25/04/2026 The Whisky Fair (Day 1 -- Part 3)

Glenmhor (43 GL, OB imported by Cantine Cairella)

Nose: hints of barley do not eclipse a rather-austere profile, all in all -- wet cardboard and dust. Fortunately, tOMoH likes that.

Mouth: cereal-y and fruity to a point. It has a good portion of citrus served on cardboard (grapefruit segments) and roasted apple slices.

Finish: bigger than expected for the modest ABV, it continues with roasted apples and grapefruit segments.

Comment: love these old-school Highlanders. This one is a rarely-seen example to boot.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, EG)

A new stand? Who is manning it? KCF!

Macduff 18yo 2007/2026 (48.9%, Scout Drinks, Hogshead, C#800220, 210b)

Nose: toffee followed by purple berries, honey-glazed gooseberries and physalis.

Mouth: sandy and fruity, it has a bitter profile, with unsweetened mixed peel and orange peels.

Finish: very orange-y and sweet, now. Marmalade, mixed peel, mint crumbles covered in orange juice.

Comment: this is good. Finishing the second sip after another couple of other drams, I downgrade my score.

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

Hi PT.

Highland 49yo 1976/2026 (45.1%, Thompson Bros. specially bottled for Dornoch Castle, Hogshead, C#SR26050, 140b)

Nose: FRUIT! Peaches and mangoes the loudest. What a smack in the face.

Mouth: mango juice with an uncharacteristic dryness. Mind you, it is not abrasive or anything.

Finish: long, fruity, teeming with peaches, persimmons, apricots and mangoes.

Comment: phwoar! I would love to spend more time with this.

Score: 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, PT)

What does one try to follow that? Oh!...

Bowmore 1969/1979 (56.2GL / 98.8° Proof, OB imported by Fecchio & Frassà, Sherry Cask)

Nose: earthy-fruity, this is immediately insahne. It is maracuja and chikoo fallen into mud.

Mouth: that surreal fruitiness makes me emotional effortlessly. It has got earth, rancio, fine Rhine sand and wheelbarrows full of tropical fruits.

Finish: and here are the Bowmore eyes. This is at the confluence of earth, mud, salty beach sand and unreal tropical fruits. Carambola, dragon fruit, snakehead fruit, longan, chikoo...

Comment: another one with which I would like to spend hours (as I did in 2016). No time today, but this is an obvious masterpiece, even in these circumstances.

Score: 11/10 (Thanks for the dram, EG)

Glenugie 23yo 1981/2005 (61.9%, Duncan Taylor Rarest of the Rare imported by Va.Ma, Sherry Butt, C#5155, 516b, b#194)

Nose: precious wood, lacquer, shoe polish, black leather belts, dark nuts (Brazil, Kluwak).

Mouth: as expected, not much of the Glenugie character subsists, here, but what an outstanding Sherry maturation! Shoe polish, leather sofas, chocolate blended with wood lacquer.

Finish: long, earthy, it has prunes, raisins and currants aplenty, but also beef stock.

Comment: woah! It suffers from the sequence (what would not), which is reflected in the score.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, EG)

Hi AH! Hi VW!

Rittenhouse 4yo 1944/1948 Straight Rye (100 Proof, OB)

Nose: this is unmistakably a Rye, full of Irn Bru and sweetened iron juice, then floor polish. And is that a whisper of smoke?

Mouth: full and sweet, it has more Irn Bru and lemonades made with various citrus.

Finish: subtle, sweet and orange-y. Irn Bru still prevails, though.

Comment: the label tells us that Continental Distilling Corp. made this at Registered Distillery, which is a bit of a daft name, you will agree. Not sure how AH determined the dates, here, but how special to try something from 1944! Remember not a single Scottish distillery was producing at the time.

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

Planters Ozark Highlands (57%, OB Family Reserve, B#High Ground, b#039, b. ca. 2026)

Nose: drier and dirtier, it still has the Irn Bru and iron that come with the rye. Follow smoke, swarf and burnt metal filings.

Mouth: creamy, orange-y notes. Satsumas now take over and push the iron into the shadow.

Finish: big, full of orangeade, lemonade and but a faint lick of iron.

Comment: these two seem to be on a mission to convert the world to Nobleton (they brought some last year). One can understand why; it is good.

Score: 7/10 (Thanks for the dram, AH and VW)

Ben Nevis 29yo 1996/2026 (48.1%, Scout Drinks, Hogshead, C#1558)

Nose: cut mangoes and smashed longans. This is really fruity.

Mouth: fruity Sprite or Fanta, bold and sparkly. More sipping makes this fruity as fook, with mango, tangerine and more longan.

Finish: soft and creamy like a mango yoghurt enhanced with smashed papaya.

Comment: so many Ben Nevis 1996 on display, today. This may just be my favourite.

Score: 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, KCF)

The clock is ticking. Let us visit Kirk Barleycorn, since he will not be here tomorrow.

Benriach 1996/2026 (46.7%, Malts of Scotland Rare Casks handselected & exclusively bottled for The Whisky Dreamers, Bourbon Hogshead, C#MoS26016, 236b, b#96)

Nose: fruity pastry, turnovers, pies. It smells like it could have a whiff of smoke too, which is unexpected.

Mouth: warm, fruity, it has crusty turnovers to kill for.

Finish: long, full of pastry again, mostly pineapple turnovers, now.

Comment: another cracking selection by The Whisky Dreamers.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, Kirk)

Kirk Barleycorn: "If I understood correctly, you are a big fan of Talisker…"

tOMoH: "I have a love-hate relationship with Talisker. I only like it at forty years or older, or distilled in the 1950s or earlier. But I appreciate the gesture, and the bottle you are holding is very good. dom666 let me try it a while (many years) ago."

Talisker 25yo 1975/2001 (59.9%, OB Natural Cask Strength imported by United Distillers & Vintners Lausanne, 6000b, b#1089)

Nose: it is strong and peppery, ripe with saline, maritime notes. Behind that, we detect some smoke straight from the industrial revolution.

Mouth: indeed, lots of peppery smoke cloak juicy fruits. The second sip has a drying mineral touch.

Finish: long and hairy, it has dusty boilers, in a smoky room. It ends with a pinch of soot and bitter crushed seashells.

Comment: undeniably quality, but this is not my favourite type of Talisker.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, Kirk)

Strathisla 1989/2024 (45%, Malts of Scotland Rare Casks handselected & exclusively bottled for The Whisky Dreamers, Sherry Hogshead, C#MoS25027, 110b, b#89)

Nose: well, it clearly has chocolate, then berries (blackberries, blueberries), then white fruits behind that: green grapes, lychees, white peaches. Even later, currants rock up.

Mouth: dry and earthy, here are lots of raisins, prunes, dried currants. It is also quite strong. When the taste buds wake up, we have a medicinal note and it becomes woodier too.

Finish: a soft, earthy touch, some precious wood without the bitterness and a lingering fruitiness -- namely currants and raisins.

Comment: delicious.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, Kirk)

It is almost over. for the day JS leaves. I decide I have to at least say hello to the Swissky Mafia. PG produces his Emergency Banff and tells me how he just established the In-Between Banff Club. We are at the end of the main event and about to enter a masterclass. It seems fitting to have an in-between Banff.

Banff 23yo 1979/2002 (46%, Ian Macleod Chieftain's, Hogshead, C#476/499, 708b)

Nose: initially farm-y, it soon emits a lot of fruits, starting with apples and pears, then moving towards dark grapes. It takes on an earthier profile shortly thereafter.

Mouth: unmistakably Banff, if has mustard, hay or straw, porridge. It grows drier and drier, yet remains fruity throughout.

Finish: soft and fruity, it is overflowing with plump apricots.

Comment: amazing.

Score: 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, PG)

Time to run to the tasting.

25/04/2026 The Whisky Fair (Day 1 -- Part 2)

There is one more stand to visit urgently.

Imperial 26yo 1996/2022 #6 (48.1%, Maltbarn The 26, Bourbon Cask, 51b)

Nose: forsythia, daffodils, unripe peach. It has a bit of dust in the back, and baked goods (JS).

Mouth: pillow-y, flowery. This has yellow-tulip petals and daffodils. It becomes slightly drying, after a while.

Finish: more yellow magic; unripe peaches and apricots mixed with daffodils.

Comment: phwoar!

Score: 9/10

Glentauchers 31yo 1989/2021 No. 177 (43.4%, Maltbarn, Bourbon Cask, 100b)

Nose: more flowers (honeysuckle, jasmine, buttercups) and soft fruits (apple cubes). Fruity-minty notes grow in intensity.

Mouth: full-bodied, it has buckets of yellow flowers bathing in yellow-fruit juice, and a few jasmine buds to spice things up.

Finish: bright yellow, flowery and delectable. It goes from flowers to fruits more clearly with each sip.

Comment: stunning.

Score: 9/10

Highland Malt 38yo 1983/2021 #2 (51.4%, Maltbarn The 26, Sherry Cask, 48b)

Nose: rich berries and tobacco with what could be cedarwood sheets to give the whole a structure on which to lean.

Mouth: berries jam, rancio, blackcurrants. It has some power as well! Once the palate gets accustomed to that, carambola enters the scene.

Finish: long and assertive, full of berries. Subsequent gulps add all sorts of custards.

Comment: excellent. My score may be a little generous, but...

Score: 9/10

Highland Park19yo 2003/2021 #5 (51.8%, Maltbarn The 26, Bourbon Cask, 48b)

Nose: leather and suede, horse's hair. Suddenly, salt water comes in.

Mouth: softer and fruitier than expected, it has chewy sweets kept in a suede pouch.

Finish: yup, chewy fruit sweets eaten from a leather pouch.

Comment: beautiful.

Score: 8/10

Ben Nevis 29yo 1996/2026 No. 265 (47.6%, Maltbarn, Bourbon Cask, 152b)

Nose: pine scents alongside timid mango and papaya. With a little breathing, it turns into a bowl of fruits, with carambola and guava the loudest, We have soot in the background as well.

Mouth: big, bold, fruity. Carambola, guava, papaya. It is acidic and cleansing, not stripping. 

Finish: not that long or explosive, but so fantastically comforting. Fruits everywhere.

Comment: gawjus.

Score: 9/10

Time to move again. Or time to eat something, actually. There is a catering company on the terrace. I order a vegan Mediterran Flammkuch.

Her: "With or without ham?"

It is a dreary wrap with uncooked vegetables on top,
but it fulfills its mission adequately: lining the stomach

Back to the grind. We stop by MW's stand.

MW: "Have you tried this Macallan?"
tOMoH: "No. Macallan, you know..."
MW: "This is a good one."

The Macallan 10yo b.2000 Cask Strength (58.8%, OB, Sherry Oak Casks, MDR103)

Nose: decaying oranges, pickled red onions.

Mouth: earthy, bitter, bold, fruity.

Finish: huge, it has caramelised red onions, sweet and luscious.

Comment: I was not convinced I would like this, but I do.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, MW)

Hi SA.

Bushmills 34yo 1991/2025 No.099 (46.2%, The Whisky Blues joint bottling with Abyss Whisky Bar, 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, C#11534, 137b)

Comment: SA insists I must try this. It is a masterpiece of Irish fruitiness. 10/10 (Thanks for the sip, SA)

And here is the bottler

Ichiro's Malt b.2015 (58.6%, Venture Whisky for Lady Jane 40th Anniversary Booze & Jazz supported by Shinanoya distributed by Japan Import System, C#4077)

Nose: hay and mint infusion.

Mouth: oof! Fire. There is a note of straw, muesli and porridge.

Finish: long, it has hot pastry, sweet, yet balanced.

Comment: lovely.

Score: 7/10

We meet Mr. whiskynotes.be himself. He tells us he knows this blog, which I do not fully believe, but it is very kind of him.

PH pours me this:

Kilchoman 4yo 2007/2012 (59.3%, OB Single Cask Release for The Nectar, Sherry Cask, C#455/2007, 330b)

Comment: cannot say it is really my bag, but a competent smoked-mud effort.

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

We move again.

25/04/2026 The Whisky Fair (Day 1 -- Part 1)

Year three, and, already, habits are well established. I pick up breakfast from Bäckerei Huth.

As I come back from the bakery with my loot, I discover that EG is staying in the same building. Ha! Ha!

"Wilkommen," he shouts from the top floor.

Replenished and ready for action, JS and I head to the venue where we meet elskling and LsR. They are flabbergasted that I am wearing camouflage, not a shirt and a blazer. I has got to keep they on they toes.

They invite us to join them in the queue; it is a bit of a dick move, but we accept. We also know how quickly the queue moves and know it will make virtually no difference to those whom we just set back by a couple of places. Indeed, when the doors open, we are in in seconds.

JS and I skip the usual gathering place, today. Last year, we missed out on some bottlings because we were too late in the day. This year, we decide to prioritise those above anything else. That takes us to The Whisky Jury, the next to last stall in the tent, the furthest area of the festival. The staff recognise us immediately. It is quickly clear we rushed for nothing, as they have nothing for sale. At least, we can try their bottlings.

All weekend, we pour Caperdonich 11yo 1968/1979 (70° Proof, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur's Choice) and 57.4 15yo 1979/1994 Fearsome indeed; smoky, spicy and savoury (63.1%, SMWS Society Cask). I will not explicitly mention when anymore.

Bowmore 21yo 2005/2026 (52.8%, The Whisky Jury, Refill Hogshead, C#250906, 224b, b#224)

Nose: smoky pickles followed by creamy peach in sea air. JS finds it a bit rubbery.

Mouth: smoke, gravels, pebbles. It opens to reveal passion fruits and chargrilled nut shells.

Finish: a lot of ash and char, but also lovely fruits (peach, mango, papaya).

Comment: what a way to start! Perhaps my score is too generous (especially when compared to later drams), but I am seduced.

Score: 9/10 (Thanks for the dram. TWJ)

Ben Nevis 28yo 1996/2025 (47.8%, The Whisky Jury in honour of Derek John Smith, Refill Hogshead, C#1321, 259b, b#105)

Nose: fresh, but a bit closed. Some herbs painstakingly come through. It ends up giving some fruits, mostly apples. Then, timid white peaches enter the scene.

Mouth: ah! A bit dirty, it pushes engine grease as well as unripe fruits.

Finish: a soft explosion of fruits such as peaches, plums and even persimmons. It has some dirty funk, after a while, reminding us that it is a Ben Nevis indeed.

Comment: this should improve in the open bottle. Already, it is good.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks for the dram. TWJ)

JS spots another Ben Nevis. Or two.

Ben Nevis 30yo 1996/2026 (45.3%, The Whisky Agency & Sansibar A Joint Bottling Collection Spring 2026, Hogshead)

Nose: toffee coated in tropical fruit juice. It smell as creamy as smashed peach.

Mouth: and creamy it is too, with a soft acidic note and a more mineral aspect.

Finish: the dirty Ben Nevis funk is overpowered by lovely peaches. JS finds it nutty to boot.

Comment: woah!

Score: 9/10

Strathmill 37yo 1988/2025 (49.4%, The Whisky Agency & Three Rivers, Hogshead)

Nose: fruit juice sprinkled onto precious wood. It has a minimal rubbery or glue-like touch that merely gives it complexity. Or is it wood lacquer?

Mouth: it is all about texture, here. The taste is good, but unremarkable, especially after that nose. Smoked peach and crushed peach stones, a dollop of glue to keep it together. However, it is the lovely creamy texture that catches the attention.

Finish: what just happened? Varnished wood? Fruit purée? A lick of rubber?

Comment: holy molly, this is good.

Score: 8/10

Strathmill 37yo 1988/2025 (45.1%, The Whisky Agency & Sansibar A Joint Bottling Collection Spring 2026, Hogshead)

Nose: jasmine, rosehip, honeysuckle and sarcococca. Then, Fraises Tagada take over.

Mouth: it has a clear woody structure, with a minimal bitterness and lignin. All that disappears as soon as a creamy fruitiness emerges to shine and shine, augmented with a droplet of fortified wine for fun.

Finish: warming and fruity, it gives peaches and persimmon in a straw-filled wicker basket.

Comment: wonderful.

Score: 9/10

Auchentoshan 26yo 1999/2025 (50.6%, The Whisky Agency & East Village Whisky Company for Birthdays United, Barrel)

Nose: a bit mute at first, it ends up peddling pomelo and pink grapefruit in a yoghurt form.

Mouth: initially soft, it gains vigour with time. Pepper, lemon and lime zest, perhaps oregano too.

Finish: creamy and chocolate-y, this has mild chocolate augmented with lime zest.

Comment: very good, if not the stunner that some other recent Auchentoshans have been.

Score: 8/10

Glenrothes 36yo 1989/2025 (44.8%, The Whisky Agency, Hogshead, 184b)

Nose: waxy and leathery, this has citrus peels sniffed off of a leather sofa.

Mouth: mellow, fruity (yellow fruits), with a touch of leather on the tip of the tongue.

Finish: more yellow fruits, now topped with berries. It is a creamy finish that never ends, by the way.

Comment: even this non-fan of Glenrothes is taken by this.

Score: 8/10

This guy's polo short makes us think of
Chief-Franconian MV
who sadly could not make it, this year

Glen Keith 30yo 1994/2025 (53%, The Whisky Agency, Barrel, 263b)

Nose: funky! Straw, hay and Lederhosen. We saw a bloke wearing a Dirndl, earlier; this is that. Later on, we have a muddy herbs emulsion.

Mouth: the fruity bitterness at play is taken to great lengths. Orange rinds, grapefruit peels. Indeed, it is fruity, but not extravagantly so.

Finish: bitterness continues, almost rubbery, reminiscent of tyres.

Comment: it is delicious, if clearly not as seductive as other Glen Keiths from that vintage.

Score: 8/10

Glen Grant 26yo 1999/2025 (51.2%, The Whisky Agency, Hogshead, 203b)

Nose: deep and dark this has dark berries aplenty, perhaps honey-glazed mushrooms.

Mouth: a robust bitter Sherry maturation from what I can tell, with myrtles and blackberries on top.

Finish: it is bitter here too, though it is more pine cones than needles (which the official notes talk about) and, really, closer to dark-wood furniture.

Comment: although decent, this is much less my thing.

Score: 7/10

That is our clue to visit another stall. Oh! Here is Kirk Barleycorn.

Highland Park 24yo 1972/1996 (55.9%, Adelphi Distillery, C#1657, Rotation 96/546 PH18/96)

Nose: pickles and smoked fruits, and those fruits keep rising. Peaches, plums, kumquats.

Mouth: ooft! Powerful, it has a tonne of pepper that almost hides similar smoky, pickled yellow fruits.

Finish: creamy as smoked peaches. Pickle brine with only a whisp of smoke.

Comment: challenging and excellent.

Score: 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, Kirk)

Hello elskling, hello LsR.

Springbank 16yo d.2001 (46.8%, OB Duty Paid Sample, First Fill Hogshead, Rotation 683)

Nose: dirty, soot-y smoke gives way to juicy fruits. JS spots barbecued or grilled pork, then sulphury fruits.

Mouth: silky, soft (what?), it has some pepper, after a minute, and drying rancio.

Finish: assertive, not brash, it has rancio, droplets of Sherry and musty clay floors.

Comment: another very good Springbank.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, LsR)

JS comes back from an expedition and shares:

Islay 27yo b.2025 (47.8%, C.Dully Selection, Bourbon Barrel, Vatting 133159C, 316b)

Nose: ashy, it has burnt branches turning to ashes, then tobacco and warm cigar leaves.

Mouth: ashy, drying, with a little bit of fruit too.

Finish: much softer a finish than expected, it has yellow fruits and still fine ashes.

Comment: good.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, CD)

Karuizawa 31yo 1981/2013 (56%, Number One Drinks Company Noh Whisky, Sherry Butt, C#155, 595b)

Nose: beautiful Sherry, elegant and varnishy. It is surprisingly balanced, yet its sheer power emerges gloriously with time.

Mouth: strong, prune-y. It has a bold rancio kick.

Finish: big, muscular and earthy, it has lots of prunes and a strong rancio. Earthy fruits (prunes, elderberries) and a soft woody touch.

Comment: excellent Karuizawa. It still is not my go-to profile, but it is unquestionably well made.

Score: 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, elskling)

Glenfarclas 25yo b.1977 (70° Proof, Gordon & MacPhail to commemorate The Queen's Silver Jubilee imported by Co. Import)

Nose: pickled lychee, rambutan, mangosteen.

Mouth: jasmine and lychee rub elbows with egg white and omelette. That pickled fruit, though...

Finish: wonderful. It has many of the same fruits we found on the nose. Long and luscious finish with lychee and white peach.

Comment: have we found the dram of the show yet? GB recommended this yesterday when we bumped into him on the street. He was not exaggerating. How fitting to try this today, four days after the late Queen's birthday anniversary, and on the day German television broadcast a documentary on the subject that I watched this morning?

Score: 9/10

Caol Ila 26yo 1977/2003 (57.7%, Douglas Laing The Old & Rare Platinum Selection, 86b)

Nose: a faint smoke introduces seaweed, pebbles licked by the lapping (sea water) and marzipan.

Mouth: sweet and salty as only Caol Ila can be, it has sea water and marzipan again.

Finish: inky sea water and a shovelful of sand, before it continues with candied citrus peels.

Comment: classic Caol Ila from a certain era. The main attraction, here, is how limited this is. But even without that, it is excellent.

Score: 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, GB and thanks for sharing, elskling)

We move again.

20/04/2026 Teaninich

Teaninich 23yo d.1972 (64.95%, OB Rare Malts Selection, b#1323): nose: would it spoil the surprise for anyone to say it is a brute? This has the same effect as being hit on the olfactory organ with a lead pipe. Dust, metal filings, old zinc gutters, oxidised copper basins, Verdigris-riddled brass. It really takes a moment to see past that block of metal. Then, it has roasted apples and quinces, crunchy kakis and stepped-on dog faeces smeared across the concrete pavement. It probably reads horrid, but is actually rather intriguing. Also, it is but fleeting and soon makes way for prunes and dried currants. Let us be honest: that is much more appealing. It retains a metallic austerity, mind, and those dried fruits are presented on a zinc plate. The second nose welcomes old walnut and hazelnut shells splashed with a mix of pressed greengages and WD-40. There may even be a spray of furniture polish, which seems to replace the metallic shenanigans until one shakes the glass vigorously. Water calms it all down and allows juicy fruits to the surface: grapes, plums, greengages, stewed Galia melon. It is still warm, no longer frighteningly so. Mouth: 'burning' would be the wrong word. It is numbing, first and foremost. One could, again, compare it to being hit in the kisser by a lead pipe. Only when the numbness of the shock recedes does one realise the pain. Chewing brings out more metal (lead, zinc, galvanised iron, corroded brass), with only a discreet fruity touch to balance things out a little. Prunes in syrup, rehydrated currants, decaying greengages turned sour. We find very-dry lichen too that adds a gentle bitterness. And, to be clear, the fact it is gentle may be because it is smothered by the alcohol. The second sip offers a far more-perceptible bitter touch, somewhere between walnut stain , greengage stones and nut-tree sap. That is, once more, balanced by a timid fruitiness (rum-soaked sultanas). It still has a metallic note, but that is a far cry from the nosebleed we experienced initially. It is now limited to a metallic drinking vessel (pewter or zinc). Water turns the palate into a gentle green-grape juice, not even that concentrated or fruity. It is a lot sweeter without being sugary, and, well, an easy sipper. Finish: huge, it has stewed walnut flesh (talking about the fleshy fruit, not the nut at its core), prune stones, poached quinces and, surprisingly, much less of the afore-mentioned metals. That is confined to silverware (made of real silver) used to eat those fruits. The tongue and palate are left as numb as if they had been smacked with an oxidised silver spoon, yet little zinc or lead to note, if any. In the long run, we do find walnut flesh again. The second gulp cranks up the fruit: baked apples, quinces, kakis and Korean pears so hot that they cauterise the roof of the mouth and leave it throbbing. A lukewarm oxidised spoon is then applied to cool off the burn, which leaves -- you guessed it -- a metallic taste in the mouth. The addition of water gives us syrupy barley wine, as well as pressed peaches and plums augmented with a drop of cold jasmine tea. Interesting how water tames this beast, rendering it almost too meek. Very good drop with or without water. 8/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)

17/04/2026 Talisker

There is much to infer about the state of the industry from the fact that Diageo, owners of Talisker, have started bottling single casks of one of their most-prized brands for private clients. This one for Hedonism is the first to come to our attention, but, two weeks later, Dornoch Castle Hotel announced their own such bottling. It had never been done. Probably, more will come.

Talisker 16yo b.268 (59.2%, OB specially bottled for Hedonism Wines, 15y ex-Bourbon American Hogshead + 1y Sherry Puncheon, 198b): nose: we have old boxes of spices, including bay leaves, cloves, cassia bark and black peppercorns. There are dried cherries too. What smoke we find is limited to a general cosy atmosphere in a rustic kitchen. We then discover warm shirt buttons and warm cocktails served in wooden cups. Cocktails? Yeah; rum, orange liqueur, pineapple juice. That is enjoyed in a freshly-waxed armchair on a hot summer evening. Ha! One can even smell some mosquito repellent on other patrons' skin. That is quite on point, seeing how Skye is infested by midges. The second nose sees moist textile of some kind, in continuation with the buttons from earlier. To follow, we have twigs and dead plants in a greenhouse, and the green wellies that go with it. Some really unlikely (if not unpleasant) notes, here! Mouth: oof! this is thick. Apricot nectar in texture, velvety and coating. Half a chew gives a gentle medicinal kick (hawthorn jelly caps), but what comes next is more in keeping with the distillery character: a copious dose of cracked black pepper and a bold alcohol bite. To even that out, grilled and roasted fruits (pineapple, apricot, papaya). It is smokier as it develops, and retro-nasal olfaction picks up a campfire in a coastal shelter. The second sip feels sweeter on entry. It may be mint crumbles, though it is fierce enough to be spearmint crumbles. Chewing brings out the same fruits again and adds unripe kumquat (and foliage) for shits and giggles. That makes the palate juicy and a tad bitterer. Finish: big and fiery, if not explosive, which means it is strong, numbing, yet not overpowering. It is also more traditional, here, with burnt wood and smoke. That said, it presents flint and fruit stones such as peach and avocado. There is less fruit flesh, on the other hand -- charred papaya, perhaps. We find a refreshing drop of bleach on top of that, or swimming-pool water (read: chlorine). It leaves the mouth as dry as if one had munched on chalk, though. The second gulp is closer to my preference, as fruits come out more (crystallised citrus taken with chopped mint leaves), wrapped in a hearty smoke. Smoked papaya skins and pineapple shavings rock up at the death. One more point awarded! 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, MSo)