That Boutique-y Whisky Co – Mixed Malts (Part 2)

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Our Bombay Malt & Cigar evening began with a pair of Lowland grains from North British and Strathclyde. However, we were keen to dive into a mix of malts:

  • Whitlaw 15 Year Batch #1 49.7% (possibly Highland Park) ~£83
  • Glendullan 16 Year Batch #3 48.8% ~£83
  • Speyside #4 24 Year Batch #1 47.8% ~£80
  • Tomatin 36 Year Batch #5 46.8% ~£252

Our tasting went from Islands to Highlands to Speyside too – a nice mix of malts in wee packages!

There are industry “open secrets” – like Whitlaw is code for Highland Park.

Whitlaw 15 year Batch #1 49.7% 979 bottles

  • Nose – It began quite yheasty – almost into the baby puke territory! Then some sweet spices, a hint of iodine, light salene, sea breeze, old citrus wood polish, fresh peeled mosambi (sweet lime), a hint of nuts and baked fruit pie
  • Palate – Well-rounded with a lovely interplay between sweet spices of cinnamon and cardamom with smoke, then honey, contrasting with Brittany’s salted butter
  • Finish – Peppery, sweet, long-lasting peat – frankly, it was incredibly long and lingering!

There was an island seaside quality to this dram that mixed and mingled with dessert. The peat was barely discernible on the nose (aside from the iodine), more like a smoke accent on the palate, then clearly came through in the finish.

Overall, we found this was quite a respectable dram.

Next up was Glendullan – a Speyside brand better known as The Singleton in North America. The distillery style is often described as “fresh” or grassy with a lighter, crisp profile. What did we find?

Glendullan 16 Year Batch #3 48.8% 469 bottles

  • Nose – Loads of fermented fruits, caramel, vanilla, a herbal hint too?
  • Palate – Sugar syrup, dates, a little bit of sweet spices too
  • Finish – Star anise

Whilst not unpleasant, there was nothing that really stood out here. One could call it delicate or nuanced, yet with the overall line-up, it paled in comparison.

From one Speyside to another, we geared up for the next in our malty quartet. For most, this was the “hit” of the evening that totally rewarded! Why?

Speyside #4 24 Year Batch #1 47.8% 3,549 bottles

  • Nose – Well, hello sherry! We were plunged into an old forest, aged wood, sweet persimmon, candy floss, and custard apples, roasted almonds, pureed fruit compote and cream
  • Palate – Wonderful! Spice and wood, brilliant balance, wonderful mouthfeel – a pleasure just rolling it around!
  • Finish – Long and thick

Don’t get me wrong – I like a good ex-bourbon cask. However, there is just something about a classic sherry that gets us. And to have it be both beautiful and a proper, mature dram? We were enchanted!

What do the chats at TBWC have to say?

  • N: Honeyed oak and baking spices. Lots of cereal notes with fresh juicy apple and a subtle caramel aroma.
  • P: The apple really comes through on the palate, followed by warming spices, honeysuckle, a nutty oiliness and more of those cereal notes.

Now, if only we had sampled this back when the bottle was available. At ~£80 it was a brilliant buy!

From Speyside, we moved to the Highlands with the oldest expression of the evening – a venerable 36 years from Tomatin distillery.

Tomatin 36 Year Batch #5 46.8% 878 bottles

  • Nose – Heady – almost headache-inducing – then drops quickly into something much more accessible. Caramel, mystery fruits (more on the tropical side than citrus or orchard), floral, with a funk behind it all
  • Palate – Huge hit of sweet, spice beneath the sweet, resinous, more fruit, firm influence of long oak aging
  • Finish – Spicier than anticipated at first – cinnamon, star anise soaked in sugar, long yet light

Overall, it was a brilliant progression – from aged grains to a mix of malts. My one change would be to begin with the Glendullan, then progress to the Tomatin, Whitlaw, and close with the Speyside.

And if you just haven’t had enough Whisky calendar mini experiences? Explore with us!

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That Boutique-y Whisky Co – Aged Grains (Part 1)

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Sometimes all you need is a little bit!

A year or so ago, not one but two That Boutique-y Whisky Company Advent Calendars were purchased – for the express purpose of evenings when there are only 3-4 of us tasting. Rather than opening a full 700 ml bottle, our merry Bombay Malt & Cigar lads would turn to these minis!

I missed most of these evenings – some were apparently fabulous, one a bit “meh”, yet overall I’m a huge fan of exploring through such small 30 ml samples!

We began with a pair of grains:

  1. North British 30 Year Batch #6 50.1% ~GBP 70

  2. Strathclyde 31 Year Batch #4 45% ~GBP 70

Then moved on to a mix of malts (in Part 2):

Let’s start with the grains, shall we?

We began our grain journey in the Lowlands – more specifically, Edinburgh’s North British distillery.

North British 30 Year Batch #6 50.1%

  • Nose – Very floral – think white flowers mixed with gulabi (rose). Then warmed into a buttery, flaky pastry, joined by marzipan, with a hint of citrus too!
  • Palate – Caramel or toffee, a decent mouthfeel, mostly sugar water, yet with a hint of something slightly bitter with a kick
  • Finish – Sweet
  • Water – Helps

Yowza! Going from 0% to 50+% alcohol was a shock – a reminder that starting with a calibration dram really makes a difference! This is why adding water to this grain helped improve our experience.

As the minis were from last year’s calendar, the expressions are no longer available on TBWC website, so sharing here what the chaps at Master of Malt had to say

  • Nose – Banana foam sweets, tablet fudge and dried fruit, with Christmas cake spice and a hint of lime peel.
  • Palate – Creamy vanilla, yellow fruit and cinnamon, with touches of horseradish underneath.
  • Finish – Orange chocolate and a hint of nutmeg.

Whilst we didn’t find everything the chaps did, the horseradish was not a bad way to describe the bitter kick peaking underneath the sweet!

We then moved on to the next Lowlands grain with Strathclyde – considered Glasgow’s most successful grain distillery and the backbone of Ballantine’s.

Strathclyde 31 Year Batch 4 45% 

  • Nose – Much more vegetative than the North British, fresh green grass and moist moss, sweet, hard, fruity candies
  • Palate – A lovely citrusy sweetness – reminiscent of lemon drop candies, a light honey drizzle, some gentle cereals
  • Finish – Quite nice, closing with a hint of bitterness and pepper
  • Revisit – Softly sweet, interesting, and overall quite lovely

This would be the kind of grain one shouldn’t dismiss – give it some time in the glass, some careful contemplation, and it will gently reward. Of the two grains, the Strathclyde was for us the clear winner!

Again, let’s see what the chaps at Master of Malt have to say 

  • Nose – Initially super light and tropical, with lots of pineapple and banana, a hint of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of honey develops with a flint-y mineral backdrop.
  • Palate – Somewhat oily, with more floral honey, cereal notes, drying oak spice and hints of candied citrus peel alongside vanilla pod.
  • Finish – A creamy finish of banana milkshake, with lingering notes of white pepper spice and butterscotch sweetness.

Curious about other Strathclyde experiences?

Up next in our That Boutque-y Whisky Company Advent Calendar:

  • Whitlaw 15 Year Batch #1 49.7%
  • Glendullan 16 Year Batch #3 48.8%
  • Speyside #4 24 Year Batch #1 47.8% 
  • Tomatin 36 Year Batch #5 46.8%

As for other calendar mini experiences? Just check out:

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Whisky Ladies T’s Travels: Bruges, Sexton, Heiligen Berg Feld

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Our first Whisky Ladies session of 2026 was a brilliant example of why this tasting group first came together, and why it has lasted more than ten years! Our hostess curated an evening of carefully selected bottles from her European travels. Each bottle had a story, and none had been previously tried by any of us. In short, T’s Travels was a total treat!

We were introduced to the following:

  • The Bruges Distillery 5 year Bourbon 40% 50 cl bottle 074/134 Bought in Bruges Belgium
  • Sexton 11 year 43% Bought in Amsterdam
  • Heiligen Berg Feld 3 year Black Pearl Edition Ex-Islay/Rum Cask 60.1% Bottle 379 of 599, Bought in Germany

First up was a whisky from Brugse Whisky Company. Our hostess shared how Bruges is her favourite place in Belgium, from a small distillery that grew from a personal passion to a whisky bar to brewing. You won’t find a plethora of tasting notes as each batch is small – in our case, there were only 134 50cl bottles produced! So what did we think?

The Bruges Distillery 5 year Bourbon 40%

  • Nose – It began quite fruity, “yellow” in flavours from yellow plums to caramelized bananas. The fruits were joined by vanilla and honey, with some floral elements. Overall, it was both youthful and exuberant. As it continued to open, there was a hint of nuts – like raw soaked almonds, a touch of mosambi, and orange blossoms
  • Palate – Green peppercorns, wet wood, fresh bay leaf – a contrast to the summery aromas
  • Finish – Warming, slightly bitter, cinnamon bark, short
  • Revisit – Worth waiting and coming back! The nose evolved into a creamy, fruity teasing dessert, a banana split!

We found the nose more pronounced and interesting than the palate at first. There was something delicate about it initially, a pleasant whisky. Yet, as we returned, for many it went from being underwhelming to the favourite of the evening!

Our fabulous host shared that she picked up this Irish whisky in Amsterdam. I’ll admit it was my first time trying this whisky – with its dark amber colour – we were expecting something rich and powerful. What did we find?

Sexton 11 year ex-Oloroso 43%

  • Nose – Clear influence of the ex-Oloroso sherry cask! Sweet manuka honey, pear, muscat, figs, custard, creme brule, young pink peppercorns. The more time in the glass, the sweeter the aromas became.
  • Palate – Dusty at first, then dried plums, burnt oak, charred pineapple, iodine, and decidedly medicinal tinge
  • Finish – Sits there – medium length, some apricot, almond, dry

We debated if this would pair well with an aged cheddar – nope! However, those who sampled it with ham pronounced it a fitting match.

Whilst this whisky didn’t shine, there was nothing “off” about it either. A decent dram – potentially a solid base for a nice cocktail.

Years of living in Bavaria, yet I didn’t manage to get to many whisky distilleries peppering the region, including this one – the holy mountain field – just south west of München. Founded in 2018, they are deliberately small saying:

“This is a whisky distillery, not a whisky factory”

What did we find?

Heiligen Berg Feld 3 year Black Pearl Edition Ex-Islay/Rum Cask 60.1% Bottle 379 of 599,

  • Nose – Mild… applies, joined by the echo of a fine leather shoe, cherry, starts sweet, and shifts into bacon, peat smoke
  • Palate – Wow! Dark cherry fruit flambe, rum raisins, ashy, bay leaf, prunes, green citrus berries
  • Finish – Licorice, tobacco
  • Water – Sugar water with mirchi (peppers)!

We thought perhaps this whisky might pair well with a cigar and gajar halwa!

What an interesting trio and tribute to T’s European travels! None of us would ordinarily have a chance to try – if it wasn’t for our Whisky Ladies of Mumbai tasting group – thank you!

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2025 Whisky Show – Decadent Drinks Day 1 + 2

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You can’t do a brief zip through Decadent Drinks. We’ve probably spent more time collectively at this stall over the last two years than any other. Our 2025 London Whisky Show experience was no exception.

Bright and early Saturday morning, we went straight from waiting in line to upstairs and the Decadent Drinks stall. Our quest? A morning dram to prime the pumps before indulging in a Dream Dram. Our choice? A rather worthy Machnomore from their Equinox & Solstice line.

Mannochmore 15 year (2009 / Autumn 2025) 48.5% (Decadent Drinks – Equinox & Solstice)

  • Nose – A joyful sunshine greeted us on the nose! Fruity and flirty, warm and waxy
  • Palate – A bit spicy yet equally dangerously drinkable – simply delicious! No extra hype, just a beautiful, well-balanced dram that welcomes you – any time of day!
  • Finish – Sweet and sinful

For the 1st dram of the day at approximately 11:30am, this absolutely hit the spot! It would be perfect for late summer as the evenings begin to chill or fall – as intended. Either way, we were delighted with our first choice of the 2025 event.

Here’s what they have to say about it!

This year’s Autumn edition of Equinox & Solstice is a small batch, 15 year old Mannochmore created from marrying together two refill hogsheads and bottling with slight reduction at this serie’s trademark bottling strength of 48.5%. It’s a waxy, fruity, warming and luscious dram. Perfect cosy accompaniment for Autumn.

We then returned to explore their non-dream dram expressions with :

Just check out the separate post on them!

Were we done? Nope! We were back the next day for our Dream Drams – a double header pitting Glen Grants from our birth years – a 25 year old exclusive for the USA from 1961 and a 39 year old from 1969. Spoiler alert – the earlier yet younger expression won hands down!

Angus and team are doing a stellar job. They are committed to bringing quality drams to our palates.

“I’m bored of complexity. I just chose what I like!”

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Glen Grant Arboralis in Mumbai

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It was a bit of a dichotomy:  A whisky being launched in India to attract a younger crowd was the focus of an evening entertaining folks in their 50s and 60s! And yet, it was a lovely setting at Mumbai’s Breech Candy Club – even if its Arabian Sea view is now interrupted by highways and highrises.

The young lass introducing the whisky was clearly more familiar with Campari than single malt whisky, however, she made a valiant effort. Meghna explained that Arboralis was aged a minimum of 5-6 years, created to be youthful and accessible. What wasn’t said, yet was clearly key, is affordability, with a 750 ml bottle retailing for Rs 3,750 in Mumbai. (For those scratching their heads about the amount – currently this is Eur 35 / USD 40.)

What did we think?

Glen Grant Arboralis 40%

  • Nose: Fresh, fruity, floral, vanilla, light nuttiness, effervescent yet sweet
  • Palate: Young, lots of pepper, bitter leaves – tobacco?
  • Finish: Black pepper

Overall, we found it rather straightforward and inoffensive. Whilst the greeting is friendly with a fruity flavour, there isn’t much on the palate, and the finish dashes off.

To be honest, it was a bit disappointing. I wondered how it compares with the even more affordable Glen Grant The Major’s Reserve 40%?

What more do we know? Glen Grant Arboralis is aged in ex-Bourbon and Spanish Sherry oak casks. With their official tasting notes sharing:

  • Colour: Bright Gold
  • Aroma: Floral and fruity, dried raisins, honeysuckle, lemon citrus
  • Taste: Oak, butterscotch, dried fruits, and light spice
  • Finish: Long with malty vanilla, pear, and hints of citrus

Whilst we didn’t fundamentally disagree with their tasting notes, we certainly didn’t find the finish long. And it certainly didn’t linger long enough to discern pear and citrus!

In fairness, we were not the target audience. Amongst us was a former Brand Ambassador for venerable Scottish whisky brands, connaisseurs, and collectors. Our silver hair was out of synch with the desired market.

And yet, we couldn’t complain about the company, the nibbles, the cigars, the pleasure of being outdoors for a pleasant evening in Mumbai!

Let’s face it. We are spoiled. At London’s 2025 Whisky Show, we were treated to such a remarkable range of whiskies that this experience fell short. Rather than grouch, I’ll leave you instead with a cheeky teaser of what could have been a fabulous evening!

Check out the Glen Grant Whisky Flight – Part 1

Which was followed by more mature expressions in the Glen Grant Whisky Flight – Part 2

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The Heart Cut #18 – Thomson Manuka Smoke 50.8%

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A KIWI BONFIRE ON THE BEACH, IN A BOTTLE.

Sometimes a description draws you in… and this was clearly the case here. I’ll admit, I’m a bit partial to Thomson whisky. Rachael and Matthew Thomson have created a distinctly New Zealand set of expressions well worth exploring. To find out more, check out what the folks at The Heart Cut have to say about Thomson Distillery HERE.

What makes their “peat” so unique is their use of New Zealand manuka smoke – distinctly different from Scottish peat, yet satisfies a true peaty craving.

The Heart Cut #18 – Thomson 5 year (07 Aug 2019 – 25 Mar 2025) Ex-Bourbon 50.8% 270 50 cl Bottles

  • Nose – Mmmmmmm bacon, charred pineapple, a lovely peat-like sweet, a medicinal whiff, then a wonderful aromatic hickory smoke, followed by chocolate raisins, something a bit herbal with a hint of floral
  • Palate – A great interplay between sweet baked fruits and smoke – in perfect balance! Juicy, chewy, smooth, and well-balanced, resinous, with sweet spices of cinnamon and cloves, joined by some sauna salt
  • Finish – Long-lasting with that lovely hickory-like element

There was real substance here. A unique character that drew us back.

When I revisited it with another friend, it was even more of a hit. We really liked it – with a nice complexity, just a little bit different with each sip.

Alas, our pocket pour was gone too soon… we could have continued to sip and enjoy.

How did our experience compare with The Heart Cut couple? They shared it tastes like:

Thick, aromatic smoke rises first – charred wood, pine resin, and a balsamic note that drifts towards mesquite and sweet birch. Beneath, the fruit opens: pineapple chews, sherbet lemons, and a twist of citrus. On the palate, smoke rolls again, joined by barley sugar and a juicy hit of nectarine and overripe peach. The finish is long, layered, and balanced – sweetness entwined with lingering manuka wood smoke.

Key Takeouts: Charred Wood, Pineapple Chews, Sherbet Lemons, Barley Sugar, Nectarines

The folks at The Heart Cut shared that this whisky made the cut because

This is smoky whisky – but not as you know it. Instead of Scottish peat, Thomson uses native manuka wood (yes, the same tree better known for its honey) to smoke their malt, creating a flavour absolutely unique to New Zealand and a technique that Mat Thomson himself created! The result is oily, herbal, peppery, and deeply resinous, with layers of smoke that linger on. Just as smoke became one of Scotland’s hallmarks, manuka has become one of New Zealand’s – captured here in a single cask, giving us only 270 bottles. Ever.

We would agree on all counts! This is a special dram worth catching if you can!

Curious about the other Pocket Pours we sampled?

What about other explorations of Thomson whiskies?

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The Heart Cut #15 – Starward French Oak 54%

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Our exploration of The Heart Cut wee “pcket pours” continues! From their Barley British blend to a Pomegranate wine cask M&H, we turned our attentions to Australia with Starward.

No stranger to Starward, I had high hopes for a dynamic, red wine-influenced dram. We thoroughly enjoyed their Heart Cut #14, which featured American Oak: Starward (18 Jun 2019 / 29 Aug 2024) Fresh Red Wine Barrique – American Oak 55%

So, we had high expectations of their French Oak focused expression, described by The Heart Cut as:

OUR SECOND STARWARD CASK – THIS TIME SHOWCASING THE MAGIC OF FRENCH OAK.

Elegant and expressive, this whisky is a study in harmony between wood, wine, and whisky making. A red wine cask that delivers depth, spice, and florals in equal measure – it’s juicy, structured, and just plain delicious.

We’ve always been fascinated by the influence of oak – and this cask is a perfect example of what French oak can bring to the table. Where American oak gives lift and sweetness, French oak adds grip, spice, and structure. Paired with a fresh red wine fill, this cask delivers a beautifully layered whisky: floral and elegant up front, rich and indulgent through the middle, with a finish full of warmth and finesse. It’s Starward doing what they do best – taking what’s local, and turning it into something world-class.

On to our experience!

The Heart Cut #15 – Starward (27/08/2018 – 15/10/2024) Fresh Red Wine Barrique – French Oak 54% 312 bottles 50cl

  • Nose – Surprisingly shy at first, then a sweet spice – more specifically, Sri Lankan cinnamon stick, or for others Big Red cinnamon chewing gum, also some red licorice, cherry. It needed some time to open before revealing a sweet almond paste
  • Palate – Lovely. All the flavours come through – fruity, chocolate ginger, creme brule, almond cake
  • Finish – Big flavourful finish with cloves, though not as long as the M&H

Did we enjoy it? Certainly. Then came the temptation to add a bit of water… transformative!

  • Nose – Yes the cinnamon remained yet was joined by a delightful, gentle floral sweetness – think of fragrant cherry blossoms
  • Palate – Richer, deeper with more of the burnt toffee pudding, more candied ginger, then it became a vanilla custard cream, joined by bursts of red berries… with a light dusting of chocolate
  • Finish -Long-lasting finish – juicy and berry fruity!

Marvelous! It was like two related drams in one. We thoroughly enjoyed this expression. Even after it was set aside for some time, it retained its juicy, rewarding character. Delicious!

What more do we know? Georgie and Fabrizio shared more about the casks and its aging:

FRESH RED WINE CASKS

Starward works with casks sourced just hours away from the distillery in the Barossa Valley. Unlike most red wine casks used in whisky (which are dried before transport), these are used fresh, preserving all that juicy, rich character from the wine.

FRENCH OAK

This cask is made from French oak (where #14 was American oak), bringing spicy, grippy tannins and a deeper, more structured complexity. French oak has a tighter grain, and is used for lighter styles of wine by the previous winemakers, so the whisky takes a little longer to mature – but when it hits its stride – like this cask – it’s phenomenal.

We were clearly on a roll with The Heart Cut’s Pocket Pours:

Curious about our other experiences with Starward whiskies? Just check out a few here:

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MacNair’s Lum Reek Peated Blend 46%

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Peated whisky and hot climates do not always mix. There is something about a brisk, stormy, cold night or wintry weather that prompts one to gravitate towards a smoky dram.

And whilst February in India tends toward a pleasant 26 – 29’c, much of the year it is much warmer, so habits are formed for the norm, not the exception. It took moving to Germany for me to truly rediscover why I used to occasionally enjoy a peaty whisky!

In our Whisky Ladies of Mumbai group, we have a few affirmed “Peaty Ladies”, and this blend produced a few more converts – at least for this style of peat!

For those less familiar, MacNair’s Boutique House of Spirits is a blending and bottling company. It was founded by Harvey MacNair in 1857 as a Glasgow-based blending house. Now part of Pernod Ricard, it has benefited from a close collaboration with Master Blender Billy Walker, with Lum Reek a core expression.

And why Lum Reek?

Lang may yer lum reek. The old Scottish saying literally meaning ‘long may your chimney smoke’, is a traditional way to wish someone a long, healthy and prosperous life

The warm sentiment resonated – even though our climate differs. On to the dram, what did we think?

MacNair’s Lum Reek 12 year peated blended malt 46%

  • Nose – Subtle yet unmistakable smoke, full bacon sweetness – a happy peat! Think honey-glazed ribs, grilled pineapple, generous bacon jam, a tropical wild honey… As it evolved, we found a hint of black pepper, some raw mango, then a sweet and savory banana fritter drizzled with honey, vanilla ice cream, sherry-soaked sponge cake – delicious!
  • Palate – “It’s yum!” was an exclamation! A delicious spice, sweet peat, a gorgeous full-bodied dark berry, ginger chocolate, luscious, smooth, and frankly a bit voluptuous
  • Finish – A really good finish – lingering with a subtle sweet peat, roasted and lightly salted caramelize nuts, mocha
  • Revisit – With more time in the glass, we returned to find a delicious butterscotch with soft smoke… still delicious!

There was little doubt – this was the clear evening winner!

As for the official tasting notes? Here’s what the folks at MacNair’s have to say:

  • Nose: Sweet peat reek, butterscotch, warming mocha, and gentle nutmeg
  • Taste: Lashings of heather honey, rich toffee, and sweet spices, all with undertones of peat

This is a blended malt with no grain. As it was purchased at the GlenAllachie distillery, it seemed pretty obvious that the Speyside could very well be GlenAllachie. BenRiach was also mentioned. This was partly confirmed by their official blend description – with no mention of the other distilleries involved:

MacNair’s Lum Reek 12-year-old combines Single Malts from Islay and Speyside – two of the most renowned whisky producing regions in Scotland.  The recipe, created by industry veteran and Master Distiller/Blender of the Year, Billy Walker, includes both peated and unpeated whiskies, including aged GlenAllachie single malt.

The small batch expression was matured at The GlenAllachie Distillery in a combination of first fill Bourbon, Pedro Ximénez and red wine casks until the whisky reached its optimum. The consequential bronze spirit, offered without added colouring or chill-filtration, reveals sophisticated notes of sweet peat reek, warming mocha, Scottish heather, and butterscotch.

What prompted the discussion was the Islay element. First thought was Caol Ila; however, we at least considered other options. It was certainly not Ardbeg or Laphroaig. It was unlikely to be Bruichladdich or Kilchoman or Bunnahabhain… Perhaps Lagavulin… One suggested Bowmore, yet we kept coming back to Caol Ila for its balanced sweet peat. I’m curious if our speculation is right?

Bottom line, it is a fine malt blend, and we were most grateful that our host shared this bottle from her Scottish Whisky Trail!

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Berry Bros and Rudd Sherry Cask Matured 45.2%

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Memory is a funny thing. We recall a feeling and impression, as much as sight, sound, and smell. With whisky tasting, tracing a particular aroma evokes associations, influenced by our environment and prompts from fellow tasters.

Our gracious host shared her Whisky Trail experiences from 1.5 years ago and explained that this was the only bottle they hadn’t experienced before buying. It came recommended from a well-known Edinburgh whisky store, so hopes were high.

I also had overall positive impressions of a decent dram – having experienced their Sherry Blend 55.8% (2023) and the Sherry Blended Malt 44.2% (2022). I fully admit, I simply assumed I knew what we would be experiencing. Naughty girl!

  • First, I missed a critical element – this was a Single Malt, not Blend!
  • Second, the abv was different.
  • Third, Germany and India are very different tasting environments – this DOES have an impact!

Duly put in my place, what did we discover?

Berry Bros & Rudd Single Malt Sherry Cask Matured 45.2%

  • Nose – Started off promising – though a bit shy, had some nice sherry elements of plums, cherries, then cardamon, green capsicum, fresh tobacco leaves, vanilla, buttery sponge cake, becoming sweeter the more it opened. It then shifted, revealing walnuts and tinned pineapple
  • Palate – Lots of dried fruit to start, spicy oak, Big Red cinnamon chewing gum, raisins, nutmeg, oily
  • Finish – Very dry, as in “makes you thirsty!” kinda dry
  • Rivisit – Almost butterscotch

Reading the notes I jotted down, one would think – oh this must be delightful! Yet between the surface descriptions was something that just didn’t come together. Instead of a balanced blend, we had something a bit off-kilter. Whilst hard to pinpoint exactly what was wrong, it just simply collectively wasn’t altogether right!

Here are the official tasting notes from the label:

Full, deep and brooding, this wonderfully rich Sherry cask single malt exudes flavours of sweet dried fruits, warming baking spice and decadent Sherry wood.

Would we agree? Not entirely. Our overall impression was – underwhelming. I heard a remark of “old lady whisky”… now I’m not exactly young, however, isn’t this a disservice to discerning women of a “certain age!”

I was reminded of some Blair Athol’s – whiskies that should work but sometimes simply don’t even though all the elements are there.

I’d be curious what it will be like after further oxidation in the bottle or time in the glass, might that result in a different experience?

What did we try in our Whisky Lady’s Scottish Whisky Trail trio?

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Royal Lochnagar 12 year 40%

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Our whisky host shared how they were touring other sites and practically stumbled upon Royal Lochanagar. They simply had to make a short detour for a distillery tour!

And why not? There is a royal precedent to touring this distillery! Neighbouring Balmoral Castle, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were invited for a whisky tour in 1848. Post this experience, the Prince issued a royal warrant! Which was continued by King Edward VII and King George V.

Today, Royal Lochangar is the smallest whisky distillery in the Diageo stable, with a reputation for being a bit of a conundrum. Why? The two stills and worm tubs would tend to lend themselves to a ‘heavy’ style, but instead, great efforts are made to produce a ‘light’ new make spirit.

Bought on site for ~£50, the 12 year is part of their core range. What did we think?

Royal Lochnagar 12 year 40%

  • Nose – Incredibly sweet at first, a rich rumtopf full of soaked juicy fruits, lots of plums, cherries… then it shifted, revealing fresh grass with the heavy fruity aromas fading, instead we found a growing carmalized onion – almost like a sweet bacon jam, a bit sweet and salty, then oak, vanilla, marmalade with pronounced orange rind, even some apple cider vinegar or turpentine, and a shandy beer/sprite mix!
  • Finish – Woody, salty black licorice (a Nordic lakris style), some white pepper, a bit earthy, umami, sweet roasted vegetables, betel leaf, apples
  • Revisit – Astringent, dry

Many of our Whisky Ladies thought this expression might be much more interesting at 46% rather than 40%. It seemed a bit, well, too watered down.

Overall, we found it was a fairly easy-drinking dram. However, whilst it was relatively innocuous, there was nothing truly exceptional either.

Interestingly, they’ve kept many similar elements in their current official tasting notes vs those shared nearly a decade ago – right down to the turpentine!

  • Nose – A relatively closed nose. Planed wood, light toffee, boat varnish. Linseed oil behind, even putty, and later a lychee-like acidity. With water, the acidity comes up (acid drops), and the nose sweetens. Still a pleasant fresh woodiness or leatheriness, the varnish now supported by artists turpentine. Warm sand. After a while, coffee dregs with brown sugar. Not an obvious nose, however.
  • Body – Medium-bodied with a smooth mouthfeel.
  • Palate – This delicate malt offers fruits, planed wood, and light toffee. The palate is sweet before gaining in acidity.
  • Finish – Dry; medium-length, with an attractive lingering sandalwood aftertaste. Sharp and well-balanced.

Full disclosure, I had previously sampled this expression ~ 9 years earlier. We concluded it was a sharp varnish until it settled down and became more approachable. This time, I didn’t find the sandalwood aftertaste; the impression remained of something ordinary rather than extraordinary.

What else did we sample that evening?

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