Category Archives: Scotland

2025 Whisky Show – Elixir offerings

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Once upon a time, London’s Whisky Show was synonymous with both The Whisky Exchange and Sukhinder Singh & team. With the mega sale, Sukhinder has shifted focus to his distilleries and Elixir brands, providing several different ranges like The Elixir Trails with cross-country explorations, Elements of Islay, Port Askaig, Macbeth, and more.

We managed to catch up with Sukhinder early Saturday morning and exchanged the usual pleasantries. He shared his tips for the show and then led us to his booth, suggesting a few drams we really must try as “value” expressions from The Single Malts of Scotland range.

Where did he point us to? No surprise, Linkwood led the pack!

Linkwood 11 year (2014/2025) Small Batch 48% (The Single Malts of Scotland)

  • Nose – Juicy and joyful. What a treat for early in the day! Lots of orchard fruits – green apples and pears, lightly floral, warming into caramel with vanilla ice cream
  • Palate – Easy drinking with just enough substance to make it interesting, well-balanced
  • Finish – Lasts

Over the years, I’ve generally found Linkwood to be good value for its quality. Mostly decently priced and fairly consistent in delivering a good dram. Alas, we couldn’t get our preferred pick – the Linkwood – either at the show or even the Whisky Exchange – as it was sold out! Pity.

We moved from Speyside to the Highlands with Blair Athol – known for its bold flavours.

Blair Athol 18 year (2006 / 2025) PX 47.6% (Elixir – The Single Malts of Scotland)

  • Nose – Delightful sherry yet not heavy-handed, all those sherry dried fruits, nuts, and spice – sweet and sultry
  • Palate – Coffee spice and everything nice, lovely fruits, and again exceedingly well-balanced
  • Finish – Cosy up by a warm fire, closing with more mocha, dark fruits, and spice

Sukhinder shared how this expression was an absolute hit at Paris Whisky Live 2025. With our little sniff and swish, we could see why! Like the Linkwood, it seems to be sold out, and was last seen retailing for approx Eur 135.

In a bit of a departure so early in the day, we shifted into peat. I’ve often admitted to a certain skepticism about Bunnahabhain – I’ve had a few clunkers over the years, yet equally a few gems too! So, we were curious to see how this young 6 year stacked up!

Bunnahabhain 6 year (2009 / 2018) Small Batch 48% (The Single Malts of Scotland)

  • Nose – Warm with that elusive bacon maple sweep aromas, some salt joining the sticky smoked sweetness
  • Palate – Tasty! Cinnamon toast, chai tea, clearly peaty yet was balanced with the sweet
  • Finish – Long and lovely

Bunnahabhain was known as the “ladies” Islay with minimal peat. By contrast, this expression from a refill hoggie was heavily peated. And yet you don’t find that ashy iodine style, instead, it was more of a warm wood smoke.

Unlike the others, depending on where you live, you may be able to track down a bottle – currently retailing for approx GBP 52.

We returned to Speyside with an undisclosed distillery (ahem! Macallan “style”)…

Speyside 15 year (2009) 57.5% (The Single Malts of Scotland)

  • Nose – Big sherry, big red fruits, juicy plums, generous smattering of sweet spices
  • Palate – Spice, big, bold, and beautiful, loads of ripe fruits, including juicy blood red oranges, chocolate, bit nutty too
  • Finish – Strong, flavourful finish

There was no mistaking that this is a “BIG” whisky! From start to finish, it delivered. If this is your style, it is a great example. If you prefer something a bit more reserved, this isn’t for you. And yet, even though it was “BIG”, it wasn’t too big! We understand this bottle retails for around GBP 100.

We closed our flight with a lesser-known distillery from Speyside. This particular small batch expression is notable for being matured in two sherry butts, one sherry hogshead, and a heavily charred barrel, making for an interesting result.

Dailuaine 12 year (2011) Small Batch 48% (The Single Malts of Scotland)

  • Nose – Mellow and fruity – veering more towards berries like raspberry or blueberry, biscuits
  • Palate – More of a spicy kick than we anticipated from the aromas, peppery, taking time to settle in the glass before the fruits came to the fore. With a bit of time, the biscuits were back – this time covered in chocolate
  • Finish – There, yet nothing particularly notable

Where the Speyside was bursting with bold red fruits, the Dailuaine was fruity with a subtler hand.

Overall, our “The Single Malts of Scotland” flight delivered the goods and was a terrific exploration early in our 2025 Whisky Show wanderings.

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Dream Dram – Lochside 46 year from 1964

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A highlight of London’s Whisky Show is access to 1000+ whiskies – including rare and old! For our first Dream Dram of 2025, we decided to splurge and go for something both! Lochside shut many years ago, making its liquid increasingly rare. And at 46 years of age, this dram indeed qualified as something mature.

I’m often asked… “Which is your favourite distillery?” Of course, that’s patently unfair as it depends on the mood, maturation, and so much more. However, whilst I’ve only had a few experiences with Lochside, it shot way up to the top and has remained there ever since.

This bottle was incredibly unique – a single blend – where both grain and malt were produced at Lochside. Even more unusual, the grain and malt were not put together later in life. Instead, from 1964 they co-mingled in the same cask, maturing for 46 years, leading to an outrun of only 139 bottles.

We found this bottle at The Whisky Exchange’s Old & Rare booth for three Dream Dram tokens, which puts it in the GBP 2,000 – 2,999 range per bottle.

Lochside Single Blend 46 year (1964) Cask 8790 42.1% (The Whisky Exchange) 

  • Nose – Sweet, green leaves, fresh, aloe, soft and nuanced, faintly floral, candy floss, growing fruitier as it opened, joined by caramel, and then behind came a creamy nutty nougat. As it further evolved, the aromas shifted into strawberries and cream, topping a fluffy angel food cake
  • Palate – Prickly initially, then the strawberries came out… the next sip was warm, gentle, and utterly lovely
  • Finish – Incredibly long, simply stunning

I fully admit to being biased; however, this will be another treasured Lochside moment!

This yet again reinforces my pre-disposition towards anything from this closed distillery – including when the malt is combined with the grain!

If you are curious about my other brushes with Lochside check out the following posts:

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That Boutique-y Whisky Co Blends

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In early 2019, I decided it would be fun to invest in a special tasting set for those quiet times between tasting sessions. My choice was to go super unique with the That Boutique-y Whisky Company 2018 Advent Calendar. 

Then my life changed with a move from India to Germany, followed by the world changing with COVID. Fast forward to the fall of 2025, when I was packing and unpacking and repacking between Germany, two homes in India, and Canada… I found myself on our Maharashtra farm contemplating a potential weekend getaway in Manitoba and remembered this delightful box full of quirky and curious drams!

My Manitoba getaway companion is a fellow whisky lady plus our fabulous cottage host, who also enjoys a good dram or two! As I would be just missing her birthday, I decided to pack a few drams to enjoy together in a quiet celebration! Even better – they could be considered an early “appetizer” for the 2025 Whisky Show in London coming up the following weekend! I remembered a brilliant exploration of special blends with TBWC at the Whisky Show in 2022 plus an exceptional 45 year blended grain featured in Paris Live!

What did I pick?

After so much time, it was tough to track down official bottle images and tasting notes; however, I could find a few insights into what the good folks at TBWC had to say about two expressions!

I decided to start with the Japanese and Scottish blend… with no idea what to expect! Here are our impressions, splitting a wee 30 ml mini between three!

Blend of Scottish and Japanese malt and grain whiskies 21 Year Old (2018) Batch 1, 43%

  • Nose – Oh my! Lots of bananas, caramel, ripe fruits, a sweet tropical fruit bowl, and warm vanilla cream. As it opened, it even had a caramel buttery quality.
  • Palate – Light chilli spice plus chai masala – mostly cloves, joined by coffee mocha, chased by nutty nougat
  • Finish – Lingers with an espresso tail, hint of wood

Overall, we enjoyed this one. It had a nice balance between sweet and spice. Nothing complex, and one described it as particularly promising on the nose, hints of sherry cask; however, it “flatlined’ after some time.

Whilst I couldn’t find tasting notes in That Boutique-y Whisky Company’s archive, Master of Malt has this to say:

The very first bottling of Blended Whisky made using malt and grain whisky from Scotland and Japan is here! This 21 year old expression is a globe-spanning delight, with oodles of vanilla and cooking spice notes alongside a deft touch of smoke. Also, the label is generally just rad, so that’s a plus.

Tasting Note by The Chaps at Master of Malt

  • Nose: A very malty nose opens with Seville orange marmalade and buttered burnt toast. There’s some vanilla, juicy toasted barley and a touch of donuts underneath. Charred oak and red chilli add warmth and savoury spice throughout.
  • Palate: Nutmeg and clove add a drying spice which contributes depth to butterscotch and hazelnuts. There’s a subtle tropical fruit note underneath.
  • Finish: Medium length, with touches of burnt oak.

Next, we turned our tasting towards a young Scottish expression… I began with what was their #4 expression – the youngest of the bunch!

Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 4 B1.jpg

Scottish Blended Malt #4 6 Year Old (February 2018) Batch 1, 53.6%

  • Nose – Fresh and light, youthful apple cinnamon, lemon drops, bay leaf, slipping into wet leaves, dark molasses treacle, and more vegetal elements
  • Palate – Sour mash, pepper, with the sense that it simply wasn’t really ready to be bottled
  • Finish – Limited

Alas, a massive disappointment after a potentially interesting nose. Now, in fairness, we were three people sampling from a 30 ml miniature. However, given that is the 10 ml Whisky Show pour, we certainly should have enough to get an impression!

What do the folks at TBWC have to say?

This time it’s almost exclusively a single malt from one of our more recently built Scottish distilleries that’s been ‘teaspooned’ (that to say, an imponderable amount of another well-loved single malt has been added). All hail Superspoon who is out to save the world!

Tasting notes:

  • Nose: Sourdough bread mix and waxy floral notes. It’s a little herbal/vegetal at first, damp grass, buts sweetens with time giving butterscotch. Hints of cinnamon too.
  • Palate: Cream soda, dessert wine grapes and some bramley apple tartness. A hot peppery kick then sweetening with vanilla buttercream.
  • Finish: Sweetened chocolate malt, with a hint of barrel char.

After a youthful 6 year, I thought it would be nice to shift back to something a wee bit more mature… This just so happens to be the 1st Blended Whisky expression from their 3rd batch. What did we think?

Scottish Blended Malt #1 18 Year Old (2018) Batch 3, 47.3% 1,049 Bottles

  • Nose – Lightly fruity, soapy and floral, summer Scotch, vanilla, yet then becomes oddly musty or dusty, like a neglected wood closet
  • Palate – Different – from the sprightly aromas, we weren’t anticipating something quite so “charged up”. Lots of pepper and a few flashes of fruit, imbalanced
  • Finish – Stays, but doesn’t say much – a bit peppery and then perhaps sweet

I managed to track down a photo from Batch 3, however, try as I might, I could only find tasting notes for this expression from Master of Malt, who had this to say:

It’s another brilliant blended malt Scotch whisky from That Boutique-y Whisky Company! As you can see on the label, all those whisky fans are admiring the glory of the teaspoon, in reference to this being a “teaspooned whisky”. It’s made almost completely with malt whisky from one distillery, along with just a tiny bit of malt whisky from another distillery. This way it may no longer have which distillery it came from on the label, nor can it be sold as a single malt. However, they do then to be rather brilliant value for money, hence those rather charmed whisky lovers!

Tasting Note by The Chaps at Master of Malt

  • Nose – Rich with honey and poached pear, alongside a good helping of mature oak. Slowly but surely dried fruit and fresh peels take control of the nose.
  • Palate – Honeycomb, milk chocolate, sultana, stem ginger and black pepper.
  • Finish – Continued peppery malt, tempered by the return of the honeycomb and some floral air.

Next up, we continued to the Blended Whisky 2nd expression, also a few years older. Given the earlier ones were a wee bit disappointing, we hoped for something a bit more up our palate “alley”.

Blended Whisky #2 22 Year Old - Batch 3 (That Boutique-y Whisky Company).jpg

Scottish Blended Whisky #2 22 Year Old (May 2022) Batch 3, 41.8% 1,650 Bottles

  • Nose – Yummy! Chocolate, mocha, rum raisins, caramel – more specifically salted caramel pretzels
  • Palate -The espresso follows through, heavier than the nose, dark red fruits
  • Finish -A touch of marmalade joins a gentle sweet spice finish

We remarked that this was like Hallowe’en candy, preparing for Christmas. Really quite delicious and one we fully appreciated!

Here’s what TBWC have to say:

This right here is our Blended Whisky #2, which is rather different to Blended Whisky #1. There’s no massive sphere here, but the disembodied glove has returned! This time, it looks to have discovered a massive, soft planetoid. It’s another one of those metaphors!

Tasting note:

  • Nose: Honey, oak, vanilla pod and chocolatey cereal.
  • Palate: Cherry, spiced rum, thick caramel and a hint of earthy pear.
  • Finish: Menthol, freshly baked bread with chocolate spread, orange oil.

In closing, we progressed to the 3rd TBWC Scottish Blended Whisky expression, from their 1st Batch.

blended-whisky-3-23-year-old-batch-1-that-boutique-y-whisky-company-whisky.jpg

Scottish Blended Whisky #3, 23 Year Old (2018) Batch 1, 48.2%

  • Nose – Mellons, complex and mature, nuanced, layered, creamy hot milk chocolate, salted caramel, walnuts, cherries, buttery, vanilla pods, rich fruits
  • Palate -Soft and silky, a great mouthfeel, joined by warm honey, soft fruits
  • Finish – Melting in your mouthmilk chocolate, long with a hint of smoke curling at the end

Gorgeous. Finally. The kind of dram that envelops you in a warm, comforting blanket by the fire and be lulled to sleep. It was both a class act, beautiful, and yet at the same time unpretentious and comfortable. The sample was simply too little as we would have loved to settle down to enjoy it for the rest of the evening.

Here are the original TBWC tasting notes:

The disembodied gloves from Blended Whisky #1 and #2 continue to explore the deep reaches of space on the label of Blended Whisky #3! On this label, they’ve found something rather curious indeed – a length of chrome which seems to go on forever… Metaphors? Metaphors!

Tasting note:

  • Nose: Rich and fragrant, with old oak furniture and red grapes on the vine. Intense orange oil later on.
  • Palate: Honey’d cereals, dark chocolate and crumbly biscuits. A little bit of vegetal oak in there.
  • Finish: Very long, with further indulgent notes of dark chocolate and cigar box.

What an interesting quintet! Whilst we were clearly partial to the 4th and 5th, less enthused about the 2nd and 3rd, it was well worth doing!

We closed our evening moving into a different direction – still a blend but this time a mix of malts from 6 Isles. As the temperature dipped, the fire burned, shifting into a peaty expression was just right!

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BMC Scottish Classics – Royal Brackla 16 year 40% + Glen Grant 15 year 50%

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After exploring a trio from South Africa, our Bombay Malt & Cigar evening closed on a classic note. Whilst I thoroughly enjoy exploring whisky experiments and drams from many lands, there is simply nothing like a good classic Scottish single malt.

Knowing this, our whisky host added two well-known standards:

  • Royal Brackla 16 year and
  • A new batch strength Glen Grant 15 year expression

Both were Original Bottlings… Both true treats!

What did we think?

Royal Brackla 16 year “The Cawdor Estate” 40% 

  • Nose – Oh yes! Those lovely orchard fruits you can count on with a Royal Brackla! Crisp green apple, juicy with a drizzle of honey
  • Palate – Soft, well-rounded, fruity, enveloping one in a delicious warmth
  • Finish – Simply dripping with honey

Such a perfect classic, easy drinking dram.

Glen Grant 15 year Batch Strength 50% 

  • Nose – Happiness! A delightful, sweet, and fruity aroma with lemony high notes, morphed into a delicious lemon custard, dessert in a glass! The more it opened, the more joyful it became! Ice cream sandwich, cookies and cream, malty biscuits, lemon sorbet with vodka!
  • Palate – Same vein as the nose, nicely rounded, a good mouth feel, very approachable for 50%, just enough kick to make it interesting
  • Finish – Lovely
  • Water – Just adds a bit of spice

What can one say? Really rather nice!

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Gordon and MacPhail’s Auchroisk 10 year 43%

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I had a plan. It was a good plan. A deliberately selected quartet of Gordon & MacPhail Discovery series was bought for a future session. And then plans changed.

With the move from Germany back to India, I needed to radically reduce my carefully constructed whisky collection. It was a tough choice which to let go…. I knew this Auchriosk was great value for money, so more likely to find a friendly buyer… With a sigh, it joined the list of closed bottles available for new homes.

I was exceedingly fortunate that the new owner is a friend who generously opened it for us! I had a feeling this would be a classic quality dram. The reality? Read on!

Auchroisk 10 year Bourbon Cask 43% (Gordon & MacPhail Discovery) GBP 57

  • Colour – Pale straw
  • Nose – Happy times! Honey, vanilla, crisp Granny Smith green apples, faintly floral… As it opened up, it became creamier, even more floral – delightful!
  • Palate – Gentle, refined, balanced, malty with sweet mashed bananas, a hint of black pepper, and oak to give substance
  • Finish – Long, lovely, and elegant….
  • Water – Even fruitier and floral – like frollicking in a meadow!

This was a classic summer dram. A perfect example of quality ex-bourbon cask maturation. Whilst not complex, it had a lovely fruity floral quality, joined by creamy vanilla pudding. We absolutely loved it! And settled in to simply enjoy. It was just perfect for our Nürnberg August evening.

Here is what the folks over at Gordon & Macphail have to say;

  • Colour: Lightest Yellow
  • Aroma: Vanilla is followed by apple and poached pear, toasted almonds give way to pineapple and hints of lemon blossom.
  • Taste:  Sweet and creamy honey combines with ripe banana and zesty orange. Apricot comes to the fore, balanced by cracked black pepper.
  • Finish:  Medium-bodied finish with lingering tropical fruit and oak.

What a treat! I’m so lucky that I didn’t miss sampling this Auchriosk!

If you are curious about other Auchroisk tasting experiences… read on:

As for the quartet from Gordon & Macphail Discovery series? I had originally planned the following:

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Glenglassaugh Octaves Classic 44%

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Our Nurnberg Whisky Explorers’ April evening was a mix of offerings. We began our explorations with a curiosity – a Glenglassaugh Octaves Classic. We then moved on to a trio of cask strength single cask expressions from Taiwan – specifically the Kavalan Solist Trio of Sherry, Vinho Barrique, and Port. We closed our tasting with The Six Isles Scottish blend, comparing their standard expression with their special Port edition.

So… why was the Glenglassaugh a curiosity? I’ve shared below my mixed experience with this distillery. From a stellar example of the original spirit from 1965 with a remarkable 40 year to a lasting impression of the early expressions from the new distillery, that they were brought out just a little too, well, early! 

A fellow whisky explorer in Nurnberg also had similar mixed experiences. Which is exactly why he purchased this special edition Octaves Classic, to see what Rachel Barrie could do with smaller batches with higher spirit / wood contact possible with Octaves.

The result? Read on…

Glenglassaugh Octaves Classic Batch 2, 44%

  • Nose – A distinctive metallic edge, followed by some exotic fruits, then chocolate and vanilla. Some sulfur too.
  • Palate – Harsh at first, tingling and prickly, peppery, quite wood forward, then as it settled, it revealed fruits – mostly tropical – becoming a bit sweeter and smoother the more time it spent in the glass
  • Finish – A bit bitter initially like coffee, then warmed up

Let’s just say that we weren’t exactly won over!

What more do we know? Not much. Whilst this expression is no longer on the official Glenglassaugh Distillery site, it was a combination of Bourbon, Pedro Ximénez, and Amontillado Sherry Cask Octaves.

Whilst I’m happy to have a chance to revisit this revived distillery a decade after my initial experience, it still isn’t a priority for future explorations.

What about other Glenglassaugh experiences? Read on…

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Canadian stash – Benjamin Kuentz, 6 Isles, Clynelish 14, Balblair 16

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In October 2024, I found myself in Winnipeg, enjoying a relaxing evening with friends, cracking open the Whisky Warehouse No 8 quartet – sweet! Talk turned to how our open whisky bottles sit in our respective cupboards for years – with our infrequent imbibing. This led to an offer to refill the 20 ml bottles emptied from our tasting with a few “take-home” presents.

I perused the familiar drams in their well-stocked whisky cabinet, selecting whiskies all previously tried… The concept was simple – consider ones where I could easily craft an interesting compare and contrast experience with related expressions.

From France, Benjamin Kuentz’s Aveux Gourmands 46%. And my pairing choice? My 2024 London Whisky Show pick was from Woven with their Homemade expression. It was appealing because its salty butterscotch reminded me of the Aveux Gournands – or at least that was my impression at the Show!

My actual tasting experience? Interesting! Beginning with the Woven, I got the salty caramel element that first triggered the link between these two whiskies. However, when contrasted with the delicious, sweet, salty yumminess of the Aveux Gournands, the Woven Homemade was a touch bitter.

Six Isles 43% – literally a blend of whiskies from six Scottish Islands – Orkney, Skye, Mull, Jura, Islay, Arran. As it is a blend, I initially planned to try with a different Woven blend. However, the whisky universe had other plans, and instead it featured in a lovely evening comparing this standard expression with a special Port finish one!

I then picked a Highland with the lovely Clynelish 14 year 46% to compare with the 12 year old 2023 London Whisky Show Festival bottling! Whilst the fest bottle has been opened in India, the mini has yet to reach Mumbai…

The Balblair 16 is such a classic! And no longer available. For this one, I have my eye on comparing it with David’s 2025 spring Chorlton release – also a 16-year-old bottled at cask strength. As the Chorlton is in London and not prioritised for bringing to India for another year or so, this pairing will simply have to wait too!

Curious to learn more? You will simply have to be patient til the pairing opportunities occur!

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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 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 – Woven Whiskey Makers

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My father was a chemistry professor. Growing up, we regularly visited him at the University of Manitoba’s chemistry lab. The smells, the beakers and flasks, bunsen burners and goggles, white lab coats, and more. These things were all familiar friends by association. 

There is something about Woven’s approach to whisky blends that reminded me of my father tinkering in the chemistry lab. Leading enquiring young minds through the mysteries of chemical equations.

In terms of experience, hands down, the folks at Woven Whisky Makers were at the top at the London Whisky Show 2024. A year earlier, they were already making waves, however, their approach to the 2024 show fully lived up to their ambition to create fun experiences!

It was a treat to explore a few of their blends. Clearly, they are enjoying the journey too! 

Woven Homemade (2024) 46.4%

I had tried their 2023 avatar and quite liked it, however, it did not make even close to the same impression as what I tried in 2024.

It was fun and fruity on the nose with toffee and something else. The palate was super balanced with a long finish – sweet and salty caramel – think salty butterscotch – yum! In some ways, it reminded me a bit of a brighter and slightly sharper Benjamin Keuntz’s Aveux Gourmands 46%.

Woven Hemispheres 50.4% GBP 55

Look up into the night sky on the prairies and one becomes keenly aware of just how small and insignificant we are… The immense sky seen from the flat land can inspire awe – especially on nights when the northern lights dance overhead.

The thinking behind this blend is simple – just two ingredients from two different hemispheres – 26% Thomson Distillery Manuka Smoked Single Malt and 74% North British Single Grain. So what was the result? We found it lightly medicinal, a puff of smoke… curious and contradictory. Citrus and herbs, and sweet wood. Interesting. 

What do they have to say?

HEMISPHERES is a blend of two whiskies, worlds apart. 
 
A tiny New Zealand maker of Manuka smoked Single Malt meets one of Scotland’s largest distilleries; urban, yet elegant.
 
When we tasted the herbal, smoky single malt being produced by Thomson Whisky at their tiny site just outside Auckland, we knew we had found something special. Their Manuka-smoked distillate is a living response to their unique natural environment, and as we connected with these good folks and their fresh perspective on smoke, we realised we’d found kindred spirits.

HEMISPHERES brings these different worlds of whisky together; Scotland and New Zealand. Tradition and modernity. But it’s also a reminder that no matter what the distance or perceived differences, in whisky and in life, there’s much more that connects us than separates us. 
 
This is an oily, smoky and herbal Blended World Whisky with notes of orange, clove and honey that celebrates ever-expanding horizons of flavour. 

Woven Superblend (2022) 46.1% GBP 50

Inspired by BNJ, this blend brings together distilleries from around the world. 

We found it very light, whilst a bit hard to pin down to something specific, it was warm and welcoming. On the palate, there was delightful spice, well balanced and enjoyable, an oily element. and closed with a gentle sweetness.

This is the story about Superblend:

Superblend is a blend of whiskies of different origins. We start with whisky from Scotland. But that’s not where this journey ends. 
A new breed of distillery from England. Germany’s largest Single Malt Distillery. An experimental project in the USA. A maverick Irish producer with rebellious spirit. Each cask chosen solely on flavour. This is whisky, free from all geographical constraints. Blended across borders.
The result is a rich, textured. blended world whisky that is so much greater than the sum of its parts.
 
I’ve included the composition here – with its fascinating mix of different geographies and distilleries. 
 
  • SCOTLAND MALT: Loch Lomond Single Malt (6 Years) 23.9%, Campbeltown Single Malt (5 Years) 6.52%, Speyside Blended Malt (Peated) (9 Years) 4.35%
  • SCOTLAND GRAIN: Highland Grain (Wheat Base) (3 Years) 21.74%, Highland Grain (Malted Barley) (3 Years) 15.22%, Loch Lomond Organic Grain (Wheat) (22 Years) 4.35%
  • WORLD WHISKY: The English Distillery Co. Single Malt (9 Years) 2.17%, George Dickel Sour Mash (USA) (11 Years) 2.17%, MGP Indiana Bourbon (USA) (7 Years) 6.52%, St Killian Single Malt (Germany) (3 Years) 5.43%, Irish Whisky (undisclosed distillery) (13 Years) 7.61%
That’s quite a mix making for a rather interesting Woven blend.

Woven Experience N.20 “Friends in the North” (2024) 47%

What a remarkable blend – it was full of fresh pine and cedar on the nose. Quite frisky on the palate with a clean clear style that I have come to associate with Scandinavian whiskies. The finish was straightforward with a hint of saline.

Here is what they have to say about their Nordic blend:

We’d heard the stories. Scandinavian whisky makers, each crafting their own vision of excellence, creating flavours and lore. Our journey began with a question: Is there a ‘Nordic Style’? But what we found was something richer, something profoundly more human, and more delicious than we ever imagined. 

Each distillery told its own tale of remoteness, isolation, and invention. After polite introductions, we geeked out on mind blowing stories delivered in a cool, matter of fact fashion – ‘it’s just how we do it’. 

Four countries, countless flavours. Not one single thread, but a tapestry of warm welcomes, proud traditions, experimental whisky making, and unexpected delights.

We set out to craft a whisky. What we created were friends, and we can’t wait for you to meet them. 

This is Experience N.20 // Friends in the North – composed of:

  • Kyrö Distillery (FIN) Rye (Alder Wood Smoke) 20.58%
  • High Coast Distillery (SWE) Unpeated Malt 4.80% 
  • Agitator Distillery (SWE) Chateau Margaux 10.43%
  • Agitator Distillery (SWE) Lightly Peated 6.86%
  • Feddie Ocean Distillery (NOR) Ex Islay Qtr Cask 9.33%
  • Feddie Ocean Distillery (NOR) Ex Bourbon13.72%
  • North British (SCO) Single Grain 34.29%
There were a few familiar distilleries like Finland’s Kyrö, Sweden’s High Coast (previously Box) and Agitator, however, North British and Freddie Ocean Distillery are new to me! A most intriguing blend and well worth exploring!

And then our super special blends – made just for us! Like the shelves of the chemistry lab’s “store” of my childhood, behind a curtain was an array of different bottles filled with different elements.

We were invited to share answers to various questions which revealed our distinct whisky preferences before a blend was made based on these choices.

My festival pick for 2024 was Woven’s Homemade. After inquiring, I learned that it would become available in Germany later in October, so if I was a bit patient, I could have it conveniently delivered to my door for a few bobs less. Sign me up!

What else did we try from Woven?

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