25/04/2026 The Whisky Fair (Day 1 -- Part 4) Rarities for Charity

This year, JS and I are attending the Rarities for Charity tasting with elskling and LsR. OO is here too, as are thirty-or-so others. Gérard Hofmann is hosting with Henrik Schmidt. Patrick de Schultess is busy elsewhere, so he is not there.

J. & G. Grant from the Glenlivet District 5yo d.1967 (40%, Grant Bonding imported and distributed by Girolamo-Luxardo)

Nose: austere, it has lots of cardboard, pickled gherkins, hay. JS finds OBE and toasted cereals in an old library. A cardboard box used to transport vanilla.

Mouth: same cardboard action, perhaps leather and, if any fruit, it is bone-dry strawberry slices. elskling finds it mineral.

Finish: cereal-y, a bit raw. We may find vanilla biscuits (JS) or digestive biscuits. It is so chock-full of cereals it could also just be Horlicks.

Comment: good, provided one likes cereals. How unlikely is it that we would try two of those J. & G. Grant in less than a year, eh?

Score: 8/10

Starter is served.

Spargelsuppe

Tomatin 28yo 1982/2010 (55.3%, Scotch Single Malt Circle, Sherry Cask, C#29, 574b)

Nose: this is entirely taken over by the Sherry cask. Fruits do kick into gear, fortunately. It is a compact and almost intimidating nose, though. Last to appear are crayons and dried peach slices.

Mouth: och! Pickled red onions, pearl onions from a jar. That recedes to deliver unripe berries, but it remains a big, scary Sherried dram.

Finish: creamy and fruity, it has lots of berries, yet that is sadly hampered by a sour, briny note.

Comment: considering how difficult these bottlings are to get hold of, it is always interesting to try one. I cannot say I am entranced by this particular one, all the same.

Score: 6/10

The next bottle is presented by the Scotch Single Malt Circle ambassador herself. She explains in detail how the founder introduced the Scotch Malt Whisky Society into Germany who gave her a choice in the 1990s: to pay a large sum of money and continue or to jog on. She did not have said large sum of money and parted ways with the SMWS, but carried on pushing liquid, now with another club, the SSMC.

I had no knowledge of that story and welcome the informative introduction.

Clynelish 9yo 1990/1999 (57.4%, Scotch Single Malt Circle, C#3210)

Nose: mint paste applied on waxy fruits. It has spent wick too. Honestly, it is not perfectly balanced, out of this freshly-opened bottle, but it is promising. The second nose has vanilla custard and a sweet shortcrust.

Mouth: mmmh! Wax, yellow fruits punctuated with a lot of pepper and a pinch of ash. The waxy fruits probably come out most, but it is also rather strong, a sensation increased by the presence of white pepper. Water tones that down and lets the fruits shine brighter.

Finish: dry, hot, waxy and fruity. It has a lot of ash propping up yellow fruits (plum, Mirabelle plum, peach). Water makes this softer and fruitier, and increases the presence of yellow and white fruits, which eclipse wax and wick almost entirely.

Comment: this is a belter. Were it not for the imbalance on the palate at first, it would score higher.

Score: 8/10

Henrik goes geeky-and-three-quarters for the next bottle. He tells us (too much about) how to date a bottle of White Horse, how the various sovereigns on the seal give the era, which label goes with which bottle engraving, how the brand name evolved, what the thickness of the tin foil tells us et caetera. Twice, the audience claps to put a stop to the logorrhea; twice, he tells us he has more to say. Being a geek myself, I am torn: what he tells us is immensely interesting; on the other hand, we have a strict deadline. I also notice he is losing the crowd at pace.

Tin-foil stories.

On the right, a 1980s bottling.

On the left, a 1940s bottling.

In fact, the explanation takes so long that JS's right-hand-side neighbour pulls out a bottle from his bag and starts pouring it. "It has the white horse on the label; I thought it would be interesting to try them side by side."

Main course enters at the same time for total overload. I elect to eat first.

Pasta with mushrooms and courgettes

LsR: "I am reminded that only the French can make bread."
tOMoH: "I am reminded that the French abroad are insufferable."

Glen Elgin 12yo (no ABV, OB, no bottle size, SC803)

Nose: hay and muesli punctuated by yellow fruits.

Mouth: a lovely old bottling, it has lemon zest in cream custard. Citrus rises and rises.

Finish: soft and citrus-y, the hay note is a little too pronounced for me.

Comment: always nice to try these old dusties.

Score: 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, T)

The Blended Scotch Whisky of the White Horse Cellar (86.80° Proof, White Horse Distillers imported by Browne Vintners, b#AU915749, b. ca. 1940s)

Nose: it smells well integrated, but also a bit mass-produced. We have suede and hay, I guess.

Mouth: soft, it continues dishing out suede, now with leather and corduroy cushions.

Finish: easy, it has a lick of leather, dry hay and horse's hair (or is that the power of suggestion?)

Comment: just like the one we had earlier this month, this is fairly nondescript and not worthy of the reputation it enjoys in some circles, in my opinion. And I that it contains Malt Mill does not change my opinion.

Score: 7/10

After spending too long on the first four drams, we pick up the pace.

Lochindaal 12yo 2010/2022 (49.9%, The Finest Malts for DramOff, Bourbon Barrel, C#4395, 72b)

Nose: roasted fruits and faint smoke.

Mouth: sweet, porridge-y, it is also acidic, fruity and farm-y to an extent. Some find it peaty, but I do not. It does become salty at second sip, on the other hand.

Finish: long and bold, dry, smoky, farm-y in a mud cake way.

Comment: unremarkable. There is nothing wrong with it; I simply do not find it impressive.

Score: 6/10

Irish Single Malt 28yo 1989/2017 Vol.1 (56.2%, Limited Whisky Investment The Monkey Series in co-operation with Sansibar, Bourbon Cask, 164b, 16/05058)

Nose: mango purée, melted papaya, squashed persimmon, butternut purée (JS), then baked puff pastry and stewed peaches.

Mouth: wonderful. Mango turnovers followed by hot metal baking trays and baked satsumas. This has 'pastry' written all over it.

Finish: lots of hot turnovers slightly tainted by the metal tray they were baked on. It is a bit unbalanced, here, too liberal with the metal, if very acceptable.

Comment: we are nit-picking. It is not one of the great Irish, but it is a great whiskey. By the way, the bottle code suggests it was bottled in 2016, whatever the label reads.

Score: 8/10

JS: "It is lacking in maracuja."

Dessert.

Tiramisù

Glenfarclas 12yo (45%, OB for F.W. Hempel Metallurgical GmbH)

Nose: another one that is full of fruity turnovers, with baked mangoes and apricots, smashed papayas and melting persimmons.

Mouth: creamy and fruity, it has a bite alright. It is hot, metallic and turns acidic with time.

Finish: pretty acidic here too, it has sour fruit jellies, followed by a faint bitterness of unripe fruit.

Comment: good.

Score: 8/10

JS: "It's a complete Ball-indall-ache."

I pull out empty sample bottles, as I know I will not finish the line-up intact and I do want to enjoy the drams, at some point. elskling sees my Post-Its.

elskling: "Qu'est-ce que c'est que ce travail de cochon? Here, take one of my labels!"

A bottle comes out of nowhere, delaying us further.

Glenturret 29yo 1989/2019 (44.7%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Hogshead, C#238, 253b, b#112)

Nose: grout, mortar, crumbly Korean pear. It is chalky indeed, and I find that really challenging, at this point.

Mouth: big and lively, it has some fruits, but especially a lot of horsepower. Later on, we detect rocket and apricot. Aprocket?

Finish: rocket is right! Peppery and bitter as fuck. Spinach, rocket, peach stones. There are vague hints of apricot, but they are easily missed.

Comment: not sure why anyone thought it was a good idea to slide this one here.

Score: 6/10 (Thanks for the dram, Babelfisch42)

We are now so late and I am starting to feel the effect of alcohol so much that JS and I decide to skip the next dram. Fortunately, I have empty samples, so we will try it later.

The Balvenie 32yo 1966/1998 (42.1%, OB Vintage Cask, C#6432, 264b, b#36)

Springbank d.1963 (46%, OB imported by Preiss Import, b. ca.1985)

Nose: we go stratospheric. This has an incredible depth. With every new sniff, it keeps rolling out more fruits (ripe plums, Mirabelle, greengages) and marzipan. The source simply will not dry up.

Mouth: perfect balance of fruit, herbs, ginger and varnish. Not sure how that reads, but it is harmonious on the palate.

Finish: incredible finish.

Comment: I will need to spend more time with this. I am no longer in the right state to express my appreciation.

Score: 9/10

GH: "1963 is a rare vintage."
PhG: "Great vintage."
GH: "Yeah, for those born in 1963. Not as good as those born in 1966, but shit happens."

We are more or less kicked out. We made it alive. Just.

Ambitious tasting. The selection only had things that most of us would not have been able to try anywhere else. That some were less my thing than others is irrelevant: they were indeed rare, and that is what was promised. The food was excellent (yes, even the bread) and the company relaxed and friendly.

Personally, I thought two things could be improved: the introduction of each bottle was a bit loose in places, which tried the patience of some. As said, being a geek myself, I found the flood of information interesting, but I would have preferred a better balance between information and time-keeping. The second point is the attendees shoehorning their own bottles into the line-up. It comes from a very kind intention (they want to share), but the effect is rarely what they hope for. Instead, it disrupts, distracts, delays, and sometimes destroys the rest of the line-up (remember that London Whisky Club tasting, during which a generous customer offered an unplanned Millburn Rare Malt at 61.9% right before the planned Banff at 43%?) The hosts worked hard to build a line-up that works; it is inconsiderate at best to kibosh that line-up with an additional bottle.

Ultimately, fun was had. Tomorrow morning will be difficult. 

04/03/2023 Minimax

It has proved difficult to find a date for a tasting on this side of the water, but here is the first one this year. Since there are four of us (OB, GL, JS and me), we go for an unrestrictive, miniatures-only theme.

The soundtrack: Pyroclastes - Danger Des Courants

OB warns that he will be late, because he has embarked on a little project. We will find out in a moment that said project is the baking of a kouign aman, a traditional cake from Britany. Unfortunately, we will also find out the following second that he left it at home. Ahem.

In the meantime, GL has the final drops of Clydeside 34mo (unknown ABV, cask sample, re-racked ex-Sherry Cask + ex-Bourbon Casks)

Finally, we start.

Work.

Enough for workaholics.

Five Sovereigns 8yo (70° Proof, J.W. Cameron & Co., b. ca 1970s) (tOMoH): nose: all sorts of fusty clay floors, damp dunnage warehouse, but also silt. Then, a soft fruity hue appears (mostly citrus peels). Further on, we have rich tobacco leaves, oily and chewy. Mouth: lukewarm marmalade, mixed peel, booze-infused blush-orange segments, and juicy caramel. Finish: it has that magic combination of ancient distillate and long bottle-aging. Could probably score higher. Full notes here. 7/10

GL produces Paul A. Young chocolates, which do not last very long.

The soundtrack: Peat & Diesel - Light My Byre

La Rouget de Lisle 8yo 2007/2016 (46%, OB, ex-Vin Jaune Burgundy Barrique, 144b) (tOMoH): nose: soft and fruity, ripe with custard and wax -- seal wax. Mouth: OB finds something unpleasantly perfume-y mid-palate (must be the taste of forgotten kouign aman), soon submerged by vin jaune, which makes it OK, he says. It is a lot drier and more tannic than I remembered it, with beer residue from an empty glass, yeast and strawberry. Finish: a lingering impression of having just sipped a stout. And there is orange wine too. Full notes here. 7/10

I have a the passion-fruit chocolate. Zmogue. So intense! I hope it will stand being followed by a whisky other than a 1960s Bowmore...

Eleuthera (46%, Compass Box, L290 306, b. ca 2001) (GL): nose: ashy apple juice, waxy-apple cider, if that makes sense. Then, we have putty, windows mastic, smoked citrus peels. This becomes ashier and ashier, though it still revels in waxy fruit. Mouth: pepper, Calvados, waxy apples, then a growing pile of ashes, dusty, drying, and a little burnt (no shit, Sherlock!) Burnt peach stone, yellowed parchment, roasted leather. Finish: long, ashy, burnt apple tree, burnt apple pips. It has that balance of fruit, ash, and burnt fruit tree. Love it! Repeated sipping gives the impression of a young eau-de-vie, which unfortunately makes it lose a point. 7/10

The soundtrack: 2022-10-09 Zanias @ HÖR, Berlin

Ledaig 23yo d.1995 (46.8%, C. Dully, Refill Hogshead, C#3636, 295b) (tOMoH): there is not enough for four, but I have had this not long ago. My companions share it between themselves. My notes are here.

With an impending case of the munchies, we have an excellent Iberian acorn salchichon  Admiracion (thanks CT)

Mortlach 12yo 1989/2001 (43%, Signatory Vintage, Sherry Butt, C#3647, 02/0150) (GL): the label reads this one was bottled in 2001, yet the bottling code on the back of the label says 2002. GL reckons it could be a rebottling of a full-size bottle. Those minis were given away at festivals around that time. No-one wanted them. Nose: gingerbread, loud and clear, cinnamon, ginger powder... Well, that would be gingerbread, then, eh? It is very solid and consistent; it does not deviate from the gingerbread super highway. After a bit, we have  a soft whiff of old sandals, or bare feet. And then, ginger and cinnamon come back with a lick of peppermint (think: brown Boules Magiques). The second nose is dusty and less interesting. Mouth: JS detects a gentle bitterness, while OB finds it cardboard-y and a bit flat. It does feel a little bit spent indeed. Irish-whiskey ice cream (JS). The second sip is fresh, juicy, with some grated ginger. Finish: fairly soft and tame, it showcases smoked meat (OB). Subsequent sips are more fruity, including the bitterness that I associate with unripe fruit. 7/10

vs.

76.69 12yo The Pipe-major takes a bath (60.1%, SMWS Society Single Cask) (GL): nose: banana (OB), artificial banana flavouring (OB). There is a pharmacy scent that I struggle to pin down. Yellow flowers, perfume, and a rubber bitterness that is almost metallic. Ha! I know! It has the smell of a freshly-opened 117.3 is what it is! Mouth: very green, with a pronounced bitterness of greasy-plant leaves. It also has many hints of tropical fruit, none ripe. I bet this will evolve dramatically in the open bottle -- for the better. Finish: wide, even huge, numbing, it gives away metallic daffodil petals. In the long run, we have custard, soft cakes, Jaffa style, but no chocolate. Lovely stuff. 8/10

The soundtrack: Until The End Of The World (Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Glenburgie 30yo 1983/2013 (51.5%, Signatory Vintage 30th Anniversary Waldhaus am See St. Moritz, C#9822, 164b) (OB): nose: this is darker, with a lick of wood, walnuts, chestnut purée, and rose-petal jelly. Yeah, earthy and softly fruity at the same time. The second nose has smoked Turkish delights and faded vine leaves. Mouth: it has a clear alcohol kick that does not entirely obfuscate a distinct juiciness. Fruity, jammy 'burgie the way I like them. We see a pinch of white pepper and sawdust. Yes: wood grows with each sip. It is rather acidic too. Finish: mulch, and unripe pineapple peel. We have more and more wood as it goes on, but it stays within the limits of what is acceptable. Long, warming, fruity, and, well, woody, to a point. 8/10

GL: "So far, I've really enjoyed all the ones I tried."
JS: "The chocolates, or the whiskies?"
GL: "Yeah."

121.31 9yo Sweet, with a lively lemon tingle (57.8%, SMWS Society Single Cask) (GL): nose: that same 117.3 leafy, metallic note, heady, and promising to be fruity, though not quite yet. This one has hints of solvents too. Mouth: strong, peppery custard. It goes from white pepper to red chilli pepper, to green pepper to rose-petal jelly in seconds. It is spectacular, considering the age, and very good full stop. Leafy flowers grow and grow. Finish: mellow-ish, with forsythia, kerria japonica, all bathing in thick custard, sprinkled with sage. Very convincing. The thing with Arran is that they are all at least OK (once one looks past the dodgy finishes of the early years). 8/10

The soundtrack: Pixies - Death To The Pixies

Glen Lochy 14yo (50%, Burn Stewart Distillers specially selected for The Whisky Shop The Select Hogshead, Sherry Casks) (tOMoH): nose: it starts off gravel-y, with shy dry grapes, then develops cork and earthy tones. Mouth: yes, it is dry, a bit austere, full of gravel, and challenging like a super-dry white wine. Finish: ashy, dry, bitter, not unlike licking limestone. Full notes here. 7/10

St. Magdalene 21yo 1982/2003 (56.5%, Hart Brothers Finest Collection) (OB): nose: oh! Here is another austere number. Flint, old newspapers, dusty cardboard, and modelling clay, or malleable wax. Hot sands, Verdigris, peach stones, chalk, lichen on stave -- oh! yes, these staves are oozing boooze, now. Phwoar! It becomes more luscious when tilting the glass, but also gives dusty dry-sausage casing. Mouth: melted plastic, plant sap,  a dash of crayon shavings, calcium-laden mineral water (Volvic or Hepar). It is also very bold -- intimidatingly so. The second sip has crushed mussel shells (yes, it is vaguely maritime, and certainly salty), chalk, and crushed leeks. Finish: it is like licking sandstone, but not only; here are leeks, crushed with a pestle and mortar. Quite a drying finish, with dried lichen and Verdigris. It turns more welcoming, over time, with hot marmalade stuck to the bottom of the cauldron (and let us be clear: it is the cast-iron cauldron that sticks out). I love this. 9/10

The soundtrack: various tracks by Holly Golightly and Blonde Redhead

JS makes salted popcorn.

9.94 26yo Jam and Jerusalem (56.2%, SMWS Society Single Cask) (OB): nose: hard to tell, since we just landed some, but I would swear this smells of popcorn. Underneath that is a good old Glen Grant, packed with orchard fruits, and some late chocolate. Mouth: glazed cherries! This has so much of that it is insane. And it is so clear, too! The second sip is full-on eau-de-vie, more Armagnac or Kirsch (obviously) than, say, Calvados. That eau-de-vie is more and more pronounced. Finish: a classy, warming specimen. I am not really taking good notes, too busy enjoying the bantz. 8/10

tOMoH: "GL, I can pull out four glasses, and you have them in your own time. I know you have a train to catch. They are also all yours, bar the Strathclyde, so you need to have that one."
GL: "I can leave the Bimber behind..."
JS: "You don't want to try it?"
GL: "It's peated. I don't drink peat. Also, I've already tried it, so..."
tOMoH: "Well, fuck you, then."

30.60 19yo A bench-mark (57.2%, SMWS Society Single Cask) (GL): nose this has some chocolate, dark caramel, chicory infusion. It is a bit buttery, but not too much. Again, I detect quite a bit of popcorn, which is obviously because we just had some. Later on, we find a softly herbal note, though not sure which herb -- oregano? Mouth: treacle, sticky toffee pudding, chocolate miso tart, which is to say it is savoury, as well as bitterly chocolate-y. Pear soup, chocolate chilli con carne. The second sip is more acidic and more buttery. Happily, it is not rancid butter by any stretch of the imagination. It develops a berry paste, augmented with liqueur of the same, at some point. Finish: long, never-ending, it adds a sprinkle of herbs (tarragon?) to dark-chocolate tart. It remains savoury and-a-half, which still suggests miso. Vaguely-earthy raisins become more and more obvious, sweeter and sweeter, joined by dried dates and figs. Wow. Lovely. 8/10

The soundtrack: Linkin Park / Jay-Z - Numb / Encore

The soundtrack: Tommee Profitt - In The End (Instrumental)

3.160 10yo Islay beach scene (59.9%, SMWS Society Single Cask) (GL): nose: what? No peat? In a recent Bowmore? "There is some," say my co-tasters. It is closer to cork and hevea brasiliensis to me. At last, I detect a faint peat; it is distant mossy peat bogs, with virtually no smoke. On the other hand, here is a bunch of flowers in mud. The second nose has muddy mulch and silt. Mouth: very warming, it dishes out peat fire and tons of juicy oranges. In fact, sweetish citrus becomes so prominent that it is close to limoncello. A pinch of sage to balance that and keep it interesting, something to make it almost metallic. Finish: more ember-like burnt peat flirts with roasted orange peels, dried kelp doused in sweet citrus, bergamot juice and the fruit's foliage. What an amazing young Bowmore! A little more complexity, and it would score even higher. 8/10

OB: "The Strathclyde is clearly stronger than the rest we had so far. I don't know how strong the Bowmore was, but..."
JS: "59.9%."
OB: "Really? Well, perhaps I've become numb."

(If you did not chuckle, let me spell it out: OB just intentionally quoted a song he had never heard before.)

Strathclyde 13yo 2001/2014 (64.4%, Chivas Brothers Cask Strength Editions, B#ST 13 002) (JS): not a miniature, but a smallish bottle on its last leg. Now or never! Coconut, custard, nail varnish, and fierce ginger. This still does it for me. My full notes are here. 8/10

The soundtrack: 2019-12-03 - Zanias @ HÖR, Berlin

GL departs. He leaves his Bimber behind, which I decide to have another day.

The soundtrack: Pet Shop Boys - Discography (The Complete Singles Collection)

OB pulls out a bonus dram from his hat. Well, from his rucksack.

Lochindaal 13yo 2007/2021 (56.9%, Bramble Whisky Co, Sauternes Cask, 292b, b#243) (OB): another full-size bottle, "the one that required the minimum effort to find," says OB. Nose: phwoar! If one thing was relevant at this point of the tasting, it is this. It is very, very farm-y, with a soft maritime side to boot. That spells brine over mud and ploughed fields, and hay. Mind you, we also have tobacco, dark-chocolate praline, ganache, with crushed dried strawberry slices. Then, it is pressed mouldy bread, forming a patty-like concoction. Mouth: ink! Squid ink, to be precise, accompanied by sea rocks warmed by the sun, and jet-black algae. But then, it is also rather juicy, part petrol, part fruit juice; part black ink, part linseed oil. It retains a hay-like quality on the tip of the tongue, perhaps porridge, and some slices of dried raspberry, now, meddling with rubber boot soles trampling mud. Finish: inky earth, black-tide sands, mudflats, and crushed mussel shells. Again!? This is the second dram today in which I find that note... It has quite a bit of horsepower, and it feels fairly drying, in the long run, with something approaching peppermint. It is not quite rubbery (no boot sole here), but earthy and drying, yes. Even though it is not as drying as black cumin, it is not that far off. I am convinced. 8/10

Epic.

29/09/2018 Whisky Show 2018 (Day 1 -- Part 2)

The story starts here.

The Brasserie is in the basement, this year, and that comes with all sorts of hurdles. The queue is long. It is in a relatively narrow staircase. The same staircase is used to go in and out of the Brasserie, leading to congestion, as people are not sure which side of the staircase to stand/walk on. Up- and downstairs, a few stewards regulate the throughput, thankfully, but the staircase traffic could be improved. By the time we finally reach the buffet, one of the dishes is depleted; of course, it is the duck leg, which tortures this duck lover. I go for the haddock instead.

Fortunately, the food is excellent. Well, the Black Forest cake (it is not called 'gâteau,' for some reason) is disappointing, but the main course is excellent. The room, however, is quaint to get into.

Haddock fillet with turmeric sauce
and salted haddock fritters infused with Starward

Black Forest cake and cherry sauce
infused with Craigellachie 13yo

Baked lemon sponge and thyme custard
infused with Craigellachie 13yo

Replenished with food, we go back upstairs and stop at Hidden Spirits, where I bump into SOB and OF. The latter has set up camp there. He tells us the Springbank 32yo is long gone. Drat! At some point, he leans on a partition wall to remove glass shards from his soles and knocks it over, much to one of the exhibitors' fury. His colleague is rather chilled about it. I notice the poor workmanship of the stands (two cardboard plates nailed together), while they take the bottles down to prevent them from falling.

Dailuaine 10yo 2007/2018 (56.1%, Hidden Spirits Highproof, Bourbon Cask + Heavily Peated ex-Ben Nevis Cask Finish, C#DU718, 300b): nose: cow dung, leather and all sorts of farm-y stuff. It is wine-y too. Mouth: thin and powerful, astringent. Finish: long and light, wine-y and pretty dire, I find. 3/10

Lochindaal 10yo 2007/2018 (53.1%, Hidden Spirits Highproof, C#LH718, 235b): nose: very farm-y, with dry hay and muddy farm paths. Mouth: more farmland action. Finish: similar; dirty, muddy and farm-y. 7/10

Bruichladdich 15yo 2002/2018 (53.1%, Hidden Spirits Highproof, C#BR218, 328b): nose: coastal and fresh, but also full of eggs. Mouth: orchard fruit, warm custard and a hint of chilli. Finish: eggs again, unfortunately, orchard fruits past their prime. This is not for me either. The eggs are not overpowering, but I am very sensitive to them, today. 4/10

I finally find an opening at the Single Malts of Scotland stall.

They have another Benriach 28yo
Just to confuse everyone

Braeval 29yo 1989/2018 (55.4%, Elixir Distillers The Single Malts of Scotland, C#0993, 158b): where else can one have two Braevals in the same room? Two aged Braevals? Nose: extremely fresh and perfume-y, with faint flowers too. Mouth: thin and acidic, with soft flowers again, candy floss and citrus. Finish: better, it has pastry, powdered sugar and flower petals. Good, though I liked Berry Bros' *** better. 7/10

Imperial 21yo 1997/2018 (50.6%, Elixir Distillers The Single Malts of Scotland, Barrel, C#2473, 193b): nose: forsythia, sugar-dusted pastry. Mouth: mild, silky, easy. It has yellow flowers -- either that, or I am in a flower mood. Finish: more going on, here, though the dominant is meadow flowers again. 7/10

Tamnavulin 25yo 1992/2018 (50.6%, Elixir Distillers The Single Malts of Scotland, Hogshead, C#5377, 247b): nose: Turkish delights and barley grains. Mouth: soft, light, sweet and mildly fruity. Finish: sweet again, gently grain-y. Nowt wrong with this, really. 8/10

It is too crowded, now. It is painful.

Imperial 22yo 1995/2018 (43.3%, Elixir Distillers The Single Malts of Scotland, Barrel, C#5410, 202b): who else can showcase two bottlings from the same closed distillery at the same stand? Not many is who. Nose: very perfume-y again, yet it is more pronounced in this one. Mouth: fruity, with satsuma and pink grapefruit. Finish: überfruity and bootiful. I like this one much more than the 21yo, unlike the staff at the stall. It reminds me of the recent SMWS bottling. 9/10

Great range, this year

OB and I rush to the shop before last-pour to beat the crowd. There, Ingvar Ronde is signing books. I greet him while OB collects his goodies. AH confirms I am about to be charged for a copy of the Whisky Year Book 2018; I try to explain I was only saying hello, but Ingvar has already signed it for me, leading to much embarrassment and teasing. I buy the book and we go back to the upper floor.

PS is next to AMcR. Those two had a rough start when they met, so I tease PS for hanging out with his new best bud.

PS: "He's a good cuddle. Not great sex, but a good cuddle."

AMcR and that glass

We are stuck between two stands and I take the opportunity to try the official range at one of them.

Glenallachie 12yo (46%, OB, b.2018): nose: gentle, elegant-ish, yet a bit characterless. Perhaps it is too late for this. Mouth: yes, it is nice, it has a good strength to complement a mix of fruit and sugar. Finish: honey, roasted nuts and mixed peel. This is good. 7/10

Benrinnes 26yo 1991/2018 (49.2%, Elixir Distillers The Single Malts of Scotland, Hogshead, C#509, 165b): nose: minty mouthwash, toothpaste and pine drops (Gocce Pino). Mouth: pine needles and forestry. Finish: mild chocolate, toffee and dark chocolate chips. It would be an archetypal Benrinnes, were it not for the chocolate in the finish. Great dram from the days when Benrinnes still distilled three times. 8/10

Glenallachie 18yo (46%, OB, b.2018): nose: a bit more leather, but otherwise close to the 12yo. Distant fruit. Mouth: again, nothing sticks out, which is good or bad, depending on what one is looking for. It is a good Speysider. Finish: orange-y chocolate. Nice. 7/10

This place is much too busy!

Glenallachie 25yo (48%, OB, b.2018): pickled jam, extremely-sweet pastry (it is essentially a sugar slice). Mouth: sweet palate, with fruity jam, nigella seeds and dried apricots. Finish: good balance, with lots of crystallised fruit (apricot) and spices. Lovely, this. The slightly higher ABV is an adantage. 8/10

We try this, quickly

Exhibitors are wrapping up. From the balcony, I spot the Benromach guy I met on the tube yesterday and decide that will be our final stop. He welcomes us and seems prepared to pour us one last one. Yay. I give him the last drops of my Inchmurrin 20yo, he gives us...

Benromach 1998/2018 (60.1%, cask sample, First Fill Sherry Butt, C#1): this is the unreleased first cask distilled after Gordon & MacPhail bought the distillery, in 1993 -- it took that long to refurbish it. Nose: extremely powerful, it burns the nostrils, even after such a long afternoon. Once past the burn, meat emerges, lichen and fig skins. Mouth: mellow, despite the strength, nutty, with discreet cured meat. Finish: very sweet, with lichen on staves and soaking berries. Love this. When it is bottled, it will be auctioned for charity. Be ready! 8/10

The first day is over. We spend another five minutes talking to OF, then vacate the place. Crowds are staggering, outside.

Our next step is CS's hotel, where we meet up with him. We then walk back to tOMoH towers for the after-party, where Cavalier66 and Mrs. Cavalier join CS, dom666, JS and me for "a few" drams. I had prepared four, CS brought four, JS one and Cavalier a dozen. I take no notes, pictures below.

Rosebank 30yo 1987/2018 (43%, private cask sample, Bourbon Cask) (me)

Bruichladdich 19yo 1989/2009 (46%, Signatory Vintage for Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#90, b#87, L09/205) (JS)

Brora 21yo d.1982 (46%, Direct Wines Ltd. First Cask, C#279, b#343) (me)

Clynelish 23yo 1974/1998 (59.1%, OB Rare Malts Selection, 1625b) (cavalier66)

Carsebridge 52yo b.2016 (40.5%, That Boutique-y Whisky Company, B#1, 260b) (cavalier66)

Bowmore 30yo (43%, OB,ceramic bottle, B230 10/01 , b.2006) (me)

Laphroaig 32yo b.2015 (46.6%, OB, ex-Oloroso Sherry Hogsheads, 21835, 5880b) (cavalier66)

Dailuaine 20yo 1992/2013 (54.1%, Whiskybroker.co.uk, Bourbon Barrel, C#3127, 30b) (cavalier66)

Yoichi 19yo 1987/2006 (63%, OB Single Cask Warehouse #15, C#113200) (CS)

Kawasaki 1982/2011 (65.5%, OB for Whisky Live Tokyo 2011, Sherry Butt, C#7414, 674b) (CS)

Karuizawa 1984/2012 (64.5%, OB Carpe Koï for The Whisky Echange, First Fill Sherry Cask, C#4021, 275b) (Cavalier66)

How do you follow those Japanese destroyers? I have two ideas. CS chooses the first of those, whose aim is to top them (the other option was to go for something elegant). He goes for option 1 because he doubts it can be done. The fool.

Tullamore 38yo 1952/1991 (68.9%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection 150th Anniversary Commemoration) (me)

We will need more whisky, next time...

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