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| Hello, that is certainly one of our (virtually) each day tastings. Santé! |
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January 13, 2025
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All over the world for the primary time in 2025 |
We’re maintaining with good traditions—beginning in France, then heading to China, India, Australia, and London.
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Moon Harbour ‘Signature’ (41.2%, OB, France, +/-2024) 
A really younger single malt from Bordeaux, naturally matured in Bordeaux casks. Everybody’s doing it worldwide, so it could be fairly ironic if the Bordelais didn’t comply with swimsuit. One imagines the stills used could be both cognaçais or Stupfler. Color: pale gold. Nostril: closely influenced by woody spices and candy wine, Sauternes, pencil shavings, lychees, rose petals, apricots, pink peppercorns… It’s moderately exuberant and much faraway from traditional malts, virtually veering in direction of rye. Mouth: the woody spices and candy wine instantly take centre stage. Cherries, blackcurrants, pepper, apricots, cinnamon, nutmeg, and barley sugar. Very fruity. End: pretty brief, fairly centered on the candy wine, with a return of pencil shavings within the aftertaste. Feedback: fairly just like different ‘wine inside’ malts produced within the south-west. Not precisely my type, but it surely’s very younger but effectively made.
SGP:730 – 75 factors. |
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We’re sticking with some signatures…
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BM Signature 8 yo (42%, OB, France, +/-2024) 
BM is Bruno Mangin, from the now sadly defunct Distillerie Rouget de Lisle within the French Jura. The nonetheless used was an Armagnac-style column, and the casks had been principally native wine casks (in France, it’s virtually a convention). Color: gold. Nostril: a moderately nice fino-like edge, with acidity and recent walnuts layered over damp earth and winery peaches. The walnuts dominate, however who doesn’t love walnuts? Mouth: nonetheless that barely bitter edge, these walnuts, dry wine (Madeira), plus a salty be aware that basically makes it take off, and it retains enhancing because it goes. Fairly Jerez-like, if I’ll say so. End: medium size, with tart little apples and extra walnuts. Impeccably dry. A drop of gentian within the aftertaste. Feedback: I used to be a bit sceptical at first, I have to admit, but it surely received me over in the long run. There will likely be different BMs.
SGP:361 – 85 factors. |
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We’re altering continent…
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Laizhou ‘Inaugural Version’ (46%, OB, China, single malt, +/-2024)
One other younger Chinese language distillery, this time from Szechuan. There are increasingly of them in China, and I can’t assist however really feel this might play out very similar to the automobile trade—everybody desires of promoting their whiskies to our Chinese language associates, however now they’re beginning to produce their very own, and doing it effectively (we’re removed from Crimson Labial or Chinas Regal right here). In any case, what I’ve already tasted was moderately just a little spectacular! Furthermore, Laizhou seems to be using some ‘wooden expertise’ that might make fairly just a few folks in Tain (Scotland) envious. Color: gold. Nostril: wow. A extremely uncommon smoke, resinous, empyreumatic, wrapping round candied citrus fruits and a contact of top-notch yellow curry. A really fairly nostril, compact and extremely partaking. Mouth: creamy, nonetheless smoky (eucalyptus wooden), saline, virtually mustard-like, adopted by roasted nuts of all types—pecans, pine nuts, hazelnuts, almonds… That little yellow curry makes a welcome return, which we moderately love. End: lengthy, fantastically dry, and ever so barely charred. Feedback: what impresses me is that they haven’t tried to ‘copy’ (OK, maybe take inspiration from) Scottish malts. It’s genuinely totally different, with what appears to be wonderful cask work. Actual new world. This malt too, we’ll be seeing extra of.
SGP:362 – 85 factors. |
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Paul John 2016/2023 (58.5%, OB, India, peated, Madeira cask, cask #14363, 186 bottles)
Straight from India by means of our expensive good friend Krishna who can also be an incredible oyster connoisseur. Color: golden amber. Nostril: fairly sulphury (no prob) and camphory at first however this side steadily offers option to overripe mangoes and fudge, with some moderately sudden background touches of sport birds and tobacco. This creates a extremely dramatic profile total, let’s press on… With water: barely tamed, extremely fragrant, with hints of rose petals and sugar-coated caraway. Really lovely and it actually takes you on a journey. Mouth (neat): it’s virtually like mango jam with spices and honey, to be sincere. Oily texture. With water: an absolute indulgence. Honey, mango, apricot, rose, jasmine, cardamom… A contact of leather-based and tobacco, probably from the Madeira. End: lengthy, spicy, now drier. Notes of chocolate, espresso and pink peppercorns. Feedback: what an journey!
SGP:761 – 87 factors. |
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Amrut 2016/2024 ‘Virgin Oak Refilled’ (60%, OB, India, Foundations, cask #915, 102 bottles) 
Let’s deal with the query right away—does ‘virgin oak refilled’ not sound like an oxymoron? Most likely not… Effectively, we get the thought; it’s neither refill bourbon nor refill sherry, and so on. In any case, we’re not totally certain, but it surely’s amusing—a lot love for Amrut. Color: amber. Baltic amber (certainly). Nostril: ultra-compact and good. Mango liqueur, parsley, bay leaf. Barely loopy in its precision. With water: all types of mint, particularly peppermint. Mouth (neat): medicinal mango! Somebody needed to invent that. With water: nonetheless mango, but additionally banana and a touch of truffle mud. End: lengthy, with comparable notes however finally leaning in direction of citrus (oranges). Feedback: this tasting be aware could be a bit everywhere, I’m sorry, however the whisky is ideal.
SGP:651 – 89 factors. |
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Kinglake 2018/2021 ‘In The Blood’ (49%, OB, Australia, 93 bottles)
Talking of ending, these loopy Australians matured this single malt in an ex-Buffalo Hint barrel earlier than transferring it to a Crimson Gum barrel (no concept what that’s—although I suppose one may look it up) seasoned for six months with Moondog stout and one other six months with barley wine. Proper then, let’s take a deep breath and dive in… Color: reddish amber. Nostril: it’s all about chocolate. Chocolate crammed with a contact of raspberry liqueur, a mixture that feels distinctly… Alsatian. Mouth: completely bonkers. Nonetheless loads of chocolate, but additionally very younger Pinot Noir and pink grapefruit. The flavours are so explosive that the 49% ABV feels extra like 60. Actually. End: very lengthy, with extra loopy nuances—raspberry making a return, darkish beer, cloves, malt extract, cumin, black cherry, and so forth. Mad stuff. Feedback: it’s so explosively fragrant that in the event that they bottled this at 60% ABV, it would simply shatter your tasting glass with out hesitation. Mad, I like it.
SGP:771 – 87 factors. |
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One final cease, that is sufficient of the colonies… (S., watch out—as a French particular person, you may not grasp all of the nuances these phrases entail) …
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Bimber ‘Witkievicz the Artist’ (58.7%, OB, England, Shoulders of Giants, for Poland, oloroso, cask #460, 285 bottles, 2024)
I be aware that, for now, there hasn’t been a bottling on this collection devoted to Elon M. Color: gold. Nostril: a mixture of ripe bananas and roasted nuts, adopted by barely burnt cake. Gentle hints of concrete mud within the background. With water: oh, very pretty—lighter, virtually floral. Blood oranges and wisteria. Mouth (neat): that is clearly very effectively completed—raisins, strawberry liqueur, pink peppercorns, chocolate cake, and a drop (only one) of banana liqueur. With water: mild spices emerge, including a stronger impression of darkish chocolate. End: pretty lengthy, chocolatey. Notes of darkish tobacco. Feedback: we are inclined to favour ex-bourbon, however I have to admit this ex-oloroso has been crafted with nice consideration to element and, above all, freshness. Freshness issues. Na zdrowie.
SGP:661 – 87 factors. |
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