13/12/2025 Port Ellen

A Raasay would be the most adequate today: during the night, I dreamt that I was meeting PT and ST on Raasay. ST had closely-cropped hair, which should have made me realise it was a dream. Anyway, I woke up to pictures of PT on social media: he had just spent a few days... on Raasay! Eerie, or what?

No Raasay available at tOMoH Tower, though.

Port Ellen 28yo 1983/2011 (58.9%, Malts of Scotland, Bourbon Hogshead, C#MoS 11011, 267b, b#60): nose: even before putting one's nose in the glass, the room fills up with the smell of bacon rashers sizzling in a pan heated on a campfire at the beach. Burnt driftwood, dried kelp and bacon. Finally dipping the olfactory organ in the vessel adds earth (mud patties) and wet sands (sandy castles), a drop of black ink, and charred razor clams turned on the grille with tongs that have a Bakelite handle (it is actually closer to rubber than Bakelite, but that would make little sense from a thermal-insulation perspective). Then, we find charred jackfruit, charred pineapple rings, and smoked shrimps served in baked apricot halves. All that has a tail of sooty charcoal and, maybe, there is a sprinkle of lemon juice on a hot, dusty engine. The second nose has something a touch medicinal, more hospital-surface cleaning agent than disinfectant for human tissues, and more fruits. This time, we have fresh (unripe) pineapple chunks, then smoked-fruit yoghurt. Slowly, in the background, ink and dried freshwater algae become perceptible that cling to a vase. The ink is winning this race, clawing the space one cubic centimetre at a time. Mouth: soft and sweet at first, it is like biting into a pineapple ring for many a second, juicy, welcoming. Soon enough, the heat fires up and, if it does not hit the roof, it is warm on the tongue and palate. Mild chewing releases molluscs (cockles, clams, whelks, limpets, barnacles) and adds a dash of sea water. Indeed, this is pretty salty. More-aggressive chewing injects some shoe polish and a pinch of soot, or boiling caramel. That takes us back to chargrilled pineapple, surely. The second sip is even sweeter, brimming with a cotton candy that leaves smoke behind. Little by little, molluscs return, moving sea water on their way, and it is fascinating and unusual to see such sweetness displaced by such saltiness. Not that unusual for someone used to drinking margaritas, I suppose: a pinch of salt, smoked-orange segments and tequila are more or less in line with this, here. Finish: big and assertive, this warms up one's soul and oesophagus. Shiny warm copper introduces earth in a sieve, wet sands slowly baking, inky whelks and smoked calamansi. It is, of course, a long finish, integrated to a point nothing shines brighter than the rest, and it leaves the mouth in a similar state as after smoking fruity tobacco, or so one would imagine. Retro-nasal olfaction picks up tobacco smoke and dried citrus peels, so it does not require too much imagination. Subsequent gulps brings forth peat bogs, stagnant water, heaps of freshwater algae, vase water reminiscent of the Tyrone spirit, albeit much more powerful, if controlled. What lingers, however, are juicy slices of smoked oranges with a pinch of salt on the side, and mould starting to form. This comes close to perfection, today. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, OB)

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.

01/06/2025 Masters of the Juniverse

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jenever spelled with a 'g'

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

tOMoH presents: Miodulok

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

JS introduces: Prince Glenc-Adam

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OB presents: Skeletormore

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

Family picture

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

tOMoH presents: Man-at-Ardmore

Ardmore 1992/2010 (49.4%, Malts of Scotland, Bourbon Barrel, C#5014, 158b, b#169): nose: soft leather, smoked raspberries, and the same Bouvier-des-Flandres scent I mentioned in relation to a Balblair, a while ago. Well, this is closer to the house that dog lived in than to the dog himself, but still. It is very farm-y, this, farm paths and mud patties. Mouth: mellow, creamy, it has raspberry-filled milk chocolate and a square of dark chocolate on the side, which adds a slight bitterness. Finish: phwoar! Smashed raspberries and dark chocolate. Lovely. Full notes here. 9/10

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

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

JS's was distilled in June to boot.

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

vs.

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

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

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

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

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

BA presents: Orko-ney

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy birthday, JS!

27/04/2025 The Whisky Fair (Day 2 -- Part 1)

A bad night's sleep it was! tOMoH got up every hour or so to empty the tank, and did so struggling to contain screams caused by kidney pain. Only later today will we establish that the acidity of asparagus coupled with the acidity of sour beer is a lot for one's kidneys. Whisky, on the other hand, is totally safe. I should add that tOMoH is not a doctor.

Today, we have breakfast at Café Kolorit, as we did last year. JS and I manage to nab the only table that is not reserved -- woo! We are outside, the weather is clement, things are looking good. Sadly, they bring something full of cold cuts that I did not order, and it takes an excruciating amount of time before we can pay and depart. The beverages (orange juice and grapefruit juice) are fantastic, on the other hand.

My Genieβer Frühstück

JS's Eggs Benedict

Artisanal bread

In the queue to the venue, we spot CD; he is watching from the balcony and is waving at us. JS is worried we will not be on time to meet AH and VW, but I am more relaxed. Where would they go? In any case, we are on time after all.

Planters Ozark Highlands (59.75%, OB Rickhouse Reserve, b. ca. 2025)

Nose: incredibly mild and cake-y, with custard and butterscotch, as well as toffee.
Mouth: drying and extractive, it is intense as Listerine -- cinnamon-infused Listerine.
Finish: mint cream, Bourbon cream, then numbing ginger and cinnamon.
Comment: a bit of a shocker with which to start the day. From the Nobleton distillery in Missouri -- a new one to me. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, AH)

Black & White (unknown ABV, James Buchanan, b. ca. 1950s)

Nose: dusty, vinegar-y old blend. It smells beautiful.
Mouth: super jammy and mellow, it overflows with marmalade and peach jelly. That is topped with a pinch of gunpowder.
Finish: a touch of soot, a lot of jam.
Comment: good old blend. The spring cap is quite a conversation-starter to boot. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, rhumauction.com)

Sadly, I am too slow to get to try this White Horse (unknown ABV, White Horse Distillers imported by WEMPA Handels, Nº 9604399). I do not insist either. Enough freeloading as it is. :-)

On the other side of the room, we meet our new friend from last night.

Domaine Pouy d.1998 (55.9%, L'Encantada L'Esprit Armagnac, C#708, B#98POUY7801, 605b, b#279)

Nose: fragrant, ethereal and ripe with jasmine.
Mouth: nice and fruity, though the mouthfeel becomes desiccating, with ashes and quarry dust.
Finish: fruity to the max, it also has drying Sauvignon blanc, Grenache, and ground lychee stone. It ends a "bit" bitter (read: very).
Comment: good. Will not turn me into a brandy head, mind. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, armagnac.de)

Domaine Séailles 1979/2022 (49.5%, La Petite Gascogne for armagnac.de, C#81)

Nose: wood and cardboard. It smells alright, but it struggles after the previous.
Mouth + Finish: grapes, prunes, soaked raisins.
Comment: competent. I fear the sequence was wrong, however. 6/10 (Thanks for the dram, armagnac.de)

Time to climb the stairs to meet those we neglected yesterday, starting with EG, who told his wife yesterday that we did not come to the festival at all, owing to not seeing us the whole day. Woops.

Milton-Duff 13yo (43º G.L., OB)

Nose: musky, dusty, old. That dissipates to leave a light nose, fragrant like a forest undergrowth.
Mouth: jammy, sweet, it has marmalade and old copper coins. It is drying in the long run.
Finish: beautifully jammy, still retaining a good dose of copper, brass or tin.
Comment: a pleasant old dusty. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, EG)

EG: "Have you tried this one?"
JS: "No."
EG: "Try it!"
JS: "What? You want me to pour it myself?"
EG: "No charge, no service!"

Tobermory 8yo d.1972 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice)

Nose: phwoar! More ashy fruits, this time, with a healthy pinch of soot.
Mouth: mellow, jammy, lovely.
Finish: yup, it has the sooty-marmalade profile one may expect from something that has spent so long in glass.
Comment: excellent. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, EG)

Ben Nevis 1970/1988 (46%, Brae Dean Int. for Moon Import The Sea, Sherry Butt, C#2913, 360b, b#267)

Nose: warehouse dust, clay floor and tennis-court clay, damp after a drizzle, dark pipe tobacco. Meow.
Mouth: a trio of wood, orange and soot. It is terribly complex, and seems well powerful for 46%, with ginger powder and dried citrus zest.
Finish: long, it has cigar tobacco, cedar-wood sheets and dried orange peels.
Comment: extraordinary. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, EG)

Someone bumps into us.

bumper: "Scusi, scusi."
tOMoH + JS: "Tsk! Oh! It is PG."
PG: "Don't spill [your whisky] on [tOMoH's] notebook."

We follow PG to his stand, where we catch CD.

Highland Park 18yo 2006/2024 (59.2%, C.Dully Selection, Hogshead, C#3571, 232b)

Nose: boasting a lot of very-dry smoke at first, it gains burnt sugar and honey with a lot of breathing, as well as cured leather.
Mouth: violet boiled sweets, torched and burnt. This is rather fierce, with burning lavender too, and it becomes drying in the long run.
Finish: it now is like licking dusty gravel in a quarry on fire (I know). Long, fiery, pushing incandescent heather bushes.
Comment: just okay for my taste. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, CD)

Savoureur joins us. We try the next one blind, and, after a few attempts, I even manage to recognise it, owing to the fact I have tried it before.

Rosebank 15yo (50%, The Distillers Agency Ltd imported by Zenith, Ceramic decanter, b.1980s) 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, Savoureur)

Glen Keith 30yo 1994/2024 Nr.9 (53%, Sansibar Jens Drewitz' Personal Choice, Bourbon Hogshead, 110b)

Nose: super fruity, it offers a blend of apricots and peaches.
Mouth: I find it quite spritely too, akin to a fizzy drink made of kumquat and apricot.
Finish: long, jammy, fruity, still peddling peaches, apricots and kumquats.
Comment: who needs extreme complexity when the result is this good? 9/10 (Thanks for the sip, Savoureur)

Cool label too

Springbank 21yo (46%, OB signed by J Archibald Mitchell, b. ca 1990)

Comment: the tiny quantity I manage to put on my tongue does not allow for notes, but it is excellent. Same level as the Hedley G Wright edition we had in 2016. 9/10 (Thanks for the sip, Savoureur)

Pineau des Charentes Jean-Luc Pasquet 40yo Assemblages 75-80 (16%, OB for C.Dully, b. ca. 2025)

Nose: thick as OXO broth, filled to bursting with sweet prunes.
Mouth: fresh, overflowing with grapes, soaked sultanas and pressed prunes. Mind you, it is sweet, not sickly, chewy, not cloying.
Finish: concentrated prunes (JS). It is an explosion of rehydrated raisins and sultanas.
Comment: apparently, I like Pineau des Charentes, now. Although, this is head and shoulders above the ones we had in March. And, of course, it has little in common with the stuff one can find in supermarkets. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, CD)

We will try this ultra-rarity another time

I spot AMcD from Clydeside. He does not recognise me, but it only take a couple of words for the penny to drop.

"Have you heard of Clydeside?"

Clydeside 2018/2025 (55%, OB for Vibrant Stills, Fresh Bourbon Barrel + Tawny Port Cask Finish, C#006F)

Nose: even blind, it is relatively easy to tell it is but finished in a Port cask: it has macerated grape skins alright, but also the fruits one might expect from a Bourbon cask.
Mouth: wine-y and drying, here. We find stem ginger  and peach stone, which betrays a certain bitterness, surely.
Finish: long, big, it is reminiscent of cinnamon buns.
Comment: good, but it confirms wine casks are not something I should systematically chase. 7/10

Clydeside 2018/2025 (58%, OB for Vibrant Stills, Fresh Bourbon Barrel, C#999)

Nose: vanilla custard aplenty.
Mouth: mellow, it has a citric edge, custard with a drop of lemon juice.
Finish: phwoar! Custard-y, lemon-y, it also offers fudge, bananas and pineapple.
Comment: love this. Well done, DH! 8/10

AH and VW join us. VW is enjoying a Millburn 25yo 1975/2001 (61.9%, OB Rare Malts Selection), I think for the second time this weekend. It is a bottling he knows well, and he wants to enjoy it while he can.

Oh! ST!
tOMoH: "Is your brother here? I have not seen him."
ST: "He should be."
tOMoH: "He should be?"

ST tells us how PT had an administrative mishap and could not come into the EU for this festival. He is in Scotland, probably fuming.

Dornoch 4yo 2018/2022 (55.91%, OB for The Barrel Baron, First Fill Bourbon Octave, C#90, 82b, b#74)

Nose: dry pineapple slices and a lot of wax. It also has pandoro, confectionary sugar and sweet dust.
Mouth: oh! Funky and seemingly old, it prolongs the waxy touch, and adds brass, shoe polish and custard.
Finish: big, brass-y, with a generous dollop of brass polish.
Comment: my favourite Dornoch to-date. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, ST)

I spot something going on from the corner of my eye. It looks as though someone is negotiating the remainder of a bottle of EG's that I had my eye on.

Glenugie 20yo d.1968 (54.8%, Sestante, Sherry Wood)

Nose: phwoar! The jam in this nose! It is pure tangerine jam. I wish I had more of it and more time to spend with it, but even then: phwoar!
Mouth: incredibly balanced (remember: this is the cask-strength edition), it sprinkles a pinch of grated chalk on tangerine marmalade.
Finish: this leaves me speechless. I suppose we see the confirmation of the nose and the palate, with tangerine jam and chalky soot, but really, this is beyond words.
Comment: dram of the festival for me. I am very happy to reveal that the guy who tried to negotiate the rest of the bottle on the cheap did not get it. In fact, it went to elskling, in the end -- a good home if one can be found. 11/10 (Thanks for the dram, EG)

MW spots me.

MW: "tOMoH, do you like Port Ellen?"
tOMoH: "Errr… Sure?"
MW: "Here. The bottle is almost empty, this will make some room."

Port Ellen 15yo 1980/1996 (63.9%, Gordon & MacPhail Cask Strength imported by Giuseppe Meregalli, Oak Casks, C#5090 + 5101-5104)

Nose: a very-petrolic number, it has tarry sands, diesel and seashells after a black tide.
Mouth: petrol again, drying as a sanding machine, and fairly salty. This evokes cockles full of tarry sands.
Finish: huge, dry, earthy, petrolic, phwoar. Mind you, it is also fierce and desiccating, so I can see it not being as well received by all all the time.
Comment: excellent. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, MW)

Teaninich 40yo 1973/2013 (42%, The Whisky Agency, Refill Sherry Hogshead, 213b)

Nose: very floral, it has honeysuckle, daffodils and ripe apricots.
Mouth: fresh, overflowing with spring flowers, lily-of-the-valley and suchlike, daffodil and narcissus.
Finish: spicy, jammy, we find peach jelly and the filling of apricot turnovers.
Comment: amazing. How can this shine so bright after the Port Ellen powerhouse? Who knows? Who cares? 10/10

The Westfalian 2012 11yo 2013/2024 Cask Experiment Islay (63.5%, Unique Liquids, ex-Laphroaig Bourbon Barrel, C#TW34, 210b, b#159)

Nose: extremely corn-like, with corn syrup, fructose, boiled corn and some kind of sweets.
Mouth: at once rough and sweet. It coats the taste buds in corn syrup, which immediately starts sucking all moisture out of the mouth.
Finish: funny, unusual, sweet and very much corn-orientated.
Comment: this comes recommended by the Cask Trade team. It is not bad, but I am less enthused. 6/10 (Thanks for the sip, SA)

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