Author Archives: Carissa Hickling

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About Carissa Hickling

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

Chorlton’s Teaninich 12 year 54.2%

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We began our evening of “Second Chances” with an independent bottler Chorlton from the May 2022 releases of David’s La Nouvelle Vague series.

For those not familiar with Teaninich, it is part of the Diageo “workhorses” stable of whiskies that largely go into blends. For the technical trivia buffs, it also uses no mash tun:

In 2000 a hammer mill and mash filter – the only one operational in a Scottish malt distillery – was installed at Teaninich. The use of the technology, which removes the need for a mash tun, was to produce ultra-clear wort, giving a clue as to the Teaninich distillery character: a fragrant exotic grassiness that brings to mind Japanese green tea and coumarin-rich bison grass. Fat stills also add a distinct oiliness to the texture while not blunting any of its penetrating acidity.

Trivia aside, I’ve had limited experience with whisky from this Highland distillery – only their official “Flora and Fauna” bottling and a cask strength mini from That Boutique-y Whisky Co. Neither made me a huge fan, however, as I am a big Chorlton buff, thought if there might be a cask to turn the opinion tide, this might be it!

We sampled it on two occasions – literally back-to-back in Bombay – first with the Bombay Malt & Cigar gents, then the next evening with the Whisky Ladies. In retrospect, it was a real pity we couldn’t combine the way we once did on an annual basis. Perhaps something to revisit in future!

However on to the serious business of whisky tasting, with a split by day as the experience differed… For the lads, we tried this bottle 1st whereas for the ladies, this was our 2nd whisky of the evening.

Teaninich 12 year 54.2%

  • Colour – Bright straw, almost golden
  • Nose
    • Day 1: A promising start with citrus, pear drops, sweet hay, and floral nectar then it began to settle down in a less promising way with something a bit like limestone, granite, or chalk. Another got polish. Behind this was still some fruitiness but it was less and less appealing as it opened further…
    • Day 2: We could tell it was bourbon matured, yet also had a bit of rum raisin thing going on initially. followed by milk chocolate, some pineapple, and peppermint candy cane… as the nose developed, it shifted from cocoa butter to vanilla
  • Palate
    • Day 1: We could feel the hit of zero alcohol to full cask strength with this one. A lot of paprika spice, quite dry, some bitter hazelnut, perhaps a hint of ginger
    • Day 2: Actually quite similar in impressions, just that we found it a bit more oily than dry with the balance tracking – especially the bitter hazelnut
  • Finish
    • Day 1: Carries on with the bitterness
    • Day 2: The peppermint we found on the palate lingered like slightly chalky peppermint toothpaste, yet at the same time there was a hint of over-roasted hazelnut and bitter cinnamon that closed on the remnants of Big Red chewing gum
  • Water
    • Day 1: To be honest, I don’t recall our trying with water, which in retrospect seems curious indeed
    • Day 2: Better with water, yet still more bitter than sweet

Overall we concluded this was unimposing, nothing outstanding, though interesting to try what likely DOES do well in blends. To put it mildly, this was not the star of the evening.

As I was the only one to experience both evenings, what struck me was that the floral and lightly fruity elements that made the nose promising when freshly opened were largely absent just a day later.

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

Next up we have a 12-year-old Teaninich. This is one of those under-the-radar distilleries that I suspect (along with Mannochmore) is due its moment in the sun.

I usually think of Teaninich as being a green, foresty whisky and there’s a bit of that on the nose (pine needles, watermelon skin, greenhouse tomato vines) but actually this one feels more “yellow” with peachy fruits and some nice sweetness from the cask. I also get malted milk biscuits, Sweet Ciceley, orange cordial and some little touches of soot and chalk (this is a Highland malt after all).

The palate has lovely citrussy syrups, a light waxiness, hazelnut and pear tart, tons of malty sweetness (cornflake cakes) and some sweet ginger. The moderately-active ex-bourbon wood has rounded this all off nicely. The finish is super-clean, malty, citrussy/peachy, with a fresh liquoricey herbal aftertaste. A drop of water adds orange liqueur, and some extra butterscotch/brown sugar sweetness.

Delicious stuff, this, with some proper personality, and just right for the time of year. Get in now before the Teaninich hype train gets underway!*

This hogshead produced 320 bottles at a cask strength of 54.2% and they are available for £75 each.

(* – Incipient Teaninich mania not guaranteed.)

I purchased this directly from Chorlton in May 2022, before it found its way from London to Mumbai, India to be opened in January 2024.

From this experience, there is no chance Teaninich will rival Mannochmore in my books. And apparently, I have company as it clearly LOST the glass vote. No one was tempted to return and sample more. In fact, after this picture was taken, the others were further depleted with the Teaninich remaining stubbornly at the same level. Sorry buddy, you may be offered as the sacrificial “offer to people who don’t know any better” category…

What about the other Teaninich experiences I mentioned? Here you go!

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Chorlton’s Deanston 14 year 52.6%

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Out there in the world, one can find a die-hard Deanston fan here and there. One of our original whisky-tasting groups in Mumbai was one. As for me? I will fully admit to not being one of them. I tend to find Deanston a bit uninspiring, even a tad industrial in profile, and overall quite average.  However, I am a fan of the independent bottler Chorlton, so when this bottle from his April 2023 release became available, I thought why not try?

When I settled on a chancy theme in January 2024 to focus on distilleries that have NOT tended to capture my fancy, it seemed the perfect opportunity to give this Deanston its due consideration. Even better, I had two sets of tasting groups try it back to back: our Bombay Malt & Cigar lads and the Mumbai Whisky Ladies! Between the two groups, and different settings, I had high hopes for a fair evaluation.

Deanston 14 year (2023) Bourbon Barrel 52.6% 610 Bottles

  • Colour: Bright gold
  • Nose:
    • Day 1: Lemony, soap water, cashew nuts, Marie Claire digestive biscuits, some sweetness, joined by sawdust, and was that a bit of apricot fruit leather? Or mango papad? Vascilates between being slightly tangy and slightly sweet.
    • Day 2: Completely missed some of the initial elements – no citrus at all. Instead, there were bananas and peach pie, and we still found the digestive biscuits. Overall, it was quite mild, with some vanilla
  • Palate:
    • Day 1: It began with grapefuit, water sweetened with honey, some pudding, soft and balanced, good mouthfeel
    • Day 2: Much more buttery or oily than expected, and yet curiously there was a crackling chocolate, slightly metallic or fuel-like element, aniseed
  • Finish: Descriptions veered from having a “thick air finish” to butter to bitter to candy
  • Water: Simply muddles the combination
  • Revisit after sampling other whiskies
    • Day 1: None of the fruits remained though the digestive biscuits element continued
    • Day 2: Furniture wax and burnt popcorn on the nose, mineral on the palate

For the lads, this was the 3rd whisky of four sampled. There was a clear division between one pronouncing it exceedingly average, begrudgingly admitting it was “not unpleasant” but overall thin on the nose with very little complexity. The others were a wee bit kinder, finding it better than some Deanston’s as it was less industrial and overall decent.

For the ladies, I opted to begin with the Deanston. It didn’t get huge converts to this distillery but was a better way to kick off our evening. What was surprising is that just a day later, all of the citrus disappeared – both the lemon on the nose and grapefruit on the palate.
What did David have to say? The following is an extract from his email…

The nose is fruity on first pouring (tangerine, pear juice, peach gummies) then settles down with hoppy ales, fresh baguette, sweet ciceley, woodruff and ferns. There are little touches of flinty minerality, lemon, rose petals, furniture wax and barley sugar. It’s very subtle and beautiful.

The palate has tinned pears, grapefruit syrup, aniseed (almost cough candy) and hops. It’s an appealing combination of barley and breadiness with clean and zesty fruitiness. It almost feels refreshing and palate-cleansing, with a lovely sweeter touch of honey and fruit syrup in the aftertaste.

This is one of those whiskies that feels very honest and close to the barley, with a sort of easy freshness and delicacy. The barrel produced 234 bottles at 52.6% and they are available for £79.50 each.

I purchased this directly from Chorlton in April 2023, which rested initially in London before being kindly brought to India in July 2023, to lie even longer for the right opportunity in Mumbai!

What else from Chorlton did we try together with the Deanston?

Despite it not being #1 in any of our books, folks voted with their glasses, where clearly there was a 2nd pour by some of the Deanston. Overall, it was the 2nd choice of the Chorlton’s tried that evening in terms of liquid consumed! Interesting.

What about other Deanston explorations?

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Bombay Malt Men and Whisky Ladies Chorlton explorations

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My last session with the Bombay Malt & Cigar gents was in January 2023. I dubbed it “Swan Song” as it celebrated a trio of whiskies all from distilleries that are either no more or so changed to be entirely different than the liquid we sampled.

I was back in April for their Irish evening with a Jameson quartet, but then have been out of India ever since. Naturally, the gents carried on with many interesting sessions – some of which had miniatures set aside for me to catch up with their tasting journey (lucky me!).

So what to do for the gents one year later? After the remarkable Chorlton Ardmore opened in Winnipeg, Canada, I decided to see if we could discover another gem. Rarely do I have a problem of plenty. However, in this case, I did!

It was a really tough call to select just the right ones… The latest Chorltons to make it to India included:

  • Benrinnes 14 year 55% From May 2022, 10 years in a bourbon barrel then finished for 4 years in a sherry butt. Described as having a soft waxy fruitiness, then a classic sherry palate, shifting with water into tart fruits.
  • Deanston 14 year 52.6% From the Apr 2023 releases, matured in a bourbon barrel, it was reputed to be young, zesty fruits, minerals, bready.
  • Faemussach 21 year 56% From May 2022, Speculated to be from BenRiach. Described as very smoky, with quite mixed reviews. Clearly one for the peatheads!
  • Glen Ord 8 year 57.9% From the July 2022 releases, matured in 1st fill Oloroso Hogshead, described as an old school sherry, jammy fruits, chewy.
  • Glentauchers 14 year 61.6% (DE tasting) From the Apr 2023 releases, matured in a refilled sherry butt, it is described as having aromas of panettone and peaches, with the palate leaning towards chocolate brownies, elegant and cakey.
  • Miltonduff 16 year 55.9% From July 2022, complex from boozy pineapple cake with a contrasting palate, talkative and changeable.
  • Orkney 22 year 53.4% From February 2022, this Highland Park was more than decent but simply didn’t hold a candle to the Orkey 15 year released much earlier.
  • Speyside 13 year 64.6% From the November 2021 releases, this whisky is well traveled. Brought from London to Paris to Germany, then on to India. It is reputed to be a peated single malt from an undisclosed distillery and casks (possibly Glenrothes). Described as having a smoldering nose, and an earthy oily peat.
  • Teaninich 12 year 54.2% Also from May 2022, matured in a Hogshead, it is described as starting with forest elements, then becomes quite “yellow” and citrusy.
  • Tuillabardine 29 year 47.5% From Summer 2022, opened in January 2023, it was an interesting dram with a contrasting interplay between aromas and palate. Not your typical first pick from the whisky cabinet though….

First, I removed from the mix the two open bottles – the Orkney and Tuillabardine.

Second, from the closed bottles, I eliminated the peatier drams – this simply wasn’t my mood or the right audience for peat. So that took the Speyside, Faemussach out of the equation.

Next, I considered future tasting sessions where I have another Glentauchers waiting to  compare with the 14-year. With this pair, I thought the Miltonduff would be a good companion. (Spoiler alert! The Glentauchers 8 year never made it to India – it was opened instead in Germany and is spectacular!)

Ch

I rarely get to try anything from Teaninich or Benrinnes, so that alone put them into the top contenders spot. Particularly the Teaninich has a not-so-stellar track record in my books. Would this be the bottle that tips the scales in a more positive direction? Similarly, I have had mixed experiences with Benrinnes – some quite appealing and others that simply didn’t work for me.

Deanston has its fans, yet tends to strike me as quite ordinary or average, leaning towards the industrial in style – nothing hugely wrong, yet nothing very right either. However, my recent brush with the Deanston Chronicles edition prompted a desire to give further consideration. More promising, there was something about the Glen Ord that caught my fancy. Whilst not a massive Singleton fan, David’s description made this seem like it was quite a compelling dram and possibly the right way to finish the evening.

From this line of thinking a theme emerged! “Second Chances” – deliberately selecting whiskies from distilleries that are not familiar favorites. Re-approaching with an open mind, giving due consideration to the liquid in front of us.

Even better, as the Bombay Malt & Cigar gents evening was followed right away by the Whisky Ladies, I could contrast and compare freshly opened bottles to just a days oxidation, in a different setting, context, and participants.

Clearly, folks voted with their glasses – as this photo dramatically shows! Curious to know which is which? Read on over the next few days!

From right (#1) to left (#4), we ranked our whiskies by consumption as:

  1. Glen Ord 8 year 57.9% By the end of both evenings and removing a small sample for Europe, there is barely a dram remaining! A full-bodied satisfying sherry dram!
  2. Deanston 14 year 52.6% was the surprising runner-up. In fact, after this photo was taken, there was even less liquid?! Whilst it was still considered average, sometimes average works.
  3. Benrinnes 14 year 55%. Remains a mixed experience. Some interesting elements but also disappointing on the palate after such an appealing nose. One described it as feeling a bit “cheated” by the taste after the teasing aromas!
  4. Teaninich 12 year 54.2%. No converts to this distillery post our experience. Whilst I never say never, if even a Chorlton bottle doesn’t nudge me towards this distillery, it is safe to say that its profile simply isn’t one for me!

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The Warehouse Dram Braon Peat Batch 8, 56.5%

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Germany has many independent bottlers and one that caught our fancy during the COVID period was Whisky Warehouse No 8 for their well put together sample boxes. In one of these, we were introduced to Braon Peat – which is their Scottish peat expression from an undisclosed distillery.

Their Braon Peat Batch 7 was a complete hit! So I was requested to “pretty please” bring a bottle from Germany to London for a special evening in October 2023. I was naturally happy to oblige, picking up their Batch 8 expression.

So what did we think?

Braon Peat (27 Sept 2021) Refill Sherry Cask, Batch 8, 56.5%  

  • Nose – Warm campfire, smoked ham, toasted scones, a sweet and sour apple sauce, sweetmeats, herbal
  • Palate – A luscious sweet peat, well rounded, great balance and mouthfeel, with just a hint of spice, some fatty oily nuts
  • Finish – Lingering smoke and spice, truly lasts and lasts
  • Water – Not needed but opens it up, accentuating the nutty element

It was instantly identified as Caol Ila. And overall is quite a satisfying peat dram – delicious. Even better, for a solid performer, it doesn’t break the bank account.

Official Tasting notes from an earlier batch:

  • Nose : Warm smoke with some dry dust, oily-fleshy with sweet molasses notes, machine hall, slightly herbal like dried oregano.
  • Flavor : The peat notes are in the foreground, the whiskey comes across as a bit meaty, yet surprisingly herbal at the same time, as if the meat had been preserved in mallow leaves beforehand. Although you look in vain for fruity notes, the whiskey has a slightly sweet taste.
    With dilution, some malty crispness is revealed and the peat notes are less meaty.
  • Finish : Oily, intensely peaty with some black pepper and long lasting.

Would we agree? Most certainly!

I purchased this bottle in April 2022 for Eur 60 – actually two bottles for Eur 120! One bottle made it to London in October 2023 and the other to India.

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Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique 57.1%

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Behind the remarkable rise of Kavalan was Ian Chang – known for his kindness, exacting attention, and incredible nose. After 15 years of bringing awards and recognition to Kavalan, Ian moved on in 2020. Rumour had it that there were pressures to more aggressively capitalize on their success, speeding things up in a way that may compromise quality. Be that as it may, Ian Chang has moved on to Japan to Komoro Distillery, part of Karuizawa Distillers.

Bottom line, this particular expression from Kavalan is part of their heydey period, shortly after the Vinho Barrique expression won awards for its intense aromas and flavours. This particular expression was a well-traveled whisky – from Taiwan to Germany to UK… opened in October 2023 in London. Then a small sample made its way back to Germany, then further on to India where I settled down to consider it one fine evening at the close of 2023.

Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique (2016) W160331032A 57.1% Bottle 048 of 201

  • Colour – What a stunning deep ruby
  • Nose – Oh my! What a luscious aroma, mahogany wood, dusty black pepper, overripe melon, tart cherries and chocolate, stewed plums
  • Palate – Equally powerful on the palate! Like chewing on cherry wood, dates, nutty caramel, sweet spices, intense
  • Finish – Dry, with plenty of red wine tannins, something a tinge soapy
  • Water – Opens up with the nose shifting from intense dry fruits to juicy plums, ripe figs, caramelized walnuts and then on the palate, shifts to ripe kiwis, berries and red grapes

Talk about intense! Big and bold. No mistaking this is one full-bodied voluptuous whisky with a lot going on. Heavy, commanding attention. Even after the glass was empty, the aromas swirled around. Berries and vanilla and wood. Quite something!

What do the folks at Kavalan have to say about this expression?

Vinho is fully matured in used American oak wine barrels that have been toasted and recharred in a way that brings out fruity vanilla notes from the wood into the whisky overlaid on a delicate background of complex fruitiness.
It has a complex and multi-dimensional background of pepper, spice, dates and other fruits, such as ripe melon and mango together with kiwi and a delicate blend of bursting citrus fruits.

As for the official tasting notes, here you go:

  • Nose – A rich fusion of vanilla and caramelized sugars with dark chocolate on top. Ripe melon and mango together with kiwi and a delicate blend of citrus fruits burst. Pepper is also present in the background waiting to be noticed.
  • Palate – The taste ends with clean and complex flavours embodying all that is best in the finest malt whiskies enjoying a long aftertaste.
  • Tasting – We suggest drinking Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Cask neat.

Would I agree? Yes…though personally, I preferred it with a bit of water.

Curious about other Kavalan experiences? There have been more than a few over the years – mostly from the period of 2008 – 2016 when I tended to come across Kavalan more readily via whisky shows or complements of Malt Maniac Krishna Nakula:

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Balvenie 19 year “A Revelation of Cask and Character” 47.5%

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Sometimes tracking down a dram is more of an adventure than the dram itself! In this case, rumors reached our London host of something “special” being released by Balvenie, Something memorable that sold out immediately. Where there is a will, there is always a way. And in this case, it came via a Hong Kong (or was it Singapore?) connection to a London store known to many but not yet experienced by myself.

We found ourselves interacting with a very knowledgeable salesperson, who converted a quick pick stop to merely pick up the coveted bottle to an animated discussion about various malts and then other spirits. Needless to say, we did not walk out with just one bottle.

What drew us there in the first place? The Balvenie 19-year “A Revelation of Cask and Character” was released in October 2023. It is the first of their new stories series, matured in sherry casks and created as a tribute to the coopers who work at the Speyside distillery’s on-site cooperage. It was also touted as the first whisky creation of their new malt master Kelsey McKechnie, with the formal passing of the whisky baton from David C. Stewart, who shifted from malt master to ambassador.

As I didn’t take tasting notes from our experience in London, I brought home a wee sample. Which then in turn made it from London to Nurnberg to Mumbai to Kalote, Maharashtra.  Opened at the end of 2023, with some desultory jazz in the background, our cats curled purring on my feet, our dogs outside exhausted after an hour of vigorous play chasing a frisbee, it seemed just the right moment to pour a glass, relax and experience.

The Balvenie 19 year “A Revelation of Cask and Character” 47.5% GBP 309

  • Colour – A deep amber, almost having a hint of ruby
  • Nose – Fruity and vanilla, stollen, dried fruits, orange rind, toasted scones with clotted cream, apple sauce, more of that vanilla
  • Palate – Starts a bit prickly, clear wood influence, cherry pits, cherry biscotti with roasted pistachios, light chili chocolate spice, nicely balanced
  • Finish – Slightly bitter – more almond than pistachio

The nose is most enjoyable, inviting, and sweet vanilla cream with pastries. Is it the most remarkable dram of the year? Not by a long shot. And in my humble opinion, it is rather overpriced. However in a supply and demand market, clearly this one managed to catch the fancy of many folks.

Yet for a chilled-out evening in the Maharashtran countryside, it perfectly fits the mood. And for that, I was quite grateful to have an opportunity to not only experience it once, but twice.

Here are the official tasting notes:

  • Nose: Intense ripe fruits and caramelised orange peel reveal beautifully toasted oak and milled barley
  • Taste: Bold and balanced, flavours of currants, cherries and raisins give way to chewy fig, rich cacao and a creamy nutty finish.
  • Finish: Long and lingering

Hype or not, it is an enjoyable dram, just a pity it is for such a steep price tag.

If you are curious about other Balvenie experiences, read on….

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One Fine London Evening over Balvenie, Braon Peat and Kavalan

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As 2023 drew to a close, I had some time off and made the most of it by catching up with tasting notes. In the case of this trio, they were opened one special evening in London. At the time, I didn’t take any notes, just enjoyed the experience. However, as our host knows me well, we packed up three minis for later perusal. Somehow I wasn’t inclined to revisit the samples in Germany, so brought them with me to India.

Here is the trio we decided to open the evening following The Whisky Show in London.

Sukhinder chided us for going only one day to The Whisky Show, so for 2024, we resolved to go for both days. And yes, we already bought our tickets – this time it is earlier in September so the 9-month countdown has begun!

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London Appetizer – Glenfarclas, Aerolite Lindsay, Smokehead High Voltage

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There is something comforting about the familiar. Like sprawling on a comfortable old sofa, curling up under a faded, soft blanket… so too with revisiting a familiar dram or two. Made even better by being with a favourite tasting companion, getting ourselves into the whisky mood before spending a full day at the 2023 Whisky Show in London. Call it the appetizer before the main course!

Up first was a carefully selected starter – a familiar family-owned friend – Glenfarclas. It had been a while since my tasting companion had sipped a Glenfarclas… happy to oblige!

Glenfarclas 15 year 46%

  • Nose – Fresh apples and pears, fall leaves, loads of sweet, digestive biscuits, pastry with vanilla cream, some salt
  • Palate – Fabulous and lip-smacking. Yes, lip-smacking. Light spice, restrained fruit, a bit minerally and dry, a nice contrast to the nose
  • Finish – Carries on with the theme, ending is slightly bitter.

We really enjoyed the nose – really quite outstanding. With a mighty fine palate. It was just perfect for our mood and moment.

Up next was a 10-year-old Islay – one that I had previously only had a whiff, rather than true sampling. What did we think?

Aerolite Lindsay 10 year 46%

  • Nose – Happy peat, a hint of maritime salt spray, tinned peaches, leafy, a bit of iodine, curiously even chaat masala – the kind with black salt that you sprinkle on fresh cut tropical fruit, then shifted back to a more classic styled peat
  • Palate – Cinnamon and peat, a touch of leather, balanced with a nice spice
  • Finish – Very sweet cinnamon

Not complex yet still left us satisfied. We speculated which Islay distillery, was slightly in favour of Caol Ila as it was more approachable peat.

You may ask… Why these two? The 1st was to get into the whisky groove. The 2nd to shift into peat. And then? They were the build-up to Smokehead… I was promised it wasn’t as bad as my first experience or even my second… I was promised something a bit better than palatable… something enjoyable. I was promised… but did it deliver?

Smokehead High Voltage 48%

  • Nose – Burnt embers and ash, hint of lemon and iodine, acetone, funky and sour, plastique, mold like a monsoon cupboard
  • Palate – Very sharp, big, and bold, some sweet with the peat, heavy fruits with some cinnamon peaking in
  • Finish – Sweet, tempered and long

Do yourself a favour. If you are tempted to try – DO NOT take a big swig. I sputtered, Yes sputtered. And made a face. Not a pleasant face. Well… it isn’t just an ashtray. However, it is still clearly designed to be a bit overwhelming. Like a frat house dare. “Booom! Gotcha!”

Sorry… three strikes and you are OUT! It simply is not my style of whisky. For those who want to clobber themselves with peat, knock yourself out. But me? Will simply pass.

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London Whisky Show 2022 – The Unbelievable Truth About Whisky

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London’s The Whisky Show has some fabulous masterclasses! As I relaxed on our farm just outside of Mumbai, I reflected on various tasting experiences from 2023. From master classes to private sessions, from partnering with others to solo, I flipped through my tasting notes book to spot a few experiences not yet shared.

One truly stood out – I feared I simply could not do it justice. It was a truly special session from 2022! So I checked my scribbles to see if there was enough to share a flavour of this incredibly amusing Masterclass: The Unbelievable Truth About Whisky!

For those not familiar, The Unbelievable Truth is a UK Radio 4 game show devoted to truth and lies. Each panelist must deliver a short speech that is simply chock full of lies with the occasional, well-hidden truth. The others must then try to discover the truths whilst not falling for the lies.

In the case of this Masterclass, The Whisky Exchange’s Billy Abbott led the panel with Gregg Glass from Whyte & Mackay and Whisky Works, James Saxon from Compass Box, Alex Bruce from Adelphi, Sam Simmons from Atom Brands (aka That Boutique-y Whisky Company), and the brothers Phil & Simon Thompson from Dornoch Distillery. Billy was the arbiter of truth, backed up by researchers Oliver Chilton (whisky maker and Head BLender for independent bottler Elixir) and Dr Nicholas Morgan (author, archivist, and authority on Scottish whisky). All of the whiskies were selected and donated by their makers with the proceeds of the tasting going to Dorothy House Hospice Care, supporting their work across the south-west of the UK.

It was like stepping into a private gathering of old friends, catching up and telling tall tales over a fine dram or two.

All of the whiskies were donated by their makers and all of the proceeds of the tasting went to Dorothy House Hospice Care, supporting their work across the south-west of the UK.

Invergordan 1998

We kicked off with a grain from Whisky Works – the latest venture with Greg Glass. We could immediately tell it wasn’t a typical Scotch malt. On the nose, we found a lovely floral element, peaches and vanilla cream, herbal, followed by strawberry, apricot, and spearmint. On the palate, it was simply gorgeous, juicy fruits with a delightful spice. Simply stellar! Such a stunning whisky.

Compass Box Flaming Heart 7th Edition (2022) 48.9%

We continued with blend from James. Fruity, with a hint of smoke on the nose. Surprisingly peaty on the palate. A long strong finish, spirited with a cinnamon close.

The blend brings together Glen Elgin, Balmenach with the smoke stemming from Laphroaig, Caol Ila, and Talisker. Add to this mix were further Compass Box blends such as their Highland Malt Blend with five years in toasted virgin French oak casks, joined by remnants of Flaming Heart 2018, Peat Monster Arcana, and Nectar 15th Anniversary edition… so in truth it is a blend of blends!

The Sandebud Fusion 6 year 58.9% Adelphi

The Compass Box blend was followed by an offering from Alex of Adelphi. Very interesting! We later learned that it is a combination of Ardnamurchan and Sweden’s High Coast single malt – peated and unpeated.

On the nose we found peat and sweet mash, slightly sour, cured meats, and tinned mandarin orange.  On the palate, it was surprisingly mineral, creamy, and nutty, curiously compelling with a quaint character. It had quite a fab finish, dry wood, long and strong.

The XXX Blend 30 year, Batch 1 42.5%

From the folks behind ATOM Brands with That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Sam was up next. On the nose, we were greeted by caramel, chocolate and coffee, vanilla ice cream, and apple sauce with cinnamon. On the palate? Wow! A mix of so many elements from peat to sweet, silk to stone. Remarkably good. The finish returned to apples and sweet spices. It is made of seven casks and retails for Eur 233

Dornoch 4 year old (2018) 55.5% 

We closed with a young dram from Thompson Independent bottlers. For the nose – fresh, sour yet draws you in, almost meadowy, ginger joined by apple orchard. On the palate, sweet spices, panettone, with a lovely finish. Yum.

So from young to old, malt to grain, blends to single cask, tale tales to truths, what a wonderful way to explore a few drams with industry experts.

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Whisky Lady – October to December 2023

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This year I really felt like I truly experienced winter! I spent late October to early November in my hometown of Winnipeg, Canada – which greeted me from the air with snowy whiteness! Plus remained in Nurnberg, Germany all the way til the last week of December – til I finally flew home to Mumbai, India.

It was a good quarter whisky-wise! This year I didn’t make it to that many whisky shows, however, I was NOT going to miss London’s Whisky Show 2023!! It was followed by a very special evening with the founder both of the show and The Whisky Exchange – Sukhinder Singh – always such a pleasure. Here are a few highlights:

Wow! We are already contemplating whether to come back in 2024 for just 1 day or attempt the weekend.

Then later in October, I made it to my 1st Schottland weekend – a remarkable weekend gathering of whisky friends in Franconia. A few highlights included:

This was followed by a trip to Winnipeg, Canada where I joined The Cabinet meeting in November. Our theme was “Alt Islay” to which I brought two Chorltons: An Ardmore and Staoisha plus a North Star Caol Ila. Our lads anchored our alternative Islay expressions with a Bruichladdich The Organic 2010 and Ardbeg’s Ardcore.

Curious about Finch‘s Schwabian distillery, I picked up an Octet sample pack and shared it one wintery November evening with friends. Our favorites were the Emmer Edition, Spelt Port, and Sherry.

Back in Nurnberg, I had not one but three whisky-tasting sessions. The first was dedicated to India as part of a Diwali celebration featuring:

PS – I later followed this experience with a special Paul John Christmas Eggnog indulgence – what a treat!

The second was a more sociable evening with a group of gals keen to learn more about whiskies. For this evening, I brought out bottles previously tasted:

The third was another session with our International Nurnberg whisky-tasting group which focused on exploring closer to our European home. We explored:

My 2023 ended with a trip home to India with tasting sessions planned for early in the new year! I can’t wait!

Here is wishing you and your loved ones a fabulous new year!

Curious to know more? Check out a few more summaries:

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