Author Archives: Carissa Hickling

Unknown's avatar

About Carissa Hickling

Originally from Canada, then India for 20 years, now working in Germany... and quite a 'Whisky Lady' too!

Chorlton – Faemussach 21 year 56%

Posted on by
Reply
One of the true joys of whisky tasting groups is the thrill of unveiling a bottle that’s anything but ordinary—something bold, maybe even a little controversial, guaranteed to ignite lively debate! This Faemussach, bottled by Chorlton, did exactly that. Whilst the distillery is likely BenRiach, the specifics of the cask (or casks) and its 21-year maturation remained a mystery.
With only 313 bottles in existence, unless you already bought this bottle or can track it down via an online auction, you’ll simply have to settle for experiencing vicariously through our impressions!

Faemussach 21 year (2020 / 2022) 56% 313 bottles

  • Nose – It began quite “fresh” – fresh mint, a hint of solventy-sweet glue-like aromas, a bit of rubber, then lemon dishwashing soap. As it opened, it became even sweeter – think juicy raisins, shifting into sweet jasmine flowers, Chinese white tea, more flowers like rajnighanda (tuberose), chrysanthemum, khus, vanilla pod… Every once and a while, out popped smoke, fish oil, and even socks!
  • Palate – What a contrast from the nose! Whilst at first there was a teasing gulkand (sweet rose petal preserve), we also found it quite umami with shitake mushrooms, bitter leaves – more accurately betel leaf – with its fresh, peppery and bitter taste. We also discovered malt extract, hints of smoky peat, resin, and milan supari, cloves and cardamom
  • Finish – Quite pronounced – strong, bitter then sweet paan
  • Water – Whilst it initially brought out even more of the wood character, it also highlighted sweet maple bacon, aniseed, mint, sultana raisins, and oranges
  • Revisit – We set it aside and returned to find it quite smoky, much more so than when initially poured!

This was the most divisive dram of the night! It was bold with diverse elements co-existing – from fresh to umami, sweet to peat, floral perfumes to fish oil. It was very dynamic, and many of our flavour references were specifically Indian, often having no easily translatable equivalent. For example, the best description of the aroma was khus – with its distinctive green, earthy smell.

I expect this will be a whisky that needs time… perhaps some deliberate oxidation. It was simply too active with the first opening and could do with a revisit in a few weeks or more!

What did David (the man behind Chorlton!) have to say? The following is an extract from his email…

So, first up we have Faemussach 21-year-old. This is peated single malt from an undisclosed distillery, which I’m told (although I can’t prove anything!) was Benriach. The slight air of mystery also extends to the cask. The colour suggests sherry, but it could be an unusually active bourbon cask. A few people have tried this now and opinions have been divided.

On the nose I find smouldering charcoal in a cast-iron stove, autumn leaves, mango chutney and orange jelly. Little Gem biscuits (do they still exist?), vanilla pods, leather, green walnuts and banana skins. It really is this shifting mixture of earthy/smoky and sweet/fruity, with “dark” notes of black cardamom, Pontefract cake and lapsang souchong in the background.

The palate is pretty massive, with a wave of fruit (orange, mango, sultanas) and earthy peat (much more resinous and phenolic than outright smoky), then wine cellars and a stroll down the spice aisle (liquorice root, anise, cloves, cassia) and some thick vanilla cream. The finish is really incredibly long, with scorched honey, malt extract and smouldering oily peat.

Adding water makes everything cleaner, a touch more citrussy, and adds some menthol and tar in the finish. It’s also noticeable how much fruitier this gets with time and air. Drams from my now-mostly-empty sample bottle are really different from the first few. Fascinating stuff!

This hogshead (I can say that much safely!) produced 313 bottles at a cask strength of 56.0% and they are available for £105 each.

I would agree with David – there is a real interplay between different elements and our Whisky Ladies with Bombay Malt & Cigar gents were equally divided on this one!

I purchased the Faemussach directly from Chorlton in May 2022, then another via a European distributor.

It closed our special Bold and Beautiful Chorlton quartet with:

If you don’t want to miss a post, why not follow Whisky Lady on:

Chorlton – Caol Ila 11 year 60.4%

Posted on by
Reply

These days, I rarely buy peaty whiskies, so when I do, it is a carefully considered decision! Caol Ila is just one of those Islay distilleries that reliably delivers. Known for its balanced approach to peat and sweet, often with light salty sea spray, I knew when Chorlton released this expression in 2022, we just had to try it!

It patiently waited more than 2 1/2 years to join a special evening in Mumbai with the Whisky Ladies and Bombay Malt & Cigar gents!

Here is what we found…

Caol Ila 11 year (7/10/2010 – Mar 2022) 60.4% (281 bottles)

  • Nose – Oh yes! That wonderful, sweet bacon! Meaty with smoky sweet maple notes. Fresh sea breeze… then it shifted from the ocean to the orchard with candy apple – specifically a Macintosh red apple! Then hickory and pine nuts, from sweet grass to walnut. Delicious!
  • Palate – Fresh cut grass, mint, then chives…. Hay and a bit of havaan kund. The 2nd sip began with ashy sandalwood, cedar sauna, steam from water on hot stone! There was a lovely buttery mouthfeel, more delicious bacon, salty and sweet with a chasing of smoke!
  • Finish – Green garlic or leek, long and strong, slowly fading into cinnamon and ginger!
  • Water – Brought out walnut oil, peanut brittle, salty olives
  • Revisit – After setting aside for some time, we went back to the glass – that fabulous maple drizzled bacon was back – yeah!

A classic Caol Ila at its very best! At the same time, it was also such fun! For many, this was the preferred dram of the evening!

What did the man behind Chorlton (David) have to say? The following is an extract from his email..

And lastly we have an 11-year-old Caol Ila. This is another surprisingly active hogshead like last year’s 12yo release, but goes off in a much different direction.

So, on the nose: camphor, wood smoke, green apple sweets, oysters and smoked mussels, plus a light waft of something medicinal. The longer it breathes the sweeter and fruitier it gets, with smoky cherries and red fruits, plus a bit of cough syrup.

The palate has a combo of ashy smoke and sweet fruitiness that’s quite lipsmacking (if this was a SMWS release I’d call it “Tutti-frutti Bonfire”). The development is long, with tarry smoke, coastal salt and olives alongside the fruit. Adding water makes everything feel a bit more “classical” Caol Ila: clean, coastal (crab and seaweed), slightly herbal, lemony.

I purchased this in June 2022 from Whisky.base for EUR 89 plus shipping.

This Caol Ila was part of a special Bold and Beautiful Chorlton quartet – bringing the Whisky Ladies and Bombay Malt & Cigar gents together with:

Curious to explore more? We’ve had some delightful experiences with Caol Ila over the years!

If you don’t want to miss a post, why not follow Whisky Lady on:

Chorlton – Speyside 13 year 64.6%

Posted on by
Reply

We were off to a rollicking good start with our Chorlton “Bold and Beautiful” evening featuring four cask strength whiskies! After the Blair Athol 12 year, our attention shifted firmly in the Speyside region with what is likely from The Glenrothes distillery.

Speyside 13 year (June 2008 / Nov 2021) 64.6%

  • Nose – First whiff was surprisingly mellow, quite subdued and shy, then began to open up with mawa cake, buttery, cherry in brandy, then a hint of leather, shoe polish, quite fermented and yeasty, shifting further into orange, sour plums (umeshu), becoming more vegetal, rubbharb, pumpkin and nutmeg, cayenne then maple syrup sweet, butterscotch, persimmon
  • Palate – Initially, incredibly sweet, also quite oily and peppery, then shifted to a slightly sour gooseberry (amla) flavour. Coming back for the second sip, and wow! It really is something – bold with loads of flavour, dense, wonderful mouthfeel, round and rewarding! Like a hot, buttery, cinnamon roll combined with rich, intense mulled wine, steeped in sweet spices and dark fruits.
  • Finish – A pepper close joined by the distinctive taste of Big Red cinnamon chewing gum, sweet with spice
  • Water – We had a mixed response here – some thought it augmented the dram – revealing juniper, more orange, whereas others thought it made it more vegetal with brussels sprouts!

Overall, this was a complex, sometimes contradictory whisky. Yet the more we sipped, the more I enjoyed it. And I am looking forward to revisiting on a quite cool evening where all I do is settle down with just this whisky.

What did David have to say? The following is an extract from his email…

This is sherry-matured single malt from Glenrothes distillery.

You almost get two whiskies for one here. Neat this is rich and intense, with chocolate, peanut brittle, dried figs, jaffa cake and a thickly-textured mouthfeel. Adding water brings a zesty fruitiness into the foreground (orange cake, grapefruit jam, apple pie), with the richer caramel and nutty notes returning in the finish. It’s great fun to play around and find your own perfect balance!

This whisky was distilled on the 19th June 2008, and matured in a second-fill sherry butt until being bottled in November 2021. It produced 368 bottles at a cask strength of 64.6% and they were sold for £76.50 each. I purchased this directly from Chorlton in December 2021.

Our “Bold and Beautiful” Chorlton quartet also included:

If you don’t want to miss a post, why not follow Whisky Lady on:

Chorlton – Blair Athol 12 year 54.9%

Posted on by
Reply

When planning our Chorlton Bold & Beautiful whisky evening, I knew that Blair Athol would make the cut. Whilst often underestimated, there are many reasons why Blair Athol has been around since 1798 – known for a rich, robust, nutty, and full-bodied character. Most expressions will have some maturation in sherry casks, however there are a few – like this one – which was matured exclusively in ex-Bourbon cask.

It was first up for our quartet…

Blair Athol 12 year (2022) 54.9% 290 Bottles ~Eur 79

  • Nose – Sugar on toast, scrambled eggs, waffles with a drizzle of maple syrup, vanilla custard, caramel, gulkand – a sweet preserve of rose petals, then a little orange zest….  it shifted into green pepper, becoming more vegetal, a few folks even found gerkin – pickle juice, red earth after it rains, leaves, mustier over time
  • Palate – Initially came on full force, lots of tannins, raisins and rum, very dry, became plummier and nuttier on the next sip, marzipan joined by gingerbread, even a hint of lemon sherbert!
  • Finish – Dry, long and tasty, more of that capsicum, then a delightful teasing ginger
  • Water – Worth trying with a generous amount of water – whilst it loses some of the complexity, it amps up the sweetness and fruits, with the overall impression of ginger tea

It began like breakfast, then shifted into savoury, herbal, a hint sour, and autumnal dessert! One taster remarked how it reminded them of samahan – a herbal, gingery tea one often has to help with a cold.

We set it aside, and discovered a lovely combination of dessert and sour plums, blackberry leaf team… with even more time in the glass, it took on more toffee, becoming super sweet with toffee, with substance too from tobacco leaf, a bit woody, ending with a dry finish. Overall, it was delicious and well worth exploring!

As for Chorlton tasting notes? Here’s what was shared when this whisky was launched in 2022:

…we have a 12-year-old Blair Athol from a first-fill bourbon hogshead. This whisky actually has more colour on it than the sherry and marsala ones above, and fits in with the recent-ish Orkney 15 and Caol Ila 12 bottlings in terms of slightly aberrant bourbon casks!

So, on the nose I find toffee pennies, fruit jellies, hay bales and shoe polish. Also rum baba, various dried fruits and peels, and orange sponge cake. It’s even cakier with added water, and softer too, with some marzipan and even a nibble of Fondant Fancy.

The palate is really big and nutty (walnut liqueur? is that even a thing?), with dark plum jam, marmalade, tea-soaked raisins and maple syrup. Some anise-y herbal liqueur notes develop, and there’s a distinctly mineralic, even salty, finish. With water everything feels cleaner, with lots of stone fruit popping up.

A lovely dram this, with some stout Highlands spirit standing up nicely to the active cask, and even soaring above it when water is added. It’s been quite a hit with people who’ve had a preview.

Whilst released by Chorlton in December 2022, I waited until it became available via WhiskyBase – only purchasing it in July 2023 for Eur 79 + tax + shipping.

It then patiently waited for the right opportunity to join a special Bold and Beautiful Chorlton quartet – bringing the Whisky Ladies and Bombay Malt & Cigar gents together with:

Plus we enjoyed a bonus with a revisit of a few bottles opened previously:

If you don’t want to miss a post, why not follow Whisky Lady on:

BMC + Whisky Ladies Chorlton Bold and Beautiful Special!

Posted on by
Reply

Our annual gathering of the Whisky Ladies of Mumbai with the Bombay Malt & Cigar Club came early this year – perfectly timed to include a bit of Xmas merriment alongside our drams and cigars!

I was super excited for this session as the line-up featured a bold and hopefully beautiful quartet from Chorlton.

Our “Bold and Beautiful” Chorlton quartet included:

  • Blair Athol 12 year 54.9% – Sugar on toast, rum raisin, gingerbread, yum!
  • Speyside (Glenrothes) 13 year 64.6% – Complex, layered, savoury then sweet, quite something!
  • Caol Ila 11 year 60.4% – What a treat! Deceptively good – all those classic Caol Ila elements with something a bit more!
  • Faemussach (BenRiach) 21 year 56% – Diverse elements co-exist in this one – from fresh to umami, sweet to peat, floral perfumes to fish oil.

Each was unique, each required time, each is worth revisiting too – as is often case with Chorlton whiskies. For detailed tasting notes, just check out the links above.

Which inspired me to also bring along three previously opened Chorlton’s to revisit and augment our evening with an aperitif, then after our “main course” of the Blair Athol, Glenrothes, Caol Ila and BenRiach quartet, a few of us managed to squeeze in a wee sampling of two more as a digestif!

  • Glen Ord 8 year 57.9% – Opened in January 2024 for two separate sessions for the Whisky Ladies and BMC guys. This was the clear choice for a starter – a perfect opening with its generous Christmasy elements. We happily sipped and savoured it, getting primed for our coming delights!
  • Teaninich 12 year 54.2% – From the same set of evenings, it had held up well – in some ways even more interesting than it was nearly two years ago. Citrus and orchard fruits, herbal, nutty, and cinnamon.
  • Tuillabardine 29 year 47.5% – From an earlier session with the BMC Lads from January 2023. I had forgotten how reserved it was yet wonderfully waxy, berry sweetness once one spent some time with it.

Interested in catching more? Why not follow Whisky Lady on:

2025 Whisky Show – Arran

Posted on by
Reply

Day 2 of our 2025 London Whisky Show began with a bang. Intended to be a light starter, we found ourselves instead going straight to +50% with two special editions from Arran’s Lochranza Distillery!

We had a chance to test a new approach to our whisky show wanderings… We brought an extra glass for the satchel – reserved exclusively for peated drams! It was such a success, henceforth we will clearly adopt this method – one glass for unpeated, one for peated!

We shared with our whisky guide our familiarity with nearly all expressions on the table except these two:

  • Arran 12 Year Signature Series 3 Duero Discovery 50% 2025 Whisky Show GBP 81.25
  • Arran 15 Year Rare Batch Peated Sherry Butts 54.4% 2025 Whisky Show GBP 144

So we dove right in…

Arran 12 Year Signature Series 3 Duero Discovery 50%

  • Nose – Delicious dark berries, kumquats, toffee, and salty caramel popcorn
  • Palate – Prickly, yet settled down after a moment, red cherries joined all the red berries, sweet spices, creme caramel
  • Finish – Lots of tannins – clear wine influence, nuts and more…. mmmm….

Our whisky guide shared that this Signature edition was initially matured for 6 years in 1st fill and 2nd fill ex-bourbon barrels, then transferred to 1st fill Red Wine cask from the Duero River in northern Spain, to spend another 6 years further maturing in Warehouse No 4.

Arran 15 Year Rare Batch Peated Sherry Butts 54.4%

  • Nose – Mmmmm smoky sweet, fresh seaside breeze
  • Palate – Well-rounded, peat and sweet, beautifully balanced, subtle sherry influence
  • Finish – Long, lingering, and warm

Remarkable! For us to dive straight into such high ABV so early in the day – and that too with peat – was a clear departure from our normal pattern! And yet, somehow it worked!

PS – Our whisky guide shared that this limited edition expression was peated to 20 ppm.

So why did we skip the “standards”? Well… Putting it mildly, we’ve had more than a few Arran experiences over the years… I even managed to make it to both the Lochranza and Lagg Distillery in 2020!

Interested in catching more? Why not follow Whisky Lady on:

2025 Whisky Show – Romania’s Carpathian Whisky

Posted on by
2

Getting “tips” from fellow whisky aficionados is part of any Whisky Show experience. Over lunch, you share a table, exchange a few impressions about highlights and lowlights. One such tip was to check out the whiskies from Romania.

The Whisky Show introduced Carpathian whiskies as follows:

The launch of a single malt whisky matured in Romanian wine casks is a world first. Alexandrion Group, with award-winning wines from Dealu Mare, uses its own barrels to age whisky, an exclusive collaboration blending Romania’s rich wine heritage with premium whisky craftsmanship.

Unlike the wee stalls in the Nordics Zone, this was a full-sized booth, ready to welcome many visitors. It was a popular stop, clearly attracting the curious or people who were tipped off like us!

As our guide poured, he shared the approach to their expressions is direct – only single malts, all are matured in ex-bourbon barrels for 4 – 5 years, then finished for a year or so in different casks. Each cask brings variances, even if matured similarly, hence every bottle includes the year, cask number, etc.

What did we explore?

  • Carpathian Cognac Finish (2023) No of Casks 19 40% Bottle 1040 of 9809

From their Romanian Wine Collection, we tried:

  • Carpathian Fetească Neagră  Finish (2024) Cask No 6409 46% Bottle 58 of 460

From their Spanish & Portuguese Wine Cask Collection, we sampled:

  • Carpathian Portuguese PX Finish (2024) Cask 4684 46% Bottle 333 of 482
  • Carpathian Portuguese Madeira Finish (2023) Cask 5363 46% Bottle 225 of 421

Plus one of their Peated expressions:

  • Carpathian Bourbon Peated (2024) Cask No 2973 46% Bottle 230 of 321

Everything except the Romanian Wine Cask Finish was listed at GBP 49.95 in the 2025 Whisky Show price list.

Carpathian Cognac Finish (2023) No of Casks 19 40% Bottle 1040 of 9809

Whilst we only had a brief sniff and swish, we found it rather agreeable. An easy-drinking dram with apples, honey, bright and uncomplicated. Overall, we thought it was a good introduction to their whisky range.

I couldn’t find more details on their website, beyond the fact that they have recently won an award for this expression! However, they link to the Iconic Drinks online shop, which shared the following tasting notes, roughly translated by Google from Romanian to English:

  • Nose – Intense, with notes of apple, banana and pineapple
  • Taste – Vanilla, honey
  • Fishin – Sweet, round and complex

Looking back on our experience, these notes more or less align with our impression. Except I would describe it more as approachable than complex.

Carpathian Fetească Neagră Finish (2024) Cask No 6409 46% Bottle 58 of 460

We then moved on to a Romanian Wine finish expression. This piqued my curiosity as I’m unfamiliar with Fetească Neagră aka “Black Maiden” wine, which is from a black grape grown in Romania. It nearly fell out of production during the Soviet period; however is known to be resistant to both cold and drought, producing dry, demi-dry or sweet wines with deep red colour, blackcurrant on the palate.

So what impact did this Fetească Neagră cask finish have on the whisky?

It was subtle on the nose, a warm red wine hint, light pepper, and sweet. On the palate, the wine influence was subtle, overall fruity, sweet, and enjoyable, with the gentle honeyed sweetness carrying through on the finish. Nice!

Their official tasting notes shared:

  • Nose – Intense, with hints of black pepper, cloves and candies.
  • Taste – Medium body, vanilla, raisins, bananas and pineapple.
  • Finish – Sweet, rich and complex

I found it more nuanced than intense, and didn’t find the “rich and complex” finish, though the sweetness was certainly present!

Carpathian Portuguese PX Finish (2024) Cask 4684 46% Bottle 333 of 482

Based on our conversation, this expression spent 5 years in an ex-Bourbon barrel before finishing for 2-3 years in a Portuguese Pedro Ximenes cask. On their website, it seems related expressions spent a shorter time in an ex-Bourbon barrel, only 3 years, before being finished in a Portuguese PX cask. Such variation is to be expected with their approach! So.. on to our impression…

The first whiff greeted us with wood varnish, very wood-forward, spicy, and intense. Our initial sip was more restrained than anticipated, a subtle merging of wood, dark fruits, and vanilla ice cream. The finish was dry and a bit spicy. It was an interesting mix of youthful vibrancy and hints of more mature dimensions.

Their official tasting notes shared:

  • Nose – Intense, with tobacco and woody notes.
  • Taste – Vanilla, figs.
  • Finish – Sweet, round and complex.

Though the previous expressions were also described in the official tasting notes as “intense”, this would be the first time I found it too! Though I didn’t note tobacco and figs specifically, these are certainly in keeping with our impression.

Carpathian Peated (2024) Cask No 2973 46% Bottle 230 of 321

I asked about the peat – was it imported from Scotland, local or…? Turns out they use Belgian barley for this expression and Scottish peat.

In our glasses, we found light peat and sugary sweet on the nose, sweet spices on the palate, joined by a gentle peat, closing with a nice smoky cinnamon on the finish. It was the style of peat I prefer – less intense and more approachable than some peat power-packed, ashy expressions.

What more do we know? Not so much. Whilst I found different Peated expressions on their website – a 40% and a cask strength expression, not this specific ABV!

In their online spirits shop, there was a description for the Peated 46% in Romanian, with tasting notes roughly as:

  • Nose – Delicate and sweet, with notes of vanilla, caramel and candy.
  • Taste – Notes of peat and chili pepper. 
  • Finish – Long, intense, persistently smoky.

I would agree that it is indeed more delicate; however, based on our short sniff and swish, I wouldn’t describe the finish as intense or persistently smoky!

Carpathian Madeira Finish (2023) Cask 5363 46% Bottle 225 of 421

Our final whisky from Carpathian and for the day was their Portuguese Madeira finish.

We found it warm and fruity on the nose, quite “jammy”. On the palate, I dubbed it a “proper whisky” – rewarding with subtle nuts and more pronounced berries, which continued to a sweet finish. It was my favourite of all the expressions.

Their official tasting notes shared:

  • Nose – Intense scent, with hints of white pepper, oak, honey, raisins and candies.
  • Taste – Honey, raisins, red grapes, raspberries and a light nutty aroma.
  • Finish – Sweet, long and complex.

Whilst my notes were limited, it left a positive impression of being a satisfying close to an excellent day.

This experience closed our 2025 Whisky Show Day 1 explorations. We tallied up our tastings for the day and had covered around 55 expressions. Nearly all were sampled with a sniff, swish, and spit approach to ensure we were still standing by the end of the day!

Join me in future posts for Day 2:

2025 Whisky Show – Denmark’s Thy Whisky

Posted on by
Reply

Our next stop in the 2025 Whisky Show‘s  Nordics zone was a distillery from Denmark. The Whisky Show had this to say about THY – DENMARK

One of the few genuinely single-estate whisky distilleries, Thy was established on the Gyrup estate on Denmark’s west coast, and born from a desire to take the family’s barley, spelt and rye, and bring it to life in vibrant, grain forward whiskies. Every step of production is managed on the family estate in a true field-to-bottle business.

We gave our Thy whisky stand guide an impossible task. Choose one whisky – and only one – to provide us with a feel for the distillery character.

He immediately pulled out Bøg, part of their core expressions.

Thy Bøg 50%

  • Nose – Straight, clean – think cedar, bay leaves,
  • Palate – It was peatier than anticipated from the nose, some grilled pineapple, warm and tasty
  • Finish – Very unique with menthol, sage, and quite herbal

This expression is crafted from Odyssey barley with smoked Beechwood malt, matured in Oloroso and PX casks.

What more do they have to say about their Thy Bøg expression?

Bøg takes its name and flavor from our distinctly Danish beechwood smoke. Inspired by the familiar smell of camp-fires and raditional smokehouses along Thy’s beautiful and windswept coastline.

Bøg is made from organic spring barley grown on the fields surrounding us, carefully malted and smoked in our malting drums with the smoke from beech wood embers. Carefully single distilled to preserve the malty and meaty smoky flavors from the malt and matured in old sherry casks.

This whisky is warm and smoky, with a soft sweetness of baked fruits, malt character and a dried fruit richness from its maturation on oloroso and PX sherry casks.

Over the years, I’ve had a chance to explore a few more whiskies from Denmark:

Interested in catching more? Why not follow Whisky Lady on:

2025 Whisky Show – Sweden’s Agitator

Posted on by
Reply

The 2025 Whisky Show had a special zone devoted to the Nordics. It was an opportunity to showcase a range of whiskies from northern Europe. First on our Nordic tour was Sweden’s Agitator!

The Whishy Show had this to say about AGITATOR – SWEDEN

Agitator is the distillery behind Sweden’s most popular homegrown whisky as well as other spirits too. All spirits are vacuum distilled at low temperatures, to preserve more flavours, consume less energy and create better drinks. Their signature casks for ageing spirits is the chestnut cask, forbidden in Scottish whisky but enabling amazing results to any spirit.

As I had previously tried some of their expressions, we honed in on the limited editions with two whiskies and a rum!

  • Agitator The Swedish Blend 40% – 2025 Whisky Show GBP 32.95
  • Agitator Evidens Svatvete 55% – Sold out
  • Agitator Special Dry Rum 43% – No price

This was just a brief sniff and swish, so the tasting notes are scant, so I encourage you to read on what the distillery and others have to say too!

Agitator The Swedish Blend 40%

We were greeted by sponge cake and tropical fruits on the nose – like a pineapple upside-down cake! It was a happy, floral, and lightly fruity dram. On the palate, it was toffee sweet with a soft and sweet finish. Nothing complicated, just an easy drinking dram.

Here’s what Agitator has to say about this blend:

A smooth Swedish blended whisky that elegantly marries tradition with innovation, creating a whisky that is as flavourful as it is forward-thinking. We have combined carefully crafted grain whisky with whisky matured on American oak, chestnut, sherry and bourbon casks.

Overall, we found it worked! Even better, it is at an affordable price point.

Agitator Evidens Svatvete 55%

We found it very unique. Yes, there was a sherry influence; however, this was clearly not a standard malt made from barley. It was hard to describe, lots was going on, from fruits to nuts, woods, toast to herbs like bay leaf. It reminded me a bit of a Swedish sauna!

This was a new series for us. Here is what Agitator had to say:

The Evidens range aims to prove that a lower cask strength of 55% can produce a deeper and more complex whisky. Evidens Black Wheat is matured in quarter casks that previously held Oloroso Sherry, giving a unique and rich flavour profile. This method produces intense flavours and a smooth finish.

Our tasting guide shared that this expression is already out of stock.

Agitator Special Dry Rum 43%

Our tasting guide shared that this rum was matured for 6 months in Chestnut casks, which added a very different twist to a traditional rum!

We found it to be very different! Our first impression was that it was surprisingly citrusy and fresh on the nose! It also had caramel, vanilla, and a distinctive wood layer too – likely the chestnut? This carried through on the palate, joined by nuts too. It was both rummy sweet and peppery, again with that unique element. Very interesting indeed.

What did Agitator have to say?

What if there was a premium dry rum could with an innovative twist? Rather than having years of age from traditional casks, Agitator Special Dry Rum brings the fruity and nutty flavours from chestnut casks to add an entirely new style to a traditional dark, dry, rum. Vacuum distilled, made in Sweden, ethically certified.

And there you have it – a short tour through an interesting trio from Sweden at the 2025 Whisky Show!

Curious about our other Agitator tasting experiences? Read on…

Interested in catching more? Why not follow Whisky Lady on:

Whisky Ladies Celebration! Blue Label, Auchentoshan, Laphroaig

Posted on by
Reply

With Diwali just behind us, we came together for a different celebration! The Whisky Ladies November 2025 session just happened to bring together a recognition of a Presidential award, a marriage, and a birthday – what fun!

This theme of celebration was reflected in the whiskies as well:

  • Johnie Walker Blue Label Xordinaire Cognac Cask 40% ~GBP 200
  • Auchentoshan American Oak 40% ~Eur 27 (1L)
  • Laphroaig “The Cask Legacy” 48% (Laphroaig Cask Collection) ~Eur 122

All can be found in travel retail, and reflect quite different styles.

I think the last time I gave proper attention to Johnnie Walker was at a large music festival at Mehboob Studios in Bandra, Mumbai. They had a full set of options on offer, and whilst I took no notes, I was left with a solid reminder of why these blends are so universally popular.

Like many things, we often overlook the “ordinary” in pursuit of the “extraordinary”… so what did we think of their special XO cognac finished cask “Xordinaire”?

Johnie Walker Blue Label Xordinaire 40%

  • Nose – It greeted us with stewed peaches, pears, lots of crisp green apples, then some guava, and honey. As it opened up more, it shifted from fresh fruits to stewed fruits – particularly apples, and from honey to a darker treacle. Behind all of this, after the first sip, was a hint of marmite, leather, plus peppercorns…
  • Palate – It began quite fruity, then black peppercorns took centre stage. Overall, it was quite “thin” on the palate. On the 2nd sip, it became a bit nutty, bitter, and woody. One even found beetroot!
  • Finish – There, yet quite short
  • Ice – I know we typically eschew ice with whisky; however, the instinct to add was spot on! It brightened the whisky on the nose, brought out a pleasant caramel sweetness on the palate, and even a hint of cream.

Whilst it wasn’t “extraordinairy”, it was not bad at all. That said, we couldn’t discern much Cognac cask influence and were frankly shocked at the price tag! Surely it couldn’t actually be retailing in travel retail for Eur 230 / SGD 340 / AED 960 / INR 24,000??

Touted as the perfect whisky for non-whisky drinkers, I can certainly think of more affordable options for a neophyte consumer.

We moved on to another travel retail bottle – this time from Lowland distillery Auchentoshan.

Auchentoshan American Oak 40%

  • Nose – Delightful! Sweet candy, lemon, mosambi, bananas, heather, then began to shift into tobacco leaf, lots of vanilla, some date, clove, black pepper, and even a bit of date, chalk, with a faintly metallic element
  • Palate – Soft, very smooth, sweet yet also with a prick of spice, fruit, and coconut cream
  • Finish – Chilli, lemon rind, and a hint of almond – more specifically a Kashmiri mamra

While there was no need to add water, we set the glass aside and returned to find a creamy perfume, something almost reminiscent of Tutti Fruitti ice cream! Talk turned from desserts to food, and, like often happens with a companionable dram, merriment took over from the malt. In our books – that is a good thing indeed!

What does Auchentoshan have to say?

  • To the eye: Look for the vivid, bright gold colour when selecting your Auchentoshan American Oak. Wondering what gives whisky its colour? The delicate maturing process. As the single malt matures in the quality bourbon barrels, a new and complex colour and flavour profile is created over time.
  • To the nose: A vibrant bourbon infused vanilla and coconut with layers of zesty citrus fruit, making this Scotch Single Malt from Auchentoshan stand out from the crowd.
  • To the tongue: A refreshingly smooth whisky taste. Lively, with vanilla cream, coconut and white peach.
  • To the end: Crisp, with sugared grapefruit and a lingering hint of spice.

Overall, this one hit the spot for many of our ladies. And for the price-point? At around 1/10th the cost of the Johnnie Walker, the Auchentoshan would make a much better introduction to whisky for someone new to the spirit!

We then radially switched gears from a light, sprightly, easy-going Lowland style to Islay – and that too the peat beast Laphroaig! I admit upfront that it has been some time since I had a Laphroaig whisky. Their signature ashy style simply isn’t my preferred peat, so I’ve tended to skip over most opportunities to explore this distillery. Which is exactly why I welcome opportunities like this evening – to put my preconceived notions to the test!

Laphroaig “The Cask Legacy” 48% (Laphroaig Cask Collection)

  • Nose – Peaty! With that delicious bacon jam we often seek out! There was cedar wood, salty butter, ash yet citrus too, faint mulberry jam, even some custard apple? Some ripe figs, nutmeg… after the 1st sip we also found raisins, cinnamon, finding it became milder and mellower the longer it was in the glass
  • Palate – A proper Laphroaig. Ash. Yet also joined by jackfruit, apples, smooth yet oily.
  • Finish – Buttery, with peat, tobacco, a bit nutty – long and lasting

Like the other glasses, we set this aside to revisit and found it was indeed ashy, yet it was also quite nice, well-rounded, and overall rewarding.

Here’s what Laphraoig shares with their official tasting notes:

  • Colour: Deep, warming sunset orange.
  • Nose: Whiffs of our signature peat smoke with burnt apricot and raisins. ​
  • Palate: Broad and soft oak, rich caramelised dark fruit and a lively dried fruitiness.
  • Finish: Lingering nuts, peat and oiled wood.
  • Maturation: Aged in first-fill Bourbon barrels then new European oak hogsheads. ​

It was almost like this Legacy expression was taunting: “So you thought to dismiss us? Think again! People love us for a very good reason!” I felt properly “schooled” and really enjoyed this one.

And there you have it – a celebratory trio of whiskies for a most enjoyable evening!

If you don’t want to miss a post, why not follow Whisky Lady on: