Category Archives: Whisky General

Gordon + Macphail Stockpile

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Yet again, a favourite booth was notably absent at the 2024 London Whisky Show – Gordon & Macphail. Previously spending time with the folks from this venerable independent bottler was a festival highlight. 

With their 2023 announcement that they will cease filling new make spirit from other distilleries into their casks, the writing on the wall is clear. 

I know, I know, I know… they still have a decade or more of stock to slowly release, but I somehow found myself picking up a few bottles pro-actively…

It is already speculated that their entry-level whiskies will be the first to go. From their Discovery series, I acquired:

From the Distillery Labels range, I picked up another Glentauchers to join the Glenburgie purchased earlier:

  • Glentauchers 2008/2022 Distillery Labels 46% (Gordon & MacPhail) for Eur 64 + tax
  • Glenburgie 2004/2019 Distillery Labels 43% (Gordon & MacPhail)

And finally, the true treats (I hope!) are the Connoisseurs Choice duo:

  • Balmenach 2008/2024 15 year Single First Fill Sherry Hogshead No. 17603706 61.8% Connoisseurs Choice (Gordon & MacPhail) for Eur 134,99
  • Mannochmore 2006/2022 16 year bottled for whic.de Refill Sherry Hogshead No. 12932 56.6% Connoisseurs Choice (Gordon & MacPhail) for Eur 120 + tax

Knowing me, it could be either a few months or even a few years before these bottles will find the right place, time, and company to open! For now, they will sit patiently in Nurnberg…

And will think fondly on days gone by when exploring various Gordon & Macphail offerings was a Whisky Show favourite!

Remembering the good old days of Whisky Show experiences with Gordon & Macphail:

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London’s Whisky Show 2024

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It has become an annual pilgrimage. Fall is time for me to fly to London and join my friend for the Whisky Show weekend. This year we splurged and bought passes for both Saturday and Sunday. As we had manic work and travel leading up to the weekend, it was a bit last minute when we sat down with the whisky list to plan our priorities. We were clear this year would be fewer stalls, with more time spent in conversation wherever possible.  



Day 1 – September 7, 2024


From past experience, we knew after a wee warm-up, we should make a bee-line for our preferred Dream Dram before it was too late! Here is how our 1st day unfolded:




Day 2 – September 8, 2024

Back for another day, we knew we wanted to have a mix of old and new plus I’d booked us a “Mainstage” session too – a real highlight. Here are a few stalls we visited on the last day:


  • Glenfarclas 15 year – a perfect calibration dram!

  • Whisky Auction – for our Dream Drams of Brora 1981 and Glen Grant 12 year from the 1970s

  • Decadent Drinks – Farewell to Whisky Sponge, Solstice & Equinox, Notable Age Statements and more!

  • Ichiro’s Malt blends – a nice wander through their collection

  • Ardnahoe – Welcome to Hunter Laing’s Islay Distillery

  • Hunter Laing – First Editions and Old Malt Casks from Auchroisk, Ardmore, Craigellachie to a Glen Grant 25!

  • Mainstage with festival picks

  • Introducing a new English distillery with Wire Works 

  • Woven Blends – What a fabulous experience with a special blend made just for my tasting companion and me!

  • Cardrona – A couple whiskies and the most wonderful Vodka – The Reid!

And KI-One from South Korea

Don’t laugh, but one of the “hits” of the Whisky Show was the Cardrona vodka! A fest tasting tip I’m glad we received!


In the coming months, I will take my time to slowly share a few impressions of specific experiences. As always, it is worth the trip – both for the company and the curation of a wide array of whiskies!



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Whisky Lady – July to September 2024

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Summer-time is filled with long warm days and ideally, a more relaxed approach to work and play. This year, I can definitely say the “relaxed” part was missing! The summer this year also marked a major milestone for this wee whisky blog – 1,500 posts!! This prompted a refresh of the “Top 5 posts which may surprise you!”

It was a predictably packed quarter – July brought multiple jaunts from Nurnberg to Munich and a week in the UK – primarily for work. August was home to India – with plenty of plans to share a dram or two. Alas, a nasty monsoon fever and flu felled all such frivolity! What a pity as my whisky cabinet could do with some assistance… And September was our annual pilgrimage to the London Whisky Show – filled with interesting exchanges and memorable drams. 

Whisky-wise, our Nurnberg Whisky Explorers held a special evening in July devoted to Glens. What did we try?

  • After a small sip of the Arran as a calibration dram, we checked out the Chorlton Glentaucher’s pair of 14 and 8 year
  • Glenlivet 17 year (2006 – 2023)  First Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt 62.3% (Signatory)  – A good reminder that not all Glenlivet’s are created equally – in this case a mighty fine cask!
  • Glenburgie 26 year (1995 – 2022) First Fill Sherry Puncheon 6349, 56.8% (Gordon & MacPhail) – Always dependable as an elegant and exceptional dram 

September followed with a fun evening dubbed “Bring your bottle!” Just a few folks coming together to share interesting drams from our respective whisky cabinets.

I also caught up with tasting notes from our June session – devoted to a Canadian theme with British Columbia’s Shelter Point whiskies. After the session in India earlier in the year, it was such fun to also share a little slide of Canadiana in Germany too!

With my February job change, colleagues kindly treated me to a gift voucher, which was naturally put to good use. None of the bottles have been opened yet – too much whisky, too little time – but there is little doubt that the right occasions will come! 

And last but not least, I finally got around to tasting and posting a few impressions of samples set aside for me by our Bombay Malt & Cigar gents who had a session last summer devoted to the theme: What’s in a Name…

And there you have it – another quarterly whisky round-up! Slainthe!

Curious to know more? Check out a few more summaries:

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Nurnberg’s Bring your bottle!

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Ah… September in Nurnberg… a time of cooler evenings, bursts of summery sunshine that slips into fall. In a departure from our Nurnberg’s Whisky Explorer format, just a few of us gathered to share some interesting bottles from our respective whisky cabinets. With such an extended array of offerings, we did not sample all but instead focused on a few that caught our fancy.

So, what did some folks explore?

As for me? My attention veered to drams not previously sampled:

It was a lovely relaxed evening with friends. A perfect sharing over an interesting array of whiskies from Scotland to Europe and India.

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Whisky Lady’s Top 5 Popular Posts (that may surprise you!) 2nd edition

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As part of reflecting back on the last few years and a new milestone of 1,500 whisky posts, I continue to be amused by this blog’s top whisky content… What is it about these posts that attracts so much attention?

My 1st edition of the Whisky Lady’s Top 5 Popular Posts was in January 2020. And now? Only one post remains in the top 5 today.

So, without further fanfare, I give you the latest, if not greatest, Whisky Lady’s Top 5 Popular Posts as of August 2024!

#4 Party Whisky – Amrut’s MaQintosh (Mar 13, 2015)

Previously, this was the “all-time” most popular post. For a whisky that I’ve purchased only once and have had a few times at parties. I feel compelled to buy another bottle just to refresh the photo (one of my all-time WORST whisky pictures!).

20150111_Maqintosh

MaQintosh (WhiskyLady.co)

#5 Happy Whiskies – Bhutan’s K5 vs Misty Peak (October 23, 2017)

Bhutan makes whiskies? Yes, you may indeed be surprised that they do! One of our intrepid Whisky Ladies of Mumbai traveled in 2017 to bring back two whisky blends – K5 and Misty Peaks.

Our conclusion was that, while neither was remarkable, there was an easy-drinking, approachable quality that simply makes one “happy”- much like the touted “happiness quotient” for which Bhutan is also known.

And there you have it, the 2024 edition of this Whisky Lady’s Top 5 most popular posts!

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Whisky Lady’s 1,500 Posts Celebration!

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Sometimes milestones come with great effort and focus, and others simply arrive with time. When I reached 100 posts with 100 whiskies, I couldn’t believe it was possible. Then 200 posts, 300 posts, 500 posts, followed four years ago by the 1,000 post milestone!!!

Today, I welcome you to the next mega milestone – 1,500 posts! Wow!

What has sustained me is being very clear about my purpose. I share whisky-tasting notes as a chronicle of experience and impressions, not for any professional motivation. This is a personal indulgence as a counterpoint to a demanding yet rewarding day job.

I see myself as an avid amateur, not an expert, preferring accessibility over snobbery, and am very grateful for the generosity of a few kind souls who have enabled me to try drams well beyond my means!

There have been a few events or whiskies hosted by distilleries or groups – when this happens it is always acknowledged with opinions remaining unbiased – reflecting what I think and the people joining such tastings with me.

And I have never been alone in this journey. Most of my explorations are anchored by a tasting group. I have been joined by friends from around the world, entertained by TRUE experts, supported by sample swaps, and more!

Here are a few “stats” gathered along the way:

  • My highest posting activity was from 2016 – 2018 when I was part of 3 remarkable tasting groups in Mumbai, India; Our original and now defunct group, the evolving  Whisky Ladies of Mumbai who have rebounded post-COVID and our Bombay Malt & Cigar gents who still meet despite being scattered around the globe!
  • Top posting month was December 2020 with 32 posts when I challenged myself to get through an entire Advent Calendar! It was a malty marathon indeed!
  • My Farewell 2020 post was a very personal update about a year challenging for many – and yes I did make it to India by traveling on New Years eve, paying a fortune to be followed by being sequestered in a quarantine hotel for a week!
  • With my primary home shiting from India to Germany, my content and audience have taken on a more European element, whilst still remaining true to my desi foundation!
  • Over the years, over 185,000 unique folks have dropped by… including a dedicated core who keep coming back post after post, year after year – you know who you are – thank you!

I will admit that I have lost count of how many whiskies I’ve explored over the years, however, you can find a relatively complete listing here: Whiskies by Country / Region. And my Top 10 most memorable malts you won’t find anywhere remain unchanged!

Thank you for taking the time to drop by, read, engage, and reach out!

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A generous gift with Der Schnapsstodl!

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2024 has professionally been a year of change! Whilst still with the same company, my role and team changed significantly. The old gang knew I have a certain penchant for a nice dram or two… hence got together to send me off with a generous gift from a speciality spirits store!

What did I get? Quite a mixed group of different options:

  • Fettercairn 10 year Vintage Cask No 18 46% (Mossburn) ~Eur 54
  • Glen Moray (Elgin Classic) Chardonnay Cask Finish 40% ~Eur 25
  • Glasgow 5 year Oloroso Finish 51.5% (North Star) ~Eur 86
  • Rozelieures Le Parcellaire Clay Limestone 43% ~Eur 70
  • St Kilians Terence Hill “The Hero” Blended Malt Mild 46% ~ Eur 40
  • Christian Drouin Le Gin Calvados Cask Small Batch 2022-K No 1250/2850 42% ~ Eur 32
  • Albfink Dry Gin 40% ~Eur 27 from Finch Distillery

All good things come to those who wait, so tasting notes will be spread out in the coming months (or years!) as bottles are opened in various tasting sessions.

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Whisky Lady – April to June 2024

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These days when I introduce myself professionally, my default description is that I’m “truly tri-continental.” Why? I’m originally from Canada. India has been my adopted home for 20+ years and my partner and furr family continue to live there, so I get home as much as possible. And professionally, Germany is my dynamic and happily challenging work home! This “tri-continental” description was never truer than this quarter which began in India, carried on in Germany (with a jaunt to Cannes and Amsterdam too), then Winnipeg, Canada, and back to Deutschland.

As my work life tends to be quite hectic, I used my downtime in India and Canada to catch up on tasting notes. This is why many posts this quarter were actually from previous experiences. In my humble opinion, for someone who writes for pleasure and not a profession, this is perfectly acceptable!

New experiences in the quarter included an informal evening with a few ladies in Mumbai featuring a trio from Shelter Point from BC, Canada:

Post my Canada trip, I carried on the Canadian theme in June 2024 with my Shelter Point whiskies remaining in Germany:

It was such fun to share a little slice of Canadiana – both in India and Germany!

Our Nurnberg International Whisky Explorers group also had a theme comparing Original, Independent, Cask Strength – a nice way to explore a distillery’s character. It was more like two sessions in one, starting with an exploration of Speyside’s Glen Elgin:

Which was followed by an exploration of peat with Islay’s Caol Ila and Lagavulin in a rather unique way:

What a terrific way to discover two quite different sets of whiskies!

As for the previous quarter, I belated shared reviews about our rather fun February 2024 theme of “Not Your Ordinary Blend” featuring:

However March turned a corner, and our Nurnberg Whisky Explorers group had a fun St Paddy’s day celebration with Irish stew and of course Irish whiskies!

March in Mumbai with the Bombay Malt & Cigar lads kept with the Irish theme. We were introduced to a trio of Waterford Irish whiskies! True whisky “geek” territory with all the details disclosed!

I still have to catch up on an interesting assortment from a sample swap plus three sets of miniatures from Bombay Malt & Cigar sessions that I had missed – below are notes from an evening focused on Indie Bottlers, followed by a theme around What’s in a Name! 

I first posted about the Indie Bottlers:

Then carried on with the What’s in a Name theme which introduced Simply Whisky:

Clearly a quarter of travels, family, friends, and more. What a few months!

Curious to know more? Check out a few more summaries:

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Whisky Lady – January to March 2024

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New year, new beginnings, new opportunities, new experiences. The first quarter of 2024 sped by! And has been full of interesting exchanges over a dram or two – a journey of discovery with other enthusiasts.

We kicked off the year with two sessions in Mumbai: the Bombay Malt & Cigar gents and then an informal Whisky Ladies. For the 1st, it was a rare partners’ gathering with my turn to contribute the whiskies! It was a tough choice, however, I settled on the following from Chorlton independent bottler: 

  • Teaninich 12 year 54.2% From May 2022, matured in a Hogshead. Alas for us, a bit of a disappointment. 
  • Benrinnes 14 year 55% Also from May 2022, matured for 10 years in a bourbon barrel then finished for 4 years in a sherry butt. Soft waxy fruitiness, then classic sherry palate, shifting with water into tart fruits.
  • Deanston 12 year (2023) 52.6% From the Apr 2023 releases, matured in bourbon barrel, reputed to be young, zesty fruits, minerals, bready. 
  • Glen Ord 8 year 57.9% From the July 2022 releases, matured in 1st fill Oloroso Hogshead, described as an old school sherry, jammy fruits, smoky and chewy. It was delicious and the clear “hit”!

This was followed the very next day by a special reunion with some of our Mumbai Whisky Ladies. My original plan was an exploration of Canada’s Shelter Point, however, I decided to stick with the Chorltons, given those who have been on our Shelter Point journey – including two fellow Canadians – couldn’t join. 

I also left behind in India an interesting assortment from a sample swap plus three sets of miniatures from Bombay Malt & Cigar sessions that I had missed – TWE Peaty trio, What’s in a Name, and an evening focused on Indie Bottlers.

Back in Germany, we set up the next few months of Nurnberg’s International Whisky sessions. This time with a few guidelines to help reduce the risk of draining a special bottle nearly dry! We kicked off with a fun approach with a session called “Surprise me!“ so named as participants brought a covered bottle, revealing only after trying.

The next month it was followed by a theme of “Not Your Ordinary Blend” with:

Berry, Edradour, GlenAllachieFebruary also brought a series of evenings with friends and acquaintances over different drams!

February closed with a special evening of mutual discovery... What specifically did we try in our wee gathering of friends over a few drams? It was a combination of sharing open bottles and an excuse to open a couple of new ones too. A few that stood out included:

We marched on to March which brought Nurnberg’s The Village Whisky exhibition – with my activities limited to a Milk & Honey Masterclass and a small toast with the Sharing Angels.

Our Nurnberg International group had a wee St Paddy’s day celebration with Irish stew and of course Irish whiskies!

March closed back in Bombay with the lads, being introduced to a trio of Waterford Irish whiskies! 

This was immediately followed by an evening at St Regis featuring India’s latest Single Malt entry – Crazy Cock – a bawa whisky from amchhi Mumbai!

What else? Aside from the 2024 tastings, I also caught up on previous experiences. Such as an Appetizer Evening in London before The Whisky Show 2023 with:

Thankfully, we didn’t stop on such an unfortunate note. Instead, we carried on to compare two beautiful sherry drams – the Aberlour 16 year and the Arran Sherry. A fine and fitting close to our evening!

As for our Post-show evening in London? Aside from being a most enjoyable dinner with Sukhinder Singh, his wife, and friends, we also opened a bottle or two… as that is simply what you do!

As I finished the last posts linked to our London Whisky Show 2023 experience, I was determined to finish the last post from the London Whisky Show 2022! Whilst relaxing in our wee country home in rural Maharashtra, I sat down and finally converted my scribbles into a post about the remarkable Masterclass: The Unbelievable Truth About Whisky with Gregg Glass, James Saxon, Alex Bruce, Sam Simmonds, Phil & Simon Thompson… It was truly like stepping into a private gathering of old friends, catching up and telling tall tales over a fine dram or two.

All in all, it was quite a couple of months of activities and discoveries. Let’s see what the next quarter brings!

Curious to know more? Check out a few more summaries:

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Whisky Auctions

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When I first moved to Germany, the fabulous Malt Maniac – Krishna Nakula – requested to use my address to ship a couple bottles from whisky auctions. This is how we had an opportunity to try a remarkable Hedges & Butler 21 year!

I am a total neophyte when it comes to Whisky Online Auctions… however, being based in Germany has a massive advantage over other parts of the world with a couple accessible options that readily deliver to Germany.

So one fine weekend, I decided to take the plunge! My approach was a bit random:

  • Target one possible “big” purchase – from a favourite distillery and my birth year
  • Then put bids in for a few different bottles that were within what I considered a reasonable range 
  • And then stopped… you could call it a call it “spray & pray” approach! After making my original bid, I committed to myself to simply let others outbid me and see what remained at the end

Are you as curious as I am about the results? Well, I can’t believe it! I bid for 18 bottles expecting to get maybe 2 or 3… instead, it was ZERO. Despite my having the highest bid on two at the time of the auction closing – both of which were terrific deals. Hmm…. This doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the process. 

However, I decided to try again… this time had slightly better success however again missed out on the ones I REALLY was keen on. My conclusion? Perhaps a “spray and pray” approach isn’t the way to go if attempting such an activity again!

What did I snag instead?

Ardnamurchan AD / 4.21:03 46.8% 700ml O.B.

When they launched, there was a huge spike in interest and demand. One of my regrets from the Whisky Show 2023 was not spending time exploring the Ardnamurchan range on offer. So I decided to rectify it by acquiring a bottle – if possible.

All I knew was that it was matured in 65% bourbon and 35% sherry casks, this 50.50 mix of peated and unpeated spirit is the third release in Ardnamurchan`s AD series. Presumably, the 4.21 means it was bottled in April 2021 and “:03” means the 3rd release.

Tasting notes were limited to: A saline and candied citrus peel profile on the nose is followed by honeyed crisp fruit on the palate.

I purchased from WhiskyAuction.com in January 2024 for Eur 38 plus fees & shipping for approx Eur 48. This expression can still be tracked down with a range of prices from Eur 65 to GBP 100. 

Aultmore 9 year (Autumn 2000 / Spring 2010) Provenance Cask No 6211 46.8% (700ml Douglas McGibbon & Co. Ltd)

Next up was an Aultmore… Here, I have to be completely honest, I was swayed by memories of a much earlier young cask strength Aultmore.

I purchased it for Eur 46 plus fees & shipping for approx Eur 57. As with all my bids, I knew I wasn’t getting a brilliant deal, but it was within a comfortable range.

Glenkinchie 10 year 43% 200ml O.B.

The last was a Lowland malt – more of an impulse bid, not really thinking I would be successful. I will admit to knowing little about this expression beyond it originally being released in 1987 as a standard expression through the 1990s, since replaced by the 12 year.

I purchased it Eur 21 plus fees & shipping for approx Eur 27. In hindsight, this was probably a bit steep for a 200 ml bottle. 

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