31/03/2026 Bishlouk's online tasting: reduced whiskies

Bishlouk gave us samples in August 2024, and we are meeting tonight at last to try them. Psycho, red71, JS, sonicvince and I join our host online. STL sadly calls off a little before it starts.

I tried all those on 12th May 2025, ahead of the party, so as to be able to spend time with them, and enjoy the company on the night.

Bladder issues

Dram #1

Nose: it has an air of an old blend, at first, with a whiff of brine on cardboard and myriad of fresh fruits of the orchard variety, though not only. Apple slices, quince, yet also lemon zest and dried papaya cubes. We detect some cereals underneath that, golden wheat flakes topped with pineapple shavings. The nose timidly hints at butyric, but never quite reaches it. The second nose is somewhat more leathery, as if the fruits from earlier were kept in a suede bag. On the night, I find hay and dried aromatic herbs, as well as a whisper of smoke, or ash. Mouth: orgeat syrup, barley snaps, lemonade gone flat, flat pomelo soda. This is fruity and pleasant upon entrance, and revives old-blend notes when chewing -- cardboard and brine, perhaps a sprinkle of dust. This makes me think of a Glentauchers semi-officially bottled by Gordon & MacPhail. The acidity grows with time, surfing on an increasingly-woody structure, though, at what seems to be a modest ABV, none of that is detrimental in the slightest. It really is a fruity number. Could that be grated Aspirin, that adds this faint bitterness? Could it announce a Littlemill? The second sip is crisp, bright and milky. Apple lassi, pulped pineapple, a drop of lime juice... and tonic-water residue in an empty glass. Finish: more orchard fruits here that cover the height of western Europe, which is to say we see apples and quinces as well as lemons and limes. With imagination, one may find citrus-flavoured tonic water, which harks back to ground Aspirin. Then again, it could be because Bishlouk is a Littlemill fanboi and, subconsciously, I may believe he has hidden one in this selection (he suggests several times that it might be one too). The second gulp weirdly combines warm custard, pomelo zest and a splash of Indian tonic with a spoonful of chocolate milk. It has a lingering drying bitterness that reminds me of Alka Seltzer or grated Aspirin, discreet, but identifiable. On the night, it is a tad more austere, with cardboard and old newspapers.
Comment: I guess an old blend or a Fettercairn. It is neither. After the reveal, I wager a Bladnoch. This is a bottle Bishlouk got from his brother's restaurant.

Lowland Single Malt (40%, Delhaize le Lion, b.early 1990s) 8/10

Bishlouk: "It smells better than I remembered it."
tOMoH: "You're trying to get rid of the horrible stuff you don't like?"
Psycho: "As usual."

Dram #2

Nose: wide, rich and noble, this has polished-mahogany cabinets lined with precious leather-bound books. We have a lick of burgundy shoe polish and a terracotta flagon of an elegant red wine. We are then transported to a dunnage warehouse overcome by smells of rancio, clay floors and a soft dampness. In that warehouse, a tray of baked red apples cools down at pace. The second nose has oily wood, still mahogany rather than teak, but in that general mood. Or could it be a massive redwood table? On the night, it displays vanilla sugar (sonicvince), cherry-flavoured sweets, Cola Bottles, toffee, red liquorice bootlaces (Psycho) and even black ones, with a touch of aniseed (Psycho). Mouth: ooft! this is fruity. Squishy baked red apples, dark grapes, overripe plums. Chewing adds a serving of papier mâché, or simply pours the juices of the afore-mentioned fruits onto a sheet of dusty cardboard. It is wine-y to a point, and some may find cured meat, or a game sauce, but, for me, it is closer to a piping-hot lingonberry compote. The second sip doubles down on the fruitiness, with squashed blackcurrants, cranberries, blueberries, and myrtles. It wears a mild bitterness too, brambles and wine-cured blush-orange peels, purple lipstick, or a mere drop of mulled wine. Finally, cocoa-bean shavings complete the picture. Finish: it is very, very, very fruity again, with plums, baked nectarines, hot elderberry jam, and a pronounced note of dusty-warehouse floor. It also has a dash of liqueur de cassis, or, let us face it, a slice of roast beef on a piece of toasted sourdough, topped with a spoonful of cranberry compote. The second gulp is sweeter, for a second, yet is quietly invaded by a Patras wine, bold, heady and fruity. This is very good.
Comment: only when Bishlouk announces a distillery once part of Morrison Bowmore does it hit me in the face. It is, of course, a Glen Garioch of a certain era. A gift from Bishlouk's brother.

Glen Garioch 21yo (43%, OB, blue ceramic decanter, b. early 1990s) 8/10

Bishlouk: "There is a theme."
Psycho: "Bottles you inherited from your brother?"

Dram #3

Nose: now, this is even fruitier, full of fresh grapes and lychee. One sniff and I am convinced we are dealing with a Cognac. A brandy, at least. Apple peels mixed with squashed plums, cassia bark and pressed grapes. tOMoH finds a pinch of mocha too, yet it may be a figment of his imagination. In any case, the plump grapes easily dominate the nose. The second nose is jammier, or sweeter, to put it bluntly. Chewy sweets, fortified wine, some kind of syrup. sonicvince finds coffee grounds and fruits. Mouth: brandy indeed. There is nothing whisky-like at play, except for a reasonable ABV. Grapes, plums, lingonberries, even a bit of earth. Chewing reveals a mineral side too, more lime-rich soil than even limestone, let alone granite. We find scorched earth or ashes too, not a match for the fruits. The second sip is woodier and bitterer. Oh! it is not difficult or anything; just a little woodier, vine and twigs trying to compete with the grapes (and losing). Finish: rich and fruity, it has, again, grapes, plums, prunes, now, soaked sultanas, and juicy compote. Burnt-wood gratings join on the late tip, hardly a threat to the fruits. The second gulp has chewy sweets: Cola Bottles, Blueberry Creams. It dries the gob a little, just like fortified wines sometimes do. Psycho and I find it slightly woody and astringent on the tip of the tongue.
Comment: red71 is the first to say Cognac on the night. Once Bishlouk confirms, I correctly guess the distillery. When asked how, I admit that the whisky tasters I know (including myself) hardly know another.

Vallein-Tercinier Hors d'Age (42%, OB Réserve de la Maison, b#009058) 7/10

Dram #4

Nose: back with a whisky, though this one is certainly a grain. Puff pastry turns to turnovers. What kind of turnovers? A deep sniff suggests blackcurrants. That would mean only one thing: Invergordon. It has a minty freshness to it, and a generally custardy allure. In any case, it is a fresh-fruity number with none of the solvent notes of glue or varnish that grain-haters call out. Looking hard and with intent, naysayers may pick up nail-varnish remover, I suppose, and insistent nosing may give away baking trays, not just pastry. But that is nitpicking. The second nose dials the custard to eleven. That and puff pastry come to dominate, though there could be a pinch of chalk too, by now. It is all cake (Psycho) and pastry (sonicvince) on the night. Mouth: mellow and fruity, acidic, even, it has baked pineapple rings, apple turnovers, and, upon chewing, mango and chocolate. Some chocolate-makers make dark-chocolate pralines filled with a mango cream; well, imagine the opposite: a mango stuffed with dark chocolate. We have virtually no blackcurrant, here, and, indeed, find a lick of orange-capped Pelikan glue. The Invergordon lead is perhaps not the right one, after all. It may be a North British. Does it matter? Not one bit! The second sip is still acidic, even if one would be exaggerating in calling it stripping. Acidic fruits, no more. Finish: creamy-and-three-quarters, it fans the flames of chocolate-y mango, but now augments it with a slice of maracuja. That adds an acidic touch to what would otherwise be a sweet, buttery character. The second gulp is still mainly fruity, but it injects a dollop of mint cream for good measure. It is no After Eight, mind. Just a little minty freshness. On the night, I have piña colada, loud and clear -- coconut and pineapple. It also has something very bitter akin to 90%-cocoa chocolate (sonicvince). Psycho detects Malibu, which supports the coconut impression. Excellent, this.

Redbreast 21yo b.2021 (46%, OB, Oak Casks, L124431612) 9/10

tOMoH: "It smells like a grain. Coconut, coconut milk, vanilla."
All: "Yes, coconut alright."
Bishlouk: "I think it's not a grain."
tOMoH: "You are clearly wrong."

Psycho: "Oh! yeah, in the mouth, it is obvious."
tOMoH: "It's a grain. If Psycho likes it, it's a grain."

[Laughter]

tOMoH: "Years ago, a friend stayed here for a few nights. We had a tasting, so I invited her. She was not into whisky, so she did not attend. Instead, and to be self-sufficient, she brought a bottle of Malibu... which remained here when she left. Thanks! What was I going to do with that?"
Bishlouk: "Gift it to someone."
tOMoH: "It was open."
Psycho: "What did you do with it?"
tOMoH: "I drank it while listening to music."
Psycho: "What did you listen to? Barbie Girl?"
tOMoH: "You know what I listen to."
Bishlouk: "If you approach music the same way you approach whisky, I'd say you listen to a bit of everything."

About my broken glass...

red71: "Is it a Peugeot?"
tOMoH: "That's pepper mills."
Bishlouk: "No, they make tasting glasses too. You can stick your finger up its arse."
tOMoH: "What kind of tastings do you go to?"

Dram #5

Nose: another beast altogether, this is grassy -- a heap of mown lawn left out to dry for weeks, hay, and a mere whisper of smashed strawberries. This has Fettercairn written all over it, so far. Grist, cereal husks. It clears the nostrils a little, yet it does not smell that strong in alcohol. Maybe it is peppermint? That and a drop of strong all-purpose glue. The second nose brings cardboard into the spotlight, as if dried grass and grist had been packed up in cardboard boxes. Dusty toffee also features. On the night, it is a bit dry and farm-y, with leather, hay, then coffee. Mouth: oily and warming, it has corn mash, caramelised wheat puffs, chicory infusion, and Werther's Original sweets. Amusingly, it is the heat that changes with time on the tongue: it seems to grow stronger, even when no new note joins the lot. The second sip sees more toffee and dust, old Mokatines, hardened caramel and toffee eaten in a room in which others smoke. Cadbury's "chocolate" comes out on the night. Finish: caramel, butterscotch, toffee. Quality Street's Toffee Penny, caramel-glazed wheat puffs again, buttered toasts. Little, if any, of the herbaceous-grassy notes make it this far. In their stead, we have unabashed cereals and caramel, perhaps -- no! definitely expired Mokatines. At the death, we note a tiny drop of acrid eau-de-vie, which revives the Fettercairn impression a bit. Or could this be an ancient blend?
Comment: it turns out we tried this before. I like it better today.

Craigellachie 8yo 2008/2016 (46%, Murray McDavid Benchmark, Sherry Butt finished in Rum Cask, C#6001855 & 600855, 713b) 7/10

Bishlouk: "Wait! I need to check the region."
Psycho: "In that case, it's a Speyside."
tOMoH: "Craigellachie."
Bishlouk: "Yeah."

Psycho guesses the theme: reduced whiskies.

red71: "How's the dating going?"
Bishlouk: "Yeah, I had a date yesterday lunch time."
tOMoH: "Lunch time? Did she have a 17:30 curfew?"
red71: "And did she pass the visual test?"
Bishlouk: "She has magnificent eyes. The rest has yet to be discovered."
tOMoH: "Wait! Is she Afghan?" [i.e. wearing a niqab or a burqa]

Cracking evening. Bishlouk confesses he was a bit worried we would think he was flogging low-quality whiskies, but it was not the case at all. Interesting and unusual things, and they were all tasty to boot.

29/01, 22/02, 23/02/2026 Belgium #11 -- Calling last order

A tasting in three parts. It is impossible to gather everyone on the same night, so the groups are split thus:

29/01/2026: kruuk2, ruckus, JS, tOMoH

22/02/2026: Psycho, adc, ydc, GD, tOMoH (JS joins briefly)

23/02/2026: Bishlouk, red71, STL, sonicvince, dom666, GN, tOMoH (Psycho joins briefly)

The below is a synthesis of those nights. All drams are poured blind. All bottles (except #5) are either empty or contain so little that they will never be served again.

Dram #1

Nose: shoes and leather (ruckus), warm and humid leather (ruckus). kruuk2 and ruckus both agree that this is not a light whisky to start with. adc finds it light and subtle all the same, flowery and perfume-y, and finally settles for Highland-coo dung, while I detect brine and cardboard. red71 finds it pleasant, with notes of hard cheese (Pecorino). Bishlouk calls is very classical, probably a Speysider from a Bourbon cask. sonicvince calls it mineral, to which Bishlouk and dom666 object that it is vegetal.
Mouth: an old man's whisky (ruckus) -- and, indeed, it is toffee and old cardboard, which supports kruuk2's comment that "it tastes like whisky". "I like it, it's a perfect day for this" (adc). Psycho says it is lightly woody, with dry wood and spices (Psycho), whereas GD has pepper and finds this sticks to the gob. Bishlouk sees a classic Speyside palate.
Finish: "whisky as it is traditionally understood" (kruuk2), "the kind of drams one drinks with one's cocker spaniel by the fireplace" (kruuk2). A light aniseed touch and honey (ydc), a tad nondescript (Psycho) and spicy again (GD). sonicvince spots coffee beans where Bishlouk has a slight astringency. He adds it is a tad vegetal, but a classic Bourbon cask nonetheless.
Comment: a few timid guesses, none a blend. adc is reminded of that Isle of Jura, calls it light as a Lowlander, yet characterful as an Islay. My notes are here.

Sandy Macnab’s Old Blended Scotch 5yo (40%, Macnab Distilleries, b.1980s)

tOMoH: "What do you think, GN?"

GN: "I should have had a larger sample. It is hard to tell what I think with so little."
STL: "GN just confirmed he is part of the same family!"

Dram #2

Nose: Haribo sweets or Fraises Tagada (kruuk2 and ruckus), flavoured vodka (ruckus, who is about to be banned). adc finds it bolder than the first and a little smoky, with a whiff of iodine. Psycho, on the other hand, talks about an orchard. GD confirms it is fruity, despite adc calling it woody. Psycho, ever the pacifier, declares fruit-tree wood. adc finds caramel, toffee (but no salt, ydc adds), Quality Street's Toffee Penny (adc and ydc) or biscuit (Psycho). ydc smells five-spice mix at the baker's, not quite the same as speculoos spices, but close. sonicvince gets varnish and overripe fruit. Bishlouk detects menthol.
Mouth: kruuk2 declares that the Haribo sweets are lost, while ruckus utters a simple "50%?" (spot on). GD calls it explosive and buttery, when ydc identifies quince and peach. Dry upon entry (Bishlouk), STL soon says it has balls and operates a noticeable shift in horsepower. Beyond that, it is woodier (Bishlouk) and offers rancio (Bishlouk). STL also finds it spicier, once his taste buds are accustomed to the brute force.
Finish: kruuk2 wonders if it is a grain. adc finds it "not bad," even if she is not taken by the first gulp. She acknowledges that one needs to go to it and the more she tries it, the more she likes it. When red71 calls a bitter touch, GN specifies ashes.
Comment: even after the reveal, ruckus and kruuk2 struggle to recognise the distillery markers. This makes GN think of Balcones Brimstone. My notes are here.

Lochside 21yo d.1981 (50%, Lombard Jewels of Scotland, Bourbon Cask, C#607)

dom666: "I have an appointment with a Lithuanian [woman]… for work, yeah?"
tOMoH: "She will be working. Not you."
dom666: "No, I'm giving her..."
GN: "Money!"

(The above is, of course, to tease dom666, not to make a sweeping comment about Lithuanians.)

Dram #3

Nose: "this speaks to me less than #2," ruckus tells us, while kruuk2 finds it more discreet, even if he admits the softness leads to fruits. adc and ydc find it leafy and vegetal, with adc adding that it is laurel leaves in the sunrays. adc goes further and names it assassinated foliage, when Psycho detects cedar and encaustic. adc then finds it softer and less sulphurous than the Lochside, which means this here is more to her taste. GD finds it spicy (again) and has liquorice, followed by apples or Calvados. Bishlouk, never prolific with the praises, calls this extraordinary, a nose that throws stuff in one's face (which makes red71 think of dom666's Lithuanian). red71 finds it Littlemillesque.
Mouth: ruckus finds it more interesting in the mouth (a phrasing that Bishlouk would undoubtedly latch on to, were he there on the same night). adc is not taken by the first sip of this one either. Psycho finds cough drops, while ydc has subtle berries -- perhaps strawberries. She says it is hard to pinpoint, but then starts talking about Fraises Tagada. "Indescribable," says Bishlouk, who says it shoots stuff in all directions. sonicvince reckons it is too syrupy to be a Littlemill. dom666 announces lychee.
Finish: kruuk2's favourite so far, and ruckus likes it too. Hay (adc), bison herb (adc), grasses (adc). It is warming (GD) with a very-long finish (Psycho).
Comment: once revealed, ruckus and kruuk2 acknowledge the fruity Irish profile. adc, after a lukewarm welcome, loves it. On the third night, many ask me to order them a bottle of this, if available, with sonicvince calling it one of the best whiskies he has ever tried. Tough luck finding one. GN liked the first two drams more, on the other hand. My notes are here.

Midleton d.2014 (unknown ABV, Duty Paid Samples, Double Charred Bourbon Cask)

adc: "What are Fraises Tagada, actually?"
Psycho: "The strawberries of horses."

Dram #4

Nose: "a grain?" (ruckus) Indeed, ruckus detects vanilla, pastry and raw butter shortcrust, whereas kruuk2 notes yeast. ruckus finds it rather closed, stuffy and fusty, if not mouldy. On the other hand, GD detects honey and ydc dried and shell fruits (mixed peel, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans). adc finds it very pleasant. sonicvince has vanilla where Bishlouk spots medicinal notes and cough syrup. STL and sonicvince confirm custard, or even butter (STL). GN suggests shortbread.
Mouth: ruckus notes that it punches pretty hard. GD spots chilli (he is easily affected by spices, it seems) where ydc has torrefied cocoa and coffee beans. She also has caramel and a whisper of ginger (which adc has too). Psycho calls it acidic and pungent. When GD mentions light soy sauce, Psycho counters with dark soy sauce. Far from that, Bishlouk notes vanilla and spices. GN continues his biscuit trip with Palets Bretons, which are a local type of shortbread.
Finish: dry, with a note of coffee (kruuk2). ruckus and kruuk2 settle on Mokatine, which is pretty accurate a descriptor. adc finds it a fleeting note that works less well -- she calls it a bit rough. ydc talks about acetone. "The taste is fleeting," says sonicvince who is left with but the tingle of alcohol, although he says it retains a buttery side too. 
Comment: JS likes this a lot. sonicvince finds it formidable, meaning enjoyable and indomitable. My notes are here.

Glenallachie 14yo 2000/2014 (57.3%, Chivas Brothers Cask Strength Edition, B#GA 14 006)

Dram #5

Nose: fresh and spicy (ruckus), candied cherries (ruckus), reminiscent of Mon Chéri without being exactly similar (ruckus). ruckus and kruuk2 find a lot of sweet jam ("not a jam for someone with diabetes," says kruuk2). Then, it is dust (ruckus), sour dust (ruckus). "Or is it my studio?" asks ruckus, who still finds it a tad sour. "Not convincing," says adc, who does not like anything at first contact, today. She adds that it is almost inexistant. GD, however, finds cow dung in the summer, which is to say it smells herbaceous, unlike what cows defecate in the winter, when they eat only hay. Bishlouk can only smell pure alcohol, red71 detects spices and adds that this will clearly "unpot" one.
Mouth: some spices here too (ruckus), industrial (kruuk2), engine grease (ruckus), a server room (kruuk2), an old computer whose fan is full of dust (kruuk2). Psycho finds it characterful and very good. ydc calls it very aromatic. For sonicvince, this is salty on the tongue, or peppery, according to red71, who adds that the nose and the palate are disconnected, as if they belonged to two completely separate whiskies.
Finish: in the medium run, alcohol blows up in one's face (kruuk2). ruckus finds it even dustier and more industrial in the empty glass. "The tip of the tongue spots Highland-cow dung" (adc). ydc is "all warm inside" and says this "unpots" (meaning it kicks so hard that one is thrown out of one's pot -- if one is a plant). Psycho agrees to the warming adjective and GD notes that this too sticks to the gob. red71 finds that it stings. He and Bishlouk observe a deluge of black pepper.
Comment: it is a smidge brutal, of course, but what a dram! This is less adc's thing, tonight. It is universally recognised as a whisky that punches on in the face. My notes are here. 

57.4 15yo 1979/1994 Fearsome indeed; smoky, spicy and savoury (63.1%, SMWS Society Cask)

dom666: "My great-grandmother lived in Scotland. She left her husband after five kids: she had had enough of being a reproduction machine. She came to Belgium, remarried and had two more children. I don't know why."
STL: "To get her residence permit!"

Numbers 2 and 3 are inverted on this picture

Dram of the day:

• ruckus: Midleton
• kruuk2: Midleton
• JS: Glenallachie
• adc: Sandy MacNab, Midleton
• ydc: Glenallachie, Lochside, Glen Mhor, Sandy MacNab, Midleton
• GD: Midleton
• Psycho: Lochside, Glen Mhor
• STL: Midleton
• Bishlouk: Midleton
• sonicvince: Midleton
• red71: Midleton
• GN: Lochside
• dom666: we will never know

Good times, as usual.

13/09/2025 London transport.

This week in London was marked by large-scale strikes on the public-transport network. It mostly affected the Underground, but also the DLR, and, of course, that had a knock-on effect on everything else. We therefore meet to have a few drams on that theme.

In the run-up to today, emails fly about regarding how challenging this theme is (is it?) and I say I hope we do not end up with eight Cam-buses. Fortunately for my head, no Cam-bus in sight.

JMcD arrives first, followed by OB, JS, SOB and YM.

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

SOB explains that Norwegian public transport is probably better than London's. He adds that, in Norse mythology, Bifröst, also called Bilröst and often anglicized as Bifrost, is a burning bridge that reaches between Midgard (Earth) and Asgard, the realm of the gods. In other words: Bivrost is a link between two worlds, just like public transport is a link between two places. Finally, this expression is called Yggdrasil, which is the name of the tree at the centre of everything. SOB reckons the Underground map looks like a tree, with many branches at the top, and not much going on around the trunk (south of the river).

Bivrost Yggdrasil 2024 (46%, OB Limited Edition, Oloroso-Seasoned + In-House Charred Casks, 9009b, b#5208): from the Aurora distillery, in Norway. Nose: it is super herbaceous, presenting hawthorn, thyme, sage and some kind of custard to balance it a bit. Later on, it gives dried sausage, cured reindeer meat and white pepper. Mouth: unique, this has chives-topped omelette, peppery egg white and meat fat -- think of the white bits in mortadella, for example. Finish: big and odd, it continues the eggy trip. "This is a brunch dram," says JS. Quite. The egg fry-up turns browner over time, a little crispy on the edges. Yum! So very interesting! 7/10

The soundtrack: three pipers on the bridge downstairs, probably providing music for morris dancing.

OB: "The music selection is more and more eclectic!"

tOMoH: "JMcD is back from Japan. He brought back some whisky."
JS: "It better have 'mizunara' written on the bottle!"

JMcD explains that Ichiro Akuto is in charge of Chichibu distillery. Chichibu regularly release a London Edition, which is his tenuous link [sic].

Ichiro's Malt MWR Mizunara Wood Reserve (46%, Venture Whisky distributed by Japan Import System, B#127): nose: lovely fig relish and date spread. Then, we get lots of bold, chewy sweets and crystallised berries. Mouth: woody and drying, it does not want for fruits and sweets -- in fact, it is full of them. Finish: wow! Sweet, fruity, it does not have anything exuberant or extravagant (no Japanese whisky has, other than Karuizawa), but it has enticing jams and pressed currants. 8/10

The soundtrack: Katia Casio - Untitled mixtape

OB presents a Glen Gants Hill. He adds, "I guess there must be a 31 bus somewhere, and it has to be operated by Go a-Caden-head London." Boom-tsch.

Glen Grant-Glenlivet 31yo 1985/2017 (44.8%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection 175th Anniversary, Sherry Butt, 312b): a 'splosion of peaches and figs doused in Golden Syrup. Behind that are tons of pressed currants so ripe they are borderline hairy. Juicy prunes in a leather goblet. The second nose adds dark plums, very ripe too. Mouth: inky prunes, figs, pressed dates, sweaty currants. The second sip has a faint whisper of smoked meat, blood sausage or black pudding with raisins. Finish: long, comforting and sweet, though not overly so. It is a parade of currants and prunes. The second gulp adds a custard-y, cake-y note: berries cheesecake, in which currants are substituted for the berries. I suspect this one benefits form extended breathing in an open bottle, because it is even better than last time. 9/10

Incredibly, as I write down that note of berries cheesecake, JS sits down with a slice of the very same berries cheesecake that JMcD brought and I had not yet seen. Even more incredibly, the previous time we had this Glen Grant, in 2017, it came just after another batch of Ichiro's MWR, the very same sequence as today.

Blueberry cheesecake

Custard-and-almond cake

OB tells us that the next one is bottled by East Village Whisky Company. He adds that another word for 'village' is 'hamlet' (ahem), which makes this an East Ham(let) whisky. There is also a moon module on the label, which is not a London mode of transportation.

Speyside Region 44yo 1973/2017 (47.4%, East Village Whisky Company, Sherry Butt, 142b, b#125): nose: bergamot and a plate of moist mortar. It is sweeter and sweeter with time, piling on crystallised sugar cane. The second nose has wee-soaked pyjamas -- astonishingly, I mean that positively. Mouth: soft and juicy, it has barley syrup, ginger snaps, stem ginger and candied dried-fruit cubes (pineapple, peach), as well as candied angelica (yes, a gentle bitterness). Finish: it is not big, which suggests it has lost a bit of power (the cork is broken), but it remains delicious. Candied fruits, a puff of light pipe tobacco, balsawood smoke. Lovely dram, even if the smoke bitterness becomes a little loud. 8/10

The soundtrack: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - The Pacific Age

JS: "'Age', not 'Edge'. It is not the US importer."
tOMoH: "Oh."

YM brought a Spring-Bank

Springbank 28yo (48.9%, OB specially selected for the Springbank Society, 2966b): nose: moss fire, gingerbread in the oven (oooh!), roasted nuts, roasted berries. The second nose adds hot, oxidised metal. Mouth: ooh! it is rather pickle-y on the tongue, with cured red onions and red-wine vinegar. Chewing releases squashed berries, dark jams, smoked elderberry and blackberries. Those berries are muddier in the second sip, and soot makes an appearance. Finish: long, rustic and comforting like a kitchen fireplace in the countryside. The second gulp feels smokier and adds a blend of grated coal and soot. It remains berry-laden and juicy, however, even if it adopts stagnant water in the long run. 8/10

SOB brought a Gold Spot for Gold-ers Green. He adds that the gold spot of the tube is the place on the departure platform or on the train that is closest to the exit at the destination station. He confesses he missed the gold spot on his way here.

Gold Spot 9yo b.2022 135th Anniversary (51.4%, Midleton Distillery Limited Edition celebrating the 135th anniversary of the Mitchell's Whiskey bonding tradition, Bourbon Barrels + Sherry Butts + Bordeaux Wine Casks + Port Pipes, L215031402): nose: it is not a complete fruit onslaught, but it is pretty bold in that department, as if ripe fruits were served in a precious-wood bowl. This has a pinch of cigarette ash too, which is more unusual. Mouth: softly drying, it is also creamy and, of course, fruity. Plums, persimmons, plantains, baked cherimoyas. The second sip is a little more drying yet, though it is now on the confectionary side of the spectrum -- sweets and candied fruit. Finish: long and blend-y, this clearly has a good does of unmalted barley in the mash. Old polished wood, wood stain... it is fairly woody alright, with plane shavings and stuff on top of a shier fruitiness. 8/10

The soundtrack: Visage - Visage

tOMoH unveils a Glenlochy by Signatory Vintage. He points out that this one did come with the tube (see picture).

SOB: "I thought you were going to say we would have been sorry to come last week, because all the stations were Glen-locked."

Glenlochy 29yo 1980/2010 (52.8%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Hogshead, C#2649, 265b, b#71): nose: nostril-clearing, it then emits a nice faded suede and yellow fruits. Mouth: ooft! This has fruits and smoke in a smoky bar, a bit of jam and tin lids. Finish: big, a tad briny, and full of acidic yellow fruits. My full notes are here. 9/10

JMcD, who, remember, is back from Japan, brought a Yoichi, because the company that runs the Tokyo Metro also runs the Elizabeth Line in London.

Yoichi Peaty & Salty (55%, OB distributed by Japan Import System): horse's hair, suede, sheepskin, desert dirt after a soft rain, earth patties. It has a bold spiciness to it and lots of horse shenanigans -- stables, hay bales, straw, saddles, harnesses and, well, horse's hair and horse's sweat. Manure appears in the second nose, with also a whiff of muck. Mouth: it Is pretty potent, borderline fiery, briny (JMcD). It has salted chocolate and smoked apricots eaten on a horse's back. Finish: huge, it has lots of dried ginger, earth, desert dirt, and more horse. We find smoked pasties with the second gulp. Lovely stuff, this. 8/10

JS extracts an unbroken cork from her contribution.

JS: "Clearly a fake!"
tOMoH [picks up the cork]: "I don't know why I'm looking. I can't compare it to a Rare Malts cork: I've never seen one intact."

The soundtrack: The Fall - 458489 A Sides

JS finally unveils her bottle: a Rare Malts Teaninich. YM immediately registers that it spells 'RMT', the name of the union who initiated the strike.

Teaninich 23yo d.1972 (64.95%, OB Rare Malts Selection, b#1323): nose: interestingly, it prolongs the suede-and-stable profile of the Yoichi, perhaps meatier: it is not just horse's hair, but horse's meat, cured and thinly sliced. Horse's hair and fringed suede jackets mingle with smoked raspberries too. Soon, we find heated metal -- think of a cannon, without the gunpowder. It becomes ester-y, after a few minutes, and, with that ABV, how could it be otherwise? JS rightly calls it ferocious. Mouth: drying as warm sand, it has more of that horse's hair goodness and a lick of fresh paint. Quickly, hot cast iron joins the dance. Keeping it in the mouth until the taste buds wake up generates a shock. Finish: hugely powerful, it is not particularly wide. It unfolds similarly to the nose and palate, with smoke, horse's hair and sun-drenched hay bales. Without surprise, it leaves the palate a little numb. In fact, it is surprising that it does not leave it completely destroyed. 8/10

Huh?

It is unclear why this (and other RMS) give the ABV with two decimals and why the bottle label states 75cl and not 750ml (as American imports do -- the box does, yet the American version has no box). It does not sport the 'B297' that would indicate a South-African bottling (also 75cl), and has a blank space where market information would normally be written. Just which market was this bottled for?

JS: "The mystery, like the cork, remains intact."

JMcD is made to drink out of the 1920s blender's glass (aka the dickhead glass).

JMcD [paraphrasing]: "It is very impractical to drink from."
JS: "Hence the name. One looks like a dickhead when using one."
OB: "I bet it makes you want to look down on us, though."
JMcD: "I do feel superior indeed."

He passes it around for comparison with a regular glass.

YM: "It increases the booziness. Just what you don't want to do."
YM [sarcastically]: "Maybe with an Octomore…"
JS: "But then you'd be dead on the floor with a dickhead glass on you."

YM brought an SMWS bottling called 'Entropy meridian', which, he says, describes the chaos caused by this week's tube strikes.

53.318 11yo 2008/2020 Entropy meridian (57%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 232b): nose: hot sands wet with diesel, mud patties, ashes (YM). YM finds it not as punchy as most Caol Ilas, yet it packs a punch alright, even after the previous brute. We have more and more smoked cockles, over time. Mouth: oh! Here, we find more-usual Caol Ila notes; whelk, salt water, fishing nets. It gets saltier and sandier with subsequent sips. A tank of diesel augmented with a drop of ink, and a fishing net basking in it. Finish: it has a huge earthiness of smoked mud patties. Later on, we have sugar cubes and caster sugar sprinkled on oysters. 8/10

JS: "What does [Entropy meridian] mean in the context of Caol Ila?"
YM: "It's a chaotic dram, not very much like their usual 11yo."
tOMoH: "Not something you hear in many circles."
YM: "..."
tOMoH: "Give [YM] the dickhead glass [so he can feel superior]!"

JS: "What was the best dram?"
OB: "I would like to say the Glenlochy, but tOMoH will piss himself if I say that."
tOMoH: "Why do you say it in the future tense?"

Excellent tasting, lots of silly nonsense, good food, good drams.

20/07/2025 Thermidor

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

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

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

JS presents Thermidletonor

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

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

tOMoH presents Tormoridor

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

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

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

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

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

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

PS presents Dalthermidor

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

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

Bread, courtesy of OB

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

Dedication, is it not?

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

tOMoH presents Thermidornoch

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

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

Berry cake and almond cake, courtesy of JMcD

PS presents Thermibrora

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

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

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

Best pun yet.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

17/03/2025 St. Padraig

Midleton d.2014 (unknown ABV, Duty Paid Samples, Double Charred Bourbon Cask): nose: slightly cork-y dunnage warehouse, a combination of musty, dusty clay floors and dried raspberry slices. That latest note expands to become fruit yoghurt, and, if the earthy impression stubbornly sticks around, it becomes so intense it is borderline gingery -- a ginger touch that lets one glimpse juicy passion fruits. As is to be expected, the more this breathes, the more those passion fruits reach the nostrils. We also find an oilcloth tablecloth, warmed by the spring sun. The second nose has candied angelica, fresh and green, which promises a soft bitterness. It moves more and more-clearly towards candied fruits and mixed peels. Perhaps it has lovage seeds, in the long run -- just a couple of them. Mouth: it is immediately fruity on the tongue, with mango, papaya and jackfruit, served on a wooden stave. Baked pineapple and baked Mirabelle plums rise and deliver, and the wood becomes a mere accessory. It is all very pot still, as cavalier66 put it last month. It has a faint metallic touch too, a clean knife blade. The second sip adds a drying, almost-mineral touch; Verdigris, then a growing sense of dust, or lichen on limestone. It is not long before lovely fruits catch up: Ugli fruit, cherimoya, pomelo and mouldy mango dusted in cinnamon powder. It ends up being a softly-drying number, after all, with lichen and green bitterness, yet the fruits keep the upper hand. Finish: what a beauty! A parade of delicate tropical fruits here too, with baked banana, cut mango, diced papaya, and pineapple juice. Only via retro-nasal olfaction does wood provide a comforting warmth. The second sip offers warm mango (perhaps the skin comes out most), papaya cubes sizzling in a copper pan green with Verdigris, and lichen grated off of limestone, and subsequently dry-roasted. But then, bergamot and kumquat take over with their foliage balancing the juicy bits with a subtle, leafy bitterness. Magnificent. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)

01/02/2025 Artificial Intelligence

BA, OB, PS, JS, JMcD and cavalier66 join me for an oh!-so-timely tasting on the theme of what seems to be consuming everyone's thoughts, these days: Artificial Intelligence (AI).

cavalier66 brought food, as usual. In theme.

Comté: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, it is what computers do
Quince paste: because it tastes a little artificial
Lancashire: where Alan Turing was from, who led development of the Enigma machine
Malden Deep smoked salmon: for deep learning, or DeepSeek

The soundtrack: The Old Man of Huy - Exit the Dragon

Another brief line-up

BA also brought nibbles

PS presents Largedaig Language Model

Ledaig 20yo (43%, OB, 03/312 L16 3174 15.38) (PS): nose: spirit-y apple juice, suede moccasins, leatherette, and even a touch of urine. A couple of sniffs in, that turns into evaporated Indian tonic, chalky and bitter. JMcD finds citrus and pear. Mouth: waxy lemons (PS) for what cavalier66 calls a clean version of Ledaig. It has some musk (which suits the AI theme to a T) and scorched earth -- or is that baked rubber? cavalier66 then discovers really soft mandarine water. Finish: dark tar (BA), the beginning of soapiness (BA), and a rubbery bitterness, as well as a dose of plastic (cavalier66). 7/10

BA [about London water]: "It fights back a little when you drink it, and I like that."

As PS feared, the cork disintegrates

tOMoH presents pittyvAIch. In the chieftAIn's range.

Pittyvaich 14yo 1986/2001 (43%, Ian McLeod Chieftain's, Hogsheads, C#9519-22, 1074b, L1212BB 3 11 58) (tOMoH): "classic Pittyvaich," cavalier66 exclaims, which is a sentence not many people have ever heard. Nose: gooseberry and tins of raspberry (PS), hoppy fruitiness (BA). Next to that fruit, I find horse's hair, dusty wicker, hay bales, and fermented custard (cavalier66). Over time, the nose goes quieter. Mouth: chocolate-covered weed (OB), easter eggs and lots of chocolate indeed. Further sips have damson plums at various stages of unripeness, or a little bitter, in other words. Parmesan cheese rises, drying and butyric. Finish: milk and white chocolates in the style of those eggs (the ones with the toy inside, remember?) I will spend more time with this soon. In the meantime, I am enthusiastic about it. 8/10

tOMoH presents here come the rAIn agAIn.

Strathisla 1999/2010 Here Come The Rain Again (46%, La Maison du Whisky Belgique, C#45530, 247b) (tOMoH): we had this one not a year ago, but OB, JMcD and BA were not there. Nose: fresh (cavalier66), apples and lemons (PS), strychnine (cavalier66), a little herbaceous. Mouth: calm, mellow and still (JMcD), dark herbs (cavalier66). Finish: lively and fruity, it has plums and apricots, with just a very-small pinch of dried herbs. Full notes here. 8/10

BA: "What distillery is this?"
tOMoH: "Strathisla."
cavalier66: "strathAIsla."
tOMoH: "I thought of it, but it is a bit far fetched, even for me."
all: "Who are you? What have you done to tOMoH?"
tOMoH: "I've been abducted by AI."

PS [about Bell's decanters]: "They're made by a company called Wade..."
tOMoH: "Wade a minute!"
PS: "...and they..."
BA: "No. Stop. Give [the pun] a little space to breathe. There. Carry on."

PS presents a whisky matured in a sassicAIa cask.

Benromach 5yo b.2006  Sassicaia Wood Finish (45%, OB, 27mo Sassicaia Wine Casks Finish, 3000b) (PS): nose: shards of cedar wood and unlit incense. cavalier66 finds it more vulgar than the preceding dram, brash (PS). It does become a bit wine-y, with added crushed pine cones, roasted chicken breasts, and oily mahogany. Next is a wicker-clad open bottle of Valpolicella. Mouth: tannic, young, fruity, but not in a very-convincing way. It is also drying as a wine whose grapes have seen too much sun. Finish: long, grape-y, it has elderberry, decaying berries, and rancio as well. 6/10

JMcD presents Artificial Intelligens.

Mackmyra Intelligens (46.1%, OB, ex-Bourbon + ex-Oloroso + American Oak + Swedish Oak Casks, B#AI02, b.2021) (JMcD): a recipe allegedly created by an AI. Nose: Gummibärchen, poached pear and baked persimmon. Jellied melon cubes too, and raspberry jellies. Mouth: There is a veneer of tropical fruits that is soon overtaken by pitch-black liquorice, then that morphs into juicy mango sprinkled with paprika. Finish: clean (JS), the whisky speaks for itself (JS, channelling her inner Quaker), long and fruity, Turkish delights, fruit jellies, candied papaya cubes, and a pinch of liquorice shavings. 8/10

cavalier66: "Can I share something interesting?"
PS: "That seems hugely unlikely, but go on."

The soundtrack: The Old Man of Huy - Man To Men

tOMoH presents AIlsa bay.

Ailsa Bay 7yo (unknown ABV, Cask Sample, ex-French Red Wine Cask) (tOMoH): nose: buttery nut paste. Mouth: chewy (cavalier66), thick (OB), this is almond paste dampened with syrupy red wine. Finish: vulgar (cavalier66), all cask and no spirit (cavalier66). My notes are here. 7/10

JS presents the Baller, which has a samurAI on the label.

St. George 3yo The Baller (47%, OB, Ex-Bourbon, French Wine Casks + Umeshu Finish) (JS): nose: orange fruit gum (PS), sage and thyme (PS). Mouth: Swiss herbal sweets (cavalier66), but also a lot of (artificial) fruits (plum, ripe apricot, citrus). Finish: hoppy (OB), génépi (cavalier66). My notes are here. 7/10

BA: "What's the stuff you put in beer?"
OB: "Hops?"
BA: "No, the orange stuff..."
tOMoH: "Irn Bru?"

SW cannot be with us, today, but he did manage to send a bottle our way for the occasion. An unmarked duty pAId sample.

Midleton d.2014 (unknown ABV, Duty Paid Samples, Double Charred Bourbon Cask) (SW): nose: "instantly recognisable as a pot still" (cavalier66), grapefruit (BA) and other fruits. I find it pink and yellow, with peach and ripe apricot. A little breathing time makes it woodier and drier. Mouth: cream (cavalier66), pink passion fruits coated in nail varnish. It has the texture of peach and mango melting on the tongue. Finish: long, powerful, a little spicy, while remaining very fruity. Persimmon, peach, nectarine, kumquat. Lovely. I hope to spend more time with this too. 8/10

Next up is OB. I ask the gang if they prefer a trou normand, or a trou-du-cul normand. Emphasis on the pun, here, since OB is obviously not a trou-du-cul (arsehole). BA, OB and JMcD opt for the trou normand. The fools. JS pours them a shot of bAIju, and they immediately regret it. Although BA lectures us all on baiju (starting with the pronunciation), so go figure.

With that prank behind, we move on to the trou-du-cul normand.

OB explains how the next whisky is made in a Coffey still with a rectifier. In neural networks, the rectifier, or ReLU… Bah! Who am I kidding? Check the Wikipedia page, if you need to know more.

Cambus 40yo 1975/2016 (52.7%, OB, Hogsheads, 1812b, b#0442) (OB): nose: ethereal, yet it seems a little less tropical than four years ago. Still: pineapple, buttery peach and creamy coconut. Mouth: incredibly creamy on the palate, and pumped with maracuja, sprinkled with cumin seeds. Finish: so creamy again, with mango and peaches drowning in coconut cream. It does sustain a clear bitterness too, yet that Is never a worry. I am perhaps a tad less impressed than the previous times, but yeah... 10/10

PS [paraphrasing]: "Grain is vile. Grain is disgusting and no-one should buy it."
tOMoH: "Quite right. This should never have been bottled."
PS: "Indeed. Don't push the prices."
JMcD [after trying it]: "This is amazing. I'd like to understand why tOMoH thinks it should not have been bottled."
tOMoH: "tOMoH is winding you up. This is tOMoH's favourite grain."

cavalier66 explains that the next dram was rated A⊕⊕ by BC, when he had a blog. That is as close to AI's perfection as is achievable for a human-made product. He adds that this is from ChatGPTeaninich.

59.54 32yo 1984/2016 Elegant, classy and simply beautiful (50.5%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 186) (cavalier66): nose: elegant, classy, rather good (OB), greener [than the previous drams] (cavalier66), and, indeed, pomelo, Ugli fruit and Kaffir lime are front and centre. BA finds it orange-y. He is wrong, but citrus foliage is a given. Mouth: very citrus-y again, with tangerine peels starting to turn blue with mould, and a drying chalkiness splashed with Indian tonic. Finish: a note of hay, fruit, and a lot of quinine-y Indian tonic. With water, corn flakes turn up (BA). It is a long, sparkling finish, citrus-y and a little bitter, borderline leafy. Excellent. 9/10

OB: "It becomes elegant with water."
cavalier66: "Maybe our definition of 'elegant' is different."
OB: "No. My definition is correct and yours is wrong."

cavalier66: "I was pulling on the wrong bit."
PS: "Erm..."
cavalier66: "No!"

Time for OB's exquisite Galette des Rois
I will find the trinket tomorrow in the last piece (and almost break a tooth)

OB tells us the next one was bottled for WhiskyNerds, and reminds us that AI was developed by nerds. In parallel, BA tells us that The Whisky Exchange's code for Loch Lomond is LLM -- which is short for Large Language Model, the basis of current AI.

Inchmurrin 14yo 2003/2017 Law Bottling (56.2%, OB Single Cask specially selected by WhiskyNerds Trias Usquebaugh, Refill Sherry Butt, C#17/169-1, 260b) (OB): very tropical, it has buttery mango, cured peach, cherimoya, persimmon, and pressed dried dates in warm turnovers. On the late tip, we get water-chestnut purée. Mouth: this is mango and lychee in a cup of coffee, served with dried dates on the side. Finish: a lot earthier in the finish, it has black cardamom, liquorice-root shavings, and green-grape juice, as well as smashed lychee. I bet it would gain a point after it has had some time to open up in the open bottle. 8/10

vs.

Loch Lomond 15yo 2009/2024 (55.2%, Decadent Drinks Decadent Drams, 2nd Fill Hogshead of Loch Lomond + 1st Fill Hogshead of Inchmurrin) (BA): a blend of Loch Lomond and Inchmurrin, which is a funny concept. This is the juice before reduction, rather than the one that was commercially available at 53%. Nose: banane flambée (cavalier66), mulled wine, gingerbread (loud and clear), banana bread. We will call it a gingerbread-and-banana sandwich. Mouth: There is a more-mineral touch at play, here, with a mix of quarry dust and lichen on stave, ground peach stone turning green with lichen. Finish: long and fruity, it has a dash of mandarine juice and peaches, greengages, tangerines, and just a shake of Sherry cask (whatever that means). 8/10

cavalier66 stands up to leave (as usual, he is double-booked). He generously offers to change the line-up to have his last contribution now. The cleverer thing to do was to pour and let us have it in the right order, but the attendees are apparently drunk enough to throw cleverness to the wind, and spoil their palates with this.

cavalier66 quotes his mentor, Jim Murray, who said of this very bottling: "I have been tasting Talisker for 28 years, this is the best bottling ever. Miss this and your life will be incomplete." cavalier66 argues that, today, our lives are incomplete without AI. He adds that this is PS's most-hated distillery, and PS is the furthest a man can be from AI. He concludes by saying this Talisker is Chat-G-Peaty. Groan. Laugh.

OB: "That was the best [pun] to-date."
tOMoH: "Not meant as a compliment."

cavalier66: "That's not the original cork. That one went soft. tOMoH gave me one."
PS: "Are you saying tOMoH's cork is soft?"

BA: "Can I say this? It's going to sound bad, but it's not meant in a bad way. It reminds me of the baiju."
Room. Gasping. For. Breath.
cavalier66: "Do you know how much this cost me at auction?"

cavalier66 departs. I have not yet touched my dram of Talisker, because I know better.

BA: "This is Lagavulin 16. You may have heard of it. It's just Lagavulin 16."

BA asked ChatGPT: "I need to bring a bottle of whisky to a tasting on the theme of AI."

ChatGPT said: "Lagavulin 16," amongst other random suggestions.

Lagavulin 16yo (43%, OB, b. ca. 2023) (BA): nose: smoked lemons, preserved lemons, skimmed milk, and, after a while, horses' stables. Mouth: mellow (at 43%, how could it be otherwise?), full of chargrilled sweet yellow citrus, grapefruit and pineapple. Finish: long, big, briny and ashy. It is warm, drying, and gives one the voice of Annie Girardot in a matter of seconds (think early-2000s Marianne Faithfull for an English-speaking comparison). There is little Sherry to find, here, which makes sense once one knows Lagavulin 16 has not been aged in Sherry casks for years, contrary to popular belief. Hard to believe how well this fares, so deep into the line-up. 7/10

BA presents a Longrow from a chardonnAI cask.

Longrow 16yo 2001/2018 (56%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Chardonnay Cask Finish) (BA): very medicinal, with jelly capsules, and... Is it marzipan? Later on, it acquires those chalky candy necklaces. Mouth: oooh! The Chardonnay is more obvious, here, with squashed raspberry, and glimpses of lychee, perhaps. Chewing reveals a firm chalkiness which dehydrates the inside of the lips. It takes even more chewing for strawberry sherbet to rock up. Finish: plums and prunes, peach skins, and wine-cured fruit stones. JMcD calls it juicy and sweet, but also meaty and savoury. This should absolutely not work, but somehow does. 8/10

Talisker 20yo 1981/2002 (62%, OB Limited Edition, Sherry Casks, 9000b, b#5117): and now, the Talisker. Actually, I do not feel like it. BA, OB, PS and JMcD all leave together, and I have had enough. It is hard to believe the hiccoughs around this bottling. dom666 brought it to his birthday tasting in November -- only to realise he took the wrong bottle in the right box. He brought the right bottle to Burns' Night in January, but we had so much else to try we skipped it. cavalier66, who also has a bottle, read that on this little blog and decided we had to try it in February (today). By the time we reach its position in the line-up, I am whiskied out. Bah! I have transferred my dram of it to an airtight container and will have it another day.

Great times.