Category Archives: Island

2025 Whisky Show – Island’s Mainstage

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I absolutely love the Mainstage sessions at London’s Whisky Show. Our third and last session from 2025 focused on Islands. Most would know that Scotland has four official regions: Highlands, Islay, Lowlands, and Speyside. Unofficially, Scotland also has an “Islands” region with Isle of Arran (Lagg, Lochranza), Orkney (Highland Park, Scapa), Skye (Talisker), etc. Yet we also have several non-Scottish Islands that have got into the business of producing whisky like Hven in Sweden. There is something about an island character – a kind of independence that comes from relying on the people within your Island home. And that is what this Mainstage session was all about!

Photo Left to Right: Dave Broom, Shona Mcleod (Isle of Harris), Mick Swanney (Scapa), and Henric Molin (Hven)

Island Distilling

Across the globe, distilleries have sprung up on islands. Some of that was historically to provide a local supply, and some of it was to avoid the watch of the excise man. Modern Island Distilleries are still vital elements of their community but face very particular challenges.  Dave Broom takes to the stage with Shona Macleod from Isle of Harris, Mick Swanney from Scapa and Henric Molin from Hven to talk about their island homes.

Now that you know who we heard from, what whiskies did we experience?

  • Isle of Harris with Hearach 6 year Decade Edition 46%
  • Orkney Island with Scapa 21 year (2025) 50.7%
  • Veen Island in Sweden (near Denmark) with Spirit of Hven “Hvenus” 8 year Rye Whisky 45.6%

Welcome to our wee exploration of a trio of islands and their drams!

We began on the Isle of Harris, a small island in the Scottish Outer Hebrides. Shona Maclead, Blender for Harris Distilery, shared insights into their journey. She explained their community-based approach. To keep the distillery functioning, the community stepped in, with most having never worked in a distillery before, bringing different backgrounds to this re-start-up!

For this expression, they use hand-cut Harris peat to ppm of 40 – 44, matured in a combination of Ex-oloroso Butts and Ex-Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrels, and was their first expression without the “experts” guiding.

This wasn’t my first time sampling a Hearach dram. Two years ago, a bottle made its way to my Nürnberg home in a special “bring your bottle” evening. So even before Shona mentioned peat, I knew to put out my “peat” Glencairn glass for a pour – a new Whisky Show habit to keep peat and non-peat drams in separate glasses.

What did we think?

Hearach 6 years Decade Edition 46%

  • Nose – Light peat, some salinity, almost like salty nuts, some heather, floral, and herbal with an anise twist
  • Palate – Gently, soft, creamy, then a bit punchy, whilst not at all sweet, there was a delicious curl of smoke
  • Finish – Lingering smoke

What do they say about this expression?

  • On the nose – Caramelised oranges and dried citrus peel are prominent. Then sweet nutty sugared almonds turning slowly to notes of dark brown sugar and a touch of liquorice toffee. There’s a burst of mixed florals, mellowing into gentler more herbaceous purple heather and lavender notes
  • On the palate – Harris peat smoke complements the flavours of spiced ginger cake and bonfire toasted marshmallows on the palate. The finish is creamy and long.

Their tasting notes ring true with our experience, and I look forward to future opportunities to explore Harris whiskies.

Next, we shifted to Orkney Island with Master Distiller Mick Swanney from Scapa. When one thinks of Orkney, Highland Park tends to come to mind. Mick shared that Highland Park and Scapa share workers, though naturally with quite different styles and approaches. On an island, if something breaks, it’s not like an engineer can easily pop over, so it builds a kind of self-reliance and partnership with your neighbour.

Mick spoke of their use of heritage barley, grown on Orkney Island, their “neolithic” washtray, and manual processes. What we sometimes forget is that Scapa was mothballed from 1994 to 2004, and was reopened by Pernod Ricard. Mick shared the challenges with rebuilding inventory, aiming for traditional malt enthusiasts. Hence, he was particularly proud to share their Scapa 21-year – commemorating their revival.

Scapa 21 year (2025) 50.7%

  • Nose – Bright tropical aromas, banana cream pie, then salty caramel – quite joyful
  • Palate – More of that caramel with a gentle spice, soft and easy on the palate
  • Finish – Not long but quite enjoyable

The best way to describe this expression is that it is “wonderfully drinkable”. Unlike some 21 year olds, strutting their “mature stuff”, making you work at discerning the different elements, this was simply an enjoyable dram. No fuss, no muss, just kick back and relax.

Here is what the folks have to say about their Scapa 21-year-old – potentially a different release as the latest tasting notes are for 48% whereas ours was 50.7%.

  • Nose – Notes of homemade apricot jam with fresh raspberries drizzled over ripe bananas and whipped cream. Hints of aromatic oak and subtle nutmeg conclude.
  • Palatte – Notes of fresh peaches and mangoes wrapped in vanilla cream and condensed milk, with notes of shortbread spiced with cardamom and cinnamon.
  • Finish – Sweet and syrupy

In some ways, I wish we had started with the Scapa, as it was a perfect “ease into your evening” kind of whisky.

We closed our Islands exploration with a shift from Scotland to Sweden.

Henric shared that they use local ingredients and take full advantage of their microclimate on Isle of Veen. He explained that Spirit of Hven initially focused on single malt, but then shifted into playing with oat, corn, wheat, and other grains – including Rye. He was quite proud of what they produced in their pot still and coffey still, with this Rye expression matured in virgin QA oak.

Spirit of Hvens “Hvenus” 8 year Rye Whisky 45.6%

  • Nose – Heady! Loads of fruits, very sweet – candy sweet
  • Palate – Spice, molasses, agricole, grains
  • Finish – Limited

This was a distinct departure from the other Island drams. As I sipped it, I recalled my trip to Spirit of Hven back in 2021. We thoroughly enjoyed our day on the island, and I can personally attest that it takes true commitment to reach the distillery! The whisky tour was interesting, marred only by the guides’ condescending comments towards women, yet the lunch was delightful, and we really enjoyed trying different drams post-lunch.

Here’s what they have to say about this expression:

Hvenus is a unique rye whisky composed by Master Distiller Henric Molin at the distillery Spirit of Hven. Elegant and velvet smooth, yet powerful and flavorsome. Every batch comprises of 42 casks blended together, aerated and very gently filtered before bottling at 45,6 %vol. No charcoal filtration, no color or sugar added just well-made whisky matured on the best American oak (Quercus Alba) we could find.

The final grain recipe after blending the forty-two casks from four different recipes together are; 78,6% rye, 11,9% wheat, 4,8% corn and 4,8% barley. The casks are matured three to six years, partially in warehouses with controlled climate conditions. All to create a whisky with unique smoothness and bouquet.

  • Scent – First scent reveals dark chocolate and deep notes from the heavy charred, air-dried American oak, it is followed up by notes of creamy almond carrot cake.
  • Taste is strong but not overwhelming. Balance lands mid-front tongue, highlighting the creamy sweet-peppery rye character. Elegant bitter tannins play well with reserved acidity and perfectly balanced alcohol strength.

And there you have it, a session exploring the independent character of three different Islands and their whiskies.

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Whisky Ladies ABCs – Ardnahoe, Benromach, Creag Isle

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Our Whisky Ladies sessions are curated by our members. The theme, the order, everything is up to our monthly host. The only “rule” is to make every effort to avoid repeats! It could be a vertical progression from one distillery, a regional or country theme, something more fanciful or practical, tying the whiskies together.

For our (hopefully!) annual weekend retreat, our host took a delightfully simple approach – the alphabet! And selected whiskies starting with A, B, and C!

  • A = Ardnahoe “Infinite Loch” Islay Single Malt 50% £55
  • B = Benromach 15-year 43% £73
  • C = Creag Isle 10-year Island Malt 42.2% (Hunter Laing) ~£50

It was a counterintuitive tasting order. Normally, we begin with the milder drams, progressing to bolder, more powerful flavours and finishing with peat. We took the opposite approach here – and it worked wonderfully!

A is for Ardnahoe 

I was first introduced to their whisky range in 2024 at the London Whisky Show. Backed by Hunter Laing, Ardnahoe became Islay’s 9th distillery in 2016 with distillation starting in 2018.

Ardnahoe “Infinite Loch” Islay Single Malt 50%

  • Aroma – Loads of peat! Leather and bacon, fruity – particularly baked pineapple, spicy, marmalade with generous orange peel… Spiced pears, cinnamon, star anise, menthol
  • Palate – Super peppery at first, also very active – full of smoke, yet also quite fruity and summery, the mint was joined by fresh cucumber, then shifted into a gentle milk chocolate
  • Finish – Ginger, cinnamon, cloves, burnt sweet spices

As we swirled the whisky in our glasses, we inhaled the sweet, smoky aromas, joined by sea salt too. It grew on us more and more – a sipping dram to settle down with for a desultory evening.

In front of us was an indulgent cheeseboard with bitter marmalade jam and apple-gin jelly. We found a sharp cheese with bitter marmalade jam made a brilliant contrasting pairing with the Ardnahoe, enhancing the whisky’s sweetness. Superb!

Their official tasting notes share:

Ardnahoe Infinite Loch has been matured in a combination of ex-Bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks, and is bottled with no artificial colouring and no chill-filtration.

Sea-spray, Islay peat and dark chocolate on the nose. Menthol, fresh fruits and bonfire notes on the palate lead into a smoky, zesty finish.

Would we agree? Yes indeed!

B is for Benromach

Up next was a familiar standard – the Benromach 15 year!

Benromach 15 year 43%

  • Aroma – Sweet molasses, dark milk chocolate, honey, raisins, Christmas plum cakes, ginger, pine, sweetened fruits, opening up a bourbon vanilla candle, then clove-stuck orange, salted caramel, spiced rum, mint
  • Palate – Spiced rum ball, warming, creamy, full-bodied yet smooth, malty, cocoa, coffee mocha… as it opened further in the glass – chocolate-covered salty caramels or malty salted peanuts, a touch of toast, a hint of gentle peat perhaps?
  • Finish – Slightly bitter, fruitcake

When we set it aside, it continued to mellow in the glass. The Benromach was the most classic dram of the evening, one for the traditionalists vs those in the mood for something more experimental or peatier.

C is for Creag Isle

I wasn’t familiar with Creag Isle… turns out it is a private independent label from the Hunter Laing stable. Whilst they typically focus on Islay whiskies (rumoured to often be from Caol Ila), the particular expression we tried was specifically identified as an “Island” single malt – which technically isn’t an official Scottish whisky region – with no further details!

Creag Isle 10 year Island Malt 42.2% (Hunter Laing)

  • Nose – How interesting! A distinctly Indian garam masala, coastal salt, and sand, dried fish, slowly sweetening over time
  • Palate – Funky yet interesting. It initially had an almost fizzy quality. There was peat behind the bitter. Curiously approachable for something so distinctive. At the same time, there was a delicate and light touch too. Quite different – yet it worked!
  • Finish – Very sweet finish, cinnamon smoke close… over time took on a bitter walnut quality too

One person shared that this dram was like kissing someone who had been puffing away on a cigar! As strange as our initial impressions may seem on reading them now, it was surprisingly compelling, drawing us back to continue to sniff, swish, and appreciate.

I’m already looking forward to next year’s Whisky Ladies of Mumbai retreat!

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Battle of the Blends – 18 years Timourous Beastie vs Rock Oyster

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It was a quiet Sunday late afternoon before Mumbai’s Mahindra Blues Festival. My tasting companion and I were interested in just a light taste or two before we caught the evening’s entertainment.

I thought it would be fun to try side by side a couple of Douglas Laing blends – both 18 year years, both limited edition expressions.

My tasting companion was skeptical – he wasn’t so impressed with the NAS options. So what did we think of the 18 year olds?

Timorous Beastie 18 year Blended Malt 46.8%

  • Nose – Big! Lots of cereals with hay and barley. A sweet lemon curd, honey, settling into lemon pie with a hint of white pepper, vanilla, caramel biscuits
  • Palate – Spicy, yet balances out, red macintosh applies, which then shifts into strawberries and cream
  • Finish – A touch bitter
  • Water – Wonderful! brought out a Tutti Fruitti sweetness with a chocolaty close

The Timorous Beastie is a limited edition malt made with Highland whiskies with the youngest 18 years.

Next up, we shifted to the Islands….

Rock Oyster 18 year Blended Malt 46.8%

  • Nose – It began with a lovely lemon sherbert, joined by a saline, mineral, heavier undertones – like a heavy rye sourdough, then sweet capsicum, candied lemon rind, vanilla ice cream
  • Palate – Vegitative peat, miineralic, lovely mouthfeel
  • Finish – A proper finish, long and strong – like a Highland Park 18 year – sweet peat with subtle saline
  • Revisit – After some time, we revisited the whisky and found it had shifted into cotton candy with a lovely minerality, having both depth and character

Douglas Laing’s Rock Oyster Island blended malt from the islands – Arran, Jura, Islay and Orkney.

These miniatures were shared by the fabulous Whisky Flu – his blog is a must-read for spirits – often going deep into the process of making malty (or other) magic!

Related blends from Douglas Laing previously sampled:

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2025 Whisky Show – Arran

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Day 2 of our 2025 London Whisky Show began with a bang. Intended to be a light starter, we found ourselves instead going straight to +50% with two special editions from Arran’s Lochranza Distillery!

We had a chance to test a new approach to our whisky show wanderings… We brought an extra glass for the satchel – reserved exclusively for peated drams! It was such a success, henceforth we will clearly adopt this method – one glass for unpeated, one for peated!

We shared with our whisky guide our familiarity with nearly all expressions on the table except these two:

  • Arran 12 Year Signature Series 3 Duero Discovery 50% 2025 Whisky Show GBP 81.25
  • Arran 15 Year Rare Batch Peated Sherry Butts 54.4% 2025 Whisky Show GBP 144

So we dove right in…

Arran 12 Year Signature Series 3 Duero Discovery 50%

  • Nose – Delicious dark berries, kumquats, toffee, and salty caramel popcorn
  • Palate – Prickly, yet settled down after a moment, red cherries joined all the red berries, sweet spices, creme caramel
  • Finish – Lots of tannins – clear wine influence, nuts and more…. mmmm….

Our whisky guide shared that this Signature edition was initially matured for 6 years in 1st fill and 2nd fill ex-bourbon barrels, then transferred to 1st fill Red Wine cask from the Duero River in northern Spain, to spend another 6 years further maturing in Warehouse No 4.

Arran 15 Year Rare Batch Peated Sherry Butts 54.4%

  • Nose – Mmmmm smoky sweet, fresh seaside breeze
  • Palate – Well-rounded, peat and sweet, beautifully balanced, subtle sherry influence
  • Finish – Long, lingering, and warm

Remarkable! For us to dive straight into such high ABV so early in the day – and that too with peat – was a clear departure from our normal pattern! And yet, somehow it worked!

PS – Our whisky guide shared that this limited edition expression was peated to 20 ppm.

So why did we skip the “standards”? Well… Putting it mildly, we’ve had more than a few Arran experiences over the years… I even managed to make it to both the Lochranza and Lagg Distillery in 2020!

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2025 Whisky Show – Decadent Drams Highland, Speyside + Orkney

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Decadent Drinks has become a favourite at whisky shows for great conversations, a fabulous range of new and rare whiskies. The 2025 London Whisky Show experience was no exception. Our first day began with them, and our last day closed there too.

Between the start and finish, we had a couple of pit stops. During one, we explored some of their non-dream dram “Decadent Dram” expressions with :

  • Highland (Deanston) 27 year (1997/2025) Refill Hogshead 50.4% (Decadent Drams) 2025 Whisky Show GBP 278
  • Speyside (Glen Moray) 10 year (2014/2025) 57.1% (Decadent Drams) 2025 Whisky Show GBP 95
  • Old Orkney (Highland Park) 25 year (1999 / 2025) 50.3% (Decadent Drinks) 2025 Whisky Show GBP 345

Without further ado, let’s get on with the whiskies, shall we?

Highland (Deanston) 27 year (1997 / 2025) Refill hogshead 50.4% 

  • Nose – A clear classic, all those lovely Highland notes, a real beauty!
  • Palate – Well-rounded, fruity, and balanced… everything in harmony
  • Finish – Nice with a gentle spice

Whilst I’m not always a Deanston fan, this expression was spectacular. Narry a hint of that slightly industrial element I sometimes find with Deanston. This was elegant, exceptional, and such a treat to taste!

Speyside (Glen Moray) 10 year (2014/2025) 57.1% 

  • Nose – Fruity, full yet not too much
  • Palate – Bold but not forceful, complex, juicy, rich, stewed fruits, sweet yet not cloying, creamy milk chocolate
  • Finish – Salty, sweet, with a bit of gentle, fragrant leaves

Again, whilst we aren’t always Glen Moray fans, this was way beyond expectations. For a distillery that pumps out the (relatively) cheap stuff, this was top shelf.

This wasn’t our first Old Orkney expression. We tried their 20-year-old expression at the 2024 Whisky Show, so we were curious to see what their 4th bottling in this series was all about!

Old Orkney (Highland Park) 25 year (1999 / 2025) 50.3% 

  • Nose – Heather, light leather, peat, and sweet with dark fruits
  • Palate – Yummy! Lovely rich sherry, backed by a gentle peat
  • Finish – Lovely and lingers

Practically in unison, we shared our impression that this was what Highland Park used to be!

What more do we know? This 25-year-old was mostly matured in refill wood, then its final six years, it was matured in a very old 1st fill, ex-bodega, oloroso sherry butt. 

And there you have it – another delicious trio from Decadent Drinks!

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2025 Whisky Show – Gordon and MacPhail

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Over the years, I’ve looked forward to the Gordon & MacPhail stand at any whisky show. The folks there know their stuff and have remarkable stuff to share too! With 130 years in the business, one could count on both great insights and great liquid, making spending time there a real highlight.

And then came the announcement in 2023 that the team would cease independent bottling – stopping the purchase of new make spirit from 2024 – to focus on their distilleries: Benromach and The Cairn. Whilst they still have a prodigious amount of stock maturing, it was a clear signal of change. Backing this up, they were notably absent at London’s 2024 Whisky Show.

All to say – we were pleasantly surprised to see their return at London’s 2025 Whisky Show.

Having previously sampled the Auchroisk and Miltonduff from their Discovery line, and it being too early in the day for the peaty Ledaig, we went directly to the Connoisseurs Choice range. What did we try?

  • Linkwood 15 year (2009 / 18 Nov 2024) Batch 24/036 1st Fill Sherry Hogshead Cask #22605907 53.8% (G&MP Connoisseurs Choice – UK Exclusive) 329 Bottles, 2025 Whisky Show £127
  • Balblair 31 year (1993 / 29 Aug 2024) Batch 24/020, First Fill Sherry Puncheon Cask #1961 49.5% (G&MP Connoisseurs Choice) 549 Bottles, 2025 Whisky Show £710
  • Tamnavulan 31 year (1991 / 12 Dec 2022) Batch 23/002 Refill Sherry Puncheon Cask #9040502 51.79% (G&MP Connoisseurs Choice) 418 Bottles, 2025 Whisky Show £711
  • Glenrothes 16 year (2009 / 6 Jun 2025) Batch 25/016, 1st Fill Sherry Hogshead Cask #19602410 55.5% (G&MP Connoisseurs Choice) 2025 Whisky Show £138
  • Highland Park 17 year (2007 / 3 June 2025) Batch 25/017, 1st Fill Sherry Butt Cask #5358 59.9% (G&MP Connoisseurs Choice – UK Exclusive) 606 Bottles, 2025 Whisky Show £156
  • Benromach 40 year (1982 / 2022) Cask #3024413 59.9% (G&MP Private Collection) 2025 Whisky Show £1950

Our tasting notes are a bit light as this was a sniff, swish, and spit – my typical approach to remain standing at Whisky Shows! Where possible, I’ve added additional insights from the bottle…

Gordon & MacPhail calls Linkwood “An unsung hero in the world of single malts.” I would tend to agree that this Speyside distillery produces solid drams with less attention. At the show, we tried a UK exclusive…

Linkwood 15 year (2009 / 18 Nov 2024) Batch 24/036 1st Fill Sherry Hogshead Cask No 22605907 53.8% (G&MP Connoisseurs Choice, UK Exclusive) 329 Bottles

  • Nose – What a delight! It was bright and fruity on the nose – think red apples, ginger with a bit of orange zest, joined by cherries and cake
  • Palate – It was much more powerful than the aromas! Rich and full-flavoured, we found stewed apples, mocha, peppers, and something a bit nutty.
  • Finish – Dry, with a nice oak and spice tail. Yum!

What did the G&MP folks have to say? Their official tasting notes shared:

Fruit cake and marzipan aromas intertwine with cherry and strawberry liquorice. Stewed fruit combines with autumnal spice and milk chocolate. A full finish with forest fruits and toasted oak.

There is also a related expression available for worldwide distribution.

Next up was an offering from Balblair, with the folks at G&MP sharing:

As a single malt, Balblair heads into a sweet, buttery territory, working extremely well in a variety of casks – from refill hogsheads to more robust puncheons. Balblair proudly sits in ‘The MacPhail’s Collection’ range, it is considered as a top class Highland single malt whisky.

My tasting companion and I bonded over a Balblair 38 year, so what did we think of the 31-year-old?

Balblair 31 year (1993 / 29 Aug 2024) Batch 24/020, First Fill Sherry Puncheon Cask #1961 49.5% 2025 (G&MP Connoisseurs Choice) 

  • Nose – Outstanding! Orchard fruits, red berries, warming into dried fruits and dark chocolate
  • Palate – Fabulous! Wonderfully well-rounded, a touch of spice, very jammy, shifting into a delicious marmalade… I kept thinking of these marvellous
  • Finish – Strong, long, and mighty fine

Their official tasting notes from the bottle shared the following:

Roast coffee bean aromas lead to vanilla fudge and dried fruits. Sweet with light fruitcake, chocolate and Seville orange flavours balanced by charred oak. Full bodied, with a hint of pepper.

There is also a related expression available.

Next up was a less familiar Speyside. G&MP had this to say about the distillery:

Tamnavulin comes from the Gaelic meaning ‘mill on the hill’, it was built in 1966 as one of the newer distilleries during a period of several opening in the region. It was mothballed less than 30 years later in early 1995. The distillery has six stills and is completely computerised.

It is the only distillery positioned on the River Livet, from which the cooling waters are drawn. The distillery resumed production in 2007 and makes a whisky, which very much characterises the smooth, creamy qualities of the Speyside region.

The liquid we tried was distilled in 1991 – before it was mothballed.

Tamnavulan 31 year (1991 / 12 Dec 2022) Batch 23/002 Refill Sherry Puncheon Cask #9040502 51.79% (G&MP Connoisseurs Choice) 

  • Nose – Elegant, orchard fruits, caramel sweet, mmmm…. a dark chocolate fudge
  • Palate – Surprisingly dry! Tannins, good body, full and rich. And yes – blackcurrants, black pepper – exactly as we later read as tasting notes on the label!
  • Finish – Carried through

We were entranced – particularly the fabulous aromas caught our fancy! It may seem like a contradiction, however, it was “creamier” on the nose than the palate – for us at least.

What a treat to try this! I’m curious if the new avatar re-opened in 2007 will produce such liquid? Whilst I had purchased pre-COVID a bottle from their new stock, it was gifted to a dear whisky connoisseur in Mumbai to replenish depleted stocks in a time of shortage!

What did their official tasting notes on the bottle say?

Autumnal spice intertwine with aromas of apple and hazelnuts, vanilla fudge combines with blackcurrant flavours, balanced by black pepper. A full finish with lingering herbal influences.

Currently, there are no Tamnavulin expressions listed as available directly from G&MP, however, The Whisky Exchange still has a few bottles of this one!

We followed with an expression from The Glenrothes distillery… Here’s what G&MP share about this distillery:

This single malt has become something of a cult whisky in the past decade or so, famed for its Battenburg cake flavours, and has grown decade after decade between the 1960s and 2000s, seemingly swerving all the pitfalls of the industry. Clearly a blessed spirit indeed.

What did we think?

Glenrothes 16 year (2009 / 6 Jun 2025) Batch 25/016, 1st Fill Sherry Hogshead Cask #19602410 55.5% (G&MP Connoisseurs Choice) 

  • Nose – All the expected dark fruits, Christmas cake chock full of dried fruits, raisins, was in competition with an apple crumble with brown sugar and cinnamon
  • Palate – Hmm… not so balanced. Fruity, sweet, but somehow was a bit “much”

What was a playful interplay on the nose, just didn’t come together on the palate. Simply put, there was just too much going on and not enough harmony.

And the official tasting notes?

Fruitcake aromas combine with raspberry and cinnamon, stewed apples and raisin flavours complement demera sugar and a hint of aniseed. A full and long finish with forest fruits and spice.

Ahhh, the Orkney Islands and the venerable Highland Park! What do the G&MP folks have to say?

From its blustery home in Kirkwall, the distillery still utilises a small traditional floor malting set up to supplement its production and the peat is cut from Hobbister Moor, where due to the unforgiving weather conditions, no trees grow, meaning the peat has taken on a distinct floral character from the low lying plants and heather.

As a whisky, Highland Park is rich and honeyed, with a delicate-yet-dry smoky fragrance. A characterful and highly distinctive malt which is utterly adored by the global whisky community.

Highland Park 17 year (2007 / 3 June 2025) Batch 25/017, 1st Fill Sherry Butt Cask #5358 59.9% (G&MP Connoisseurs Choice – UK Exclusive)

  • Nose – Yum! Salty peanuts, mocha with a hint of citrus too
  • Palate – Peat and sweet and fun!
  • Finish – Light spice and everything nice!

Whilst perhaps not as complex as my memories of the old Highland Park 18 year, this was a lovely example of what a Highland Park whisky can be!

What did the folks at G&MP have to say?

Fragrant raisin aromas complement peanuts and tangerine peel. Apple and raspberry are followed by fudge and a hint of coffee bean. A medium length finish with lingering spice.

We closed with a special dram from Gordon & Macphail’s own distillery – Benromach – with whisky distilled before their purchase in 1993.

Benromach 40 year (1982 / 2022) Cask #3024413 59.9% (G&MP Private Collection) 

  • Nose – Rich, complex, plums, coffee, cloves, ginger, zest of an orange peel
  • Palate – Bold, heavy, tannins, cherry, and black pepper spice… this is one serious dram! Just let it roll around, enveloping with full flavours!
  • Finish – Spicy, smoke, and very, very long…

Wow! This was one powerful dram. We drained our wee sample to the last drop and enjoyed the remaining aromas in our glasses.

What a brilliant finish to a fabulous line-up from Gordon & MacPhail. Whilst I’m glad they still have a decade or more of stock, I still hope that in a few years, there is a renewed commitment to maturing and bottling the best the whisky industry has to offer!

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Scottish Regions – Whisky Broker’s Highland Park 57.9%

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It took being back in Bombay on a break to catch up, sharing tasting notes about the “bonus” dram from our January Scottish Regions explorations. Whilst I had anchored the evening with the standard “four” aka Campbeltown, Highland, Islay and Speyside, we were joined by a gent who had a perfect addition from the unofficial 5th whisky region – Island!

Island – Highland Park 14 Year (23 Oct 2003 / 1 Nov 2017) Hogshead No 739 57.9% (Whisky Broker). Bottle 54 of 237. ~GBP 60

  • Nose – Wet leaves and sea spray, there was no doubt this was a maritime style dram with a hint of peat. We found it quite vegetal – reminiscent of a rural setting with cow dung patties baking in the sun. There was also wet stone, mineral… and yet as it continued to open, new elements came to play. We then found heather, lavender, a potpourri with oregano, rosemary… It then shifted further into chargrilled lemon rind. What remarkably interesting and evolving aromas!
  • Palate – After some time, we went in…. A LOT is happening here! It is delicious, sweet, balanced peat, tannins, tobacco, even a minty leafy herbal quality.
  • Finish – Carries on in the same vein, with the tobacco joined by herbal influences.

What a dram! It was so good to be reminded why Highland Park was once such a favourite. And if this is any indication of what Whisky Broker bottles, I should keep an eye out for more!

What else did we try?

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Whisky Show 2024 – Decadent Drinks

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London’s Whisky Show brought many delights. One was time spent at Decadent Drinks – the folks behind the irreverent Whisky Sponge – which has “retired” as a brand! We didn’t quite get through the full range – yet we definitely covered a gamut from light to heavy moderately aged to mature!



Glen Garioch 21 year (2003 / 2024) 1st fill bourbon hogshead 55.1% 1 of 248 bottles (Decadent Drinks)


Our explorations began in the highlands… 



  • Nose – Fruity, juicy, then shifts into hazelnut chocolate nougat

  • Palate – Lovely fruits n spice n everything nice! Waxy, with a roll around the palate kinda substance

  • Finish – Almost a hint of copper 


What a wonderful way to begin with fruity fabulousness. Yum!



Aberlour 33 year (1989 + 1991 / 1999) Ed No 29, Refill Hogsheads 49.7% (Whisky Sponge) GBP 365



  • Nose – Gorgeous sherry! Unlike some heavy sherry drams – this was not “in your face” – instead just beautiful dark fruits

  • Palate – More elegant and refined than your typical Abelour, lovely balance

  • Finish – Sweet and long


A proper “grown-up” whisky! Sometimes Aberlour with its devotion to full-on sherry can be a bit much – this was incredibly nuanced and complex. Just wow!



Glen Grant 31 years (1993 / 2024) 52.7% 129 bottles (Decadent Drinks – Whisky Land Chapter 3)  GBP 595



  • Nose – Surprisingly strong – rich fruits and how!

  • Palate – What fun! Prickly ginger spice, buttercream

  • Finish – Sponge cake


If the Glen Grant 12 year old from the 1970s was elegance and refinement, this was the crazy cousin showing very different colours!



Notable Age Statements Blend 17 year 53% (Decadent Drinks) GBP 95


As a play on NAS – No Age Statement – the folks at Decadent Drinks have a series of Notable Age Statement whiskies!



  • Nose – Classically elegant

  • Palate – So balanced, sherry berry 

  • Finish – Don’t laugh – but my tasting companion dubbed this quite a “bitchy” finish!


What more do we know? This is what the folks at Decadent Drinks have to say:



This bottling is composed of a 1st fill sherry butt of 2001 blended malt and a 1st fill sherry butt of 2006 Aultmore. The resulting, multi-vintage mix was bottled with slight reduction at 53%.


This is our attempt to create an older style, sherry matured malt whisky profile. Designed to be easy, fruity and highly drinkable with plenty of classical, earthy and elegant sherry character.




Ardnamurchan 7 year Ed No 100 57.9% (Whisky Sponge – final edition)



  • Nose – Sherry joined by glazed maple with a hint of peat

  • Palate – Sweet and a bit sharp – young and brash, then it settled down to become super fruity and juicy, stewed fruits

  • Finish – Quite active



This was a whisky of contrasts – active and sharp then balanced, vacillating in between quite different characters. It was almost as though it had a kind of identity crisis!

 

It all made sense when I looked up more details. Here is what they had to say: 





This is Whisky Sponge Edition No.100. It’s a 2016 and 2017, 7 year old Ardnamurchan small batch.  It’s a potion that Angus cooked up in collaboration with the good folk at Ardnamurchan Distillery. It’s a mix of 1st fill and 2nd fill, peated and unpeated sherry octaves. We mixed them all together and married them in a refill sherry butt for over six months until the whole potion turned 7 years old, then we bottled it with slight reduction at 57.1%. For those of you that deify transparency, here’s the recipe…  




  • 2017 – Unpeated 1st Fill Sherry, Peated 1st Fill sherry, Peated 1st Fill Sherry, Peated Refill Sherry 

  • 2016  – Unpeated Refill sherry, Unpeated Refill Sherry, Unpeated Refill Sherry, Unpeated 1st Fill Sherry 



We wanted to celebrate and mark the final edition of Whisky Sponge with a whisky that was excellent quality, one that was collaborative and that we’d had a role in creating and making unique to us, and that was modern in the best sense and looked to the future. We feel we have succeeded in this – we hope you agree.  



It was quite an interesting experience!






Ledaig 29 year (1995/2024) 52% (Decadent Drinks – Westie Sponge 4)



  • Nose – Coffee, cinnamon, sweet spices, cakey

  • Palate – “I’m here now!” Big, bold, brilliant flavours! Sherry and coffee, cherry, chewy… lightly peated

  • Finish – Long and strong


Westie Sponge is a series devoted to the Western Highlands and Islands – which naturally needed to include this Ledaig from Tobermory distillery from Isle of Mull. 



Bowmore 20 year (2004) 53.3% 171 Bottles (Decadent Drinks – Whiskyland Chapter Two)



  • Nose – Fresh and bright, a delightful sea breeze, perfume then dark fruits, lush

  • Palate – Sweet peat, fruity in perfect harmony, elegant and well-rounded

  • Finish – Lingers


What more do we know? It is a refill hogshead from 2004. In some ways it was an un-Bowmore-like Bowmore – less forceful and more restrained. Lovely.



Ardmore 22 year (1997 + 2000) 53% (Decadent Drinks – Whisky Sponge – Equilibrium 3rd Edition) GBP 215



  • Nose – Love it! Peat and sweet

  • Palate – Perfect balance of peat and sherry, unctuous mouthfeel, meaty yet soft too

  • Finish – Marshmallows and cherry


The deep ruby hues (without any added colour!) means there has been some serious contact with an ex sherry cask! Here’s what else they have to say:



For this final bottling in the Equilibrium series, we took a refill matured 1997 and sherry finished 2000, medium peated highland malt and married them together in a 2nd fill sherry hogshead. That mix was then bottled as this 22 year old with a few degrees reduction at 53%. 


The result is the softest of the three Equilibrium bottlings in terms of peat level, and probably the richest in terms of sherry character. But overall, this is a wonderful, complex and beautifully quaffable sherry and peat influenced dram, one where age and time have also worked some pretty delicious tricks…  




Mortlach 16 year (2007) 48.5% (Decadent Drinks – Equinox & Solstice Summer Edition)



  • Nose – How extraordinary? There was a distinctive chaat masala aroma of black salt! Tangy, tropical fruits

  • Palate – Sherry edge, no lightweight at all. Oily, big and bold. Fruity and full. More of that chaat masala too!

  • Finish – Coffee


It was muscular without being heavy-handed. 



Miltonduff 11 year (2012)  1st Fill Sherry Hogshead 48.5% (Decadent Drinks – Equinox & Solstice Winter Edition) GBP 110



  • Nose – Rich yet not overpowering, juicy fruits then shifts into a mocha sundae, creamy eggnog 

  • Palate – Think of a delicious black forest cake with dark cherries, yet restrained too

  • Finish – Beautiful


A clear Speyside hero in its best form. 


Thank you Elise from Fredericton New Brunswick for making our time with Decadent Drinks so rewarding!


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Whisky Show 2024 – Arran

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At the 2024 London Whisky Show, we were looking for a wee palate cleanser between some remarkable Chichibu Japanese whiskies and our next stop – Compass Box. We strolled past the stand with Arran and simply had to pause!

For those new to Whisky Lady, over the years we’ve become rather partial to the unpeated drams from Lochranza Distillery from Isle of Arran. So much so that I’ve even managed to tour the entire island – all the way from Lochranza to Lagg distilleries.

Arran 13 year Small Batch Port Pipes 53.2%

To be honest, I think it was a bit forceful for us. In our quick sniff and swish, we encountered a nice lemon that shifted into a pine sol? On the palate, it was prickly, quite punchy but in a good way. The finish was solid and strong.

This expression is a UK exclusive and retails for around GBP 115.

If you are curious about our Arranexplorations? There have been many!!

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Sherry Battle! Aberlour 16 year + Arran Sherry

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The battle of the Sherries came about one relaxed evening in London. We were gearing up for the Whisky Show 2023, and my host pulled out two of his favourite drams. Both sherry, both quality and still available at a reasonably accessible price point. He wanted to see which reigned supreme. Spoiler alert – both for different reasons!

  • Arran Sherry 55.8%  – Sherry meets bannoffie pie! Drunken raisins, salted caramel… Smooth with dark fruits, and sweet spices… long strong finish
  • Aberlour 16 year 40% – You would think it would be gentle at a mere 40%, however, don’t let that fool you! Full of all the wonderful sherry influenced fruits, Christmasy spices then on the palate ginger and chocolate. Yum.

For those not familiar, Aberlour is known for its consistent use of ex-Olorosso sherry casks… until they recently launched their Alba line.

Whereas Arran, from Lochranza Distillery, regularly uses a range of casks – from Bourbon to Port, from Amarone to Sauternes, and of course Sherry!

As we sampled them side by side, we reflected on how each revels in the sherry cask, with the Aberlour a bit heavier despite it being 40% and the Arran more nuanced and lively, not surprising given its cask strength.

I missed making detailed notes however simply remembered how much we enjoy both whiskies. Each would go well in any whisky cabinet.

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