05/08/2026 A triplet of Chichibu at Bar Lotus

JS and cavalier66 join me for what is supposed to be a modest night out, but will go on much later than expected. cavalier66 who cannot even remember how long he has been home alone, is determined to make it count too and orders only the most prestigious. He is there first, enjoying a dram of Highland 49yo 1976/2026 (45.1%, Thompson Bros. specially bottled for Dornoch Castle, Hogshead, C#SR26050, 140b) which he seems to like.

JS discovers there is an offer on flights of Chichibu, so she chooses one such flight. There are twenty-or-so Chichibu on the menu, you see? And that is before cavalier66 points out there are thirtyish more on the other side of the page.

Whilst she chooses, I peruse the shelves. cavalier66 has another.

Talisker d.1970 (53.1%, Gordon & MacPhail, b.1980s)

Nose: very peaty, with a lick of tropical fruits in the back. It then turns tertiary, much to cavalier66’s pleasure, with forest floor, mushrooms and dead leaves. It also starts smelling of pepper. A promising nose, at any rate.

Ah! We have a selection.

Chichibu 2015/2021 (63.3%, Venture Whisky exclusively bottled for Spirits Shop Selection, imported by Hua Yang International Exhibition, Bourbon Barrel 2nd Fill, C#5497, 223b)

Nose: pretty powerful. It is spirit-y and a bit mute, really. Potato salad? Water barely opens it up. We have bandages, wet with white-fruit juice, perhaps.

Mouth: very strong, it cauterises the mouth. Gauze soaked in ether. Adding water strikes a better balance: more fruit (baked plums), but that is still subdued.

Finish: powerful and disinfecting as to be medicinal. Antiseptic. JS finds it peppery. Water makes it fruitier, but also rather dry -- how ironic! cavalier66 detects banana. I am less convinced.

Score: 6/10

Chichibu 2015/2022 (61.7%, Venture Whisky exclusively bottled for Spirits Shop imported by Hua Yang International Exhibition, Bourbon Barrel 2nd Fill, C#5494, 183b)

Nose: more custard-y, it also has an allure that reminds tOMoH of the fun fair in Huy. The smell of fried doughnuts mixed with that of grilled sausages, perhaps? Stale industrial bread? That gives way to freeze-dried raspberries. Water does not really change the nose. Maybe it adds plastic grapes.

Mouth: super dry and a notch meaty (roast beef), it is also fairly salty. And strong, it goes without saying. With water, it becomes a tad fiery.

Finish: still pretty strong, yet it now also exhibits fruits -- Sauvignon Blanc grapes, ash-dry and bitter, devoid of the sweetness often associated with the term ‘fruity’. Water releases a bit more fruits, but it remains a fiery, drying number. cavalier66 even calls chilli. He is not wrong.

Score: 7/10

Talisker 47yo b.2026 Magma (48.8%, OB, Refill American Oak > Volcanic Toasted American Oak, 622b, b#310)

Nose: marsh-like, quagmire (giggity giggity), it has an overdose of vegetal peat, lichens, dried algae, dried mosses. Marshmallow (cavalier66) -- “or marshsmooth” (tOMoH). It is too peppery, according to cavalier66.

cavalier66: "Two supermarket whiskies in the same evening..."
JS: "The Tesco tasting!"

Chichibu 2014/2023 The Tree In The Forest (63%, Venture Ichiro's Malt exclusively bottled for Shinanoya distributed by Japan Import System, 2nd Fill Bourbon Barrel, C#3551, 191b, b#54)

Nose: this is more welcoming. It has baked sweetcorn and confectionary sugar. In fact, it is Destrooper butter crisps. Water allows dirty fruits to shine very brightly (peaches, rambutans), along with dirt and mud.

Mouth: oh! It is peaty. The manager had told us, but I had forgotten. Elegant smoke in an engine room, perhaps a hot motor (Aston Martin). It also has yellow fruits rubbed against galvanised metal (iron or zinc). With water, it sees more fruits and ashes, maybe burnt wood, and also a forest-fruit smoothie.

Finish: peaty and fruity. Plums dragged through an extinguished fireplace (soot, ash, charred wood), then rubbed on zinc. Water makes it linger and stick like a thick smoothie cut with mouthwash.

Score: 8/10

cavalier66: “Oh! wow, very different. I have been drinking old. I know it sounds…”
tOMoH: “Do you want a dickhead glass?”

The manager recommended water to open these Chichibu up when he brought them to the table. At first, I thought it was presumptuous to assume we were not familiar with 60+% whiskies. But coming out of the place, I seem to be more under the influence than I expected. Very glad JS did not go for a margarita on top of that. I really do not need another unit of alcohol tonight!

I enjoyed this to Bar Lotus visit it more unequivocally than the previous. It works better as a bar than as a vessel for tastings, I find. It also reminds me of those bars we went to in Korea, with dimly-lit atmosphere that make for dark pictures, and very few others drinking whisky.

31/07/2026 Clynelish

26.47 22yo 1984/2006 Honey complex (57.6%, SMWS Society Cask): nose: pickle in brine! It also has mown hay, crystallised green grapes and encaustic, leading to the trademark wax, though it is not overly pronounced, at this stage. Shaking the glass propels darker tones to the surface, such as Kalamata olives and anchovies in garlicky oil. It then moves back to wax of sorts, this time a rustic armchair so covered in patina it looks darker than teak. A drop of wine appears in the long run, as if poured on plastic green grapes and crystals of one kind or another. Tilting the glass, it feels stupidly cliché to even write it, presents a wax-coated cat, gently musky. The second nose sees Virginia tobacco join the hay, and there may well be unripe pineapple and pomelo in the back. Mouth: plums, waxy nectarines and a dash of pressed lemon rub elbows with plastic green grapes. It has a fruity rubbery bitterness like that -- more squeaky plastic than rubber, actually. The lemon-y acidity grows to becomes fairly intense. Chewing adds a dollop of melted chocolate ice cream morphing into pistachio ice cream. Always a winning combination. This Belgian will never willingly write “Dubai chocolate,” by the way. That wrestles with a re-emerging taste of plastic green grape, and it ends in a puddle of furniture wax, liquid, acrid and coating. The second sip is fruitier and bitterer, as if we just bit into a wedge of unripe citrus (pomelo, bergamot, satsuma). Sweeter upon chewing, it becomes juicy and acidic, and pushes citrus-y mint crumbles or spearmint and pepper. It is not peppermint, but it is rather strong. Finish: chocolate is the first to talk, soon joined by wax. It feels milky and unctuous, very coating, of course, and long. Somehow, the mouth is left with a feeling close to that procured by a generous gulp of warm cola. Little-to-no grape here, though the finish retains notions of plastic, a tiny bitterness that may be associated with a waxed piece of furniture or citrus rinds. Unless it is a plastic cup coated with paraffin. The second gulp feels sweeter; we find mint crumbles again, lozenges and chalky citrus-flavoured tablets. Yes, it does become a tad chalky and drying, though not desiccating. This is not Aspirin, but there is enough to chew on. Lovely Clynelish. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, PS)

17/07/2026 Savoureur’s surprise birthday party

In April when JS and I bumped into PH, she invited us to come back to Limburg today to celebrate Savoureur’s milestone birthday -- unbeknownst to him. Here we are, then, with thirty-or-forty others, some of whom are familiar faces, but mostly new acquaintances to meet.

When Savoureur and PH make it to the venue and he spots us all, he is genuinely surprised and enthusiastic at the idea of spending an evening with friends.

Savoureur: "Thank you all for joining us here, some from outside of the EU, even!"

PH: “I booked dinner for forty people. Some have forgotten to come, but I did not cancel their food. You may have to help eat their share.”
tOMoH [to himself]: “Mission accepted.”

We all enjoy a glass of prosecco before proceeding to the real stuff. It quickly turns into an open bar and I do not know who brought what; notes are scant and I cannot always attribute the bottle to its owner.

James Martin’s V.V.O. (40°, James Martin imported and distributed by Distillerie Riunite di Liquori)

Nose: old-bottle effect, tin lids, jars of marmalade and copper coins.

Mouth: soft, mellow, it still presents hazelnut shells and a lick of copper.

Finish: nutty, timidly leathery, it serves scoops of caramel-and-hazelnut ice cream.

Comment: perfect apéritif.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks, T)

Clynelish 22yo 1995/2018 (56.7%, The Nectar of the Daily Drams, Sherry Cask, L18/420)

Nose: musky and husky, it promises dryness and animality. It is a Clynelish, after all. Fox’s skin, dried windfall, nutshells. Deeper sniffing makes it seem a little sweeter.

Mouth: dried dates, dried rugs and super-dry raisins. It is well marked by the Sherry, if not overpowered. There is a bit of rancio and elderberry compote oxidising in a cellar.

Finish: extraordinary balance, here, dry yet elegant, with a dried-fruit touch (prunes, Medjool dates, figs) and a faint animal aftertaste. It is fairly tannic, in the long run.

Comment: good effort. I prefer Clynelish in Bourbon casks, but hey!

Score: 8/10 (Thanks, MG)

Antipasto misto

Flatbread

Ireland 26yo 1989/2016 Volume 6 (53.8%, The Nectar of the Daily Drams Anniversary Edition for 10 Years The Nectar)

Nose: phwoar! An explosion of tropical-fruit custard, with no surprise and for maximum enjoyment. It starts with mango, continues with banana, grapefruit, apricot, berries… You get the picture!

Mouth: sweet and bitter, big, glue-y. It has lots of glue, in fact. Chewing releases an avalanche of fruits, cantaloupe and mango leading the pack.

Finish: citrus flesh, citrus bark, chopped mango in yoghurt, served in a copper goblet. Phwoar!

Comment: this is excellent.

Score: 9/10 (Thanks, F)

White Horse (unknown ABV, White Horse Distillers, b#8734189)

Nose: extremely fishy, it has crayfish, fish sauce, dried fish, salt cod, fish oil sprayed on hay bales. It turns drier and less original with breathing, but the initial impression is gobsmacking. It picks up pickled antipasti, perhaps, though that may be the food interfering.

Mouth: a tad weak at the knee, after two cask strengths, but it holds together. Machine oil, engine grease, sardine tins with a drop of oil still in it. It is really tinny, actually.

Finish: soft, if long, it sticks to the gob surreptitiously, like engine great or petroleum jelly. There is a bit of smoked chocolate at the death, and not much fish left.

Comment: interesting and original. It does not turn me into a White Horse aficionado, though. The tax seal reads 'ministerio', but there is no importer information.

Score: 7/10 (Thank, Savoureur)

Schweine Steaks mit Champignon's sauce [sic]
dazu Gemuüse und Rosemarinkartoffeln
(me)

Putenbrustfilet mit Pfeffer Sauce
dazu Gemüse und Rosemarinkartoffeln
(JS)

Littlemill 13yo 1990/2004 (43%, Signatory Vintage, Oak Cask, C#2974, 449b, b#64, 04/099)

Nose: hay, lemon zest, Aspirin, a drop of hot Merbromin. It also has hot set custard and peach blended into yoghurt. The second sniff brings strong rubber.

Mouth: creamy. No! Milky. It has pulped peach, persimmon (though not as thick), yoghurt, a sprinkling of grated Aspirin, and crunchy heritage apples with a rough skin. It is chalkier and chalkier with time.

Finish: more creamy, custard-y goodness with grated Aspirin peppered on it. Is that a medicinal touch? Perhaps! Medicine tablets. Some whole, some grated, jelly caps full of herbal preparations -- woah!

Comment: very good Littlemill that reminds me of another Signatory bottling we had recently.

Score: 8/10

Glenturret 30yo 1982/2013 (46%, Meadowside Blending The Maltman, Fresh Bourbon Cask, C#258, 242b)

Nose: a mix of strawberry bubble gum, inflatable beach balloons and cat sick. Is that weird or what? It smells like a grain gone wrong -- in a good way! Pineapple and melted plastic having an argument. The second nose is ridiculously fruity (unripe white peach and pineapple) in a chemical way.

Mouth: the bubble-gum-rubber hallucination continues, with melted wellies and torched strawberries. More plastic appears upon chewing (beach balloons), and the dryness that comes with that. Sweeter and even more chemical at second sip, with more bubble gum and Gummibärchen.

Finish: it scrapes a beach ball along the tongue and leaves it all burnt -- or tender, at least. It stays warm and plastic-y in the long run.

Comment: So original, but… it is a little too weird. Very, very particular.

Score: 7/10

Springbank 12yo 1999/2023 (46%, OB Norddeutscher Kaufmann, 236b)

Nose: a weird mix of rubber and farm-y notes. That will be tractor tyres, then, surely. Exhaust fumes, garden fire, faint manure, smoked roasted cereals.

Mouth: Creamy? Dry? It is chocolate pudding is what it is. Chewing brings back the smoked cereals, nice, sweet clusters, augmented with a dash of fortified wine. Breakfast of champions.

Finish: dry, mineral, it has smoked cereals mixed with quarry dust and bone-dry earth patties fallen off a tractor tyre.

Comment: pretty good. Well, it is a Springbank, innit. It is expected.

Score: 8/10

Dessert is served.

Tiramisu [sic]

 

A pause during which I try a Port.
Warre Tercentenary 1970 (unknown ABV, imported and bottled for Percy Fox)
It is very good, despite all the vegetables
sinking to the bottom of my glass.

A waiter brings an unclaimed tiramisu. Guess who claims it!

Me.

Ledaig 10yo 2004/2015 Edition No. 1 The Fat Cat End Bottling(58%, The Scots Whisky Forum imported by Brühler Whiskyhaus, First Fill Sherry Butt, C#15/740)

Nose: super leathery and mineral, yet there is also lychee behind it all (“Lychee or Lydaig?” JS asks) -- or is it rambutan? We have pickled pearl onions, onion relish spread onto lychees… How ancient is this? It smells like a 1970s bottling. Cocoa powder is sprinkled on top, and a dollop of shoe polish adds to the magic.

Mouth: pickled onion alright, sharp, vinegary and, actually, very nice too. Chewing unleashes a torrent of smoke, followed by a nearly-medicinal heat, which is a tad numbing. The second sip adds a spoonful of piping-hot marmalade.

Finish: strongly coffee-like, teeming with mocha and cocoa powder. It is earthy, dry, still good, yet no longer as elegant.

Comment: that nose was a strong 9. The mouth and finish are a little behind.

Score: 8/10

Cake is served.

Baumkuche, or tree cake

Bowmore 28yo 1996/2025 (50.3%, Malts of Scotland Rare Casks hand selected and exclusively bottled for The Whisky Dreamers, Caribbean Rum Cask, C#MoS25039, 155b, b#44)

Nose: pineapple-and-coconut juice with a. Lick of smoke. Next is washing-up liquid (with zero soapiness, mind), citrus and ash.

Mouth: mild, fruity, it has lemon, calamansi, grapefruit, pomelo. Chewing increases that and splashes it with Indian tonic water. There is more and more ash, to a point it is a little desiccating. The citrus stays on top, also desiccating.

Finish: acidic and ashy, it takes a few seconds to turn lemon-y, grapefruit-y, with acidic juice poured onto smashed glass.

Comment: very excited to try this one. It is very good, but I much prefer it the 2004 by the same bottler we tried in January.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks, F)

Springbank 1997/20017 (55.2%, OB Vintage, Re-Charred Sherry Butts, B#1, 07/155)

Nose: a blend of shoe polish and mint paste, toasted coconut flakes and smoked caramel — just a wisp of soft smoke, you know. Some decayed pineapple bark rocks up at second nose.

Mouth: creamy, coating, it has melted tar, black shoe polish, rubber soaking in blush-orange juice, a touch of liquorice. Chewing adds desiccating ashes, lint and hardened tar. It is overly rubbery at second sip.

Finish: menthol, tar, lint, dried citrus peels, liquorice root. That combines at second gulp, long, tarry, rubbery, and the liquorice moves from root to allsorts and bootlaces.

Comment: decent.

Score: 7/10

Out of my bag comes 18.15 35yo 1966/2001 Curry powder and dark rum (67.5%, SMWS Society Cask Old Masters Collection, Sherry Cask)

Comments: “It’s like a cannon shot on squirrels or something,” says T. “Intense? Yeah, one could say that!” MG tells us, who will drink it fifty-fifty whisky and water. “It is intense, but also very dry,” F says. Whether they like it or not, I rejoice that I brought something that gets the tongues wagging. Everyone has their own taste; this is unforgettable. Full notes here.

The one-upmanship begins.

76.22 11yo 1989/2000 Quark cream cake (58.5%, SMWS Society Cask, Butt, 498b)

Nose: super-dry and mineral. Quarry dust, chalky sandstone. Maybe Sauvignon blanc and crushed plum stones.

Mouth: it has some fruit juice, but it is mostly desert-dry orange zest more than the fruit’s juice.

Finish: dry, borderline herbaceous, this has lichen on metal pipes.

Comment: never know what to expect from a Mortlach, especially an SMWS Mortlach. This is not a winy beast, but neither is it a fruit deluge like the series bottled around 2011-12. It seems it may have been a Switzerland special, though no access to the bottle means I did not see an importer label.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks, T)

Glen Elgin 31yo 1986/2018 (48%, Signatrory Vintage The Un-Chillfilitered Collection Specially Selected by and bottled for The Belux Tour 2018, Hogshead, C#2526, 215b)

Nose: grapefruit peels and zest. There are splashes of yoghurt, but it is mostly a zesty number, with citrus zest on a baking tray.

Mouth: juicy as hell, with citrus and marmalade leading to liquorice allsorts.

Finish: fruity, it has chewy sweets, candied papaya and pineapple cubes.

Comment: fantastic drop.

Score: 9/10

Mortlach 25yo b.2021 (46%, Gordon & MacPhail Distillery Labels imported by Kirsch Import, Sherry Casks, 210181)

Nose: cured meat, marinated cutlets, and nuts. Perhaps there are sandstone chippings?

Mouth: woah! It is a meaty yoghurt. Rosemary, roast beef, blush-orange rinds and a drop of wine, very dark and musky.

Finish: lots of blood oranges and rosemary, oil -- it is marinated orange wedges, really. It also has distant cinnamon sticks. The second gulp is drying and makes the gums throb.

Comment: works well.

Score: 8/10

The GlenDronach 20yo 1995/2016 (54.4%, OB Single Cask, bottled exclusively for Whisky-Museum Kyrburg Kirn, Pedro Ximenez Puncheon, C#3805, 662b, b#381)

Nose: Madeira wine or Sherry. It is extremely winy. That opens up to give melting dark chocolate in a Glendronach fashion, roast beef, and other cured meats in the background. It is a little fresher at second nose, with minty cotton candy and onion relish.

Mouth: very-dark chocolate melted into a puddle. A little musky at second sip, it sees a fox rolled in melted chocolate and sprinkled with dust.

Finish: ink, liqueur chocolate, it comes a bit too close to Edle Tropfen for my taste, but narrowly escapes sickly disaster.

Comment: JS detects soy sauce and everything she does not care for in official Glendronachs. It is not bad, but less my profile.

Score: 7/10 (Thanks, Savoureur)

Time to go. I have eaten so much I am about to explode.

As we depart, Savoureur insists we smell two drams. He tells us both are Macallan 2006/2020 (57.3%, Gordon & MacPhail Speymalt, C#9672, 294b). One is one of the guests', the other is his own bottle that he brought to London last month and has, therefore, matured for three additional days in the UK. Geekery aside, they do smell different. How much of that is due to the fact one was open a month ago, the other today, and what is the result of one spending three days in the UK is, of course, anyone’s guess. Full notes here.

Happy birthday, Savoureur!

14/07/2026 Belgium #12

GN, Psycho, ruckus, Gaija and JS brave the heatwave to join me online for a few drams.

 
Dram #1

Nose: fruity and fresh (GN), it has citrus (GN) and apricot (Psycho).

Mouth: sweet, light and fruity (GN). On the other hand, ruckus finds it challenging, in the heat (29°C where he is).

Finish: apricots and other yellow fruits (Gaija), pineapple (GN).

Comment: GN finds it the perfect apéritif. Apart from ruckus, who warms up to it (see what I did?), it is widely seen as a strong starter. Gaija reckons a classic Highland or Speyside profile, whereas GN finds it reminiscent of Ardbeg Drum, minus the smoke. My notes are here. The bottle is empty, so I do not try it, tonight.

Strathisla 1999/2010 Here Come The Rain Again (46%, La Maison du Whisky Belgique, C#45530, 247b)

My Internet connection drops. I join back five minutes later.

tOMoH: “I see I haven’t missed much. Psycho is explaining carnival rides to everyone!"

Dram #2

Nose: GN finds it more aggressive than #1. Psycho calls cedar wood and cedar sheets, Gaija detects a waxy old-bottle effect and a peach aroma.

Mouth: dried fruits and dry fruits (Gaija, who specifies roasted almonds), lacquer (Psycho), a soft industrial touch (Gaija), engine grease (ruckus), dusty furniture (Psycho).

Finish: Gaija and GN love this; Psycho finds it a bit rough -- in a pleasant way. GN spots a Bourbon-y side that he enjoys a lot.

Comment: this has become ridiculously fruity, after seven months in a nearly-empty bottle. It is coming closer to the 46yo Sansibar offering. Full notes here.

Teaninich 45yo 1975/2021 (49.5%, Bartels Whisky Highland Laird, Bourbon Hogshead, C#14796, 35b, b#20) 9/10

Dram #3

Nose: coffee grounds, Sherry (Gaija), shoe polish (Gaija), Ça-Va Seul (Psycho and ruckus).

Mouth: syrupy and liqueur-like (ruckus). GN guesses it is a Pedro Ximénez maturation; it is Oloroso, but it feels much sweeter now indeed. Psycho finds it fresh, while Gaija notes peach. It is dried-fruit cake for Psycho, who calls it mellow, sweet and round. “The word you are looking for is: ‘smooth’,” I add, channelling my internal PG.

Finish: sweet and fruity. The more one tries it, the sweeter it gets.

Comment: another one that has dramatically improved in the almost-empty bottle. My full notes are here.

Deanston 11yo (50.1%, The Hampstead Beverage Collective Explorers & Elements Series, 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Cask, 72b, b#72) 8/10

Psycho: “Du cirage à cuir.”
tOMoH: “Par opposition avec quoi? Du cirage à manger cru? Du cirage à velours?”
Gaija: “Du carpaccio de cirage!”

Dram #4

Nose: pepperspray (GN, letting his past as a hooligan transpire), a hint of sulphur (Gaija), pepper-flavoured sweets (Psycho).

Mouth: slightly astringent (Psycho), Tabasco (GN). Gaija calls it complex and explains he likes the palate much more than the nose.

Finish: syrup, maybe sirop de Liège (Psycho). ruckus sees the rough edges of hazelnut, to which Gaija adds that it is a tad tannic. GN insists it has the explosiveness of youth; Gaija agrees it is characterful.

Comment: “this is the one you drink to put you to sleep” (GN). There is a general shock when they see the ABV: it is clearly higher than the first drams, but no-one realised just how high it is. They find it well integrated. This is smashing as ever. Full notes here. No-one here tonight was present when we had it in November; that is now corrected.

Glenfarclas-Glenlivet 11yo 1980/1992 (59.6%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection 150th Anniversary Bottling, Oak Cask) 8/10

Dram #5

Nose: very cereal-y (Psycho), it has pepper too (GN), as well as a herbaceous and floral profile (Gaija). Gaija and Psycho find it perfume-like. Psycho even adds that it has a pharmacy smell.

Mouth: fresh, herbaceous, floral (ruckus and Gaija). It goes extremely well after the heavy-hitting Glenfarclas, and seems easy, by comparison.

Finish: liquorice (GN), fresh as a Lowlander (Gaija), herbaceous, perfume-y, it drinks as a génépi (Gaija)..

Comment: GN is not enthused by this. The others like it. Gaija, ruckus and Psycho had a chance to try this last month. I am glad none of them did. There is none left for me to try. Full notes here.

Glenlochy 29yo 1980/2010 (52.8%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Hogshead, C#2649, 265b, b#71)

Excellent time.

13/07/2026 Springbank tasting at Bar Lotus

JS and I meet Gunooner for another tasting at Bar Lotus.

This one

Campbeltown Loch 21yo (40%, Springbank Distillers)

Nose: roasted apples, hot tin and a tea shoppe full of bags of gunpowder, dried leaves and even an incense section. The tin becomes louder, jar lids and copper coins. Melted plasticine joins the dance, while JS and Gunooner think of dusty-musty lofts.

Mouth: roasted apples it is, dripping with juice and filled with a tiny bit of smoke. It becomes thinner and metallic at second sip, with cut apple slices rubbed on tin and copper.

Finish: charred apples, smoked quinces, pears, a sprinkle of ground white pepper. JS mentions those Korean juice cans with grapes inside the can.

Comment: a good starter that will be more and more impressive as we get back to it later in the evening. They do not make the mistake of telling us this is really Springbank 21yo under a different name -- there is no Springbank in Campbeltown Loch below the age of 25, according to trustworthy sources.

Score: 8/10

Our host does a little introduction for the bottles in the main line-up. Sadly, he mispronounces Hedley Wright's name, tells us he was manager of the distillery in the 1980s before someone else took over (Wright was never manager; he owned the distillery from the 1960s to his death in 2023). He also tells us that Murray McDavid had a good relationship with Springbank, hence why they bottled the third dram of tonight. In fact, one of Murray McDavid’s co-founders was Wright’s nephew. When he left the family business to set up Murray McDavid, he bottled one of his own casks of Springbank, much to the ire of Hedley Wright. That torpedoed any relationship between the two.

All that to say: there is a lack of research on display.

Springbank 30yo Hedley G. Wright (38%, OB, b.1980s)

Nose: incredibly deep and elegant. It speaks of drinks cabinets, old liqueurs, corduroy sofas and velvet drapes. It feels a little fragile, but it does not suffer too much. A whiff of berry-flavoured cough drops tickles the nostrils, blackberry and blackcurrant. It has a farm-y nuance at second nose, and pickled onions. It becomes incredibly fruity, a few hours in, tropical — pink maracuja and dragon fruit, snake head fruit and kaki in a rubber punnet.

Mouth: smoked-cassis liqueur, a pinch of charcoal, a spray of defroster fluid. The second sip has tree bark bathing in balsamic vinegar, at once acidic and fruity. A woody bitterness emerges, old cinnamon sticks. Coming back to it after the rest of the line-up, it is full-on lychee and pink grapefruit, not particularly assertive, but beautiful.

Finish: much more potent than expected, this rolls out woodworm and dried mushrooms, followed by soot and grated charcoal. A lick of balsamic shows up at second gulp. Later on, the finish is weaker, too subtle, bitter, with ink and fennel.

Comment: this is excellent, if not extraordinary. It should objectively have been bottled sooner. What a treat to try it, though! Emotionally charged. Likely bottled between 1977 and 1988: the volume is written in millilitres (the glass states 75-77cl), which means post-1977, and the Scotch Whisky Act of 1988 dictates that Scotch has to be 40% minimum, so it cannot be later than that.

Score: 9/10

Springbank 15yo J. Archibald Mitchell (46%, OB imported by Japan Import Systems, b.1980s)

Nose: lovely Sherry cask(s), it seems. Prunes, fresh figs and a delicate whisper of smoke that could even be cigar. It also has gentle shoe polish, melted plasticine, suet, cured cherries, maybe mahogany oil.

Mouth: nice and oily (JS), Cognac-y, it has grapes, prunes, rambutans. Chewing adds cured gooseberries, cured plums, wine-soaked Mirabelle plums, a puff of smoke, and a soft note of onion relish. Honey-glazed pearl onions materialise at second sip. Yes: pearl onions coated in honey become really clear.

Finish: weirdly enough, the dilution shows, in this one. It is otherwise a great combination of the above, with gooseberries, plums, pearl onions and sweet fresh figs to balance the tartness of those onions. The second gulp brings together the figs, prunes and onions.

Comment: excellent!

Score: 9/10

There are sixteen of us, tonight, with little interaction between many of the participants. I sometimes get the feeling that some are discovering Springbank on this occasion. There are worse ways to do it, but I cannot say if I find this the best.

Springbank 33yo 1965/1998 (46%, Murray McDavid, Sherry Cask, C#580, 204b, b#149)

Nose: we are shifting gears! This is, of course, in a completely different league, brimming with lychee, gooseberry and carambola. There is a hidden note of pine needles too, and a vague wine influence, despite the host’s assuring us it is from a Bourbon cask (it is not). Next up are warm lettuce leaves, and stewed lemons appear in the long run, albeit not shouty. The second nose brings a pinch of earth.

Mouth: syrupy as fook, this is clearly an ex-Sherry cask. It has honey spilled on earth, cough syrup spilled on lychee, carambola doused in minty camphor, and cough drops. The second sip seems more powerful and wine-y, with prunes, bitter currants (unripe), cherry stems and liqueur poured on mud patties.

Finish: the Sherry keeps it from reaching the heavens for me. It is a little on the loud side. Stewed citrus, marmalade-like but augmented with stewed liquorice. The second gulp is more straightforward prunes and red-wine vinegar toned down with honey.

Comment: the nose alone was a top score. The rest is too sherried for me.

Score: 9/10

Springbank 30yo b.2025 (46%, OB, 25/13)

Nose: fresh watermelon slices, smoked carambola chunks. At some point, incense unexpectedly wafts in. Soft-leather handbags, cosmetic products, then excellent hard candy, melting and fragrant (berry-flavoured), borderline chewing gum-like.

Mouth: yeah, hard candy it is, acidic, fruity, sweet. Chewing cranks up the fruits: raspberry, strawberry, Morello cherry. There is a wisp of acrid smoke, in the back, blink and you miss it. We have a bit of leather at second sip, and a berry paste dragged through earth. This is spectacular.

Finish: wood and fruits. Papier mâché paste, smashed strawberries, cinnamon powder. There are even tropical fruits, after a while, carambola in the lead.

Comment: I certainly did not want to like this, considering the RRP. But I have to admit it is excellent.

Score: 9/10

Springbank 21yo d.1993 (unknown ABV, OB Private Bottling for MGM & SCT)

Nose: vulgar, it has no finesse, compared to the previous drams. Mud, boozy vase water followed by ash and lichen-covered metal pipes. The longer you nose, the more-pleasant it becomes, thankfully, but the contrast with the rest of the line-up is not flattering. The last thing to drive to the nostrils are the plastic cover sheets of comb-bound booklets.

Mouth: it is a bit rough around the edges, with sand and melted glass. It moves to a minty custard a little further on. The second sip brings an unbelievable mix of fish sauce and smoked raspberries. It turns muddier with time and adds ashes.

Finish: big, woody and earthy, it has a strong anaesthetising cinnamon effect. The second gulp is earthier, ashier, yet clean and dry, closer to Sauvignon Blanc or Chenin Blanc than to mud patties.

Comment: a slow-burner. A good whisky, objectively, but it feels out of place in this selection.

Score: 8/10

Springbank 27yo 1992/2020 (48.4%, OB Private Single Cask, Refill Bourbon Hogshead, C#273, b#186)

Nose: a completely different nose again. Here are cereals and yellow flowers -- daffodils, tulips, forsythia. Plums and white peaches are here too. Later on, we have a minty paste and a whiff of curry. Yup, that weird! The second nose welcomes transparent nail varnish and lychee shavings.

Mouth: super fresh, it has mint and pressed green grapes. Extremely fruity at second sip, it rolls out grapes, physalis, plums, greengages and, as soon as one chews, hazel wood shavings. That spells a mild bitterness, without doubt.

Finish: not at all living up to the nose and palate, the finish is earthier, dirtier, Springbankier, perhaps, but a little less to my taste (tonight). The second gulp is better, less earthy. It rallies around fruits and injects a drop of red-wine vinegar.

Comment: saved from a potential slip-up. It is actually very good.

Score: 9/10

Good selection again. I like that everyone goes at their own pace (I take my time), but still unsure what to make of the place or the organisation. It is not really a guided tasting, more a flight-of-the-day type, and the disconnect between the knowledge gaps and the calibre of the whiskies is unsettling. In any case, how smashing to try these drams.

They also have this American whiskey bottled by Chichibu.
Someone else tries it, we do not.