Glentauchers 30 yo 1981 / 2011 Signatory #1049 56.8%
Honestly, a challenging whisky. Yes elements of a sherry overlay are evident, however cursory, but the malt is powerful and strident to the point that sweet cinnamon and red jam … Continue reading
Loch Lomond (Inchmurrin) 29 yo 1974 / 2003 Cadenhead 54.4%
Certainly some little metallic and lubricant touches, like an old sewing machine complete with old piece of white chalk in a corner, makes this whisky a reminder of older but … Continue reading
Fettercairn 30 yo 1988 / 2019 Jack Wiebers Whisky World #2030 47.9%
Whilst Fettercairn can be admired, this particular example is better left admired on a shelf, and far from a glass. Every virtuous quality a malt might be blessed with has … Continue reading
Clynelish 27 yo 1982 / 2010 Nectar of the Daily Drams 59.8%
Might be one of the best 1982s around. This one is honeyed and waxy in a warm but deeply resinous manner, and it’s relative simplicity belies it’s true depth. Little … Continue reading
Bruichladdich 13 yo 2010 / 2024 #2121 for Cyrus & Aloha 62.5%
Massive is an understatement, both in terms of power but also flavour. Here all blackwood and dripping teak oil on geological layers of wood soot and a burnt assemblage of … Continue reading
Port Ellen 16 yo 1979 / 1995 Dun Eideann #303 43%
Always a sense of loss when trying these, and no, new Port Ellen is not Port Ellen. Here a tarry, oil laden peat, full of ancient roots and memory. Suede … Continue reading
‘Elderly Elvis Tilting’ (Glenlivet) 25 yo dramfool 51.2%
How would an elderly Elvis tilt exactly? Jousting perhaps? Very nice whisky though, soft with clear oils, molten butter and malty biscuits. Many little sharp but juicy hints of fruit … Continue reading
Springbank 8 yo Pure Malt for Japan 43%
I don’t think any other distillery has done as many old Japanese issues as Springbank. Overall this one leans rather clean and crisp, with sea air, brine, and lemon pastilles. … Continue reading
Ledaig 18 yo 1972 James MacArthur 54.4%
Its no lie to say 1972 was a very good year for Scotch or that 1972 Ledaig can give 70s Islay a run for its money. This whisky immediately recalls … Continue reading
Irish Single Malt 27 yo 1990 / 2017 Whisky Agency for Whisky Exchange 51.3%
Gorgeous fruity start. Ripe lychee, cantaloupe and pineapple pie filling. Lush and richly textured from nose to finish. Its a while tinned fruit mix, slightly floral like elderflower and chamomile … Continue reading
James MacArthur’s: Glen Spey 21 yo 1970, Macduff 21 yo 1967, Dufftown 13 yo 1978
Glen Spey 21 yo James MacArthur’s 55.4% ~1970 bottled 1991 Spirity, powerful, thick and oily. Juniper and pine air freshener. Little paper flowers. Frankly horrid. 70 pts Macduff 21 yo … Continue reading
Glen Moray 38 yo 1981 / 2019 Whisky Sponge 49.1%
I have a soft spot for well aged malt in refill bourbon. Here it’s many virtues are on display – Christmas cake full of blackcurrants and woody spices. Strong black … Continue reading
Chichibu Heavily Peated 2014 / 2025 Chibidaru #3520 64%
This Chichibu opened my eyes. I am now paying attention to Ichiro-san’s whisky in a way I have never done so before. Obviously, due to climate, you won’t be able … Continue reading
Bowmore 1969 Fecchio & Frassa 6638 58%
This noses like the slam of a very precise hammer on a very special nail at a very exact spot. In that precious regard I say cut from the same … Continue reading
Glen Ord 23 yo 1973 / 1997 Rare Malts 59.8%
Glen Ord 23 yo 1973 / 1997 Rare Malts 59.8% Certainly old school – Old shops filled with old things, grease flecked with grime and soot. Fur coats, dirty candle … Continue reading
Laphroaig 1979 / 1997 Clydesdale #5963 53%
Several IBs have had 1979s and they’ve always been superb, so high expectations here. Expectations met, very similar to the Glenscoma – which I realize is still sitting in draft. … Continue reading
Glenlivet 1964 commercial sample George & John Gordon Smith
From an old commercial sample from George & John Gordon Smith, that is, the company of the founder of The Glenlivet and his son. It was John who famously took … Continue reading
Ardbeg 23yo 1965 / 1988 Mizuhashi Total Liquor Supply 55%
Revisiting this most esteemed but somehow criminally under-recognized Ardbeg. Best guess is that as a Japanese bottling, it never penetrated our European friends’ imaginations. The whisky? Much as I remember: … Continue reading
Caol Ila 21 yo 1974 / 1996 Signatory #12592 60.5%
Get ready for a ride, these always blow you away. And yes, it slams into you like a tsunami of shards of salt, punchy peat, sharp white smoke, grapefruit rind, … Continue reading
Clynelish 12yo ‘Edward square shoulders long cap’ 56.9%
Is this really my first time putting down notes for this alone? Some say this is the 71 rotation some says weren’t exact. Anyway… I am reminded why I love … Continue reading
Littlemill 24 yo 1989 / 2014 Liquid Library 48.7%
Remember some 10 years ago when that parcel of fruity-grassy Littlemill came out and every IB had some… Now in 2025 I am reminded of its many virtues: Sauvignon blanc-esque, … Continue reading
Bowmore Tempest Batch 4 55.1%
This was back in the early 2010s but already we made it back to the cut and coastal style of Bowmore – which was very welcome at the time I … Continue reading
Talisker 37 yo 1984 / 2021 Prima & Ultima 51.9%
One does not come across 80s Taliskers at this age everyday and of course it will cost you, the industry being what it is now, but what about the whisky? … Continue reading
Port Ellen ‘Maltings’ 21 yo 1973 / 1998 58.4%
One in a small pantheon of legends, remarkable also because of its vintage. Precise yet powerful, with an immensity that rises out of the glass as a colossus from the … Continue reading
Clynelish 21 yo 1992 / 2014 Cadenhead 51.7%
I have a thing for these ‘inter-generational’ Clynelish, and their sharp elbowed but uniquely individual middle child character. This one arrives all raw and bluster with petrol fumes, violet leaf … Continue reading
Ardmore 21 yo 1992 / 2013 Whiskyman 49.7%
Ardmore should get more love. Here’s a very fine medium peated malt with old school character and oftentimes fruit as well. This one has a pleasant clean farmy side to … Continue reading
Tennessee Bourbon 8yo 2016 / 2024 Whisky Sponge 57.1%
Very much what you would expect from Jack or George, though not intensely woody as these Americans go. This one shows nice layers of fine leather, floral elements, molasses and … Continue reading
Lochside 29 yo 1981 / 2010 Whisky Doris #960 58.8%
This one pulls in disparate directions and the result unfortunately detracts from the fruitiness of the Lochside. We have an undeniable fruity core, ripely tropical, warm and juicy, but also … Continue reading
Laphroaig 16 yo 1974 / 1991 Signatory #5119 54.6%
Classic sherry and peat. Purple fruit, cocoa, hot ash and embers. Sea water, licorice, clove laced fruitcake on oily ebony platters. Juicy and moist richness with syrupy molasses. Lampblack, graphite … Continue reading
Caol Ila 35 yo 1982 Special Release 2018 58.1%
The peat really does belie its age. There’s no mistaking a huge dose of powerfully mentholated ointments and a hot peat fire. Still, as with any well aged Caol Ila, … Continue reading
Bowmore 30 yo 1963 / 1993 Anniversary 50%
To my nose somehow peatier and more phenolic than clarity and purity of fruit. On the flipside this one is certainly more robust than expected. Plenty of stove top scents … Continue reading
Speyside Region Malt 41 yo 1975 / 2016 Fino Sherry Cask Antique Lions of Spirits 46.9%
Speyside Region Malt 41 yo 1975 / 2016 Fino Sherry Cask Antique Lions of Spirits 46.9% Beautiful profile very much to my liking. Full of burnished golden hues I identify … Continue reading
Cognac Vallein Tercinier Lot 70 Petite Champagne 52%
Cognac Vallein Tercinier Lot 70 Petite Champagne 52% VT brought me back to Cognac with the Lot 65. This is a 1970 vintage in not so many words. Expensive leather, touch … Continue reading
Bowmore 19 yo Cadenhead 46%
Bowmore 19 yo Cadenhead 46% Vintageless little mini but given the label, something tells me it might be great. Right, I was hoping for fruit, which isn’t here but neither … Continue reading
Clynelish bicolour 12 yo donini import 57%
Clynelish bicolour 12 yo donini import 57% Donini was active up to the mid 90s and given this label, it’s tax strip and code JI, best guess would be an … Continue reading
Longmorn 25 yo 1973 / 1999 Hart Bros #4117 55.5%
Longmorn 25 yo 1973 / 1999 Hart Bros #4117 55.5% One of Michiel’s past Limburg gems. This whisky is almost brown in the glass! A fulsome blend of wood, sweet … Continue reading
Brora 40 yo 1978 / 2018 200th Anniversary 49.2%
Brora 40 yo 1978 / 2018 200th Anniversary 49.2% A masterclass in subtlety. Not far from those glorious Special Releases. These miracles somehow retain a deep phenolic depth though clearly … Continue reading
Longrow 1973 Samaroli 53%
Longrow 1973 Samaroli 53% Billowing clouds of dry and resinous white smoke, oil flecked, mineral and sharp, from a bonfire of medicinal barks and roots, and sap laden branches. Sharply … Continue reading
Glenlossie 24 yo 1975 / 2000 Cadenhead Millennium Bottling 53.9%
Glenlossie 24 yo 1975 / 2000 Cadenhead Millennium Bottling 53.9% One of these old speysiders that can seem quite highland in style, if regions means anything to you. Dried orange … Continue reading
Longrow 18 yo 46%
Longrow 18 yo 46% Brings to mind the charred aspects of a fire, the charred wood, ash, dumped garden clippings, but also a burnt cream in blackened pans and some … Continue reading
Mortlach George Cowie 113.8 proof
Mortlach George Cowie 113.8 proofA bit of a mystery bottle. I knew I had the picture for this but I can’t find it now, though I am sure it was … Continue reading
Bowmore 12 black dumpy 1L for duty free 43% ~80s bottling
Bowmore 12 black dumpy 1L for duty free 43% ~80s bottling A bottle with a livery issued over a long enough period that it has a varied reputation. Since this … Continue reading
Springbank 11 yo 2006 / 2017 Local Barley 53.1%
Springbank 11 yo 2006 / 2017 Local Barley 53.1% Big boisterous Springbank, up to the ears in oily petrochemical notes of spilt diesel on a hot day next to a … Continue reading
Rosebank 20yo Zenith 57%
Rosebank 20yo Zenith 57% I was not ready the first time I tried this, but every time I come back I find its brilliance ever brighter with each pass. There … Continue reading
Glenfarclas 29 yo 1966 / 1996 #6551 51.2%
Glenfarclas 29 yo 1966 / 1996 #6551 51.2% Big boned Glenfarclas, you can feel the heft. Charred gristle and soot effect comes through, but alongside various honeys and earthy herbal … Continue reading
Laphroaig 1979 / 1997 Blackadder #5962 43%
Laphroaig 1979 / 1997 Blackadder #5962 43% A bit of an open secret but some of these late 70s Laphroaigs could be gorgeous. Zing! Absolutely. At opening, the sting of … Continue reading
Macallan 52 yo 1946 / 1998 Select Reserve 40%
Macallan 52 yo 1946 / 1998 Select Reserve 40% Let me just say – because I know I will get questions on this one. This was one of the last … Continue reading
Clynelish 36yo 1972 / 2009 Gordon & Macphail Book of Kells #14301 59.4%
Clynelish 36yo 1972 / 2009 Gordon & Macphail Book of Kells #14301 59.4% What we love about Clynelish is right here in this glass. Warm wax, ripe yellow fruit, hot … Continue reading
Benriach 40 yo 1971 / 2011 #1947 49.8%
Benriach 40 yo 1971 / 2011 #1947 49.8% The brand new Emerald Room by The Swan Song has officially opened, make a trip down and there you may find such … Continue reading
Mortlach 50 yo1957 / 2007 Gordon & MacPhail #585,586 43.5%
Mortlach 50 yo1957 / 2007 Gordon & MacPhail #585,586 43.5% As expected its a beastly sherry. Or if not sherry then a goopy churn of coffee powder, Worcestershire sauce, chicken … Continue reading
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