Category Archives: Scotland

Macbeth’s First Ghost (Cambus 31) and Bloody Sergeant (Blair Athol 10)!

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At London’s Whisky Show 2023, we were introduced to Elixir’s  Macbeth series. That year we selected for our “Dream Drams” a pair of Thanes – Lady MacDuff (Linkwood 31) and Menthieth (BenRiach 31 year).

This year, we were drawn to the Ghost and Household range: First Ghost (Cambus 31) and Bloody Sergeant (Blair Athol 10). This was partly because these whiskies did not require “Dream Dram” tokens!

What did we think in our sniff and swish?

We began with the grain from the closed Lowland distillery Cambus… With 650 bottles from a refill bourbon, we anticipated something light… 

Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff. Beware the Thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough.

The Ghosts: Cambus 31-year Single Grain “First Ghost” 43.2% (Lowland) GBP 301

  • Nose – Soft, and sweet, with a hint of tart lemon or limes, warms in the glass to reveal vanilla
  • Palate – Delicious! Light bourbon vanilla ice cream, with a hint of fruit  
  • Finish – Quite subtle

This whisky clearly fell into the “day dram” category – uncomplicated, light, and easy to sip.

What do they have to say?

The first ghostly apparition in the Macbeth series is portrayed by an elegant, mature single grain from the long-deceased Cambus distillery. More than three decades resting in oak has left this old Lowlander with an ethereal profile of green fruits, vanilla cream, coconut milk and a hint of sweet anise. An excellent choice of casks by whisky makers Elixir Distillers really brings this portentous figure to life… So to speak.

This bottling is the first of six whiskies representing The Ghosts in this series inspired by The Tragedy of Macbeth. Each bottling features specially commissioned artwork by famed illustrator Sir Quentin Blake.

Nice! And another reminder that Cambus produced some lovely grains once upon a time! Whilst I’ve had a few mixed experiences, this one reminded me of the lovely 24 year from Signatory that I bought from Singapore’s Whisky Live 2017.

Up next was a shift in gears from light to dark with xx

The Households: Blair Athol 10 year “Bloody Sergeant” 51.8% (Highland) GBP 95

  • Nose – Quite a hit of dry fruits, peppery spice… needs time to open
  • Palate – Sweet, rich with loads of dark fruits, spice
  • Finish – Has a kick
  • Water – We thought perhaps to tone it down with water in hopes it would reveal more elements. It certainly helped round out the palate however it also lost some of its character too 

Whilst the Cambus was soft and inviting, the Blair Athol was punchy and bold! This is entirely in keeping with Blair Athol’s character – some love its brash approach whereas for others it is simply a bit “too much”. 

What do they have to say?

An excellent addition to Livingstone’s ground-breaking Macbeth series. The Bloody Sergeant – who recounts Macbeth’s heroic deeds to King Duncan in the Play’s first act – had to be embodied by a rugged Highlander and this Blair Athol does the job perfectly. Matured in a combination of bourbon hogsheads and red wine casks, this is a richly texture dram packed with fruit and complex tannins. Expect blackberries and baking spices on the nose before a weighty palate of toffee and malt with a pickle of gunpowder in the finish.

This bottling is one of 10 characterful whiskies chosen to represent The Household of Macbeth. Each expression in this collectable series features character insights from whisky writer Dave Broom and specially commissioned illustrations by Sir Quentin Blake.

Both are different yet interesting. I hope we can continue to explore more from the Macbeth series in the future! 

From Macbeth Act One, there were… 

  • The Leads: Glen Grant 56 year “Old King Duncan” 48.2% (Speyside) GBP 10,000
  • The Ghosts: Cambus 31-year Single Grain “First Ghost” 43.2% (Lowland) GBP 301 – Sampled in 2024
  • The Witches: Ardbeg 19 year “First Witch” 51.7% (Islay) GBP 550 
  • The Murderers: Ledaig 18 year “First Murderer” 50.5% (Island) GBP 220 

The Thanes:

The Households:

  • Ardmore 12 year “Seyton” 52.5% (Highland) GBP 100
  • Blair Athol 10 year “Bloody Sergeant” 51.8% (Highland) GBP 95 – Sampled in 2024

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2024 London Whisky Show – Watt Whiskies

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One of the more interesting experiences at the 2022 Whisky Show was being introduced to the colourful Watt Whiskies. The next year, we skipped as you simply can’t do everything. However, we had to stop by in 2024.

Once again, Kate Watt walked us through our options. As it was still early in the day, I suggested something lighter to ease into the day. Although it sounds counterintuitive, after two lighter drams, Kate then pointed us toward a lightly peated whisky followed by a blend.

Glen Moray 11 year (2008) Oloroso Hogshead 54.6% Watt Whisky – May 2024 Release. 318 Bottles

  • Nose – Loads of white fruits, fresh and inviting
  • Palate – Candy sweet yet with an interesting depth too, a nice lip-smacking dram of tropical fruits
  • Finish – Lovely and soft

Glen Moray is known to be an easygoing, affordable dram—light, smooth, and fruity. This was no exception—except as an independent bottle—not quite as affordable! The challenge is that my “benchmark” for Glen Moray has all been from independent bottlers.

It was a rather pleasant place to begin our Watt exploration. Yes, there is sherry from its 14-month finish in an Oloroso Sherry cask, however, it is more like the icing on a cake rather than deeply infusing the full cake.

And how do the Watt’s describe it? Sherry, milk chocolate, orange sherbet and pineapple sweets.

Would I agree based on my scant sniff & swish notes? Yes!


Invergordon 26 year (1997) Hogshead 52.3% Watt Whisky – May 2024 Release. 258 Bottles.

We then moved on to a grain… suitably aged for 26 years. This was my 3rd experience with Invergordon – the 1st was a 28-year-old with a mixed reaction, the 2nd a 44-year-old from TBWC – wow!

How did the Watt offering fare?

As it was a simple sniff and swish, there were limited impressions – clearly a grain, we struggled to get past the “spirit” to find other elements. On the palate, it was also very active with a touch of leather mixd in with some lightly nutty element.

Toffee apples, honeycomb, peaches & marzipan.

We didn’t find all the elements described by the Watt’s, however we also spent only a little time with it – just the way things can be a bit unfair in such a setting.

Glen Spey 14 year (2008) Hogshead 54.8% Watt Whisky – September 2024 release, 267 Bottles

  • Nose – A big burst of flavour! Sour, fruity, almost like beer or balsamic vinegar. Which sounds strange but was actually quite interesting…
  • Palate – Oily, more of that heavy balsamic – like a sweet reduction, sweet and sour… we described it as “khatta meetha” and reminded me a bit of those Chinese dried sour plums, even had some ginger too, then a curl of smoke…
  • Finish – The smoke took on a dry ash element then like a puff of smoke was gone

This was one unique dram – I completely understood why Kate insisted we try it – even though we were not yet ready for something with a bit of peat. Where did that come from? Whilst it was initially matured in a Hogshead, it was finished for 14 months in an ex-Islay cask.

What did the Watt’s have to say? Ginger, waxy, butterscotch then ashy.

Not a typical Glen Spey – something very different happened here and made for a remarkable experience.

Blended 18 year (2003) Hogshead 56.3% (Watt Whisky – November 2021 release) 345 Bottles

And for our close, we were offered a blend which was revealed as “Inver House” stock aka Balblair, Old Pulteney, Speyburn… Which basically meant it was up my alley!

    • Nose – Subtle, a creamy creme brulee,
    • Palate – No push-over on the palate, substance with a marvelous mouthfeel – think a rich mild chocolate or choco cereal, roasted nuts, caramel with sweet spices
    • Finish – Long, strong, ginger candy sweet

Yum! We both quite liked this one! After the unique Glen Spey, this blend held its own and was like the perfect desert after a satisfying savoury meal.

How did the Watt’s describe it? Toasted almonds honey, cloves, dried fruits and ginger.

Yes, I would agree! And there you have it – four distinctly different drams from Watt Whiskies – well worth stopping by to explore!

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2024 Dream Dram – SMWS’s 72.3 Miltonduff 1977 49.6%

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For the 2nd year in a row, my “Dream Dram” at London’s Whisky Show was a Miltonduff. Last year it was a 40-year-old expression bottled by Adelphi. This year it was a Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) dram from 1977.

The only challenge was tracking it down… the folks at the right stand were not so clear on what exactly was or was not available. Searching through all the bottles, I pointed out this one. However to be fair not everyone knows that 72 = Miltonduff and .3 = the 3rd Miltonduff bottling by the SMWS… right? 

It also did not have the distinctive and fanciful titles that SMWS is now known for like “Busy buzzing bees” or “Long conversations by the crackling log fire“… Nope! This bottle was clearly from an earlier period. 

SMWS 72.3 18 year (Sep 1977 / May 1996) 49.6% 

  • Nose – Delicate, citrus, floral, fruits – especially white peach 
  • Palate – Sharp at first then settled down into caramel candy
  • Water – Yes, please! The palate became softer, and fruitier with cream, and even some subtle nuttiness crept in
  • Finish – Long and lovely

This was not the kind of whisky you want to have at a Whisky Show. Instead, you need to give it time to open. A bit shy on the nose and sharp on the palate, it needs time to warm up. 

So what exactly is it about Miltonduff? There is something about its lighter fruity sometimes even elegant character.

It may also have something to do with the fact that I’ve only had special bottles carefully selected by different independent bottlers – from Chorlton to Gordon & Macphail with a few others too! Curious to explore more? Check out these beauties!

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2024 London Whisky Show – Balblair 21 year

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London’s Whisky Show has so many amazing drams for sampling. After whetting our palates with the delightful Old Pulteney Coastal Series Port, we shifted gears to embrace the full fabulousness with the Balblair 21 year!

Currently retailing for approx GBP 300, what do the folks at Balblair have to say?

This 21 Year Old Whisky started its journey maturing in American Oak Ex-bourbon barrels for fifteen years; however, its distinctive character was created by an extended further maturation period. We meticulously hand-selected the finest Spanish Oak casks seasoned with Oloroso wine for the final six years of the ageing process, imparting spiced, fruity flavours and a deep, rich colour.

For this dram, we couldn’t just sniff and swish… we lingered… savouring the experience. On the nose, we found it soft and nuanced. A mix of tropical and orchard fruits, sweet spices, enticing. On the palate, it continued with ripe fruits, even fresh dates, well-rounded and complex with a lovely softness. The close was toasted nuts and dried fruits enveloped in rich chocolate.

What a treat!

Curious about other Balblair‘s we’ve enjoyed over the years?

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2024 London Whisky Show – Old Pulteney Port and 25 year

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The doors to the 2024 Whisky Show opened and the throngs poured in. Our plan was to find the right calibration dram or two, and then beeline for our Dream Dram picks!

And then we spotted the Inver House stand – with two favourites Balblair and Old Pulteney. How could we resist?

We began with the Old Pulteney Coastal Series Port 46% The 1st in this series was the Pineau des Charentes 46% with the Port the 2nd.

Old Pulteney Port is the second expression in The Coastal Series. Matured in both Ruby Port Pipes and Ruby Port Barriques, which once held an iconic sweet, red, fortified wine native to the Douro Valley of northern Portugal. The sweet flavours of the wine pair perfectly with the briny notes The Maritime Malt is known for.

What did we think in our sniff & swish?

It began with a light teasingly sweet aroma – fruity with loads of apples! Nice and crisp! Followed on the palate with honey – dry yet joyful with a dash of cinnamon. And closed on a nice spice finish with a hint of salty minerals. Delicious!

And what would it set you back? Approx GBP 76.

We returned later in the day to indulge in the Old Pulteney 25 year 46%. This experience clearly fell into the category of “I can’t afford but DANG that’s good!” It was launched at GBP 500 and may be tricky to find at that price already!

Here’s what the folks at Old Pulteney have to say about it…

For a quarter of a century, casks of this rare expression of Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky breathed the invigorating sea air of the Caithness coast. Sheltered from a fast-changing world by the darkened calm of a distillery warehouse, the spirit mellowed at its own steady pace, echoing the reassuring rhythm of its hometown port. Aged firstly in American oak, its spicy sweetness was later granted depth and colour by casks of Spanish oak. Elegant and charismatic, this wonderful whisky embodies both Wick’s spirit of endurance and Pulteney Distillery’s devotion to its craft.

What did we think?

On the nose, it started off a bit dusty yet wonderfully delicious – loads of creamy, toffee, warm tropical fruits, rich and revealing. Proudly offering a range of aromas from fruit to dark woods and much more! The palate was mouth-watering – the kind of supremely good cask management that leads to a well-rounded rewarding dram even at 25 years! It was rich, and full-bodied without being overwhelming. We were literally salivating as we rolled around the dark chocolate yuminess in our mouths. And the finish? Simply fabulous! Dry, rich, sweet.

PS… you see that sneaky hand reaching out for the pastel da nata? They were sinfully delicious! And a real draw to the booth.

Curious about other experiences with Old Pulteney?

And best of all? A chance to catch up with the amusing and knowledgable Stuart Baxter…

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The Whisky Warehouse No. 8 – Allt á Bhainne, Benrinnes, Craigellachie, Dundalk Dew

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For a whisky explorer, small 20 ml bottles are a perfect way to try! Enter the Whisky Warehouse No 8 quartet – a mix of different drams that made its way from Nuremberg to Winnipeg… and then waited for more than a year for just the right evening in October 2024!

We decided to try the drams in the following order…. Some were “Yes please”, some were “Not for me”. Overall it was good fun to split between the three of us!

  • Ireland – Dundalk Dew 9 year (2009) Single Grain  58,7 %
  • Speyside –  Craigellachie 12 year (2007) 50 %
  • Speyside – Allt á Bhainne 11 year (2008) 61,5%
  • Speyside – Benrinnes 23 year (1997) 1st Fill Barrique Chateau Lafite 55.9%

We naturally started with the Irish grain, anticipating it would be a nice way to ease into our tasting set.

Dundalk Dew 9 year (June 2009 – Sep 2018) Single Grain, Bourbon Barrel Cask No W8118  58,7 %. 126 Bottles

  • Nose – Curious… it began a bit musty, then florals, some cereals, honey, opening further into cream and vanilla
  • Palate – Had a strength of character with no harshness, surprisingly balanced, uncomplicated yet imminently sippable, some bitter tart crisp apples
  • Finish – Not much but then not much was expected either

For a young grain, it was quite remarkable. There was a fresh summery quality – a nice warm weather dram where the appealing aromas follow through with a pleasant palate.

Rather a nice way to begin our evening!

We carried on with the Craigellachie – opting for a touch of sherry at a lower ABV over the Allt á Bhainne at 61.5%!

Craigellachie 12 year (Oct 2007 – Dec 2019) Olorosso Sherry Hogshead Cask No W8 900680 50,5%. 279 Bottles

  • Nose – Sour mash, apple sauce, toffee, over-ripe peaches, eases into red striped caramel hard candy
  • Palate – Bland… a bit blah actually with just generic fruit
  • Finish – Limited

Without water, it wasn’t much. The sour mash and over-ripe fruit aromas were almost overwhelming. However with water? It was a different dram entirely!

  • Nose – Is that toast and butter? Slathered in marmalade
  • Palate – Smooth honeyed sweetness
  • Finish – Lingers

As we contemplated our glasses, it was hard to think this was the same whisky! The more time in the glass, the warmer and more enjoyable it became.

Next up was another Speyside – this time from Allt á Bhainne – I believe the first I’ve tried from their distillery. Interestingly, it has a Canadian connect –  founded in 1975 by Seagrams, passing to Pernard Ricard, assigned to its Chivas Regal division, largely used in blends with a period of even mothballed for a couple of years before being re-activated in 2005.

Allt á Bhainne 11 year (Aug 2008 – Jan 2020) Garrison Bourbon Cask No W8 120815 61,5%. 72 bottles

  • Nose – Ah! Now we are talking! We were greeted by orchard fruits – crisp green apples and pears, then it shifted into chocolate and fruit – think a high-end orange peel and dark chocolate. Yum! The more it opened, the more enticing it became – strawberry and cream
  • Palate – Quite a bit of spice – not so surprising at 61.5%! Warm
  • Finish – Sweet spices of cloves and cinnamon
  • Water – Do try. Whilst it dampens the nose, it does wonders for the palate. Whilst it still has a prickle of spice, it is now more like Christmas pudding with a warm whisky sauce than hot spice!

This one really grew on us… I wasn’t sure what to expect but this dram had promise.

Last up we went to an older Benrinnes. Now I must admit, I’ve had some mixed experiences with this distillery.

Benrinnes 23 year (Oct 1997 – July 2021) 1st Fill Barrique Chateau Lafite Cask No W8 5721 55.9%. 84 Bottles.

  • Nose – Woah? Is that peat? Yup! A clean dry wood smoke – unmistakable and completely unexpected. Think apple wood chips smoldering. Also hay bales, roasted hazelnut.
  • Palate – Start well then changes, catching one at the back of the throat, unbalanced
  • Finish – More smoke
  • Water – Like the others – water is recommended. It makes it a bit more approachable

I was prepared for a great or disappointing experience. However, I was not prepared for peat. Which is a good reminder to keep an open mind and be ready to be surprised!

What about prior explorations from Whisky Warehouse No. 8? Over the last couple of years, we’ve sampled a few – with the Glencadam 8 being exceptional! Here is a short summary:

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The Hearach Batch 9, 46%

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From a venerable family-run distillery operating since 1836 (Glenfarclas) to a new community-run player from 2015 with Harris Distillery, our evening was full of delightful contrasts!

Their origin story is simple – a desire to preserve the Island of Harris community facing declining population and limited career prospects. Hence the idea of distillery:

In 2015, the distillery started life with just 10 people and an ambition to double in number over the next five years. Today, we’re proud to say we employ over 50 permanent staff, a highly significant number in an island of fewer than 2000 inhabitants.

As a catalyst for positive change within our community, we continue to work with purpose, bringing new life to our island and supporting its aspirations to survive and thrive as we move forward together.

And now, less than 10 years from founding, a bottle found its way to Nurnberg for an evening of exploration…

The Hearach 4 years (January 2024) HE 00009 24 46% 12,385 Bottles ~Eur 80

  • Nose – Barnyard, farm-like in a good way – think farm fresh fragrances, winds over wheat fields, sweet grass, barley, and then awash with a maritime breeze, burnt cake, and wood smoke
  • Palate – Super sweet and a bit vegetal, think green veggies, it had a youthful fresh exuberance, peppers, perhaps even a bit herbaceous, a hint of mineral, tobacco leaf, a bit rustic, salty, shifting into campfire embers
  • Finish – Salty cinnamon candy
  • Water – Oh my goodness! Makes it even sweeter! Like candy sweet, transformed from peat to super duper sweet!

The bottle was quite beautiful, however, what matters more than the packaging is the liquid. We were overall optimistic, it may not be the style for everyone but worth seeing how the team at The Hearach take things from here!

After our session, I did a wee check to see what the folks at Hearach have to say about this particular batch 9. Conveniently with the label details, one can find tasting notes by Gemma McNally Tarbert, Isle of Harris:

“I get a light, fresh sort of woodsmoke on the nose straight away, it reminds me of campfires at Scarista beach on those long summer nights we get in Harris. I get cereal notes, and spiciness on the palate, a sort of pepperiness like rocket leaves. There’s not much smoke when I sip it, but there’s a nice clean greenness instead. A little water makes it very sweet, like the sticky toffee pudding I bake myself at home with dates. It’s smooth and there’s so many lovely flavours unfolding.”

Whilst I didn’t find sticky toffee pudding, the cereal, pepperiness like rocket leaves – now that she mentions it – rings true!

What more do we know? Well, it is ex-Bourbon, Olorosso and Fino with 12,9 PPM. Also for this specific batch, Mike Donald, Chief Story Teller had this to say:

“A new year is underway and the first bottles of our whisky in 2024 have begun to be filled. We are deep into a Harris winter and fat snowflakes have been falling thick and fast across our island, transforming the landscape into beautiful patchwork of dark gneiss and bright ice. Many of us live at the end of long and winding narrow roads so it’s a slow start to proceedings as staff struggle to reach the distillery in the bad weather. But, we bottle batch number 9 with all the hands we can muster and the new white neck seals applied to every stopper fittingly match the snow which continues to float from our Harris skies”

And there you have it – our introduction to yet another new player in the whisky market. With it becoming so crowded and the winds of tightening wallets around the world, one wonders how The Hearach will fare longer term. Already on to their 16th batch, with this core expression joined by a pricier 100% Oloroso expression, time will tell!

What else did I try that September evening in Nurnberg?

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Bowmore 18 year Oloroso Cask 43%

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We closed our evening with an Islay dram from Bowmore! These days, having an OB (official bottling) and “adult” whisky above 18 years is a bit of a rarity for me in a home tasting which tend to be No Age Statements til early teens. Make it an Islay and woah?! What’s going on here folks?

It also has been some time since I sat down properly with a Bowmore, so this was indeed a treat to finish off a rather enjoyable evening in Nurnberg with a theme of “Bring your bottle!”

Bowmore 18 year Oloroso Cask WB146494 43%

  • Nose – Peat and sweet and how! Nothing shy about this one! All the lovely sherry dark stewed fruits and swirl of peat, was joined by leather and tobacco – delicious!
  • Palate – Equally powerful on the palate, yet balanced with a complex maturity, the plummy fruits rollled about with a gentle smoke, jammy and mouth-watering
  • Finish – Nicely carries through

Don’t laugh, but my first notes were “Why hello! I am indeed a Bowmore. And welcome back!” It was a classic Bowmore and also a great reminder of exactly what one would expect from this distillery. After so many drams that evening, this was a perfect powerful close – even at a mere 43%. A very good choice!

The official tasting notes may be brief but work for us!

  • Breathe In: Creamy caramel toffee, with ripe fruit and smoke aromas
  • Sip: Incredibly complex, with beautiful soft fruit and chocolate balanced with a light smokiness
  • Savour: The long and wonderfully balanced finish

And there you have it! A quick tour through some of the interesting drams experienced in a September evening in Nurnberg?

As for more brushes with Bowmore? Read on!

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Glenfarclas (2004-2017) 59.4%

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Glenfarclas remains one of the few long-standing family-run distilleries that have equally kept consistent with their house style – known to be quite generous in the use of sherry casks. You won’t find a light afternoon dram – instead, Glenfarclas delivers a more robust experience. The kind of dram you would enjoy to warm you up on a cool winter evening, mayhaps by a crackling fire.

We are no strangers to Glenfarclas and yet always delight in exploring “just one more”! Especially if it so happens to be a vintage cask-strength expression.

Glenfarclas 13 year (2004 / 2017) 59.4%

  • Nose – Lovely! Christmas market in liquid form! A gorgeous sherry, warming with dark fruits of figs and dates, generous sweet spices of ginger, cloves, and nutmeg, which were joined by cocoa, like a chocolate, dried fruit, and raisins bar
  • Palate – At first it greeted us with a sparkling spice, deepening into dark fruits, balanced, rich with considerable substance. Beneath all the swirling sherry was both oak and a sprinkling of brown sugar. In short – yum!
  • Finish – More of that rich chocolate, though now more mocha with a faintly bitter coffee tweak

Overall we found it a terrific example of a quintessential classic sherry. Most enjoyable, a solid performer that performs really rather well. I was reminded of the Whic.de Clubflasche from 2009 – which is a compliment! However, the price difference is considerable! This 2004 is no longer available except on auction for ~150 vs the ~60 I paid for the 2009!

Talk turned to the overall whisky character. It was just as expected – a perfect winter dram to cosy up and enjoy! Many thanks to our contributor and the company!

What else did I try that September evening in Nurnberg?

And past brushes with Glenfarclas? There have certainly been a few!

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Knockando 18 year (1996) Sherry 43%

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Truth be told, we are much more familiar with Highland Knockdhu distillery offerings that go by the name AnCnoc, than Diageo’s Knockando distillery in Speyside. Both were set up in the late 1890s, both are considered on the smaller side with 1.3 – 1.5 milllion liters produced per year, however, in terms of character and positioning, they are in quite different spaces. To put it into perspective, an 18 year old Knockandu is still largely used for blends and will set you back around Eur 65. Whereas an anCnoc 18-year-old single malt is in the range of Eur 94 – 149!

Knockando 18 year (1996) Sherry 43%

  • Nose – Starts off very fruity with plums, then starts to shift into coffee cream, with more time it reveals a nuttier quality and even some minerals
  • Palate – A lovely spice, clear sherry influence with some mocha, malt, almonds and oak as well
  • Finish – Quite spicy for a mere 43%

The folks at Knockando describe the 18 year old as being “Woody & Fruity” – for which I would tend to agree.

What else did I try that September evening in Nurnberg?

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