Category Archives: Beyond Scotland

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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BMC Trip to South Africa – Boplaas 6 year Grain 43%

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Grains are tricky! They are less expensive to produce than single malts and form the backbone of blends. However, often grains – especially younger ones – struggle to stand on their own.

Boplaas is a family-owned wine and spirit producer, located in Calitzdorp in the Klein Karoo region of South Africa. The Net family began their operations in 1989 with brandy, before moving into wines and now grain whisky. Their grain of choice is yellow maize, matured in ex-bourbon casks before finishing in their own tawny port casks.

Believe it or not, this was not my first introduction to Boplaas grain from South Africa! Earlier in the year, Hawelti introduced me to their 5 year old expression. I was curious to see what one more year could do and the reaction of our Bombay Malt & Cigar gents during our September 2025 tasting of South African drams!

Boplaas 6 year Grain 43%

  • Nose – No mistaking this is a grain! It was sweet, a bit funky, had some pencil shavings, some cloves, a hint of fruits
  • Palate – Light, easy-going and innocuous, clean and super sweet, a touch sharp, mild oak
  • Finish – Also very sweet

Let’s be honest, we weren’t expecting anything complex. However, I’ve had far worse young grains! Whilst not something I would run out to buy more of, it was worth sampling.

What do the folks at Boplaas have to say?

Our history of distilling fine pot still brandy dates back to 1880, with the first order of casks was sent to Cape Town harbour by ox-wagon for delivery to London. After the repeal of distilling licenses in the early 1920’s, Boplaas’ copper pot still lay dormant for almost 70 years until it was fired up again in 1989. Five years later, in 1994, Boplaas released the very first estate brandy: the Boplaas 5 Year Old Pot Still Estate Brandy. Due to dry warm summers, cold winters and general low humidity, the environment is ideal for the maturation of brandy and whisky, resulting in a far more concentrated spirit.

  • Nose: This is a whisky for savouring. The multi-layered nose shows a fruitcake nose tinged with winter spices, most notably cloves and cardamom, and highlights of cocoa bean, desiccated figs, rich apricots and raisins.
  • Tasting Notes: Tawny character blooms on the palate – it’s bold, rounded and viscous, with a pleasant balance of yellow-fruit sweetness and oak spice that lingers.

Not sure we found all the elements they describe, however, it was overall quite a pleasant start to our evening exploring whiskies from South Africa.

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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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Detroit’s Grass Widow Straight Bourbon Madeira 45.5% 

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A bonus is just that – something you didn’t plan for or expect. And when that bonus is a completely unknown yet quite decent bourbon? Bring it on!

None of us were familiar with “Grass Widow” – including our host – who received it as a gift from Corktown, Detroit! Turns out this bourbon comes from Two James Spirits, and is described as:

An homage to a pre-prohibition Detroit brand, Grass Widow Bourbon contains a high-rye mash bill and is then finished in Madeira casks to give it a long finish.

Truly a Wine-drinker’s bourbon.

As it was a ‘bonus’, we didn’t do a structured tasting, however, overall we found it to be a good, fun, bourbon!

On the nose, there was a freshness, clearly grain yet with a sweet grassy element – perhaps we were influenced by the name! On the palate, we found it just a great example of an enjoyable bourbon, with a nice herbaceous element that we enjoyed! As for the finish? Whilst not long and lingering, it was a warm comforting close with a hint of fresh tobacco leaves.

Two James Spirit’s official tasting notes:

  • Nose: Red Apple, Dried Orange, Praline
  • Palate: Apple, Walnut, Salted Brown Butter, Caramel, Peppermint
  • Finish: Leather, Pipe Tobacco, Orange Peel

Would we agree? Overall yes! Whilst we didn’t specifically note the citrus, we were more focused on just enjoying how what was in the glass supported convivial conversation. I could also see it making a great base for a quality whisky cocktail.

We tasted it after a delightfulful Whisky Ladies of Mumbai evening featuring two whiskies from Germany and a third from Japan!

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Whisky Ladies September 2025 – Miyagikyo Grande 48% 

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Our host has a special fondness for Japan, and so the 3rd dram of our September 2025 Whisky Ladies evening celebrated this unique country.

From Nikka, Miyagikyo was founded in 1969 by Masataka Taketsuru. There’s something quietly graceful about Miyagikyo. The distillery sits in a lush, misty valley near Sendai, chosen for its soft water and cool climate — the yin to Yoichi’s coastal yang. Where Yoichi leans smoky and bold, Miyagikyo is all about elegance: floral, fruity, and delicately spiced.

The Miyagikyo Grande expression was launched in 2022 as a travel-retail exclusive. It is described as taking the house style, and giving it extra depth. Bottled at a slightly higher strength and with a greater share of sherry-cask and virgin-oak matured spirit, we were curious to explore it for ourselves!

Miyagikyo Grande 48%

  • Nose – Fresh green apples, canned pineapple, faintly floral with jasmine, mild and very mellow, leechie, musk melon, curry leaves, sweet cured ham, nuanced
  • Palate – Silky smooth, buttery, a lovely warm spice, quite yummy, nutty, light savoury bacon, was there a hint of smoke too?
  • Finish – From buttery to a bit bitter

The Grande is like Miyagikyo turned up a notch — still elegant, still fruity and floral, but with a richer backbone and more presence. The longer it lingered in the glass, the more enjoyable it became. One called it “the gift that keeps on giving!”

What more do we know? It is non-chill-filtered, and can still be found for around Eur 130 – quite pricey – especially for an NAS!

What other Miyagikyo expressions have we tried over the years?

We tasted it together with two whiskies from Germany and a bonus Bourbon from Detroit!

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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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