Category Archives: Scotland

Whisky Ladies Scottish Whisky Trail: Royal Lochnagar, Berry Bros + Rudd Sherry, Lum Reek

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Patience is a virtue. And in this case, with our February 2026 Whisky Ladies session, it required 1.5 years of patience from both our host and her spouse! Each whisky was carefully selected from their Scottish Whisky trail. Then waited and waited and waited to be first opened for the ladies,  before our hosts could enjoy at their leisure!

We were introduced to the following:

From Royal warrant to an undisclosed single malt to a blend, it was a good reminder: never assume a previous experience will be the same in a different environment, a different decade, and a slightly different expression!

For many of us who find the heat of Mumbai and peat incompatible, it could simply be the style of peat one is trying! This MacNair blend converted more than a few to peat!

What is wonderful about tasting in a diverse group is that we have a range of reactions to the whiskies sampled. This particular evening was surprisingly unanimous and quite clear in our ranking: Lum Reek was the winner by far! Followed by Royal Lochnagar with Berry Bros & Rudd’s Sherry Cask lagging in last place…

As to why this was the case? You will simply need to click on the whisky links to read detailed tasting notes!

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2025 Whisky Show – Tamdhu Flight

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Tamdhu is one of those distilleries I simply assumed would have a chance to explore, but somehow never managed. Day 2 of our 2025 London Whisky Show was finally my chance to have a proper introduction! My tasting companion insisted we make the stop – sharing how he’s become a real fan, and it was high time I gave this Speyside distillery some attention.

We focused on the core range, doing a vertical flight by age!

  • Tamdhu 12 year (~2025) 43% – 2025 Whisky Show £50
  • Tamdhu 15 year (~2025) 46% – 2025 Whisky Show £100
  • Tamdhu 18 year (~2025) 46.8% – 2025 Whisky Show £120
  • Tamdhu 21 year (2025) 47.5% – 2025 Whisky Show £295

Our approach was a simple sniff, swish, and spit with just a light mini-pour – enough to get an impression, not enough to have any major consequences!

Tamdhu 12 year (~2025) 43%

  • Nose – Loads of sherry! Cinnamon, raisins, vanilla
  • Palate – Nice, easy-going, spice, malty with oak too
  • Finish – Sweet with a spice kick

It was a great start to our Tamdhu flight.

Tamdhu 15 year (~2025) 46%

  • Nose – Rich yet rounded, ripe red fruits, berries, a hint of chocolate, raisins, dried fruits too
  • Palate – Nice mouthfeel, oily, juicy, fruity, silky…. in short, it was delicious!
  • Finish – Dry

With American Oak & European Oak ex-Sherry casks, this was a solid sherry expression.

Tamdhu 18 year (~2025) 46.8%

  • Nose – Intense, dark, dried fruits – plums, dates, cherries
  • Palate – Juicy fruits, dark chocolate – think black forest cake!
  • Finish – A bit dry

Like the 15 year, this Tamdhu 18 year old was matured in both American and European oak, just with a higher ratio of European oak. Clear sherry stamp – dense, complex and full-flavoured.

Tamdhu 21 year (2025) 47.5%

  • Nose – Bright Seville marmalade, kumquat, jammy
  • Palate – A hint of spice and sweet. It reminded me of warm oats with stewed apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar
  • Finish – Lots of tannins, woody, and slightly bitter

This was clearly the most mature of the expressions and well worth trying if you have an opportunity!

Prior to this flight, my only experience was the Tamdhu 11 year. This flight reinforced the impression of a solid sherry style – well done! I could see why my tasting companion is such a Tamdhu fan.

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Chorlton – Faemussach 21 year 56%

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One of the true joys of whisky tasting groups is the thrill of unveiling a bottle that’s anything but ordinary—something bold, maybe even a little controversial, guaranteed to ignite lively debate! This Faemussach, bottled by Chorlton, did exactly that. Whilst the distillery is likely BenRiach, the specifics of the cask (or casks) and its 21-year maturation remained a mystery.
With only 313 bottles in existence, unless you already bought this bottle or can track it down via an online auction, you’ll simply have to settle for experiencing vicariously through our impressions!

Faemussach 21 year (2020 / 2022) 56% 313 bottles

  • Nose – It began quite “fresh” – fresh mint, a hint of solventy-sweet glue-like aromas, a bit of rubber, then lemon dishwashing soap. As it opened, it became even sweeter – think juicy raisins, shifting into sweet jasmine flowers, Chinese white tea, more flowers like rajnighanda (tuberose), chrysanthemum, khus, vanilla pod… Every once and a while, out popped smoke, fish oil, and even socks!
  • Palate – What a contrast from the nose! Whilst at first there was a teasing gulkand (sweet rose petal preserve), we also found it quite umami with shitake mushrooms, bitter leaves – more accurately betel leaf – with its fresh, peppery and bitter taste. We also discovered malt extract, hints of smoky peat, resin, and milan supari, cloves and cardamom
  • Finish – Quite pronounced – strong, bitter then sweet paan
  • Water – Whilst it initially brought out even more of the wood character, it also highlighted sweet maple bacon, aniseed, mint, sultana raisins, and oranges
  • Revisit – We set it aside and returned to find it quite smoky, much more so than when initially poured!

This was the most divisive dram of the night! It was bold with diverse elements co-existing – from fresh to umami, sweet to peat, floral perfumes to fish oil. It was very dynamic, and many of our flavour references were specifically Indian, often having no easily translatable equivalent. For example, the best description of the aroma was khus – with its distinctive green, earthy smell.

I expect this will be a whisky that needs time… perhaps some deliberate oxidation. It was simply too active with the first opening and could do with a revisit in a few weeks or more!

What did David (the man behind Chorlton!) have to say? The following is an extract from his email…

So, first up we have Faemussach 21-year-old. This is peated single malt from an undisclosed distillery, which I’m told (although I can’t prove anything!) was Benriach. The slight air of mystery also extends to the cask. The colour suggests sherry, but it could be an unusually active bourbon cask. A few people have tried this now and opinions have been divided.

On the nose I find smouldering charcoal in a cast-iron stove, autumn leaves, mango chutney and orange jelly. Little Gem biscuits (do they still exist?), vanilla pods, leather, green walnuts and banana skins. It really is this shifting mixture of earthy/smoky and sweet/fruity, with “dark” notes of black cardamom, Pontefract cake and lapsang souchong in the background.

The palate is pretty massive, with a wave of fruit (orange, mango, sultanas) and earthy peat (much more resinous and phenolic than outright smoky), then wine cellars and a stroll down the spice aisle (liquorice root, anise, cloves, cassia) and some thick vanilla cream. The finish is really incredibly long, with scorched honey, malt extract and smouldering oily peat.

Adding water makes everything cleaner, a touch more citrussy, and adds some menthol and tar in the finish. It’s also noticeable how much fruitier this gets with time and air. Drams from my now-mostly-empty sample bottle are really different from the first few. Fascinating stuff!

This hogshead (I can say that much safely!) produced 313 bottles at a cask strength of 56.0% and they are available for £105 each.

I would agree with David – there is a real interplay between different elements and our Whisky Ladies with Bombay Malt & Cigar gents were equally divided on this one!

I purchased the Faemussach directly from Chorlton in May 2022, then another via a European distributor.

It closed our special Bold and Beautiful Chorlton quartet with:

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Chorlton – Caol Ila 11 year 60.4%

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These days, I rarely buy peaty whiskies, so when I do, it is a carefully considered decision! Caol Ila is just one of those Islay distilleries that reliably delivers. Known for its balanced approach to peat and sweet, often with light salty sea spray, I knew when Chorlton released this expression in 2022, we just had to try it!

It patiently waited more than 2 1/2 years to join a special evening in Mumbai with the Whisky Ladies and Bombay Malt & Cigar gents!

Here is what we found…

Caol Ila 11 year (7/10/2010 – Mar 2022) 60.4% (281 bottles)

  • Nose – Oh yes! That wonderful, sweet bacon! Meaty with smoky sweet maple notes. Fresh sea breeze… then it shifted from the ocean to the orchard with candy apple – specifically a Macintosh red apple! Then hickory and pine nuts, from sweet grass to walnut. Delicious!
  • Palate – Fresh cut grass, mint, then chives…. Hay and a bit of havaan kund. The 2nd sip began with ashy sandalwood, cedar sauna, steam from water on hot stone! There was a lovely buttery mouthfeel, more delicious bacon, salty and sweet with a chasing of smoke!
  • Finish – Green garlic or leek, long and strong, slowly fading into cinnamon and ginger!
  • Water – Brought out walnut oil, peanut brittle, salty olives
  • Revisit – After setting aside for some time, we went back to the glass – that fabulous maple drizzled bacon was back – yeah!

A classic Caol Ila at its very best! At the same time, it was also such fun! For many, this was the preferred dram of the evening!

What did the man behind Chorlton (David) have to say? The following is an extract from his email..

And lastly we have an 11-year-old Caol Ila. This is another surprisingly active hogshead like last year’s 12yo release, but goes off in a much different direction.

So, on the nose: camphor, wood smoke, green apple sweets, oysters and smoked mussels, plus a light waft of something medicinal. The longer it breathes the sweeter and fruitier it gets, with smoky cherries and red fruits, plus a bit of cough syrup.

The palate has a combo of ashy smoke and sweet fruitiness that’s quite lipsmacking (if this was a SMWS release I’d call it “Tutti-frutti Bonfire”). The development is long, with tarry smoke, coastal salt and olives alongside the fruit. Adding water makes everything feel a bit more “classical” Caol Ila: clean, coastal (crab and seaweed), slightly herbal, lemony.

I purchased this in June 2022 from Whisky.base for EUR 89 plus shipping.

This Caol Ila was part of a special Bold and Beautiful Chorlton quartet – bringing the Whisky Ladies and Bombay Malt & Cigar gents together with:

Curious to explore more? We’ve had some delightful experiences with Caol Ila over the years!

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Chorlton – Speyside 13 year 64.6%

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We were off to a rollicking good start with our Chorlton “Bold and Beautiful” evening featuring four cask strength whiskies! After the Blair Athol 12 year, our attention shifted firmly in the Speyside region with what is likely from The Glenrothes distillery.

Speyside 13 year (June 2008 / Nov 2021) 64.6%

  • Nose – First whiff was surprisingly mellow, quite subdued and shy, then began to open up with mawa cake, buttery, cherry in brandy, then a hint of leather, shoe polish, quite fermented and yeasty, shifting further into orange, sour plums (umeshu), becoming more vegetal, rubbharb, pumpkin and nutmeg, cayenne then maple syrup sweet, butterscotch, persimmon
  • Palate – Initially, incredibly sweet, also quite oily and peppery, then shifted to a slightly sour gooseberry (amla) flavour. Coming back for the second sip, and wow! It really is something – bold with loads of flavour, dense, wonderful mouthfeel, round and rewarding! Like a hot, buttery, cinnamon roll combined with rich, intense mulled wine, steeped in sweet spices and dark fruits.
  • Finish – A pepper close joined by the distinctive taste of Big Red cinnamon chewing gum, sweet with spice
  • Water – We had a mixed response here – some thought it augmented the dram – revealing juniper, more orange, whereas others thought it made it more vegetal with brussels sprouts!

Overall, this was a complex, sometimes contradictory whisky. Yet the more we sipped, the more I enjoyed it. And I am looking forward to revisiting on a quite cool evening where all I do is settle down with just this whisky.

What did David have to say? The following is an extract from his email…

This is sherry-matured single malt from Glenrothes distillery.

You almost get two whiskies for one here. Neat this is rich and intense, with chocolate, peanut brittle, dried figs, jaffa cake and a thickly-textured mouthfeel. Adding water brings a zesty fruitiness into the foreground (orange cake, grapefruit jam, apple pie), with the richer caramel and nutty notes returning in the finish. It’s great fun to play around and find your own perfect balance!

This whisky was distilled on the 19th June 2008, and matured in a second-fill sherry butt until being bottled in November 2021. It produced 368 bottles at a cask strength of 64.6% and they were sold for £76.50 each. I purchased this directly from Chorlton in December 2021.

Our “Bold and Beautiful” Chorlton quartet also included:

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Chorlton – Blair Athol 12 year 54.9%

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When planning our Chorlton Bold & Beautiful whisky evening, I knew that Blair Athol would make the cut. Whilst often underestimated, there are many reasons why Blair Athol has been around since 1798 – known for a rich, robust, nutty, and full-bodied character. Most expressions will have some maturation in sherry casks, however there are a few – like this one – which was matured exclusively in ex-Bourbon cask.

It was first up for our quartet…

Blair Athol 12 year (2022) 54.9% 290 Bottles ~Eur 79

  • Nose – Sugar on toast, scrambled eggs, waffles with a drizzle of maple syrup, vanilla custard, caramel, gulkand – a sweet preserve of rose petals, then a little orange zest….  it shifted into green pepper, becoming more vegetal, a few folks even found gerkin – pickle juice, red earth after it rains, leaves, mustier over time
  • Palate – Initially came on full force, lots of tannins, raisins and rum, very dry, became plummier and nuttier on the next sip, marzipan joined by gingerbread, even a hint of lemon sherbert!
  • Finish – Dry, long and tasty, more of that capsicum, then a delightful teasing ginger
  • Water – Worth trying with a generous amount of water – whilst it loses some of the complexity, it amps up the sweetness and fruits, with the overall impression of ginger tea

It began like breakfast, then shifted into savoury, herbal, a hint sour, and autumnal dessert! One taster remarked how it reminded them of samahan – a herbal, gingery tea one often has to help with a cold.

We set it aside, and discovered a lovely combination of dessert and sour plums, blackberry leaf team… with even more time in the glass, it took on more toffee, becoming super sweet with toffee, with substance too from tobacco leaf, a bit woody, ending with a dry finish. Overall, it was delicious and well worth exploring!

As for Chorlton tasting notes? Here’s what was shared when this whisky was launched in 2022:

…we have a 12-year-old Blair Athol from a first-fill bourbon hogshead. This whisky actually has more colour on it than the sherry and marsala ones above, and fits in with the recent-ish Orkney 15 and Caol Ila 12 bottlings in terms of slightly aberrant bourbon casks!

So, on the nose I find toffee pennies, fruit jellies, hay bales and shoe polish. Also rum baba, various dried fruits and peels, and orange sponge cake. It’s even cakier with added water, and softer too, with some marzipan and even a nibble of Fondant Fancy.

The palate is really big and nutty (walnut liqueur? is that even a thing?), with dark plum jam, marmalade, tea-soaked raisins and maple syrup. Some anise-y herbal liqueur notes develop, and there’s a distinctly mineralic, even salty, finish. With water everything feels cleaner, with lots of stone fruit popping up.

A lovely dram this, with some stout Highlands spirit standing up nicely to the active cask, and even soaring above it when water is added. It’s been quite a hit with people who’ve had a preview.

Whilst released by Chorlton in December 2022, I waited until it became available via WhiskyBase – only purchasing it in July 2023 for Eur 79 + tax + shipping.

It then patiently waited for the right opportunity to join a special Bold and Beautiful Chorlton quartet – bringing the Whisky Ladies and Bombay Malt & Cigar gents together with:

Plus we enjoyed a bonus with a revisit of a few bottles opened previously:

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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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Whisky Ladies Celebration! Blue Label, Auchentoshan, Laphroaig

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With Diwali just behind us, we came together for a different celebration! The Whisky Ladies November 2025 session just happened to bring together a recognition of a Presidential award, a marriage, and a birthday – what fun!

This theme of celebration was reflected in the whiskies as well:

  • Johnie Walker Blue Label Xordinaire Cognac Cask 40% ~GBP 200
  • Auchentoshan American Oak 40% ~Eur 27 (1L)
  • Laphroaig “The Cask Legacy” 48% (Laphroaig Cask Collection) ~Eur 122

All can be found in travel retail, and reflect quite different styles.

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.

Like many things, we often overlook the “ordinary” in pursuit of the “extraordinary”… so what did we think of their special XO cognac finished cask “Xordinaire”?

Johnie Walker Blue Label Xordinaire 40%

  • Nose – It greeted us with stewed peaches, pears, lots of crisp green apples, then some guava, and honey. As it opened up more, it shifted from fresh fruits to stewed fruits – particularly apples, and from honey to a darker treacle. Behind all of this, after the first sip, was a hint of marmite, leather, plus peppercorns…
  • Palate – It began quite fruity, then black peppercorns took centre stage. Overall, it was quite “thin” on the palate. On the 2nd sip, it became a bit nutty, bitter, and woody. One even found beetroot!
  • Finish – There, yet quite short
  • Ice – I know we typically eschew ice with whisky; however, the instinct to add was spot on! It brightened the whisky on the nose, brought out a pleasant caramel sweetness on the palate, and even a hint of cream.

Whilst it wasn’t “extraordinairy”, it was not bad at all. That said, we couldn’t discern much Cognac cask influence and were frankly shocked at the price tag! Surely it couldn’t actually be retailing in travel retail for Eur 230 / SGD 340 / AED 960 / INR 24,000??

Touted as the perfect whisky for non-whisky drinkers, I can certainly think of more affordable options for a neophyte consumer.

We moved on to another travel retail bottle – this time from Lowland distillery Auchentoshan.

Auchentoshan American Oak 40%

  • Nose – Delightful! Sweet candy, lemon, mosambi, bananas, heather, then began to shift into tobacco leaf, lots of vanilla, some date, clove, black pepper, and even a bit of date, chalk, with a faintly metallic element
  • Palate – Soft, very smooth, sweet yet also with a prick of spice, fruit, and coconut cream
  • Finish – Chilli, lemon rind, and a hint of almond – more specifically a Kashmiri mamra

While there was no need to add water, we set the glass aside and returned to find a creamy perfume, something almost reminiscent of Tutti Fruitti ice cream! Talk turned from desserts to food, and, like often happens with a companionable dram, merriment took over from the malt. In our books – that is a good thing indeed!

What does Auchentoshan have to say?

  • To the eye: Look for the vivid, bright gold colour when selecting your Auchentoshan American Oak. Wondering what gives whisky its colour? The delicate maturing process. As the single malt matures in the quality bourbon barrels, a new and complex colour and flavour profile is created over time.
  • To the nose: A vibrant bourbon infused vanilla and coconut with layers of zesty citrus fruit, making this Scotch Single Malt from Auchentoshan stand out from the crowd.
  • To the tongue: A refreshingly smooth whisky taste. Lively, with vanilla cream, coconut and white peach.
  • To the end: Crisp, with sugared grapefruit and a lingering hint of spice.

Overall, this one hit the spot for many of our ladies. And for the price-point? At around 1/10th the cost of the Johnnie Walker, the Auchentoshan would make a much better introduction to whisky for someone new to the spirit!

We then radially switched gears from a light, sprightly, easy-going Lowland style to Islay – and that too the peat beast Laphroaig! I admit upfront that it has been some time since I had a Laphroaig whisky. Their signature ashy style simply isn’t my preferred peat, so I’ve tended to skip over most opportunities to explore this distillery. Which is exactly why I welcome opportunities like this evening – to put my preconceived notions to the test!

Laphroaig “The Cask Legacy” 48% (Laphroaig Cask Collection)

  • Nose – Peaty! With that delicious bacon jam we often seek out! There was cedar wood, salty butter, ash yet citrus too, faint mulberry jam, even some custard apple? Some ripe figs, nutmeg… after the 1st sip we also found raisins, cinnamon, finding it became milder and mellower the longer it was in the glass
  • Palate – A proper Laphroaig. Ash. Yet also joined by jackfruit, apples, smooth yet oily.
  • Finish – Buttery, with peat, tobacco, a bit nutty – long and lasting

Like the other glasses, we set this aside to revisit and found it was indeed ashy, yet it was also quite nice, well-rounded, and overall rewarding.

Here’s what Laphraoig shares with their official tasting notes:

  • Colour: Deep, warming sunset orange.
  • Nose: Whiffs of our signature peat smoke with burnt apricot and raisins. ​
  • Palate: Broad and soft oak, rich caramelised dark fruit and a lively dried fruitiness.
  • Finish: Lingering nuts, peat and oiled wood.
  • Maturation: Aged in first-fill Bourbon barrels then new European oak hogsheads. ​

It was almost like this Legacy expression was taunting: “So you thought to dismiss us? Think again! People love us for a very good reason!” I felt properly “schooled” and really enjoyed this one.

And there you have it – a celebratory trio of whiskies for a most enjoyable evening!

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2025 Whisky Show – Compass Box

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At the 2024 London Whisky Show, we had such fun at the Compass Box stand. They were back in 2025 – so we had to stop by!

Now the secret of thriving at Whisky Shows is to pass over more than you pick! So, when we looked at the line-up at Compass Box, we knew we had to make a tough call – skip more than sip!

It was a popular stand – for good reason!  Always having an eye for a creative design aesthetic, this was on a royal scale!

What did we focus on this year?

  • Hedonism 2025 46% – GBP 85
  • Flaming Heart 25th Anniversary Edition (2024) 48% – 2025 Whisky Show GBP 130
  • Brûlée Royal 2025 49% – 2025 Whisky Show GBP 106
  • Metropolis (Sep 2023) 49% (Compass Box – Extinct Blends Quartet) – GBP 270

Let’s get on with the tasting, shall we? Spoiler alert! The Brûlée Royal was my top pick!

Hedonism 2025 46%

Hedonism is one of those whiskies that gets a polarised reaction. People either love it or don’t. What you have to understand upfront is that this is a blended grain, with no malt whisky. This requires some recalibration of expectations.

My first experience with Hedonism more than a decade ago was mixed – I simply couldn’t get past a pronounced coconut oil! A few years later, I most associated piña colada with an edition, likely from around 2016 / 2017! Then came a chance to try their 15th anniversary edition – I found it more interesting, yet I was still not entirely convinced.

Fast forward to the  2025 / 25th anniversary edition. What did we think?

Well hello! It was incredibly approachable on the nose – bananas, caramel, cream, and a bit of coconut there too! The best was the palate – it was an easy-drinking whisky, balanced and fun. Nothing off, just fresh, sweet, smooth, and enjoyable.

The story behind this edition goes:

Created as our first whisky in 2000, Hedonism has always defied convetion. It pays homage to the tradition of grain whisky distillation in Scotland, while pushing the boundaries of Scotch.

The Hedonism label has always proudly featured the image of a woman – something Scotch whisky had never done before, so for each annual release we commission a different female artist to bring to life the strength that our original label illustration represented. This year, for our second release, Argentinian artist Sofia Bonati, who creates striking female portraits that invite you into a dreamlike world, has reimagined the Hedonism woman once again.

The Compass Box folks describe this special 25th anniversary edition as:

Initial waves of caramel and powdered sugar, leading into a heart of pure peach puree, cocoa and pear. Chocolate mousse arrives on the palate, joined by nutmeg-inflected custard and cinnamon. The finish freshens to white grape, Fuji apple and vanilla.

What went into this blend? Though all grains, it is also a blend of older Hedonism too! Cameronbridge (46.7% 1st fill bourbon, another 1st fill bourbon 11.6%, 1st fill Marsala Barrique 2.8%), Hedonism vatted in 2022 (11.9%), Hedonism vatted in 2023 (16.9), Girvan (10.1%). Curious to know more? Check out their Factsheet with all the details!

Flaming Heart 25th Anniversary Edition (2024) 48%

Over the years, we’ve had a chance to sample their Flaming Heart 7th Edition and 15th Anniversary expressions. So what about the latest 25th Anniversary dram – their 8th edition?

Wow! This is indeed a departure! This is full-on peat with a big meaty nose, loads of peat and spice on the palate, finishing with even more peat and sweetness. This is no shy, retiring, nuanced dram. It is fun and fabulous, confident in its rocking character!

Their description of its flavour profile is:

Rich, oily smoke appears on the nose, supported by zingy spice. Hints of raspberry and apricot encircled by impressions of tarry rope. The palate is immediately dense as spices like clove, pink and black pepper and nutmeg arrive. Medicinal peat notes duke it out with bright and winey fruit. Finally, concentrated smoke that is at once woody and ashy with menthol and citrus oils.

This blend has a primary focus on peat with (48.1%), (35.5%), Williamson Islay Malt Blend (13.4%%), and a bit of (3%). Do check out their Factsheet full of more info!

Brûlée Royal 2025 49%

This was the new avatar – inspired by the Palace of Versailles chef François Massialot, who wrote in his 1691 cookbook Cuisinier royal et bourgeois a recipe for what became known as crème brûlée. The whole theme of the Compass Box booth this year was a nod to royal opulence!

Whilst we had a mere sniff and swish, we remarked that this was one deliberately delicious dessert-styled dram! We thoroughly enjoyed the burnt caramel aromas, with the palate fun and creamy, and the finish nicely closing the experience.

Compass Box’s official tasting notes share:

Immediate Crème Brulée, which opens to custard Danish and scorched sugar brittles. The palate is thick with clotted cream, honeyed malt and broiled peaches followed by custard & Tarte Tatin. Pannacotta & gentle nutmeg spice followed by silken jersey milk, toasted sugar and banana split.

This is a vatted malt with (53.3%), (39%), (7.2%), and a touch of (0.5%). Whisky geeks should check out their Fact Sheet for more details!

Metropolis (Sep 2023) 49% (Compass Box – Extinct Blends Quartet)

We closed with the 3rd expression from their Extinct Blends Quartet. The idea here is to bring to our palate a time capsule. As I’ve also experienced, blends of earlier decades differ greatly from what is produced today.

We found it big, bold, yet balanced. Bursting with both pitted and tropical fruits, it was both lush and fresh, rich and rewarding. The finish was long and strong.

Their tasting notes:

Vanilla arrives first on the nose, followed by a medley of different honeys. Fudge, apricot and pineapple lead to fresh fig. A rich and very complex palate with sultana, apricot again and hints of smoky woodiness. A long and sweet finish, with a pleasing weight.

With Metropolis, the focus is on the urban of yesteryear. What more do we know?

Metropolis uses some of our rarest and most mature stocks. It centres around nutty and biscuity single malt from the Aberlour Distillery, aged in re-charred American oak barrels. This is supported by citrusy and vanilla-accented single malt from the Miltonduff Distillery. A blended grain parcel and a hint of herbal smoke courtesy of malt whisky from the Bowmore Distillery complete the complex recipe.

Our whisky guide shared that the Bowmore stock was more than 20 years old! For more details, check out their Fact Sheet.

And there you have it! Quite a range this year. Whilst my favourite was the Brûlée Royal, I really enjoyed the opportunity to try the Metropolis. The Flaming Heart shift in character to full peat was a departure, but it worked. The biggest surprise? How much we enjoyed the Hedonism!

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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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