Daftmill 2009, 16 years, 56.3%, #59 & 60, Luvians, new Eisch Rum Nosing Glass Jeunesse, WB294834

To cut a long story short, these new glasses from Eisch are simply no match for standard whisky glasses. Unfortunately, the aromas barely reach the nose; the mouthfeel is good, however, the flavour is restrained, and the price is sobering. 

This Daftmill bottling is yet another exclusive release for Luvians. I visited one of their shops in St Andrews – very friendly people, and very helpful with online orders. And this bottling is a real hit. 

Nose: Warm vanilla sauce, vanilla custard still warm, white chocolate coating just before melting point, popcorn at the cinema, open-air, summer night, a fair nearby, endless candyfloss, a candyfloss revolution. Sweaty people rushing from A to B to buy more sweets and try out the machines. Candy apples. Freshly baked cake, something with apples. A hint of banana, if my senses aren’t deceiving me, coconut milk and Raffaello. In a bar in St Andrews, The Keys, loud, loud golfers, sporty young people, laughing, chatting, drinking beer. 
Palate: Black tea with a little rock sugar and milk, just as the East Frisians

drink it. Unripe apples, herbs like lovage? No, sage? No, perhaps verbena. A few bitter almonds, yet marzipan-like. A hint of rancid walnut lingers in the mouth.
Finish: Light woody notes, some tannins, espresso and dark chocolate. Tonka beans. Long-lasting. After a while, crushed orange seeds linger. I don’t like golf and golfers, but
“Bitterness is venom that consumes its host.” ― Matshona Dhliwayo. So St Andrews wasn’t so bad after all.
91/91/90

Glen Scotia 2005, 59.6 %, 20 yrs, #123, 10th anniversary deinwhisky.de, WB296273

Right, you shouldn’t expect an in-your-face peatiness – and indeed, how is that supposed to happen, after 20 years of full maturation, it’s clear that some expectations haven’t been met. But if you’re open to integrated peaty notes that lead to astonishing complexity: voilà.
Nose (3h): Crème brûlée, caramelised with plenty of birch wood, incense sticks in the distance, with vanilla notes but also a dying fire, a camp just broken up, like in a Western; speaking of which: a hint of horse manure, stables and sweat, an old saddle. A few caramel sweets, but little sweetness overall. Green apples and freshly mown grass.

Palate: Sweetened black tea, a hint of ashtray, burnt sugar, but no molasses, nor rum or cream sweets, rather apple pie left in the oven too long, darkly browned crumble. Nut butter. 
Finish: Black tea on the finish, slightly sweetened, a touch of pepper, medium length, campfire ash eaten with bread on a stick, burnt dough, no more bread, too charred. Water? Hmm, becomes drier, dustier, woodier. “Occasionally, you might enjoy the luxury of an unexpressed thought.” ― Everett Dirksen

88/88/87

Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 11 yrs NSS 54.1 %, Bothy by Ralfy 10th Anniversary, WB295769

Blended live from the legend. Frankly, I didn’t expect this result, tbh; tbh, I don’t even know what I was expecting – probably the usual when you drink a blended malt. This diversity, richness and sweetness – amazing.
Nose (2h): Juicy, sweet red apples, perfectly ripe – Baya Marisa or Red Delicious. A hint of fizzy cola, banana, strawberry, apricots, but also other sweets: fruit and caramel sweets, churros with dulce de leche, light grilled notes, faded and forgotten.

Palate: Bold. Not shy. Confident. Blending ergo sum. Ashtray, forgotten cigarette butt in the mouth, burnt out, accidentally taken a drag on it. A hint of candied ginger. Stale apple juice, oily, peppery. Coffee, too weak not to go. 
Finish: Surprisingly long, campfire, warming, becoming slightly dry. A hint of the cigarette has made its way down the throat. Peppercorns

triumph, a few grains of salt applaud. After a while, existentialist tannins from the previous day make themselves felt and ask about the meaning of life. Be careful with water, it kills the meaning a little. “The literal meaning of life is whatever you’re doing that prevents you from killing yourself.” ― Albert Camus

90/89/90

Glentauchers, 2023, 26 years old, 51.5%, Chorlton Whisky, new glasses, WB235528

Had a tough day? Arrived home tired and completely exhausted? Ready for a vacation and longing for... a trip... far away... the South Seas? Here, at least as a sensory experience, the journey becomes reality. A new glass has found its way onto the journey as well, with hardly any information available, supposedly from Bhlas, designed and produced by The Whisky Lodge (store in Lyon, France), terrific.
Nose: Ahhhh, tropical fruits, the Caribbean, a light summer breeze, if only it weren't for this incredibly annoying glass. The opening is very small, hardly suitable for smelling, the stem is much too short to hold the glass, and the opening is so small that it's almost impossible to drink from. The opening is even smaller than that of the Blender's Glass, and unfortunately, no lid is suitable to cover it.

These glasses are hardly suitable for smelling and drinking; it's no fun to drink from them. However, we don't let that bother us and continue to relax. The aromas of nice sweet vanillas help us there. There is some custard, caramel, and fudge, as well as a little sawdust. Actually, many points of the tasting circle apply, but especially the woody, fragrant, fruity, grainy, and grassy sectors.
Mouth: Fresh fruit, tropical, some citrus fruit, porridge, and butter cookies.

Lots of apricots and peaches.
Finish: Warm vanilla pudding and crème brûlée, but so much more. Fruit salad or cocktail with lots of vanilla sauce. Cereals, honey pops, some white chocolate, and traces of grapefruit. The drink is bliss...the glass less so...
90/93/93

The Marketing Malt, 2005, 2025, Decadent Drams, 20 yrs, 57.1 %, WB292400

‘Please enjoy this silly, extreme, and extremely fun concoction.’ Sighing, almost imperceptibly, palm to face, rolling eyes, shaking head... remembering calming techniques from yoga sessions, therapists' advices, boddhidharma hummings...

Nose: After 10 minutes warm maple syrup, baked bananas, a few mint leaves indecisive whether to enter. No chance. Dates and raisins, other dark fruits, mainly dried or during the cooking process. Milk chocolate, maybe figs? Hmmm, not yet, just heraldically announced. Let's wait a little longer... After an hour, old sofa, old furniture, grandad's chamber from the 60s, never moved out, no change of scenery. However, unbelievably changing: cake, maybe Christmassish. Cherry, chocolate muffins, dark honey combs, honey bread, gingerbread, Germans call it Magenbrot.

Mouth: The first sip after 15 minutes reveals surprisingly cough drops. Minty mentholic malt moments meander momentarily, mindfully mildly the mouth. After an hour or so, dark chocolate and espresso skid on a women's 3000m ice skating forward synchronously back and forth, wobbling and swaying, overtaking and crossing each other one after the other on the right and left, swapping the lead. A slight sharpness appears, with no gold in sight for either espresso or chocolate. Fried orange peel dominates the field, with orange juice and a hint of caraway underscoring the picture. Could be perceived as unpleasantly “silly”. Unfortunately, the mood takes a turn for the worse, with sulphurous notes appearing in the mouth and the taste becoming soapy and unpleasant. Of course, we don't let this spoil our mood. However, ratings are in free fall, poor B grades...

Finish: Very nice long finish, some herbal notes from the cough sweets are still noticeable, mouth becomes drier, tannins and black tea linger, oily consistency. Arrogant and presumptuous, somehow annoying, Decadent Drams…

91/86/89

Elijah Craig, 18 yrs, 45 %, Bourbon, WB261148

This one was like the Holy Grail for me to obtain, but a small window of opportunity opened: a drop in price, and I seized it.

On the nose, there's an unusual burst of bold and distinct umami notes, reminiscent of fried roast or barbecued food. Smoked salmon, grilled vegetables, bananas and pineapple. Now more roasted things... almonds, other nuts, peanut butter and marzipan. Mushrooms and a sweaty sensation linger in the nose.

Mouth: Unfortunately, the low ABV and the processing of this beverage result in a lack of depth and character. The aromas remain subtle: restrained sweetness, oak, tannins, cinnamon and nutmeg. The nutty notes are there, but behind a curtain.

Finish: It's a little hot, but there's no Kentucky hague. Oaky bitterness and tannins linger. The holy grail... just a cup... "Do not touch the Grail without belief!" — Stewart Stafford.

90/88/87

Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch, 54.5 %, Bourbon, WB285863

On the nose, there is a very creamy sensation with bursts of vanilla volcanoes, vanilla here and there, and all kinds of sweet cakes involving vanilla. There are also hints of cotton candy and glue, but not too much. It is an aromatic experience that most people would describe as smooth. However, smooth is not really a member of the tasting circle. We must try to describe this sensation using a more meaningful term. How about this: the sensation is like cleaning your nose with a silky napkin?

Mouth: A similar sensation to the silky one on the nose. There are more herbs, as well as cinnamon and nutmeg. However, the characteristic we are determined to identify is probably a lack of character. With more patience, the flavour of apples moves shyly forward.

Finish: There are traces of oak, a hint of pepper and a sense of disappointment when compared to previous expressions. This one seems designed to do no harm, but it remains a little boring in the process. Adding a few drops of water causes the aromas to vanish almost completely. On the palate, the tasting circle remains empty and the finish is watery.

89/87/86

Blanton's Straight From The Barrel, #4 Charred American White Oak Barrel, 64.8 %, #24, Warehouse H - Rick No. 44 - 129.6 Proof, Bourbon, WB195915

Nose: Endless sweets, mainly fruity, with a few cream candies mixed in, increasing the dimensionality, but master control is definitely on the fruity caramel side of the force. The caramel candies are in the pan, however, and continue to caramelise. However, however, however, the aroma changes every second, every minute, every hour. Now refreshing herbal notes appear, like a multidimensional world, a shift from worlds to a herbaceous, spicy world. The world of furniture polish degrees of freedom and adhesive change rates do not yet appear through hidden wormholes. In the space-time continuum, powdered sugar paradise apples appear, reminiscent of another world in the multiverse, where matter and antimatter combine to form aromatic sugar bursts, fascinating.

Mouth: Very sweet and yet many spices, mainly of an oriental nature.

Cinnamon and nutmeg spiciness combine to form pimento-like filaments. Wafting through these gives the mouthfeel cayenne pepper-like vibrations. The flavours modulate and oscillate from sweetness, spice, to herbs and spiciness and back again.

Finish: Oily texture, a trace of all flavours remains like a trail in the snow, ionised particles as remnants of a violent flash of flavour through the dimensions. The addition of H2O molecules changes the composition of the stars to more woody auras with protuberances of bitter almonds.

90/90/89

Meikle Tòir, 2019, 2025, 60.3 %, #8723, WB289160

When you arrive at Glenallachie Distillery, you walk or drive past several storehouses with racks, comparable in size to those at Macallan. Apparently, most of the stock is still in possession of Chivas Brothers (Pernod Ricard). During the tour, you will see the dunnage warehouses and be led to the tasting room, which showcases artwork of Glenallachie bottlings drawn by the tour guide himself.  

The nose is reminiscent of BBQ sauce with lots of umami notes from grilled or fried roast. There are also hints of baked apples and other fruits that I cannot yet identify...cranberries. There are maybe some tobacco aromas, but not a fired sensation, just a sweaty one.  

Palate: Sweetness paired with an ashtray sensation, despite the high ABV, the beverage does not burn much. There are hints of smoked tofu in soy sauce, sourness and salt. The peat is neither troubling nor challenging, inducing complex yet integrated aromas. Finish: A chilli

kick with a warming sensation and lingering Bordeaux tannins. The oily, sweet residues of the whisky let you enjoy it smoochingly for a long time. 

90/90/90 

 

 

 

Glenallachie 20, 2025, 2005, Master of Malt 40th Anniversary Exclusive, 54.2 %, #5391, WB283677

This is another exclusive: it has been matured in PX casks. Both are formidable, but I have to say the PX is much better and tastier than the other Oloroso one for the Aberdeen shop.

The nose is a nice, warming summer breeze with bossa nova in the background and all your problems far away. There are still cooking jam and cherry notes, as well as other dark fruits cooked in syrupy caramelised demerara sugar. This is beautifully accompanied by coffee and espresso notes. There are now baking notes, like freshly baked bread or cake straight from the oven.

Palate: Sweet coffee notes take centre stage, accompanied by soy sauce and balsamic nuances — not just hints, but

strong flavours. There is also the ever-present honey note. I can now detect plummy aromas reminiscent of old Armagnacs. An endless flood of aromas is entering the umami notes, reminiscent of fried or grilled food, such as burgers or steaks. More dishes are served that I cannot account for.

Finish: Dark chocolate mixed with manuka honey. It's reminiscent of an old Sassicaia or other Super Tuscan red wine. Not the elegant Tignanello, though. ‘When you realise nothing is lacking, the whole world belongs to you.’ Lao Tzu

93/92/92

Daftmill 15, 2009, 2025, #002/2009, Aberdeen Whisky Shop, WB284495 and super fancy glasses RIEDEL Superleggero Spirits and RUM set

Aberdeen proudly calls itself the ‘capital of oil’. From here, large corporations supply their oil rigs in the North Sea by ship and helicopter. Every third job in the Scottish city depends on the raw materials industry. For a long time, black gold brought Aberdeen secure prosperity. But that could soon be over. Fifty years after the boom began, many sources are running dry. In 2014, the price of oil plummeted, plunging Aberdeen into a deep crisis. Then, the city is reportedly repositioning itself for the future. Hundreds of oil rigs are to be scrapped – which is expected to create jobs. High-tech industries and tourism are also set to grow. And now 10 years later...? To be honest, you can see decay here and there, in some

neighbourhoods and on some buildings. The dominant colour is grey, which intentionally or unintentionally affects the mood. However, if you spend more time in the city, you can explore the lovely coastline, with the legendary Aberdeen Stadium and the amusement park. As you walk around the city, you will discover an old town with a university and some lovely cafés. Somewhere on a main road is the Aberdeen Whisky Shop. The team is very friendly, with a large selection and the opportunity to try many different whiskies. As nice as these people are, the service is simply abysmal. When ordering from abroad, enquiries are rarely answered, shipping via UPS always causes problems, delivery is delayed indefinitely and, for some reason, you cannot pay VAT-free but have to pay double tax.

This bottling is a shop exclusive, but so far the exclusives have not been particularly special, such as the Glenallachie.

I associate the tasting with these Riedel glasses, which I have always avoided because of their high price. Recently, there was a big discount, so I took the plunge.

The rum set is machine-made, but the Superleggero is supposed to be hand-made. To come straight to the point, there is hardly any difference in taste and smell, only the feeling and drinking experience with the Superleggero is... well, very fancy. The Final Touch and the Blenders Glass are allowed to compete. Nose: The Riedel glasses are very restrained, very muted. The smell is suppressed, the aromas are difficult to detect. The Blenders Glass concentrates the vanilla aromas, cotton candy and delicious vanilla custard excellently. Sweets and sugar water. A little caramel, icing sugar and sweets. Red apples come through in the final touch. The

Riedel glasses have this too, but more subtly. The drinking experience with the Superleggero is particularly awkward. With its large base, the glass is very unbalanced and feels strange in the hand.

Palate: Pepper, curry, chilli, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg. A hint of coffee and eau de vie. I couldn't quite hit the sweet spot with water. The drink just becomes spicier and harsher.

Finish: Somewhat short, very alcoholic, grappa. Becomes very unpleasant with water.

On the nose, the drink was very promising and at times even elegant. On the palate, the drink is just spicy. Not a good choice, dear Aberdeen team. But as a great man once said: ‘Your life is a result of the choices you have made. If you don't like your life, start making better choices.’— Zig Ziglar. That said, my first choice is to not choose the Aberdeen Shop anymore...

 90/88/88

 

 

 

 

Mortlach 22, 1998, 2020, 56.4 %, Sansibar, Black White Art, WB196275

This one is bottled by Sansibar. To be honest, Sansibar bottlings hardly impressed me; given the price tag, I was rather disappointed. The bottlers pay more attention to their artistic labels than to the content. Hopefully, I'm wrong about this one, because I bought two of these incredibly expensive bottlings. But that said, it wouldn't be the first time I spent a lot of money on a hunch and ended up disappointed. Sadly, I'm used to that.

Nose: Cellar mustiness, forest floor, sharbat, sugar water, diluted rum. Perhaps Feuerzangenbowle or punch? Shoe box, hmmm... with new or old shoes? Socks... perhaps sweaty. Wet animals, cat, dog... vodka.

Palate: Somewhat spicy, ginger or chilli? Black pepper. Plot twist: sweetened tea, slight bitterness, some herbs, perhaps lovage. Savory... allspice and nutmeg. Cinnamon spice and a bite of wet paper. Spice again.

Finish: Chilli, rocket, the spicy kind, not the mild cultivated variety. Some

unpleasant off-notes in my opinion, like stale wine, not sour but doesn't make you happy either.

Nose is great but improves with water, the palate on the other hand becomes bitter and grapefruit seeds. Sweetness almost vanishes. Tastes like yoghurt when mould is forming or apple sauce shortly before spoiling. Maybe there are some fans of this taste, maybe I have bad taste... but as a great man once said: Bad taste is simply the truth before it should be said. Mel Brooks

90/88/84 

Ardnamurchan 10, 2015, Decadent Drinks, Decadent Drams, 2025, 55%. WB289307

The standard ten years-olds didn’t impress me much, but as a 10 years old cask strength was released, it was gone before you could say yikes-a-ten-years-old-cask-strength-from-Ardnamurchan-what-a-lovely-distillery-i-need-one…Now Decadent Drinks released this one, and I didn’t hesitate. Was it worth it?

Nose: Slightly alcoholic, sparkling. Some dates and dried figs, not particularly rich, somewhat subdued, smoky aromas such as cigar and ashtray dominate the dimensions. A hint of pipe and tobacco. In the background and occasionally in the foreground, waves of sweat float through the air.

Palate: Sweet, also slightly sour, a little salty, peppery. Cloves and nutmeg. A slightly nutty note, perhaps marzipan? And a kind of aniseed note, or is it eucalyptus? In any case, not so decadent.

Finish: Disappears very quickly, depending on how big the sip was. The sweetness sticks in the mouth. A few tannins remain.

89/88/88

Lammerlaw, Willowbank, 1988-1992, van Wees, 46%, 2025, WB289472

Where to start? I came across this bottling while randomly scrolling through the Whiskybase pages. Obviously, this isn't a Scotch, but a single malt from New Zealand, produced by the New Zealand Malt Whisky Company and sold under the Milford brand. The distillery has already been dismantled. Do not confuse it with the Lammerlaw Distillery in Scotland, which closed a long time ago. The whisky is named after the spring that provides the distillery with its main ingredient; however, according to various resources, it is also said to be named after the mountains in Dunedin. This is a marriage of first fill barrels from 1988 and 1992.

The nose is bold and rich with notes of manuka honey and ripe pineapple. Waves of candy aromas and fruity notes: cotton candy, lots of vanilla, like a cloud of sweet vanilla custard powder. Ripe peaches and apricots. Hints of herbal notes make this an interesting olfactory experience.

Palate: Spices, mustard and candied ginger. There is a hint of wood spice, perhaps sandalwood. Some tannins. The sweetness is profound, but the richness retreats in favour of low, waxy, oaky notes.

Finish: Perhaps the low ABV of 46% results in a thin, short finish. Some waxiness lingers in the mouth. There is dryness in the cheeks.

93/89/88

The Cairn, First Peek, 2025, 3 yrs, 57%, WB291768

The Cairn is situated in the middle of a nature reserve and they are not even allowed to mature their whisky on site, I was told when I visited the distillery in 2025. They said the whisky is transported to Benromach. During the tour, which reminded me more of a great show than a distillery facility, I was also told that they do not intend to release their first bottling until it is at least 10 or 12 years old, but definitely not 3. Perhaps I misunderstood them...There is even a giant circular clock indicating future releases (see below).

Nose: Alcoholic punch – they should have waited a few more years. It's very tingling, almost burning, to the nose. If you can endure the burning sensation, you can detect vanilla notes and creamy, milky sweets. But that’s it; the next burning sensation hits and knocks you out. If you dare to smell it again, you might detect some crème brûlée notes. Wild, harsh, untamed youthfulness.

Palate: I must admit it's very sweet, almost artificially so. There are typical new make notes, such as pear and bad grappa. There is also a malty flavour and a burning, numbing sensation from the alcohol. Sorry, but there's just no point in drinking this further.

Finish: None.

OK, maybe after the second or third sip, some oak notes and an oily sensation linger in the mouth. Why didn't they wait? Why the rush? 1000 bottles of this toxic drink – who is going to drink it all? But, as a great man once said: 'Wisdom is the reward for surviving our own stupidity.' Brian Rathbone.

79/77/70