Category Archives: Whisky General

An evening with Sukhinder Singh – Part 1

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It almost seems like a dream now… Some nine months ago I was in London and we were so fortunate to have an opportunity to enjoy an evening with Sukhinder Singh of The Whisky Exchange. Much like our last evening a few years ago on our way back from Canada, time spent with this guru of spirits is always a treat.

What did Sukhinder share that fine evening? An interesting assortment of The Whisky Exchange specials…

Glen Elgin 12 year (2007/2020) 4 casks 48% (Speyside Single Malt of Scotland – Reserve Cask Parcel No 3, Elixir Distillers), GPB 62

We started with what Sukhinder called a nice “session” dram… something to whet our appetites for coming goodies.

We found this Speyside fruity and floral on the nose, fresh, sweet… On the palate it was light, with cereals and hay… a simple, spring like easy drinking dram.

What a superb way to start!

What do they say?

A small-batch Glen Elgin single malt from indie bottler Elixir Distillers, distilled in 2007 and matured in four hogsheads for 12 years before being bottled as part of the third parcel of its Reserve Cask series. Aromas of apple cider, warm custard, figs, grapefruit, rosemary-seasoned sweet potatoes and maple-glazed pecans fill the nose. The palate offers notes of cardamom, clementine, vanilla cream, sticky toffee pudding and strawberry coulis that linger in the finish.

Glenburgie 21 year (8 Oct 1998/19 Dec 2019) Hogshead Cask No 90887, 59.4% (Speyside Single Malt of Scotland) 298 bottles

We then moved on to a bright Glenburgie. I will admit that I am quite a Glenburgie fan – I love its elegance, often finding summer peaches with joyful aromas and on the palate? Yum!

Back when Downton Abbey was airing and yes – I will admit to indulging in watching it like a guilty pleasure – I once quipped with the lads at The Whisky Exchange that Glenburgie is for me the “Downton Abbey” of whiskies.

Clearly I have esteemed company as Sukhinder shared how he finds it often under estimated.

Alas the exact cask we sample no longer is available, however I had my eye on this one for GPB 120… and then… oh yeah… Brexit made it impossible to send to Germany… sigh…

So I contented myself with acquiring a 21 year Gordon and MacPhail distillery label edition. After all, what’s a lass gonna do when having a hankering for a fine summery dram?

Speyside Blended 45 year (1973/2019) Sherry Cask 45.1% 549 Bottles, GBP 399

Next up was a wonder. A rare aged treat with a “mere” 45 years to its credit.

And the aromas and taste? Wow! Fruity, rich without being heavy, clear sherry stamp both in aroma and palate. Simply delicious!

What a beautiful autumnal dram, the kind of mature, classic, complex whisky you imagine slowly sipping and savouring while sitting in a leather armchair of an old family library, full of dusty books, a thick carpet, relaxing in warmth from the fireplace.

Shhhh….. we understand it is nearly completely Glenfarclas with a touch of another Speyside distillery to bottle undisclosed as a “blend”.

What do they say?

Released at Whisky Show 2019 as part of our Magic of the Cask series, this 1973 Speyside blended malt has been matured in a single sherry butt for 45 years, before being bottled in 2019. Aromas of brown sugar and fruitcake open on the nose, followed by brown bread with butter, maraschino cherries, raisins, cinnamon-baked apples, dried mango and rich, earthy aromas. The palate offers notes of toasted oak, baked apples, sultanas, bitter char, soft spice and light fruitcake.

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An evening with Sukhinder Singh – Part 3

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The last set we sampled with Sukhinder Singh were decidedly peaty from Highland to Islay and back to the Highlands.

It was a fitting close to an evening of remarkable drams – showcasing bottles having a special connection with the company started over 20 years ago by two brothers which lead to The Whisky Exchange and its many supporting and complementary brands and enterprises.

Loch Lomond Inchmurrin 9 year (June 2010 / July 2019) Single Cask 2493 55.3% (TWE) 1 of 121 Bottles

Loch Lomond’s Highland distillery plays around with different labels – from Croftnegea to Inchmoan to Inchmurrin. This particular bottle was bottled exclusively for The Whisky Exchange in 2019.

What did we think?

  • Nose – A distinctly autumnal dram, leafy supported by fruits
  • Palate – A curious mix of bitter and sweet, fruity too

What more do we know? Only the TWE tasting notes:

Soft aromas of ripe apricots, plum, quince and vanilla fill the nose. The palate offers notes of banana, mango, honey and peach cobbler that lingers in the finish.

You won’t find a full bottle of this so easily, however last check you could still get a sample for GBP 5.45.

Port Askaig 12 year (Spring 2020) 45.8% 

This wasn’t my first brush with Port Askaig – I first was introduced to an interesting trio at Whisky Live Singapore in 2017. I knew Port Askaig was a special ‘project’ of Sukhinder and his brother, creating a distinctive brand as a precursor for the ultimate dream of setting up a new distillery in Islay.

What about this particular edition? It greeted us with a lovely peaty aromas, cinamon toffee sweet on the palate. Quite enjoyable.

What do the folks at The Whisky Exchange have to say?

The 2020 Spring Edition of Port Askaig 12 Year Old has been made with 18 ex-bourbon hogsheads from both 2006 and 2007, creating a perfect balance between sweetness and smoke. The palate offers notes of lemon sherbet, peach, sooty smoke and toffee, with hints of barbecued lemons and fresh mint lingering in the finish.

When we sampled it, this whisky was available at The Whisky Exchange for GBP 65.95.

Between the Port Askaig and the last whisky, we snuck in a quick nip from Elements of Islay – a special series dedicated to exploring different distilleries from Islay. Launched in 2006, each distillery has a “code”, however beyond that, there is no indication of age or vintage to prevent any distraction from discovering the flavour. So you could be sipping a young five year old or a 30 year old.

Which one did we try? Peat & Sweet 55.2%… which we found it was distinctly “khatta meetha” (sour and sweet) with juicy berries and of course peat! And yet completely balanced in the different elements.

Ballechin Heavily Peated 15 year (1 April 2019 / 2 May 2003) Sherry Cask No 204, 55% TWE 20th Anniversary 482 Bottles

Ballechin is another name for Edradour in the Highlands – representing the “peaty” line. We  closed with a whisky that was clearly a “two for one” deal! It was an incredibly robust sherry on the aromas and full fledged peat on the palate – truly flavour packed and intense.

After sampling so many whiskies, I will admit to not jotting down any further tasting notes, however when I read what Billy Abbott shared, it “rang” true! Unfortunately if you are tempted to track it down, it is no longer available except on whisky auction sites!

What did the folks at TWE have to say?

Made in 2003 at Edradour distillery, this 15-year-old Ballechin single malt has been matured in a single refill sherry butt, before being bottled in April 2019 to celebrate The Whisky Exchange’s 20th Anniversary. A heavily-peated Highland whisky, it has rich aromas of dark chocolate, treacle, earthy peat smoke and roasted coffee beans. The palate offers notes of sugared almonds, cocoa, coffee, peat and soft fruits, before a lingering, smoky finish.

Billy Abbott, The Whisky Exchange

  • NOSE – Dried cherries, plump raisins and rich, leathery notes lead. Smokiness sits at the centre, a mixture of charred oak, coal and thick, savoury peat smoke, with a touch of singed roast beef. Fruit builds, with more cherries and raisins joined by mixed peel and wood-roasted apples. Bandage and sticking-plaster medicinal notes sneak out through the gaps in the dense aromas, with a touch of bittersweet, grown-up chocolate brownie to follow.

  • PALATE – Rich and thick, with chocolate sauce and cherry jam interleaved with layers of rich earth and leather. Burnt raisins sit at the core surrounded by tingling menthol and aniseed notes, all balanced by raisin jam and black liquorice sweetness.
  • FINISH – Tar and leather are joined by blackcurrant jam, dark mint-chocolate chips and cherry jam spread thickly on black bread.
  • COMMENT – A beast of a dram, with waves of sherry oak teeteringly balanced against Edradour’s intensely peated spirit.

So there you have it! Quite an exceptional array of whiskies – ranging in character from delicate and nuanced to robust and lively! Truly a special evening…

What else did we explore that night with Sukhinder Singh?

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The Whisky Warehouse No. 8 – Regions

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So how many Scottish regions are there? Six (Campbeltown, Highland, Island, Islay, Lowland, Speyside), five (dropping the unofficial Island) or in the case of The Whisky Warehouse No. 8 there are four regions represented in their tasting set:

I picked up two sets of the initial quartet in early February 2021 – one for me and one for my tasting companions in Paris. Our tasting session kept getting postponed and our London friend also wanted to join, so in October 2021 a third set was acquired with two substitutions: Miltonduff 14 instead of 11 year and Inchfad 14 year (02/2005 – 04/2019) 55.5% for the Braon Peat. It still took until February 2022 – yes one year later! – to finally sit down and taste together.

It was such a terrific experience that we enthusiastically ordered another set from Whisky Warehouse No. 8! So don’t be surprised if the list of tastings from this German independent bottler grows longer. In the meantime, here are a few more we’ve tasted so far….

We’ll openly admit we also really like the wooden box with its 2 cl bottles that can tightly seal and hence travel well. They have become my preferred way to carry samples across borders. Whilst a 3 cl bottle is preferable if sharing with another, for one person we truly find 2 cl more than enough to get a good feel for a whisky’s character.

With Whisky Festivals still curtailed or limited, being able to explore this way has been terrific fun – all thanks to an introduction at The Village whisky fest in Nurnberg back in 2020.

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PS – Photo reproduced from Whisky Warehouse No. 8 website

Whisky Lady – April 2021

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Being based in Europe means we have the luxury of both a relatively regular supply of Scottish whiskies – at least from pre-Brexit stock! Plus access to an interesting and growing array of European whiskies.

I like mixing things up with tastings – exploring with different people, gaining insights from the folks making the whiskies – along with having some “steady” tasting companions, so we go on a journey together able to contrast and compare previous whiskies to deepen insight of the dram in front of us at the time. Naturally, these days this is all virtual and as its not much fun being on camera with folks all trying something different, extra effort is needed to coordinate a common beverage to quaff.

With our Whisky Ladies European Chapter we have cracked this conundrum! We’ve relatively easily managed to share between France and Germany – enough to have a few sessions lined up in advance even!

For our Euro Ladies April session, we dove into some French Fancies exploring:

My April posts include our session from last month – held late March. That evening we closed our Diageo Flora & Fauna explorations with a second trio of:

What else? I’ll confess to ordering a few more Scottish whiskies – with a bit of a Gordon & MacPhail slant, added the Forbidden plus Smoke and Oak to my Shelter Point collection stored in Canada.

While those ones may need to wait a while, for more immediate consumption, I picked up a trio from Bellevoye to enjoy with my tasting companions in Paris in the coming months. These bottles join a quintet generously sent by the folks at The Belgian Owl and the Whisky Warehouse No 8 “Regions” boxed set I had purchased earlier. Clearly we are working hard to ensure we have something interesting to distract us each month!

All of this purchasing activity led to being sent a bonus “mini” of the Speyburn 10 year 40%. It was nice to enjoy a revisit of an old familiar after several years.

My month of malty musings closed with a traipse down memory lane with The Scotch Malt Whisky Society...

Curious to know more? Check out a few other ’round-up’ summaries:

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Additionally, there are the two ‘off-shoots’ with:

Scotch Malt Whisky Society – Malty Musings

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Once upon a time the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) were in India… briefly in 2013… However thanks to convoluted rules, it became impossible hence SMWS drams come only personal import.

For me, the SMWS took on a near ‘mythic’ quality. I would delight in their titles and the sometimes hilarious tasting notes.

Now that I am living in Europe, I no longer have such limitations of Indian customs… True there are different ones, particularly with Brexit first making a mess of smooth shipments from Scotland followed by a complete stop of direct imports from the UK, however, there remain all sorts of options.

Somehow, SMWS just hasn’t made its way so readily into the mix…

Today, I happened to be feeling a bit nostalgic so thought to share a summary of a few SMWS drams past… Curious if others have tried and had other opinions??

Cragganmore

Glenfarclas

Glenlossie

Glenrothes

Laphroaig

Mortlach

Strathclyde

What fun revisiting through tasting notes evenings enjoyed, exploring expressions from the creative folks behind the Scotch Malt Whisky Society!

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Whisky Lady – March 2021

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How is it that time seems to be both slow and slip past in a blink at the same time? That’s what March felt like… However we did manage to keep up with a few whisky explorations!

Whisky wise we certainly got creative with holding a couple sessions to explore a Campbeltown Trio

Our European Chapter of the Whisky Ladies also had fun with our 2nd quartet from Whisky Warehouse No. 8 this time featuring:

  • Glenturret 8 year (Dec 2020 – Apr 2019) Bourbon Hogshead 57.5% – Be a wee bit patient with this one…. to be rewarded with light peat and sweet
  • Ardmore 16 year (May 2000 / Feb 2017) Bourbon Barrel 52.3% – A more traditional style, something for Après ski!
  • Bunnahabhain 14 year (24 Oct 2002 / 31 Oct 2016) Bourbon Hogshead 3048, 56.7% – One of the best Bunna’s I’ve had in a long time!
  • Inchfad (Loch Lomond) 15 year (Feb 2005 – April 2019) Bourbon Hogshead 55.5% – Also give it time to reveal a bit of fruity ginger, honey spice

Just to keep the creative tasting buds working, I had fun with a wee solo exploration of some minis from Old Particular :

After a long-distance ‘teaser’ in February with the founder and master distiller from The Belgian Owl and his Whisky Ambassador, five 50 cl – yes cl not ml – whiskies made their way to Paris and Nurnberg… impatiently waiting their turn to be tasted together with another set making its way from Brussels to Bombay!

The month closed with another trio from Diageo’s Flora and Fauna range, however will save tasting notes for April!

Curious to know more? Check out a few other ’round-up’ summaries:

And if you don’t want to miss a post, why not follow Whisky Lady on:

Additionally, there are the two ‘off-shoots’ with:

The Whisky Warehouse No. 8 – Inchfad (Loch Lomond) 14 year 55.5%

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Loch Lomond goes by many names… From Loch Lomond to Inchmurrin to Inchmoan to Croftnegea – including Inchfad like this one. We speculated that this is all a marketing ploy – different brand names for slightly different expressions to tease the curious to select. Do we fall for it? Of course!

However above all, what matters is what we discover when explore… so for the last in our The Warehouse Collection quartet, we dove into this cask strength Loch Lomond dram!

Inchfad (Loch Lomond) 14 year (Feb 2005 – April 2019) Bourbon Hogshead Cask W8 438 55.5%, 300 Bottles

  • Nose – Oh my! Is that Pringles BBQ chips? However a curious thing happened, we went from hello peat to huh? Was there peat? Porridge, wet leaves, a bit metallic
  • Palate – Light peat was back, a bit spicy, coppery, a herbal medicinal quality
  • Finish – Limited
  • Water – To be honest, don’t think we even tried!

Our first thought was – better than the Glenturret (this was before the revisit) – has some “oomph!” and character, however… was it something that really stood out for us? Not really.

However like all the whiskies we sampled that evening, we set it aside and revisited. Interesting! After some time there was fruit, a dash of ginger, a bit of honey spice. It certainly improved after some time to open up… becoming an enjoyable drinking dram.

Curious about other Loch Lomond experiences?

What else did I try in the Whisky Warehouse No. 8 “Last Chance” set?

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The Whisky Warehouse No. 8 – Ardmore 16 year

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When I think of Ardmore, I tend to think of a lightly peated Highland dram… In many cases, I’ve had only fleeting sips rather than proper tasting… or it has been on offer at a social gathering, leaving a generally pleasant impression. So was looking forward to sitting down and giving an Ardmore some proper focus and attention… Even better, to have company with tasting cohorts joining virtually from Paris on a fine Friday evening in March 2021.

Here’s what we discovered….

Ardmore 16 year (May 2000 / Feb 2017) Bourbon Barrel Cask W80226, 52.3% 159 Bottles

  • Nose – Apricots, walnuts, pineapple and banana, vanilla flambe, some black current or black rasperry, a mix of fresh herbs like myrtle, black old fashioned licorice…
  • Palate – Oh yum! Fabulous on the tongue, cinnamon spice, butter brioche, nuts
  • Finish – A lovely finish – long, strong and very tasty
  • Water – The nose again became fruitier, tobacco leaf, hint of ajwain

Overall there was quite a ‘traditional’ style, with aromas that are less sweet, more savoury in a satisfying way. The kind of dram you would enjoy coming in from the cold like Après ski!

We set it aside and carried on tasting the others in our miniature set… and returned to find it was less fruity but still fabulous, with a nice juniper hint joining the buttery cinnamon spice. It was interesting enough to prompt checking availability of a full bottle – alas it seems out of stock – and like most of these single cask independent bottles, once you missed your chance, that is it!

Curious about other Ardmore experiences?

My Whisky Warehouse “Last Chance” set also contained:

What about prior explorations from Whisky Warehouse No. 8? Here’s our growing list:

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The Whisky Warehouse No. 8 – Last Chance!

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I found myself back from India in Germany, considering our upcoming Whisky Ladies European Chapter adventures… 2021 promised to be a good year with a mix of opportunities to explore.

However an unspoken shadow loomed – not only the challenges of COVID but also Brexit. Yes Brexit. What was once easy to accomplish – see what piqued ones curiosity, order online and and eventually it would make its way to ones door – became considerably more complex.

After an overall positive experience with The Whisky Warehouse No. 8 single cask samples, I thought to order another set… to discover fewer and fewer options were available… an no indication of anything new from 2020. Hmm… not a good sign…

So I immediately ordered their 4 Region set and the balance 4 whiskies we hadn’t yet tried. And that was it! Between the Glencadam I picked up at The Village, the earlier quartet, we will somehow manage to explore ALL that is available from this independent bottler currently. Leaving us with sinking sensation that the Scottish side of our explorations may wane in favour of more accessible European options.

My “Last Chance” set contained this quartet – just click on the title link for the full tasting experience!

  • Glenturret 8 year (Dec 2020 – Apr 2019) Bourbon Hogshead 57.5% 330 Bottles – Be a wee bit patient with this one…. to be rewarded with light peat and sweet
  • Ardmore 16 year (May 2000 / Feb 2017) Bourbon Barrel 52.3% 159 Bottles – A more traditional style, something for Après ski!
  • Bunnahabhain 14 year (24 Oct 2002 / 31 Oct 2016) Bourbon Hogshead 3048, 56.7% 307 Bottles – One of the best Bunna’s I’ve had in a long time!
  • Inchfad (Loch Lomond) 15 year (Feb 2005 – April 2019) Bourbon Hogshead 55.5% 300 Bottles – Also give it time to reveal a bit of fruity ginger, honey spice

What about prior explorations from Whisky Warehouse No. 8? Here are a few…

And coming up next will be the Whisky Warehouse No. 8 Regions set with:

  • Lowland – Port Dundas 10 year (Oct 2009 – Oct 2019) Refill Sherry 47.9%
  • Highland – Deanston 10 year (Sep 2009 – Oct 2019) Bourbon Barrel 57.3%
  • Speyside – Miltonduff 11 years (Feb 1995 – Oct 2015) Bourbon Hogshead 59.5%
  • Islay – Braon Peat Batch 7 (15 April 2019) 57.5%

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Old Particular Trio – Jura, Mortlach, Talisker

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Ahh…. time to bring back the minis! Sample a wee trio or quartet – preferably from an independent bottler or with some kind of cohesive theme.

Enter my Drinks by the Drams Single Cask advent calendar from 2018 – bought as a ‘welcome’ present for my new home in Germany – back in October 2019!

Yes… I realize it is already 2021… but who says you need to crack things open immediately? Some could argue patience is a virtue!

However what it does mean is that the exact cask I sampled is likely long ago sold out or only available via auction.

That said, the bottler – in this case a trio from Old Particular from Douglas Laing – is very much bottling other single casks for your current sampling pleasure.

So what did I select?

This particular range focuses on single casks – bottled not at the typical “Connoisseur’s” strength of 46% but 48.4%.

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