02/10/2026 An Ardbeg to welcome October

When Francis Cabrel wrote a song about this month, he spoke of dead leaves, mist and scarves, woolly jumpers and an anaemic sun we hardly saw. In 2026, October means 20-25*C, sweaty commutes and watering the plants that have endured the sun all day long -- with rain water, since there is still a hosepipe ban going on. Hard to stay chirpy, innit.

33.52 10yo 1994/2004 Rowan jelly and menthol cigarettes (58.3%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill Hogshead): nose: it is a farm-y one, with ploughed fields, peat bricks and mercurochrome poured onto them. There are hints of vegetation as well, mosses and roots of all kinds, that pave the way for a more-typical Ardbeggian nose: fishnets drying in a field and ink. That (black) ink comes to dominate the picture, given a few minutes, and lets drier notes emerge: charred skewers, spent incense, scorched earth. There is even a whiff of manure desiccated with ashes and chalk for sanitation purposes. The second nose is purely farm-y, with muck, manure and other natural fertilisers (agricultural lime comes to mind). Mouth: fruit, straw and cereal at first. It has unripe white peach, dried Korean pear, straw bales and roasted barley. Chewing shows just how strong it is, but also sets the straw on fire and douses it with black ink to extinguish it. Mussel shells appear, after a while, in parts salty, sandy and petrolic. The second sip has unripe citrus peels, earth, some moist, some dry, unripe berries trampled into the mud, and dried hazelwood consumed by a flame. To a lesser extent, it also has salt and pepper. Finish: it kicks more modestly than expected and it displays heated (not burnt) earth, ink, fishing nets after a day in the sun, a dollop of petrol and a minute quantity of mentholated roasted barley. It gives a strangely-liqueur-like impression in how it sticks to the tonsils. Retro-nasal olfaction detects sphagnum moss and lichen stuck to the side of an empty vase. The second gulp has more dried lichen and residue in an evaporated pool of stagnant water. Scorched earth and a pinch of sugar certainly join smoked plums in the frame, yet, once the sphagnum moss and lichen have shown their faces, it is harder to see past them. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, PS)

12/06/2026 Welcome tasting at 3 Greek Street

As a first act to a weekend of extravaganza, those who are already in town gather up at 3 Greek Street for a tasting with headmaster SW.

Two years ago, when it was still called Milroy's, we inaugurated the newly-refurbished tasting room on the first floor; this year, we are breaking in the room on the third floor. I viewed it on Wednesday: it was freshly painted, but bare, and still had tools on the floor. Today, tables and stools make it more welcoming.

It is a bit high up for some of the old knees on display, and the stairs are rather uneven, but we are all thrilled to be there, in that shiny and breezy new room.

pat gva, YdS, JS, BA, sonicvince, Psycho, ruckus, EJ, PS and cavalier66 join me for this shindig. We try everything in full knowledge of the label, for once.

Vat #3 30yo 1994/2025 (49.5%, Milroy Soho Selection, Peated Cask, C#36653+54+101180)

Nose: lovely toffee, soft, melting. It has a bit of mashed wood or papier mâché and chocolate-coated ginger slices.

Mouth: mellow, unctuous, it has delicious toffee, augmented with a lick of tropical fruits and a whisper of smoke from the Islay cask. It is creamy at second sip, with smashed peach and persimmon.

Finish: a comforting warming glow with toffee, slices of persimmon and chocolate-coated peach.

Comment: meow! A vatting of North British, Tormore and a "special blend". I tried this one on Wednesday and insisted SW use it as opener. It slaps just as much today. Most of the others seem as impressed. 

Score: 9/10

That adequately leads to my own contribution, which we try blind. The move was concerted with the staff ahead of schedule, of course.

Dram #1.2

Nose: olives (pat gva), olive bread (cavalier66), Stollen (Psycho). It becomes buttery as mango with some breathing.

Mouth: ever-changing (Psycho). Lychee and other tropical fruits (BA).

Finish: ruckus and EJ find it a lingering bitterness. sonicvince tells us it leaves the mouth a bit chalky. It is almost decaying fruits at second gulp. pat gva thinks the ABV is quite high, if well integrated.

Comment: "Glenlivet or Glen Grant" (pat gva). A little divisive, though mostly liked. My full notes are here.

Auchentoshan 22yo (48.3%, Creative Whisky Co. for The Good Spirits Co., 123b, b#101) 9/10

Tun 89 36yo 1989/2025 (52.4%, Milroy Vintage Reserve, Barrel, C#2500682)

Nose: cosmetic powder, lemon-drizzle cake, confectionary sugar. We have warm citrus segments at second nose.

Mouth: ooft! It is good to remind oneself how good Balvenie can be. This is custard with droplets of lemon juice and oily cake with almonds. Simply beautiful. It is a tad drying at second sip without being very bitter.

Finish: warming, it serves warm custard and vanilla cream. It turns a little more hay-like at second gulp and adds warm peach with a dusting of grated Aspirin.

Comment: we are flying high!

Score: 9/10

Royal Brackla 17yo 2008/2025 (47.4%, Milroy Soho Selection, Bourbon Barrel, C#6634)

Nose: lemon zest and herbs (tarragon, dried chives -- PS). SW calls it waxy, while I notice pineapple slices. It develops oily birch at second nosing, fragrant and beautiful.

Mouth: mellow, coating, silky and creamy. It is fruity yoghurt, smashed peaches served on wooden plates, plum tomatoes and tomato stems. The second sip revives the pineapple vibe. It is somewhat indistinct, but fruity and spicy overall. Delectable.

Finish: long and bright, it has pineapple and ginger powder. It tingles the gums. It is fruitier at second gulp, if slightly indistinct again.

Comment: this was meant to be a shared barrel with Taiwan, yet somehow washed up on these shores again. EJ calls it "a whisky for the Indian summer."

Score: 8/10

tOMoH: "I wake up early, so I sometimes water the plants naked on the terrace, to see if anyone is watching."
cavalier66: "No way! Mrs. cavalier66 does that all the time!"
tOMoH: "I was about to say: 'the ancient Greeks found it liberating.'"
cavali66: "She's not ancient!"

This is a good place to pause for food.

Cold cuts

Cheeses

Nachos, houmous and shortbread

Cold cuts, olives and strawberries

Inchgower 28yo 1997/2025 (56.6%, Milroy Vintage Reserve, Hogshead, C#6926)

Nose: grated orchard fruits (crisp apples and pears), saline sea breeze (PS), fleur de sel on a lovely vanilla custard and sherbet. It becomes buttery upon breathing -- buttery fruits such as mango and even avocado. It has crusty bread on a hot metal baking tray.

Mouth: very salty, here, it also has spurge shavings sprinkled on smoked mango, and a metallic touch. It has a eucalyptus-bark kick at second sip too.

Finish: there is a big dose of pepper at play. Strangely enough it does not seem to throw PS off too much who is sensitive to pepper. It is spicy on a bitter background. It develops cardboard and papier mâché applied on chicken wire -- in a good way. The second gulp brings pan-seared apples.

Comment: a hit on the night. pat gva is particularly enthusiastic, and already wondering whether his luggage allows him a bottle of this, considering how much loot he already has to carry.

Score: 8/10

SW: "[...] a microdot of [...]"
cavalier66: "Did you say 'microdot'?"
tOMoH: "Acid."
PS: "We're back to the Haçienda."
cavalier66: "You talk about whisky, and then you drop 'microdot'..."
tOMoH: "You drop indeed."

JL walks in.

JL: "The room downstairs is free. I'll just do a little clean-up."
tOMoH: "Yeah, please take a shower, mate!"

Kildalton 22yo 2003/2025 (53.7%, Milroy Vintage Reserve, Bourbon Barrel, C#112)

Nose: an excellent Ardbeggian nose, with old tarry ropes and ink, fishing nets and diesel, followed by stained boating gear, linseed oil and oil paint. Psycho finds it dusty.

Mouth: burnt wood-stick tips, ink, burnt rubber, creosote, tar and tarry ropes. Tapenade rocks up, as does diesel or kerosene.

Finish: long and grimy, it has more petrochemical compounds.

Comment: EJ adores this, without surprise. She finishes two or three drams and giggles the night away.

Score: 8/10

JS: "Those pours are too generous!"
tOMoH: "If you have too much, give it away. Someone will want it. Probably EJ or pat gva."

As planned, with five (six) drams in, we move down to the first floor. JS and I are worried about the food. In the kitchen, we catch sonicvince on a mission to polish it off. JL assures us he will bring the two slices of salami, half-a-bowl of nachos and the houmous downstairs, all that remains. We will never see them again. It will probably be JL's dinner.

Once in the usual tasting room, we resume our dramming -- blind, this time. SW explains these are cask samples, and we are the Guinea pigs who will help decide whether to bottle them or not.

Dram #2.1

Nose: wax (pat gva), cloying Sherry cask (cavalier66), plummy marzipan. Later on, we have ginger bread and French toast.

Mouth: thin spirit (cavalier66). We note pressed prunes on lacquered wood. Chewing releases a slap of juicy fruit. It is so fruity and juicy and sweet! Pressed sultanas and prune syrup.

Finish: big and prune-y, it also has figs (dried and fresh) and raisins or dried currants.

Comment: lovely drop, but where is the Auchentoshan character? This is a good Sherry, really. Psycho is all excited, of course. Two expressions from his favourite distillery on the same night.

Score: 8/10

Auchentoshan 38yo d.1987 (50.7%, cask sample, PX Cask)

pat gva: "Forty-two years?"
tOMoH: "No. Distilled in 1987, sample taken in 2026, that is thirty-nine years old [at most]. Give me your keys, you are not driving, tonight."
BA: "It's been a long day."

Dram #2

Nose: apple, candied apple (pat gva) and a slap of papaya in delicious custard.

Mouth: a little gravel and a lot of jam or marmalade, a dusting of pepper. Chewing sees lichen on Bourbon-barrel staves, fruity, vanilla-ed, and adds a fistful of cranberries to keep it interesting. It kicks harder at second sip.

Finish: it turns out to be another fruity number in the finish, with prunes and raisins.

Comment: wow.

Score: 9/10

Clynelish 9yo 2015/2025  (55.38%, Duty Free Sample, 2nd Fill Bourbon Hogshead, C#51245)

SW: "Bring the Irish, please."
JL: "What if there is no Irish left?"
tOMoH: "Come and tell me. I will make a scene."
Psycho: "Belgium style!"
tOMoH: "Hide your children; they're not safe."

SW: "We can't call it Bushmills, because of naming rights."
PS: "You could have called it Mill's Bush, which would have caused another string of legal problems."

Everyone has a dram, save for me, whom SW forgot (because I was behind).

tOMoH: "I don't have a glass."

PS: "tOMoH, you wouldn't like it."
tOMoH: "You sang a song for me. I had to pretend I was listening."
cavalier66: "Definitely not for you."
tOMoH: "Let me tell you in this country's language: 'I wouldn't mind trying this.'"
BA: "I heard it was quite good."
cavalier66: "Oh! Why didn't you say so?"

Causeway Irish Whiskey 31yo 1991/2023 (47.8%, Milroy Vintage Reserve, Bourbon Barrels, C#RC649+650+651+652)

Nose: banana-tree bark (Psycho), and loads of overripe mango and overripe papaya. This is ridiculous. Incredibly juicy. "Oh! But it is a fruit bomb!" pat gva points out.

Mouth: mellow, astonishingly fruity. It is at once acidic, bitter, drying in an ashy way, but it is that surreal fruit that dominates.

Finish: more dazzling fruitiness.

Comment: beyond notes, after eight drams. Boy! is it good or what?

Score: 10/10

tOMoH: "How was the Irish for you?"
PS: "It was quite good, thank you very much. I don't have much left to judge, though."
tOMoH: "I wish I could share mine with you, but there is no chance of that happening, is there?"
BA: "Oh. Meow."

Dram #4

Nose: dark grapes, plums, apple compote. It develops a chalky touch, but it remains very fruity. The second nose peddles plastic caps.

Mouth: pizza dough, chalky papaya -- phwoar!

Finish: long and juicy, fruity. We find smoked strawberry slices and apricot jelly.

Comment: the killeries keep coming.

Score: 9/10

Ardmore 47yo d.1978 (47.8%, Duty Paid Sample, C#8)

SW: "It's 1978."
PS: "It's a sufficient year."
SW: "I was finishing..."
tOMoH: "...your first tab of ecstasy!"

Dram #5

Nose: Fisherman's Friend (cavalier66), lemon juice sprinkled on cockles, then hay, mulch, mud and citrus. Excellent.

Mouth: warm, citrus-y mud, with calamansi purée and mango shavings. It is a trifle spicy too, with ginger powder.

Finish: big, hairy and a tad muddy. It then collapses under the weight of tropical fruits (mango, papaya, persimmon, cherimoya).

Comment: say, this is good, eh?

Score: 8/10

Bowmore 15yo d.2010 (56%, cask sample)

pat gva: "It's very different from the Bowmores we are used to."
tOMoH: "You mean the ones from the 1960s?"

The second line-up

What a night! Amazing drams in vast numbers, lots of silly nonsense, good food and the promise of a good weekend. The morning will be a little rocky at the start, but not for long.

16/05/2026 Slag heaps of the Black Country

GD and ydc are hosting this one, and they intend to celebrate their corner of the world with the theme. They went all in with invitations in local dialect, themed t-shirts, badges, stickers and other promotional items.

GD's tee

Tèje tu Boyard!

ydc's tee

sonicvince, Bishlouk, dom666, Psycho and I join GD and ydc for an afternoon of fun.

And work.

As I ask for a pen and warn that I may need a sheet of paper, at some point:

GD: "An Englishman without paper."
dom666: "That's called a clandestine."

GD opens the dance: a gin produced in Charleroi. It is called 972, which is the depth (in metres) of the deepest pit of the Martinet site.

MF-M-NC 972 Cuvée 2020 (42%, LaM-U, 3000b, b#0053) (GD)

Nose: hay, lime zest and parsley-topped goat's cheese. sonicvince has cloves and Granny Smith apples, while I find green peppercorns.
Mouth: it is very citrus-y on the palate. Acidic lime.
Finish: creamy, custardy, even, it has lots of lime zest again. GD detects black pepper, which, ydc points out, is wild. Wild black pepper. It also has génépi, though much less syrupy, naturally, more gin épais (boom-tsch).
Comment: this may be my favourite gin to-date. The acronyms mean Monceau-Fontaine, Marcinelle, Nord Charleroi and La Manufacture Urbaine respectively.
Score: 8/10

tOMoH notes that mines (coal mines are the reason this is called the Black Country) have pits. Here is a Pit-tyvaich.

Pittyvaich 14yo 1986/2001 (43%, Ian McLeod Chieftain's, Hogsheads, C#9519-22, 1074b, L1212BB 3 11 58) (tOMoH)

Nose: wet sands, vanilla (sonicvince). It is acidic, then soft (sonicvince), with dried fruits (Psycho) and apricot (ydc).
Finish: liquorice (ydc).
Comment: full notes here. I am pleased that it is very successful, today. This group's experience with Pittyvaich was, so far, limited to one or two d.1993 by Gordon & MacPhail, and those have been less appealing.
Score: 8/10

Two kinds of dried sausage
Ossau Iraty
Homemade savoury cake

Psycho: "Are you saying I should inject alcohol with a syringe?"
dom666: "Do what you want with your own body."
ydc: "Impossible. He cannot stand needles."
tOMoH: "Psycho will never be pictured in a pine forest."
sonicvince: "I'm not a fan either."
Bishlouk: "You don't like pine trees?"
tOMoH: "That horrible smell of freshness..."

Psycho plays dyslexic and presents a Black-nod.

Bladnoch 1987/1999 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice) (Psycho)

Nose: pears (sonicvince), daisy stems (Bishlouk), flowery and vegetal (Bishlouk), Littlemillian (Bishlouk). It has wet pebbles (sonicvince) and apricots (Psycho). It is fruity, light and ethereal.
Mouth: pear and frangipane (sonicvince), though that is fleeting and turns medicinal (sonicvince). ydc finds elderberry. The dilution is noticeable, but tolerable.
Finish: fruits and wood. Here are balsa and dried pineapple. It kicks harder than expected too.
Comment: we had not had this in many years. Time in an open bottle seems to have improved it and turned it into a lovely, fruity drop. Bishlouk seems impressed. That happens rarely enough to mention.
Score: 8/10

tOMoH: "GD, you were showing dom666 your glass collection, earlier. Dangerous."
GD: "No, we don't have the same criteria."
tOMoH: "What's dangerous is not that he would steal them, but that he talks about his collection for three hours."

Psycho tells us that slag heaps are nothing but little mounds. A mound, he continues, is a high land. This Glenmorangie is from the Highlands. Groan.

Glenmorangie 12yo The Lasanta (43%, OB imported by MHCS, Bourbon & Sherry Casks) (Psycho)

Nose: syrupy, it has distant toasted cereals, then cinnamon rolls, Cured blush orange segments and dried pine cones. There is a whiff of apple in the second nose.
Mouth: soft, this is very syrupy. A syrup with a mineral side, mind. Then, we pick up dried coconut flakes cured in wine.
Finish: blackberry drops and blackcurrants. Chewy for a while, it leaves the same impression as a chalky paste on the palate. The second gulp brings a thick custard.
Comment: honest drop that grows on me.
Score: 7/10

Smoking in the sun

dom666: "LVMH and their handbags made in China..."
tOMoH: "What is not made in China, these days?"
Psycho: "Me. I was not made in China."
Bishlouk: "I can see that. You're losing oil."

sonicvince brought a bottling from the Mission Gold collection, because coal in Charleroi used to be the local gold.

Bishlouk likes Fabrizio from Charleroi, who talks about 'kete' a lot (Walloon for 'cock'), so he brought a Glen Keith.

With exactly zero surprise, that leads to this timeless masterpiece of Belgian television, with GD performing the choreography and all.

Since they are from the same distillery, we have them at the same time.

Glen Keith 32yo 1993/2025 (47.9%, Murray McDavid Mission Gold exclusively selected by The Whisky Mercenary, First-Fill Koval Bourbon Cask Finish, C#97174A, 140b) (sonicvince)

Nose: hyper-fruity sweets, mint (sonicvince). It gains a certain herbaceous note, indeed mint. Starburst/Opal fruits/Sugus (depending on where in the world you are), pineapple drops. There are fleeting glimpses of gelatine capsules, followed by candied angelica.
Mouth: more fruits, here, but it is actually pretty mineral. The second sip has bitter fruits, perhaps carambola with a dusting of crushed Aspirin.
Finish: quarry chippings sprayed onto vanilla custard augmented with cut apricot. The second gulp brings forth poached apples and Doyenné du Comice pears.
Comment: amazeboulanger.
Score: 9/10

vs.

Glen Keith-Glenlivet 43yo 1973/2017 (43.2%, Cadenhead Single Cask, Bourbon Hogshead, 156b, 17/192) (Bishlouk)

Nose: hyper fruity too, at first, it soon picks up leather and hay. Then, it progresses towards sherbet and crushed peaches.
Mouth: closely related to the other one, this has peach yoghurt and a stronger bitterness. That evolves to give a leafy fruitiness -- kumquat foliage.
Finish: long, full of fruity sweets and a soft lick of woody bitterness. The second gulp brings clay floors and Turkish delights.
Comment: we tried this three years ago and thought it would improve in the open bottle. It did. What is amazing is that it does not crush its younger sibling.
Score: 9/10

dom666: "When I was younger, I listened to another good little band from Liège called Prïba 2000."
All: "Errr… They were from Charleroi!"
dom666: "Are you sure?"

Here is the evidence, dom666.

dom666: "Mine is a forty-year-old Strathisla at 48.3%."
tOMoH: "And the link to the theme?"
dom666: "No idea."

Strathisla 40yo 1967/2008 (48.6%, Duncan Taylor Rare Auld, C#2716, 160b, b#98, 107 08/113) (dom666)

Nose: dusty (Psycho), herbaceous, close to a rye, which prompts dom666 to shout the link to the theme: "C'est comme un rye de coke!" (For those readers who are not aware of the Industrial Revolution, coke is a coal-based fuel that enabled ironworks.) It has a pinch of lemon thyme bathing in custard. Is that maracuja? It may well be! To follow that, we find a bite of marzipan and a dollop of shoe polish too.
Mouth: powerful (Bishlouk, not used to alcohol at more than 24%), it has a note of fruits immediately followed by smoky flavours: smoky roasted apples, tarts in a dusty boiler room.
Finish: strong coffee (sonicvince). I find it a tiny bitterness, almost mineral.
Comment: this is incredible. dom666 opened it, ahem, almost eighteen years ago, which prompted me to procure my own bottle, which we opened ten years later. It remains a killery. Notes here.
Score: 9/10

dom666 [about Dune]: "Nice images, but -- pffft! Long and slow."
Bishlouk: "So are the books."
dom666: "The books you can put down and do something else."
Bishlouk: "You can press pause on a film..."
dom666: "At the cinema, it is difficult."
Bishlouk: "There is an interval. You can go take a wee."
dom666: "The interval is a year between films."
tOMoH: "You can take a long wee."
dom666: "Great for you, that!"

dom666 [about Gotlib]: "The second genius of comic strips."
Psycho: "After Léonard?"
tOMoH: "That's a character, not an author."
dom666: "Léonard... He was a lumberjack. Car c'est en sciant que Léonard devint scie."
tOMoH: "You are quoting Psycho in his presence."
dom666: "No, I read that elsewhere."
Bishlouk: "In the bingos, it is definitely in the Psycho bingo!"

ydc introduces Old Black Cane, a nod to the Black Country.

Bologne Old Black Cane (45%, OB, b. ca. 2025) (ydc)

Nose: plastic pipes and herbs. Rum baba, baked pineapple rings.
Mouth: rum-y, it has metal, melted plastic and sugar. All of them are rather discreet.
Finish: cane sugar, black garlic. It has that charred-garlic bitterness, yet it is also pretty juicy, somehow.
Comment: nothing could have followed that Strathisla. A rum is the perfect solution: so different it resets the palate. This one is good to boot.
Score: 7/10

tOMoH: "dom666 and Bishlouk both like Talisker, neither likes cucumber tart... Clearly, they're the same person. They have no hair, they wear glasses, they both live in Liège..."
Bishlouk: "We have no hair..."
tOMoH: "Neither listens..."

We move to the dining table. ydc and GD made Nasi Goreng. I worry that the spices will impair our taste buds, but it is perfectly balanced. And delicious.

We discover that dom666 has never had Nasi Goreng.

tOMoH: "I don't know how it is in Charleroi, but in Liège, it's like this: Belgians of Italian descent discover after they're forty that Belgium also has Chinese restaurants. All they know is the Italian ones. dom666 is not an isolated case."
dom666: "This isn't Chinese. It's Indonesian. I know Chinese restaurants in Liège. There is one rue Aaa, there is a Thai rue Bbb, a Viet-Namese rue Ccc…"
Bishlouk: "There is also one rue Ddd."
dom666: "There is also a good pizzeria in rue Ddd."
Bishlouk: "It's not as good as the one rue Eee."
tOMoH: "Unbelievable. We do a Charleroi tasting in Charleroi, and those two only talk about Liège!"

We talk about fried food.

tOMoH: "The Chinese have no lesson to take from anyone, when it comes to fried food. The best fried spiders I've had were from a Chinese restaurant."
dom666: "Have you had them from many other places?"
tOMoH: "No. That's the joke."
dom666: "I know."

Dessert is served. rhubarb tart and rice tart, and apple turnovers for Psycho, which he will not share.

Rhubarb and sugar tart

Rice tart

Bishlouk tells us that Ben Nevis, the United Kingdom's tallest mountain, is but a large slag heap in Scotland.

Ben Nevis 15yo 2010/2025 (56.9%, Liquid-Treasures bottled for Espirits Whisky, Bourbon Hogshead) (Bishlouk)

Nose: fish (sonicvince), dusty hot metal, hydrocarbons (Bishlouk). It smells industrial (Bishlouk) or farm-y, with horse's dung (GD). I find horse's hair and lots of oxydised and dusty metal. Apple and quince come out in the long run, while Bishlouk finds peat.
Mouth: it is peaty alright! Crushed peach stones and decaying fruits provide backing vocals. It has a bitter lick of tree bark, though peach custard rises a bit, timid.
Finish: peat and hot metal, and the bitterness associated with the latter. Sea spray (ydc), lots of hay, a handful of horse's hair and Mokatine, maybe. Mocha is bitter after all, is it not?
Comment: another one that will likely improve in the open bottle. It is promising, but a bit unruly, as it stands.
Score: 7/10

Les Gayettes
A special kind of local truffles

sonicvince shows us a whisky distilled in 1987 and explains that the 1980s were the golden age of socialism in Charleroi.

Tomatin 27yo 1987/2014 (46.3%, Morrison & Mackay Càrn Mòr Celebration of the Cask imported by The Stillman's, Hogshead, C#495, 187b, b#10) (sonicvince)

Nose: berries jelly to me, though sonicvince detects a touch of sulphur.
Mouth: unctuous and ripe with berries.
Finish: lemon zest (ydc), lemon pith (ydc), astringent (Bishlouk).
Comment: full notes here. Long discussion about Bishlouk's impressions -- he calls this not horrible and the previous not bad. ydc cannot figure out if one is better than the other, or if Bishlouk is simply difficult. We all know the answer to that, do we not?
Score: 8/10

Second serve

dom666 brought a peaty whisky and tells us that peat is nothing but wet coal.

Ardbeg 30yo (40%, OB, LS67462) (dom666)

Nose: lichens, an elegant vegetal peat, ashes, dried algae stuck to the side of an empty vase, sphagnum moss.
Mouth: ashes, smoked currants. One can feel the dilution a bit, and that pushes algae, sphagnum moss and dried ferns to the fore.
Finish: an onslaught of dried algae and lichens, stagnant water, empty vases. It leaves an extremely-dusty mouthfeel, bitter and ashy.
Comment: unique profile, especially in the world of ancient Ardbeg. I like it.
Score: 8/10

tOMoH unveils a Laphroaig, famously adorned by the seal of HRH the Prince of Wales, who favours Laphroaig. Naturally, Prince Charles was promoted, since this was bottled and became king. In French, one would say he is now Charles Roi. Check. Mate.

Laphroaig 28yo b.2018 (44.4%, OB Limited Edition, Quarter Casks + Bourbon Barrels + Sherry Butts) (tOMoH)

Comment: I take no notes for this today. It was a long day and time is running out. It is universally liked, which pleases me. Full notes here.
Score: 9/10

What a day. The amount of nonsense was epic. These notes do not show it, but the word of the day was clearly 'bite' ('dick'), to the point Bishlouk is henceforth known as Bite-louk. His final words are: "I don't know how many times we said 'dick', but I'm satisfied with the tally!"

An hourglass, a diabolo, or a butt plug, depending on whom you ask

08/05/2026 Ardbeg

Ardbeg 10yo (46%, OB, b. ca. 2005): nose: a big splash of sea water, is it not? Wet sands, seashells, sea spray and sea air. Just as I marvel at how different those notes are, compared to my memories of Ardbeg 10yo released circa 2002-2005 (ashes, cereals and earth), an ashier note slaps me in the nose. White ashes spread on the ground, then sprinkled with fortified wine, burnt hazelwood that was extremely dry to begin with, and smoked haybales. Soon enough, it claws back some of the initial maritime allure, though it is now squid ink and tarry ropes. The second nose is earthier yet, with dry clay and half-baked pottery. A drop of ink remains in the background. Mouth: what the deuce!? Shampoo? There is a whiff of smoke and ashy toffee, but it is spoiled by shampoo. In this impeccable sample bottle and its self-sealing lid, it is most unexpected. Nothing in the nose suggested it either, so I believe the liquid suffered in the sample, rather than a dud bottle from the start. The second sip is even worse. Full-on shampoo. Finish: still soapy, but some of the original character survives. We find cereals, muesli, porridge, even. Indeed, it is creamy, if not exactly custardy. Burnt wood and ashes rise and heat up the chest, which feels as though sipping warm salt water from an inky seashell. The second gulp sees flame-grilled pineapple ignite, then extinguished with a dash of shampoo. Decent, but sadly damaged by the soapy notes. 5/10 (Thanks for the sample, Savoureur)

Happy birthday, JD.

27/03/2026 Ardbeg for International Whisky Day

Ardbeg 20yo 1992/2013 (46.6%, Whiskybroker.co.uk, Refill Hogshead, C#434, 222b, b#4): nose: similarly to last week, we find ink, tarry sand and crushed seashells (oysters and mussels). It is also quite farm-y, today, which was not obvious upon first encounter. Boggy tracks, muddy farm paths, ploughed fields. There are some toasted cereals too, which, coupled with the afore-mentioned sand, give a tame impression of crystal that is difficult to comprehend, let alone describe. It then gains a certain sweetness akin to sugary milk laced with melted tar and poured on warm cereals. Next up is a mugful of chicory infusion spilled on cardboard, yet sand and tar soon catch up again, this time with a slightly more-pronounced dash of sea water. The second nose has braised leeks, more ink and grape-flavoured chewy sweets. It has hazel bark on fire, but it seems to have otherwise lost all farm-y character. It circles back (did I really use that phrase?) to sweetened milk and chicory infusion, in the end. Mouth: pretty sweet upon entry. It is neither corn syrup, nor maple syrup; it is closer to lukewarm milk with a lot of sugar, but sweet it is. Chewing unleashes a big puff of thick, dark smoke that contracts as quickly as it expanded. It leaves behind oily Virginia tobacco, honey on slightly-burnt toast, and that sweetened milk. We find some mocha too, which tells of a gentle bitterness. Distant diesel fumes are the only sign this was ever farm-y. After a couple of minutes on the tongue, crushed seashells do re-emerge timidly. The second sip has cold coffee made with sea water, chicory granules on which water is poured that is not hot enough to dissolve them, and honey-coated Mokatine. Oh! yes, how did it take me so long to identify Mokatine? It still has ink, a drop of petrol and (less) tarry sand, yet not much smoke to speak of. Finish: a punch in the gob, it is not breath-taking, but certainly bold. Dark smoke from burning fruit-tree wood, a dash of sea water -- scratch that! It is vase water or stagnant mushroom-cooking water. Yes, after some time, we have a lingering lick of dried shiitake or dried oyster mushrooms, and also the water used to rehydrate them, albeit served separately. This is peculiar. The second gulp has Mokatine fished out of an ashtray. Indeed, if it stays sweet and earthy, it suddenly also becomes very ashy -- ashes that revert back to embers and provide a satisfactory glowing warmth. It is not one of the great, but it is perfectly competent. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, PF)

20/03/2026 DWequinox at 3 Greek Street

DWeaster had to move, due to another shindig. Although he has nothing to do with the organisation of the event, tOMoH makes an executive decision to rename it DWequinox, on account of the date.

In attendance are DW, SOB, MSo, CDn, DR, DC, BA, cavalier66, TS, WS, JL, JS, YM and others whose initials I fail to write down. It would also be odd to go around the room and ask point-blank -- ha! ha!

It is the now-usual affair, bottles on the tables, free pour, freestyling session with no structure whatsoever. That probably means that everyone's experience is hugely personal. It also leaves time for socialising, for those who want to do that more. As often in that setting, notes are minimalistic, and not all bottles are attributed to their kind owners.

For reference, I brought D.town 33yo d.1979 (56.3%, Cadenhead Cask Ends, 3rd Fill Bourbon Cask, 1b) (notes here) and Inver-Regal (43° Gay Lussac, J.H. Wham & Son (Largs), for testing purposes only, b. pre-1991) (notes here) JS brought Sandy Macnab’s Old Blended Scotch 5yo (40%, Macnab Distilleries, b.1980s) (notes here) and Hazelburn 9yo 2008/2018 (59.9%, OB Duty Paid Sample, Refill Bourbon Hogshead, Warehouse 15, Rotation #4) (notes here). Amusingly enough, three out of our four bottles are one-offs.

I try none of them, since I know them well and there is so much else to try.

Glenrothes 21yo d.1975 (46%, Direct Wines First Cask, C#6045, b#167) (PF)

Nose: fresh, leafy and floral, it also offers cut orchard fruits.
Mouth: it is more savoury here, though it gains fruit at second sip. In fact, it is sherbet more than fruits.
Finish: fresh and fruity. We now pick up sherbet and dried raspberry slices.
Comment: I cannot read the distillery name on the spot (it is written small, the Direct Wine logo obstructs the view, and the lighting is inadequate). The profile should suggest a 'rothes. A good 'rothes. 8/10

JL: "What are you working on?"
tOMoH: "Embiggening my cock."
JL: "Oh! So nothing has changed [since last time I saw you]."
tOMoH: "Nope. No success to-date either."

Ardbeg 20yo 1992/2013 (46.6%, Whiskybroker.co.uk, Refill Hogshead, C#434, 222b, b#4) (PF)

Nose: oyster shells, salt water, peat smoke caught in fishing nets and ink.
Mouth: it is decidedly inky, almost tarry -- no! not almost. Proper tarry sands, like.
Finish: big and tarry again, with wood smoke added for good measure.
Comment: competent effort. I think I hear that the father of the owner of this bottle used to own the cask. Do not quote me on that. 7/10

Glen Elgin 20yo d.1995 (51.5%, Claxton The Single Cask, Refill Hogshead, Cask Ref 1609-1671, 194b, b#40)

Nose: fresh raspberries become dried strawberries and talcum powder sprinkled on new socks.
Mouth: woah! This has quite a bite. Mineral and acidic, it is akin to the effervescent reaction caused by acid dripped on limestone.
Finish: long, wide, acidic and mineral. It even emits a whiff of delicate smoke, in the long run.
Comment: excellent Elgin. 8/10

cavalier66: "Here it is. The Cadenhead gang. We had it good, didn't we? All those great bottlings, month after month..."
SOB: "2017 to 2020 were great years."
cavalier66: "And then, it just stopped. Like that."
MSo: "That's the thing with life. Things are good, then they just end."
tOMoH: "This is the most philosophical I've ever known you, MSo."

Táin 20yo 2001/2022 (56.1%, Irish Spirit Echoes of Éire, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Cask, C#4551, 66b, b#49)

Nose: phwoar! How pretty are these Irish whiskies, eh? Mango, papaya and a lick of metal.
Mouth: big and fluffy, the palate has peaches, mangoes and strawberry sweets. It is a notch drying at second sip, much like those sweets.
Finish: huge and hugely fruity, here are the same fruits and more strawberry sweets. I dare not say Fraises Tagada.
Comment: another cracking one. 9/10

JL reaches for something under the counter.

Johnnie Walker 12yo Black Label (43%, John Walker & Sons imported by Wax & Vitale) (JL)

Nose: dusty, fruity, soot-y. Soot-covered strawberries. JS finds it rubbery.
Mouth: faded leather cleaned with strawberry coulis.
Finish: a blast of strawberry paste or jelly, and a dusting of old-school soot.
Comment: delicious. 8/10

tOMoH: "Is this yours?"
DC: "Yes."
tOMoH: "May I?"
DC: "Sure. I also brought a rum. What an idiot. A rum. To a whisky tasting."
JS: "Many here like rum too."
tOMoH: "Yeah. There is so much whisky already, though. That's why it's not getting much love."

Dornoch 5yo 2018/2023 (55.9%, OB, 1st Fill Bourbon Octave, C#80, 82b, b#20) (DC)

Nose: pickle and brine flirt with chocolate coulis and dried wood. Walnut spread appears next.
Mouth: it is weird, here. Maybe it has glue? Yes, there is a lot of that upon chewing. Then, it has linoleum strips and wood.
Finish: it is balanced, but what it balances is glue and linoleum strips. It works in an odd way. Then, suddenly, nut spread and chocolate kick in.
Comment: interesting. 7/10

DR has me try the last drops of a sample he brought. I try to guess what it is.

tOMoH: "Hard to tell. It could be anything from 1992-1993..."
DR: "Well, you got the vintage right."
tOMoH: "Did I? Well, that narrows it down! How old is it?"
DR: "It is seven. It is the first organic whisky."
tOMoH: "Ah! Springbank Dà Mhìle."
DR: "Spot on!"

Springbank 7yo 1992/1999 Organic (46%, OB for Dà Mhìle, 1000b)

Nose: soft, floral, it has a vague hint of smoke, though it manages to stay fresh.
Mouth: similar fresh-and-floral character.
Finish: it ends with a modest blast of soot.
Comment: lovely to try this again. The first time was in 2017 and I took no notes. 7/10

Tobermory (Ledaig) 24yo 2001/2025 (52.2%, Thompson Bros. specially bottled for Dornoch Castle 25th Anniversary, Refill Hogshead, C#201, 158b) (DW)

Nose: this one has ink, petrol and seal wax. The second nose brings suede and horse's hair. Later yet, it is spent matches that tickle the nostrils.
Mouth: sweetened sea water, petrol and ink, as well as crushed seashells.
Finish: more petrol and ink are balanced by a slightly-sweeter touch.
Comment: this is excellent. 8/10

Dalmunach 10yo 2015/2025 (58.5%, Cadenhead Club, Oak Casks + 3 x Oloroso Hogsheads since 2024, 1032b) (SOB)

Nose: hard to tell for sure, by now, but oil wood seems to come out strong, then lots of cherries (maraschino and candied more than fresh).
Mouth: it is seriously woody, which comes as a surprise, considering the age, perhaps less when seeing the colour. Teak and mahogany are the loudest.
Finish: oiled wood, chestnut spread, walnut dashboards.
Comment: interesting whisky. My first Dalmunach. SOB chose it after checking this blog to verify I had never tried any. Is that not considerate? 7/10

MSo [about his gaff]: "Ten minutes' walk to the tube station. It keeps me slender and fit."
tOMoH: "You did lose some weight."
MSo: "Yeah. If my wife were a better cook, we'd be having a different conversation, right now."

Linkwood 28yo 1994/2023 (51.7%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength, Refill Sherry Butt, C#12601202, B#23/208, 656b, 230085) (MSo)

Nose: oh! Here is an animalistic number, a fair bit musky. It has a bit of plasticine too.
Mouth: ooft! Green-grape skins, cured fruits, a lick of stainless-steel metal.
Finish: surprisingly soft, it has chocolate and a minute smoke.
Comment: good. 7/10

DC: "How can you still write after all these whiskies?"
tOMoH: "I can write easily. Re-reading myself is the problem. But then, that's a problem even when I'm sober."
MSo: "The thing with tOMoH is he's in a consistent level of drunkenness. His handwriting is always immaculate."

Ardbeg 10yo b.2025 Cask Strength (61.7%, OB Committee Exclusive 2026, Bourbon Casks)

Nose: stacks of hay, hot smoked mussels and plasticine.
Mouth: woah! This is inky, salty and smoky. Tarry sands drenched in sea water.
Finish: it kicks like a mule. There is a smidge of barley and salt water, augmented with petrol and crushed seashells.
Comment: funny to see the similarities with the Whiskybroker bottling from earlier. There has been a lot of hype around this bottling. It is not bad, but the hype is disproportionate to the quality, in my opinion. 7/10

We disband and, after spending a good while chatting with SW, disappear into the night.