Category Archives: Beyond Scotland

Longitude 77 vs Godawan

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The big boys of the booze business – Diageo and Pernod Ricard – are fully aware that India is the world’s largest whisky consumer market. Homegrown distilleries like Paul John and Amrut have demonstrated success, exponential growth, and international recognition with their Indian single malts. Whilst blends still dominate, the rise of premium Indian single malts is a trend any major player ignores at their peril!

Premiumization, national pride, accessibility, and catering to an Indian palate are all drivers to provide a local single malt… And one fine evening in Germany, a friend and I decided to check out what Diago and Pernod Ricard had as their answer!

Longitude 77 is Pernard Ricard’s response, part of their premiumization trend to go beyond IMFL brands like Royal Stag and Blenders Pride. Launched in 2023, Longitude 77 is part of their “Global Expertise, Indian Character” approach. The distillery is based in Dindori, Nashik, Maharashtra and uses a double cask maturation approach with ex-bourbon and ex-wine casks.

Longitude 77 42.8%

  • Nose – Fruity, fresh like a cool rain, pleasant yet somewhat innocuous, then the oak kicks in, perhaps with a hint of smoke and berries?
  • Palate – Nope, not for me. Not balanced with an odd mix of peat, wine, dates and dried fruits, chased by smoldering plastic
  • Finish – Oddly bitter, burnt

It was intended to be approachable, smooth, and complex. Maybe our sample had sat too long in the mini bottle, however, it was far from being approachable or even that enjoyable. In truth, we didn’t even finish our glasses.

What do the folks at Pernod Ricard have to say?

This Indian single malt is named after longitude 77° East which runs through the heart of India from its north to south and marks India’s position on the world map.

Meticulously crafted using locally sourced rich ingredients from India’s diverse terroir, this smooth, full-bodied spirit boasts notes of caramel, vanilla, and subtle peat smoke making it a whisky for connoisseurs. Double cask matured in American Bourbon barrels and wine casks, it is extra aged at a state-of-the-art distillery at Dindori, Nashik making it a top single malt whisky for special occasions. The liquid’s dark mahogany colour is a testament to this ageing process.

Godawan is part of the Diageo stable, best known for Johnnie Walker, with Black Label having once been the quintessential single malt in Indian homes! Godawan is distilled in Alwa, Rajasthan, and forms part of Diageo’s strategy of “Mindful Luxury” and uses the Great Indian Bustard (Godawan) as its moniker.

Their 1st edition is aged in ex-bourbon barrels treated with Indian botanicals – Rasna and Jutamansi – before being finished in PX sherry casks. Outside of India, it retailed for ~GBP 62 vs INR 4,100 in India. However, good luck finding a bottle!

Godawan 01 “Rich and Rounded” 46%

  • Nose – Sweet orange, citrus joined by sponge cake, peaches, and sweet spices, marmalade, rosemary… as it opened, there was red licorice
  • Palate – Soft at first, then showed its teeth – sharp around the edges, less fruity than would seem from the aroma, heavy on the wood and spice, lots of ginger
  • Finish – Espresso beans

If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought some red wine casks were involved! It is direct, a bit thin. However, overall, it was a good effort.

You can read more about the Godawan story here.

Both whiskies are clearly tapping into desi palates, and recommend serving with a big cube of ice. Neither captivated my senses; however, of the two, Godawan was more appealing.

Given the “parents” backing of these distilleries, there is no doubt the products will evolve and find their place in the market. Whilst this first brush was uninspiring, perhaps there will be more interesting things to come!

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Israel’s Milk and Honey Masterclass

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Years ago, a friend shared a small sample of new-make spirit from Milk & Honey. It was quite promising, and though only one element of a complex and creative equation that goes into producing a good dram, an intriguing start.

Fast forward to Nurnberg’s The Village Whisky Fest in 2024. My friends and I were curious about this distillery, so we signed up for the Masterclass with Shilton Almeida. Previously with Paul John from Goa, Shilton is known to spin yarns as good as any Scotsman, so we knew we were in for an amusing and educational time!

Before us were five drams…. Shilton shared a philosophy of working with the five different climates of Israel.

So, what is the story with their Elements expressions?

The M&H Elements series is a composition of flavors and aromas assembled from meticulously selected casks that bring forward characters enhanced by the casks’ wood, origin, and history. Each expression in this series begins with the M&H Classic Single Malt Whisky and is complemented with whisky matured in various hand-picked, superlative, and quality oak casks, culminating in a beautiful natural color, impressive flavors, and a well-balanced single malt. The M&H Elements manifest the combination of traditional distillation methods with rapid but graceful hot climate maturation.

M&H Elements Pomegranate Wine Cask Special Edition 46%

We began with something that was already unique – a pomegranate wine cask! What did we think?

  • Nose – Surprisingly rum-like, very sweet and dessert-like, followed by a hint of pomegranate with its slightly bitter element from the seeds, then shifted back into a heavy honey, dark chocolate with a hint of marmalade
  • Palate – A lovely texture, rolling about the mouth with fruits and sugars, with a touch of sourness too
  • Finish – Light, juicy red berries

This was a delightful fresh summery whisky. Shilton shared how it was initially aged in ex-bourbon casks, before spending six months in ex-pomegranate wine casks, crafting a rather unique experience. Does it work? Yes, rather well!

Shilton shared our next expression was matured in an STR cask – Shaved, Toasted & Re-chared in an ex Red wine barrique. 

M&H Single Cask 55.5%

  • Nose – Deliciously sweet, honey, vanilla, and guava
  • Palate – Wood spice, tropical fruits like bananas and mangoes, sweet, and spice and everything nice!
  • Finish – Long and strong, really lasts with subtle fruits

Now this one is rather juicy! It was described as an “easy sipping dram”, yet with enough of a spice kick to keep it interesting. And whilst STR casks are not necessarily my favourite, in this case it worked with an enjoyable influence of the red wine barrique.

We moved on to the Apex terroir expressions, exploring the impact of both the cask and the environment, selecting distinctly different conditions in Israel.

We began with the expression matured in the Dead Sea – the lowest location on Earth, where the M&H share that 

the air pressure and high temperatures practically squeeze flavour from our casks, resulting in an intense dram that clearly reflects the climatic terroir the whisky endured.

Full of minerality and spice as well as a well rounded sweetness, this is a unique insight into the most extreme exploration of whisky terroir ever attempted.

M&H APEX Dead Sea 56.5%

  • Nose – So much going on here! A wonderful, rich perfume, vanilla, chocolate, joined by a marvelous marmalade
  • Palate – It had an “aged” feel, dangerous, full of spice, more of the marmalade joined by sweet spices and something savoury too
  • Finish – Very loong, from sweet spices to saline, most enjoyable

This is the kind of expression that demands one to slow down and pay attention.  This was NOT the kind of whsky one wishes to encounter at a festival with a mere sniff and swish. It had a lovely mix of sweet, spice, savoury and saline.

Their official tasting notes indicate:

  • Aroma: Sweet with French vanilla and mocha nestled within a cigar box.
  • Palate: Gentle black tea is followed by a rush of warm spices such as cinnamon, coriander seeds, and dark cocoa powder.
  • Finish: Long and satisfying with candied ginger and cloves, joined by characteristically minerally sea salt

Shilton shared that this expression was 70% ex-Bourbon, 25% STR, and 5% virgin oak.

A most intriguing and enjoyable dram!

The M&H Apex Sherry was our next whisky, matured in Olorosso PX casks…

M&H APEX Sherry 53.6% 

  • Nose – Full sherry aromas, heavy dark plums, rum raisins, spice, a delicious Christmas cake
  • Palate – Wow! A robust round rich and chewy sherry with some lovely elements
  • Finish – Another rather delicious dram
  • Water – Helps make it even juicier, more well-rounded as it opened more

This was the most voluptuous of the quintet! Indulgent and enjoyable.

We closed with the Apex Peated expression, finished in a fortified red wine cask.

M&H APEX Peated Fort Red Wine 55.3% 

  • Nose – There is a sweet marshmallow initially, then it reveals the peat, ashy yet fruity
  • Palate – Very ashy, shifts into a meaty, sweet BBQ sauce, very chewy
  • Finish – Strong, the ash continues

The peat was initially subtle on the nose yet ashy and dry on the palate. A conversation dram. Challenging. Curious. And a rather smart way to close our Masterclass!

The official tasting notes are:

  • Nose: Red dried fruits, waxy with notes of wine cork and cigar box. Sweet peat and oak.
  • Palate: Chewy, peaty, and spicy with caramel, dark fruits, and a hint of smoky tannins.
  • Finish: Long with warm spices and cocoa. Oaky and peaty with orange peel.

Well worth exploring all five expressions! An informative and entertaining Masterclass – many thanks!

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Kavalan Solist Trio of Sherry, Vinho Barrique, Port

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Kavalan from Taiwan has enjoyed immense popularity, particularly for its singular Solist line of cask-strength single cask single malts with different finishes. Some years ago, our Mumbai-based whisky clubs had a bit of a love affair with Kavalan. From a notable evening dedicated to trio of Kavalan Solist Brandy, Port and Sherry to a terrific zip through nearly their full collection in Singapore at Whisky Live in 2017!

The Bombay Malt and Cigar lads decided to crack open three in May 2024. Ideally, I would have brought my Kavalan Solist Bourbon to join the Sherry, Vinho Barrique and Port! However, alas this was yet another Mumbai tasting that I missed. Kindly, our host set aside some generous samples which I had the pleasure of sharing a year later with our Nürberg Whisky Explorers group – what fun!

Kavalan Solist Sherry

  • Nose – Oh my! Rich coffee liqueur, sherry, intense and dense
  • Palate – Flavour packed! Sweet, very dense, a real sherry bomb with tobacco, a nutty chocolate, bursting with sweet spices, wood was also prominent, and above all rich, chewy, strong coffee
  • Finish – A very long finish with black licorice
  • Water – Helps make it plumper, juicy fruits on the nose with dried figs and dates on the palate

This was a classic Kavalan Solist – highly compacted and complex. It is sweet without being overly so. Intense and interesting yet not overwhelming. A rich, beautiful dram bursting with character.

Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Cask No W160331032A 57.1% (201 bottles)

  • Nose – What a contrast from the sherry! There was a delightful, sweet mahogany wood on the nose, warming into a creamy, buttery chocolate chased by sweet jasmine
  • Palate – Fruity, juicy, smooth chocolate, really quite voluptuous! Oily, tobacco joins the fruit
  • Finish – Long and luscious

Curiously, we were not in the least interested in adding water – it was perfect just as is! Perhaps we should have started with this one – it is almost too polite after the robust sherry.

Kavalan Solist Port

  • Nose – Sharp and makes you work! Tobacco, molasses, sugary chocolate-covered coffee beans, then fresh wood… as it opened, it was joined by fruit
  • Palate – Strong, very dry, furry on the tongue, chocolate raisins
  • Finish – A long finish
  • Revisit – We came back to this expression after some time and found a rather delicious sweet caramelized onion, almost like bacon jam – yum!

In some ways, this was the “smoothest” of the trio. It became sweeter the more time it spent in the glass. From memory, the last Kavalan Solist Port I tried clearly had a fortified sweet wine element, whereas this was not so distinctly Port per se.

For me the highlight was sharing these intense, highly concentrated cask strength expressions with a new audience in Germany. None other than I had tried Kavalan before with this trio a terrific introduction for seasoned whisky aficionados.

A pity we didn’t have the exact cask numbers and alcohol strength for the Sherry and Port, however, they were likely purchased around 2021 – 2022. Whereas the Vinho Barrique was bought in June 2022 for Eur 125 in Germany, then traveled back to the UK and on to India.

Other Kavalans tasted over the years….

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Introducing 10th Street American Single Malts

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These days, a Canadian enjoying an American whisky is considered highly unpatriotic! However, back in 2024 when this trio came to me, we were still cordial neighbours. Setting politics aside, it has been some time since I was intrigued by whisky from “south of the border,” like 10th Street….

10th Street is the brainchild of a IIT grads from India who built successful careers in San Jose, California. Over the years, they discovered a mutual love whisky and, like all good Silicon Valley stories, started tinkering with making their own spirits until the experiments evolved from curiosity into a business!

I brought the 10th Street Triple Cask to a January 2025 evening with the Whisky Ladies and Bombay Malt & Cigar gentlemen. I then took a sample to Nürnberg to try alongside two minis.

10th Street Triple Cask “Dragon” STR Single Malt (2024) Barrel No 476 55.6%

  • Colour – Deep ruby red, almost like coffee
  • Nose – Jackfruit, perhaps even a hint of citrus to start? Another thought dragon fruit. Bottom line, there was fruit but not your typical orchard or tropical fruits. Grainy, jeera powder, more like rye than whisky at first, then opens to sweet bananas, walnuts, rum cake, loads of ginger… over time the bananas became overripe. It then shifted into a caramel custard… and finally a lovely floral aroma emerged – apple blossoms on a warm sunny day…
  • Palate – I’m awake now! Powdered garam masala, cinnamon, and black pepper. Lots of body, syrupy chocolate-filled liqueur – Williams pear? Oily with a great mouthful. The spice was joined by something almost like chewing on coffee beans.
  • Finish – When first opened, we experienced a big flavourful finish with great staying power… however, in the sample tried months later the finish was much shorter
  • Revisit – We set this aside and returned to candy floss on the nose with fruits and nuts on the palate. Yum!

One person remarked that the aromas reminded him of a beef brisket! Another thought the finish was like breathing “thick air”. We particularly enjoyed how the nose evolved and the contrast of sweet aromas with a substantial body.

Here’s what the folks at 10th Street have to say:

We were not surprised that our Triple Cask was crowned the best whisky at Whiskies of the World, beating several renowned whiskies. You can learn more about the competition here. First released in the 2024, the year of the Dragon, our pot still distilled, non-chill filtered single malt has spent time in three different casks. After aging in STR casks, it was finished in Wine Casks followed by Port Casks. The result is a delicious whisky with complex layers and a lingering finish. Enjoy the Dragon.

Tasting Notes: The nose is rich and aromatic, with prominent notes of dried fruit, caramel, and toasted oak. Subtle hints of spice, dark chocolate, and a touch of citrus add depth to the aroma.

This whisky is full-bodied and intense on the palate, delivering bold flavors of toffee, dark chocolate, and roasted nuts. The influence of the triple cask aging adds layers of spice, charred wood, and a slight smokiness, balanced by sweeter notes of vanilla and honey.

What fun! This was certainly an interesting start. A few months later in Nürnberg, I sat down to revisit the Triple Cask “Dragon” together with the Port Peated and STR. Here is what my tasting companion and I found…

10th Street STR Single Malt 56.2% 

  • Nose – Cloves, semi-dried dates, baklava, raisins, red licorice, cranberries, aamchor, a hint of herbs like a mix of fresh mint and basil
  • Palate – Nice and spicy, a bit sour like sour cherry or plum – it reminded me of li hing mui, some oak, as it continued to open, it became sweeter and sweeter, revealing a Linden flower honey
  • Finish – Like on the palate, it sweetened the more as it lingered, then shifted into something a bit sour and herbal

I couldn’t help myself – though I was tasting in Germany, I kept having associations with distinctly Indian elements – from raw mango powder (aamchor) to a bit sour (khatta) and also Chinese with li hing mui. Fascinating!

10th Street Port Cask Peated Single Malt 58.2%

  • Nose – A sea salty maritime peat, balsamic, kalamata black olive brine – think of a delightfully dirty martini! Over time, the balsamic element disappeared to be replaced by smoked meats, and then finally, a hint of port emerged
  • Palate – Surprisingly soft, a lovely cinnamon peat, dry yet balanced, a gentle sweet peat
  • Finish – Here we have a finish where the peat lingers

There are so many different kinds of peat. This one clearly fell into the more ‘maritime’ category. And like all the 10th Street expressions, we found it sweetened over time.

Whilst the STR and Port Peated expressions were interesting, we returned to the “Dragon” Triple Cask – enjoying both the complexity of its aromas and leisurely sipping.

You can tell this is a passion project combined with engineering precision. No shortcuts. Deliberately narrow cuts. Experimentation? Sure! The technical geek side mingles with artistry. Focusing purely on the domestic US market – that too only a few states – it will be interesting to see how 10th Street continues to evolve in the coming years. In the interim – bravo for a solid start!!

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Shelter Point’s Ripple Rock 46%

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Since our first experience with Shelter Point in 2017, we’ve enjoyed keeping up with their different expressions. Thankfully, I’m not the only fan, so sometimes I benefit from purchases made by a fellow Canadian! Which is how this particular bottle made its way from Vancouver, Canada to Mumbai, India, then a sample to Nürnberg, Germany!

Shelter Point Ripple Rock 46%

  • Nose – There was a distinctly mineral quality, a bit chalky, some saline or sea salt. Quite straightforward, oak, herbs. As it opened, it revealed a subtle roasted caramel buttered popcorn. As more time passed, it became sweeter with raisins and richer with a hint of chocolate
  • Palate – A nice spice, a touch bitter with nuts, wood forward, toast, some cloves… like the nose, the more time this dram spent in the glass, the more it sweetened
  • Finish –  A light finish

As we continued to sniff and sip, we declared this a nice “accompaniment” whisky. Something to enjoy in autumn as dusk falls. Nice.

What more do we know? Well, check out what the folks at Shelter Point have to say about their Ripple Rock expression:

Campbell River’s 1958 Ripple Rock explosion is the inspiration for our latest single malt whisky. It has spent 6 years in American oak before finishing for 18 months in an alligator charred Virgin Oak cask.

And their official Tasting Notes:

On the nose, The Ripple Rock has distinct notes of vanilla with a slight chocolate note. The palate is spicy with an intense chocolate flavour all leading to a wonderfully satisfying finish that is long with an assortment of spiciness, chocolate and vanilla

Retailing in Canada for CND 78, it was opened for the Whisky Ladies of Mumbai in June 2024 with the sample tasted in May 2025.

Curious about other experiences? Here are a few more Shelter Points sampled by the Nurnberg’s Whisky Explorers:

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London’s Whisky Show 2024 – Introducing Korea’s Ki One

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At London’s Whisky Show 2024, we were introduced to a few new distilleries. From Islay, we checked out Ardnahoe. From England, we sampled what Wire Works had to offer. New Zealand introduced us to Cardrona and Thomson. Then from the Mainstage, we tried Japan’s Kanosuke and Ireland’s Boann.

But Korea? Enter Three Societies, touted as Korea’s first whisky distillery. Founded in 2020 by Bryan Do, a Korean-American with Scotland’s Andrew Shand, the distillery already offer several different expressions. At the Whisky Show, we had the opportunity to try Virgin American Oak, Peated, and PX.

Ki One Batch 6 PX (2024) 53.5%

I picked the PX and found it quite curious. On the nose, I found Elderflower, a kind of “eau de vie”, fruity, floral, with an overall sweetness. On the palate, it was so sweet that it was like sipping a spiced liqueur rather than whisky. I didn’t note much of a finish, however in fairness, this was just a quick sniff, swish, and spit, so much can be missed!

What more do they have to say about this expression?

KI-ONE Batch 6 is matured in Pedro Ximenez (PX) sherry casks, allowing you to experience the well-balanced body with sweet character of the PX casks, which are beloved among whisky enthusiasts.

With the official tasting notes:

  • NOSE    SWEET DRIED FRUITS
  • TASTE    RICH RAISINS, DATES AND FIGS
  • FINISH    VANILLA, APPLES, AND PLUMS WITH NUTMEG, SPICY FINISH

An interesting start, and curious to see how this new entrant from Asia fares over the coming years.

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From Germany to Afrika!

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Whisky friends just outside Nuremberg know how much I love Ethiopian cuisine – it is one of my favourite “comfort” foods! So when they stumbled upon an event raising funds for charities in Africa that combined Ethiopian food and whisky, we simply had to go!

It was my first introduction to the team behind Hawelti – Marcel Heuer and Negassty Abraha – who are doing impressive work! They were joined by Markus Giesbert of African Spirits, who supplied, sourced, or was even part of producing the spirits we explored.

This was their 6th event, where we walked into a community of supporters of different ages, coming together over passions to enjoy good food, explore interesting whiskies, whilst raising funds for good causes.

6th Benefiz-Whisky-Tasting mit afrikanischem Whisky und äthiopischem Essen

It was such an interesting variety of spirits, grains, and single malts!

  1. Projekt 3 Ethiopian Beer Brandy 40%
  2. Projekt 4 Acacia barrel aged Beer Brandy 40%
  3. Boplaas 5 year Single Grain 43.6%
  4. Heimer 2021 Grain 43%
  5. Three Ships 12 year Single Malt Peated 46.3%
  6. Ondjaba Single Edition No 1 Triple Grain 54.8% from Namibia
  7. Bains 18 year Oloroso 50.5%
  8. Projekt 01 Strathmill 10 year Hawelti Anniversary 65.7%

Projekt 3 Ethiopian Beer Brandy (29 Jan 2022 – 01 Mar 2022) 40% 160 bottles. ~Eur 40 for 500ml

We began with a spirit rather than whisky…  A product of necessity to avoid wasting Ethiopian Walia beer that would expire during the coronavirus pandemic. Rather than waste, Syelle & Alemash,  Severin Simon aka Feinbrenneri Simon’s, and African Spirits set about converting a problem into a new project – making spirits! As the Bierbrand was being poured, we watched a video on its making. Markus shared that nearly 5,000 bottles of Walia beer went into making their Projekts. What did we think?

  • Colour – Clear
  • Nose – There was no doubt this came from beer! It was also fruity, much more like sniffing schnapps or a new make spirit, yet interesting
  • Palate – To be honest, it was a bit peculiar, smooth, like having heavy alcohol juice, cold potatoes, sweet
  • Finish – Nothing except spirit

This was certainly an unexpected start to our evening. Once we adjusted to the spirit, it was quite pleasant and distinctive.

Projekt 4 Acacia barrel aged beer brandy 40% ~Eur 42 for 500 ml

We progressed to the next experiment, which was also beer brandy that was aged for 22 months in Acacia barrels which previously held rum. This Projekt was considered a ‘precursor’ to whisky… stepping in that direction.

The colour was pale straw, the aromas of very old bananas, well past their prime, even a bit of mouldy hay. And the taste? Well… it reminded me of cough drops from the former East Germany that are effective but not so tasty.

Some experiments work, and some are not so successful. I would say kudos for effort in trying to rescue the beer before expiry, however, this isn’t my tipple.

Boplaas 5 year Small Batch Single Grain 43.6% ~Eur 40 for 700 ml

Our journey then shifted from beer brandy to single-grain from Boplaas, a winery and distillery based in a few locations along the Klein Karoo & Garden Route in South Africa. Whilst primarily known for their wine and port, their spirits range from brandy to gin, single grain to single malt. Like many warmer climates, the Angels Share is high. Though 5 years is quite a short period of maturation for a grain whisky, in South Africa, the maturation is accelerated by the heat and evaporation.

  • Nose – Flower power, a lovely perfume, joined by tropical fruits, some almond paste, then settled into pineapple and mangoes
  • Palate – A light, easy drinking dram, sweet, subtle, and enjoyable
  • Finish – Limited with a touch of wood, yet sweet

We had a sigh of happiness. As whisky enthusiasts, this is more in our direction than the Beer Brandy experiments.

What more do we know? After aging in ex-bourbon barrels, this single grain was finished in ex-Brandy casks.

Heimer 2021 Grain 43% ~Eur 49, not available in Europe

We continued with another grain, shifting to Heimer from Qualito Craft distillery in Phalaborwa, South Africa. Unlike a whisky that leaves the barrel behind when bottled, this single grain had wood shavings in the bottle, to continue to infuse the spirit with further flavour. The shavings came from a broken cask that took on a new life as part of an experiment.

  • Nose – Mmmm vanilla, quite inviting on the nose, a nice wood perfume, caramel, fruity
  • Palate – Very sweet, like a dessert whisky or even liqueur, smooth, distinctly different
  • Finish – Short with an odd varnish end, quite dry

We joked that this was like having a vanilla whisky liqueur not grain. This would not be for a traditional whisky drinker, however is an interesting experience. Unlike some experiments, this was worth trying…

Three Ships 12 year Single Malt 46.3% ~Eur 49 for 700 ml

We next turned to our first single malt of the evening. Coming from the James Sedwick Distillery in South Africa, master distiller Andy Watts aims to bring to the world a peated whisky in a Scottish style. The peated barley is from Europe (30 ppm), then was distilled using pot stills, followed by maturing in 2nd and 3rd fill American oak casks. The thinking behind using re-fill casks is to counter the intensity from maturing ‘faster’ in a warmer climate than Scotland.

What did we think?

  • Nose – Unlike the earlier tipples, the first whiff was certainly in “whisky” territory! Vanilla, wood, sweet… yet also had a heady quality like walking into a room full of varnish, polish or oil-based paint
  • Palate – A hint of tar, woody, very dry, deeper dry, with a sharp bite of spice, some smoked herbs
  • Finish – There with a sweet honey and sour or tart citrus quality
  • Water – We thought to see what water would do… Made it a bit sweeter with some hints of fruits emerging

I can imagine this would do better in Europe than in Scotland as it clearly is far from a Scottish style.

Ondjaba Single Edition No 01 Triple Grain 54.5% ~Eur 80 for 700 ml

We moved from South Africa to Namibia with Ondjaba. What is the story here?

Ondjaba gets its name from the indigenous Ovambo word meaning ‘Elephant’.

For our various editions, we use a variety of grainbills from Maize, Barely, Wheat, Rye and Mahangu (pearl millet).
All are smoked over elephant dung, then aged in various casks – virgin casks and our own former wine barrels under the Namibian sun.

Yes, you read that correctly. In lieu of peat, the distillery uses elephant poo to dry the grains.

  • Colour – Like coffee
  • Nose – Instant coffee pellets, wood, sharp alcohol
  • Palate – Bitter, burnt spice, lots of coffee, metallic, very unique and difficult to describe
  • Finish – Stays with that coffee metallic element
  • Water – No change on the nose, helps mellow the palate a bit

Having spent decades in India, I know well how important cow dung is as a source of fuel and more. Food cooked over cow dung patties have a distinctive flavour that is quite delicious. So in principal, I wasn’t averse to the concept of elephant dung.

All our faces said it – this was not a dram for us.

Bains 18 year Oloroso 50.5% ~Eur 190 for 1 litre

Before this evening, if you had said “Name an African whisky”, I would have immediately responded with Bains – the grain whiskies from James Sedgwick Distillery.

  • Nose – Fresh and inviting, clear sherry elements, lots of fruits – including fresh dates, sweet spices, had an almost restrained elegance
  • Palate – Lovely sherry influence, soft, nuanced… yet no pushover. There was a lovely interplay of sweet and spice.
  • Finish – Lingers with gentle, sweet spices and hint of wood

Now we are down to business! By far, this was the best dram of the evening. We thoroughly enjoyed the Bains and were happy to close our evening on this note.

Projekt 01 Strathmill 10 year Hawelti Anniversary 65.7% ~Eur 80 for 500 ml

The evening was apparently NOT over yet! We returned to where we started with the Projekt whiskies. Why? This was a special bottle in collaboration with Hawelti to commemorate their 10 years, with each bottle also triggering a Eur 10 donation to support Hawelti’s initiatives in Africa. What more do we know?

Distillery: Strathmill
Distilled: 14.01.2014
Bottling: 14.01.2024
Cask No. 800362: 2014 – 2020 (Matured in ex-Bourbon Cask)
Cask No. 7 – 9 (Refill): 2020 – 2024 (Triple Cask Finish – Acacia / Bourbon / Sherry)
Number of bottles: 55

For us, it was simply one too many, and aside from jotting down ‘dragon fire’, we simply stopped. We preferred to reflect on the remarkable range of experiences the evening delivered.

The event closed with an auction – selling the remainder of the drams sampled in the evening plus a further donation. There were several items on sale too – from honey to spices to crafts. Naturally, we walked out with full bellies, lighter pocketbooks, and smiles on our faces.

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Whisky Ladies and Bombay Malt + Cigar Clubs unite over Wales

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I have vivid memories of a weekend camping trip in Wales. A magical mist over lush green, rolling hills punctuated by fields filled with sheep, quaint farming communities harkening to a different era, an amusing party of old hippies and rockers who escaped the big city lights of London… This was in the late 1980s, long before there was even an inkling of Wales producing whisky!

Fast forward to 2000 when Penderyn was founded. Here is what they have to say:

A unique copper single-pot still designed by Dr David Faraday, a relative of the great 19th-century scientist Michael Faraday, was installed in 2000, which produces a spirit at an industry high draw of 92%, meaning Penderyn’s whiskies are light, fruity and flavoursome.

This business seemed a curiosity – a Welsh whisky? – but when the Scottish whisky expert, Dr Jim Swan, became our Master Distiller, things got serious. Dr Swan got involved because he said the still created a world class spirit. He said we should finish in Madeira casks, so this became our house style. This quickly advanced to sherry casks, peated casks, port casks, and a number of other casks used for finishing. Nigel Short invested in the business, bringing Stephen Davies in as CEO, and the distinguished drinks designer Glenn Tutssel also became involved, who created the brand design.

On St David’s Day 2004 Penderyn whisky was launched in the presence of HRH Prince Charles. An expansion in 2013/14 included a replica of the Faraday Still, and two lantern stills being installed.

This wasn’t our first exploration of Penderyn, however, it was certainly fun to spend an evening with the gents! What did we try?

  • Penderyn Faraday 46%
  • Penderyn Madeira 46%
  • Penderyn Portwood 46%

We began with the Faraday, part of their travel retail series. It is matured in ex-bourbon casks, then finished in ex-ruby port casks. What did we think?

  • Nose – A hint of powder, florals like lilacs, vanilla. We found middle notes of sweet berries. It was quite lively
  • Palate – Coconut cream, peppery, quite green and fun, slightly bitter like arugula, some dried fruits, woody with spice, oily with character
  • Finish – Slightly bitter, long and strong, slightly dry

Here’s what their official tasting notes say:

  • Nose: Gently light Ruby Port with perfume of fruits, raisins and vanilla note.
  • Palate: Delicate and creamy with dried fruits, very floral honey and wood spices.
  • Finish: Medium and gentle, sweet but at the same time has a nutty dryness.

For the most part, we would agree…

We moved on to their Gold series with the Madeira and Portwood.

The Madeira is a familiar friend – we first tasted it in 2015 followed by 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2022. It was aged in ex-bourbon and ex-Madeira wine casks.

  • Nose – Lemony custard, vanilla sponge cake, creamy bananas, almond, apricot or peach pits
  • Palate – Light yet spicy, green or red chilly seeds, sweet and savoury, minty
  • Finish – A hint of sweet spices and dried fruits – more tropical than dates

We considered the Penderyn an “old fashioned” cocktail kinda dram. As we found previously, the longer it sat in the glass, the more enjoyable it became.

When we came back to revisit, we found it was like sniffing supari, sweet icing sugar… a nice sipping dram.


We closed with the Portwood, which had a distinctly ruby edge to its colour.

  • Nose – It began a bit musty, dusty and even a bit musky. The wood comes through strongly, as does the Port influence. This is joined by vanilla, sweet and sour cherries, young dessert wine, leather then burnt dark sugar…
  • Palate – Rum-soaked raisins, treacle, tannins, substance
  • Finish – Very dry, dark dry fruits, a bit acidic, light spice

We set it aside and really enjoyed how it opens up – fabulous. Over time, it begins to taste more like port than whisky.

Here’s what they have to say about their Portwood finish:

  • Nose: Aromas of rich dried fruits with dark chocolate and cranberries; a hint of toasty oak mingles with a baked nutty dryness.
  • Palate: A creamy richness with some honey and spiced notes emerging.
  • Finish: Smooth with a soft oak and honey sweetness lingering gently on the tongue.
  • Balance: Rich wood/chocolate & dry fruits.

And there you have it! A trio from Wales, with whisky enjoyed together with good company, good food. The COVID years cancelled our regular lives. Even as we surfaced from this period, some things simply didn’t bounce back. I’m glad this tradition didn’t fall by the wayside and has been revived.

Curious about other evenings when the Whisky Ladies and Bombay Malt & Cigar gents joined forces?

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Whisky Lady – January to March 2025

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Rewind the clock a few months to when we rang in the new year on our farm in India. It was an opportunity to escape Mumbai’s hustle and bustle, the pollution and population, to relax and reflect, thinking back on different experiences and explorations.

Whisky-wise however, all the adventures were urban! In Mumbai, we brought together the Whisky Ladies and Bombay Malt & Cigar gents in January, after a few years of hiatus. It was such fun to gather, consider, and enjoy. We selected a trio of easy-drinking Welsh Penderyn’s followed by a new American entrant – 10th Street STR Dragon. Whilst we didn’t specifically intend it to be an exploration of Port, it turned out to be a clear theme.

We decided then and there to revive our annual combined session, and I offered to supply the Whisky Ladies side in 2026 with a quartet of gorgeous Chorltons. I mean, who could resist? (PS I still need to confirm which will make the final cut!)

It was also my turn to host the Bombay Malt & Cigar gents’ whiskies, for which I decided to go for a Scottish whisky regions theme :

Also, before leaving India in January, I cleaned and re-organised my whisky cabinet, putting together tasting set options for future evenings.

Back in Germany, we revived the Nurnberg International Whisky Tasting group with a late January 2025 session. It was a nice distraction from the cold, grey weather, exploring 3 blends and a special Finnish single malt! Dewar’s Japanese, Woven Homemade, Green Spot Bordeaux, Teerenpeli 10 year. 

Later in March, we joined a special charitable event of delicious Ethiopian feed and African whiskies, organised by the good folks at Hawelti. It was such an interesting variety of spirits, grains, and single malts – what a treat!

  • Projekt 3 Ethiopian Beer spirit
  • Project 4 Acacia barrel, rum finish
  • Boplas 5 year Single Grain 43.6%
  • Heimer 2021 grain 43%
  • Three Ships 12 year Single Malt 46.3%
  • Ondjaba triple grain 54.8% from Namibia
  • Bains 18 year Oloroso 50.5%
  • Projekt 01 10 year Strathmill 65.7%

I also took time to continue to catch up on tasting experiences from the 2024 London Whisky Show – largely from Day 2 – September 8, 2024. Here are a few stalls we visited:

  • Glenfarclas 15 year – a perfect calibration dram!
  • Whisky Auction – for our Dream Drams of Brora 1981 and Glen Grant 12 year from the 1970s
  • Decadent Drinks – Whisky Sponge, Solstice & Equinox, Notable Age Statements and more!
  • Ichiro’s Malt blends – a nice wander through their collection
  • Ardnahoe – Welcome to Hunter Laing’s Islay Distillery
  • Hunter Laing – First Editions and Old Malt Casks from Auchroisk, Ardmore, Craigellachie to a Glen Grant 25!
  • Mainstage with festival picks
  • Introducing a new English distillery with Wire Works 
  • Woven Blends – What a fabulous experience with a special blend made just for my tasting companion and I!
  • Cardrona – A couple whiskies and the most wonderful Vodka – The Reid!

Plus a couple of stragglers from Day 1 that were published in 2025:

It was well worth the trip to London! And we have already bought our tickets for 2025!

As for what next? Let’s see what unfolds…

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

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Whisky Show 2024 – Cardrona

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 We were coming to the close of our 2nd day at London’s Whisky Show 2024. We had explored so many interesting whiskies that when a whisky industry insider shared his favourite of the festival was a vodka – we did a double take – vodka? Really?

However we thought, “What the heck? Why not give it a go!” We then learned the vodka in question came from New Zealand. Like many newer distilleries, Cardona produces multiple spirits – vodka, gin and whisky – we were at a Whisky Show after all! 

The Reid single malt vodka 44% NZD 122

  • Nose – Beautiful! A lovely floral aroma – like wandering past a rose bush. The sweet essence was entrancing. It was a floral and fruity perfume with pears and bananas
  • Palate – Soft on the palate… the bananas were joined by caramel and tinned pineapples
  • Finish – Candy floss, loads of flavours lingering

We had no idea what to expect. And were blown away – it was simply spectacular. It is hard to describe why exactly it captured us so completely – it just did. Simply wow!

Here’s what the folks at Cardona have to say about their vodka:

Decadently rich, The Reid Single Malt Vodka is the best vodka you will ever taste. It was awarded Gold at the World’s Best 50 International Awards in New York. On the nose, The Reid is delicately nuanced with pear drops, lemon, toffee and malt biscuits. On the tongue, the Reid is weighted and balanced. Exquisite neat, with water, or mixed into a crafted cocktail.

Cardrona 7years Full Flight Solera 62.8% NZD 175

  • Nose – Quite active, light lemon
  • Palate – Banana and spice
  • Finish – Cayenne finish

In fairness, after the incredible vodka, it was a tough act to follow. They shared it spent five years in ex-Bourbon barrels before maturing another two years in Sherry. Whilst the website indicates Oloroso however at the Whisky Show, the folks mentioned PX cask.

This is what the folks at Cardona have to say about this expression:

Full Flight is the final expression of The Cardrona Single Malt Whisky coming of age. Aged for seven years in a marriage of specially selected ex-Oloroso Sherry butts and ex-Bourbon barrels, Full Flight is decadently rich and delivered at natural cask strength. Dark fruits on the nose, and sticky treacle in the mouth.

Cardrona The Falcon 52% NZD 353

  • Nose – A powerhouse on the nose
  • Palate – In some ways it is more refined than the Full Flight, however still has a kick!
  • Finish – Peppery

To be honest, we were clearly into whisky show fatigue by this point. I later counted it up – much more than 60 drams were sniffed, swished, and sampled over the weekend. How could we truly do justice to our final whisky of the event?

So I turned to check out what the folks at Cardrona have to say about this dram: 

An exquisite trinity of three hand-selected casks, drawn from some of our oldest stocks and reduced to 52% abv. 

Burnt toffee. Vanilla cream. Sun-scorched nectarine. Pepper.

Whilst the whiskies were a bonus, it truly was the vodka that was the star of the show!

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