Benrinnes 1997 Artist #15 The Dark Side of the Moon Over 25 yo

 

 

 

52,3°

Distillery : Benrinnes - Speyside

Sherry Hogshead

Independent Bottling 

By La Maison du Whisky

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

Amongst the fifteenth release of the Artist range, which is very varied this year, this Benrinnes catches the eye. Aged at least 27 years, it has spent its entire maturation period in a Sherry Hogshead, and everyone knows that Benrinnes pairs very well with Sherry. 221 bottles are promised to the public, primarily on the French market. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It :  

Mellow and deep sherry, dates, Amarena cherries, floor wax, freshly tanned leather, salted butter caramel, wildflower honey, prunes and figs. Some forest scents, lichen and moss, mushrooms, creamy vanilla. On the palate, it is slightly more woody, with liquorice and dark chocolate, coffee beans, red fruit coulis, blood orange zest, marzipan and cooked fruit. Powerful spices, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cumin. Quite a long, explosive finish, pine resin, oak bark, argan oil, pipe tobacco. Yellow fruits, bananas and pears, toasted and indulgent cereals. 

 

In Short, 

It's everything you'd expect from a Benrinnes aged in a sherry cask, with something extra: a slightly dirty, woodsy, even earthy character. It's obviously very well made, with lots of varied flavours, but all consistent. It's just missing that little something to make it truly excellent. The price is really scary. 

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Boys Go To Jupiter - Handstand

Bunnahabhain 2013 Decadent Drams Exclusively Bottled for the Itinéraires Collection 11 yo

 

 

 

58,3°

Distillery : Bunnahabhain - Islay

Refill Pedro Ximénez Sherry Hogshead and Oloroso Sherry Finish

Independent Bottling 

By Decadent Drinks 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Slightly Peated

Decadent Drams is the new range launched by Decadent Drinks just over a year ago. It brings together mostly single cask and cask strength bottlings, but relatively young ones. Here we have an 11-year-old Bunnahabhain, unpeated, but aged in casks that previously contained peated whisky. Maturation took place in two stages, first in a Refill Pedro Ximénez Sherry Hogshead that previously contained Bunnahabhain Staoisha, then in a Refill Oloroso Sherry Hogshead that previously contained Ardnahoe. The transfer from one cask to another necessarily took place in 2020 at the earliest, as Ardnahoe became operational in 2017, and the liquid must remain in a cask for at least three years before it can be called whisky. 309 bottles were produced, which were reserved in priority for the French market, as was selected by La Maison du Whisky to be part of the Collection Itinéraires. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The peat is very light, it's quite sweet, sherry with hazelnuts and pan-fried mushrooms, wild strawberries and forest fragrances, dark tobacco, hot chestnuts. A few mineral touches, slate, chalk, damp earth, wet leather. Copper notes. On the palate, it is well-made, balanced, citrus and molasses, roasted pineapple, grapefruit coulis, barley sugar, fermented fruit. Very measured spices, a pinch of sea salt. Fairly long finish with shortbread biscuits, fruit paste, crushed banana, liquorice, apple and cinnamon tart. Cashew nuts. 

 

In Short, 

It's very well made, but this light peatiness is a little unsettling. With Bunnahabhain, it's usually either very peaty or not peaty at all. It's good, but there are no particular qualities, it's just very balanced and subtle. And at the price it's selling for, it's really too expensive. No wonder there's still some left. 

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Xiu Xiu - Sad Mezcalita

Laphroaig 2014 The Single Malts of Scotland Collection Itinéraires 11 yo

 

 

 

57,5°

Distillery : Laphroaig - Islay

Refill Hogshead

Independent Bottling 

By Elixir Distillers

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured 

Peated around 43 ppm

 

 

 

There are four 11-year-old Laphroaigs distilled in 2014 and bottled in 2025 by Elixir Distillers, so it is important not to confuse them. Two are produced in tribute to whisky retail websites, Whisky Galore and Fassstark.de, one is available for general sale, and this one is reserved for the French market through the Collection Itinéraires, created by La Maison du Whisky for the Whisky Live Paris 2025. Only 359 bottles are available for sale, after 11 years and 2 months of ageing. Maturation in Refill Hogshead casks guarantees a pure distillate.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It :  

Fuel oil and iodine, limestone and chalk, medicinal notes, earthy and muddy peat, reeds, chives, peppermint. A generous zest of lemon, a few mirabelle plums and a floral note, crystalline vanilla, jasmine and rose Turkish delight. On the palate, it is supple, lychee juice, slivered almonds, on thick peat, modelling clay, coarse salt, soot, ashes and pungent spices, cloves, cumin, black pepper. The finish is long, explosive, oily, full of coal and salt, but also oily, shortbread biscuits, grapefruit, dark chocolate and liquorice, sleet, pebbles. 

 

In Short, 

A truly representative Laphroaig, it has everything we love about this distillery, but with a certain finesse that softens its aggressiveness and makes it more subtle. Anyone who likes this profile will be delighted, but it's nothing brilliant either, as it's not particularly expressive on the palate. The nose and finish, on the other hand, are perfect. The price is reasonable, and now I wonder why I didn't buy it.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Blackwater Holylight - Heavy, Why?

Park Life 2003 Uncharted Whisky C° 22 yo

 

 

 

55°

Distillery Officially Unknown - Highlands

Refill Sherry Cask

Independent Bottling 

By Uncharted Whisky C°

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 20 ppm

 

 

 

Uncharted Whisky C° is a young independent bottler founded in Scotland in 2020, which has produced between 50 and 60 expressions to date. This one comes from a distillery that is officially kept secret, but few people are unaware that it is a Highland Park. It has been aged for 22 years in a Single Refill Sherry Cask and reduced to 55% ABV. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

It is floral and slightly mineral, limestone and quartz, lilac, airy and iodised, sea spray, foam, then a chalky peat settles in. Gravel, pebbles, seaweed and kelp, pine honey, heather and a hint of vanilla, candied lemon and mirabelle plums. Chewing tobacco, very subtle smoke, warm wax, a eucalyptus leaf. On the palate, more honey, greengage tart, royal jelly, intense spices, almond oil. A pungent, powerful and long finish, clove, cigar ash, pecan, cola, slight woody bitterness, green apples, artichoke heart. Tinder.

 

In Short, 

There are a few minor flaws, a palate that is not quite expressive and a slightly bitter finish. Apart from that, it is a very good whisky, truly typical of the distillery, salty, airy, mineral, full of heather honey. The sherry is barely noticeable, it must be a third or fourth fill, it just adds a little fruitiness. What's incredible is the price, which is very low for a 22-year-old single cask, no doubt because the name of the distillery is kept secret, and it's reduced, so it's a bargain. 

Score : 89 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Ailise Blake - Consecration

Indiana Bourbon 2015 Les Grands Alambics Birds Series 6 yo

 

 

 

52,6°

Distillery Officially Unknown - Indiana, U.S.A.

American Oak Casks

Independent Bottling 

By Les Grands Alambics

Limited Edition 

Single Cask Bourbon Whiskey 

Bottled in 2021

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

Indiana is a well-known state in the world of Bourbon Whiskey, with around forty distilleries of all sizes, the largest of which is Ross & Squibb Distillery, a huge machine that produces hundreds of millions of litres of pure alcohol per year. This is the most likely source of this bottle, but it is by no means certain, as it could be any of the other distilleries in the state. There are also few details about the maturation process. It is most likely American oak casks, but nothing is specified. However, it is definitely a single cask, and only 120 bottles have been produced. This bottling was designed by Les Grands Alambics, a famous shop specialising in whisky located in the French Alps.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Honey with walnuts, roasted corn, muesli with puffed rice, oats and raisins, lemon zest, a slice of pineapple and molasses. Soft, sticky caramel, hot chestnuts, varnished wood, a haystack and a few plump plums. Chocolate éclair, creamy vanilla. On the palate, nougat, hot chocolate, candy sugar, liquorice, stuffed figs, almond paste, earthy cereals, dark tobacco, varied and intense spices. Fairly long finish with good body, chocolate cookies, cola nuts, toasted hazelnuts, a mint leaf.

 

In Short, 

It's a pure Bourbon, a little austere, with the typical markers of honey, vanilla and various cereals, but here it's a little dark, earthy and, at the same time, very indulgent. It's very pleasant overall, but it lacks a little personality. The price seems relatively reasonable to me, but it's sold out absolutely everywhere.

Score : 88  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Sunfire - Ballad of River

Nikka Taketsuru 21 yo

 

 

 

43°

Distilleries : Yoichi, Miyagikyo - Japan

Bourbon and Sherry Casks

Original Bottling 

Core Range 

Blended Malt

Launched in 2001

Slightly Peated 

 

 

 

It is important to know about Masataka Taketsuru's life if you are even remotely interested in whisky. How this eager and hard-working young man went into business, how he left for Scotland just after the First World War, the Scottish woman he married who died prematurely, leaving him forever bereaved and throwing himself into his work. The two distilleries he founded, Yoichi and Miyagikyo, are the ones used for this Blended Malt created in his honour. He died in 1979, so the first Taketsuru 21 yo, launched in March 2001, was probably distilled during his lifetime. It is considered one of the best blends in the world, having been crowned the world's best whisky in its category four times at the World Whisky Awards. There is also the Taketsuru 25 Year Old, the 17 Year Old and the non-age-statement, but it is the 21 Year Old that is most easily remembered by the public and which fuels the legend. These three aged Taketsuru whiskies were discontinued in March 2020.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Pastry cream and peanut butter, apples cooked with a pinch of cinnamon, dried fruit, raisins, prunes, apricots, candied lemon, grapefruit zest, melting caramel, toffee and dark chocolate, a few coffee beans. In the background, a hint of coarse salt, mineral notes, limestone, gypsum, light and captivating peat, soot, dry earth. On the palate, sour oranges, salty notes and green liquorice, ginger, elegant but slightly insistent wood. Discreet spices, nutmeg, black pepper. Fairly long finish, chocolatey, with a trace of charcoal, walnuts and hazelnuts, a mint leaf.

 

In Short, 

The nose is the most interesting aspect, but it lacks a little depth and balance. The palate and finish are good but not particularly original. Another one of those overrated Japanese products that have reached ridiculous prices. Sure, it's good, but it's not that balanced, and there are some minor flaws. It is indeed much better than the vast majority of blends, but it is not as good as a good single malt. Perhaps, in the end, it would have been better not to taste it, dreaming of a great blend is always better than experiencing this disappointment.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

                                           Band-Maid - Thrill

The Macallan 18 yo Double Cask 2020

 

 

 

43°

Distillery : The Macallan - Speyside

Sherry Seasoned American and European Oak Casks  

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2020

Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

There are several 18-year-old Macallans, first the Sherry Oak Cask, then the Fine Oak, the Colour Collection, and finally the Double Cask, which we are focusing on here. That's not counting the simple 18-year-old vintage, which was still being sold at the beginning of the century, but no longer exists. The Double Cask is aged in two types of cask, as its name suggests, American and European oak casks. Both come from the city of Jerez de la Frontera, the capital of sherry, where the distillery owns several bodegas. Unfortunately, it is chill-filtered and reduced to 43%, but at least there are no colourings.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The nose strikes me as exceptional right away, with notes of salted butter caramel, soft toffee, prune clafoutis, macerated grapes, strawberry coulis, creamy vanilla, fermented cherries, a zest of blood orange, a slice of lime, dried tobacco leaves, acacia honey, beeswax, pine resin, dark chocolate and candied ginger. On the palate, it is a little light but perfectly balanced, on the one hand with dried apricots, mellow banana, pomegranate seeds and cooked apples, and on the other with measured spices, nutmeg, cloves and grey pepper. Rich and creamy woodiness, very honeyed, egg custard, pastry cream. The finish is long, powerful, even explosive, full of dried fruit, shortbread biscuits, citrus fruit and Turkish delight. Olive oil, one or two coffee beans, cashew nuts, cinnamon, very slight woody bitterness. A pinch of salt, a hint of cereal.

 

In Short, 

The nose and finish completely enchanted me. Tasted blind, I found it to be an exceptional whisky, with a cask quality that is almost impossible to find anywhere else. On the palate, however, it is very balanced but a little light, which is a shame. With a few more degrees of alcohol and no chill filtration, it would be a magnificent whisky. As it is, it is just a very good product, with a nose you could spend hours enjoying, and a frankly outrageous price.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Thievery Corporation - Lebanese Blonde

Cadenhead's Peated Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 2025

 

 

 

57,7°

Distilleries : Caol Ila, Bunnahabhain and others - Scotland

Independent Bottling 

By William Cadenhead Limited 

Limited Edition

Blended Malt 

Launched in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Heavily Peated

 

 

 

In a number of Cadenhead shops, you can find demijohns filled with whisky. There are three of them: one for Bourbon, one for Sherry and one for Peated. It is impossible to know exactly what is inside them, as the contents change depending on what is added over the months. You can have a bottle filled by hand, either 20 cl or 70 cl. So I was able to taste a sip of Peated Blended Malt from a bottle that had been filled in 2025, with an alcohol content of 57.7%. I was assured that the two distilleries most used are Caol Ila and Bunnahabhain, but nothing is known about the others.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Quite oily peat on the nose, with hints of the sea, silt, seaweed, kelp, and a good dose of sea spray, whelks, razor clams, oysters, mussels, limestone and quartz, chalky rock, tar, creamy vanilla, and a vague zest of lemon. On the palate, it is rough, the peat becomes earthy, a little drier, dark chocolate and coffee, bottarga, Morteau sausage, lots of pepper and cloves. Banana, perhaps lychee. Quite a long and powerful finish, chalk and fuel oil, some subtle fruit, yam, black radish, a few drops of citrus.

 

In Short, 

For me, it's the perfect daily dram. The alcohol content is a little strong, admittedly, but it has character and lovely contrasts between the peaty, mineral and maritime notes and the fruits that linger in the background. It's powerful and intense, which is just how I like it. I admit it lacks a little subtlety, but that's why it's a daily dram. It offers good value for money and is worth trying. 

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Frankie and The Witch Fingers - Empire