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)

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.

27/05/2026 An evening at Cobbler

Just like last time, as soon as we explain to the barman that we like whisky and are keen to discover exclusive bottlings for the local market, he collapses and sends us his manager... who remembers us! She brings us a handful of bottles (amongst which a Ballechin). When JS says smoke is a secondary interest to us, she turns around: "Ah. All of these are smoky" and brings a different selection.

Also, complimentary cobbler on arrival

Mlla b.2025 (53%, Michel Couvreur bottled only for South Korea imported by Splash International, Dry Manzanilla Sherry Butt)

Nose: strongly herbal, like a génépi. Juniper leaves, laurel, fresh rosemary, maybe dried seaweed, though not much salt. Hinoki wood appears at second nosing. It smells like a warm bath in a scented tub.
Mouth: full-bodied, almost syrupy. More herbs (laurel and rosemary again), now complemented with stem ginger and cassia bark. It feels woodier at second sip, though it is still syrupy. Thuja, cypress bark, hinoki.
Finish: big, liqueur-like, this has thuja, hinoki and other scented woods. JS finds grapefruit pips. The second gulp has a lovely pine-tree-bark allure that makes me think of Benrinnes.
Comment: good effort. Matured "over a decade."
Score: 7/10

F b.2025 (53%, Michel Couvreur bottled only for South Korea imported by Splash International, Dry Fino Sherry Butt)

Nose: balsawood, sandalwood, oiled teak furniture and dried rosemary. It has a faint whiff of burnt sugar and torched molasses. The second nose has an earthy perfume from the 1980s, the name of which escapes me.
Mouth: fruitier on the palate, it has prunes and figs soaked in booze, berries liqueur, a gentle lick of wood (distant acacia). drier at second sip, it is very reminiscent of a Fino, mineral with a Sauvignon-Blanc vibe to it.
Finish: dry and robust, it has walnut-shell gratings and crushed fruit stones. Follow flint and slate chippings, bitter and mineral. It is fruity and dry at second gulp, like a good white wine.
Comment: even better. But then, Fino is my favourite type of Sherry.
Score: 7/10

Paired with olives and chocolate

Edradour 11yo 2013/2024 (60%, OB Ibisco Decanter imported by Stirling Korea, Bourbon Barrels, C#413+415+417+418+419+420+421+422+423+424, 1997b)

Nose: spirit-y, medicinal, even. Ether, surgical alcohol -- wait! Peaches appear suddenly and more and more pronounced, as do Turkish delights, then crème brûlée and gentle rubber. The second nose has custard and fruity yoghurt.
Mouth: ester-y and spirit-y again. This might as well be new make, so little character it has. In terms of flavours, that is, because it is otherwise rather fierce, with lashes of surgical alcohol. The second sip is more mineral, with quarry dust peppered over it.
Finish: eau-de-vie-like, here are distilled peach and kaki somewhat hidden behind a generous dash of booze. It is not poorly integrated; it just kicks like a mule. The second gulp is more quaffable, though still powerful. Custard-cream biscuit on acid. Water makes it more biscuit-y and gives it an impression of wet dog (Hardois, si tu nous regardes…)

Comment: the Korean text states Ibisco Decanter as the collection, even if it does not appear in English.
Score: 7/10

Glenlossie 12yo 2013/2025 (60.3%, North Star High Proof Guarantee selected and exclusively bottled for Jens Drewitz imported by Sansibar-Whisky imported by Roehni, 282b)

Nose: the Sherry cask speaks. This is lactic and animal: cow hides, cattle sweat, and it has a hint of alcohol in the back, before oily orange peels appear. The second nose has more and more orange rinds, dried, but still fruity.
Mouth: leathery and animal alright. Cattle breath, raw hides, rancio, and the bitterness of shoe polish. The second sip is more medicinal: ether at first, then plaster glue and muscle straps.
Finish: it kicks too, but citrus comes through more. Oranges, blush oranges, cured tangerines. The second gulp is, again, more medicinal (tuberculin).

Comment: a Korean import of a German import of a Scottish whisky. Ha!
Score: 7/10

Paired with nuts

A few people leave:

tOMoH: "If you want to go scan the shelves, go for it."
JS: "Yeah, now it's clearing up a little."
tOMoH: "Oh! yeah, the other long nose has gone. I'm now the longest nose in the room."
JS: "Let's call you Pinocchio."

We call it a night anyway. Early start tomorrow.

26/05/2026 An evening at Barrel Than Yesterday

One great joy of travelling is discovering that a bar on the other side of the world has whiskies one would never come across anywhere else. They may not be the most prestigious vintages, distilleries or ages, but that does not make them less exclusive.

Unlikely sightings

Tomintoul 8yo d.2014 Release No.106 (56.4%, Angus Dundee for Alistair Walker Infrequent Flyers imported by MetaBev, Oloroso Sherry Puncheon, C#2362, 696b)

Nose: sweet, syrupy, almost heady (in fact, not almost!). This has "cherry jam" written all over it. Waxed leather develops over time. The second nose has pressed currants and dried figs.
Mouth: thick, coating like melted chocolate. It has a clear Mon Chéri touch -- cherry-liqueur-filled, dark-chocolate pralines. JS finds it spicy. The second sip is a little woodier, if still as sweet and liqueur-like.
Finish: long, powerful and sweet. We have more cherry jam and a good dose of melted dark chocolate. A minuscule hint of musk struggles to make itself heard. The second gulp is woodier; oily exotic wood, such as teak or mahogany.
Score: 7/10

Knockdhu 9yo d.2013 Release No.104 (59.5%, Angus Dundee for Alistair Walker Infrequent Flyers imported by MetaBev, Bolgheri Red Wine Hogshead Finish, C#804977, 295b)

Nose: this one has dates and dried figs. It soon progresses to reveal strawberry bubble gum and a pinch of blonde tobacco..
Mouth: unctuous texture, liqueur-like, it has pressed currants, silky Cotton Candy grapes, but also some power. The second sip injects some bitterness into the mix. Wood or mocha? Probably dark wood.
Finish: big, a notch tannic, it has polished wood and coffee beans coated in honey. The second gulp has dried pineapple bark.
Score: 7/10

Ki One 3yo 2022/2025 (56.8%, OB, Hypebeans Coffee Cask, C#0297, 281b, b#211)

Nose: unsurprisingly, it reeks of coffee. More surprising are the notes of seaweed and urchin before it turns citrus-y. Lemon zest and hay. Smoked seaweeds rock up, with one mint crumble. The second nose offers seaweed-flavoured chocolate.
Mouth: it is very woody, especially considering the age -- even though there is no age stated, the distillery only started producing in 2020, so it is six years old at most. There is a hint of sweet latte, some pine-tree bark, followed by smoked grapefruit zest. The second sip is dry as bread dough that has too much flour. Dark flour (buckwheat?)
Finish: big and spicy, it has pine needles soaked in weak, watery coffee. Now, this is not watery! I mean that the coffee is not overpowering. JS calls it almost not a (malt) whisky, it being closer to a rye, sorghum or Coffey malt or grain. The second gulp is more whisky-like, yet it shows the cask influence clearly: coffee grounds, mocha filters, sandalwood and cedarwood.
Score: 7/10

Glen Keith 25yo 1998/2024 (49.7%, Whiskybroker for Club Qing Happy Loner imported by Roehni, First Fill Bourbon Barrel, C#149567, 191b)

Nose: very elegant. It has custard powder, citrus zest and cream soda, powdered peach skin, Turkish delights. The second nose is more-intensely scented, with fruity custard aplenty.
Mouth: it feels a tad watery at first (we just had a few high-octane drams, yeah?), but settles in as a fruity number, without surprise. Citrus zest, dried lichens, flower petals to provide a slight bitterness. It is fruitier at second sip, with peach, lime, grapefruit...What a cocktail!
Finish: wonderful custard cream with citrus zest. It has a little more Bourbon-y spices and lots of acidic fruits.

Comment: we have a winner!
Score: 8/10

Kimchangsoo 4yo 2021/2025 (51.7%, OB Single Cask, 1st Fill European Oloroso Sherry Hogshead, 276b)

Nose: phwoar! A refined peat hits my nostrils rather gently. Bales of dried meadow flowers, purple-primrose petals, then smoked green grapes. This moves from farming to gardening and back again effortlessly. It has a hint of chocolate-flavoured coffee too, but, mostly, it is farm-y. That said, rosewood embers grow in intensity. The second nose is earthier, with sweet potato peels and dried soil.
Mouth: rosewood, rosehip and earthy peat. This has burnt twigs, burnt rose bushes and dried earth (not scorched). It is a juicy, earthy number at second sip, full of drying peat bricks.
Finish: a trifle weaker here, it remains a solid peated whisky with some ozone and tar. The second gulp confirms: ozone, tar, even charcoal dust.
Comment: there are two different bottlings on the shelf. This is not the one we ordered, but we enjoy it anyway.
Score: 7/10

Ben Nevis 26yo 1997/2023 Private Edition No.2 (50.9%, North Star Spirits for Rotten Glasses x The Whisky Agency imported by Roehni, Sherry Butt, 120b)

Nose: a dirty Ben Nevis with sink funk, and some drying fruits, somewhere. We are treated to a vague smell of sewers from the street, and it is hard to tell where the Ben Nevis stops and the sewers start, so close they are.
Mouth: decaying fruits it is. Pineapple, apple, Comice pears, crunchy, crumbly and bruised in more places than necessary. The second sip confirms. Decaying fruits turn dirty, funky and a bit dry.
Finish: it has orchard fruits in disarray (apples, pears, quinces all past decaying point), Korean pears, perhaps kakis. That may be the location playing with my mind. The second gulp has a minty freshness and the drying touch of eucalyptus. Water turns down the funk and increases the fruitiness.
Score: 7/10 (8 with water)

Time to go. There are other drams to try, but tomorrow is another day.

22/05/2026 Glenfarclas

Glenfarclas 12yo (45%, OB for F.W. Hempel Metallurgical GmbH): nose: fruity and very dry, it shifts between hay and dried grapefruit peels. The latter take the upper hand, and even gain moisture, after a moment. Not much, but better than nothing. We catch droplets of grapefruit juice or grapefruit oil. Then, those same grapefruit peels receive the wine treatment: wine-cured grapefruit peels it is, rich and heady. It has a faint smell of an old blend (ye aulde blende); not in a dusty-cardboard way -- more a generic, old-school roughness, almost vinegary, though, of course, not that extreme. One may be tempted to call it briny, but there is no salt whatsoever. It goes back to fruity tones anyhoo, now closer to pressed currants. The second nose has a pile of wood, twigs, really, ready for the fire, slowly crumbling to dust. Last is a glass of heated flat cheap cola. Mouth: old school alright! This was bottled at a time when only a certain demographic would order a Scotch: men of a certain age, mostly smokers. Stale barley syrup, caramel and toffee, cardboard, tobacco oil... Chewing simply increases all that. It is intensely faded orange, a colour inextricably linked to 1970s curtains completely impregnated with tobacco smoke. It has a hint of peppermint at the top, but stale Mokatine is soon the dominant. Oh! and some ashes too. In fact, we have the content of an ashtray in which someone spilled half-a-glass of water. Counterintuitively, that presents a certain charm. The second sip may be a tad brighter, less orange, more yellow, with fresher grapefruits and even pineapple. Tobacco is still present, if more discreet. Finish: stale Mokatine all the way! Dusty caramel on cardboard, oily tobacco, wine-stained dried orange peels, ginger powder, cinnamon powder, ground cloves. It does not come across as overly woody, yet there is an undeniable wood influence at play. A wood-panelled smoking room with faded curtains. No-one is smoking at the moment, but last night's ashtray has not yet been emptied and the fireplace needs a clean. Retro-nasal olfaction gives us a whiff of cigar. Not so much the smoke or the leaves; more the smell that coats the walls of the mouth. Cigar breath, in other words. Genuinely an old geezer's dram. The second gulp plays a soft bitterness against the fruity acidity. Bay leaves or cigar leaves -- definitely cigar leaves, in fact, with a lick of stale Mokatine for good measure. I find this less convincing than on the night; a bit generic. It grows on me, however, and I could go to 8 on another day. 7/10