26/04/2026 The Whisky Fair (Day 2 -- Part 2)

Time is now accelerating. We, on the other hand, are tired. We must prioritise cautiously.

tOMoH: "1cl of this, please."
Him: "Only 1cl? You will want more. It is so delicious."

Caol Ila 1984/1996 (50%, Brae Dean Int. imported by Moon Import Dovr-Tutes-Mares, Oak Cask, b#0279)

Nose: very composed (JS). Crushed seashells, sand and fishing nets. Caol Ila. At the same time, it is incredibly elegant.

Mouth: sweet, marzipan-y, it is also salty. Incredibly, the combination works a charm. Crushed seashells join the above and they start an otherworldly dance.

Finish: Jacob Ree-ZOMG. Only Caol Ila from 1983-1984 can blend sweetness, salt and kippers this way.

Comment: emotional dram. The bloke was right: I do want more. There is too much left in the bottle for me to leave with it, however. Cannot afford it.

Score: 10/10

Back to where we started, then.

Deanston 25yo 1997/2023 (51.6%, The Whisky Jury exclusively bottled for The Antelope, Refill Hogshead, C#1966, 257b, b#6)

Nose: a few nuts, hazel tree, haybales. This is fairly dry on the nose.

Mouth: mead. It really has this allure of honey liqueur. There are some nut shells too, but that is more discreet. A drop of tar appears, after chewing for a while. It gains the intensity of a tame mouthwash (none of that blistering Listerine).

Finish: hazelnut liqueur, hazelnut shells, funky armpits (JS), ganja (JS).

Comment: JS has to repeat those two notes twice: the TWJ boys cannot believe what they hear. They then decide they would probably make more money selling ganja.

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

Glenrothes 36yo 1986/2022 (41.4%, The Whisky Jury, Refill Hogshead, C#860002131, 203b, b#6)

Nose: Fraises Tagada. Bunches of flowers follow, then chewy red sweets.

Mouth: mellow, velvety, this has peach nectar, smashed apricots. It picks up strength in the long run and adds gravel to the mix, which is unexpected.

Finish: very, very jammy. Peach jelly, raspberry jelly, strawberry jam.

Comment: I love this, which I hate to admit. I could really do without following Glenrothes on top of all the other distilleries.

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

Ben Nevis 26yo 1998/2025 (53.8 %, The Whisky Jury exclusively bottled for Germany, Refill Hogshead, C#1559, 177b, b#172)

Nose: although much less exuberant than the 1996 offerings, it bears similarities. Crushed strawberries and some unripe gooseberries. The latter confers it a slight bitterness, of course.

Mouth: quaffable, silky. It takes a while for the alcohol to bite a little, at which stage it becomes a little numbing. Still, we get watermelon slices.

Finish: it grows into a proper fruity number, here, full of melon and watermelon. That said, a clear alcohol bite kicks into gear shortly thereafter.

Comment: it has been quite the Ben Nevis parade, at this festival, eh? This one is lovely. It probably deserves 8, but after all the incredible drams we have had, it is hard to justify it.

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

Peated Islay Single Malt 31yo 1990/2022 (51.8%, The Whisky Jury bottled for Whisky Age, Refill Barrel, C#4404332, 259b, b#8)

Nose: comforting as a fireplace in a bothy. It should be entirely out of place, in this German sunshine (in a hot tent, no less), yet it works a treat. We see roasted apples take over, only softly smoky, and cigarette ash.

Mouth: smoked-orchard-fruit compote in which a smoker extinguished their cigarette. Never put out your fag in food. There are other things going on, such as hot metal pipes, but they would take more time than I have to discern and dissect.

Finish: a similar mix of roasted fruits and ash, which reminds me of the cast-iron grille used in a fireplace to roast apples.

Comment: excellent. It would possibly score higher in a more-relaxed setting.

Score: 8/10

Okay, there is one last big ticket that GB told us about and that we want to try. Armed with the dram, we go sit in the rafters.

Bowmore 30yo 1963/1993 Anniversary (50%, OB, Oak Casks, b#218)

Nose: herbs come out strongly (sage, rosemary, marjoram), only to give in under the assaults of shy tropical fruits. We have baked mango, papaya, jackfruit. It is not the debauchery of a 1964 distillation, but it is pretty clear all the same. Jellied berries follow suit, carried by an earthy undercurrent. There is a puff of smoke as one tilts the glass. If it is not a surprise that a Bowmore should have a smoky edge, it is unexpected that it should only come at this point.

Mouth: fruit jelly -- raspberry, strawberry, gooseberry. It feels a tad watery, for a second, but that does not last long. The second sip brings drying elderberry behind a bolder, more-powerful attack.

Finish: jammy. We spot jellied bananas, peaches, berries of all kinds, yet also a pronounced earthiness. Desert dirt, farm paths, fertile soil in which vines grow to produce plump grapes. It is earthier and earthier upon repeated quaffing, with blackcurrants, elderberries and an earth that turns bitter and sticky as clay, or even plasticine.

Comment: it is difficult not to let emotions influence the scoring, here, and not only because it is the final hours of the festival. It is a revered bottling that I have been keen to try for a long time, and it is, indeed, outstanding. Does it justify the current price tag of £10k-£12k? A question for each individual taster to answer. For that money, I reckon there are better things to be had, but that is only one old man's opinion.

Score: 10/10

JS: "LDNSRN."

She is right. Life does not suck, right now."

The time has come for goodbyes. Perhaps a couple of farewell drams.

Talisker 15yo b.2026 (57.1%, OB for Dornoch Castle Whisky Bar, Refill American Oak + 2nd Fill Port Seasoned Hogshead, 240b)

Nose: immense. Mineral and saline, it is also peppery (obviously). It really is a mix of ground pepper, concrete dust and salt.

Mouth: surprisingly jammy, it soon folds from an injection of salt water -- tonnes of it. Then, as Keith Flint used to say, the fire starts. Peppers of all colours rise and rise. It properly sears the mouth, this.

Finish: blackberry cough drops, sweet and chewy, are augmented with lots of black pepper.

Comment: very good, if not necessarily my favourite profile. Talisker aficionados will be over the moon with this. Yes, dom666, I am looking at you.

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

Ledaig 19yo 2005/2025 (65.5%, D&M Winchester imported by Scout Drinks, Butt, C#90002, 170b)

Nose: torched farmland, scorched earth, bonfires of manure.

Mouth: marmalade at first, it does not take long to reveal just how hot it is. It is a marmalade set on fire. That is soon joined by more black pepper than even the preceding Talisker had.

Finish: burnt wood, hessian sacks and sulphury fertiliser.

Comment: KCF really selected beautiful casks, even if this is less my personal preference.

Score: 7/10

Alright, this one has been staring at me for a while, let us go crazy.

Springbank 23yo 1965/1989 (50%, R.W. Duthie imported by S. Samaroli Ageing Monography, 660b, b#14)

Nose: incredible depth. Mint crumbles, stewed apricots, lychees, rambutans, mangoes, peaches, persimmons.

Mouth: a symphony of persimmons, peaches and jackfruit, with backing strings by Galia melon, carambola and jojoba.

Finish: insane. Fresh, fruity, long, jammy, juicy, coating, excellent.

Comment: not bad, this. This time, it is definitely because we are in the final sprint, but I get Bowmore eyes from a Springbank. Not sure that has happened before. P.H.W.O.A.R.

Score: 10/10 (Thanks for the dram, EG)

Another one? If you insist.

Tamdhu 17yo b.1977 (80° Proof, Cadenhead)

Nose: beautiful old-bottle effect. Jammy tin lids and a bit of brine.

Mouth: oh! yeah, this is jammy alright. But then, near the marmalade and stewed fruits, we have lots of tin. It is not merely the lids of the jam jars; it is as if the whole jar was made of tin. And, of course, that has transmuted the jam inside into something else.

Finish: jam stuck to the cast-iron cauldron, a pinch of soot, charred hazel wood.

Comment: how strange that this is the first Cadenhead bottling we try this weekend? There were so many, and yet... Well, no-one got bored. Anyway, this one is amazing and it is sad we have so little time to spend with it. By the way, the earliest such bottlings were filled in 1977. That is also the last year in which alcohol content and volume were only indicated in ° Proof and fl. oz. respectively, as well as the year Cadenhead moved from 47 Netherkirkgate to Golden Square. The former address is written on the label. Three tell-tale signs that this was bottled in 1977.

Score: 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, Em)

Someone had a good day!

Enough. The exhibitors are packing up.

JS and I join the Swissky Mafia and walk them to their hotel, then to the restaurant, Schwarzer Adler, where we remind them that we are not spending the evening with them, this year. It is time for goodbye.

I will drop off bags at the accommodation, then join another group of merry folks for dinner at Burgkeller.

Bärlauchkartoffeltaler auf Selleriepüree mit gegrilltem Grünen Spargel, dazu Gorgonzolasoße (JS)

Spargelsalat mit Himbeerdressing, dazu karamellisierter Ziegenkäse (me)

Around the table are Germans, Dutch, Italians (pwah! ;-) ), Russians (one of whom lives in Cyprus, just to make things less obvious), Taiwanese, an American and a Belgian. A couple of drams emerge (how could that not be the case?), namely Highland Park d.2005 (59.7%, Duty Paid Sample for C. Dully Selection, Sherry Hogshead, C#37, ca. 300b) and Bunnahabhain 27yo 1989/2017 (48.7%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Hogsheads, C#5858+5859, 250b) (I think), but it is really all about camaraderie -- or, as Savoureur once put it, "seeing old friends and meeting new ones." We speak all the languages represented and enjoy the moment together. We talk about food specialities of the various countries we represent and watch JKr win a rare Japanese pressing of Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon at auction. And, yes, there is an episode in which one of the Russians, looking for pictures of his bicycle holiday, shows me a video of him walking casually, twice, on glowing embers, then another video of him walking casually and naked into a frozen lake. "And here is video of me fighting bear," JS later adds in a Russian accent. A truly global meeting with nothing but positive vibes. Even if I mercilessly tease the Dutch more than once, I hope they know it is in good spirit.

All good things must end, and it is time to bid everyone goodbye. "Shall we see each other in Milan?" "No, I'm not going. What about Singapore?" One would think these are all wealthy jet-setters, but they are not. Just regular people consumed by a voracious interest in whisky.

26/04/2025 The Whisky Fair (Day 1 -- Part 3)

Back in from my errand, I rejoin my fellow festival-goers.

Auchentoshan 24yo 1999/2024 (52.1%, The Whisky Agency, Barrel)

Nose: light, minty and custard-y to a point, it has shortbread.
Mouth: bright, it offers dried pineapple slices. Chewing pushes cardboard forward, and Merbromin.
Finish: long, peachy and inky, with the ink taking the upper hand, after a while. We also have blackberry cough drops at the death.
Comment: a good 'toshan. 7/10

Look! It is our friends from Cask Trade.

Highland Park 25yo 1999/2024 "Old Orkney" (50.3%, Cask Trade, Refill Hogshead until 2018 + 1st Fill Butt)

Nose: a soft smoke and leather pouches. Is it bad that I list HP's trademark aromas? Ah, well.
Mouth: a tad sharp, drying and bitter, this is clearly marked by the wood. That, and a whole burning bush of heather.
Finish: yeah, sharp and a little too dry for me.  It has nice added notes of lavender boiled sweets, but the bitterness is less pleasant.
Comment: decent, not my favourite. 6/10 (Thanks for the dram, HT)

Glenturret 29yo 1987/2017 (48.4%, Cask Trade, 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel)

Nose: roasted apples followed by sugared almonds. Mint, chocolate, almonds.
Mouth: initially mellow, it is teeming with apples so roasted they are melting.
Finish: more roasted apples, a lick of the knife that cut them open, and heated quince jelly.
Comment: full of charm. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, HT)

Back to The Agency.

Tullibardine 30yo 1993/2023 (47.6%, The Whisky Agency 15th Anniversary, Rum Barrel, 197b)

Nose: orchard fruits, probably baked pears and Golden Delicious apples.
Mouth: tight and acidic, it has crisp apple juice augmented with a dash of lemon juice.
Finish: it is custard-y, here, with added pineapple and cut apricots.
Comment: what an underrated distillery Tullibardine often proves to be! 8/10

Bowmore 26yo 1997/2023 (51.1%, The Whisky Agency The Perfect Dram, Barrel, 124b)

Nose: it is a lot peatier than expected, with a copious dose of tincture of iodine too.
Mouth: ashy, earthy and typically fruity, it has orchard fruits that have fallen into the mud and subsequently been heated.
Finish: phwoar! Earth, baked fruit, sea water and a drop of diesel.
Comment: Bowmore, innit. We are told this was part of a parcel that was earmarked for Macau, unpaid for a couple of years, then the client decided they did not want it after all. 8/10

Across the hall to KB, GB and BvG.

Clynelish 33yo 1973/2006 (54.3%, The Prestonfield Whisky Co. Prestonfield Highland, ex-Sherry Oak Cask, C#8912, 405b, b#32, 6/0637): JS chooses this as a surprise dram. A what a great surprise too! I make no note, since we had it at length a while ago. Still an essential 'lish. 9/10

Tamdhu 28yo (86º Proof, George Strachan, b.1970s)

Nose: old bottle effect screams at me. It has some metal and very-concentrated marmalade.
Mouth: big and metallic, lightly bitter but welcoming, full of hot tin lids.
Finish: long and full of OBE again; tin lids, brass buttons. We also find bread.
Comment: excellent. Glad to finally try this. 8/10

JS offers her Glenlivet 26yo 1968/1995 (52.1%, Signatory Vintage selected by, bottled for and imported by Whyte & Whyte for The Spirits Library, Barrel, 95/137) to BvG who turns around, extends his arm, and pulls this, which we had spotted from the corner of our eye.

Caol Ila 17yo d.1974 (43%, Signatory Vintage selected by and bottled for Whyte & Whyte for the Spirits Library imported by S & M Wine & Liquor, Oak Cask, 94/619)

Nose: earthy beach sand, a hint of kippers, and lemon. Archetypal Caol Ila.
Mouth: full, smoky, yet it is somewhat jammy too.
Finish: long, jammy, it has a touch of bitterness. Perhaps steamed asparagus? It may read horrible, but it tastes excellent.
Comment: killer. The bottle code suggests a 1994 bottling, which contradicts the age statement. Bah. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, BvG)

Several people have directed us to Whisky Jury, over the course of the day. Time to pay them a visit.

Linkwood 33yo 1988/2021 (47.5%, The Whisky Jury, Refill Hogshead, C#2334, 176b)

Nose: blushing starfruit, dried papaya cubes and dried pineapple slices.
Mouth: effin'eck! This is really good. Bright, acidic, a touch citrus-y.
Finish: long, acidic, fruity, augmented with wood spices. 
Comment: love it. 8/10

"This whisky is a hoot!"

Ben Nevis 27yo 1996/2023 (48.8%, The Whisky Jury, Refill Bourbon Hogshead, C#912, 211b, b#145)

Nose: wood and lychee. It is fruitier with each passing second, full of guava, persimmon, and peach.
Mouth: fruity, acidic, here comes carambola, very crisp, very light. The following sips are even more pleasing, acidic, pumping carambola straight into the brain.
Finish: long, brisk, overflowing with crisp orchard fruits.
Comment: amazeboulanger. 8/10

A pour of JS's Glenlivet unlocks access to an under-the-counter bottle.

Bunnahabhain 35yo 1973/2011 (49.4%, La Maison du Whisky Artist, B#013, Sherry Butt, C#12153, 426b)

Nose: it has an unmistakeable wine-y dirtiness, as well as squashed berries and rich soil.
Mouth: rich, earthy, dripping with red-onion juice, and softly drying in the long run. Perhaps we find mushrooms too.
Finish: big and punchy, even now, minutes before the last pour.
Comment: less my thing, I must say. The dates and age make little sense too. 7/10

Oh! Port Ardbeg! A few words and a promise to meet up tomorrow. We never will. Go find someone in a festival like this without a clear meeting point and time! Ha! Ha!

Oh! GN! What is this? Well, go on, then.

Aultmore 12yo (70º Proof, OB, SC295)

Nose: old bottle effect again, with the usual marmalade and tin lids, this time sprinkled with a pinch of soot.
Mouth: cool, fresh, enhanced with squashed raspberries.
Finish: light, jammy, a little sooty.
Comment: very enjoyable. 8/10

We somehow find NH, or he finds us, strong with the knowledge we hold his beers hostage. JS, he and I head to Gasthaus Burgkeller for dinner. To put it bluntly, we crash the rhumauction.com dinner. They appear to welcome us as if they had been waiting for us. The food seems more refined than last year, and I like it even more.

Spargelsuppe (tis the season)

Bunter Spargelsalat mit Himbeerdressing (tis the season)

Kartoffel-Bärlauchstrudel mit Gorgonzolasauce

Sitting across me are an exhibitor from a stand that specialises in Armagnac and a pair of Americans (AH and VW). It all makes for interesting conversation (we do not talk about politics).

All are too tired (and/or drunk) to prolong the festivities. We promise to meet tomorrow, and finally go our separate ways. It is just NH, JS and me, then. I quickly compute how much of each beer each of us will have to ingest (per person -- if you know, you know) and worry a little. No need: NH, helped by wireless technology, is already talking to his former colleagues. I hear: "sour beers," and "we are coming." Two minutes later, JKr and Ar are with us. Suddenly, we are down to 75cl each (per person), which is more manageable.

"Can I find this on Untappd?"

Mûre de Rullquin (6%, Brasserie Artisanale de Rulles)

Thrills Barrel Aged Wild Ale b.2022 (5.8%, OB)

Fruits of Labour b.2023 (6.1%, OB in collaboration with and exclusively for Catawiki, B#1)

Burning Sky Through the Fields (5.7%, OB)

Cantillon Sang Bleu b.2024 (6%, OB)

Chilling. Dutching.

The rest of the evening (night) is full of silly nonsense, faked Swiss-Belgo-Dutch rivalry and pretend-nationalism. We have a lot of self-deprecating fun. Yet nothing tops the moment JKr breaks into the rap of Ice Ice Baby, somehow keeping a straight face. Classic.

I cannot believe that the Dutchmen, once we finish the beers, plan to carry on at Villa Konthor. I know better than to follow them. A bad night's sleep awaits. :-)

17/04/2025 DW's Easter bash at 3 Greek Street

Hungry for the thrill of his birthday celebration, DW organised a mid(ish)-year bash. Some of the people from the December session are here: BA, JS, SY, YM, JL, SW, DW obviously, some of his colleagues, whose name I do not write down again. There are also others who could not make it last time, such as MSo, SOB, PP, PS and WhiskyLovingPianist. In fact, it is standing room only, so crowded it is. "I had counted on a few drop-offs, but all showed up," DW will tell everyone several times. Ha! Ha!

The format is very informal again: everyone brought things to share that are left on the tables, free to pour.

My own contribution is Poit Dhubh 30yo b.2006 (43%, Pràban na Linne 30th Anniversary Edition, b#230). JS's is The Tomatin 15yo (40%, Gordon & MacPhail for Il Sestante, b.1980s). I try neither of them tonight. There are plenty of others, let us waste no time. Short notes.

Tamdhu 1966/2006 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail The MacPhail's Collection, JF/ABH) (PS)

Nose: old bottling effect, with faint marmalade and licks of metal -- the tin lid of the marmalade jar, it is easy to figure out.
Mouth: very fruity on the tongue, full of satsuma.
Finish: buttery fruit, chiefly melting peach, but also mango. It has a gentle-but-clear note of cork, sadly.
Comment: I tell PS he gave us a sample of this in 2016. He is adamant it is a different bottling (different bottling year). Of course, he is wrong. It impresses me slightly less today, probably because the bottle was opened today, and because it has bits of cork floating in it. It is excellent all the same. 8/10

Imperial 23yo 1995/2019 (45.2%, The Whisky Exchange The Magic of the Cask, Refill Bourbon Barrel, C#7896, 125b) (SY)

Nose: gorgeous yellow fruits (Mirabelle plum, apricot), followed by a faint whisper of mocha.
Mouth: mellow, fruity, full of plums, unripe peaches, and a lick of fruit stones.
Finish: long, hot, baked fruits on a hot metal tray.
Comment: others are less enthusiastic about this one, borderline mean, in fact. Excellent Imperial, as far as I can tell. I manage to spill some on the floor while pouring my own whisky to SOB. A shame. Fortunately, there is still enough in my glass to taste it. 8/10

Glen Garioch 29yo 1988/2018 (46.2%, Thompson Bros. for East Coast Whisky, Refill Hogshead, 72b, b#37) (BB)

Nose: frozen beans (BB). For me, it is greasy-earth-coated fruits, then orchard-tree leaves. A dirty number for sure.
Mouth: a lick of smoky bacon and tons of fleshy fruits.
Finish: rich fruits, followed by oily earth again.
Comment: the East Coast Whisky tastings are not my favourite (I find them too ambitious and lacking in structure), but this selection is certainly redeeming. I love it! 8/10

Glenlivet 1973/1996 (54.5%, Robert Scott Scott's Selection, Oakwood Casks) (WhiskyLovingPianist)

Nose: polished furniture, polished fruit stones. I cannot tell whether it wants to be fruity or not. It is tickling nuts and unripe orchard fruits, though never really reaches either.
Mouth: honey-glazed wood and baked fruits (apples and apricots).
Finish: ooh! What a cracking finish! Hot, custard-y and occasionally minty, it brings back the baked apricots.
Comment: Glenlivet. Rarely blown away by one, yet it is undeniable that they make decent whisky. 8/10

WhiskyLovingPianist:"Typical that we should sit next to each other."
tOMoH: "We are the only ones taking notes..."
WhiskyLovingPianist: "...Writing down what each other says."
tOMoH: "That's going to the blog. So meta my head is gonna splode!"
WhiskyLovingPianist: "Don't say anything else, or I'll have to write it down."

Angel's Envy b.2023 (43.3%, Louisville Spirits Group, Charred White Oak Barrels finished in Port Wine Barrels) (Be)

Nose: of course, it smells nothing like a Scotch. Citrus-sprayed white-wood shelves, custard, perhaps mint drops, and macerating hay too.
Mouth: a little plasticine, if plasticine were liquid. Perhaps a clingfilm taste, clean, thanks Cthulhu.
Finish: soft, creamy, custard-y, very reminiscent of the filling of some sweet or another.
Comment: does the trick. 7/10

Daftmill 2009/2022 (58.6%, OB Single Cask bottled exclusively for Luvians @ The Fife Whisky Festival, C#31/2009, 211b, b#173) (SOB)

Nose: a mix of mint and clean horse's hair.
Mouth: it stings a bit, and it is pretty fresh, still. Peppermint? Light, ethereal, yet also fiery.
Finish: toilet cleaner (in a good way), pine freshness, and a spoonful of gingery cinnamon.
Comment: probably not worth the hype, in tOMoH's opinion. Hype aside, this is fine. 7/10

Springbank 23yo 1993/2017 (50.4%, Murray McDavid Mission Gold Limited Release, 1st Fill Koval Bourbon Barrel Finish, C#150033, 165b) (IH)

Nose: wow! This one is very citrus-y, calamansi and green grapefruit, augmented with greengage. I find this nose as fruity as that of a 1965 vintage from the same distillery, tonight.
Mouth: ooft! It is a Springer alright. Soot, dusty hay bales, old warehouses... and a heap of plump fruits: Mirabelle plums and greengages the loudest. The second sip is somewhat bitterer.
Finish: phwoar! Incredibly fruity (well, it is not a 1964 Bowmore either), teeming with white peach and Korean pear. It is vaguely farm-y at second gulp, but the fruit does not disappear.
Comment: tOMoH's dram of the night. 9/10

Ben Nevis 22yo 1995/2017 (44.7%, Whiskybroker, Hogshead, C#570, 233b, b#20) (MSo)

Nose: a bit of earthy funk and musk, a whiff of cork, but, above all, a lot of fruit. A lot of fruit. Mostly plums.
Mouth: fruity plasticine, perhaps a lick of cork, yet it bothers me much less than it does everybody else.
Finish: round and fruity, it has waxy apricots and plums.
Comment: another one widely decried. Is it corked as they say? Undoubtedly. That is not strong enough to remove all its qualities, however. 8/10

MSo: "Children bring a joy to you, which you would never otherwise know. But they're c*nts."
[tOMoH makes a note.]
MSo: "Don't attribute that to me. Use my obfuscated name."

9.79 22yo d.1991 Quiet Time Dram (57.7%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 238b) (YM)

Nose: pine-y and a little closed, really. New bottle.
Mouth: wow. It is huge on the tongue, in pure SMWS fashion. Chalky, it also has mouldy-orange rinds.
Finish: yup, it is big, citrus-y (oranges) and a tad earthy, typical of the Glen Grants of that era.
Comment: being harsh, I rate this 7/10

Strathmill d.19?? (unknown ABV, cask sample) (SW)

Nose: dusty animal fat.
Comment: I am chatting and stupidly do not take many notes. 7/10

Be: "Did you try the Hellyer's Road? I felt violated!"

Longrow b.2022 (54.8%, OB Hand Filled Distillery Exclusive) (PP)

Nose: roasted barley and smoke. Longrow just has something comforting for this country boy, and this one is no exception. It is farm-y and countryside-like to a tee.
Mouth: it turns rustic, with  a healthy fire in the kitchen's hearth, smoked cereals and embers.
Finish: long, incandescent, warming and comforting. Smoked cereals again, a farmhouse breakfast table, ashes.
Comment: is it very noble or complex? No. Does it tick my boxes? Yes. 8/10

WhiskyLovingPianist: "What makes a giraffe? Is it the long neck, or is it the pattern?"

Laphroaig 10yo (43%, OB for Travel Retail, LF0026) (BA)

Nose: a whisper of peat smoke and some roasted fruits. Persimmons, apricots, peaches. BA finds it a little filthy, and, indeed, it has vase water. It is mostly fruit, though.
Mouth: juicy, fruity, plum-y. There is a whisp of smoke, and vase water too.
Finish: long, swamp-like, it unfold bog water, smoky peaches, chargrilled cherimoya and carambola. Let us cut to the chase: phwoar!
Comment: perhaps I am being overly sentimental with this. It is from that era when Laphroaig imported malted barley from the mainland and their supplier could not meet their peaty specification. The secret to the fruitiness of those pre-1983 distillations that enthuse me so much. 9/10

SW: "I'm a vegetarian on a diet."
WhiskyLovingPianist: "That's a great combo..."
[The smell of weed comes through the window.]

tOMoH: "WhiskyLovingPianist, it is so nice to see you!"
WhiskyLovingPianist: "It is nice for you to see me!"

tOMoH: "I need to go to the toilet."
WhiskyLovingPianist: "I've never seen you go to the toilet. Also I've never seen you in broad daylight."
[tOMoH laughs]
WhiskyLovingPianist: "I'm going to the toilet, you should write that down."

Good night out. Lots and lots of silly nonsense alongside meeting up with people whom I had not seen for years, in some cases.