London Whisky Show – Berry Bros + Rudd’s Speyside

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There were just too many options at the London Whisky Show! It is simply impossible to get to everything. Towards the end of the day, we passed by the Berry Bros & Rudd, and thought… let’s try just one!

By that point in our wanderings, I thought of trying something classic and uncomplicated. So decided to sample the Classic Speyside blend.

Berry Bros & Rudd Speyside Blended Malt 44.2% 

  • Nose – Honey, citrus, fresh fruits
  • Palate – Juicy fruits
  • Finish – Lightly sweet

Though I had only a light sniff, swish & spit, it left a nice impression – something easy and fruity. And there are times when that hits the spot.

What more do they have to say?

Many of Scotland’s most famous malts hail from Speyside, known for their approachable, fruity style and floral complexity. Our Classic Speyside Malt captures the very essence of the region, balancing subtle, honeyed fruit aromas with easy-going yet complex aromas.

  • Appearance: Golden Syrup
  • Bouquet: Honeyed fruit, citrus and soft wood
  • Palate: Creamy citrus, honey, rounded
  • Finish: Soft fruits, mid-long

I glanced at the Sherry however as everything was beginning to close up, decided to skip! However next festival should spend a bit of time with these folks.

For whatever reason, we haven’t tried many of their own whisky selections… just a few:

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London Whisky Show – Fettercairn

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After almost overwhelming experiences with both Gordon & Macphail and That Boutique-y Whisky Co, my tasting companion and I were on our way out for a break at the London Whisky Show. However, en route were distracted by the Fettercairn stand…. what did we try?

Fettercairn 16 year (2021) Batch 003, 46.4% 

  • Nose – Shy but present, sweet, almond paste and maybe a bit of ginger?
  • Palate – Clear sherry influence, woody, quite balanced at first, then the spice became more prominent than the wood, as it evolved, became warmer
  • Finish – Sweet smoked paprika, then a bit nutty
  • Water – It is worth adding – becomes smoother, much sweeter with marzipan

Our tasting guide shared that the expression was matured in Oloroso & Palo Cortado Sherry Butts. To be honest, we didn’t spend much time with this one.

Fettercairn Warehouse No. 2 (2022) Batch 004, 48.8%

  • Nose – What you would expect from the casks – some honey, orchard fruits and something a bit different
  • Palate – Spicy and sweet, quite active – flavours bouncing around

The idea behind this series is to showcase the distillery ‘spirit & character’ through different batches that will differ each time. In this case, we sampled the 4th batch which had first-fill ex-bourbon casks (approx 74%) as its ‘base’, and some second-fill ex-bourbon casks (20%), with the balance from Hungarian oak wine casks that were re-charred.

When you wander through the booths at a Whisky Festival, there comes a point where impressions start to blur, tasting notes get shorter and it is clearly time for a change in pace. This is why after the Fettercairn, we decided to step out of the main area, took a break, and rather re-enter, next went to a masterclass!

As for other Fettercairn tasting experiences? Read on…

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London Whisky Show – Lochranza’s Machrie Moor

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My London Whisky Show tasting companion and I are both fans of Arran whiskies. The Lochranza distillery’s un-peated “Arran” style – both their core range and limited editions!

However whilst I’ve known of their peated “Machrie Moor” for years, haven’t adequately explored these expressions. Since 2019, Lochranza stopped using peat, choosing instead to dedicate their new Lagg distillery to a peat style. This means Machrie Moor will become a thing of the past. So we skipped over many familiar friends on offer, to try this duo of their standard Machrie Moor and cask strength.

Machrie Moor 46% 

  • Nose – Peat and sweet, fresh with that special kinda peat that combines smoked meats, crispy bacon, and a drizzle of maple syrup
  • Palate – Started spicy, then mellowed out with hints of the underlying fruity character
  • Finish – Cinamon and smoke

This may seem surprising, but my impression from a light sniff, swish, and spit was that Machrie Moor was surprisingly mild and modest.

What more do they have to say about this expression?

On the west coast of the Isle of Arran lies a windswept and mystical peat bog called Machrie Moor. Bronze Age stone circles and standing stones are strewn across its barren, undulating terrain. One of the stone circles is known as Fingal’s Cauldron Seat, where sits a stone with a carved hole. The legendary warrior giant Fingal is said to have tethered his favourite dog Bran to this stone. This peated expression of the Arran Single Malt perfectly captures the rugged beauty and lore of the landscape. Unleash the legend that is Machrie Moor.

And their official tasting notes?

  • Nose – Light smoke and citrus
  • Palate – Dried grass, peat smoke and hints of vanilla and tropical fruit.
  • Finish – Citrus, Smoke, Peat, Pineapple.

We then moved on to the cask strength expression…

Machrie Moor Cask Strength 56.2% 

  • Nose – At first fruity then shifted into meaty peat with smoked ham or pastrami
  • Palate – A fiery spice! Which initially masked the stewed fruits

Unlike the milder Machrie Moor 46%, this was a powerhouse and initially a bit imbalanced. However, I have a strong suspicion that a dash of water would make all the difference – something that we skipped in our quick zip-through!

What more do they have to say?

  • Nose – Citrus notes with a background of peat and a puff of smoke immediately apparent
  • Palate – A robust dram with the typical orchard fruits of Arran coming to the fore over a layer of toasted brioche and red berries
  • Finish – Citrus, Smoke, Chocolate, Vanilla, Coconut.

Both were interesting to try, however, have to admit, we remain partial to their un-peated expressions. Curious about these other Arran explorations? Just read on…

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London Whisky Show – Kyrö Malt, Wood Smoke + Monbazallic Rye

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It is terrific to discover something new! And that is just what happened at the London Whisky Show with this distillery from Finland – Kyrö.

There is a quirky humourous approach… with the visual of a bunch of men running buck naked (from a sauna) across a field…. as they shared:

It all started with five friends in a sauna, pondering why nobody in Finland was making rye whisky. We had no idea how to make whisky the “right” way, so we did it our way – and Kyrö Malt is where the story of Kyrö Distillery Company began.

Two co-owners were there in London with their enthusiasm infectious! We couldn’t help enjoying both the whiskies and the experience.

Kyrö Malt Rye 47.2% 

  • Nose – Young, fresh, herbal with some menthol
  • Palate – Softly sweet, licorice, rye bread
  • Finish – Clean pine

I really quite liked this Rye… it had a clean fresh style that was quite appealing

What more do they have to say?

Made with 100% malted Finnish rye, Kyrö Malt is a whisky that proudly breaks the mould. It is double pot distilled and aged in a combination of new American oak and ex-bourbon casks, resulting in intense pepperiness, balanced with sweet notes of caramel and vanilla.

It’s perfect sipped as it is, in a whisky sour – or any way you like.

  • Nose: Pepper, Vanilla, Caramel, Dried fruits
  • Palate: Sweet rye bread, Honey, Wild berries, Smooth finish with caramel and mocha

I read the description and notes much later, but from my memory and tasting scribbles, it rang true!

Kyrö Wood Smoke Rye 47.2% 

  • Nose – Sauna wood smoked, sweet grass
  • Palate – Like a log cabin, cedar plank used to cook fish
  • Finish – Out of nowhere, big and bold!

OK, maybe I was influenced by all the sauna talk… but it really did remind me of a sauna!

What more do they have to say?

With Kyrö Wood Smoke we honour the oldest kind of Finnish sauna – the smoke sauna.

Using an ancient northern tradition, the rye used in Kyrö Wood Smoke has been introduced to alder smoke in a 100-year old “riihi” barn.

Double pot distilled, Kyrö Wood Smoke is then aged in a combination of French oak, new American oak and ex-bourbon casks, resulting in intense pepperiness and sweet notes of caramel and vanilla, lifted by crisp alder smoke.

How incredibly unique!

Kyrö Rye Whisky + Monbazillac Cask “Kyrö’s Choice” 53%

  • Nose – Very different! Almost reminded me a bit of mescal, sweet wood, caraway, and rye
  • Palate – Very big, distinctive, acidic, apples, oats

What more do we know? The co-founder shared it was made, like the others with Finnish malted rye in new oak then a twist with an ex-Monbazillac cask.

Both the Malt & Wood Smoke whiskies retail for around EUR 50 for 500 ml bottles, whereas the special 2022 London Whisky Show Kyrö’s Choice is currently only available through The Whisky Exchange for GBP 65.

If you are curious about other Finland whiskies I’ve sampled, check out the following:

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London Whisky Show – Colourful Watt Whiskies

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Back in June, I caught in Cape Town, South Africa a rather unpleasant version of COVID. It not only knocked me flat for weeks, it also robbed me of my olfactory senses – a complete disaster for a whisky aficionado!

I’ve often described the experience as akin to seeing only in shades of grey instead of a burst of brilliant rainbow colours. Gradually over the months, some sense of smell has returned but it remains muted compared to the previous clarity – where I could usually easily discern distinct elements, today it can be trickier and I often know there is something more a layer deeper that I just can’t quite penetrate or surface enough to describe. Frustrating indeed… but I’m at least grateful some sense has returned!

This brings me back to colours – in a recent impromptu tasting in Germany, I shared that when first exploring different types of whiskies, one idea is to consider what colour one would associate with that particular whisky profile? This is a great technique to start processing more creative impressions – Does it remind you of a hot and fiery red? A verdant cool green? Or more seaside in style, bringing hints of blue to the fore? What about sunshine yellow?

I’ve seen some “colour coding” before – most recently Gordon & Macphail’s discovery series uses green for ex-bourbon casks, purple for ex-sherry, and grey for peaty drams. However what if the colour wasn’t according to such strict logic?

Enter Watt Whisky – a new independent bottler started by a husband / wife duo Mark and Kate Watt in Campbeltown. As Kate shared, they both came from the industry and decided to set-up their own range with a view to bringing interesting affordable whiskies to the world. The colour approach comes from her husband’s synaesthesia, where he literally smells colours!

We were tipped off that the Paul John was worth checking out, so this was the 1st we sampled.

Intrigued by Kate’s story of how they began their independent bottler journey in challenging times (2019 then….COVID!) with this being their 1st big whisky event, we continued on to the Dunbarton 21 year followed by the Belair Athol 13 year.

We were highly tempted to continue, however, this was getting into the later stage of our whisky wanderings where you know you need to become highly selected else every impression will simply blur together, losing its magic of discovery!

Well worth exploring more another time… enjoy our quick impressions from a small sniff, swish tasting at The Whisky Show London 2022!

Paul John 4 year (2016 / June 2021) 57.1% (Watt Whisky) 1 of 279 bottles

  • Nose – So incredibly tropical – taking the normal PJ tropical fruits and ramping them up several degrees
  • Palate – Intense spice, a bit of a flavour bomb, tropical fruit bowl, chocolate
  • Finish – Ahh… there is that spice shifting into bitter
  • Water – Yes, please!

It was great trying Paul John‘s character as selected by Kate & Mark Watt. What do they have to say:

Fully matured in an underground warehouse in Goa. Tropical fruits, spices, cloves & plums.

We shifted from India back to Scotland with a discontinued Lowland distillery – Dumbarton is a Lowland grain distillery, which also housed Inverleven and Lomond malt distilleries. Previously used primarily in Ballentine’s blends, the distillery closed in 2002 and is now demolished.

Dumbarton 21 year (2000 / June 2022) 57.1% (Watt Whisky) 222 bottles

    • Nose – It started off quietly, gently unfurling, caramel, light smoke
    • Palate – Clearly a grain, what was a light peat influence on the nose became a full-fledged smoke bomb…. frankly more like sipping an ashtray
    • Finish – Closed on more smoke

Wow! I don’t know what exactly I expected. One normally thinks of Lowland grains as being either gentle or harsh alcohol. I think this may be the 1st that I’ve tried which was finished in an ex-Caol Ila Hogshead,

What do the Watt Whisky folks have to say:

Finished for 9 months in an ex-Islay cask. Light, dry smoke, butterscotch, syrupy, ashy and medicinal.

We then moved on to the Highlands with the Blair Athol 13 year (2008 / Sep 2022) 56.7% (Watt Whisky) 301 bottles.

    • Nose – Nice! Extra berry, jammy
    • Palate – Well rounded
    • Finish – Dry and peppery

What a brilliant contrast to Dumbarton! Kate shared it was matured in a Hogshead and then finished in an ex-Red wine cask.

What do the Watt Whisky folks have to say:

Rested in a red wine barrique for 16 months. Strawberries, jelly sweets and cured meats.

This pair – Dumbarton and Blair Athol – had the same coloured labels and yet could not be more different in character! Fascinating.

What fun being introduced to another interesting independent bottler. Wishing Kate & Mark the very best with their venture!

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Birthday Chorlton – Orkney 22 year 53.4%

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The story behind this one was that I was having trouble purchasing this Highland Park when it became available. So my London-based friend also tried… In the end, we both were successful! Which proved to be a good thing as one bottle went almost immediately to India to be sampled on a special evening. Whilst its sibling remained in London…. to later also make most of its way to Bombay!

Orkney (Highland Park) 22 year 53.4%

From our London evening, October 2022:

  • Nose – Fabulous nose – big and full, mineral, a bit of ‘funky forest’, earthy which a fresh maritime sea breeze, then started to shift to sweet heavy fruit, then back to grass stalks, aromatic and herbal with woodruff, sage…. waxy and happy, a touch of sandalwood and tobacco leaf
  • Palate – So much going on, spice, peat, fruit, a “wake up” dram that became sweeter and sweeter
  • Finish – A huge finish, orange marmalade with cinnamon spice
  • Revisit – So incredibly fruity, a veritable fruit basket, especially orange and sweet spices, some leather on the palate, cornflakes drowned in milk, exceedingly tasty

From our Mumbai evenings in November 2022:

  • Nose – A bit acetone at first, a bit sharp, then shifts to sea breeze – coming and going like the ebb and flow of the tide, hay, vegetal then it began to open up revealing some fruity elements – particularly citrus,. The more time in the glass, the sweeter it became -condensed milk, not quite a toffee sweetness… more like a dulce de leche, 
  • Palate – Sechuan peppers and a bit astringent at first, then sweetened into warm sprite
  • Finish – Spicey, dry wood
  • Water – On the nose, it flattens the aromas… bringing back a bit of that light sea breeze, joined by sweet milk however it is rather nice how water opens up the palate – that vegetal element shifts into sweet roasted root vegetables, lightly caramelized then fruity… which continues on to the finish – nice!

Particularly with the Whisky Ladies, there was a real range of reactions to this one… It was also such a contrast to our previous drams…each bringing quite different characters. For the gents, I changed the tasting order bringing this into 3rd rather than last place and think that worked much better – we could more readily discern the different elements and enjoy it for what it is.

Here are a few more Cholton’s from La Nouvelle Vague series:

And those we managed to sample from the earlier L’Ancien Régime series:

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Birthday Chorlton – Bunnahabhain 18 year 53.4%

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In many ways, this was the most interesting whisky we tried in an extra special Chorlton birthday quartet. This was exactly why it was the 1st expression that led to acquiring three additional bottles and several evenings of tastings – from London to Mumbai – where we sniffed, swished, and savoured our way through these unique bottles.

Bunnahabhain 18 year (28 Feb 2002 / 2021) Sherry Butt 53.4%

What was our impression from London in October 2022?

  • Nose – Initially very ‘fresh’ yet shy, red delicious apple skins, a hint of sherry, dry wood, a bit of tobacco leaf, something a touch sharp, then started to open up further with banana cake and brown sugar, shifted again to sour cream
  • Palate – 1st sip was harsh then it mellowed into a spicy fruity smoothie, caramel, oily with substance, then roasted nuts
  • Finish – Spice and smoke that gradually sweetens

It was full of contrasts – shy on the nose but forceful on the palate, kept shifting and changing. It is also one of those whiskies you need to spend a bit of time with… try only once and you would miss its quirky chameleon character.

The longer we spent with the Bunnahabhain, the more we appreciated it. For one London-based Whisky Lady, this was the clear favourite.

We also thought it would go well with cheese… which is exactly what I tried later in Mumbai – definitely works – particularly a nice sharp old cheddar.

How did this contrast or compare with our Mumbai tasting experiences just a month later in November 2022?

  • Nose – Lemon, mint, vanilla, asparagus, mushrooms, stewed cherries… though a bit shy it kept moving around and revealing different elements the longer it was in the glass… next was camomile, waxy, biscuits, tinned peaches, marscapone
  • Palate – Honey, apples, some forest moss and more mushrooms, pine, green chillies, milk chocolate, nutty… take too large a sip and you would be greeted with a brushfire!
  • Finish – Cloves, star anise, pine needles, green chillies, very dry, edging towards smoke

Just like our 1st experience, this Bunnahabhain is not to be underestimated. It captivated us with its curiously shifting character. For most, this was the favourite and our only regret was having to split 100ml between 8 ladies! We would have loved to add a bit more to our glass and settle down with it, see if it continued to morph or rested on a few elements.

Did this contrast much with the gents? For the most part, we agreed, adding a few further observations from our experience:

  • Nose – Began with very light iodine that one gent described as what he typically expects from a Bunna – iodine without the heavy peat of other Islay whiskies – then shifted into fruits like pomegranate, then a cantaloupe, a hint of rye bread, some raisins, followed by a camomile-based herbal tea (think Sleepy Time!)
  • Palate – Incredibly sweet, well-rounded and well-balanced, loads of different kinds of honey, milk shocolate bars
  • Finish – Very long, subtle spices

There was no doubt this is a complex whisky, well worth taking time so that could evolve through its different dimensions.


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

And, lastly, we have the official festive special – an 18-year-old sherry cask Bunnahabhain. Please note that this is available to pre-order (see note below), and that my tasting notes aren’t super-considered as I’m just going off my brief notes from the cask sample.

So, the nose on this starts with sea air, light wax and mandarin, before richer notes of buttery brioche, praline and milk chocolate covered raisins appear. Just a touch of smoke too: cigar and joss stick.

For the palate I see I’ve written “Lovely!” in my notes… Again it starts in a very clean and crisp way (red apple, pink grapefruit) before the richer development (toasted nuts, honey, Daim bars, cinnamon pastries). Slight smokiness and orange marmalade in the aftertaste.

This is proper Bunna, a great example of the distillery style, and the sherry is beautifully integrated. We got 322 bottles from this sherry butt at 53.4% and they’re available for £150 each.

I purchased this in June 2021 from Master of Malt for GBP 151 as had missed the original Chorlton direct offer in December 2020.

We’ve enjoyed exploring Chorlton’s La Nouvelle Vague series:

Here is the full set of Chorlton‘s sampled til date from the L’Ancien Régime series:

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Birthday Chorlton – Tormore 28 year 42.4%

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When David Bennet sent his summer 2021 email letting his devoted Chorlton followers know about this Tormore 28-year, I simply couldn’t resist! At that time, I had tried only one whisky from Tormore – a very special 10 year from the 1970s at Singapore Whisky Live’s Collectors Room. More recently in 2022, I had the pleasure to try the Tormore 29-year bottled by Gordon & Macphail at London’s Whisky Show.

While we had to be a bit patient to try this Tormore 28-year, we made it count! It was sampled over four evenings, of which below I’ve captured an amalgam of impressions from some.

Tormore 28 year (Nov 1992/Jul 2021) 42.45% 253 bottles

What did we think of this dram – contrasting our experiences between a fine fall evening in London vs two warm evenings in Mumbai…

  • Nose
    • London: Incredibly rich, beautiful nose, sunshine sweetness, fruity marmalade, apple crumble pastry, heavy on the cinnamon and brown sugar… as it opened up, there was also light saline, shifting into something heavier… like wandering into a forest, faintly mineral, wet stone, then shifted again into brazil nut, buttery, red food coloring
    • Mumbai: Very salty, metallic, some kelp or seaweed, misty, cold water from a copper jug, slowly opened and sweetened into gingerbread, lebkuchen, candied ginger, followed by fruits, minute by minute becoming “jammier”- starting with plum jam then sweetening into a melange of strawberry and raspberry, like that mystery red jelly that you aren’t quite sure what exactly it is!
  • Palate
    • London: Exceptional! Silky smooth, hot buttery biscuits, a bit nutty too… gorgeous… was there even a puff of smoke too?
    • Mumbai: Honey, ginger, wood tannins, walnut, orange rind, light smoke…. utterly lovely! Light yet complex, very open and approachable, boiled lemon sweets
  • Finish – Very dry, long, and lingers bitter almond
  • Water
    • London: No temptation to add!
    • Mumbai: Brings out a bar of lovely milk chocolate on the nose… needed? No. But still worth trying this way too…
  • Revisit – Fab fruity with nutty caramel – yum!!

One of our ladies in Mumbai had tried this earlier in the year in London and noted there was some impact of oxidation between the freshly opened bottle she tried and our evening in November, where some elements had muted and shifted.

For myself, I recall the first experience just a month earlier in London as simply stunning – one class act! I could just sit with this whisky alone… savoring it slowly. Remarkable. Lovely… Pure delight in a glass!

What was most appealing is how it developed in the glass – from maritime to mineral to marmalade on the nose, silky smooth, light yet complex on the palate, and closing with a strong, long, dry bitter finish. Simply superb!

There was no doubt this is indeed a special treat – rare and worthy of slowing down to enjoy.

What did David have to say?

Properly matured single malt here from the reliably fruity Tormore distillery!

On the nose this is a real fruit basket (red apples, orange drops, marmalade, juicy Riesling), backed with some mineralic and foresty depth (waxes, flints and ferns). The palate is lightly syrupy and waxy, with cream teas and biscuits mixed in with the fruits. The finish is very clean, with blood oranges and mandarins. Very summery, and utterly delicious.

This whisky was distilled on the 16th November 1992, and matured in a refill hogshead until being bottled in July 2021. It produced 253 bottles at a cask strength of 42.4% and they are available for £175 each.

I purchased this in July 2021 which joined three more from La Nouvelle Vague series:

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Birthday Chorlton – Glen Elgin 12 year 52.6%

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The wonderful thing about an ‘Appetizer’ is how it helps calibrate your palate for wonders to come… This was our plan with the affordable Glen Elgin from Chorlton‘s  La Nouvelle Vague series… a whisky that was sampled in several sessions across two continents.

It was the youngest of the Chorlton Birthday quartet which featured the Tormore 28 year, Bunnahabhain 18 year and Orkney (Highland Parrk) 22 year. So… what did we think?

Glen Elgin 12 year (21 Apr 2009/July 2021) refill hogshead 52.6% 287 bottles

From our London evening, October 2022 (alas I missed the June experience!):

  • Nose – Happy day! After an initial sharp spice gave way to a lovely waxy sweetly floral candle aroma, we found white flowers, orchard fruits with crisp ripe pears, with a chasing of citrus….
  • Palate – First sip had a peppery spice, whereas, with the 2nd sip, the spice was joined by  a fruity kiss
  • Finish – Spice with nutty nougat
  • Water – I found a splash of water nicely mellows out this dram. Yellow plums, some malt, freshly baked biscuits on the nose, with the palate rounded out
  • Revisit – Curiously after an hour the initial whiff was a bit sour, then on an even later revisit it was deliciously floral and fruity

Next up from our first Mumbai evening and second tryst from November 2022:

  • Nose – Red apples, including the core and skin! Joined by other orchard fruits like pears, some aniseed, and fennel, then honey sweetness followed again by orchard fruits with perhaps a light lime twist… young, fresh with a bit of ‘malty’ elements
  • Palate – Initially it was rather like sipping Calvados! Some spice, more depth on the palate than anticipated from the nose, and still lots of apples and some pears! Was also quite prickly – like having pop rocks bursting in your mouth! Also found grapes, light licorice, slightly bitter, quite straightforward
  • Finish – Minty, herbal, refreshing
  • Water – Yes, please! Water brings out yellow plums, glucose biscuits (like Marie), more malty notes, and some resin on the palate… and after time shifts more into pastry like an apple crumble or shortbread, vanilla, mint… 
  • Revisit – There wasn’t much remaining in the glass but we had such contrasting reactions – most thought it lovely, whereas one found it foul!

We found many similar elements though one lady found this one a bit tough and rough, much heavier… she also found the revisit, not at all to her liking. Whereas for others, this was a good place to begin, appreciating the fruity flavours and how they contrasted with something of more substance followed by a pleasant finish. When I read David’s tasting notes, there was overall agreement!

And finally, from our next Mumbai evening, November 2022, did we have anything to add? In truth, much of what the ladies found rang true.. so much so that I simply blended the observations with the gents into those of the ladies!

Overall we thought whilst adding water didn’t do too much for the nose, it really improved the palate, bringing out the fruity elements, apple jack, grapes, reinforcing the herbal close.

And with that, our explorations began… next? The stunning Toremore 28 year!
What did David have to say?

I’ve always been a fan of this distillery’s charming and somewhat classy spirit, even if it’s often felt a bit under the radar.

The nose has a toffee-apple-esque balance of sweetness (butterscotch, cinnamon sugar, pain au raisin) and tart green fruits (lime, apple). The palate has a thick and oily texture, with caramel wafer, malted milk biscuits, peachy fruits and lemon peel. The finish is malty and hazelnutty. A hefty spirit, here, but with light feet!

This whisky was distilled on the 21st April 2009, and matured in a refill hogshead until being bottled in July 2021. It produced 287 bottles at a cask strength of 56.6%.

I purchased this in July 2021 for £65 plus tax and courier charges.

Here are a few more from Chorlton‘s earlier L’Ancien Régime series:

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Chorlton Birthday Drams – Glen Elgin, Tormore, Orkney, Bunnahabhain

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This Chorlton quartet was the birthday gift that just kept giving! It began as a single bottle purchased as an extra special 60th birthday gift. Then the other Bombay Malt & Cigar gents offered to ‘chip in’, so I purchased another 2 bottles. The trio was then augmented with an additional bottle to become a remarkable quartet!

All four were from the La Nouvelle Vague series:

The quartet was originally opened in June 2022 in London during a special evening with Sukhinder Singh (Elixir, The Whisky Exchange) and two Bombay Malt & Cigar gents (naturally including the “birthday boy!). As I missed it, we rescheduled for October 2022, also in London, sharing with a former Bombay Whisky Lady and other friends.

However, our tastings with these bottles weren’t done! Two sets of 100ml samples were re-bottled and dispatched to Mumbai for two evenings:

  • Whisky Ladies on November 1 as a special joint birthday treat for myself and one other Whisky Lady (sharing the same birthday) who flew in from Hyderabad… the only challenge here was splitting 100ml between 8 ladies!
  • Bombay Malt & Cigar gents on Nov 6 to share with the others who were intended to be part of the original 60th birthday celebration that inspired the whole set! Which just so happened to also be my partner’s birthday (who joined us for dinner)

It was so interesting to see the commonalities and differences between the tasting sessions! Different settings, different personalities, and different whisky style preferences meant we could experience different dimensions. What an incredibly rewarding way to experience such lovely and varied whiskies!

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