Glenglassaugh Octaves Classic 44%

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Our Nurnberg Whisky Explorers’ April evening was a mix of offerings. We began our explorations with a curiosity – a Glenglassaugh Octaves Classic. We then moved on to a trio of cask strength single cask expressions from Taiwan – specifically the Kavalan Solist Trio of Sherry, Vinho Barrique, and Port. We closed our tasting with The Six Isles Scottish blend, comparing their standard expression with their special Port edition.

So… why was the Glenglassaugh a curiosity? I’ve shared below my mixed experience with this distillery. From a stellar example of the original spirit from 1965 with a remarkable 40 year to a lasting impression of the early expressions from the new distillery, that they were brought out just a little too, well, early! 

A fellow whisky explorer in Nurnberg also had similar mixed experiences. Which is exactly why he purchased this special edition Octaves Classic, to see what Rachel Barrie could do with smaller batches with higher spirit / wood contact possible with Octaves.

The result? Read on…

Glenglassaugh Octaves Classic Batch 2, 44%

  • Nose – A distinctive metallic edge, followed by some exotic fruits, then chocolate and vanilla. Some sulfur too.
  • Palate – Harsh at first, tingling and prickly, peppery, quite wood forward, then as it settled, it revealed fruits – mostly tropical – becoming a bit sweeter and smoother the more time it spent in the glass
  • Finish – A bit bitter initially like coffee, then warmed up

Let’s just say that we weren’t exactly won over!

What more do we know? Not much. Whilst this expression is no longer on the official Glenglassaugh Distillery site, it was a combination of Bourbon, Pedro Ximénez, and Amontillado Sherry Cask Octaves.

Whilst I’m happy to have a chance to revisit this revived distillery a decade after my initial experience, it still isn’t a priority for future explorations.

What about other Glenglassaugh experiences? Read on…

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Kavalan Solist Trio of Sherry, Vinho Barrique, Port

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Kavalan from Taiwan has enjoyed immense popularity, particularly for its singular Solist line of cask-strength single cask single malts with different finishes. Some years ago, our Mumbai-based whisky clubs had a bit of a love affair with Kavalan. From a notable evening dedicated to trio of Kavalan Solist Brandy, Port and Sherry to a terrific zip through nearly their full collection in Singapore at Whisky Live in 2017!

The Bombay Malt and Cigar lads decided to crack open three in May 2024. Ideally, I would have brought my Kavalan Solist Bourbon to join the Sherry, Vinho Barrique and Port! However, alas this was yet another Mumbai tasting that I missed. Kindly, our host set aside some generous samples which I had the pleasure of sharing a year later with our Nürberg Whisky Explorers group – what fun!

Kavalan Solist Sherry

  • Nose – Oh my! Rich coffee liqueur, sherry, intense and dense
  • Palate – Flavour packed! Sweet, very dense, a real sherry bomb with tobacco, a nutty chocolate, bursting with sweet spices, wood was also prominent, and above all rich, chewy, strong coffee
  • Finish – A very long finish with black licorice
  • Water – Helps make it plumper, juicy fruits on the nose with dried figs and dates on the palate

This was a classic Kavalan Solist – highly compacted and complex. It is sweet without being overly so. Intense and interesting yet not overwhelming. A rich, beautiful dram bursting with character.

Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Cask No W160331032A 57.1% (201 bottles)

  • Nose – What a contrast from the sherry! There was a delightful, sweet mahogany wood on the nose, warming into a creamy, buttery chocolate chased by sweet jasmine
  • Palate – Fruity, juicy, smooth chocolate, really quite voluptuous! Oily, tobacco joins the fruit
  • Finish – Long and luscious

Curiously, we were not in the least interested in adding water – it was perfect just as is! Perhaps we should have started with this one – it is almost too polite after the robust sherry.

Kavalan Solist Port

  • Nose – Sharp and makes you work! Tobacco, molasses, sugary chocolate-covered coffee beans, then fresh wood… as it opened, it was joined by fruit
  • Palate – Strong, very dry, furry on the tongue, chocolate raisins
  • Finish – A long finish
  • Revisit – We came back to this expression after some time and found a rather delicious sweet caramelized onion, almost like bacon jam – yum!

In some ways, this was the “smoothest” of the trio. It became sweeter the more time it spent in the glass. From memory, the last Kavalan Solist Port I tried clearly had a fortified sweet wine element, whereas this was not so distinctly Port per se.

For me the highlight was sharing these intense, highly concentrated cask strength expressions with a new audience in Germany. None other than I had tried Kavalan before with this trio a terrific introduction for seasoned whisky aficionados.

A pity we didn’t have the exact cask numbers and alcohol strength for the Sherry and Port, however, they were likely purchased around 2021 – 2022. Whereas the Vinho Barrique was bought in June 2022 for Eur 125 in Germany, then traveled back to the UK and on to India.

Other Kavalans tasted over the years….

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Introducing 10th Street American Single Malts

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These days, a Canadian enjoying an American whisky is considered highly unpatriotic! However, back in 2024 when this trio came to me, we were still cordial neighbours. Setting politics aside, it has been some time since I was intrigued by whisky from “south of the border,” like 10th Street….

10th Street is the brainchild of a IIT grads from India who built successful careers in San Jose, California. Over the years, they discovered a mutual love whisky and, like all good Silicon Valley stories, started tinkering with making their own spirits until the experiments evolved from curiosity into a business!

I brought the 10th Street Triple Cask to a January 2025 evening with the Whisky Ladies and Bombay Malt & Cigar gentlemen. I then took a sample to Nürnberg to try alongside two minis.

10th Street Triple Cask “Dragon” STR Single Malt (2024) Barrel No 476 55.6%

  • Colour – Deep ruby red, almost like coffee
  • Nose – Jackfruit, perhaps even a hint of citrus to start? Another thought dragon fruit. Bottom line, there was fruit but not your typical orchard or tropical fruits. Grainy, jeera powder, more like rye than whisky at first, then opens to sweet bananas, walnuts, rum cake, loads of ginger… over time the bananas became overripe. It then shifted into a caramel custard… and finally a lovely floral aroma emerged – apple blossoms on a warm sunny day…
  • Palate – I’m awake now! Powdered garam masala, cinnamon, and black pepper. Lots of body, syrupy chocolate-filled liqueur – Williams pear? Oily with a great mouthful. The spice was joined by something almost like chewing on coffee beans.
  • Finish – When first opened, we experienced a big flavourful finish with great staying power… however, in the sample tried months later the finish was much shorter
  • Revisit – We set this aside and returned to candy floss on the nose with fruits and nuts on the palate. Yum!

One person remarked that the aromas reminded him of a beef brisket! Another thought the finish was like breathing “thick air”. We particularly enjoyed how the nose evolved and the contrast of sweet aromas with a substantial body.

Here’s what the folks at 10th Street have to say:

We were not surprised that our Triple Cask was crowned the best whisky at Whiskies of the World, beating several renowned whiskies. You can learn more about the competition here. First released in the 2024, the year of the Dragon, our pot still distilled, non-chill filtered single malt has spent time in three different casks. After aging in STR casks, it was finished in Wine Casks followed by Port Casks. The result is a delicious whisky with complex layers and a lingering finish. Enjoy the Dragon.

Tasting Notes: The nose is rich and aromatic, with prominent notes of dried fruit, caramel, and toasted oak. Subtle hints of spice, dark chocolate, and a touch of citrus add depth to the aroma.

This whisky is full-bodied and intense on the palate, delivering bold flavors of toffee, dark chocolate, and roasted nuts. The influence of the triple cask aging adds layers of spice, charred wood, and a slight smokiness, balanced by sweeter notes of vanilla and honey.

What fun! This was certainly an interesting start. A few months later in Nürnberg, I sat down to revisit the Triple Cask “Dragon” together with the Port Peated and STR. Here is what my tasting companion and I found…

10th Street STR Single Malt 56.2% 

  • Nose – Cloves, semi-dried dates, baklava, raisins, red licorice, cranberries, aamchor, a hint of herbs like a mix of fresh mint and basil
  • Palate – Nice and spicy, a bit sour like sour cherry or plum – it reminded me of li hing mui, some oak, as it continued to open, it became sweeter and sweeter, revealing a Linden flower honey
  • Finish – Like on the palate, it sweetened the more as it lingered, then shifted into something a bit sour and herbal

I couldn’t help myself – though I was tasting in Germany, I kept having associations with distinctly Indian elements – from raw mango powder (aamchor) to a bit sour (khatta) and also Chinese with li hing mui. Fascinating!

10th Street Port Cask Peated Single Malt 58.2%

  • Nose – A sea salty maritime peat, balsamic, kalamata black olive brine – think of a delightfully dirty martini! Over time, the balsamic element disappeared to be replaced by smoked meats, and then finally, a hint of port emerged
  • Palate – Surprisingly soft, a lovely cinnamon peat, dry yet balanced, a gentle sweet peat
  • Finish – Here we have a finish where the peat lingers

There are so many different kinds of peat. This one clearly fell into the more ‘maritime’ category. And like all the 10th Street expressions, we found it sweetened over time.

Whilst the STR and Port Peated expressions were interesting, we returned to the “Dragon” Triple Cask – enjoying both the complexity of its aromas and leisurely sipping.

You can tell this is a passion project combined with engineering precision. No shortcuts. Deliberately narrow cuts. Experimentation? Sure! The technical geek side mingles with artistry. Focusing purely on the domestic US market – that too only a few states – it will be interesting to see how 10th Street continues to evolve in the coming years. In the interim – bravo for a solid start!!

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Contrast and compare – The Six Isles Standard vs Port

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Early May in Nurnberg can be glorious – everything goes from grey to green, the sun often comes out, long days, warm but not sweltering. Whisky sipping is still possible, just veers more towards brighter, lighter styles away from heavy peats or dense sherries.

By a remarkable coincidence, a tasting companion brought a Six Isles Port expression to our evening, along with a 20 ml sample from an Advent Calendar. One sample alone was insufficient for a tasting… that was when I remembered I had the same Advent Calendar with another sample and also one from my Canada stash too! And this is how we had sufficient to try both the original and Port finish!

For those unfamiliar with this blend, The Six Isles celebrates Scottish island whiskies, embracing the maritime sensibility with light peat. The distilleries are fairly clear from most of the Islands via their descriptions:

  • Arran brings harmony with its Lochranza distillery
  • Jura distinctiveness – obviously Jura!
  • Mull is dramatic and colourful in its landscape and harbour – Tobermoray / Ledaig
  • Skye is a land of mountain ranges, rugged characterful – Talisker
  • Orkney in the far north with honey, wood smoke – Highland Park (likely not the Scapa)
  • Islay brings the wisp of peat smoke, with the distillery a mystery

This is a “pure” or “blended malt” with no grain whisky. Below is a picture of their old label for the standard expression…

The Six Isles 46%

  • Nose – Aromatic smoke, gentle, clear maritime stamp with the spray of sea salt – one taster even found a bit of Agave!
  • Palate – Whilst most enjoyable, it is a bit “light’ or superficial, missing a bit of depth
  • Finish – Short yet entirely pleasant

Overall, we pronounced it a good blend – the peat tobacco was light, keeping this more in the vein of a summer dram than one reserved for a cold winter day.

One tasting companion quipped, “It arrives like an Arran and leaves like an Islay“.

Six Isles Port Finish 48%

  • Nose – Similar vein as the standard, yet with more substance… a hint of port in the aromas, yet quite subtle… some fruit, a bit of vanilla
  • Palate – Caramelised bacon, very sweet and fruity – a bit citrusy with melons too, more pronounced tobacco as well
  • Finish – A nice cinnamon peat on the finish

We found this sharper with more depth than the standard expression. The extra 2% strength likely added to its character – everything had just a dash more “Ooomph!”

Here’s what they have to say about their Port finish:

  • Nose: Fragrant smoke, orange peel and cranberry, bonoffee tart and fresh dill
  • Palate: Red fruits and cream, a hint of vanilla, watermelon, grapefruit and soft peat smoke
  • Finish: Short, crisp and sweet with a mild lingering peat

After reading their tasting notes, I would tend to agree! Above all – what fun to compare these two expressions side by side!

PS – Both the Port expression and photos come courtesy of a Nurnberg International Whisky Explorers club!

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Shelter Point’s Ripple Rock 46%

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Since our first experience with Shelter Point in 2017, we’ve enjoyed keeping up with their different expressions. Thankfully, I’m not the only fan, so sometimes I benefit from purchases made by a fellow Canadian! Which is how this particular bottle made its way from Vancouver, Canada to Mumbai, India, then a sample to Nürnberg, Germany!

Shelter Point Ripple Rock 46%

  • Nose – There was a distinctly mineral quality, a bit chalky, some saline or sea salt. Quite straightforward, oak, herbs. As it opened, it revealed a subtle roasted caramel buttered popcorn. As more time passed, it became sweeter with raisins and richer with a hint of chocolate
  • Palate – A nice spice, a touch bitter with nuts, wood forward, toast, some cloves… like the nose, the more time this dram spent in the glass, the more it sweetened
  • Finish –  A light finish

As we continued to sniff and sip, we declared this a nice “accompaniment” whisky. Something to enjoy in autumn as dusk falls. Nice.

What more do we know? Well, check out what the folks at Shelter Point have to say about their Ripple Rock expression:

Campbell River’s 1958 Ripple Rock explosion is the inspiration for our latest single malt whisky. It has spent 6 years in American oak before finishing for 18 months in an alligator charred Virgin Oak cask.

And their official Tasting Notes:

On the nose, The Ripple Rock has distinct notes of vanilla with a slight chocolate note. The palate is spicy with an intense chocolate flavour all leading to a wonderfully satisfying finish that is long with an assortment of spiciness, chocolate and vanilla

Retailing in Canada for CND 78, it was opened for the Whisky Ladies of Mumbai in June 2024 with the sample tasted in May 2025.

Curious about other experiences? Here are a few more Shelter Points sampled by the Nurnberg’s Whisky Explorers:

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Canadian stash – Benjamin Kuentz, 6 Isles, Clynelish 14, Balblair 16

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In October 2024, I found myself in Winnipeg, enjoying a relaxing evening with friends, cracking open the Whisky Warehouse No 8 quartet – sweet! Talk turned to how our open whisky bottles sit in our respective cupboards for years – with our infrequent imbibing. This led to an offer to refill the 20 ml bottles emptied from our tasting with a few “take-home” presents.

I perused the familiar drams in their well-stocked whisky cabinet, selecting whiskies all previously tried… The concept was simple – consider ones where I could easily craft an interesting compare and contrast experience with related expressions.

From France, Benjamin Kuentz’s Aveux Gourmands 46%. And my pairing choice? My 2024 London Whisky Show pick was from Woven with their Homemade expression. It was appealing because its salty butterscotch reminded me of the Aveux Gournands – or at least that was my impression at the Show!

My actual tasting experience? Interesting! Beginning with the Woven, I got the salty caramel element that first triggered the link between these two whiskies. However, when contrasted with the delicious, sweet, salty yumminess of the Aveux Gournands, the Woven Homemade was a touch bitter.

Six Isles 43% – literally a blend of whiskies from six Scottish Islands – Orkney, Skye, Mull, Jura, Islay, Arran. As it is a blend, I initially planned to try with a different Woven blend. However, the whisky universe had other plans, and instead it featured in a lovely evening comparing this standard expression with a special Port finish one!

I then picked a Highland with the lovely Clynelish 14 year 46% to compare with the 12 year old 2023 London Whisky Show Festival bottling! Whilst the fest bottle has been opened in India, the mini has yet to reach Mumbai…

The Balblair 16 is such a classic! And no longer available. For this one, I have my eye on comparing it with David’s 2025 spring Chorlton release – also a 16-year-old bottled at cask strength. As the Chorlton is in London and not prioritised for bringing to India for another year or so, this pairing will simply have to wait too!

Curious to learn more? You will simply have to be patient til the pairing opportunities occur!

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London’s Whisky Show 2024 – Introducing Korea’s Ki One

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At London’s Whisky Show 2024, we were introduced to a few new distilleries. From Islay, we checked out Ardnahoe. From England, we sampled what Wire Works had to offer. New Zealand introduced us to Cardrona and Thomson. Then from the Mainstage, we tried Japan’s Kanosuke and Ireland’s Boann.

But Korea? Enter Three Societies, touted as Korea’s first whisky distillery. Founded in 2020 by Bryan Do, a Korean-American with Scotland’s Andrew Shand, the distillery already offer several different expressions. At the Whisky Show, we had the opportunity to try Virgin American Oak, Peated, and PX.

Ki One Batch 6 PX (2024) 53.5%

I picked the PX and found it quite curious. On the nose, I found Elderflower, a kind of “eau de vie”, fruity, floral, with an overall sweetness. On the palate, it was so sweet that it was like sipping a spiced liqueur rather than whisky. I didn’t note much of a finish, however in fairness, this was just a quick sniff, swish, and spit, so much can be missed!

What more do they have to say about this expression?

KI-ONE Batch 6 is matured in Pedro Ximenez (PX) sherry casks, allowing you to experience the well-balanced body with sweet character of the PX casks, which are beloved among whisky enthusiasts.

With the official tasting notes:

  • NOSE    SWEET DRIED FRUITS
  • TASTE    RICH RAISINS, DATES AND FIGS
  • FINISH    VANILLA, APPLES, AND PLUMS WITH NUTMEG, SPICY FINISH

An interesting start, and curious to see how this new entrant from Asia fares over the coming years.

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From Germany to Afrika!

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Whisky friends just outside Nuremberg know how much I love Ethiopian cuisine – it is one of my favourite “comfort” foods! So when they stumbled upon an event raising funds for charities in Africa that combined Ethiopian food and whisky, we simply had to go!

It was my first introduction to the team behind Hawelti – Marcel Heuer and Negassty Abraha – who are doing impressive work! They were joined by Markus Giesbert of African Spirits, who supplied, sourced, or was even part of producing the spirits we explored.

This was their 6th event, where we walked into a community of supporters of different ages, coming together over passions to enjoy good food, explore interesting whiskies, whilst raising funds for good causes.

6th Benefiz-Whisky-Tasting mit afrikanischem Whisky und äthiopischem Essen

It was such an interesting variety of spirits, grains, and single malts!

  1. Projekt 3 Ethiopian Beer Brandy 40%
  2. Projekt 4 Acacia barrel aged Beer Brandy 40%
  3. Boplaas 5 year Single Grain 43.6%
  4. Heimer 2021 Grain 43%
  5. Three Ships 12 year Single Malt Peated 46.3%
  6. Ondjaba Single Edition No 1 Triple Grain 54.8% from Namibia
  7. Bains 18 year Oloroso 50.5%
  8. Projekt 01 Strathmill 10 year Hawelti Anniversary 65.7%

Projekt 3 Ethiopian Beer Brandy (29 Jan 2022 – 01 Mar 2022) 40% 160 bottles. ~Eur 40 for 500ml

We began with a spirit rather than whisky…  A product of necessity to avoid wasting Ethiopian Walia beer that would expire during the coronavirus pandemic. Rather than waste, Syelle & Alemash,  Severin Simon aka Feinbrenneri Simon’s, and African Spirits set about converting a problem into a new project – making spirits! As the Bierbrand was being poured, we watched a video on its making. Markus shared that nearly 5,000 bottles of Walia beer went into making their Projekts. What did we think?

  • Colour – Clear
  • Nose – There was no doubt this came from beer! It was also fruity, much more like sniffing schnapps or a new make spirit, yet interesting
  • Palate – To be honest, it was a bit peculiar, smooth, like having heavy alcohol juice, cold potatoes, sweet
  • Finish – Nothing except spirit

This was certainly an unexpected start to our evening. Once we adjusted to the spirit, it was quite pleasant and distinctive.

Projekt 4 Acacia barrel aged beer brandy 40% ~Eur 42 for 500 ml

We progressed to the next experiment, which was also beer brandy that was aged for 22 months in Acacia barrels which previously held rum. This Projekt was considered a ‘precursor’ to whisky… stepping in that direction.

The colour was pale straw, the aromas of very old bananas, well past their prime, even a bit of mouldy hay. And the taste? Well… it reminded me of cough drops from the former East Germany that are effective but not so tasty.

Some experiments work, and some are not so successful. I would say kudos for effort in trying to rescue the beer before expiry, however, this isn’t my tipple.

Boplaas 5 year Small Batch Single Grain 43.6% ~Eur 40 for 700 ml

Our journey then shifted from beer brandy to single-grain from Boplaas, a winery and distillery based in a few locations along the Klein Karoo & Garden Route in South Africa. Whilst primarily known for their wine and port, their spirits range from brandy to gin, single grain to single malt. Like many warmer climates, the Angels Share is high. Though 5 years is quite a short period of maturation for a grain whisky, in South Africa, the maturation is accelerated by the heat and evaporation.

  • Nose – Flower power, a lovely perfume, joined by tropical fruits, some almond paste, then settled into pineapple and mangoes
  • Palate – A light, easy drinking dram, sweet, subtle, and enjoyable
  • Finish – Limited with a touch of wood, yet sweet

We had a sigh of happiness. As whisky enthusiasts, this is more in our direction than the Beer Brandy experiments.

What more do we know? After aging in ex-bourbon barrels, this single grain was finished in ex-Brandy casks.

Heimer 2021 Grain 43% ~Eur 49, not available in Europe

We continued with another grain, shifting to Heimer from Qualito Craft distillery in Phalaborwa, South Africa. Unlike a whisky that leaves the barrel behind when bottled, this single grain had wood shavings in the bottle, to continue to infuse the spirit with further flavour. The shavings came from a broken cask that took on a new life as part of an experiment.

  • Nose – Mmmm vanilla, quite inviting on the nose, a nice wood perfume, caramel, fruity
  • Palate – Very sweet, like a dessert whisky or even liqueur, smooth, distinctly different
  • Finish – Short with an odd varnish end, quite dry

We joked that this was like having a vanilla whisky liqueur not grain. This would not be for a traditional whisky drinker, however is an interesting experience. Unlike some experiments, this was worth trying…

Three Ships 12 year Single Malt 46.3% ~Eur 49 for 700 ml

We next turned to our first single malt of the evening. Coming from the James Sedwick Distillery in South Africa, master distiller Andy Watts aims to bring to the world a peated whisky in a Scottish style. The peated barley is from Europe (30 ppm), then was distilled using pot stills, followed by maturing in 2nd and 3rd fill American oak casks. The thinking behind using re-fill casks is to counter the intensity from maturing ‘faster’ in a warmer climate than Scotland.

What did we think?

  • Nose – Unlike the earlier tipples, the first whiff was certainly in “whisky” territory! Vanilla, wood, sweet… yet also had a heady quality like walking into a room full of varnish, polish or oil-based paint
  • Palate – A hint of tar, woody, very dry, deeper dry, with a sharp bite of spice, some smoked herbs
  • Finish – There with a sweet honey and sour or tart citrus quality
  • Water – We thought to see what water would do… Made it a bit sweeter with some hints of fruits emerging

I can imagine this would do better in Europe than in Scotland as it clearly is far from a Scottish style.

Ondjaba Single Edition No 01 Triple Grain 54.5% ~Eur 80 for 700 ml

We moved from South Africa to Namibia with Ondjaba. What is the story here?

Ondjaba gets its name from the indigenous Ovambo word meaning ‘Elephant’.

For our various editions, we use a variety of grainbills from Maize, Barely, Wheat, Rye and Mahangu (pearl millet).
All are smoked over elephant dung, then aged in various casks – virgin casks and our own former wine barrels under the Namibian sun.

Yes, you read that correctly. In lieu of peat, the distillery uses elephant poo to dry the grains.

  • Colour – Like coffee
  • Nose – Instant coffee pellets, wood, sharp alcohol
  • Palate – Bitter, burnt spice, lots of coffee, metallic, very unique and difficult to describe
  • Finish – Stays with that coffee metallic element
  • Water – No change on the nose, helps mellow the palate a bit

Having spent decades in India, I know well how important cow dung is as a source of fuel and more. Food cooked over cow dung patties have a distinctive flavour that is quite delicious. So in principal, I wasn’t averse to the concept of elephant dung.

All our faces said it – this was not a dram for us.

Bains 18 year Oloroso 50.5% ~Eur 190 for 1 litre

Before this evening, if you had said “Name an African whisky”, I would have immediately responded with Bains – the grain whiskies from James Sedgwick Distillery.

  • Nose – Fresh and inviting, clear sherry elements, lots of fruits – including fresh dates, sweet spices, had an almost restrained elegance
  • Palate – Lovely sherry influence, soft, nuanced… yet no pushover. There was a lovely interplay of sweet and spice.
  • Finish – Lingers with gentle, sweet spices and hint of wood

Now we are down to business! By far, this was the best dram of the evening. We thoroughly enjoyed the Bains and were happy to close our evening on this note.

Projekt 01 Strathmill 10 year Hawelti Anniversary 65.7% ~Eur 80 for 500 ml

The evening was apparently NOT over yet! We returned to where we started with the Projekt whiskies. Why? This was a special bottle in collaboration with Hawelti to commemorate their 10 years, with each bottle also triggering a Eur 10 donation to support Hawelti’s initiatives in Africa. What more do we know?

Distillery: Strathmill
Distilled: 14.01.2014
Bottling: 14.01.2024
Cask No. 800362: 2014 – 2020 (Matured in ex-Bourbon Cask)
Cask No. 7 – 9 (Refill): 2020 – 2024 (Triple Cask Finish – Acacia / Bourbon / Sherry)
Number of bottles: 55

For us, it was simply one too many, and aside from jotting down ‘dragon fire’, we simply stopped. We preferred to reflect on the remarkable range of experiences the evening delivered.

The event closed with an auction – selling the remainder of the drams sampled in the evening plus a further donation. There were several items on sale too – from honey to spices to crafts. Naturally, we walked out with full bellies, lighter pocketbooks, and smiles on our faces.

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Whisky Ladies and Bombay Malt + Cigar Clubs unite over Wales

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I have vivid memories of a weekend camping trip in Wales. A magical mist over lush green, rolling hills punctuated by fields filled with sheep, quaint farming communities harkening to a different era, an amusing party of old hippies and rockers who escaped the big city lights of London… This was in the late 1980s, long before there was even an inkling of Wales producing whisky!

Fast forward to 2000 when Penderyn was founded. Here is what they have to say:

A unique copper single-pot still designed by Dr David Faraday, a relative of the great 19th-century scientist Michael Faraday, was installed in 2000, which produces a spirit at an industry high draw of 92%, meaning Penderyn’s whiskies are light, fruity and flavoursome.

This business seemed a curiosity – a Welsh whisky? – but when the Scottish whisky expert, Dr Jim Swan, became our Master Distiller, things got serious. Dr Swan got involved because he said the still created a world class spirit. He said we should finish in Madeira casks, so this became our house style. This quickly advanced to sherry casks, peated casks, port casks, and a number of other casks used for finishing. Nigel Short invested in the business, bringing Stephen Davies in as CEO, and the distinguished drinks designer Glenn Tutssel also became involved, who created the brand design.

On St David’s Day 2004 Penderyn whisky was launched in the presence of HRH Prince Charles. An expansion in 2013/14 included a replica of the Faraday Still, and two lantern stills being installed.

This wasn’t our first exploration of Penderyn, however, it was certainly fun to spend an evening with the gents! What did we try?

  • Penderyn Faraday 46%
  • Penderyn Madeira 46%
  • Penderyn Portwood 46%

We began with the Faraday, part of their travel retail series. It is matured in ex-bourbon casks, then finished in ex-ruby port casks. What did we think?

  • Nose – A hint of powder, florals like lilacs, vanilla. We found middle notes of sweet berries. It was quite lively
  • Palate – Coconut cream, peppery, quite green and fun, slightly bitter like arugula, some dried fruits, woody with spice, oily with character
  • Finish – Slightly bitter, long and strong, slightly dry

Here’s what their official tasting notes say:

  • Nose: Gently light Ruby Port with perfume of fruits, raisins and vanilla note.
  • Palate: Delicate and creamy with dried fruits, very floral honey and wood spices.
  • Finish: Medium and gentle, sweet but at the same time has a nutty dryness.

For the most part, we would agree…

We moved on to their Gold series with the Madeira and Portwood.

The Madeira is a familiar friend – we first tasted it in 2015 followed by 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2022. It was aged in ex-bourbon and ex-Madeira wine casks.

  • Nose – Lemony custard, vanilla sponge cake, creamy bananas, almond, apricot or peach pits
  • Palate – Light yet spicy, green or red chilly seeds, sweet and savoury, minty
  • Finish – A hint of sweet spices and dried fruits – more tropical than dates

We considered the Penderyn an “old fashioned” cocktail kinda dram. As we found previously, the longer it sat in the glass, the more enjoyable it became.

When we came back to revisit, we found it was like sniffing supari, sweet icing sugar… a nice sipping dram.


We closed with the Portwood, which had a distinctly ruby edge to its colour.

  • Nose – It began a bit musty, dusty and even a bit musky. The wood comes through strongly, as does the Port influence. This is joined by vanilla, sweet and sour cherries, young dessert wine, leather then burnt dark sugar…
  • Palate – Rum-soaked raisins, treacle, tannins, substance
  • Finish – Very dry, dark dry fruits, a bit acidic, light spice

We set it aside and really enjoyed how it opens up – fabulous. Over time, it begins to taste more like port than whisky.

Here’s what they have to say about their Portwood finish:

  • Nose: Aromas of rich dried fruits with dark chocolate and cranberries; a hint of toasty oak mingles with a baked nutty dryness.
  • Palate: A creamy richness with some honey and spiced notes emerging.
  • Finish: Smooth with a soft oak and honey sweetness lingering gently on the tongue.
  • Balance: Rich wood/chocolate & dry fruits.

And there you have it! A trio from Wales, with whisky enjoyed together with good company, good food. The COVID years cancelled our regular lives. Even as we surfaced from this period, some things simply didn’t bounce back. I’m glad this tradition didn’t fall by the wayside and has been revived.

Curious about other evenings when the Whisky Ladies and Bombay Malt & Cigar gents joined forces?

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Scottish Regions – Whisky Broker’s Highland Park 57.9%

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It took being back in Bombay on a break to catch up, sharing tasting notes about the “bonus” dram from our January Scottish Regions explorations. Whilst I had anchored the evening with the standard “four” aka Campbeltown, Highland, Islay and Speyside, we were joined by a gent who had a perfect addition from the unofficial 5th whisky region – Island!

Island – Highland Park 14 Year (23 Oct 2003 / 1 Nov 2017) Hogshead No 739 57.9% (Whisky Broker). Bottle 54 of 237. ~GBP 60

  • Nose – Wet leaves and sea spray, there was no doubt this was a maritime style dram with a hint of peat. We found it quite vegetal – reminiscent of a rural setting with cow dung patties baking in the sun. There was also wet stone, mineral… and yet as it continued to open, new elements came to play. We then found heather, lavender, a potpourri with oregano, rosemary… It then shifted further into chargrilled lemon rind. What remarkably interesting and evolving aromas!
  • Palate – After some time, we went in…. A LOT is happening here! It is delicious, sweet, balanced peat, tannins, tobacco, even a minty leafy herbal quality.
  • Finish – Carries on in the same vein, with the tobacco joined by herbal influences.

What a dram! It was so good to be reminded why Highland Park was once such a favourite. And if this is any indication of what Whisky Broker bottles, I should keep an eye out for more!

What else did we try?

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