Every Whisky Show has something that really stands out – be it a remarkable bottle that one remembers for years, a masterclass that brought deeper insights into the drams, or a new distillery to discover!
Sometimes the “Oh wow!” isn’t a new distillery; it is a new blending company or independent bottler. For my tasting companion and I, the 2025 Whisky Show will be remembered as the year we discovered The Heart Cut husband and wife bottling team – Georgie and Fabrizio.
Bursting with enthusiasm and a quest for unique and interesting expressions, we were so impressed that we walked away with three bottles from the show and ordered a fourth from The Whisky Exchange – picked up shortly before my flight to Mumbai!
What did we try? It was a bit of an around-the-world tour! From single malts to rye and spirited experiments! The casks reflected a wonderfully eclectic range – from wet red wines to ex-Islay, 250+ year old European oak to new American oak. And the biggest surprise? A Californian Ale Cask! Here are the expressions we experienced:
** Identifies the bottles purchased for a Bombay Malt & Cigar club future flight.
Our journey began at the Mainstage session about the Future of Independent Bottlers. Even though technically the St George is a spirit rather than whisky, we were simply blown away and had to have it!
You can read about our experience as part of the Mainstage session soon! In the interim, here is a bit of an introduction!
St George Spirits California Ale Cask (25 Jul 2016 / 17 Nov 2023) 54% (The Heart Cut #08)
St George is a distillery based in the Bay Area of San Francisco, California, USA. It was founded in 1982 by Jörg Rupf and produces a range of spirits, including some rather fine Gins that I received years ago as a gift! I was also introduced to their unique single malt (Lot No 16) expression from 2016.
Here are their official tasting notes for their spirit:
Delicate notes of dried chamomile, ripe stone fruit and juicy mango lead the way, followed by a rich burst of apricot jam. The finish is all toasted brioche and the creamy, caramel-chocolate goodness of Rolo’s.
The description was further “distilled” on the label to a few succinct words! Dried chamomile, candyfloss, apricot jam, toasted brioche, Rolo’s.
They call this an “Experimental Malt” due to the addition of hops during brewing. It began as a 100% malted barley, sage-infused, heavily hopped IPA, then was matured in a cask that previously contained Bourbon, Reposado Tequila, and a Californian Ale.
They further share why they selected it:
Adventurousness is next to fearlessness, and the team at St. George skirts the line between the two – and if there were ever a cask to epitomise this ethos, this would be it. From a production standpoint, it’s absolutely unique – an unprecedented combination of malted barley and both hops and bay added as hot-side aroma additions during brewing.
It’s utterly delicious, and we can’t get enough of it!
Neither could we – hence why we selected this experiment for a further tasting with the BMC!
At The Heart Cut stand, we were first directed to a Thomson… As we stopped by New Zealand’s Thomson booth last year, we skipped over it this year. However, this expression was irresistible!
Thomson (6 June 2019 / 25 Mar 2025) Fresh NZ Pinot Noir 50.8% (The Heart Cut #19)
Here’s what we found…
- Colour – Bright red, almost impossibly so!
- Nose – The aromas were bursting with jammy yumminess! We found warm strawberries – like picking them from the backyard on a summer day! Lots of figs, plums, and Christmas treats. There was something more that was very enticing too!
- Palate – It was full of red plums, ripe dark red cherries – like the ones you get in Germany! Beyond the fruits was a nutty element, some salted caramel
- Finish – I didn’t take specific note – perhaps as we were just enjoying the whisky so much!
Just wow! We were a bit blown away by this dram. I’m so happy we didn’t miss sampling this expression! This was absolutely up my alley – whisky-wise. And that’s exactly why it made the “pick” to bring from London back to Mumbai!
The Heart Cut official tasting notes share:
‘Holy wow’ on the nose (thanks to H from our tasting panel for that one!). First comes spiced plum jam and wild strawberries, then sesame snaps and a hint of sandalwood. On the palate, sweetness unfurls: salted caramel, fig rolls, and a nutty Brazil nut note. With a splash of water, the whisky blooms into stewed apples, dried apricots, and candied pecans, with a long, warming finish.
Key Takeouts: Spiced Plum Jam, Wild Strawberries, Dried Cherries, Salted Caramel, Figs
I have to admit to being a bit amused by reading their notes. They were totally in keeping with our brief experience – right down to the wow! I’m looking forward to revisiting it in an upcoming session – including adding water to see its impact. Unfortunately, knowing us, it could be in a few years!
What next? We shifted to Germany… While living in Nürnberg, I kept thinking I would take a trip to Berlin and check out the Stork Club’s “House of Rye”. Somehow that visit didn’t happen; however, I have tried their rye whiskies a few times! And their single malt once too! Made for memorable cocktails, my last Stork Rye bottle was used for a rather tasty Old Fashioned at a Mumbai birthday party!
So what did we try and what did we think?
Stork Club (28 Jun 2019 / 5 Nov 2024) German Napoleon Oak Cask 55% (The Heart Cut #13)
Dubbed as “Black Forest gateau in a glass”, what did we think?
- Colour – Bright gold
- Nose – Hello rye! Lots of cereals, initially a bit musty, umami, then sweetened into caramel, cherries, a cross between a ginger spice and chocolate cake with creamy icing
- Palate – Candied ginger, jalapenos, toasted rye bread… roll around a bit more, and there is some mocha, evolving into rich chocolate, roasted nuts
- Finish – A tasty coffee close
My main recollection was how it was surprisingly rich, indulgent, and rewarding – in many ways unlike any Rye I’ve had! I could completely understand the black forest cake moniker!
Don’t believe me? Check out The Heart Cut’s tasting notes:
Rich and indulgent, the nose bursts with black forest gâteau – ripe cherries, dark chocolate, and a hint of sponge cake – layered with chocolate-covered candied ginger and a touch of baking spices (cinnamon, clove, and allspice). On the palate, toasted cacao nibs and dark chocolate Bounty bring a deep, roasted intensity balanced by the exotic sweetness of candied mango and the savoury-sweet depth of koji. A warming hint of white pepper and subtle woody spice add complexity, leading to a smooth, lingering finish of vanilla cream.
Key Takeouts: Black Forest Gâteau, Candied Ginger, Toasted Cacao Nibs, Koji, Vanilla Cream
From our brief sniff and swish, we would certainly agree. Whilst it didn’t make our “cut” for purchase, it certainly made an impression!
I love how Georgie and Fabrizio share their thinking. This is why this cask made their “cut”:
We’ve been talking with Bastian at Stork Club – Germany’s first Rye Whiskey Distillery – for years (literally), exploring casks and sampling different options. Then one day, he sent us this cask. A malted rye whiskey, matured in a Napoleon Oak Cask – something we’d never come across, and that got us excited! Rich, decadent, and so chocolatey, this whiskey is unlike anything we’ve tasted in all our years. It’s Black Forest Gateau in a glass, and we love it.
PS – Napoleonic oak means the tree is made from 250+ year old oak (ie survived the Napoleonic wars, WWI, and WWII). Coopers X-ray the wood for shrapnel to ensure past conflicts haven’t left lead traces behind!
From New Zealand to Germany, we moved to Australia. Starward is known to use quite “wet” red wine casks, marrying a bit of wine with whisky. We’ve had a few explorations with this distillery and were curious what The Heart Cut chose and why!
Starward (18 Jun 2019 / 29 Aug 2024) Fresh Red Wine Barrique – American Oak 55% (The Heart Cut #14)
What did we find?
- Colour – A darker ruby red
- Nose – Rich and juicy, loads of ripe raspberries, molten dark chocolate
- Palate – Easy and approachable, yet with substance. More of that raspberry – think of raspberry brownies
- Finish – Some roasted coconut and spices
I was a bit sentimental about this one. Why? The nose reminded me of my mother’s raspberry jam made with berries picked in their backyard. She’s long past her jam-making days; however, the last jar was such a treat!
My final tasting note? “Their tasting notes are perfect!” So what was I agreeing with?
LIKE CHOCOLATE-COVERED RASPBERRIES? THEN YOU’LL LOVE THIS.
Starward Distillery has firmly put Melbourne on the Whisky map. Matured in a fresh red wine cask from the Barossa Valley (crafted from American oak), this single malt is all about juicy red fruit and indulgent sweetness – guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
The Heart Cut couple shared that it tastes like:
Bright redcurrants and dried apple slices lead the nose, lifted by delicate rose petals and a whisper of hay. On the palate, a burst of chocolate-covered raspberries meets the comforting crumble of digestive biscuits, layered with rich vanilla and a drizzle of golden syrup. There’s a soft, malty warmth – think porridge laced with dates – and a long, satisfying finish of desiccated coconut, toasted spices and a lingering echo of a raspberry dessert.
Key Takeouts: Chocolate Covered Raspberries, Redcurrants, Digestive Biscuits, Rich Vanilla, Dried Apple Slices
Whilst this one didn’t make the final cut for our quartet, it was definitely a contender!
That was one hard act to follow! So why even try? We went in a totally different direction, returning to Rye, but this time with a new English distillery – Fielden.
Fielden English Rye (7 Jun 2019 / 4 Jul 2023) New American Oak Cask, Coastal Solera Oloroso Finish 56.6% (The Heart Cut #16)
What did we discover?
- Colour – Dark copper
- Nose – An unmistakable aroma – Li Hing Mui – a Chinese dried sweet, sour, and salty dried plums! This was joined by salty caramel
- Palate – Churan – a distinctive Indian Ayurvedic powder blend made from spices and herbs like mango powder, fennel, cumin, ajwain, ginger, black pepper, and black salt. This was joined by fruits
- Finish – A bit savoury – think sea salt and roasted nuts
For an English Rye, our impressions veered towards Chinese and Indian flavours! How did that compare with our merry bottling duo?
They described it as a salty caramel bomb! Here’s what more they have to say:
You’re wrapped in warmth from the first nose of this whisky — salted caramel melts into golden honeycomb and a whisper of honeysuckle. On the palate, that saline-sweet caramel deepens, layered with vanilla ice cream and overripe apricot, before thickening into pecan pie richness. Banana chips bring a crisp, tropical chew; there’s also nostalgic notes of warm waffles with maple syrup. To finish, a playful fizz of kola cubes is grounded by toasted walnuts, oak sawdust, and a flicker of smoked Maldon sea salt.
Key Takeouts: Salted Caramel, Honeycomb, Kola Cubes, Walnuts, Banana Chips
We love their approach to exploring and sharing impressions. We weren’t familiar with this distillery, though we spotted that they were at The Whisky Show. So here’s what the Heart Cut has to say about them:
Fielden is shifting the conversation from the stillhouse to the field, championing regenerative farming and heritage grains to create whisky that’s not only great to taste but good for the land. Learn more about Fielden here.
And with that, we moved on to our next expression…
In keeping with a theme of “new”, Lochlea from the Lowlands certainly fits the bill. In 2023, we spent time with the folks behind Lochlea, exploring their family-run approach to whisky making. As for the whisky?
Lochlea (25 Sep 2019 / 14 May 2025) Ex-Islay Cask 54% (The Heart Cut #17)
- Colour – Bright yellow
- Nose – A lemony peat, fresh, with a bit of crisp green apples and lemon zest, joined by honey
- Palate – Sweet, balanced with a great mouthfeel, more sweet peat and smoke on the palate than nose
- Finish – Flavourful finish of sweet peat
There was a bright coastal feel to this expression. Quite a contrast to the others – standing out for this very reason!
The Heart Cut couple had this to say about their bottle:
A summer night’s bonfire, wrapped in shortbread sweetness. On the nose, you’ll find freshly cut grass, barbecued pineapple and delicate coastal smoke – all underpinned by buttery apples and soft green pepper. The palate glows with barbecued citrus, runny honey and creamy hazelnuts, before the smoke thickens into birchwood and burnt embers. The finish is long, bright and creamy, with sherbet candy (flying saucers!), bitter orange peel and a wisp of sea salt.
Key Takeouts: Sweet Smoke, Baked Apples, Creamy Hazelnut, Next Door’s BBQ, Sherbet Candy
It made our “cut” as the closing dram for an upcoming session – with a deliberate decision to end on a smoky note!
Westward (22 Mar 2018 / 9 Aug 2023) New American Oak 50% (The Heart Cut #07)
- Colour – Dark copper
- Nose – Dessert in a glass! Tropical fruits, creamy vanilla pudding, vibrant and intoxicating
- Palate – Fun and sweet, veering towards marmalade and nuts
- Finish – Dry
Most enjoyable!
Here are their official tasting notes:
Bursting with juicy passion fruit, rich vanilla, panettone, and a zing of bitter orange, this whiskey’s sweetness is beautifully balanced by toasted almonds and a pleasing dryness reminiscent of cacao nibs. This is American Single Malt, but on a whole other level.
And why they chose to bottle this cask:
The newly emerged American Single Malt Whiskey category is gaining momentum, and there’s one distillery we’ve had eyes on since the start. Westward Whiskey brew like a craft ale, distill like a Single Malt and age like a Bourbon to create something otherworldly delicious, and this single cask blew us away with its super juicy and tropical character.
It’s a whiskey that just gets better with every sip. Enjoy!
I’m certainly interested in exploring more!
Bottled exclusively for The Whisky Exchange’s Whisky Show 2025, this is the most recent expression from The Heart Cut. You can read more about our tasting experience here:
Kanosuke 5 year (Nov 2019 / Apr 2025) Ex-Bourbon Quarter Cask 54%
Was I in love? Most certainly! However, I felt such a delicate and nuanced dram might be lost with the bolder choices we were making for our future The Heart Cut tasting evening. Additionally, at £125 for 500ml, the price was a bit beyond what we would normally spend for a tasting flight.
What did the folks at The Heart Cut say about this expression?
Our first Japanese release is a once-in-a-moment cask: a single malt from Kanosuke Distillery, matured in a rare ex-bourbon quarter cask. It’s a whisky of concentrated elegance – all ripe apricots, toasted marshmallows, and refined black tea.
I love how they also share their thinking about why this cask made their “cut”:
Kanosuke is everything we look for in a partner distillery: a new generation of makers, respectful of tradition yet unafraid to shape a bold future for Japanese whisky.
Together with the Kanosuke team, we identified this cask as a once-in-a-moment find – one that captures the distillery’s spirit in crystalline detail. Matured in an ex-bourbon quarter cask from a renowned American distillery, it delivers concentrated flavour and texture, layering ripe apricots with the charred sweetness of toasted marshmallow, all wrapped in a signature elegance that is unmistakably Kanosuke.
And there you have it! A fabulous introduction to a great new team putting out some lovely spirits!
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I think the last time I gave proper attention to Johnnie Walker was at a large music festival at Mehboob Studios in Bandra, Mumbai. They had a full set of options on offer, and whilst I took no notes, I was left with a solid reminder of why these blends are so universally popular.
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