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.

20/07/2025 Thermidor

Late this week, we finalised the attendance list for today's tasting. I closed by saying all we needed was a theme. PS put on his clown hat and proposed Thermidor, the month in the French Republican calendar that used to start today. He added that it would "allows for heat puns [the month was named after the Greek word for 'heat'] AND weak crustacean links." Little did he know that no-one would propose a better theme. Or, indeed, any other theme at all.

It is with this shaky theme that PS, JS, OB, JMcD and I meet this afternoon, then. GL, after announcing a last-minute attendance, cannot make it and sadly calls off.

The soundtrack is a collection of mixes by noizaddict, none of which is online.

JS presents Thermidletonor

Midleton 20yo 1991/2012 (54.1%, OB Single Cask for The Whisky Exchange, First Fill Bourbon Barrel, C#48750, 205b, b#000109): nose: all sorts of vanilla and fruit aromas. Mouth: creamy fruits. Finish: it has an acidic kick and tons of fruity custard. I spend little time with this. I know it well. It lives up to the memories I have of it. 9/10

tOMoH: "There you go. I decapitated both of you, but..."
OB: "Well, that's in theme!"

tOMoH presents Tormoridor

I was not sure which Tormore to feature. This seems like a good pick, for a collection of reasons. I will notice tomorrow that it was distilled on a 20th July. Today is its anniversary. Ha! Ha!

Tormore 15yo 1998/2014 (57.4%, Chivas Brothers Cask Strength Edition, B#TM 15 001): nose: bright, lemony, it also has a certain greenness -- mint, basil, pineapple weed, chamomile and lime foliage. Mouth: starting out mellow and custard-y, it swiftly explodes with sharp citrus and pineapple. There is some acidity, in other words. It also has a lick of wood, almost bread-like. Finish: big, citrus-y and custard-y again. Calamansi, candied lime. The second gulp adds melted chocolate. I am looking forward to spending more time with this. What a collection! 8/10

JMcD explains he is in theme (he wears a crustacean on his shirt), but the whisky was meant for the previous tasting that he could not attend. PS objects that it is an easy Thermisword

Man O' Sword 10yo (58.6%, OB Single Cask, Fresh ex-Bourbon Cask, C#103, b#092): nose: a light peat smoke that reaches leather and tawed suede, warm thyme, thyme infusion, and citrus in the back (kumquat and bergamot). Perhaps there is a dash of Indian ink and a hint of metal too. Mouth: it is very farm-y here. Raw hides, sheep's skins, cow's stable. It is very dry too, and turns a little abrasive, in a glass-cleaning-agent way. Finish: it is smokier now, long, lingering, pumped with billowing smoke. It feels less animal, save for burnt goat's droppings. The second gulp introduces smoked fruits. It is juicier and juicier with each sip. What a pleasant surprise! 8/10

We talk about peat, the environmental impact of its use, and recurrent discussions to abolish it.

OB: "What would Scandinavians drink if peat were made illegal?"
PS: "I guess they'd go back to diesel."

PS presents Dalthermidor

Yup, poor effort to shoehorn a Dalmore into the theme. :-D

13.36 17yo 1988/2006 Tea and marmalade (59.3%, SMWS Society Cask, 588b): I point out that the next cask would have made a much leeter impression (if you know, you know). Nose: this is from before the SMWS discovered water. Lots of straw, a hint of metal, dried thyme, bergamot leaves, dried oregano. And then orchard fruits appear: apples, quince, followed by lozenges, after a while. Mouth: more balanced than expected, it has verbena and thyme infusion, augmented with pressed heirloom apples. It is hot, if one keeps it on the tongue for too long. The second sip has crushed chalk mixed with apricot juice. Finish: very-hot marmalade, which implies a certain bitterness and hot tin caps. The finish is the best part of this dram for my taste. 7/10

Bread, courtesy of OB

Cheeses, courtesy of OB
Comté, Reblochon, Cabri D'Ici
(an ash-ripened goat's cheese, not to be confused with Francel Cabri)

Dedication, is it not?

PS: "That's Macallan for you. They're traditional in spirit and rapaciously greedy in marketing."

tOMoH presents Thermidornoch

Dornoch 3yo 2017/2020 (59.4%, OB, Sherry Cask, C#001): nose: a cereal dustiness (PS), quiet and fruity (PS). JMcD finds warm rubber boots. It has a scent of decay to me, cured meat, soy-sauce-soaked game meat. Mouth: fruitier here than the nose announced, with elderberry assaulted by mould. Finish: lots of cured berries -- rotting cherries, overripe elderberries, perhaps blackberries. I like it better today. Full notes here. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, MR)

PS: "I only drink whisky in good company. Or, at a push, here."

Berry cake and almond cake, courtesy of JMcD

PS presents Thermibrora

Brora 20yo 1982/2003 (58.1%, OB Rare Malts Selection, b#0940, L19T00): nose: dusty-rusty boilers, caramelised apricot jams. In the back, we find gunpowder, hot engines, engine fumes, burnt wax, then engine grease. This is excellent already. The more one sniffs it, the more charcoal comes out. Mouth: powerful, almost brutal (it is a Rare Malt, after all), it is full of dark smoke, thick, coating, petrolic. We then have old greasy cogs and bolts, charcoal gratings and pepper sprinkled on freshly-greased nuts and cogs. Finish: huge, smoky, hairy, it has burnt jam, charred apricots, and the acridity of engine fumes. This is immense. 9/10

PS: "It feels like an old friend."
tOMoH: "How would you know?"

OB introduces the next whisky: "I thought I had shared this with [this] group, but I had not, and, thinking of lobster thermidor, I thought it was a bit shellfish..."

Best pun yet.

Port Ellen 19yo 1981/2000 (59.4%, The Bottlers imported by T's The Vintage Selection, Refill Sherry Butt, C#1550): a mix of rancio and squashed elderberry. This has earth, yet it is also fresh in a toothpaste sort of way. Let us call it liquorice, then. Mouth: holy molly! This has Oloroso and Fino, brine, cured prunes, skewers of grilled fish doused in soy, fish and hoisin sauces. Chewing brings more liquorice with strong cough drops. Maybe camphor too? Finish: more Sherry of exceedingly-good quality. Super-dark grapes, prunes in brine, fortified-wine-cured kippers. It is very wine-sauce-like, game-y, not too far from red-wine vinegar, in fact, though, of course, less strippingly acidic. It stays on the straight and narrow, so to speak. A stronger bitterness appears at second sip that makes me think of rubber. This is excellent, as impressive as the first time. 9/10

tOMoH: "That almond cake is the donkey's bollocks."
OB: "Monkey's arse; donkey's bollocks... You taste strange things."
tOMoH: "I like animals..."
PS: "Every zoo has a restraining order against you."

JMcD [about his next offering]: "I have to admit I haven't put any thought in the theme."
OB: "On the contrary: it is a Bourbon."
JMcD: "And? Thermibourbon?"
OB: "The French Revolution put a temporary stop to the Bourbon dynasty."

Blanton's (62.8%, OB Single Barrel, C#781, b#89): nose: hot, it has all sorts of white wood, then mint lozenges. Shortly thereafter, we have paper and edible paper. Then, we spot candied herbs, marjoram or tarragon. Later on, it emits corn syrup. It smells well sweet. Mouth: this is definitely grassy, herbal, but also sweet and candied. It packs a punch, to be sure, and it feels like chewing on leather, at times, with a lick of milk chocolate to keep it interesting. We go back to marjoram and tarragon in the long run, soft but present. Finish: long and minty, this resembles a warm Tic Tac. It also boasts candied angelica, bitter and sweet in equal measures. 7/10

PS [about the unstable weather]: "I considered a hat, but it would have been too warm, so I took an umbrella."
tOMoH: "You've always been less Jim Murray and More Rihanna."

OB tells us that 'Thermidor' comes from the Greek for 'heat', and this is a hot whisky.

George T. Stagg 17yo 1993/2010 (69.05%, OB Barrel Proof): nose: super-punchy, it still finds space for candied orange segments, marzipan, blackcurrants and furniture polish (JS). Then, we have more-extractive aromas, such as mint, lemongrass and white-wood splinters. Over time, it develops a strong vanilla smell that works a treat with subtle fruit. Mouth: a big, bold American spirit (OB). I can feel bald-eagle feathers growing from my skullcap. It has furniture wax and thick currant syrup. The second sip has peach juice (not nectar) studded with grape pips for an added bitterness. Finish: long, full of blackcurrants, blackberries and tar-dark honey. Repeated sipping hits hard, yet it is surprisingly balanced. The more one drinks, the woodier it becomes, bitterness and all, but it never is a bother. 7/10

I pour JMcD a dram of Très Vieux Cognac Grande Champagne Vallein Tercinier Lot n°65 50yo 1965/2015 (54.4%, OB for Wealth Solutions). OB has 163.1 6yo 2018/2024 Smokin'! (58.1%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 240b), PS has Isle of Arran 3yo 1995/1998 (60.3%, OB, 1000b, b#102).

PS [bouncing off a comment from OB]: "Collateral wind probably doesn't mean what you think. Also, it is the name of my new prog-rock band."

JS: "The Bourbon were good."
PS: "I prefer Custard Cream or Garibaldi, but yes."

Pleasant, leisurely tasting. The weather cleared up and we ended up too warm, but it was tolerable.

08/03/2023 Dalmore

Dalmore 29yo 1989/2018 (51.1%, Cadenhead specially bottled for Cadenhead's Whisky Shop Odense, Bourbon Barrel, 162b): nose: wowee! What have we here? Quince paste, raspberry or gooseberry jelly, strawberry jam, royal jelly, beeswax, flooring wax, then waxy plums, wine-soaked nectarines, greengages... After a minute, dust from a dunnage warehouse joins the party, and there is a drop of nail varnish too. Beautiful! The second nose has burgundy-purple sweets, somewhere between Cola Bottles, Twin Cherries, and purple cuberdons. Later on, so waxy are the plums that they come close to oilskins and scented pencil erasers. Mouth: the attack is more acidic than anticipated. Soon, a mild bitterness rises too that makes me think of new wine-bottle cork, and a growing warmth that perfectly complements the underlying fruitiness. All the waxy plums and nectarines from the nose are here, plus papaya, and timid purple passion fruit. The second sip underlines the acidity: it is dry, borderline drying, at least temporarily, yet oh! so fruity, at the same time. Dark-tulip petals make a late appearance, sprinkled with beeswax. Further sips deliver a resinous kick, refreshing, softly bitter -- think: candied angelica and Valda cough drops: chewy, sweet, and green. The texture remains rather thick. Finish: erm... Perfection? The strength brings a pleasant warmth, glowing, not burning, and the fruity tide continues this far, with juicy plums, nectarines, greengages, pressed apricots, less papaya, but as much purple passion fruit as on the palate. It feels neither bitter, nor acidic, despite being both (it even has a remote butyric note), so balanced it is. Balanced by an undeniable-if-discreet sweetness. The second gulp has waxy-fruit flesh and fruity gum. And then, here too, resin and candied angelica add a fresh twist to that excellence. Holy fook! This is a work of art. Is it a little one-dimensional? Pernickety minds and grumpy souls may say so. They would be complaining for the sake of it. 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, WK)

01/01/2022 NYD drams at Dornoch Castle Hotel

JS and I cleverly did the Loony Dook at dawn, instead of the usual midday shindig (which is cancelled, this year, courtesy of COVID-19). It gives us a lot more time for dramming during the day.

 Happy New Year!

Lochnagar 12yo (70° Proof, OB, b.1970s): I missed out on the odd small bottle of undisclosed Lochnagar, two years ago. I have another Lochnagar in the line of fire, but when I spot this one, I decide to try it too. Funnily enough, it is an official bottling yet it is not Royal. "It tastes like a steam train," says adc. Let us see. Nose: as is typical in a bottling from that era, it has a lot of brine and copper coins. Net is a dollop of mustard and distant hay bales. This is another pretty subdued nose, really, from a time when the popular taste was perhaps looking for something a bit blander. Over time, it opens up a little and becomes more flowery. However, it stays mostly timid. Mouth: soft, it has some of the mustard from the nose, close to mayonnaise, at times, and sweet-and-sour pickles. One could detect a blend of yellow-tulip petals, cut yellow fruits and fading burnt wood. All good, really, if subdued again. I am wondering if it has spent too long in the open bottle. The second sip has a spoonful of pouring honey, diluted beyond recognition, and a drop of caramel or butterscotch. Finish: no, it has not faded at all, after all! Copper coins, vanilla custard, turbo-charged with vinegar, a pinch of dust and a long dash of butterscotch alright, that seems to have more Scotch than butter. The finish is clearly the strong point of this. It is overall good, but a bit non-descript. "Well-behaved," rules adc. Apéritif material. 7/10

Back when Lochnagar meant John Begg

Miltonduff 23yo d.1973 (43%, Hart Brothers Finest Collection, L7 049 5 R64): four years later, it is still here. Crazy to see how an ancient-ish bottling will be overlooked, if it is not from a popular distillery. Short notes, since we had this before. Nose: brine-y, borderline vinegar-y, and almost sulphur-y too, in fact. Brine spilled on cardboard, burnt wood extinguished with vinegar. Mouth: pear juice, cider-apple juice, made with overly-ripe apples about to turn into vinegar. Some sweetness resurfaces gently, but surely. Finish: long, sweet and pleasant. Once more, it displays overripe apples, now complemented by pineapple shavings. This is still excellent. Dram of the stay for adc, after the 38yo Glen Grant, which she already knew. 8/10

Glengarioch-Highland 1966/2000 (46%, Brae Dean Int. for Moon Import In the Pink, Barrel, 192b, b#000024): nose: very perfume-y, with hand cream and puff powder (JS), yet it also has a clear minerality: water flowing on granite, lichen growing on a cliff face. That morphs into elemental sulphur and flint. Thankfully, it never translates into rotten eggs or spent matchsticks -- no: it is unlit matchstick tips, nothing more. Spent wick, perhaps, as well as candlewax. Further are burnt pear pips and roasted apple cores. Mouth: unctuous, creamy, it starts off with pear juice, but soon adds the spent wick and gently-sulphur-y side by stealth. Both work in co-operation, which is pretty original and works a treat. At times, it is a bed of flower petals catching fire and the matchstick that has ignited them; at others, it is pear-tree blossom. Finish: wide, long, burnt and juicy all at once, this sees a further fight between pears and burnt wood, as well as a matchstick tips. It lasts forever too, which is always a bonus. The death leaves a sprinkle of soot in the back of the throat, slightly acrid, but acceptable. Think of a roaring fire in a grand hall. How do you spell p-h-w-o-a-r? 9/10

We take a short stroll around town to open the appetite. Emphasis on short: it starts raining very badly, and we call it a day, soaked. Are we smug we dipped into the Moray Firth this morning, rather than at noon, like other years? Oh! yes, we are.

Time for food to warm up.

Haggis Bon-bons and Jenga Chips for adc

Haggis Bon-bons and Loaded Jenga Chips for JS
The waitress first brings the wrong chips again (regular instead of loaded)

Battered Haddock for me

Lochnagar 30yo 1973/2003 (57.9%, Douglas Laing The Old & Rare Platinum Selection, 239b): nose: a wood shed, in which a fox has spent a few nights. It has dry logs and sawdust, mixed in with a soft animal, musky touch. Soon, fruits emerge, candied oranges and other ginger-powder-coated citrus slices. A whisper of baking flour appears, and the whole creates a great atmosphere, warming and comforting -- just what is needed on this 1st January. The nose is pretty powerful, by the way, and the ABV rather obvious, in a dusty-wood-window-frame way. Around the corner is farmland-path mud torched with a flamethrower, until it disintegrates into a pile of ash... and still tatters of fresh fruits (apple and white peach). Water accentuates a smoky-shed impression, with weathered leather and smoked fruit to boot (mostly orchard produce). It does remain fierce, though, and I cannot be bothered experimenting further with the pipette. Mouth: hot, peppery marmalade, rife with sawdust and ginger powder for a second. Suddenly, it becomes all gentle, peach jelly and apricot jam, though that lasts mere seconds, and quickly turns to hot metal brands, marking the palate with no mercy whatsoever for the roof of the mouth! Further sipping cranks up the jelly or marmalade, still hot, and clearly tainted by the lid of the jar (in another word: metal), but juicier than before. With water, this one is much fruitier, more on the side of marmalade and peach jelly than apple or pear. Finish: stripping like a Rare Malt, it is not content anaesthetising the mouth; it strips it bare with a white-hot metal brand and an abrasive sponge. As it did to the palate, repeated sipping allows a sweet, fruity nuance to emerge, shy behind the sheer brutality of the hot metal. Again, the addition of water renders it juicier and fruitier, even if it remains big, hairy and hot. It is only slightly more approachable. This is certainly a challenging one! Rewarding for those who are willing to put up a fight, though. 8/10 (9/10 with water)

Cheeky cedar waxwing trying to steal my dram again!

Imperial 25yo 1975/2000 (40%, The Highlands & Islands Scotch Whisky Co. for Jack Wiebers Whisky World Scottish Castles, 180b): one we had a couple of days ago. To be sure to be sure, you understand. Short notes. Nose: a bit of brine and vinaigrette, which seems very different from the other day, when it was more the salad itself than the dressing. Mouth: at that modest ABV, it is frankly refreshing, after the previous beast. Juicy, full of grapes. Finish: rhubarb-and-chocolate tart, as well as lemon-y sponge cake. Excellent. 8/10

Tomatin 39yo 1976/2016 (43.8%, Cadenhead Single Cask, Bourbon Hogshead, 162b): nose: this is the definition of the adjective "exuberant". Tropical fruit by the wheelbarrow, starting with ripe mango, then guava, pineapple, carambola and persimmon. That is not all, however: here are chalk, plasticine, hand cream... It goes on and on, and evolves constantly. Fruit invariably comes back to the top all the same, rich and fragrant. Mouth: mellow, juicy peach nectar, persimmon flesh, crushed mango... Fucking hell! The mouth is literally throbbing with fruit. It is as close to biting into mango slices as one can get. Mango and persimmon lead the charge and deliver the taste and the texture for maximum result. Finish: never-ending and -- surprise, surprise! -- fruity. To the sweetness of mango and persimmon (and the others), the finish adds a soft bitterness that could be attributed to peach-stone filings, or dried cucumber peel. Unless it is crème brûlée. Nae bother, though! Despite that slight bitterness, it is very much a sweet-and-buttery-fruit-driven dram. And in that context, it performs as well as the likes of 117.3. JS thinks it even beats it. We will have to find out, one day. 10/10

Dalmore 21yo 1976/1998 (46%, Cadenhead Original Collection): nose: this is wildly earthy -- not in a violent fashion; it is simply wild, perhaps musky. Animal skins, hot sands, and dusty dry wood, heated by the sun. Later on, plasticine seems to come out, soft, fruity and a little chemical. Mouth: a lot more mild-mannered than the nose suggested, it has lots of juicy fruits, quickly joined by rock and dust from a quarry. Repeated sipping, as often, dials up the fruitiness, supported by granite-dust cakes, candied berries, dried fruits, Demerara sugar and Golden Syrup. Marvellous! Finish: super-fruity! Prunes, lychee, syrupy figs so syrupy they are borderline sickly, borderline bitter. Emphasis on "borderline," though: it is perfectly delicious. The second sip is close to liquorice, elderberry cordial, while the following ones are lighter and, therefore, sweeter and less bitter. In the long run, the sweetness comes close to Golden Syrup again, or candied pineapple in syrup and manuka honey. 9/10

Amazingly, it is already time to retire to the room to change before uploading more food.

Continuous improvement:
the typos from previous days have been corrected

Beetroot Velouté for all

Smoked Salmon for adc

Filo Tart for JS

Ham Hock Terrine for me

North Sea Halibut for adc

Duo of Local Venison for me

Duo of Local Venison for JS too

Baked Lemon Tart for all

Replenished at last (!), we go back to the bar.

Cooley 24yo b.2016 (53.8%, Cadenhead World Whiskies, Bourbon Barrel, 198b): nose: overly-caramelised tarte Tatin, a wood stove heating up a bothy, but there is a tiny note of cooked vegetables too... Cooked greens? Is that the Irish link? Yes, there is a vegetal peat note that is most pleasant. Maybe carambola too. The second nose has marzipan or cashew-nut paste, veering towards plasticine without reaching it. Mouth: silky, it has more vegetal peat and muddy fruit; Braeburn apples, or some heirloom type, conference pears, oranges turning blue and a clear minerality -- unpolished granite, slate. Repeated sipping turns it into a more-straightforward fruity affair, with peach, chewy apricot slices and a sprinkle of pepper. Finish: more rocks, vegetal peat (all peat is vegetal, of course; here, the plants are almost recognisable is what I mean) and decaying peach, covered in blue/green mould. It is long and powerful, a bit austere, closer to rocks than anything else, but wet with a splash of peach juice. That juice comes out more clearly in subsequent sips, spiced up by white pepper. Much later on, the whole is juicier and fruitier, with only a spoonful of oily peat. To call it petrolic would be a stretch, though. Lovely! 8/10

Glen Grant 21yo (70° Proof, Gordon & MacPhail, b.1970s, SC295): adc wants to confirm her first impression. Nose: oily and mustardy. Mouth: unctuous, it has mild mustard again. Finish: creamy as mayonnaise, the finish sees the appearance of thin soot. 9/10

Final round.

Balblair 23yo 1975/1999 (59.2%, Iain Mackillop and Co. Mackillop's Choice imported by Villa Colonna, C#7, b#094): nose: leather handbags, oily walnuts, a big wheel of ripe soft cheese wrapped in hay. Soon after that, we are treated to a cloud of smoke from a campfire and hazelnut shells, lacquered, then roasted to the point they start dripping oil. It also has a drop of peppermint almost not worth mentioning. Something charred rocks up, after a while; charred salmon skin, weirdly enough, smoked ham. Mouth: hazelnut liqueur, souped-up hazelnut paste and, quickly, burning heat. This is seriously hot. A clay oven, a roaring fire, baking pottery, flame-torched leather and burnt olive branches. No matter how long one keeps it in the mouth, the strength stays rather frightening, even on this third day of seasoned dramming. It is like chewing chilli-infused leather. Finish: dark-chocolate coulis, hazelnut liqueur, soft-leather handbags, and so on. I am a bit too numb to make great notes. It is a good, if intimidating sherry maturation, this. It turns juicier over time, but it is tobacco juice, which means it remains drying, after all. Much later on, a gentle, sweet, lemony note ends up emerging to pacify the finish somewhat. 8/10

Rosebank 18yo 1990/2009 (55.4%, Douglas Laing selected exclusively by The Whisky Shop Glenkeir Treasures Cask Strength Selection, 180b): nose: light and ethereal, full of confectionary sugar and vanilla. It is airy as a doughnut, or a good lemon tart, but of course, it is to be expected: it is a Rosebank. Mouth: delicate and fruity, it has the sweetness of ripe nectarines, Korean pears and... That is exactly it! Korean pear. It grows warmer with every second and stays comfortably warm indeed. What a contrast with the previous dram. Finish: a soft warmth wraps the tongue, and, once more, we have distinct Korean pear -- baked, this time. 8/10

Time to... Oh! The waiter is coming to us with a bottle whose label I know very well.
B: "CT would like to know if he can tempt you with a dram of his own bottle."
tOMoH: "Why, certainly. How kind of him, thanks."

Ardmore 10yo 2008/2019 (50.5%, Thompson Bros., Refill American Oak Barrel, 274b): nose: holy cow! I thought I knew this one well, having had it several times, but tonight, it has a strong hard-cheese aroma, with cured rind, rotting bandages and ripe feet. For some reason (probably because I love cheese), I am really enjoying this! All that I had down as mud and boggy moss in the past is cheese and sweaty cheese, today. And against all odds, it works alright. Sweaty Parmesan, fougne spread onto stale bread. The following morning (!), the nose has more baked clay, bog water, and mud so full of algae it is pretty close to ink. Mouth: the palate is more conventional, part custard, part fruit flesh (papaya, plum, peach), part distant smoke. The fruity side takes over spectacularly from the second sip onwards, shooting quince, plum and peach in all directions, with the texture of pineapple ice cream. After a few hours' sleep, the mouth is fresher and more citrus-y; the tongue welcomes tangerine and sweet grapefruit or calamansi and heated pineapple custard. Finish: unrecognisable. And only now do I realise this is the 10yo, when I know the 21yo that has exactly the same label art! That is not confusing at all, I must say. We have more hard cheese in the finish: Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, aged Gouda, Pétafine, then plasters, along with cracking yellow plums and mirabelle plums. This is really an original (and delicious) dram. Further sips bring in more fruits: tinned peach and tinned pineapple, roasted until their surface is charred. Stupendous! In the morrow, the fruit is still there, yet it is now in the shadow of bold, dark mud and peat, augmented by a pinch of dirty soot. What a pleasant surprise! 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, CT)

Well, this is it. Time to pack and go home. It was a sometimes strange experience, with the restrictions in place, but it was a pleasure to come back.

Visibly, customers are not all comfortable travelling and socialising yet. Numbers were down from previous years. There were always going to be fewer, considering all the restrictions to implement, but even then, the hotel occupancy was far from its maximum capacity. It was especially clear from the restaurant menu: the duo of beef one night and duo of venison the following night seemed a bit indulgent. I ventured that it looked like they ordered too much meat and tried to pass it on to those customers who were there. "It might be a bit of that," I was told. Same story for the first night's pork belly, of which there was obviously enough in one portion for two people (or more). Never mind the fact that every other dish had pea shoots (a novelty that wears off pretty quickly). No complaint here, mind. I hope the business picks up is all.

We were all sad that there was no buffet on the final night -- it was always a highlight, in previous years. From a health perspective, one can easily understand that it was unworkable, though.

As for the bar, we had the impression that the selection was less wide than it used to be, while the prices were higher. There was clearly enough to keep us busy, and there was enough in our price range too; it is merely an impression based on no scientific study. Perhaps we have simply grown harder to please in six years.

Oh! on the personnel front, the staff has changed quite dramatically. Not more than five or six of the original front staff are still there. I guess the last two years have forced many to re-evaluate their careers.

Regrettably, with all those restrictions, cancellations and the ever-growing booze-producing business we did not see ST and PT, this year.