12 June 2026

12/06/2026 Aim for the Moon

Ben Nevis 1970/1988 (46%, Brae Dean Int. for Moon Import The Sea, Sherry Butt, C#2913, 360b, b#267): nose: a marvellous combination of brown shoe polish applied onto soft-leather moccasins, hazelnut spread and light cigars (Laguito No. 3, perhaps, or Carlotta). It has a dirty, funky background, something I did not notice (as much) in previous encounters (here and here), but it is a Ben Nevis, so it is not really surprising. Walnut spread and chestnut purée gradually replace the hazelnut and, at the same time, a soft metallic touch emerges. It is somehow reminiscent of that unmistakable smell of a new motherboard wrapped in an anti-static plastic bag. Anyone who has ever assembled a desktop from individual parts will know. Finally, it peddles coffee, ashes in the desk ashtray and black liquorice rolls. Fun! The second nose pumps coffee and caramel into the mix, or an enticing mocha custard. Take it from someone who is not a fan of mocha. There is something else in the back that may be caramelised orange slices. It adds a gentle fruitiness that is most welcome. Mouth: mellow and sweet, it feels like chewy sweets such as Gummy Sweet Cherries or Cola Bottles. Chewing adds a mild sting (ginger or stem ginger), yet it fans the Cola-Bottle flames most of all. It is at once spicy and syrupy, which confirms the stem-ginger note, but has so much more to tell: milk coffee, Mokatine, caramel, sweet and a little bitter. It has more wood than honey, yet that wood, despite its bitterness, is undeniably sweet too -- and that is not plain resin. Maybe Gocce Pino filling applied on clustered splinters? The second sip is thinner for a second, then turns into thick marmalade sprinkled with mocha grounds. The alcohol bite fleetingly hints at warm zinc or galvanised iron, or a hot Moka tin pot. It is breakfast-y, in any case: marmalade, custard, mocha. Finish: long, it glows heat and conifer goodies (resin, bark) as well as Mokatine and caramel coffee. Considering how coating and syrupy this is, it would be tempting to call stem ginger again, but there is none of the spicy heat that ginger provides. Instead, it is caramel coffee spilled onto cypress shelves. The second gulp opens with candied citrus (bergamot, bitter orange), chewy and vegetal as if the foliage had been candied too. That, of course, means a gentle bitterness to balance what could otherwise become overly sweet. We find mocha grounds at the death, or grated mocha chocolate. I want to say gunpowder tea, but it is not that bitter, and it is earthier. It is staggeringly good, that is for sure. 9/10

HB, TMcN!

08 June 2026

08/06/2026 Ben Nevis

Ben Nevis 28yo 1996/2025 6th Anniversary Bottling (48.2%, The Whisky Jury, Refill Hogshead, C#348649, 270b): nose: orchard fruits and a shovelful of fertile earth. Apples, quinces, Comice pears, all crunchy and crisp. Behind them are vague tropical scents, unripe kiwi, unripe mango, unripe snakehead fruit. Very discreet, though. Deeper nosing puts more emphasis on the earthy side, and we spot more damp, fertile earth or clay, albeit from a construction site more than a field: a house whose foundations have recently been dug. A dusting of plaster increases that impression. Fruits are never that far, however, and we soon add green grapes to the list. The second nose sees citrus rinds (orange, mandarines) baked in the oven and starting to caramelise. Served alongside them, we have a spoonful of melted milk chocolate and a pinch of herbs (oregano, tarragon, heather twigs). Mouth: thin and sharp, or 'precise', if the first two adjectives seem derogatory, it soon reveals a fruity dominant on the tongue too -- orchard fruit again, riper this time. Golden Delicious apples, Conference pears, stewed quinces. Half a chew causes a chuckle, as it unleashes a strong ivy bitterness and a stronger mango-y slap in the gob. Longer chewing absolutely confirms, and that puts a smile on tOMoH's face. Mango purée is elevated with a dash of grapefruit juice, whose pronounced acidity chases the afore-mentioned bitterness away -- mostly. The second sip is luscious and gorgeous, super fruity, yet it never lets one forget it is alcohol we are tasting. Punchy without being aggressive; just a lovely fruity spirit. Finish: past the initial kick of alcohol (it is more a karate chop than a kick), it dishes out hot fruits. We have baked grapefruit slices, papaya cubes, stewed carambola and pineapple chunks, and tinned mangoes. Indeed, if the fruits continue to effortlessly dominate, the bitterness is back, and it hints at tin rather than ivy, at this stage. It is a long finish, partly comforting, partly moreish. In fact, let us have some more! The second gulp welcomes mango custard and peach cubes in a boozy yoghurt. Here too, it is virtually impossible to forget we are tasting a spirit, yet the fruits are clearly carrying the whole. They are just splashed with an eau-de-vie that cannot be overlooked. 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, elskling)

05 June 2026

05/06/2026 An evening at WhiskyNAVI Tasting Room


What an adventure to reach this place! It takes an hour on the bus, twenty minutes of which are an uninterrupted segment on the motorway, probably ten of those crossing the river only (see picture), then a car crash (a 4x4 gets sandwiched between our bus and another on a bus lane and loses its front bumper -- see picture), a change of bus and a five-minute walk.


And for all that time, the Shard is always visible, even from here



At the address, the unsuspecting passer-by would likely never find the venue, perched as it is on an upper floor of a corporate-looking building. Even when on the right floor, we struggle to see the entrance, stuck between a restaurant and public toilets (I kid you not). And that is before we talk about the intense bloke on the ground floor who is so intent on convincing me to sign up to his Church that I have to be rude with him.


But we make it there and clown around to celebrate


As soon as we open the door, all our thrills melt away, though.


Cannot think why


Deanston 29yo 1996/2025 (53.1%,  WhiskyNAVI imported by Yong Spirits, Bourbon Hogshead, C#21)

Nose: light and soft, it has unlit incense and white wood (birch, balsa, acacia). Jasmine then takes off, followed by Turkish delights. Nothing screams, nothing strays. It is extremely elegant. The second nose brings a pinch of rosewood ashes, fading rose petals and rosehip. Strawberries appear and become headier and headier.
Mouth: nutty-and-a-half, in pure Deanston fashion, it presents a minor bitterness of nut shells, but mostly the nuts themselves (macadamia, mellow medlar, almonds), barely ripe. Next are dried melon chunks and melon skins. Woah! The second sip has dried pineapple slices and dried mace (whole), if not cured ginger slices.
Finish: nutty custard. Almond, macadamia, even Brasil nuts. It is a long, creamy finish that balances the bitter with the sweet. The second gulp pushes pink candyfloss without the exuberant sweetness. It is that ridiculously fluffy and ethereal.
Comment: we saw this one in a shop yesterday and wondered if it would be good. The price was a bit high for a punt. JS discovered the bottler from things we saw on Tuesday, looked them up, and that brought us here. Well worth the hassle. What a discovery! It is safe to assume that the importer is the same as the one listed on the Orkney from Tea and Proof. A phonetic translation is all.
Score: 9/10


Glen Keith 26yo 1997/2023 (50.5%, D&M Winchester for WhiskyNAVI, Bourbon Barrel, C#113412, 188b)

Nose: this is perfume-y, with scented woods and flowers. Jasmine comes to mind, but also lilac. All of a sudden, it turns very peppery; finely-ground black pepper. That soon dissipates to come back to soft flowery tones -- cherry blossom, orange blossom and jasmine, Finally, dried grapefruit rind appears. The second nose is bolder and more vegetal, with citrus foliage mixing with the blossom from earlier. Wow. In the background, a soft rubber note is hardly noticeable.
Mouth: softly citrus-y, with a minute pinch of ginger powder. Chewing slaps the tongue with pressed satsumas, kumquats, bergamot foliage and bitter-orange juice. Phwoar! The second sip is oily and fruity, a trifle bitter, yet entirely fruity and coating.
Finish: fruity and custard-y, we find satsuma peels and citrus rinds, part sweet, part bitter, totally delicious. It blends the acidic sweetness of fruit juice and the oily bitterness of orange peels with brio. The second gulp is wholesome and satisfying. We find orange-drizzle cake, oily and sticky on the top, with orange segments dripping caramel on the cake itself.
Comment: another corker. JS is particularly enthusiastic.
Score: 9/10


Glenburgie 30yo 1995/2025 (53.8%, D&M Winchester for WhiskyNAVI 5th Anniversary & friendship for Campbeltoun Loch / Komaspi, Bourbon Hogshead, C#6695)

Nose: effing hell! Where did we just step in!? This has candied peach slices and apricots dripping with syrup. Obscene. A drop of lemonade complements stem ginger. It has siftered confectionary sugar -- and the sifter is metallic, which promises a light bitterness. Peach skins are bolder at second nosing, velvety and enticing.
Mouth: Jacob Ree-ZOMG! It is a fruit bomb on the palate too. Tinned peaches, apricots in syrup, maybe a dollop of minty paste that gives a nice freshness, or lemon thyme. The second sip is so velvety it has virtually the texture of peach nectar. Peach flesh takes off upon chewing, perhaps enhanced with a drop of royal-blue ink.
Finish: confectionary sugar licked off a (luke)warm sheet of metal, maybe lemon thyme again, or oregano. Give it a moment and it becomes hot peach's show, though, juice dripping from every square millimetre. Gorgeous! The second gulp is in line, warming, gently metallic and superbly fruity. Peaches left, right and centre, persimmons, Cape gooseberries... Phwoar!
Comment: the manager's favourite WhiskyNAVI bottling, he tells us. I would agree.
Score: 9/10


Strathisla 20yo 2005/2025 (58.7%, The Single Cask for WhiskyNAVI handpicked for KMSP & Campbeltoun Loch, Bourbon Hogshead, C#61)

Nose: tobacco, cigar leaves... No! Banana-cigar leaves, then dolmas and citrus foliage (calamansi, grapefruit), even ivy. It opens up to deliver slightly-acidic lemons or limes, nay! Smoked limes, smoked with either exotic wood or incense. Then, warm, humid linen rears its head. It has the ever-evolving nose of a great whisky. The second nose adds grated nutmeg, and I want to say cloves, but it is not that pronounced. Unlit incense, perhaps? Or sandalwood?
Mouth: wonderful toffee, with Mokatine playing second fiddle. Yes, it has a soft bitterness, yet also a huge sweetness, some wood and zero plankiness. It is a robust Highlander with as much appeal as character. The second sip sprinkles some old-wood gratings and black pepper onto the toffee.
Finish: mocha toffee it is. It is a little drier a finish than anticipated, with more wood, galangal gratings, sawdust and, perhaps, a pinch of desert dirt. The second sip prolongs the dusty-toffee touch, long, sticky and chewy.
Comment: four winners in a row. Incredible.
Score: 8/10


The only other customer pays his due and leaves. I look at the line-up in front of his seat. One catches my attention.


Clynelish 10yo 1990/2000 (54.2%, Kingsbury imported by Japan Import System, Valdespino's Caliseo Amontillado Sherry Cask)

Nose: this mixes oily-tobacco smoke with super-syrupy fortified wine. It has the allure of a gentlemen's club, that is certain! As it opens up, we find pressed sultanas, Medjool dates in syrup, then polished leather reminiscent of a Chesterfield sofa. It has nail varnish too, in small doses. Imagination may point towards pickled pearl onions, but it has little-to-none of the vinegary acidity that comes with that.
Mouth: it is a wonderful Sherry maturation, much juicier and generous than the Manzanilla label suggests. Chewing brings earth to the fore, so greasy and fertile it may as well be prune juice. We find an open tube of dark-brown shoe polish as well, and dark tree bark. The second sip has caramelised red onions which have been, well, caramelising, for hours and are reduced to a red, sugary sludge.
Finish: assertive, full of shoe polish, prunes and dried dates soaked in syrup. The whole is served on a ladleful of potting soil saturated with raisin and prune juices. Sweeter yet at second gulp, it juggles milk coffee (sixteen sugars -- if you know, you know) and caramelised red onions. At first, I think toffee, but not really. Instead, it has prunes and dried dates in syrup.
Comment: flabbergasting.
Score: 9/10


Glentauchers 17yo 2008/2025 (60.5%, D&M Winchester for WhiskyNAVI, 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, C#288)

Nose: an explosion of confectionary sugar and sherbet. Behind that are cantaloup chunks, Korean melon, and large volumes of pouring custard. Something in the back reminds me of my childhood. Whether that is cigarette smoke in the kitchen during the preparation of a delicious dessert or a living-room carpet. It never shakes off that sweetness, however, and apricots appear, at last. Milkier at second nose, it has vanilla and banana milkshake.
Mouth: after a sharp, plastic-y attack, it swiftly moves towards candyfloss and Haribo Bananas, with a soft wood paste adding depth. The Haribo Banana touch is exquisite, acidic, sherbet-y and sweet. The second sip is much chalkier, drying and chewy. It remains fruity all the same; that only affects the texture.
Finish: long, sweet, it is ripe with Haribo Bananas, caramel flan in which the caramel was deglazed with a drop of Cointreau, crème brûlée, torched custard (yes, it is the same), panna cotta and a gently-drying note. It may even have a certain chalkiness. In any case, it is definitely a sandstone type of minerality. The second gulp is long and comforting as a hug from Hechi.
Comment: this punches way above its weight. It reminds me of the Boutique-y bottling we had a few years ago, in terms of quality.
Score: 9/10


I will just leave this here.


A couple of other customers have joined, They are locals. As we interact with the manager, one of them occasionally jumps into the conversation. With my three words of Korean and his three words of English, our exchanges do not go very deep, of course, yet it is, once more, remarkable how a common interest brings people together as if language was no formidable obstacle. Or 'forblemida', as they say here.



KM: "Was that your last flight?"
tOMoH: "I'm afraid so. We could spend weeks here, but we also need to end, at some point."
KM: "Good. Now, let me introduce you to Korean whisky."


Kimchangsoo 2nd Release (48.7%, OB, Korean Oak Cask)

Nose: rustic and farm-y to a degree, this smells of haybales and just-finished harvest. A minute in, peat smoke emerges, slowly, softly. It unfolds like a good novel, taking its time. Surprisingly, it becomes farmier and farmier, adding manure and mud to an already-pleasant picture. That is not over: it lands on smoky custard and tree bark turning into compost (past the mulch stage), and supplements that with rubbed mint leaves. The second nose adds milk chocolate, chocolate-coated almonds and berries-filled pralines.
Mouth: very soft and round, it combines toffee and half-baked shortcrust. Chewing adds a dash of Indian ink, then a blood-red corduroy curtain. It is thick, not heavy, velvety and plum-like. The second sip shows its youth a little more: we have pear eau-de-vie rubbing elbows with liqueur-filled pralines.
Finish: easy and full, it is a tad farm-y, has a gentle lick of smoke, and -- surprise! A whisper of rubbed citrus peel (pomelo, lime, bergamot). The second gulp is more warming and extends the liqueur-praline impression in an elegant way. Nothing sickly here. It retains some smoke and a little mud, but not much of the other farm-y notes.
Comment: very impressive. Even more so when one registers that this no-age-statement is twelve-to-eighteen months old (Korean law dictates spirit has to mature for one year to be called whisky).
Score: 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, Director KM)


Kimchangsoo 2021/2022 (54.1%, OB, 1st Fill European Oak Sherry Hogshead, 336b, b#7)

Nose: bang! Peat smoke, chargrilled merguez, herbs-coated burgers, cooling embers and white ash. It has meat fat dripping into the hot embers, then pork cutlets on the grille.
Mouth: silky and fruity. It still has lots of chargrilled meat (lamb cutlets), charcoal, and not soot, but burnt wood sticks that have been played with around a campfire.
Finish: long, charcoal-y and prune-y. It is juicy and persistent with a sharp bitterness -- perhaps rubber?
Comment: strong entry, even if I prefer the second release.
Score: 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, Director KM)


Kimchangsoo New Make (58%)

Comment: a vegetal nose, a clean, slightly-smoky, plummy palate and a never-ending glow in the chest for the finish.
Score: 6/10 (Thanks for the dram, Director KM)


Kimchangsoo New Make (70%)

Comment: cleaner yet, purified, it turns lactic and mineral in the mouth, acidic and sharp. Long finish that feels better integrated than the version at 58% -- which is the same product watered down).
Score: 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, Director KM)


KM: "Do you have experience with Japanese whisky?"
JS: "Yes. It is usually delicate and very well made. We like it."


Yamazaki 15yo (56%, OB distributed by Japan Import System, Mizunara Oak Casks, b#65063)

Nose: marzipan and oil paint, linseed oil, then -- wait for it! -- mushy peas. It has an unusual note of garden peas indeed, smashed into this paramount of culinary excitement, courtesy of the Great Kingdom of England: mushy peas. Perhaps we note crushed pine cones too, which is just as unexpected. The second nose pushes a hairball and dried lychees to compete with sultanas and prunes.
Mouth: more marzipan softness for total elegance, Japanese style. Chewing adds velvety plums or peaches and heat, as well as a drying touch. The second sip is desiccating upon chewing, like chalk. It takes a few seconds for sultanas to run back to the taste buds.
Finish: marzipan-y, peachy, plummy. "It is so composed, elegant," JS tells us. One can almost taste the Sherry: pressed currants, prunes. This is looking straight at Cognac, in fact, so fruity and elegant it is. A trifle darker and hairier at second gulp, it remains excellent.
Comment: phwoar!
Score: 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, Director KM)


Far-Eastern tryptich


We have a sobering disaster at the end, when it is time to pay and we discover that the card reader does not read foreign cards. To make things worse, there is a cash machine in the same building, but the daily withdrawal limit is below what we owe (not to mention it takes a hefty commission). If that were not stressful enough, we also have twelve minutes to catch the very last train back to our accommodation, some thirty-five kilometres from the venue... and the station is roughly ten minutes away on foot. We run, take the wrong direction twice, but end up on the train indeed. At the station, a bloke asleep on a bench misses the train, on the other hand.

Tomorrow, all that will be forgotten. What will remain is the satisfaction of having found the superlative bar of this jaw-dropping city. And the pride of being told we were their first foreign customers. Kudos to the staff for their recommendations, tutoring, and the chill with which they navigated a stressful sitch with us.

04 June 2026

04/06/2026 An evening at Onion

This is another chain of sorts. One venue is a hip bakery we once visited for breakfast. This one is a covered stall selling pizza by the side of a market that serves highballs. It also happens to have twentyish Korea-exclusive bottlings of whisky. This city is mad like that.


Rubbish collection two metres from our street stall.
Mad.


Glen Moray 13yo 2008/2021 (58.7%, Blackadder Raw Cask Bottled for Dal Dal Korea imported by Magic International, Hogshead, C#2988, 170b, b#19)

Nose: it is fairly neutral, at first, which may suggest a high ABV. A minute's breathing and we can confirm: this assails the nose with flower essence, haybales and cut fruits -- raspberry and peach slices. There is also dark wood at play, which is not expected and offers a nice counterpoint. The second nose has much more white-wood sawdust (birch, balsa), ginger powder, galangal gratings. Water unlocks darker notes of pressed dark grapes and leather. 
Mouth: lovely orange or tangerine juice augmented with white-wood sawdust. Keep it on the tongue long enough and white pepper shows up, shaved lemongrass, ginger powder. Chewing reveals dried citrus peels, slightly bitter, and orange oil. The second sip combines the same wood notes with oily orange peels. Softer with water, it delivers pineapple and pear juices.
Finish: orange oil is right. It is oily, bitter, yet it remains pretty fruity all in all. It is also warming. The alcohol is integrated, but the high ABV is palpable. It is also a tad drying, in the long run, with sawdust and ground white pepper. The second gulp kicks even stronger to play the same notes: wood dust, citrus peels, powdered spices. Water adds a boozy sponge cake.
Comment: very good. A shared cask with Belgium, it would appear: it was released for the fifteenth anniversary of The Nectar.
Score: 8/10


Royal Brackla 12yo 2011/2023 (59.20%, Volpe & Castello imported by J International, Bourbon Barrel, C#1176, 92b, b#1)

Nose: robust and woody at first, it rolls out custard and butterscotch at the next sniff. We do find dried orange peels rubbed on rustic oak furniture. Flan tart with a lovely caramel coulis. It has a fruity note too, either blueberries or currants. The second nose brings warm crusty bread and a knife that has cut yellow citrus (calamansi, sweet lemon, calamondin). Water brings up burnt apple pie, which means more caramel.
Mouth: mellow and very fruity. We have currants, green grapes and lychees, perhaps rambutans. It warms up on the tongue to the point it feels as if it could burn a hole through it. Apart from that, it is well pleasant. Burning-hot raspberry slices. The second sip is fruitier, teeming with calamansi and calamondin, kumquat, citron and a minute amount of metal. Water makes it mellow and reminds me of honey-glazed pickled onions.
Finish: long, it has caramel poured on a blueberry cheese cake. There is a lick of warm metal behind that, perhaps a tin plate or a knife, a faint bitterness that brings nothing negative to the table. The second gulp is a trifle numbing, with white wood and white peach displayed on a stainless-steel plate.
Comment: very good and terribly unlikely we will see this again. The label represents a traditional Korean card games, by the way.
Score: 8/10



That Benromach is tempting


Upon looking at the bottles to choose a second flight, we are told they are closing in ten minutes. The site said earlier than that, the chalkboard reads later. It is likely linked to the staff's mood. Despite a case of FOMO, it is time to hit the sack anyway.


02 June 2026

02/06/2026 An evening at Tea & Proof Seoul

This is the SMWS embassy in Seoul -- or consulate, really, since it is a partner bar. It is well out of the way in Gangnam, one of the most-affluent districts, a place seldom visited by tourists. Locals, on the other hand, are plentiful: there is a twenty-minute wait to get a table for two, a period during which I see many sipping cocktails or regaling guests with their private bottles (the bar offers a dramcierge service).

We are in soon enough. The staff give us a menu and explain there is no list for the single casks (my words, not theirs) because they rotate too quickly. We are encouraged to go see the shelves and select, with their help, if needed. Yay!

I swiftly scan the SMWS bottles. The guy asks me if I know the SMWS. I explain we have been members for many years. His reaction suggests he does not hear that very often.


39.303 14yo 2009/2024 Champagne cupcakes (56.1%, The Artisanal Spirits Company for SMWS Society Cask In celebration of Korea's diverse cities and unique gastronomic culture imported by FJ Korea, 1st Fill PX ex-Bodega Barrique, 242b)

Nose: it has a similarity with 117.3 in that it has cut fruits and metal. Oh! it is, of course, not at all in the same league. It is a remote resemblance. Sultanas appear shortly thereafter. The second nose has perhaps a few flowers, but it remains a fruity, metallic number.
Mouth: fruity and metallic here too, it displays some horsepower, but it is not a brute. Mostly a lovely fruity affair. The second sip is more drying, a little sandy, if not gritty.
Finish: long and fruity. The sultanas from earlier welcome currants and prunes. The whole turns more purple at second gulp, then fresher: cut green grapes, all of a sudden.
Comment: we get the last full dram of the bottle and are treated to the last few drops as a bonus. Only then do I realise it is bottling .303. Totes fortuitous.
Score: 7/10


39.304 12yo 2011/2024 Pâtisserie next to a flower shop (61.7%, The Artisanal Spirits Company SMWS Society Cask In celebration of Korea's diverse cities and unique gastronomic culture imported by FJ Korea, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 215b)

Nose: it is a similar story to the dram before it, bursting with fruits and metal, but also herbs, this time -- oregano and tarragon. At a push, one may detect shoe polish or crayon shavings. The second nose confirms crayons and adds watercolour.
Mouth: well, it is even juicier than its sibling, despite the higher ABV. There is a dash of hot cocoa poured on warm papaya and mango cubes. Yes, really. Chewing adds a soft vegetal bitterness, yet it is hardly worth crying about.
Finish: long and fruity, it has fruit turnovers, hot mango slices, hot papaya cubes, hot choux dough, lush and comforting. It has the lingering bitter-sweetness of milk coffee.
Comment: even better.
Score: 8/10


As we try these beauties, the two girls next to us look intently in our direction. They clearly want to understand what it is that we are drinking. Since I am a gentleman (sometimes), I show them the bottles and explain the concept of the SMWS. The youngest is shocked: she lives around the corner, this is her local and she has never heard what this long nose has to say. I let her try 39.304, which she ends up polishing in a couple of sips. Serves me well. Ha! Ha!

They become very talkative, proving once and for all that alcohol is the ultimate social lubricant. She is local, the other is her mother, and they are celebrating the latter's birthday in this here bar. We move from, "What brings you to Korea" to, "I studied at NYU" in no time, but it still surprises me how quickly the conversation goes from, "Not many foreigners come to this part of town" to, "Are you interested in K-beauty?" and, "I do laser-lifting regularly." The best part is perhaps when the mother starts dancing. Judging by the distraught look on the staff's faces, they find it much weirder than I do. Ha! Ha!


We (she) talk a lot about "Korean moms." Social status seem to dictate they send their children to study in the States and pursue certain careers. How the country functions when everyone is trying to do one of two jobs is a question for another day.

tOMoH: "The real questions are: piano or violin? (Violin.) Law or medicine? (Neither; cannot remember what she studied and she emphasises the party aspect of her NYU days. She now works in cryptocurrency.)"


Glen Scotia 5yo 2016/2022 (57.7%, OB Exclusive Cask in Commemoration of the 3rd Anniversary of Tea and Proof, First Fill Bordeaux Red Wine Hogshead, C#21/756-10, 283b)

Nose: sweet, syrupy, it has lots of grapes, not too dark, but not green either (Red Muscat comes to mind). There is a whiff of tobacco in the back.
Mouth: super thick, it has honey-glazed almonds, stewed marmalade, and nuts simmering in it. Chewing releases some wood. we have wood dust and decayed wood at second sip. It is elegant and not at all a decrepit number.
Finish: lichen-covered wood staves dominate an otherwise liqueur-like finish, sweet, yet robust and a trifle mineral. It has nut liqueur at second sip, and a growing bitterness.
Comment: this is a sister cask of the one we had in 2023. Not sure why Korea got so many Glen Scotia, but this is another good one.
Score: 8/10


An Orkney Distillery 14yo 2008/2022 (63.6%, WhiskyNAVI Exclusive Bottling for Bar Purple label imported by Young Spirit, First Fill Amontillado Octave Cask Finish, C#122103)

Nose: grilled steak, then the wooden board the steak was cut on. Perhaps this has a whisper of smoke from burning hay at second nose too.
Mouth: lovely leather, polished sofas, soft-leather shoes and dried Medjool dates. It is a bit drying at second sip, peppery, with a bold alcohol kick.
Finish: huge, dry, earthy and fruity. Prunes, dates, raisins. It is not farm-y in the slightest, compared to the one from this afternoon. It has a lick of smoke, on the other hand.
Comment: one of a series of four Orkney whiskies with four different Sherry maturation, bottled by WhiskyNAVI for four different bars in Seoul. One can only buy all four bottles in one lot. This was the staff's pick of the four. I chose before they told me that, but I agree with them that it is good.
Score: 8/10


The rapport with the two girls next to us is now so relaxed that I tell the youngest that, if we do not catch the last train, we will have to stay at hers for the night. She casually replies we are welcome to.

We will make our train, though. tOMoH does not sleep at strangers' on the first night!


Before that, however, the bar manager treats us to another dram.


The GlenAllachie15yo 2007/2023 (60%, OB Single Cask to celebrate the 5th Anniversary of Tea & Proof, PX Hogshead, C#6958, 358b)

Nose: desert-dirt dry, it has tanned leather and dried-as-rock blackberry jam.
Mouth: softer and more mellow than anticipated, with prunes, dried figs and dried cranberries.
Finish: long, comforting, it has more blackberry jam, now supplemented with blackcurrant jelly, both less dry than on the nose.
Comment: how cool to try yet another exclusivity! And it pleases even this non-fan of The GlenAllachie (the brand, not the distillery). Stunningly, the back label gives a Belgian address for The GlenAllachie Distillers Co. Limited.
Score: 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, 바텐더 박성민)


Neat little place full of interesting goodies and a nice vibe. My only regret is that we talked with the girls so much we had to renounce a third flight.


Hidden at our feet, a plethora of bottles of Azul.
JS's favourite tequila since Limburg.
We see it everywhere!