07/07/2026 Speymalt

Macallan 2006/2020 (57.3%, Gordon & MacPhail Speymalt, C#9672, 294b): nose: woah! It is a huge Sherry cask, dry and earthy. Coffee grounds, to an extent, but more soil, earth, clay floors, nuggets of clay stuck to farming tools, and plant roots. For some reason, I am thinking of uprooted rhododendrons, but it is difficult to understand why, let alone explain it. A little downstream from that are prunes, elderberry compote, blackcurrant jelly and black shoe polish. Midnight-blue paint is next, drying on the body of a model car, then dead leaves and humus. More than the clay floor of a warehouse, this might be the dark soil of a forest. The second nose is more mechanical -- dusty (farming) machinery that has not been used for yonks and is in dire need of grease. It is a disused metallic downpipe in a warehouse that will likely burst upon contact with the first drop of water, so distressed it is. In the long run, we also pick up rancio and pickled oranges. Mouth: ooft! It is lively and strong. Chopped ginger dripping with its own juice, green chilli, mace in syrup. We also spot the expected prunes and currants, and, maybe, earth and honey mixed together. Chewing is akin to finding the key to a construction site where they are digging foundations: it becomes so earthy it is borderline comical. Dried fruits provide a backdrop, and there is no shortage of wood spices, ginger first, now joined by dried lemongrass and ground mace. The second sip is the deep purple of a mix of berries: blackcurrants, blueberries boysenberries, dewberries. Chewing gives it a cough-drop taste, which one could interpret as meaning it adds liquorice and camphor. A little medicinal, that way, it tramples those cough drops into dark, bramble-y earth. Finish: a tranquil force, it does its thing without shouting and it is only in the long run that one realises how powerful this is: the finish is coating and never-ending, really, with pineapple rings from a tin can heated white, chilli-infused currants, soil in tin cans, powdered ginger and ground mace. The second gulp reignites the dark-berry fire, with blackcurrants, blueberries, huckleberries, and myrtles all parading, albeit not very ripe. It has a late bitterness that comes unexpected. A strong 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, Savoureur)

25/04/2026 The Whisky Fair (Day 1 -- Part 2)

There is one more stand to visit urgently.

Imperial 26yo 1996/2022 #6 (48.1%, Maltbarn The 26, Bourbon Cask, 51b)

Nose: forsythia, daffodils, unripe peach. It has a bit of dust in the back, and baked goods (JS).

Mouth: pillow-y, flowery. This has yellow-tulip petals and daffodils. It becomes slightly drying, after a while.

Finish: more yellow magic; unripe peaches and apricots mixed with daffodils.

Comment: phwoar!

Score: 9/10

Glentauchers 31yo 1989/2021 No. 177 (43.4%, Maltbarn, Bourbon Cask, 100b)

Nose: more flowers (honeysuckle, jasmine, buttercups) and soft fruits (apple cubes). Fruity-minty notes grow in intensity.

Mouth: full-bodied, it has buckets of yellow flowers bathing in yellow-fruit juice, and a few jasmine buds to spice things up.

Finish: bright yellow, flowery and delectable. It goes from flowers to fruits more clearly with each sip.

Comment: stunning.

Score: 9/10

Highland Malt 38yo 1983/2021 #2 (51.4%, Maltbarn The 26, Sherry Cask, 48b)

Nose: rich berries and tobacco with what could be cedarwood sheets to give the whole a structure on which to lean.

Mouth: berries jam, rancio, blackcurrants. It has some power as well! Once the palate gets accustomed to that, carambola enters the scene.

Finish: long and assertive, full of berries. Subsequent gulps add all sorts of custards.

Comment: excellent. My score may be a little generous, but...

Score: 9/10

Highland Park19yo 2003/2021 #5 (51.8%, Maltbarn The 26, Bourbon Cask, 48b)

Nose: leather and suede, horse's hair. Suddenly, salt water comes in.

Mouth: softer and fruitier than expected, it has chewy sweets kept in a suede pouch.

Finish: yup, chewy fruit sweets eaten from a leather pouch.

Comment: beautiful.

Score: 8/10

Ben Nevis 29yo 1996/2026 No. 265 (47.6%, Maltbarn, Bourbon Cask, 152b)

Nose: pine scents alongside timid mango and papaya. With a little breathing, it turns into a bowl of fruits, with carambola and guava the loudest, We have soot in the background as well.

Mouth: big, bold, fruity. Carambola, guava, papaya. It is acidic and cleansing, not stripping. 

Finish: not that long or explosive, but so fantastically comforting. Fruits everywhere.

Comment: gawjus.

Score: 9/10

Time to move again. Or time to eat something, actually. There is a catering company on the terrace. I order a vegan Mediterran Flammkuch.

Her: "With or without ham?"

It is a dreary wrap with uncooked vegetables on top,
but it fulfills its mission adequately: lining the stomach

Back to the grind. We stop by MW's stand.

MW: "Have you tried this Macallan?"
tOMoH: "No. Macallan, you know..."
MW: "This is a good one."

The Macallan 10yo b.2000 Cask Strength (58.8%, OB, Sherry Oak Casks, MDR103)

Nose: decaying oranges, pickled red onions.

Mouth: earthy, bitter, bold, fruity.

Finish: huge, it has caramelised red onions, sweet and luscious.

Comment: I was not convinced I would like this, but I do.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, MW)

Hi SA.

Bushmills 34yo 1991/2025 No.099 (46.2%, The Whisky Blues joint bottling with Abyss Whisky Bar, 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, C#11534, 137b)

Comment: SA insists I must try this. It is a masterpiece of Irish fruitiness. 10/10 (Thanks for the sip, SA)

And here is the bottler

Ichiro's Malt b.2015 (58.6%, Venture Whisky for Lady Jane 40th Anniversary Booze & Jazz supported by Shinanoya distributed by Japan Import System, C#4077)

Nose: hay and mint infusion.

Mouth: oof! Fire. There is a note of straw, muesli and porridge.

Finish: long, it has hot pastry, sweet, yet balanced.

Comment: lovely.

Score: 7/10

We meet Mr. whiskynotes.be himself. He tells us he knows this blog, which I do not fully believe, but it is very kind of him.

PH pours me this:

Kilchoman 4yo 2007/2012 (59.3%, OB Single Cask Release for The Nectar, Sherry Cask, C#455/2007, 330b)

Comment: cannot say it is really my bag, but a competent smoked-mud effort.

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

We move again.

04/09/2025 September outturn preview at the SMWS

MD of the Swissky Mafia is in town and is quite excited: he has been an SMWS member for many years, but he was never around for an outturn preview. Tonight, JS managed to book us a table. This time, it is far from the table where PS, YM and DW sit, which means we will have limited interactions with them.

5.131 22yo 2003/2025 Blissfully lost (52.8%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 188b)

Nose: marzipan and horsepower. This smells surprisingly close to a grain, the alcohol purified to a degree few malt distilleries reach. Of course, distillery number 5, Auchentoshan is triple-distilled, which explains. Past the (neutralish) alcohol, we spot cinnamon, ginger, plums and chewy sweets. MD finds glue, on the other hand, another note that many associate with a grain whisky.
Mouth: it is a bit green, weirdly enough. Lime peels, tree bark... Yes, this is bitter and a little acidic. Not in a bad way, but it will deter some. It turns woody upon chewing. Water mellows it out without changing the profile much.
Finish: long, warming, intense. It has tart fruits and chewy wood, mulch or cork.
Comment: I was looking forward to this one, hoping it would be a fruity extravaganza, but I find it just okay. 7/10

4.353 13yo d.2009 Lavender honey and chimney lobsters (62.8%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogsheads finished in 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 242b)

Nose: it is pretty farm-y, with mud patties, farm paths and muck. It also has a whiff of chewy violet sweets. With water, it opens up and turns more vanilla-y. Custard Cream biscuits.
Mouth: smoked sweet citrus, such as Buddha's hand, calamansi, kumquat. Phwoar! How delicious is this? MD finds it a soft bitterness, however. Water increases the citrus-y feel, makes it more acidic.
Finish: glowingly warm, close to burning, it offers baked cherimoya and metal-filing-laced tangerines. Water makes it a tad too acidic for my taste. It loses its balance.
Comment: I enjoy this a lot. Strikingly, just as I start tasting it, Eurythmics - Here Comes The Rain Again plays in the room. And as we all know, the opening sequence of the video is shot in front of the Old Man of Hoy, on Orkney, the very archipelago where this whisky was made. 8/10

4.397 19yo d.2005 The old man and the sea (59.5%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogsheads finished in Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 301b)

Nose: this is much more sherried in an animal way, with musk and old leather, wine-stained belts and game bags. Maybe dust and confectionary sugar too. The second nose brings more faded leather, augmented with cured prunes.
Mouth: rancio. It is sweeter than elderberry, yet we find some berries alright -- cured strawberries, in all likelihood. It is fairly fiery, a hay bonfire, sprinkled with currant juice. The second sip adds a good dose of crushed chilli.
Finish: very rich and full (MD), it has currants and some papier mâché-like paste made of macerated hay. JS finds the chilli too strong, which is disturbing, considering her usual affinity for that. Water unleashes vegetal goodness such as dried-flower stems and dried hay topped with custard powder.
Comment: clearly, Eurythmics would be even better playing now than alongside the previous dram (something to do with the Old Man, you know?), but I am a slow drinker. This is the one I was most excited to try tonight, and I am a smidge disappointed. It is good, but I prefer its younger sibling. 8/10

36.204 13yo d.2009 Truly an outlander (57.5%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogsheads finished in 1st Fill ex-Rum Barrique, 258b)

Nose: coffee-scented sweets. Mokatine would be the obvious, but it is not as in-your-face. This is thick a smell, like a thick soup -- a sweet one. Chocolate milk erupts on the second nose with studs of dried peach and dried papaya.
Mouth: sweet and mineral (a fistful of beach pebbles), it is also fairly fruity, offering crystallised orange and candied papaya cubes. A tame bitterness appears upon chewing.
Finish: long, warming and fruity, here are more crystallised fruits, chiefly orange segments. The second gulp is creamy, unctuous as chocolate custard.
Comment: another cracking Benrinnes. The distillation date suggests it is a reissue of an older bottling that they sat on for a couple of years. 8/10

1.295 13yo 2012/2025 Dance in the air (58%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel finished in 2nd Fill ex-Oloroso Hogshead, 197b)

Nose: cherimoya, candied cherries. The latter becomes very prominent, almost heady, soft, sweet, chewy and fragrant.
Mouth: pine needles and sap, and a pine-flavoured gel, Chewing confirms and adds a desiccating lick. The second sip is woodier, drying.
Finish: long and fruity. Here are fresh cherries surfing on an almost-medicinal feel -- as in: numbing; not the taste so much. The second gulp is darker, it has more cherries.
Comment: a nice offering from a distillery I usually overlook. 7/10

6.83 17yo 2007/2025 Chewy-textured meanderings (53.6%, SMWS Society Cask Two to One, ex-Bourbon Hogsheads finished in 1st Fill Spanish Oak Oloroso Hogshead & 1st Fill American Oak Oloroso Hogshead, 409b)

Nose: fresh and sharp, with spearmint, apple peels and Haribo Bananas. Green citrus comes out upon repeated nosing.
Mouth: dried pineapple rings, tulip petals, papaya cubes and blond tobacco. The second sip is more stripping, citric and sharp, though that is balanced by a nice custard.
Finish: big, fruity (dried fruit). That turns more to orange peels at second gulp.
Comment: distilled on MD's birthday anniversary, it is another good one. 7/10

19.92 20yo 2003/2023 Illicit toast (55.6%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 171b)

Nose: grape sweets, blueberry muffin, fluffy blueberry pancakes (of the thick, American kind). This is certainly on the blueberry tip, with added cinnamon gratings, then recently-polished Chesterfield sofas.
Mouth: round and plump, it has booze-soaked plums. The second sip is a tad duller.
Finish: bay leaves and cinnamon gratings are carried by a current of currants and blueberries. There is a soft, numbing lick of cardboard towards the death.
Comment: winner! 8/10

112.138 17yo 2008/2025 A warm fuzzy crowd pleaser (57.2%, SMWS Society Single Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 1st Fill ex-Bodega PX Barrique, 237b)

Nose: this shouts fruits, nectarines and plums. There is some shoe polish too, and a maritime touch reminiscent of Barbour grease on a boat. Plums come back, discreetly but surely.
Mouth: thick, bold, a bit wine-y. The second sip has intense sweets (Monkey Balls, for those who know, a type of citric-powder-coated, cherry-flavoured hard candy). Indeed, this is plenty citric.

Finish: very-ripe papaya (MD). Nectarines mixed with blueberries and plums.
Comment: delicious. A strong 8/10

Next up is the 115.

MD: "I love anCnoc distillery."

Here is something one does not hear every day. 

115.38 10yo 2004/2025 The seven ages (61.2%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 1st Fill ex-Bodega PX Barrique, 294b)

Nose: this is pretty neutral to start with. Rubbing alcohol, maybe? Actually, it is a little medicinal, come to think of it: gauze, straps and shortbread. If it cannot be cured with shortbread...
Mouth: it starts out comfy, then turns quite drying. Chewing reveals boozy berries (elderberries, blackcurrants, dried cherry slices) and some cinnamon bark. It gets even more drying upon repeated sipping, adding dust and a mushroom-y aspect.
Finish: long, cinnamon-y, numbing and also creamy.
Comment: this is not the Basque Country, but it is good. 7/10

MD [asking if he can buy the Basque Country]: "Can I Basquet it?"

A Secret Orkney Distillery 25yo 1999/2024 (52.4%, East Village Whisky Company, Hogshead, 78b)

Nose: refined smoke, smoked lemons, dried flowers.
Mouth: juicy, it has just a pinch of heather petals. Soon enough, it is all hot and spicy.
Finish: very smoky, acrid and inky, at this stage.
Comment: this is good too. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, MD)

Distillery 4 Rare Release 20yo 2003/2023 Take me to the chippy (54.7%, SMWS In celebration of the Highland Whisky Festival 2024, Refill ex-Bourbon, HTMC & Oloroso (ex-Islay) Hogsheads, 924b)

Comment: longer notes here. This is still staggeringly good, today, with a tropical finish jumping out of nowhere. 9/10

115.29 32yo 1991/2024 Visions of the Basque Country (47.4%, SMWS The Vaults Collection, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 152b)

Comment: glad to try this again and confirm our impression from last month. Head and shoulders above everything else we have tried today. 9/10

The staff produce a sheet with two whiskies that should have been in the outturn list but were somehow left out, complete with incorrect prices and all.

24.188 16yo 2008/2025 Flamenco fruitcake (62.5%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Oloroso Butt finished in 1st Fill ex-Oloroso Hogshead, 307b)

Nose: dark chocolate, strong leather and strong alcohol. Once that last item calms down, we have prunes and seared mushrooms, Maggi sauce, which, MD adds, means a slight sulphury note of matchsticks.
Mouth: mellow in texture, it is also hot. Burning heat, red chillies and Scotch bonnets.
Finish: long, invasive, it is partly redeemed by the introduction of raisins and dried dates.
Comment: I still cannot understand the hype around Macallan. This is just decent. 6/10

13.114 15yo 2010/2025 A Hansel and Gretel gingerbread house (59.6%, SMWS Society Cask, finished in 1st Fill ex-Bodega PX Barrique, 222b)

Nose: meaty in a way that does not agree with me. Meat on the bone, soaked cork. It also has a slightly-medicinal touch.
Mouth: tea-like, bitter. Not unbearably so, but it is not for me. Wine-soaked cork again and prunes.
Finish: yeah, this is woody, bitter. Prunes show up again, which helps a little.
Comment: not my thing. 5/10

Caol Ila 30yo 1982/2012 Fourth Release (51.2%, Archives, Bourbon Hogshead, C#758, 207b)

Nose: so inky! This is 1974-Ardbeg territory, with ink-stained fishing nets, hot water bottles and warmed (microwaved) blankets.
Mouth: soft and fresh, it has citrus and, while I try to identify those, oyster mushrooms come up unexpectedly, doused in ink.
Finish: it is incredibly inky again. India ink, black as night.
Comment: special juice that is hard to beat. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, MD)

53.484 14yo 2011/2025 Burn a sprig of rosemary (56.8%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 171b)

Nose: drying fishing nets, cockles, mussels, wet sand and mud patties.
Mouth: sea water, mussels, mussel compote (if you know, you know), whelks and periwinkle paste.
Finish: powerful, reliable, it dishes out sand, ink, crustaceans and molluscs, tarry sands and candyfloss.
Comment: this is excellent. It is also fantastic to see it hold its own after its venerable ancestor. 8/10

MD: "The only problem [with Caol Ila] is that, between 13-14yo and 20yo, it's wasted years. What should they do? Bottle it now, or wait another twelve years?"

After taking a while to count how many drams we are entitled to and how much each one is, we never get to try 153.4 we had selected. I will only realise tomorrow. That said, they are closing shop, we leave last again, or almost, and I certainly have had enough to drink for one night. Also, they likely undercharged us for the Basque Country, so no complaint other than we did not keep track as well as we should have.

Solid outturn.

01/06/2025 Masters of the Juniverse

It seems to be harder and harder to find a date that works for a tasting, but we still manage, albeit more rarely than I would like.

When we do have a date, it is perhaps as challenging to find a theme -- not for lack of ideas; rather for inclusivity reasons: it needs to be a theme that inspires guests, and one that is wide-ranging enough to allow rummaging in one's collection without the need for a new purchase.

JS observed that June is here, and, with remarkable flair for a good pun, she suggested Masters of the Juniverse.

JS, YM, OB, BA and MJ join me for an afternoon of dramming. JMcD calls off, unfortunately.

Just as I hoped, someone brings a figurine.
Just as I predicted, that someone is BA.

YM presents: Masters of the Jenevers (or Masters of the Junipers).

Jenever spelled with a 'g'

Zuidam 15yo 2008/2023 (38%, OB, American Oak Barrel, C#55, 284b, b#150): nose: pleasant and fruity, Bourbon-y (OB), it has similar notes to "that beer brandy that I actively hate, but I like this" (BA). This has citrus zest too. The second nose introduces a whiff of coffee. Mouth: a slap of honey, really. It is very Bourbon-y before revealing plenty of gin spices. All the same, those spices are well behind the Bourbon influences (vanilla, toffee). Finish: delicate, ripe with toffee, a hint of vanilla and mint drops. In the long run, juniper ends up peeking through as well. I like this better than the first time, I think. 7/10

tOMoH presents: Miodulok

Miodula Presidential Blend (40%, Mundivic, Oak Barrel, C#256, b#268): short notes for this. YM detects chocolate and nuts, MJ has holly, OB calls it sweet, while BA and I compare it to mead. Full notes here. 7/10

JS introduces: Prince Glenc-Adam

And if you think that sounds familiar, it is because JS used the same pun for another tasting in 2022. When the juice is so good, who cares that the pun is recycled?

Glencadam 14yo 1964/1979 (45.7%, Cadenhead): nose: YM says it smells nice (clearly inspired, our YM), while OB observes we are definitely switching gears, and calls out bruised apples (OB). Mouth: weedy and hoppy (BA), leafy and herbal, almost soapy, though it stays on the right side (OB). Finish: OB confirms the hoppy note in the aftertaste. My full notes here. 9/10

YM, when he read the email with the theme, wondered what a Juniverse is. He typed it into a search engine. One of the first results was a weird Japanese-anime blog of sorts. so he brought a Japanese whisky. Or, at least, a whisky sold by a Japanese company: none of us knows what it actually contains, yet we all reckon the marketing stories are hardly believable.

Kaiyō Japanese Sakura Wood (Cherry Blossom) (54%, OB Exclusive Single Barrel hand selected by Binny's Beverage Depot imported by Park Street Imports, Japanese Sakura Wood Cask, C#9921): nose: very fragrant, especially after the Glencadam (OB). It smells like the back of a lawnmower (BA), freshly-cut grass (BA), lilies (MJ). All that converges towards incense and somehow "reminds" me of a temple or a shrine in Japan, even though I have never been. It waltzes from ashy to leafy, from grassy to burnt wood. Later on, it pushes wafts of cask scents in a musty warehouse. Mouth: sharpish attack, with parched yuca leaves, dried bunches of flowers and incense ash. BA finds a certain sweetness that he attributes to the Sakura cask. "Damp wood, which is less my thing" (YM). The second sip has more ashes, and that gives it a clear bitterness. Finish: flower nectar, rather sweet. Perhaps honeysuckle sap? It retains a little of the ash of the nose, but it hardly compares. Wood dust and old, decaying staves come up with the second gulp. Another UFO from YM, really interesting, and, for me, enjoyable. 7/10

BA presents: The Adam Malt.
He adds that the bottle bears Sorceress-like wings, which is perhaps less far-fetched.

The Arran Malt 1999/2010 (54.6%, OB Anniversary Bottling for the 15th Anniversary of the Isle of Arran Distillery, Bourbon Casks finished in Amontillado Sherry Casks, 5640b): nose: it is almost game-y, wine-y, with sauce grand'veneur and oil cloth, none sickly, thankfully. Mouth: citrus-y, it has a clear orange-y note (YM). "I feel like I should get orange" (MJ). Discussion follows about suggestion from the orange box. Blush orange, wine-cured orange, dried orange peels. BA finds it flinty. The citrus-y elements really take off in the long run, not just zesty, but acidic too, with fresh oranges. Finish: long, warming, zesty and summery. This has a remarkable balance. It has more citrus upon repeated quaffing, and a sprinkle of white pepper. 8/10

JS [about K-pop]: "In the early acts, nobody could dance. It was pathetic and I loved it."

OB presents: Skeletormore

Tormore 27yo 1992/2019 The Dram With The Mash Tun Tokyo (44.6%, The Whiskyfind, C#101154, 276b): a bottle OB opened in 2022, but we did not give enough attention, then. Nose: metallic chocolate. This has hazelnut spread on a tin knife. The metallic bit is almost perfume-y, spirit-y, with a whiff of Teflon-plated baking trays. With time, it gains chicory infusion and waves of passion fruits. Mouth: mellow in a similar way to pouring honey left on a metal tray. Then, fruits start to grow, with cut peach slices and smashed apricots. It is a little warmer at second sip, yet still juicy, metallic, and amazingly fruity. Finish: long and fruity as hell. Here are warm mangoes, smashed apricots or apricot compote. It is a jammy, juicy, lush number, and it is excellent. I immediately think of the other beautiful expression we had recently. OB is as glad as I am to try this again in a setting in which it shines brighter than in 2022. 9/10

Family picture

MJ looks over his shoulder, spots the SMWS bottle that comes next, and asks if it would be appropriate for him to step in. He reveals an additional bottle from, he explains, a distillery that thinks it is the Master of the Universe.

24.156 12yo d.2008 Utterly unctuous (63,7%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Oloroso Sherry Butts finished in 1st Fill American Oak ex-PX Hogshead since 2018): nose: wine and chocolate, oily teak. One can also feel the relentless power under the bonnet. From that point onward, it is leather and burnt chocolate, as well as torched blush-orange peels. Mouth: drying, Oloroso-style, but also fairly fruity, with more of the same blush-orange peels. It is powerful, yet not ridiculously so, despite what my co-tasters of the day say. Perhaps there is a small note of fried egg at second sip, weird, but not a bother. Finish: long and powerful, it is also very, very bitter. Oh! not bitter as if sucking on a dandelion stem (do not try). No, it is orange peels, cured grapefruit rinds, mixed peel and Seville marmalade. 7/10

MJ talks about ortolan buntings that were part of François Mitterand's last supper.

YM [to OB]: "Have you had it?"
OB: "No. It's illegal."
tOMoH: "...and no Frenchman would do something illegal."

YM presents: Encounter of the exotic, which, he says, seemed to fit the He-Man universe. He adds that this was bottled for the Japanese branch of the SMWS, which was good enough a connection to the J-universe.

68.44 8yo d.2011 Encounter the exotic (57.3%%, SMWS Society Cask imported by Japan Import System, Re-Charred Oak Hogshead, 262b): nose: crazily, it feels punchier and stronger than the Macallan that came before. We have white wood and wood dust. Not much else. YM finds gooseberries. He is clearly inebriated. BA says he could drink this as a cordial. It has a strong metallic note, after a moment. Water somehow makes it even more neutral, with wood shavings soaking in water. Mouth: lemon zest mixed with vanilla shavings. Perhaps notes of golden grass? It feels as though the ABV prevents this from telling all its story. Let us add water, then... It turns fruitier, yet also bitterer. Finish: warm, dangerous, close to grainy in that I can see this going to one's head. The more one drinks it, the more sweet mint drops (dragées) come out. Water gives it an Indian-tonic vibe, with a similar balanced bitterness and tame fruit. This is good. 7/10

MJ departs (with a sample of the last dram).

tOMoH presents: Man-at-Ardmore

Ardmore 1992/2010 (49.4%, Malts of Scotland, Bourbon Barrel, C#5014, 185b, b#169): nose: soft leather, smoked raspberries, and the same Bouvier-des-Flandres scent I mentioned in relation to a Balblair, a while ago. Well, this is closer to the house that dog lived in than to the dog himself, but still. It is very farm-y, this, farm paths and mud patties. Mouth: mellow, creamy, it has raspberry-filled milk chocolate and a square of dark chocolate on the side, which adds a slight bitterness. Finish: phwoar! Smashed raspberries and dark chocolate. Lovely. Full notes here. 9/10

BA [about the new Dornoch distillery]: "It's in Dornoch. Nothing is more than ten minutes away [from anything else in Dornoch]."
tOMoH: "Ten minutes is even stretching it."
BA: "Dodgy knee, mate!"

tOMoH and JS present: Evil-Lynlithgow -- two of them, so that is Two Bad covered too. :-)

JS's was distilled in June to boot.

Linlithgow 25yo 1982/2008 (59.2%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection for La Maison du Whisky Collectors' Edition, Wine-treated Butt, C#2201, 388b, b#313, 8/513) (tOMoH): nose: sooty-and-a-half, it soon picks up a faint note of wine. Mouth: och! meow. It has yellow flowers, cut peaches, white plums... Phwoar? Finish: sooty fruits, mostly white peaches, and even passion fruits. Full notes here. Today, it is 9/10

vs.

Linlithgow 22yo 1975/1998 (51.7%, Signatory Vintage Silent Stills, C#96/3/01, 335b, b#243, 98/0632) (JS): nose: orchard fruits, roasted apples and nut liqueur. Mouth: it displays the St Magdalene austerity, combined with the fruits of the Lowlands. Extraordinary. Finish: sweet soot. Incredible orchard-fruit juice spilled over soot-y gravel. Phwoar again! Full notes here. 9/10

OB and YM prefer the 1982, while BA and I vote for the 1975. Both are phantastic. To think I used to not like mine that much...

tOMoH [to OB]: "I was sure you'd had the one for LMdW, but my blog says you haven't. But if you're sure you've had it, give it to someone else."
OB: "No. I'm not sure."

BA: "Neither of them is stabbing me behind the eyes, which is the effect many St Magdalene have on me."

BA: "How hard life is!"
OB: "How much does it suck, right now?"

BA presents: Orko-ney

An Orkney 16yo 2004/2020 (59.1%, Campbeltown Whisky Company Watt Whisky specially bottled for Watt Whisky Buds, 2 hogsheads married together in a Brandy Butt, 290b): nose: mud patties, cured apples, leather, and no wine stain whatsoever. Dried peat comes out later, as does crackly-dried plasticine. Mouth: strong, it is fresh, but also earthy. It has a generous dose of cracked black pepper. Chewing unleashes some fruits that I identify as blackberries. Finish: bog myrtles trampled into the mud. BA and YM find tinned peach, nectarine and artificial orange drink (YM). BA specifies it is Raspberry-Ripple Irn Bru. 8/10

We talk about undisclosed distilleries. YM jokes about the whiskies that are marketed as made at a distillery on the isle of Jura.

tOMoH: "There are two distilleries on Jura."
BA: "Yeah. Lussa makes gin exclusively."
tOMoH: "That's right. Still a distillery."
BA: "If you go to the hotel, the other building on Jura, you can taste it."

OB flatteringly announces that JS and tOMoH are the Masters of the Universe, so he brought a bottle he opened with us on the weekend in which he made that opinion.

Port Ellen 22yo 1978/2000 (60.5%, OB Rare Malts Selection, 4580b): nose: this is super mineral, brutal and relentless. It has leather, berries squashed in moccasins. Ashes too, elevated by chocolate, in the long run. Mouth: immediately austere, full of quarry dust, stone chippings and rusting tools. It is desiccating, sandy, and, at this strength, how could it be otherwise? At the same time, it is also strangely sweet, like only Port Ellen can be. That carries over at second sip. The mix of austerity and sweetness is simply staggering. It is saltier at second sip, with cockles and beach sand mixed with a sweetness reminiscent of brown sugar. Finish: huge, and it proves a timebomb, in that it starts off sweet, then blows up on the way back up the oesophagus. Earth and crème brûlée emerge at second gulp. It becomes saltier upon repeated sipping, but the overall mood does not diverge too much. It does gain a lick of chocolate, however. This is what one might call a killery. Like Killery Linton. Tonight, top score. 10/10

After that intensity, everyone is whiskied out. Another excellent afternoon has been had.

Happy birthday, JS!