Monthly Archives: June 2026

Whisky Lady – April til June 2026

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This quarter was a nice mix of new and catch-up whisky posts. I keep a small notebook for my whisky tasting scribbles. A book typically covers around 2 – 3 years’ worth of experiences. As I cracked open my new book, I challenged myself to try before this quarter’s end, to finish writing all the tasting experiences captured in my old book. As this blog is purely for pleasure and not profit, I don’t tend to set deadlines, however, I hoped this might be achievable! Nope, though it was a good effort.

Why? Well, in addition to whisky tastings, this quarter was also rather full of travels! April began in Mumbai, with short local trips to Mahabaleshwar and our farm. Much of May was my Germany with my “farewell tour” as I officially closed that chapter. Whereas June was Canada bound, before a short weekend in Dubai and back to India.

But you are here for the whisky! Let’s divide this summary into two parts – new & old!

For the NEW part, our Whisky Ladies knocked it out of the park experience-wise – even with my missing a session! 

Our Whisky Ladies were quite active! We kicked off the quarter with our now annual Mahabaleshwar long-weekend offsite. Our Friday evening was a focused tasting from our host – amusingly anchored by the alphabet – literally ABC! Then Saturday featured a remarkable martini and meeting with a 93-year-old resident of the area, followed by an evening revisiting different drams – including two from the previous year!

Plus a bonus round with two from the previous year’s SMWS that I had missed!

In the sweltering heat wave of late May, we enjoyed a remarkable pairing of whisky and food courtesy of our fabulous chef! Her whiskies were:

And closing our new tastings with the ladies was another evening late June with:

Which included a bonus Wakatsuru Saburamaru “Vengeance” Blended malt 46% – a new one to me!

Now what about the gentlemen? I also got up to some malty mischief with the lads…

Our Bombay Malt & Cigar Club continued to push the boundaries of traditional whisky with a trio from Thailand! Launched globally only last year, it was a good reminder to be a little kinder and gentler in our reviews of new entrants with Prakaan’s Tribuna Series, featuring:

We continued our global leap on the other side of the world with an exploration of Mexican Corn Whisky with:

They may not be everyone’s cup of tea, however it was interesting to explore a completely different branch of whisky!

What really made this quarter truly remarkable was my Germany farewell tour, which included:

Turning now to the OLD, I began catching up with the most recent experiences and worked backwards.

I began with a regular Bombay Malt & Cigar Club session, in which we returned to a quiet evening of whisky contemplation, exploring a few miniatures from That Boutique Whisky Company’s 2024 Advent Calendar:

I also enjoyed a few chilled “cheaters” evenings exploring a few miniatures such as:

Then another evening of miniatures, this time focused on:

The much “older” posts continued my chronicle of impressions from the remarkable London 2025 Whisky Show — now going through the 2nd day with: Arran, Tamdhu, Aberargie, Ichiro’s Malts & Chichibu, Deanston, Glen Grant Birth year drams…

And yes… there will be more to come so stay tuned!

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2025 Whisky Show – Glen Grant “Birth Year” Dream Drams

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Dream drams are a highlight of London’s Whisky Show! And in 2025, we splurged by augmenting the token included in our ticket to go up to the really pricey and rare stuff. 

Our theme? His and Hers…. Or more precisely, his birth year (approximately!) and her birth year (precisely!)

HERS – 1969

Wind back the clock… Apollo 11 lands the first humans on the Moon; Woodstock draws over 400,000 people and becomes a counterculture landmark; the Stonewall riots ignite the modern LGBT rights movement… and in a small Canadian city, a girl was born.

Glen Grant 39 year (1969 / 2008) Lonach 49.6% (Duncan Taylor – Lonach Collection)

  • Nose – Heavy, generous old dried fruits, sweet, old wood, a touch of tobacco
  • Palate – Balanced, creamy
  • Finish – Light spice, a hint of bitterness

To be fair, this wasn’t the most exceptional Glen Grant I’ve ever tried. And yet, it was undeniably a piece of history – one I was delighted to have sampled.

HIS – early 1960s

Whilst we don’t know the exact year this Glen Grant was bottled for the American market, we’re confident it was early 1960s… a time of incredible change, decolonisation and independence in Africa and Asia, Kennedy established the Peace Corp, the Berlin Wall was constructed, the Vietnam war and the anti-war movement grew, feminism gained ground… and a boy was born.

Glen Grant 25 year (~1960s) 86 proof 43% (Stuart MacNair & Co for USA)

  • Nose – Beautiful, nuanced, honeyed with a gentle citrus
  • Palate – Balance with loads of berries
  • Finish – Long with a hint of coffee

It was exceptionally soft and sweet, a gentle treat.

Between the two, the 25 year old in particular won our hearts. And yes – I know my tasting notes are limited – that’s because we were simply too distracted by enjoying our “birth year” dream drams!

If you are curious about other dream dram experiences, check out:

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2025 Whisky Show – Deanston

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In our original Mumbai Whisky tasting group, we had a die-hard Deanston fan! It was one of the initial distilleries he visited – impressed with the devotion to quality, craft, and the people. Above all, he just absolutely loves their whiskies – the waxy, sometimes almost industrial edge, combining sweet with substance.

My experience has been mixed. I’ve had a few I really enjoyed, and others that simply weren’t “my cup of tea”. So whilst I dont tend to acquire for my own collection, I remain happy to continue to taste when opportunities present themselves.

What better than checking in at 2025 London Whisky Show! Especially when our whisky guide was none other than Andrew Waite, head of distilleries Deanston, CVH.

Here is what we did a brief sniff and swish with:

  • Deanston 12 year old 46.3% – 2025 Whisky Show GBP 40.75
  • Deanston 18 year old 46.3% – 2025 Whisky Show GBP 90.75
  • Deanston 20 year old 2002 Organic American Oak 49.3%– 2025 Whisky Show GBP 181

Overall, I would say this certainly helped tip the scales to the positive side! Here is what we discovered…

Deanston 12 year 46.3%

  • Nose – Orange sherbert, cream popsicle, waxy, vanilla, green apple, cereals, butterscotch
  • Palate – Balance between sweet and spice, fruity, full-bodied
  • Finish – Lingers with a sweet close

The overall impression was orange marmalade – nice! Andrew shared they use a mix of 1st fill and 2nd fill ex-bourbon casks for their 12 year.

Deanston 18 year 46.3%

  • Nose – Even more of that sweet orange marmalade, amped up with fresh orange zest
  • Palate – Full and fruity with more orange rind, heavier than the 12-year, joined by cinnamon, ginger, and a dash of pepper
  • Finish – Long-lasting with more of that ginger

This was delicious! And yes, it had that Deanston signature waxy quality too.

Deanston 20 year 2002 American Organic Oak 49.7%

Andrew shared that for this special edition, they used organic barley, small batches, and matured the spirit in re-charred American Oak barrels for 20 years.

  • Nose – Cereals, light citrus, fruity, toffee
  • Palate – Bright and youthful despite the age! Delicate, yet also rich and creamy, jam on toast
  • Finish – Spicier, hint of mocha

What an unexpected treat! This quick zip through was with a rather nice trio – most enjoyable.

Curious about other Deanston experiences? Check out:

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2025 Whisky Show – Ichiro’s Malt

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I will never forget an evening featuring a Chichibu 3-year-old that completely outclassed a 20 year old – Glen Deveron. Subsequent brushes with both Ichiro’s Malt expressions and Chichibu simply reinforced this bias. And yet, my opportunities to really sit down and savour these expressions have been limited over the last few years. Which is exactly why we didn’t want to miss the Ichiro’s Malt and Chichibu stand at the 2025 London Whisky Show.

Several interesting drams were on offer! We focused on:

  • Ichiro’s Malt Double Distilleries (~2021) 46.5% – 2025 Whisky Show GBP 304
  • Chichibu 10 year (~2025) 50.5% – 2025 Whisky Show GBP 245
  • Chichibu Distillery II 55% – 2025 Whisky Show GBP 150
  • Chichibu 2025 London Edition 10 Casks 50.5% – GBP 399

It was an incredibly popular stand, so our experience was brief yet memorable!

Ichiro’s Malt Double Distilleries (~2021) 46.5% Bottle 2994 of 4956

There is history in the Double Distilleries expression – it brings together old (Hanyu) and new (Chichibu) distilleries. Ichiro Akuto began Ichiro’s Malt when Hanyu distillery, founded by Ichiro’s grandfather, was sold and decommissioned in 2000.

Ichiro managed to save 400 casks of Hanyu whisky and also later founded Chichibu distillery in 2008. Double Distilleries’ “Green Leaf” is a marriage of Hanyu (aged in sherry casks) and young Chichibu (aged in Mizunara oak), and was instrumental in putting Ichiro’s Malt on the global whisky map, garnering awards from its launch in 2010.

We last sampled it in the 2024 Whisky Show expressions – knowing only that the balance is now tilting heavily towards “new” Chichibu vs “old” Hanyu in its composition. We had just a wee sniff and swish in 2025 – just enough to enjoy its honey sweetness, noting the palate was “delicious!”

Chichibu 10 year (~2025) 50.5% Bottle 2994 of 4956

After being so impressed years ago by a young Chichibu, we simply couldn’t resist the 10-year-old!

  • Nose – We found it bright, fresh, and subtle on the nose, joined by some honey nut cereals, apples and pears
  • Palate – The palate had even more pronounced honey, ripe fruits – more peaches and appricots now, smooth as silk, nuanced and beautiful
  • Finish – A dash of cinnamon and cloves, and a touch of wood

It was sophisticated and yet also very approachable.

Chichibu II Distillery (~2025) 55%

With success comes the opportunity to expand. And that is exactly what the folks at Ichiro’s Malt have done by radically increasing their capacity — five times Chichibu I! For us, the proof is always in the “pudding” aka Whisky! What did we think in our brief brush?

  • Nose – A distinctive orange – or more precisely – a kumquat with its sweet skin and tart juice! Then perhaps shifted into pineapple? Orchard fruits? All we knew was it was lovely and fruity
  • Palate – Spicier than the other Chichibu experiences, clearly youthful and light
  • Finish – Short with a touch of sweet spices like cinnamon

What a contrast! It was such a treat to get a glimpse into an expression from their new distillery!

Chichibu 2025 London Edition 10 Casks 50.5% Bottle 1917 of 1920

For years now, Chichibu has launched a special London Edition for the Whisky Show. Like the previous year, this 2025 expression was a mix of 10 casks – from my scribbled notes, this meant 6 American casks (presumably ex-bourbon), 2 heavily peated, 2 ex Oloroso Sherry, and all were matured for 6-7 years. What did we think?

  • Nose – Subtle yet grew bolder, the more time it spent in the glass…
  • Palate – Soft initially, then gained substance, clearly revealing the peat influence, a mix of mocha, dried figs or dates, and sweet spices, beautifully balanced and well-rounded
  • Finish – Lingers, dry

It was lovely to refresh our impressions of Ichiro’s Malt and Chichibu I and be introduced to Chichibu II. Well worth pushing through the throngs vying for drams!

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