Monthly Archives: January 2025

Whisky Tastings – Planning Coming Attractions for India

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I was back in Bombay, taking stock of what remained in my whisky cabinet – considering what next to bring from Germany in April. It has become a semi-annual ritual – take everything out of the cabinet, properly clean – the ongoing battle against mold and dust! Another element is to re-evaluate what goes into the “top shelf” – assorted liquor and open whiskies available for guests… then close it until the next trip!

This time I also wanted to re-confirm the choices for upcoming sessions, check what remained open, and see if I had missed any in my location tracking – I had indeed!

Selected for our January 2025 evening with the gents:

For an Asia Pacific theme, I have:

  • Australia’s Lark Single Cask (Feb 2010) Cask No LD116 43% purchased many years ago for what seemed a steep price then and now – completely normalized!
  • Japan’s Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve 43% purchased in India
  • Japan’s Ichiro’s Malt Double Distilleries 46% from the period where there was more Hanyu than Chichibu in the mix. Maybe I should pick up another bottle now before there are no more drops of Hanyu left and this series becomes merely Chichibu I and Chichibu II!
  • Taiwan’s Kavalan Solist Bourbon Cask (2011) B111202001A, Bottle 117/200 57.1% picked up at Singapore’s Changi airport years ago!

I’m also ready with a new North Star set featuring:

  • Glen Moray 14 year (Jul 2008 / Mar 2022) 58.8% (North Star Series 018)
  • Aberfeldy 7 year (Jun 2022) 57.8% (North Star, Series 019)
  • Benrinnes 15 year (2007/Jun 2022) 46.4% (North Star, Series 019)

Thanks to some help from a mostly London-based friend, the Chorlton‘s in India are now enough for 2 sets! And I’ve already decided a quartet will go for the 2026 Bombay Malt & Cigar / Whisky Ladies joint evening… the question will be which goes into the final line-up!

  • Miltonduff 16 year (2022) 55.9% (Chorlton)
  • Glen Moray 16 year (2024) ex-Bourbon 52.2% (Chorlton)
  • Glenburgie 14 year (2024) Hogshead 53.9% (Chorlton)
  • Campbeltown 10 year (2024) 58% (Chorlton)
  • Manochmore 16 year (2024) 1st fill Oloroso butt 54.7% (Chorlton)
  • Speyside (Glenrothes) 13 year Speyside (19 June 2008 / Nov 2021) 64.6% (Chorlton)
  • Faemussach (aka BenRiach) 21 year (2022) 56% (Chorlton)

There is also a clear European trio with two That Boutique-y Whisky Co offerings and an experiment from Slyrs

  • Finland – Teerenpeli 5 year 1st Batch 47.6% 230 of 448 bottles (TBWC Wine Cask Series MMXXI)
  • France – Armorik 5 year 2nd Batch 46.4% 194 of 286 bottles (TBWC Wine Cask Series MMXXI)
  • Germany – Slyrs Marsala Finish L1140 46%

Along the way, I somehow managed to acquire a trio from Glentauchers for a single distillery vertical via three different bottlers!

  • Glentauchers 14 year (2008/2022) 46% (Gordon & Macphail Distillery Label)
  • Glentauchers 14 year (2023) 61.6% (Chorlton)
  • Glentauchers 10 year (21 Mar 2013 / 22 Nov 2023) Barrel Cask 800435 58.6% (The Whisky Exchange – The Seasons Spring) –> Added in October 2025!

Plus an assorted group that one could consider a few levels up from standard bar stock:

What’s up for augmentation? Back in early 2025 I had a pair of Rye‘s in need of a 3rd as the original Stork Rye went into making some marvelous Old Fashions a few years ago! Fast forward to late 2025 when my trio was complete by bringing a Rye stored in Canada to India via Germany!

  • AD Laws Secale Rye 2 year 50% 375 ml, purchased in May 2017 via a Colorado connect
  • Millstone 100 Rye Whisky 50% from The Netherlands purchased in 2018 at Mumbai duty-free
  • Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye 45% from Canada, acquired many moons ago when this expression was recognised as the Worlds Best Whisky, brought to India in August 2025

Whilst I don’t have a 3rd rye in Germany yet, this is easily obtained with many options!

If we decide to switch from Whisky to Rum, I also have two rather special options – from Barbados a 10 year old Criterion, and from Jamaica – Royal Vale’s 150/250 Wedderburn 12 year (2006) 62,5%. As a 3rd, I have only a wee mini of India’s Camika to try.

What else? There are a few miscellaneous alternatives that don’t neatly fit into sets:

  • Kininvie 17 year 42.6% – initially prompted by an idea to “de-construct” Monkey Shoulder with its component elements
  • Lagg Peated Bourbon Barrel 1st Batch 60.4% – Bottled by hand at the Lagg distillery in 2020
  • Nc’Nean Organic 46% –> Given away to a favourite actor friend!

Top this off with a bunch of miniatures, and there you have it – cabinet re-org complete! And what fun we have to look forward to over the coming years!

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Elements of Islay – Ma1 54.2%

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Once upon a time, my life revolved around flights between India and the rest of Asia. Nearly every month I would be flying – largely via Singapore – which is how it became almost like a 2nd home! Whilst in India, there were limited options to acquire more interesting whiskies… in Singapore the barrier was simply price! I look back at some of the hefty price tags we regularly shouldered to indulge our passion and sigh… Often we paid double or even triple in Asia vs acquiring in the UK or Europe.

Yet Singapore was in our backyard with easy direct flights from Mumbai and lots of work reasons to visit, so we simply tolerated the high taxes to fuel our whisky fancy. Hence my purchase in 2017 from Singapore’s La Maison du Whisky of this bottle – the 1st expression from Elements of Islay at a hefty $135 for a mere 500 ml! Fast forward nearly a decade with skyrocketing prices doubling dram costs all around the globe, you can still find this bottle from The Whisky Exchange for GBP 150.

Elements of Islay Ma1 54.2%

  • Nose – Curiously, it was a bit subdued on the nose. And yet, once one got past the shyness, there were a lot of briney maritime aromas! Loads of iodine too. Over time the saline gave way to some sweetness however would remind us of its maritime essence with sea spray. In the 2nd tasting, we really gave it time – so it shifted from a carbolic Lifebuoy soap to smoked meat, chipotle sauce with a bit of char.
  • Palate – Oh yum! Mellow peppery ashy with sweeter elements – think sugary water, backed by a vegetal peat
  • Finish – Nice long finish with “thick air”, light cinnamon, coconut shell, overall, an excellent chewy close

When I look back on the photo taken years ago vs when we opened, it was clear that despite being a sealed bottle, some liquid had evaporated. Hence what we tried nearly a decade after being bottled, may not be representative of what we would have experienced back in 2015.

We speculated this may be why the palate was far superior and much more interesting than the aromas. It also needed time in the glass – our revisit after nearly an hour was so much more fruity – both nose and taste. One of those drams, where a quick sniff and swish could be dismissed whereas it has a lot more going on.

So what is Ma1? In the Elements of Islay lexicon, Ma is also known as Bn, i.e., Bunnahabhain, with Ma being the “darker, smokier version of the heathery, briny, unpeated whisky from the distillery.” It was matured in four first-fill bourbon barrels in 2004 and bottled in 2015.

A few of us admitted that of the Islay whiskies, Bunnahabhain actually ranks pretty low. And yet this bottling from Elixir reminds us to keep an open mind!

Here is what the folks over at Elements of Islay had to say about their inaugural Ma expression:

  • Nose – The nose is delicate with a gentle spicy and a sweet undertone. Lightly salted walnut bread, the peatiness is subtle and with time and water releases a lot more zestiness. Warm flavours of peppery flapjacks and sweet charcoal. On the back, a light dustiness, polished furniture and chalk.
  • Palate – Stronger spiciness, black pepper and cumin oat cakes. Creamy, nutty texture with lots of roasted walnuts, brown bread and macadamia sweetness. Wet, damp, drift wood on the beach, Moroccan sweets made with dates, nuts and spices and a hint of chalk.
  • Finish – Lingering dustiness with a hint of 85% dark chocolate on the finish. The dirty smoke evolves into match box and ash.

The thinking behind Elements of Islay when originally launched was:

The medicinal, almost ‘elemental’ character of Islay malt whiskies was the inspiration for the laboratory-style bottle and element symbol/number naming system used across the Elements range (Lp1, Ar2, and so on). Coincidentally, even the 50cl bottle used throughout the Elements range is called ‘pharmacy’. Every Elements bottle also bears the signature of a whisky authority, so you can be confident of the quality of the liquid inside.

The approach has since evolved to anchor expressions around elements like Bourbon, Sherry, Cask Edits, and special festival editions like Fèis Ìle 2024 “Fireside” Exclusive. So whilst we knew without a doubt the liquid we tasted was from Bunnahabhain, if you tried an Elements of Islay expression today, you would not find an indication of which distillery/distilleries went into the bottle.

Remember I mentioned we may not be big Bunna fans? Yet somehow, over the years, we’ve actually picked up or sampled rather a lot of Bunnahabhain :

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Mossburn’s Mannochmore 10 year (2008) 56.1%

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This was my first single malt from independent bottler Mossburn – from their 16th batch from 2018. When debating which Speyside to include in our Scottish Regions theme, curiosity about this dram won! 

For those not familiar, Mannochmore isn’t one of those distilleries that claims 100+ year history! Instead, it was founded in my lifetime – originally opening in 1971 before closing for a few years in the late 1980s. Even after re-opening, for many years it was in production only every alternate year as it shared employees with its neighbour – Glenlossie. It expanded operations in 2013, and is now regularly producing spirit for its current owner Diageo.

Like many Diageo distilleries, much of the liquid goes into blends, then makes its way to independent bottlers like Mossburn with select official bottlings – like their Flora & Fauna series. We’ve had some absolutely marvelous Mannochmore’s from Chorlton – a 12 year and 13 year – so I had rather high expectations.

We opened the bottle in Mumbai early January and tasted it over two sessions – something I very much recommend. Going straight to the punch line – the initial date was underwhelming whereas the second date rewarded us over time with many of the reasons why I’ve been more and more a Mannochmore fan!

Mannochmore 10 year (10/12/2018 – 2008) Batch 16.0708.16 Cask Bill HHD 56.1% (Mossburn Vintage Casks)

  • Colour – Bright gold
  • Nose
    • 1st opening one tasting companion found wet dish rag and simply could not get past the impression of something a bit “off”, there were also overripe fruits, some caramel yet the impression was largely having a subdued nose 
    • 2nd day if we really focused, we could find a hint of wet dish rag, yet for me it had very much evolved moving more into a wet leaf, earthy element, some sour mash then loads of fruits. The more time it spent in the glass, the more fruity and appealing it became
  • Palate
    • 1st we found it really rather yummy, spice, lemon sweets, fuzzy apricot skin, a bit astringent, plum skin then I found tea
    • 2nd we really enjoyed its fizzy almost effervescent quality, joining plum and apricots was peach, with the palate having a marvelous lightly oily element coating our mouths in the most wonderful way
  • Finish
    • 1st Churan – which is a digestive mix of herbs and spices – often containing powdered pomegranate seeds, cardamon, coriander, fennel, cinnamon, dried ginger and lemon plus things you typically won’t find outside of India like pippali, khand, and black salt
    • 2nd Again, we could understand how churan was found and personally, I found it moving more in the tea direction, another lady agreed and added for her specifically it was more like an Earl Grey with bergamot

Overall, the palate is the winner here with the nose catching up if given enough time in the glass. In our first try, we did leave it in the glass for some time and found with the revisit it was much fruitier with loads of character not initially present.

Whereas the 2nd time around we added water – wow! What a missed opportunity for our 1st tasting experience! The fruity elements on the nose were amped up and joined by a lovely floral quality. It became so much more appealing and inviting on the nose than before. And the palate? It rounded out the flavours – delicious. Just a bit of water transforms!

For one tasting companion on our 2nd tasting had the Mannochmore contending for his favourit of the evening!

I couldn’t find official tasting notes… However, particularly on the 2nd evening, we found a fair bit in common with some earlier Mannochmore tasting experiences. 

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Clynelish festival pick

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The danger with a mere sniff, swish, and spit experience at a Whisky Show is that you often miss the nuances of gentler or trickier drams or an instant infatuation later in a different setting with a more considered approach falls flat.

This is why I do my best to be careful when purchasing a “festival pick” (which also comes with an inflated price tag!) to select something that I’m reasonably confident will stand up solo or as part of a more measured leisurely tasting set. In 2023, my London Whisky Show choice was this Clynelish.

Opened in Mumbai January 2025, I sample it over two evenings nearly back-to-back with different whisky enthusiasts and settings as the Highland representative in our Scottish Regions whisky tour!

So what did we think?

Clynelish 12 year (2011/2023) 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel #880297 56.4% (2023 Whisky Show Bottle) GBP 120 / EUR 142

  • Nose
    • 1st tasting – Light nose, a bit shy even, varnish, a dusty shelf, then some sweetness before practically disappearing on us! Eventually, we could tease out some warm pineapple, Mr Kipling’s French Fancies – a sponge cake topped with vanilla cream and chocolate fondant.
    • 2nd tasting – Whilst subtle, the nose was not so elusive this time! The pineapple was much more pronounced, some citrus floral honey, joined by dried shredded coconut, golden sultana raisins, and after even more time even revealed more herbal elements 
  • Palate 
    • 1st tasting – What a fabulous palate! Well rounded sweetness, some lovely spices anchored by black cardamon, cloves and more
    • 2nd tasting – Building on my initial experience, this time the characteristic Clynelish mineral and chalky dimensions were also there, with more olive oil than candlewax – yet finally we gained a hint of that waxy element we’ve come to associate with Clynelish 
  • Finish – A spicy thick finish, super dry almost making one “pucker up” initially, then over time mellows into a lovely lingering sweetness with fresh green aniseed or fennel 
  • Water – Not even tempted if I’m honest. However perhaps in a future sipping, I will put in a splash, just to see what happens! 

You simply MUST take your time with this one. The initial tasting began as a disappointment. My London tasting companion was almost outraged – this COULD NOT be what we tried at the Whisky Show. No no no!

Yet as the Clynelish spent more time in the glass, it transformed – that marvelous alchemy that happens when whisky and air combine. The French Fancies element of sugary sponge cake, powdery icing sugar, gummy bears, fruits like nectarine, yellow plums, and more all gained strength over time. 

This dram goes into the category of “Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!” Clearly, by the time we got to the bottle at the whisky show, it had enough air and time open to immediately reward us.

And yet – we expected to find the classic Clynelish elements – waxy, fruity, mineral… Were they there? Yes. However, it took more time to ease into them, and even then, the waxy dimension was less prominent than anticipated. 

After our experience, I have a feeling this might best be a “solo act” – a whisky for a companionable evening with a fellow whisky enthusiast, where we don’t distract with comparisons and instead simply settle into a leisurely exploration of just this Clynelish.

As for my London tasting friend? He was MOST relieved about the huge difference time the glass made – concluding it was almost like a different dram completely! 

If you are curious to learn more, check out this post from when we sampled it in 2023! As for other Clynelishexperiences? Check out

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Lowland’s Lindores Abbey 1494 1st Release 46%

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At the 2023 Nurnberg The Village Festival, I had the pleasure of attending the Lindores Abbey Masterclass. I found the experience promising though of course some expressions more than others. I had hoped to get the Friar John Cor Cask Strength Congregation Chapter 1 expression however it sold out almost instantly! So instead, I opted for their 1494 inaugural release.

I brought it to India and opened it in January 2025 to kick off our Scottish Regions whisky tour with a calibration dram from the Lowlands.

Once incredibly popular with many distilleries, the Lowland’s became almost a lost region, only now starting to rebuild with distilleries like Lochlea and Lindores Abbey. A Lowland “style” whisky was once known for its slower, softer, floral elements .. of which the pinnacle for many is Rosebank – a true treat if you get an opportunity.

So what did we think? Interestingly, whilst some of the other drams we tried that night had divergent impressions, we were fairly consistent in our experience.

Lindores Abbey MCDXCIV (1494) Commemorative First Release (2021) Cask Bourbon, Sherry, Wine Barrique 46% Eur 66,50

  • Nose – It began with a hint of grain, wet hay, old playdough, then a heavy floral oil, fruity, lemony boiled sweet, then shifted into a lemon custard tart, vanilla cream, doughy pie crust… over time it went from raw dough to a hot cinnamon bun fresh from the oven! Another found a raisiny butter tart. With a lot more time, we even found bubble gum 
  • Palate – Unexpectedly peppery, doughy… not such a promising start however the 2nd set was much better. Yes, it is youthful. Yes, it’s a bit thin. However, once you got past the pencil shavings, the tannins settled down, it was straightforward and inoffensive
  • Finish – A medium finish – straight with more of the tannins and a hint of slightly bitter clove
  • Water – It was tried by a couple with a resounding reaction of “No – don’t”  

Let’s keep in mind this was the 1st release. Young drams have their place and such whisky can often grow into some pretty spectacular liquid with the right focus, balance of art and science, and most important ingredient – time.

If you are curious to learn more about Lindores Abbey, check out these tasting notes: 

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Scottish Regions – Lindores Abbey, Clynelish, Mannochmore, Bunnahabhain with bonus Highland Park!

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I was back in Bombay, enjoying bringing in the new year with family and friends. And of course – fit in a couple of whisky sessions too!

It was my turn to host in the Bombay Malt & Cigar gents whiskies. Initially dubbed “Carissa’s Cupboard” to select something new waiting in the wings in Mumbai, it evolved into a Scottish Regions theme with a link to a few whisky festivals explored over the years!

Lowland – Lindores Abbey MCDXCIV (1494) Commemorative First Release (2021) Cask Bourbon, Sherry, Wine Barrique 46% Eur 66,50.

This new Lowland distillery piqued my curiosity years ago and this particular purchase was prompted by my attending the 2023 Masterclass at The Village

Highland – Clynelish 12 year (17 May 2011/2023) 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel #880297 56.4% (2023 Whisky Show Bottle) GBP 120 / EUR 142

This was our 2023 London Whisky Show festival pick! Over the years, we’ve become increasingly partial to the waxy lemony sweet dessert quality of most Clynelish drams.

Speyside – Mannochmore 10 year (2008/2018) Batch 16.0708.16 56.1% (Mossburn Vintage Casks No 16) ~Eur 70

I’ve started to be on the “hunt” for more whiskies from this distillery – enjoying its fruity character! This time, it was from Mossburn, another independent bottler, with their Vintage Casks series No 16.

Islay – Bunnahabhain Ma1 (2015) 54.2% (Elements of Islay) SGD 135

This Elements of Islay dram was purchased nearly a decade ago in Singapore alongside Whisky Live. It has been impatiently waiting for its moment in the sun ever since!!!

Island – Highland Park 14 Year (23 Oct 2003 / 1 Nov 2017) Hogshead No 739 57.9% (Whisky Broker) ~GBP 60

And why do I have a bonus? After a lovely evening with the gents, I called a couple whisky enthusiasts home. On hearing what I had available, one brought a perfect addition from the unofficial 5th whisky region – Island!

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Whisky Show 2024 – Glenfarclas 15 year

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Day 2 of the 2024 Whisky Show in London began with a perfect calibration whisky. For years, we’ve relied on Glenfarclas to deliver a consistently good sherry whisky. So I knew exactly where to go for our 1st dram of the day, knowing precisely what to expect! 

Glenfarclas 15 year 46%

  • Nose – Ahh…. just breathe in that lovely honey, joined by orchard fruits, some pastries, waft of vanilla
  • Palate – Some spice, fruity and fabulous… a bit active in the glass, with the dark fruits from the sherry joining the chorus
  • Finish – A long dry finish

Was it a sniff, swish, and spit? Of course! Our agenda for the day involved far too many whiskies to do more than experience this way! However, our Glenfarclas booth host completely understood our rationale, happy to have us stop by for a short visit before continuing our journey. 

Where next? Why make use of our dream dram tokens of course! And I had just the place in mind!

Curious about other Glenfarclas experiences? Just check out:

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2024 London Whisky Show – Day 2

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Yeah yeah yeah! It has become a bit of a thing – I go to a whisky festival, try some 60+ whiskies, and then take the next 6-9 months to write up my notes and post. Sometimes I don’t even finish all the posts before going to the next festival! But that’s the thing – I do this for pleasure not professionally, so entitled to take my time. 


The reward is vicariously revisiting some marvelous malts through my scribbles. Yes – I do this analog style via small notebooks that neatly fit in my satchel.  I also tend to write in spurts – often on vacation – as a form of relaxation. My favourite place to write is on our farm in Kalote, about 1.5 hours outside of Mumbai. Lazy mornings over coffee with our cats. A play break romping around the field with our dogs. Then I’m ready to lounge about and write for hours!


Sometimes I set myself a goal – today I will finish London’s Whisky Show day 1. And when the post is prepared, I delight in crossing off the scribbles in my notebook – a small signal of accomplishment!


So there I was, in Mumbai late 2024, determined to finish London’s 2024 Whisky Show Day 1 followed in Kalote in early 2025 with a goal to complete Day 2. Did I achieve it? You bet! Then scheduled posts over the coming months – what fun!



Day 2 – September 8, 2024


Back for another day, we knew we wanted to have a mix of old and new plus I’d booked us a “Mainstage” session too – a real highlight. Here are a few stalls we visited on the last day:



  • Glenfarclas 15 year – a perfect calibration dram!

  • Whisky Auction – for our Dream Drams of Brora 1981 and Glen Grant 12 year from the 1970s

  • Decadent Drinks – Whisky Sponge, Solstice & Equinox, Notable Age Statements and more!

  • Ichiro’s Malt blends – a nice wander through their collection

  • Ardnahoe – Welcome to Hunter Laing’s Islay Distillery

  • Hunter Laing – First Editions and Old Malt Casks from Auchroisk, Ardmore, Craigellachie to a Glen Grant 25!

  • Mainstage with festival picks

  • Introducing a new English distillery with Wire Works 

  • Woven Blends – What a fabulous experience with a special blend made just for my tasting companion and I!

  • Cardrona – A couple whiskies and the most wonderful Vodka – The Reid!


Well worth the trip to London! Already bought our tickets for 2025!



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Whisky Show 2024 – New Zealand’s Thomson Whiskies

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What’s great about whisky shows is the opportunity to discover something new! Something one would otherwise never get a chance to try. This is how we were introduced to a new entrant – Thomson – from New Zealand at the 2024 London Whisky Show.

Here is what they have to say for themselves:

Our single malt whiskies are made using just three ingredients: water, yeast and malted barley. They’re aged in a range of casks, including ex-bourbon barrels, New Zealand wine casks and some miniatures. The smoke comes from native Manuka wood and South Island Peat. Our copper pot stills are an essential component in the distillation process, refining the spirit.

We are creating a new New Zealand whisky, not a copy of whiskies seen elsewhere in the world. Our whiskies are a living response to our unique, natural environment, local know-how and an honesty about being a young distillery. We’re not replicating other recipes but helping to define what New Zealand whisky is, brand new.

We began our journey with their notable experiment with Manuka smoke…

Manuka Wood Smoke Single Malt 46% $135 NZD

We were greeted by young wood – wet cedar or pine. It was quite distinctive with a subtle curl of smoke admist the sweet wood. The palate had a slightly oily texture, very unique and tricky to describe. There were sweet spices of cinnamon too. Really rather interesting.

South Island Peat Single Malt 46% $135 NZD

If the Manuka Smoke was a puff of smoke, the South Island Peat was a slightly heavier smoke – more a nudge of peat than full-on! It was also quite different, soft and sweet on the palate, limited finish. Overall again – unique and worth checking out perhaps in a different setting than a mere sniff and swish!

 

Full Noise Manuka Smoke Single Malt Cask Strength 55.3% 

Here we discovered the pine had shifted into resin. The palate was crisp and dry. We found an intensity that was missing in the 46%, the smoke more prominent, and the toffee sweetness amped up, joining dry toast. Once again – the folks at Thomson are clearly taking their own approach to whisky-making.

Worth a stop and curious to see where they go next…

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Whisky Show 2024 – The Whisky Festival Bottles

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Before we closed our 1st day of the 2024 London Whisky Show, we simply had to check out The Whisky Exchange’s festival bottles. I’ve often discovered something worthy of bringing back to share with others – fellow enthusiasts who aren’t able to jump on a plane to London, Paris, Singapore, Nurnberg. This way I can take an element unique and specific to be experienced beyond the event itself – because the best souvenir is shared!

Lowland Distillery 11 year (2012 / Dec 2023) Refill Hogshead 3478 58.8% (The Whisky Exchange – The Seasons: Summer) ~ GBP 70

We began with the Seasons series – with Summer! All that was disclosed was that it was from a Lowland distillery… possibly part of the Diageo stable.

Delightful! It was creamy and fruity on the nose – think warm apricots and peaches, joined by a fresh minty element too. On the palate, it was tingly and tart, tropical and bright. This was an uncomplicated summery dram – a perfect way to begin our explorations!

Old Orkney 2003 20 year old 55.8% (Decadent Drinks for Whisky Show 2024) ~ GBP 250

We were then guided in a completely different direction – to Highland Park! With a label inspired by a 1900s advertisement for Old Orkney whisky – once used for single malts from Stromness distillery.

We were greeted by a gentle peat, which morphed into a strong maritime stamp of brine and sea breeze. Not at all shy after all! On the palate, it had a spice kick, nice and balanced, closing with a peaty finish. What fun!

Ben Nevis 10 year (2023) Sherry 60.2% (Dawn Davies Whisky Show 2024) ~ GBP 72

What next? We were directed to The Whisky Show bottlings dedicated to their team. I have to admit, I’m not a Ben Nevis fan. The nose started a bit shy, then revealed a fudgy fruity quality… the palate was an explosion “kaboom!” of great big Christmasy flavours, chewy with even the finish having a spice kick. It was described as a “dirty” Ben Nevis.

Ardmore 26 Year (1997) 50.3% (The Whisky Exchange – The Seasons: Summer) ~ GBP 200

We shifted back to the Summer series. The nose was enchanting – gentle with a hint of fruit. Delicate with a hint of peat and tannins from maturing in a wine barrel. The palate, soft and juicy fruits, honeydew melon, restrained and complex. The finish was subtle with tobacco leaves, a bit of vegetation, light spice, long and lingering. Really quite something!

Ledaig 17 year (2006) Sherry Butt 16 55.4% (The Whisky Exchange – The Seasons: Autumn) ~ GBP 240

And now finally, we progressed from summer to fall – clearly moving more to peat with Tobermoray’s peaty Ledaig. On the nose, it was briney, wet leaves, fruity with a hint of peat. And on the palate? It was pure pumpkin spice, and everything nice! The finish was long, gingery with a strong sherry close – I believe a PX?

Speyside (M) 18 year (2005) 1st Fill Oloroso 61.2% (Signatory for The Whisky Show) ~ GBP 235

We closed our 1st day on a strong sherry note with a Macallan. The nose was punchy with the clear stamp of sherry! Dark fruits and nuts. The palate was full-bodied and prickly with ginger spice. The finish was heavy with dates. There was nothing subtle about this dram!

Long after we left the venue, the memory of this powerhouse continued!

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