14/06/2026 The after-party

Sure, we had a mad dash for bottles last night, but those who are still around (adc, JS, elskling, EG, ruckus, EJ, sonicvince, Psycho, pat gva, YdS, PS, Gaija, tOMoH) meet up at various stages to enjoy more whisky at a reasonable pace in a drop-in setting.

But first, brunch at Kafé Kübe, which OB and CB join.

I arrive almost an hour late, owing to two
hundred glasses to clean
(a Dornoch copita and a stemless Highland Park are nowhere to be found)

Spinach and halloumi beigel

EG explains: whisky

With some food in, we head to tOMoH Towers for drams. The idea is to spend quality time with friends, so notes are scant.

Freestyle

Glenmorangie 10yo (43° Gay Lussac, OB imported by Schutz & Cloos, b. ca. 1985) (Psycho): a well-known dram that still does the trick. 8/10

House of Scotland 8yo (43°, House of Scotland imported by Bergia di T.&E. Arango, b. ca.1980s) (elskling)

Nose: soft and dusty, it has lots of OBE, but is mostly discreet. The likes of jam jars show up, as does lemon marmalade.

Mouth: mellow and berry-like, it has vanilla custard and a pinch of ashy dust.

Finish: long, with a touch of tobacco and grilled honey -- as in: honey slathered on bread, then toasted.

Comment: very good old dusty hailing from a blender/bottler in Campbeltown.

Score: 8/10

MV and AL who could not be here this weekend, call at this stage to sing a song.

103.12 30yo 1972/2003 Caramel and eucalyptus (53.3%, SMWS Society Cask) (EG)

Nose: burning fruits. Apricots ablaze.

Mouth: baked apricots, some of which dried, others juicy, a tad bitter.

Finish: more juicy goodness, yet it has a minerality too and a bitter side.

Comment: even SMWS guru PS does not recognise the distillery number. Upon reveal, I realise I have chased these old Lochnagars before, never successfully.

Score: 9/10

Kawasaki 33yo 1976/2009 (65.6%, Chichibu Ichiro's Choice imported by The Number One Drinks Company, Refill Sherry Butts, 432b, b#283) (PS)

Nose: flames, ragged leather and burnt flesh (PS, in facetious mode -- that would be the motorcycle namesake). Burnt tyre, petrol and engine oil, yeah? (tOMoH follows suit). sonicvince emits a simple "Mmmh!" Apple and tinned pineapple (sonicvince and PS). It feels very Sherried to me, with prunes and kerosene, perhaps a dash of coffee.

Mouth: rancio, earth, and fewer prunes.

Finish: long, it rolls out blackberries, blackcurrants and dry warehouse clay.

Comment: twelve years have passed since we had our first Kawasaki. I prefer this one, I think. Of course, it is now unobtainable, much to everyone's chagrin.

Score: 8/10

Essy approves of Kawasaki

Glenglassaugh 30yo 1976/2007 (45.3%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Hogshead, C#2381, 260b, b#226) (PS)

Nose: surprisingly mineral, it has peach yoghurt and sawdust from a circular saw.

Mouth: jammy and fruity, it has peach jelly and thin fruit juice.

Finish: lovely fruity profile balanced with a sip of black coffee.

Comment: this has been on my list of things to try since it came out. Glad to have a chance.

Score: 9/10

PS: "This is far from being a substandard dram."

Chichibu 2009/2012 The Floor Malted (50.5%, OB Ichiro's Malt distributed by Japan Import System imported by Number One Drinks, 8800b, b#8142) (EG)

Nose: it is a tad indistinct, with custard and fruity flowers.

Mouth: fresh and mineral, it tastes like fruits cut on slate.

Finish: lovely fruitiness, mostly peaches and nectarines.

Comment: another good Chichibu.

Score: 8/10

JS pulls out her own Chichibu London Edition b.2023 (51.5%, OB Ichiro's Malt imported by Speciality Drinks, 1949b, b#1843) to compare it with the above. The opinions are divided on which is better than the other. EG and I prefer JS's (notes here). pat gva prefers EG's.

EG pours his Real Dry sparkling white wine. Alcohol free (0.5%), it is meant to reset the palates and refresh the minds.

pat gva: Is that prosecco?"
EG: "Do I look like an Italian?"

Psycho tells a daft story. pat gva laughs so hard he chokes.

EG: "Too strong for you? 0.5%?"

Random nibbles
Nachos, biltong, nuts

3.217 16yo 1997/2014 A delicatessen shopping basket (55.6%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Sherry Butt, 609b) (EG)

Nose: farm-y and salty. One could say 'saltmarshes' with confidence.

Mouth: pearl onions, smoked prunes, smoked figs.

Finish: beautifully mellow, with a lick of smoke.

Comment: wow!

Score: 8/10

Gaija enters the scene and pours us a surprise one.

Mystery dram (Gaija)

Nose: super herbaceous, it has heather twigs, oregano and mizunara staves.

Mouth: juicy, a trifle pine-y, with a dollop of mountain-flower honey.

Finish: aromatic, it has oregano, twigs, bracken and dried roots.

Comment: we narrow it down to a middle-aged Bowmore for travel retail, but not the exact bottling, nor even the range. I trawl through my sample boxes to find another, similar expression, to no avail. Must have emptied it.

Bowmore Aston Martin 22yo b.2022 (51.5%, OB Masters' Selection, 12800b) 8/10

Gaija's Glenglass-socks

Bunnahabhain 1989/2001 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail The MacPhail's, JA/ACC) (Psycho)

Nose: gas, sewers, pickled onions.

Mouth: mellow, juicy, it develops a chalky, eggshell-y side.

Finish: soft, it dishes out orange pulp and pepper-topped custard.

Comment: one we have had several times. It is a competent effort. Others appreciate it more than I do. Of course, the competition is fierce, today.

Score: 7/10

ruckus and EJ join the gang.

3.213 18yo Fresh, inviting and energetic (56%, SMWS Society Single Cask) (JS)

Nose: dry and citrus-y, it has orange peels and the bitter oil that comes with that.

Mouth: citrus-y, crystalline, it veers towards leather.

Finish: sweet and citrus-y, it showcases cherries (EJ), candy sweets (JS) and Mon Chéri (EJ).

Comment: JS pulled this out last minute to have it against 3.217. They are wildly different. Full notes here.

Score: 8/10

PS asks if he may open the door for air. YdS is fanning herself with a napkin.

JS: "I'll give you a fan."
pat gva: "She's got a fan. It's Chinese."
YdS: "It's not Chinese. It's international."

EJ: "How do you pronounce it? Glen-glass-ow?"
PS: "Glen-glass-okh."
EJ: "Glen-glass-sock."
Psycho: "Kh. Like Mo-kh-ammed."
JS: "That is why you get stopped at airports!"

Poit Dhubh 30yo b.2006 (43%, Pràban na Linne 30th Anniversary Edition, b#230) (tOMoH)

Comment: pat gva and elskling show no interest at first and are dubitative when I insist. They seem pleasantly surprised when they finally do try it. Full notes here.

Score: 8/10

ruckus teases EJ about ageing.

tOMoH: "What are you doing with this guy?"
JS: "He's very competent in his cooking skills."

Invergordon 37yo 1972/2009 (46.6%, Càrn Mòr Celebration of the Cask, Bourbon Barrel CC#60478/63675, 259b, b#236) (JS)

Comment: chemical to start with, it paves the way for peach and almonds (pat gva). ruckus finds blackcurrants. Full notes here.

Score: 8/10

D.town 33yo d.1979 (56.3%, Cadenhead Cask Ends, 3rd Fill Bourbon Cask, 1b) (tOMoH)

Comment: full notes here.

Score: 8/10

Psycho: "Why are you looking at me like that?"
EJ: "Because you're sexaaaaaaaay."
ruckus: "She's very good at lying."

Others have the following in no particular order.

Glenlochy 29yo 1980/2010 (52.8%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Hogshead, C#2649, 265b, b#71) (tOMoH)

Inver-Regal (43° Gay Lussac, J.H. Wham & Son (Largs), for testing purposes only, b. pre-1991) (tOMoH)

Pittyvaich 14yo 1986/2001 (43%, Ian McLeod Chieftain's, Hogsheads, C#9519-22, 1074b, L1212BB 3 11 58) (tOMoH)

Laphroaig 28yo b.2018 (44.4%, OB Limited Edition, Quarter Casks + Bourbon Barrels + Sherry Butts) (tOMoH): especially for Psycho, who had left when we tasted it last month.

Abhainn Dearg b.2023 (61%, OB X Cask Type, PX Cask) (tOMoH)

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

Bladnoch 20yo 1990/2011 (60.6%, The Scottish Liqueur Centre for Càrn Mòr Celebration of the Cask, Bourbon Barrel, C#30005, 194b, b#131) (JS)

(pat gva asked about Càrn Mòr, yesterday)

Laphroaig 10yo (90 U.S. Proof, OB imported by Julius Wile, b.1975) (pat gva)

Bruichladdich 20yo 2001/2021 (53.1%, Sansibar-Whisky, Sherry Hogshead, 318b) (elskling)

It is close to 20:30 when the last ones leave. Precious moments.

28/03/2026 London MkV

After many months of trying, we finally found a date to meet. One guest called off last week, but that leaves enough to go ahead anyway. JS, JMcD, YM and cavalier66 join me for the afternoon.

cavalier66 skillfully builds a coherent line-up
under the watchful eye of JMcD

Ta-da

The soundtrack: Aware - Requiem For A Dying Animal

tOMoH presents: Cutty Sark (y'know? The clipper in Greenwhich and the DLR station of the same name)

Cutty Sark 25yo Tam o'Shanter (46.5%, Berry Bros. & Rudd for Burns' Night 2012, 5000b) (tOMoH)

Nose: fruity (cavalier66), it has brambles and fruit-tree wood.
Mouth: "not grain-forward" (cavalier66 looking for a punch in the face), it has bitter and woody notes (JMcD), and goes really well with the ambient music (cavalier66).
Finish: it has a slight harshness of grain (cavalier66).
Comment: cavalier66 adds water and says it loses its fruit to become astringent. I enjoy this for the starter it is, today. Full notes here.
Score: 7/10

tOMoH presents: Shepherd's Bushmills

Bushmills 21yo b.2004 (40%, OB, Madeira Wood Finish, b#16296) (tOMoH)

Nose: fruity and a tad woody. It seems fruitier than last time, with lychee and baked brown bananas.
Mouth: thick and creamy, not unlike a crème au chocolat liégeois, to be accurate (a sort of chocolate custard topped with whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa). The second sip has metal dripping with melted chocolate.

Finish: an earthy touch with cocoa powder dusted on a cup of mocha.
Comment: just as good as last time. Notes here.
Score: 8/10

vs.

Dram #3

We try this blind from a urine sample, and that is in theme ... because we try it in London. Well done, cavalier66!

Nose: fermented pear (JMcD), urine (cavalier66). He must be drunk: I have dried pineapple chunks, dried apricot and dried mango slices. Cigarette smoke takes off at second nosing.
Mouth: ah! Is it a little chalky? There is grated Aspirin, but it is mostly fruity and fresh. More citrus at second sip.
Finish: fruity and a trifle bitter, which hints at citrus peels.
Comment: I guess a Littlemill, but no. With a few clues, I end up identifying it. The quality-to-price ratio is really hard to beat.
Score: 8/10

Irish Reserve 26yo (46%, unknown bottler Superior Reserve for Aldi, b.2017) (cavalier66)

The soundtrack: Various - Witchcraft and Black Magic In The United States

tOMoH presents: Glen Mhorden

Glen Mhor 1982/2009 (46%, Berry Bros. & Rudd Berrys' Own Selection, C#1231) (tOMoH)

Nose: rotten fruits (cavalier66), sink fruits (cavalier66, who takes a shortcut to vocalise that clogged sinks, at some point, develop a fruity scent). I have strawberry- or cherry-flavoured sweets, which cavalier66 relates to Opal Fruits or Starburst (Sugus for our Continental readers). Perhaps it has sherbet too? YM declares a high-end pruneau vibe, which amuses me. He is so posh, sometimes.
Mouth: YM finds it unusual and brighter than expected. cavalier66 reckons it is dusty -- "ambient dust," JMcD adds.
Finish: pickled onion (cavalier66), ground dried berries followed by stale beer. That is the note that sticks.
Comment: love it. Very relieved too: the level was fairly low (it must have lost 5cl to evaporation) and the stopper odd. The cork was loose in the neck, but the wood cap looked oversized, as if someone had managed to remove the foil and the stopper, poured themselves a few drams, plugged a new stopper of an incorrect girth, and put the foil back on as if nothing had happened. Looking forward to trying it again.
Score: 8/10

Food enters. cavalier66 brought his usual bounty of cheeses, as well as bread ("for Baker Street," yelps JMcD. "No, it is seeded, like the tennis players at Wimbledon, London's tournament," cavalier66 answers) and beetroot-cured salmon (because it is red, like London's red routes).

Stoney King's Cross Station

Old Comté-on Street

Alp-erton Blossom Station

Membrillo, which we know is Harley Quinn-ce paste (a rugby team, apparently)

JMcD presents: Bruichladdich Old Street Skool (or Bruich Lane, JS ventures)

Bruichladdich 10yo b.2026 Old Skool (50%, OB 25th Anniversary Limited Release, 95% First Fill ex-Bourbon & 5% First Fill ex-Sauternes) (JMcD)

Nose: pungent, it has a bit of rubber and linoleum glue. It is not very open yet (new bottle), but I like it already. Then, it develops pineapple turnovers before turning creamy AF, with even a whiff of lactic acid.
Mouth: breathing is necessary, here, as it is impenetrable, straight from the bottle. With time, it gives cereals, porridge and cinnamon.
Finish: the shift in ABV is noticeable. It stings a bit, in the same way a disinfectant would. It balances bitterness and acidity for a while, is strongly lactic, then settles for creamy as planned.
Comment: it is a bit unruly from a recently-opened bottle. I reckon it will improve greatly over time.
Score: 7/10

Next to the 15yo from the 1980s for visual comparison
The label goes full circle, as with Benriach
One wonders why they spend millions on upgrading it

The soundtrack: Zanias - Cataclysm

cavalier66 presents: Glenglassaugh, as hard to pronounce as so many London places. The distillery is closed again, as are many London tube stations. This particular bottling was selected by Ronnie Routledge, who has the same first name as so many famous Londoners.

Glenglassaugh 35yo 1976/2011 (49.6%, OB The Chosen Few selected by Ronnie Routledge, Sherry Butt, 654b, b#320) (cavalier66)

Nose: polished dashboards and wooden posts so polished by ropes they almost shine. It has horse's sweat too (cavalier66 is quick to read us Whiskyfun's review, which makes it impossible to miss that) and fruits. Plums, prunes in syrup, perhaps blueberries and a jelly of sorts, or shoe polish.
Mouth: it has a mineral side to it, a lick of limestone, but also a lot of plum juice. The second sip has sirop de Liège or another jelly, though not membrillo. Green grapes, including the pips.
Finish: long, spiky, it is almost cactus-like -- not in terms of taste, but mouthfeel, if that makes sense. Prickle pears, plums, rehydrated soft prunes and green grapes. It develops a touch of softly-toasted or burnt rubber.
Comment: "a serious whisky," says cavalier66. Quality.
Score: 9/10

cavalier66: "JS, have you tried my urine yet?"
JS: "What?"
cavalier66: "In the sample bottle. I saved you a few drops."
JS: "There is so little left..."
tOMoH: "At his age, that is all he could muster up."

cavalier66 presents a bottle with a low(ish) fill, because London is a low-level city, which is why they built the Thames Barrier. And the label has a circle (the pump wheel) for the Circle Line.

Irish Single Malt 25yo 1988/2013 (51.1%, The Whisky Agency, Barrel, 212b) (cavalier66)

Nose: "is it yellow or purple?" (cavalier66) "Passion fruit?" (JS) Jacob Ree-ZOMG! A 'splosion of mango and maracuja, nectarine and peach. It also has a whiff of warm wood, followed by a pot of mocha coffee. JS finds it an air of Amaretto.
Mouth: flabbergasting fruit, of course. Pineapple nectar, mangoes, including the bitterness one feels when licking mango skins, and maracuja fruit served in a rubber goblet. Chewing gives a mix of plant sap, Alka Seltzer and rubber. Ha!
Finish: "it tastes bejewelled to me" (JMcD). Seeds of passion fruit (JMcD). Yes, it has that bitterness and, fortunately, not the crunch. I find pineapple bark, on the other hand.
Comment: phwoar! cavalier66 arrogantly announced a dram that could give 117.3 a run for its money. After trying it, one must admit it plays in the same league.
Score: 10/10

The soundtrack: Sabled Sun - 2145

Time for cake. JMcD brought a blueberry cheesecake and "a German cake with a name that starts with 'A'" from Artisan Foods, on Brora Market.

JMcD: "Hang on! Who brought a Brora?"

JS presents: St Maggy Axe

St.Magdalene 23yo 1982/2006 (56%, Hart Brothers Finest Collection imported by Marsalle Company) (JS)

Nose: petrichor and ozone (cavalier66). It is indeed earthy and fresh as a summer rain, or as "a meadow with a beautiful maiden next to you" (cavalier66). Hippie music (cavalier66).
Mouth: muscular (the inspired cavalier66 again), it has orange peels and citrus oil, pith and a mineral touch (it is a Magdalene, after all).
Finish: sticky, almost soot-y, it remains elegant at the same time, like only St Magdalene can do.
Comment: my full notes are here. This is delicious. "Delishballs and corpuscular" (cavalier66).
Score: 9/10

Only now do we spot JMcD's socks.
Is that the London Eye? One Canada Square? The Shard?
It is the same pattern as the seats on the Jubilee Line!

cavalier66: "It is quite potent."
JS: "Oh! You're not using your usual complaint... [imagine this at cask strength]"
cavalier66: "No. This one, I'm going to dilute to cask strength."

tOMoH: "Is 'corpuscular' a real word?"
cavalier66: "I don't know."
tOMoH: "It is logical. 'Corpuscule' exists, so, if it isn't, it should be."
cavalier66: "Yeah."
tOMoH: "You deserve your own entry in the dictionary."
cavalier66: "It's all that LSD I put in the Irish."
tOMoH: "Is that why I'm tripping delishballs?"

YM presents: Bow and More Gate

Bowmore 15yo 2003/2018 (57.1%, Cadenhead specially bottled for Cadenhead's Whisky Shop Campbeltown, Bourbon Hogshead + Burgundy Cask Finish, 264b) (YM)

Nose: farm-y nose if there was one, it has peat, farm paths, dried mud cakes, bone-dry apples. We find tincture of iodine too, which is less farm-y, and bandages. That continues towards super-dry hay and ashes. YM detects ham hough. Water confirms the farm, even if the others think it is fruitier. Eventually, chargrilled pineapple and peaches come up with the adjacent smoke.
Mouth: grilled peaches and nectarines (YM), heavy smoke (YM). Yeah, it has a drop of fruit and buckets of soot that sticks to the gob until the end of times. Chewing brings earth, tar and ink. It is as bitter as vine leaves too, and hot. Water makes it acidic and ashy, with citrus juice and the ashtray of a domestic fireplace.
Finish: hot, very hot, it has scorched earth, burning hay and spilled diesel. Water adds a touch of charred cherry tree and charred cherries that still give a soft fruit juice.
Comment: lovely Bowmore, if not the fruitiest.
Score: 8/10

Celebrity spotting

YM: "Burgundy cask since 2011."
tOMoH: "Seven years out of fifteen, that's not a finish; it's a double maturation."
cavalier66: "Burgundy? We can hope it was a white Burgundy, not a red one."
tOMoH: "You're so racist, cavalier66."

cavalier66: "With water, it becomes sooooo good."
tOMoH: "Do you want to try the water without the whisky? I can give you a clean glass..."
cavalier66: "The water swims like a whisky that can swim. Wait! I mean..."

The soundtrack: Foetusdream - Brouillard

JMcD presents: Valinch. He admits he did not know what a valinch was until he saw a specimen in the Museum of London. A valinch used by the Excise at Newham, which is in London.

The Laddie Valinch 12yo d.2009 Lindy Maclellan (62.6%, OB The Laddie Valinch, ex-Rivesaltes Cask, C#1618, B#56, 384b, b#332) (JMcD)

Nose: it is very tannic (YM) or tea-like (cavalier66). YM also finds vanilla, or the vanilla glaze on a doughnut. It then becomes more typical of a Sherry cask, with leather and shoe polish. Follow mushrooms and potting soil. It gains a mineral side, over time.
Mouth: strongly sweet and savoury at the same time. It has cured ham, prunes, dried dates and hairy plums (yes, mould). It is also very hot, unsurprisingly, but remains tolerable, thanks to the fruits and a comforting flock of fluffy hair.

Finish: long, earthy and pretty drying, it has shoe polish, tanned leather and the skin of a dead fox.
Comment: uncompromising 'laddie.
Score: 7/10

YM presents: Old Street Potrero, a whiskey made of 100% malted Peckham Rye.

Old Potrero 7yo (65.6%, OB Single Barrel Reserve, Air-Dried Fine-Grain New American Oak Barrel, C#11-14/3, 129b) (YM)

Nose: overly-lacquered wood. This is exuberantly heady and has a distinct rye note. Rye bread and lukewarm, flat Irn Bru, reminiscent of a Scottish-Jewish bakery (cavalier66).
Mouth: ooft! A rye alright, with a dash of Irn Bru, metal, artificial sweetness, and plasticine. It feels a tad more gravelly at second sip, mineral and drying. The sweetness comes back quickly, however. cavalier66 finds caraway seeds and malted rye.
Finish: long and huge, it is also insanely sweet. Repeated quaffing confirms that sweetness. Lemonade, Irn Bru, diabetes. I even get dill, after a while, probably suggested by the others who talk about gravadlax.
Comment: what an original one to finish with! dom666 and kruuk2 used to talk about Potrero often, more than twenty years ago. Good to reacquaint. Sadly, it is a headache-inducing one, if not as bad as a Cambus.
Score: 8/10

Post-tasting, JMcD tries Laphroaig 10yo 1994/2005 (52.5%, Creative Whisky Company Exclusive Malts) (notes). YM has Bowmore 23yo b.2023 Lovers Transformed (50.9%, OB travel retail exclusive, Refill PX + Oloroso-seasoned European Oak, 8000b) (notes). cavalier66 tries Laphroaig 31yo 1974/2005 (49.7%, OB for La Maison du Whisky, Sherry Wood Casks, 910b, b#652).

Great times. Pity it has become so difficult to gather everyone for one of these sessions, as they are invariably good fun.

16/09/2025 Phil Storry x SMWS

Tonight, PS does another sold-out member takeover at the SMWS. JS and I thought we would turn up on the off chance that someone would call off, in which case, we would take their seats. I had food poisoning last night, so, at the last minute, I decide not to go. It will take me another two weeks to feel well enough to try whisky again, but that is another story. JS, on the other hand, does go to the room. Only to realise she had tickets all along. Lolle.

Thanks to PS, JS and JP, samples will later find their way to tOMoH. Woo.

Dram #1

Nose: it is enticing from the off, with physalis, Mirabelle plums and a spoonful of honey. It is sweeter with each sniff, flirting with Lyle's Golden Syrup, then yellow cherry tomatoes seared in a pan and rightly caramelising, peach jelly, melon jam -- lots of melon, in fact: canary and Galia, cubed and coated in agar-agar. The second nose has generous pastry, namely mille-feuille, croissant filled with pineapple jam, and grapefruit vanilla custard, all served on limestone plates laid on a pile of birch logs overtaken by mosses and decay. Mouth: it stings more than expected and has a certain bitterness that tries (and fails) to compete with similar notes to what we found on the nose: melon jam, sweet gelatine, agar-agar, and even chopped mint, here, which imparts a green freshness that works a treat. Chewing adds a dose of honey, perhaps crunchy digestive biscuits, and increases the leafy bitterness to bring it close to rubber levels. Chewy dried fruits, maybe? The second sip is just as punchy, acidic, if not stripping, and a little green. We find yellow tomatoes and Mirabelle plums sprinkled with pine sap. Finish: it reclaims an unabashed sweetness, one that is closer to candied angelica than to honey, though. Melon jam still prevails, stewed rhubarb augmented with liquorice allsorts, apricot jam, yellow cherry tomatoes on the vine. The second gulp unleashes honey at first, then pine sap. It is as if bees has started making honey out of pine flowers, then, halfway through, had decided to do away with the honey business and started putting the pine sap in jars instead. It dies out with a puff of candied angelica and a drop of Mirto Verde. Comment: this one works, but the nose elevates it to a higher score. I reckon a grain, or a Littlemill.

G10.2 35yo d.1977 Sweet and substantial (57.8%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 136b) 8/10 (I finally try this on 29/09/2025)

Dram #2

Nose: green, green, green. For some reason, I want to say "jellied eels", which makes no sense, because it does not smell fishy at all. However, it is green and jellied alright. Let us imagine some kind of jellied vegetable (spinach or watercress), or a particular brand of ambrosia salad, one that is mostly mayonnaise and green marshmallows. The nose shakes that up to focus on salad leaves with a nice oily tarragon dressing and a vague sweetness. I recognise this profile, although I cannot place it. The second nose seems bolder and fruitier, with pomelo peels and dried grapefruit zest liberally sprinkled on vanilla custard, crushed bergamot leaves, stewed clementine segments and, maybe, just maybe, rhubarb shavings. Mouth: delicate, a little leafy and remotely sweet, it unfolds on the tongue like a mint jelly, sweet, fresh, meltingly chewy, and pleasant, more of a backing singer than anything that commands much attention. Chewing injects crystallised oranges, which, surprisingly enough, quickly overtakes the above. With time, wood becomes apparent too, slices of sappy conifer. The second sip doubles down on green, with jellied citrus foliage and the candied (mint) leaf bakers use to top a Rum Baba. That is all splashed with lukewarm citrus juice. Finish: it is more-easily recognisable as pine driven, here, to a point I wonder if it could be a Benrinnes. Nothing invasive again; just a lovely freshness that is tempting to associate with pine, and a lingering sappy bitterness. It is a tad numbing too. It leaves the gob coated in a sweet pine paste, comparable to what one feels after eating baklava. The second gulp too seems sweeter and fruitier, adding citrus segments to what remains a pine-sap-oriented number, all in all. Comment: I shall guess Benrinnes. Incorrectly.

58.7 27yo 1977/2005 A fruity explosion (45.8%, SMWS Society Cask) 8/10 (I finally try this on 29/09/2025)

Dram #3

Nose: here is a different beast that presents drinks cabinets made of mahogany, and lacquered jewel boxes. That opens up to reveal a bold, fruity profile, one ripe with cured apples, plums, nectarines and blueberries, all so ripe they are about to start fermenting. Unless there is a glass of wine nearby. With some imagination, we may even spot lychee liqueur. And then, an interesting modelling paint joins (Revell, either RAL 5022 Night blue, or RAL 5013 Lufthansa blue), augmented with stale plaster glue. How quaint! The second nose is dustier, a mix of sawdust (birch, acacia), confectionary sugar and bone-dry lemon zest. Then, without warning, we pull back in on waxy nectarines, plums and unripe berries with a glass of Manzanilla. It becomes gradually earthier too, which is a welcome progression. Mouth: ooh! Bitter! We find plastic grapes, clear varnish, unripe fruits sprinkled with a pinch of chalk. It retains a distant blueish fruitiness, yet it is quite the departure from the nose, all in all. Chewing adds a tart jam-like quality, with enough acidity to counteract the bitterness, but this is not easy on the palate. Green hazelwood coated in date syrup shows up. The second sip is sweeter and waxier, close to nectarine skins and blackcurrants soaked in a liqueur of sorts. The earlier bitterness, though more controlled, resurfaces, and we find ourselves with unripe blueberries, albeit dunked in the wax of a purple candle. Indeed, there is even a whiff of wick, here. Finish: unripe berries, bitter and acidic. One can sense a lot of yellow fruits at play (plum, Mirabelle plum, greengage), but they simply are not ripe enough to succeed. Instead, we are subjected to green hazelwood. The second gulp is a little riper. One gets the impression that, given a few months' breathing, this would offer a basket of fruits. As it stands, it is the lacquered wicker basket that talks over said fruits. Perhaps it has herbs in jelly. By now, it no longer seems to matter all that much. Comment: lovely nose. The rest does not live up to it. A Glencadam? It is probably not metallic enough for that.

21.25 27yo 1976/2004 Peaches and soft toffee (49.2%, Society Cask, Refill Hogshead) 7/10 (I finally try this on 03/10/2025)

Dram #4

Nose: a suede jacket and tan moccasins. That suggests an earthy outlook, one that is swiftly submerged by yellow-fruit flesh (no skin) and a dollop of a sticky liquid (part syrup, part varnish). It takes seconds for that to fall under the attack of Turkish delights, however, served with desert dirt. That earthy note never disappears: it just watches as the other aromas fight for the second place, in full knowledge that it will forever be the dominant constant of this evolving nose. Earthy desert dirt sticks to a horse's hair after a day's galloping. The second nose confirms all of the above, yet shuffles them and presents them in a random order. The horse is doused in pressed fruits (mostly berries, now) and tramples a suede jacket on the desert-dirt floor of a wine cellar. There is a puff of cigarette smoke too, which is rather unexpected. Mouth: ooft! this is varnishy. To some extent, it reminds of a shoemaker's workshop, though it is not heady or aggressive. It does present a blend of glues, varnishes, leathers, even rubber (without the overwhelming bitterness). We find some waxy fruits too, namely nectarines and fresh figs soaked in red wine. It has a whiff of horse's sweat, but it is a far cry from the nose's cavalcade. The focus is clearly on fruits, here -- fruits that come close to berries with time. The second sip introduces a berry-flavoured cigarette too, which is to say oily tobacco and smoked berries. Well, it even has grilled peaches, now. Finish: long, bold and fruity, this has the quality one would expect of a grand-cru wine. Fruity, dry, a tad earthy, leathery as a polished sofa, it has just enough tannins to pique one's interest, not enough for anyone to complain. Blush-orange segments, ripe elderberry and a glass of Burgundy (Gevrey-Chambertin 1995 to say something and appear knowledgeable). Barbecued fruits rock up at second gulp, peaches, apricots, pineapple rings, all sprinkled with red wine before being grilled. It turns out to be pretty drying upon repeated quaffing -- the desert dirt without a doubt. It has less leather and horse character, now, and cigarettes are less vivid than on the palate, reduced to a lingering smoke that is hard to fully apprehend. Comment: this is excellent. Parts of it hint at Glen Elgin, but then it could also be a Clynelish, or even an ancient Longrow.

26.89 27yo d.1984 An exotic tearoom experience (56.6%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill Sherry Butt, 485b) 8/10 (I finally try this on 03/10/2025)

We had this when it came out.
I liked it then and I like it now.

Dram #5

Nose: this is another earthy one, with rich-soil fields crisped by the summer sun, mud patties drying on a griddle, and a cow's behind on a dry late-summer day. That is suddenly supplemented with a more-maritime feel, dried kelp, fishing nets and salted Brighton Rock. Huh? Shaking the glass vigorously will reveal tarry sands and a whisper of diesel in otherwise-brisk sea air. It may well come back to dry earth, after a few minutes, and brings in burnt hazel sticks. The second nose seems smokier, with smoked roots of some kind, smoked banana peels, cooling embers. Gone is the earth, vanished has the sea air. Odd. There is a whisper of fruity windscreen defroster, far in the back. Mouth: very maritime on the tongue, it has sandy mussels, smoked cockles and a shovelful of tarry sands. Next to them are black rubber soles, camphor, liquorice bootlaces, and a type of bark or another -- eucalyptus? Liquorice sticks? It is fresh and bitter, rubbery. It is bitterer yet at second sip, now showcasing windscreen defroster indeed, in a bright-blue taint. Chewing adds a gentle sweetness to balance out the bitterness, part caster sugar, part natural sugars of fruits (Golden apple, greengage), and even buttery croissant. Finish: assertive rather than bold, it seems to do away with the earthy elements, as well as the maritime ones. Instead, it focuses on camphor and liquorice-y rubber. We find dolmas or vine leaves, blackberry cough drops, liquorice and tar. Tarry it is too, as the finish sticks to the gob like a menthol cigarette: fresh, slightly smoky and tarry. The second gulp dials down all that and allows burnt hazel and smoked Golden Delicious apples to express themselves intelligibly. Comment: knowing PS, I should guess Croftengea. This tastes more like a Caol Ila or a Staoisha to me, though. Or is it a Springbank? In any case, it is pretty good, even if the tar is a bit loud for me.

93.19 14yo 1991/2006 Honey sweet Arbroath smokie (60.3%, SMWS Society Cask, 288b) 7/10 (I finally try this on 06/10/2025)

Dram #6

Nose: here is a leafy-fruity nose, with the foliage of produce such as grapefruit, yellow-green apple and maracuja. Indeed, it becomes rather tropical. Buddha's hand, oroblanco, salted calamansi, even grilled dragon fruit. Now, all that is tame, mind. All the same, we have a mixture of citrus, tropical fruits and salt. A margarita, in other words. Further on, we detect sweet, juicy peach. The second nose confirms a depth that only long ageing can offer, still with fruits of the citrus and tropical varieties, and a whiff of old-school mineral smoke; gunpowder and matchbox strikers alongside boiler-room heat and smoked citrus. Mouth: salty! It is at once sharp as salted vinegar and soft as peach flesh dusted with confectionary sugar. Chewing unlocks an intense fruitiness that is difficult to identify with precision. It also has a gentle metallic side that goes well with the salt. I am somehow reminded of ancient aged bottlings, the likes of which Gordon & MacPhail or Cadenhead have released -- and not for decades. What is this!? The second sip has this unmistakable old-school profile, with smoked grapefruits, preserved lemons, peach slices warmed on a dusty boiler, sooty marmalade (not an overtly-bitter one), and heated tinned mango slices. Phwoar! Finish: warm peach flesh alright, cut with a hot knife, sprinkled with droplets of citrus juice (grapefruit, Shaddock pomelo, blush orange). Only the bite of alcohol clears suspicions this could be an ancient Gordon & MacPhail or Cadenhead offering. As the finish unfolds, mint crumbles become discernible, fresh and sweet. There is a lick of liquorice allsorts too (lick-o-rish) that supply a mild toasted bitterness. The second gulp has physalis in syrup, smoked peach slices on a hot zinc plate, and the heat and dust one would expect to come out of an old boiler room. The stones of those peaches are there too, now, hand in hand with preserved lemons, which make for a race between calm bitterness, tame acidity and brine. Warming, comforting, with that magical balance of dusty-briny smoke and juicy fruits. Comment: head and shoulder above the others. Perhaps my score is overly generous, but I really like this. Later, I will discover that PS chose this, a second 26, because he suspects it is actually a mislabelled cask of 61. He may well be right. [Correction to the above: PS does not think that it was a mislabelled cask. This was peated malt distilled at Clynelish, after the closure of Brora. His theory is that DCL had ordered the peated malt for Brora, then closed the distillery. When the malt turned up, they probably wanted to use it, rather than waste it.]

26.45 22yo 1983//2005 Sweets and peats (54.7%, SMWS Society Cask, 255b) 9/10 (I finally try this on 06/10/2025)

With thanks to JS, PS and JP. The big reveal comes on 10/10/2025.