Category Archives: Scotland

Whisky Show 2024 – Dream Drams Brora + Glen Grant

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At London’s Whisky Show, one receives a “dream dram” token each day. This is an opportunity to try something well outside the normal “affordability” range!

I was very clear about my choice – as the crowd around Whisky Auction can be thick – the plan was to go there 1st thing. Or more precisely, immediately after our calibration dram of the day – the reliable and most enjoyable Glenfarclas 15 year!

I had my eye on a Glen Grant from the 1970s whereas my tasting companion was after something extra special and fancied the Brora 1981. As his choice was 2 tokens and we had only 2 tokens, we decided to go with his choice. The gent had overheard our debate and made an offer we couldn’t refuse – both!

Brora 23 year (1981 / 2005) First Cask 1556 43% Bottle 756 ~GBP 625

  • Nose – Shy at first then hay
  • Palate – A bit more substance, a hint of spice, sweet, subtle digestive biscuits
  • Finish – Pleasant

Overall I found it pleasant but nothing particularly special. My tasting companion was completely disappointed – felt the hype and the price tag were simply not worth it!

We need to remind ourselves that we are sampling a slice of history – a distillery that had its moment in time before being mothballed. Once known as Clynelish, the style we reputed to be quite different – for some time quite heavily peated then a lighter peat. In this case, to be honest we didn’t catch any peat!

So what about my choice? If the Brora was a bit of a bust, the Glen Grant was a complete hit! 

Glen Grant 12 year (1970s) 43%

  • Nose – Ahhhh….. An absolute delight! Bright and cheerful character, joined by some dark dried fruits topped with honey sweetness… after some time I found a lovely lemon custard pie. Delicious!!
  • Palate – Smooth and soft, then woke-up with pronounced sherry, yet still balanced
  • Finish – Long, strong and lovely

It was the perfect breakfast dram – sweet, classic style. The kind of whisky that will be companionable, joining you on a nice rambling journey. I was entranced and in love!

What followed? We neatly stepped next door to Whisky Sponge. Much like Whisky Auction, every time I passed by the previous day, the throngs were so thick I feared it would be impossible to have the kind of leisurely chatty experience we enjoy. How fabulous to be proved wrong!

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Nurnberg Whisky Explorer’s 2025 kick off!

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In 2025, our Nurnberg Whisky Explorers group abandoned all pretense of mostly monthly gatherings and opted for the more realistic goal of quarterly connects.

Our first session had no designated theme – the choice was entirely up to our four contributors. The result was a terrific combination of distinct drams, each bringing their unique voice to the chorus, with no competition or unfavourable comparisons.

So what did we explore?

  • Dewar’s 8 year Japanese Smooth 43%
  • Woven Homemade 46.4%
  • Green Spot Château Léoville Barton Bordeuax Finish 46%
  • Teerenpeli 10 year 43%

Interestingly, three were blends – two of Scottish origin and one Irish – closing with a special Finnish single malt. For me, it was an evening of mostly revisits – albeit nearly a decade later! Which made it such fun to experience anew!

Dewar’s 8 year Japanese Smooth Mizunara Wood Finish 43% ~Eur 21

Dewar’s is such a well-known blend. And yet, joining the standards are a few expressions that play with different elements – enter the Dewar’s finished in Japanese Mizunara Wood. What did we find?

  • Nose – Warm, honey with a hint of vanilla, shifting into a fresh citrus
  • Palate – It had a prickly spice, oak, a dash of sweet dry spices like cinnamon, and lots of vanilla
  • Finish – Hint of wax or a touch of salt depending on who you asked, quite dry

With a name like “Japanese Smooth”, we anticipated something silky soft with a nuanced floral element, maybe even a bit of light fruit? The mizunara wood finish certainly made this an interesting Dewar’s expression, however, was it floral or fruity? Not so much.

Setting aside preconceived notions, it was just the right way to start our evening and well worth trying. Even with the revisit, after sampling the other three, it held its own.

Woven Homemade 46.4% ~Eur 38 8120 bottles (500 ml)

Imagine entering an apothecary shop… or bringing together a couple of chemist with a wild array of options.. all about crafting an interesting experience. That’s what you can expect with a Woven whisky blend.

  • Nose – Began with lemon custard and butter, warm biscuits, green apple, slightly sour apple sauce
  • Palate – Start creamy, buttery, some rosehip, nutty oil, then shifts into becoming very dry
  • Finish – From lemon drop candy, to nutty butter, increasingly bitter over time

Very distinctive and unique. One described it as “effervescent” reminding him of a children’s fizzy medicine – brausetabletten. For all of us, it was remarkable how its character changed, Really quite interesting from an Apple martini to creamy nutty to dry and bitter. This was no “easy” blend – instead, it challenged us – in a good way. With the revisit, it also retained its specific character.

What more do we know? Only that it is a blend of two Speyside whiskies  (41.78% and 29.99%) and a Lowland grain (28.23%), likely blended 14 May 2023 with 70 days “marrying” period. In character, it was evaluated by the folks at Woven as somewhere between Balanced and Complex. And yes – we appreciated the other options – Fresh and Exploratory. And finally, it has a clear “nod” to BNJ – a bit of a cult whisky blend in some circles that also boasts a high malt portion.

You can find more details here: Woven Homemade.

Green Spot Château Léoville Barton Bordeaux Wine Finish 46% ~Eur 55

We then moved from Scotland to Ireland. This was no ordinary Green Spot! A year ago, our contributor brought the standard edition — a pleasure to revisit! This time, it was the Green Spot expression finished in Bordeaux casks…

  • Nose – It began with melted caramel, tobacco leaf, and tannins, warm and heavy, the longer it remained in the glass, the more prominent the brown sugar aroma became
  • Palate – Very pronounced red wine influence! There was an interesting undertone of oak and tannins, rich, rolling around in your mouth
  • Finish – Long finish, dry

The red wine cask was so prominent, that we speculated they must have finished in a rather “wet” cask, leaving a fair amount of Château Léoville Barton to mingle with the whiskey. Or as one whisky aficionado quipped “This is how wine should taste!”

Truth be told, as we tasted, I didn’t immediately remember being introduced to this expression some six years earlier at an Irish evening in Mumbai! This Is why it is such fun to have random evenings – you never know what will turn up and with it a fresh perspective too.

Teerenpeli 10 year 43% ~Eur 73

For me, the true treat of the night was an opportunity to revisit the Teerenpeli 10 year. It captivated my fancy in 2016 during a Whisky Ladies European focused tasting. How did I discover it? Its launch was at the 2015 London Whisky Show and came to me as a strong recommendation from the lads at TWE. What did we think?

  • Nose – Fruity, with a dusky, earthy element, a puff of smoke, a hint of coastal sea air, chased by vanilla
  • Palate – Incredibly smooth – like sliding into silk pajamas, then being enveloped in a soft velvet lightly peaty embrace, it has a subtle citrus peat, rich and well-rounded with a light heat of pepper
  • Finish – Carries on the warm embrace, with a touch of sea salt

This bottle was purchased by our contributor during a memorable trip to Finland nearly a year ago – just for our wee group to try. And it did not disappoint.

There was such a lot going on – so rewarding! The kind of single malt that evokes an emotional connection, memories of a special lebkuchen with citrusy sugar glaze, or enjoying a sunset outdoors from a porch on a cool fall evening, kept cozy and warm in a fuzzy blanket.

Above, for me, it was such a special treat to revisit – thank you!!

What more do we know? It gains its specific character from Finnish barley malt matured in 85% bourbon and 15% sherry casks. Since I last tried it, they not only refreshed the packaging, Teerenpeli also updated their official tasting notes to:

  • Nose – Butterscotch, vanilla, slightly oaky
  • Palate – Rich maltiness, fruity, smooth vanilla 

Would we agree? Certainly! You can find out more here: Teerenpeli 10 year.

PS Our contributor also highly recommends another Finish spirit – Artic Blue gin.

And there you have it – an evening exploring four distinct drams. Unlike some evenings, all were “hits” with narry a “miss”. Each brought something interesting to expand and challenge our collective tasing journeys. And that is exactly why such tasting evenings are so much fun!

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Elements of Islay – Ma1 54.2%

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Once upon a time, my life revolved around flights between India and the rest of Asia. Nearly every month I would be flying – largely via Singapore – which is how it became almost like a 2nd home! Whilst in India, there were limited options to acquire more interesting whiskies… in Singapore the barrier was simply price! I look back at some of the hefty price tags we regularly shouldered to indulge our passion and sigh… Often we paid double or even triple in Asia vs acquiring in the UK or Europe.

Yet Singapore was in our backyard with easy direct flights from Mumbai and lots of work reasons to visit, so we simply tolerated the high taxes to fuel our whisky fancy. Hence my purchase in 2017 from Singapore’s La Maison du Whisky of this bottle – the 1st expression from Elements of Islay at a hefty $135 for a mere 500 ml! Fast forward nearly a decade with skyrocketing prices doubling dram costs all around the globe, you can still find this bottle from The Whisky Exchange for GBP 150.

Elements of Islay Ma1 54.2%

  • Nose – Curiously, it was a bit subdued on the nose. And yet, once one got past the shyness, there were a lot of briney maritime aromas! Loads of iodine too. Over time the saline gave way to some sweetness however would remind us of its maritime essence with sea spray. In the 2nd tasting, we really gave it time – so it shifted from a carbolic Lifebuoy soap to smoked meat, chipotle sauce with a bit of char.
  • Palate – Oh yum! Mellow peppery ashy with sweeter elements – think sugary water, backed by a vegetal peat
  • Finish – Nice long finish with “thick air”, light cinnamon, coconut shell, overall, an excellent chewy close

When I look back on the photo taken years ago vs when we opened, it was clear that despite being a sealed bottle, some liquid had evaporated. Hence what we tried nearly a decade after being bottled, may not be representative of what we would have experienced back in 2015.

We speculated this may be why the palate was far superior and much more interesting than the aromas. It also needed time in the glass – our revisit after nearly an hour was so much more fruity – both nose and taste. One of those drams, where a quick sniff and swish could be dismissed whereas it has a lot more going on.

So what is Ma1? In the Elements of Islay lexicon, Ma is also known as Bn, i.e., Bunnahabhain, with Ma being the “darker, smokier version of the heathery, briny, unpeated whisky from the distillery.” It was matured in four first-fill bourbon barrels in 2004 and bottled in 2015.

A few of us admitted that of the Islay whiskies, Bunnahabhain actually ranks pretty low. And yet this bottling from Elixir reminds us to keep an open mind!

Here is what the folks over at Elements of Islay had to say about their inaugural Ma expression:

  • Nose – The nose is delicate with a gentle spicy and a sweet undertone. Lightly salted walnut bread, the peatiness is subtle and with time and water releases a lot more zestiness. Warm flavours of peppery flapjacks and sweet charcoal. On the back, a light dustiness, polished furniture and chalk.
  • Palate – Stronger spiciness, black pepper and cumin oat cakes. Creamy, nutty texture with lots of roasted walnuts, brown bread and macadamia sweetness. Wet, damp, drift wood on the beach, Moroccan sweets made with dates, nuts and spices and a hint of chalk.
  • Finish – Lingering dustiness with a hint of 85% dark chocolate on the finish. The dirty smoke evolves into match box and ash.

The thinking behind Elements of Islay when originally launched was:

The medicinal, almost ‘elemental’ character of Islay malt whiskies was the inspiration for the laboratory-style bottle and element symbol/number naming system used across the Elements range (Lp1, Ar2, and so on). Coincidentally, even the 50cl bottle used throughout the Elements range is called ‘pharmacy’. Every Elements bottle also bears the signature of a whisky authority, so you can be confident of the quality of the liquid inside.

The approach has since evolved to anchor expressions around elements like Bourbon, Sherry, Cask Edits, and special festival editions like Fèis Ìle 2024 “Fireside” Exclusive. So whilst we knew without a doubt the liquid we tasted was from Bunnahabhain, if you tried an Elements of Islay expression today, you would not find an indication of which distillery/distilleries went into the bottle.

Remember I mentioned we may not be big Bunna fans? Yet somehow, over the years, we’ve actually picked up or sampled rather a lot of Bunnahabhain :

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Mossburn’s Mannochmore 10 year (2008) 56.1%

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This was my first single malt from independent bottler Mossburn – from their 16th batch from 2018. When debating which Speyside to include in our Scottish Regions theme, curiosity about this dram won! 

For those not familiar, Mannochmore isn’t one of those distilleries that claims 100+ year history! Instead, it was founded in my lifetime – originally opening in 1971 before closing for a few years in the late 1980s. Even after re-opening, for many years it was in production only every alternate year as it shared employees with its neighbour – Glenlossie. It expanded operations in 2013, and is now regularly producing spirit for its current owner Diageo.

Like many Diageo distilleries, much of the liquid goes into blends, then makes its way to independent bottlers like Mossburn with select official bottlings – like their Flora & Fauna series. We’ve had some absolutely marvelous Mannochmore’s from Chorlton – a 12 year and 13 year – so I had rather high expectations.

We opened the bottle in Mumbai early January and tasted it over two sessions – something I very much recommend. Going straight to the punch line – the initial date was underwhelming whereas the second date rewarded us over time with many of the reasons why I’ve been more and more a Mannochmore fan!

Mannochmore 10 year (10/12/2018 – 2008) Batch 16.0708.16 Cask Bill HHD 56.1% (Mossburn Vintage Casks)

  • Colour – Bright gold
  • Nose
    • 1st opening one tasting companion found wet dish rag and simply could not get past the impression of something a bit “off”, there were also overripe fruits, some caramel yet the impression was largely having a subdued nose 
    • 2nd day if we really focused, we could find a hint of wet dish rag, yet for me it had very much evolved moving more into a wet leaf, earthy element, some sour mash then loads of fruits. The more time it spent in the glass, the more fruity and appealing it became
  • Palate
    • 1st we found it really rather yummy, spice, lemon sweets, fuzzy apricot skin, a bit astringent, plum skin then I found tea
    • 2nd we really enjoyed its fizzy almost effervescent quality, joining plum and apricots was peach, with the palate having a marvelous lightly oily element coating our mouths in the most wonderful way
  • Finish
    • 1st Churan – which is a digestive mix of herbs and spices – often containing powdered pomegranate seeds, cardamon, coriander, fennel, cinnamon, dried ginger and lemon plus things you typically won’t find outside of India like pippali, khand, and black salt
    • 2nd Again, we could understand how churan was found and personally, I found it moving more in the tea direction, another lady agreed and added for her specifically it was more like an Earl Grey with bergamot

Overall, the palate is the winner here with the nose catching up if given enough time in the glass. In our first try, we did leave it in the glass for some time and found with the revisit it was much fruitier with loads of character not initially present.

Whereas the 2nd time around we added water – wow! What a missed opportunity for our 1st tasting experience! The fruity elements on the nose were amped up and joined by a lovely floral quality. It became so much more appealing and inviting on the nose than before. And the palate? It rounded out the flavours – delicious. Just a bit of water transforms!

For one tasting companion on our 2nd tasting had the Mannochmore contending for his favourit of the evening!

I couldn’t find official tasting notes… However, particularly on the 2nd evening, we found a fair bit in common with some earlier Mannochmore tasting experiences. 

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Clynelish festival pick

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The danger with a mere sniff, swish, and spit experience at a Whisky Show is that you often miss the nuances of gentler or trickier drams or an instant infatuation later in a different setting with a more considered approach falls flat.

This is why I do my best to be careful when purchasing a “festival pick” (which also comes with an inflated price tag!) to select something that I’m reasonably confident will stand up solo or as part of a more measured leisurely tasting set. In 2023, my London Whisky Show choice was this Clynelish.

Opened in Mumbai January 2025, I sample it over two evenings nearly back-to-back with different whisky enthusiasts and settings as the Highland representative in our Scottish Regions whisky tour!

So what did we think?

Clynelish 12 year (2011/2023) 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel #880297 56.4% (2023 Whisky Show Bottle) GBP 120 / EUR 142

  • Nose
    • 1st tasting – Light nose, a bit shy even, varnish, a dusty shelf, then some sweetness before practically disappearing on us! Eventually, we could tease out some warm pineapple, Mr Kipling’s French Fancies – a sponge cake topped with vanilla cream and chocolate fondant.
    • 2nd tasting – Whilst subtle, the nose was not so elusive this time! The pineapple was much more pronounced, some citrus floral honey, joined by dried shredded coconut, golden sultana raisins, and after even more time even revealed more herbal elements 
  • Palate 
    • 1st tasting – What a fabulous palate! Well rounded sweetness, some lovely spices anchored by black cardamon, cloves and more
    • 2nd tasting – Building on my initial experience, this time the characteristic Clynelish mineral and chalky dimensions were also there, with more olive oil than candlewax – yet finally we gained a hint of that waxy element we’ve come to associate with Clynelish 
  • Finish – A spicy thick finish, super dry almost making one “pucker up” initially, then over time mellows into a lovely lingering sweetness with fresh green aniseed or fennel 
  • Water – Not even tempted if I’m honest. However perhaps in a future sipping, I will put in a splash, just to see what happens! 

You simply MUST take your time with this one. The initial tasting began as a disappointment. My London tasting companion was almost outraged – this COULD NOT be what we tried at the Whisky Show. No no no!

Yet as the Clynelish spent more time in the glass, it transformed – that marvelous alchemy that happens when whisky and air combine. The French Fancies element of sugary sponge cake, powdery icing sugar, gummy bears, fruits like nectarine, yellow plums, and more all gained strength over time. 

This dram goes into the category of “Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!” Clearly, by the time we got to the bottle at the whisky show, it had enough air and time open to immediately reward us.

And yet – we expected to find the classic Clynelish elements – waxy, fruity, mineral… Were they there? Yes. However, it took more time to ease into them, and even then, the waxy dimension was less prominent than anticipated. 

After our experience, I have a feeling this might best be a “solo act” – a whisky for a companionable evening with a fellow whisky enthusiast, where we don’t distract with comparisons and instead simply settle into a leisurely exploration of just this Clynelish.

As for my London tasting friend? He was MOST relieved about the huge difference time the glass made – concluding it was almost like a different dram completely! 

If you are curious to learn more, check out this post from when we sampled it in 2023! As for other Clynelishexperiences? Check out

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Lowland’s Lindores Abbey 1494 1st Release 46%

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At the 2023 Nurnberg The Village Festival, I had the pleasure of attending the Lindores Abbey Masterclass. I found the experience promising though of course some expressions more than others. I had hoped to get the Friar John Cor Cask Strength Congregation Chapter 1 expression however it sold out almost instantly! So instead, I opted for their 1494 inaugural release.

I brought it to India and opened it in January 2025 to kick off our Scottish Regions whisky tour with a calibration dram from the Lowlands.

Once incredibly popular with many distilleries, the Lowland’s became almost a lost region, only now starting to rebuild with distilleries like Lochlea and Lindores Abbey. A Lowland “style” whisky was once known for its slower, softer, floral elements .. of which the pinnacle for many is Rosebank – a true treat if you get an opportunity.

So what did we think? Interestingly, whilst some of the other drams we tried that night had divergent impressions, we were fairly consistent in our experience.

Lindores Abbey MCDXCIV (1494) Commemorative First Release (2021) Cask Bourbon, Sherry, Wine Barrique 46% Eur 66,50

  • Nose – It began with a hint of grain, wet hay, old playdough, then a heavy floral oil, fruity, lemony boiled sweet, then shifted into a lemon custard tart, vanilla cream, doughy pie crust… over time it went from raw dough to a hot cinnamon bun fresh from the oven! Another found a raisiny butter tart. With a lot more time, we even found bubble gum 
  • Palate – Unexpectedly peppery, doughy… not such a promising start however the 2nd set was much better. Yes, it is youthful. Yes, it’s a bit thin. However, once you got past the pencil shavings, the tannins settled down, it was straightforward and inoffensive
  • Finish – A medium finish – straight with more of the tannins and a hint of slightly bitter clove
  • Water – It was tried by a couple with a resounding reaction of “No – don’t”  

Let’s keep in mind this was the 1st release. Young drams have their place and such whisky can often grow into some pretty spectacular liquid with the right focus, balance of art and science, and most important ingredient – time.

If you are curious to learn more about Lindores Abbey, check out these tasting notes: 

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Whisky Show 2024 – Glenfarclas 15 year

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Day 2 of the 2024 Whisky Show in London began with a perfect calibration whisky. For years, we’ve relied on Glenfarclas to deliver a consistently good sherry whisky. So I knew exactly where to go for our 1st dram of the day, knowing precisely what to expect! 

Glenfarclas 15 year 46%

  • Nose – Ahh…. just breathe in that lovely honey, joined by orchard fruits, some pastries, waft of vanilla
  • Palate – Some spice, fruity and fabulous… a bit active in the glass, with the dark fruits from the sherry joining the chorus
  • Finish – A long dry finish

Was it a sniff, swish, and spit? Of course! Our agenda for the day involved far too many whiskies to do more than experience this way! However, our Glenfarclas booth host completely understood our rationale, happy to have us stop by for a short visit before continuing our journey. 

Where next? Why make use of our dream dram tokens of course! And I had just the place in mind!

Curious about other Glenfarclas experiences? Just check out:

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Whisky Show 2024 – Wire Works

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After a day of mostly Scottish drams, we decided to shift gears to check out a new English entrant – Wire Works from Derbyshire. 

Wire Works Caduro 46.8% GBP 60

  • Nose – A bit harsh – young and brash with a hit of alcohol, then some rose petals, sweet
  • Palate – Some soft peat, slightly astringent, some spice and salt
  • Finish – A very salty finish, joined by sage too which was a bit curious

Not so sure we were off to a good start here… and admit we struggled to see this as “award winning.” The peat was a mild 20 PPM with the cask and STR ie shaved, toasted, and re-charred red wine barrique.

Wire Works Bourbon 53.4% GBP 65

  • Nose – We found melons, a hint of peat, more sweet than anything else. Think of a fruit dessert, some ginger, vanilla ice cream
  • Palate – Yum! This works! It is back to the basics with bourbon. Oily, nice texture, more of that ginger
  • Finish – Leave with a nice peppery spice

I noted that this one was a good way to judge the whisky character – no hiding beneath fancy finishes.

Wire Works Moscatel 3 years 53.6% Bottle 340 / 651 GBP 75

  • Nose – Quite fresh – lots of citrus
  • Palate – Sour initially, surprisingly creamy, a bit nutty, marzipan, dried mango powder, gooseberries
  • Finish – Curiously savoury

We were reminded of snacks that are “khatta meetha” a bit sweet and sour. There is a distinctive ‘aamchor’ mango powder in India which adds a nice tangy element to certain dishes. 

Wire Works Madeira Finish 53.6% Bottle 330 / 671 GBP 75

  • Nose – Fruity, sweeter than the Moscatel, more subtle too, with dark cherries
  • Palate – Personality came through – juicier, some spice
  • Finish – A dry finish

An interesting introduction. I’m not completely sold on all the expressions, however that’s often the case with younger distilleries experimenting with different elements til they hit their stride.

So far, our English whisky explorations have been limited to just three distilleries – with Cotswolds the one we’ve sampled the most!

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Whisky Show 2024 – Duncan Taylor

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Whilst Gordon & Macphail was conspicuously absent from the 2024 London Whisky Show, Duncan Taylor did a remarkable job of showing what a solid, experienced team can do! For those not familiar (is that even possible?), here is how they describe themselves:

Home to one of the world’s largest privately owned Scotch Whisky collections. For over 80 years, Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky has been crafting award-winning Scotch whiskies.

Our extremely positive experience was due to both the drams and the conversations with Andrew Sinat – who had recently joined as the UK Sales Manager. Over and over, I was reminded that for us – whisky is about the people, the stories, the insights, the experiences. Andrew took his time with us and made our journey through select Duncan Taylor bottles well worth the trip!

We began with an offering from their Octave collection – after standard cask maturation, the spirit is given a boost in smaller Octave casks – with the hypothesis that the greater liquid to wood contact accelerates and intensifies the flavours and aromas.

What did we try? Actually, we don’t know! As it was disclosed only as:

An Iconic Speyside 12 year (2011) Sherry Octave 87189 54.2% ~86 GBP

What did we think? We thought it was delightfully fruity on the nose – tangy and even a bit tart too! On the palate, it was balanced with a nice influence of the sherry, dark fruits, spice with a dryness too. In short – it had all the elements of a rather good Speyside.

Andrew shared that the Octave maturation was for only around 9 months, however clearly worked some magic!

Campbeltown Blend 10 year (March 2104 / April 2024) Cask 11991 53.9% Bottle 110 of 320 ~86 GBP

We moved on to a blend – likely of Glen Scotia and Springbank, however could be Glengyle / Kilkerran too. The nose was lemon custard – yum! The palate started spicey then gentled into soft fruits, smooth as silk! The finish was nice but didn’t stick around too long.

Black Bull Blend 30 year 50% ~250 GBP

Andrew then directed us to Black Bull – a blend that has austensibly been around since 1864. It was the kind of dram I love – a “happy whisky” – that greets you with joyful sweetness on the nose, rich sherry full of juicy fruits, fresh dates warmed from the sun, chikoo, treacle… lovely.

Glenrothes 43 year 42.6%

Oh my! Some Glenrothes can be almost a bit too powerful with their heavy sherry. This mature expression can best be described as “juicy”! The nose became fruitier and more inviting the longer it spent time in the glass – think beeswax and honey, loads of orchard fruits. The palate had spice, and whilst there was sherry – it was clean and nuanced, co-mingling with old wood. The finish was soft and subtle. Overall, the experience was quite lovely and elegant. A class act. And what a treat to try!

Caol Ila 14 Year (Oct 2009 / Apr 2024) Cask 40319017 54.1% Bottle 188 of 281

Almost like a reverse palate cleanser, in the midst of the sherry and venerable drams, we were directed to an Islay!? It was peat and sweet on the nose – with a hint of maritime not so often found in Caol Ila. The palate was a perfect balance of peat and sweet – reminding us why we have been rather partial to Caol Ila over the years. I’m glad we didn’t skip this one!

Whilst peaty territory seemed counterintuitive, in retrospect it was smart to shift from the surprisingly delicate Glenrothes 43-year-old to our next experience. We had no idea what was next on our tasting journey… merely instructed to cleanse our palates and then hand over our glass reserved for unpeated whiskies into which a new liquid was splashed.

Macallan 1991

Simply gorgeous! Now, we know that Macallan is sometimes overpriced and now also overrated. However, there are a few bottles out there like this one that remind you – behind the hype there is a mighty fine dram or two! This was an older style of Macallan – elegant and special. There was sweet cinnamon spice on the nose, and honey sweet on the palate with the sherry restrained and supporting rather than dominating the show. The longer it spent in the glass, the more it revealed – each element more beautiful than the last. What an incredible treat!

Brackla 12 year (Jun 20111 – Nov 2023) Cask 939001315 55.1% 

I totally admit that over the years, I’ve become rather partial to Brackla. It always delivers an apple orchard in the glass, and this was no exception! The difference is what kind of apple. Is it a tart crabapple or granny smith? Is it red or golden delicious? A crisp Macintosh? In this case, it leaned more tart or even slightly sour on the nose. Then shifted into a nice spice with fruit on the palate.

Glentauchers 15 year (2008 – 2023) Cask 8539953 54.2% (The Octave)

We circled back to The Octave expressions with a delightful Glentauchers which spent a mere 3 months in the smaller casks. On the nose, it was a fruit compote – bursting with different mixed fruits. On the palate, there was spice – a bit of a kick here! Once the spice settled down it was fun, fruity if a bit “avuncular” in its approach. 

I loved how we came full circle. We started with The Octave series and closed with it too. What a remarkable range and truly outstanding experience. Bravo Duncan Taylor!

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Whisky Show 2024 – Bowmore 1968 50th Anniversary 45.5%

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At the 2024 London Whisky Show, you never know what exceptional dram will make it’s way to a glass and one’s nose and lips.

There we were, engrossed in explorations at the Compass Box stand, when Sukindher Singh joined us. This was the 1st show post the sale of The Whisky Exchange and he was clearly relaxed, enjoying the shift from leading to experiencing.

Bowmore 32 year (1968) 50th Anniversary 45.5%

On the nose, it started surprisingly subtle – toast and a hint of jam. On the palate, it also was a curiosity. We considered it almost an “un-whisky like whisky”. It was nuanced, soft, fruity, and elegant with a hint of citrus. The finish slid into a lovely nutty quality.

What more do we know? Only that it was released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the foundation of Stanley P Morrison (later to become Morrison Bowmore). And that, naturally, such a rare dram comes at a steep price tag – a “mere” GBP 7,000 or so!

The conversation turned to different experiences to “not miss”, days gone by, and our post-show plans. Armed with further recommendations – we carried on Day 1 of the 2024 London Whisky Show!!

As for other Bowmore experiences? We’ve had a few over the years – including at other shows like Whisky Live in Singapore and Paris!

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