29/01, 22/02, 23/02/2026 Belgium #11 -- Calling last order

A tasting in three parts. It is impossible to gather everyone on the same night, so the groups are split thus:

29/01/2026: kruuk2, ruckus, JS, tOMoH

22/02/2026: Psycho, adc, ydc, GD, tOMoH (JS joins briefly)

23/02/2026: Bishlouk, red71, STL, sonicvince, dom666, GN, tOMoH (Psycho joins briefly)

The below is a synthesis of those nights. All drams are poured blind.

Dram #1

Nose: shoes and leather (ruckus), warm and humid leather (ruckus). kruuk2 and ruckus both agree that this is not a light whisky to start with. adc finds it light and subtle all the same, flowery and perfume-y, and finally settles for Highland-coo dung, while I detect brine and cardboard. red71 finds it pleasant, with notes of hard cheese (Pecorino). Bishlouk calls is very classical, probably a Speysider from a Bourbon cask. sonicvince calls it mineral, to which Bishlouk and dom666 object that it is vegetal.
Mouth: an old man's whisky (ruckus) -- and, indeed, it is toffee and old cardboard, which supports kruuk2's comment that "it tastes like whisky". "I like it, it's a perfect day for this" (adc). Psycho says it is lightly woody, with dry wood and spices (Psycho), whereas GD has pepper and finds this sticks to the gob. Bishlouk sees a classic Speyside palate.
Finish: "whisky as it is traditionally understood" (kruuk2), "the kind of drams one drinks with one's cocker spaniel by the fireplace" (kruuk2). A light aniseed touch and honey (ydc), a tad nondescript (Psycho) and spicy again (GD). sonicvince spots coffee beans where Bishlouk has a slight astringency. He adds it is a tad vegetal, but a classic Bourbon cask nonetheless.
Comment: a few timid guesses, none a blend. adc is reminded of that Isle of Jura, calls it light as a Lowlander, yet characterful as an Islay. My notes are here.

Sandy Macnab’s Old Blended Scotch 5yo (40%, Macnab Distilleries, b.1980s)

tOMoH: "What do you think, GN?"

GN: "I should have had a larger sample. It is hard to tell what I think with so little."
STL: "GN just confirmed he is part of the same family!"

Dram #2

Nose: Haribo sweets or Fraises Tagada (kruuk2 and ruckus), flavoured vodka (ruckus, who is about to be banned). adc finds it bolder than the first and a little smoky, with a whiff of iodine. Psycho, on the other hand, talks about an orchard. GD confirms it is fruity, despite adc calling it woody. Psycho, ever the pacifier, declares fruit-tree wood. adc finds caramel, toffee (but no salt, ydc adds), Quality Street's Toffee Penny (adc and ydc) or biscuit (Psycho). ydc smells five-spice mix at the baker's, not quite the same as speculoos spices, but close. sonicvince gets varnish and overripe fruit. Bishlouk detects menthol.
Mouth: kruuk2 declares that the Haribo sweets are lost, while ruckus utters a simple "50%?" (spot on). GD calls it explosive and buttery, when ydc identifies quince and peach. Dry upon entry (Bishlouk), STL soon says it has balls and operates a noticeable shift in horsepower. Beyond that, it is woodier (Bishlouk) and offers rancio (Bishlouk). STL also finds it spicier, once his taste buds are accustomed to the brute force.
Finish: kruuk2 wonders if it is a grain. adc finds it "not bad," even if she is not taken by the first gulp. She acknowledges that one needs to go to it and the more she tries it, the more she likes it. When red71 calls a bitter touch, GN specifies ashes.
Comment: even after the reveal, ruckus and kruuk2 struggle to recognise the distillery markers. This makes GN think of Balcones Brimstone. My notes are here.

Lochside 21yo d.1981 (50%, Lombard Jewels of Scotland, Bourbon Cask, C#607)

dom666: "I have an appointment with a Lithuanian [woman]… for work, yeah?"
tOMoH: "She will be working. Not you."
dom666: "No, I'm giving her..."
GN: "Money!"

(The above is, of course, to tease dom666, not to make a sweeping comment about Lithuanians.)

Dram #3

Nose: "this speaks to me less than #2," ruckus tells us, while kruuk2 finds it more discreet, even if he admits the softness leads to fruits. adc and ydc find it leafy and vegetal, with adc adding that it is laurel leaves in the sunrays. adc goes further and names it assassinated foliage, when Psycho detects cedar and encaustic. adc then finds it softer and less sulphurous than the Lochside, which means this here is more to her taste. GD finds it spicy (again) and has liquorice, followed by apples or Calvados. Bishlouk, never prolific with the praises, calls this extraordinary, a nose that throws stuff in one's face (which makes red71 think of dom666's Lithuanian). red71 finds it Littlemillesque.
Mouth: ruckus finds it more interesting in the mouth (a phrasing that Bishlouk would undoubtedly latch on to, were he there on the same night). adc is not taken by the first sip of this one either. Psycho finds cough drops, while ydc has subtle berries -- perhaps strawberries. She says it is hard to pinpoint, but then starts talking about Fraises Tagada. "Indescribable," says Bishlouk, who says it shoots stuff in all directions. sonicvince reckons it is too syrupy to be a Littlemill. dom666 announces lychee.
Finish: kruuk2's favourite so far, and ruckus likes it too. Hay (adc), bison herb (adc), grasses (adc). It is warming (GD) with a very-long finish (Psycho).
Comment: once revealed, ruckus and kruuk2 acknowledge the fruity Irish profile. adc, after a lukewarm welcome, loves it. On the third night, many ask me to order them a bottle of this, if available, with sonicvince calling it one of the best whiskies he has ever tried. Tough luck finding one. GN liked the first two drams more, on the other hand. My notes are here.

Midleton d.2014 (unknown ABV, Duty Paid Samples, Double Charred Bourbon Cask)

adc: "What are Fraises Tagada, actually?"
Psycho: "The strawberries of horses."

Dram #4

Nose: "a grain?" (ruckus) Indeed, ruckus detects vanilla, pastry and raw butter shortcrust, whereas kruuk2 notes yeast. ruckus finds it rather closed, stuffy and fusty, if not mouldy. On the other hand, GD detects honey and ydc dried and shell fruits (mixed peel, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans). adc finds it very pleasant. sonicvince has vanilla where Bishlouk spots medicinal notes and cough syrup. STL and sonicvince confirm custard, or even butter (STL). GN suggests shortbread.
Mouth: ruckus notes that it punches pretty hard. GD spots chilli (he is easily affected by spices, it seems) where ydc has torrefied cocoa and coffee beans. She also has caramel and a whisper of ginger (which adc has too). Psycho calls it acidic and pungent. When GD mentions light soy sauce, Psycho counters with dark soy sauce. Far from that, Bishlouk notes vanilla and spices. GN continues his biscuit trip with Palets Bretons, which are a local type of shortbread.
Finish: dry, with a note of coffee (kruuk2). ruckus and kruuk2 settle on Mokatine, which is pretty accurate a descriptor. adc finds it a fleeting note that works less well -- she calls it a bit rough. ydc talks about acetone. "The taste is fleeting," says sonicvince who is left with but the tingle of alcohol, although he says it retains a buttery side too. 
Comment: JS likes this a lot. sonicvince finds it formidable, meaning enjoyable and indomitable. My notes are here.

Glenallachie 14yo 2000/2014 (57.3%, Chivas Brothers Cask Strength Edition, B#GA 14 006)

Dram #5

Nose: fresh and spicy (ruckus), candied cherries (ruckus), reminiscent of Mon Chéri without being exactly similar (ruckus). ruckus and kruuk2 find a lot of sweet jam ("not a jam for someone with diabetes," says kruuk2). Then, it is dust (ruckus), sour dust (ruckus). "Or is it my studio?" asks ruckus, who still finds it a tad sour. "Not convincing," says adc, who does not like anything at first contact, today. She adds that it is almost inexistant. GD, however, finds cow dung in the summer, which is to say it smells herbaceous, unlike what cows defecate in the winter, when they eat only hay. Bishlouk can only smell pure alcohol, red71 detects spices and adds that this will clearly "unpot" one.
Mouth: some spices here too (ruckus), industrial (kruuk2), engine grease (ruckus), a server room (kruuk2), an old computer whose fan is full of dust (kruuk2). Psycho finds it characterful and very good. ydc calls it very aromatic. For sonicvince, this is salty on the tongue, or peppery, according to red71, who adds that the nose and the palate are disconnected, as if they belonged to two completely separate whiskies.
Finish: in the medium run, alcohol blows up in one's face (kruuk2). ruckus finds it even dustier and more industrial in the empty glass. "The tip of the tongue spots Highland-cow dung" (adc). ydc is "all warm inside" and says this "unpots" (meaning it kicks so hard that one is thrown out of one's pot -- if one is a plant). Psycho agrees to the warming adjective and GD notes that this too sticks to the gob. red71 finds that it stings. He and Bishlouk observe a deluge of black pepper.
Comment: it is a smidge brutal, of course, but what a dram! This is less adc's thing, tonight. It is universally recognised as a whisky that punches on in the face. My notes are here. 

57.4 15yo 1979/1994 (63.1%, SMWS Society Cask)

dom666: "My great-grandmother lived in Scotland. She left her husband after five kids: she had had enough of being a reproduction machine. She came to Belgium, remarried and had two more children. I don't know why."
STL: "To get her residence permit!"

Dram of the day:

• ruckus: Midleton
• kruuk2: Midleton
• JS: Glenallachie
• adc: Sandy MacNab, Midleton
• ydc: Glenallachie, Lochside, Glen Mhor, Sandy MacNab, Midleton
• GD: Midleton
• Psycho: Lochside, Glen Mhor
• STL: Midleton
• Bishlouk: Midleton
• sonicvince: Midleton
• red71: Midleton
• GN: Lochside
• dom666: we will never know

Good times, as usual.