19/01/2026 Hard-hitters

Back in the saddle, after a forced hiatus.

Caroni 20yo 1997/2018 (60.6%, Cadenhead, Wood Cask, 18/359): "matured in wood," the label reads. No kidding! That trumps even their legendary "matured in an oak cask." Nose: immensely sweet at first, it has cane sugar by the wheelbarrow, cake sticky with melted sugar, and some syrup or another. Soon enough, rubber appears too, latex... Dare I say 'condoms'? It comes back to sweetness, with cough drops and crystallised pineapple chunks, as well as Demerara sugar. The second nose has blackcurrant sweets and dark, heavy tobacco tickling dried cherry stems. Mouth: it is a Caroni alright! Despite a blatant display of Demerara sugar, the palate struggles to push back on hydrocarbon. Kerosene, tar, chewy tyres. It has a whisp of liquorice too, augmented with camphor or menthol. The second sip is borderline sickly sweet; it injects dried cherry stems and mounds of sugar, crystallised into sweets, and elevated with a droplet of blackcurrant flavouring. Finish: long, big, not huge, the finish has notes of kerosene and Demerara sugar again. That turns into a vaguely biscuit-y air. UZ Sint-Rafael, in Leuven, had a hall in which decades of enclosed air, medicinal vapours (and cigarette smoke, probably) had impregnated the carpet and the wallpaper so deeply that the whole room smelled of stale biscuit. It was disgusting. This reminds me of that, and I find it strangely endearing. The second gulp is a little less niche; it focuses on blackcurrant sweets (with too much sugar). This is surprisingly easy to drink, especially for a Caroni. It is not a petrol bomb as so many are, far from it. In fact, it is a bit too sweet to drink in large quantities. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, OB)

Caroni 20yo 1997/2018 (61.9%, Thompson Bros., 337b): it seems very similar to the Cadenhead bottling, with Demerara sugar, a drop of kerosene and sweets. This one, however, has black bun too, a raisin-y mix soaked in booze. It only takes a moment to unleash more Demerara sugar than anyone would know what to do with. That paves the way for dark-tobacco smoke, wine-soaked orange rinds, and mulch. After a few minutes and careful analysis, one detects more petrol -- a blend of kerosene and cold coffee, still doused in Demerara sugar. The second nose is bolder and assails the nostrils with heated blackcurrant-flavoured chewy sweets and melted cuberdons. Mouth: surprisingly soft, it masks its power with a pronounced sweetness, even if it takes but minute chewing to unveil mocha chocolate pudding. The texture is gelatinous, which is original, and the sweetness of Demerara sugar sticks to the teeth. If Mokatine were chewy, this would be very close to it. The strength is felt a little more after a couple of minutes on the tongue, which, in a way, reassures one that one's taste buds are still working. The second sip has a cup of coffee laced with pressed berries (blueberries, blackcurrants, dried cherries) and a pinch of mocha grounds on a hot zinc plate, which makes for a desiccating mouthfeel. Finish: it slaps on the way down and continues what the nose and palate started, which is to say it is hugely sweet to counter the bitterness of mocha. It has an infinitesimal amount of kerosene that is easily overshadowed by chewy and hard blackcurrant sweets. The second gulp cranks up the berries (dried cranberries, dried cherries, blackcurrants) and adds a pyramidal heap of Demerara sugar on a dusty metal plate. The sugar is so old it is forming clusters. It is scary how easy this is to drink, at this ungodly strength. In terms of quality, it is in the same playing field as the Cadenhead bottling, yet I might prefer this one. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, OB)

We have time for one more? Eh! why not?

George T. Stagg 17yo 1993/2010 (69.05%, OB Barrel Proof): nose: fairly mute at first. Perhaps it has some wood, not much else. In all likelihood, it is the alcohol that smothers the other aromas. Given time, toffee shows its face, and that opens the way for more-assertive notes too: furniture polish, wood patina, dark honey and smoke from burning very-dry branches covered in lichen. We may find boot polish too, in the distant background. The second nose insists on blackcurrant jam, simmering in the pot, and adds sticky toffee pudding with a hot cranberry sauce. Later on, overripe and bruised fruits appear -- berries, grapes, apricots. Mouth: it takes a couple of seconds for the ABV to show its true power, so stunned the gob is, then the heat becomes truly perceptible. Minor chewing reinforces that feeling. We have blackcurrant-flavoured cough drops, thuja bark, eucalyptus, aniseed, black cumin. The second sip is drying and showcases currants in all their natural splendour: on one hand, they are ripe and juicy; on the other, some are not as ripe and are bitter as the vine they grew on. Chewing makes it desiccating, yet keeps it fruity too -- quite the feat! Finish: boom! It is, of course, immense, if not quite as terrifying as the ABV may have threatened. It has black cumin seeds, nigella seeds, black sesame seeds, some tar and frankly-extractive notes. It is not plank-y at all, yet there is no denying it has taken on whatever the cask had to give, including bark and mulch. On the welcoming side, it also has sticky toffee pudding (especially the edges that touched the tin mould and that turned crispy as a result), rubber and, well, a radiating heat that becomes obvious a couple of minutes after swallowing and will not let go. The second gulp has a bitter lick, vine or leaves from a fruit bush. It is also never-ending. It is akin to piping-hot berries jam served in a wooden bowl. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, OB)

02/01/2026 Celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States at StilL 630

How cool that the 2nd January, this year, falls on a Friday? If you have been following this blog for a while, you may remember that Friday is cocktail day at StilL 630. Something that occurs weekly is particularly special when, on the same day, they release the first of twelve single casks to celebrate the most-famous country in the world (arguably) turning a quarter of a millennium.

These, which we saw last year, will be released throughout 2026
one a month

JS, PC and I are in line for the occasion. There will be a toast at 6:30 PM, by the way.

Mash bill for the first release
(note it is apparently a Bouron)

StilL 630 1776 Missouri Straight Bourbon 5yo 2019/2025 Declaration of Independence (50%, OB for America's 250th Birthday, Barrel, C#12)

Nose: it has a strong wood aroma, with teak, mahogany, dark walnut and iroko. It has its fair share of varnish too, though it smells sweeter than varnish. It may be caramel or peanut brittle instead.

Mouth: yeah, this is very, very woody and Bourbon-y. Mahogany oil and walnut stain with shoe polish and coconut oil. Then, it is polished chestnut shells and oiled walnuts.

Finish: full and woody, if not spicy. Polished staves, oiled benches made of dark wood (walnut), and polished coconut shells. It ends with a pleasant sweetness that balances the otherwise-heavy wood. 7/10

The bottle comes with a metal badge.
In good, protectionist fashion, it is made in China.

We move on to cocktails for a bit.

Yankee Doodle (me)
1776 Missouri Bourbon [sic], Honey, Lemon, Hot Boston Harbor Tea

The Manhattan Project (PC)
America's 250th Birthday Bourbon [sic], Librarian's Vermouth, Bitters

The World Turned Upside Down (JS)
Rallypoint Rye Whiskey [sic], Knowledge of Good Apple Brandy, Madeira, Molasses, Egg

StilL 630 4yo RallyPoint Single Cask (61.3%, OB, B#3, b#31)

Nose: dark cherries, followed by oily mahogany. It is fragrant, not overwhelming, with cured greengages, plums and rehydrated prunes. Fruity and woody, in short.

Mouth: still fruity, but it also steps firmly into woody territory and comes across as licking an oiled mahogany shelf. Beside that, it graduates to lychee, plums and Mirabelle plums.

Finish: long, fruity again, now full of wood spices to boot (cinnamon, cloves). We have Glühwein, cherries, maraschino cherries, and cinnamon sticks. It eventually develops a tad more Irn bru (a recurrent note in Rye whiskies), but is pretty tame, compared to other, similar makes. 8/10

StilL 630 RallyPoint DoubleBarrel (62.6%, OB, B#XII, b#58)

Nose: it has a lot of wood too, and some of it is burnt. Burnt wood, smoked maple syrup, cured grapes. The second nose has lychees and cherries.

Mouth: ooft! This is woody. Mahogany, oily teak, prunes and wood stain, rustic chairs, virtually unrecognisable under the patina. The second sip is full of prunes and has a pinch of cinnamon powder. Later on, Irn Bru makes an appearance.

Finish: dark and woody, this has chestnut shells and wood stain. The second gulp brings Irn Bru and juicy peaches. 7/10

StilL 630 Missouri Straight Bourbon Whiskey (61.95%, OB, B#3, b#87)

Nose: ah! This is, of course, very different, it being a Bourbon and all. It has fudge, toffee, then orange marmalade, cured mandarins and candied yuzu.

Mouth: fudge, caramel, butterscotch. Then, it turns hot and splintery, with galangal, ginger and cinnamon bark. The second sip has peach and fruit juice, before it reverts back to drying wood spices.

Finish: hot, warming. This is a hot toddy with cinnamon sticks and cassia bark. There is a delicious piping-hot cinnamon-y yoghurt at second gulp. 7/10

Good times, as usual. And the organisers were clever enough to leave all politics at the door. This was a celebration, not a political campaign. Roll on the next single cask!

02/01/2026 Start as you mean to go on

January, on this blog, is traditionally reserved for non-Scotch-single-malt beverages (Burns' Night excepted), but we will kick off this year with Scotch single malts regardless.

Ledaig 14yo 1973/1987 (56.3%, Sestante): nose: meow! Very-slightly-smoked orchard fruits, mainly cut Golden Delicious apples, but also kakis. Thirty seconds of breathing transform this into a much smokier affair, with charcoal smoke, soot and charred wood. With a bit of shaking the glass, one can swiftly find the fruits again, still from the orchard, crunchy, bright and juicy. Comice pears and quinces join, presented in a lacquered wooden case. Suddenly, a wave of engine grease slaps the taster in the nose, then shoves (blue) plasticine through the nostrils. As unexpectedly as it came, that note disappears to leave charred bacon, followed by cured orchard fruits and bruised apples. The second nose smells more autumnal, with dead leaves, muddy earth, and fruits falling off trees. There is something else that is too subtle to fully grasp; acetone, maybe? Wood varnish? Wood stain? Windscreen defroster? Hard to tell. Rising and overtaking that are matchsticks, that is paraffin-coated wood, splashed with black ink... and kerosene. Mouth: we have more fruity smoke or smoky fruits on the palate, apples again, but also kakis and persimmons, this time. Chewing stirs up the smoke, which makes for an acrid mouthfeel, adds embers, a pinch of white ash, and soot-y grapefruit segments. It has burnt wood as well, smoked orange and a timid thyme infusion. The second sip seems fruitier, with pineapple juice and oroblanco pulp ravishing the taste buds. We pick up a droplet of windscreen defroster, so soft that many would overlook it, but those who are super-sensitive may dislike that and call it soapy. Although sweet and fruity are the major adjectives, bitter and acidic are not entirely absent. Finish: soft and fruity on the way down, it explodes as soon as it hits the bottom of the stomach. A puff of hot smoke comes back up and warms up one's thorax. The mouth is in the same state as after smoking a cigar: dry, numb, and slowly waking up to menthol, cigar leaves and smoked apple slices. The second gulp feels fruitier and less smoky. Pineapple paste blended with plasticine, as well as stale membrillo, chewy fruit-flavoured sweets, laurel leaves and menthol cream. Once all that has stopped talking, we get the same puff of hot smoke as before. These early Ledaig expressions are often excellent and this is no exception. 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, OB)

Caol Ila 17yo 1974/1991 (61.1%, Signatory Vintage, C#5-9, 3000b): nose: the smoke is more immediate in this one, with burnt wood, smoke from a brick oven and ashes on the campfire. We also have roasted apples (or grilled on the same campfire), and, slowly but surely, traces of smoked whelks and sand. From there, of course, we find (or deduce) fishing nets drying in the sun, crushed mussel shells and diesel engines. Interestingly, next to the diesel are pansies in a planter -- a planter shaped like a giant mussel shell. The second nose has a leathery whiff to it, closer to a suede bag than to leather belts, and oilcloth so dry it is all crackled. Soon enough, smoke comes back assertively: smoked modelling wax or plasticine, clay pots in the oven for two minutes, followed by smoked chayotes and guavas. Later on, it is empty wooden boxes that once may have contained cigars or eucalyptus powder, but are now just dusty. Mouth: big and oily, greasy, it has mud patties, diesel spilled in a puddle of sea water, mussel shells licked by flames, burnt wood, and a wave of delicious fruits -- satsumas, persimmons, cherimoyas, longans. The second sip is very similar, yet it gains a minuscule droplet of shampoo, and that gain is its loss. Sample going off? On the positive side, it also smoked-coconut yoghurt, which is much more pleasant. Repeated sipping has a similar effect as a windscreen cleaning agent, stripping enough to leave the mouth squeaky. Fortunately, that swiftly morphs into wood spices (ginger, cloves, lemongrass). Finish: smoke and burnt stuff (wood, fruit, plastic). Chargrilled pineapple, smashed into a paste, smoked persimmon, smoked Conference pear. The maritime notes have gone AWOL. Imagine searing welks and cockles in a frying pan, discarding them, and deglazing the pan with fruit juice. That juice is all that remains, it seems. The second gulp adds some tame spices, namely cinnamon paste, ground clove, and a little bit of grated ginger. That has a tingling effect on the gums, which elevates the fruitiness to another level. Honestly, there is also a touch of soap in the finish, which makes me think it was high time to polish this sample. 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, OB)