. And oilcloth becomes the distinguishing feature.
Mouth: oh! wow. This is so citric. Tangerine, kumquat, mandarines. It has an acidic touch, some bitterness and a kick of tropical fruit, after a moment. Later yet, it is jammy AF. Total marmalade goodness.
Finish: long, it has a mix of chocolate, dark citrus and faint tropical fruit. It is both creamy and warm, though it does peddle bitterness at the death. This is my favourite of the lot. 8/10

Sukhinder tells the room how cream Sherry is a blend of Oloroso and PX.

JS: "I don't think I can appreciate cream Sherry, really, until I've tried is as a gelato flavour."

Sukhinder talks about Portintruan.

GT: "Is it true that you put a still there to make some rum?"
SS: "Shush!"
tOMoH: "I guess that's a no, then. Wink-wink."

105.44 35yo d.1988 Honey jam (48.1%, SMWS The Vaults Collection, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 218b)

Nose: elegance personified. Jellied peaches and apricot jam.
Mouth: jammy, it has a lick of metal, as well as wood, in the long run.
Finish: long, warming, jammy again. Orange marmalade, including the tin lid of the jar.
Comment: brief notes. To paraphrase my not-favourite person, we have had this thrice over the past couple of months. It is the best dram of the line-up, but it is also déjà-vu and it impresses me less, tonight. 8/10

Sukhinder introduces his team.

Jason Vaswani: "I'm head-buyer for old & rare."
Punter: "I think I saw you at The Whisky Show."
tOMoH: "I think you'll find it's Whisky Show, without definite article."

Sukhinder almost chokes to death trying to repress a laugh with a mouth full of whisky.

There is more? Of course! Elixir Distillers, proprietary of Tormore, also have a variety of collections as an independent bottler. Sukhinder brought entries from The Whisky Trail range. We try these blind.

Dram #6

Nose: earthy, it soon comes across as smoky, sandy and a little sweet. It could be Caol Ila, though I do not think so. The second nose brings ironed linen.
Mouth: JS calls it funky and detects body odour. For me, it has sweet hay juice and it builds up red chilli in the long run. The tip of the tongue is really assaulted.
Finish: earthy toffee, sticky toffee pudding. The second quaff has a gentle sweetness and a milky feel.
Comment: we are asked to guess. Some go for Australia, some say Kavalan. I venture The Lakes -- "Don't be silly," the answer fuses. This is okay.

White Peak 7yo 2018/2025 (52.4%, Elixir Distillers The Whisky Trail, 4 x New Bourbon Barrels, 1254b) 7/10

Dram #7

Nose: this smells like a rye-and-a-half. Corn syrup, ripe apples, perhaps candied apples, and blue cioccolato colorato. There is also a lot of warm plastic at play, and Irn Bru -- it is a rye, is it not? In the long run, it becomes water infused with wood oil.
Mouth: wood oil is right! This is very woody and oily indeed, with all the heady esters that come with that.
Finish: hot Irn Bru, sweet corn syrup, and a lick of a hot radiator.
Comment: merely a curiosity for this taster. Many guesses (including my own Inchdairnie), none right. Upon reveal, I note that I have never even heard of this Danish distillery.

Thy 4yo 2020/2025 (50.5%, Elixir Distillers The Whisky Trail, 4 x New American Oal Quarter Casks, 645b) 6/10

The staff brings us another dram, courtesy of Dr. CD.

70.62 10yo d.2013 Honey and dragon fruit sangria (60.8%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 204b)

Nose: plasticine, then rubbery earth or clay.
Mouth: this is totally plasticine, plastic-y, reminiscent of oilcloth.
Finish: long and fruity to a point that is tickling vulgarity.
Comment: it does the trick, but I am properly toasted, now. So much so I do not even realise we had this for Burns' Night. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, Dr. CD)

Good night out. Too much to drink, though, as usual.

20/10/2025 Dailuaine

Dailuaine d1971 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice, b. ca. 1989): this one does not have a bottle code either, but detective work hints at a late-1980s bottling. Nose: brine and cardboard. Let us wait for a while... Well, even after breathing for fifteen minutes, it remains briny -- more so, in fact: it now has pickles and gherkins. There are flashes of cardboard that take us towards glossy photographs (remember those?), but it is pickle-y first and foremost. Spilled ink joins a little later, as do wet blotting paper and boiled-potato cooking water. Hm. The second nose has grated beef-stock cube, Bovril, stewed oxtail. That disappears as surreptitiously as it came and leaves dusty cardboard behind. Mouth: sweet, it offers stale caramel and faded toffee to accompany pickle brine spilled on cardboard. Chewing increases the sweetness, brings up fudge and Scottish tablet. It drops boozy toffee, and sprinkles cracked black pepper on the lot. And that is almost bold enough to balance the brine -- almost! It is more assertive than foreseen (40% in glass for thirty-five or forty years, imagine that!), yet calling it numbing would be an exaggeration. It tickles a bit, shall we say. The second sip doubles down on dusty faded toffee. It is super sweet, yet one would more-easily detect a dusty coffee pot, probably. The longer one keeps it in the mouth, the sweeter it is, with root beer and cold coffee (sixteen sugars). Finish: chococino, toffee melted in lukewarm coffee (well, in coffee that is then left to cool down a little), mocha chocolate, a stained Moka pot. That would spell a mild bitterness and a lick of tin to go with the undeniable sweetness. It is a long and drying finish, surprisingly, which suggests a root-y, earthy aspect that would have been difficult to predict from the nose alone. Repeated quaffing leaves the tongue paralysed by heated dusty tin, which takes us back to our old Moka pots, does it not? Coffee grounds and grated mocha chocolate peek up at the death. This is not a great example of this distillery's output. One wonders if the colouring, usual for Gordon & MacPhail at that period, has tainted (pun intended) the dram. 6/10

17/10/2025 Glenlossie

Glenlossie d.1969 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice, b. ca. 1989): my miniature does not have the HI/AFG code, but it is relatively safe to assume it is not wildly different a bottling date. Perhaps 1988? Nose: ha! ha! Dusty brine and pickle juice spilled on cardboard, of course. Let us allow this to breathe for a moment... There we go. Now, it is earthy, root-y vegetables -- sugar beet, parsnip, swede. That veggie side is only the background, with the earth hogging most of the spotlight, by the way; this is not a vegetable stew at all. The nose also has a pile of old letters, some wax sealed, the wax so old and dry it is crackling. Further on, we have timid fruits, umeshu and pickled pearl onions. It becomes rather plum-y, in a subtle way: none of that exuberant, juicy vibrance. No! It is plums that have been sitting in the fruit basket for many a day and that are slowly fading. It even has a whiff of dried moss, or even mould. The second nose seems at once fruitier and more rustic. Here are fruits served in the orchard's pavilion that have not gone through a process of selection or preparation of any kind. The pavilion has polished chairs and tables coated in patina and dust. Imagination may detect a thin veil of smoke too. Mouth: ooft! It has lost none of its freshness or strength. Acidic green grapes, fresh plums, greengages, and a green lick too, whether it is a bay leaf or kumquat foliage. Chewing emphasises citrus, and it is indeed kumquat, yet also bergamot and tangerine. They cannot totally suppress the matching leaves (in other words: it has a soft bitterness), but the fruits are louder. Only after a minute-or-so do we catch some minty cardboard in the front half of the mouth, with the mint just above the top incisors and the cardboard more to the sides. It gives a minimal impression of cork too, hardly strong enough to be more than a curiosity. The second sip is sweeter, ripe with plums coated in honey, succulent flowers also dripping honey, and a frying pan used to shallow-fry honey-glazed shallots, then deglazed with cider vinegar. Swirling the whisky around the mouth sprinkles some dust here and there. Or is it smoke again? Finish: strangely youthful (not brash), this finish welcomes a chewy fruit paste (mostly plums) gone slightly stale, and grape-or-plum juice in an open bottle left out for too long. Come to think of it, it has umeshu here too, at the end of the afternoon, having spent hours in a glass. Dried cranberries are next, then pickled beetroot, and tangerine segments macerated in berry juice (probably not wine). The second gulp is sweet and berry-laden. Rehydrated dried cranberries, lingonberry compote off a dusty hammered-copper skillet, and plums wet with blackcurrant liqueur. It retains a tame bitterness, almost hidden behind the sweetness that now dominates. This is long and comforting, the sort of whisky one could easily get to know very well very quickly. Delicious! How underrated Glenlossie is! 8/10

13/10/2025 Bunnahabhain

Bunnahabhain 40yo 1973/2013 (46.2%, Acla da Fans Acla Selection, Refill Butt, 167b): nose: pillow-y and soft yellow flower petals -- tulips, daffodils, irises, buttercups. That suddenly morphs into apricot jam and pineapple paste, which is difficult not to like. It has a fragrant note that promises the acidity of yellow passion fruit too. It is, in fact, very yellow. Deeper nosing unearths a delicate mineral side, more plants growing on limestone than quarry chippings, but still. Could that be a type of dry green grape, then? Maybe. It also has a drop of peppery after-shave lotion. A sappier note then develops, gentle and elegant, that merely adds complexity to this tantalising nose. It does not shout, by the way, and goes even quieter in minutes. It is probably not one to let sit in a glass for hours. The second nose is more acidic and less exotic; we find crisp red apples, wood dust and a sprinkle of ash. Also a toast with warm cherry compote, funnily enough. Mouth: soft, fruity, the palate quickly turns sappy. Oh! it is not dandelion-stem sap, yet it does add a mild bitterness. Chewing injects apricot jam in all that, or apricot compote, to be accurate. That does not fully mask the sap, and I can hear a grinch or two accuse this of being soapy. It really is not, according to tOMoH who is not particularly sensitive to that, though it has aspects that could be interpreted as remotely soapy. tOMoH prefers to point out an oilcloth in a tablecloth form mackled with dried apricot-jam, and upon which sappy cut flowers are waiting to be put in a vase. It is more and more buttery with each swirl in the mouth -- a sappy butter. Just as it did on the nose, the second sip brings crisp red apples, some fresh, some stewed, cherry compote, including a couple of maraschino ones thrown in for the grown-ups. It retains a vaguely-soapy note, more flower-stem sap than shampoo. Unless it is unripe plums. It is slightly bitter, at any rate. Finish: bigger than anticipated, it is a little fruity, a little sappy, and especially buttery and woody. Hard to relate to something that exists, this has a knob of butter that would have the taste of galangal paste, a pinch of ginger powder, and lemongrass yoghurt. It is a bit foreign, but it works very well. Like a yoghurt too, it leaves a creamy feel in the mouth. The second gulp adds a warm milk-chocolate paste that is a tad too bitter for its own good, and dials up the galangal paste. The more one sips this, the more the fruit leaves in favour of woody tones, though it is never plank-y. If it does end up unveiling eucalyptus paste, it never reaches peppermint. This would be an easy 9, were it not for the sappy notes that stop the whole shining more brightly. I am less impressed than the first time. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, OB)

10/10/2025 Arran

Of course, we should try a Cadenhead dumpy bottling of Glencadam, today, what with its Tintin font. That would be perfect for ten-ten (today's date -- try to follow). But the only one we have access to, we tried four-and-a-half years ago. Something else, then.

Arran PYO (unknown ABV, OB, Sherry & Wine Casks): should this read '9yo' instead of 'PYO'? Given the lack of information on the sample label, it is hard to tell. I am not even sure where this sample came from -- presumably MR. Nose: chocolate dipped in berry liqueur. One could easily deduct that Mon Chéri comes close, and indeed. The berries take off, fragrant and colourful, followed by pressed currants, and prunes in syrup. Although tOMoH has no way to confirm, he will boldly guess that the wine in the mix is Amarone. Further on, the nose has crushed mint leaves and marzipan mingling with chewy chocolate filled with a raspberry paste, and just a pinch of cinnamon powder. The second nose has berries smashed on an oilcloth and doused with liqueur. It is a tad waxier than before, as if those berries and liqueur took the consistency of plasticine or candle. Later on, it becomes leafier -- not quite bay nor Kaffir lime leaves, but we are in that mind frame. Mouth: this is vinous without being unpleasant, sweet, bold, with just enough tannins to not forget its pedigree. Chewing releases walnut oil, a dose of raspberry vinegar (with a very-minimal acidity), a lick of polished wood and dried vine leaves. Prunes arrive on the late tip, as do dried figs, perhaps. This has a distinct wood presence, yet that never overpowers the other flavours. Berries, on the other hand, grow to take over the palate. The second sip is akin to a sweet red wine. It then welcomes peeled apples (Golden Delicious), peeled Comice pears, and a drop of pressed Smyrna raisins. Finish: after a modest but reasonable kick, we are treated to dark chocolate followed promptly by a cascade of raspberry paste. On its coattails are prunes, mashed into another paste. In the finish too, we find traces of wood, this time moist cassia bark. Only a couple of minutes after swallowing do we realise that this has left the mouth a little numb, and the upper body rather warm. If it did not feel so at first, the alcohol is now well present. The second gulp is lighter and drier, if still fruity -- a different type of fruit, now: I somehow find it close to Manzanilla, fruity, bright, yellow, sweetish, yet also mineral-dry with a newfound bitterness, as if the peels from the afore-mentioned peeled apples finally made their way to the surface. Even unripe maracuja comes do a timid dance, at some point. This is very good and tOMoH reserves the right to up his score another time. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, MR -- probably)

04/10/2025 October outturn at the SMWS

I join JS, Dr. CD, AFFM for some of this month's drams.

64.164 28yo d.1996 Quince charming (43.8%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 184b): nose: lillies, jasmine and narcissi rolled up into sugared shortcrust. It is very floral and has no shortage of powdered sugar. It grows apple turnovers and a spray of perfume. Tilting the glass adds a vaguely-animal touch, closer to suede than meat. The second nose has a lemon-scented detergent of sorts, sawdust and crushed flower stems. It has more sawdust and peach peels with the addition of water. Mouth: light and delicate at first, the smallest amount of chewing injects a squeaky-clean impression of rubber gloves for washing the dishes. It has a slight bitterness of flower stems (dandelions) and windscreen wipers too. Then, flowers take back control. The second sip is bitterer yet, even a little difficult. I can see some struggling with the vicious bitterness of flower stems. Water serves peach flesh with a generous serving of cracked black pepper. Finish: a warming broth of yellow flowers peppered with sawdust, which seems to be a recurrent marker of distillery 64. The second gulp is a tad more mineral, dry, yet still a little bitter -- and certainly warming. Flower petals, plant sap and a drop of Fino Sherry. Water brings out Fino alright, though that soon makes way for wine-cured fruits (apples, orange segments, apricots). It is sweeter so. Comment: decent dram. It benefits from water. 7/10

128.33 11yo d.2013 Toffees in the hedgerow (58.3%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Tawny Port Barrique finished in 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 342b): nose: super-thick date syrup, pressed dried figs, even chocolate, to a degree. It soon turns very dry, almost earthy, .then moves back to dates, prunes and raisins. The second nose confirms: this is undeniably fruity, ridiculously sweet, with an earthy shade. The realm of dried dates, dried figs, prunes, even dried lychee. Mouth: very, very fruity, with an explosion of cured peaches, dried dates, fresh figs, maybe tamarind, though not quite that acidic. Prunes, raisins, currants... Phwoar! The second sip is more drying, and that is probably the alcohol at play. Chewy, fruity glory with an earthy backbone. Lots of prunes and currants again, augmented with chopped lychee shavings soaked in wine. Finish: huge, long, fairly punchy, but the dominant, through and through, is that lovely fruit (dried and fresh). The second gulp is, again, earthier, and punches like a liqueur with, in the long run, a hint of rubber. 8/10

We strike a conversation with the gentlemen at the table next to us. The Society member is into heavily-sherried drams. The other, a Mod obsessed with First World War graves, is here for the first time. They let me try 36.228 28yo d.1996 Tales of the Worm Tub: The snaking coil (47%, SMWS The Creators Collection, 1st Fill American Oak + PX Hogshead Finish, 222b) which I find as good as the first time we had it. 8/10

Cheeses enter

46.157 14yo 2011/2025 On a beach boardwalk (53.2%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in ex-Oloroso Hogshead, 250b): nose: a pinch of chalk does not at all cover more cured peach and dried figs and prunes. Just as I note that it does not present dates, timid dried dates do show up, earthy and sweet. Perhaps this has a whiff of marzipan too. The second nose has citrus peels (pink grapefruit, blush orange), and that becomes more and more fragrant to reach the intensity of Kaffir lime leaves. Mouth: some rancio, here, clay floors that one ends up chewing for two days after visiting the cellar, some cork dust... And it works positively! Chewing adds a nice scented (blue) plasticine, including the dryness that comes with it. We discover chalk, in the long run. Finish: long, wide and sweet, it has soaked raisins, prunes and some clay. Indeed, repeated quaffing dispenses with the sweetness and replaces it with clay floor. This is good. It as also distilled on a tOMoH milestone, which makes it feel special. 8/10

Dr. CD talks to AFFM about JP leaving.

tOMoH: "Did I hear correctly that JP is leaving?"
Dr. CD: "Yes. To go home for the day."
tOMoH: "Ah! I heard half of a conversation and jumped to the wrong conclusion..."
Dr. CD: "And that is how one starts a rumour."

9.304 17yo 2008/2025 Citric synthesis (57%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 210b): nose: this presents a mix of gentle chalk and powdered sugar, but also citrus. Over time, that citrus grows louder and louder, with orange-flavoured tonic water and dried zest. The second nose has white-wood sawdust (birch, balsa) and yoghurt with ginger shavings. Mouth: rich, coating, this has citrus juice soon complemented with wood spices -- ginger, cinnamon sticks and a pinch of lemongrass.  It has a soft bitterness that is not at all bothering. The second sip feels narrower and comes closer to Fino (it is such a day), fruity, yet dry. Still, it has a dusting of powdered sugar to sweeten it. Finish: warm, full of sawdust in warm orange juice. It has a little too much white pepper to be a winner, but it is very decent. Repeated quaffing tones down the sawdust, keeps the pepper, and dials up the citrus -- juicy orange segments or mandarines. Good. 7/10

G17.1 11yo d.2013 Shades of green (60.9%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 261b): nose: this is supremely neutral. Cleaning alcohol, maybe, as well as camphor, porridge and watery yoghurt with chunks of fruits in it (pineapple, crystallised -- nay! frozen -- clementine segments). The second nose has elasticated adhesive bandages, which is to say plaster glue on top of camphor and gauze, I suppose. Water turns it cardboard-y, if still fruity. The strap glue is more prominent, as are dried pineapple and yellow-citrus segments. Mouth: even after four drams, it feels powerful. Peppery clementine segments, plump mandarine, apple slices coated in honey and ginger shavings. The second sip is huge too, borderline frightening. Camphor is hardly hidden behind plump citrus and a hefty dose of cracked pepper. Water makes it softer, fruitier, and reduces the gauze to a mere whisper. Finish: massive! It is a combination of the nose and palate, with lots of plump citrus, wood spices aplenty and horsepower coming out of its ears. It is very interesting how it balances fruit and almost-medicinal notes successfully, albeit in a fierce fashion. It remains numbing with water, and comes up with dried fruits (pineapple and peach). This is neither complex, nor intellectual, but it works well enough. It is also the cheapest .1 whisky that tOMoH has seen. 7/10

149.16 9yo 2016/2025 Funk on tiptoes (63.3%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 222b): for a second, I fear I made a mistake in trying the high-ABV grain before this. And then I notice the ABV on this one... Nose: earthy berries, chewy blueberry sweets, dark grapes. That veers towards purple plasticine and berry-scented clay. The second nose has a strong whiff of faux leather and charred chestnuts. Further nosing offers a wacky blend of cleaning agent, tobacco and boiled artichoke. Lastly, a fleeting scent of cheese or stinky feet. Miraculously, that has no negative impact. Mouth: much sweeter than anticipated, but then also very strong! We have chewy blueberry paste, pressed dark grapes and quite some spices. Is it stem ginger?  It is that sweet and that spicy, in any case. The second sip brings a bit of dried oranges and dried mango slices. Original. Finish: wide and generous, it delivers similar blueberry notes in a chewy paste, and a dose of spices that are hard to pinpoint, at first. The second gulp is like a slap in the throat. One that leaves the uvula throbbing with crystallised orange segments. It is very strong, this one; probably not one to have too early in a line-up. 8/10

JS: "Something savoury. I can't quite put my finger on it."
tOMoH: "I can."

Good times.