17/07/2026 Savoureur’s surprise birthday party

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Comment: perfect apéritif.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks, T)

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

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

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

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

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

Score: 8/10 (Thanks, MG)

Antipasto misto

Flatbread

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

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

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

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

Comment: this is excellent.

Score: 9/10 (Thanks, F)

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

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

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

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

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

Score: 7/10 (Thank, Savoureur)

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

Putenbrustfilet mit Pfeffer Sauce
dazu Gemüse und Rosemarinkartoffeln
(JS)

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

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

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

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

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

Score: 8/10

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

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

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

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

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

Score: 7/10

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

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

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

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

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

Score: 8/10

Dessert is served.

Tiramisu [sic]

 

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

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

Me.

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

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

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

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

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

Score: 8/10

Cake is served.

Baumkuche, or tree cake

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

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

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

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

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

Score: 8/10 (Thanks, F)

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

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

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

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

Comment: decent.

Score: 7/10

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

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

The one-upmanship begins.

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

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

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

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

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

Score: 8/10 (Thanks, T)

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

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

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

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

Comment: fantastic drop.

Score: 9/10

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

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

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

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

Comment: works well.

Score: 8/10

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

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

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

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

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

Score: 7/10 (Thanks, Savoureur)

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

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

Happy birthday, Savoureur!

12/06/2026 Welcome tasting at 3 Greek Street

As a first act to a weekend of extravaganza, those who are already in town gather up at 3 Greek Street for a tasting with headmaster SW.

Two years ago, when it was still called Milroy's, we inaugurated the newly-refurbished tasting room on the first floor; this year, we are breaking in the room on the third floor. I viewed it on Wednesday: it was freshly painted, but bare, and still had tools on the floor. Today, tables and stools make it more welcoming.

It is a bit high up for some of the old knees on display, and the stairs are rather uneven, but we are all thrilled to be there, in that shiny and breezy new room.

pat gva, YdS, JS, BA, sonicvince, Psycho, ruckus, EJ, PS and cavalier66 join me for this shindig. We try everything in full knowledge of the label, for once.

Vat #3 30yo 1994/2025 (49.5%, Milroy Soho Selection, Peated Cask, C#36653+54+101180)

Nose: lovely toffee, soft, melting. It has a bit of mashed wood or papier mâché and chocolate-coated ginger slices.

Mouth: mellow, unctuous, it has delicious toffee, augmented with a lick of tropical fruits and a whisper of smoke from the Islay cask. It is creamy at second sip, with smashed peach and persimmon.

Finish: a comforting warming glow with toffee, slices of persimmon and chocolate-coated peach.

Comment: meow! A vatting of North British, Tormore and a "special blend". I tried this one on Wednesday and insisted SW use it as opener. It slaps just as much today. Most of the others seem as impressed. 

Score: 9/10

That adequately leads to my own contribution, which we try blind. The move was concerted with the staff ahead of schedule, of course.

Dram #1.2

Nose: olives (pat gva), olive bread (cavalier66), Stollen (Psycho). It becomes buttery as mango with some breathing.

Mouth: ever-changing (Psycho). Lychee and other tropical fruits (BA).

Finish: ruckus and EJ find it a lingering bitterness. sonicvince tells us it leaves the mouth a bit chalky. It is almost decaying fruits at second gulp. pat gva thinks the ABV is quite high, if well integrated.

Comment: "Glenlivet or Glen Grant" (pat gva). A little divisive, though mostly liked. My full notes are here.

Auchentoshan 22yo (48.3%, Creative Whisky Co. for The Good Spirits Co., 123b, b#101) 9/10

Tun 89 36yo 1989/2025 (52.4%, Milroy Vintage Reserve, Barrel, C#2500682)

Nose: cosmetic powder, lemon-drizzle cake, confectionary sugar. We have warm citrus segments at second nose.

Mouth: ooft! It is good to remind oneself how good Balvenie can be. This is custard with droplets of lemon juice and oily cake with almonds. Simply beautiful. It is a tad drying at second sip without being very bitter.

Finish: warming, it serves warm custard and vanilla cream. It turns a little more hay-like at second gulp and adds warm peach with a dusting of grated Aspirin.

Comment: we are flying high!

Score: 9/10

Royal Brackla 17yo 2008/2025 (47.4%, Milroy Soho Selection, Bourbon Barrel, C#6634)

Nose: lemon zest and herbs (tarragon, dried chives -- PS). SW calls it waxy, while I notice pineapple slices. It develops oily birch at second nosing, fragrant and beautiful.

Mouth: mellow, coating, silky and creamy. It is fruity yoghurt, smashed peaches served on wooden plates, plum tomatoes and tomato stems. The second sip revives the pineapple vibe. It is somewhat indistinct, but fruity and spicy overall. Delectable.

Finish: long and bright, it has pineapple and ginger powder. It tingles the gums. It is fruitier at second gulp, if slightly indistinct again.

Comment: this was meant to be a shared barrel with Taiwan, yet somehow washed up on these shores again. EJ calls it "a whisky for the Indian summer."

Score: 8/10

tOMoH: "I wake up early, so I sometimes water the plants naked on the terrace, to see if anyone is watching."
cavalier66: "No way! Mrs. cavalier66 does that all the time!"
tOMoH: "I was about to say: 'the ancient Greeks found it liberating.'"
cavali66: "She's not ancient!"

This is a good place to pause for food.

Cold cuts

Cheeses

Nachos, houmous and shortbread

Cold cuts, olives and strawberries

Inchgower 28yo 1997/2025 (56.6%, Milroy Vintage Reserve, Hogshead, C#6926)

Nose: grated orchard fruits (crisp apples and pears), saline sea breeze (PS), fleur de sel on a lovely vanilla custard and sherbet. It becomes buttery upon breathing -- buttery fruits such as mango and even avocado. It has crusty bread on a hot metal baking tray.

Mouth: very salty, here, it also has spurge shavings sprinkled on smoked mango, and a metallic touch. It has a eucalyptus-bark kick at second sip too.

Finish: there is a big dose of pepper at play. Strangely enough it does not seem to throw PS off too much who is sensitive to pepper. It is spicy on a bitter background. It develops cardboard and papier mâché applied on chicken wire -- in a good way. The second gulp brings pan-seared apples.

Comment: a hit on the night. pat gva is particularly enthusiastic, and already wondering whether his luggage allows him a bottle of this, considering how much loot he already has to carry.

Score: 8/10

SW: "[...] a microdot of [...]"
cavalier66: "Did you say 'microdot'?"
tOMoH: "Acid."
PS: "We're back to the Haçienda."
cavalier66: "You talk about whisky, and then you drop 'microdot'..."
tOMoH: "You drop indeed."

JL walks in.

JL: "The room downstairs is free. I'll just do a little clean-up."
tOMoH: "Yeah, please take a shower, mate!"

Kildalton 22yo 2003/2025 (53.7%, Milroy Vintage Reserve, Bourbon Barrel, C#112)

Nose: an excellent Ardbeggian nose, with old tarry ropes and ink, fishing nets and diesel, followed by stained boating gear, linseed oil and oil paint. Psycho finds it dusty.

Mouth: burnt wood-stick tips, ink, burnt rubber, creosote, tar and tarry ropes. Tapenade rocks up, as does diesel or kerosene.

Finish: long and grimy, it has more petrochemical compounds.

Comment: EJ adores this, without surprise. She finishes two or three drams and giggles the night away.

Score: 8/10

JS: "Those pours are too generous!"
tOMoH: "If you have too much, give it away. Someone will want it. Probably EJ or pat gva."

As planned, with five (six) drams in, we move down to the first floor. JS and I are worried about the food. In the kitchen, we catch sonicvince on a mission to polish it off. JL assures us he will bring the two slices of salami, half-a-bowl of nachos and the houmous downstairs, all that remains. We will never see them again. It will probably be JL's dinner.

Once in the usual tasting room, we resume our dramming -- blind, this time. SW explains these are cask samples, and we are the Guinea pigs who will help decide whether to bottle them or not.

Dram #2.1

Nose: wax (pat gva), cloying Sherry cask (cavalier66), plummy marzipan. Later on, we have ginger bread and French toast.

Mouth: thin spirit (cavalier66). We note pressed prunes on lacquered wood. Chewing releases a slap of juicy fruit. It is so fruity and juicy and sweet! Pressed sultanas and prune syrup.

Finish: big and prune-y, it also has figs (dried and fresh) and raisins or dried currants.

Comment: lovely drop, but where is the Auchentoshan character? This is a good Sherry, really. Psycho is all excited, of course. Two expressions from his favourite distillery on the same night.

Score: 8/10

Auchentoshan 38yo d.1987 (50.7%, cask sample, PX Cask)

pat gva: "Forty-two years?"
tOMoH: "No. Distilled in 1987, sample taken in 2026, that is thirty-nine years old [at most]. Give me your keys, you are not driving, tonight."
BA: "It's been a long day."

Dram #2

Nose: apple, candied apple (pat gva) and a slap of papaya in delicious custard.

Mouth: a little gravel and a lot of jam or marmalade, a dusting of pepper. Chewing sees lichen on Bourbon-barrel staves, fruity, vanilla-ed, and adds a fistful of cranberries to keep it interesting. It kicks harder at second sip.

Finish: it turns out to be another fruity number in the finish, with prunes and raisins.

Comment: wow.

Score: 9/10

Clynelish 9yo 2015/2025  (55.38%, Duty Free Sample, 2nd Fill Bourbon Hogshead, C#51245)

SW: "Bring the Irish, please."
JL: "What if there is no Irish left?"
tOMoH: "Come and tell me. I will make a scene."
Psycho: "Belgium style!"
tOMoH: "Hide your children; they're not safe."

SW: "We can't call it Bushmills, because of naming rights."
PS: "You could have called it Mill's Bush, which would have caused another string of legal problems."

Everyone has a dram, save for me, whom SW forgot (because I was behind).

tOMoH: "I don't have a glass."

PS: "tOMoH, you wouldn't like it."
tOMoH: "You sang a song for me. I had to pretend I was listening."
cavalier66: "Definitely not for you."
tOMoH: "Let me tell you in this country's language: 'I wouldn't mind trying this.'"
BA: "I heard it was quite good."
cavalier66: "Oh! Why didn't you say so?"

Causeway Irish Whiskey 31yo 1991/2023 (47.8%, Milroy Vintage Reserve, Bourbon Barrels, C#RC649+650+651+652)

Nose: banana-tree bark (Psycho), and loads of overripe mango and overripe papaya. This is ridiculous. Incredibly juicy. "Oh! But it is a fruit bomb!" pat gva points out.

Mouth: mellow, astonishingly fruity. It is at once acidic, bitter, drying in an ashy way, but it is that surreal fruit that dominates.

Finish: more dazzling fruitiness.

Comment: beyond notes, after eight drams. Boy! is it good or what?

Score: 10/10

tOMoH: "How was the Irish for you?"
PS: "It was quite good, thank you very much. I don't have much left to judge, though."
tOMoH: "I wish I could share mine with you, but there is no chance of that happening, is there?"
BA: "Oh. Meow."

Dram #4

Nose: dark grapes, plums, apple compote. It develops a chalky touch, but it remains very fruity. The second nose peddles plastic caps.

Mouth: pizza dough, chalky papaya -- phwoar!

Finish: long and juicy, fruity. We find smoked strawberry slices and apricot jelly.

Comment: the killeries keep coming.

Score: 9/10

Ardmore 47yo d.1978 (47.8%, Duty Paid Sample, C#8)

SW: "It's 1978."
PS: "It's a sufficient year."
SW: "I was finishing..."
tOMoH: "...your first tab of ecstasy!"

Dram #5

Nose: Fisherman's Friend (cavalier66), lemon juice sprinkled on cockles, then hay, mulch, mud and citrus. Excellent.

Mouth: warm, citrus-y mud, with calamansi purée and mango shavings. It is a trifle spicy too, with ginger powder.

Finish: big, hairy and a tad muddy. It then collapses under the weight of tropical fruits (mango, papaya, persimmon, cherimoya).

Comment: say, this is good, eh?

Score: 8/10

Bowmore 15yo d.2010 (56%, cask sample)

pat gva: "It's very different from the Bowmores we are used to."
tOMoH: "You mean the ones from the 1960s?"

The second line-up

What a night! Amazing drams in vast numbers, lots of silly nonsense, good food and the promise of a good weekend. The morning will be a little rocky at the start, but not for long.

11/05/2026 Irish Monkey

Irish Single Malt 28yo 1989/2017 Vol.1 (56.2%, Limited Whisky Investment The Monkey Series in co-operation with Sansibar, Bourbon Cask, 164b, 16/05058): nose: very quiet, almost mute. Golden shortcrust with a dusting of confectionary sugar. It develops a greener touch, with rubbed mint leaves, citrus foliage and a pinch of lemon mint so dry and so faded it is hard to spot. Breathing time increases the shortcrust impression, soft, fluffy, with hints of baked mango, persimmon and apricot. Those two are really subtle, though. This is not at all an obvious fruity avalanche! The second nose is hardly more talkative and, if anything, it is more austere: it now has grated limestone and wet cliff rocks, as if washed by the rain. All that fizzes out after a while to leave but a generic impression of freshness. Mouth: a notch bolder on the tongue, it is thick and velvety, with peach nectar, persimmon and mango slices so ripe they melt in the mouth. Chewing, even briefly, causes an explosion of tropical fruit. We have a mechanical fruit chopper slicing mangoes at high speed and shoving all the output into the mouth, blades included. Indeed, beside the undeniable fruitiness is a lick of metal reminiscent of 117.3. The second sip has the gentle kick of a fruit-scented nail varnish. That paves the way for a mango-and-persimmon purée, and we may even detect timid maracuja. The metallic note from earlier is much more subdued, now. Each subsequent sip adds citrus foliage and it takes longer for fresh fruits to emerge, as they inexorably do. Finish: strangely enough, it has a pronounced bitter touch akin to chicory infusion, then heat. This drops a heated metal ball into the stomach, which then radiates heat through the whole body. The heat builds up especially at the top of the oesophagus. Those heatwaves carry wafts of baked mango and papaya before dying with a note of chocolate. Jammy at second gulp, it quickly grows in mango intensity, ripe, flavourful, and creamy in texture, close to quality milk chocolate indeed. There is even some caramel at play, in the long run -- salted caramel cream, to be precise. Even with a somewhat-disappointing nose (that made me think I inverted the labels of this and the Balvenie from the same night), it certainly holds its own as a whole. 9/10

25/04/2026 The Whisky Fair (Day 1 -- Part 4) Rarities for Charity

This year, JS and I are attending the Rarities for Charity tasting with elskling and LsR. OO is here too, as are thirty-or-so others. Gérard Hofmann is hosting with Henrik Schmidt. Patrick de Schultess is busy elsewhere, so he is not there.

J. & G. Grant from the Glenlivet District 5yo d.1967 (40%, Grant Bonding imported and distributed by Girolamo-Luxardo)

Nose: austere, it has lots of cardboard, pickled gherkins, hay. JS finds OBE and toasted cereals in an old library. A cardboard box used to transport vanilla.

Mouth: same cardboard action, perhaps leather and, if any fruit, it is bone-dry strawberry slices. elskling finds it mineral.

Finish: cereal-y, a bit raw. We may find vanilla biscuits (JS) or digestive biscuits. It is so chock-full of cereals it could also just be Horlicks.

Comment: good, provided one likes cereals. How unlikely is it that we would try two of those J. & G. Grant in less than a year, eh?

Score: 8/10

Starter is served.

Spargelsuppe

Tomatin 28yo 1982/2010 (55.3%, Scotch Single Malt Circle, Sherry Cask, C#29, 574b)

Nose: this is entirely taken over by the Sherry cask. Fruits do kick into gear, fortunately. It is a compact and almost intimidating nose, though. Last to appear are crayons and dried peach slices.

Mouth: och! Pickled red onions, pearl onions from a jar. That recedes to deliver unripe berries, but it remains a big, scary Sherried dram.

Finish: creamy and fruity, it has lots of berries, yet that is sadly hampered by a sour, briny note.

Comment: considering how difficult these bottlings are to get hold of, it is always interesting to try one. I cannot say I am entranced by this particular one, all the same.

Score: 6/10

The next bottle is presented by the Scotch Single Malt Circle ambassador herself. She explains in detail how the founder introduced the Scotch Malt Whisky Society into Germany who gave her a choice in the 1990s: to pay a large sum of money and continue or to jog on. She did not have said large sum of money and parted ways with the SMWS, but carried on pushing liquid, now with another club, the SSMC.

I had no knowledge of that story and welcome the informative introduction.

Clynelish 9yo 1990/1999 (57.4%, Scotch Single Malt Circle, C#3210)

Nose: mint paste applied on waxy fruits. It has spent wick too. Honestly, it is not perfectly balanced, out of this freshly-opened bottle, but it is promising. The second nose has vanilla custard and a sweet shortcrust.

Mouth: mmmh! Wax, yellow fruits punctuated with a lot of pepper and a pinch of ash. The waxy fruits probably come out most, but it is also rather strong, a sensation increased by the presence of white pepper. Water tones that down and lets the fruits shine brighter.

Finish: dry, hot, waxy and fruity. It has a lot of ash propping up yellow fruits (plum, Mirabelle plum, peach). Water makes this softer and fruitier, and increases the presence of yellow and white fruits, which eclipse wax and wick almost entirely.

Comment: this is a belter. Were it not for the imbalance on the palate at first, it would score higher.

Score: 8/10

Henrik goes geeky-and-three-quarters for the next bottle. He tells us (too much about) how to date a bottle of White Horse, how the various sovereigns on the seal give the era, which label goes with which bottle engraving, how the brand name evolved, what the thickness of the tin foil tells us et caetera. Twice, the audience claps to put a stop to the logorrhea; twice, he tells us he has more to say. Being a geek myself, I am torn: what he tells us is immensely interesting; on the other hand, we have a strict deadline. I also notice he is losing the crowd at pace.

Tin-foil stories.

On the right, a 1980s bottling.

On the left, a 1940s bottling.

In fact, the explanation takes so long that JS's right-hand-side neighbour pulls out a bottle from his bag and starts pouring it. "It has the white horse on the label; I thought it would be interesting to try them side by side."

Main course enters at the same time for total overload. I elect to eat first.

Pasta with mushrooms and courgettes

LsR: "I am reminded that only the French can make bread."
tOMoH: "I am reminded that the French abroad are insufferable."

Glen Elgin 12yo (no ABV, OB, no bottle size, SC803)

Nose: hay and muesli punctuated by yellow fruits.

Mouth: a lovely old bottling, it has lemon zest in cream custard. Citrus rises and rises.

Finish: soft and citrus-y, the hay note is a little too pronounced for me.

Comment: always nice to try these old dusties.

Score: 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, T)

The Blended Scotch Whisky of the White Horse Cellar (86.80° Proof, White Horse Distillers imported by Browne Vintners, b#AU915749, b. ca. 1940s)

Nose: it smells well integrated, but also a bit mass-produced. We have suede and hay, I guess.

Mouth: soft, it continues dishing out suede, now with leather and corduroy cushions.

Finish: easy, it has a lick of leather, dry hay and horse's hair (or is that the power of suggestion?)

Comment: just like the one we had earlier this month, this is fairly nondescript and not worthy of the reputation it enjoys in some circles, in my opinion. And I that it contains Malt Mill does not change my opinion.

Score: 7/10

After spending too long on the first four drams, we pick up the pace.

Lochindaal 12yo 2010/2022 (49.9%, The Finest Malts for DramOff, Bourbon Barrel, C#4395, 72b)

Nose: roasted fruits and faint smoke.

Mouth: sweet, porridge-y, it is also acidic, fruity and farm-y to an extent. Some find it peaty, but I do not. It does become salty at second sip, on the other hand.

Finish: long and bold, dry, smoky, farm-y in a mud cake way.

Comment: unremarkable. There is nothing wrong with it; I simply do not find it impressive.

Score: 6/10

Irish Single Malt 28yo 1989/2017 Vol.1 (56.2%, Limited Whisky Investment The Monkey Series in co-operation with Sansibar, Bourbon Cask, 164b, 16/05058)

Nose: mango purée, melted papaya, squashed persimmon, butternut purée (JS), then baked puff pastry and stewed peaches.

Mouth: wonderful. Mango turnovers followed by hot metal baking trays and baked satsumas. This has 'pastry' written all over it.

Finish: lots of hot turnovers slightly tainted by the metal tray they were baked on. It is a bit unbalanced, here, too liberal with the metal, if very acceptable.

Comment: we are nit-picking. It is not one of the great Irish, but it is a great whiskey. By the way, the bottle code suggests it was bottled in 2016, whatever the label reads.

Score: 8/10

JS: "It is lacking in maracuja."

Dessert.

Tiramisù

Glenfarclas 12yo (45%, OB for F.W. Hempel Metallurgical GmbH)

Nose: another one that is full of fruity turnovers, with baked mangoes and apricots, smashed papayas and melting persimmons.

Mouth: creamy and fruity, it has a bite alright. It is hot, metallic and turns acidic with time.

Finish: pretty acidic here too, it has sour fruit jellies, followed by a faint bitterness of unripe fruit.

Comment: good.

Score: 8/10

JS: "It's a complete Ball-indall-ache."

I pull out empty sample bottles, as I know I will not finish the line-up intact and I do want to enjoy the drams, at some point. elskling sees my Post-Its.

elskling: "Qu'est-ce que c'est que ce travail de cochon? Here, take one of my labels!"

A bottle comes out of nowhere, delaying us further.

Glenturret 29yo 1989/2019 (44.7%, Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection, Hogshead, C#238, 253b, b#112)

Nose: grout, mortar, crumbly Korean pear. It is chalky indeed, and I find that really challenging, at this point.

Mouth: big and lively, it has some fruits, but especially a lot of horsepower. Later on, we detect rocket and apricot. Aprocket?

Finish: rocket is right! Peppery and bitter as fuck. Spinach, rocket, peach stones. There are vague hints of apricot, but they are easily missed.

Comment: not sure why anyone thought it was a good idea to slide this one here.

Score: 6/10 (Thanks for the dram, Babelfisch42)

We are now so late and I am starting to feel the effect of alcohol so much that JS and I decide to skip the next dram. Fortunately, I have empty samples, so we will try it later.

The Balvenie 32yo 1966/1998 (42.1%, OB Vintage Cask, C#6432, 264b, b#36)

Springbank d.1963 (46%, OB imported by Preiss Import, b. ca.1985)

Nose: we go stratospheric. This has an incredible depth. With every new sniff, it keeps rolling out more fruits (ripe plums, Mirabelle, greengages) and marzipan. The source simply will not dry up.

Mouth: perfect balance of fruit, herbs, ginger and varnish. Not sure how that reads, but it is harmonious on the palate.

Finish: incredible finish.

Comment: I will need to spend more time with this. I am no longer in the right state to express my appreciation.

Score: 9/10

GH: "1963 is a rare vintage."
PhG: "Great vintage."
GH: "Yeah, for those born in 1963. Not as good as those born in 1966, but shit happens."

We are more or less kicked out. We made it alive. Just.

Ambitious tasting. The selection only had things that most of us would not have been able to try anywhere else. That some were less my thing than others is irrelevant: they were indeed rare, and that is what was promised. The food was excellent (yes, even the bread) and the company relaxed and friendly.

Personally, I thought two things could be improved: the introduction of each bottle was a bit loose in places, which tried the patience of some. As said, being a geek myself, I found the flood of information interesting, but I would have preferred a better balance between information and time-keeping. The second point is the attendees shoehorning their own bottles into the line-up. It comes from a very kind intention (they want to share), but the effect is rarely what they hope for. Instead, it disrupts, distracts, delays, and sometimes destroys the rest of the line-up (remember that London Whisky Club tasting, during which a generous customer offered an unplanned Millburn Rare Malt at 61.9% right before the planned Banff at 43%?) The hosts worked hard to build a line-up that works; it is inconsiderate at best to kibosh that line-up with an additional bottle.

Ultimately, fun was had. Tomorrow morning will be difficult.