02/09/2026 Caskmasters 2026 London at the SMWS

The Society is organising something new, tonight. Here is the blurb:

Caskmaster is a blind tasting championship designed to test your palate like never before. This new challenge will kick off with heats across all four of our UK Members’ Rooms this summer.

Here’s how it works:

At your chosen heat, you’ll have 30 minutes to nose and taste eight carefully selected Society drams. Your task is to correctly identify each whisky from a lineup of nine whiskies.

The top five finalists at each heat will be revealed live on the night with each securing their place in the Grand Final later this year.

Your ticket includes eight 15ml sample drams and a Society supper, with the chance to progress to the Grand Final on Thursday 12 November at The Vaults.

Aside from the coveted title, the Grand Final champion will receive a lifetime membership to The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in addition to a place on a Speyside tour courtesy of Coppercairn from 12 to 15 March 2027.

Sounds like fun. JS, SOB and YM clearly think the same, because they are all here. As are twenty-or-so other people I do not recognise.

It is a fast-paced affair, during which I take only minimal notes (Bourbon barrel, greasy peat, wine and vinegar, sherbet... That sort of notes), because what counts is giving the right answers in the allotted time. At the end, I will transfer what is left of my drams (most of it) into vials to try them at a more-leisurely pace and in a different order (3, 4, 5, 8, 7, 6, 2, 1) later on. The below is the result of those later leisurely tastings.

On the night

Later on

Dram #1

Nose: heady and plum-y. There are darker fruits at play, myrtles, blueberries, hints of elderberries. Then, we progress towards bread -- a sourdough loaf coming out of the oven (oooh!) and a shortcrust that is slightly too well done, or a blueberry cheesecake, also baked for too long. Deeper nosing unearths oily Brazil nuts, perhaps soaking in prune syrup. The second nose insists on the bakery scents, with crusty bread and turnovers, browned fruit pies, burnt waffles and brown-bread mixed-seed baguette. Mouth: prune syrup it is indeed, sweet, a trifle nutty, and, well, fruity. The heat becomes faintly apparent upon chewing, even several drams in (remember I try them in a different order later on), a generous pour of red-chilli soaking water onto blueberries and prunes. It has a minute bitterness, in the long run -- nothing to complain about. Perhaps grape pips or plum stones. The second sip seems a tad sharper, bitterer; green grapes or blackberries that are not quite ripe enough yet. Once again, though, it is hardly worth complaining about. Sweetness is swiftly restored. Finish: thick, coating, this is a fruity sangria made of fortified wine. At the same time, there is nothing sickly about it. It is balanced, welcoming, and it has the mouthfeel of a blueberry cheesecake overflowing with berries. The second gulp achieves a remarkable journey through the stages of ripeness, from underdone green grapes to dark plums falling apart under their own weight. It ends up settling for blueberry clafoutis.

Comment: I do identify this one on the night. Yay.

41.191 13yo 2013/2026 Zingy Stardust (57.2%, SMWS Society Two To One, 2 x ex-Bourbon Hogsheads finished in 1st Fill ex-Bourbon & Oloroso Hogsheads, 592b) 7/10 (I finally try this on 07/09/2026)

Dram #2

Nose: strongly peaty, this has greasy earth and greased-up deaf guy leather jackets, Barbour grease, rich soil and lubricated rifles. Did I say it is greasy? It has a gentle note of heated seal wax, perhaps a fireplace in a kitchen, yet the peat manifests itself mostly in the form of earth or rich soil. Some metal lubricant appears a little later, a spray of WD-40 or similar, as do cold cuts, more boiled ham or mortadella than smoked ham or dried sausage -- we stay firmly in greasy territory. Perhaps nut-filled blood sausage? We go back to greased-up leather, though. The second nose has more earth, black pudding, crispy, sticking to the pan, and charred bulgogi. Mouth: burning-hot gingerbread is the first thing that comes out. Half-a-chew reveals wine-cured meat, roast beef or the likes. It remains oily, but comes across as very wine-y, now; mulled wine and the spices that go with that: star anise, cinnamon sticks, yet little-if-any clove. Stewed berries come to the rescue (lingonberries, cranberries, cherries), with a few orange segments thrown in for good measure. Only insistent chewing stirs up some smoke from a rustic-kitchen wood stove. The second sip carries on with the wine vibe. It is fruity, a little over the top, really, and earthy. It flirts with the tertiary, though never reaches that stage. On the other hand it adopts a smoked-salmon aspect, oily and smoky more than it is fishy. Finish: stewed berries and a drop of ink. It is not an old Caol Ila, nor an ancient Ardbeg, but there is some ink alright. Smoked plums, charred prunes, and earth, earth, earth. We are really left as if we had just swallowed a shovelful of dark, greasy earth. The 'dark' side may well be enhanced by a pinch of tarry soot, but earth dominates. The second gulp is assertively earthy, juggling smoke and berries behind its back for moral support. Competent effort, despite a possible lack of subtlety.

Comment: the one bold peater of the lot. We are given a choice of three peaty references and I get this one right too.

16.105 12yo d.2013 Neat and tidy (62.8%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Sherry Hogshead, 321b) 7/10 (I finally try this on 07/09/2026)

Dram #3

Nose: enticing nose that delivers custard, lemon pulp and pine-wood shavings. This has to be a Bourbon barrel, surely. Further on, we find smoked pineapple, grapefruit zest and a drop of... What is it, exactly? It feels like wine, at first, but quickly morphs into something else; wood oil, then solsonggju (Korean pine liqueur). We then proceed towards a mechanic's rags stained with engine grease, and there is even a soft metallic edge to this, unless it is candied papaya cubes. The second nose mixes citrus juice and a generic cleaning spray; it comes across as fresh and welcoming. If any metal remains, it is overpowered by the white-wood cutting board it rests on. Mouth: metallic and fruity in equal parts, this definitely has candied papaya cubes on arrival, augmented with a lick of pencil-sharpener blade. Chewing unveils royal-blue ink, including a minor bitterness, then opens fruitier tastescapes, with unripe mango, green banana and unripe pomelo. Indeed, it is bitterer than sweet, just like unripe fruit. The second sip is as fruity, acidic, and seems to have shaken off most of the metal. We have bitter zest sprinkled with sherbet and a few pine needles. Finish: past a slightly-stunning alcohol bite, it unfolds wave of fruits after wave of fruits. At first, those carry ripe sweet citrus (calamansi, yuzu, Buddha's hand), while later ones revert back to unripe citrus (pomelo, clementine) and green banana. In other words, we go from acidic-sweet to acidic-bitter. All the same, a spoonful of lime custard sticks to the back of the throat. The second gulp is in line: fruity and acidic. The earlier bitterness makes way for a numbing quality, and the tongue feels as though it had been slapped with a wooden plank.

Comment: even the general, colour-coded profile, I get wrong, on this one.

113.82 15yo d.2010 Whisky gobstopper (55.5%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 157b) 7/10 (I finally try this on 04/09/2026)

Dram #4

Nose: a bold Sherry maturation, with tawed leather, Barbour jackets under the rain, soaked prunes, potting soil wet with peach nectar, and liquid shoe polish. It could have turned heady, but it remains elegant, even if it walks a tightrope. A couple of minutes in, we have waxed walnut (the wood, not the nut), whether that is rustic armchairs or polished dashboards, and mushrooms that have released most of their water in the pan. The second nose is closer to fortified wine; all the fruits above are here in liqueur form. It overpowers everything else, apart from chocolate coulis. Mouth: ooft! It is sweet. Overly sweet. Sticky raisins, prunes, dried figs, dried cherries and cranberries. Chewing adds a gentle savoury nuance reminiscent of the gravy in a steak-and-ale pie. It is thick, coating, perhaps not as cloying as treacle, but not that far off either. It really is gravy and compote, ready to be served with a roast. The second sip confirms the chocolate coulis from the nose. Liqueur-infused strawberries topped with dark chocolate coulis. It could quickly turn sickly, this. Finish: the gravy is almost chocolate-y, here. Raisins, waterproofing grease for leather, wood buried under a layer of dark wax, mushrooms and the pan in which they were fried, deglazed with a generous dash of Madeira wine. The second gulp has melted dark chocolate, and smashed strawberries join pressed raisins... on a millstone! That is right: it has a faint mineral touch too. It dies with the bitterness of fruit stones and pips.

Comment: on reveal, it turns out I guess 4 for 5 and 5 for 4. This is an unpeated Inchmoan, which is one of the peated makes of Loch Lomond. It makes no sense.

135.73 16yo d.2008 Yellow bellies and gingernuts (54.5%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 1st Fill STR Barrique with New Toasted Heads, 237b) 6/10 (I finally try this on 04/09/2026)

Dram #5

Nose: this is dry. Hay bales in the barn and coffee fumes. A few minutes' breathing transforms that into a freshly-watered planter, or a forest clearing after a light rain. That spells petrichor, I suppose. Moist soil, at any rate. We come back to coffee and add pains au chocolat, hot on the tin tray. An earthy number indeed. The second nose has caramel rice puffs, nail varnish and even a drop of brine in the middle of an identity crisis: it does not know if it wants to preserve in salty or in sugary water, or to be a salty or sugary preservative. Sweetness definitely wins upon repeated sniffing. Mouth: a bold sweetness punches above its weight. Sultanas, Smyrna raisins. How unexpected, after that nose! Chewing simply increases the sweetness, turns it into honey, one in which bush flowers are soaking (lilac, forsythia). Forsythia is right, as it ends up developing a mild bitterness that is mostly obfuscated by the smashed-sultana sweetness, mind! The second sip has yellow fortified wine, if such a thing exists -- imagine physalis liqueur, perhaps. Chewing dials up the sweetness, yet it becomes gravel-y, after a while. Genuine mineral power, or numbness? Who knows? Finish: the sweet madness continues. Dried gooseberries, sultanas, dried strawberries and lily-of-the-valley coated in honey. More and more petals come up, in the long run, taking this to the floral side, which is a surprise, after the earthy nose. I am tempted to guess it is from a Manzanilla cask, but none is advertised. The second gulp feels as if it had licked raw granite and the tonsils capture a pronounced bitterness (chicory, cold coffee, mocha, dandelion stem) that tries (and fails) to hide behind a shroud of honey.

Comment: on reveal, it turns out I guess 4 for 5 and 5 for 4.

68.139 16yo d.2009 Sparkling Spanish sangria (57.3%, SMWS Two To One, 2 x ex-Bourbon Hogsheads finished in 1st Fill ex-Oloroso Butt, 528b) 7/10 (I finally try this on 04/09/2026) 

Dram #6

Nose: this one has pollen and cosmetic powders, sherbet and scented flour -- scented with a dash of orange-blossom water, that is. That turns woodier, all of a sudden, and we enjoy essence of hinoku, rosewood and litchi chinensis. This is a fragrance dispenser giving calming aromas and essential oils. Very elegant, hinting at Japan, in a way. The second nose is as powdery, which is astonishing. Peaches, turnovers covered in confectionary sugar, Sunride-grapefruit zest, sherbet, peach-flavoured candy floss, and, only in the background do we see shades of fragrant wood. Mouth: it carries on with the woody tones and balances a dead-branch bitterness that is never plank-y with cut yellow fruits, such as nectarines (not fully ripe). Chewing adds a few leaves, but that does not spoil the creamy texture at all. Daffodil petals provide a silky, cushion-y touch. The second sip injects a pinch of chalk (or talcum powder, really) and surfs on the same fruity wave as earlier. It is warm, not spicy. Finish: it steps firmly into the flowery world, here. Daffodils, forsythia, irises. That said, it also has notes of juicy peach, nectarine (riper than before) and Mirabelle plum, as well as lychee or rambutan. We find a hint of rosewood too, and other woods. In fact, we are enjoying a cup of orange-blossom tea and sliced nectarines, while soaking in a hinoku bathtub. Life could be a lot worse. The second gulp is even more delicious, warm, fruity, buttery. We have peach turnovers and cut nectarines in a warm custard.

Comment: this one, I guess correctly. YM does not like it and guesses, correctly, that it is the Paul John because he has never had one that he liked.

134.19 6yo d.2017 Mango muscovado memento (58.4%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 187b) 8/10 (I finally try this on 07/09/2026)

Dram #7

Nose: oily nuts and peppery pastrami, smoked salmon, pastramied salmon, cured meat and wood-fire smoke. A drop of nail varnish joins the dance too, then we have a leather jacket and a game pouch. It has a hunter allure, really, though more the gear and outdoorsy outfits than the kills themselves. Leather morphs into smoke, game pouches into dried earth, leather grease into gunpowder and ashes. Fruit stone ashes, singed peach flesh. We spot caramelised lingonberry compote too. The second nose is the wooden interior of a small fishing boat, since it now has a discreet saltiness mixing with varnish and old paint. In the long run, we perceive weathered metallic instruments. Mouth: it arrives on the tongue with fortified wine and a berry liqueur, nut oil and redgrapes. Chewing shovels a heap of dried earth onto that, adds oily wood (redwood) and spices (gochujang comes to mind). It is bold, warm, woody and oily alright. The second sip seems even stronger. It is milky, borderline creamy, has many a smashed berry, earth, but also a lively chilli paste or chilli oil. Melted chocolate blends with that chilli oil. Ha! Finish: more fruit, here, with red grapes, mulberries, cranberries, some in a sauce, some not, and a hefty serving of chilli paste poured onto scorched earth for a proper warming effect. It develops clementine juice at second gulp, albeit one in which Thai red chillies have soaked overnight. The more one sips this, the closer it gets to a dash of liqueur heated in a zinc spoon with a lighter. Odd.

Comment: many find this strongly peaty. I do not, but it does have an earthy character. I guess it right based on the final cask type.

71.118 19yo 2007/2026 Peat-a-boo! (59.4%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Barrel finished in 1st Fill STR ex-Oloroso Barrique, 216b) 7/10 (I finally try this on 07/09/2026)

Dram #8

Nose: we have crusty chocolate-and-orange sponge cake and muffin with the same taste, slightly overdone. Unexpectedly, chalk dust follows, or antibacterial chalk, to be precise, and a pinch of mocha grounds. Deeper nosing adds a lick of fortified wine, with soaked raisins and prune juice, as well as oily wood bark. It alternates between dry and juicy in a subtle way. The second nose adds all sorts of fragrant tree barks -- eucalyptus, cypress, orange tree, apple tree. Mouth: it is immediately spicy, as fiery red chilli peppers, even if it cools down fairly swiftly. Past that, we find melted chocolate punctuated with herbs, which is to say it has a lovely chocolate-y, creamy texture and a vegetal bitterness too that could be citrus foliage. Chewing confirms the latter and adds zest and mixed peel, the sugar of which renders the palate quite moreish, if hot. The second sip is almost as spicy, but that is now balanced by a clean fruitiness. Orange, certainly, yet also apples, now, warm apple juice, in fact. Perhaps apple turnovers on a white-hot tin baking tray. Finish: it is sweet, here. Mixed peel and marmalade. Indeed, it does not lack bitterness, just like a good Seville-orange marmalade. A long finish, warming, comforting enough, it keeps that bitter edge, flirting with warm metal, and that may not be for everyone. The second gulp revises the chocolate-y flames and enhances it with cut apple slices and grated green grapes and green chilli.

Comment: I manage to swap 3 for 8 and get it wrong as a result. Bah.

108.77 15yo d.2010 Fifty shades of earl grey (63.9%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Barrel finished in 1st Fill #3 Char Barrel, 216b) 7/10 (I finally try this on 06/09/2026)

Food enters while the scores are added.

Good, copious, adequately greasy, if a little meat-heavy

The presenters are gobsmacked. This is the best-scoring session in the whole country. Considering the number of serious whisky geeks in the city, I find it hardly surprising. It is always amusing to see the Scots' preconceived ideas put right: enthusiasts in London tend to be more aware than those in Scotland. After all, they drink much more Buckfast and vodka than whisky, north of Hadrian's Wall, from what I have observed.

They then announce the scores.

SM: "I will read the name and the matching score, if that's okay."
JP: "In reverse order!"
SM: "Joe Bloggs?"
Joe Bloggs: "Yes!"
SM: "Thank you for taking part!"

Room. In. Stitches.

SOB and JS score 3; I score 5; YM scores 6. The winner scores 7 (out of 9). There are three 6 and two 5. With the 7, that makes six people. Only the top five will go to the final, so there will be a tie-breaker upstairs.

That is right,: I make it to the second round. It is even more fast-paced and I take even fewer notes. I am out of vials, which means I will not try those later.

The five of us competing for places 2 to 5 are told that this second round is not timed (there is no time limit, despite the rules saying it is a five-minute thing), but we are timed (in case of a tie, the fastest answer will prevail). I mean, the rules also say notes are not allowed, but they provide a notepad and a pen. Go figure.

To distract the spectators, they serve dessert, profiteroles and macarons, of which I take no picture.

Dram #1

Comment: I am convinced this is 59.108, which we tried recently. It is not. A second pass will embarrassingly reveal an entirely-different profile too. From dark and heavy to something lighter and more ethereal. 

122.85 12yo 2013/2025 (60.5%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 202b)

Dram #2

Comment: the distillate is, again, so obfuscated by wood-management shenanigans that I fail to recognise one of my favourite distilleries. Worse: I truly believe, incorrectly, that it is 121.126, which we had last month. This one is not my thing at all.

46.167 12yo 2014/2026 See the wood for the trees (58.1%, SMWS Two To One, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 1st Fill Bodega ex-PX & 1st Fill ex-Ruby Port Barrique, 547b)

Dram #3

Comment: another one hidden behind three different types of casks and, therefore, unidentifiable. Except I should recognise it because we had it last month. Bleh.

59.108 14yo 2012/2026 Veritably vivacious (57.4%, SMWS Two to One, 1st Fill ex- Bourbon Hogshead & 1st Fill American Oak ex-Oloroso Hogshead, 572b)

Poor show on this second round. I am the worst scorer and end up in sixth place. Only the top five will go to the finals, so that is me out of the competition. Worst of all, though, the fifth place goes to a Frenchman. That hurts my national pride.

Well done, everyone! YM finishes second which is very impressive. When I congratulate him, he tells me: "It's really luck. Had they chosen bottlings from ten years ago, when they were matured for longer in refill casks, someone like you would have had an unfair advantage. You could have pinpointed the distillery characteristics, maybe even [guessed] the specific bottling."

Class answer. Best wishes for the final!

Note for next time: no point paying attention to the official tasting notes. They are sometimes funny, but usually do not match my perception at all. It is also time consuming to read them.

07/12/2024 December outturn at the SMWS

Long time, eh? Well, JS and I are back. We take bets on the way: is PS going to be there before or after us? As JS opens the door, the first sound coming from the inside is PS coughing. That is that, then. :-)

128.22 6yo d.2015 Muscat gravy (59.9%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Barrel finished in 1st Fill ex-Muscat Barrique, 292b): nose: caramel-covered marzipan, toffee, cured-apricots, and a lick of grain-whisky-like metal. The second nose brings mint and caramel flan, then a little chocolate. Mouth: fierce. It makes me think of a grain again, in that it is hot and has a metallic-vegetal lick: sage, dried freshwater algae, clearly bitter. Treacle and liquorice show up when chewing. The second mouth pushes chocolate forward. Finish: cured apricots or peaches, dripping with boozy caramel. Butterscotch, dessert wine (JS), and lichen. Repeated quaffing sees some liquorice, and blackcurrant fruit gum move to wine gum (PS). It is only after that comment of PS's that I realise this is a wine-cask finish. That will be why I am less enthused than usually by a Penderyn. Good, far from blinding. 7/10

112.124 19yo 2005/2024 Supping on sweetness (50.6%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in HTMC New Oak Hogshead, 234b): Heavy Toast Medium Char. Get used to those denominations, because they are now everywhere. Nose: cooled-down crème brûlée, panna cotta, fragrant yellow flowers (tulip petals, baked daffodils), but not just yellow (pan-seared rose petals too). Mouth: soft and mellow, it has some flower petals afain, yet chewing reveals an earthy bitterness that walks towards plant sap. It is not intolerable, but it carries a bitter vibe indeed, supporting a slightly-more-pronounced fruitiness. Later on, we have confectionary-sugar-coated mangoes. Finish: rum-splashed custard, rum-soaked tutti-frutti floating in peachy yoghurt. 7/10

2.140 17yo 2007/2024 Calorific nonchalance (56.7%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Oloroso Butt finished in 1st Fill STR ex-Oloroso Butt, 611b): STR stands for Shaved Toasted Re-charred. A few years ago, that would have been called "wood technology". Nose: burnt plastic, melted liquorice, burnt apricot tart, Sherry on steroids, more Manzanilla or PX than Oloroso (sweet Sherry, in other words). It becomes grapier with each second, and not far from sickly, to be honest. Burnt Christmas cake, charred cake crust, and a dollop of caramel in a cup of coffee. Mouth: ooft! This is a glass of Sherry on steroids, simply. JS finds Fino, this time, with fruity grapes, acidic, and a little bitter. Further sips remain in line. It is essentially Sherry at 100° Proof. Finish: initially neutral, it soon becomes a strong Sherry here too, nothing more. Sipping more of it does not change that impression. This is not my thing. 5/10

134.18 4yo d.2019 Ham and lobster apple crumble (58.4%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 228b): nose: JS finds it powerfully tropical, but, for me, it is medicinal jelly capsules, then a resolutely-farm-y scent: mud patties, dark grains, smoked treacle, even. Later on, we find tropical fruits covered in fine white ash, and a hint of nail varnish, at second nose. Mouth: thin and dry, it has leather and suede, then turns desiccating -- it sucks all moisture out of the cheeks rather aggressively. The second sip is pretty fierce, strong and ashy. Finish: earthy fruit, black tea leaves, crispy omelette scraps, stuck to the Teflon pan. Ashes and scorched earth become louder. Water increases the bitterness: now, we have mocha custard. 7/10

163.1 6yo 2018/2024 Smokin'! (58.1%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 240b): nose: how farm-y is this!? Tractor diesel, leather saddles, muddy farm paths, and also white caster sugar. It then turns mineral and citrus-y: lemon juice splashed on slate. Mouth: what? It is all maritime, all of a sudden, with smoked whelks and cockles, smoked oyster shells, and fishing nets with kelp stuck in it. The second sip has hardened, very-crisp pine bark. Finish: peppery alright (PS's earlier assessment was correct), yet it also has a sweetness to it, so it is peppery custard, augmented with a lick of mint. Further sips bring out diesel fumes in a mechanic's workshop, sans grease or oil. Perhaps a prolonged relationship with this bottling reveals its young age and lack of complexity, but it is properly impressive in a brief encounter. 8/10

140.17 3yo d.2019 Bowled over by cinnamon cola (62.8%, SMWS Society Cask, #3 Char New Oak Barrique, 217b): nose: a whole host of lovely mahogany shenanigans, with bookshelves and treasure cabinets. Then, we graduate to chocolate éclairs, and, well, Bourbon casks, whish is to say custards of all kinds (chocolate and vanilla most obvious), crème pâtissière. Deeper nosing brings forth cola-flavoured sweets and cola-soaked bread. Perhaps an unusual concept, but one that works surprisingly well. Shaking the glass awakens black sands and volcanic stones, still with some sweetness attached to it. Later on, we have pressed raisins, prunes, and dried currants. About thirty minutes in, it turns assertively citrus-y -- calamansi, Ugli fruit, white grapefruit, and blush orange (not as much of a clash as it may read), and citrus turnovers of some kind (kumquat, bergamot, tangerine). Water does not alter it. Mouth: woody-and-a-half, this presents lacquered pencil cases and cabinets. Chewing adds pineapple rings in a cracked-pepper crust, mahogany shelves and wood stain. It is rather intense -- in a good way. Subsequent sips step the fruity path more resolutely, with cured peaches and apricots, but still a hefty drop of mahogany-infused hot water. It is more comforting with each sip, offering pecan-and-maple tart, or sweet-potato tart drizzled with maple syrup and sprinkled with a copious serving of milled black pepper. Yes, this is spicy, drying with time, yet it does not lose its fruitiness. Water dials it down a notch, and it seems fruitier. In truth, it is comparable to the undiluted palate. Finish: super concentrated, here are walnut stain and peach-stone oil. It gets sweeter the more one tries it, almost rushing to one's head: polished wood coated in caramel, dark maple syrup, and a distant minty touch, lozenges of sorts, faded almost beyond recognition. Further gulps have honey-glazed black cumin, cardamom pods in a bath of dark pouring honey made from mountain shrubs. Water changes it not. Perhaps, the woody bitterness of mahogany is a little louder. 8/10

It is good to be back -- with caveats.

I am not a fan of the system in which one has to book a table and a time slot, I must say. It feels less spontaneous, welcoming, and friendly.

Apparently, tasting the new outturn with cheeses is now open to non-members. One can only assume that the objective is to lure non-members in on that day, and give a hint of what they could access every day, were they member. Considering this is the only time some of the bottles will be available to purchase, I do question whether non-members would be tempted back on another day, once their hard-earned has been spent on those bottles. I suppose some treat the venue as a pub, and that is fair enough.

The current configuration of the room means there are fewer than twenty seats. Highly insufficient. Also, the huge sofas are not very comfortable: they are too deep and their armrests too tall. And since the sofas serve several tables, it is hard not to feel like one is sitting in on another table's conversation. Proximity is pleasant when it can be turned off, not so much when it is forced.

On the other hand, if there seem to be fewer cheeses, they come in delicious big slabs (so big that much goes to waste -- not at tOMoH's table it goes without saying). The best part is that one may now request more crackers.

Also, this jumper

13/09/2024 Paul John

#5: nose: fairly safe to say it is going to be an Islay -- probably even "an Islay", i.e. an undisclosed L@g@vulin. That is because just pouring it emits wafts of warming peat smoke. Nosing it properly, it is actually a lot more subtle than it first seemed; sure, it has (gentle) smoke, yet also varnished wood in an antique carpenter's workshop and blood sausage, of which black pudding is the most obvious to spot. There is an earthy layer at play too, with clay and wood, coloured with a drop of ink. The initial smoke retreats to the distant background and makes room for purple pencil erasers, with a consistency halfway between plasticine and rubber. I am starting to doubt the Islay provenance, now. Perhaps it is a Paul John instead? Does it even matter? Fruits slowly make their way up to the surface, candied pineapple and papaya cubes, dried mango slices, and also chewy cassia bark. The second nose has old ground coffee stored in a cardboard box, as well as burnt-paper ash on top of roasted pineapple. Mouth: ker-pow! Bold and punchy, it hits one like Mike Tyson Fury. Once past the shock, we are taken by an immense bitterness; it feels like sucking on a rubber joint, or a car-door seal. Black liquorice bootlaces, crushed ivy leaves, dolmas. Chewing brings about an earthy touch in the form of a sprinkle of dry earth, and there are dried, chewy citrus peels to be found for those who want to find them. The second sip feels more acidic, with smoked citrus segments, tangerines and oranges, rather than fierce lemons. An earthy-smoky haze cloaks it all, and chewing, once again, reveals a bitterer side, which is pleasant, even though it flirts with the limits. Finish: perhaps it is all that chewing and salivating, but the finish is much softer than expected, unctuous, chocolate milk-like. It takes at least twenty seconds for fistfuls of dry earth to appear, fairly tame: they give an Americano-like bitterness, something close to mocha cake that bears no comparison with what the mouth endured. The second gulp is fruitier and more acidic. Ideal dram for this bright-but-cool day We are luckier than WhiskyLovingPianist, so far: third plastic sample in a row, still no dud. What is it, then? Oh. Caol Ila 29yo d.1991 (48.9%, Cask Sample, Bourbon Hogshead) Perhaps it has lost a bit, after all, because, on paper, it should be a lot more impressive than the above. The notes are also not entirely aligned with what we found when we first had it. No, it was really Paul John 7yo (54.1%, Cask Sample) 7/10

Edit 16/09/2024: tOMoH does not know the difference between '5' and '6'. We actually had #5, and it was indeed a Paul John.

29/10/2020 Cadenhead's virtual tasting

A couple of weeks ago, a string of J & A Mitchell tastings was announced: Hazelburn, Kilkerran, Longrow, Cadenhead and Springbank. Sample packs were purchased and subsequently received. 2cl of six different drams, for this one. The tiny bottles are made of plastic (grrr), and they have immutable, built-in pipettes that makes it very easy to add drop by drop, but very difficult to pour a measure. I spend about fifteen minutes pouring the six drams. Grrr.

Cameron McGeachy, Jenna McIntosh and Lewis Anderson host this session on Youtube and Facebook -- which means it is ex cathedra, with an occasional pause to read selected comments.

Dram #1

Glenrothes-Glenlivet 23yo b.2020 (46%, Cadenhead, Original Collection, 60% Bourbon + 40% Sherry Casks): this is part of the recent outturn for the revamped Original Collection, a collection that had been dormant for twelve years. Its coming back to replace the Small Batch range was met with mixed reactions. Nose: rhubarb tart, custard and peach jelly, heading towards cherry bake, rich with custard growing thicker, almost curd-like. Mouth: it is the ideal continuation of the nose, with peachy jelly, sweet marmalade, and a slight bitterness that reminds me of flower petals. Finish: again, it has jams and yellow fruits, as well as a gentle mineral side. Very moreish. "Perfect starter," says LA, and he is right. 7/10

Dram #2

A Speyside Distillery 18yo 2001/2020 (52.3%, Cadenhead for Virtual Open Day 2020, Bourbon and Sherry Casks, 552b): CMcG is at pains not to disclose the distillery (which, I suspect, probably rhymes with the fat lass), but manages. Nose: pastry, though the crust is baked a little too much, almost parched. The pastry filling has a few thyme leaves, surfing on an undercurrent of warm apricot compote. Mouth: it turns more metallic on the tongue, with thyme and sage, nigella seeds on warm apricot compote, and, later on, melted and warmed-up strawberry ice cream. Finish: strange finale with some tannins and ginger shavings on top of melted strawberry ice cream in which a cork has macerated a little too long. That last note turns into tame spices and woodworm, even rotting wood, in the long run. Decent drop, but despite CMcG's tried-and-tested, "I was surprised to see it is still available -- I might buy another bottle after the tasting, actually," I will not.7/10

Dram #3

Littlemill 29yo d.1991 (48.1%, Cask Sample, Bourbon Barrel): JMcI says a few words about Littlemill, Bishlouk gets a shout out for not being able to identify any Litllemill I pour him, then we dive in. Nose: custard-y, it soon churns out soft fruity tones of crushed maracuja and squashed dragon fruit, as well as papaya-scented cotton candy. That is well original! Mouth: subdued, for a second, the tropical fruits soon come back strong, if not loud -- maracuja, dragon fruit and white peach. Finish: soft, bitter, for a second, until the tropical fruits (passion fruit, dragon fruit) rush back to distribute gentle slaps. Again, it has a mild bitterness that feels woodier, here. Not much of the frequent grass, in this one: it is all fruit and wood. 9/10

Dram #4

Glendronach 30yo d.1990 (47.2%, Cask Sample, Bourbon Cask re-racked into First Fill Sherry Cask in 2013): nose: precious wood, wood lacquer, mahogany oil, encaustic and all sorts of waxes, thick, dark honey and caramelised quince paste. The second nosing brings toasted notes into the mix as well. Mouth: the same thick, dark honey -- oh! it is thick alright -- and waxy wood polish, teak oil. Later on, liquorice root and spent coffee grounds turn up too. Finish: dark chocolate, wood lacquer, a pinch of dry earth and coffee grounds. It is not an earthy dram, though; those are mere nuances that augment the elegant polished-wood notes. Love it. 8/10

Dram #5

Paul John 7yo (54.1%, Cask Sample): advertised as a 6yo on the leaflet, because CMcG cannot count, he admits himself. Nose: this time, more than wood polish, it is wet earth, bog water and mudflats. Distant barbecue, a fire in a bothy, all subtle. Peat grows bolder with time, never becoming invading. Mouth: more smoke on the palate, and much more power than the previous drams too. Peat smoke, bog myrtles, smoked blackcurrants. Finish: the smoke is now very obvious, fighting to get the better of the blackcurrants and myrtles. Another very good drop from PJ. 7/10

Dram #6

Caol Ila 29yo d.1991 (48.9%, Cask Sample, Bourbon Hogshead): nose: meow. The smoke in this one is in the background, a mixture of dry seashells, whelks, drying fishing nets, oil lamps and oilskins covered in sea spray. Lastly, a recently-varnished small boat and an ashtray, with hardly any ash in it also appear. Mouth: sweet and salty, it grows a smoky-cotton-candy side that is as delicious as it is odd. Quite a few spices too. The second sip brings unexpected strawberry bubble gum to the fore. Finish: wow! Salty! Lots and lots of salt, before peat and sea-fishing gear take over. The peat grows smokier and smokier, turning sooty as a Victorian chimney. A hint of dark chocolate completes the picture. Wow. I love this. 8/10

Cracking selection, but I found the format not engaging at all. About halfway through, I tuned out and tasted at my own pace, without paying too much attention to the hosts. The discussion between the three of them, I found to be generic and fairly basic, without even the pleasure of spending time with nice people (which they are), since it was virtual.

I am now thinking of not attending the Springbank tasting tomorrow and just tasting the samples on my own.

24/07/2019 Whisky 24/7

Meeting up with colleagues for a whisky tasting at Cadenhead's, tonight. Should be alright, should it not? JS even joins us, after being locked out of the shop for twenty minutes. Not out of malice.
We try everything blind, of course.

Cameronbridge 29yo 1989/2019 (57.8%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 2 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 432b): the group is enthusiastic and not shy about sharing impressions, which is always nice. Nose: butterscotch, cinnamon and vanilla. This is floral and sweet, we all agree, with a soft touch of metal and an industrial edge. Mouth: soft and honeyed, it has cracked black pepper on the butterscotch from the nose, and a pinch of dried verbena. Finish: as warm as today's scorching sun, with hot porridge and custard. This seems to be the first-ever cask strength whisky for some, and they are taken by surprise. I like it better than the first time. 8/10

Glentauchers-Glenlivet 11yo 2007/2019 (57.9%, Cadenhead Small Batch, 3 x Bourbon Hogsheads, 840b): nose: acidic white wine, almost vinegar-y, unripe lychee, mackerel pâté, strawberry drops and pot ales. It turns grassier as time passes. Mouth: quite sharp and acidic, with notes of cold banana loaf. Time makes it very banana-y, with also dried citrus peel. The citrus grows in intensity as well. Finish: unripe mandarin, sprinkled with white pepper, joined later by squashed banana. 7/10

Speyside-Glenlivet 27yo 1991/2018 (48.8%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 318b): nose: what have we here? Raspberry, strawberry, cherry stalks and clover. This is a definite departure from the previous drams, with more elegance and fruit. Mouth: strawberries, squashed into a pulp, sprinkled with cracked black pepper. The whole is sweet and velvety, soft and fruity. Lovely. Fruit-tella is my final word. It is very close in taste to those chewy, fruity sweets. Finish: yes, strawberry bubble gum, Fruit-tella, with a spoonful of hazelnut paste. This is really nice! Excellent alcohol integration, with just enough punch and lots of strawberry flavours with a chewy texture. It will remain my favourite of the night. 8/10

Glenrothes-Glenlivet 21yo 1997/2019 (57.1%, Cadenhead Sherry Cask, Sherry Butt, 510b): SP asks if that is the one he bought, but it is not -- that one was a 24yo. This one was bottled a few days ago. In fact, it is not even officially out, yet. Nose: mint and minty toothpaste, at first. It soon develops to reveal elderberry syrup and turns very sweet. Mouth: thick, syrupy, it has elderberry cordial and slightly tannic dark fruits (rancio?), fortified wine and old cork (rancio!) Finish: big, with dried dates, sultanas and prunes on a bed of crushed Brazil nuts. And Madeira wine. 7/10

Springbank 10yo (46%, OB, b.2019): an old classic that does not please everyone, tonight, with a couple of guests finding it too sharp and harsh. Nose; the traditional farmyard wafts, with manure, tractor saddles and tractor tyres. The country boy in me is ecstatic, even now. Behind the farm, dark berries, elderberry and blackcurrant. Later, it is oily fish scales. Mouth: lovely black fruit, with dark prunes, dried figs and farmyard aplenty, as well as a soft rubbery note. Fruity and farm-y, this one. Finish: tractor tyres, dark fruit and liquorice allsorts, bordering on rubber. A classic for a reason. 8/10

This audience is usually more unruly.
They seem captivated by the 2.5 distillation explanation, though

(Paul) John 7yo 2011/2019 (55.4%, Cadenhead World Whiskies, Bourbon Hogshead, 348b): nose: peppermint, hot sands and, finally, warm earth and soft peat smoke. Later, it is candied ginger and dried mixed peel. Later yet, the peat becomes more prominent and inky. Mouth: big, powerful, it has a lick of smoke, peppermint, sand and sea air. It is a Goa-trance beach party, where the sand has been trampled by ravers until the wee hours. Finish: it is smokier here, though it retains the peppermint and spearmint, augmented with cinnamon, ginger shavings and liquorice-root shards. Everyone is flabbergasted that this is from India and admirative of the quality. Of course, I saw the label before the big reveal. 8/10

Islay PBS b.11/06/2019 (58.5%, Cadenhead 1842): PBS stands for plain British spirit. Because it is bottled from a cask in the Campbeltown shop rather than a licensed bottling plant, this cannot be called whisky. Only 100% malted-barley spirit aged for more than three years in oak is inside the bottle, though. Nose: super meaty, with tatters of skins still attached to the meat. It is pretty stripping too, with that hot sand again, and mud, this time. I find it quite medicinal, actually, with bandages, gauze and disinfectant. Baked cherries make a late appearance, before ink shows up too. Mouth: hot sands here too, warm, dry earth, crusty earth, even, a hefty dose of spices (galangal and chilli). The whole is well balanced and rather pleasant -- and divisive, as expected. Finish: super peaty, now, with crusty earth, pine-tree bark and crushed pine cones. This is decent, but not my favourite style, especially with temperatures in excess of thirty degrees outside. The meaty side of the nose is particularly not my thing. Mortlach fans will probably disagree. 6/10

Would we like to try something else? asks our host. Is the Pope a catholic?

Cognac Grande Champagne Grosperrin 32yo b.2018 (52.8%, Cadenhead, 384b): nose: super-fruity from the off, with loads of dark grapes, soaked sultanas and prunes in juice. Mouth: velvety in texture, it has pressed prunes, juicy sultanas, fresh, juicy figs and pomegranate sorbet. Finish: huge, wide and fruity AF, it has prunes and overripe dates written all over it. This is spectacular. I dare call it the best Cognac Cadenhead has bottled, though it does not have the complexity of a good whisky. 8/10

Is there anything else we would be interested in? What about Japanese whisky? I venture, knowing full well that, if I do not, someone else will. Do we try Japanese whisky? But of course!

Mars Komagatake (52%, Hombo Shinshu Nature of Shinshu imported by Number One Drinks Company, 36P47): I tried this a couple of years ago at the Whisky Show. Back then, it was impossible to get in Europe. Now available in some shops. Nose: cardboard and lukewarm jasmine tea. A strange combination, but it does work. Later on, perfume bubbles up. Incidentally, KH observes that the shelf in the toilet is full of perfume and Cologne bottles. "It reminds me of all my previous boyfriends," she says. "I am wearing them all!" "That is where they came to cry, then!" Mouth: soft and velvety, it has a good dose of fruit too (plums and lychees). Finish: soft and elegant, the finish has the trademark Japanese fruit and flowers. This is velvety and well made. Similar verdict to when I tried it for the first time. 7/10

Good night out, as usual. The pace was a little strange, at times, with the first three drams polished in forty minutes, then more than twenty minutes of interlude before dram #4 arrived. We finished late too, as our host covered so much ground -- some of it, was perhaps too detailed and technical. It means we finished much, much later than planned and the shop was closed when we did. Ah, well. :-)
By the time I have taken all my pictures and I come out of the basement, everyone has gone to a nearby pub. Since it is a school night, I decide against it.

12/12/2018 Warehouse on the Road tasting at Cadenhead's

Jenna McIntosh is on the road, bringing Cadenhead's warehouse tastings from Campbeltown to the world -- well, to the Cadenhead shops, which are all in Europe. Thirteen of us are gathered to sample warehouse juice and exchange general banter. Jenna pours everything blind, which makes for amusing guesses, none correct.

Dram #1
Nose: white wine at first, then white-chocolate-coated sultanas and diluted peach nectar. The next whiff brings in new carpet -- woah! Pressed green grapes and lozenges follow (the wedding kind of lozenges). Mouth: mild and juicy, with a mixture of grape and peach juices, as well as gentle wood spices and pepper. Finish: milk chocolate and a pinch of soft spices. This is good, not exceptional, we all agree. I guess Linkwood 15-18yo and am, of course, wrong. Strathmill 25yo d.1993 (52.9%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Bourbon Hogshead) 7/10

Explaining how one cask in the warehouse still ages between two tastings...
JMcI: "This whisky has aged a year, since..."
PP: "Since twelve months ago."

Dram #2
Nose: a weird mix of overripe orchard fruit, mud and dunnage warehouse. The second nosing brings forth chocolate pudding, rubber, then furniture polish. It even has an animalistiches touch. Much funnier to write than 'animal.' Complex, but odd. Mouth: similar pudding notes, with a gingery chilli undercurrent. Finish: it seems very short, though it is pleasant. The chilli disappears quickly, leaving under-ripe hazelnut as a lasting note (not soooo short, then). Hazelnut-and-chocolate paste, with a drop of orchard-fruit juice. Several guesses, none right. Tomintoul-Glenlivet 12yo d.2006 (57.9%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Bourbon Barrel) 7/10

Dram #3
Nose: instant chicory coffee, then chalk, which prompts me to guess Aultmore (wrong, of course), bland salty biscuits, pretzel style. Later, a note of bubble gum appears, and some unidentified herb. Mouth: milk chocolate, forsythia, kerria japonica, then red chilli. It feels rather powerful. Finish: very coffee-like, here, with crushed green pepper and ginger shavings. This was Jenna's pick for the fight vs. Cameron McGeachy, during the Campbeltown festival this year. Before she spills the beans, I rate it the same now as then. Aberfeldy 22yo d.1996 (52.2%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Bourbon Hogshead) 6/10

WK: "There was a time when I didn't have enough whisky... But I didn't know it, at the time!"

Dram #4
Nose: fruity bubble gum, very fruity, with strawberry and perhaps a little salt. Mouth: soft and bubble gum-y, strawberry again, with also spices and a whisper of smoke. Finish: hints of smoke and lots of strawberry, fresh and chemical, in a way (as in: strawberry sweets, rather than the fresh fruit). I venture a sherry-matured Bowmore. And fail. Bunnahabhain 18yo d.1999 (49.8%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Bourbon Hogshead) 8/10

TE: "There was an Authentic Bunnahabhain, recently..."
MSo: "They're all fake."

Dram #5
Nose: ginger, cinnamon, some fruit (tamarind?), apricot and hazel tree. Mouth: wood wax, furniture polish, diluted apricot juice and a pinch of sawdust. Finish: lots of apricot, here, dried apricot, to be precise, and a hint of coconut. We stop guessing. Dufftown-Glenlivet 11yo d.2007 (51.6%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Sherry Hogshead) 7/10

JMcI: "Mark [Watt, who does the cask selection] has his own office, so he can have all his samples around him."
tOMoH: "Seems perfectly safe."

JMcI reminisces a time she was stuck in Dufftown at night.
JMcI: "Dead. Ghost town. There's no 24/7 shop or anything."
WK: "It's not Campbeltown, after all!"

Dram #6
Nose: "smells froggy," says JS. Shoe polish, peat smoke. The peat grows bolder, overshadowing the sherry influence. Nonetheless, it remains very sherried, with lots of shoe polish. Mouth: soft, mild, though spices come up too, with cloves and black cardamom, as well as machine oil (JMcI). Finish: very long, peaty and smoky, with coal and burnt tractor tyres. Clearly a Sherry-matured Islay peater. Nope. It is not even peated, according to the host (I blame another Campbeltown label mix-up). Paul John 6yo d.2011 (56.7%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Refill Bourbon Hogshead) 8/10

DW: "Is this the cask from the festival? Has it been around?"
JMcI: "Probably."
TE: "You dirty cask, you!"

Because we have been nice, we get to try a seventh dram.

Dram #7
Nose: leather, very dry hay, dried mud, banana -- no! plantain and cured meat. Mouth: simple and deadly efficient, with plantain and peat smoke. Lots of that. Finish: big, leathery, smoky and efficient. This is a bit of a crowd-pleaser. Of course, that means I refuse to like it much. B-) An Islay 9yo d.2008 (59%, Cadenhead Warehouse Tasting, Sherry Butt) 7/10

JMcI: "I've taken Longrow from the cask. Really good for the cold."
WK: "Whereas Caol Ila is good for cuts and bruises."



Good little tasting. Not necessarily the whiskies I would normally go for, but it is nice to try different things.
Pourers would be good, though, since Jenna is not pouring from a valinch. The pours were hefty; that eroded the senses quite quickly. One centilitre of each would have been enough.
As a nightcap, I pour everyone Cooley 11yo 2001/2012 (55.9%, A.D. Rattray Cask Collection imported by Pacific Edge Imports, Barrel, C#3443, 210b), but do not try it myself as a result of the previous, hefty pours.