Tag Archives: Whisky Show 2023

Whisky Show 2023 – Woven Whiskey Makers

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In our planning for our one day at London’s Whisky Show 2023, I was intrigued by the Woven Whisky Makers approach.

Reading about what they have to say, you may be too:

We are friends who believe that there’s more to blended whisky. A lot more. And while our home is a blending studio in Leith, our mission is global. We want to make this industry, this art, much more human. Much more experimental. Much less industrialised. Much more experiential. Much more, well, fun. But we know we can’t do it alone. Because we know this is bigger than any one of us. 

Simple, yet unconventional.

Our sourcing, blending, marrying and proofing processes combine to create something unique.  Something much, much greater than the sum of its parts.

It was a treat to explore a few of their blends. Clearly, they are enjoying the journey too! 

Woven Experience No 15 Shindig 45.7%

It was described as a fun, happy “party” whisky. Vibrant, fresh, and easy to enjoy. We concurred in our brief sniff & swish. 

Whilst I was veering towards their No 17 Synchronicity, we were guided instead to their Paradox blend.

We found it very matcha! There was a sweet peat, forest, and fir trees on the nose. For the palate, we found it quite grassy, with a nice earthy base, and a touch of peat, lingering for some time. If we had to pick a colour for this one – it would be green! We were informed that North British plays a strong role in this blend – interesting!

Next up, we went to their Homemade expression, Now my scribbles indicated it was  57.4%, however on their website it is listed as 46.4% and alas I missed taking a close-up picture of the bottle!

What I’m more inclined to believe is my note about BNJ. For those not familiar, this is a blend also from Leith, which is a bit of an industry insider dram. Our guide revealed there is some Linkwod, Teanich, and more North British to be found. And like its inspiration – BNJ – it aims to be an everyday dram, some sweetness and spice, making for something rather nice!

We closed with Experience #18 Awe at 51.4%. This was certainly a case of leaving the most interesting to the last! Our guide shared it is a blend of 1983 Invergordon and 2002 Glen Rothes – making for a perfect duet. And with just a dash of water? Fabulous!

An interesting introduction and curious if I will have a chance to come across these gents again!

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London’s Whisky Show 2023 – Single + Single

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In our planning for our one day at London’s Whisky Show 2023, I insisted on including Single & Single in our explorations. A newer entrant into the indie bottle scene, they have been around since 2000. After a bit of a quieter period, they are back with striking labels and getting their word out. 

On offer was their Alter Ego Range described as:

At Single & Single, we are renowned for our adventurous pursuit of uncompromising whiskies. We take pride in crafting spirits that not only delight your palate but also captivate your imagination. Our Alter Ego Collection, with its distinctive photographic character labels, is a testament to our commitment to engaging you on a deeper level.

We believe in making our whiskies memorable for you. That’s why we’ve chosen to tell our story through captivating characters. These characters serve as the key to unlocking a world of flavour and intrigue just for you.

We tried their full range of five, starting first with Glen Garioch…

Glen Garioch 10 year (2012)  Bourbon barrel, 1st Fill 52% 673 Bottles

This was one powerful dram – a burst of aromas on the nose and full flavours on the palate. Quite rewarding and impossible to ignore. Not quite why, but I jotted down “The Pogues” – somehow this dram reminded me of the band!

What do they have to say?

With this whisky, tradition is there to be toyed with. From the honey-sweet nose all the way through to a palate packed with cinnamon, fruit and barley, and on to its long herbal finish, this dram reinvents and refreshes. What you have here is an era-agnostic celebration of classic styles; an age-old approach that focuses firmly on the future. 

We were then guided to a pair of HIghlands to contrast and compare…

Highland 14 year (2008) Oloroso Sherry Barrel, 1st Fill 52% (yes – it is the one on the left!)

Fabulous! Rich, robust, full of fruits, quite juicy on the nose. Take a sip and be rewarded with big bold sherry flavours, round and full, tapering into a strong finish.

What they have to say:

A whisky that demands immediate respect, you’re bound to be captivated by this compelling dram. The nose leads with saltiness and soft sultanas before being joined by baking spices and dried fruit on the palate, then wafting off in a long, sweet finish. You might never discover exactly what this spirit is, but you’ll never forget its incredible allure. 

We then compared it with a different Highland – same vintage and also sherry!

Highland 14 year (2008) Sherry Butt 52% 748 Bottles (the above bottle on the right)

Delicious dried fruits on the nose, spicier and yet also had a lovely understated quality. The dried fruits follow through on the palate, also joined by sweet spices, and some marmalade, and then eased into a rather tasty finish.

I remember slightly preferring one of the other – I think it was the Olorosso however can’t be 100 sure as they were both good. 

What they have to say:

There’s something about this authentic, assured whisky. Quietly confident, it is by no means typical. With a complex flavour profile that shifts from hints of orange vanilla to cinnamon and spice, it might come off as a little eccentric. Maybe it is, but if you try to judge this dram by its cover, you’ll only be fooling yourself. 

Next up was a sassy young Linkwood.

Linkwood 7 year (2015) Château Larose Barrique, 1st Fill 52% 642 Bottles (Single + Single)

This one stood out for me. The aromas were old fragrant slightly floral candles, lemons, and simply delicious! Much like what I find with many Linkwoods – a delight on the nose and no push-over on the palate. Substantial, creamy, waxy, wonderful with some spice joining the nutty nougat… dessert in a glass. 

What they have to say:

Enticing and enigmatic, this whisky stares straight at you, unflinching. Fragrant, floral and grassy on the nose, it turns increasingly sweet on the palate with marzipan and almonds, before ending dry and citric. Upfront and beautiful, it’s got a glint in the eye that’s incredibly beguiling, if wholly unconventional.

Then we closed with a Tullibardine…

Tullibardine 8 year (2014) Château Margaux 52% 274 Bottles 

The aromas were full of citrus and berries. The palate is spicy, with the citrus shifting from lemon to orange, and more… I think I caught a bit of the wine element with some tannins and found it had a rather dry oaky finish. Pucker up and enjoy!

What do they have to say?

Dabbling in duality and layered with nuance, this whisky shifts perceptions from the start, with an explosion of lemon sherbet, red berries and marzipan on the nose. Take a sip and there’s custard, plum and orange zest before spice and hints of oak linger on the dry finish. A dram that defies labels, it’s charming and unapologetic, a contrast unto itself. 

What was our conclusion? As attractive as the labels were, the liquid reigns supreme – and in this case, it was a clear “thumbs up!” In terms of markets, I doubt I will see this in Germany anytime soon as they seem to be focusing attention primarily on the UK, France, South Africa, Taiwan, and South Korea in Asia.

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Whisky Show 2023 – Hunter Laing

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We had just been blown away by the Linkwood 31 year and BenRiach 31 year of the Macbeth series at London’s Whisky Show 2023. What could follow that?

We were about to head back upstairs but were distracted by Hunter Laing‘s rather interesting array… and I was so glad that we did! There we discovered one of the most memorable drams of our day! After three generations in the whisky business, there is no doubt these folks know their stuff. 

Auchriosk 11 year (2011 – 2023) 46% 360 Bottles (Hepburn’s Choice) Eur ~58

It was robust yet approachable on the nose with berries and brioche. There was a lovely fruity palate joined by dark red grapes. The finish was dry and the overall impression was of an early evening treat.

Dailuaine 13 year (2008 – 2022) 46% 816 bottles (Hepburn’s Choice) Eur ~61

We moved on to the Dailuaine which was sweet with loads of pineapple on the nose, juicy fruits on the palate – like a fruit pastille. And the finish was long and sweet. This was a joyful dram and most enjoyable.

We then moved on to The Old Malt Cask series – trying just one! 

The Glenrothes 16 year (2006) Refill butt 50% 750 bottles Eur ~173

We clearly had a “juicy fruits” theme going on – as this too had loads of fruits, however in this case more plump raisins than orchard fruits. We caught a few heavier notes too – perhaps some mocha? We then went in for a sip… to be rewarded by a powerful yet balanced dram. More of those raisins, some spice, and everything nice, followed by a long finish.

Our guide insisted we could not leave without trying one particular whisky from their The First Editions line – so named as their expressions are aged in a Single Cask. 

Cragganmore 26 year (1995 – 2022) Sherry Butt 54.7% 570 Bottles EUR 320

  • Nose – The initial whiff was of old wood, like an antique. Then we were rewarded with rich, full sherry, yet this was not just a powerhouse “sherry bomb”, there were layers of nuance, with treacle and a hint of mocha.
  • Palate – Marvelous! Phenomenal mouth feel, rich, and oily, with raisins and ginger. Absolutely gorgeous, mature, and complex
  • Finish – What a finish! It lingered long after sipping, nice dry oak

Wow! We had not expected such a wonder. A worthy finish to our Hunter Laing stop indeed!

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

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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! 

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That Boutique-y Whisky Co – Oz range

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After exploring their new “core” range, next up in our That Boutique-y Whisky Co explorations at London’s 2023 Whisky Show, was a trip down under!

This was their 2nd collection, released at a time when there are a remarkable 318 Australian distilleries in operation – producing a range of spirits from whisky to gin, vodka, and rum. In their “Return to Oz” line-up, we managed to try:

  • The Gospel 3 year Rye Batch 1 58.6% 434 Bottles GBP 75
  • Launceston 5 year Single Malt Batch 1 62.5% 187 Bottles GBP 150
  • Limeburners 5 year Single Malt Batch 1 51.5% 434 Bottles GBP 145
  • Tria Prima 2 year Single Malt Spirit Batch 1 52.2% 232 Bottles GBP 140
  • Chief’s Son 5 year Single Malt Batch 1 52.1% 462 Bottles GBP 140
  • Fleurieu 3 year Batch 2 Single Malt 65% 428 Bottles GBP 145

Given this was a festival setting, we sniffed, swished, and spit our way through the collection, so my impressions are quite limited. Though it was good fun to have a wee saunter around these Australian drams… 

So… we began with one that Dave openly admitted is one of his festival drams (yes – that’s what’s in the glass in the pic)! 

The Gospel 3 year Rye Batch 1 58.6% 

The Gospel distillery from Melbourne produces a range of ryes – in this case, matured in an Australian red wine cask finish. We understand they use a mash bill of 51% Australian unmalted rye, and 49% malted barley, from the Murray Mallee region of South Australia.

What did we think? No question this was a rye and yet with a twist! Lots of juicy fruits, plum, red grape peel, with some spice and sweetness. As for the palate, more rye with dark fruits and some ground white pepper and sweet spices.

Launceston 5 year Single Malt Batch 1 62.5%

Based in Tasmanian, Launceston distillery is located in an airport Hangar which was built in 1932. Their focus is on local ingredients and production with local people. They produce a range from unpeated ex-bourbon to Tawny port finish, to Apera (Australian sherry), to rum, including some peat expressions too. As for this particular bottle? It was matured in an ex-Bourbon barrel.

Dave described it as the closest to a Scottish style. On the nose, it was a delicious dessert, generous and creamy with sweet spices. On the palate, it was beautiful – marvelously sweet, spicy, and robust – full and flavourful.

Limeburners 5 year Single Malt Batch 1 51.5%

Next up in our Oz journey was a shift to Western Australia with Limeburners Distillery. They share how their spirit is matured in second-fill American oak bourbon barrels, and then some expressions are further finished in Australian fortified wine barrels. They also have peated whiskies using locally sourced peat from the Valley of the Giants in nearby Walpole. In the same region, the parent company Great Southern Distilling has three distilleries – making gin, malt, grain, and rye whisky. We tried their single malt, matured in an ex-Pedro Ximenez Apera cask.

This one was very memorable. Call it the power of suggestion or something else, however, we began with key lime tart, then an exuberant red berry and raisins. The 1st sip was a powerhouse – rich, dark, spicy and bursting with flavours, including a bit of black forest cake! We kept the glass without rinsing for some time – what a delightful perfume sweetly floral with lime cordial! 

Tria Prima 2 year Single Malt Spirit Batch 1 52.2%

We then moved on to something completely different! Just like bourbon only requires only two years to be called whisky, so too does Australia consider two years sufficient to be known as whisky. Which is exactly how long this “spirit” from Tria Prima Distillery matured.

Turns out there is quite the TBWC connection. As the TBWC folks tell, this distillery was founded in 2017 by a fan – Paul Shand, and his wife Trang, with funds from Paul’s whisky collection – including TBWC bottles. So what did Paul do with his investment? In the case of this TBWC bottle, it was matured in an ex-Grant Burge (red wine) and 1st fill Tawny cask.

And what was the result? Something rather fun – fruiting, plummy, with a quite strong wine influence. Even on the palate, the Tawny port comes through loud and clear.

Chief’s Son 5 year Single Malt Batch 1 52.1%

What next? Chief’s Son was started near Melburn by spouses Stuart and Naomi McIntosh in 2016 after a trip to Scotland. Their approach is hand-made and small scale – as in an annual capacity of 5000 liters small! As for the expression bottled by TBWC, it was matured in an ex-Apera cask.

What did we find? Lots of big fruits and sherry influence, with some light peat. 

Fleurieu 3 year Batch 2 Single Malt 65%

Last in our tasting was Fleurieu Distillery from outside of Adelaide. Another family-owned distillery, Gareth & Angela Andrews were earlier brewers before turning their attention to whisky. Dave shared how their casks are named after family members rather than numbered.

It greeted us with a big bold peat on the nose – apparently, this was the distillery folks were inspired by a Caol Ila style peat. It was joined by a sea breeze and full flavours on the palate.

There was another expression on offer – Corowa 4 year Single Malt Batch 1 48.5% – however we found ourselves pausing and then passed.

What followed? After many explorations of other stalls, we simply had to return to TBWC for their “At The Movies” expressions!

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That Boutique-y Whisky Co – New Core Range

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No Whisky Show is truly complete without the dynamic duo of Dave Worthington & Sam Simmonds. That Boutique-y Whisky Co is just a “must go”! 

At London’s 2023 Whisky Show, you could spend the entire day at their wee stall! This year, they introduced their new core range along with three different features:

  • Land of Oz
  • American
  • Cinema expressions

We somehow managed to stick with just a partial sampling of the Core Range, Oz, and Cinema… however that took rather a large amount of restraint!

Starting with the World Whisky Blend (fabulous and affordable!), the good folks at Atom Brands aka That Boutique-y Whisky Co, decided it was time to have something a bit more regular and dependable for fans. Shifting from 500ml bottles of unique expressions with sometimes only 100+ bottles in existence where you could “blink” and they are gone, their new core range can be found in “industry standard” 700ml bottles, all at a traditional strength of 45.8% in batches of approx 1,000 liters, with the intention of being much more accessible.

Naturally, there had to be something a bit cheeky about the approach with Emily Chappell’s labels! With a nod to traditional scotch whisky which often featured deer… in this case, the age of the deer was linked to the age of the dram… except of course for the Canadian whisky, it simply had to be a moose! Dave also shared the bottle colours are meant to reflect the northern lights too. 

Which was exactly where we began, the good Canuck that I am! 

Canadian Corn 8 year 45.8% (GBP 38)

Big bold and sweet aromas, caramel toffee sweetness, nutty, and more! And on the palate? Even more of that dramatic desert with some cracking ginger spice. Yet even with all the big bold aromas and flavours, it was in harmony and not overwhelming. A fun, fabulous sweet treat with a punch.

What more do we know? It was matured in 100% Oloroso casks. As for official tasting notes?

  • Nose – Fruity muffins, buttery oak, opening up into sherried goodness: raisins, prunes, dates, drizzles of runny toffee and toasted nuts.
  • Taste – Big, bold, and fruity! Toffee ripple ice cream, wafer, and popcorn join toasted almonds and cooked peach, white cracks of black pepper nestle in the depths.

Where did we go next? We then shifted to the oldest offering in this new core range – the 30-year-old blended grain!

Blended Grain 30 year 45.8% GBP 75

As bold and youthful as the Canadian corn was, we shifted to a genteel dame with the blended grain. On the nose, it was a friendly ‘breakfast dram’ with delicious buttery pastries, honey, and a hint of marmalade, some cream with vanilla. Then on the palate? Soft, even creamier, and far too easy to drink. This one was dangerous in its deceptively easy style. Yum!

What more do we know? It is a blend of refill casks of ex-Bourbon hogsheads and ex-Sherry octaves. As for tasting notes?

  • Nose – Honeycomb, red grapes, immensely buttery biscuits or shortbread, waxy orange peel, polished oak and a touch of floral spring breeze.
  • Palate –  Thick, textured with rich butterscotch, freshly baked cookies with still-soft chocolate chunks, hints of cedar and white pepper in the finish.

Next up was the Speyside….

Speyside 12 year 45.8% GBP 45

If the Canadian was big and bold, the Grain genteel and intoxicating, the Speyside was a sherry delight with substance!

On the nose, we found crunchy chocolate caramel with roasted nuts, some fruity sweetness too, and a puff of smoke. It had real substance on the palate – this was no lightweight! Warm and full of classic sherry dark fruits combined with a hint of salt. Far too drinkable too!

What more do we know? It is a combination of all-new Oloroso casks.. with the official tasting notes:

  • Nose – Caramelised nuts and chocolate mousse, flamed orange peel, cinnamon, earthy density, punchy cassia, and smoky oak.
  • Taste – Fruity, chewy and spicy. Tangy cranberry, salty jerky, oily walnuts, an absolute belter of a Speyside whisky. Complex and quaffable.

We held off on checking out the Highland 18 year and Islay 8 year. I’m sure they are equally worth checking out. Our overall conclusion for the trio we tried is that each is, in its distinctive way, simply too easy to drink. Which I supposed is exactly what they were aiming for with this more accessible range – bravo!

What next? Well… join me as we dive into a selection from Australia!

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Whisky Show 2023 – Show Bottles Loch Lomond, Clynelish, Orkney

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This year, I decided in advance to purchase a “festival pick” at London’s Whisky Show 2023. I set myself a maximum budget and even put together a shortlist. This is exactly why I made a “beeline” to the Whisky Show “Festival” Bottles early Sunday morning and zeroed into the Clynelish immediately. 

However, as always, I enjoy being guided through explorations. So when they recommended we start with the Loch Lomond, we were happy to oblige!

Loch Lomond 14 year Cask no. 22/709-1 55.6% (2023 Whisky Show Bottle)

What an intriguing bottle! It was initially quite shy and a bit funky on the nose, gradually easing into yogurt, it then burst open with dried fruits and cream, and generous dollops of dark honey. On the palate, it was dangerously drinkable and delicious. All those lovely fruity flavours coming together, well balanced and most enjoyable.

Whilst Loch Lomond (under many labels) has a huge range of styles, I personally prefer ones like this – un-peated, uncomplicated, and friendly (once you get to know each other a bit!). This one needs a wee bit of time in the glass, then absolutely rewards you with a treat!

What more do they say?

One of Scotland’s most versatile distilleries, Loch Lomond produces an astonishing range of different styles and flavour profiles. This cask of un-peated single malt showed such a perfect balance of fruity spirit character and oak influence that we knew we had to have it for Whisky Show.

  • Nose: Runny honey, golden syrup, wine gums, buttercream, orange flower water, sultanas, vanilla.
  • Palate: Thick-cut marmalade, apple juice, chewy flapjacks, digestive biscuits, fresh baguettes, rice pudding, more wine gums, and yellow fruit pastilles. There’s a leafy peppermint note that keeps the sweeter elements from getting out of balance.
  • Finish: Fruity and creamy with oak spices and a touch of pencil shavings.

From curious to most enjoyable, I then turned my attention to my potential festival pick…

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

I will admit it, just reading about this bottle put it in the front-runner position. I was not at all disappointed! It was full of gorgeous fruity aromas, chased by warm lemon, sponge cake, a hint of floral honey, and enough beeswax elements to make it interesting. On the palate it rewarded with more fruit – I definitely found the pineapple, elegant and well-rounded. There really is something distinctive about Clynelish – the more I explore, the more I want to explore further.  

What do the Whisky Show folks have to say?

A real whisky drinker’s whisky distillery, Clynelish has made single malt on Sutherland’s east coast for more than 200 years. Its characteristic waxy, fruity, mineral profile is quite unlike anything else being produced today. We’ve found these 2011 casks to be of excellent quality overall, but we thought this one was particularly good and a fitting addition to our Whisky Show lineup this year.

  • Nose: Gummy bears, nectarine, yellow plum, and lemon oil. There’s also a floral side with irises, blossoms and wildflower honey.
  • Palate: All the Clynelish hallmarks are present and correct: candlewax, beeswax, olive oil. Then more stone fruit and candied pineapple with seashells, chalky white wines and Yellow Chartreuse. The influence of that first-fill bourbon barrel grows over time with toffee, crème anglaise and honey granola.
  • Finish: Sweet anise, gentian, vanilla.

An excellent example of 2010s’ Clynelish from a particularly good first-fill barrel. I happily snapped it up for Eur 139 / GBP 120 and sent it home to India with my hubby for a future-future-future tasting session!

We were then steered towards the Orkney…

Orkney 22 year (2000/2023) Refill Hogshead #41 52.7% (2023 Whisky Show Bottle)

Obviously, this was Highland Park… and for 22 years, it greeted us with a fresh (though slightly shy) nose, light sea breeze, fresh leaves, and just the slightest hint of peat. On the palate, the peat was unmistakable – that lovely non-Islay peat that warms gently without overpowering the fruits and cinnamon sweet. The finish continued in the lightly sweet peat vein, lingering. Really rather nice!

Again, it is worth checking the further details about this Show Bottle here:

The first of our three bottlings for Whisky Show 2023 comes from a venerable distillery in the Orkney islands. We can’t say which one, but the keen-nosed will be able to make an educated guess. Full maturation in a refill hogshead means that the oak influence is nicely restrained, allowing the quality of the underlying lightly smoky spirit to really shine.

  • Nose: Heathery peat, beeswax furniture polish, linseed oil, white pepper and sackcloth. Brilliantly old-fashioned and probably a great example of whatever Orkney distillery this happens to be.
  • Palate: Nicely mineral at first, with oil lamps, polished brass, copper coins, peat kilns and brick dust. Then green apples, pears, lime juice, wood sorrel, brown butter, dandelion leaves and roasted green peppers.
  • Finish: That grassy, floral smokiness lingers along with a sense of earth and stones.

Our journey then continued with an amusing and educational exploration with Dave Worthington and fellow Canadian Sam Simmonds at That Boutique-y Whisky Co!

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London’s Whisky Show 2023 – Decadent Drinks

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We arrived at London’s Whisky Show 2023 approximately 45 minutes early so that we could efficiently make our way to a few “target” stalls. First on our list was Decadent Drinks / Whisky Sponge.

For those not familiar, these folks (approx seven) are an independent bottler of spirits worth checking out. Rather than my speaking for them, you can get a sense just from how they describe their aim:

We try to source and create products that are fun, a bit different and are designed to provide pleasure and joy. And hopefully to lift your spirits and give you a bit of a laugh as well. We care deeply about quality and we go to great lengths to ensure that what is inside our bottles is brilliant, delicious and beautiful. But we also think it is important to not take life, or drinks, too seriously. Which is why you’ll find the outside of our bottles plastered with original artworks and designs which are surreal, silly, often satirical, sometimes dark or arty, but hopefully always fun. Above all else, we believe in having fun. 

As this was our 1st stall and it was only 11:30am, we knew we needed to begin with something lighter and fruitier – better known as a “Breakfast Dram”. We were 100% steered in the right direction by the lovely ladies who knowledgeably poured this beauty to get us into the mood for the malts to come!

Balblair 15 year Equinox & Solstice Summer Edition 2023 48.5% (Decadent Drinks) GBP100

It was a delightful dram – a nose bursting with sunshine, an orchard of apples and pears, fresh and intoxicating. On the palate, it was incredibly creamy and tasty – dancing along the tongue in a summery romp. Delicious! 

As we only do a sniff & a few drops, my notes are limited. However, it left a very positive vibe. Curious to know more? Then check out what the Decadent Drinks folks have to say about this dram:

This year’s Summer Edition of Equinox & Solstice is a small batch mix of two 2008 1st fill barrels of Balblair. They’ve been bottled at 15 years of age and this series’ trademark strength of 48.5%. 

The result is an extremely easy and luscious summer dram that showcases an abundance of Balblair’s natural green fruitiness and lusciousness, along with a nicely rich and creamy vibe from the 1st fill barrels. A gorgeous dram that balances simplicity, directness, freshness and maturity – perfect for summer as an easy sipper or in a highball with ice and soda! 

This year’s series features a set of wonderful original artworks by Skye-based artist Ellis O’Connor. For the Summer edition her inspiration was taken from some of the colours associated with long and luminous Scottish summer nights.  

With our palates perfectly calibrated for explorations to come, we then enquired about our 1st Dream Dam. I had my eye on the Glen Grant 5-year-old, bottled for the Italian market. Only to be informed, this very special, very old bottle was only available for purchased tokens. Sigh…

Whilst my tasting companion was inclined to “give in”, I kept us to our strict regimen – enjoy fully what is on offer at the Whisky Show, wait for a different environment to splurge on indulgent drams where can focus on a full tasting!

With that, we moved on to our next stall… Adelphi! 

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