11/05/2026 Irish Monkey

Irish Single Malt 28yo 1989/2017 Vol.1 (56.2%, Limited Whisky Investment The Monkey Series in co-operation with Sansibar, Bourbon Cask, 164b, 16/05058): nose: very quiet, almost mute. Golden shortcrust with a dusting of confectionary sugar. It develops a greener touch, with rubbed mint leaves, citrus foliage and a pinch of lemon mint so dry and so faded it is hard to spot. Breathing time increases the shortcrust impression, soft, fluffy, with hints of baked mango, persimmon and apricot. Those two are really subtle, though. This is not at all an obvious fruity avalanche! The second nose is hardly more talkative and, if anything, it is more austere: it now has grated limestone and wet cliff rocks, as if washed by the rain. All that fizzes out after a while to leave but a generic impression of freshness. Mouth: a notch bolder on the tongue, it is thick and velvety, with peach nectar, persimmon and mango slices so ripe they melt in the mouth. Chewing, even briefly, causes an explosion of tropical fruit. We have a mechanical fruit chopper slicing mangoes at high speed and shoving all the output into the mouth, blades included. Indeed, beside the undeniable fruitiness is a lick of metal reminiscent of 117.3. The second sip has the gentle kick of a fruit-scented nail varnish. That paves the way for a mango-and-persimmon purée, and we may even detect timid maracuja. The metallic note from earlier is much more subdued, now. Each subsequent sip adds citrus foliage and it takes longer for fresh fruits to emerge, as they inexorably do. Finish: strangely enough, it has a pronounced bitter touch akin to chicory infusion, then heat. This drops a heated metal ball into the stomach, which then radiates heat through the whole body. The heat builds up especially at the top of the oesophagus. Those heatwaves carry wafts of baked mango and papaya before dying with a note of chocolate. Jammy at second gulp, it quickly grows in mango intensity, ripe, flavourful, and creamy in texture, close to quality milk chocolate indeed. There is even some caramel at play, in the long run -- salted caramel cream, to be precise. Even with a somewhat-disappointing nose (that made me think I inverted the labels of this and the Balvenie from the same night), it certainly holds its own as a whole. 9/10

09/05/2026 Lord of the Rings MkII

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08/05/2026 Ardbeg

Ardbeg 10yo (46%, OB, b. ca. 2005): nose: a big splash of sea water, is it not? Wet sands, seashells, sea spray and sea air. Just as I marvel at how different those notes are, compared to my memories of Ardbeg 10yo released circa 2002-2005 (ashes, cereals and earth), an ashier note slaps me in the nose. White ashes spread on the ground, then sprinkled with fortified wine, burnt hazelwood that was extremely dry to begin with, and smoked haybales. Soon enough, it claws back some of the initial maritime allure, though it is now squid ink and tarry ropes. The second nose is earthier yet, with dry clay and half-baked pottery. A drop of ink remains in the background. Mouth: what the deuce!? Shampoo? There is a whiff of smoke and ashy toffee, but it is spoiled by shampoo. In this impeccable sample bottle and its self-sealing lid, it is most unexpected. Nothing in the nose suggested it either, so I believe the liquid suffered in the sample, rather than a dud bottle from the start. The second sip is even worse. Full-on shampoo. Finish: still soapy, but some of the original character survives. We find cereals, muesli, porridge, even. Indeed, it is creamy, if not exactly custardy. Burnt wood and ashes rise and heat up the chest, which feels as though sipping warm salt water from an inky seashell. The second gulp sees flame-grilled pineapple ignite, then extinguished with a dash of shampoo. Decent, but sadly damaged by the soapy notes. 5/10 (Thanks for the sample, Savoureur)

Happy birthday, JD.

01/05/2026 Balvenie

Here is the dram we skipped last week.

Balvenie 32yo 1966/1998 (42.1%, OB Vintage Cask, C#6432, 264b, b#36): nose: this is a side of Balvenie I am less familiar with, but one that brings a smile of satisfaction. It bursts with mango, Galia melon, papaya, persimmon and ripe peaches. It has nectarines too, less prominent. A few jasmine buds speckle the surface of that fruit juice, soon joined by a pinch of finely-ground white pepper. Time adds other fruits, such as green grapes, guava and carambola. Maybe it has timid citrus zest and, at last, a minute amount of berries. The second nose is rather different: gone are the fruits, replaced by herbs in a pine clearing. Fresh mint, tarragon, marjoram, lemon thyme and pine needles all combine to form a gel, ready to be injected into hard-shelled sweets. Mouth: mellow, unctuous and seemingly accessible, it has pouring custard with a drop of pressed fruits, some unripe as to impart a minor bitterness. We find a lick of metal too, stainless steel or aluminium. Chewing adds a gorgeous hazelnut paste, sweet, unctuous and bitter, but the fruits come out fast and strong -- carambola, guava, chayote served on a metal plate. It has a dash of chicory infusion too, which is even more unexpected. The second sip is as mellow, probably a tad more acidic. We now have citrus pulp blended with a spoonful of yoghurt -- pink grapefruit, pomelo, blush orange. We really go from white-green tropical fruits to pink-reddish citrus. Finish: if the alcohol felt modest on the palate, it kicks harder here. No violence, or anything; simply, one can feel the heat, a little, amongst the fruity, syrupy goodness. It could probably be likened to stem ginger. Beside are hazelnut paste, galangal purée, lemongrass-fueled celeriac mash, timid milk chocolate, lukewarm custard. Behind all that, smashed carambola and guava steadily rise. That all makes for a creamy finish with a bitter nuance. The second gulp feels more quaffable, better integrated, and a notch fruitier. It remains creamy, but the hazelnut paste is almost overrun by lovely citrus; Shaddock, pink grapefruit, Oroblanco, Ugli fruit. Fantastic. 9/10

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.