As I sit in our wee cabana in the country, just outside of Mumbai, there was no doubt I would have loved to remain just there – enjoying the sound of the birds, cicadas, the perfume of our garden wafting on the summery breeze, our cats curled up contentedly…

For me, the month (and year) began on a plane… starting without any fanfare… the pilot almost forgetting to remark on the change from 2020 to 2021… no bubbly…. no exuberant toast… we simply quietly, exhausted slipped into the new year to be greeted by 6 hours of various procedures, waiting and a specially designated ‘quarantine’ bus to our respective hotels scattered around the city.

Our European chapter had closed 2020 with a new discovery – Maison Benjamin Keuntz exploring their delightful ‘core’ range…

• (D’un) Verre printanier 46% – fresh delight, verdant spring
• Fin de partie 46% – wee energizer to accompany an evening that stretches companionably on…
• Aveux Gourmands 46% – buttery salted caramel decadence in a glass

We were so impressed and curious that we requested a follow-up evening – a chance to revisit our samples together with the team from Benjamin Keuntz. In my case, I brought both my samples and a 500 ml bottle of our favourite – Aveux Gourmands – with me to Mumbai. This lovely bottle was my ‘quarantine’ companion – stuck in a hotel room for a week, I sat on my window ledge, overlooking the Arabian sea and sipped away watching the sun set… impatiently waiting to finally go home after a year away!

Re-united with my dwindling collection in Mumbai, I began with enjoying the last few drops of Wemyss’ Linkwood 20 year (1995/2015) Summer Breeze Cask #20877 46% – one of my favourite bottles opened in 2019.

Further remembering drams gone by with a short post on whisky collections – The long haul, long gone… Contemplating what to do with the few bottles that remained in my once robust Indian collection, I decided what better way to go than share?

So I packaged up two sessions worth of whiskies – in such a way they could be shared both virtually and physically in India followed by one that could also be joined by our lovely ladies in Europe too…

We managed to hold one evening with the fabulous Whisky Ladies of Mumbai, featuring an Arran Lochranza Distillery Vertical  which closed with a bottle acquired on my one and only 2020 trip – to Scotland and Isle of Arran no less!

• Arran 14 year 46% – Lovely balance
• Arran 18 year 46% – Everything we loved about the 14 year taken up a few notches – superb!
• Arran 23 year (1996/2020) Sherry Hogshead Cask No 436, 52.6% – For some it was simply too much whereas for others, it was an exceptional intense sherry delight (I’m in the later camp)

As a bit of a bonus, the remaining Aveux Gourmands was also shared.

Then what? Carrying on in our country sojourn, I virtually re-united with our European chapter to explore offerings from a German independent bottler – Whisky Warehouse No. 8 with:

• Auchentoshan 18 year (12/1998 – 02/2017) 48.3%
• Linkwood 11 year (06/2007 – 01/2019)  58.2%
• Dailuaine 12 year (11/2007 – 01/2020) 61.5%
• Benrinnes 19 year (10/1997 – 10/2016) 52.9% for me, the Tomatin for those in France…

Another homage to my adopted home Germany, I shared tasting notes from another discovery – this time from Spreewood Distillers outside of Berlin:

• Germany’s Stork Single Malt 43%

And with that… I say farewell both to January 2021 and to my country home for likely another 6 months or so… hopefully able to return for monsoon.

Curious to know more? Check out recent Whisky Lady’s 2020 semi-monthly summaries:

• Whisky Lady – Farewell 2020
• Whisky Lady – Sep to Oct 2020
• Whisky Lady – June to Aug 2020
• Whisky Lady – Mar to May 2020
• Whisky Lady – Feb 2020
• Whisky Lady – Jan 2020
• Celebrating 1000 whisky posts!

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

• WordPress https://whiskylady.co/
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For one whole year I could not go home. I won’t go into the long, convoluted, COVID complicated reasons… suffice to say I’m, finally back in India and could not be happier!

I’ve also been re-united with my dwindling whisky collection, which was significantly dented by deliberate efforts before I left, and further reduced by redistributing the balance open bottles to a fellow whisky explorer / frequent host to imbibe during the strict lockdown when booze shops were closed.

For me, much of the fun in picking up a bottle here and there is to craft a creative tasting evening where something new is discovered by trying different combinations or gaining insights in context or correlation that likely would not be possible in isolation. It is the interplay between whiskies, different palates and perspectives that is so engaging. How I on my own perceive a particular dram is obviously limited to my background and experience. What better way to temper such bias than with others?

And now? My collection is quite sparse and further diminished as I packaged up some bottles into smaller miniatures for virtual tasting sessions, dispatching the ‘dregs’ to upcoming hosts.

The balance were carefully cleaned, their paraffin seals checked and in a few cases replaced… put back into storage for my next trip home when hopefully life will be a bit more normalized and we can more freely gather together.

Til then, this wee post serves as a reminder for me of what once made it to Mumbai. I’m curious if others delight in the ‘hunter / farmer’ phenomenon needed to put together sessions? Where both a determination to discover is tempered by tremendous patience to share in the right combination?

A trio from Scotland’s Campbeltown region was cracked open during this trip, distributed (well beyond India!), with the remaining drams happily split between a few Whisky Ladies:

• Springbank 10 year 46%
• Glen Scotia 16 year 46%
• Glen Scotia 1832 Campbeltown 46%

Also experienced was an Isle of Arran – Lochranza Vertical with sessions held while I was in Mumbai and revisited with samples I brought back to Europe:

• Arran 14 year 46%
• Arran 18 year 46%
• Arran 23 year (29 May 1996/11 Mar 2020) Sherry Hogshead Cask No 436, 52.6%  Bottle 245/283

Patiently waiting in India is the balance Isle of Arran – Lochranza and Lagg expressions:

• Arran Lochranza Reserve 43%
• Arran Port Cask Finish 50%
• Lagg Peated Bourbon Barrel 1st Batch 60.4% (200 ml)

There is also an interesting Australasian trio with contrasting styles and approaches:

• Australia – Lark (Feb 2010) Single Cask No LD116 43%
• Japan – Ichiro’s Double Distilleries 46%
• Taiwan – Kavalan Solist Bourbon Cask B111202001A, Bottle 117/200 57.1%

While it may be a curious mix, I thought to put together Old World (European) / New World (USA)

• USA – AD Laws Secale Rye 2 year (375 ml)
• Germany – Slyrs Marsala Finish L1140 46% (500ml)
• Netherlands – Millstone 100 Rye Whisky 50%

Closing with a Scottish Mix ‘n Match – which could be combined in a few different ways – with some bottles I’ve intended to keep set aside for a few more years… or join just the right occasion!

• Highland
  • Balblair 18 year 46%
  • Edradour 12 year (28 Aug 2006/8 Nov 2018) 1st Fill Sherry Butt #900127 60.1% (Signatory Vintage Local Dealer Selection)
• Islay – Elements of Islay Ma1 54.2% (500ml)
• Speyside
  • Glenrothes 18 year Elders’ Reserve 43%
  • Glentauchers 8 year (2005 / 2013) 48.2% 2144 bottles (Sansibar)
  • KinInvie 17 year 42/6% (Batch 1, 2014) (500ml)
  • Macallan Estate Reserve 45.7%

And that’s it! How massively it has been scaled back from years of collecting efforts… The earliest bottle was acquired 7 years ago (KinInvie)… The most recent was picked up just a few months back at the new Lagg distillery… interestingly both were 1st batches.

Naturally I could change my approach, playing around with combinations as more get added or subtracted. And from the above picture – many are already gone with the sessions kicked off before leaving India!

PS Those who are observant will spot the vomFASS – also enjoyed!

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In these strange COVID times, lockdown in India (as many other parts of the world) has played havoc with tasting groups. When one can barely leave ones home… how then can different and interesting whiskies be sourced? And shared in a convivial gathering?

In my case, this was compounded by the dawning realisation that my visa challenges returning home to Mumbai had no simple solution.

By mid-summer, I decided why not convert despair on my side into delight for others?

Whiskies tasted and given away… most with mere dregs remaining…

• Inchgower 13 year (2005/2018) 55.1% (G&MP)
• Hellyers Road Pinot Noir 46.2%
• Finlaggan Cask Strength 58%
• Glenmorangie 19 year 43%
• Mortlach 15 year 43% (G&MP) 
• Eddu Silver Buckwheat Whisky 40%
• Domaine Des Hautes Glace Organic – Les Moissons Single Malt 42%
• Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2016 Sherry Cask 46%
• Aberlour A’bunadh Batch 40 (2012) 60.0%
• Deanston 12 year Cask No 900127 60.1% (Tara Whisky Shop, Munich)
• Cambus 24 year (1991/2015) Cask 55891 51.9% (Signatory Vintage) + WhiskyLive 2017
• Benromach 10 year 43%
• 5 year (2007/2012) 66.8% (Master of Malt) & Sep’17

And here are a few I never had a chance to open and sample:

• Teeling small batch
• Tamnavulin Batch 0308 American Oak, Sherry Finish 40%
• Finch Classic 40%
• Aureum Single Malt 43% – Now after going to Ziegler distillery, very curious how it was received! 🙂

And finally one somehow kept back from the hungry hoards enjoyed together on a fine evening – completely without any tasting notes!

• Old Pulteney 11 year 2006 Vintage 46%

What fun to ramble down malty memory lanes thinking of whiskies discovered, drunk and enjoyed or dismissed!

Anyone else do a thorough “whisky cabinet” clean during these COVID times?

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Prompted by the combination of an overall positive experience at The Village Whisky Festival in Nurnberg and the delightful Glencadam, I decided to treat myself to a quartet of miniatures from German independent bottler –  The Whisky Warehouse No. 8.

What did I chose?

• Auchentoshan 18 year (12/1998 – 02/2017) 48.3% – EUR 5.85
• Linkwood 11 year (06/2007 – 01/2019)  58.2% – EUR 3.90
• Dailuaine 12 year (11/2007 – 01/2020) 61.5% – EUR 4.87
• Benrinnes 19 year (10/1997 – 10/2016) 52.9% – EUR 5.85 

What a year… one none of us would like to repeat.

Late 2019 when I made the big move to Europe, it was under the assumption that I would regularly shuttle back and forth between my home in Mumbai, India and my new home in Nürnberg, Germany. As my husband adores Europe, has even toured Germany extensively, it was reasonable to think he would come as often as his hectic filming and performance schedule permits.

Sure we were struggling a bit on the visa front, but that would get sorted soon enough and the years being a cross-continent commuting couple would fly by! Or so we thought…

The year began optimistically… we celebrated quietly with friends in the country and I was so proud of achieving 1,000 blog posts! However what I didn’t share was shortly afterwards, how sick both I and my mother-in-law were… she was in ICU for weeks (thankfully recovered!) and I somehow managed to get (I thought) well enough to keep my scheduled flight back to Germany.

January’s posts were nearly all written during my December break. February mostly sharing past experiences. Then there were months of silence. Why?

I didn’t realize it at the time, but that wasn’t a mere nasty flu that knocked me out in India, getting “better” but then radically worse in Germany – bronchitis which became pneumonia which so badly impacted my lungs that I needed to go on steroids and, for the first time in my life, used an inhaler…? Then even once I could get out of bed, still took so incredibly long to fully recover… even after months, I barely had the energy to get through the work week to find my weekends disappeared into a blur of exhausted nothingness.

By now, unless you’ve been completely disconnected from all media, it is pretty clear what this all meant.

As the months progressed and COVID changed all our lives completely… it became increasingly obvious that all attempts for me to return to India was proving impossible and equally, my husband was unable to get a visa to come to Germany. By summer, we needed an alternate plan. Enter late August a Bollywood film… they chartered an entire plane and sequestered actors and crew in a Glasgow hotel for months… recreating Delhi, Lahore and Dubai airports in Scotland! Ah… the magic of cinema!

After his 2 week quarantine, I was able to join my husband… To be in Scotland for the 1st time after years of exploring whiskies was a dream come true! However naturally nearly all distilleries were shut… only a few had recently re-opened their shops and even fewer had limited pre-booked tastings. No official tours were permitted. Still, I managed to pop over to Glengoyne for their “malt master” experience and we took a memorable day trip to Isle of Arran to spend a little time at Lochranza and Lagg distillery.

Even better was our next few weeks in the UK with an unforgettable “honeymoon” courtesy of dear friends – both in their lovely London home and their Georgian manor just outside of Bath. Full credit to my malty companion for rekindling the love of exploring drams… together we enjoyed an exceptional evening with The Whisky Exchange’s Sukindher Singh and four delightful sessions of minis:

• That Boutique-y Whisky Company Chinese New Year Quintet
• Summer (mostly) European whiskies
• Dunkerton Drams
• American minis 

This malty merriment continued in Germany as I went straight from Frankfurt airport to Ziegler distillery (aka Aureum) with the German Sharing Angels. Something that now seems almost impossible but true! I haven’t yet shared this experience… think of it like ‘hoarding’ to bring out in the leanest months…

Determined to not lose momentum, a trio of Whisky Ladies of Mumbai found ourselves in Europe, so we decided to launch our European chapter. We’ve successfully held five virtual sessions already!

• 1st session with a Chorlton Trio
• 2nd session with Chorlton’s Duo plus Whisky Warehouse No. 8
• 3rd session with North Star’s 
• 4th session with North Star’s Speyside. Auchroisk and Glenturret
• 5th session exploring Maison Benjamin Keuntz with even more notes to come after we revisit with the folks behind the whisky creations

Spurred by this, I audaciously ordered a German-based bottler’s whisky advent calendar – Vita Dulcis. Unbelievably I managed in December to get through all 24 miniatures – though it must seem like I’ve been ‘spamming’ all who follow this blog – apologies for that!

What next? Just as finally one impediment has been solved – my Indian visa – the ability to use it is proving challenging. As I write, I still don’t know if I can get on a plane home to India. Our original plans for Dubai with family were dashed unfortunately as a family member was hospitalized with COVID. Then the new strain from the UK wreaked havoc on my effort to get to Mumbai for Christmas, changing rules for quarantine with no availability in designated COVID quarantine hotels… I’m still determined whilst flight prices for an economy flight soar from Eur 2,000 to 3,000 and more!

However, I remain ever optimistic and am thankful for all we have – a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, and sufficient means to indulge in the occasional dram or two. This is far more fortunate than many in the world today… So, I wish you and yours a significantly better 2021!

Curious to know more? Check out recent Whisky Lady’s 2020 semi-monthly summaries:

• Whisky Lady – Sep to Oct 2020
• Whisky Lady – June to Aug 2020
• Whisky Lady – Mar to May 2020
• Whisky Lady – Feb 2020
• Whisky Lady – Jan 2020
• Celebrating 1000 whisky posts!

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

• WordPress https://whiskylady.co/
• FaceBook Whisky Lady in India – https://www.facebook.com/WhiskyLadyIN 
• Twitter @WhiskyLadyIN

The 2nd session of the European chapter of our Whisky Ladies of Mumbai was a combo packwith a duo from Chorlton plus something I picked up from German independent bottler Whisky Warehouse No. 8.

1. Tomintoul 14 year 57.6% sherry butt, undiluted, uncoloured, unchill filtered, 1 of 455 bottles (TM 14)
2. Glencadam 8 year 61% (23 Feb 2011/6 June 2019) Bourbon Barrel Cask W8 800125 (The Whisky Warehouse No. 8. Warehouse Collection) 1 of 240 bottles
3. Mannochmore 12 year 58.7% bourbon barrel, distilled 10 Sept 2007, cask strength, natural colour, unchill filtered, 1 of 108 bottles (MN 12)

Truly, it was such a pleasure to taste whiskies again with a small group of women. A much needed moment of malty merriment!

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

• WordPress https://whiskylady.co/
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What a month… in Germany we are back in a period of restrictions (I wouldn’t say lockdown). What to do? Switch gears to some fabulous virtual tastings!

The month was clearly made more joyful with the launch of our European chapter of the Whisky Ladies of Mumbai…

1st session with a Chorlton Trio

• Miltonduff 11 years 62%
• Mackmyra 12 years 50.2%
• Blair Athol 12 years 56.6%

3rd session with North Star’s 

• Royal Brackla 11 year (Oct 2006 / Feb 2018) Refill Hogshead 55.2%
• Fettercairn 12 year (2006/2019) Refill Barrel 57.4%
• Inchgower 11 year (2007/2019) Refill Hogshead 52.5%

4th session with North Star’s 

• Speyside 12 year 50%
• Auchroisk 13 year (2006/2019) Oloroso Sherry Hogshead 51.2%
• Glenturret 8 year (2010/2019) Refill Hogshead 58.3%

What else?

I finished a few more tasting notes from my September Glasgow / London trip which included creation of a Glengoyne 16 year Original “Carissa” Cask Strength. And a merry evening of American minis featuring:

• Hudson Baby Bourbon 46%,
• TBWC 24 year Bourbon No 1 48%,
• Balcones Single Malt 53%, 
• Whistle Pig Rye 50%

Plus some miscellaneous malty musings with:

• Anticipating my “score” from Nurnberg’s “The Village” Fest from February 2019 – Bruichladdich, Glencadam, St Kilian
• Meandered down tasting notes from an evening in July 2019 at  Berlin’s Union Jack
• Most summers I try to fit a trip to Manitoba to see family and friends… Obviously this year was unthinkable however as the fall colours arrived, I found myself missing Canada… The solution? Order up a few Shelter Point for a mythical future trip!

It was a busy month with still more to come…

• A London evening with Sukhinder Singh, The Whisky Exchange
• Germany’s Willkommen with a weekend trip to Ziegler Distillery with a tasting tour of Aureum Whiskies together with the German Sharing Angels
• St Kilian samples

Curious to know more? Check out recent Whisky Lady’s semi-monthly summaries:

• Whisky Lady – Sep to Oct 2020
• Whisky Lady – June to Aug 2020
• Whisky Lady – Mar to May 2020
• Whisky Lady – Feb 2020
• Whisky Lady – Jan 2020
• Celebrating 1000 whisky posts!

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

• WordPress https://whiskylady.co/
• FaceBook Whisky Lady in India – https://www.facebook.com/WhiskyLadyIN 
• Twitter @WhiskyLadyIN

Soon after the announcement of the European chapter of our Whisky Ladies of Mumbai, our tasting sessions kicked off! It was a bit of a bumpy start as our Parisian Whisky Lady could only listen as her boxes took several weeks instead of days to reach!

Our journey began with an interesting array from independent bottlers… starting with this trio from Chorlton.

1. Miltonduff 11 years 62.0% first fill bourbon 1 of 176 bottles (MD 11) – Great contrast between fruity nose and surprisingly rich palate
2. Mackmyra 12 years 50.2% bourbon barrel, undiluted, uncoloured, unchill filtered, 1 of 278 bottles (MC 12) – Fresh, clean, cherry wood and honey
3. Blair Athol 12 years 56.6% hogshead, undiluted, uncoloured, unchill filtered, 1 of 268 bottles (BA 12)

Truly, it was such a pleasure to taste whiskies again with a small group of women. A much needed moment of malty merriment!

From Chorlton’s L’Ancien Régime series, I was fortunate to try earlier in Mumbai:

• Miltonduff 9 year 58.3% – Creamy desert with fruits, breakfast cereals… in short delicious!
• Orkney 9 year 63.1% – Copper, minerals, salted caramel and smoke, all beautifully balanced
• Ruadh Maor 8 year 62.5% (aka Glenturret) – Seasoned meats and fried snacks…. a chameleon quality that evolved differently in each glass

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