13/01/2025 Bunnahabhain

Bunnahabhain 40yo 1973/2013 (46.2%, Acla da Fans Acla Selection, Refill Butt, 167b): nose: pillow-y and soft yellow flower petals -- tulips, daffodils, irises, buttercups. That suddenly morphs into apricot jam and pineapple paste, which is difficult not to like. It has a fragrant note that promises the acidity of yellow passion fruit too. It is, in fact, very yellow. Deeper nosing unearths a delicate mineral side, more plants growing on limestone than quarry chippings, but still. Could that be a type of dry green grape, then? Maybe. It also has a drop of peppery after-shave lotion. A sappier note then develops, gentle and elegant, that merely adds complexity to this tantalising nose. It does not shout, by the way, and goes even quieter in minutes. It is probably not one to let sit in a glass for hours. The second nose is more acidic and less exotic; we find crisp red apples, wood dust and a sprinkle of ash. Also a toast with warm cherry compote, funnily enough. Mouth: soft, fruity, the palate quickly turns sappy. Oh! it is not dandelion-stem sap, yet it does add a mild bitterness. Chewing injects apricot jam in all that, or apricot compote, to be accurate. That does not fully mask the sap, and I can hear a grinch or two accuse this of being soapy. It really is not, according to tOMoH who is not particularly sensitive to that, though it has aspects that could be interpreted as remotely soapy. tOMoH prefers to point out an oilcloth in a tablecloth form mackled with dried apricot-jam, and upon which sappy cut flowers are waiting to be put in a vase. It is more and more buttery with each swirl in the mouth -- a sappy butter. Just as it did on the nose, the second sip brings crisp red apples, some fresh, some stewed, cherry compote, including a couple of maraschino ones thrown in for the grown-ups. It retains a vaguely-soapy note, more flower-stem sap than shampoo. Unless it is unripe plums. It is slightly bitter, at any rate. Finish: bigger than anticipated, it is a little fruity, a little sappy, and especially buttery and woody. Hard to relate to something that exists, this has a knob of butter that would have the taste of galangal paste, a pinch of ginger powder, and lemongrass yoghurt. It is a bit foreign, but it works very well. Like a yoghurt too, it leaves a creamy feel in the mouth. The second gulp adds a warm milk-chocolate paste that is a tad too bitter for its own good, and dials up the galangal paste. The more one sips this, the more the fruit leaves in favour of woody tones, though it is never plank-y. If it does end up unveiling eucalyptus paste, it never reaches peppermint. This would be an easy 9, were it not for the sappy notes that stop the whole shining more brightly. I am less impressed than the first time. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, OB)

10/10/2025 Arran

Of course, we should try a Cadenhead dumpy bottling of Glencadam, today, what with its Tintin font. That would be perfect for ten-ten (today's date -- try to follow). But the only one we have access to, we tried four-and-a-half years ago. Something else, then.

Arran PYO (unknown ABV, OB, Sherry & Wine Casks): should this read '9yo' instead of 'PYO'? Given the lack of information on the sample label, it is hard to tell. I am not even sure where this sample came from -- presumably MR. Nose: chocolate dipped in berry liqueur. One could easily deduct that Mon Chéri comes close, and indeed. The berries take off, fragrant and colourful, followed by pressed currants, and prunes in syrup. Although tOMoH has no way to confirm, he will boldly guess that the wine in the mix is Amarone. Further on, the nose has crushed mint leaves and marzipan mingling with chewy chocolate filled with a raspberry paste, and just a pinch of cinnamon powder. The second nose has berries smashed on an oilcloth and doused with liqueur. It is a tad waxier than before, as if those berries and liqueur took the consistency of plasticine or candle. Later on, it becomes leafier -- not quite bay nor Kaffir lime leaves, but we are in that mind frame. Mouth: this is vinous without being unpleasant, sweet, bold, with just enough tannins to not forget its pedigree. Chewing releases walnut oil, a dose of raspberry vinegar (with a very-minimal acidity), a lick of polished wood and dried vine leaves. Prunes arrive on the late tip, as do dried figs, perhaps. This has a distinct wood presence, yet that never overpowers the other flavours. Berries, on the other hand, grow to take over the palate. The second sip is akin to a sweet red wine. It then welcomes peeled apples (Golden Delicious), peeled Comice pears, and a drop of pressed Smyrna raisins. Finish: after a modest but reasonable kick, we are treated to dark chocolate followed promptly by a cascade of raspberry paste. On its coattails are prunes, mashed into another paste. In the finish too, we find traces of wood, this time moist cassia bark. Only a couple of minutes after swallowing do we realise that this has left the mouth a little numb, and the upper body rather warm. If it did not feel so at first, the alcohol is now well present. The second gulp is lighter and drier, if still fruity -- a different type of fruit, now: I somehow find it close to Manzanilla, fruity, bright, yellow, sweetish, yet also mineral-dry with a newfound bitterness, as if the peels from the afore-mentioned peeled apples finally made their way to the surface. Even unripe maracuja comes do a timid dance, at some point. This is very good and tOMoH reserves the right to up his score another time. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, MR -- probably)

04/10/2025 October outturn at the SMWS

I join JS, Dr. CD, AFFM for some of this month's drams.

64.164 28yo d.1996 Quince charming (43.8%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 184b): nose: lillies, jasmine and narcissi rolled up into sugared shortcrust. It is very floral and has no shortage of powdered sugar. It grows apple turnovers and a spray of perfume. Tilting the glass adds a vaguely-animal touch, closer to suede than meat. The second nose has a lemon-scented detergent of sorts, sawdust and crushed flower stems. It has more sawdust and peach peels with the addition of water. Mouth: light and delicate at first, the smallest amount of chewing injects a squeaky-clean impression of rubber gloves for washing the dishes. It has a slight bitterness of flower stems (dandelions) and windscreen wipers too. Then, flowers take back control. The second sip is bitterer yet, even a little difficult. I can see some struggling with the vicious bitterness of flower stems. Water serves peach flesh with a generous serving of cracked black pepper. Finish: a warming broth of yellow flowers peppered with sawdust, which seems to be a recurrent marker of distillery 64. The second gulp is a tad more mineral, dry, yet still a little bitter -- and certainly warming. Flower petals, plant sap and a drop of Fino Sherry. Water brings out Fino alright, though that soon makes way for wine-cured fruits (apples, orange segments, apricots). It is sweeter so. Comment: decent dram. It benefits from water. 7/10

128.33 11yo d.2013 Toffees in the hedgerow (58.3%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Tawny Port Barrique finished in 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 342b): nose: super-thick date syrup, pressed dried figs, even chocolate, to a degree. It soon turns very dry, almost earthy, .then moves back to dates, prunes and raisins. The second nose confirms: this is undeniably fruity, ridiculously sweet, with an earthy shade. The realm of dried dates, dried figs, prunes, even dried lychee. Mouth: very, very fruity, with an explosion of cured peaches, dried dates, fresh figs, maybe tamarind, though not quite that acidic. Prunes, raisins, currants... Phwoar! The second sip is more drying, and that is probably the alcohol at play. Chewy, fruity glory with an earthy backbone. Lots of prunes and currants again, augmented with chopped lychee shavings soaked in wine. Finish: huge, long, fairly punchy, but the dominant, through and through, is that lovely fruit (dried and fresh). The second gulp is, again, earthier, and punches like a liqueur with, in the long run, a hint of rubber. 8/10

We strike a conversation with the gentlemen at the table next to us. The Society member is into heavily-sherried drams. The other, a Mod obsessed with First World War graves, is here for the first time. They let me try 36.228 28yo d.1996 Tales of the Worm Tub: The snaking coil (47%, SMWS The Creators Collection, 1st Fill American Oak + PX Hogshead Finish, 222b) which I find as good as the first time we had it. 8/10

Cheeses enter

46.157 14yo 2011/2025 On a beach boardwalk (53.2%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in ex-Oloroso Hogshead, 250b): nose: a pinch of chalk does not at all cover more cured peach and dried figs and prunes. Just as I note that it does not present dates, timid dried dates do show up, earthy and sweet. Perhaps this has a whiff of marzipan too. The second nose has citrus peels (pink grapefruit, blush orange), and that becomes more and more fragrant to reach the intensity of Kaffir lime leaves. Mouth: some rancio, here, clay floors that one ends up chewing for two days after visiting the cellar, some cork dust... And it works positively! Chewing adds a nice scented (blue) plasticine, including the dryness that comes with it. We discover chalk, in the long run. Finish: long, wide and sweet, it has soaked raisins, prunes and some clay. Indeed, repeated quaffing dispenses with the sweetness and replaces it with clay floor. This is good. It as also distilled on a tOMoH milestone, which makes it feel special. 8/10

Dr. CD talks to AFFM about JP leaving.

tOMoH: "Did I hear correctly that JP is leaving?"
Dr. CD: "Yes. To go home for the day."
tOMoH: "Ah! I heard half of a conversation and jumped to the wrong conclusion..."
Dr. CD: "And that is how one starts a rumour."

9.304 17yo 2008/2025 Citric synthesis (57%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 210b): nose: this presents a mix of gentle chalk and powdered sugar, but also citrus. Over time, that citrus grows louder and louder, with orange-flavoured tonic water and dried zest. The second nose has white-wood sawdust (birch, balsa) and yoghurt with ginger shavings. Mouth: rich, coating, this has citrus juice soon complemented with wood spices -- ginger, cinnamon sticks and a pinch of lemongrass.  It has a soft bitterness that is not at all bothering. The second sip feels narrower and comes closer to Fino (it is such a day), fruity, yet dry. Still, it has a dusting of powdered sugar to sweeten it. Finish: warm, full of sawdust in warm orange juice. It has a little too much white pepper to be a winner, but it is very decent. Repeated quaffing tones down the sawdust, keeps the pepper, and dials up the citrus -- juicy orange segments or mandarines. Good. 7/10

G17.1 11yo d.2013 Shades of green (60.9%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 261b): nose: this is supremely neutral. Cleaning alcohol, maybe, as well as camphor, porridge and watery yoghurt with chunks of fruits in it (pineapple, crystallised -- nay! frozen -- clementine segments). The second nose has elasticated adhesive bandages, which is to say plaster glue on top of camphor and gauze, I suppose. Water turns it cardboard-y, if still fruity. The strap glue is more prominent, as are dried pineapple and yellow-citrus segments. Mouth: even after four drams, it feels powerful. Peppery clementine segments, plump mandarine, apple slices coated in honey and ginger shavings. The second sip is huge too, borderline frightening. Camphor is hardly hidden behind plump citrus and a hefty dose of cracked pepper. Water makes it softer, fruitier, and reduces the gauze to a mere whisper. Finish: massive! It is a combination of the nose and palate, with lots of plump citrus, wood spices aplenty and horsepower coming out of its ears. It is very interesting how it balances fruit and almost-medicinal notes successfully, albeit in a fierce fashion. It remains numbing with water, and comes up with dried fruits (pineapple and peach). This is neither complex, nor intellectual, but it works well enough. It is also the cheapest .1 whisky that tOMoH has seen. 7/10

149.16 9yo 2016/2025 Funk on tiptoes (63.3%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 222b): for a second, I fear I made a mistake in trying the high-ABV grain before this. And then I notice the ABV on this one... Nose: earthy berries, chewy blueberry sweets, dark grapes. That veers towards purple plasticine and berry-scented clay. The second nose has a strong whiff of faux leather and charred chestnuts. Further nosing offers a wacky blend of cleaning agent, tobacco and boiled artichoke. Lastly, a fleeting scent of cheese or stinky feet. Miraculously, that has no negative impact. Mouth: much sweeter than anticipated, but then also very strong! We have chewy blueberry paste, pressed dark grapes and quite some spices. Is it stem ginger?  It is that sweet and that spicy, in any case. The second sip brings a bit of dried oranges and dried mango slices. Original. Finish: wide and generous, it delivers similar blueberry notes in a chewy paste, and a dose of spices that are hard to pinpoint, at first. The second gulp is like a slap in the throat. One that leaves the uvula throbbing with crystallised orange segments. It is very strong, this one; probably not one to have too early in a line-up. 8/10

JS: "Something savoury. I can't quite put my finger on it."
tOMoH: "I can."

Good times.

16/09/2025 Phil Storry x SMWS

Tonight, PS does another sold-out member takeover at the SMWS. JS and I thought we would turn up on the off chance that someone would call off, in which case, we would take their seats. I had food poisoning last night, so, at the last minute, I decide not to go. It will take me another two weeks to feel well enough to try whisky again, but that is another story. JS, on the other hand, does go to the room. Only to realise she had tickets all along. Lolle.

Thanks to PS, JS and JP, samples will later find their way to tOMoH. Woo.

Dram #1

Nose: it is enticing from the off, with physalis, Mirabelle plums and a spoonful of honey. It is sweeter with each sniff, flirting with Lyle's Golden Syrup, then yellow cherry tomatoes seared in a pan and rightly caramelising, peach jelly, melon jam -- lots of melon, in fact: canary and Galia, cubed and coated in agar-agar. The second nose has generous pastry, namely mille-feuille, croissant filled with pineapple jam, and grapefruit vanilla custard, all served on limestone plates laid on a pile of birch logs overtaken by mosses and decay. Mouth: it stings more than expected and has a certain bitterness that tries (and fails) to compete with similar notes to what we found on the nose: melon jam, sweet gelatine, agar-agar, and even chopped mint, here, which imparts a green freshness that works a treat. Chewing adds a dose of honey, perhaps crunchy digestive biscuits, and increases the leafy bitterness to bring it close to rubber levels. Chewy dried fruits, maybe? The second sip is just as punchy, acidic, if not stripping, and a little green. We find yellow tomatoes and Mirabelle plums sprinkled with pine sap. Finish: it reclaims an unabashed sweetness, one that is closer to candied angelica than to honey, though. Melon jam still prevails, stewed rhubarb augmented with liquorice allsorts, apricot jam, yellow cherry tomatoes on the vine. The second gulp unleashes honey at first, then pine sap. It is as if bees has started making honey out of pine flowers, then, halfway through, had decided to do away with the honey business and started putting the pine sap in jars instead. It dies out with a puff of candied angelica and a drop of Mirto Verde. Comment: this one works, but the nose elevates it to a higher score. I reckon a grain, or a Littlemill.

G10.2 35yo d.1977 Sweet and substantial (57.8%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 136b) 8/10 (I finally try this on 29/09/2025)

Dram #2

Nose: green, green, green. For some reason, I want to say "jellied eels", which makes no sense, because it does not smell fishy at all. However, it is green and jellied alright. Let us imagine some kind of jellied vegetable (spinach or watercress), or a particular brand of ambrosia salad, one that is mostly mayonnaise and green marshmallows. The nose shakes that up to focus on salad leaves with a nice oily tarragon dressing and a vague sweetness. I recognise this profile, although I cannot place it. The second nose seems bolder and fruitier, with pomelo peels and dried grapefruit zest liberally sprinkled on vanilla custard, crushed bergamot leaves, stewed clementine segments and, maybe, just maybe, rhubarb shavings. Mouth: delicate, a little leafy and remotely sweet, it unfolds on the tongue like a mint jelly, sweet, fresh, meltingly chewy, and pleasant, more of a backing singer than anything that commands much attention. Chewing injects crystallised oranges, which, surprisingly enough, quickly overtakes the above. With time, wood becomes apparent too, slices of sappy conifer. The second sip doubles down on green, with jellied citrus foliage and the candied (mint) leaf bakers use to top a Rum Baba. That is all splashed with lukewarm citrus juice. Finish: it is more-easily recognisable as pine driven, here, to a point I wonder if it could be a Benrinnes. Nothing invasive again; just a lovely freshness that is tempting to associate with pine, and a lingering sappy bitterness. It is a tad numbing too. It leaves the gob coated in a sweet pine paste, comparable to what one feels after eating baklava. The second gulp too seems sweeter and fruitier, adding citrus segments to what remains a pine-sap-oriented number, all in all. Comment: I shall guess Benrinnes. Incorrectly.

58.7 27yo 1977/2005 A fruity explosion (45.8%, SMWS Society Cask) 8/10 (I finally try this on 29/09/2025)

Dram #3

Nose: here is a different beast that presents drinks cabinets made of mahogany, and lacquered jewel boxes. That opens up to reveal a bold, fruity profile, one ripe with cured apples, plums, nectarines and blueberries, all so ripe they are about to start fermenting. Unless there is a glass of wine nearby. With some imagination, we may even spot lychee liqueur. And then, an interesting modelling paint joins (Revell, either RAL 5022 Night blue, or RAL 5013 Lufthansa blue), augmented with stale plaster glue. How quaint! The second nose is dustier, a mix of sawdust (birch, acacia), confectionary sugar and bone-dry lemon zest. Then, without warning, we pull back in on waxy nectarines, plums and unripe berries with a glass of Manzanilla. It becomes gradually earthier too, which is a welcome progression. Mouth: ooh! Bitter! We find plastic grapes, clear varnish, unripe fruits sprinkled with a pinch of chalk. It retains a distant blueish fruitiness, yet it is quite the departure from the nose, all in all. Chewing adds a tart jam-like quality, with enough acidity to counteract the bitterness, but this is not easy on the palate. Green hazelwood coated in date syrup shows up. The second sip is sweeter and waxier, close to nectarine skins and blackcurrants soaked in a liqueur of sorts. The earlier bitterness, though more controlled, resurfaces, and we find ourselves with unripe blueberries, albeit dunked in the wax of a purple candle. Indeed, there is even a whiff of wick, here. Finish: unripe berries, bitter and acidic. One can sense a lot of yellow fruits at play (plum, Mirabelle plum, greengage), but they simply are not ripe enough to succeed. Instead, we are subjected to green hazelwood. The second gulp is a little riper. One gets the impression that, given a few months' breathing, this would offer a basket of fruits. As it stands, it is the lacquered wicker basket that talks over said fruits. Perhaps it has herbs in jelly. By now, it no longer seems to matter all that much. Comment: lovely nose. The rest does not live up to it. A Glencadam? It is probably not metallic enough for that.

21.25 27yo 1976/2004 Peaches and soft toffee (49.2%, Society Cask, Refill Hogshead) 7/10 (I finally try this on 03/10/2025)

Dram #4

Nose: a suede jacket and tan moccasins. That suggests an earthy outlook, one that is swiftly submerged by yellow-fruit flesh (no skin) and a dollop of a sticky liquid (part syrup, part varnish). It takes seconds for that to fall under the attack of Turkish delights, however, served with desert dirt. That earthy note never disappears: it just watches as the other aromas fight for the second place, in full knowledge that it will forever be the dominant constant of this evolving nose. Earthy desert dirt sticks to a horse's hair after a day's galloping. The second nose confirms all of the above, yet shuffles them and presents them in a random order. The horse is doused in pressed fruits (mostly berries, now) and tramples a suede jacket on the desert-dirt floor of a wine cellar. There is a puff of cigarette smoke too, which is rather unexpected. Mouth: ooft! this is varnishy. To some extent, it reminds of a shoemaker's workshop, though it is not heady or aggressive. It does present a blend of glues, varnishes, leathers, even rubber (without the overwhelming bitterness). We find some waxy fruits too, namely nectarines and fresh figs soaked in red wine. It has a whiff of horse's sweat, but it is a far cry from the nose's cavalcade. The focus is clearly on fruits, here -- fruits that come close to berries with time. The second sip introduces a berry-flavoured cigarette too, which is to say oily tobacco and smoked berries. Well, it even has grilled peaches, now. Finish: long, bold and fruity, this has the quality one would expect of a grand-cru wine. Fruity, dry, a tad earthy, leathery as a polished sofa, it has just enough tannins to pique one's interest, not enough for anyone to complain. Blush-orange segments, ripe elderberry and a glass of Burgundy (Gevrey-Chambertin 1995 to say something and appear knowledgeable). Barbecued fruits rock up at second gulp, peaches, apricots, pineapple rings, all sprinkled with red wine before being grilled. It turns out to be pretty drying upon repeated quaffing -- the desert dirt without a doubt. It has less leather and horse character, now, and cigarettes are less vivid than on the palate, reduced to a lingering smoke that is hard to fully apprehend. Comment: this is excellent. Parts of it hint at Glen Elgin, but then it could also be a Clynelish, or even an ancient Longrow.

26.89 27yo d.1984 An exotic tearoom experience (56.6%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill Sherry Butt, 485b) 8/10 (I finally try this on 03/10/2025)

We had this when it came out.
I liked it then and I like it now.

Dram #5

Nose: this is another earthy one, with rich-soil fields crisped by the summer sun, mud patties drying on a griddle, and a cow's behind on a dry late-summer day. That is suddenly supplemented with a more-maritime feel, dried kelp, fishing nets and salted Brighton Rock. Huh? Shaking the glass vigorously will reveal tarry sands and a whisper of diesel in otherwise-brisk sea air. It may well come back to dry earth, after a few minutes, and brings in burnt hazel sticks. The second nose seems smokier, with smoked roots of some kind, smoked banana peels, cooling embers. Gone is the earth, vanished has the sea air. Odd. There is a whisper of fruity windscreen defroster, far in the back. Mouth: very maritime on the tongue, it has sandy mussels, smoked cockles and a shovelful of tarry sands. Next to them are black rubber soles, camphor, liquorice bootlaces, and a type of bark or another -- eucalyptus? Liquorice sticks? It is fresh and bitter, rubbery. It is bitterer yet at second sip, now showcasing windscreen defroster indeed, in a bright-blue taint. Chewing adds a gentle sweetness to balance out the bitterness, part caster sugar, part natural sugars of fruits (Golden apple, greengage), and even buttery croissant. Finish: assertive rather than bold, it seems to do away with the earthy elements, as well as the maritime ones. Instead, it focuses on camphor and liquorice-y rubber. We find dolmas or vine leaves, blackberry cough drops, liquorice and tar. Tarry it is too, as the finish sticks to the gob like a menthol cigarette: fresh, slightly smoky and tarry. The second gulp dials down all that and allows burnt hazel and smoked Golden Delicious apples to express themselves intelligibly. Comment: knowing PS, I should guess Croftengea. This tastes more like a Caol Ila or a Staoisha to me, though. Or is it a Springbank? In any case, it is pretty good, even if the tar is a bit loud for me.

93.19 14yo 1991/2006 Honey sweet Arbroath smokie (60.3%, SMWS Society Cask, 288b) 7/10 (I finally try this on 06/10/2025)

Dram #6

Nose: here is a leafy-fruity nose, with the foliage of produce such as grapefruit, yellow-green apple and maracuja. Indeed, it becomes rather tropical. Buddha's hand, oroblanco, salted calamansi, even grilled dragon fruit. Now, all that is tame, mind. All the same, we have a mixture of citrus, tropical fruits and salt. A margarita, in other words. Further on, we detect sweet, juicy peach. The second nose confirms a depth that only long ageing can offer, still with fruits of the citrus and tropical varieties, and a whiff of old-school mineral smoke; gunpowder and matchbox strikers alongside boiler-room heat and smoked citrus. Mouth: salty! It is at once sharp as salted vinegar and soft as peach flesh dusted with confectionary sugar. Chewing unlocks an intense fruitiness that is difficult to identify with precision. It also has a gentle metallic side that goes well with the salt. I am somehow reminded of ancient aged bottlings, the likes of which Gordon & MacPhail or Cadenhead have released -- and not for decades. What is this!? The second sip has this unmistakable old-school profile, with smoked grapefruits, preserved lemons, peach slices warmed on a dusty boiler, sooty marmalade (not an overtly-bitter one), and heated tinned mango slices. Phwoar! Finish: warm peach flesh alright, cut with a hot knife, sprinkled with droplets of citrus juice (grapefruit, Shaddock pomelo, blush orange). Only the bite of alcohol clears suspicions this could be an ancient Gordon & MacPhail or Cadenhead offering. As the finish unfolds, mint crumbles become discernible, fresh and sweet. There is a lick of liquorice allsorts too (lick-o-rish) that supply a mild toasted bitterness. The second gulp has physalis in syrup, smoked peach slices on a hot zinc plate, and the heat and dust one would expect to come out of an old boiler room. The stones of those peaches are there too, now, hand in hand with preserved lemons, which make for a race between calm bitterness, tame acidity and brine. Warming, comforting, with that magical balance of dusty-briny smoke and juicy fruits. Comment: head and shoulder above the others. Perhaps my score is overly generous, but I really like this. Later, I will discover that PS chose this, a second 26, because he suspects it is actually a mislabelled cask of 61. He may well be right.

26.45 22yo 1983//2005 Sweets and peats (54.7%, SMWS Society Cask, 255b) 9/10 (I finally try this on 06/10/2025)

With thanks to JS, PS and JP. The big reveal comes on 10/10/2025.

15/09/2025 Arran

A details-poor sample from MR's drawer that she was keen to share (the sample, not the drawer).

Arran d.1996 (unknown ABV, cask sample): nose: summery, with loads of freshly-cut hay and warm pillows. It then gives a subtle note of nail varnish spilled on earth, and plums macerated in wine for a short while. It has a vague cake-y, custard-y aspect, more of a fluffy sponge cake turning golden brown in the oven than custard cream. Once out of the oven (oooh!), the cake is laid to cool on an oilcloth tablecloth. The second nose is earthier, though not in a farm-y way; instead, it is all types of granules, such as chicory, fenugreek and Vanydene. Only annatto is missing. Soon enough, Custard Cream biscuits emerge, as do dry-as-fook pineapple peels (or bark, really). Mouth: well, it is woodier than expected, with chocolate paste spread onto birch shelves. That combines with Custard Cream biscuits and the most minute hint of stem ginger. Chewing brings back summer, with warm custard kissing warm hay bales, apricots and canary melons (warm too, which is original, one will agree). The woody bitterness morphs into Ovaltine, or a milky chicory infusion. Indeed, the texture is that of warm, semi-skimmed milk, as if augmented with chicory granules. We spot a tame fruitiness as well, some kind of sweet-citrus peels or so. The second sip comes across as more acidic, with rhubarb compote, unripe-pineapple peels, preserved lemons (including the salty brine) and lemon juice sprinkled on an innocent custard cream. Looking hard, we find cucumber peels, chargrilled and peeled yellow peppers, and grapefruit-flavoured tonic water, which is to say that the bitterness makes a late comeback after all. The finish is an eruption of gorgeous yellow fruits -- peaches, apricots, Mirabelle plums, nectarines, fresh papaya. It is not exuberantly tropical, but it has some touches. The tongue is left a little numb and leathery, as if it had been licking wooden shelves (birch again), and there is certainly a bitter note, albeit a discreet one. The second gulp increases the bitter touch -- in a fruity way. To some extent, it is crushed Aspirin in a glass of sweetened grapefruit juice. Or grapefruit-and-peach tonic water, if you will. In that regard, it makes one think of Littlemill. Delicious indeed. A strong 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, MR)

13/09/2025 London transport.

This week in London was marked by large-scale strikes on the public-transport network. It mostly affected the Underground, but also the DLR, and, of course, that had a knock-on effect on everything else. We therefore meet to have a few drams on that theme.

In the run-up to today, emails fly about regarding how challenging this theme is (is it?) and I say I hope we do not end up with eight Cam-buses. Fortunately for my head, no Cam-bus in sight.

JMcD arrives first, followed by OB, JS, SOB and YM.

The soundtrack: Pet Shop Boys - Discography (The Complete Singles Collection)

SOB explains that Norwegian public transport is probably better than London's. He adds that, in Norse mythology, Bifröst, also called Bilröst and often anglicized as Bifrost, is a burning bridge that reaches between Midgard (Earth) and Asgard, the realm of the gods. In other words: Bivrost is a link between two worlds, just like public transport is a link between two places. Finally, this expression is called Yggdrasil, which is the name of the tree at the centre of everything. SOB reckons the Underground map looks like a tree, with many branches at the top, and not much going on around the trunk (south of the river).

Bivrost Yggdrasil 2024 (46%, OB Limited Edition, Oloroso-Seasoned + In-House Charred Casks, 9009b, b#5208): from the Aurora distillery, in Norway. Nose: it is super herbaceous, presenting hawthorn, thyme, sage and some kind of custard to balance it a bit. Later on, it gives dried sausage, cured reindeer meat and white pepper. Mouth: unique, this has chives-topped omelette, peppery egg white and meat fat -- think of the white bits in mortadella, for example. Finish: big and odd, it continues the eggy trip. "This is a brunch dram," says JS. Quite. The egg fry-up turns browner over time, a little crispy on the edges. Yum! So very interesting! 7/10

The soundtrack: three pipers on the bridge downstairs, probably providing music for morris dancing.

OB: "The music selection is more and more eclectic!"

tOMoH: "JMcD is back from Japan. He brought back some whisky."
JS: "It better have 'mizunara' written on the bottle!"

JMcD explains that Ichiro Akuto is in charge of Chichibu distillery. Chichibu regularly release a London Edition, which is his tenuous link [sic].

Ichiro's Malt MWR Mizunara Wood Reserve (46%, Venture Whisky distributed by Japan Import System, B#127): nose: lovely fig relish and date spread. Then, we get lots of bold, chewy sweets and crystallised berries. Mouth: woody and drying, it does not want for fruits and sweets -- in fact, it is full of them. Finish: wow! Sweet, fruity, it does not have anything exuberant or extravagant (no Japanese whisky has, other than Karuizawa), but it has enticing jams and pressed currants. 8/10

The soundtrack: Katia Casio - Untitled mixtape

OB presents a Glen Gants Hill. He adds, "I guess there must be a 31 bus somewhere, and it has to be operated by Go a-Caden-head London." Boom-tsch.

Glen Grant-Glenlivet 31yo 1985/2017 (44.8%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection 175th Anniversary, Sherry Butt, 312b): a 'splosion of peaches and figs doused in Golden Syrup. Behind that are tons of pressed currants so ripe they are borderline hairy. Juicy prunes in a leather goblet. The second nose adds dark plums, very ripe too. Mouth: inky prunes, figs, pressed dates, sweaty currants. The second sip has a faint whisper of smoked meat, blood sausage or black pudding with raisins. Finish: long, comforting and sweet, though not overly so. It is a parade of currants and prunes. The second gulp adds a custard-y, cake-y note: berries cheesecake, in which currants are substituted for the berries. I suspect this one benefits form extended breathing in an open bottle, because it is even better than last time. 9/10

Incredibly, as I write down that note of berries cheesecake, JS sits down with a slice of the very same berries cheesecake that JMcD brought and I had not yet seen. Even more incredibly, the previous time we had this Glen Grant, in 2017, it came just after another batch of Ichiro's MWR, the very same sequence as today.

Blueberry cheesecake

Custard-and-almond cake

OB tells us that the next one is bottled by East Village Whisky Company. He adds that another word for 'village' is 'hamlet' (ahem), which makes this an East Ham(let) whisky. There is also a moon module on the label, which is not a London mode of transportation.

Speyside Region 44yo 1973/2017 (47.4%, East Village Whisky Company, Sherry Butt, 142b, b#125): nose: bergamot and a plate of moist mortar. It is sweeter and sweeter with time, piling on crystallised sugar cane. The second nose has wee-soaked pyjamas -- astonishingly, I mean that positively. Mouth: soft and juicy, it has barley syrup, ginger snaps, stem ginger and candied dried-fruit cubes (pineapple, peach), as well as candied angelica (yes, a gentle bitterness). Finish: it is not big, which suggests it has lost a bit of power (the cork is broken), but it remains delicious. Candied fruits, a puff of light pipe tobacco, balsawood smoke. Lovely dram, even if the smoke bitterness becomes a little loud. 8/10

The soundtrack: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - The Pacific Age

JS: "'Age', not 'Edge'. It is not the US importer."
tOMoH: "Oh."

YM brought a Spring-Bank

Springbank 28yo (48.9%, OB specially selected for the Springbank Society, 2966b): nose: moss fire, gingerbread in the oven (oooh!), roasted nuts, roasted berries. The second nose adds hot, oxidised metal. Mouth: ooh! it is rather pickle-y on the tongue, with cured red onions and red-wine vinegar. Chewing releases squashed berries, dark jams, smoked elderberry and blackberries. Those berries are muddier in the second sip, and soot makes an appearance. Finish: long, rustic and comforting like a kitchen fireplace in the countryside. The second gulp feels smokier and adds a blend of grated coal and soot. It remains berry-laden and juicy, however, even if it adopts stagnant water in the long run. 8/10

SOB brought a Gold Spot for Gold-ers Green. He adds that the gold spot of the tube is the place on the departure platform or on the train that is closest to the exit at the destination station. He confesses he missed the gold spot on his way here.

Gold Spot 9yo b.2022 135th Anniversary (51.4%, Midleton Distillery Limited Edition celebrating the 135th anniversary of the Mitchell's Whiskey bonding tradition, Bourbon Barrels + Sherry Butts + Bordeaux Wine Casks + Port Pipes, L215031402): nose: it is not a complete fruit onslaught, but it is pretty bold in that department, as if ripe fruits were served in a precious-wood bowl. This has a pinch of cigarette ash too, which is more unusual. Mouth: softly drying, it is also creamy and, of course, fruity. Plums, persimmons, plantains, baked cherimoyas. The second sip is a little more drying yet, though it is now on the confectionary side of the spectrum -- sweets and candied fruit. Finish: long and blend-y, this clearly has a good does of unmalted barley in the mash. Old polished wood, wood stain... it is fairly woody alright, with plane shavings and stuff on top of a shier fruitiness. 8/10

The soundtrack: Visage - Visage

tOMoH unveils a Glenlochy by Signatory Vintage. He points out that this one did come with the tube (see picture).

SOB: "I thought you were going to say we would have been sorry to come last week, because all the stations were Glen-locked."

Glenlochy 29yo 1980/2010 (52.8%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Hogshead, C#2649, 265b, b#71): nose: nostril-clearing, it then emits a nice faded suede and yellow fruits. Mouth: ooft! This has fruits and smoke in a smoky bar, a bit of jam and tin lids. Finish: big, a tad briny, and full of acidic yellow fruits. My full notes are here. 9/10

JMcD, who, remember, is back from Japan, brought a Yoichi, because the company that runs the Tokyo Metro also runs the Elizabeth Line in London.

Yoichi Peaty & Salty (55%, OB distributed by Japan Import System): horse's hair, suede, sheepskin, desert dirt after a soft rain, earth patties. It has a bold spiciness to it and lots of horse shenanigans -- stables, hay bales, straw, saddles, harnesses and, well, horse's hair and horse's sweat. Manure appears in the second nose, with also a whiff of muck. Mouth: it Is pretty potent, borderline fiery, briny (JMcD). It has salted chocolate and smoked apricots eaten on a horse's back. Finish: huge, it has lots of dried ginger, earth, desert dirt, and more horse. We find smoked pasties with the second gulp. Lovely stuff, this. 8/10

JS extracts an unbroken cork from her contribution.

JS: "Clearly a fake!"
tOMoH [picks up the cork]: "I don't know why I'm looking. I can't compare it to a Rare Malts cork: I've never seen one intact."

The soundtrack: The Fall - 458489 A Sides

JS finally unveils her bottle: a Rare Malts Teaninich. YM immediately registers that it spells 'RMT', the name of the union who initiated the strike.

Teaninich 23yo d.1972 (64.95%, OB Rare Malts Selection, b#1323): nose: interestingly, it prolongs the suede-and-stable profile of the Yoichi, perhaps meatier: it is not just horse's hair, but horse's meat, cured and thinly sliced. Horse's hair and fringed suede jackets mingle with smoked raspberries too. Soon, we find heated metal -- think of a cannon, without the gunpowder. It becomes ester-y, after a few minutes, and, with that ABV, how could it be otherwise? JS rightly calls it ferocious. Mouth: drying as warm sand, it has more of that horse's hair goodness and a lick of fresh paint. Quickly, hot cast iron joins the dance. Keeping it in the mouth until the taste buds wake up generates a shock. Finish: hugely powerful, it is not particularly wide. It unfolds similarly to the nose and palate, with smoke, horse's hair and sun-drenched hay bales. Without surprise, it leaves the palate a little numb. In fact, it is surprising that it does not leave it completely destroyed. 8/10

Huh?

It is unclear why this (and other RMS) give the ABV with two decimals and why the bottle label states 75cl and not 750ml (as American imports do -- the box does, yet the American version has no box). It does not sport the 'B297' that would indicate a South-African bottling (also 75cl), and has a blank space where market information would normally be written. Just which market was this bottled for?

JS: "The mystery, like the cork, remains intact."

JMcD is made to drink out of the 1920s blender's glass (aka the dickhead glass).

JMcD [paraphrasing]: "It is very impractical to drink from."
JS: "Hence the name. One looks like a dickhead when using one."
OB: "I bet it makes you want to look down on us, though."
JMcD: "I do feel superior indeed."

He passes it around for comparison with a regular glass.

YM: "It increases the booziness. Just what you don't want to do."
YM [sarcastically]: "Maybe with an Octomore…"
JS: "But then you'd be dead on the floor with a dickhead glass on you."

YM brought an SMWS bottling called 'Entropy meridian', which, he says, describes the chaos caused by this week's tube strikes.

53.318 11yo 2008/2020 Entropy meridian (57%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 232b): nose: hot sands wet with diesel, mud patties, ashes (YM). YM finds it not as punchy as most Caol Ilas, yet it packs a punch alright, even after the previous brute. We have more and more smoked cockles, over time. Mouth: oh! Here, we find more-usual Caol Ila notes; whelk, salt water, fishing nets. It gets saltier and sandier with subsequent sips. A tank of diesel augmented with a drop of ink, and a fishing net basking in it. Finish: it has a huge earthiness of smoked mud patties. Later on, we have sugar cubes and caster sugar sprinkled on oysters. 8/10

JS: "What does [Entropy meridian] mean in the context of Caol Ila?"
YM: "It's a chaotic dram, not very much like their usual 11yo."
tOMoH: "Not something you hear in many circles."
YM: "..."
tOMoH: "Give [YM] the dickhead glass [so he can feel superior]!"

JS: "What was the best dram?"
OB: "I would like to say the Glenlochy, but tOMoH will piss himself if I say that."
tOMoH: "Why do you say it in the future tense?"

Excellent tasting, lots of silly nonsense, good food, good drams.

12/09/2025 Longmorn

Longmorn 34yo 1973/2007 (54.4%, Gordon & MacPhail Cask Strength, First Fill Sherry Butt, C#3649, JG/AIG): nose: bold shoe polish is quickly overtaken by ester-y wood stain (Carbonyl, Ronseal). Then, we pause to smell woody tones, meaning treated wood, rather than wood treatment. It is no longer wood stain, but tainted wood; not lacquer, but lacquered wooden boxes. There is also a growing sense of chocolate and gingerbread; if it were not for the lack of butter and flour, one may even say a bakery. Pencil shavings and cedarwood sheets mix with a dry fortified wine, or blackcurrant liqueur. It is at once precious and dusty, elegant and faded. In one word: old. The second nose is full of wood patina, propolis and thick, dark beeswax weathered by years spent on furniture exposed to the sun rays through the window. Mouth: it is a huge attack, punchy and fiery. It is also immensely leathery, in a polished-sofa way. Minute chewing adds all sorts of Sherry influences: oranges, shoe polish, liqueur-filled chocolate. It also has a clear woody touch, with old cedarwood sheets and gingerbread. The second sip brings up some of the volatile wood-treatment products from  the initial nose (Carbonyl, Ronseal or another decking stain) and fresh-ginger shavings in chocolate. Perhaps it has one maraschino cherry too. Finish: remarkably subtle down the oesophagus, it climbs back up to drop mocha bombs at the start of the palate, right behind the top incisors. To say that is unexpected would be an understatement! After a few seconds, cigarillo smoke sets up camp, slightly acrid, mostly comfortable. The second gulp seems more-immediately characterful, and more in line with the nose and palate, in that it has woody notes off the bat, namely: furniture patina, cassia-bark splinters, decking stain, faint mocha chocolate. That last one starts out almost imperceptible, then grows with each sip. Quite different from our first encounter. Good. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, OB)

09/09/2025 Member Take Over: Ian Hunter aka Mr. Closed Distillery

When this event was announced, I could not remember meeting or hearing about Ian Hunter. When PS underlined he was nicknamed Mr. Closed Distillery, my curiosity was obviously piqued. I also thought it was a little weird that we had never crossed paths.

Tonight is the night, then, when we verify if this Mr. Closed Distillery is whom he claims to be.

I join JS, DW, PS, GT, Dr. CD, YM and others on the top deck. One look at the host, and I realise we have met -- at DW's Easter bash. Phew! That bodes well.

Despite tube strikes, most people made it. We start on time.

Hunter wastes no time. He tells us briefly when he became a Society member (2002), not how or why, then dives straight into the whiskies and the memorabilia he brought along, documents from yesteryear, some frankly depressing when one compares prices and selection with today's.

Take this 2002 outturn brochure, for example.
The Lowland page advertises an Inverleven,
a Rosebank and a St Magdalene.
One could buy all three for... £159

I take scant notes. The pace does not allow it and I want to enjoy the company. We try everything blind.

Dram #1

Nose: powerful nose, with marzipan soon overtaken by honeysuckle. This is bright, lively, and a tad minty, perhaps. The second nose brings honey.
Mouth: punchy, it has a mix of peach and red chilli pepper.
Finish: long, wide, fruity, it delivers peaches and peach stones, as well as a tame lick of chocolate.
Comment: with a few vague clues, I guess Coleburn, then Convalmore, even if it is clearly not the profile of the latter. We struggle to pinpoint it until the reveal. Then, it becomes embarrassingly obvious. Caperdonich is not really a rare sight at the SMWS, even these days. That said, no-one has had this older bottling. And it is very good.

38.13 24yo 1980/2005 Eiswein and red peppercorns (57.9%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill Hogshead, 268b) 8/10

Dram #2

Nose: mint crumbles, sherbet, it is rather sweet, then develops a soft citrus-peel profile and adds cosmetic powder.
Mouth: it has quite a bite, acidic and citric. It is also powdery without being chalky. The second sip is spicier, with a good dose of chilli.
Finish: chocolate rolled in rose petals. The second gulp presents dandelion stems, which is to say: plant bitterness.
Comment: Ian tells us it is a divisive distillery, which PS confirms by staring at me. I conclude that it is Cambus and dare not touch it. The man said Speyside, though, and it does not smell like a grain. Good thing I do not say anything, because it is, in fact, Pittyvaich. A Pittyvaich we have already tried in this very room, actually! More than a decade ago, granted.

90.5 10yo 1992/2002 Kola Kubes and Lilt (59.4%, SMWS Society Cask, 248b) 8/10

IH: "It has a cult following."
PS: "It's spelled with an 'n', not an 'l'."

Dram #3

Nose: this is bursting with jelly capsules, followed by fruits. It is like pulling peaches out of a plastic medicine jar. It probably smells much better than it reads.
Mouth: it has citrus foliage, but it is mostly lovely  fruits. Strawberries, rosehips, Damson plums, apricots and the softest puff of blond tobacco.
Finish: juicy Mirabelle plums and apricots.
Comment: this is excellent and my favourite, so far. I liken it in my head to 45.19. That was good, but this one is even better.

45.9 27yo 1975/2003 Cherry on top (50%, SMWS Society Cask) 9/10

Dram #4

Nose: a little brimstone mixed with juicy fruits (kumquat, calamondin, tangelo). It is also mineral and gives a whisper of Hardois the dog, wet or not.
Mouth: mosses on slate, corroded metal, fresh fruits and dried orange.
Finish: long, it is a steamroller, assertive, not aggressive. It has stewed orange segments simmering in a cast-iron pot.
Comment: some guesses, including Brora, which this obviously is not. I silently think Glenlochy, but we are told it is an Invernessian distillery. The crowd narrows it down to Millburn. It is even one we have tried before. I like it better today. Crazy how much more approachable it seems, tonight. The magic of a well-crafted sequence, eh?

87.6 16yo 1983/2000 (57%, SMWS Society Cask) 9/10

Dram #5

Nose: phwoar! Behind the obvious shoe polish from the no-less-obvious Sherry cask, it is absurdly fruity, with exploding lychee, dragon fruit, mangosteen and rambutan. Coffee pops in and out too, waving like a line-drying leather belt flapping in the wind.
Mouth: it is very powerful, even now, numbing and clearly fruity. Here are lychee, kumquat, mandarine, apricot.
Finish: long, warming, it rolls out the chocolate carpet, which is quickly trampled on by fresh citrus and cut plums, with shy lychee now in the background.
Comment: what a way to finish! The colour worried me, but this turned out to be precisely my kind of dram. Colloquially known as Mandarins in a well seasoned roasting tin, a name that appears nowhere on the label, it is remarkably different from 92.7, which shared the ABV and the cask type, though from another vintage. That one was sadly smothered by the Sherry.

92.9 20yo 1981/2001 (61.2%, SMWS Society Cask, Sherry Butt) 9/10

There. We just finished five drams in exactly one hour.

And what drams!

Beside the pace, which was too fast for me, it was a great tasting. Unpretentious, factual. I liked that Ian did not bring the obvious or more-prestigious closed distilleries. I was also glad the venue did not crowbar a current bottling into the line-up: seeing the calibre on display, that may have degraded the experience, as JS says.

I did regret that IH read tasting notes from the outturn brochures of the time, or notes he found online. For the one instance where he did not find any note (the Dallas Dhu), he even had Co-Pilot produce tasting notes for him, which I thought bizarre. Now, notes can be a useful guideline, but I find it a pity to read us those notes before we can try the drams and make our own opinion.

Off tasting, we have...

76.157 18yo 2006/2025 Tales of the Worm Tub: Behold the beast (54.3%, SMWS The Creators Collection, 1st Fill ex-Oloroso Butt, 534b)

Nose: thick leather boots, rancio, smoked ham. Then, it shifts towards hair lacquer. The second nose adds cracked black pepper and shaved wine-soaked cork.
Mouth: wine-soaked orange segments, pressed, and most of the moisture removed. Chewing injects sangria and soaked citrus peels. The second sip is drier, full of dusty elderberry and blueberry skins.
Finish: long, wine-y and fruity with a bitter orange-peel aftertaste -- in a good way.
Comment: DW tried to impress us with a recent Caperdonich and came back with this Mortlach. Woops! It is good all the same. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, DW)

38.43 32yo 1992/2024 Homecoming: The essence of heritage -- Bar-room buzz (49.6%, SMWS The Creators Collection, 1st Fill ex-PX Barrique, 213b)

Nose: coconut wood shavings (JS), an avalanche of candied papaya, dried peach cubes and mint crumbles in the back. There is also a bunch of flowers in there, somewhere -- carnations, tulips, chamomile, canola. The second nose is more leisurely, with soft leather sofas and many cushions. It stays floral, almost hay-like.
Mouth: initially chewy, it becomes unctuous, milky, if not custard-y. We have mushy peach flesh, timid maracuja, a pinch of mint, plum, white peach, mango, palak.
Finish: mellow and custardy, it peddles white-peach flesh before expiring in a puff of mango pulp. The second gulp is in line. Maybe, we imagine vanilla-filled milk chocolate?
Comment: what did I say about recent Caperdonich, at the beginning of the tasting? This is stupendous. Simply beautiful. I like it much more than the first time we had it. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, DW)

Well, that set us back an hour, ha! ha!

Good night out again.