Tag Archives: Elixir

2025 Whisky Show Exclusives – Kanosuke, Tormore, Clynelish

Posted on by
Reply

All whisky shows have “exclusives” bottled just for the event. 2025 Whisky Show was no exception! There were many on offer – including a “Lost in Time” series that we didn’t get a chance to try!

So what did we experience?

Inspired by the St George spirit from The Heart Cut that we tried at a Mainstage session about the future of Independent Bottlers, we went straight for their show bottle! As he poured, Duncan shared that he’s become a big fan of The Heart Cut, bottling some good stuff! He especially enjoyed their Cotswold and Milk & Honey expressions, which were not available at the show. So what about what we could try?

Bottled exclusively for The Whisky Exchange’s Whisky Show 2025, this Kanosuke is the most recent expression from The Heart Cut.

Kanosuke 5 year (Nov 2019 / Apr 2025) Ex-Bourbon Quarter Cask 54% (The Heart Cut #21) 115 bottles

What did we think?

  • Nose – Fun, effervescent, fruity, apricot, a gentle honey, lightly herbal
  • Palate – Black tea, toasted marshmallows, delightful!
  • Finish – A lovely fragrant finish

This was a lovely dram – with the official tasting notes spot on! Here’s what they have to say about the liquid:

This whisky opens with big, ripe fruit – sun-warmed apricots that soften into honeycomb, lifted by a delicate, fragrant herbal note. On the palate, more apricots and juicy peaches layer with honeycomb that deepens into bittersweet caramel, reminiscent of the charred sweetness of toasted marshmallows, before easing into the refined bitterness of black tea. The finish carries the juiciness of stone fruit long and bright, with a whisper of lemon verbena to close.

Key Takeouts: Toasted Marshmallows, Honeycomb, Black tea, Lemon Verbena, Ripe Apricots.

A truly delightful treat to try!

We moved on to Sukhinder Singh’s distillery – Tormore. Our last experience was during an evening at my friend’s London home with Sukhinder, where we shared a Chorlton indie bottle – a Tormore 28 year. This wasn’t quite so old – more in the range of 15 years and was sampled from an official Pre-release for the 2025 Whisky Show.

Tormore Legacy Casks 2009 Vintage (May 2009 / May 2025) 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel Cask #4046 55.1% 210 bottles.

  • Nose – We found it bursting with orchard fruits – lots of crisp green apples and pears! Then it shifted to reveal red berries, warm oak, and then caramel custard! After some time in the glass, there was a light floral element on top – sweet!
  • Palate – It had lots of currents, raspberries… rich and rewarding!
  • Finish – A hint of smoke and black tea

Though it was only a wee sniff and swish, we quite enjoyed it!

I spotted the 29 year Clynelish and got excited! My festival pick from the 2023 Whisky Show was the Clynelish 12 year (2011/2023) 1st Fill Barrel #880297 56.4%.

Clynelish 1993 29 Year Old (20 Oct 1993 / 20 Dec 2022) Bourbon Barrel #11080 49.6% (Càrn Mòr)

Duncan warned me this might not be quite what I was expecting….

  • Nose – I expected something joyful and waxy; instead, there were apples, but slightly past their prime, sweet
  • Palate – Initially, it seemed like it would be an easy-going, well-rounded dram, yet, then amidst all the red apples, the prick of spice became sharper

And that’s when it dawned on me. What about that classic Clynelish waxy trait? Where was the honey and heather? Then I learned it is GBP 775 / bottle? What….?! Oh my! Somehow, I stopped evaluating the whisky on its own merit and couldn’t get past the price tag.

After this trio of show exclusives, we noticed that the throng around The Heart Cut stand had lessened slightly, so we decided to make our move next door to further explore!

As always, it is good to reconnect with folks and share a dram or two, kibbitz over this and that, and slow down to enjoy good moments! (Yes that’s me with my regular tasting companion and Duncan, late of The Whisky Exchange).

Interested in catching more? Why not follow Whisky Lady on:

2025 Whisky Show – Elixir offerings

Posted on by
Reply

Once upon a time, London’s Whisky Show was synonymous with both The Whisky Exchange and Sukhinder Singh & team. With the mega sale, Sukhinder has shifted focus to his distilleries and Elixir brands, providing several different ranges like The Elixir Trails with cross-country explorations, Elements of Islay, Port Askaig, Macbeth, and more.

We managed to catch up with Sukhinder early Saturday morning and exchanged the usual pleasantries. He shared his tips for the show and then led us to his booth, suggesting a few drams we really must try as “value” expressions from The Single Malts of Scotland range.

Where did he point us to? No surprise, Linkwood led the pack!

Linkwood 11 year (2014/2025) Small Batch 48% (The Single Malts of Scotland)

  • Nose – Juicy and joyful. What a treat for early in the day! Lots of orchard fruits – green apples and pears, lightly floral, warming into caramel with vanilla ice cream
  • Palate – Easy drinking with just enough substance to make it interesting, well-balanced
  • Finish – Lasts

Over the years, I’ve generally found Linkwood to be good value for its quality. Mostly decently priced and fairly consistent in delivering a good dram. Alas, we couldn’t get our preferred pick – the Linkwood – either at the show or even the Whisky Exchange – as it was sold out! Pity.

We moved from Speyside to the Highlands with Blair Athol – known for its bold flavours.

Blair Athol 18 year (2006 / 2025) PX 47.6% (Elixir – The Single Malts of Scotland)

  • Nose – Delightful sherry yet not heavy-handed, all those sherry dried fruits, nuts, and spice – sweet and sultry
  • Palate – Coffee spice and everything nice, lovely fruits, and again exceedingly well-balanced
  • Finish – Cosy up by a warm fire, closing with more mocha, dark fruits, and spice

Sukhinder shared how this expression was an absolute hit at Paris Whisky Live 2025. With our little sniff and swish, we could see why! Like the Linkwood, it seems to be sold out, and was last seen retailing for approx Eur 135.

In a bit of a departure so early in the day, we shifted into peat. I’ve often admitted to a certain skepticism about Bunnahabhain – I’ve had a few clunkers over the years, yet equally a few gems too! So, we were curious to see how this young 6 year stacked up!

Bunnahabhain 6 year (2009 / 2018) Small Batch 48% (The Single Malts of Scotland)

  • Nose – Warm with that elusive bacon maple sweep aromas, some salt joining the sticky smoked sweetness
  • Palate – Tasty! Cinnamon toast, chai tea, clearly peaty yet was balanced with the sweet
  • Finish – Long and lovely

Bunnahabhain was known as the “ladies” Islay with minimal peat. By contrast, this expression from a refill hoggie was heavily peated. And yet you don’t find that ashy iodine style, instead, it was more of a warm wood smoke.

Unlike the others, depending on where you live, you may be able to track down a bottle – currently retailing for approx GBP 52.

We returned to Speyside with an undisclosed distillery (ahem! Macallan “style”)…

Speyside 15 year (2009) 57.5% (The Single Malts of Scotland)

  • Nose – Big sherry, big red fruits, juicy plums, generous smattering of sweet spices
  • Palate – Spice, big, bold, and beautiful, loads of ripe fruits, including juicy blood red oranges, chocolate, bit nutty too
  • Finish – Strong, flavourful finish

There was no mistaking that this is a “BIG” whisky! From start to finish, it delivered. If this is your style, it is a great example. If you prefer something a bit more reserved, this isn’t for you. And yet, even though it was “BIG”, it wasn’t too big! We understand this bottle retails for around GBP 100.

We closed our flight with a lesser-known distillery from Speyside. This particular small batch expression is notable for being matured in two sherry butts, one sherry hogshead, and a heavily charred barrel, making for an interesting result.

Dailuaine 12 year (2011) Small Batch 48% (The Single Malts of Scotland)

  • Nose – Mellow and fruity – veering more towards berries like raspberry or blueberry, biscuits
  • Palate – More of a spicy kick than we anticipated from the aromas, peppery, taking time to settle in the glass before the fruits came to the fore. With a bit of time, the biscuits were back – this time covered in chocolate
  • Finish – There, yet nothing particularly notable

Where the Speyside was bursting with bold red fruits, the Dailuaine was fruity with a subtler hand.

Overall, our “The Single Malts of Scotland” flight delivered the goods and was a terrific exploration early in our 2025 Whisky Show wanderings.

Interested in catching more? Why not follow Whisky Lady on:

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

Posted on by
Reply

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

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

What did we think in our sniff and swish?

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

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

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

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

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

What do they have to say?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What do they have to say?

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

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

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

From Macbeth Act One, there were… 

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

The Thanes:

The Households:

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

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

Dream Drams in Dramatic Fashion – Macbeth’s Linkwood 31 year + BenRiach 31 year

Posted on by
Reply

Our quest for “Dream Drams” at London’s Whisky Show 2023 included our target to taste a dram or two from Elixir’s new Macbeth series. With Five Acts, to be released annually until 2027, this is an incredibly ambitious project.

We are honoured to present the first nine bottlings in an ongoing series inspired by William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth. This landmark release is the culmination of a multi-year collaboration between Lexi Burgess, whisky writer Dave Broom and independent bottler Elixir Distillers.

Those who know me well would be aware my partner is an actor – with the Stage his first love. So anything that pays serious attention to the world of theatre – and the bard William Shakespeare no less – will get my attention. So when I saw the remarkable range featured, we simply had to try! Sukhinder Singh later shared how proud he is of this collaboration and collection – with very good reason!

No surprise, all of these whiskies were “Dream Drams” so we had the tough choice of picking what to try! As several were (deservedly) multi-token, our selection narrowed to just two which were for only one token. Before I share which we selected, here is a bit of an overview of the 2023 expressions.

From Macbeth Act One, there were… 

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

The Thanes:

  • Benriach 31 year “Menteith” 53.1% (Speyside) GBP 750 
  • Glen Garioch 31 year “Angus” 54.6% (Highland) GBP 750 
  • Linkwood 31 year “Lady Macduff” 48.2% (Speyside) GBP 750 

The Household:

We selected a pair of Thanes – wow!

The first of 12 noble thanes in the series are Angus and Menteith, who march to confront Macbeth in the play’s final act: portrayed respectively by a rich, complex Glen Garioch and a superbly fruity Benriach. Then we have the tragically fated Lady Macduff, who necessitated a particularly special whisky. ‘Linkwood is an all-time favourite distillery and it was a thrill to find a 31-year-old expression distilled in 1991 that worked so perfectly,’ Oliver explains. ‘Although I would probably have had to rewrite Macbeth if there wasn’t a place for this amazing whisky.’

What a wonderful way to explore some fine drams in such a dramatic fashion!

I selected the Linkwood – at a venerable 31 years of age – this was no lightweight! What did I think?

Linkwood 31 year “Lady Macduff” (1991 – 2023) 48.2% 

  • Nose – A beautiful light spice, a hint of heather, joyful and floral, joined by orchard fruits – from pear to white peach… as it opens more in the glass, it reveals deeper and more mature elements, elegant
  • Palate – Simply spectacular! Light and dark combine, concentrated fruits and wood, resinous with some spice, truly exceptional
  • Finish – Long lasting, dry with a citrus twist and light spice

What an incredible whisky! Truly something very special, worthy of attention. I hope there will be another opportunity to sit down and properly savor.

What more do we know? The bottle notes share a quote from Macbeth. 

Casting this role in Livingstone’s Macbeth series required whisky maker Elixir Distillers to find a single malt of rare elegance and beauty. This vatting of four ex-bourbon barrels from Linkwood distillery proves the perfect embodiment of the ill-fated Lady Macduff. The nose shows all the flowers, citrus and white fruit characteristic of Linkwood, while the palate harbours hidden depths suggestive of its inspiration’s strength and resolve. An exceptionally fine Speyside malt.

I would be inclined to agree.

My tasting companion chose the BenRiach – a bold and brilliant choice indeed!

BenRiach 31 year “Menteith” (1992 – 2023) 53.1% (Speyside) GBP 750 

  • Nose – Robust and seductive, there were berries, yet also a sweet floral topping in addition to the dark fruits, powerful yet balanced
  • Palate – Definitely mature, polished wood, nutty, toffee, some earthy elements
  • Finish – Long and strong

Oh, how I wish we had more than a mere “swish!” of this one! It was a tempting treat, teasing us with its rich and potent character.

What more do we know? Here is how it is described:

‘Revenges burn in them, for their dear causes would, to the bleeding and the grim alarm, excite the mortified man.’ The speaker of these immortal words is Menteith, a nobleman who marches to oppose Macbeth in the play’s final act. To portray this herald of battle, Elixir Distillers head blender Oliver Chilton selected bourbon barrels from Benriach distillery in the Scottish Highlands. At 31-years-old this is a deep, earthy dram that balances wild notes of hedgerow and forest floor with the nuttiness and rich vanilla characteristic of good-quality American oak.

What a thrilling and theatrical start! I just wish we could have explored more than just two! 

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