23/11/2025 Superheroes

ydc, GD, adc, Psycho, Bishlouk, STL, red71, sonicvince, JS, PSc and I join dom666 in ze Heimat to celebrate his yearly shindig. kruuk2 sadly calls off, due to an emergency, and ruckus is climbing mountains somewhere.

It takes a wee while to get going, owing to the number of bottles and the effort it takes to build a line-up, but, soon, it is all systems go.

Work.

GD and ydc brought the first bottling back from a trip to the Vosges. They explain that, with all the Anschlußing going on in the region in the past, the Vosgians could easily have become Germans, i.e. supervillains. (This is a joke, not a reflection of today's Teutons, okay?)

Meyer 6yo b.2019 Hohwarth (40%, OB, Sauternes Casks finished in Pino Noir Casks, 950b) (ydc + GD)

Nose: it smells blend-y, which is logical. It has cured apples, wet cardboard and pickle juice. More fruits appear over time, apples and quince, followed by toffee and dried apricots.
Mouth: peppery rocket, cardboard again, gherkins and dried apple peels. It takes a turn towards dried plantain skins and blackcurrant skins at second sip, macerating in their own juice.
Finish: a bit young and grainy, it has cardboard, unsweetened cereals and a dash of grape juice or pressed gooseberries.
Comment: a decent starter that is more than a curiosity. 6/10

Bishlouk: "adc, you're on your own, at the end of the table..."
adc: "Yes, on purpose. Same at the cinema. I like being in the back. If there is no-one in front of me, even better!"
tOMoH: "That's called a television."

sonicvince: "I wonder if I have had COVID thirteen times without knowing. Mrs. sonic often tells me it smells this or that and I can't smell it."
tOMoH: "Does she say it smells of your farts? And you go: 'No, no, all good!'?"

Psycho brought a Corsican single malt matured in wine casks. He tells us it is the Black Knight, aka Bruce Winesky. Sinking to new lows.

P&M Signature b.2018 (42%, OB, 6600b) (Psycho)

Nose: pine and sugar (ydc, red71, adc), génépi, dried pine needles (adc), le Bassin d'Arcachon (ydc), pine needles on a sandy beach (sonicvince). It plays the pine-needle note to death. But, if one likes that...
Mouth: mountain-flower honey, conifer resin and daffodils macerating in a honeyed solution.
Finish: simple, it has toffee and pan-fried plantain.
Comment: divisive. I think it works, even if it is hardly whisky. 6/10

adc: "What was the name of the actress in The Horse Whisperer?"
tOMoH: "Roberta Redford."
Bishlouk:"She's dead, now."
dom666 + tOMoH: "So is the horse."

Psycho presents Ben Grimm Bracken, aka The Thing. 

He also breaks his first cork of the day, and the vacuum technique to extract the remainder cracks everyone up, as per usual.

tOMoH: "New vacuum cleaner, adc. Do you still have the other one?"
adc: "I have... [she counts] four of them."
GD + ydc [look at each other]: "We fell small, now, with only two of them!"

Ben Bracken 12yo (40%, Scotch Whisky Company for Lidl, b. ca. 2007) (Psycho)

Nose: strawberry bubble gum, dust (adc).
Mouth: maple syrup.
Comment: I know this one well (proper notes here) and spend more time socialising than taking notes. I like it. 7/10

Psycho looks for a new cork in the cork basket.
tOMoH: "Alright, Psycho? Can you find one?"
Psycho: "The thing with [the original] one is that its girth is pretty wide."
Bishlouk: "Yeah, but it is broken!"

sonicvince brought a Tomatin.
STL: "Is it for Leguman?"
No, it is a Tomatin Decades, because, sonicvince says, superheroes have been around for decades.

Tomatin Decades b.2011 (46%, OB, Bourbon & Sherry Casks, L030556, 9000b) (sonicvince)

Nose: adc finds cork and a wet wild plant. As for me, it is tropical fruit (papaya and maracuja) as well as passiflora for a delicate vegetal touch.
Mouth: it is lively, acidic, and ripe with tropical fruits, now chiefly pineapple. Chewing reveals a pinch of quarry dust, yet it is far from a mineral number.
Finish: long and bold, it explodes with tropical fruits, supported by a lick of green plant stem. The second gulp adds cut mango and includes the skin too for that extra bitter touch.
Comment: this one is always a pleaser. 8/10

Psycho introduces General Glenn(burgie) Talbot, one of The Hulk's archnemesis.

He also breaks another cork.

Glenburgie 19yo d.1995 (46%, Signatory Vintage for Direct Wines First Cask, 3 x Hogsheads, b#197) (Psycho)

Nose: dusty peaches served on cardboard plates. This gets fruitier and fruitier, juicier and juicier. Then, it peddles cosmetic powders.
Mouth: peach stones with fruit flesh still attached to them. Confectionary sugar, cosmetic powder, sherbet, flying saucers.
Finish: long, fresh and fruity, full-on peach debauchery.
Comments: this is a small masterpiece. 9/10

ydc: "I like it. Do I need to be more loquacious? Accurate?"

Bishlouk shows the next bottle: "The label looks like an American comic from the 1960s."

The Nameless One 18yo 1995/2014 (46.8%, The Whisky Mercenary, Sherry Cask) (Bishlouk)

Nose: a little gamy, it has cured meat and rancio aplenty. Then, it is leather and farm paths. The second nose is fruitier.
Mouth: fruity, if robust, it has ripe carambola leaking in a leather game pouch and bright passion fruits. The second sip adds guava and small Egyptian green bananas. Lovely!
Finish: lots of fruits again (pink-grapefruit segments, pink maracuja) and a drop of ink.
Comment: fruity drop from start to finish for this presumed Glenfarclas. Love it. 8/10

Food enters. The usual selection of cheeses, pâtés and a white pudding with bread rolls.

STL shows us three pictures. They are clues that hint at three names of heroes (not super-, but hey!) We find them easily. Those three names are written on the label of the next bottling.

Clockwise: Indiana Jones (played by Harrison Ford), Maverick, City Hunter

Waterford 3yo 2019/2022 Heritage: Hunter 1.1 (50%, OB Arcadian Barley, 45% First-Fill US Oak Casks + 18% Virgin US Oak Casks + 21% French Oak Casks, B#HE01E01-01, 9048b) (STL)

Nose: heavy and woody, deep, soaked. Here are mahogany drinks cabinets in which the drinks have leaked for years, oily and oiled oak, precious and exotic woods. This is heady!
Mouth: fairly bitter on the tongue, borderline plank-y, which is in line with the nose, yet very unexpected of something so young. Bitter, bark-y, though it gains pressed sultanas, in the long run.
Finish: long and woody.
Comment: my first Waterford. I knew it was a divisive distillate, now I feel I can emit an opinion. It is not really my thing. 6/10

sonicvince presents the figure of authority in Batman: Commissioner Gordon (& MacPhail).

Glen Keith 28yo 1993/2021 (51.8%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength UK Exclusive, Refill American Hogshead, C#97142, B#21/143, 230b) (sonicvince)

Nose: sawdust and crushed dried strawberries.
Mouth: lightly acidic (Psycho), it has beefed-up strawberry yoghurt and peppery sawdust.
Finish: long, spicy and fruity.
Comment: we tried this in August 2024. It is just as good today. Maybe, one day, I will spend enough time with it. 8/10

JS proposes a bottling by the Silver Surfer Seal.

Littlemill 23yo 1990/2013 (54.8%, Silver Seal, C#33, 290b) (JS)

Nose: grapefruit rinds, hot pineapple purée, dried mango slices. It becomes juicier at second nose, though sonicvince finds honey.
Mouth: a crescendo of acidic fruits, starting with mango and ending with grapefruit.
Finish: PSc detects loads of vanilla, whereas all I have are explosive fruits.
Comment: JS served this for the same occasion, ahem, seven years ago, and we have not had it since. It is still cracking and I am looking forward to spending more time with it. 9/10

sonicvince: "Anyone wants half a roll with me?"
tOMoH: "Only a wimp would take half a roll!"
Bishlouk: "I'll take half a wimp roll, thank you."

red71 unveils a Bowmore and tells us that inverting the syllables gives Morebow -- and more bow points at Green Arrow.

Bowmore 12yo 2001/2013 (52.9%, The Whisky Agency Liquid Library, Refill Butt, 484b) (red71)

Nose: "Fifty Shades of Islay, at first dusty, then very good" (PSc) tOMoH points out that is only two shades. It is farm-y, with ploughed fields all round. Soon, violent fruits rise, as do cold ashes (PSc).
Mouth: it showcases very-dirty farmland, with muck on the side of the paths, and torched soil in planters. Chewing shows fruits again (peaches, nectarines). The second sip adds a pinch of chalk and metal filings.
Finish: another mix of scorched earth and torched fruits, this also has red chillies and fiery ginger.
Comment: what a class act! 8/10

ydc polls the audience to know what the name is of the prison where the villains are jailed, when caught by Batman. It is, of course, the Arkham-urchan Asylum.

sonicvince: "I would have said April O'Neill, from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."
red71: "That's not worth Leguman, but..."

Ardnamurchan 5yo b.2022 Second Release (53.2%, The Whisky Exchange April Fool, First Fill Bourbon Casks, 1575b) (ydc + GD)

Nose: a pinch of moist clay and lovely strawberry sweets. Fruit stones are next, maybe a mineral touch, and a pinch of cinnamon powder.
Mouth: yup, clay and strawberries. This is delicious, viscous, chewy. It then develops scorched earth. It feels chalkier at second sip.
Finish: long, acidic, earthy. It has dark, inky algae in the back. It gives me the impression of licking black ink off the bottom of an empty vase -- yes, one would need a long tongue to know.
Comment: excellent. 8/10

First cake.

ydc on shanking duties

dom666 brought something from Campbeltown, near the Hulk of Kintyre. Groan.

Springbank 21yo b.2000 (46%, OB imported by Fourcroy) (dom666)

Nose: Dr. Pepper, flat cola, grated cinnamon, crushed dried raspberry. What a nose!
Mouth: fantastic rancio with parched mud, tarry mud patties caked on tractor tyres and bitter blackcurrants.
Finish: slightly-drying finish with tons of fruits. Cream Sherry, which is to say the dryness of Oloroso and the sweetness of PX combined.
Comment: fares so much better today than at Burns' Night 2023 when it faced an ancient twelve-year-old and another twenty-one-year-old. Today, it shines on its own. 9/10

We talk about my misadventure with a bottle of Laphroaig.

tOMoH: "We had the real deal at hand, which is genuine without the shadow of a doubt."
dom666: "Yeah, I'd bought mine from La Maison du Pékèt [instead of du Whisky]."
Laughter all round.

tOMoH introduces a distillery no-one has had apart from JS and adc. Abhainn Dearg, pronounced Aveen Djarek for the Aveendjers or Avenger-eks. (Thanks for the inspiration, JS)

Abhainn Dearg b.2023 (61%, OB X Cask Type, PX Cask) (tOMoH)

Nose: baked breadstick (Psycho), fish (Bishlouk), burnt peach pastry, some rubber, industrial glue and a hot plastic bag. The second nose sees melted chocolate and strawberry filling in a chocolate biscuit.
Mouth: oh! yeah, this feels plastic-y alright, rubbery, a little drying. Then, the alcohol becomes desiccating and peppery. The second sip is softer-ish (it is still a brute), creamy and chocolate-y.
Finish: long and chocolate-y. This goes from challenging to delicious over the space of fifteen minutes. It will likely benefit from breathing in an open bottle too.
Comment: as expected, it is not as good as it was at the distillery, but what a nice souvenir. Bishlouk disagrees, who empties his glass in the sink (and will consequently never be invited again). 7/10

adc is relieved that it is her turn, at last. She produces her bottle -- a bottle wearing a cape!

And she goes...

Kilchoman

Kilchoman

Héros de l'Univers

(Y'know...)

Kilchoman, the peaty superhero -- ha! ha!

She adds that all that American-superhero malarky is of a certain generation. Previous ones had other heroes, such as the Four Musketeers -- D'Artagnan, Athos, Aramis and Port-os, hence a Port-cask-matured whisky.

Kilchoman 6yo b.2024 Port Cask Matured (50%, OB, Ruby Port Casks, 24/96) (adc)

Nose: ooft! Mud, bay leaves, cassia bark, and piles and piles of mud that turn into empty-aquarium residue.
Mouth: honey and mud, smoked earth, ashes and some smoked cut slices of peach and nectarine. It is hot on the tongue, but keeps it all entertaining by not playing the mud/peat card exclusively.
Finish: it is very smoky and ashy, with mud and torched chocolate.
Comment: works a treat, today. Very efficient. 8/10

Second cake.

Cut by yours, truly

tOMoH somehow remembers a bottle that was meant for Burns' Night 2024 that went AWOL and that he forgot to put into this here line-up. He tells everyone that Tony Stark (Iron Man) and Bruce Wayne (Batman) are both upper Far-class.

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

Comment: in order to not fall behind too much, tOMoH skips this one altogether. Others seem enthused by it. My notes are here.

Psycho and PSc prepare for a duel, a battle of the groans.

PSc has an Ardbeg Uigaedal Vador (groan), or an Uigaedzilla (double groan).

red71: "Make him stop!"

Psycho has a Commissioner Gordon (& MacPhail), which was done already, so he prepared a backup link: it was distilled in 1996, a year that saw the release of a film version of The Phantom.

He is so proud of himself that he breaks the cork.

Ardbeg 1996/2005 (46%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice, C#906, JE/GI)  (Psycho)

Nose: barley and cereal, in pure Ardbeg fashion. adc finds it a certain sweetness. I detect a whiff of coffee, and that is not the sludge everyone else is sipping. We also have scorched earth and sands licked by a flamethrower.
Mouth: oh! This is ashy, drying. It has crushed (ground) seashells full of sands, salt and iodine. It picks up boozy caramelised custard at second sip.
Finish: a blend of sweet and ashy, confectionary or caster sugar and fine white ash. The second gulp brings smoked cereals too. Wow.
Comment: here is one we had not had for years, probably decades, as it seems to predate this little blog, and it still does the job. 8/10

vs.

Ardbeg Uigeadail b.2004 (52.4%, OB, Bourbon + Sherry Casks, L4 187) (PSc)

Nose: lots of ink, iodine, a drop of Iso Betadine, soot, cork and burnt toffee.
Mouth: ash-dusted toffee and lots of chilli. It is surprising how hot this is, after a few drams that were much higher in alcohol. Chewing cranks up the ash and ink -- so much so I find it a bit unbalanced.
Finish: it is better here, long, with clay dirt, dust and the bitterness of crushed bay leaves.
Comment: this is okay. I am less taken than others. 7/10

We talk about Skye.

dom666: "You should not go to Skye in August. Unless you're a duck."

Unbeknownst to all, a new bottle enters the party to face the last one in the line-up, that was moved in the original sequence.

dom666 open a Torabhaig -- or a Thor-abhaig. Because it is from the 57th Parallel (57.1, to be precise), whereas Talisker, dom666's favourite distillery, sits at 57.3. It is also bottled at 57.1%, but is neither fifty-seven years old, nor from 1957. At least, it is not a supermarket whisky, unlike its neighbour at 57.3. ;-)

To fight Thor-abhaig, tOMoH pours a Glen-Loki.

vs.

Boom.

Torabhaig 7yo 2018/2025 (57.1%, The Dornoch Distillery Co. for Thompson Bros., 1st Fill Bourbon Barrels) (dom666)

Nose: iodine, old bandages, followed by a big burst of farm-y scents, part ashy fields and cindered pitches, part tractor fumes. It is smokier at second nosing, with earth fields saturated with diesel fumes, and root vegetables just as gorged with the same fumes. With water, all we have is ashes.
Mouth: spicy, gingery and peaty in a muddy way. It is very powerful, even this late in the game, a tad herbaceous, but mostly earthy. The second sip is pepperier, overflowing with cracked black pepper and bay leaves that have been dragged into a field. Water pours seawater and adds a bunch of samphire.

Finish: bold, it acquires dark chocolate, maybe liquorice bootlaces (the red variety). The second gulp is creamier, with the chocolate putting on a milky coat. Water adds pan-seared algae.
Comment: a very-well-made, muscular animal that I hope to explore further in the future. Careful with water, though. Since I like it better than upon first encountering it, it will be a generous... 8/10

vs.

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

Comment: I take no notes, tonight (here they are, from another time). It is 21:15. We have been drinking around twenty drams over almost eight hours. It still slays. Universally liked. 9/10

Phew! We made it, somehow. Excellent tasting as usual. Lots of banter, nonsense and laughter, satisfying food, and a wide variety of whiskies all combined to create unforgettable moments.

Happy birthday, dom666!

Psycho was on a mission and broke 3/4 of his corks

21/11/2025 Another couple of peaters

Kilkerran Cask Strength Bourbon Wood (54.1%, OB Work In Progress, B#7, Bourbon Casks, 6000b, 15/211): nose: very-slightly peaty indeed. One would struggle to find much smoke of any kind in this. Instead, we have a musty clay floor covered in lichen, and stacks of old staves, slowly but surely turning to dust. Behind that, green gooseberries and unripe greengages wait for their turn to assail the nostrils. Those fruits ripen relatively quickly and morph into Mirabelle plums and apricots. With some imagination, one may spot someone smoking blond tobacco, somewhere, though it is categorically not in the same room, so subtle it is. The second nose has a cardboard box full of old papers ready to be used as fire starter (twisted, hey?) It is now dry alright, only enhanced by a drop of vinaigrette, and oily tobacco sprinkled with green-grape juice. Mouth: fruity and mellow, here are plantains, cut apricots and cured nectarines, with cured peaches lurking in the background. Keeping it in the mouth long enough will indicate how strong this is, yet it feels behaved for 54% -- tame, even. Honey-augmented toffee, Bourbon-y vanillin, a couple of leaves of peppery rocket, and a pinch of sawdust from a sawn oak that was covered in lichen. The second sip is juicier and presents green-grape juice similar to what we had on the nose. Chewing brings forth oily tobacco too, unlit, and a freshly-polished piece of wooden furniture. Finish: it has a bit of a kick, if not a bite, which likely betrays the age (it is a NAS, but Glengyle started distilling in 2004 and this was bottled in 2015; it is an eleven-year-old at most, likely younger). That aside, we have a beautiful Bourbon maturation at play, with louder wood than may be expected. More to the point, we see the greengages, Mirabelle plums and honey from before, a cloud of billowing Virginia-tobacco smoke, and toffee appears a little afterwards. The second gulp is fresher and stronger, reminiscent of peppermint, but much more pleasant. Perhaps it is apricots augmented with spearmint? In any case, it works. It offers lichen-covered oak branches at the death, which is nice. Very nice. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, OB)

3.244 19yo 1996/2015 Film noir (58.8%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 211b, L15 175): nose: surprisingly dirty for this distillery. This has muck, farmyard sludge and even septic-tank fumes. That dissipates a little and makes way for greasy earth from ploughed fields... aaaaand the septic tank comes back. In a perverted way, I think it works, but I can imagine it will not be a note universally seen as enjoyable. This nose seems to alternate between straw bales, farm paths and, ahem, organic waste, shall we say. There probably are some decaying fruits in the midst of all that, so taken over by decay that it is not worth trying to identify them. The second nose emits more tar scents than septic-tank fumes -- and, of course, if you see the double meaning in the expression "skid mark," you may find that logical. We turn back to dark earth soon enough. Mouth: redemption! If one did not care for the nose as much as tOMoH did, tOMoH cannot picture anyone disliking the palate for the same reasons. It remains farm-y, but now focuses more clearly on the earthy side of the farm (scorched earth, to be precise) and injects a bold serving of fruits -- bruised apples, overripe quince, white plums, maybe carambola (yay!) and a dollop of a peppery mint paste elevate the whole to new levels. Chewing gives a dirt-bike feel to the palate, where too quick an acceleration spurts mud from the studded tyres, yet fruits soon come back to reclaim the game. The second sip has green chilli to start with, juicy and fiery, then citrus foliage and sliced green bell pepper. It stays hot, though keeping it on the tongue for a minute revives the fruits and the earth, like peaches fallen into a ploughed field. Finish: ooft! Scorched earth, torched soil in planters, fruits licked by a flamethrower. Strawberry leaves try to speak and are only partly heard, soon in the shadow of a tarry race track. It is a never-ending finish too that warms one up and leaves the tongue throbbing, looking for fruits and finding nasty skid marks on tar instead. The second gulp is more or less in line, yet it adds lichen scraped off an empty vase kept by the fireplace. A bruised apple and a ripe greengage find themselves smashed in said empty vase, complemented by a fistful of earth. All that has been resting on the mantlepiece of the fireplace for a few hours. Ahhhhh! Bowmore. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, OB)

17/11/2025 LaLaLand

tOMoH got lucky on Saturday, and only managed to pick samples from OB's bag o' tricks that are not exactly tOMoH's favourite style. Peaters, Sherry monsters, Rye... Today's weather is finally seasonal, so we will have some peaters!

Laphroaig 7yo 2006/2013 (54.9%, Wiebers Brothers, Bourbon Cask, 120b): Wiebers Brothers, rather than Jack Wieber, did this one. Nose: well, it is compatible with the distillery's reputation: TCP, guaicol, antiseptic. It also has smoked  paprika, smoked harissa, and saffron capsules where the impregnated plastic is as loud as the threads themselves. Further on are gauze, embrocation and decades-old bandages. tOMoH somehow feels like he just walked into a field hospital from the Great War. Tilting the glass gives away old Tupperware containers baked by the sun. The second nose is less medicinal and more straightforwardly smoky. It is a woolen jumper one wore to a bonfire (think: Feux de la Saint-Jean rather than the British version with firecrackers). There is a drop of brine too and Tupperware gear comes back, filled with preserved lemons. Mouth: crisp, citrus-y and quite sweet, it is acidic too. Calamansi or heavily-sweetened grapefruit juice. A single chew stirs the smoke, and the dram reclaims a bit of its medicinal character too -- only a bit. It takes quite a lot of swirling around for burnt wood and antiseptic to become bolder again, surprisingly -- and then, what comes out are algae, vase water and ashes, rather than bandages. Only a tiny drop of surgical alcohol keeps this linked to the nose. All in all, however, it stays fruity and fresh. The second sip sees preserved lemons in brine, now more acidic, smoked lemons, smoked tangerines, still sweet(ish), despite being impregnated with acrid smoke, a pinch of soot, or, indeed, residue from a chimney-sweep at a cocktail bar. Finish: thin, juicy, it goes down all fresh and citrus-y, then explodes into a cloud of smoke. Iso Betadine, moist-wood smoke, cold tobacco smoke that sticks to one's clothes no matter how many times one washes them, dried algae and lichen in an empty vase. The second gulp doubles down on empty vases, reminiscent of that Tyrone thing, albeit on illegal steroids, here. Beside the lichen-y, algae-like main character, we have an assembly of extras in the background, exuding heat from a charcoal fire. This is not only warming, it probably causes lung cancer in seventeen minutes, from all that coal smoke it generates. Today, that is a good thing. Listen: this will not change lives, but it is perfectly honest a dram. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, OB)

Lagavulin 12yo b.2013 (55.1%, OB Limited Edition, Refill American Oak Casks): nose: urgh! Bile. You read correctly: it smells acidic and unhealthy. Fortunately, that quickly makes way for fermenting cereals (barley, one would imagine), still humid from the malting floor and ready to be kilned. That kiln, by the way, is not far away; one can easily smell its smoke. It has something of smoked cucumber peels, which is pretty original, and black olives in brine. In the background, someone is spraying windscreen defroster, and that vapourised liquid brings the smoke down a notch -- not that it was too bold to being with. The second nose has unripe apricots, cut then heavily smoked, difficult to recognise, xylene or laser-printer toner, and a lump of blue plasticine in the back. Mouth: it is sweeter than foreseen, yet it still has bile. Butyric, lactic acid, milk on the brink. Chewing brings that milk back to safer-consumption territory and makes for a pleasant texture. However, it also amplifies the barley fermentation; we are left sipping milky barley water in a smoky cafeteria. Some will certainly love that. It is less tOMoH's bag. Mezcal-y eggnog is up next with a mineral touch, now, as if the millstone used to grind the cereals had deposited stone dust amongst the grist and flour. The second sip sprays some defroster on all that, which somehow increases the Mezcal impression and brings agave into the mix. It feels fibrous and a tad drying. Finish: in quick succession, we witness barley water, citrus juice, heat from burning straw, and thick smoke. The tonsils glow like embers for the longest time, as if one were drinking collected water from a peat bog surrounded by burning peat and sphagnum moss. Retro-nasal olfaction emphasises that last note: sphagnum moss, some dried, some alight. The second gulp adds some juice (papaya or guava), which is refreshing, if neither particularly fruity, nor even that juicy. Perhaps it is agave again, or yucca leaves, rather than fruits? The smoke recedes, and it takes a few deep breaths to realise it has simply set camp in the back of the mouth, undetected, until it jumps on the taster like an ambushed predator, at which point, it is all burnt wood and smoked lemons in brine. This is alright. It is not my favourite, but it is objectively well made. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, OB)

15/11/2025 OB the Ba(n)ker

OB is sadly leaving the country for the Land of Inferior Chocolate. We cannot let him go without one last hurrah.

cavalier66, JMcD, SOB, YM, WhiskyLovingPianist and JS join me to wish OB farewell.

With enough whisky to make sure he never reaches his destination

With the number of whiskies and guests, much time is spent on logistics, banter and rushing through drams. Notes are consequently succinct.

The soundtrack: Cthulhu - Le sortilège

cavalier66 opens fire with a North of Scotland, which is as far away from OB's destination as any Scottish distillery can be. It is 44% ABV, which is OB's age today -- or 44.4%, to be precise, two third of 66.6, the Devil's number. cavalier66 argues that OB is selling his soul to the Devil by going to Neutralandia, and will turn into a full devil himself. The label, in pure Douglas Laing fashion (the parent company of Hunter Hamilton), tells of great expectations, which is what OB has for that new life, and of a great single blend -- and cavalier66 adds that OB is a great man we are losing.

cavalier66: "If I remember correctly, the nose is more impressive than the rest."
YM: "Should we put it into a dickhead glass?"

North of Scotland 39yo d.1966 (44.4%, Hunter Hamilton The Clan Denny, C#HH2240)

Nose: raisins, dusty sultanas, dried peach slices. It has a whisper of cured meat, honey-glazed pork roast or such. Beyond are vanillin and candied citrus. Perhaps a sprinkle of white-wood dust too. More and more pineapple and papaya cubes emerge with time.
Mouth: candied orange segments ride on a fairly-thin body, then we get pineapple cubes dunked in marmalade augmented with a dash of wine.
Finish: an explosion of raisins and resins, and the most distant dark-wood sawdust -- an old shelf sawn in smaller chunks. It has tannins, though they merely add to the complexity.
Comment: wonderful old grain. Cue memories of a time when these were "just there" and no-one was buying them. What a way to start! 9/10

tOMoH explains that OB is e-Scapa-ing from London.

Scapa 19yo 2000/2019 (49.9%, Chivas Brothers Distillery Reserve Collection, 1st Fill Barrel, C#26, 312b, b#38)

Nose: bakery scents (WhiskyLovingPianist), brighter (cavalier66) and chalkier (WhiskyLovingPianist) [than the previous dram]. For me, it has sweet grapes, nectarines and a spoonful of honey.
Mouth: it has body and acidity to complement a clear custard-y profile.
Finish: long, sweet and citric, with calamansi and Ugli fruit playing first and second trumpets.
Comment: WhiskyLovingPianist teases that Scapa is a lower-tier distillery, but really, everyone agrees this is "not bad," even if they are in denial about its true greatness. My notes are here. 9/10

cavalier66: "A little bit of soap in this. Is it just me?"
tOMoH: "Just you."
WhiskyLovingPianist: "Soon as you said it..."

The soundtrack: Cthulhu - Chronicles of the red sun

SOB explains that the theme, OB the Ba(n)ker, made him think that bakers no longer use imperial measures, but that bankers still occasionally talk of shillings or guineas. He therefore brought an Imperial.

Imperial 26yo 1994/2020 An ever changing world of impossibility (45.3%, The Whisky Exchange for Whisky Show, Barrel, C#5874, 198b)

Nose: pure ozone photocopier (cavalier66), citrus (WhiskyLovingPianist), glossy magazines, ozone indeed, vine leaves and flowers -- chiefly carnations.
Mouth: photocopied flowers (cavalier66), certainly glossy magazines. This is boldly flavourful and a trifle bitter.
Finish: creamy, custard-y, long and fudgy. The death brings a hint of mocha-y rubber or rubbery mocha -- who knows?
Comment: excellent. More nostalgia about Imperial (tsk! WhiskyLovingPianist again). I have to remind him that the ones that came out twenty years ago were not all stellar. This one is excellent. 9/10

tOMoH: "Glossy magazines."
cavalier66: "Top shelf."
WhiskyLovingPianist: "Oh..."
cavalier66: "Don't go there!"
tOMoH: "Are the pages stuck together?"

Gruyere, a cheese from OB's destination

WhiskyLovingPianist: "I think Mark Watt owns most of the Imperial that came out around that time."
cavalier66: "Wasn't it Elixir [Distillers]?"
WhiskyLovingPianist: "He bought it in bottles."

Alp Blossom, with the Alps having a foot in both France and Switzerland
(and Italy, Germany and Austria, but EG, MV and JH are not here)

cavalier66: "You can barely tell you're drinking alcohol at all..."
OB: "One could say: fruit."
SOB: "Write that down, tOMoH!"

WhiskyLovingPianist brought houmous and guacamole.
The latter turns out to be green tzatziki

OB opens, then closes the next bottle.

OB: "Ah! Okay. I've had bad luck with broken corks, lately..."
tOMoH: "So you put the cork back in to double your chances."

cavalier66 also brought beetroot-cured smoked salmon

OB presents his favourite bottle of whisky. Not his favourite whisky, not his favourite bottling, but his favourite bottle. He tells the story of how he acquired it, how he randomly met the bottler in a bar in Japan, and rolls out more incredible anecdotes all linked to this.

Tomatin 38yo 1976/2015 (47%, OB imported by Japan Import System for Whisky Hoop, C#31, 190b)

Comment: I know this from a previous encounter and take no note, today. It is still amazeboulanger. 10/10

OB: "Switzerland, as a tourist destination, makes no sense, because it is so expensive."
cavalier66: "And a bit boring, to be honest."
tOMoH: "Unless you want to ski."
cavalier66: "Even then, skis resorts are a bit boring."
WhiskyLovingPianist: "It's all downhill from here!"

JMcD: "Last time, there was a debate about chocolate..."
tOMoH: "No, there wasn't. No Swiss was here, so, no, there could have been no debate [about who makes the best chocolate]."
OB: "That's right. The best chocolate is French."
KMcD: "Wait! French?"
tOMoH: "Only for those who think that Belgium is a province of France."
cavalier66: "Well, half of it is..."

JMcD presents a whisky from the Old Bakery distillery.

Old Bakery 8yo (47.2%, Old Bakery Distillery for Gerry's, American 40% Toasted Oak ex-Bourbon Casks finished in Cuban Rum Barrels, b#7B)

Nose: cucumber juice poured on rubber, a new snorkel, nail polish thinner, with lemon rinds in the back and cypress resin.
Mouth: oh! yes, this has a strong rum-y side, with rubber, hevea brasiliensis and chewy wood, cork style.
Finish: bold, rubber, with enough pineapple to fill a wheelbarrow.
Comment: ideally placed, after the previous glories: so different it not only stands out, but stands its own. 7/10

The words on the label make little sense, on the other hand

WhiskyLovingPianist: "Dave Broom's Atlas. First edition, there were 3,500 whisky distilleries. Latest edition, there are 5,000.
tOMoH: "And that's just in Scotland! Nay! The Highlands!"
WhiskyLovingPianist: "Just in Glasgow!"

SOB notices that cavalier66's shirt is covered in Drambuie bottles.

JS: "How is this Drambuie thing?"
YM: "It's sweet and flavoured with herbs."
tOMoH: "It's called aqua vitae -- or uisquebaugh."
WhiskyLovingPianist: "You're such a ninja."

WhiskyLovingPianist wanted to pour the following bottling, Pink wafers in a ladies hat shop, and suggested Bundt Day / confectionary as a theme to be able to do so easily.

48.41 25yo d.1988 Pink wafers in a ladies hat shop (48.3%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 239b)

Nose: it starts off woody, if not plank-y. Dusty shelves and dried staves. It quickly opens up to reveal orchard fruit -- conference pears, poached apples, and a whiff of dried rosemary too. The second noses serves peaches.
Mouth: lemon-y and herbaceous, it has calamansi juice and limoncello, pineapple turnovers sprinkled with dried rosemary, then cypress branches coated in Golden Syrup. The second sip has a bitter lick from the rosemary, and that complements the fruit well.
Finish: pastry aplenty, still with a softly-bitter-herbaceous note. It is essentially peaches and herbs.
Comment: lovely. The bitterness will prevent a higher score today, but in other circumstances, who knows? 8/10

JS: "WhiskyLovingPianist, what is that bread you brought?"
WhiskyLovingPianist: "Heritage sourdough."
JS: "Oh, really? Is it made with Maris Otter and brewer's yeast?"
WhiskyLovingPianist: "Yeah, and the Thompson Brothers' spit."

The soundtrack: Cthulhu - Beyond the gate to the eternal slumber

tOMoH explains he looked for a Swiss bottling. The only one easily accessible was this Arran bottled for a Swiss festival. He added the Barrel Bonfire, because OB is making a bonfire of his London life, at the moment.

Arran 17yo 1997/2014 (51.6%, The Whisky Agency & Acla da Fans Acla Selection specially selected for Whisky-Schiff Zürich 2014, Refill Sherry Cask, 120b)

Comment: a citrus malt, especially the finish. Full notes here. 8/10

vs.

Arran 11yo b.2024 Edition 2 -- Barrel Bonfire (50%, OB The Signature Series, Peated Quarter Casks, 14822b)

Comment: full notes here. 8/10

WhiskyLovingPianist: "This is really pastry. It is almost in the Nordic- sorry! in Nordic Zone of Whisky Show. Did you go to Nordic Zone of Show, SOB?"

OB presents a Brora from his birth year, because he wants to finish the bottle before he leaves.

Brora 27yo 1981/2009 (51.3%, Duncan Taylor Rare Auld, C#291, 330b, b#76)

Nose: ashy and waxy, it has nectarines and bubble gum of some sort.
Mouth: acidic and ashy, it also has a touch of yellow fruits. I find it very bitter in the long run.
Finish: more ash and wax, soot, desert dirt. WhiskyLovingPianist calls it sugary, almost sherbet-like.
Comment: WhiskyLovingPianist says "lovely" and "comfort," while cavalier66 says it is almost more Clynelish than Brora. I find it delicious. Better than previous times (here and here), in fact. 9/10

cavalier66: "I've had some that were not as good. It wasn't Duncan Taylor -- who was it?"
tOMoH: "Chieftain's and Dun Bheaghan. Ian McLeod and Wm. Maxwell."
WhiskyLovingPianist: "Yeah, they were quite poor."
cavalier66: "I've had three or four of those, and..."
tOMoH: "Do you want a dickhead glass to say that?"

SOB went for the banker side and brought a Springbank. In a Madeira Cask. He also brought Madeira, tough not the one the Springbank was aged in.

Barbeito Madeira Bastardo Duas Pipas (unknown ABV, OB Reserva, B#2, C#46+735)

Nose: butter not far from turning rancid, pressed raisins (sultanas, to be accurate), dried figs, then it turns drier, earthier
Mouth: earthy-mushroom-y profile submerged by dried dates and prunes. It is syrupy at second sip, almost cloying. Then, that dissipates and leaves Manzanilla and prunes.
Finish: coating, incredibly sweet, with rehydrated dates and figs. Incredibly, it is sweeter and juicier at second gulp, with Smyrna and cloudberries or salmonberries.
Comment: pleasant, and an adequate break in the line-up to recalibrate. 7/10

vs.

Springbank 8yo 2017/2025 (54.7%, OB Springbank Society, Fresh Madeira Cask, 1761b, 25/169)

Nose: it is dramatically farm-y with a mineral touch. We have sun-baked farm paths, tractor tyres in the summer, with a rubber that suggests quite a bit of Madeira indeed. Then, it peddles walnut stain, peppery earth, dark-strawberry (Benihoppe, Camarosa) coulis, and black bun dragged through a dry field. A drop of water reveals a scrumptious berry paste and increases the lovely fruitiness.
Mouth:  oh! my, this is so farm-y. Peppery clay pots dragged through a field of dark earth. That pepper is strong! Is this a mislabelled Talisker? Water adds loads of wine-y fruits such as lychees and peaches.
Finish: strong, dark, peppery again. Juicy prunes, Corinth raisins, and, especially, a lot of earth and chilli peppers. Even with water, it remains on the side of earth and prunes, with only the spices taking a bit of a subtler front.
Comment: JS is not a fan -- too farm-y and impacted by the Madeira. I find it works well. 8/10

JS says she chose the next bottle, because OB is leaving UK to go to CH-i-CH-ibu. I add that OB is our resident expert on all things Japanese.

SOB: "Chichi-bye?"

Chichibu London Edition b.2023 (51.5%, OB Ichiro's Malt imported by Speciality Drinks, 1949b, b#1843)

Comment: I take no notes to avoid being too behind. It is well liked all round. For today, it is 8/10

WhiskyLovingPianist: "What does 'CH' stand for?"
tOMoH: "Chwitcherland."
cavalier66: "Canton Helvetica."
tOMoH: "Confédration helvétique."

cavalier66: "Do I detect a touch of red-wine cask?"
tOMoH: "Is that your glass of Madeira?"

cavalier66 checks online and confirms the Chichibu was partly matured in wine casks.

WhiskyLovingPianist: "When was the last Show you attended?"
tOMoH: "2018."
cavalier66: "No. When was last Show you attended."

From here on, we (attempt to) stop saying the word 'the'. For each 'the', the person who said the word has to pick a sample from OB's bag o' tricks. It leads to hilarious situations. That lasts until OB's bag is empty.

The soundtrack: Cthulhu - Chronicles of a pandemic

YM looked for an OB to bring (Official Bottling), but could not find an interesting one. He looked for a connection to bankers; none. Oban? He does not have any. So he took this bottling.

tOMoH: "It reads 'pudding' on the label. OB baked pudding."

Speaking of which...

9.210 17yo d.2003 Nostalgia-filled trifle pudding (56.7%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 205b)

Nose: apple pie? This is really, really closed, at first nosing. There are blackcurrants in the medium run, I suppose, maybe vapours coming out of a baker's oven too. Water opens it up and it releases perfume.
Mouth: hot marmalade, lemon marmalade, even, green chilli, split stones and orange peels so hot they are barely recognisable. This is hot. Water brings orange juice.
Finish: long, a tad metallic and hot again, with sage and bitter orange rinds. Water mellows it down. It becomes juicy and fruity.
Comment: challenging today, this will likely improve in the open bottle. 7/10

OB pulls one out that he wants to share before he leaves the country, especially with cavalier66, the only enthusiast in town who has never had it. Yes, the theme is a lot easier for some people than for others, is it not?

117.3 25yo 1988/2013 Hubba-bubba, mango and monstera (58.5%, SMWS Society Single Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 199b)

Comment: I skip it and keep it for later.

For the next one, cavalier66 has a whisky distilled in 1981, which is OB's year of birth. It is a Rose-bank(er), from a lost distillery -- "and we are about to lose OB" ("to alcoholism," adds WhiskyLovingPianist). cavalier66 explains he had preselected several bottles to pick from. This is the one that OB guessed correctly, so he brought it.

Miraculously, the cork does not give in

Rosebank 25yo 1981/2007 (61.4%, OB Natural Cask Strength, 4710b, b#01138)

Nose: musty warehouses, soaked corks, mushrooms in planters. Later, it is a ball of cat's hair, warming. It also has gum. It promises to be drying (it singes the nostrils), with hot blankets and herbs on cobblestones.
Mouth: fiery, it has quarry dust, strawberry-flavoured toothpaste, and a lot of red flowers (carnations, peonies, begonias, dahlias).
Finish: huge. Flowers on fire. There is a fair amount of fruits too, baked nectarines in front.
Comment: at last, tOMoH tastes this legend. It is very good. However, for the price it commands, one can obtain better things (including other from the same distillery), in my opinion. This confirms that 1981 is not tOMoH's favourite year for Rosebank. The Rare Malt is also too hot for its own good. Still... 9/10

cavalier66: "I'm trying to think of what it reminds me of. I think it reminds me of itself."

YM chose a bottling called Spices and syrup, which are things one might use when baking.

94.30 11yo d.2011 Spices and syrup (62.1%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill #3 Char Barrel, 224b)

Nose: toffee and milk chocolate. WhiskyLovingPianist detects English rye whisky. Obviously drunk. Well, there is a soft lick of Irn Bru on a sheet of metal, I suppose, which spells rye. Further nosing has warmed cardboard and chocolate slabs on a wood plank.
Mouth: ooft! it is a little grain-like, with melted chocolate that gets added chilli pepper over time. The second sip has quarry dust, heat and a little fruit.
Finish: hot and softly metallic, with dark chocolate and aluminium cans. Hot Dr. Pepper, cassia-bark splinters, later on. It is a bit drying, though that is tolerable.
Comment: I really like this. 8/10

WhiskyLovingPianist: "You could try Rosebank for free at th-... at Show."
cavalier66: "No, you can say it, now."
WhiskyLovingPianist: "Not for Show!"

JS points out that our guest is OB a(n asset) Manager('s Dram), rather than a banker.

Oban 19yo (59.5%, OB The Manager's Dram, Refill Cask, SE 102, b.1995)

Comment: a dram I know very well and, therefore, take no notes for. It is universally liked, and as good as it always is. Incredible how well it fares, at this late stage, after the heavy hitters. 9/10

WhiskyLovingPianist observes the ABV is high, yet well integrated.

WhiskyLovingPianist: "It's almost as if we didn't just have eighteen drams!"

cavalier66: "This is rather good."
tOMoH: "What a shocker! Kept a decent dram for last!"
cavalier66: "Well, it comes after..."
tOMoH: "Sixteen drams."
OB: "Huh?"
tOMoH: "One of them was a Madeira."

cavalier66 gets up and prepares to let his offspring in, who forgot the key."

tOMoH: "You'll want to stay a little longer."

I remind OB and cavalier66 that, in 2017, they left a tasting early and missed a dram, which only JS, GL and MR ended up enjoying. cavalier66 knows immediately and exactly what I am talking about. Time to pour it again.

cavalier66: "And it is from 1981. OB's year!"

Lochside 30yo 1981/2011 (54.9%, Cadenhead's, Bourbon Hogshead, 246b, 11/396)

Nose: olive oil and fruits (cavalier66). It is fruits in various stages of ripeness (WhiskyLovingPianist).
Comment: I reviewed this masterpiece yesterday (quality check, you understand), so no notes today. 10/10

WhiskyLovingPianist: "It's when the tropics become dusty."
YM: "this, I think, you could snort."
cavalier66: "I know the word to describe this whisky: 'exquisite'!"

I still have a dram, which I kept for now.

117.3 25yo 1988/2013 Hubba-bubba, mango and monstera (58.5%, SMWS Society Single Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 199b)

Comment: it still rawcks, even after the glorious Lochside. Fuller notes here. 10/10

Well, that was an epic send-off. Goodbye, OB! Come see us again!

In pure English fashion, cavalier66 left us half a bite of pie.
Could not possibly finish it; that would be rude!