Category Archives: European

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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Whisky Ladies – Slyrs, Baltech, Miyagikyo  

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It was a wonderful welcome back to India, joining a Whisky Ladies of Mumbai evening in a high-rise in Powai! The evening theme was “These are a few of my favourite things!” featuring a delicious array of tempting appetizers, fabulous mains, and thoroughly indulgent dessert!

Of course, the whiskies were the main attraction! Our host shared how she joined the Whisky Ladies courtesy of a member originally from Germany. In her honour, she selected two whiskies from Germany – A Slyrs Amontillado Cask from Bavaria and a virtually unknown spirits distillery from the Ostsee (aka Baltic Sea) – Baltach Wismaria Whisky. She then shared how much she loves Japan, so found in duty-free a special Nikka edition featuring their Miyagikyo single malt.

And whilst not part of the core 3, she rounded our evening out with a bonus bourbon from Detroit – Grass Widow Madeira.

Curious to know more about our explorations? Just click on the links below for full tasting notes!

Our evening was bittersweet as our host is about to embark on her next adventure – to Manila, Philippines! And I reflected back on how fortunate I’ve been wihisky-wise to have been in Europe – where there is tremendous experimentation taking place and an explosion of distilleries either focused on whisky or adding it to the mix of other spirits.

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Whisky Ladies September 2025 – Baltach Wismaria Whisky 43%  

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There’s something quietly compelling about the Baltic Sea region — old bricks, sea-salt carried on the cool wind, a popular place to escape by several countries – Germany included! And in this atmospheric setting sits Hinricus Noyte’s Spirituosen in Wismar, a craft distillery that links its name to the 15th century with the first recorded brau­herr in Wismar, Hinricus Noyte! The current incarnation has been dabbling in whiskies, gin, and other spirits in small batches since 2010.

Remarkable for such a small distillery, a bottle of their “Whisky” (presumably a single malt) made its way from Deutschland to India for our Whisky Ladies of Mumbai evening in September 2025!

All we knew is that it came from the Oostsea (aka Baltic Sea) and the whisky was matured in an ex-Bourbon cask before being finished in a Sherry cask. So what did we think?

Baltach Wismaria Whisky 43%

  • Nose – It began a bit strange, like a funky cheese, then jalapenos in brine, fish oil, loads of sea spray, spoiled sardine can, a tannery, hospital disinfectant, mushrooms, fermented mash tun, very umami, bread with fruit, old house with dust, must, mold, and mildew, or a smelly old shoe…
  • Palate – Ashy fish oil, sweet yet decidedly “off”, pure maritime salt water, fungal, canned squid in brine
  • Finish – Bitter

Some whiskies get a universal “harrah” from the ladies; most get a range of largely positive reactions. However, sometimes we find a highly divisive dram – with clear detractors vs supporters. This was such a whisky – few found favour, but those that did had distinctly different insights and impressions.

For me? It was a clear “Nope!” I just couldn’t push myself beyond 2 sips and simply had to set it aside. Sitting next to me was another “hard pass” – dubbing it a “migraine malt”. And yes – this is a real thing – spirits that take a wide cut can often induce headaches!

The official tasting notes for this bottle were not on their website, however, there were related expressions – peated and unpeated – available for around Eur 50 for 500 ml.

So whilst for most this was a “miss”, there were a few staunch defenders of its unique style. And that’s what our evenings are all about – exploring together different whiskies to help evolve our knowledge, experiences, and palate preferences! Agreeing all the time simply wouldn’t be as much fun!

The Whisky Ladies of Mumbai sampled Baltach Whisky along with:

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Whisky Ladies September 2025 – Slyrs Amontillado 46%

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For the last 5+ years, Bavaria has been my home! I can vouch for it being about much more than beer steins and lederhosen! There are a few interesting whisky distilleries and this one – Slyrs – is tucked away on the shores of Lake Schliersee. Founded in 1999 by Florian Stetter, this alpine distillery keeps experimenting — from classic American oak to wine, rum, and fortified-wine finishes. With 25 years of experience, there have been hits, misses, and some that lie in between!

One of its newer and more intriguing creations – SLYRS Amontillado Cask Finish – kicked off our Whisky Ladies September 2025 evening. Amontillado is a dry sherry, darker than Fino but lighter than Oloroso, and is known to be gentler, with a nutty style… we were intrigued how it would work with the often bold Slyrs approach!

What did we think?

Slyrs Amontillado Cask 46%

  • Nose – It greeted us with rum raisin, stewed boozy plums, cherries, a heavy mulled wine, with generous sweet spices of cloves, allspice, and cinnamon. From Amarula liqueur to overripe apples, there were loads of fruit! Over time, it also revealed a rich dark chocolate, slightly bitter coffee, and then as it opened, caramelised pecans or roasted almonds with a dusting of salt, converging into a fresh out of the oven pecan pie! Beneath all of this, however, was something faintly musty, a touch of mildew…
  • Palate – Lots of sweet and spice, like chewing Big Red cinnamon gum! Hearty, with the full range of black, white, and green peppercorns, joining green and red chillies. Yet it wasn’t too spicy either! Instead, there was a hint of orange zest, more dried fruits, bread, and a salty tang too – think of a vegetarian bacon jam.
  • Finish – It was dry, a bit bitter, with lots of red wine tannins, almost a balsamic vinegar quality

The aromas were complex, think Rumtopf — that wonderfully boozy German tradition of layering seasonal fruits with sugar and dark rum to create a lush, jammy preserve. This SLYRS captures that same spirit: rich, stewed fruit sweetness laced with warming spice and just enough alcohol kick to keep things lively.

For all of us, the nose was the most interesting part. By contrast, the palate was fairly straightforward, with nothing really standing out. And the finish? It had mixed reviews.

Think of this like a Bavarian alpine hike ending at a Spanish tapas bar! Overall, it received a positive reaction from the Whisky Ladies. A far cry from our inaugural experience with Slyrs 51 nearly 10 years ago! In short – it was a great winter dram, with a slightly indulgent, old-world vibe, like something your grandmother would pull from the pantry at Christmas.

However, don’t leave it in your glass too long! That mildew element we found towards the end? Let’s just say it became more pronounced, going from inviting to frankly a bit funky!

Curious what the folks at Slyrs have to say?

  • Colour: Golden yellow sparkling
  • Aroma: Fruity with apple, green hazelnuts, and a hint of vanilla.
  • Taste: Strong, spicy, fiery.
  • Finish: Slightly salty finish with a long finish.

As of September 2025, it was still available – a 375 ml bottle goes for around Eur 45.50.

We then moved on to:

  • Baltech Wismaria 43%
  • Miyagikyo Grande 48%

For a few ladies, this was the “hit” of the evening! Personally, I quite enjoyed being happily surprised and look forward to my next Slyrs experience – with a Marsala expression waiting in my whisky cabinet!

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Nurnberg Whisky Explorer’s 2025 kick off!

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In 2025, our Nurnberg Whisky Explorers group abandoned all pretense of mostly monthly gatherings and opted for the more realistic goal of quarterly connects.

Our first session had no designated theme – the choice was entirely up to our four contributors. The result was a terrific combination of distinct drams, each bringing their unique voice to the chorus, with no competition or unfavourable comparisons.

So what did we explore?

  • Dewar’s 8 year Japanese Smooth 43%
  • Woven Homemade 46.4%
  • Green Spot Château Léoville Barton Bordeuax Finish 46%
  • Teerenpeli 10 year 43%

Interestingly, three were blends – two of Scottish origin and one Irish – closing with a special Finnish single malt. For me, it was an evening of mostly revisits – albeit nearly a decade later! Which made it such fun to experience anew!

Dewar’s 8 year Japanese Smooth Mizunara Wood Finish 43% ~Eur 21

Dewar’s is such a well-known blend. And yet, joining the standards are a few expressions that play with different elements – enter the Dewar’s finished in Japanese Mizunara Wood. What did we find?

  • Nose – Warm, honey with a hint of vanilla, shifting into a fresh citrus
  • Palate – It had a prickly spice, oak, a dash of sweet dry spices like cinnamon, and lots of vanilla
  • Finish – Hint of wax or a touch of salt depending on who you asked, quite dry

With a name like “Japanese Smooth”, we anticipated something silky soft with a nuanced floral element, maybe even a bit of light fruit? The mizunara wood finish certainly made this an interesting Dewar’s expression, however, was it floral or fruity? Not so much.

Setting aside preconceived notions, it was just the right way to start our evening and well worth trying. Even with the revisit, after sampling the other three, it held its own.

Woven Homemade 46.4% ~Eur 38 8120 bottles (500 ml)

Imagine entering an apothecary shop… or bringing together a couple of chemist with a wild array of options.. all about crafting an interesting experience. That’s what you can expect with a Woven whisky blend.

  • Nose – Began with lemon custard and butter, warm biscuits, green apple, slightly sour apple sauce
  • Palate – Start creamy, buttery, some rosehip, nutty oil, then shifts into becoming very dry
  • Finish – From lemon drop candy, to nutty butter, increasingly bitter over time

Very distinctive and unique. One described it as “effervescent” reminding him of a children’s fizzy medicine – brausetabletten. For all of us, it was remarkable how its character changed, Really quite interesting from an Apple martini to creamy nutty to dry and bitter. This was no “easy” blend – instead, it challenged us – in a good way. With the revisit, it also retained its specific character.

What more do we know? Only that it is a blend of two Speyside whiskies  (41.78% and 29.99%) and a Lowland grain (28.23%), likely blended 14 May 2023 with 70 days “marrying” period. In character, it was evaluated by the folks at Woven as somewhere between Balanced and Complex. And yes – we appreciated the other options – Fresh and Exploratory. And finally, it has a clear “nod” to BNJ – a bit of a cult whisky blend in some circles that also boasts a high malt portion.

You can find more details here: Woven Homemade.

Green Spot Château Léoville Barton Bordeaux Wine Finish 46% ~Eur 55

We then moved from Scotland to Ireland. This was no ordinary Green Spot! A year ago, our contributor brought the standard edition — a pleasure to revisit! This time, it was the Green Spot expression finished in Bordeaux casks…

  • Nose – It began with melted caramel, tobacco leaf, and tannins, warm and heavy, the longer it remained in the glass, the more prominent the brown sugar aroma became
  • Palate – Very pronounced red wine influence! There was an interesting undertone of oak and tannins, rich, rolling around in your mouth
  • Finish – Long finish, dry

The red wine cask was so prominent, that we speculated they must have finished in a rather “wet” cask, leaving a fair amount of Château Léoville Barton to mingle with the whiskey. Or as one whisky aficionado quipped “This is how wine should taste!”

Truth be told, as we tasted, I didn’t immediately remember being introduced to this expression some six years earlier at an Irish evening in Mumbai! This Is why it is such fun to have random evenings – you never know what will turn up and with it a fresh perspective too.

Teerenpeli 10 year 43% ~Eur 73

For me, the true treat of the night was an opportunity to revisit the Teerenpeli 10 year. It captivated my fancy in 2016 during a Whisky Ladies European focused tasting. How did I discover it? Its launch was at the 2015 London Whisky Show and came to me as a strong recommendation from the lads at TWE. What did we think?

  • Nose – Fruity, with a dusky, earthy element, a puff of smoke, a hint of coastal sea air, chased by vanilla
  • Palate – Incredibly smooth – like sliding into silk pajamas, then being enveloped in a soft velvet lightly peaty embrace, it has a subtle citrus peat, rich and well-rounded with a light heat of pepper
  • Finish – Carries on the warm embrace, with a touch of sea salt

This bottle was purchased by our contributor during a memorable trip to Finland nearly a year ago – just for our wee group to try. And it did not disappoint.

There was such a lot going on – so rewarding! The kind of single malt that evokes an emotional connection, memories of a special lebkuchen with citrusy sugar glaze, or enjoying a sunset outdoors from a porch on a cool fall evening, kept cozy and warm in a fuzzy blanket.

Above, for me, it was such a special treat to revisit – thank you!!

What more do we know? It gains its specific character from Finnish barley malt matured in 85% bourbon and 15% sherry casks. Since I last tried it, they not only refreshed the packaging, Teerenpeli also updated their official tasting notes to:

  • Nose – Butterscotch, vanilla, slightly oaky
  • Palate – Rich maltiness, fruity, smooth vanilla 

Would we agree? Certainly! You can find out more here: Teerenpeli 10 year.

PS Our contributor also highly recommends another Finish spirit – Artic Blue gin.

And there you have it – an evening exploring four distinct drams. Unlike some evenings, all were “hits” with narry a “miss”. Each brought something interesting to expand and challenge our collective tasing journeys. And that is exactly why such tasting evenings are so much fun!

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Friendly February Dram Exchange

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It was a surprisingly warm and sunny weekend for February. It was also a perfect opportunity for a few friends to get together and exchange a few drams. Some were already open. Others had been waiting for just this kind of evening.

We had 13 whiskies on offer and the hardest decision was where to start and where to stop? What did we have displayed to explore?

We chose to begin with the youngest and most recently opened distillery from the Hebridean Island distillery Raasay… Their aim is to produce a lightly peated whisky with rich flavourts. This was my first sample of the “real” Raasay as my earlier brush was a “pre” offering in their intended style “While we wait.”

We thought this would be a light dram to whet our appetite for more… what we discovered was a bit different!

Raasay Single Malt 46.4%

  • Nose – Fresh, young and vibrant, malty and maritime, slight smoke, more herbal than floral or fruity, after time a whiff of smoked meats
  • Palate – Surprisingly peaty – much more pronounced than anticipated, and yet not a “heavy” peat, the herbal quality follows through, with some bitter tannins, nuts, and quite autumnal
  • Finish – Cinnamon fading into a faintly bitter finish
  • Water – Initially didn’t think would be needed, but worth trying. For me, it became sweeter with a mineral or granite element
  • Revisit – Much later, I revisited the empty glass, the aromas were ashy, a bit like the remaining long-forgotten antique kitchen fireplace, from generations before

The thing about whiskies, slowing down to discern different aromas are the memories a smell triggers. For me, the hint of smoked meats took me back to Montreal. The palate overall was smooth and pleasant.

What more do we know? Their aim?

Our flagship Isle of Raasay Single Malt Whisky, 46.4% ABV, natural colour, non-chill filtered.

Lightly peated with rich dark fruit flavours.

We set out to emulate some older styles of Hebridean single malt whiskies, with subtle, fragrant smokiness balanced with dark fruit flavours.

It was matured in six different casks – this is what they have to say:

Two Isle of Raasay spirits – peated and unpeated – are matured separately in first fill Rye whiskey, fresh Chinkapin oak and first fill Bordeaux red wine casks. These six recipe casks marry together to create the perfect dram with real elegance, complexity and depth of character.

With this knowledge, we could see where the tannins came from, however elegant? Complex? And dark fruits? Not in what we found, however, it was an interesting start!

Next up? A revisit of a former friend – Aureum – which is unfortunately no more. What did we think?

Ziegler’s Aureum 7-year Single Malt (2008 – 2015) Chateau Lafite Rothschild 47%

  • Colour – Gold
  • Nose – Welcome! These are the kinds of aromas that explain why we were so captivated by Aureum. Sweet chestnuts, green and fresh, fruity… then deepens into chocolate, sweet vanilla custard then green apple, then a dessert feast of apple pie with vanilla ice cream!
  • Palate – First sip was a bit odd, then once calibrated to the unique style of Aureum with its use of chestnut wood, we found it to be smooth, sweet… getting sweeter with each sip!
  • Finish – Lingers with more sweet wood

Overall it was a clear reminder that this was once a distinctive distillery producing unique drams – aiming for craft and quality. I can only repeat that it is such a pity that Ziegler abandoned their decade-long foray into such single malts to go down the Freud route.

We then moved on to Ireland, to discover Ireland’s West Cork was nothing like the sociable dram we anticipated….

West Cork Calvados Cask Finish 43%

  • Colour – Light straw
  • Nose – No mistaking there is Calvados involved here! It reminded me of the kind of juice we used to make from our garden apples – pulp and seeds and all would go in. Then it shifted to something that could best be described as fresh-pressed coffee
  • Palate – We found it a bit “pushy” at first. Young, a bit brash, and curiously unfinished, dry and bitter with a hint of nuts of some kind
  • Finish – Limited, what there was we found bitter, like chewing an espresso bean
  • Water – We hoped it might bring out some other element – instead just kicked up the spice

Overall this didn’t attract new fans. Now I’ve had a few mighty fine whiskies with Calvados finish. Mackmyra Äppelblom 46.1% and Rampur’s Jugalbandi come to mind…  The folks over at West Cork don’t try to over-sell this as a complex dram, instead, point imbibers in the direction of cocktails – a ginger mule to be more precise.

I then steered us towards a pair of Chorlton‘s – a contrast and comparison of two Glentauchers. Both sherry casks, both lovely just in different ways – both deserving their own posts – just check out Glentauchers 8 year and Glentauchers 14 year! We then cracked open some exceptional chocolates – what a fabulous pairing!

That is where our journeys diverged. For me, I thought to continue the chocolate pairing and thought to revisit the Super Sonic Sherry Blend and the Amrut Port Pipe Peated. Whereas others explored the Amrut, Indri, Kamet, and Staoisha. Overall it was simply a lovely evening and a nice way to keep at bay the dull dreary February blues!

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Switzerland’s Säntis 6 year Snow White No 8 Pineau 48%

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Switzerland is known for many things – gorgeous mountains and lakes, chocolate and cheese, watches and banking… but whisky? That isn’t exactly the first thing you think of… in fact, just 25 years ago it wasn’t even legal! However, like many parts of the world, Switzerland is now very much in the whisky-making game.

My first brush was the Old Bear from Langatun Distillery – courtesy of a recommendation from the good folks at The Whisky Exchange in London. It was smoky and certainly left an impression.

Next up was a random selection from a spirits shop in Munich on a trip, before there was even a possibility of moving to Germany. In this case, it was the surprisingly accessible Forty-Three Swiss Highland Single Malt Whisky.

Fast forward a few years and I found myself living in Nurnberg, Germany. And three years ago, in December 2020, there was a mini from Säntis in an Advent Kalendar I tackled as a pre-Christmas project.  In this case, it was the Säntis Malt Himmelberg Edition 43%. I have to admit, it didn’t exactly impress. Why? In part because it reminded me of drinking a Radler – a sweet lemony beer – more than whisky!

So when a Säntis was recommended for our European whisky session in December 2023, I decided to keep an open mind. I have learned one should not judge a distillery solely based on one experience alone.

What did we think?

Säntis No. 8 Snow White 6-year Pineau 48%

  • Nose – At first it was just a hit of alcohol, then sweetened into candy, a bit nutty, plum skins, curiously it reminded me more of schnapps than whisky!
  • Palate – A bit aggressive and prickly, past the pepper were wine tannins, shifting from plum skin to grape, very dry and a mixed red fruit jam (the kind that doesn’t have a distinguishable type of berry or fruit), lemon-lime soda (or dare I say? Radler!), maybe joined by some cherry?
  • Finish – It was like it was impersonating a sherry finish but wasn’t quite able to pull it off, some generic cola

We really didn’t mean to be uncharitable, however descriptions like “headache-inducing” and “one flavour blob” were bantered about. We generally agreed that the nose outperformed the palate and finish. And if anything, it had a schnapps-like quality – depending on your opinion of schnapps, this could be a good or not-so-good thing.

Our discussion turned to the many distilleries around Germany and Switzerland that started off brewing beer or distilling schnapps, and then veered into the whisky business. Using stills meant more for distilling fruit than malted barley mash does lead to some curious results. I confessed how my original impression of German whiskies was direct to the point of being a bit harsh, lacking nuance and complexity. Until I discovered St Kilian and Aureum and a few notable others, which both show a different, much more interesting range and style.

But back to the Säntis, our whisky contributor shared the story of the Lochar distillery’s Swiss “whisky trek“…. starting with one inn, there are now some 26 barrels found at different hiking locations around Switzerland. Each barrel is slightly different, thanks to the differing maturing conditions such as altitude or barrels.

She found the boxed set with two nosing glasses – available online for around Eur 72. What more do we know? It was initially aged for 5.5 years in small beer barrels of the Appenzeller Brewery Locher before being finished for 8 months in ex-Pineau des Charentes casks from France.

It was a bit of a disappointment, however, we then thought to put it into context. If we spent a day trekking in the alps, the crisp cool air, coming in from such exertions, would this do the trick? Perhaps. And context is everything! So let us be more charitable and go back to the glorious views, cheese fondus, and chocolate… In my case, a memory of a couple of days in Weggis earlier this summer, including a boat trip on Lake Lucerne for a fabulous meal with great company.

What else did we explore in our European evening?

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