27/10/2026 Highland Park

 Another dreich day, another topical dram.

4.406 14yo 2012/2026 Sweetly soothing smoke (64.4%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 220b): nose: warming goodness. Warm oil, a cauldron of hot pitch, a puff of warm gas coming out of the sewers on a brisk morning... Did I say 'goodness'? Well, it is relative. Deeper nosing renders this cleaner, with ashy white wine and recently-applied sealant around a new bathtub. It progresses towards hazelnut oil, white-wine vinegar and the hard-sugar shell of lozenges. The second nose somehow brings ashes to the table, the white kind that follows an efficient fire, before reintroducing white wine, something between Riesling and Chenin Blanc. Mouth: astonishingly citrus-y, it has lemon drizzle cake and orange sponge cake. Mixed peel extracts itself from the fluffy cake to have a solo career, and it is a success. Chewing adds droplets of wood oil, too light for teak -- probably acacia? It has a faint bitterness, though that does not take away from the lemon-y pleasure and the honey-like wood we encounter too. The second sip is drying, if fruity. It is akin to a dry white wine again, with green grapes and their skins jostling chalk and sherbet. It is remarkably acidic and warming upon chewing. Imagine the juices of a lemon turnover trickling onto the hot baking tray. Finish: big, fruity and acidic, it has more mixed peel, hot lemon drizzle cake, hot marmalade spread on fluffy bread, all served on a board made of white wood -- birch, acacia, hazel. It is a long finish that wakens the taste buds before lulling them into a sense of comfort. The second gulp welcomes lozenges, some minty, some even mentholated, which overshadows the chocolate contained within the sugar shell. It takes imagination to catch an acrid white smoke, but why not? We spot dry-to-the-max passion fruits more easily, though. Alright, this! 8/10

26/10/2026 Caol Ila

53.527 12yo 2013/2026 Seraphic sea symphony (59.7%, SMWS In Celebration of Robin Laing the Whisky Bard, 2nd Fill STR Oloroso-Seasoned Barrique, 276b): nose: an inky-petrolic puddle of sea water. Is this really a Caol Ila? It smells like a Bladnoch -- not! Seashells dusted with caster sugar, wicker baskets of empty oyster and mussel shells, whelk in tarry sands, and profiteroles, believe it or not. It acquires a fruity side, in the long run, fruity and somewhat mineral, which hints at a dry white wine, probably. After thirty minutes of breathing, it turns quieter and more distinguished, with shoe polish and leather pouches, or brown leather shoes. The second nose continues that and makes it more comfortable by adding a fire insert. That leads to an empty-not-cleaned ashtray and church scents -- spent incense, stoup water, oiled pews, and a general archaic dampness. Mouth: salty as fook, it feels like drinking sea water from an oyster shell. It also has a strongly-appealing mix of kerosene, lacquer, ozone and mentholated tobacco, a mix that becomes bolder as one chews. It comes across as both clean and staining, which is remarkable. Briny sea air over an island airfield, while they refuel a plane, maybe. The second sip has mussels in a salty broth, a lick of chalk, old fishing nets and warm vanilla custard blended with warm sea water in a smoky bothy. Finish: sweet at first, like a gulp of chocolate éclair at room temperature, it swiftly drops a bomb of stagnant water, algae and mosses. It sticks to the oesophagus like lichen to an empty vase, drying and abrasive, vegetal and marsh-like. Menthol ends up in the spotlight, as does cigarette smoke in a fishing shed. Quaint. The second gulp follows a similar progression: sweet-stagnant-salty-ashy-vase-like-mentholated. Consistent. Does the trick. 7/10

23/10/2026 Glen Garioch

19.116 13yo 2012/2026 Home for a Christmas Sherry (58.7%, SMWS The Winter Series 2026, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 1st Fill American Oak ex-Oloroso Hogshead): nose: drinks cabinets, lacquered wood, oiled mahogany and polished brown shoes, open bottles of brandy and liqueurs. It also has a spray of furniture polish on hazelnut shells. We detect one overripe strawberry too, as well as melted dark chocolate slowly blending with a melted soap bar. It changes a little at second nosing to become more farm-y. We are now in an orchard, and that orchard is next to a cows' pasture, complete with with cow dung and bovine occupants. Lacquered wood comes back, eventually, more discreet than it was. Mouth: lacquered wood upon which overripe strawberries have come crashing down. Chewing loads the strawberries up with fruit eau-de-vie of one sort or another. A faint metallic note shows up, heated tin, which adds a tame bitterness that one could possibly relate to coffee, even. The second sip is very neutral, at first, then turns into eau-de-vie after chewing. A fruit eau-de-vie with hay macerating in it. A timid note of vanilla pudding tries to make itself heard. Finish: light and fruity, it has fruit eau-de-vie indeed (plum, raspberry, Mirabelle plum), warming and pleasant. It retains a soft metallic edge in the finish, though that may as well be baked cucumber peels or geranium stems. In any case, it is original. The second gulp hits a little harder and tickles the gums for longer. Freeze-dried raspberry slices, rehydrated by dunking them in plum eau-de-vie. As was the case on the palate, a note of hay slowly appears and leaves a dry and softly-bitter taste. Retro-nasal olfaction picks up apple brandy, or stewed cider. Good drop. 7/10

22/10/2026 Mystery sample #11

Nose: rich and a little vinous. Do we have red onions, fried until they are soft? Fleeting (pale) mushrooms? In any case, that does not seem constant: it is suddenly Quercus Alba staves murmuring. Then, a steak-and-ale pie, or beef stroganoff, which takes us back to wine and mushrooms, probably. Warming up the glass confirms that strange split personality of white wood and wine-y mushroom. How quaint! The second nose has baked plantains, lozenges, almonds in a hard-sugar shell. We have a dusting of white ash, in the far back... Another surprise. And clementine foliage. Mouth: a mint crumble grated over warm vanilla custard. It feels as fresh as it is welcoming. Chewing reveals an unexpected woody bitterness, followed by spices. It is ginger-encrusted parsnips and bicycle inner-tubes. Well original. Is that mentholated talcum powder too? The second sip is more-assertively bitter, akin to chewing on citrus leaves. Tangerine, perhaps. Its zest too, and still mint crumbles on custard. The bitterness grows, but thankfully stops short of flower stems. Finish: minty custard, here, crushed bay leaves, or laurel, since they are not as dry and bitter as bay. It is very refreshing and warming once more, a counter-intuitive combination, yet one that works a treat. The second gulp is in line: minty custard. Fresh, warming, it dishes out a gingery mint paste, and we get to eat that with a wooden spoon. Decent.

Deanston Virgin Oak Cask Strength b.2023 (56.5%, OB, ex-Bourbon Casks finished in Virgin Oak Casks, B#1) 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, Whisky-Online)

19/10/2026 Mystery sample #10

Nose: very timid. It presents a vague freshness and a drop of white spirit. Let us give it a minute to wake up... White spirit indeed, green-grape vine, honeysuckle essence spilled on a wooden case full of silver jewels. Crunchy apple slices end up in the frame, just as timid as the rest. This is not a loquacious nose! The second pass has ash and metal. Neither is loud, yet they make me think of a rotating ashtray. Metal and ashes it is. Behind that are citrus and a mineral tone. A flintknapper eating an orange. How unexpected! Mouth: discreet too, the palate has unripe apple, almond and a droplet of defroster. Chewing changes it dramatically: it reveals mint crumbles, soft plasticine and some kind of cinnamon paste. It reminds me of The Pogues. It tickles the gums with a paste made of crushed pine cones. There is virtually no bitterness attached to this; just a chewy freshness. Sweets galore at second sip, chewy, peppered with sherbet. Fruit jellies (yellow, orange, green), a minuscule pinch of ground pepper and crushed bergamot leaves. Finish: more chewy goodness, vaguely pine-y, vaguely spicy, rather fresh. Cinnamon-coated dried mango slices, dried pineapple cubes, bergamots and their foliage. Yes, a softly-bitter note develops that merely adds to this finish to make it a tad bolder. A chewy citrus paste lands on the late tip. The second gulp comes across as a little more herbal: candied angelica and honey-glazed citrus leaves. It is not particularly long, certainly not loud, but makes for a pleasant everyday dram. What is it? A Pot Still?

Sailor's Home The Horizon 10yo (43%, The Sailor's Home The Islands Series, Barbados Rum Cask, b. ca. 2025) 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, Whisky-Online)

Happy birthday sonicvince and JMcD!