02/09/2026 Caskmasters 2026 London at the SMWS

The Society is organising something new, tonight. Here is the blurb:

Caskmaster is a blind tasting championship designed to test your palate like never before. This new challenge will kick off with heats across all four of our UK Members’ Rooms this summer.

Here’s how it works:

At your chosen heat, you’ll have 30 minutes to nose and taste eight carefully selected Society drams. Your task is to correctly identify each whisky from a lineup of nine whiskies.

The top five finalists at each heat will be revealed live on the night with each securing their place in the Grand Final later this year.

Your ticket includes eight 15ml sample drams and a Society supper, with the chance to progress to the Grand Final on Thursday 12 November at The Vaults.

Aside from the coveted title, the Grand Final champion will receive a lifetime membership to The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in addition to a place on a Speyside tour courtesy of Coppercairn from 12 to 15 March 2027.

Sounds like fun. JS, SOB and YM clearly think the same, because they are all here. As are twenty-or-so other people I do not recognise.

It is a fast-paced affair, during which I take only minimal notes (Bourbon barrel, greasy peat, wine and vinegar, sherbet... That sort of notes), because what counts is giving the right answers in the allotted time. At the end, I will transfer what is left of my drams (most of it) into vials to try them at a more-leisurely pace and in a different order (3, 4, 5, 8, 7, 6, 2, 1) later on. The below is the result of those later leisurely tastings.

On the night

Later on

Dram #1

Nose: heady and plum-y. There are darker fruits at play, myrtles, blueberries, hints of elderberries. Then, we progress towards bread -- a sourdough loaf coming out of the oven (oooh!) and a shortcrust that is slightly too well done, or a blueberry cheesecake, also baked for too long. Deeper nosing unearths oily Brazil nuts, perhaps soaking in prune syrup. The second nose insists on the bakery scents, with crusty bread and turnovers, browned fruit pies, burnt waffles and brown-bread mixed-seed baguette. Mouth: prune syrup it is indeed, sweet, a trifle nutty, and, well, fruity. The heat becomes faintly apparent upon chewing, even several drams in (remember I try them in a different order later on), a generous pour of red-chilli soaking water onto blueberries and prunes. It has a minute bitterness, in the long run -- nothing to complain about. Perhaps grape pips or plum stones. The second sip seems a tad sharper, bitterer; green grapes or blackberries that are not quite ripe enough yet. Once again, though, it is hardly worth complaining about. Sweetness is swiftly restored. Finish: thick, coating, this is a fruity sangria made of fortified wine. At the same time, there is nothing sickly about it. It is balanced, welcoming, and it has the mouthfeel of a blueberry cheesecake overflowing with berries. The second gulp achieves a remarkable journey through the stages of ripeness, from underdone green grapes to dark plums falling apart under their own weight. It ends up settling for blueberry clafoutis.

Comment: I do identify this one on the night. Yay.

41.191 13yo 2013/2026 Zingy Stardust (57.2%, SMWS Society Two To One, 2 x ex-Bourbon Hogsheads finished in 1st Fill ex-Bourbon & Oloroso Hogsheads, 592b) 7/10 (I finally try this on 07/09/2026)

Dram #2

Nose: strongly peaty, this has greasy earth and greased-up deaf guy leather jackets, Barbour grease, rich soil and lubricated rifles. Did I say it is greasy? It has a gentle note of heated seal wax, perhaps a fireplace in a kitchen, yet the peat manifests itself mostly in the form of earth or rich soil. Some metal lubricant appears a little later, a spray of WD-40 or similar, as do cold cuts, more boiled ham or mortadella than smoked ham or dried sausage -- we stay firmly in greasy territory. Perhaps nut-filled blood sausage? We go back to greased-up leather, though. The second nose has more earth, black pudding, crispy, sticking to the pan, and charred bulgogi. Mouth: burning-hot gingerbread is the first thing that comes out. Half-a-chew reveals wine-cured meat, roast beef or the likes. It remains oily, but comes across as very wine-y, now; mulled wine and the spices that go with that: star anise, cinnamon sticks, yet little-if-any clove. Stewed berries come to the rescue (lingonberries, cranberries, cherries), with a few orange segments thrown in for good measure. Only insistent chewing stirs up some smoke from a rustic-kitchen wood stove. The second sip carries on with the wine vibe. It is fruity, a little over the top, really, and earthy. It flirts with the tertiary, though never reaches that stage. On the other hand it adopts a smoked-salmon aspect, oily and smoky more than it is fishy. Finish: stewed berries and a drop of ink. It is not an old Caol Ila, nor an ancient Ardbeg, but there is some ink alright. Smoked plums, charred prunes, and earth, earth, earth. We are really left as if we had just swallowed a shovelful of dark, greasy earth. The 'dark' side may well be enhanced by a pinch of tarry soot, but earth dominates. The second gulp is assertively earthy, juggling smoke and berries behind its back for moral support. Competent effort, despite a possible lack of subtlety.

Comment: the one bold peater of the lot. We are given a choice of three peaty references and I get this one right too.

16.105 12yo d.2013 Neat and tidy (62.8%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Sherry Hogshead, 321b) 7/10 (I finally try this on 07/09/2026)

Dram #3

Nose: enticing nose that delivers custard, lemon pulp and pine-wood shavings. This has to be a Bourbon barrel, surely. Further on, we find smoked pineapple, grapefruit zest and a drop of... What is it, exactly? It feels like wine, at first, but quickly morphs into something else; wood oil, then solsonggju (Korean pine liqueur). We then proceed towards a mechanic's rags stained with engine grease, and there is even a soft metallic edge to this, unless it is candied papaya cubes. The second nose mixes citrus juice and a generic cleaning spray; it comes across as fresh and welcoming. If any metal remains, it is overpowered by the white-wood cutting board it rests on. Mouth: metallic and fruity in equal parts, this definitely has candied papaya cubes on arrival, augmented with a lick of pencil-sharpener blade. Chewing unveils royal-blue ink, including a minor bitterness, then opens fruitier tastescapes, with unripe mango, green banana and unripe pomelo. Indeed, it is bitterer than sweet, just like unripe fruit. The second sip is as fruity, acidic, and seems to have shaken off most of the metal. We have bitter zest sprinkled with sherbet and a few pine needles. Finish: past a slightly-stunning alcohol bite, it unfolds wave of fruits after wave of fruits. At first, those carry ripe sweet citrus (calamansi, yuzu, Buddha's hand), while later ones revert back to unripe citrus (pomelo, clementine) and green banana. In other words, we go from acidic-sweet to acidic-bitter. All the same, a spoonful of lime custard sticks to the back of the throat. The second gulp is in line: fruity and acidic. The earlier bitterness makes way for a numbing quality, and the tongue feels as though it had been slapped with a wooden plank.

Comment: even the general, colour-coded profile, I get wrong, on this one.

113.82 15yo d.2010 Whisky gobstopper (55.5%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 157b) 7/10 (I finally try this on 04/09/2026)

Dram #4

Nose: a bold Sherry maturation, with tawed leather, Barbour jackets under the rain, soaked prunes, potting soil wet with peach nectar, and liquid shoe polish. It could have turned heady, but it remains elegant, even if it walks a tightrope. A couple of minutes in, we have waxed walnut (the wood, not the nut), whether that is rustic armchairs or polished dashboards, and mushrooms that have released most of their water in the pan. The second nose is closer to fortified wine; all the fruits above are here in liqueur form. It overpowers everything else, apart from chocolate coulis. Mouth: ooft! It is sweet. Overly sweet. Sticky raisins, prunes, dried figs, dried cherries and cranberries. Chewing adds a gentle savoury nuance reminiscent of the gravy in a steak-and-ale pie. It is thick, coating, perhaps not as cloying as treacle, but not that far off either. It really is gravy and compote, ready to be served with a roast. The second sip confirms the chocolate coulis from the nose. Liqueur-infused strawberries topped with dark chocolate coulis. It could quickly turn sickly, this. Finish: the gravy is almost chocolate-y, here. Raisins, waterproofing grease for leather, wood buried under a layer of dark wax, mushrooms and the pan in which they were fried, deglazed with a generous dash of Madeira wine. The second gulp has melted dark chocolate, and smashed strawberries join pressed raisins... on a millstone! That is right: it has a faint mineral touch too. It dies with the bitterness of fruit stones and pips.

Comment: on reveal, it turns out I guess 4 for 5 and 5 for 4. This is an unpeated Inchmoan, which is one of the peated makes of Loch Lomond. It makes no sense.

135.73 16yo d.2008 Yellow bellies and gingernuts (54.5%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 1st Fill STR Barrique with New Toasted Heads, 237b) 6/10 (I finally try this on 04/09/2026)

Dram #5

Nose: this is dry. Hay bales in the barn and coffee fumes. A few minutes' breathing transforms that into a freshly-watered planter, or a forest clearing after a light rain. That spells petrichor, I suppose. Moist soil, at any rate. We come back to coffee and add pains au chocolat, hot on the tin tray. An earthy number indeed. The second nose has caramel rice puffs, nail varnish and even a drop of brine in the middle of an identity crisis: it does not know if it wants to preserve in salty or in sugary water, or to be a salty or sugary preservative. Sweetness definitely wins upon repeated sniffing. Mouth: a bold sweetness punches above its weight. Sultanas, Smyrna raisins. How unexpected, after that nose! Chewing simply increases the sweetness, turns it into honey, one in which bush flowers are soaking (lilac, forsythia). Forsythia is right, as it ends up developing a mild bitterness that is mostly obfuscated by the smashed-sultana sweetness, mind! The second sip has yellow fortified wine, if such a thing exists -- imagine physalis liqueur, perhaps. Chewing dials up the sweetness, yet it becomes gravel-y, after a while. Genuine mineral power, or numbness? Who knows? Finish: the sweet madness continues. Dried gooseberries, sultanas, dried strawberries and lily-of-the-valley coated in honey. More and more petals come up, in the long run, taking this to the floral side, which is a surprise, after the earthy nose. I am tempted to guess it is from a Manzanilla cask, but none is advertised. The second gulp feels as if it had licked raw granite and the tonsils capture a pronounced bitterness (chicory, cold coffee, mocha, dandelion stem) that tries (and fails) to hide behind a shroud of honey.

Comment: on reveal, it turns out I guess 4 for 5 and 5 for 4.

68.139 16yo d.2009 Sparkling Spanish sangria (57.3%, SMWS Two To One, 2 x ex-Bourbon Hogsheads finished in 1st Fill ex-Oloroso Butt, 528b) 7/10 (I finally try this on 04/09/2026) 

Dram #6

Nose: this one has pollen and cosmetic powders, sherbet and scented flour -- scented with a dash of orange-blossom water, that is. That turns woodier, all of a sudden, and we enjoy essence of hinoku, rosewood and litchi chinensis. This is a fragrance dispenser giving calming aromas and essential oils. Very elegant, hinting at Japan, in a way. The second nose is as powdery, which is astonishing. Peaches, turnovers covered in confectionary sugar, Sunride-grapefruit zest, sherbet, peach-flavoured candy floss, and, only in the background do we see shades of fragrant wood. Mouth: it carries on with the woody tones and balances a dead-branch bitterness that is never plank-y with cut yellow fruits, such as nectarines (not fully ripe). Chewing adds a few leaves, but that does not spoil the creamy texture at all. Daffodil petals provide a silky, cushion-y touch. The second sip injects a pinch of chalk (or talcum powder, really) and surfs on the same fruity wave as earlier. It is warm, not spicy. Finish: it steps firmly into the flowery world, here. Daffodils, forsythia, irises. That said, it also has notes of juicy peach, nectarine (riper than before) and Mirabelle plum, as well as lychee or rambutan. We find a hint of rosewood too, and other woods. In fact, we are enjoying a cup of orange-blossom tea and sliced nectarines, while soaking in a hinoku bathtub. Life could be a lot worse. The second gulp is even more delicious, warm, fruity, buttery. We have peach turnovers and cut nectarines in a warm custard.

Comment: this one, I guess correctly. YM does not like it and guesses, correctly, that it is the Paul John because he has never had one that he liked.

134.19 6yo d.2017 Mango muscovado memento (58.4%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 187b) 8/10 (I finally try this on 07/09/2026)

Dram #7

Nose: oily nuts and peppery pastrami, smoked salmon, pastramied salmon, cured meat and wood-fire smoke. A drop of nail varnish joins the dance too, then we have a leather jacket and a game pouch. It has a hunter allure, really, though more the gear and outdoorsy outfits than the kills themselves. Leather morphs into smoke, game pouches into dried earth, leather grease into gunpowder and ashes. Fruit stone ashes, singed peach flesh. We spot caramelised lingonberry compote too. The second nose is the wooden interior of a small fishing boat, since it now has a discreet saltiness mixing with varnish and old paint. In the long run, we perceive weathered metallic instruments. Mouth: it arrives on the tongue with fortified wine and a berry liqueur, nut oil and redgrapes. Chewing shovels a heap of dried earth onto that, adds oily wood (redwood) and spices (gochujang comes to mind). It is bold, warm, woody and oily alright. The second sip seems even stronger. It is milky, borderline creamy, has many a smashed berry, earth, but also a lively chilli paste or chilli oil. Melted chocolate blends with that chilli oil. Ha! Finish: more fruit, here, with red grapes, mulberries, cranberries, some in a sauce, some not, and a hefty serving of chilli paste poured onto scorched earth for a proper warming effect. It develops clementine juice at second gulp, albeit one in which Thai red chillies have soaked overnight. The more one sips this, the closer it gets to a dash of liqueur heated in a zinc spoon with a lighter. Odd.

Comment: many find this strongly peaty. I do not, but it does have an earthy character. I guess it right based on the final cask type.

71.118 19yo 2007/2026 Peat-a-boo! (59.4%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Barrel finished in 1st Fill STR ex-Oloroso Barrique, 216b) 7/10 (I finally try this on 07/09/2026)

Dram #8

Nose: we have crusty chocolate-and-orange sponge cake and muffin with the same taste, slightly overdone. Unexpectedly, chalk dust follows, or antibacterial chalk, to be precise, and a pinch of mocha grounds. Deeper nosing adds a lick of fortified wine, with soaked raisins and prune juice, as well as oily wood bark. It alternates between dry and juicy in a subtle way. The second nose adds all sorts of fragrant tree barks -- eucalyptus, cypress, orange tree, apple tree. Mouth: it is immediately spicy, as fiery red chilli peppers, even if it cools down fairly swiftly. Past that, we find melted chocolate punctuated with herbs, which is to say it has a lovely chocolate-y, creamy texture and a vegetal bitterness too that could be citrus foliage. Chewing confirms the latter and adds zest and mixed peel, the sugar of which renders the palate quite moreish, if hot. The second sip is almost as spicy, but that is now balanced by a clean fruitiness. Orange, certainly, yet also apples, now, warm apple juice, in fact. Perhaps apple turnovers on a white-hot tin baking tray. Finish: it is sweet, here. Mixed peel and marmalade. Indeed, it does not lack bitterness, just like a good Seville-orange marmalade. A long finish, warming, comforting enough, it keeps that bitter edge, flirting with warm metal, and that may not be for everyone. The second gulp revises the chocolate-y flames and enhances it with cut apple slices and grated green grapes and green chilli.

Comment: I manage to swap 3 for 8 and get it wrong as a result. Bah.

108.77 15yo d.2010 Fifty shades of earl grey (63.9%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Barrel finished in 1st Fill #3 Char Barrel, 216b) 7/10 (I finally try this on 06/09/2026)

Food enters while the scores are added.

Good, copious, adequately greasy, if a little meat-heavy

The presenters are gobsmacked. This is the best-scoring session in the whole country. Considering the number of serious whisky geeks in the city, I find it hardly surprising. It is always amusing to see the Scots' preconceived ideas put right: enthusiasts in London tend to be more aware than those in Scotland. After all, they drink much more Buckfast and vodka than whisky, north of Hadrian's Wall, from what I have observed.

They then announce the scores.

SM: "I will read the name and the matching score, if that's okay."
JP: "In reverse order!"
SM: "Joe Bloggs?"
Joe Bloggs: "Yes!"
SM: "Thank you for taking part!"

Room. In. Stitches.

SOB and JS score 3; I score 5; YM scores 6. The winner scores 7 (out of 9). There are three 6 and two 5. With the 7, that makes six people. Only the top five will go to the final, so there will be a tie-breaker upstairs.

That is right,: I make it to the second round. It is even more fast-paced and I take even fewer notes. I am out of vials, which means I will not try those later.

The five of us competing for places 2 to 5 are told that this second round is not timed (there is no time limit, despite the rules saying it is a five-minute thing), but we are timed (in case of a tie, the fastest answer will prevail). I mean, the rules also say notes are not allowed, but they provide a notepad and a pen. Go figure.

To distract the spectators, they serve dessert, profiteroles and macarons, of which I take no picture.

Dram #1

Comment: I am convinced this is 59.108, which we tried recently. It is not. A second pass will embarrassingly reveal an entirely-different profile too. From dark and heavy to something lighter and more ethereal. 

122.85 12yo 2013/2025 (60.5%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 202b)

Dram #2

Comment: the distillate is, again, so obfuscated by wood-management shenanigans that I fail to recognise one of my favourite distilleries. Worse: I truly believe, incorrectly, that it is 121.126, which we had last month. This one is not my thing at all.

46.167 12yo 2014/2026 See the wood for the trees (58.1%, SMWS Two To One, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 1st Fill Bodega ex-PX & 1st Fill ex-Ruby Port Barrique, 547b)

Dram #3

Comment: another one hidden behind three different types of casks and, therefore, unidentifiable. Except I should recognise it because we had it last month. Bleh.

59.108 14yo 2012/2026 Veritably vivacious (57.4%, SMWS Two to One, 1st Fill ex- Bourbon Hogshead & 1st Fill American Oak ex-Oloroso Hogshead, 572b)

Poor show on this second round. I am the worst scorer and end up in sixth place. Only the top five will go to the finals, so that is me out of the competition. Worst of all, though, the fifth place goes to a Frenchman. That hurts my national pride.

Well done, everyone! YM finishes second which is very impressive. When I congratulate him, he tells me: "It's really luck. Had they chosen bottlings from ten years ago, when they were matured for longer in refill casks, someone like you would have had an unfair advantage. You could have pinpointed the distillery characteristics, maybe even [guessed] the specific bottling."

Class answer. Best wishes for the final!

Note for next time: no point paying attention to the official tasting notes. They are sometimes funny, but usually do not match my perception at all. It is also time consuming to read them.