09/02/2026 Belgium #10 -- Old glories

ydc, GD, Bishlouk, red71, JS and I meet (virtually) to try things that the other Belgian tasters have already tried. Things that are too depleted to make samples for everyone. STL cannot join; he is giving blood to a family of clubbed baby seals, tonight.

As usual, everything is poured blind and revealed when everyone has had a chance to try the whisky. Even the theme, I only reveal afterwards.

Dram #1

Nose: it smells great and old-school (Bishlouk), though ydc finds it a little flat
Mouth: a bit light on the palate (Bishlouk), tired (red71) or shot (Bishlouk). ydc, on the other hand, finds it a decent heat.
Finish: it is indeed a smidge dusty and it is time to finish it. At the same time, it still has enough stamina and class.
Comment: disappointed with the welcome this got, tonight. There is some left in the bottle; we will try it again. Full notes are here.

Caperdonich 11yo d.1968 (70° Proof, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur's Choice) 8/10

Dram #2

Nose: fresher and more herbaceous, it has flower stems and mint (Bishlouk). red71, ydc and GD confirm the freshness and go further to call mint menthol. ydc also finds subtle spices.
Mouth: fruity, herbaceous (Bishlouk), daisy stems (red71). Bishlouk says it is not super-high strength, but full on the tongue, with a pinch of spices. red71 calls it oily.
Finish: Bishlouk reckons it could be a Littlemill, albeit a very-vegetal example, exuberant. red71 finds it austere and bitter, peppery. GD detects some ginger.
Comment: "likely a Speysider, perhaps a Glen Keith," says Bishlouk who will then insist he got the distillery right "at some point." My full notes are here.

Littlemill 16yo 1991/2008 (50%, Douglas Laing The Old Malt Cask 50°, Refill Hogshead, C#DL4064, 276b) 8/10

Bishlouk talks about the various profiles of Littlemill throughout the years -- herbaceous, fruity, chalky...

Bishlouk: "Les années 1990 étaient plus herbacées, alors que les années 1980 étaient hyper fruitées..."
tOMoH: "Dans les années 1980, j'avais les genoux bien verts, parce que je courais dans l'herbe assez."

Bishlouk: "I'm not a fan of ginger."
red71: "He prefers daisies."

Dram #3

Nose: "no note of big, sulphur-y Sherry, despite the obvious cask influence (based on the colour)" (Bishlouk). It smells all sweet and velvety, according to Bishlouk. red71 finds it to his taste (or to his nose, probably). Bishlouk spots rancio and OBE, while red71 has rubber and burnt wood. ydc declares mahogany, to which red71 adds fire starters and barbecue.
Mouth: red71 and Bishlouk note it is a bit low in strength, but not weak. The lack of brute force is not detrimental at all, here.
Finish: fruits, especially chestnuts (ydc), dried fruits (Bishlouk). GD and ydc call it warming and comforting.
Comment: this never disappoints. My full notes are here.

Glenlossie-Glenlivet 21yo 1957/1979 (80° Proof, Cadenhead imported by Mario Rossi, Sherry Cask) 9/10

Dram #4

Nose: herbaceous (red71 and Bishlouk), though red71 is quick to point out that it is lighter than the Littlemill, which was also herbaceous. Bishlouk finds mint and "some kind of perfume." ydc slaps a name on that: Cologne. Bishlouk tells us of meadow flowers too.
Mouth: wild (ydc), it has nothing in common with the nose (GD). red71 has a slight fizz, while I find dark honey tainted with eucalyptus powder. red71 manages to utter that it sticks to the gob and puts one's mouth upside down. Perhaps he tried to kiss Mike Tyson?
Finish: full-bodied (red71), it has green wood (ydc and Bishlouk). red71 finds that it stings a little, though that sting improves at second sip. ydc notices chilli powder in the finish.
Comment: as always, this is a little abrupt at first sip, but grows on the tasters. My full notes are here.

D.town 33yo d.1979 (56.3%, Cadenhead Cask Ends, 3rd Fill Bourbon Cask, 1b) 8/10

red71: "This is very nice. Not sure what it'll give in the mouth, but..."

red71: "What are the nice areas of Charleroi?"
ydc: "Loverval."
tOMoH: "So does JS. We went to the abbey and she said: 'I love Orval.'"

ydc [about ageing Orval in the bottle]: "After five years, it becomes uninteresting."
Bishlouk:"What? Bad?"
ydc: "No, just uninteresting. Elle platisse."
tOMoH: "Elle fait des gaufles, des taltelettes, des cloissants… Elle platisse."

Dram #5

Nose: refined peat (red71 and Bishlouk). "It smells like an old Ardbeg: I cannot find the ash of Caol Ila, so I imagine a pre-1996 Ardbeg" (Bishlouk). red71 cannot find any peat, initially, probably still nursing his wounds from kissing Mike Tyson, earlier. In fact, he finds the nose muted and not very expressive.
Mouth: sweet and full of cane sugar (ydc). Sweetness and smoke (Bishlouk, red71, GD).
Comment: "not bad (for an Ardbeg)" (Bishlouk). He and red71 reckon it could also be an old Ledaig. Calls all round for tOMoH to make them dream with an unattainable reference are replaced with disbelief when they discover it is not only available at the time of writing, but affordable too. A hidden gem that enthuses all -- the great surprise of tonight for everyone. My full notes are here.

Glasgow Blend Limited Edition b.2019 (49%, Compass Box Great King St Single Marrying Cask selected by The Wine Merchant Ltd imported by Compass Box USA, ex-Sherry Marrying Cask, C#35, 132b) 8/10

red71: "It is probably an old thing I cannot afford."
Bishlouk:"You have three children. Sell one."
red71: "They're too old. If I had an eight-year-old daughter, I'd get a good price, but they're all in their twenties. They're worthless, now."

red71 [tries to guess the theme]: "They are poured in ascending Whiskybase ID order!"

Good times. Ridiculous nonsense from all involved.

09/02/2026 Chichibu

Chichibu London Edition b.2023 (51.5%, OB Ichiro's Malt imported by Speciality Drinks, 1949b, b#1843): nose: it is not very expressive, at first. A whiff of frankincense, a whisper of sandalwood, old wooden sandals... This has a Shinto-temple allure to it, but it does not boast, to say the least. A few seconds' breathing help promote oiled wood (mahogany, rosewood, cherrywood), then a a flavourful, unlit cigar -- unless it is fruity pipe tobacco, Ash jumps on the bandwagon for a good old party. The second nose takes me back to the village shop near my childhood home; it sold most everything, but the dominant smell was that of candy of all kinds, mingling with that of clean-but-outmoded floor tiles. At least, that is how I remember it. This even has a slight animal scent that plays peek-a-boo: leather, full-fat cream past its prime, or slightly rancid sweat. Mouth: roasted apple pips, upon entry, then much smokier tones when chewing. A stealthy sweetness follows. Smoked Haribo gummies, if that makes sense. It is at once hot and very pleasant on the tongue, owing to that sweetness. And it is really Gummibärchen. No caster sugar, no Demerara, no cane sugar, no Golden Syrup. Just unadulterated Gummibärchen (yellow or orange, to be precise, which suggests they are citrus flavoured). The second sip is a tad more acidic. Oh! it is not quite vinegar-y; more pressed currants augmented with just a drop of pickled-red-onion brine. Chewing, once again, releases sweeties, though perhaps with a darker-citrus flavour., this time: orange, blush orange, gac fruit). It is not exactly wine-y, but it points in that general direction. It turns very-slightly fizzy in the long run and adds sultanas. Finish: Gummibärchen and smoke are so tightly knit that they actually form an elegant whole rather than two parts. It has a delicate mineral aspect too, softly drying, especially perceptible on the front half of the tongue. A little later on, it gives crystallised citrus segments or very-dry, hardened mixed peel and a discreet note of faded leather. The second gulp brings forth currants and dried cranberries, and swaps the mineral side for grated charcoal. The more time passes, the more reminiscent this is of the 1970s. Oilcloth on the chipboard kitchen table, beige-and-orange curtains, unhealthy snacks, cigarette smoke clinging to everything. It has its charm. It reclaims its earlier elegance after a while, which is just as well. Let us be frivolous and give this a high score, today. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

07/02/2026 February outturn at the SMWS

It is that time of the month again. I join PS, Dr. CD, GT, JS, YM and HT to try the highlights.

9.313 17yo 2008/2025  Honey, I'm home! (55.6%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Barrel finished in 1st Fill ex-Sauternes Barrique, 311b): nose: gingerbread and paper paste. It has a certain funk and decaying berries too. It is a tad earthy, muddy and fusty, with a drop of nail lacquer. There are fruits in the background, trying to make their way up, though they never quite manage. Mouth: as cloying as jam that has simmered, then cooled off, solidified, and lost all of its moisture. It is extremely sweet and a bit acidic, perhaps elderberry jam and biscuit à la cuiller. The second sip is almost spoiled by half-a-teaspoon of Marmite. Finish: hot jams here too, and what appears to be hot metal. Strong liquid indeed, it stuns the taste buds a little. Is that industrial cleaning agent? Ha! No it really is hot metal -- so hot it cauterises the mucous membranes of the mouth. 7/10

I notice that the group behind me left without touching their cheeses. I try to blag them, but DS will have none of it. It all ends in the bin, much to my chagrin.

128.34 10yo 2014/2026 Dragon fruit soup (60%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Barrels finished in 1st Fill ex-Oloroso Hogshead, 312b): nose: the glass has been sitting there for thirty minutes or so, which may have made a difference, but, after JS told me she was disappointed with the lack of promised dragon fruit, I find this a right slap of tropical edibles (papaya, persimmon), before confectionary sugar rocks up -- Boudoir biscuits and apricot turnovers dripping with fruit syrup, followed by sherbet. Mouth: ooft! That is sweet. Palo Cortado comes to mind, tawny Port, then that moves towards bitterer notes closer to coffee, albeit a heavily-sweetened one. We have wine-cured marmalade and orange rinds too. It is more acidic at second sip, mixed peels and a pinch of ash. Finish: decaying peaches, Palo Cortado Sherry, a hint of rhubarb in a cupful of hot marmalade. Lots of exotic fruits at second gulp, mango and persimmon leading the charge, followed by peach, carambola, dragon fruit and baked Korean pear. Sure, the Sherry is loud, but it is a good dram, comparable to 128.18, in my mind. By the way, the bottling date engraved on the bottle suggests this is actually eleven, not ten. 8/10

PS hands me his glass. He ordered it, did not like it, added water and likes it even less.

68.142 11yo 2014/2025 Frangipane and apple granny (56.5%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in ex-Rivesaltes Barrique, 302b): (with water) I find it pretty good, though it turns extremely bitter ten seconds after swallowing. GT reckons it would go well with goat's cheese -- bang on! An ash-dusted goat's cheese would be ideal. I crave cheese, now and resent DS for throwing perfectly good cheese in the bin, earlier (he is really just following his health-and-safety rules). 6/10 (Thanks, PS)

59.97 18yo 2007/2025 Highland modernity (52.8%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 265b): nose: this is a buttery one, even if PS promised all kinds of flowery activity. Sure, there are some daffodils, tulips and such, but, mostly, it is butter. Dried flowers appear in the long run -- forsythia and kerria Japonica. Mouth: it is plant-stem soup, not awfully bitter, but green and vegetal alright. Chewing adds a dose of powdered sugar followed by citrus foliage. Finish: very sweet, it has tangerine segments rolled into confectionary sugar. It reclaims that butteriness at second gulp, yet that is more a comment on the texture than taste-related. Indeed, the taste is that of tulip petals and forsythia in bloom. 7/10

122.84 9yo 2015/2025 Mango tango (58.8%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 184b): nose: lots of pastry and no smoke (nor the trademark roast chicken). Shortcrust, turnovers, jam on toast (apricot). That is followed by talcum powder sprinkled on a baby's cheeks. The second nose has sherbet and heaped tablespoons of confectionary sugar, with also citrus (calamansi and pomelo, toned down with smashed bananas). Mouth: thick apricot jam develops a chalky edge and hot steel. The second sip has more apricot, this time with the hot metal blade more obvious that cut the fruit. Finish: similar, for a second, then it delivers a burst of tropical fruits (papaya, some exotic peaches). Repeated quaffing brings candied fruit cubes (pineapple and papaya), along with a spoonful of fruit juice on the side. 8/10

One last one? I am ready to leave, but PS highly recommends the next one. Only available in the members' rooms, it is clear it is a now-or-never dram. That is enough to make me disregard my hate affair with SMWS Inchmoan dating from 135.11.

135.77 9yo 2016/2025 Restored to mint condition (61%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 197b): nose: a lovely farm-y peat introduces juicy fruits (peach, nectarine, apricot). It is a fantastic interplay between peat and fruit that usually does not come out until a whisky has spent at least twenty years in a cask. Oh! and the peat is so farm-y. Even lychee shows up at second nose, augmented with a drop of mercurochrome and a sprinkle of ash, later on. Mouth: mellow, if a tad peppery, it has the same velvety fruits (nectarine, peach, apricot, plantain, now) rolled up in farm-y mud. There is a hint of chalk, or chalky fertiliser, the kind one carries in hessian sacks that Dr. CD is so fond of (agricultural lime, or 'aglime' for short). The second sip welcomes a flinty Fino, fresh, fruity and mineral. Finish: an explosion of peaty fruits. Nectarines fallen into mud, peaches trampled by cows, apricots thrown into a peat fire. Perhaps my score is overly generous, but I find this fantastic, today. Annoyingly, YM does too, and snatches the last bottle. 9/10

157.1 8yo 2014/2023 Toasty, roasty and oaky (60.8%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Oloroso Butt, 622b): nose: a lot of dried dates and a drop of rye? With time, we have butter, oily wood and a syrupy white Sherry that resembles a sweetened version of Manzanilla. Mouth: oh! This is very woody. Oily teak and mahogany turn into darker-wood cabinets (walnut, iroko) and beef stock. The second sip has Demerara sugar and thick syrup. Finish: big, oily, woody. Oiled wood, tan shoe polish. What an unexpected delight! 8/10

YM: "I mean: who amongst us can say they don't have contacts with a Jeffrey Epstein, a Harvey Weinstein, or a Gary Glitter?"
tOMoH: "Well, the way I see it, either you know a person like that, or you are one."
PS: "I'll raise my hand and say I don't [know anyone like that]. But I'm glad you didn't say Jimmy Saville."

Good session. Fun times.

06/02/2026 A few gins (yes, really)

Ahhh! Gin. Whisky's raver brother. Underaged, already high on botanicals. So good most people drown it in tonic.

Jim and Tonic Kraft (42%, OB, b. ca. 2025): hopped grapefruit gin, they call it. Nose: woah! This is extremely citrus-y. Grapefruit zest, grapefruit pulp, grapefruit juice. Maybe it has some hand lotion, coconut-scented shampoo and moisturising cream, but it soon goes back to grapefruit zest, crystallised citrus segments and cosmetic powders. Like Microsoft, it really only plays OneNote. The second nose has bold hand soap. In a way, it feels close to entering a candle-and-soap shop in the Hebrides. Mouth: with a soft attack, it offers a gentle bitterness -- likely grapefruit peels. Chewing brings an onslaught of grapefruit again, where zest and pulp dominate. The second sip has a grapefruit-scented soap bar. Finish: more grapefruit goodness. It is not terribly acidic, which gives an impression of yuzu too, sweet and faintly bitter (rind, then). That citrus hides the raw grain that many gins showcase, and that is a good thing. The second gulp is soapier. This is unchallenging as they come. 6/10

Amazonian (41%, OB, b. ca. 2024): nose: well, this one is infinitely more complex. The mix of botanicals must have contained more ingredients. Here are fruits, fresh and candied, and few herbs. Cape gooseberries, sweet citrus (calamansi, Ugli fruit), rosehip, a berry or another, star anise and a drop of super glue. Next to what is drawn on the label, this also has longan, lychee and candied papaya. The base grain is perceptible, but far from the main act. That is followed by hand soap when tilting the glass. The second nose has citrus-scented laundry detergent. Mouth: more assertive than the Jim and Tonic, in terms of alcohol, this has a mild bite to introduce a leafier bitterness. Chewing confirms Kaffir lime leaves, tangerine foliage and unripe-mandarine peels, all topped with a thin veneer of marmalade. It has some bark too, where the tree goes from a stem to a trunk and said bark is still soft. Finish: hard to believe what a difference 1% ABV makes! This one feels much bigger than the first dram, despite the minor shift (a downward shift too, I later notice). Still fruity (pomelo sweets or lychee), it also has Kaffir lime leaves to add a certain bitterness. Retro-nasal olfaction picks up a soap bar once more. That increases at second gulp and becomes an old soap bar, dry, chalky, a bit more abrasive without becoming entirely ashy. 7/10 (Thanks, ydc)

Barra Carrageen Seaweed (46%, OB, b. ca.2025): Barra has its own distillery, you know. The Castlebay plant has been making gin since 2019 (it sold gin produced elsewhere between 2017 and 2019). The company started building another distillery to produce whisky, but that is a story for another day. Meanwhile... Nose: dry and saline, it has sea air alright, but so much salt that the moisture is hardly noticeable. Rosemary, rock salt, focaccia, bay leaves and dried citrus foliage. There is a hint of warm wood too, as well as incense and sandalwood. Those tend to quickly turn heady, but it is not the case, here. They are subtle notes. That changes to take us to cured plums and oily dark tobacco augmented with a pinch of ground cloves and black-pepper powder. The second nose seems leafier and makes one think of dhansak, for some reason. Mouth: ooft! This is a bit of a shock. We encounter cockles, mussels, whelks and winkles, and chewing confirms that, even if it adds a dash of citrus juice and a generous sprinkle of fine salt. With time, the citrus comes to dominate and the whole becomes like a salty marmalade, albeit one in which cockles are bathing. The second sip presents dried leaves or seaweed, though not of the crunchy type: imagine seaweed, dried, then preserved in jelly. Finish: although it comes across as softer than the Amazon at 41%, this sticks to the gob for much longer. It is now full-on marmalade in which the balance weighs in favour of the added sugar, not the fruits. Sweet, coating, the finish retains none of the molluscs and little of the salt. It may have jellied seaweed, or that could simply be the label suggesting it. The second gulp is in line, but it is increasingly sugary. This is good with too weird a palate to work completely successfully. 7/10

02/02/2026 Ballan Sark

 Cutty Sark 25yo Tam o'Shanter (46.5%, Berry Bros. & Rudd for Burns' Night 2012, 5000b): nose: an old library or archive room, with piles of books (mostly worn paperbacks) and also reading desks -- blotting paper, faded carpet, old ink on yellowed paper. It ventures further on the road to stale, with crumpled newspaper, old cardboard and even dried urine. As it is about to turn into a rustic pub's latrine, it sheds all the above and puts on a mantle of candied cherries and acidic cranberry sauce, as well as rosehip. Cardboard and old papers do resurface, but we seem to have got rid of the wee -- phew! The second nose has an air of old world, and it is not hard to imagine gentlemen wearing dinner jackets in the smoking room of their club, There is even a heavier, woodiness settling in (acacia). Mouth: fresh and acidic, it presents cranberries indeed, followed by physalis. Chewing reveals a bold sweetness, chewy sweets at first, then cardboard-y toffee. It is dusty and malty, and hints at a malt breakfast drink (not Littlemill!) spilled onto a piece of cardboard. Old blends, eh? The second sip betrays a relatively-high grain content by displaying white granulated sugar mixed with barley mash. That gives way to a pleasant toffee augmented with lemon segments and just a whisper of menthol. Finish: sweetened chicory infusion, Mokatine, perhaps caramelised endives. It blends the sweet with the bitter brilliantly, bitterer than hot chocolate, sweeter than chicory infusion, close to stale toffee, if that were available in liquid form. The second gulp remains blend-y, with chicory granules and Vanidene trying to one-up one another in boiling water. Beside toffee and Mokatine, it has a pinch of lemon zest and some faded ginger gratings. Solid. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, OB)

Ballantine's 30yo (unknown ABV, George Ballantine + Son, unknown volume, b. late 1970s/early 1980s, SB 161 L5): nose: deeper and darker, it promises sweetness in the shape of crystallised blackcurrant sweets rather than mocha-flavoured ones. Deeper nosing gives oily wood, uprooted trees in a damp clearing, and, increasingly, wild mushrooms. Breathing time imparts cola sweets lost amongst mulch, yet we never go too far from blackcurrants. The second nose introduces a cup of thyme infusion sweetened with a spoonful of dark honey. That is enjoyed at the rustic kitchen table, made of solid wood, that has seen the kitchen stove lit a number of times. Yes, oily logs and old newspapers complete the picture. Mouth: an old-school attack reminiscent of ancient Gordon & MacPhail offerings. One may conclude that this has been "adjusted" with E150a, and that is likely the truth. It certainly makes for a sweet, flat-cola-like palate, albeit one that still tells much more to those who care to listen: toffee, dried currants, dried figs, prunes, dried cranberries and cherries, and even a pinch of tobacco coated in honey. If it reads weird, it tastes exquisite. The second sip is sweeter yet, with Medjool dates pointing towards lukums. That paves the way for banane flambée, barley syrup, pressed raisins and smoked currants. Finish: phwoar! Despite the (presumably) lower ABV, it just kicks bouteille. Sweet again, it continues the dried-fruit parade, this time cloaked in a thin smoke. We have dried currants and berries, served on a walnut cutting board, while an acrid smoke rises from the open coal fire in another room. To overcome the smoke, which, if thin indeed, is clearly perceptible, one is sucking on a mocha-and-currant boiled sweet. The second gulp brings forth a smoked-pineapple purée and dies with mocha grounds and soot on blackened parchment paper moist with fruit syrup. Beautiful. It could use more power, but it does not strictly need it. 9/10