25/06/2026 Cask Trade x Watches of Switzerland

Back at the same venue as in 2024 for a tacit seventh anniversary celebration. There is no mention of age, but tOMoH can count -- ha!

I am flying solo, tonight, and the misery of an hour-long bus journey to effing Regent's Street in the middle of a heatwave tests my resolve. But the industry is in turmoil and Cask Trade, like all other players, needs all the support they can get. I will play my part by trying the whiskies they so willingly pour me. How selfless can one be?

I start on the bottom floor, conveniently close to the buffet.

Kilarrow 11yo 2015/2026 (50.6%, Behind The Cask distributed by Japan Import System, 1st Fill Barrel, B#BOW-15, C#302, 317b, b#305)

Nose: herbal, it has wet bracken and mashed algae, but also iodine and cured bacon.

Mouth: earthy and punchy, it has more cured bacon laid on a vanilla-custard bun. Unusual combination!

Finish: a little green in terms of alcohol integration, with burnt hay most prominent. It is long and muddy, with also crushed fruit stones and a soft bitterness. Muddier and siltier in subsequent sips, it fans a stronger burnt impression.

Comment: alright. Others are much more partisan (in favour or against) than this taster. The huge white label confuses more than one visitor. It is the equivalent of the first page of a book, open for signing.

Score: 7/10

Buffet, here I come!

As good as always, plenty of vegetarian options, fresh and refreshing

This edition, I did not see anyone picking the cress with their fingers and discarding it on the plate
(yes, it was a recurrent fixture)

Aberfeldy 12yo 2014/2026 Series 027 (52.8%, North Star Spirits celebrating 10 Years ...of North Star Spirits, Refill Bourbon Barrel, 320b, b#051)

Nose: baked plums and nectarines, as well as a touch of wax or plasticine. The second nose has a very-elegant Cologne (the hell if I can identify it!) and, maybe, a mint filling.

Mouth: a tad of wood spices and hot fruit stones, pressed plums too, which adds a lovely fruity dimension. It turns slightly chalky at second sip.

Finish: finally, the trademark Aberfeldy nuttiness appears. Hazelnut, creamy almonds and Brazil nuts. It is, however, not entirely devoid of orchard fruits.

Comment: nice.

Score: 7/10

Goalong 5yo b.2026 (48%, OB)

Nose: bright yellow, this is cereal-y and it has dried citrus peels (grapefruit and calamansi come to mind), but also toffee, butterscotch and vanilla cream filling from the biscuit of the same name.

Mouth: mellow, this is much to my liking, with custard cream (the biscuit fill), butterscotch and a soft bitterness.

Finish: mellow again, it has toffee and custard with a minor kick

Comment: it is not particularly original or remarkable, but pleasant and well made. My first expression from this Hunan-province product.

Score: 7/10

Glen Keith 33yo 1993/2026 (44.6%, Malts of Scotland Rare Casks handselected & exclusively bottled for The Whisky Dreamers, Bourbon Hogshead, C#MoS26010, 158b, b#42)

Nose: bursting with juicy yellow fruits and candied tropical ones, chiefly chewy pineapple and papaya cubes.

Mouth: acidic and fruity, it unveils more pineapple, candied and fresh, dried papaya and mango slices, and even a bit of passion fruit -- no! lots of it. It starts on the low, only to explode in seconds.

Finish: long, it is an eruption of tropical fruits, now, with but a minute bitterness towards the death.

Comment: pfff! Kirk Barleycorn and his pals done it again. SA must have been well seduced in Germany, because he brought four bottles of it to this here shindig. I could not try it in April, so well glad to do so now.

Score: 9/10

Burnside 36yo 1989/2026 Episode 4-- Mr. Buckie & Friends (51.9%, Lucky Choice Whisky Joint Bottling With Amoy Whisky Society, 1st Fill Oloroso Barrique, C#2520559, 180b)

Nose: all sorts of baking scents, with dough, flour and confectionary sugar, followed by lots and lots of citrus peels, full of their bitter oils.

Mouth: mellow and much darker, this palate has the Christmas pudding JW talks about to all to whom he pours this dram, even if it is not overpowering. It is closer to warm marmalade to my taste buds, thick, syrupy and coating.

Finish: overly Sherried, according to my preference. Holly berries, cranberry sauce, lingonberry compote. JW says spiced plums and sticky dates.

Comment: is it not weird that this is the third 36yo Burnside we come across in a fortnight? Milroy's and C.Dully's came before. JW, who is manning the stand with a fantastic-looking pink bow tie, tells me he sold yet another cask recently too. In any case, the Sherry maturation places it lower than the others for me. Personal taste, innit.

Score: 7/10

At the entrance table:

tOMoH: "Is this one available to try?"
Him: "Yeah. Would you like it on its own?"
tOMoH: "Why? Is it supposed to be served as a highball? I see glasses of iced water next to it..."
Him: "I don't know, I don't really work here..."

A Secret Distillery Guarded by Badgers 8yo 2016/2025 (46.3%, Master of Malt Single Cask, Refill Hogshead, 435b, b#332)

Nose: musky, it has hay, straw and an animal's den (to say 'badger' would be succumbing to suggestion). Something much more perfume-y rocks up  at second nose, then more hay. That last one is now more-clearly defined and louder.

Mouth: dry and hay-like again. It tickles leather and suede.

Finish: leather, hay, dried berries -- so dry they are virtually tasteless. It remains musky, though!

Comment: it does not take a David Attenborough to guess the distillery with a clue like that. The proprietors usually do not mind the name being used, but who knows why this one does not have the naming rights.

Score: 7/10

Nc'nean 8yo b.2026 Siobhan Mackenzie in Collaboration with Cask Trade (54.5%, OB bottled for Cask Trade, STR Cask, B#89)

Nose: velvet, corduroy, drapes heated by the sun. Follows a crazy waxy-plum note, peaches and nectarines. The heat takes off, in the long run, almost singeing the nose's hairs, but it is mostly a waxy-fruity one. Dark grapes soar. It becomes closer to doughnuts with time.

Mouth: surprisingly indistinct on the palate, it soon rolls out plums and baked nectarines on a velvet plaid. Little spices to speak of and practically no wood.

Finish: mellow and pastry-like, it turns bitter and woody in the second gulp -- not really in a good way.

Comment: my first Nc'nean, at last. I cannot say it is a hugely convincing encounter, despite the good first impression. Needs revisiting. This was bottled to celebrate the launch of Cask Trade's registered tartan, created by Siobhan Mackenzie.

Score: 6/10

Another punter approaches me.

Him: "May I ask what you're taking notes about?"
tOMoH: "You. 'Great taste in whisky, good appearance...' I'm taking notes on the whiskies, of course. So I can remember them tomorrow. Will you remember?"
Him: "No."
tOMoH: "There you go."

We chat a for a few minutes. Here is another person who tells me I have a nice handwriting. generations of teachers turn in their graves. I ask him if he can help me re-read myself, because I will struggle to decipher it tomorrow. We talk about the stagnation (the crash) of the whisky market and how nice these events are.

We have time for another couple, if we play our cards right. It is the royal 'we': my new buddy has had enough of my sarcasm.

Glen Scotia 7yo 2016/2024 (56.4%, OB Exclusive Cask specially selected by Jeroboams, 1st Fill Tawny Port Hogshead, C#24/59-7, 231b)

Nose: old ropes and dried nets (no fishy note, though). There is a whiff of rose perfume, perhaps tobacco too.

Mouth: wine-y on the tongue, it has cured oranges, wine-soaked lychees, rambutan in sangria. For some reason, celery dunked in sangria comes to mind. I cannot explain why, because it is not in-your-face.

Finish: long, it combines a slap of wood and a dash of deep red wine. The second gulp is woodier, borderline plank-y.

Comment: it is okay. The Korean editions were more to my taste.

Score: 7/10

Aberlour 19yo 2006/2025 (50.8%, Highlander Inn, Bourbon and Pedro Ximenez Cask, C#900338, 210b, b#55)

Nose: scented erasers and plasticine, earthy plums, yet not earthy enough to be prunes.

Mouth: mellow, it combines the bitterness of peach stone and the softness of peach flesh with a dollop of hazelnut spread with excellent results.

Finish: ooft! A lot bolder, here, with chestnut purée and smoked peach. Becomes bitterer upon repeated sipping.

Comment: another good selection, TM!

Score: 8/10

One of the stalls has a Torabhaig (OB). I am offered it; my glass is not empty. By the time it is, All bottles have been filed way. It is the rule of the game and I accept it.

Time to go. I bid goodbye to the Cask Trade folks, congratulate SA on another successful event and depart into the heat of the city.

16/03/2022 Aberfeldy

Aberfeldy 15yo d.1978 (46%, Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#7799): nose: assertive, even bold (those were my initial words the first time, almost verbatim), not boisterous, this nose has green hazelnuts and springwood, blossoms and all. We have lots of yellow-flower shrubs too, such as kerria Japonica and forsythia, but also meadow flowers, dandelions and buttercups being the most obvious. In fact, they leave little room for corn-flowers. There is a mineral side to it too, with flint and polished granite, straight from a tombstone carver's shop window. Further in the back, sweet lozenges appear, faintly mentholated -- very faintly. Despite the greenness and the promise of flower-stem bitterness, this bouquet is quite elegant in a flighty way. Further nosing reveals hard-boiled eggs (distant, and still in their shells) and oak leaves. The second nose has autumnal fruits: nuts, of course, yet also apples, now. Have six months just passed over the course of one sip? The change in seasons seems to suggest it. It is now also sweeter and has an unexpected drop of engine oil. Mouth: the entrance is bitter, as expected, combining dandelion-stem sap and unripe hazelnut. It only takes a moment for them to come closer to an unsweetened almond paste and nut skins. Oh! the bitterness does not go away, but it is entirely acceptable. Chewing on the whisky makes it sweeter; not marzipan-y, but sweeter than it initially was anyway. The nut skins morph into nut shells, nuttiness and bitterness included. The texture is creamy and pleasant. The second sip sees sweet-citrus peels. In other words: acidity joins the bitterness. We see calamansis, mandarins, pink grapefruit. Wonderful stuff! Finish: here, the nuts are well ripe. They are also sprinkled with caster sugar, which means the bitter aspect almost disappears, replaced by an interesting earthiness. Walnut shells, almond shells, almond cream (imagine an almond-flavoured sort of Bailey's). Repeated sipping may add a drop of citrus juice, yet it remains largely similar, dishing out sweetened nuts, earthy cream and, this time, tulip petals alongside caramel. Excellent 'feldy. Those notes are quite different from the first time we had this dram, which illustrates the influence of position in a sequence, probably. 8/10

Happy birthday, FD!

26/03/2021 Whisky-Online Auctions' First Cask tasting Part 1

Tim Roberts, Wayne and Harrison Ormerod of WOA are joined by Lee "Connas" Connor to present this tasting that focuses on Direct Wines Ltd.'s First Cask range. Connas (an unfortunate nickname for anyone hoping to find success in Francophonia) tells us all about First Cask: "It was set up as a subscription thing by Direct Wines, in the same fashion Laithwaites do with wine: one paid £25 a month to receive a bottle by post -- it could be an Aberfeldy or a Port Ellen, amongst others. They were ahead of their time. So much so that it did not last very long. That's about all there is to say about it."

If I was hoping to learn more about how the casks were selected, who the people behind it were, when they started or where they were based, that is my dreams crushed. Connas does tell us that some of the stock came from Signatory, but nothing that I did not already know. Ah well. They were based in Reading, by the way. ;-)

On to the whiskies. I have minute quantities and save some for more detailed notes at another date. I want to enjoy the company and the banter too, tonight.

Auchentoshan 15yo d.1981/1996 (46%, Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#1159): nose: a pinch of chalk, macerated herbs and a scrape of limestone. It also has distant sweets. This is simultaneously assertive and welcoming. Mouth: lime juice, limescale, grass and grapefruit on chalk, then bergamot foliage ("That's a good note," says Connas -- flattery will get you nowhere, but thanks for trying). It feels green, in a good way, acidic, and a tad mineral. Finish: acidic, herbaceous (quite strongly so), it carries citrus leaves, namely mandarin, bergamot and grapefruit. Long-ish, pleasant finish. Provisional score of 7/10

Royal Brackla 24yo 1975/1999 (46%, Signatory Vintage for Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#5447, b#267): nose: waxy, meaty and sweet. The meat completely vanishes after a second, and makes room for chestnut sweets and avocado oil. It has bruised fruits too; apple, probably. Mouth: beeswax, beard wax, hair grease and, well, wax. Waxy grapefruit skins too. A musty palate, this! Finish: long, coating, waxy as apricot or tangerine skins. Short notes that do not do this justice. It is lovely, and one of the best Bracklas I have had. It will remain my favourite of the evening, against all odds. 9/10

tOMoH: "How did you decide the selection? You had twenty-one bottles to be split into three tastings. Why these now and the others later?"
WO: "It was mostly down to price, to be honest. We could not have the Port Ellen, the Ardbeg and the Linlithgow in the same line-up, as it would have pushed the admission price higher than what our regulars are used to."

Glenlivet 24yo 1974/1999 (46%, Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#5131): nose: plums, overripe grapes, bursting with sugar. There is also a drop of lamp oil, or walnut oil. Mouth: sweet and nutty in taste, oily in texture, it shows a soft bitterness that makes me think of green-hazelnut custard. Finish: sharp and oily, if that makes sense, it has a definite fruitiness too -- mostly plum. There is also walnut liqueur, some avocado oil and Bourbon-cream biscuits. Another terrific dram. 8/10

Balvenie 20yo d.1972 (46%, Direct Wines (Windsor) Limited First Cask, C#14734): we talk about how rarely Balvenie is seen at the indies'. Connas ventures that maybe even SMWS has not bottled it -- they have (it is #40); seven times, but not for a long time. Independent Balvenie is certainly rarely seen under that name, these days. This must be one of the earliest First Cask offerings, considering the date. Pictures found online also suggest a different livery and company name to all the others. Nose: I find it remarkably close to the Auchentoshan, with chalk, faint menthol and a hefty dose of fruit (plump citrus, tangerine segments, grapes and waxy plums). Mouth: a mix of grapefruit and canary melon, juicy as fook. Behind that is also pomelo and tame lime, alongside tinned pineapple. It is acidic with a softy-softy bitter touch. Finish: super creamy, it now has fruity yoghurt and citrus-y custard. Tangerine segments dance to the swan's song. Towards the death, the drying chalk makes a comeback as well. 8/10

Aberfeldy 15yo d.1978 (46%, Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#7799): nose: assertive, bold, even, it has tiger balm and melting limestone, with acid poured onto it. I really want to say nuts, but it is really closer to shoe polish. Later on, it turns into lemonade, bringing back the acidity, yet without the face-melting bite, this time. Mouth: nut-and-citrus juice, at once oily and acidic. An unexpected mix, I must say. It tastes wonderful, though. Sweetened orange tonic and more lemonade. Finish: wow! A lick of dark pot ale, almost coffee-like, but much more subtle. Dark chocolate? Chocolate-y stout? Yes, that and pomelo jelly. Another excellent surprise! 9/10

Glen Grant 24yo 1976/2000 (46%, Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, Sherry Cask, C#2886): nose: gingerbread, ginger Hobnobs, cramique, Selkirk bannock, baked for slightly too long, a faint touch of suet, in the back, rancio, and even old cork. Crumbled speculoos appears too, much to my ecstasy (it spells cinnamon, mostly). Tilting the glass brings sauce grand'veneur under the spotlight too. Mouth: rancio and old cork again. This has been hugely influenced by the wine (the colour leaves little doubt about this being matured in an ex-Sherry cask); it has soaked prunes and sangria talking loudly. Finish: speculoos through and through, with the wine coming back for an encore (more sangria), and fruit as a supporting act: plum, prune, wine-soaked orange. Excellent. 8/10

Port Ellen 18yo d.1976 (46%, Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#4778): nose: earth and clay, then some old modelling wax and pencil shavings. A mocha coffee pot, cleaned, yet still tainted by the indelible content. After a second, cockles and shellfish start to appear. Crushed seashells. Finally, cashew paste tickles the nostrils. Mouth: ooooh! Salty, coastal, but also sweet, like a dessert pasty filled with a salty mussel sauce and warm sand, washed down with cola. Finish: watery at first, it soon delivers similar sweet/salty flavours rolling on coastal notes of seafood that would be sprinkled with cinnamon and cassia powder, and served with a holly-berry compote. Lovely drop, even if it is the first one tonight in which the dilution is felt a little too strongly. Provisional 9/10

Good fun and great selection. I particularly enjoyed the no-frill approach. No fanfare around the Port Ellen, as other hosts might have done -- in name, it is the only one that sticks out. In fact, it is a rather iconoclastic group: WO explains that they opened the Port Ellen 12yo for the Queen's Visit for Whisky Show Old & Rare 2018 and were utterly underwhelmed by it. It is only the most expensive and highest rated Port Ellen (or, indeed, whisky) in some circles.

Down-to-earth people who love whisky and sharing it without feeling the need for inflated marketing bullshit. Roll on Part 2!

19/12/2020 DW's 2020 Christmas bash (Part 1)

With Cadenhead's tasting room closed, the traditional yearly gathering is obviously virtual, this year. That removes some limitations: DW went crazy and invited even those people he only half likes. The bill was simple: send DW as many blind samples as there are participants and he would take care of the dispatching. How many people is that? Twenty-two? AN, BA, BC,Cavalier66, CBr, CC, DC, DW, EC, EMcG, JA, JB, JS, JW, JMcC, MSo, PF, PP, PS, SD, VK, tOMoH, as well as BB, who ends up not making it. adc is in town, so she comes and goes.

Holy cow! That means half a litre of whisky per person, assuming that everyone sticks to 2cl samples... Naturally, PS could not resist sending two samples, and DW did not want to be outdone by one of his guests, so he prepared three.

What could possibly go wrong?

I join late and miss the first dram altogether -- JA's Dalmore 15yo (40%, OB).

The pace is fast and it is more of a social do than a deeply-analytical tasting. Notes are brief.

Dram #2 (PS)
Nose: fresh, hay-like, with a touch of fruit.
Mouth: pastry-like, lemon pie and some blackcurrant (once PS has revealed what it is, it is so obvious).
Finish: full-on blackcurrant indeed.
Comment: lovely Invergordon.

Invergordon 45yo 1964/2009 (43%, Forbes Ross & Co. Private Cellar Cask Selection) 7/10

From here on, DW organises us in breakout rooms of three to five people to drink two or three drams at a time. It makes the whole seem less frenetic, and allows quieter people a chance to talk (rather than be drowned by PS). The groups change every time, which means one gets to catch up with virtually everyone. Clever.

Dram #3 (tOMoH)
Comment: this one is mine, so I take no note. See here. 

Glenesk 1982/1995 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice imported by La Maison du Whisky, IE/BDB) 8/10

Dram #4 (EMcG)

Nose: super farm-y, this one has hints of smoke, tanned leather, drying mud cakes. The whole is flirting with fruit.
Mouth: quite a bite to it, chilli punch, mud again, hazelnut vinegar.
Finish: muddy, punchy and fruity.
Comment: the reveal explains why I like it so much, even if it seems different from the first time.

Cooley 11yo 1992/2016 Open Day "Big Tasting" 2019 (53.4%, Cadenhead Malt Festival, Barrel) 8/10

Dram #5 (AN)
Nose: acetone, ether, citrus-y esters.

Mouth: acidic custard, sharp, blade-y, still citrus-y, then slate-like.
Finish: blade-sharp again, citrus-y, with a bit of lichen. It turns vegetal (JS), with carrot foliage and lemon-tree leaves.
Comment: not convinced by this one. Another one I have tried before and was not more convinced by then.

Aberfeldy 22yo 1996/2018 Jenna's Choice (52.2%, Cadenhead Malts Festival, Hogshead) 6/10

tOMoH: "You are right. Acetone. That's bang on!"
DC: "Thanks, that means a lot."
tOMoH: "..."
DC: "I don't say that sarcastically."
tOMoH: "I didn't mean it condescendingly either."

Dram #6 (DW)
Nose: custard, paper dust (adc), citrus.

Mouth: nondescript, then, strangely, it turns into a poultry fest.
Finish: grainy, this now has pineapple and sweet corn.
Comment: the finish redeems it.

Magic Cask b.2020 (46%, Compass Box, 92% First-Fill Bourbon Casks + 8% Oloroso Sherry Casks, 5538b, L 11.03.20) 7/10

EMcG explains he used a syringe to fill his samples; a syringe he used only once before -- to stuff chicken. He is worried that the taste of gravy has tainted the whisky.
VK: "No, tOMoH would have spotted it."
tOMoH: "Crispy chicken wings..."
VK: "He would have called it 'jus', though."

Dram #7 (VK)
Nose: soft vanilla notes. In fact, all is softness in this nose. Mirabelle plums, raspberries.
Mouth: soft and sweet, very quaffable.
Finish: gentle, vanilla-y, custard-y.
Comment: this is too easy to drink, just lovely.

Burnside 26yo 1991/2018 (46.7%, Cadenhead, Bourbon Barrel, 174b) 8/10

Dram #8 (DC)
Nose: distinct strawberry bubble gum. Simple, but efficient.
Mouth: mellow, pastry-like, the palate sees more strawberry bubble gum, as well as custard pie.
Finish: lots and lots of berries for a creamy finish.
Comment: well, that is pleasant, innit?

Daftmill 11yo 2008/2019 Summer Batch Release (46%, OB, Bourbon Casks, C#056+058+060+062+065+066, 1760b) 8/10

Dram #9 (CBr)
Nose: wine-y, this one smells like soft-leather bags at first, then develops to unveil hay and nuts.
Mouth: porridge and berry jam.
Finish: some tannins from the wine, cough drops (AC), syrup.
Comments: I can see this one being quite divisive, because of the wine influence. And indeed, several tease CBr for choosing a wine cask, though CBr claims it is 50/50 sherry and Bourbon casks. Also 50/50 malt and grain. Yes, it is a blend.

Black Bull 12yo (50%, Duncan Taylor, Sherry and Bourbon Casks) 7/10

Dram #10 (JW)
Nose: perfume, cosmetic powder, vanilla. If this is not a Bourbon cask, I will eat my hat.
Mouth: peach, magnolia and confectionery sugar.
Finish: similar notes of peach, shortbread and vanilla.
Comment: efficient, quite simply.

Bunnahabhain 22yo 1991/2014 (47.2%, Whiskybroker.co.uk, Sherry Hogshead, C#801580, 206b, b#4) 8/10

Dram #11 (BB -- who could not make it tonight)
Nose: dry (as in: floury), powdered sugar and soap. Shortly thereafter, peach and banana slices grow in intensity.
Mouth: mellow, it has grilled banana slices, sprinkled with confectionery sugar and hand wash.
Finish: more ashy soap, banana slices, a certain chilli kick... and a timid slap of tropical fruits (maracuja and papaya).
Comment: nice. We all guess a Japanese. All wrong.

Blended Scotch 39yo 1979/2018 (53.3%, Berry Bros & Rudd exclusive to Royal Mile Whiskies, Sherry Butt, C#4, 385b) 7/10

Dram #12 (EC)
Nose: grated grapefruit, confectionery sugar, professional hair gel. The second nose has hints of smoke too.
Mouth: pure pineapple juice (JS) and a pinch of herbs.
Finish: long, soft, yet assertive, it has lots of sweet fruits (peach and pineapple).
Comment: Love this one. Probably my favourite of the session. In other circumstances, I may be convinced to rate it higher.

Imperial 22yo 1998/2020 Monologue (52.1%, Chapter 7 A Whisky Anthology for Europe & Asia, Bourbon Barrel, C#104355, 218b) 8/10

Continue reading here...

21/02/2019 A few drams at the SMWS

Savoureur is visiting London. It seems like the perfect opportunity to bring him to the SMWS. OB and JS join us.

We start at a reasonable pace, but of course, it barely stays in control when four of us swap glasses and sample more quickly as time passes. Notes will become thinner and thinner. Who wants to read Proustian novels anyway? They can sometimes seem awfully self-indulgent or resemble shameless marketing.

60.28 10yo d.2008 One more unto the peach dear friends (63.5%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 233b): this is from the mid-month outturn, a wave of bottles that reach some venues, well, in the middle of the month, when the regular outturn of twenty-or-so bottles is almost depleted. It never used to happen, of course, but it is now a frequent occurrence. I cannot remember trying distillery 60 before -- not as an SMWS bottling, that is. Nose: syrupy and thick, peach-y, it has furniture polish, wood stain, dried wood and almond skins (Savoureur, who is very sensitive to almond skins, tonight). Mouth: a bit rougher, but by no means rough rough -- just not as polished as the nose suggested. It has coarse wood (also known as bloody wood, boom-tsch), then red chilli and acidic lime juice. Finish: sophisticated (Savoureur), with a huge wood presence that remains pleasant. Wood stain, crushed almond and baked plantain. This is not a particularly easy malt, but I like it a lot. 8/10

72.70 10yo d.2008 Aromatherapy with margaritas (53.5%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 255b): nose: citrus peel and marzipan, alongside a note of pine needle. The second nosing brings out more herbs: oregano, sage or verbena, almost metallic. Later still, cherries emerge. Mouth: honey, forsythia, almond milk and a warming overtone that never becomes hot. Lovely. Finish: the arrival is characterised by a kick in the throat that introduces a warming, comforting blanket. This is honeyed, peachy and lush. Lastly, marzipan comes back. Amazing quality-to-price ratio, this. 8/10

54.73 11yo d.2006 Sunshine all year round (57.2%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 180b): nose: lots of straw and lots of alcohol. I do not really spend enough time with it to detect anything else. Mouth: more mellow on the palate, it has apricot, hot, unsweetened custard and still quite a bite. Finish: custard, much sweeter, this time, and really pretty pleasant. The finish is clearly the strong point of this dram, but it still does not change my life. 7/10

"Clearly, you're full of shit."

Savoureur interjects that no whisky changes one's life anyway. OB and I disagree, even if we admit it does not happen often. JS says nothing, but I know she is on our side.

68.20 11yo d.2006 Ginger beer in a champagne flute (54.7%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 305b): another lesser-seen distillery in this place. Nose: dry sand and fat-human sweat. Well, that is appealing... :-| Mouth: bitter orange marmalade and dirty leather. Savoureur talks about the faded seats of an E-Type Jaguar (JS's favourite car), then digresses about whiskyfun's images (Aston Martin is superior, according to the Web master, which is rubbish, in my opinion). Finish: odd and animal, musk-y and nutty (nut skins). This is less my style. It is almost Clynelishian in its wet-fox, animal character. 6/10

66.134 12yo d.2006 Tar very much (59.3%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 307b): nose: chocolate, mocha, leather and farm-y peat, as well as bits of wood. Mouth: more leather, gentle peat smoke and horse's hair. Finish: peat and fruit with an added pinch of nut skins. The finish brings an interesting edge to this, with its fresh fruit. Enjoyable. 7/10

There is a hilarious moment when we are brought a plate of cheeses and cutlery for all, whilst JS is ordering at the bar. When she comes back, she thanks me for ordering as I ask her if she did. Quick question to the staff clears up the situation: it is not for us. Good thing we did not dive on it!

Instead, JS orders this! \o/

G5.11 30yo d. 1987 Flash, I love you! (52.4%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 206b): every time they have a G5, I have to try it -- who could forget the legendary G5.5 and G5.2? This one is part of the mid-month outturn too, which is a good bonus. Nose: crystallised citrus, toasted coconut, cut mango and a gently metallic note to boot. Mouth: soft and sweet, the palate has mango slices and cane sugar. Finish: warming (perhaps a tad too hot) and herbaceous. The fruit subsides in the finish, which is bad news to me, but it remains solid altogether. 8/10

39.172 28yo d.1989 Starry starry night (48.5%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd Fill Toasted Hogshead, 182b): I remember liking this a lot when it came out and want to share the joy. Nose: an unbelievable fruity-sherried journey, with cherries and exotic fruits revealing themselves. Mouth: soft, luscious, pillow-y, fruity and... well, good. Finish: a soft-yet-amazing kick of exotic fruit rounds off an exemplary sherry maturation. We all agree this is head and shoulders above all the others we have had. 9/10

16.35 7yo d.2007 Dante's mondeo (60.5%, SMWS Society Cask, Re-Charred Hogshead, 317b): I insist on taking this -- a peated Glenturret. A couple of drams after the Ardmore, it does not seem as peaty as when I tried it a couple of weeks ago (no notes), but it is also not a softy-softy one. Nose: meat, rotting on the bone and lots of cold smoke. Mouth: mellow and fruitier than I expected or remembered. Finish: big, powerful, it has wood, musk and refined smoke. Well made, this. Savoureur finds it too young and, certainly, it is not a noble old lady. All the same, I think it is more than just a curiosity. 7/10

10.166 11yo d.2006 It's cocktail thyme (61.8%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 188b): nose: fruit precedes mint... and lots of horsepower! Marzipan joins the dance. Mouth: soft(ish), fruity and, actually a little spirit-y too. I suppose it starts off soft, then turns out to be rather strong. Finish: big, powerful, slightly herbaceous in the fashion of a pumpkin risotto (rosemary, garlic). Again, rather well made. 7/10

Enough for the day. Savoureur has been walking all day and is on painkillers, after twisting his wrist. He has understandably had enough. Just as well, perhaps: it is a school night, after all. Food at Kolossi Grill (does the trick!), then off to bed.

12/12/2018 Warehouse on the Road tasting at Cadenhead's

Jenna McIntosh is on the road, bringing Cadenhead's warehouse tastings from Campbeltown to the world -- well, to the Cadenhead shops, which are all in Europe. Thirteen of us are gathered to sample warehouse juice and exchange general banter. Jenna pours everything blind, which makes for amusing guesses, none correct.

Dram #1
Nose: white wine at first, then white-chocolate-coated sultanas and diluted peach nectar. The next whiff brings in new carpet -- woah! Pressed green grapes and lozenges follow (the wedding kind of lozenges). Mouth: mild and juicy, with a mixture of grape and peach juices, as well as gentle wood spices and pepper. Finish: milk chocolate and a pinch of soft spices. This is good, not exceptional, we all agree. I guess Linkwood 15-18yo and am, of course, wrong. Strathmill 25yo d.1993 (52.9%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Bourbon Hogshead) 7/10

Explaining how one cask in the warehouse still ages between two tastings...
JMcI: "This whisky has aged a year, since..."
PP: "Since twelve months ago."

Dram #2
Nose: a weird mix of overripe orchard fruit, mud and dunnage warehouse. The second nosing brings forth chocolate pudding, rubber, then furniture polish. It even has an animalistiches touch. Much funnier to write than 'animal.' Complex, but odd. Mouth: similar pudding notes, with a gingery chilli undercurrent. Finish: it seems very short, though it is pleasant. The chilli disappears quickly, leaving under-ripe hazelnut as a lasting note (not soooo short, then). Hazelnut-and-chocolate paste, with a drop of orchard-fruit juice. Several guesses, none right. Tomintoul-Glenlivet 12yo d.2006 (57.9%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Bourbon Barrel) 7/10

Dram #3
Nose: instant chicory coffee, then chalk, which prompts me to guess Aultmore (wrong, of course), bland salty biscuits, pretzel style. Later, a note of bubble gum appears, and some unidentified herb. Mouth: milk chocolate, forsythia, kerria japonica, then red chilli. It feels rather powerful. Finish: very coffee-like, here, with crushed green pepper and ginger shavings. This was Jenna's pick for the fight vs. Cameron McGeachy, during the Campbeltown festival this year. Before she spills the beans, I rate it the same now as then. Aberfeldy 22yo d.1996 (52.2%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Bourbon Hogshead) 6/10

WK: "There was a time when I didn't have enough whisky... But I didn't know it, at the time!"

Dram #4
Nose: fruity bubble gum, very fruity, with strawberry and perhaps a little salt. Mouth: soft and bubble gum-y, strawberry again, with also spices and a whisper of smoke. Finish: hints of smoke and lots of strawberry, fresh and chemical, in a way (as in: strawberry sweets, rather than the fresh fruit). I venture a sherry-matured Bowmore. And fail. Bunnahabhain 18yo d.1999 (49.8%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Bourbon Hogshead) 8/10

TE: "There was an Authentic Bunnahabhain, recently..."
MSo: "They're all fake."

Dram #5
Nose: ginger, cinnamon, some fruit (tamarind?), apricot and hazel tree. Mouth: wood wax, furniture polish, diluted apricot juice and a pinch of sawdust. Finish: lots of apricot, here, dried apricot, to be precise, and a hint of coconut. We stop guessing. Dufftown-Glenlivet 11yo d.2007 (51.6%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Sherry Hogshead) 7/10

JMcI: "Mark [Watt, who does the cask selection] has his own office, so he can have all his samples around him."
tOMoH: "Seems perfectly safe."

JMcI reminisces a time she was stuck in Dufftown at night.
JMcI: "Dead. Ghost town. There's no 24/7 shop or anything."
WK: "It's not Campbeltown, after all!"

Dram #6
Nose: "smells froggy," says JS. Shoe polish, peat smoke. The peat grows bolder, overshadowing the sherry influence. Nonetheless, it remains very sherried, with lots of shoe polish. Mouth: soft, mild, though spices come up too, with cloves and black cardamom, as well as machine oil (JMcI). Finish: very long, peaty and smoky, with coal and burnt tractor tyres. Clearly a Sherry-matured Islay peater. Nope. It is not even peated, according to the host (I blame another Campbeltown label mix-up). Paul John 6yo d.2011 (56.7%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Refill Bourbon Hogshead) 8/10

DW: "Is this the cask from the festival? Has it been around?"
JMcI: "Probably."
TE: "You dirty cask, you!"

Because we have been nice, we get to try a seventh dram.

Dram #7
Nose: leather, very dry hay, dried mud, banana -- no! plantain and cured meat. Mouth: simple and deadly efficient, with plantain and peat smoke. Lots of that. Finish: big, leathery, smoky and efficient. This is a bit of a crowd-pleaser. Of course, that means I refuse to like it much. B-) An Islay 9yo d.2008 (59%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Sherry Butt) 7/10

JMcI: "I've taken Longrow from the cask. Really good for the cold."
WK: "Whereas Caol Ila is good for cuts and bruises."



Good little tasting. Not necessarily the whiskies I would normally go for, but it is nice to try different things.
Pourers would be good, though, since Jenna is not pouring from a valinch. The pours were hefty; that eroded the senses quite quickly. One centilitre of each would have been enough.
As a nightcap, I pour everyone Cooley 11yo 2001/2012 (55.9%, A.D. Rattray Cask Collection imported by Pacific Edge Imports, Barrel, C#3443, 210b), but do not try it myself as a result of the previous, hefty pours.