Category Archives: Beyond Scotland

2025 Whisky Show – Romania’s Carpathian Whisky

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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

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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:

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2025 Whisky Show – Sweden’s Agitator

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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…

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2025 Whisky Show – The Heart Cut

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Every Whisky Show has something that really stands out – be it a remarkable bottle that one remembers for years, a masterclass that brought deeper insights into the drams, or a new distillery to discover!

Sometimes the “Oh wow!” isn’t a new distillery; it is a new blending company or independent bottler. For my tasting companion and I, the 2025 Whisky Show will be remembered as the year we discovered The Heart Cut husband and wife bottling team – Georgie and Fabrizio.

Bursting with enthusiasm and a quest for unique and interesting expressions, we were so impressed that we walked away with three bottles from the show and ordered a fourth from The Whisky Exchange – picked up shortly before my flight to Mumbai!

What did we try? It was a bit of an around-the-world tour! From single malts to rye and spirited experiments! The casks reflected a wonderfully eclectic range – from wet red wines to ex-Islay, 250+ year old European oak to new American oak. And the biggest surprise? A Californian Ale Cask! Here are the expressions we experienced:

** Identifies the bottles purchased for a Bombay Malt & Cigar club future flight.

Our journey began at the Mainstage session about the Future of Independent Bottlers. Even though technically the St George is a spirit rather than whisky, we were simply blown away and had to have it!

You can read about our experience as part of the Mainstage session soon! In the interim, here is a bit of an introduction!

St George Spirits California Ale Cask (25 Jul 2016 / 17 Nov 2023) 54% (The Heart Cut #08) 

St George is a distillery based in the Bay Area of San Francisco, California, USA. It was founded in 1982 by Jörg Rupf and produces a range of spirits, including some rather fine Gins that I received years ago as a gift! I was also introduced to their unique single malt (Lot No 16) expression from 2016.

Here are their official tasting notes for their spirit:

Delicate notes of dried chamomile, ripe stone fruit and juicy mango lead the way, followed by a rich burst of apricot jam. The finish is all toasted brioche and the creamy, caramel-chocolate goodness of Rolo’s.

The description was further “distilled” on the label to a few succinct words! Dried chamomile, candyfloss, apricot jam, toasted brioche, Rolo’s.

They call this an “Experimental Malt” due to the addition of hops during brewing. It began as a 100% malted barley, sage-infused, heavily hopped IPA, then was matured in a cask that previously contained Bourbon, Reposado Tequila, and a Californian Ale.

They further share why they selected it:

Adventurousness is next to fearlessness, and the team at St. George skirts the line between the two – and if there were ever a cask to epitomise this ethos, this would be it. From a production standpoint, it’s absolutely unique – an unprecedented combination of malted barley and both hops and bay added as hot-side aroma additions during brewing.

It’s utterly delicious, and we can’t get enough of it!

Neither could we – hence why we selected this experiment for a further tasting with the BMC!

At The Heart Cut stand, we were first directed to a Thomson… As we stopped by New Zealand’s Thomson booth last year, we skipped over it this year. However, this expression was irresistible!

Thomson (6 June 2019 / 25 Mar 2025) Fresh NZ Pinot Noir 50.8% (The Heart Cut #19)

Here’s what we found…

  • Colour – Bright red, almost impossibly so!
  • Nose – The aromas were bursting with jammy yumminess! We found warm strawberries – like picking them from the backyard on a summer day! Lots of figs, plums, and Christmas treats. There was something more that was very enticing too!
  • Palate – It was full of red plums, ripe dark red cherries – like the ones you get in Germany! Beyond the fruits was a nutty element, some salted caramel
  • Finish – I didn’t take specific note – perhaps as we were just enjoying the whisky so much!

Just wow! We were a bit blown away by this dram. I’m so happy we didn’t miss sampling this expression! This was absolutely up my alley – whisky-wise. And that’s exactly why it made the “pick” to bring from London back to Mumbai!

The Heart Cut official tasting notes share:

‘Holy wow’ on the nose (thanks to H from our tasting panel for that one!). First comes spiced plum jam and wild strawberries, then sesame snaps and a hint of sandalwood. On the palate, sweetness unfurls: salted caramel, fig rolls, and a nutty Brazil nut note. With a splash of water, the whisky blooms into stewed apples, dried apricots, and candied pecans, with a long, warming finish.

Key Takeouts: Spiced Plum Jam, Wild Strawberries, Dried Cherries, Salted Caramel, Figs

I have to admit to being a bit amused by reading their notes. They were totally in keeping with our brief experience – right down to the wow! I’m looking forward to revisiting it in an upcoming session – including adding water to see its impact. Unfortunately, knowing us, it could be in a few years!

What next? We shifted to Germany… While living in Nürnberg, I kept thinking I would take a trip to Berlin and check out the Stork Club’s “House of Rye”.  Somehow that visit didn’t happen; however, I have tried their rye whiskies a few times! And their single malt once too!  Made for memorable cocktails, my last Stork Rye bottle was used for a rather tasty Old Fashioned at a Mumbai birthday party!

So what did we try and what did we think?

Stork Club (28 Jun 2019 / 5 Nov 2024) German Napoleon Oak Cask 55% (The Heart Cut #13) 

Dubbed as “Black Forest gateau in a glass”, what did we think?

  • Colour – Bright gold
  • Nose – Hello rye! Lots of cereals, initially a bit musty, umami, then sweetened into caramel, cherries, a cross between a ginger spice and chocolate cake with creamy icing
  • Palate – Candied ginger, jalapenos, toasted rye bread… roll around a bit more, and there is some mocha, evolving into rich chocolate, roasted nuts
  • Finish – A tasty coffee close

My main recollection was how it was surprisingly rich, indulgent, and rewarding – in many ways unlike any Rye I’ve had! I could completely understand the black forest cake moniker!

Don’t believe me? Check out The Heart Cut’s tasting notes:

Rich and indulgent, the nose bursts with black forest gâteau – ripe cherries, dark chocolate, and a hint of sponge cake – layered with chocolate-covered candied ginger and a touch of baking spices (cinnamon, clove, and allspice). On the palate, toasted cacao nibs and dark chocolate Bounty bring a deep, roasted intensity balanced by the exotic sweetness of candied mango and the savoury-sweet depth of koji. A warming hint of white pepper and subtle woody spice add complexity, leading to a smooth, lingering finish of vanilla cream.

Key Takeouts: Black Forest Gâteau, Candied Ginger, Toasted Cacao Nibs, Koji, Vanilla Cream

From our brief sniff and swish, we would certainly agree. Whilst it didn’t make our “cut” for purchase, it certainly made an impression!

I love how Georgie and Fabrizio share their thinking. This is why this cask made their “cut”:

We’ve been talking with Bastian at Stork Club – Germany’s first Rye Whiskey Distillery – for years (literally), exploring casks and sampling different options. Then one day, he sent us this cask. A malted rye whiskey, matured in a Napoleon Oak Cask – something we’d never come across, and that got us excited! Rich, decadent, and so chocolatey, this whiskey is unlike anything we’ve tasted in all our years. It’s Black Forest Gateau in a glass, and we love it.

PS – Napoleonic oak means the tree is made from 250+ year old oak (ie survived the Napoleonic wars, WWI, and WWII). Coopers X-ray the wood for shrapnel to ensure past conflicts haven’t left lead traces behind!

From New Zealand to Germany, we moved to Australia. Starward is known to use quite “wet” red wine casks, marrying a bit of wine with whisky. We’ve had a few explorations with this distillery and were curious what The Heart Cut chose and why!

Starward (18 Jun 2019 / 29 Aug 2024) Fresh Red Wine Barrique – American Oak 55% (The Heart Cut #14)

What did we find?

  • Colour – A darker ruby red
  • Nose – Rich and juicy, loads of ripe raspberries, molten dark chocolate
  • Palate – Easy and approachable, yet with substance. More of that raspberry – think of raspberry brownies
  • Finish – Some roasted coconut and spices

I was a bit sentimental about this one. Why? The nose reminded me of my mother’s raspberry jam made with berries picked in their backyard. She’s long past her jam-making days; however, the last jar was such a treat!

My final tasting note? “Their tasting notes are perfect!”  So what was I agreeing with?

LIKE CHOCOLATE-COVERED RASPBERRIES? THEN YOU’LL LOVE THIS.

Starward Distillery has firmly put Melbourne on the Whisky map. Matured in a fresh red wine cask from the Barossa Valley (crafted from American oak), this single malt is all about juicy red fruit and indulgent sweetness – guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

The Heart Cut couple shared that it tastes like:

Bright redcurrants and dried apple slices lead the nose, lifted by delicate rose petals and a whisper of hay. On the palate, a burst of chocolate-covered raspberries meets the comforting crumble of digestive biscuits, layered with rich vanilla and a drizzle of golden syrup. There’s a soft, malty warmth – think porridge laced with dates – and a long, satisfying finish of desiccated coconut, toasted spices and a lingering echo of a raspberry dessert.

Key Takeouts: Chocolate Covered Raspberries, Redcurrants, Digestive Biscuits, Rich Vanilla, Dried Apple Slices

Whilst this one didn’t make the final cut for our quartet, it was definitely a contender!

That was one hard act to follow! So why even try? We went in a totally different direction, returning to Rye, but this time with a new English distillery – Fielden.

Fielden English Rye (7 Jun 2019 / 4 Jul 2023) New American Oak Cask, Coastal Solera Oloroso Finish 56.6% (The Heart Cut #16) 

What did we discover?

  • Colour – Dark copper
  • Nose – An unmistakable aroma – Li Hing Mui – a Chinese dried sweet, sour, and salty dried plums! This was joined by salty caramel
  • Palate – Churan – a distinctive Indian Ayurvedic powder blend made from spices and herbs like mango powder, fennel, cumin, ajwain, ginger, black pepper, and black salt. This was joined by fruits
  • Finish – A bit savoury – think sea salt and roasted nuts

For an English Rye, our impressions veered towards Chinese and Indian flavours! How did that compare with our merry bottling duo?

They described it as a salty caramel bomb! Here’s what more they have to say:

You’re wrapped in warmth from the first nose of this whisky — salted caramel melts into golden honeycomb and a whisper of honeysuckle. On the palate, that saline-sweet caramel deepens, layered with vanilla ice cream and overripe apricot, before thickening into pecan pie richness. Banana chips bring a crisp, tropical chew; there’s also nostalgic notes of warm waffles with maple syrup. To finish, a playful fizz of kola cubes is grounded by toasted walnuts, oak sawdust, and a flicker of smoked Maldon sea salt.

Key Takeouts: Salted Caramel, Honeycomb, Kola Cubes, Walnuts, Banana Chips

We love their approach to exploring and sharing impressions. We weren’t familiar with this distillery, though we spotted that they were at The Whisky Show. So here’s what the Heart Cut has to say about them:

Fielden is shifting the conversation from the stillhouse to the field, championing regenerative farming and heritage grains to create whisky that’s not only great to taste but good for the land. Learn more about Fielden here.

And with that, we moved on to our next expression…

In keeping with a theme of “new”, Lochlea from the Lowlands certainly fits the bill. In 2023, we spent time with the folks behind Lochlea, exploring their family-run approach to whisky making. As for the whisky?

Lochlea (25 Sep 2019 / 14 May 2025) Ex-Islay Cask 54% (The Heart Cut #17) 

  • Colour – Bright yellow
  • Nose – A lemony peat, fresh, with a bit of crisp green apples and lemon zest, joined by honey
  • Palate – Sweet, balanced with a great mouthfeel, more sweet peat and smoke on the palate than nose
  • Finish – Flavourful finish of sweet peat

There was a bright coastal feel to this expression. Quite a contrast to the others – standing out for this very reason!

The Heart Cut couple had this to say about their bottle:

A summer night’s bonfire, wrapped in shortbread sweetness. On the nose, you’ll find freshly cut grass, barbecued pineapple and delicate coastal smoke – all underpinned by buttery apples and soft green pepper. The palate glows with barbecued citrus, runny honey and creamy hazelnuts, before the smoke thickens into birchwood and burnt embers. The finish is long, bright and creamy, with sherbet candy (flying saucers!), bitter orange peel and a wisp of sea salt.

Key Takeouts: Sweet Smoke, Baked Apples, Creamy Hazelnut, Next Door’s BBQ, Sherbet Candy

It made our “cut” as the closing dram for an upcoming session – with a deliberate decision to end on a smoky note!

Westward (22 Mar 2018 / 9 Aug 2023) New American Oak 50% (The Heart Cut #07) 

  • Colour – Dark copper
  • Nose – Dessert in a glass! Tropical fruits, creamy vanilla pudding, vibrant and intoxicating
  • Palate – Fun and sweet, veering towards marmalade and nuts
  • Finish – Dry

Most enjoyable!

Here are their official tasting notes:

Bursting with juicy passion fruit, rich vanilla, panettone, and a zing of bitter orange, this whiskey’s sweetness is beautifully balanced by toasted almonds and a pleasing dryness reminiscent of cacao nibs. This is American Single Malt, but on a whole other level.

And why they chose to bottle this cask:

The newly emerged American Single Malt Whiskey category is gaining momentum, and there’s one distillery we’ve had eyes on since the start. Westward Whiskey brew like a craft ale, distill like a Single Malt and age like a Bourbon to create something otherworldly delicious, and this single cask blew us away with its super juicy and tropical character.

It’s a whiskey that just gets better with every sip. Enjoy!

I’m certainly interested in exploring more!

Bottled exclusively for The Whisky Exchange’s Whisky Show 2025, this is the most recent expression from The Heart Cut. You can read more about our tasting experience here:

Kanosuke 5 year (Nov 2019 / Apr 2025) Ex-Bourbon Quarter Cask 54%

Was I in love? Most certainly! However, I felt such a delicate and nuanced dram might be lost with the bolder choices we were making for our future The Heart Cut tasting evening. Additionally, at £125 for 500ml, the price was a bit beyond what we would normally spend for a tasting flight.

What did the folks at The Heart Cut say about this expression?

Our first Japanese release is a once-in-a-moment cask: a single malt from Kanosuke Distillery, matured in a rare ex-bourbon quarter cask. It’s a whisky of concentrated elegance – all ripe apricots, toasted marshmallows, and refined black tea.

I love how they also share their thinking about why this cask made their “cut”:

Kanosuke is everything we look for in a partner distillery: a new generation of makers, respectful of tradition yet unafraid to shape a bold future for Japanese whisky.

Together with the Kanosuke team, we identified this cask as a once-in-a-moment find – one that captures the distillery’s spirit in crystalline detail. Matured in an ex-bourbon quarter cask from a renowned American distillery, it delivers concentrated flavour and texture, layering ripe apricots with the charred sweetness of toasted marshmallow, all wrapped in a signature elegance that is unmistakably Kanosuke.

And there you have it! A fabulous introduction to a great new team putting out some lovely spirits!

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2025 Whisky Show Exclusives – Kanosuke, Tormore, Clynelish

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All whisky shows have “exclusives” bottled just for the event. 2025 Whisky Show was no exception! There were many on offer – including a “Lost in Time” series that we didn’t get a chance to try!

So what did we experience?

Inspired by the St George spirit from The Heart Cut that we tried at a Mainstage session about the future of Independent Bottlers, we went straight for their show bottle! As he poured, Duncan shared that he’s become a big fan of The Heart Cut, bottling some good stuff! He especially enjoyed their Cotswold and Milk & Honey expressions, which were not available at the show. So what about what we could try?

Bottled exclusively for The Whisky Exchange’s Whisky Show 2025, this Kanosuke is the most recent expression from The Heart Cut.

Kanosuke 5 year (Nov 2019 / Apr 2025) Ex-Bourbon Quarter Cask 54% (The Heart Cut #21) 115 bottles

What did we think?

  • Nose – Fun, effervescent, fruity, apricot, a gentle honey, lightly herbal
  • Palate – Black tea, toasted marshmallows, delightful!
  • Finish – A lovely fragrant finish

This was a lovely dram – with the official tasting notes spot on! Here’s what they have to say about the liquid:

This whisky opens with big, ripe fruit – sun-warmed apricots that soften into honeycomb, lifted by a delicate, fragrant herbal note. On the palate, more apricots and juicy peaches layer with honeycomb that deepens into bittersweet caramel, reminiscent of the charred sweetness of toasted marshmallows, before easing into the refined bitterness of black tea. The finish carries the juiciness of stone fruit long and bright, with a whisper of lemon verbena to close.

Key Takeouts: Toasted Marshmallows, Honeycomb, Black tea, Lemon Verbena, Ripe Apricots.

A truly delightful treat to try!

We moved on to Sukhinder Singh’s distillery – Tormore. Our last experience was during an evening at my friend’s London home with Sukhinder, where we shared a Chorlton indie bottle – a Tormore 28 year. This wasn’t quite so old – more in the range of 15 years and was sampled from an official Pre-release for the 2025 Whisky Show.

Tormore Legacy Casks 2009 Vintage (May 2009 / May 2025) 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel Cask #4046 55.1% 210 bottles.

  • Nose – We found it bursting with orchard fruits – lots of crisp green apples and pears! Then it shifted to reveal red berries, warm oak, and then caramel custard! After some time in the glass, there was a light floral element on top – sweet!
  • Palate – It had lots of currents, raspberries… rich and rewarding!
  • Finish – A hint of smoke and black tea

Though it was only a wee sniff and swish, we quite enjoyed it!

I spotted the 29 year Clynelish and got excited! My festival pick from the 2023 Whisky Show was the Clynelish 12 year (2011/2023) 1st Fill Barrel #880297 56.4%.

Clynelish 1993 29 Year Old (20 Oct 1993 / 20 Dec 2022) Bourbon Barrel #11080 49.6% (Càrn Mòr)

Duncan warned me this might not be quite what I was expecting….

  • Nose – I expected something joyful and waxy; instead, there were apples, but slightly past their prime, sweet
  • Palate – Initially, it seemed like it would be an easy-going, well-rounded dram, yet, then amidst all the red apples, the prick of spice became sharper

And that’s when it dawned on me. What about that classic Clynelish waxy trait? Where was the honey and heather? Then I learned it is GBP 775 / bottle? What….?! Oh my! Somehow, I stopped evaluating the whisky on its own merit and couldn’t get past the price tag.

After this trio of show exclusives, we noticed that the throng around The Heart Cut stand had lessened slightly, so we decided to make our move next door to further explore!

As always, it is good to reconnect with folks and share a dram or two, kibbitz over this and that, and slow down to enjoy good moments! (Yes that’s me with my regular tasting companion and Duncan, late of The Whisky Exchange).

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2025 Whisky Show – Amrut

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The 2025 London Whisky Show is a brilliant way to explore world whiskies. Whilst the focus was on the Nordics, with a Nordic Zone this year, we simply had to make a pit stop by Amrut to check out their new expressions!

Nilesh kindly walked us through two samples:

  • Amrut 7 year Special Limited Edition (2016 – 2025) Single Cask 197 UK Exclusive 60% (2025 Whisky Show – GBP 146)
  • Amrut Single Malts Of India Marudham 46% (2025 Whisky Show – GBP 83)

Whilst this was just a brief sniff, swish and spit, it was great to taste a few drams outside their core range.

Amrut Special Limited Edition 7 year (01/2016 – 2025) Ex-Bourbon Single Cask 197, 60% UK Exclusive 143 Bottles

  • Nose – Fruity, sweet, juicy raisins, dripping in caramel
  • Palate – Spicy! Can see the strength of 60% punching through, powerful and full force – tropical fruits, most heated spice
  • Finish – Carries through

With just a wee splash in our glass, we couldn’t really add a few drops of water, however, I have a feeling that’s exactly what this whisky needs!

Amrut Marudham (2024) 46% (Single Malts of India)

  • Nose – Tropical fruits bursting out of the glass, joined by a delicious chocolate hazelnut
  • Palate – Softer than anticipated, well balanced with tropical fruits, wood, spice, and sweet – think condensed maple syrup
  • Finish – Nice tingle, caramel, and vanilla

Whilst there is a lot going on, it is surprisingly approachable. And with that, we were ready to move on to our next whisky stand, grateful to have a chance for a quick pit stop!

If you are curious about other Amrut experiences, please check out:

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That Boutique-y Whisky Co Blends

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In early 2019, I decided it would be fun to invest in a special tasting set for those quiet times between tasting sessions. My choice was to go super unique with the That Boutique-y Whisky Company 2018 Advent Calendar. 

Then my life changed with a move from India to Germany, followed by the world changing with COVID. Fast forward to the fall of 2025, when I was packing and unpacking and repacking between Germany, two homes in India, and Canada… I found myself on our Maharashtra farm contemplating a potential weekend getaway in Manitoba and remembered this delightful box full of quirky and curious drams!

My Manitoba getaway companion is a fellow whisky lady plus our fabulous cottage host, who also enjoys a good dram or two! As I would be just missing her birthday, I decided to pack a few drams to enjoy together in a quiet celebration! Even better – they could be considered an early “appetizer” for the 2025 Whisky Show in London coming up the following weekend! I remembered a brilliant exploration of special blends with TBWC at the Whisky Show in 2022 plus an exceptional 45 year blended grain featured in Paris Live!

What did I pick?

After so much time, it was tough to track down official bottle images and tasting notes; however, I could find a few insights into what the good folks at TBWC had to say about two expressions!

I decided to start with the Japanese and Scottish blend… with no idea what to expect! Here are our impressions, splitting a wee 30 ml mini between three!

Blend of Scottish and Japanese malt and grain whiskies 21 Year Old (2018) Batch 1, 43%

  • Nose – Oh my! Lots of bananas, caramel, ripe fruits, a sweet tropical fruit bowl, and warm vanilla cream. As it opened, it even had a caramel buttery quality.
  • Palate – Light chilli spice plus chai masala – mostly cloves, joined by coffee mocha, chased by nutty nougat
  • Finish – Lingers with an espresso tail, hint of wood

Overall, we enjoyed this one. It had a nice balance between sweet and spice. Nothing complex, and one described it as particularly promising on the nose, hints of sherry cask; however, it “flatlined’ after some time.

Whilst I couldn’t find tasting notes in That Boutique-y Whisky Company’s archive, Master of Malt has this to say:

The very first bottling of Blended Whisky made using malt and grain whisky from Scotland and Japan is here! This 21 year old expression is a globe-spanning delight, with oodles of vanilla and cooking spice notes alongside a deft touch of smoke. Also, the label is generally just rad, so that’s a plus.

Tasting Note by The Chaps at Master of Malt

  • Nose: A very malty nose opens with Seville orange marmalade and buttered burnt toast. There’s some vanilla, juicy toasted barley and a touch of donuts underneath. Charred oak and red chilli add warmth and savoury spice throughout.
  • Palate: Nutmeg and clove add a drying spice which contributes depth to butterscotch and hazelnuts. There’s a subtle tropical fruit note underneath.
  • Finish: Medium length, with touches of burnt oak.

Next, we turned our tasting towards a young Scottish expression… I began with what was their #4 expression – the youngest of the bunch!

Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 4 B1.jpg

Scottish Blended Malt #4 6 Year Old (February 2018) Batch 1, 53.6%

  • Nose – Fresh and light, youthful apple cinnamon, lemon drops, bay leaf, slipping into wet leaves, dark molasses treacle, and more vegetal elements
  • Palate – Sour mash, pepper, with the sense that it simply wasn’t really ready to be bottled
  • Finish – Limited

Alas, a massive disappointment after a potentially interesting nose. Now, in fairness, we were three people sampling from a 30 ml miniature. However, given that is the 10 ml Whisky Show pour, we certainly should have enough to get an impression!

What do the folks at TBWC have to say?

This time it’s almost exclusively a single malt from one of our more recently built Scottish distilleries that’s been ‘teaspooned’ (that to say, an imponderable amount of another well-loved single malt has been added). All hail Superspoon who is out to save the world!

Tasting notes:

  • Nose: Sourdough bread mix and waxy floral notes. It’s a little herbal/vegetal at first, damp grass, buts sweetens with time giving butterscotch. Hints of cinnamon too.
  • Palate: Cream soda, dessert wine grapes and some bramley apple tartness. A hot peppery kick then sweetening with vanilla buttercream.
  • Finish: Sweetened chocolate malt, with a hint of barrel char.

After a youthful 6 year, I thought it would be nice to shift back to something a wee bit more mature… This just so happens to be the 1st Blended Whisky expression from their 3rd batch. What did we think?

Scottish Blended Malt #1 18 Year Old (2018) Batch 3, 47.3% 1,049 Bottles

  • Nose – Lightly fruity, soapy and floral, summer Scotch, vanilla, yet then becomes oddly musty or dusty, like a neglected wood closet
  • Palate – Different – from the sprightly aromas, we weren’t anticipating something quite so “charged up”. Lots of pepper and a few flashes of fruit, imbalanced
  • Finish – Stays, but doesn’t say much – a bit peppery and then perhaps sweet

I managed to track down a photo from Batch 3, however, try as I might, I could only find tasting notes for this expression from Master of Malt, who had this to say:

It’s another brilliant blended malt Scotch whisky from That Boutique-y Whisky Company! As you can see on the label, all those whisky fans are admiring the glory of the teaspoon, in reference to this being a “teaspooned whisky”. It’s made almost completely with malt whisky from one distillery, along with just a tiny bit of malt whisky from another distillery. This way it may no longer have which distillery it came from on the label, nor can it be sold as a single malt. However, they do then to be rather brilliant value for money, hence those rather charmed whisky lovers!

Tasting Note by The Chaps at Master of Malt

  • Nose – Rich with honey and poached pear, alongside a good helping of mature oak. Slowly but surely dried fruit and fresh peels take control of the nose.
  • Palate – Honeycomb, milk chocolate, sultana, stem ginger and black pepper.
  • Finish – Continued peppery malt, tempered by the return of the honeycomb and some floral air.

Next up, we continued to the Blended Whisky 2nd expression, also a few years older. Given the earlier ones were a wee bit disappointing, we hoped for something a bit more up our palate “alley”.

Blended Whisky #2 22 Year Old - Batch 3 (That Boutique-y Whisky Company).jpg

Scottish Blended Whisky #2 22 Year Old (May 2022) Batch 3, 41.8% 1,650 Bottles

  • Nose – Yummy! Chocolate, mocha, rum raisins, caramel – more specifically salted caramel pretzels
  • Palate -The espresso follows through, heavier than the nose, dark red fruits
  • Finish -A touch of marmalade joins a gentle sweet spice finish

We remarked that this was like Hallowe’en candy, preparing for Christmas. Really quite delicious and one we fully appreciated!

Here’s what TBWC have to say:

This right here is our Blended Whisky #2, which is rather different to Blended Whisky #1. There’s no massive sphere here, but the disembodied glove has returned! This time, it looks to have discovered a massive, soft planetoid. It’s another one of those metaphors!

Tasting note:

  • Nose: Honey, oak, vanilla pod and chocolatey cereal.
  • Palate: Cherry, spiced rum, thick caramel and a hint of earthy pear.
  • Finish: Menthol, freshly baked bread with chocolate spread, orange oil.

In closing, we progressed to the 3rd TBWC Scottish Blended Whisky expression, from their 1st Batch.

blended-whisky-3-23-year-old-batch-1-that-boutique-y-whisky-company-whisky.jpg

Scottish Blended Whisky #3, 23 Year Old (2018) Batch 1, 48.2%

  • Nose – Mellons, complex and mature, nuanced, layered, creamy hot milk chocolate, salted caramel, walnuts, cherries, buttery, vanilla pods, rich fruits
  • Palate -Soft and silky, a great mouthfeel, joined by warm honey, soft fruits
  • Finish – Melting in your mouthmilk chocolate, long with a hint of smoke curling at the end

Gorgeous. Finally. The kind of dram that envelops you in a warm, comforting blanket by the fire and be lulled to sleep. It was both a class act, beautiful, and yet at the same time unpretentious and comfortable. The sample was simply too little as we would have loved to settle down to enjoy it for the rest of the evening.

Here are the original TBWC tasting notes:

The disembodied gloves from Blended Whisky #1 and #2 continue to explore the deep reaches of space on the label of Blended Whisky #3! On this label, they’ve found something rather curious indeed – a length of chrome which seems to go on forever… Metaphors? Metaphors!

Tasting note:

  • Nose: Rich and fragrant, with old oak furniture and red grapes on the vine. Intense orange oil later on.
  • Palate: Honey’d cereals, dark chocolate and crumbly biscuits. A little bit of vegetal oak in there.
  • Finish: Very long, with further indulgent notes of dark chocolate and cigar box.

What an interesting quintet! Whilst we were clearly partial to the 4th and 5th, less enthused about the 2nd and 3rd, it was well worth doing!

We closed our evening moving into a different direction – still a blend but this time a mix of malts from 6 Isles. As the temperature dipped, the fire burned, shifting into a peaty expression was just right!

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BMC Trip to South Africa – Boplaas, Drayman’s, Three Ships  

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A few years ago, we had a fabulous family wedding in South Africa. It was a magical and memorable moment. More recently in Germany, friends and I joined an evening organised by Hawelti featuring 8 whiskies from Africa!

So when I learned our focus for our Bombay Malt & Cigar evening for September 2025 was South Africa – the concept fell on fertile ground.

Just click on the links below for full tasting notes!

You would think this should be enough, right? Nope! Our whisky host knew these drams could be dicey, so to cover all bases, added another two favourites – call it a theme of Sweet (almost!) 16!

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BMC Trip to South Africa – Three Ships 10 year 46.3%

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Our host had high hopes for this 10 year old single malt whisky from Three Ships. He had been informed that Three Ships from the James Sedgwick Distillery is “the” single malt from South Africa. What did we find?

Three Ships 10 year 46.3%

  • Nose – Fresh, then becomes like sanitizer, chemical, moved into fresh wood, cardboard, cinnamon powder, cardamom, hay
  • Palate – Decidedly funky, quite odd, wax seal, blend of cinnamon and other sweet spices, and wood
  • Finish – Spice yet non-descript

We set it aside, in hopes that after more time in the glass, it would evolve in a more positive direction. Nope! Instead, it took on aromas of rubber bands, iodine, and plaster. Pity.

What did they have to say about this special release?

  • Nose – Complex with delicate sweet notes from the sherry cask which lifts the nose with prunes, dates, figs and fruit cake and combines effortlessly with the elegant smokiness of the malt
  • Palate – The flavours unravel slowly to reveal smoke, pepper, roasted malt and fruit
  • Finish – Lingers impressively long and the sweet notes mingle comfortably with the peaty finish

Oh my! Were we experiencing the same whisky? We certainly did not find many elements described.

That shared, I had a more positive impression of the 12 year expression – sampled earlier in the year at an evening devoted to a range of whiskies from Africa.

Curious what we thought of the others? Read on…

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BMC Trip to South Africa – Drayman’s 5 year Single Malt 43%

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We began our evening exploring whiskies from South Africa with a grain from Boplaas before shifting into a “proper” single malt from Pretoria. Starting as a beer microbrewery, Draymans Brewery & Spirits expanded into wine, liqueurs, and whisky.

 

Drayman’s 5 year Single Malt French Oak Reserve 43%

  • Nose – What fun! Lots of candy sweet, caramel custard, pear drops, a bit of acetone, think “Juicy Fruit” gum, a mix of peach, pear, and a generic “mixed fruit”, cream, gooseberries, cakes, cereal
  • Palate – The opposite of the aromas – a range of spices from black pepper to cayenne powder, sour salty plum, churan with its sweet and sour mix of fruits, herbs and minerals, chaat masala, nuts and coca
  • Finish – Paprika, sugar beet sweet, relatively short

There was a youthful exuberance to this dram. The nose was a honeyed delight, and the palate a surprising contrast, with the finish a mix of both! No surprise – this was the front-runner of the South African trio tasted that fine evening in Mumbai.

Curious what we thought of the others? Read on…

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