25/04/2026 The Whisky Fair (Day 1 -- Part 3)

Glenmhor (43 GL, OB imported by Cantine Cairella)

Nose: hints of barley do not eclipse a rather-austere profile, all in all -- wet cardboard and dust. Fortunately, tOMoH likes that.

Mouth: cereal-y and fruity to a point. It has a good portion of citrus served on cardboard (grapefruit segments) and roasted apple slices.

Finish: bigger than expected for the modest ABV, it continues with roasted apples and grapefruit segments.

Comment: love these old-school Highlanders. This one is a rarely-seen example to boot.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, EG)

A new stand? Who is manning it? KCF!

Macduff 18yo 2007/2026 (48.9%, Scout Drinks, Hogshead, C#800220, 210b)

Nose: toffee followed by purple berries, honey-glazed gooseberries and physalis.

Mouth: sandy and fruity, it has a bitter profile, with unsweetened mixed peel and orange peels.

Finish: very orange-y and sweet, now. Marmalade, mixed peel, mint crumbles covered in orange juice.

Comment: this is good. Finishing the second sip after another couple of other drams, I downgrade my score.

Score: 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, KCF)

Hi PT.

Highland 49yo 1976/2026 (45.1%, Thompson Bros. specially bottled for Dornoch Castle, Hogshead, C#SR26050, 140b)

Nose: FRUIT! Peaches and mangoes the loudest. What a smack in the face.

Mouth: mango juice with an uncharacteristic dryness. Mind you, it is not abrasive or anything.

Finish: long, fruity, teeming with peaches, persimmons, apricots and mangoes.

Comment: phwoar! I would love to spend more time with this.

Score: 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, PT)

What does one try to follow that? Oh!...

Bowmore 1969/1979 (56.2GL / 98.8° Proof, OB imported by Fecchio & Frassà, Sherry Cask)

Nose: earthy-fruity, this is immediately insahne. It is maracuja and chikoo fallen into mud.

Mouth: that surreal fruitiness makes me emotional effortlessly. It has got earth, rancio, fine Rhine sand and wheelbarrows full of tropical fruits.

Finish: and here are the Bowmore eyes. This is at the confluence of earth, mud, salty beach sand and unreal tropical fruits. Carambola, dragon fruit, snakehead fruit, longan, chikoo...

Comment: another one with which I would like to spend hours (as I did in 2016). No time today, but this is an obvious masterpiece, even in these circumstances.

Score: 11/10 (Thanks for the dram, EG)

Glenugie 23yo 1981/2005 (61.9%, Duncan Taylor Rarest of the Rare imported by Va.Ma, Sherry Butt, C#5155, 516b, b#194)

Nose: precious wood, lacquer, shoe polish, black leather belts, dark nuts (Brazil, Kluwak).

Mouth: as expected, not much of the Glenugie character subsists, here, but what an outstanding Sherry maturation! Shoe polish, leather sofas, chocolate blended with wood lacquer.

Finish: long, earthy, it has prunes, raisins and currants aplenty, but also beef stock.

Comment: woah! It suffers from the sequence (what would not), which is reflected in the score.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, EG)

Hi AH! Hi VW!

Rittenhouse 4yo 1944/1948 Straight Rye (100 Proof, OB)

Nose: this is unmistakably a Rye, full of Irn Bru and sweetened iron juice, then floor polish. And is that a whisper of smoke?

Mouth: full and sweet, it has more Irn Bru and lemonades made with various citrus.

Finish: subtle, sweet and orange-y. Irn Bru still prevails, though.

Comment: the label tells us that Continental Distilling Corp. made this at Registered Distillery, which is a bit of a daft name, you will agree. Not sure how AH determined the dates, here, but how special to try something from 1944! Remember not a single Scottish distillery was producing at the time.

Score: 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, AH)

Planters Ozark Highlands (57%, OB Family Reserve, B#High Ground, b#039, b. ca. 2026)

Nose: drier and dirtier, it still has the Irn Bru and iron that come with the rye. Follow smoke, swarf and burnt metal filings.

Mouth: creamy, orange-y notes. Satsumas now take over and push the iron into the shadow.

Finish: big, full of orangeade, lemonade and but a faint lick of iron.

Comment: these two seem to be on a mission to convert the world to Nobleton (they brought some last year). One can understand why; it is good.

Score: 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, AH and VW)

Ben Nevis 29yo 1996/2026 (48.1%, Scout Drinks, Hogshead, C#1558)

Nose: cut mangoes and smashed longans. This is really fruity.

Mouth: fruity Sprite or Fanta, bold and sparkly. More sipping makes this fruity as fook, with mango, tangerine and more longan.

Finish: soft and creamy like a mango yoghurt enhanced with smashed papaya.

Comment: so many Ben Nevis 1996 on display, today. This may just be my favourite.

Score: 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, KCF)

The clock is ticking. Let us visit Kirk Barleycorn, since he will not be here tomorrow.

Benriach 1996/2026 (46.7%, Malts of Scotland Rare Casks handselected & exclusively bottled for The Whisky Dreamers, Bourbon Hogshead, C#MoS26016, 236b, b#96)

Nose: fruity pastry, turnovers, pies. It smells like it could have a whiff of smoke too, which is unexpected.

Mouth: warm, fruity, it has crusty turnovers to kill for.

Finish: long, full of pastry again, mostly pineapple turnovers, now.

Comment: another cracking selection by The Whisky Dreamers.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, Kirk)

Kirk Barleycorn: "If I understood correctly, you are a big fan of Talisker…"

tOMoH: "I have a love-hate relationship with Talisker. I only like it at forty years or older, or distilled in the 1950s or earlier. But I appreciate the gesture, and the bottle you are holding is very good. dom666 let me try it a while (many years) ago."

Talisker 25yo 1975/2001 (59.9%, OB Natural Cask Strength imported by United Distillers & Vintners Lausanne, 6000b, b#1089)

Nose: it is strong and peppery, ripe with saline, maritime notes. Behind that, we detect some smoke straight from the industrial revolution.

Mouth: indeed, lots of peppery smoke cloak juicy fruits. The second sip has a drying mineral touch.

Finish: long and hairy, it has dusty boilers, in a smoky room. It ends with a pinch of soot and bitter crushed seashells.

Comment: undeniably quality, but this is not my favourite type of Talisker.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, Kirk)

Strathisla 1989/2024 (45%, Malts of Scotland Rare Casks handselected & exclusively bottled for The Whisky Dreamers, Sherry Hogshead, C#MoS25027, 110b, b#89)

Nose: well, it clearly has chocolate, then berries (blackberries, blueberries), then white fruits behind that: green grapes, lychees, white peaches. Even later, currants rock up.

Mouth: dry and earthy, here are lots of raisins, prunes, dried currants. It is also quite strong. When the taste buds wake up, we have a medicinal note and it becomes woodier too.

Finish: a soft, earthy touch, some precious wood without the bitterness and a lingering fruitiness -- namely currants and raisins.

Comment: delicious.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, Kirk)

It is almost over. for the day JS leaves. I decide I have to at least say hello to the Swissky Mafia. PG produces his Emergency Banff and tells me how he just established the In-Between Banff Club. We are at the end of the main event and about to enter a masterclass. It seems fitting to have an in-between Banff.

Banff 23yo 1979/2002 (46%, Ian Macleod Chieftain's, Hogshead, C#476/499, 708b)

Nose: initially farm-y, it soon emits a lot of fruits, starting with apples and pears, then moving towards dark grapes. It takes on an earthier profile shortly thereafter.

Mouth: unmistakably Banff, if has mustard, hay or straw, porridge. It grows drier and drier, yet remains fruity throughout.

Finish: soft and fruity, it is overflowing with plump apricots.

Comment: amazing.

Score: 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, PG)

Time to run to the tasting.

28/10/2025 A few drams at 3 Greek Street

JS and I join SW and TS for a few drams. The accent is on socialising, rather than extensive notes.

Tormore 31yo 1992/2024 (40.1%, Milroy Vintage Reserve, Hogshead, C#101180)

Nose: soft, elegant, it has bunches of flowers and fragrant apricots.
Mouth: delicate tropical fruits tickle the tongue.
Finish: marvelous apricots topped with a dusting of confectionary sugar.
Comment: wow. Have we peaked too soon? 9/10

Clydeside d.2018 (61.6%, Cask Sample, 1st Fill Oloroso Cask)

Comment: I pour this. My notes are here. Today, it is... 7/10

Benriach 25yo 1995/2020 (49.1%, Maltbarn, Sherry Cask, B#169, 140b)

Nose: pretty farm-y and leathery, it reeks of old saddles, old belts, and a blacksmith's leather apron. It has a hint of sulphur too.
Mouth: spirit-y and leathery again, with a serving of copper coins.
Finish: long, it has grapes and leather.
Comment: decent. 7/10

Distilled in Dufftown 20yo 1999/2009 (58%, Adelphi Selection, Refill PX Sherry Cask, C#2140, 238b)

Nose: pressed raisins and cinnamon rolls.
Mouth: spicy and raisin-y, this has cured cherries and rehydrated dried cranberries.
Finish: chewy prunes, raisins and blackberry gum.
Comment: funnily, this is not from Dufftown distillery, but from a distillery in Dufftown -- one that starts with a 'B' and ends with '-venie'. A good Sherry maturation at play, here. On another day, I may go for 8. Tonight, 7/10

North British 30yo 1992/2022 (43.5%, Thompson Bros. bottled for Royal Mile Whiskies, 2 x Refill Barrels, 276b)

Nose: custard cream served in a metal bowl.
Mouth: blackcurrant, Invergordon-style, and chewy toffee.
Finish: bright, fruity, it has Mirabelle plums and peach jelly.
Comment: missed this one at Whisky Fringe, so glad to get another chance. It is lovely. 8/10

Hudson Single Malt 4yo (46%, OB, Oak Casks)

Nose: herbal liqueur, a blend of treacle and génépi. Or is it Mirto Dorada?
Mouth: this is herbal and medicinal, though it remains pleasant.
Finish: creamy, much more nutty-chocolate-y than the nose and mouth.
Comment: perhaps my first Hudson, after seeing it on shelves for years. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, TS)

Clynelish 26yo 1993/2019 (49.8%, OB Prima & Ultima, 4 x Refill American Oak Hogsheads, 941b, b#819)

Mouth: I love it from the off. Creamy candles, spent wick and flavoured lipstick.
Mouth: holy fook, how waxy this is! It is like drinking a melted candle.
FInish: long, it masterfully blends apricots and candlewax.
Comment: P.H.W.O.A.R. Cthulhu knows I want to dislike anything from this very-pricy collection, but a masterpiece like this is hard to honestly dislike. 9/10

Ben Nevis 28yo 1996/2025 (51.8%, Milroy Vintage Reserve, Hogshead, 1583b)

Nose: a handful of greasy earth fails to conceal a lot of fruits.
Mouth: papaya by the wheelbarrow. It still has some earth, but it is mostly a fruit bomb.
Finish: big, bold, tropical, full of papaya and chikoo, the latter covered in earth.
Comment: ridiculously good. 9/10

Strathmill 20yo 1997/2017 (59.1%, Lorne Mackillop Mackillop's Choice, Sherry Butt, C#4112, 520b)

Nose: pressed raisins, pickled onions and a whiff of hessian sacks.
Mouth: oh! yeah, this is pickled alright, teeming with pearl onions and prunes tucked in between.
Finish: sweet, reminiscent of a sweet shoppe.
Comment: this is okay, though less my thing, in terms of Sherry maturation. 7/10

Invergordon 49yo 1972/2021 (44.4%, Maltbarn, Bourbon Cask, B#191, 87b)

Nose: the trademark Invergordon blackcurrant.
Mouth: wide at first, it quickly becomes tighter and acidic. Then, it is the expected torrent of blackcurrant.
Finish: an onslaught of juicy blackcurrant.
Comment: phwoar! On any other day, I would wager this scores 9. But there is no justice, tonight, and it is... 8/10

In the middle of this, an American visitor (PM) joins us. SW takes good care of him and explains he received a special bottle from one of his suppliers. Then, he fetches said bottle and pours us all a dram.

Tomintoul 50yo 1973/2023 Double Wood Matured (42.9%, OB Vintage, Bourbon Barrel + Oloroso Sherry Hogshead, C#261, 281b, b#8)

Comment: upon seeing the bottle, I reckon it is the one I took notes for here. Turns out it is another, longer-aged expression. Suffice to say it is a remarkably-elegant drop, even this late in the game. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, SW)

It seems inappropriate to try this young Ben Nevis now.
The label makes it in theme for Burns' Night (wink-wink)

What a place! Full of unsuspected treasures.

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)

10/08/2025 A few drams at the SMWS

The television at the hotel has a collection of German channels. One spends twenty minutes advertising for a ten-CD compilation of the work of Roger Whittaker, "unser Roger", "der Seigneur des Schlagers." It amuses me immensely. I will find out a few days later that said Roger, an Anglo-Kenyan man who died in France, did not even speak German. He learnt his songs phonetically.

More seriously, they were showing Party Zone and Chill-Out Zone on MTV, last night, shows I have not seen since the 1990s. The selection was a blast from the past too.

Party Zone

Age Of Love - The Age Of Love (Radio Version)

Cherry Moon Trax - In My Electric House

Talla 2XLC - The Eternal Mystery

Chill-Out Zone

Single Gun Theory - Fall

Electrotete - I Love You

Goldie - Inner City Life

Adam F - Circles

Carl Craig - Televised Green Smoke

Computerjockeys - How Fish Do

Wellington now wears a septuple cone-hat

Anyway, JS and I are still in Glasgow today, and the SMWS is open. Would be rude not to visit the cosy and spacious venue in a discreet basement across the street from The Good Spirits Co. But before that...

Everything Bagel, White Chocolate & Coconut Pudding
2 x Lemon Poppy Seeds

At the venue, as often, it takes a few exchanges for the staff to gauge (incorrectly) where we are on our whisky journey.

JS: "Where can we see what you have available?"
Waiter: "This booklet has the new outturn..."
tOMoH: "We have the same outturns in London. We are more interested in things we cannot find elsewhere."
Waiter: "So, this booklet has the new outturn, and if you tell me what type of profile you like, I will guide you."
JS: "Do you have 162.4?"
Waiter: "I *think* it is sold out by the bottle. perhaps by the dram... No, also sold out. I have .5 and .6."

162.5 5yo d.2019 Invigorating and refreshing (61.1%, SMWS Society Cask Whisky Wanderers Festivals 2025, 1st Fill Chinkapin Oak Barrel, 269b): nose: deep and wide, it is also pretty woody. Dark-wood planks, seasoned pine cone, heady mahogany or teak oil. It is ester-y and goes to one's head quite quickly. Mouth: woody indeed! Wood oil, carbonyl and polished mahogany cabinets. It is also hot. Chewing brings out some toffee, but it remains a hot and warming number. In the long run, we find fierce citric powder, Fizzy Cola Bottles (the sweets) and chilli powder. Finish: hot cola alongside polished shelves. There is a hefty dose of polished wood, in fact, and hints of shoe polish, more esters and other volatile compounds associated with wood-treatment agents. Also cola. Very-strong cola. 7/10

162.6 5yo d.2019 A Hebridean idyll (61.4%, SMWS Society Cask Whisky Wanderers Festivals 2025, 1st Fill Chinkapin Oak Barrel, 234b): nose: similar, yet different in that it is more toasted. Toasted wood, toasted brown bread and Tabasco splattered over shelves. Only later do we perceive volatile wood oil and wood polish. The second nose brings baked plums. Mouth: cola in this one too, cinnamon cream and freshly-oiled shelves. The second sip has cured candied papaya cubes. Finish: clean and more precise than its sibling. It is less woody, has as much, if not more cola, more cinnamon pastry and liquorice sweets. In fact, it is a little numbing in a pleasant way. It dies in a puff of pine-tree honey. They both play in the same ballpark, but we prefer this one. 7/10

When we visited Raasay, the girl doing the tour told us that the proprietor liked chinkapin oak, as if it were a slightly-eccentric but completely-understandable personal preference. Based on these two, it would appear that chinkapin helps whisky mature more quickly than quercus alba or quercus robur. Those woody notes after only nine years...

JS asks for any expression of Glasgow. They have one -- by the dram only.

156.5 9yo d.2015 A glass full of summer vibes (62.1%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 207b): nose: flower stamens, confectionary sugar, powder puffs, cotton-candy -- ho! ho! ho! This is very appealing. It has lukewarm custard slathered onto birch shelves, and chocolate éclairs. The second nose raises ironed linen. Mouth: milky, sweet and mellow, it still has some kick (look at the ABV!). Numbing custard, cream of Tartar. Chewing enhances the creamy-pastry aspect, Bourbon cream, or even toffee and fudge. The second sip has less personality at first, but quickly wakes up: warm milk cereals sprinkled with herbs. Finish: toffee to the max, including the slight earthy bitterness of caramel. It has burnt sugar at second gulp, but shakes off most of the bitterness to focus on a delicious hot sweetness. Perhaps it adds torched coconut shavings to the lot. 7/10

105.44 35yo d.1988 Honey jam (48.1%, SMWS The Vaults Collection, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 218b): nose: we dial up the complexity, of course. All sorts of flowers, starting with roses and carnations, continuing with black tulips and pansies, ending with cherry blossom and berry flowers. There is even a hint of jasmine at play. Mouth: oh yeah! Flowers in a bath of prune syrup, lychee juice... The power of suggestion tells me honey-glazed apricots and fruit tartlets too. Finish: long, fruity, it has plums, peaches and apricots augmented with a lick of Verdigris, a layer of bone-dry lichen and saxifrage. This is in a different league altogether, of course. 9/10

Uhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuh!

The staff recommend a few things.

12.80 34yo 1989/2023 Heaven in a leather hammock (59.2%, SMWS The Vaults Collection, Oloroso Butt + 1st Fill Ex-PX Butt Finish, 452b)

Nose: Sherry, prune syrup, dark grapes soaked in brandy.
Mouth: leather, rancio, elderberry. It heats up the palate with burning mixed peel.
Finish: very sweet finish, it has jams and candied raisins.
Comment: lovely drop, but more Sherry than we would like. 8/10

94.51 27yo d.1997 Whispers of Spring: A journey of reawakening -- Verdant reawakening (55.8%, SMWS The Creators Collection, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 247b)

Nose: in pure Fettercairn fashion, this is weird and loaded with hay. Metal too?
Mouth: jellied lime peel. What!?
Finish: surprisingly sweet and vibrant, it has more candied and jellied lime goodness.
Comment: I find it appealing to a degree, but it is so unique others will undoubtedly disagree. 8/10

115.29 32yo 1991/2024 Visions of the Basque Country (47.4%, SMWS The Vaults Collection, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 152b): nose: cut lychee, cut greengage, jasmine, lilac, nectar-filled honeysuckle, cherry blossom and flowers from some kind of berry tree. We do have primrose too, syrupy pear liqueur and lemon foliage. The second nose is similarly ethereal. Mouth: sweet-citrus foliage, chalk gratings. The second sip has firmer fruits, mandarines and clementine zest. Finish: big, flowery and mildly chalky. It is fairly strong and has lingering flowers intertwined with citrus. The second gulp slaps refrigerated marmalade onto the gob to match a rather-assertive alcohol. JS adores this. 8/10

38.42 31yo d.1992 Cigars in sweetie jars (50.3%, SMWS The Vaults Collection, ex-Bourbon Hogshead + 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel Finish, 189b): nose: freshly-cleaned pillows move towards warm sofa cushions in a warm living room in the autumn. The second nose sees pineapple, which is less folkloric, perhaps. Mouth: chocolate milk tainted with citrus juice (pomelo, calamansi). This is both creamy and fruity, a little sparkly too. The second sip brings soda to the scene, citrus-y soda, augmented with citrus foliage. Quite peppery and numbing, even now, though not overly so. Finish: ooft! Tropical fruits rise, mango, persimmon and maracuja, all joined by cherimoya and citrus at second gulp. This is exquisite. 9/10

Funny how the staff insists on helping us choose based on flavour profiles, then consistently recommend bottlings in their own favourite style, only for us not to like them as much as they do. We choose one and bang! Success. :-)

It is the end. A couple of guys just arrived in our little space wearing too much cologne. The kitchen smells were a little distracting, but temporary, and I was fine putting up with them. Cologne, on the other hand, is more durably intrusive. Anyway, it is otherwise a great venue. Time for the train.

09/08/2025 Whisky Fringe 2025

JS and I are back in Edinburgh (after an eight-year hiatus) for the Whisky Fringe (after a ten-year hiatus). The whisky world has changed more than Auld Reekie, in that time. Not that we will notice the latter much: Oasis are playing in town tonight, which means everything is fully-booked and/or delayed. We have had to stay in Glasgow as a consequence, and will have virtually no time for the whisky shops tourism.

Glasgow first, then. Despite a late arrival last night and a busy day ahead, despite even the morning rain, we head for an earlyish run towards Clydeside distillery. We will turn around before, because we do not want to jeopardise our breakfast or risk missing our train.

Boston Cream, Crème Brûlée, Everything Bagel

Chai latte (JS)

Hot chocolate (me)

Good thing we were reasonable with the doughnuts: we have a 12:00 reservation at L'Escargot Bleu, a restaurant we have not visited in a decade or almost. We reach there fifteen minutes early, which does not buy us enough time to climb the Royal Mile. Instead, we call at the grocery shop across the road, kill the fifteen minutes, then enter our eatery. It has been open for a couple of minutes only, yet a customer is already sitting. It is AMcR. Lolle. I exchange a few texts with OB about the chance encounter before we order.

The food is its usual outstanding. 

Talonmore & apple (me)

Lost Orchard Cider (JS)

Lobster Bisque (me)
Waitress: "When I say 'lobster bisque', I mean it.
It is made with real lobster."
It is unclear what we are supposed to believe
lobster bisque is usually made of.

Steamed Shetland mussels, squid & courgette sauce (JS)

Ayrshire duck breast & black pudding w/ cabbage & girolles Sce.
Best duck breast I have had

Plaice fillet w/ monkfish cheek, squid & carrot pure (JS)

Beetroot Salad to share

Duck egg crème brûlée (me)

Griottines in Kirsch (JS)

It is time to make our way to Mansfield Traquair, which is conveniently located in the same street. The queue is long already. A bloke just ahead of us distributes lanyards to the others in his group who are incredulous. Incidentally, I pull mine out at the same time; one registers it and makes a comment.

tOMoH: "Trust me, you'll look like an idiot, but, in ten minutes, you'll think: 'this is fucking genius! Where was this during the rest of my life?'"
Him: "Sounds like we'd look like idiots and amateurs without them!"

The doors open, and despite the length of the queue, which certainly costs us fifteen minutes, we are in swiftly and easily.

In all its grandeur

I remember being a little underwhelmed with the quality of the selection, last time, so our strategy today is different.

Firstly, we will plan our half-time orange dram more carefully to avoid disappointment when the time comes. For memory, that is the local version of the dream drams: every stand has one, and they will pour it at 16:00 in exchange for the coupon that everyone gets with their entry ticket. Naturally, the most in-demand drams disappear quickly.

Secondly, we (I, at least) will spend the rest of the time exploring the New Kids On The Block. The late-1980s-early-1990s boyband from Boston is not here, so that means distilleries or bottlers I have not yet tried (or very little thereof).

Good. Let us start. Festival conditions, hence short notes.

Daftmill 12yo 2012/2025 Summer Batch Release (46%, OB, 23 x First Fill Barrels, 5250b)

Nose: lemon-y cereal and custard, or whichever way around.
Mouth: quite thin, it feels like a boozy custard. Then, it offers nice flowery tones, in the back.
Finish: lovely finish, creamy and cereal-y.
Comment: good start. 7/10

Daftmill 15yo 2009/2024 Fife Strength (56.3%, OB, 19 x First Fill ex-Bourbon Barrels + 1 x ex-PX Cask, 3840b)

Nose: rich, fruity custard topped with smoked berries. It is jammier at second nose.
Mouth: there is a slight bitterness akin to berry pips spread on toast.
Finish: long, bold, acidic and bitter in equal measure. It is also fairly nutty.
Comment: fruity dram. 7/10

Glasgow 1770 10yo 2015/2025 Sauternes Cask Matured (53%, OB Limited Edition Release hand selected by Royal Mile Whiskies to celebrate 10 Years of Whisky Making at The Glasgow Distillery, Refill Sauternes Barrique, C#15/97, 340b)

Nose: it is fairly woody, with mostly sandalwood. Some fruits emerge, such as cured apple. It becomes quite leather at second nose.
Mouth: drier than expected, light but almost grassy.
Finish: boozy toffee, brandy and birch oil.
Comment: Glasgow Distillery turns 10 this year, and this is the first I try them. Kwazy. 7/10

Glasgow 1770 Triple Distilled (46%, OB, ex-Bourbon & Virgin Oak Casks, d. ca. 2025)

Nose: this one is super fruity and ethereal, choc-full of candied pineapple and papaya cubes.
Mouth: yes, this is candied fruit cube galore -- papaya, mango, pineapple, Chinese gooseberry.
Finish: mellow, floral, delicate and elegant.
Comment: a proper Lowlander and a standout, really. 8/10

Glasgow 1770 6yo b.2024 Cognac Cask Finish (58%, OB Small Batch Series, 5 x First Fill ex-Bourbon Casks + French Cognac Casks Finish, B#2, 2250b)

Nose: briny smoke in the style of smoked ham drying in a barn by the sea.
Mouth: ash, chargrilled sardines, cigarette ash. It is pretty punchy and peddles burning hay.
Finish: hot and very smoky, ashy. It balances that out with timid smashed strawberries.
Comment: only an undeniable youth prevents a higher score. This was dubbed a lightly-peated dram, with 3 of the five casks filled with peated spirit. 7/10

Family picture

Ballindalloch 8yo 2017/2025 (62.7%, OB Single Cask bottled exclusively for UK, Virgin Oak Hogshead, C#69, 330b)

Nose: it has a mix of buttery pastry and white-wood oil (acacia, birch). The second nose adds apricot jam.
Mouth: pastry it is, with choux dough, faded tinned peaches and stale custard turning into cardboard paste.
Finish: very good, it has white wood and a huge associated bitterness. In fact, in the long run, that bitterness is a little bothersome, hardly made up for by pineapple gratings on a worn-out wooden cutting board.
Comment: from a refill virgin oak cask, the festival booklet tells us -- ha! ha! It is not exactly a winner in my view. 6/10

I try the oatcakes that are provided at almost every stand. They taste like sweat.

Springbank 12yo Cask Strength (56.5%, cask sample)

Nose: delicate and floral, it gains melted toffee at second nosing.
Mouth: woody, drying, yet also fruity. We spot cut fruits with their slightly-scarred stones.
Finish: dry, woody. Sawdust and ground spices.
Comment: JS asked for a Hazelburn and got this decent unreleased Springer. 7/10

Springbank 5yo 100° Proof (57.1%, OB)

Nose: toasted bread turns strongly perfume-y.
Mouth: soft (!), light, then furiously peppery (black pepper). It keeps a fresh touch nevertheless.
Finish: juicy and woody, it has a sprinkle of white pepper.
Comment: alright. 7/10

There is a tent?

Hi ST!

ST: "What would you like to try?"

Torabhaig 7yo 2018/2025 (57.1%, The Dornoch Distillery Co. for Thompson Bros., 1st Fill Bourbon Barrels)

Nose: smoky earth, dark earth, toasted barley and peat smoke grow alongside citrus (bergamot).
Mouth: it is very peaty, here, and big. We have hot tar, greasy earth and tarry sand.
Finish: chargrilled sausages, charred pineapple, char and coal. It is cloying.
Comment: my first Torabhaig, despite having been to the distillery. I like the label better than the whisky, but it is good enough. 7/10

Hi PT!

PT: "Is your glass empty?"
tOMOh:"No, but JS's is..."

J. & G. Grant from the Glenlivet District 12yo (40%, Grant Bonding imported and distributed by Girolamo-Luxardo, b. ca. 1970s)

Nose: very vinous, sherried, which, in this case, means extra fruity. (Rehydrated) prunes and dried figs are particularly impressive. Maraschino cherries are not far behind.
Mouth: syrupy, it is thick and coating, yet also rather fruity.
Finish: currants, prunes, figs.
Comment: "70% paxarette, 20% Sherry, 10% whisky," says PT (or something similar). Quite right! A strange undisclosed Glenfarclas by the proprietors. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, PT)

It is almost 16:00. We position ourselves strategically for the mid-point. In a way we are wasting fifteen minutes; in another, it is not a minute too soon: some of the stands have huge queues in front of them. "Queue" is an orderly word to describe the blobs of punters, really. Where I am is a shapeless mass of enthusiasts that, as the bell tolls, quickly degenerates into a free-for-all, full with freeloaders jumping the queue using their elbows. It is a miracle it does not descend into fisticuffs. JS, for comparison, will wax lyrical about the well-oiled organisation at the stand she is queueing at, with assembly-line responsibilities, queue management and all. Bah!

TAKE MY TOKEN!

We both get what we are after; that is the most important.

Tomatin 45yo b.2023 (41.5%, OB Travel Retail Exclusive, Oloroso Sherry Cask, B#1, 225b)

Nose: this is on a different planet -- nay! In a different galaxy. To everything that preceded it. It rolls out an incredible depth of grapes, lychees, ripe peaches... Rhaaaa! The second nose may bring tame coffee in amongst all that fruit. Considering it is an Oloroso cask, that coffee is firmly under control.
Mouth: mellow and super-fruity here too, with (Mirabelle) plums, greengages and lychees. Chewing unearths more fruits, with only a minute bitterness. The whole is mouth-coating. "Tasty!" says JS, channelling her inner TM.
Finish: long, juicy and fruity again. Plump plums of all kinds, ripe apricots and all sorts of jams.
Comment: right? The context does not do this justice. It is amazeboulanger. By far the best dram so far. 9/10

Rosebank 31yo b.2022 Release 2 (48.1%, OB Limited Release, 4000b)

Nose: honeysuckle, lilac, jasmine... This is as floral as can be! It has cut orchard fruits too. The second nose brings honey-glazed apricots.
Mouth: mellow, juicy and drying all at once. We have apricot juice and quarry chippings competing for attention. Kumquat and bergamot round all that off.
Finish: sweet jams simmering in a hot tin pot, a dollop of melted milk chocolate, just a sprig of a herb or another -- tarragon, rosemary or sage, perhaps?
Comment: phwoar! 9/10

Back to our regular programme.

Inchdairnie The KinGlassie 8yo 2017/2025 Raw (46.3%, OB, ex-Bourbon Casks)

Nose: TCP, hay so dry it is falling to dust, a mix of ashes and cereals.
Mouth: creamy, custard-y, yet also smoky. Shall we call it ashy custard?
Finish: ashy custard indeed, although the ashes are loud, here.
Comment: I was eager to try this distillery, after pat gva commented about it, earlier this week. Based on this sole expression, I am less enthusiastic than he was. 7/10

Gone Grant 30yo 1994/2025 Chapter Eighteen (51.2%, Decadent Drinks Whiskyland for WhiskySponge, 26 Years in a Refill Barrel + 4 Years in a First Fill Sherry Hogshead, 230b)

Nose: a slap of nectarine on the olfactory organ. Then, it becomes ridiculously floral, with pink flowers that flirt with pink wafers from Champagne.
Mouth: soft and floral again, it ends up slightly drying in a vegetal way.
Finish: spellbinding. This has fruits, cosmetic powder and confectionary sugar.
Comment: love it. Excellent Caperdonich. 8/10

I try the other type of oatcakes on offer. They are bursting with chilli. Who had this terrible idea?

Secret Wigtownshire 6yo 2018/2025 Lemon sherbet, anyone? (50%, Keeble Cask Company Elevenses Whisky, 2 x 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrels, 565b)

Nose: it Is pretty mute, initially. Mild and soft-spokenly floral, it has little to say.
Mouth: the distillery is recognisable, here. Bold pastry, sugar and lovely fruits.
Finish: sweet, with a dusting of sugar, poached pears and baked shortcrust.
Comment: excellent undisclosed Bladnoch from a lesser-known bottler. 8/10

Benriach 17yo 2007/2025 (47.3%, Keeble Cask Company Fragrant Drops, Refill ex-Bourbon Barrel, C#700204, 278b)

Nose: a lot of wine smothers faint orchard fruits.
Mouth: fruits and gravel. I am not seduced. It gets juicier and a little more to my liking at second sip.
Finish: it is a fruitier finish than foreseen, but not enough to win me over.
Comment: no picture of this one, and it is not mentioned in the festival booklet. As for my feedback: meh. 6/10

Ah! It is that time of the festival when it starts smelling of fart.

Annandale 6yo 2019/2025 (60.2%, Gleann Mór Rare Find, Seasoned Oloroso Barrique, C#14201, 334b)

Nose: kippery AF, briny. It then develops smoked earth.
Mouth: ooft! Very drying, it is soon earthy and smoky, with crushed stones and abrasive sand.
Finish: very smoky and hay-like, this is also ember-hot.
Comment: second peaty Annandale that impresses me. 7/10

Random bloke: "CALLUM!"
JS: "Five hundred people turn around."

Glen Garioch 16yo 2008/2025 (55.4%, Gleann Mór Rare Find, Ribera del Duero Red Wine Finish, C#108, 309b)

Nose: winy and gamy, this may as well be a Mortlach. Or anything, really. It is overcome by the wine maturation.
Mouth: thick, winy, it has lots of tannins and mud patties. It is very chewy in texture.
Finish: huge, even after the colossal Annandale. This is earthy, with burnt mud and hay.
Comment: not my thing. 6/10

We (I) do not resist commenting on the logo that
looks grubby on the boxes.
We are assured it is not the founder's thumbprint
and it is not an easy way to crack into his phone

ST: "What can I pour you?"

Sutherland 5yo b.2022 (48.5%, Thompson Brothers celebrating 20th anniversary of whiskyfun.com, 590b)

Nose: lots of cosmetic powders and sherbet. Tickly!
Mouth: rather mellow and fruity, with apricots other turnovers, yet also ground apricot stones.
Finish: dry and fruity, reminiscent of peach and citrus juices poured onto rocks.
Comment: a blend of Clynelish, Dornoch and Brora (from a bottle), this is pretty good. 7/10

Glen Garioch 10yo 2014/2025 (56.2%, Little Brown Dog, 1st Fill Bourbon Barrels, 337b)

Nose: sand and crusted mud.
Mouth: blackberry-flavoured cough drops and earth.
Finish: yeah, earthy berries which never reach elderberry stages.
Comment: same as the one MR poured in June? Yes. Same score. 7/10

I confirm with PT and ST that the guy I do not know behind their stand is French and proceed to introduce myself. Shortly after, he offers...

An Islay 33yo 1991/2025 (49.1%, Thompson Bros. specially selected and bottled to celebrate the Thompson Family's 25th anniversary at Dornoch Castle Hotel, C#2681, 244b)

Nose: muddy fruits.
Mouth: beautiful smoked fruits augmented with a spoonful of mud.
Finish: mud, ink, crushed seashells and fruits.
Comment: excellent. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, Shalil)

Ben Nevis 26yo 1999/2025 (50.5%, Little Brown Dog, Bourbon Hogshead)

Nose: concentrated and potent, it displays mild fruits only.
Mouth: mineral and fruity at once, which is pretty nice.
Finish: it is a little too hot for me in the finish, not to mention funky (it is a Ben Nevis, after all). That distracts from the subtle fruitiness.
Comment: too funky for me to give a higher score. 7/10

It is getting sweaty and blurry in that tent!

Lochlea Our Barley (46%, OB, Bourbon + Sherry + STR Casks, b. ca. 2025)

Nose: fresh and crisp, full of cut apples and candied fruits.
Mouth: fresh, candied fruit cubes -- lots of them! Mango and papaya first in line.
Finish: creamy, here are milk chocolate and more candied papaya cubes.
Comment: remarkable. Their basic bottling, at 46%, at the end of a festival, after several 60+% drams, and it still shines. 8/10

Secret East Highland 46yo d.1978 Half Time Orange (40.6%, Little Brown Dog for Whisky Fringe Edinburgh)

Nose: phwoaaaaaar! An explosion of candied tropical fruits, topped with colour-crayon shavings.
Mouth: watery candied fruits, which tastes better than it reads, probably. Even though it is less explosive than on the nose, it remains outstanding. In an odd sequence of flavours, it adds oysters and shrimps at second sip.
Finish: it is in the same vein, super-fruity and fresh, adding smashed strawberries to an-otherwise full roster.

Comment: yet another Glen Garioch, albeit an undisclosed one. They made only two or three bottles of this just for the half-time orange. What a belter to finish with! 9/10

There are fifteen minutes left, but exhibitors are packing up and everyone is leaving. I wish they had rung last pour a few minutes prior. We tried more and better than we bargained for, but I feel stopped in my track, with this surprise festival end. Ah! well.

Outside, Mary_Poppins / Strawberry_Shortcake / Nana_Smith picks us up in her automobile. We drive to The Fishmarket Newhaven, where we have supper before taking a digestive walk during which we see four herons over the space of a few metres.

Crispy Squid and Chips

Battered Scallops

Haggis Bon Bons

The Forth Bridges in the distance.
We spot three, but cannot see the Forth
*cough*

From there, Poppins takes us to S. Luca for an ice cream. The Black Hawaii flavour impresses us much and helps us overlook the noise from the Oasis concert which we hear in the distance.

Time to say goodbye, though.