Category Archives: Cask Strength

Mossburn’s Mannochmore 10 year (2008) 56.1%

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This was my first single malt from independent bottler Mossburn – from their 16th batch from 2018. When debating which Speyside to include in our Scottish Regions theme, curiosity about this dram won! 

For those not familiar, Mannochmore isn’t one of those distilleries that claims 100+ year history! Instead, it was founded in my lifetime – originally opening in 1971 before closing for a few years in the late 1980s. Even after re-opening, for many years it was in production only every alternate year as it shared employees with its neighbour – Glenlossie. It expanded operations in 2013, and is now regularly producing spirit for its current owner Diageo.

Like many Diageo distilleries, much of the liquid goes into blends, then makes its way to independent bottlers like Mossburn with select official bottlings – like their Flora & Fauna series. We’ve had some absolutely marvelous Mannochmore’s from Chorlton – a 12 year and 13 year – so I had rather high expectations.

We opened the bottle in Mumbai early January and tasted it over two sessions – something I very much recommend. Going straight to the punch line – the initial date was underwhelming whereas the second date rewarded us over time with many of the reasons why I’ve been more and more a Mannochmore fan!

Mannochmore 10 year (10/12/2018 – 2008) Batch 16.0708.16 Cask Bill HHD 56.1% (Mossburn Vintage Casks)

  • Colour – Bright gold
  • Nose
    • 1st opening one tasting companion found wet dish rag and simply could not get past the impression of something a bit “off”, there were also overripe fruits, some caramel yet the impression was largely having a subdued nose 
    • 2nd day if we really focused, we could find a hint of wet dish rag, yet for me it had very much evolved moving more into a wet leaf, earthy element, some sour mash then loads of fruits. The more time it spent in the glass, the more fruity and appealing it became
  • Palate
    • 1st we found it really rather yummy, spice, lemon sweets, fuzzy apricot skin, a bit astringent, plum skin then I found tea
    • 2nd we really enjoyed its fizzy almost effervescent quality, joining plum and apricots was peach, with the palate having a marvelous lightly oily element coating our mouths in the most wonderful way
  • Finish
    • 1st Churan – which is a digestive mix of herbs and spices – often containing powdered pomegranate seeds, cardamon, coriander, fennel, cinnamon, dried ginger and lemon plus things you typically won’t find outside of India like pippali, khand, and black salt
    • 2nd Again, we could understand how churan was found and personally, I found it moving more in the tea direction, another lady agreed and added for her specifically it was more like an Earl Grey with bergamot

Overall, the palate is the winner here with the nose catching up if given enough time in the glass. In our first try, we did leave it in the glass for some time and found with the revisit it was much fruitier with loads of character not initially present.

Whereas the 2nd time around we added water – wow! What a missed opportunity for our 1st tasting experience! The fruity elements on the nose were amped up and joined by a lovely floral quality. It became so much more appealing and inviting on the nose than before. And the palate? It rounded out the flavours – delicious. Just a bit of water transforms!

For one tasting companion on our 2nd tasting had the Mannochmore contending for his favourit of the evening!

I couldn’t find official tasting notes… However, particularly on the 2nd evening, we found a fair bit in common with some earlier Mannochmore tasting experiences. 

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Whisky Show 2024 – Arran

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At the 2024 London Whisky Show, we were looking for a wee palate cleanser between some remarkable Chichibu Japanese whiskies and our next stop – Compass Box. We strolled past the stand with Arran and simply had to pause!

For those new to Whisky Lady, over the years we’ve become rather partial to the unpeated drams from Lochranza Distillery from Isle of Arran. So much so that I’ve even managed to tour the entire island – all the way from Lochranza to Lagg distilleries.

Arran 13 year Small Batch Port Pipes 53.2%

To be honest, I think it was a bit forceful for us. In our quick sniff and swish, we encountered a nice lemon that shifted into a pine sol? On the palate, it was prickly, quite punchy but in a good way. The finish was solid and strong.

This expression is a UK exclusive and retails for around GBP 115.

If you are curious about our Arranexplorations? There have been many!!

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

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

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

What did we think in our sniff and swish?

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

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

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

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

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

What do they have to say?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What do they have to say?

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

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

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

From Macbeth Act One, there were… 

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

The Thanes:

The Households:

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

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2024 London Whisky Show – Watt Whiskies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

How did the Watt offering fare?

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

Toffee apples, honeycomb, peaches & marzipan.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rather a nice way to begin our evening!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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What’s in a Name? April Fool!

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Last summer, I missed an interesting session with the Bombay Malt & Cigar gents with the theme “What’s in a Name?“.  The inspiration for this theme obviously came from how the whiskies were dubbed inventive titles such as “Peace, Love & Whisky“, “Memories” plus this one called “April Fool’s”! All three were from independent bottlers – the initial two were from Simply Whisky and this last whisky was bottled by The Whisky Exchange.

Very kindly they kept aside samples for me to experience solo. 

As background, for those not familiar with the story, Ardnamurchan is the Highland distillery recently re-opened by independent bottlers Adelphi. The original distillery stopped production in the early 20th century and its current avatar officially opened in 2014. Ardnamurchan produces both unpeated and peated single malts.

So… what did I think about this expression?

Ardnamurchan 5-year “April Fool – Extremely Old, I wish I were Younger” (2022) 53.2% (The Whisky Exchange) 1575 bottles. GBP 75

    • Colour – Bright gold
    • Nose – What first greets you is a decided sour aroma. A cross between sour apple sauce and a balsamic reduction. It then opened up to woods, toasted nuts, smoked meats, heavy caramel, warm and oily, some fruits
    • Palate – Hot and spicy! There are more smoked meats, joined by smoked fish, sweet spices, and more of that oily element. Certainly this would be part of their peat expressions…
    • Finish – Strong, hot, bitter and long
    • Water – Don’t mind if I do! It helps, it really helps.
      • On the nose, it brings out some fruit sauce – like a mix of apples and others. the sweet spices of ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cloves peak out.
      • With a generous splash, it also tames the palate, allowing more of the sweetness to come through – some fudge with a ginger honey glaze topped by a coastal salt spray
      • The finish too becomes much more approachable
  • Have you had salmon on cedar plank? Somehow it reminded me a bit of that once watered down, settling a bit. This is no sprightly romp through the park. Instead, it is more like tromping through a deep forest in autumn.

    I’ll have to admit that until I added a dollop of water (no mere carefully measured drops!), I wasn’t so enthusiastic about this dram. However, with water, I could see this being the bracing accompaniment to coming in from the cold.

    That shared, I had trouble reconciling this not-so-thrilling experience with the positive buzz I’ve heard and read about Ardnamurchan. Me thinks in the upcoming September London Whisky Show, we’ll have to spend some time exploring to make a more informed determination for ourselves.

  • What more do we know? This whisky has been aged in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks for 5 years before being bottled at cask strength.

    Here is what the folks at The Whisky Exchange have to say:

    Our April Fool’s 2022 special release is wise beyond its years. Distilled at Ardnamurchan under the watchful eye of the Adelphi Distillers team, this five-year-old whisky combines centuries of tradition with modern whisky making to create a fruity dram, run through with a gentle seam of peat smoke. The whisky’s details are hidden on the label, only revealed when you shine a UV torch on them – April Fool!

    Compliments of my friends this is what the bottle looks like to the “naked eye”.

    And under the black light? This is what you can see… sort of… revealing that it is a mere 5-year-old upstart!

    What else was sampled in an evening devoted to What’s in a Name?“:

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Shelter Point – 10 Year 1st Edition 57.8%

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We are no strangers to Shelter Point from British Colombia, Canada. In fact, back in 2016, we had the pleasure of sampling their inaugural batch of single malt. We loved it then and we love this “Artisinal Single Malt” expression now too!

As soon as it was launched, I was keen to try their 1st edition cask strength 10-year single malt. I purchased it online in August 2021, and then shipped it together with other bottles from British Columbia to Manitoba. This was followed by bringing it from Winnipeg to Nurnberg to Mumbai. Quite the traveling bottle!

After beginning our evening with “The Collective“, followed by the experiment with “Double Barrel“, I was keen to see if the elements I enjoy most about their core single malt would shine through in the 10 year?

Shelter Point Artisanal Single Malt 10 Year (2011 / 2021) Cask Strength 57.8%

  • Colour  – Dark gold
  • Nose – Fancy! Sunshine yet surprisingly more restrained than anticipated. Malty, mineral, oily, chardonnay, Dry wood. Opens up into warm and sweet, honey and fruit – specifically muskmelon or warm cantaloupe.
  • Palate – Effervescent, sparkling wine, ginger spice, salty licorice, herbal liqueur, dry bitter cloves, lots going on! Over time it settled down a bit, though remained quite active.
  • Finish – Another warm hug, the salty lakris carries through, some cinnamon, more ginger and then bay leaf
  • Water – We began with just a few drops – it became more umami, one even described it as wet dog! Then even spicier! Whereas with more water, the salty licorice became fennel without the salt – going from “spunky” to “nice”

What can I say? This was not just sunshine in a glass – that element was there at first but fleeting. However, the salty licorice took much greater prominence – even over the Jaegermeister herbal liqueur.

I thought about the age element. In the grand scheme of things, 10 years isn’t much. Once upon a time for a Scottish dram, that would be your “entry-level” maturity. Unlike India where the angel’s share is mighty greedy, I would anticipate the west coast of BC, nestled between farmland and the coast would be more in keeping with Scotland.

So what did this mean for the 10 year Shelter Point? From memory, the younger Artisinal Single Malt expression had more cereals than wood notes. Favoured orchard fruits over melons. Didn’t have as much mineral and whilst had a touch of salt, it wasn’t the very distinctive salmiakki salted licorice found in the Nordics clearly present in the 10 year.

As I have a precious bottle of the standard expression back in Germany, decided the best thing to do would be to take a generous sample from the 10 year and follow-up with a comparison in June when I plan to open the balance Shelter Point bottles for our Nurnberg Whisky Explorer group!

What do they say?

10 Years is a long time. A lot has changed in the world since Shelter Point started production in 2011, but what hasn’t changed is our commitment to craft, quality, and doing things the best way we know how. For the inaugural 10-Year-Old edition of Cask Strength Single Malt, we decided to let the casks and the spirit do the talking, and present this limited-edition small batch for your enjoyment.

Tasting Notes:

  • With a nose led by notes of creamy vanilla, milk chocolate, apricots and green apples
  • A palate featuring baking spices, chocolate chip cookie dough and a kiss of sea salt
  • This 10-Year-Old Batch Strength Single Malt finishes with lingering woody spice, candied ginger and an assortment of baked goods.
  • A delight for the senses to be shared and savored.

Whisky Facts:

  • Still: Custom-designed copper still
  • Base: Malted Barley (That’s it. Nothing else)
  • Distillation: Small-batch, 2x distilled
  • Spirit: Natural colour and non-chill-filtered
  • Alcohol Content: Bottled at 57.8% Alc.Vol
  • Bottle Size: 750ml

Purchased in August 2021 from Shelter Point Distillery for CND 130.43  (Eur 102) + taxes + shipping for 750 ml.

Here are the other expressions tasted in the Shelter Point trio in April 2023:

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Not your ordinary blend! North Star’s Super Sonic Mach 3 55%

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Independent bottlers can truly be the “next level” of whisky explorations. For North Star Spirits, Ian and team have been bringing a range of whiskies to the world since just 2016. They’ve now branched into another series – Periodical – available only in the UK and launching soon – Obscurities and Curiosities. Even more recently, the lads are setting the stage for whisky production – with a new distillery Dal Riata in Campbeltown.

And yet, with all these developments, the foundation remains their North Star bottlings – which include in addition to their staple single malts, both a blended scotch (ie with grain) and blended malt (ie without grain).

Within the Blended Malt category, Ian introduced “Supersonic” in 2021 and released in rapid succession a series from Mach 1 to Mach 4, ranging from 46% for Mach 1 to 60% for Mach 4, all from Sherry butts. For our “Not an ordinary blend” evening, I knew the Mach 3 at 55% would fit in perfectly! Just needed to be kept towards the end, given I anticipated it would have quite a sherry punch! And it did indeed deliver this!

Supersonic Mach 3 (2013/2021) 55% (North Star) 786 bottles 

  • Nose – Lots going on here! Reminds me a bit of a chocolate, raisin, and nuts candy bar, also creamy vanilla pudding, something else a bit elusive – a puff of smoke perhaps?
  • Palate – Bold spice, loads of sherry elements like dark fruits (think fig, plum, dates, and raisins). There is a peppery chili “catch” that comes from behind – one even called it akin to Tabasco sauce!
  • Finish – More of that chili, sherry carrying through with a drying close
  • Water – Recommended. It really works well with water which tames the beast and enables juicier fruits to emerge

This is a “blended” malt is indeed a powerhouse! So much so that before adding water, it is a bit imbalanced. Like the different sherry butts are bumping up against each other, vying for who comes first. In a later revisit, I simply add a generous splash of water from the start and sat back to enjoy.

I purchased this in November 2022 for €53,60 + Tax + Shipping. It was opened in February 2024 in Nurnberg, Germany.

What other North Star whiskies have we tried? It has become quite the list – most heavily weighted towards the early years!

The North Star Regional Series:

North Star Series 007 and 008 from 2019:

North Star Series 005 from 2018:

North Series 001 – 004 from 2016 to 2018:

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Chorlton – Glentauchers 8 year 61.2%

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Double trouble or twice charmed? In the case of Chorlton‘s  La Nouvelle Vague April 2023 releases, spoiler alert! Both this Glentauchers 8 year and the Glentauchers 14 year were marvelous – in different ways.

Glentauchers 8 year (2023) 61.2% 291 Bottles

  • Nose – Oh yum! Sticky toffee pudding, jammy, a voluminous dessert, small tight berries packed with tart and sweet, joined by pineapple, then buttery chocolate eclairs, apple sauce with cinnamon
  • Palate – Very full and robust! Dark plum skins, so intoxicating and delicious, rich chocolate cream, then black forrest cake, then juicy ripe berries – especially the delightful red currents we get in Germany, incredibly satisfying… is that a wee bit of nut butter or hazelnut cream? Mixed in with loads of sweet spices
  • Finish – Long, strong, and rewarding… even a bit savoury rather then back to sweet towards the end
  • Water – If it is even possible, fruitier?1 Like a candy shop from red licorice to gumdrops to candied orange peel

Overall we found this lively and colourful… practically addictive in its exuberance. There is no subtle shyness here…. this 8 year is proud to flaunt its sherry influences! There is a quixotic charm, and though it is on the edge of being overwhelming, it is simply too good to resist.

I tasted it over two evenings – the first which was a friendly evening February – there was little doubt this was the “hit” of the evening. However the next time around, my companions preferred the gentler and more genteel qualities of the Glentauchers 14 year. Both are frankly fabulous – just in different ways.

From Chorlton, we have the following description and tasting notes:

Next up we have an 8-year-old Glentauchers matured in a first-fill sherry hogshead*. Another sherried Glentauchers, you say? Well, yes, as this one’s such a fun contrast.

The nose starts with chocolate cream, hazelnut nougat, butterscotch and overripe banana, then heads in a distinctly savoury direction with veg stock cubes, dried mushrooms, parsley stalks and OK Sauce. Little hints of old tool shed, liquorice, and coal tar. It’s big and boisterous, and very changeable as it breathes or when water is added (prunes, kejap manis and cocoa powder in that case, since you ask).

The palate has a thick texture, starting on chocolate cornflake cakes, fudge and café crème then developing on a mix of jammy red fruits (redcurrant jelly? cherry jam?) and umami-ness (walnuts, bouquet garnis, BBQ meat, sesame paste). With water it’s softer, with banana wine, Cadbury’s Mini Rolls, chocolate orange and ginger.

Where the 14yo is elegant and collected, the 8yo is lairy and talkative. You do still get that sense of fruity Glentauchers spirit at the heart though. This cask produced 291 bottles at 61.2% and they are available for £59.50 each.

* – just for full transparency: this cask sprung a leak and had to be housed for a short time before bottling in a refill hogshead.

I purchased this from WhiskyBase for a mark-up to open in Nurnberg one fine evening in February 2024.

Here are a few more from La Nouvelle Vague series:

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