26/04/2025 The Whisky Fair (Day 1 -- Part 2: Maltbarn)

Last year, JS and I spent the whole Saturday socialising aimlessly. Only the following day did we discover some stands and their excellent bottlings. Some of which were sold out, by then. This year, our plan was to do the opposite: start with the things for sale, then socialise. Well, the whole morning has gone already, and we have been to two stands. Ahem.

MD, JS and I finally climb the stairs and head to Maltbarn. We can still get back on track.

Braes of Glenlivet 30yo 1994/2024 #15 (48.9%, Maltbarn The 26, Bourbon Cask, 51b)

Nose: light and ethereal, powdery.
Mouth: it stays fresh, flowery now, with lilies-of-the-valley, jasmine and honeysuckle. Lovely.
Finish: soft, sweet and flowery, it has confectionary sugar and cosmetic powder.
Comment: excellent. This is very much in line with the Càrn Mòr bottling I know rather well. 8/10

Ben Nevis 28yo 1996/2024 #18 (48.6%, Maltbarn The 26, Bourbon Cask, 39b)

Nose: wide, it has blush-orange peels, a touch of earth, and raspberry chocolate.
Mouth: strangely dry, it has a mere dollop of white-chocolate cream. Chewing releases the fruits.
Finish: plainly fruity, here, although it is decaying fruits, now.
Comment: very good too. The price tag, however, is somewhat prohibitive for tOMoH. 8/10

Glenlossie 29yo 1995/2025 Whisky's Calling (49.2%, Maltbarn, B#250, Bourbon Cask, 156b)

Nose: butterscotch. I spectacularly fail to take more notes.
Mouth: a little more punchy and acidic than foreseen, but mostly light and biscuit-y.
Finish: soaked biscuits, Custard Creams or Petits Beurres dunked in milk.
Comment: another good 'lossie. 8/10

[The initials of the head honcho are also MD, so he will be known as MM, the second M being for Maltbarn.]
MD: "You bottled shit again!"
MM: "I know."
MD: "I find you an importer and that is what you do."
MM: "Yeah, I know."
MD: "Always the same, with you. You always disappoint me."

Glen Moray 21yo 2003/2025 (53%, Maltbarn, B#249, Bourbon Cask)

Nose: oily white-wood shavings, then butterscotch and biscuits, then cured quince.
Mouth: citrus-y porridge, oily, a little neutral, yet it turns drying upon chewing.
Finish: classic Glen Moray citrus peels -- dried at first, then juicier. It has some spices too, ginger powder or such.
Comment: Nice. It leaves a pleasant mouthfeel. 8/10

Benromach 11yo 2013/2025 Glen Mosset (54.6%, Maltbarn, B#254, Bourbon Cask)

Nose: bandages (JS). I find it peaty, displaying very-dry sausage, perhaps smoked, or a worn-out game bag.
Mouth: light, bright, fruity, then suddenly very drying, with quarry dust and ground dried orange peels.
Finish: long and citrus-y, it is juicier than the mouth suggested.
Comment: not sure why they call it Glen Mosset, since Benromach is clearly written on the label. 7/10

Bruichladdich 21yo 2003/2024 (50.5%, Maltbarn, B#243, Bourbon Cask)

Nose: meringue, beaten egg white, a whiff of farmyard and some baby sick.
Mouth: fresh, light, a tad acidic. It may have some lactic acid, actually.
Finish: fresh again, perhaps cereal-y with a touch of fruit.
Comment: honest. 7/10

Strathmill 32yo 1992/2024 #17 (48.8%, Maltbarn The 26, Sherry Cask, 41b)

Nose: oranges or tangerines stored in a Tupperware.
Mouth: all sorts of citrus jams and marmalades -- tangerine, clementine, mandarine.
Finish: warming and marmalade-y again, with a lick of oily wood to boot.
Comment: competent, though it does not wow me. 8/10

MD [nosing his glass]: "What's that smell?"
tOMoH: "Is it arse?"

NH joins us.

Glen Spey 29yo 1995/2024 #16 (54.1%, Maltbarn The 26, Sherry Cask, 42b)

Nose: fresh, light, and probably a little indistinct.
Mouth: vaguely woody (white wood), it dishes out cinnamon and ginger shavings.
Finish: narrow, precise, it remains rather indistinct.
Comment: a fair drop that lacks personality. It is too middle-of-the road to make us enthusiastic. 7/10

MD [whose wife and daughters are dress-shopping for a wedding]: "My credit-card-bill notifications are coming in fast!"
NH: "Your net worth is falling faster than Elon Musk's!"

Real Diver's Whisky 12yo (unknown ABV, unknown bottler with the compliments of Sub Sea Services & Divex)

Nose: effervescent, bubbling with fruity Alka Seltzer and some baby sick kept in a plastic bottle, and cold cuts.
Mouth: strangely watery with a little hay infusion. I would say porridge, but it is much thinner.
Finish: indistinguishable orchard fruits and a pinch of dust.
Comment: NH reckons Glen Garioch. tOMoH is not so sure. Great opportunity to try something this exclusive. Love the shameless Cadenhead look. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, NH)

Longmorn 16yo 2008/2025 (53.4%, Maltbarn, B#253, Sherry Cask, 177b)

Nose: this smells buttery, with ripe apricots and peaches, as well as, well, butter. Avocado, maybe? It has something almost metallic to it too. Softer and more fragrant with water -- "it presents itself with spread legs," says MD.
Mouth: a lot more acidic, here, it offers orange juice augmented with pressed maracuja.
Finish: wow! Some wood under control, and a lot of fruits, 1992 style.
Comment: cracking dram. 8/10

MD [about backpacks]: "That's why I wear a man bag. It's slim. Like everything else on me."
tOMoH: "I hear your credit card bill isn't."

NH, MD and tOMoH debate the chocolate of their respective Heimats. tOMoH argues that chocolate-making is a legacy of empire, and becoming the best chocolate-maker required having colonies that produce cocoa.

NH: "Well, we grow all our cocoa beans in the Alps, so..."
tOMoH: "...grazed by purple cows."

Caol Ila 17yo 2007/2024 (54.2%, Maltbarn, B#245, Sherry Cask)

Nose: pitch-black ink, torched fishing nets and dried lichens.
Mouth: smoked-ham-infused sea water, cockles, ink and sand. Smoke rises boldly in the long run.
Finish: more of the same -- ink, tarry sands, burnt fishing nets.
Comment: this is really good, if perhaps not overly interesting. 7/10

An Islay Distillery 24yo 2000/2024 (51.8%, Maltbarn, B#251, Sherry Cask, 175b)

Nose: super earthy, if not one bit medicinal. It turns almost bret-y with time.
Mouth: dark, inky, earthy, and drying when chewing.
Finish: huge, inky, sandy (hot sands), it has dark chocolate emerging over time.
Comment: reliable 'froyg. 7/10

MD [to JS]: "I just looked at [my] picture of your Glenlivet. I'm stunned that, even back when this was bottled, they were already warning people about the [American] government!"

JS: "That's close to... Why is my memory so bad?"
NH [looking at the whisky]: "I wonder why..."
tOMoH: "It's the same when she's sober."
JS: "You're mean."
tOMoH: "That's okay. You won't remember tomorrow."

Port Charlotte 22yo 2002/2025 (55.2%, Maltbarn No. 252, Bourbon Cask, 186b)

Nose: ooft! cigarette smoke and ash.
Mouth: this is desiccating, exuding scorched earth bathing in sea water. Phwoar! I need a litre of fresh water!
Finish: huge, inky, ashy and chocolate-y. In fact, it is cocoa powder through and through.
Comment: impressive. 7/10

Time to close this Maltbarnathon and grab a bite to eat. It is only a biscuit (Mulino Bianco's Macine), but it feels good to sit down for a second. Short respite, however: NH's sour beers are in need of a refrigerator. A trip to the accommodation awaits me.

Continue reading here.

29/08/2019 September outturn at Cadenhead's

Lots of W, fast-paced, in good company, but standing. No sample of the Creations that we can try. Only samples of the Tomatin and the Craigellachie, not full bottles, hence missing information. Live with it.

Glenburgie-Glenlivet 27yo 1992/2017 (48.9%, Cadenhead Single Cask, 1 x Bourbon Hogshead, 222b)
Nose: straw and Virginia tobacco, freshly-shampooed hair and lovely, warm tart.
Mouth: juicy and fruity, it has peach and pressed apricot.
Finish: juicy again, mellow, it has warm apricot turnovers and a hint of metal.
Comment: lovely start! 8/10

Glen Spey-Glenlivet 17yo 2001/2019 (53.3%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 2 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 546b)
Nose: very mineral, with flint, limestone, ink, thyme and soft smoke.
Mouth: mellow, reeking of crayons and warm mayonnaise. I know.
Finish: earthy, giving out black fruit and menthol.
Comment: mellow and very good. 8/10

Tomatin 10yo 2009/2019 (57.7%, Cadenhead Small Batch, Bourbon Hogsheads)
Nose: plum, overripe and soft, fleshy, juicy. The nose also emits a note of earth.
Mouth: a little astringent. Fruity, with a blend of apple and plum, but also stripping lemon juice (or is it grapefruit?)
Finish: big, plummy and not bad at all.
Comment: perhaps not ripe enough for my liking. 7/10

Knockdhu 9yo 2010/2019 (56.2%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 3 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 888b)
Nose: strong and spirit-y, before it turns full-on wax and plasticine. Oh! And a discreet whiff of smoke too.
Mouth: wax again, with shiny apricot peels.
Finish: long, it coats the mouth with a waxy layer.
Comment: nice, very drinkable. 7/10

Glenrothes-Glenlivet 22yo 1996/2019 (50.1%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 3 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 942b)
Nose: flowery, with lovely violets and minty cardboard.
Mouth: minty too, it has more flower petals to complement.
Finish: hot and minty, with mint lozenges and mentholated cough drops.
Comment: wow, a good 'rothes! 8/10

For comparison, SW pours this one, from last month.

Glenrothes-Glenlivet 21yo 1997/2019 (57.1%, Cadenhead Sherry Cask, Sherry Butt, 510b)
Nose: very different, of course, this is hairy and leathery, yet it has the now-familiar menthol touch as well.
Mouth: thick, with cloying toffee and... mint. Suggestion? Not sure, but the note seems too assertive for me to simply imagine it.
Finish: fresh, coastal, with a softly meaty side to it. It becomes drying in the long run.
Comment: pretty good too, but the Small Batch edges it for me. 7/10

Benrinnes 21yo 1997/2019 (58.7%, Cadenhead Single Cask, 1 x Bourbon Barrel, 156b)
Nose: damp clay floor, dunnage warehouse, then perfume, with jasmine and fresh tea leaves.
Mouth: fresh, it has the trademark forest floor and pine cones.
Finish: fruity, it ends with a mix of yellow fruits and nuts.
Comment: unsurprisingly nice. Those Benrinnes have become recognised for their quality and sought after. 8/10

Craigellachie-Glenlivet 10yo (54%, Cadenhead Small Batch)
Nose: spirit-y, it soon reveals tanned leather and smoky rum (!) Yes, I find it slightly petrolic. The Caroni of the whisky world.
Mouth: characterful, it has leather, faded to oblivion and... green-leaf salad.
Finish: it feels peaty in the finish, or certainly very earthy. Farmyard, Dirndl and a cow's backside.
Comment: this is interesting. An alternative to a lightly-peated Bunnahabhain, perhaps? 7/10

Cambus 28yo 1991/2019 (55.8%, Cadenhead Single Cask, 1 x Bourbon Hogshead, 276b)
Nose: metallic pastry. Is this a headache-inducer? Raw dough, apple turnover and distant custard.
Mouth: mellow, with custard and warm apple tart.
Finish: super creamy, is has lots of custard and squashed bananas.
Comment: I love it... today. Let us see tomorrow how the head feels... Well, it does not feel well. It is a Cambus that strips my tongue and gives me a headache, no matter how little I sip. Downgraded by a point, but that is only my reaction to it. 7/10

Ord 13yo 2006/2019 (53.3%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 1 x Bourbon & 1 x Madeira Hogsheads, 588b)
Nose: fruity, with citrus overflowing through the cork, ripe satsuma and mandarin.
Mouth: mellow, chock-full of citrus again, with juicy tangerine and satsuma.
Finish: long and fruity, with more citrus. Others find salt in it, but I think they have been drinking.
Comment: I love this. The best Ord in a year that has seen many. Perhaps longer. But then, it is a combination of Bourbon and Madeira casks, which make for an original profile. 8/10

Balblair 8yo 2011/2019 (57.8%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 1 x Puncheon re-racked into 2 x 1st Fill Sherry Hogsheads, 648b)
Nose: another leathery number, with also old rags, super-fresh liquorice and gingery wood pulp.
Mouth: Gocce Pino, pine needles, forest floor and liquorice. This is woody alright.
Finish: cinnamon, ginger, liquorice.
Comment: so young and past its best, in my opinion. Too woody for me, tonight. Pity, because one does not come across Balblair every day. 7/10

Bowmore 17yo 2002/2019 (53.6%, Cadenhead Single Cask, 1 x Bourbon Hogshead, 294b)
Nose: ink, mud, squid ink, wet sands. None of the anticipated citrus, but the vase and brine one would expect to smell on Cthulhu's tentacles. It opens up to overlook earthy farm paths. Much later, some fruit comes through.
Mouth: spicy and inky, it has the intensity of citrus, but none of the taste... until the second sip, which brings fruit at last (papaya and jackfruit).
Finish: very long, salty and a little peaty -- no! Very peaty, with a notch of fruit down the back, upon second sip.
Comment: initially, I think I was expecting more. The second sip meets my expectations. 8/10

Very good outturn, once again. Young drams that give older things a run for their money.

25/07/2019 August outturn at Cadenhead's

Yes, another outturn. Yes, two days in a row. We rush through the drams four by four before being told what they are. The quantities are minute, so notes are short.

Balmenach-Glenlivet 14yo 2004/2019 (49.7%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 210b)
Nose: crisp apple, apple compote and a dash of leather.
Mouth: pepper on apple compote.
Finish: crisp apple, apple compote and even cider.
Comment: this is lovely. I guess it is the Glen Scotia, but it is not.
Score: 8/10

Aultmore-Glenlivet 12yo 2006/2019 (56.4%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 282b)
Nose: wet straw, white fruit and eau-de-vie.
Mouth: gravel-y, rocky, with unripe stone fruit.
Finish: a bit drying, it has wet straw and soaked stave. It turns bitter and acrid, at the second sip.
Comment: not my thing.
Score: 5/10

Girvan 9yo 2009/2019 (61.4%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, Pinot Noir Finish, 294b)
New livery for the grains. This has the traditional Authentic Collection label, even if it looks like it has spent too much time in the washer.
Nose: dark wine and rancio.
Mouth: syrupy, Port-like, whilst pine-sap-y and strong.
Finish: tannic, wine-y, with notes of liquorice towards the death.
Comment: I recognise the Girvan from the festival. I do not enjoy it more tonight. Others do.
Score: 5/10

Ord 14yo 2005/2019 (54.8%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 300b)
Nose: sweaty feet. Topical (38 degrees, today), but not necessarily a good thing. Crystallised berries appear later, and a bit of wood.
Mouth: chewy and slightly cola-like.
Finish: long, fresh and woody, it has spearmint.
Score: 7/10

Benrinnes 18yo 2000/2019 (58.7%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Barrel, 186b)
Nose: dry hazel wood, extremely dry blood-orange peels.
Mouth: warm apple, cracked black pepper and cloves.
Finish: soft, with pepper and warm mead.
Score: 8/10

Fettercairn 10yo 2007/2019 (57.6%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Barrel, 312b)
Nose: musky and meaty, leather -- scratch that! It is a full tannery.
Mouth: leather, seal wax, faded leather sofas.
Finish: similar, with a touch of berries to sort of save it.
Comment: despite the finish, I still do not like this.
Score: 5/10

Glen Spey-Glenlivet 17yo 2001/2019 (54.5%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 294b)
Nose: chalky and warming.
Mouth: a bit indistinct, it has shy yellow fruit and chalk again.
Finish: big, chalky. It leaves the mouth well dry.
Comment: meh.
Score: 6/10

Glentauchers-Glenlivet 12yo 2007/2019 (59.3%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 270b)
Nose: crushed walnuts, dark berries (elderberry, I reckon).
Mouth: soft, velvety, with rancio and walnut skin. This is bitter, like.
Finish: prune stones, bitterness.
Score: 6/10

Springbank 24yo 1994/2019 (50.8%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Refill Barrel, 312b)
Nose: greengages and roasted carambola.
Mouth: juicy, it has barbecued greengages, grilled plantains and smoked carambola.
Finish: juicy fruit and soft smoke, prunes and bakewell tart.
Comment: this is lovely alright. MSo and I guess rightly that this is the star of the night. It impresses me much more tonight than last night (I was lucky enough to smell it ahead of schedule). "Is it £420 lovely?" is the question bandied about, tonight. It is all allocated via a draw anyway.
Score: 9/10

Tomatin 10yo 2009/2019 (59.1%, Cadenhead Wine Cask, Chilean Red Wine Cask, 294b)
Nose: rather fruity, wine-y, one can almost spot the grape skins, floating at the surface.
Mouth: soft and velvety, with grapes and gentle wine.
Finish: wine. Sauce grand'veneur.
Comment: meh.
Score: 6/10

Mackmyra 11yo b.2019 (49.5%, Cadenhead World Whiskies, Bourbon Barrel, 258b)
Nose: mineral orchard fruit, if it makes sense. Lichen on limestone.
Mouth: light and sweet.
Finish: blackberry, blueberry and raspberry.
Comment: this is nice. A couple of guesses point at the Swede. Rightly. Cadenhead's first Mackmyra.
Score: 8/10

Glen Scotia 27yo 1992/2019 (45%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 150b)
Nose: corpse, dead rat, monkey's arse. Hm!
Mouth: soft and velvety, it has flint and ground fruit stone. Quite a contrast with the nose. The texture is velvety, regardless of the taste. Most bizarre.
Finish: yup! Monkey's arse.
Comment: wow. There are even fewer bottles of this to allocate than of the Springbank. It is an oddball to perplex friends at a tasting!
Score: 4/10

Dalmore 18yo 2001/2019 (51.7%, Cadenhead Sherry Cask, Sherry Cask, 246b)
Nose: rancio, flat cola and Chinoto.
Mouth: flat cola, Chinoto and wine.
Finish: sweet as hell, with Chinoto and flat cola.
Comment: a complete one-trick pony, though it remains sippable. We guess a grain. Incorrectly.
Score: 7/10

Cameronbridge 30yo 1989/2019 (57.9%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 222b)
Nose: fresh salad leaves. It is not very characterful.
Mouth: sweet, honeyed and gently metallic.
Finish: honey, royal jelly and honeysuckle sap.
Comment: this is the grain.
Score: 7/10

Glenrothes-Glenlivet 21yo 1997/2019 (57.1%, Cadenhead Sherry Cask, Sherry Butt, 510b)
Nose: vaguely mineral, with butter, buttercups and a hint of leather.
Mouth: acidic, full of yellow flowers and candied ginger shavings.
Finish: sweet, liquorice-y, pillow-y and minty.
Comment: I tried this last night and find it very different.
Score: 7/10

Good fun, as always. Lots of silly banter, whiskies covering a wide spectrum of tastes, temperatures coming down a little. Phew.

27/06/2019 July outturn at Cadenhead's

It is that time of the month.

All blind and randomly selected (samples are labelled with a character only), with the names revealed after each flight of three. It is an overcrowded house, tonight, with around twenty people in a room that can fit fourteen at a push. Some brought their families and dogs, you see. I suspect entry will be more tightly restricted in the future, out of necessity.

Dram K
Nose: toffee at first, then green hazel and macadamia purée.
Mouth: acidic, but soft too; grapes and barely-ripe peach, as well as green banana.
Finish: chou dough, pastry and baking goodness.
I suspect a grain. A young Girvan. Well, partly right.
Cameronbridge 29yo 1989/2019 (57.8%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 2 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 432b) 7/10

Dram H
Nose: watercolour, putty and plasticine.
Mouth: mellow, it has more plasticine, a drop of olive oil and horsepower. Not too much going on, here.
Finish: yeah, olive oil, strong nut liqueur and juicy watermelon.
Glenrothes-Glenlivet 22yo 1996/2019 (49.7%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 3 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 966b) 6/10

Dram M
Nose: gorgeously fruity, it has tropical fruits all round, alongside varnished, precious wood.
Mouth: soft and fruity again, with mango peel and papaya, and just a whisper of pepper.
Finish: quite short, with similar fruity notes and a pinch of mud.
Once revealed, I note I like it much more than in Campbeltown. The actual picture is not available, as the bottle has not yet arrived to London.
William Cadenhead 45yo (43.1%, Cadenhead) 8/10

Break for the draw: six bottles of the Creations are allocated.

Dram A
Nose: leather, then a huge kick of alcohol in the nostrils. Others like it, but I do not. It opens up to reveal unripe grapes.
Mouth: better behaved, the mouth still suffers from what I find a shaky alcohol integration. It is grape-y, with a spoonful of custard.
Finish: unripe, fiery mustard, and fruit, not quite ripe.
This is not my thing.
Fettercairn 10yo 2009/2019 (57.3%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 2 x Bourbon Barrel, 516b) 5/10

Dram J
Nose: old rags, a mechanic's workshop, clean engine oil, a toolbox, sandpaper. Everyone else says plastic. Bonkers!
Mouth: soft and a bit bland. I detect touches of custard.
Finish: yes, custard indeed, toasted coconut and a drop of grapefruit juice. It seems to become sweeter and sweeter with time.
This started well, but ended less convincingly for me.
Cambus 30yo 1988/2019 (46.1%, Cadenhead Single Cask, Bourbon Hogshead, 300b) 6/10

Dram L
Nose: sweat and hard cheese. "Farm-y notes," says cavalier66, which sort of coincides with sweat and cheese, if it is a dairy farm. The milking alley at the Isle of Mull Creamery (it did not take long to use that one, eh?) Further, it has dark berries, currants, lingonberries. Nice!
Mouth: it is more traditional on the palate, berry-driven.
Finish: green hazel wood, hazelnut shells and a few berries (raspberry, now).
Interesting! The label tells us it is a blend of Ben Nevis, Blair Athol and Tomintoul-Glenlivet, bottled from a single cask in which they were vatted together in 2007.
Light Fruity Syrupy 22yo b.2019 (45%, Cadenhead Creations, B#1) 7/10

Break for the draw: six bottles of the second Creations are allocated.

Dram E
Nose: prunes and plums, scented plasticine and unidentified herbs.
Mouth: soft, plummy with a pinch of ginger.
Finish: more spicy plums, with also walnut stain and crayons.
Nice, if not blinding.
Benrinnes 18yo 2000/2019 (55.7%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 4 x Bourbon Barrels, 618b) 6/10

Dram C
Nose: leather, cactus, mud, then watercolour. It is a watercolour-y type of evening, you will see.
Mouth: soft, round and waxy.
Finish: bitter, now, it has rubber and very unripe, waxy plums.
Not my thing.
Glenburgie-Glenlivet 15yo (54%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 2 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 570b) 5/10

Dram G
Nose: ink, ink, ink and ink. Freshly-printed newspapers, warm, recycled paper, inkjet printer cartridges.
Mouth: watercolour (I told you!), a paint palette, old paint brushes. This is quite powerful and also slightly earthy.
Finish: violet boiled sweets, crystallised lavender, fresh laundry and only a pinch of earth.
This one is a nice surprise. Not a usual profile.
Glen Spey-Glenlivet 23yo 1995/2019 (57.3%, Cadenhead Single Cask, Bourbon Hogshead, 222b) 7/10

Dram D
Nose: mildly acidic, the nose morphs into putty, moves towards watercolour, before settling on macadamia nuts.
Mouth: mild and fruity, it soon sees a growing acidity. Guava and mango gone off and turning very acidic.
Finish: overripe fruit and milk chocolate, then a touch of mango.
Very nice, this. Dram of the night, for me, though I am perhaps a little(mill) generous with my rating, here.
Littlemill 28yo 1990/2019 (50.7%, Cadenhead Single Cask, Bourbon Hogshead, 282b) 9/10

Break for the draw: two bottles of the Littlemill are allocated.

Dram B
Nose: sunflower seeds and lime peels. How original!
Mouth: porridge-y, now, with almond milk and soft cereal, alongside squashed banana.
Finish: I was expecting bananas here too, but it is citrus that shows up -- grapefruit and lemon.
A good every-day drinker, this, with a few unusual notes.
Dailuaine-Glenlivet 14yo 2004/2019 (46%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 2 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 696b) 7/10

Dram F
Nose: green fruit, particularly green satsumas, then pencil shavings.
Mouth: mild, with almond milk taking centre stage here too.
Finish: burnt wood and citrus-y custard, lemon curd, even.
An interesting combination of flavours, this one.
Strathmill 27yo 1991/2019 (46.1%, Cadenhead Single Cask, Bourbon Hogshead, 204b) 7/10

Dram I
Nose: overly-baked marzipan, scorched earth, then watercolour and waxy plum.
Mouth: peach liqueur, caramelised apricot compote.
Finish: long, it has unripe walnuts and, unfortunately, a nuance of dishwater.
It has its good bits. Others are more enthused than I am.
Miltonduff-Glenlivet 11yo 2008/2019 (56%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 4 x Bourbon Hogshead, 1116b) 7/10

Dram N
Nose: peat and mud, earth after the rain, ink.
Mouth: similar, with soft peat, mud, watery earth and a drop of ink.
Finish: heavy peat, here.
This last one is one-dimensional as fook, yet it is very good at the one thing it does (same impression as in C'town, where we also had it). It is simply not my profile, tonight.
Bunnahabhain 5yo 2013/2019 (58.9%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 3 x Bourbon Barrels, 720b) 6/10

The gang disbands, as a couple of bottles are produced -- Ardbeg Drums, which I confuse for Ardbeg Grooves and, therefore, do not try, and the following.

Clynelish 10yo 2008/2019 57.4%, Signatory Vintage The Un-Chillfiltered Collection for The Whisky Exchange's 20th Anniversary, 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, C#800139, 237b): nose: watercolour and wax. I kid not. That is the most recurrent note, today! Stagnant water is also at play. It is a bit late for notes, but this does the trick. Mouth: crayons, dry wax, seal wax that has been on parchment for decades, putty. Finish: it has quite a kick. Ashes on wax, crayon shavings, drying paintbrushes (for modelling), preserved apricot. This is very, very good! 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, SM)

(Thanks for the missing pictures, SW and the Campbeltown crew)