17/03/2026 Member Take Over: John Peter Hughes

I bumped into JPH (PH for short) on Friday where he told me about this tasting he would be hosting. It had somehow slipped my radar, so that was pure serendipity to meet him on a day I had not planned to be there, and at an unusual time to boot.

Before the tasting starts, I am treated to a dram of 10.288 16yo d.2008 Savour the savoury (60.8%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 1st Fill ex-Oloroso Hogshead, 237b). I take no notes. The Oloroso influence is a little loud for me. It should score 6 or 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, KT)

We know the format quite well, now: an SMWS member showcases Society bottlings from their private collection to a group of people who signed up to be there. Amongst those, PS, Dr. CD, GT, YM, DW, JS and tOMoH.

PH starts by telling us how he fell into whisky (through wine and Michael Jackson) and how he became an SMWS member in 1991. He quickly points out that he is not the most-senior member -- of all, in London, or even in this room. Indeed, Dr. CD famously joined on the 29th February 1495, so he predates even Pip Hills. And Friar Cor.

As he continues his story, I start with the work. The data is given more or less as we go; we are not really tasting blind, this time.

45.8 16yo 1982/1998 (64.6%, SMWS Society Cask, finished for 16mo in ex-Sherry Gorda, 577b): nose: apple slices peppered with a pinch of ashes, super-dry hazelwood, incense. That incense grows and grows into refined ash from a fruit-tree fire. Candlewax rises, as do fruits (plums, grapes). Mouth: crisp, it has fruity dry white wine -- Riesling, then Sauvignon Blanc. It is a tad ashy, but that is balanced by green grapes and chestnut oil. There may be a drop of cider vinegar too. It is ashier at second sip, but also immensely fruity (crunchy apples). Finish: delightful ashy white wine. This is positively fruity. It develops a coat of wood polish at second gulp, but Paula Red apples dominate, roasted, yet still crunchy. What a way to start! 9/10

PH tells us the last cask of distillery 45 was filled on 16th March 1983 and he regrets that he could not do the tasting yesterday to mark the anniversary (the SMWS is closed on Mondays).

61.9 18yo 1981/1999 Crepe bandages and lavender oil (58.3%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill American Oak Barrel, 305b): from a time when the Society gave its bottlings names, but did not write them on the label. Nose: phwoar! Here are matchsticks, guaiacol, a fire of twigs and brambles. Behind that are cactuses and white-fish skewers. It is not strongly charred, but charred alright. Old burnt staves and scorched marshland plants. Mouth: another cracking old glory that has a blend of roasted fruits and ashes, incense and peach nectar (unless it is orange juice). The second sip is drier, waxy, with lots of burnt candle and incense. It is quite chalky too, but no big whoop. Finish: long not big. It is elegant, fruity, a little ashy again. Despite its provenance, it is not particularly farm-y. The second gulp has more earth, and the whole is warming and comforting. Wood dust (not sawdust) at the bottom of a log basket by a fireplace. PH finds it a citrus freshness too, but that does not hit me. 9/10

Someone near me is wearing enough perfume to distract me and lower my enjoyment. Hm.

44.35 14yo 1994/2008 Egg sandwiches and walnut cake (58.1%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Sherry Hogshead, 124b): nose: water colour, dried plasticine and daffodil petals. It also fans a roaring fire in a cast-enamel wood-burning stove, and warm metal that has been used to cut baked apples. The second nose brings cosmetic powder. Mouth: baked Paula Red apples and sugar. It then gets metallic and sees lichen forming on copper (not Verdigris). The second sip is a trifle chalky, much like a Granny Smith apple. That is augmented with a pinch of ash. Finish: medium-long, it has fermented apples (Paula Red again). The second gulp is well warming. In the long run, it takes the bitterness of mahogany shelves. 8/10

PH: "There was once an SMWS Port Ellen [maybe 43.13 Sweaty gym shoes?]; the notes said it smelled of fart, sweat, urine and decayed fruits."
PS: "For Charlie Maclean, that's a good night out!"

PH explains he and Dr. CD have large collections of SMWS publications, and are sometimes asked if they would provide original tasting notes for an old bottle.

PH: "We are not hoarders, we are archivists."

66.20 20yo 1985/2005 Sun-dried sprats and prune juice (54.1%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill Hogshead, 310b): nose: smoked plasticine, burnt cow dung, clay and cut meadow grass, thick and juicy. This is a farm-y nose. PH talks of wood, but I do not agree. The second nose is an even-farmier affair, ripe with muddy pastures and cattle droppings, followed by charred dried raspberry slices. Mouth: greasy earth and peat smoke. It has a lick of fruits too, mainly grilled grapefruits and satsumas. The second sip is a little more pine-like, fresh and acidic. Finish: charcoal, burnt wood and charred citrus slices. That turns a little greener at second gulp, reminiscent of pine needles after the rain. I could give this a higher score any other day. Tonight... 8/10

PH tells us how to reproduce the smell and taste of a certain release of distillery 19, called Peat, germolene and strawberry jam. It involves double-toasting bread on the highest setting, scraping some of the charred surface, then slathering the toast with jam.

PS: "Now I know why your psychotherapist lives in a mansion."

The two guys at the next table have not stopped talking for the whole dram and story -- roughly twenty minutes. They are showing pictures of their family on their phones, debating the merit of phone models etc. It is starting to lower my enjoyment too.

33.76 10yo d.1998 A civilised scout camp (56.3%, SMWS Society Single Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 242b): nose: a big slap of peat smoke, without surprise. Embers, charred wood, tarry sands and dark ink, spent incense, spent wick. Suddenly, it comes up with sea spray and briny air, then wood-fire smoke. The second nose brings out guaiacol and smoked plasticine to supplement the incense. Mouth: dark ink it is, a pinch of sugar, then a raging bracken fire and burnt tyres. The second sip is juicy, thick, with apricot nectar in terms of texture, and apples roasted on a wood fire in terms of taste. Finish: it is well balanced, here. Oh! it is smoky alright, this time with petrol fumes, but also some fruits, such as smoked roasted apples. It also has a lot of ink. The second gulp serves tarry sands and crude oil in unbaked pottery made of smoked clay in a smoky boat shed. It may be the least convincing dram tonight, yet it is excellent nevertheless. 8/10

Very good tasting. I managed to overlook the talkers and the perfume, in the end. It was hard. PH somehow selected only things we had never tried before -- yay!

16/03/2026 The Creators Collection

The Society released a sextet of bottles in The Creators Collection, all of them from young distilleries, three of which are new to the Society. The launch was hyped up quite a bit to boot. It is time to see what the fuss is about. A quintet of those were available online as a set, with the sixth only available from SMWS venues.

149.21 9yo 2016/2026 The New Wave: A taste of our next-generation gems -- Machair medley (60%, SMWS The Creators Collection, 1st Fill ex-PX Butt, 666b): nose: it is light and discreet. Probably, the cold of the day is muting this; let us give it a moment... There! Dark, greasy earth, a pinch of cocoa powder, then crates and crates of mushrooms: button, portabella, boletus, armillaria. Those pave the way for wood oil (iroko, maple, walnut) and, increasingly, moss on cobblestones. That is right: it acquires a gentle mineral touch that complements the above nicely. Hazelwood comes next, about to ignite. The second nose has honey and propolis spread onto wooden shelves, followed by a chicory infusion. Mouth: surprisingly soft and a tad wine-y (white Port). Chewing adds liqueur pralines (Mon Chéri comes to mind, yet it is not cherry liqueur) and booze-soaked pineapple chunks, before a lick of wood oil joins, augmented with a drop of turpentine. It becomes vibrantly woody with time, which is staggering, at that young age, yet it it never loses the volatile, ester-y components -- pineapple and wood oil. The second sip has a vegetal nectar, yellow tulips or daffodils, plump and soft as petals, yet sweet as fruit juice. It has little of the bitterness of plant sap, thankfully. It is also fresh, and chewing some more helps discover mint crumbles, sweet at first, then chalky and rather bitter -- the bitterness of chalk, not of plant sap. Finish: remarkably balanced, it continues the pineapple-and-wood-oil trip. Wood oil ends up a bit louder than the fruits, which translates into a clear bitterness. In the long run, we have leather saddles, quickly replaced by untreated wooden shelves and a pinch of sawdust. Retro-nasal olfaction reveals more pineapple, albeit dried, this time. The second gulp seems fresher, a mix of mint crumbles and pouring honey, not to say dried plum slices in syrup. It dies with a faint note of caramelised puff wheat. Very good. 7/10

162.8 6yo 2019/2026 The New Wave: A taste of our next-generation gems -- Cruising on custard (58.8%, SMWS The Creators Collection, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 204b): nose: this is more expressive from the off. A medicinal number, with TCP, guaiacol, ether or hydrogen peroxide. That turns into ashes and hardened embrocation and bandages. Behind that are timid orchard fruits (Golden Delicious apples, Comice pears, quinces, hardly ripe) and a later blast of tame oregano reminiscent of a traybake pizza slice. It also reminds me of a specific pack of paper tissues I used recently that had notes of cold tobacco smoke, hay, old carpet and leather boots stored for too long in a musty basement. Long story. However, this is elevated by slices of dried fruits (apricot, pineapple, papaya). The second nose is strangely closer to pastry, with a sweet shortcrust, confectionary sugar and a shy dried-pineapple filling. Mind you, all that is served in a green-rubber boot. Mouth: a tad medicinal again, it has more ether and TCP, surgical alcohol and a modest dose of dried fruits. Keeping it on the tongue promotes ashes to the top job, while chewing adds a green-rubber-glove feel on the palate. Sure, that means a slight bitterness, but it has more of an impact on the mouthfeel. Further chewing stirs ashes and throws a fistful of fruits in the midst, such as torched cherries and clementines. It is pretty hot, yet, behind the heat, we have a lick of inflatable party balloons (blue). The second sip brings back the rubber boot and fills it with ash and unsweetened pineapple juice. It has boiled ink too, and a drop of ether again. Finish: there seems to be less medicinal influence, at this stage, and more unripe orchard fruits and windscreen-defroster spray. The bitterness on display is well pronounced without being a bother. Probably it is the youth talking. The second gulp is a notch sweeter, a cocktail of pineapple juice and tequila served in a sugar-frosted coupe with a dusting of ashes. Via retro-nasal olfaction, we identify a runny chocolate cake in which the egg is underbaked, or a sticky toffee pudding in which the core contains so much alcohol it stubbornly remains sloppy. Lastly, hazelnut praliné shows up. This one has some novelty value for sure. 7/10

166.2 7yo 2018/2026 The New Wave: A taste of our next-generation gems -- Hawaiian skewers (61.9%, SMWS The Creators Collection, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 226b): nose: although warmly welcoming, this is immensely peaty. Peat briquettes, toasted cereals, tincture of iodine, Merbromin followed by dried cow dung and smoked-strawbales, to finally land in an empty vase, which spells dried algae and lichens. There is a lingering impression of the interior of a smoker's car in the 1980s -- without the smoker in it. That was atrocious in a car, but brings all sorts of confusing memories when it comes out of a glass. With time, we catch seal wax, spent matches, matchbox strikers and lighter fluid. The second nose has potting soil and sacks of dark, natural fertiliser (more soil than manure). A vague fruitiness is at play, maybe kiwi peels, as are old branches decaying in a forest clearing. Mouth: ooft! What a non-subtle entry! It starts out similar to licking a lighter, with that mix of metal, flint and what comes across as gunpowder. It is strangely soft and velvety in texture, though that could prove hard to tell, behind that lighter action -- ha! Chewing shovels a tonne of dark, greasy earth and earthy peat onto the tongue, rich, welcoming and comforting, a bit farm-y, soon joined by the afore-mentioned notes of lighter (including lighter fluid, this time). Thick earth rises from a ploughed field, not quite mud, but certainly in that general direction, then charred fruits (pineapple slices, grapefruits) and a generous splash of xylene. The second sip is brighter and fresher. It seems fruity at first (apple and pineapple), then it becomes clear we are dealing with xylene again, or some kind of anaesthetic in liquid form (xylocaine? I do not know what that smells like, honestly). It is also hot. The earthy profile is not far behind, though. Finish: more of that greasy earth. It is very, very thick, reminiscent of an impenetrable black smoke from an open fireplace in a bothy. It is pleasant, if one likes that, even though one knows it causes all kinds of cancers in three sips. The second gulp has dead leaves, hardened mulch, mushrooms powder doused in Merbromin, and garam masala. Torched cherries and dark chocolate emerge from the rubble. Call it dark chocolate melted in too powerful a microwave oven and that consequently caramelised in places, forming crunchy, charry crystals. It is bad for chocolate, but it works in this dram. A perhaps-generous note. I like this a lot. 8/10

167.1 7yo 2018/2026 The New Wave: A taste of our next-generation gems -- Well-fired and mouthwatering (61.2%, SMWS The Creators Collection, 1st Fill ex-Oloroso Hogshead, 257b): how sneaky (or cunning) to release a .1 as part of a set collection! Nose: even though the colour suggests a strong Sherry maturation, it is fairly mute, after the massive 166. Let us give it a minute to breathe. There. Sweet-and-a-half, this presents boatloads of pressed currants, prunes and dried figs, followed by lichen-covered plum-tree branches. We then have membrillo, apricot compote, peach jelly and caster sugar blended with limestone dust. The sweet, syrupy note prevails, however. The second nose has caramel coulis ready to be poured on flan, stewed fruits removed from the pan, some of which have stuck to the side of said pan a bit. Mouth: and syrupy it is! Marmalade, jelly, compote. Yuzu marmalade comes to mind, but apricot jam is on its tail, as are Conference pears in syrup, rose-petal jelly and melon jam (with a few crumbled mint leaves). The growing acidity signals citrus, and we witness kumquat, bergamot and satsuma marmalades enter the scene, with some of their foliage on the side to give a leafy bitter boost. The second sip cranks up the citrus, especially their peels, which become almost rubbery. Nae bother, though: half a chew is enough to inject some citrus oil into that -- that spray that results from folding and pinching citrus peel, bitter, but ultimately fruity. Finish: hugely sweet again, while retaining a gentle bitterness, we have, once again, marmalades of various kind (kumquat, satsuma, bergamot, tangerine), mixed peel ground into a powder, honey-glazed citrus peels. In truth, there is not much else than citrus going on (a pinch of menthol, probably), yet what it does, it does so convincingly there is hardly a need for more. The second gulp doubles down on candied or honey-glazed citrus peel, which provides an optimal blend of sweetness, acidity and bitterness. Fruity, faintly mineral, win. Another cracking dram from Glasgae. 8/10

168.3 8yo 2017/2026 The New Wave: A taste of our next-generation gems -- Barbecue cure (58%, SMWS The Creators Collection, 1st fill American Oak ex-Oloroso Hogshead, 215b): of course, SMWS! Release .3 before .2 or .1. One can see why releasing three .1 at the same time would not be a terrific idea, naturally. Better to stagger the excitement. Nose: this is even peatier than 166.2, believe it or not. Turf, peat bogs, sphagnum moss, ploughed fields. It is an agricultural type of nose and we find ourselves driving a tractor on farm paths after the rain. Freshwater algae are there, somewhere, but earthy is what this is. Big, bold, earthy scents (and burnt wood, as one tilts the glass). The second nose is earthier yet, muddy, and adds wood gratings -- not quite sawdust, more the mulch that comes from a garden shredder: dead and felled branches becoming compost, if we dare say. In parallel, cattle dung grows in intensity. Mouth: initially mellow and a little fruity (apple compote), it does not take much chewing for it to reveal as much earth as the nose did. Dark, greasy earth from a fertile field, albeit bathing in apple compote, which is original. The smoke is impossible to miss, even if it is a particular kind of smoke that comes from burning mud cakes rather than anything else. In that, it feels unique, at least today. We have a spent fire in an empty vase, which suggests torched algae. Then, apples roasted for so long that they burnt, and orchard-soil embers. The second sip is more drying, and that comes from a blend of caster sugar, sawdust and dried earth. Only via retro-nasal olfaction do we rekindle with the algae (they are less dry, now) and moist dark earth. Finish: huge. Of the lot, this is probably the most bombastic finish. It has plenty of dried freshwater algae, pressed orchard fruits spilled onto dark, greasy earth then set alight, and a fistful of dead leaves -- from orchard trees too, of course. The second gulp drops a few apples into the orchard earth and incinerates it all with a flamethrower. That gives charred fruit, scorched earth and a few drops of juice that painstakingly manage to escape evaporation. This is impressive. 8/10

166.1 7yo 2018/2026 The New Wave: A taste of our next-generation gems -- Toasted almond fruit tea (61.4%, SMWS The Creators Collection, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 227b): what do you know? This venue-exclusive bottling is also available. It would be rude not to try it at the same time, especially considering it has the same label as its sister cask 166.2. Nose: it is initially as mute as 149.21 was, with just a whiff of cardboard or crumpled newspapers to keep it standing. A fine smoke rises slowly, more meek flames of aromatic herbs than a raging fire, really. Smoked cucumber, lukewarm tarry sands, still humid, grilled chipolatas, a drop of sea water and another of ink. It is very distant a nose, playing hard to get. Maybe a dollop of (blue) plasticine? Putty? The second nose is more talkative and pushes smoke from a fruit-tree fire, a little acrid, mostly warming and welcoming like a bothy on a dreich day. Tilting the glass adds a ganja aroma, albeit subdued. Mouth: sharp and incisive (not rough), it confirms blue plasticine, somehow -- plasticine that would have been sunk in surgical alcohol , then scooped out with metallic pliers. Chewing unlocks a gentle profile and swaps the surgical alcohol for raspberry jelly and candlewax. Hot and chewy, it slowly rolls out its appeal. We see hot plums, physalis (leaves included) and clay, all cloaked in smoke so thin one would easily miss it. The second sip sees more medicinal notes -- TCP, guaiacol, tincture of iodine, clear disinfectant of one kind or another, old bandages or gauze. Finish: well, the smoky tone is less discreet, now! Along with fruits (plums, physalis, dark grapes), we have soot and ashes from a fireplace riding a charred chipolata to the bottom of an ashtray. It somehow still manages to feel creamy, despite (or thanks to) a mouthful of smoked tiger prawns -- first the flesh, then the shells. How unusual! The second gulp throws roasted chestnuts onto that, smoky and sweet -- as well as nutty, obviously. Someone has sprayed droplets of orange juice onto those chestnuts, then mashed them into a purée. Speaking of purée, we also find the charred skin of jacket potatoes, most of the flesh of which was removed to mash into a purée too. What stands out is that skin, blistered and charred, bubonic. This is astonishingly different from 166.2. It is also very good and seems better with each sip. If I had more, it may end up with a higher score. 7/10

Well done, SMWS!

Happy birthday, FD!

13/03/2026 A few drams at the SMWS

At the SMWS for a reason that will become obvious in the next article, tOMoH takes advantage to try a few things.

72.129 11yo 2013/2025 Sip Sherry in a cigar smokeasy (58.1%, SMWS Two to One, ex-Bourbon Hogsheads finished in 1st Fill Spanish Oak ex-PX Butt, 580b): nose: a nostril-stripper, very pungent, it combines stale roast beef and cigar smoke, followed by limestone gratings, terribly mineral. We are back with bloody roast beef soon enough. Mouth: sweeter and more pastry-like than expected. Burnt-cake crust, burnt caramel -- no! toffee. Water makes it thick as Marmite, perhaps punctuated with smoked blackberries. Finish: beautifully balanced in the finish, which is unexpected. Custard-filled waffles, slightly burnt. Then, it turns metallic, bitter at second sip. Water gives it an acidic edge, which takes us back to blackberries and blackcurrants. The nose had me on the fence (6/10), but the rest is fine. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, KT)

29.305 11yo 2013/2025 Seaweed and smokies (58.3%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 2nd Fill ex-Oloroso Hogshead, 262b): nose: smoky, peppery black pudding and smoked seaweed, medicine, jelly capsules, then the stones that circle a camp fire. The second nose has shiny metal and chalk broken into small pieces. Mouth: cobblestones wet with plum juice and sprinkled with smoked confectionary sugar. Finish: smoky, but also a chunk sweeter than anticipated. The seaweed and smoke settle in gently and comfortably at second gulp. Clean, simple, it does the trick. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, KT)

Port Charlotte 6yo 2001/2007 PC6 Cuairt-Beatha (61.6%, OB, Bourbon / Madeira Casks, 18,000b, b#10998, 07/018): nose: some bacon, but the overwhelming dominant is baked mud cakes. It is extremely farm-y, this one. It has a haze of blurry fruits behind that, but it is mostly farmyard. Then, all of a sudden, it slaps one with dried strawberry slices in a chocolate-and-cream cake topped with strawberry coulis. The second nose is pure smoky mud. Mouth: mud, strawberry and, all of a sudden, a tide of ink. This is akin to biting into a squid, tentacles and all. The second sip has clay, slowly baking in the oven. Finish: tarry earth, inky mud patties and tyres after a race. This is a firm favourite of some people (WhiskyLovingPianist, amongst others). I am much less enthused. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, JN and PS)

Port Charlotte 10yo 2013/2024 Syc: 01 2013 (54.4%, OB Cask Exploration Series, 1st + 2nd Fill Bourbon + 1st Fill Syrah, L166641 24/002): nose: mud, Cologne, dried strawberry slices in yoghurt. It is not that smoky on the nose, funnily enough. Mouth: wide, inky and surprisingly bitter. Ink and dried strawberry slices laid to rest on a tyre. A pot of strawberry yoghurt was spilled on the inner tube too. There is a dusting of chalk on that at second sip, rather desiccating. Finish: big, it keeps the smoked mud and strawberry yoghurt going, yet there is a bitter, rubbery kick that will stop it scoring higher, tonight. 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, JN)

149.17 9yo 2016/2025 To sup by starlight (61.7%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill Spanish Oak ex-PX Butt, 638b): nose: well, that is a lot of Cologne here too! Or has someone in the room bathed in the stuff? I have sparkling red wine, then pink candyfloss and marshmallow. Mouth: mellow, it has berry-flavoured marshmallow covered in chocolate, followed by quarry gratings that feel rather desiccating. It has got hot metal and tar as well. Finish: warm sparkling red wine gone flat, hot pink candyfloss and chewy sweets of a dark-pink colour. It is fairly wine-y, not over the top. Finally, we spot red chewy sweets and cotton candy. This is OK. I remember not liking it much when it came out; I do not necessarily like it more today, but it is decent, in passing. 6/10 (Thanks for the dram, KT)

Time to decamp, before it turns dangerous.

13/03/2026 Caperdonich

Caperdonich 16yo 1972/1988 Benan 1875 (40%, Signatory Vintage Sailing Ships Series No 1, Sherry Casks, C#7130-7132, 1200b, b#135): nose: fairly delicate, it has what one would expect of an elegant Sherry maturation: a lick of encaustic, Medjool dates, dried figs, prunes, currants. Soon, it brings blueberries too, both fresh and dried. Despite what the dried fruits may suggest, it smells like a juicy number, this one! It graduates to smashed plums and pouring honey in a matter of minutes, flirts with rambutan, and comes back to prunes, now earthier than ever -- so earthy, in fact, that it takes on the form of potato peels dripping with lumps of clay. And here are an oiled cabinet desk or a full desk with a leather desk blotter littered with old pens. The second nose is an unsubtle slap of Sherry-soaked currants in the face, welcoming, warming, reminiscent of that bearded friend you have not seen for decades, yet you remember being the life of the party whenever he was there. We have a mix of dried currants, blueberries, prunes and cranberries, with chopped dates to elevate the mix, but not enough to recognise them with certainty. Mouth: a relaxed attack introduces all sorts of dried fruits, chiefly currants, but also prunes, cranberries and Corinth raisins. Those are so dark it is tempting to make a parallel with black liquorice, yet that would be a mistake. No! it stops well short of that kind of rubbery bitterness. Chewing reveals a drop (just a drop) of black-as-night coffee, promptly submerged by a generous pour of plum juice augmented with prune syrup. It has an earthy side too, to be sure; Pedro Ximénez, cream Sherry (remember: a blend of PX and Oloroso), leather saddles and rehydrated-mushroom water. At a push, one may even spot a horse, somewhere, though it is not really animal. The second sip manages to be both juicy and drying, with more of those excellent dried fruits (prunes in the lead, this time), dark honey and earth that reeks of petrichor. This comes close to honey on toasts eaten in a forest clearing in late September. The earthy freshness that comes from chewing may even be the fragrant layer of pine needles on the floor of said clearing. Finish: more of the same; earthy-leathery notes soon succumb to the joint assaults of currants, prunes, cranberries and honey (this time tar-black). It has an almost-minty freshness, which is quite astonishing and comes across as a mint drop dunked into a glass of sweet Sherry, with a bowl of currants to eat along. It is a very-long finish in which the fruity, raisin-y notes recede to make room for bold earthy ones -- liquorice root, now, as well as teriyaki sauce. The tongue is left to deal with cooling embers, and that is pretty pleasant. The second gulp strikes a masterly balance of dried fruits and earthy compounds. Mulch, potting soil, mushroom juices in a frying pan and mocha-flavoured toffee. Despite the fact that the bitterness associated with the latter lingers on the tongue enough to redact the dried fruits, it remains a remarkable drop,nallnin all. When JS opened this, I was nervous it would have suffered from evaporation: at 40% with a level just below the base of the neck, it could have been weakish. Not so. Not even tired -- phew! 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

09/03/2026 Auchentoshan

Auchentoshan 23yo 1992/2015 (46.6%, Cadenhead Small Batch, Bourbon Oak Barrels, 456b, 15/260): nose: it starts off with a stripping whiff of pure alcohol. Industrial cleaning alcohol that one can easily imagine is used to make metal plates shiny. However, after a couple of minutes' breathing, it opens up and starts pushing fruits -- pineapple, tinned peaches, warm mango slices. Aha! It goes from fresh and tropical to stewed and preserved in a short period of time, and we find ourselves navigating jams and jellies: apricot, peach, but also poached apple. It has a gentle pastry thing going on, buttery shortcrust dusted with confectionary sugar, but nothing over the top. That pastry becomes bolder and more eggy, and I swear pastel de nata, a note that I read last Friday and that I have never used myself to-date (I think), is applicable, here. It soon becomes brighter and fresher, with tinned grapefruit segments and Mirabelle plums, followed by ground roasted nuts (which is less fresh). In the end, we catch a glimpse of caster sugar turning green with mould, and Verdigris. Wait! That is not the end: the Verdigris morphs into dried sage, after a while. The second nose has limoncello spilled into an open toolbox: sticky screwdrivers and wrenches smell of citrus. A minute later, we find a spoonful of confectionary sugar spilled in the same toolbox, and a pinch of dried sage. Mouth: it is a tad metallic on entry; moss-covered zinc and oxidised sheet-metal coils. Chewing cleans that up, gives us shiny metal once more, reminiscent of a razor blade, or a pencil-sharpener blade (though not as pronounced), which means it has a certain bitterness. There is a green side too (spurge) and an unripe-fruit aspect too, with bitter pomelo or satsuma that barely has any juice yet. Keeping it in the mouth long enough, it ends up giving some juice alright, with so much green-citrus peel that it will not be for everyone. The second sip is juicier, sweeter. Kumquat, bergamot, physalis in syrup. Only when chewing does one remember the metal (still a blade), yet it is so doused in fruit juice it is nothing to read negatively. Is there a pinch of ground white pepper, maybe? Furious chewing unveils something else: the stuffy velvet interior of an American town car left in the sun for too long. Finish: although green here too, the fruit starts to show a stronger personality. It still exhibits citrus, riper now, and paired with yellow fruits such as Mirabelle plum and physalis. That may well be served on a pewter plate, yet there is hardly any moss, let alone Verdigris (which only affects copper anyway). The second gulp is more-openly fruity; it revives the pineapple from the nose, couples it with pomelo and Shaddock, then augments the whole with dried bergamot foliage and one Kaffir lime leaf. Once the whole is sufficiently integrated, it is served in a metal ladle. It is the stainless steel of that ladle that gives us the final note: still full of the fruits it comes in contact with, but also confidently metallic and, therefore, a bit bitter. The lingering impression is that of chocolate-flavoured whipped cream, though, and that is delicious. This will probably have its detractors, while others will love it. Strangely enough, I had it a couple of days ago (from the same bottle), and it felt like a different dram altogether. Go figure. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, Psycho)