Category Archives: Speyside

2025 Whisky Show – Tamdhu Flight

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

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

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

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

Tamdhu 12 year (~2025) 43%

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

It was a great start to our Tamdhu flight.

Tamdhu 15 year (~2025) 46%

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

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

Tamdhu 18 year (~2025) 46.8%

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

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

Tamdhu 21 year (2025) 47.5%

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

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

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

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Chorlton – Speyside 13 year 64.6%

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

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

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

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

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

This is sherry-matured single malt from Glenrothes distillery.

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

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

Our “Bold and Beautiful” Chorlton quartet also included:

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Chorlton – Blair Athol 12 year 54.9%

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

It was first up for our quartet…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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2025 Whisky Show – Decadent Drams Highland, Speyside + Orkney

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Decadent Drinks has become a favourite at whisky shows for great conversations, a fabulous range of new and rare whiskies. The 2025 London Whisky Show experience was no exception. Our first day began with them, and our last day closed there too.

Between the start and finish, we had a couple of pit stops. During one, we explored some of their non-dream dram “Decadent Dram” expressions with :

  • Highland (Deanston) 27 year (1997/2025) Refill Hogshead 50.4% (Decadent Drams) 2025 Whisky Show GBP 278
  • Speyside (Glen Moray) 10 year (2014/2025) 57.1% (Decadent Drams) 2025 Whisky Show GBP 95
  • Old Orkney (Highland Park) 25 year (1999 / 2025) 50.3% (Decadent Drinks) 2025 Whisky Show GBP 345

Without further ado, let’s get on with the whiskies, shall we?

Highland (Deanston) 27 year (1997 / 2025) Refill hogshead 50.4% 

  • Nose – A clear classic, all those lovely Highland notes, a real beauty!
  • Palate – Well-rounded, fruity, and balanced… everything in harmony
  • Finish – Nice with a gentle spice

Whilst I’m not always a Deanston fan, this expression was spectacular. Narry a hint of that slightly industrial element I sometimes find with Deanston. This was elegant, exceptional, and such a treat to taste!

Speyside (Glen Moray) 10 year (2014/2025) 57.1% 

  • Nose – Fruity, full yet not too much
  • Palate – Bold but not forceful, complex, juicy, rich, stewed fruits, sweet yet not cloying, creamy milk chocolate
  • Finish – Salty, sweet, with a bit of gentle, fragrant leaves

Again, whilst we aren’t always Glen Moray fans, this was way beyond expectations. For a distillery that pumps out the (relatively) cheap stuff, this was top shelf.

This wasn’t our first Old Orkney expression. We tried their 20-year-old expression at the 2024 Whisky Show, so we were curious to see what their 4th bottling in this series was all about!

Old Orkney (Highland Park) 25 year (1999 / 2025) 50.3% 

  • Nose – Heather, light leather, peat, and sweet with dark fruits
  • Palate – Yummy! Lovely rich sherry, backed by a gentle peat
  • Finish – Lovely and lingers

Practically in unison, we shared our impression that this was what Highland Park used to be!

What more do we know? This 25-year-old was mostly matured in refill wood, then its final six years, it was matured in a very old 1st fill, ex-bodega, oloroso sherry butt. 

And there you have it – another delicious trio from Decadent Drinks!

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2025 Whisky Show – Gordon and MacPhail

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Over the years, I’ve looked forward to the Gordon & MacPhail stand at any whisky show. The folks there know their stuff and have remarkable stuff to share too! With 130 years in the business, one could count on both great insights and great liquid, making spending time there a real highlight.

And then came the announcement in 2023 that the team would cease independent bottling – stopping the purchase of new make spirit from 2024 – to focus on their distilleries: Benromach and The Cairn. Whilst they still have a prodigious amount of stock maturing, it was a clear signal of change. Backing this up, they were notably absent at London’s 2024 Whisky Show.

All to say – we were pleasantly surprised to see their return at London’s 2025 Whisky Show.

Having previously sampled the Auchroisk and Miltonduff from their Discovery line, and it being too early in the day for the peaty Ledaig, we went directly to the Connoisseurs Choice range. What did we try?

  • Linkwood 15 year (2009 / 18 Nov 2024) Batch 24/036 1st Fill Sherry Hogshead Cask #22605907 53.8% (G&MP Connoisseurs Choice – UK Exclusive) 329 Bottles, 2025 Whisky Show £127
  • Balblair 31 year (1993 / 29 Aug 2024) Batch 24/020, First Fill Sherry Puncheon Cask #1961 49.5% (G&MP Connoisseurs Choice) 549 Bottles, 2025 Whisky Show £710
  • Tamnavulan 31 year (1991 / 12 Dec 2022) Batch 23/002 Refill Sherry Puncheon Cask #9040502 51.79% (G&MP Connoisseurs Choice) 418 Bottles, 2025 Whisky Show £711
  • Glenrothes 16 year (2009 / 6 Jun 2025) Batch 25/016, 1st Fill Sherry Hogshead Cask #19602410 55.5% (G&MP Connoisseurs Choice) 2025 Whisky Show £138
  • Highland Park 17 year (2007 / 3 June 2025) Batch 25/017, 1st Fill Sherry Butt Cask #5358 59.9% (G&MP Connoisseurs Choice – UK Exclusive) 606 Bottles, 2025 Whisky Show £156
  • Benromach 40 year (1982 / 2022) Cask #3024413 59.9% (G&MP Private Collection) 2025 Whisky Show £1950

Our tasting notes are a bit light as this was a sniff, swish, and spit – my typical approach to remain standing at Whisky Shows! Where possible, I’ve added additional insights from the bottle…

Gordon & MacPhail calls Linkwood “An unsung hero in the world of single malts.” I would tend to agree that this Speyside distillery produces solid drams with less attention. At the show, we tried a UK exclusive…

Linkwood 15 year (2009 / 18 Nov 2024) Batch 24/036 1st Fill Sherry Hogshead Cask No 22605907 53.8% (G&MP Connoisseurs Choice, UK Exclusive) 329 Bottles

  • Nose – What a delight! It was bright and fruity on the nose – think red apples, ginger with a bit of orange zest, joined by cherries and cake
  • Palate – It was much more powerful than the aromas! Rich and full-flavoured, we found stewed apples, mocha, peppers, and something a bit nutty.
  • Finish – Dry, with a nice oak and spice tail. Yum!

What did the G&MP folks have to say? Their official tasting notes shared:

Fruit cake and marzipan aromas intertwine with cherry and strawberry liquorice. Stewed fruit combines with autumnal spice and milk chocolate. A full finish with forest fruits and toasted oak.

There is also a related expression available for worldwide distribution.

Next up was an offering from Balblair, with the folks at G&MP sharing:

As a single malt, Balblair heads into a sweet, buttery territory, working extremely well in a variety of casks – from refill hogsheads to more robust puncheons. Balblair proudly sits in ‘The MacPhail’s Collection’ range, it is considered as a top class Highland single malt whisky.

My tasting companion and I bonded over a Balblair 38 year, so what did we think of the 31-year-old?

Balblair 31 year (1993 / 29 Aug 2024) Batch 24/020, First Fill Sherry Puncheon Cask #1961 49.5% 2025 (G&MP Connoisseurs Choice) 

  • Nose – Outstanding! Orchard fruits, red berries, warming into dried fruits and dark chocolate
  • Palate – Fabulous! Wonderfully well-rounded, a touch of spice, very jammy, shifting into a delicious marmalade… I kept thinking of these marvellous
  • Finish – Strong, long, and mighty fine

Their official tasting notes from the bottle shared the following:

Roast coffee bean aromas lead to vanilla fudge and dried fruits. Sweet with light fruitcake, chocolate and Seville orange flavours balanced by charred oak. Full bodied, with a hint of pepper.

There is also a related expression available.

Next up was a less familiar Speyside. G&MP had this to say about the distillery:

Tamnavulin comes from the Gaelic meaning ‘mill on the hill’, it was built in 1966 as one of the newer distilleries during a period of several opening in the region. It was mothballed less than 30 years later in early 1995. The distillery has six stills and is completely computerised.

It is the only distillery positioned on the River Livet, from which the cooling waters are drawn. The distillery resumed production in 2007 and makes a whisky, which very much characterises the smooth, creamy qualities of the Speyside region.

The liquid we tried was distilled in 1991 – before it was mothballed.

Tamnavulan 31 year (1991 / 12 Dec 2022) Batch 23/002 Refill Sherry Puncheon Cask #9040502 51.79% (G&MP Connoisseurs Choice) 

  • Nose – Elegant, orchard fruits, caramel sweet, mmmm…. a dark chocolate fudge
  • Palate – Surprisingly dry! Tannins, good body, full and rich. And yes – blackcurrants, black pepper – exactly as we later read as tasting notes on the label!
  • Finish – Carried through

We were entranced – particularly the fabulous aromas caught our fancy! It may seem like a contradiction, however, it was “creamier” on the nose than the palate – for us at least.

What a treat to try this! I’m curious if the new avatar re-opened in 2007 will produce such liquid? Whilst I had purchased pre-COVID a bottle from their new stock, it was gifted to a dear whisky connoisseur in Mumbai to replenish depleted stocks in a time of shortage!

What did their official tasting notes on the bottle say?

Autumnal spice intertwine with aromas of apple and hazelnuts, vanilla fudge combines with blackcurrant flavours, balanced by black pepper. A full finish with lingering herbal influences.

Currently, there are no Tamnavulin expressions listed as available directly from G&MP, however, The Whisky Exchange still has a few bottles of this one!

We followed with an expression from The Glenrothes distillery… Here’s what G&MP share about this distillery:

This single malt has become something of a cult whisky in the past decade or so, famed for its Battenburg cake flavours, and has grown decade after decade between the 1960s and 2000s, seemingly swerving all the pitfalls of the industry. Clearly a blessed spirit indeed.

What did we think?

Glenrothes 16 year (2009 / 6 Jun 2025) Batch 25/016, 1st Fill Sherry Hogshead Cask #19602410 55.5% (G&MP Connoisseurs Choice) 

  • Nose – All the expected dark fruits, Christmas cake chock full of dried fruits, raisins, was in competition with an apple crumble with brown sugar and cinnamon
  • Palate – Hmm… not so balanced. Fruity, sweet, but somehow was a bit “much”

What was a playful interplay on the nose, just didn’t come together on the palate. Simply put, there was just too much going on and not enough harmony.

And the official tasting notes?

Fruitcake aromas combine with raspberry and cinnamon, stewed apples and raisin flavours complement demera sugar and a hint of aniseed. A full and long finish with forest fruits and spice.

Ahhh, the Orkney Islands and the venerable Highland Park! What do the G&MP folks have to say?

From its blustery home in Kirkwall, the distillery still utilises a small traditional floor malting set up to supplement its production and the peat is cut from Hobbister Moor, where due to the unforgiving weather conditions, no trees grow, meaning the peat has taken on a distinct floral character from the low lying plants and heather.

As a whisky, Highland Park is rich and honeyed, with a delicate-yet-dry smoky fragrance. A characterful and highly distinctive malt which is utterly adored by the global whisky community.

Highland Park 17 year (2007 / 3 June 2025) Batch 25/017, 1st Fill Sherry Butt Cask #5358 59.9% (G&MP Connoisseurs Choice – UK Exclusive)

  • Nose – Yum! Salty peanuts, mocha with a hint of citrus too
  • Palate – Peat and sweet and fun!
  • Finish – Light spice and everything nice!

Whilst perhaps not as complex as my memories of the old Highland Park 18 year, this was a lovely example of what a Highland Park whisky can be!

What did the folks at G&MP have to say?

Fragrant raisin aromas complement peanuts and tangerine peel. Apple and raspberry are followed by fudge and a hint of coffee bean. A medium length finish with lingering spice.

We closed with a special dram from Gordon & Macphail’s own distillery – Benromach – with whisky distilled before their purchase in 1993.

Benromach 40 year (1982 / 2022) Cask #3024413 59.9% (G&MP Private Collection) 

  • Nose – Rich, complex, plums, coffee, cloves, ginger, zest of an orange peel
  • Palate – Bold, heavy, tannins, cherry, and black pepper spice… this is one serious dram! Just let it roll around, enveloping with full flavours!
  • Finish – Spicy, smoke, and very, very long…

Wow! This was one powerful dram. We drained our wee sample to the last drop and enjoyed the remaining aromas in our glasses.

What a brilliant finish to a fabulous line-up from Gordon & MacPhail. Whilst I’m glad they still have a decade or more of stock, I still hope that in a few years, there is a renewed commitment to maturing and bottling the best the whisky industry has to offer!

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Duncan Taylor’s Octave – Craigellachie 17 year (20025) 54% 

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Technically, my whisky hosting for the Bombay Malt & Cigar evening in October 2025 was only a trio. And a mighty fine trio it was – starting with a lovely Lowland Glenkinchie; followed by a wonderfully balanced Speyside with a simply delicious Aultmore; closing with a beautiful Balblair from the Highlands.

However, we came back from the Whisky Show with a wee bonus dram that simply could not be missed!

Craigellachie 17 year (Jun 2008 / 25 Aug 2025) Madeira Wine Cask No 7547103 54% (Duncan Taylor – Octave)

  • Nose – Gorgeous! Dark, steeped fruit, Christmas pudding, sweet spices, big, bold, and beautiful
  • Palate – The Madeira element was unmistakable – in a wonderful way. Sweet and full- flavoured, it is quite powerful at full strength
  • Finish – Sweet, long, and chewy
  • Water – An absolute must! It opens the whisky up in the most marvelous way, loads of creamy aromas join the luscious dark fruits

This was a stunner – made even better with a generous splash of water. We found it quite autumnal – mature, full, and fabulous. A worthy dram to definitively close our whisky tasting and accompany the next section of the evening – the cigars.

What about other Craigellachie experiences? Read on…

It was a great bonus after a terrific trio of consistently good drams:

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Whisky Auction – Provenance’s Aultmore 9 year (2000) 46% 

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Next up from my Whisky Auctions bottle was an Aultmore from 2000. It was the perfect progression from the lovely Lowland Glenkinchie 10 year…  Over the years, I’ve encountered a few rather yummy Aultmore’s so I had high hopes for this one too!

We didn’t get off to a good start… Before we could even get the whisky in the glass, we had a small challenge with the cork crumbling! Now… to be fair, this bottle had some 15 years of waiting before being opened for our tasting, so it wasn’t a complete shocker. Whilst I have a habit of periodically turning my bottles upside down to wet the cork and sometimes even sealing the top with parafin, as an auction purchase, I have no clue how it was stored. Instead of getting upset, we simply used it as an excuse to decant and dive in!

So… what did we discover?

Aultmore 9 year Provenance (Autumn 2000 / Spring 2010) Sherry Cask No 6211 46.8% (Douglas McGibbon & Co. Ltd)

  • Nose – Sour cherry, becoming increasingly fruity the longer it was in the glass, creamy vanilla, such a dessert dram! Moist carrot muffin with cream cheese icing, apricots, ice cream soda, topped with a warm caramel custard – yum!
  • Palate – Soft, fruity, balanced with a wonderful mouthfeel, more of that dessert dram quality!
  • Finish – Light spice
  • Water – I didn’t think it needed it, however, when added, I’m so glad that I did! It brought so much more – augmenting and marrying the various elements together even more beautifully

There was little doubt this dram hit the spot. Many returned to it over and over to accompany their cigars later in the evening. I managed to snag a bit to bring home and found it got even better with a little oxidation. I’m sure what remained in the decanter must be a most enjoyable dram!

Tasting notes were shared on the label:

Distinctly spicy and sweet as it opens – then more of a macerated fruit content comes through with more spice all on the nose. The palate is more Sherried than the colour suggests – being sweet, smooth and rather fruity – even with some light camphor and late dulcet barley sugar. The finish replicates the palate nicely.

What about other Aultmore experiences?

Yet again, we thoroughly enjoyed this expression and were ready for the next whisky!

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2025 Whisky Show – Glen Grant Flight Part 2

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At London’s 2025 Whisky Show, I was reminded of the importance of refreshing our whisky tasting range – including stalwarts. Til date, I’ve mostly shared tasting notes on rare and elusive Glen Grant expressions. If it is a 12-year-old expression, then it must be from the 1970s! If it’s a young 5-year-old, well then, it was bottled 50 years ago! Or perhaps it was matured for a “mere” 60 years or 64 years before being bottled?!? Let’s be honest, these were all incredible once-in-a-lifetime experiences! Ones that I would never be able to repeat.

So, what about us normal folks who don’t mind the occasional indulgence that is still somewhat accessible? Enter the special yet still available mature Glen Grant expressions with their current core collection:

  • Glen Grant 21 year (2024) 46% (2025 Whisky Show – GBP 252)
  • Glen Grant 25 year 46% (2025 Whisky Show – GBP 699 aka 1 Dream Dram Token)
  • Glen Grant 30 year 55% (2025 Whisky Show – GBP 1250 aka 3 Dream Dram Tokens)

Glen Grant 21 year (2024) 46%

With 20% Oloroso, this was bound to have a sherry touch, yet more restrained. What did we think?

  • Nose – Bright, nuanced, complex yet incredibly well-balanced between the warm, juicy fruits (think peach or nectarine), gentle baking spices (cinnamon, ginger, allspice), and caramel
  • Palate – Delicate, elegant, and well-rounded. The fruit shifted from sunny orchards to humid tropics.
  • Finish – Soft, toffee sweet, lovely!

It was like the first sunlight – the rays gently warm, the light gradually increasing… A delight to the nose and palate.

What do they have to say?

The exquisite palate of 21-Year-Old whisky presents a soft, welcoming mouthfeel, with an explosion of rich tropical fruits and creamy butter notes, followed by a long, luxurious finish of caramelised crème brûlée.

Would we agree? Yes indeed!

Glen Grant 25 year 46%

Increasing the sherry quotient to around 40% had a clear influence on this expression.

  • Nose – Loads of dark fruits, dusky, dusty, then brightens into candied sweet
  • Palate – A wonderfully full mouthfeel, roll it around, savouring the soft fruits, some melted chocolate, delicious!
  • Finish – Simply stunning

As for Grant & Sons, they share the following about this expression:

The Glen Grant 25-Year-Old promises discovery and delight. With velvety smoothness and definitive notes dried stone fruit and toffee. Sweet aromas open up to rich dark chocolate flavours and a lingering warm spice and soft smoke finish.

We would certainly agree.

Glen Grant 30 year 55%

Whilst this isn’t yet widely available, a teaser was available at London’s Whisky Show.

  • Nose – Subtle at first, with soft fruits, gradually opening in the glass. It was a “comfort” dram, we were enveloped in a warm blanket of welcome aromas – fruity, sweet, and more!
  • Palate – Soft, with a hint of mineral, like the shavings of a graphite pencil, then the fruits came forward, followed by gentle sweet spices, a deeper undertone
  • Finish – Simply beautiful. An incredibly long finish

Here is what Glen Grant has to say about this upcoming expression:

A rare and exquisite 30-Year-Old whisky. It reveals a rich and complex bouquet that, after its rich and distinctive finish, will leave you longing for more. Uniting The Glen Grant’s delicate, fruity character with a deeper, darker profile.

Like previous older Glen Grant expressions, this was the gift they kept on giving. Long after our glass was empty, we could revisit simply by sniffing the glass. As we knew this would be a hard act to follow, it was clearly time to take a wee lunch break before heading back into the fray!

Curious to know more? Check out the Glen Grant Whisky Flight – Part 1

As for other older expressions? I’ve been so fortunate to try a few rare and mature drams:

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2025 Whisky Show – Glen Grant Flight Part 1

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Sometimes we pass over the standards simply because we are distracted by shiny new toys. At London’s 2025 Whisky Show, as people thronged around all the rare and old, the distinct and limited drams, the weird and wacky experiments… we spotted just beyond the Glen Grant stand.

I remember how terrific it was to have a consistent Glen Grant calibration dram before diving into special tasting sessions. And decided to slow down, take a beat with an old friend, giving it the attention it deserves with a proper flight… beginning with their current core range before moving on to a new limited release series… and I’m so glad we did!

  • Glen Grant 12 year 43% (2025 Whisky Show – GBP 44.5)
  • Glen Grant 18 year 43% (2025 Whisky Show – GBP 125)
  • Glen Grant 15 year Batch Strength 1st Edition 50% (2025 Whisky Show – GBP 65)
  • Glen Grant Exploration No 1 Rum Cask 48% (2025 Whisky Show – GBP 86)

Glen Grant 12 year 43%

On the nose, we get delicious baked goods, like apple pie or apple crumble, sweet spices, then shifts into a tart apple cidar, pear jelly, white flowers, honey, overall quite joyous. On the palate, it is simply easy, fruity, and fun. We found more of that apple pie, joined by caramel, nuts, and sweet spices like cinnamon and ginger, with a finish that rewards with lightly roasting the spices.

We thought it would make a rather fine whisky highball!

Glen Grant 18 year 43%

Deliberately skipping over the 15 year, we went straight to the 18 year. It greeted us with similar elements as the 12-year yet softer, layered, both more elegant and more decadent. On the palate, it was simply delicious with a lovely finish.

We pronounced this a fine “proper” classic dram.

Glen Grant 15 year Batch Strength 1st Edition 50%

This whisky is again, like a variation on a consistent, classic theme – just more amplified – in a good way! As I had sampled this expression quite recently, I skipped it in favour of going straight to our next offering…

Glen Grant Exploration No 1 Rum Cask 48%

Again, there is a clear continuity between the expressions, yet this time it was even sweeter! The nose amped up the caramel, something almost like a whiff of peach crumble, then became quite tropical with generous ripe bananas, juicy sultanas, and sweet spices. The palate was simply enjoyable, fruity, full of flavour, bright and zesty! Was that a hint of ginger in the finish?

This may seem counterintuitive given the rum influence; however, we thought this expression might make a rather regal old-fashioned!

What do the folks at Glen Grant have to say about their latest expression?

The Glen Grant Exploration Series celebrates ‘The Major’s’ own journey of discovery in his worldly quest to uncover unique flavours. The inaugural limited-edition release, Exploration No.1 showcases our delicately aromatic and fruity signature character, finished in exquisite rum casks, bottled at 48% ABV and non-chill filtered. After maturation in bourbon barrels, the whisky is transferred into the finest rum casks for finishing, resulting in a tropical influence of spice, rich dark sugar and ripe banana.

What a brilliant re-introduction to an industry standard. This reminded me that we shouldn’t always chase after the crazy and new, we should revisit distilleries we thought we knew too! And be reminded why they have been in the business for the long haul – in the case of The Glen Grant – that is for some 180 years!

What’s up in Part 2? We graduate into the mature, fully adult category – the world above 18 years! The kind of drams responsible for The Glen Grant’s venerable reputation!

  • Glen Grant 21 year (2024) 46% (2025 Whisky Show – GBP 252)
  • Glen Grant 25 year 46% (2025 Whisky Show – GBP 699 aka 1 Dream Dram Token)
  • Glen Grant 30 year 55% (2025 Whisky Show – GBP 1250 aka 3 Dream Dram Tokens)

As for other Glen Grant tasting experiences?

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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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