11/09/2026 Benrinnes

There is no actual connection to the date, so I will not try to shoehorn one in.

Benrinnes 15yo (43%, OB imported by DBBY, b. ca.2026): Nose: it has much less sulphur than when the bottle was opened, and more shoe polish. It is a Sherry maturation, that is plain to sniff, Oloroso, probably, with a whisper of musk, yeast, dry wood (windfall from last year) and pickled Alfonso olives. It is as if chocolate cake from a supermarket tried to punch through the surface, but shoe polish never lets it. In fact, that becomes polished leather in no time. The second nose has a bold sangria in which soaked orange segments and apricots jostle cassia bark. It is not mulled wine, though! Mouth: a lukewarm attack, with stewed cherries and lingonberries, Alfonso olives in brine, musky compote and smashed Crimson grapes. Chewing pushes that grape touch to the top, perhaps with a pinch of grated cherry-flavoured Dextro NRG. The second sip seems to suffer from the dilution a little. We do get lemon gums and sugar-free Haribo bananas. The sides of the tongue catch caramelised-orange juice. Finish: it feels watery and brief, for a second. The flavours do appear a fraction of a second later, with smashed strawberries, a spoonful of lukewarm lingonberry compote and a lick of cat's hair. Yes, it has a tiny animal touch that leads to melted chocolate. The second gulp reveals ghosts of chocolate and Seville orange, as well as blush-orange segments. That brings a soft, fruit-related bitterness that works quite nicely. This is unpretentious, yet also not very exciting. 6/10 (Thanks for the sample, PSc)

16/08/2026 Prime numbers

Back in ze Heimat for a few days. Sadly, much of the German-speaking part of the country is burning. A thought for those who are fighting the flames and another for those, not all human, who have lost everything in the same flames.

In more rejoicing news, we are having a tasting. JS suggested the theme, which is wide enough to promise ridiculous connections.

red71, Psycho, ydc, GD, adc and JS join me. PSc, kruuk2 and Kirk Barleycorn will arrive at various points in the afternoon. dom666, on the other hand, called off at 8:20 this morning, victim of a bastard hangover, we speculate.

red71 made his famous canelés

One of them comes alive

red71, his canelés and his assistant for the day

We will call him red72 in a family picture

Psycho introduces Cellar 13 which, incidentally, is bottled at 43%.

Glenmorangie 10yo Cellar 13 (43%, OB, First Fill American Mountain Oak Casks, B#2, b. ca. 2004) (Psycho)

Nose: light, vibrant, ethereal, it has a fantastic mix of pressed lychee, mixed peel and rambutan. ydc finds Smyrna raisins and sultanas. It might have a drop of lemon juice too.

Mouth: thinned-out caramel, hot toffee and chilli flakes. We have a dollop of custard too, with a fistful of bitter wood shavings.

Finish: Quality Street's Toffee Penny (adc), toffee through and through, butterscotch, vanilla ice cream.

Comment: it is always a blast to try this, and it fares just as well as it did twenty years ago.

Score: 8/10

ydc unveils her savoury cake.

Tuna and preserved lemon cake

Psycho: “I know a Chinese proverb that says: ‘If you have nothing wise to say, quote a Chinese proverb.’”

We follow up with another Glenmorangie at 43%, this one a 23-year-old.

Glenmorangie 23yo d.1963 (43%, OB distributed by Wilmerink & Muller, Oloroso Sherry Casks Finish) (group)

Nose: marzipan and cherry coulis, berries cheesecake, orange PiM’s (Psycho and red71).

Mouth: chewy, thick, it has rubber and a delicate and elegant dusty side (red71). It makes ydc think of Christmas and dried fruits; Psycho drops the word 'kuglof' into the mix.

Finish: “candied fruits,” says ydc, who also finds it very warming, whereas red71 calls it very concentrated.

Comment: unabashed masterpiece. My full notes are here.

Score: 10/10

PSc enters. adc greets him with haggis bonbons with a mustard sauce.

Haggis bonbon

kruuk2 arrives shortly thereafter.

A merry gang we are

PSc presents a Benrinnes bottled at 43%.

Benrinnes 15yo (43%, OB imported by DBBY, b. ca.2026) (PSc)

Nose: it is fairly pickled, with red onions, gherkins and smoked tree bark. It evolves to include something metallic, but retains a hint of sulphur (kruuk2).

Mouth: PiM’s. This is really an orange filling, unctuous and jammy. It also has Pimm’s, just to make it confusing — the vermouth-like English fruit cup that is popular in summer.

Finish: big and orange-y, with a coat of dark chocolate. There is little of the Benrinnes pine-y character at play, here.

Comment: of course, it has a hard job, after the old Glenmorangie, but even disregarding that, it is hard not to be disappointed. The PiM’s notes are delightful; the sulphur and pickle not so much. Perhaps it will improve in the open bottle.

Score: 6/10

tOMoH presents a 29yo Jura.

Jura 29yo (42.9%, Elixir Distillers The Single Malts of Scotland A Marriage of Casks, 576b) (tOMoH)

Nose: citrus aplenty, namely pink grapefruit and lemon zest. It has lozenges too, then candied apricots. Psycho detects fruit cake. He is the fruit cake.

Mouth: mellow, fruity, a tad bitter, it has menthol (Psycho), citrus and liquorice (PSc). Tarragon too (Psycho).

Finish: mellow, apricot-y. JS finds Ricola cough drops, while kruuk2 calls it herbaceous.

Comment: we discovered this on Islay, a couple of years ago. At the time, I thought we had found OC’s masterpiece. My opinion has not changed. The majority had an apprehension when they saw the distillery, but they are bowled over.

Score: 9/10

Psycho: “Il est vraiment très sec sur la finale.”
tOMoH: “Très sexuel final?”

Psycho: “When I trim my beard, I shed between 300 and 500 grammes, depending on the length.”
PSc: "…and whether you wiped your mouth after eating!”

Psycho unveils a Tamnavulin 26yo, which is 2 x 13, two prime numbers, the first of which is the first (prime) prime number. Also, it was the first (prime) bottle he found when he opened his bar.

Tamnavulin-Glenlivet 26yo 1992/2018 (51.3%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 234b, 18/357) (Psycho)

Nose: dust (adc), grist and custard powder, then crayons and wax. The second nose has a strong whiff of wood (wooden trays), then freeze-dried raspberries.

Mouth: sweet yet lively, it has ginger powder and a drop of wine. A certain bitterness appears at second sip, maybe liquorice.

Finish: long, warming, it tickles a notch. We have some vanilla custard with ginger and pepper. There are some dried fruits too, very late in the game (Psycho).

Comment: I like this much more than when it came out. Chances are it will further improve in the open bottle.

Score: 8/10

GD and ydc bring forth a small bottle — a brewery they like distilled their wort as an experience. For the first (prime) time.

Lupus Ardens (45%, Brasserie du Loup) (ydc + GD)

Nose: beer on steroids meets plum eau-de-vie. PSc finds Śliwowica and Mirabelle plum. I have unripe-lemon zest.

Mouth: mellow, it has delicious citrus sprayed with eau-de-vie — or citrus juice sprayed onto eau-de-vie.

Finish: punchy fruit here too, it is light, almost beer-like and fresh.

Comment: love it.

Score: 7/10

Kirk Barleycorn enters. ydc and GD depart.

PSc proposes a Singleton, not because of its unicity (1 is not a prime number, after all), but because it has 281 in the bar code. He adds that, if one assigns a number to each of the twenty-six letters in the alphabet, Dufftown spells 109, which is a prime number. Keith, the larger town of which Dufftown is a part of, makes 53, also a prime number. PSc tells us that with so much aplomb that none of us double-checks. For all we know, it is all porkies.

The Singleton 18yo (40%, OB imported by DBBY, Bourbon and Sherry Casks, L23310M003 0000006243) (PSc)

Nose: orange liqueur, blush orange, zest, sawdust and bay leaves.

Mouth: mellow, it is another one reminiscent of PiM’s, those delicious chocolate-coated orange cakes. It also offers toffee.

Finish: more orange cake with chocolate, sawdust and ginger powder.

Comment: simple, efficient. In another context, I may go up one point.

Score: 7/10

kruuk2 pours us a Laphroaig bottled at 43%. It would be repetitive but for the fact he bought it in 2003 (prime) after discovering it in a restaurant Le Bois sans feuilles, owned and run by the Troisgros family. Troisgros literally means Bigthree, three being a prime number. The restaurant also has three Michelin star, yet another prime number (which kruuk2 does not mention).

Laphroaig 15yo (43%, OB imported by Allied Domecq Spirits & Wine, b. ca.2003) (kruuk2)

Nose: seaweed and ashes, smoked strawberries and ashy peach. The more one sniffs, the fruitier it becomes. It ends up bringing melon skins to the surface, in pure Laphroaig fashion.

Mouth: mellow, it carries on the ashy-fruity trip and becomes ashier when chewing. So much melon comes out too! Cantaloupe, Canary, Charentais, Hami, Snap, or even smoked Korean melon.

Finish: loads and loads of ashes. That spreads to serve juicy nectar.

Comment: fantastic. kruuk2 warned us it might be spent, or tired, at the very least. Instead, it reminds me of the superb 10yo we had earlier this summer.

Score: 9/10

Kirk Barleycorn presents a bottle from Campbeltown and tells us he has visited Campbeltown eleven times. Prime number.

all: “You’re accepted into the group.”

Springbank 1975/1995 Traditional Campbeltown (46%, OB for Tesco, Oak Casks, b#0262, 95/205) (Kirk Barleycorn)

Nose: inimitable Springbank from a certain era. Cut pears and carambolas, and halved cherries rolled in ashes. Caramelised orange rinds too, and marzipan (PSc and Kirk Barleycorn) kissed by cigar smoke.

Mouth: cherries (PSc). This has cherry jam, ash-sprinkled overripe peaches, more carambola… There is even a mineral touch at second sip.

Finish: a pinch of ash and cut fruits.

Comment: what a masterpiece. Extraordinary.

Score: 10/10

Kirk Barleycorn starts slicing a Jamón he brought.

A self-sufficient one, with knife, cutting board and all

red71 gives us a 23yo whisky. He delivers a whole masterclass on prime numbers, but I fail to capture it.

Linkwood 23yo 1998/2021 (53.3%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength exclusively bottled for TyndrumWhisky.com, Refill Sherry Hogshead, C#13808, 267b, 21/214) (red71)

Nose: sweeter, it has marzipan mingling with wood.

Mouth: tannic, a trifle winy, let us be honest, but pleasantly so. Plump berries.

Finish: long, earthy, it has rancio, a whiff of game or cured meat, and lingonberry compote.

Comment: the Springbank is a hard act to follow, but this does it very well. Full notes here.

Score: 8/10

Kirk Barleycorn gives us a 31yo whisky.

Glen Garioch 31yo 1994/2026 (53.4%, Royal Mile Whiskies, Barrel, C#143078, 186b) (Kirk Barleycorn)

Nose: lemon cake, hot pastry on a heated baking tray, fruity turnovers. Sherbet appears later on, softly chalky.

Mouth: it is pronouncedly lemony, with chewy dried pineapple and grapefruit chunks. It gains a few spices at second sip and turns a tad chalky again.

Finish: sherbet, grapefruit drops, papaya drops.

Comment: this is excellent. Hope to try it again, one day.

Score: 8/10

We open PSc’s boulettes-liégeoises crisps pack.

Some are not convinced. They call the taste very subtle. I think they are delicious, but they are obviously a Flemish-made counterfeit: the real thing would have been called "boulets à la liégeoise." To not know ‘boulettes’ are called ‘boulets’ in Liège is a cardinal sin and a dead giveaway.

tOMoH: “Oufti!”
kruuk2: “La rétro-boulette olfaction!”
tOMoH: “The taste grows more accurate with each bite. The more you eat, the closer it tastes like the real thing. That goes well with Liège, where everything is slow.”
kruuk2: Les Belges ont l’heure, les Liégeois ont le temps.”

adc unveils her bottle. She tells us that, when one adds all the figures on the front label, one obtains 74. “That is not a prime number,” everyone shouts. But 7 + 4 = 11, which is one. Also, it is bottle number 79, a prime number.

Jura 7yo 2016/2024 (60%, OB Distillery Cask, C#1428, b#79) (adc)

Nose: cake (Psycho), candy floss, sherbet, metal, gingerbread (Psycho).

Mouth: sweet, custard-y, it has hot fruit turnovers, pineapple custard, cut papaya and an old, cushiony sofa (Psycho).

Finish: creamy, sweet, custard-y, it has a pinch of crushed mint crumble.

Comment: another one that no-one believed in. A Jura? At that age? Why torture us like that? Everybody ends up a believer. Incredible quality and integration. Delicious stuff.

Score: 8/10

JS introduces a 1989 Braes of Glenlivet (“Not a prime,” they all shout), bearing the cask number 1051, which is prime. Also, the distilling date is written 19/05/89; all three are prime numbers.

Braes of Glenlivet 22yo 1989/2011 (60.2%, The Scottish Liqueur Centre Càrn Mòr Celebration of the Cask, Bourbon Hogshead, C#1051, 267b b#69) (JS)

Nose: sweets and crystallised fruits (PSc and adc).

Mouth: candy floss or cotton candy (PSc).

Finish: “the chimney you sit next to in winter; it is that warming” (Psycho).

Comment: I make little effort to analyse this much. Firstly because I am loaded, secondly because others are on the move. We have had it before anyway. It is still a good dram.

Score: 8/10

Phew! we survived. Not a single broken cork, today. Must have been all fake bottles. :-)

05/12/2025 Benrinnes

36.75 17yo Curried butternut soup (58.9%, SMWS Society Single Cask): nose: strangely quiet, it has a whisper of balsa wood, not much else. Let us give it a moment to breathe... That does the trick. Now, it is a typical 'rinnes, with pine-tree branches, pine planks, resin and dark honey in the making. Deeper sniffing adds a rubber hose, or liquid tape, which is nothing else than rubber in liquid form, and tar. In fact, that rubber stretches its wings so much that I am made to think of some rums -- is it not Enmore that reeks of rubber in that way? Here, that is soon punctuated by fresh apple slices, and bitumen applied as top dressing of a felt roof. The second nose sprinkles dried lime zest on conifer branches, and serves that with a pine-cone stew. A fistful of meadow grass or hay completes the picture. Mouth: a departure from the nose, this feels fresh and fruity, if quickly lively too. It has apples again, with ginger gratings scattered on top. Chewing invites a pronounced acidity; at first, it appears to be citrus, however it is soon evident that it is actually conifer branches, sap and cones. Suc des Vosges and Ice Blue mint sweets laced with galangal to spice up the freshness. The second sip prolongs the acidity, adds the coldness of a metal blade (the one used to cut citrus, probably), and charges the whole with a sweetness unnoticed until now. It is strikingly fresh and warming, as a good cocktail can be -- for some reason, the minty citrus makes me think of a Major Bailey, even if this does not taste like gin, of course. That rallies under the conifer banner, however. Each sip presents bolder citrus, lime zest and Shaddock pomelo peels. Finish: Ice Blue mint sweets, Suc des Vosges, spearmint (yes, it is spicy) are joined by galangal paste, then crushed cloves. It is a trifle anaesthetising. It leaves the gob cool, but dry at the same time, which makes no sense whatsoever, like yoghurt in a wooden bowl. The second gulp gives fleeting chocolate, then a bold wave of minty-zesty freshness, before it all calms down with ginger peels and cassia bark. As it was on the palate, it is sweeter over time, hinting at calamansi and tangerine, without reaching their intensity: mint sweets never allow. Pretty good. 7/10 (Thanks, OB)

04/10/2025 October outturn at the SMWS

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

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

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

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

Cheeses enter

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

Dr. CD talks to AFFM about JP leaving.

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

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

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

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

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

Good times.

04/09/2025 September outturn preview at the SMWS

MD of the Swissky Mafia is in town and is quite excited: he has been an SMWS member for many years, but he was never around for an outturn preview. Tonight, JS managed to book us a table. This time, it is far from the table where PS, YM and DW sit, which means we will have limited interactions with them.

5.131 22yo 2003/2025 Blissfully lost (52.8%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 188b)

Nose: marzipan and horsepower. This smells surprisingly close to a grain, the alcohol purified to a degree few malt distilleries reach. Of course, distillery number 5, Auchentoshan is triple-distilled, which explains. Past the (neutralish) alcohol, we spot cinnamon, ginger, plums and chewy sweets. MD finds glue, on the other hand, another note that many associate with a grain whisky.
Mouth: it is a bit green, weirdly enough. Lime peels, tree bark... Yes, this is bitter and a little acidic. Not in a bad way, but it will deter some. It turns woody upon chewing. Water mellows it out without changing the profile much.
Finish: long, warming, intense. It has tart fruits and chewy wood, mulch or cork.
Comment: I was looking forward to this one, hoping it would be a fruity extravaganza, but I find it just okay. 7/10

4.353 13yo d.2009 Lavender honey and chimney lobsters (62.8%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogsheads finished in 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 242b)

Nose: it is pretty farm-y, with mud patties, farm paths and muck. It also has a whiff of chewy violet sweets. With water, it opens up and turns more vanilla-y. Custard Cream biscuits.
Mouth: smoked sweet citrus, such as Buddha's hand, calamansi, kumquat. Phwoar! How delicious is this? MD finds it a soft bitterness, however. Water increases the citrus-y feel, makes it more acidic.
Finish: glowingly warm, close to burning, it offers baked cherimoya and metal-filing-laced tangerines. Water makes it a tad too acidic for my taste. It loses its balance.
Comment: I enjoy this a lot. Strikingly, just as I start tasting it, Eurythmics - Here Comes The Rain Again plays in the room. And as we all know, the opening sequence of the video is shot in front of the Old Man of Hoy, on Orkney, the very archipelago where this whisky was made. 8/10

4.397 19yo d.2005 The old man and the sea (59.5%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogsheads finished in Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 301b)

Nose: this is much more sherried in an animal way, with musk and old leather, wine-stained belts and game bags. Maybe dust and confectionary sugar too. The second nose brings more faded leather, augmented with cured prunes.
Mouth: rancio. It is sweeter than elderberry, yet we find some berries alright -- cured strawberries, in all likelihood. It is fairly fiery, a hay bonfire, sprinkled with currant juice. The second sip adds a good dose of crushed chilli.
Finish: very rich and full (MD), it has currants and some papier mâché-like paste made of macerated hay. JS finds the chilli too strong, which is disturbing, considering her usual affinity for that. Water unleashes vegetal goodness such as dried-flower stems and dried hay topped with custard powder.
Comment: clearly, Eurythmics would be even better playing now than alongside the previous dram (something to do with the Old Man, you know?), but I am a slow drinker. This is the one I was most excited to try tonight, and I am a smidge disappointed. It is good, but I prefer its younger sibling. 8/10

36.204 13yo d.2009 Truly an outlander (57.5%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogsheads finished in 1st Fill ex-Rum Barrique, 258b)

Nose: coffee-scented sweets. Mokatine would be the obvious, but it is not as in-your-face. This is thick a smell, like a thick soup -- a sweet one. Chocolate milk erupts on the second nose with studs of dried peach and dried papaya.
Mouth: sweet and mineral (a fistful of beach pebbles), it is also fairly fruity, offering crystallised orange and candied papaya cubes. A tame bitterness appears upon chewing.
Finish: long, warming and fruity, here are more crystallised fruits, chiefly orange segments. The second gulp is creamy, unctuous as chocolate custard.
Comment: another cracking Benrinnes. The distillation date suggests it is a reissue of an older bottling that they sat on for a couple of years. 8/10

1.295 13yo 2012/2025 Dance in the air (58%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel finished in 2nd Fill ex-Oloroso Hogshead, 197b)

Nose: cherimoya, candied cherries. The latter becomes very prominent, almost heady, soft, sweet, chewy and fragrant.
Mouth: pine needles and sap, and a pine-flavoured gel, Chewing confirms and adds a desiccating lick. The second sip is woodier, drying.
Finish: long and fruity. Here are fresh cherries surfing on an almost-medicinal feel -- as in: numbing; not the taste so much. The second gulp is darker, it has more cherries.
Comment: a nice offering from a distillery I usually overlook. 7/10

6.83 17yo 2007/2025 Chewy-textured meanderings (53.6%, SMWS Society Cask Two to One, ex-Bourbon Hogsheads finished in 1st Fill Spanish Oak Oloroso Hogshead & 1st Fill American Oak Oloroso Hogshead, 409b)

Nose: fresh and sharp, with spearmint, apple peels and Haribo Bananas. Green citrus comes out upon repeated nosing.
Mouth: dried pineapple rings, tulip petals, papaya cubes and blond tobacco. The second sip is more stripping, citric and sharp, though that is balanced by a nice custard.
Finish: big, fruity (dried fruit). That turns more to orange peels at second gulp.
Comment: distilled on MD's birthday anniversary, it is another good one. 7/10

19.92 20yo 2003/2023 Illicit toast (55.6%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 171b)

Nose: grape sweets, blueberry muffin, fluffy blueberry pancakes (of the thick, American kind). This is certainly on the blueberry tip, with added cinnamon gratings, then recently-polished Chesterfield sofas.
Mouth: round and plump, it has booze-soaked plums. The second sip is a tad duller.
Finish: bay leaves and cinnamon gratings are carried by a current of currants and blueberries. There is a soft, numbing lick of cardboard towards the death.
Comment: winner! 8/10

112.138 17yo 2008/2025 A warm fuzzy crowd pleaser (57.2%, SMWS Society Single Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 1st Fill ex-Bodega PX Barrique, 237b)

Nose: this shouts fruits, nectarines and plums. There is some shoe polish too, and a maritime touch reminiscent of Barbour grease on a boat. Plums come back, discreetly but surely.
Mouth: thick, bold, a bit wine-y. The second sip has intense sweets (Monkey Balls, for those who know, a type of citric-powder-coated, cherry-flavoured hard candy). Indeed, this is plenty citric.

Finish: very-ripe papaya (MD). Nectarines mixed with blueberries and plums.
Comment: delicious. A strong 8/10

Next up is the 115.

MD: "I love anCnoc distillery."

Here is something one does not hear every day. 

115.38 10yo 2004/2025 The seven ages (61.2%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 1st Fill ex-Bodega PX Barrique, 294b)

Nose: this is pretty neutral to start with. Rubbing alcohol, maybe? Actually, it is a little medicinal, come to think of it: gauze, straps and shortbread. If it cannot be cured with shortbread...
Mouth: it starts out comfy, then turns quite drying. Chewing reveals boozy berries (elderberries, blackcurrants, dried cherry slices) and some cinnamon bark. It gets even more drying upon repeated sipping, adding dust and a mushroom-y aspect.
Finish: long, cinnamon-y, numbing and also creamy.
Comment: this is not the Basque Country, but it is good. 7/10

MD [asking if he can buy the Basque Country]: "Can I Basquet it?"

A Secret Orkney Distillery 25yo 1999/2024 (52.4%, East Village Whisky Company, Hogshead, 78b)

Nose: refined smoke, smoked lemons, dried flowers.
Mouth: juicy, it has just a pinch of heather petals. Soon enough, it is all hot and spicy.
Finish: very smoky, acrid and inky, at this stage.
Comment: this is good too. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, MD)

Distillery 4 Rare Release 20yo 2003/2023 Take me to the chippy (54.7%, SMWS In celebration of the Highland Whisky Festival 2024, Refill ex-Bourbon, HTMC & Oloroso (ex-Islay) Hogsheads, 924b)

Comment: longer notes here. This is still staggeringly good, today, with a tropical finish jumping out of nowhere. 9/10

115.29 32yo 1991/2024 Visions of the Basque Country (47.4%, SMWS The Vaults Collection, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 152b)

Comment: glad to try this again and confirm our impression from last month. Head and shoulders above everything else we have tried today. 9/10

The staff produce a sheet with two whiskies that should have been in the outturn list but were somehow left out, complete with incorrect prices and all.

24.188 16yo 2008/2025 Flamenco fruitcake (62.5%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Oloroso Butt finished in 1st Fill ex-Oloroso Hogshead, 307b)

Nose: dark chocolate, strong leather and strong alcohol. Once that last item calms down, we have prunes and seared mushrooms, Maggi sauce, which, MD adds, means a slight sulphury note of matchsticks.
Mouth: mellow in texture, it is also hot. Burning heat, red chillies and Scotch bonnets.
Finish: long, invasive, it is partly redeemed by the introduction of raisins and dried dates.
Comment: I still cannot understand the hype around Macallan. This is just decent. 6/10

13.114 15yo 2010/2025 A Hansel and Gretel gingerbread house (59.6%, SMWS Society Cask, finished in 1st Fill ex-Bodega PX Barrique, 222b)

Nose: meaty in a way that does not agree with me. Meat on the bone, soaked cork. It also has a slightly-medicinal touch.
Mouth: tea-like, bitter. Not unbearably so, but it is not for me. Wine-soaked cork again and prunes.
Finish: yeah, this is woody, bitter. Prunes show up again, which helps a little.
Comment: not my thing. 5/10

Caol Ila 30yo 1982/2012 Fourth Release (51.2%, Archives, Bourbon Hogshead, C#758, 207b)

Nose: so inky! This is 1974-Ardbeg territory, with ink-stained fishing nets, hot water bottles and warmed (microwaved) blankets.
Mouth: soft and fresh, it has citrus and, while I try to identify those, oyster mushrooms come up unexpectedly, doused in ink.
Finish: it is incredibly inky again. India ink, black as night.
Comment: special juice that is hard to beat. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, MD)

53.484 14yo 2011/2025 Burn a sprig of rosemary (56.8%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 171b)

Nose: drying fishing nets, cockles, mussels, wet sand and mud patties.
Mouth: sea water, mussels, mussel compote (if you know, you know), whelks and periwinkle paste.
Finish: powerful, reliable, it dishes out sand, ink, crustaceans and molluscs, tarry sands and candyfloss.
Comment: this is excellent. It is also fantastic to see it hold its own after its venerable ancestor. 8/10

MD: "The only problem [with Caol Ila] is that, between 13-14yo and 20yo, it's wasted years. What should they do? Bottle it now, or wait another twelve years?"

After taking a while to count how many drams we are entitled to and how much each one is, we never get to try 153.4 we had selected. I will only realise tomorrow. That said, they are closing shop, we leave last again, or almost, and I certainly have had enough to drink for one night. Also, they likely undercharged us for the Basque Country, so no complaint other than we did not keep track as well as we should have.

Solid outturn.

02/08/2025 August outturn at the SMWS

It has been a wee while, has it not? GT, PS and Dr. CD are naturally here when JS and I land. Cue recommendations, which is always useful.

44.175 17yo d.2005 Kiss me Pedro! (56.4%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead + 2nd Fill ex-PX Hogshead Finish, 204b): nose: we have oily woods (mahogany, teak), prunes and dried dates. It has vanilla and caramel cream at second sniff, with a drop of cream coffee too. The second nose has hot brass. That is original! Mouth: it dishes out the faint bitterness of cream coffee indeed. Further on, it is torched sticky toffee pudding. Chewing adds the steam from a La Marzocco being cleaned, which is to say hot metal, remnants of coffee smells, and steam. The second sip confirms the cream coffee. It is well balanced. Finish: long, warm, part sweet, part bitter. It leaves the mouth in the same state a slice of sponge cake topped with caramel would. JS finds pepper or some other spice alongside cold cuts. The second gulp is similar, crispy-burnt mocha sponge cake at the death. Water renders this somewhat fruitier. 7/10

71.110 13yo d.2011 Fresh out of the oven (61.2%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead + 1st Fill ex-Oloroso Barrique FInish, 262b): JS chooses this because of the name, which makes her think of bread out of the oven (oooh!) Nose: wide and buttery. Here is Saint Louis gooey butter cake burnt in the oven and that has turned pretty crispy. Of course, that makes no sense: the point of a gooey butter cake is that it is gooey. Maybe a few grains of ground mocha on top. It is drier on the second nose, almost dried ink and sand. Mouth: big and powerful, it feels a lot stronger than the previous dram (and, looking closely, it is). We detect heated apricot eau-de-vie or liqueur (it is too thick to be an eau-de-vie, really). The second sip is juicier, while still very hot. Simmering marmalade sweating in a torched tin cap. Finish: big on arrival, it grows bigger and bigger, with hot caramel, caffè corretto (more corretto than caffè), and hot metal trays. The second gulp is fruitier, all piping-hot apricots. 7/10

JS and I move tables to let newcomers join the lads. YM arrives a bit later on.

GT: "Are you okay, there?"
tOMoH: "I feel left out. But really, it allows me to focus on the drams."
GT: "Bet you can still hear PS!"
tOMoH: "Oh yeah."
GT: "Can you hear me?"
tOMoH: "I can hear you are talking. I cannot hear all the words."
GT: "Good answer!"

PS offers a round.

36.228 28yo d.1996 Tales of the Worm Tub: The snaking coil (47%, SMWS The Creators Collection, 1st Fill American Oak + PX Hogshead Finish, 222b): oh! So floral. Honeysuckle and rosehip frolic with roasted apples and baked peaches. Wow. Cherries and Mirabelle plums follow, more  honeysuckle, lychee, magnolias... Did anyone mention honeysuckle? The second nose has chocolate éclairs with a topping of fruity-pine-y cream rather than chocolate, and pineapple shavings in a lemon custard. Mouth: perfect balance, mellow, silky, it is full of flower petals and fruit slices (pear, apple, guava, lychee). The second sip brings pineapple acidity and sweet citrus to boot -- Ugli fruit, calamansi, citron. Finish: behaved, yet long-lasting. It leaves quite an impression. It is creamy as mango (the texture, not the taste). We have baked-peach flesh melting on the tongue. Repeated quaffing decreases the acidity and the fruitiness which tend to go hand in hand. This is on such a different level, compared with the first two drams, that it is comical. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, PS)

Cheese board served. Huge slabs of cheese
with only six puny crackers. I ask for a couple more
and receive twelve. :-D

35.410 19yo 2006/2025 Don't hurry this one... (55.8%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead + 1st Fill ex-Oloroso Barrique Finish, 271b): nose: here, we have fine tobacco, crushed pinecones, and what comes across as preserved lemons, a little briny, a little sweet, and a little acidic. It may well have a drop of diluted ink too. Mouth: it is more wine-y here, sweet, yet also tannic. Rather punchy too, surprisingly enough. We note pickled onions, maybe. Finish: long, big, briny. This is full of pickled red onions, onion relish, and a lick of wood varnish or oil. It does not improve much with water; wood oil turns into nail lacquer. I am not really convinced by this one. 6/10

66.258 26yo d.1998 Wood-smoked walnut gâteau (51.2%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead + 2nd Fill ex-Shiraz Barrique Finish, 237b): nose: incense smoke, ash, burnt balsa wood, a pinch of dry earth, albeit much less than could be expected of this distillery. Further sniffs have hay so dry it is falling into dust, as well as extremely-dry shortcrust. It develops leather, in the long run. Mouth: hot at once, it soon reveals dried cherry slices fallen into mud. The second sip is more charred, with burnt paper, charred fruits (acidic pineapple, this time) and old newspapers after a trip in the open fire. Finish: some fruits here too (cherry and pineapple), chargrilled and turning black. It has the bitterness of black ash, paper burnt to a crisp, and parchment paper after it has been under the oven's grill. Decent. 7/10

149.19 9yo d.2015 Out with the gherkin, in with the brine (61.7%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 190b): nose: heavily peated to this nose, this is muddy -- crusted mud, lumps of mud stuck on boot soles. Indeed, it has a whiff of new rubber soles. Then, suddenly, it is all billowing cigar smoke, burnt banana leaves and smoky Kaffir lime leaves. The second nose adds pine-y influences, needles and cones, as well as smoked vanilla custard (or smoked-vanilla custard, who knows?) Mouth: white pepper on hot custard, sawdust, cork shavings and something green. It has smoked orchard fruits too that do not dominate at all. Finish: long and peppery, it has the tingle of ginger without the taste, galangal and cinnamon. It is the numbing effect of those, not the taste. The smoke is much more subdued, here, more a feature of a leafy whole, but it is there alright. Repeated quaffing adds smoked seaweed too. Solid. 7/10

Sadly, they are out of 162.4. Hm.