MacPhail's 40 yo 2025

 

 

 

46°

Distillery Officially Unknown - Speyside

Sherry Casks 

Independent Bottling 

By Gordon & MacPhail

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

Since its beginnings, Gordon & MacPhail has been offering matured whiskies from distilleries whose names are not disclosed. This is a long-standing tradition amongst independent bottlers, which allows to showcase them more effectively than the original distillery could, which is a handy way to raise their own name. Gordon & MacPhail have absolutely no need to promote their name, they are recognised as being amongst the very best, but they continue this old-school tradition, particularly with very mature whiskies, such as this one.  

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

An exquisite nose, very beeswax-like, dried apricots, slight minerality and various kinds of candied fruit, cherries, rhubarb, grapes, papaya, roasted hazelnuts, liquid milk chocolate, small yellow apples, citrus zest, chestnut cream, molasses. On the palate, it is very evanescent, candied red fruits, woody spices, an exotic touch, a drop of passion fruit, a dash of orange and argan oil, old leather. Old Bottle Effect, furniture polish. An endless finish, with cinnamon, currants, pipe tobacco, Tarte Tatin sprinkled with fine salt. Dried flowers right at the very end.

 

In Short, 

I wasn’t exactly blown away by the 30-year-old from the same collection released in 2024, but this one is a true work of art. The sherry notes are perfectly refined, blending with a range of very subtle aromas that make it impossible to identify the distillery. I’ve read on social media that it’s a Mortlach, but I didn’t recognise any of its typical characteristics, so that remains purely speculative. The price is, of course, absolutely crazy, but the quality is there, those who have nothing better to do with their money won’t be disappointed.

Score : 91+ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

                                             Velvet Haze - The Man Who Sold the Rain

Highland Park 2005 Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength 20 yo

 

 

 

59,7°

Distillery : Highland Park - Islands

1st Fill Sherry Butt

Independent Bottling 

By Gordon & MacPhail 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 20 ppm

 

 

 

After Pulteney, Highland Park. We’re still in the far north of the British Isles, and we’ve even left the mainland behind. Here we have a first-fill sherry butt that was left to mature for 20 years before pouring out the equivalent of 632 bottles. It was released last year to mark Gordon & MacPhail’s 130th anniversary. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It :  

Light, grainy peat and airy iodine. Pulpy yellow fruits and biscuit dough mixed with cereals. Dried apricots, heather honey, mandarin zest and a dash of vanilla. A few spices and sea spray, cinnamon, cardamom, raisins. On the palate, it’s very velvety, though just a tad drying, stiffly whipped egg whites, custard, woody and peppery notes, juicy Reine-Claude plums, almost candied. A very long, explosive finish, shortbread biscuits, a pinch of salt, a touch of minerality, a mint leaf and banana purée. Ginger. 

 

In Short, 

Here’s one that strikes a perfect balance between the subtle influence of sherry and the distillate’s strong character, all delivered with subtlety and finesse. It’s truly a little gem if you’re a fan of heather honey and juicy fruit, but the peat is there too, with chalky and iodine-like notes, lending it a more troubled, deeper character. The price is justified given its age, but a little on the expensive side considering the quality, as it’s very well made but not quite sublime. Best bought on special offer. 

Score : 89+  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

                                             Dead Gowns - Hardcore or Wellness

Pulteney 2005 Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength 20 yo

 

 

 

56,9°

Distillery : Pulteney - Highlands

Refill Sherry Butt

Independent Bottling 

By Gordon & MacPhail 

Limited Edition

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

This is only the sixth Pulteney I taste, and the first from an independent bottler. Suffice to say, I was really looking forward to this experience. This is a distillery that certainly deserves a closer look, as it has a well-known and recognised profile, and one doesn’t often get the chance to try its whiskies. That was without taking into account the maturation, in a single Refill Sherry Butt, which risks overshadowing the distillate’s merits. 534 bottles have flooded the shelves.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The sherry character is quite pronounced, raisins and dried apricots, apple compote, red berry jam, candied oranges, dates and dried figs, cinnamon and ginger. Underlying this is a lovely salinity and some maritime notes, sea spray, sea foam. On the palate, caramel, ginger, yellow peaches, walnuts, full-tanned leather, woody spices, nutmeg. The finish is quite long, not too violent, it’s more cereal-like, toasted wheat, malted barley, crème brûlée, cough sweets, cola, treacle, bark. Floral honey. 

 

In Short, 

I did detect a hint of salt, but only on the nose. Apart from that, it’s just another Sherry bottling, very well made, certainly, but nothing remarkable. Apparently, the sherry wasn’t ‘refill’ enough. It’s a shame because the spirit is old, it could have offered some lovely subtlety. Perhaps it should have been bottled earlier, before the cask took over. As it stands, the price seems a bit steep to me. 

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

                                             Clint & The Cosmic Wake - Don't Cry Baby

Laphroaig 35 yo Strong Characters Dugald Johnston 1847-1877

 

 

 

43,8°

Distillery : Laphroaig - Islay

American White Oak Ex-Bourbon Barrels

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2026

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 43 ppm

 

 

 

Two years after the first chapter in this ‘Strong Characters’ series, the second chapter is finally here, dedicated to Dugald Johnston, son of Donald, who took over the distillery in 1847 following his father’s sudden death. Brit Brady has designed the label, which appears to illustrate this episode. As for the whisky itself, it has been aged for 35 years in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, allowing the distillate to express itself fully. 5,500 bottles are being released. I wonder if they’re going to dedicate a bottling to every single distillery manager. Because there are still a good dozen of them, and at the rate of one bottle every two years, we’ll be at it until 2050. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

A perfect Laphroaig, with just the right amount of tar, smoke, disinfectant and iodine to delicately envelop the ripe fruits, lemon, pineapple, vanilla, redcurrants, green apples and white peaches. Fruit cake soaked in fuel oil, candied cherries. Lovely airy fullness, sea breeze, mineral intensity. On the palate, a salad of macerated fruit, thick peat, waterlogged wood dotted with moss and mushrooms, hazelnut cream, almond paste. Spices that are by no means overpowering, yet possess great depth. A finish as long as a sociology lecture, full of bandages and chloroform, black pepper, butter biscuits. Honey, dried papaya. Sea spray. 

 

In Short, 

This is the oldest Laphroaig I’ve tasted so far, and it’s quite magnificent. There’s so much tar and fuel oil on the nose that I thought it might have been aged in sherry casks. The finish is endless, and on the palate it’s very smooth, like a marvellous oasis amidst a whirlwind of intense flavours. Well done, but you’ll need to think about bringing the prices down a bit. 

Score : 91

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

                                             The Opposition - Very Little Glory 

Laphroaig 10 yo Original Cask Strength Batch 015

 

 

 

56,5°

Distillery : Laphroaig - Islay

Recharred Ex-Bourbon Barrels

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2021

Unchillfiltered, Cask Strength

Peated around 43 ppm 

 

 

 

For over two years now, there’s been no news of a new batch of the 10-year-old Cask Strength, it’s really sad. I asked the distillery’s new Brand Ambassador about this, and he assured me that the series isn’t over, that they’re just adapting to demand. And apparently, demand isn’t strong enough. I’m consoling myself with Batch 15, bottled in December 2021 and released in August 2022. It was matured in Bourbon casks that were re-charred for the occasion; I think they were charred right down to the staves. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It :  

Tar, asphalt, burnt-out car wrecks, peat with thick smoke full of coal and soot, pebbles of limestone and granite. Touch of medicine and disinfectant. Shoe polish and engine oil. Faint whiffs of alcohol. On the palate, very oily, linseed oil, Muscat grapes and redcurrants, buried walnuts, chocolate fondant, coffee grounds, puddles of fuel oil, powerful spices, nutmeg and black pepper. A rather long finish, lignite, dark tobacco, stretto coffee, liquorice and caramel, cola nuts, remarkable bitterness.

 

In Short, 

I’m surprised there’s no sherry in there, as it’s quite fruity on the palate. As for the rest, it feels like sticking your head under the bonnet of an old car, whilst eating liquorice sweets and drinking coffee. Totally radical and totally brilliant. If you don’t like it, that’s your loss. It’s worth noting that it’s very different from Batch 14, which was much more citrusy and honeyed. This one is very dark, with red berries and dried fruit on the palate. The price is perfectly reasonable for what it is.  

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

                                             Clan of Xymox - Broken Heart

Bowmore 9 yo

 

 

 

40°

Distillery : Bowmore - Islay

American Oak Bourbon and European Oak Oloroso Sherry Casks

Original Bottling 

Core Range

Single Malt 

Launched in 2021

Peated around 25 ppm

 

 

 

It began with a 9-year-old 'Sherry Cask Matured' whisky, launched in 2016 as a limited edition. Then, in 2020, a new 9-year-old was announced as part of the regular range. Described as having been matured in a combination of Bourbon casks and Oloroso sherry casks, the recipe is apparently not the same as that of the 2016 limited edition. The whisky is chill-filtered and coloured, which is a great pity. A new bottling was released in September 2025. It is not certain whether this was the same recipe, this information has not been disclosed. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

A light wisp of smoke drifts into the nostrils, laden with sea salt and limestone. Guano, sea spray. A few fruits, soft caramel. Lemon and orange zest. Creamy honey, young wood, a touch of iodine and menthol. On the palate, it is very smooth, lychees and vanilla, coconut, orchard fruits that are not quite ripe. Subtle spices. Metallic notes. A finish that isn’t too short, a pinch of charcoal, a good layer of peat, dried seaweed, various rocks, salty sediments, white grapes, splinters. Beach sand. 

 

In Short, 

I think it’s very similar to the 12-year-old. The nose is more expressive, though, or so it seemed to me. On the other hand, on the palate and in the finish, it struck me as less robust. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a very light whisky, a bit too watery. But it’s fine. 

Score : 82

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

                                             Jacqueline Frazey - Tightrope

Bowmore 21 yo Sherry Oak Cask

 

 

 

46,8°

Distillery : Bowmore - Islay

American Oak Ex-Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry Casks, 1st Fill Pedro Ximénez Sherry Finish

Original Bottling 

Core Range 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2024

Unchillfiltered 

Peated around 25 ppm

 

 

 

I’d missed this one when it was released, two years ago. It’s time to rectify that oversight. There are other Bowmore 21-year-olds in their original bottlings, but they’ve always eluded me. This one is very sherry-forward, having been initially matured partly in Oloroso casks and finished in Pedro Ximénez casks. Unlike the other expressions in the Sherry Oak Cask series, it is stated that it is unchillfiltered, however there is no mention of whether or not it has been coloured. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

A very fruity nose, blueberries, blackberries and redcurrants, alongside varnished wood, forest and copper notes, with a backdrop of peat. Charcoal and dark chocolate, raspberry coulis, soft caramel. A few grains of salt, ginger. On the palate, more red fruits, barely fermented, damson plums and blackcurrants, in addition to those already mentioned, subtle spices, cloves, nutmeg, dates and dried figs. A very long finish, tobacco and liquorice, a touch of coffee, forest shadows, acorns and ferns. Black earth, wood and mushrooms. Very slight bitterness.

 

In Short, 

To be honest, it’s very good, on a par with the 18-year-old Deep and Complex, except that the latter is peatier, more mineral, and therefore more typical of Bowmore, whilst this one is fruitier, more oaky, but less characteristic of the distillery. The main difference is the price, this one costs three times as much as the Deep and Complex, for just three more years’ ageing. I’d like someone to explain that to me.  

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                             Mary in the Junkyard - Crash Landing

Ardbeg Trudernish 15 yo

 

 

 

48,8°

Distillery : Ardbeg - Islay

Bourbon, American Oak New Charred and Oloroso Sherry Casks

Original Bottling 

Core Range 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2026

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 54 ppm

 

 

 

I remember eight years ago, during a conversation with another whisky enthusiast, I said that what Ardbeg needed was a 15/16-year-old expression, more complex than the Ten, but still with the vigour of youth. My wish has finally come true, and what’s more, it’s been added to the Core Range, meaning we’ll always have a bottle to hand. It’s a blend of three types of cask, Bourbon, American Oak New Charred, and Oloroso Sherry casks. The sherry casks will lend roundness and fruitiness, the heavily charred new casks will contribute vanilla and caramel notes, whilst the Bourbon casks will bring honey, oaky notes and citrus. It’s already quite different from the Ten, which is matured exclusively in Bourbon casks. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

It is smoother and more subtle than the Ten, dried lemongrass, woody vanilla, liquid caramel, and a powerful, granite-like, chalky smokiness. Peat in the background, slightly earthy, fudge, very ripe apricots, grapefruit, sage, seaweed and kelp. On the palate, there is some fruit, and a certain roundness, red plums, juicy pears, creamy vanilla, all well-spiced, cloves, cumin, white pepper. A lovely, long finish, charcoal-like, liquorice, eucalyptus, candied lemon, kumquat, coarse sea salt, dark chocolate, gypsum rocks. A medicinal and herbaceous touch. 

 

In Short, 

I compared it with the Ten and my verdict is as follows: when it comes to the nose, the Ten comes out on top, the purity of the Ten’s nose is hard to match, it really captures the distillery’s character, and that’s what we love. The Trudernish’s nose is a little too sweet, too vanilla-like, too mild. On the other hand, on the palate and in the finish, I preferred the Trudernish, the finish is longer, with more liquorice, and on the palate there’s more fruit and more roundness. All in all, I’d say it’s very slightly superior to the Ten, but I also understand those who prefer the Ten, as it’s a more typical Ardbeg. In fact, there’s plenty to be pleased about with this new addition to the Core Range, it’s not exceptional, but it’s the sort of whisky we’ll be happy to buy again. Especially as the price is very reasonable, in this case. 

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

                                             Spin Doctors - Two Princes