This quarter started with a sunny, warm New Year in India, then plunged into the frigid cold of a Winnipeg winter, some in-between in Germany, closing back in Mumbai’s palm trees and sea breeze!

Whisky-wise it was a mix of catching a couple of tasting sessions, a few miniature evenings, and even branching out into other spirits!

A new favourite bottler is The Heart Cut. Whilst we picked out a few interesting whiskies to try next year in a special session, we couldn’t wait and picked up a quartet of Pocket Pours!:

• The Heart Cut x — BARLEY English Blended Malt Whisky 46% – Strawberry and cream, cinnamon buns
• The Heart Cut #04 – M&H (26/02/2019 – 26/03/2023) Pomegranate Wine Cask 57% – Treacle, cherry pie…
• The Heart Cut #15 – Starward (27/08/2018 – 15/10/2024) Fresh Red Wine Barrique – French Oak 54% – Cinnamon spice, sweet almond paste
• The Heart Cut #18 – Thomson (07/08/2019 – 25/03/2025) Ex-Bourbon 50.8% – Bacon, charred pineapple, hickory-like smoke – yum!

Our Whisky Ladies of Mumbai met each month consistently, and I was lucky to join twice!

• Whisky Ladies Euro Travels: The Bruges Distillery 5 year Bourbon 40%, Sexton 11 year 43%, Heiligenberg Feld 3 year 60.1% that closed with a bonus Gold Bar Whiskey (Jan 2026)
• Whisky Ladies Scottish Whisky Trail: Royal Lochnager 12 year 40%, Berry Bro’s Sherry Cask Matured 45.2%, MacNair’s Lum Reek Peated 12 year 46% (Feb 2026)

The Bombay Malt & Cigar Club had three sessions:

• An evening exploring That Boutique-y Whisky Company miniatures in two parts: Grains with North British 30 year and Strathclyde 31 year followed by a mix of malts with Whitlaw 15 year (Highland Park), Glendullan 16 year, Speyside 24 year, and Tomatin 36 year
• We skipped a planned session to sample the new Glen Grant Arboralis at the Bombay Breach Candy Club
• Then… we went a completely different direction! And branched out to have a sociable evening focused on Tequila and Mezcal!

PART 1: INTRO TO TEQUILA

• Leyenda del Milagro Silver Tequila 40% – This unaged blanco provided a lovely, fresh, floral introduction to our evening
• Ocho Single Estate (2014) Tequila 40% – From floral to fruity, a hint of metal and subtle oak – like a tropical fruit salad with a twist!
• Casamigos Reposado Tequila 40% – With a short rest in oak, we shifted into a heady dessert-like mocha liqueur with pistachio!

PART 2: TOUR OF MEZCAL

• Ojo de Dios Joven Mezcal 45% – From sweet grass to smoked cheese, a  distinctive expression
• Casamigos Mezcal 40% – Considered a “gateway” mezcal, it combined coffee, fruit, soft smoke, and herbs
• Ilegal Mezcal Reposado 40% – Six months resting in oak barrels, our experience was middling
• The Lost Explorer Mezcal (Espadín) 8 years 40% – The dud of the quintet, yet good to highlight just how interesting the others were!
• Ilegal Mezcal Añejo (Special Edition) 40% – Smoky-sweet with the extra time in oak, making it quite appealing to the whisky fans!

PART 3: TAPATÍO TEQUILA DUO

• Tapatío Reposado Tequila 38% – Toast, earthy agave and dry, with just a touch of time in oak, it foreshadowed what might come with more time… 
• Tapatio Excelencia Gran Reserva Extra Añejo Tequila 40% – A clear show-stopper for those curious to explore a whisky-adjacent complex sipping spirit

Curious to know more? Check out more quarterly summaries:

• Whisky Lady – October to December 2025
• Whisky Lady – July to September 2025
• Whisky Lady – April to June 2025
• Whisky Lady – January to March 2025
• Whisky Lady – October to December 2024

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