Clynelish festival pick

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The danger with a mere sniff, swish, and spit experience at a Whisky Show is that you often miss the nuances of gentler or trickier drams or an instant infatuation later in a different setting with a more considered approach falls flat.

This is why I do my best to be careful when purchasing a “festival pick” (which also comes with an inflated price tag!) to select something that I’m reasonably confident will stand up solo or as part of a more measured leisurely tasting set. In 2023, my London Whisky Show choice was this Clynelish.

Opened in Mumbai January 2025, I sample it over two evenings nearly back-to-back with different whisky enthusiasts and settings as the Highland representative in our Scottish Regions whisky tour!

So what did we think?

Clynelish 12 year (2011/2023) 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel #880297 56.4% (2023 Whisky Show Bottle) GBP 120 / EUR 142

  • Nose
    • 1st tasting – Light nose, a bit shy even, varnish, a dusty shelf, then some sweetness before practically disappearing on us! Eventually, we could tease out some warm pineapple, Mr Kipling’s French Fancies – a sponge cake topped with vanilla cream and chocolate fondant.
    • 2nd tasting – Whilst subtle, the nose was not so elusive this time! The pineapple was much more pronounced, some citrus floral honey, joined by dried shredded coconut, golden sultana raisins, and after even more time even revealed more herbal elements 
  • Palate 
    • 1st tasting – What a fabulous palate! Well rounded sweetness, some lovely spices anchored by black cardamon, cloves and more
    • 2nd tasting – Building on my initial experience, this time the characteristic Clynelish mineral and chalky dimensions were also there, with more olive oil than candlewax – yet finally we gained a hint of that waxy element we’ve come to associate with Clynelish 
  • Finish – A spicy thick finish, super dry almost making one “pucker up” initially, then over time mellows into a lovely lingering sweetness with fresh green aniseed or fennel 
  • Water – Not even tempted if I’m honest. However perhaps in a future sipping, I will put in a splash, just to see what happens! 

You simply MUST take your time with this one. The initial tasting began as a disappointment. My London tasting companion was almost outraged – this COULD NOT be what we tried at the Whisky Show. No no no!

Yet as the Clynelish spent more time in the glass, it transformed – that marvelous alchemy that happens when whisky and air combine. The French Fancies element of sugary sponge cake, powdery icing sugar, gummy bears, fruits like nectarine, yellow plums, and more all gained strength over time. 

This dram goes into the category of “Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!” Clearly, by the time we got to the bottle at the whisky show, it had enough air and time open to immediately reward us.

And yet – we expected to find the classic Clynelish elements – waxy, fruity, mineral… Were they there? Yes. However, it took more time to ease into them, and even then, the waxy dimension was less prominent than anticipated. 

After our experience, I have a feeling this might best be a “solo act” – a whisky for a companionable evening with a fellow whisky enthusiast, where we don’t distract with comparisons and instead simply settle into a leisurely exploration of just this Clynelish.

As for my London tasting friend? He was MOST relieved about the huge difference time the glass made – concluding it was almost like a different dram completely! 

If you are curious to learn more, check out this post from when we sampled it in 2023! As for other Clynelishexperiences? Check out

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Lowland’s Lindores Abbey 1494 1st Release 46%

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At the 2023 Nurnberg The Village Festival, I had the pleasure of attending the Lindores Abbey Masterclass. I found the experience promising though of course some expressions more than others. I had hoped to get the Friar John Cor Cask Strength Congregation Chapter 1 expression however it sold out almost instantly! So instead, I opted for their 1494 inaugural release.

I brought it to India and opened it in January 2025 to kick off our Scottish Regions whisky tour with a calibration dram from the Lowlands.

Once incredibly popular with many distilleries, the Lowland’s became almost a lost region, only now starting to rebuild with distilleries like Lochlea and Lindores Abbey. A Lowland “style” whisky was once known for its slower, softer, floral elements .. of which the pinnacle for many is Rosebank – a true treat if you get an opportunity.

So what did we think? Interestingly, whilst some of the other drams we tried that night had divergent impressions, we were fairly consistent in our experience.

Lindores Abbey MCDXCIV (1494) Commemorative First Release (2021) Cask Bourbon, Sherry, Wine Barrique 46% Eur 66,50

  • Nose – It began with a hint of grain, wet hay, old playdough, then a heavy floral oil, fruity, lemony boiled sweet, then shifted into a lemon custard tart, vanilla cream, doughy pie crust… over time it went from raw dough to a hot cinnamon bun fresh from the oven! Another found a raisiny butter tart. With a lot more time, we even found bubble gum 
  • Palate – Unexpectedly peppery, doughy… not such a promising start however the 2nd set was much better. Yes, it is youthful. Yes, it’s a bit thin. However, once you got past the pencil shavings, the tannins settled down, it was straightforward and inoffensive
  • Finish – A medium finish – straight with more of the tannins and a hint of slightly bitter clove
  • Water – It was tried by a couple with a resounding reaction of “No – don’t”  

Let’s keep in mind this was the 1st release. Young drams have their place and such whisky can often grow into some pretty spectacular liquid with the right focus, balance of art and science, and most important ingredient – time.

If you are curious to learn more about Lindores Abbey, check out these tasting notes: 

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Scottish Regions – Lindores Abbey, Clynelish, Mannochmore, Bunnahabhain with bonus Highland Park!

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I was back in Bombay, enjoying bringing in the new year with family and friends. And of course – fit in a couple of whisky sessions too!

It was my turn to host in the Bombay Malt & Cigar gents whiskies. Initially dubbed “Carissa’s Cupboard” to select something new waiting in the wings in Mumbai, it evolved into a Scottish Regions theme with a link to a few whisky festivals explored over the years!

Lowland – Lindores Abbey MCDXCIV (1494) Commemorative First Release (2021) Cask Bourbon, Sherry, Wine Barrique 46% Eur 66,50.

This new Lowland distillery piqued my curiosity years ago and this particular purchase was prompted by my attending the 2023 Masterclass at The Village

Highland – Clynelish 12 year (17 May 2011/2023) 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel #880297 56.4% (2023 Whisky Show Bottle) GBP 120 / EUR 142

This was our 2023 London Whisky Show festival pick! Over the years, we’ve become increasingly partial to the waxy lemony sweet dessert quality of most Clynelish drams.

Speyside – Mannochmore 10 year (2008/2018) Batch 16.0708.16 56.1% (Mossburn Vintage Casks No 16) ~Eur 70

I’ve started to be on the “hunt” for more whiskies from this distillery – enjoying its fruity character! This time, it was from Mossburn, another independent bottler, with their Vintage Casks series No 16.

Islay – Bunnahabhain Ma1 (2015) 54.2% (Elements of Islay) SGD 135

This Elements of Islay dram was purchased nearly a decade ago in Singapore alongside Whisky Live. It has been impatiently waiting for its moment in the sun ever since!!!

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

And why do I have a bonus? After a lovely evening with the gents, I called a couple whisky enthusiasts home. On hearing what I had available, one brought a perfect addition from the unofficial 5th whisky region – Island!

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Whisky Show 2024 – Glenfarclas 15 year

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Day 2 of the 2024 Whisky Show in London began with a perfect calibration whisky. For years, we’ve relied on Glenfarclas to deliver a consistently good sherry whisky. So I knew exactly where to go for our 1st dram of the day, knowing precisely what to expect! 

Glenfarclas 15 year 46%

  • Nose – Ahh…. just breathe in that lovely honey, joined by orchard fruits, some pastries, waft of vanilla
  • Palate – Some spice, fruity and fabulous… a bit active in the glass, with the dark fruits from the sherry joining the chorus
  • Finish – A long dry finish

Was it a sniff, swish, and spit? Of course! Our agenda for the day involved far too many whiskies to do more than experience this way! However, our Glenfarclas booth host completely understood our rationale, happy to have us stop by for a short visit before continuing our journey. 

Where next? Why make use of our dream dram tokens of course! And I had just the place in mind!

Curious about other Glenfarclas experiences? Just check out:

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2024 London Whisky Show – Day 2

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Yeah yeah yeah! It has become a bit of a thing – I go to a whisky festival, try some 60+ whiskies, and then take the next 6-9 months to write up my notes and post. Sometimes I don’t even finish all the posts before going to the next festival! But that’s the thing – I do this for pleasure not professionally, so entitled to take my time. 


The reward is vicariously revisiting some marvelous malts through my scribbles. Yes – I do this analog style via small notebooks that neatly fit in my satchel.  I also tend to write in spurts – often on vacation – as a form of relaxation. My favourite place to write is on our farm in Kalote, about 1.5 hours outside of Mumbai. Lazy mornings over coffee with our cats. A play break romping around the field with our dogs. Then I’m ready to lounge about and write for hours!


Sometimes I set myself a goal – today I will finish London’s Whisky Show day 1. And when the post is prepared, I delight in crossing off the scribbles in my notebook – a small signal of accomplishment!


So there I was, in Mumbai late 2024, determined to finish London’s 2024 Whisky Show Day 1 followed in Kalote in early 2025 with a goal to complete Day 2. Did I achieve it? You bet! Then scheduled posts over the coming months – what fun!



Day 2 – September 8, 2024


Back for another day, we knew we wanted to have a mix of old and new plus I’d booked us a “Mainstage” session too – a real highlight. Here are a few stalls we visited on the last day:



  • Glenfarclas 15 year – a perfect calibration dram!

  • Whisky Auction – for our Dream Drams of Brora 1981 and Glen Grant 12 year from the 1970s

  • Decadent Drinks – Whisky Sponge, Solstice & Equinox, Notable Age Statements and more!

  • Ichiro’s Malt blends – a nice wander through their collection

  • Ardnahoe – Welcome to Hunter Laing’s Islay Distillery

  • Hunter Laing – First Editions and Old Malt Casks from Auchroisk, Ardmore, Craigellachie to a Glen Grant 25!

  • Mainstage with festival picks

  • Introducing a new English distillery with Wire Works 

  • Woven Blends – What a fabulous experience with a special blend made just for my tasting companion and I!

  • Cardrona – A couple whiskies and the most wonderful Vodka – The Reid!


Well worth the trip to London! Already bought our tickets for 2025!



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Whisky Show 2024 – New Zealand’s Thomson Whiskies

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What’s great about whisky shows is the opportunity to discover something new! Something one would otherwise never get a chance to try. This is how we were introduced to a new entrant – Thomson – from New Zealand at the 2024 London Whisky Show.

Here is what they have to say for themselves:

Our single malt whiskies are made using just three ingredients: water, yeast and malted barley. They’re aged in a range of casks, including ex-bourbon barrels, New Zealand wine casks and some miniatures. The smoke comes from native Manuka wood and South Island Peat. Our copper pot stills are an essential component in the distillation process, refining the spirit.

We are creating a new New Zealand whisky, not a copy of whiskies seen elsewhere in the world. Our whiskies are a living response to our unique, natural environment, local know-how and an honesty about being a young distillery. We’re not replicating other recipes but helping to define what New Zealand whisky is, brand new.

We began our journey with their notable experiment with Manuka smoke…

Manuka Wood Smoke Single Malt 46% $135 NZD

We were greeted by young wood – wet cedar or pine. It was quite distinctive with a subtle curl of smoke admist the sweet wood. The palate had a slightly oily texture, very unique and tricky to describe. There were sweet spices of cinnamon too. Really rather interesting.

South Island Peat Single Malt 46% $135 NZD

If the Manuka Smoke was a puff of smoke, the South Island Peat was a slightly heavier smoke – more a nudge of peat than full-on! It was also quite different, soft and sweet on the palate, limited finish. Overall again – unique and worth checking out perhaps in a different setting than a mere sniff and swish!

 

Full Noise Manuka Smoke Single Malt Cask Strength 55.3% 

Here we discovered the pine had shifted into resin. The palate was crisp and dry. We found an intensity that was missing in the 46%, the smoke more prominent, and the toffee sweetness amped up, joining dry toast. Once again – the folks at Thomson are clearly taking their own approach to whisky-making.

Worth a stop and curious to see where they go next…

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Whisky Show 2024 – The Whisky Festival Bottles

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Before we closed our 1st day of the 2024 London Whisky Show, we simply had to check out The Whisky Exchange’s festival bottles. I’ve often discovered something worthy of bringing back to share with others – fellow enthusiasts who aren’t able to jump on a plane to London, Paris, Singapore, Nurnberg. This way I can take an element unique and specific to be experienced beyond the event itself – because the best souvenir is shared!

Lowland Distillery 11 year (2012 / Dec 2023) Refill Hogshead 3478 58.8% (The Whisky Exchange – The Seasons: Summer) ~ GBP 70

We began with the Seasons series – with Summer! All that was disclosed was that it was from a Lowland distillery… possibly part of the Diageo stable.

Delightful! It was creamy and fruity on the nose – think warm apricots and peaches, joined by a fresh minty element too. On the palate, it was tingly and tart, tropical and bright. This was an uncomplicated summery dram – a perfect way to begin our explorations!

Old Orkney 2003 20 year old 55.8% (Decadent Drinks for Whisky Show 2024) ~ GBP 250

We were then guided in a completely different direction – to Highland Park! With a label inspired by a 1900s advertisement for Old Orkney whisky – once used for single malts from Stromness distillery.

We were greeted by a gentle peat, which morphed into a strong maritime stamp of brine and sea breeze. Not at all shy after all! On the palate, it had a spice kick, nice and balanced, closing with a peaty finish. What fun!

Ben Nevis 10 year (2023) Sherry 60.2% (Dawn Davies Whisky Show 2024) ~ GBP 72

What next? We were directed to The Whisky Show bottlings dedicated to their team. I have to admit, I’m not a Ben Nevis fan. The nose started a bit shy, then revealed a fudgy fruity quality… the palate was an explosion “kaboom!” of great big Christmasy flavours, chewy with even the finish having a spice kick. It was described as a “dirty” Ben Nevis.

Ardmore 26 Year (1997) 50.3% (The Whisky Exchange – The Seasons: Summer) ~ GBP 200

We shifted back to the Summer series. The nose was enchanting – gentle with a hint of fruit. Delicate with a hint of peat and tannins from maturing in a wine barrel. The palate, soft and juicy fruits, honeydew melon, restrained and complex. The finish was subtle with tobacco leaves, a bit of vegetation, light spice, long and lingering. Really quite something!

Ledaig 17 year (2006) Sherry Butt 16 55.4% (The Whisky Exchange – The Seasons: Autumn) ~ GBP 240

And now finally, we progressed from summer to fall – clearly moving more to peat with Tobermoray’s peaty Ledaig. On the nose, it was briney, wet leaves, fruity with a hint of peat. And on the palate? It was pure pumpkin spice, and everything nice! The finish was long, gingery with a strong sherry close – I believe a PX?

Speyside (M) 18 year (2005) 1st Fill Oloroso 61.2% (Signatory for The Whisky Show) ~ GBP 235

We closed our 1st day on a strong sherry note with a Macallan. The nose was punchy with the clear stamp of sherry! Dark fruits and nuts. The palate was full-bodied and prickly with ginger spice. The finish was heavy with dates. There was nothing subtle about this dram!

Long after we left the venue, the memory of this powerhouse continued!

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Whisky Lady – October to December 2024

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Another year, another opportunity to reflect and revisit. This wee whisky blog has officially turned 10! Whilst some years are more active than others, explorations overall remain steady.

Many of my whisky posts this quarter captured different impressions and experiences from the 2024 London Whisky Show! 

Back in Canada, I spent a most enjoyable evening with friends where three of us explored a quartet from The Whisky Warehouse No 8:

This was followed by cracking open the 1st Shelter Point Club release:

The 2nd release arrived mere days after I flew back to Germany! It will just have to wait in Winnipeg til May/June 2025 to be opened!

I also went on a bit of a purchasing spree… including stockpiling some Gordon & Macphail independent bottlings. Included in the shipment was a wee bonus dram of Dingle Irish whisky.

With my job change in February 2024, my previous team kindly treated me to a gift voucher which I put to good use! They didn’t have the high-end bottles, so I shifted gears to pick an interesting mix of favorite independent bottlers, a couple entry-level “calibration” drams, and an experiment or two. Who knows how long til I have the right opportunity to open! I have too many open bottles in my whisky cabinet! This means I need to schedule a few more sociable evenings for these before opening something new!

I’m reminded of a member of our 1st Mumbai whisky-tasting club. He had a policy of only having three bottles open at any given time – the only exception being our tasting where he may open three new bottles whilst still having one or two already open. This meant guests would be given a choice – a limited choice. And whilst a less popular dram would remain longer, at some point, someone would gamely finish it up!

Curious to know more? Check out a few more summaries:

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Whisky Show 2024 – Wire Works

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After a day of mostly Scottish drams, we decided to shift gears to check out a new English entrant – Wire Works from Derbyshire. 

Wire Works Caduro 46.8% GBP 60

  • Nose – A bit harsh – young and brash with a hit of alcohol, then some rose petals, sweet
  • Palate – Some soft peat, slightly astringent, some spice and salt
  • Finish – A very salty finish, joined by sage too which was a bit curious

Not so sure we were off to a good start here… and admit we struggled to see this as “award winning.” The peat was a mild 20 PPM with the cask and STR ie shaved, toasted, and re-charred red wine barrique.

Wire Works Bourbon 53.4% GBP 65

  • Nose – We found melons, a hint of peat, more sweet than anything else. Think of a fruit dessert, some ginger, vanilla ice cream
  • Palate – Yum! This works! It is back to the basics with bourbon. Oily, nice texture, more of that ginger
  • Finish – Leave with a nice peppery spice

I noted that this one was a good way to judge the whisky character – no hiding beneath fancy finishes.

Wire Works Moscatel 3 years 53.6% Bottle 340 / 651 GBP 75

  • Nose – Quite fresh – lots of citrus
  • Palate – Sour initially, surprisingly creamy, a bit nutty, marzipan, dried mango powder, gooseberries
  • Finish – Curiously savoury

We were reminded of snacks that are “khatta meetha” a bit sweet and sour. There is a distinctive ‘aamchor’ mango powder in India which adds a nice tangy element to certain dishes. 

Wire Works Madeira Finish 53.6% Bottle 330 / 671 GBP 75

  • Nose – Fruity, sweeter than the Moscatel, more subtle too, with dark cherries
  • Palate – Personality came through – juicier, some spice
  • Finish – A dry finish

An interesting introduction. I’m not completely sold on all the expressions, however that’s often the case with younger distilleries experimenting with different elements til they hit their stride.

So far, our English whisky explorations have been limited to just three distilleries – with Cotswolds the one we’ve sampled the most!

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Whisky Show 2024 – Duncan Taylor

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Whilst Gordon & Macphail was conspicuously absent from the 2024 London Whisky Show, Duncan Taylor did a remarkable job of showing what a solid, experienced team can do! For those not familiar (is that even possible?), here is how they describe themselves:

Home to one of the world’s largest privately owned Scotch Whisky collections. For over 80 years, Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky has been crafting award-winning Scotch whiskies.

Our extremely positive experience was due to both the drams and the conversations with Andrew Sinat – who had recently joined as the UK Sales Manager. Over and over, I was reminded that for us – whisky is about the people, the stories, the insights, the experiences. Andrew took his time with us and made our journey through select Duncan Taylor bottles well worth the trip!

We began with an offering from their Octave collection – after standard cask maturation, the spirit is given a boost in smaller Octave casks – with the hypothesis that the greater liquid to wood contact accelerates and intensifies the flavours and aromas.

What did we try? Actually, we don’t know! As it was disclosed only as:

An Iconic Speyside 12 year (2011) Sherry Octave 87189 54.2% ~86 GBP

What did we think? We thought it was delightfully fruity on the nose – tangy and even a bit tart too! On the palate, it was balanced with a nice influence of the sherry, dark fruits, spice with a dryness too. In short – it had all the elements of a rather good Speyside.

Andrew shared that the Octave maturation was for only around 9 months, however clearly worked some magic!

Campbeltown Blend 10 year (March 2104 / April 2024) Cask 11991 53.9% Bottle 110 of 320 ~86 GBP

We moved on to a blend – likely of Glen Scotia and Springbank, however could be Glengyle / Kilkerran too. The nose was lemon custard – yum! The palate started spicey then gentled into soft fruits, smooth as silk! The finish was nice but didn’t stick around too long.

Black Bull Blend 30 year 50% ~250 GBP

Andrew then directed us to Black Bull – a blend that has austensibly been around since 1864. It was the kind of dram I love – a “happy whisky” – that greets you with joyful sweetness on the nose, rich sherry full of juicy fruits, fresh dates warmed from the sun, chikoo, treacle… lovely.

Glenrothes 43 year 42.6%

Oh my! Some Glenrothes can be almost a bit too powerful with their heavy sherry. This mature expression can best be described as “juicy”! The nose became fruitier and more inviting the longer it spent time in the glass – think beeswax and honey, loads of orchard fruits. The palate had spice, and whilst there was sherry – it was clean and nuanced, co-mingling with old wood. The finish was soft and subtle. Overall, the experience was quite lovely and elegant. A class act. And what a treat to try!

Caol Ila 14 Year (Oct 2009 / Apr 2024) Cask 40319017 54.1% Bottle 188 of 281

Almost like a reverse palate cleanser, in the midst of the sherry and venerable drams, we were directed to an Islay!? It was peat and sweet on the nose – with a hint of maritime not so often found in Caol Ila. The palate was a perfect balance of peat and sweet – reminding us why we have been rather partial to Caol Ila over the years. I’m glad we didn’t skip this one!

Whilst peaty territory seemed counterintuitive, in retrospect it was smart to shift from the surprisingly delicate Glenrothes 43-year-old to our next experience. We had no idea what was next on our tasting journey… merely instructed to cleanse our palates and then hand over our glass reserved for unpeated whiskies into which a new liquid was splashed.

Macallan 1991

Simply gorgeous! Now, we know that Macallan is sometimes overpriced and now also overrated. However, there are a few bottles out there like this one that remind you – behind the hype there is a mighty fine dram or two! This was an older style of Macallan – elegant and special. There was sweet cinnamon spice on the nose, and honey sweet on the palate with the sherry restrained and supporting rather than dominating the show. The longer it spent in the glass, the more it revealed – each element more beautiful than the last. What an incredible treat!

Brackla 12 year (Jun 20111 – Nov 2023) Cask 939001315 55.1% 

I totally admit that over the years, I’ve become rather partial to Brackla. It always delivers an apple orchard in the glass, and this was no exception! The difference is what kind of apple. Is it a tart crabapple or granny smith? Is it red or golden delicious? A crisp Macintosh? In this case, it leaned more tart or even slightly sour on the nose. Then shifted into a nice spice with fruit on the palate.

Glentauchers 15 year (2008 – 2023) Cask 8539953 54.2% (The Octave)

We circled back to The Octave expressions with a delightful Glentauchers which spent a mere 3 months in the smaller casks. On the nose, it was a fruit compote – bursting with different mixed fruits. On the palate, there was spice – a bit of a kick here! Once the spice settled down it was fun, fruity if a bit “avuncular” in its approach. 

I loved how we came full circle. We started with The Octave series and closed with it too. What a remarkable range and truly outstanding experience. Bravo Duncan Taylor!

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