02/09/2026 Caskmasters 2026 London at the SMWS

The Society is organising something new, tonight. Here is the blurb:

Caskmaster is a blind tasting championship designed to test your palate like never before. This new challenge will kick off with heats across all four of our UK Members’ Rooms this summer.

Here’s how it works:

At your chosen heat, you’ll have 30 minutes to nose and taste eight carefully selected Society drams. Your task is to correctly identify each whisky from a lineup of nine whiskies.

The top five finalists at each heat will be revealed live on the night with each securing their place in the Grand Final later this year.

Your ticket includes eight 15ml sample drams and a Society supper, with the chance to progress to the Grand Final on Thursday 12 November at The Vaults.

Aside from the coveted title, the Grand Final champion will receive a lifetime membership to The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in addition to a place on a Speyside tour courtesy of Coppercairn from 12 to 15 March 2027.

Sounds like fun. JS, SOB and YM clearly think the same, because they are all here. As are twenty-or-so other people I do not recognise.

It is a fast-paced affair, during which I take only minimal notes (Bourbon barrel, greasy peat, wine and vinegar, sherbet... That sort of notes), because what counts is giving the right answers in the allotted time. At the end, I will transfer what is left of my drams (most of it) into vials to try them at a more-leisurely pace and in a different order (3, 4, 5, 8, 7, 6, 2, 1) later on. The below is the result of those later leisurely tastings.

On the night

Later on

Dram #1

Nose: heady and plum-y. There are darker fruits at play, myrtles, blueberries, hints of elderberries. Then, we progress towards bread -- a sourdough loaf coming out of the oven (oooh!) and a shortcrust that is slightly too well done, or a blueberry cheesecake, also baked for too long. Deeper nosing unearths oily Brazil nuts, perhaps soaking in prune syrup. The second nose insists on the bakery scents, with crusty bread and turnovers, browned fruit pies, burnt waffles and brown-bread mixed-seed baguette. Mouth: prune syrup it is indeed, sweet, a trifle nutty, and, well, fruity. The heat becomes faintly apparent upon chewing, even several drams in (remember I try them in a different order later on), a generous pour of red-chilli soaking water onto blueberries and prunes. It has a minute bitterness, in the long run -- nothing to complain about. Perhaps grape pips or plum stones. The second sip seems a tad sharper, bitterer; green grapes or blackberries that are not quite ripe enough yet. Once again, though, it is hardly worth complaining about. Sweetness is swiftly restored. Finish: thick, coating, this is a fruity sangria made of fortified wine. At the same time, there is nothing sickly about it. It is balanced, welcoming, and it has the mouthfeel of a blueberry cheesecake overflowing with berries. The second gulp achieves a remarkable journey through the stages of ripeness, from underdone green grapes to dark plums falling apart under their own weight. It ends up settling for blueberry clafoutis.

Comment: I do identify this one on the night. Yay.

41.191 13yo 2013/2026 Zingy Stardust (57.2%, SMWS Society Two To One, 2 x ex-Bourbon Hogsheads finished in 1st Fill ex-Bourbon & Oloroso Hogsheads, 592b) 7/10 (I finally try this on 07/09/2026)

Dram #2

Nose: strongly peaty, this has greasy earth and greased-up deaf guy leather jackets, Barbour grease, rich soil and lubricated rifles. Did I say it is greasy? It has a gentle note of heated seal wax, perhaps a fireplace in a kitchen, yet the peat manifests itself mostly in the form of earth or rich soil. Some metal lubricant appears a little later, a spray of WD-40 or similar, as do cold cuts, more boiled ham or mortadella than smoked ham or dried sausage -- we stay firmly in greasy territory. Perhaps nut-filled blood sausage? We go back to greased-up leather, though. The second nose has more earth, black pudding, crispy, sticking to the pan, and charred bulgogi. Mouth: burning-hot gingerbread is the first thing that comes out. Half-a-chew reveals wine-cured meat, roast beef or the likes. It remains oily, but comes across as very wine-y, now; mulled wine and the spices that go with that: star anise, cinnamon sticks, yet little-if-any clove. Stewed berries come to the rescue (lingonberries, cranberries, cherries), with a few orange segments thrown in for good measure. Only insistent chewing stirs up some smoke from a rustic-kitchen wood stove. The second sip carries on with the wine vibe. It is fruity, a little over the top, really, and earthy. It flirts with the tertiary, though never reaches that stage. On the other hand it adopts a smoked-salmon aspect, oily and smoky more than it is fishy. Finish: stewed berries and a drop of ink. It is not an old Caol Ila, nor an ancient Ardbeg, but there is some ink alright. Smoked plums, charred prunes, and earth, earth, earth. We are really left as if we had just swallowed a shovelful of dark, greasy earth. The 'dark' side may well be enhanced by a pinch of tarry soot, but earth dominates. The second gulp is assertively earthy, juggling smoke and berries behind its back for moral support. Competent effort, despite a possible lack of subtlety.

Comment: the one bold peater of the lot. We are given a choice of three peaty references and I get this one right too.

16.105 12yo d.2013 Neat and tidy (62.8%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Sherry Hogshead, 321b) 7/10 (I finally try this on 07/09/2026)

Dram #3

Nose: enticing nose that delivers custard, lemon pulp and pine-wood shavings. This has to be a Bourbon barrel, surely. Further on, we find smoked pineapple, grapefruit zest and a drop of... What is it, exactly? It feels like wine, at first, but quickly morphs into something else; wood oil, then solsonggju (Korean pine liqueur). We then proceed towards a mechanic's rags stained with engine grease, and there is even a soft metallic edge to this, unless it is candied papaya cubes. The second nose mixes citrus juice and a generic cleaning spray; it comes across as fresh and welcoming. If any metal remains, it is overpowered by the white-wood cutting board it rests on. Mouth: metallic and fruity in equal parts, this definitely has candied papaya cubes on arrival, augmented with a lick of pencil-sharpener blade. Chewing unveils royal-blue ink, including a minor bitterness, then opens fruitier tastescapes, with unripe mango, green banana and unripe pomelo. Indeed, it is bitterer than sweet, just like unripe fruit. The second sip is as fruity, acidic, and seems to have shaken off most of the metal. We have bitter zest sprinkled with sherbet and a few pine needles. Finish: past a slightly-stunning alcohol bite, it unfolds wave of fruits after wave of fruits. At first, those carry ripe sweet citrus (calamansi, yuzu, Buddha's hand), while later ones revert back to unripe citrus (pomelo, clementine) and green banana. In other words, we go from acidic-sweet to acidic-bitter. All the same, a spoonful of lime custard sticks to the back of the throat. The second gulp is in line: fruity and acidic. The earlier bitterness makes way for a numbing quality, and the tongue feels as though it had been slapped with a wooden plank.

Comment: even the general, colour-coded profile, I get wrong, on this one.

113.82 15yo d.2010 Whisky gobstopper (55.5%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 157b) 7/10 (I finally try this on 04/09/2026)

Dram #4

Nose: a bold Sherry maturation, with tawed leather, Barbour jackets under the rain, soaked prunes, potting soil wet with peach nectar, and liquid shoe polish. It could have turned heady, but it remains elegant, even if it walks a tightrope. A couple of minutes in, we have waxed walnut (the wood, not the nut), whether that is rustic armchairs or polished dashboards, and mushrooms that have released most of their water in the pan. The second nose is closer to fortified wine; all the fruits above are here in liqueur form. It overpowers everything else, apart from chocolate coulis. Mouth: ooft! It is sweet. Overly sweet. Sticky raisins, prunes, dried figs, dried cherries and cranberries. Chewing adds a gentle savoury nuance reminiscent of the gravy in a steak-and-ale pie. It is thick, coating, perhaps not as cloying as treacle, but not that far off either. It really is gravy and compote, ready to be served with a roast. The second sip confirms the chocolate coulis from the nose. Liqueur-infused strawberries topped with dark chocolate coulis. It could quickly turn sickly, this. Finish: the gravy is almost chocolate-y, here. Raisins, waterproofing grease for leather, wood buried under a layer of dark wax, mushrooms and the pan in which they were fried, deglazed with a generous dash of Madeira wine. The second gulp has melted dark chocolate, and smashed strawberries join pressed raisins... on a millstone! That is right: it has a faint mineral touch too. It dies with the bitterness of fruit stones and pips.

Comment: on reveal, it turns out I guess 4 for 5 and 5 for 4. This is an unpeated Inchmoan, which is one of the peated makes of Loch Lomond. It makes no sense.

135.73 16yo d.2008 Yellow bellies and gingernuts (54.5%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 1st Fill STR Barrique with New Toasted Heads, 237b) 6/10 (I finally try this on 04/09/2026)

Dram #5

Nose: this is dry. Hay bales in the barn and coffee fumes. A few minutes' breathing transforms that into a freshly-watered planter, or a forest clearing after a light rain. That spells petrichor, I suppose. Moist soil, at any rate. We come back to coffee and add pains au chocolat, hot on the tin tray. An earthy number indeed. The second nose has caramel rice puffs, nail varnish and even a drop of brine in the middle of an identity crisis: it does not know if it wants to preserve in salty or in sugary water, or to be a salty or sugary preservative. Sweetness definitely wins upon repeated sniffing. Mouth: a bold sweetness punches above its weight. Sultanas, Smyrna raisins. How unexpected, after that nose! Chewing simply increases the sweetness, turns it into honey, one in which bush flowers are soaking (lilac, forsythia). Forsythia is right, as it ends up developing a mild bitterness that is mostly obfuscated by the smashed-sultana sweetness, mind! The second sip has yellow fortified wine, if such a thing exists -- imagine physalis liqueur, perhaps. Chewing dials up the sweetness, yet it becomes gravel-y, after a while. Genuine mineral power, or numbness? Who knows? Finish: the sweet madness continues. Dried gooseberries, sultanas, dried strawberries and lily-of-the-valley coated in honey. More and more petals come up, in the long run, taking this to the floral side, which is a surprise, after the earthy nose. I am tempted to guess it is from a Manzanilla cask, but none is advertised. The second gulp feels as if it had licked raw granite and the tonsils capture a pronounced bitterness (chicory, cold coffee, mocha, dandelion stem) that tries (and fails) to hide behind a shroud of honey.

Comment: on reveal, it turns out I guess 4 for 5 and 5 for 4.

68.139 16yo d.2009 Sparkling Spanish sangria (57.3%, SMWS Two To One, 2 x ex-Bourbon Hogsheads finished in 1st Fill ex-Oloroso Butt, 528b) 7/10 (I finally try this on 04/09/2026) 

Dram #6

Nose: this one has pollen and cosmetic powders, sherbet and scented flour -- scented with a dash of orange-blossom water, that is. That turns woodier, all of a sudden, and we enjoy essence of hinoku, rosewood and litchi chinensis. This is a fragrance dispenser giving calming aromas and essential oils. Very elegant, hinting at Japan, in a way. The second nose is as powdery, which is astonishing. Peaches, turnovers covered in confectionary sugar, Sunride-grapefruit zest, sherbet, peach-flavoured candy floss, and, only in the background do we see shades of fragrant wood. Mouth: it carries on with the woody tones and balances a dead-branch bitterness that is never plank-y with cut yellow fruits, such as nectarines (not fully ripe). Chewing adds a few leaves, but that does not spoil the creamy texture at all. Daffodil petals provide a silky, cushion-y touch. The second sip injects a pinch of chalk (or talcum powder, really) and surfs on the same fruity wave as earlier. It is warm, not spicy. Finish: it steps firmly into the flowery world, here. Daffodils, forsythia, irises. That said, it also has notes of juicy peach, nectarine (riper than before) and Mirabelle plum, as well as lychee or rambutan. We find a hint of rosewood too, and other woods. In fact, we are enjoying a cup of orange-blossom tea and sliced nectarines, while soaking in a hinoku bathtub. Life could be a lot worse. The second gulp is even more delicious, warm, fruity, buttery. We have peach turnovers and cut nectarines in a warm custard.

Comment: this one, I guess correctly. YM does not like it and guesses, correctly, that it is the Paul John because he has never had one that he liked.

134.19 6yo d.2017 Mango muscovado memento (58.4%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 187b) 8/10 (I finally try this on 07/09/2026)

Dram #7

Nose: oily nuts and peppery pastrami, smoked salmon, pastramied salmon, cured meat and wood-fire smoke. A drop of nail varnish joins the dance too, then we have a leather jacket and a game pouch. It has a hunter allure, really, though more the gear and outdoorsy outfits than the kills themselves. Leather morphs into smoke, game pouches into dried earth, leather grease into gunpowder and ashes. Fruit stone ashes, singed peach flesh. We spot caramelised lingonberry compote too. The second nose is the wooden interior of a small fishing boat, since it now has a discreet saltiness mixing with varnish and old paint. In the long run, we perceive weathered metallic instruments. Mouth: it arrives on the tongue with fortified wine and a berry liqueur, nut oil and redgrapes. Chewing shovels a heap of dried earth onto that, adds oily wood (redwood) and spices (gochujang comes to mind). It is bold, warm, woody and oily alright. The second sip seems even stronger. It is milky, borderline creamy, has many a smashed berry, earth, but also a lively chilli paste or chilli oil. Melted chocolate blends with that chilli oil. Ha! Finish: more fruit, here, with red grapes, mulberries, cranberries, some in a sauce, some not, and a hefty serving of chilli paste poured onto scorched earth for a proper warming effect. It develops clementine juice at second gulp, albeit one in which Thai red chillies have soaked overnight. The more one sips this, the closer it gets to a dash of liqueur heated in a zinc spoon with a lighter. Odd.

Comment: many find this strongly peaty. I do not, but it does have an earthy character. I guess it right based on the final cask type.

71.118 19yo 2007/2026 Peat-a-boo! (59.4%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Barrel finished in 1st Fill STR ex-Oloroso Barrique, 216b) 7/10 (I finally try this on 07/09/2026)

Dram #8

Nose: we have crusty chocolate-and-orange sponge cake and muffin with the same taste, slightly overdone. Unexpectedly, chalk dust follows, or antibacterial chalk, to be precise, and a pinch of mocha grounds. Deeper nosing adds a lick of fortified wine, with soaked raisins and prune juice, as well as oily wood bark. It alternates between dry and juicy in a subtle way. The second nose adds all sorts of fragrant tree barks -- eucalyptus, cypress, orange tree, apple tree. Mouth: it is immediately spicy, as fiery red chilli peppers, even if it cools down fairly swiftly. Past that, we find melted chocolate punctuated with herbs, which is to say it has a lovely chocolate-y, creamy texture and a vegetal bitterness too that could be citrus foliage. Chewing confirms the latter and adds zest and mixed peel, the sugar of which renders the palate quite moreish, if hot. The second sip is almost as spicy, but that is now balanced by a clean fruitiness. Orange, certainly, yet also apples, now, warm apple juice, in fact. Perhaps apple turnovers on a white-hot tin baking tray. Finish: it is sweet, here. Mixed peel and marmalade. Indeed, it does not lack bitterness, just like a good Seville-orange marmalade. A long finish, warming, comforting enough, it keeps that bitter edge, flirting with warm metal, and that may not be for everyone. The second gulp revises the chocolate-y flames and enhances it with cut apple slices and grated green grapes and green chilli.

Comment: I manage to swap 3 for 8 and get it wrong as a result. Bah.

108.77 15yo d.2010 Fifty shades of earl grey (63.9%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Barrel finished in 1st Fill #3 Char Barrel, 216b) 7/10 (I finally try this on 06/09/2026)

Food enters while the scores are added.

Good, copious, adequately greasy, if a little meat-heavy

The presenters are gobsmacked. This is the best-scoring session in the whole country. Considering the number of serious whisky geeks in the city, I find it hardly surprising. It is always amusing to see the Scots' preconceived ideas put right: enthusiasts in London tend to be more aware than those in Scotland. After all, they drink much more Buckfast and vodka than whisky, north of Hadrian's Wall, from what I have observed.

They then announce the scores.

SM: "I will read the name and the matching score, if that's okay."
JP: "In reverse order!"
SM: "Joe Bloggs?"
Joe Bloggs: "Yes!"
SM: "Thank you for taking part!"

Room. In. Stitches.

SOB and JS score 3; I score 5; YM scores 6. The winner scores 7 (out of 9). There are three 6 and two 5. With the 7, that makes six people. Only the top five will go to the final, so there will be a tie-breaker upstairs.

That is right,: I make it to the second round. It is even more fast-paced and I take even fewer notes. I am out of vials, which means I will not try those later.

The five of us competing for places 2 to 5 are told that this second round is not timed (there is no time limit, despite the rules saying it is a five-minute thing), but we are timed (in case of a tie, the fastest answer will prevail). I mean, the rules also say notes are not allowed, but they provide a notepad and a pen. Go figure.

To distract the spectators, they serve dessert, profiteroles and macarons, of which I take no picture.

Dram #1

Comment: I am convinced this is 59.108, which we tried recently. It is not. A second pass will embarrassingly reveal an entirely-different profile too. From dark and heavy to something lighter and more ethereal. 

122.85 12yo 2013/2025 (60.5%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 202b)

Dram #2

Comment: the distillate is, again, so obfuscated by wood-management shenanigans that I fail to recognise one of my favourite distilleries. Worse: I truly believe, incorrectly, that it is 121.126, which we had last month. This one is not my thing at all.

46.167 12yo 2014/2026 See the wood for the trees (58.1%, SMWS Two To One, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 1st Fill Bodega ex-PX & 1st Fill ex-Ruby Port Barrique, 547b)

Dram #3

Comment: another one hidden behind three different types of casks and, therefore, unidentifiable. Except I should recognise it because we had it last month. Bleh.

59.108 14yo 2012/2026 Veritably vivacious (57.4%, SMWS Two to One, 1st Fill ex- Bourbon Hogshead & 1st Fill American Oak ex-Oloroso Hogshead, 572b)

Poor show on this second round. I am the worst scorer and end up in sixth place. Only the top five will go to the finals, so that is me out of the competition. Worst of all, though, the fifth place goes to a Frenchman. That hurts my national pride.

Well done, everyone! YM finishes second which is very impressive. When I congratulate him, he tells me: "It's really luck. Had they chosen bottlings from ten years ago, when they were matured for longer in refill casks, someone like you would have had an unfair advantage. You could have pinpointed the distillery characteristics, maybe even [guessed] the specific bottling."

Class answer. Best wishes for the final!

Note for next time: no point paying attention to the official tasting notes. They are sometimes funny, but usually do not match my perception at all. It is also time consuming to read them.

25/06/2026 Cask Trade x Watches of Switzerland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Score: 7/10

Buffet, here I come!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Comment: nice.

Score: 7/10

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

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

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

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

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

Score: 7/10

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

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

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

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

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

Score: 9/10

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

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

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

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

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

Score: 7/10

At the entrance table:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Score: 7/10

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

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

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

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

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

Score: 6/10

Another punter approaches me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Score: 7/10

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

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

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

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

Comment: another good selection, TM!

Score: 8/10

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

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

02/03/2026 Unfinished business MkII (Part 2)

Dailuaine 46yo 1973/2019 (45.1%, Hunter Laing Old & Rare A Platinum Selection, 231b, b#151): nose: one sniff and it is heaven already! Green grapes, sultanas and a crisp Chablis. This is light, ethereal and very, very fruity. One could explore this for hours and never suspect how long it has spent maturing in oak, so fresh and vibrant it is. At the same time, it is not without complexity -- far from it! It has a whiff of brine and a minute wood scent limited to an oiled kitchen table made of birch. Then, it is waxy (Mirabelle) plums and physalis, unripe apricot displayed on a hay bale, a pair of wellies worn once or twice indoors (to try them on, you know), distant cheese (Pié d'Angloys, freshly wrapped)… Yes, between the hay and the freshly-made cheese, it develops a countryside allure, for a bit. It is not long before we are enjoying white wine again, however. Tilting the glass adds raisin soaking water to the mix. The second nose is fruitier yet, with baked Mirabelle plums, apricot jelly stewing in a cauldron, and distant forsythia (which is a flower, not a fruit, I know). We still detect that subtle cheese reference, now closer to Brie, still not overly ripe. It must be a British cheeseboard: soft-rind cheese, not very ripe, a bunch of grapes (green and dark, now) and a celery stick, fresh, fruity, vaguely nutty and, well, cheesy. Mouth: mellow, it prolongs the wine-like quality of the nose with squashed grapes (skin on), plum skins (which hints at orange wine) and fortified wine -- Fino comes to mind, though not as mineral; Manzanilla? Chewing pours sultana soaking water on the lot -- water that was warmed on a wood fire. It grows a soft bitterness, likely sultana stems that were also soaked in the same water, candlewax, plastic grapes... This is insanely good! The second sip appears more acidic; it has a dash of orange wine, cut grapes soaked in said wine, and an ashy touch that each chew amplifies. To say it is burnt-vine ash may be a stretch of the imagination, but it still comes across as fruity, ashy green grapes, in a Sauvignon-blanc kind of way. Finish: warming and comforting it still retains that fruity, waxy freshness. Grapes, real and plastic-y, both green. It has a tiny dryness akin to that left by a glass of Fino, and a sprinkle of ashes. It is a long finish, strangely plastic-y, waxy, fruity. Once more, one would be hard pressed to guess that this has spent forty-six years in oak, so unwoody it is. Brie rind re-enters, timidly, which suggests a faint lactic-acid note. The second gulp drops beach pebbles into the wine, polished by millennia of tides, yet with none of the salt. It is resolutely grape-like in flavour: a drop of white-wine vinegar and grape-pip oil complement the grape-y story. On the late tip, the finish introduces warmed prunes, darker, earthier and a little hairier, reminiscent of Madeira or Pedro Ximénez, rather than Fino or Manzanilla. Amazing. 10/10

Glen Grant 46yo 1966/2013 (45%, Gordon & MacPhail specially bottled to celebrate Gordon & MacPhail being awarded The Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade, Sherry Hogsheads, C#5062+5063+6717, AC/ACBH): nose: this is less shy with the wood and shows its age a bit more clearly. We suffer a slap of rancio, then catch oiled shelves made of oak, a pile of logs for the fire, and woodworm-riddled old doors to secret cellars. Little by little, that opens up and allows other aromas to filter through: blue- and blackberry jams, amber honey setting slowly, embers cooling off, and dried currants stored in a yellow corrugated-plastic container (think of that brand of cocoa powder). Breathing time makes this nose more discreet, save for the embers, which become warmer, augmented with cut plums and blueberries. We also spot hazelnut paste smeared on a wooden cutting board. The second nose unfolds an odd mix of pipe tobacco, chalky masonry dust, grout, grated prune, charred wood and musty clay from a mushroom cave. What a ride! Mouth: rancio it is! Prunes, syrup, a pinch of dark earth. Chewing exposes just how sweet this is: it explodes with rehydrated raisins, before moving to dried figs and dates, which is to say earthier dried fruits. Madeira wine joins the party, as do stewed grapes, a spoonful of dark honey, and raisins and currants aplenty. The second sip converts raisins into sultanas and Smyrna, and adds preserved ginger slices dripping with syrup. Retro-nasal olfaction picks up whispers of tropical fruits (dried mango slices, dried apricots) and oily Virginia tobacco. The palate is now both sweet and gently smoky, which, if unexpected, works very well. Repeated sipping brings forth chewing tobacco and a lick of tannins to supplement the sultanas that remain the loudest. Finish: it continues in the same mood: a cascade of raisins and prunes (though no syrup, this time), earthy, borderline rubbery. Honestly, there is less wood involved, here, perhaps a gentle patina, or a build up of dark honey. It shows a thin bitterness, yet namedropping coffee would be inaccurate. At a push, Mokatine would be closer -- or caramel. Lastly, we have Paxarette and oily-tobacco pouches made of worn-out soft leather. Despite all that, this is the first dram of the series in which the dilution is noticeable, if one wants to be pernickety about it. Although absolutely not weak or thin, it feels less coating, even at the commendable strength of 45%. The second gulp pours a drop of green-grape syrup on Virginia tobacco, spreads honey onto the seat of a rustic Condroz chair, and mixes sultanas with earthier, rootier candied ginger. It may be a bit behind the previous dram, but larger gulps elevate this from very good to excellent. I like it better than the first time. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

99.13 31yo 1980/2011 Exotic scenes in a Bedouin tent (43.8%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 98b): nose: tasted blindly, one would be excused for thinking this is another Sherry maturation. It has got rancio and pickle brine more pronounced than any of the preceding drams, some of which were from Sherry casks. That said, pickled pearl onions quickly fade away and make room for rows of books on honey-golden wooden shelves, followed by toasted sourdough and almond butter. Each sniff reveals deeper meaning as the honey jar divulges plastic tubs of chocolate spread, itself giving way to wooden cutting boards, followed by baked papaya and lukewarm tin cans. It then drops a dollop of mild mustard onto the papaya, before coming back to tin -- this time, tin cutlery used to cut the papaya on a slate. What emerges the most is the knife grating against the slate. In the background, surreptitiously, a baked mango rises. It never shouts, content to satisfy only the inquisitive noser. The second nose has tobacco (cigar leaves, to be precise) and faded aromatic herbs (marjoram, rosemary twigs, thyme brush, lovage seeds) -- oh! nothing brash, really; it is as subtle as possible. In fact, it could be tumbleweeds. That all turns fresher, more vibrant, at some point: mint or sage twigs, dry lime leaves. Tobacco follows closely, then quince jelly, less sweet than membrillo. Mouth: velvety on entry, it feels calm yet complete. The modest ABV is largely sufficient, and the fact it went down naturally, rather than by adding water, gives the impression it kicks more than the previous dram, despite the lower strength. Chewing opens the floodgates to honey, chocolate spread and mango paste. One may be tempted to say fig relish, yet it is not as sweet, and certainly does not have the pips that would give such relish texture. Suddenly and without warning, the whole mouth is filled with a gentle smoke -- smoke from burning fruit-tree wood, toaster smoke (where sourdough touches the resistance), grilled fruits. The second sip has a noticeable lick of metal. Then, it reignites the pickled-pearl-onion fire, albeit briefly: that soon turns into moist cigar leaves and tropical fruits, as if one were alternating between drinking fruit juice from a tin cup and sucking on an unlit cigar. Exquisite, I say. Repeated sipping suggests a blend of Fino and Riesling. Finish: it is an explosion of slightly-smoky fruit jams that splatters dusty old metal (zinc or cast iron). Mango skins rubbed on a zinc plate, papaya in a galvanised-steel bucket, a puff of smoke from a canal-boat's boiler room, dried cranberries with a dusting of ground cumin, candied cubed papaya and cubeb. The second gulp cranks up the cigar impression; it has dry smoke, but also nicotine and, once again, tOMoH is pushed to think of Paxarette, for some reason, although it is more likely oily tobacco in a tea bag and a spoonful of elderberry or prickle-pear jelly. The smoke is increasingly acrid while remaining soft, overall, and the whole feels a tad acidic to boot. Smoky quince jelly kept in a faded-suede pouch, probably. Imagine filling an Aosta wineskin with quince jelly, then blowing cigar smoke into it -- ha! ha! Look, I could write another ten pages about this, but what would the point be? It is better than last time, if that is possible. No wonder it made me fall in love with the distillery, when it was released. 10/10

27/11/2025 St Andrew's Day Whisky Tasting

JS and I are lucky enough to be invited to another Cask Trade event -- this time in the swish Mall Galleries.

We arrive on the late tip and socialise a lot. We try to make the whiskies count.

Dailuaine 40yo 1983/2023 (54%, Wilson & Morgan Barrel Selection, 1/2 x Sherry Butt, C#701, 297b, b#017, W&M484)

Nose: it has a touch of metal, some shoe polish and membrillo spread on soft leather. Perhaps we spot strawberry coulis too.
Mouth: figs, dark quince paste, dried dates and a lick of leather. It is fairly sweet, but mostly dark -- dark dried figs, prunes and a twist of the black-pepper mill.
Finish: long, generous and fruity, it has a dried-fig paste mixed with orange rinds and a dark chocolate spread. The second sip brings a woodier note of teak plane shavings and toasted sourdough.
Comment: this is pretty good, even if JS is less taken. Hard to accept the price-to-quality ratio, though, whatever the price may be. Considering Wilson & Morgan packaged this in a classy decanter, it is probably not cheap (looking around, RRP ~2400 EUR). 8/10

Tullibardine 18yo 2007/2025 Mellow Melon (54.4%, Highlander Inn Maggie's Collection exclusively bottled for Friends With Drams, C#27, 100b)

Nose: suede and all sorts of leather-processing products, whatever solution they use to soften the hides, for example. Then, we have colour crayons and wax. Further nosing brings a whiff of unexpected sea air -- unless it is from a fast-flowing river. In any case, it is vapourised water droplets.
Mouth: Bright and waxy, reminiscent of apricot or nectarine skins, it still does not shake off its leathery side entirely.
Finish: long and fruity, with a fistful of hay and balls of ginger-cat hair.
Comment: tasty! 7/10

Ardnamurchan 5yo 2019/2025 (58.1%, Cadenhead, Oloroso Cask, 636b)

Nose: wood glue, walnut stain, carbonyl. Later on, we have decaying-wood dust and soot. Later yet, we find some plastic and a Bulgomme table protector.
Mouth: oily in texture, it is cola-like in taste, pumped with liquid gingerbread. It is at once mellow and powerful, which is odd.
Finish: earth, flat cola, crushed bay leaves and green peppermint, followed by dried twigs of lemongrass. It is a long, cola-driven finish.
Comment: my favourite, so far. 8/10

JS: "Sooty sausages? Is that a euphemism for what happens in a gay club?"
tOMoH: "Chimney-sweeping is what happens in a gay club."

Pulteney 11yo b.2025 (46%, Cask Trade Cask & Crust, Refill Barrel, C#504182)

Nose: ooft! this is cheesy. Gouda, Maredsous, Tomme des Pyrénées, Port Salut. Remarkable. The last time I met such a cheesy profile was with an Ardmore by the Thompson Bros. and it was not the same sort of cheeses at all. This has a drop of blue ink too that does not change the fact this is mostly the playground of Tomme des Pyrénées, with a whisper of smoke and some subtle farm-y peat.
Mouth: dry, squeaky as a halloumi and a bit rough, really.
Finish: a lick of wood polish and the plastic/wax skin around a medium-soft cheese (Port Salut, Tomme des Pyrénées, Maredsous, young Gouda).
Comment: what an oddball! Interesting, good, terrible... Everyone will have their opinion. The one thing it is not is boring. 6/10

Ben Nevis 15yo b.2025 (46%, Cask Trade Cask & Crust, Refill Barrel, C#900024)

Nose: peaches and cosmetic powder. tOMoH certainly did not expect such a tantalising fruitiness from something of this age.
Mouth: mellow, fruity, it has peaches and cosmetic powder again.
Finish: very fruity once more, peachy, it has the warmth of a reliable sheepskin rug.
Comment: lovely surprise! 8/10

Glengoyne 1997/2024 (46.3%, Malts of Scotland 20, Sherry Hogshead, C#MoS25033, 180b, b#176)

Nose: earthy fruits, dried dates, dried figs, empty coconut shells. The second nose injects smashed dark strawberries into the mix.
Mouth: it switches the light off, here. Dark mushrooms, cola, dried figs. The second sip adds berries -- smashed strawberries, blackcurrants, perhaps blueberries too, mildly bitter and earthy.
Finish: this finish is so earthy! Mushrooms in soil, porcini powder, which presents a subtle bitterness. It is a long finish, earthy and berry-laden at second gulp (myrtles, blackcurrants, blackberries). Repeated quaffing introduces rotting wood and cork. They are discreet, yet some may be bothered by them.
Comment: delicious... in small doses. 8/10

We are booted out along with everybody else. Actually, we were allowed inside far longer than most.

Thanks, Cask Trade! Great to catch up.

The whole shindig was organiseed
for the launch of this collection

20/10/2025 Dailuaine

Dailuaine d1971 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice, b. ca. 1989): this one does not have a bottle code either, but detective work hints at a late-1980s bottling. Nose: brine and cardboard. Let us wait for a while... Well, even after breathing for fifteen minutes, it remains briny -- more so, in fact: it now has pickles and gherkins. There are flashes of cardboard that take us towards glossy photographs (remember those?), but it is pickle-y first and foremost. Spilled ink joins a little later, as do wet blotting paper and boiled-potato cooking water. Hm. The second nose has grated beef-stock cube, Bovril, stewed oxtail. That disappears as surreptitiously as it came and leaves dusty cardboard behind. Mouth: sweet, it offers stale caramel and faded toffee to accompany pickle brine spilled on cardboard. Chewing increases the sweetness, brings up fudge and Scottish tablet. It drops boozy toffee, and sprinkles cracked black pepper on the lot. And that is almost bold enough to balance the brine -- almost! It is more assertive than foreseen (40% in glass for thirty-five or forty years, imagine that!), yet calling it numbing would be an exaggeration. It tickles a bit, shall we say. The second sip doubles down on dusty faded toffee. It is super sweet, yet one would more-easily detect a dusty coffee pot, probably. The longer one keeps it in the mouth, the sweeter it is, with root beer and cold coffee (sixteen sugars). Finish: chococino, toffee melted in lukewarm coffee (well, in coffee that is then left to cool down a little), mocha chocolate, a stained Moka pot. That would spell a mild bitterness and a lick of tin to go with the undeniable sweetness. It is a long and drying finish, surprisingly, which suggests a root-y, earthy aspect that would have been difficult to predict from the nose alone. Repeated quaffing leaves the tongue paralysed by heated dusty tin, which takes us back to our old Moka pots, does it not? Coffee grounds and grated mocha chocolate peek up at the death. This is not a great example of this distillery's output. One wonders if the colouring, usual for Gordon & MacPhail at that period, has tainted (pun intended) the dram. 6/10

15/03/2025 The afterparty

Of course, a group like that assembled for EG's shindig does not disband just like that. Instead, we follow our guide for a well-deserved dinner at Le Golosità Di Nonna Aurora.

How are we going to ingest all that?

The quality of the food is very, very high. The two Lambrusco we drink alongside are also pleasant, even for this grumpy old man who tends not to get along with bubbles of any kind.

Affettati misti, Crescentine bolognesi,
Squacquerone, Sott'acetto e soot'oli (not pictured)

Tagliatelle al ragù
Lasagne verde

A fourth basket of Crescentine bolognesi

Cotoletta Bologna

But we have work to do. Back to the venue, we anschluß a collection of poolside tables to focus on those other things that everyone brought to the game. This is a social event; notes are succinct.

Predictably, the staff asks us to come in in thirty minutes or so, and carry on partying inside. Naturally, we forget, and no-one bothers us for hours, other than one angry guy who shouts at us whilst ignoring that the table a bit further on are playing loud music (they stop soon thereafter and the angry guy never comes back).

Let us have a barbecue!

Chåteau de Beaulon 30yo 1985/2015 (18%, OB imported by Speciality Drinks) (CB): a Pineau des Charentes, would you believe it. Sweet, rich and fruity. In that context, it works really well. 8/10

Chåteau d'Yquem Lur-Saluces 1987 (14.5%, OB imported by Ercole Brovelli) (JKr)

Nose: frying oil, ashy prunes and dates.
Mouth: fresh and juicy currants and prunes.
Finish: it is a little sickly, intensely sweet, with prominent wood and blueberries. 7/10

JKr has spent the past thirty minutes warming up a bottle in his lap that has spent the afternoon in the fridge. He eventually proudly announces:

JKr: "Port!"
tOMoH: "Balls finish!"

Ar almost dies, crimson with laughter.

Noval 40yo Tawny b.1989 (21%, OB imported by Ditta Ennio Pescarmona) (JKr)

Nose: cork, wood, old fruits.
Mouth: yes, this is corked. It is not horrible, but corked, definitely.
Finish: sweet, very sweet, borderline sickly. 6/10

AH: "We could blend the Port, the Pineau and the Yquem..."
tOMoH: "If you did, you'd have PorNeauQuem..."
AH: "If you blended those, you'd have type-2 diabetes!"

Cantillon Lambic d'Aunis (6.5%, Cantillon, b. ca. 2019) (NH): bretty on the nose (from Brettanomyces), almost butyric. It then reveals a strong acidity, and turns somewhat fruity. 7/10

Time for whisky!

Glen Keith 30yo 1985/2015 (41.9%, Lombard Jewels of Scotland, C#12299-12302, 389b, b#170) (JS): full notes here. It seems appreciated by all. 9/10

Bunnahabhain 12yo 2012/2024 (55%, C.Dully Selection, Barrel, C#2305, 216b) (PG)

Nose: muddy peat and ground cockles.
Mouth: desiccating sands, and talcum powder sprinkled on bicycle inner-tubes.
Finish: long, gritty, ashy. Here is a challenging finish! 6/10

The night is well under way, now. Many have left already, and the time is opportune for smaller samples.

Royal Brackla 24yo 1979/2003 (63.4%, Scotch Single Malt Circle, C#4131) (Ar)

Nose: gravel-y, austere, it blends a subtle chocolate cream with hot metal and ashes. Phew!
Mouth: ashy raspberries, more gravel. This is intense, and rather hard. Chewing brings lemon, chilli and chalk.
Finish: earth, leaves, and lemon-y chilli. This is mineral, austere, and plain difficult. 7/10

PG pulls out a flask of his "Emergency Laphroaig". That amuses me very much. (Islay 25yo b.2024 (47.9%, C. Dully Selection imported by Sansibar Whisky, Bourbon Barrels, B#CD 24-88, 357b)

Dailuaine 35yo 1971/2007 (45.6%, Douglas Laing The Old Malt Cask, Refill Hogshead, C#DL3519, 152b) (Ar)

Nose: fresh fruits cross paths with metal blades. A pinch of ash adds a bit of variety.
Mouth: lovely nectarines, subtle bark shavings.
Finish: nectarines, a lick of smoked cork, shaved eucalyptus bark. Very, very good. 8/10

Ardbeg 14yo d.1972 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice) (JKr)

Nose: smoked parchment and old ink, sands and salt water. Over time, we find smoked black pepper and smoked seashells.
Mouth: fresh, bright, it is surprisingly lively, teeming with smoked black pepper sprinkled on sea water (why would one do that?), augmented with a drop of India ink. It has charred orange rind too. Phwoar!
Finish: huge, it does not know if it wants to be fruity, ashy, or peppery, and goes from one to the next like a hyperactive child. Smoked orange segments, cracked black pepper, burnt tyre, calligraphy ink, and hot sands. What a beast this is! Excellent! 9/10

It is coming close to 2:00. I decide it is time to go check the inside of my lids. How could that Ardbeg be topped, anyway? Others carry on indoors until 4:00. Tomorrow, I will hear stories of pre-ban absinth that almost does not make one blind (one of PG's top-10 pre-ban absinth, he will tell us). There will be less pride on display, and a few sore heads. Astonishingly (considering the variety of alcohol absorbed), tOMoH's own head will be fine. Not even a hangover will spoil that wonderful weekend, then! :-)