Armorik 2007 Édition Rare 18 yo

 

 

 

48,7°

Distillery : Warenghem - France

Oloroso Sherry and Sauternes Wine Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2026

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 10 ppm

 

 

 

Armorik released its first 18-year-old whisky last year, in September 2025. This one is a new batch, with a recipe that appears to be the same, but with new packaging and a new name: Édition Rare. It is a limited edition of 300 bottles, with approximately 70% aged in Oloroso sherry casks and 30% in Sauternes wine casks. The Sauternes casks are the youngest, but it is stated that the sherry casks are at least 20 years old. There is another version, a cask-strength release from the same blending, limited to 150 bottles, which I haven’t been able to taste. That makes a total of 450 bottles, no more than three casks in my humble opinion. This new expression has only just been released, and unfortunately I don’t have a good photo of it.  

 

 

 

Let's Taste It :  

Very pronounced, deep and intense sherry notes, strawberry coulis, raspberry purée, candied redcurrants, tanned leather, walnuts and chocolate fondant. There is a very subtle hint of sulphur, but it is well integrated, along with very light peat and forest aromas, ferns and acorns, even earthy notes. A pinch of nutmeg. On the palate, the fruit is smoother but still distinctly red, blueberry tart, jams, almonds and honey. A very long finish, though not particularly powerful, with pepper and dark tobacco, cooked mushrooms, hot chestnuts, cola and heather. Meat gravy. 

 

In Short, 

A lovely whisky, but heavily influenced by sherry, which detracts slightly from its originality. The nose is deep and complex, and the finish is very long, only the palate falls slightly short, though it remains pleasant nonetheless. It is a very respectable whisky, but where it lacks competitiveness is undoubtedly in terms of price, which I find high. 

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                       To Be Listened While Sipping : 

                                                      Minuit - Sur les Berges

Lochlea Orchard & Oak

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Lochlea - Lowlands

1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrels, Virgin American Oak and Ex-Calvados Casks

Original Bottling 

Core Range 

Single Malt

Launched in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

In 2025, the distillery launched a new range called Single Estate, and Orchard & Oak is one of the three expressions in this range. It’s part of the Core Range, so it’s set to be around for quite some time. That said, the range is called Single Estate because they claim that everything is done on-site. Indeed, the barley is grown in their fields, bottling is carried out on site, and fermentation, distillation and maturation all take place on site, which is excellent. Except that the malting isn’t done on site, which means it isn’t a true Single Farm Estate. And don’t confuse Single Farm Estate with Single Cask. Just because it’s a ‘Single Farm Estate’ (which isn’t the case here) doesn’t mean it’s a ‘Single Cask’. A ‘Single Farm Estate’ can be the result of blending several casks. All these considerations aside, it’s always interesting to taste this sort of thing, it inevitably has a strong identity. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

You immediately recognise the finesse and sweetness of the Calvados, with notes of fresh green apple and syrup or treacle, followed by woody vanilla and honeyed caramel. Slightly more discreet cereal and herbaceous notes, though clearly present, reeds, tall grasses and freshly cut hay. Juicy pears and Chasselas grapes. It’s also floral. Porridge. On the palate, it’s somewhat light, vanilla, honey, elderflower, but there are a few spices too, the apples are cooked in butter. Nutmeg and cinnamon. The finish is more than decent, and even pleasant, with a generous zest of lemon, still full of orchard fruits, a mint leaf, minced almonds, a pinch of salt and earth. 

 

In Short, 

The Calvados casks add a little something extra in terms of flavour, and also in terms of viscosity, it’s a bit oilier. This complements the distillery’s profile very well, enhancing its rustic, countryside character. Whilst remaining elegant. For me, it’s a success, and the price isn’t that high. Perhaps it’s worth buying. It would be better if the age were stated, though. 

Score : 85 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                     To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                             Melusina - L'Ultimo Sguardo

Kilkerran 16 yo 2026

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Glengyle - Campbeltown

100% Oloroso Sherry Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2026

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated from 12 to 15 ppm 

 

 

 

After a few years, I’m back to taste the Kilkerran 16-year-old, of which a new batch has been released every year since 2020. This is therefore the 7th batch, and it is the first to be matured entirely in Oloroso sherry casks. All the other releases were dominated by bourbon, although it is true that the previous one, from 2025, already had a significant amount of sherry. So this is something new, and it’s interesting. However, we do not know how many bottles were produced.  

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The sherry is initially intense and sulphurous, but gradually rounds out as it breathes. A light woody smokiness, toasted bark, roasted peanuts. Raisins, figs, a variety of red berries, particularly redcurrants and blueberries, and prunes. Quite spicy on the palate, bread cake, candied chestnuts, dried bananas, candied Reine-Claude plums, nutmeg and cloves. Thick caramel, spruce honey, a touch of charcoal. A long finish, quite powerful but not overly so, coffee and dark tobacco, dark chocolate, brownie sprinkled with walnuts. Cooked mushrooms, ferns.

 

In Short, 

Perhaps the bottle had only just been opened, which is why the sherry was a bit too strong for my taste. But after a few weeks or months once it’s been opened, I suppose it’ll be better. Overall, I thought it was good, but it suffers from the same flaw as other Kilkerran 16-year-olds I’ve tasted: a lack of character that isn’t made up for by subtlety. In a nutshell, it’s too old to be powerful, but not yet old enough to be very complex. The sherry adds a touch of originality, but it doesn’t change the essence of the whisky. Consequently, it’s a good bottling, but nothing exceptional, and I’m not sure I’d recommend buying it. Others have enjoyed it more than I have, we’ll have to see how it develops after a few weeks of being open. 

Score : 88 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                    To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                              Sun Vessel - Sacred Nobility

Teeling 1983 Vintage Reserve Collection 33 yo

 

 

 

42,9°

Distillery Officially Unknown - Ireland

2 Ex-Bourbon Casks

Independent Bottling 

By Teeling Whiskey Company 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2016

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

Upon its release, this whisky was billed as “the oldest bottling of Irish Single Malt recently released”, and it is precisely its age that poses a problem. Where does it come from? It cannot be a Teeling, as their distillery only began operating in 2015, but it cannot be a Cooley either, as that distillery only started production in 1989. In 1983, there were only two active distilleries in Ireland, and only one of them produced Single Malt. That’s Old Bushmills. So this is an independent bottling, even though that isn’t stated anywhere. Only 275 bottles were released for sale, but I reckon the Teeling family kept a few bottles for themselves, and I can’t blame them. The very simple maturation process promises a very pure spirit. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It :  

The nose offers a very varied and complex bouquet, intense and brimming with a variety of fruits, juicy pears, baked apples, exotic fruits such as papaya and even mango, buttered toast, floral notes, and a medley of citrus fruits including mandarins, lime, grapefruit, persimmon. Sweet notes are reminiscent of cane sugar, very pure vanilla and a few grains of cereal, but these are subtle and very well balanced. On the palate, it is smoother, even waxy, yet very well crafted, the vanilla blends with honey and mirabelle plums, light caramel, mashed bananas, perhaps a hint of coconut and apricot. The spices are almost undetectable. The finish is very long, very oily, and powerful despite the low alcohol content. Wood shavings, sweet cider, very ripe yellow plums, a trace of liquorice. Varnished wooden floor, blond tobacco. 

 

In Short, 

Thanks to an astonishing turn of events, I was able to taste it twice, and I’d like to thank the person who made it possible for me to be granted this great favour (Hi Steve!). It’s the oldest Irish whiskey I’ve ever tasted, and also the best, without a shadow of a doubt. What makes this nectar so special is, first and foremost, its maturation in Bourbon casks, which allows the spirit to reach its full potential. The other aged Irish whiskies I’ve tasted have been matured in Sherry, Port and even Burgundy wine casks. I’m all for experimentation, that’s part of what makes whiskey so wonderful. But nothing beats a very good Bourbon cask. And finally, despite its age, despite the triple distillation, and despite the low alcohol content, the spirit remains surprisingly expressive, deep and complex. Some old whiskies or whiskeys lose their intensity with age, but that is certainly not the case here. This makes it an excellent product that is an absolute must-try for anyone interested in Irish whiskey, a thoroughly respectable ‘Holy Grail’. Unfortunately, the price far exceeds the median French salary, and even my own salary. If samples could be sold, it would sell much better.

Score : 91

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                    To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                                  Jeff Buckley & Elizabeth Fraser - All Flowers in Town Bends Towards the Sun

Caol Ila 2008 The Young Rebels Collection N.3 8 yo

 

 

 

50°

Distillery : Caol Ila - Islay

Bourbon Cask

Independent Bottling 

By Hidden Spirits 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask

Bottled in 2016

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 35 ppm

 

 

 

The Young Rebels Collection is a small range comprising 10 bottlings released between 2015 and 2019 – two expressions per year – aged between 5 and 9 years, with a relatively straightforward maturation process. A fine initiative from Hidden Spirits, an Italian bottler founded in 2013. Caol Ila is one of the distilleries most prominently featured in this small range, as it appears twice. Here, No. 3 is a straightforward 8-year-old expression. I believe it has been matured in a Bourbon cask, whilst this is not specified anywhere, given its organic profile, it seems obvious. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It :  

Thick smoke, full ashtray. Behind this lies a mineral, crystalline peat, saturated with iodine. Chiselled vanilla, juicy lemon, sea breeze and seaweed. Plum jam, spread with butter, meringue. A few drops of petrol, kerosene, puddle of engine oil. Creamy honey, flint, courgette flowers. On the palate, it’s viscous, the fruit blends with the peat, prickly pears, not-too-ripe bananas, damp earth in the background, charcoal. The spices aren’t overly intense, cloves, pepper. White chocolate cream. Powerful finish, dark tobacco, manganese, fuel oil. Muddy ashes. Light striker.

 

In Short, 

Caol Ila is really good even when young, here we have a lovely personality, plenty of character and a certain complexity. It’s exactly the sort of whisky I never tire of, if I’d had this bottle, I think I’d have finished it very quickly, in a month or two. I do regret that this sort of young but well-made bottling is becoming a bit of a rarity, except for Ben Nevis. It’s completely sold out now, but you can still find it at auction. 

Score : 88 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                             Blues Pills - High Class Woman

Caol Ila 2007 Hidden Spirits Highproof Version 14 yo

 

 

 

53,7°

Distillery : Caol Ila - Islay

2d Fill Bourbon Barrel

Independent Bottling 

By Hidden Spirits 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2022

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 35 ppm 

 

 

 

Among the releases from Hidden Spirits, there are two Caol Ila whiskies distilled in 2007 and of the same age, but the other has been bottled exclusively for The Whisky Roundabout, an Italian retail website. This one has simply been matured in a second-fill bourbon cask, which promises a pure distillate, and only 115 bottles were produced. A rarity, then, to be savoured with care. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

A greyish but fairly fine peat, with a vibrant iodine note, blending with liquid honey, carved limestone and dried seaweed. The peat becomes spongy, accompanied by waffles with maple syrup, a buttered baguette and a generous pinch of salt. A hint of mango, a touch of lemon zest. And, of course, a rather rich smokiness. Lard. Pleasant, full-bodied palate, creamy vanilla, soya milk, soft fruits, pears and mirabelle plums. Then the spices, grey pepper, cumin, grow increasingly pronounced. A powerful, long, full-bodied finish, charcoal ground to a powder, bread soaked in milk, an ounce of earth. Very slight bitterness. Cola nuts.

 

In Short, 

It’s a very pleasant Caol Ila, but it lacks a bit of fullness. It has everything you’d expect from this distillery, but without any particular originality or complexity. Let’s not complain, though, it’s really enjoyable to drink, and it’s not overly expensive given its age. But I’m used to better from Hidden Spirits. 

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                             Death in Vegas - Scorpio Rising

Ben Nevis 2014 100 Proof Edition #63 10 yo

 

 

 

57,1° (100° Proof)

Distillery : Ben Nevis - Highlands

1st Fill Pedro Ximénez Sherry Butts and 2d Fill Oloroso Sherry Butts

Independent Bottling 

By Signatory Vintage

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Almost Unpeated

 

 

 

So, as I was saying, of the eight Ben Nevis whiskies in the 100 Proof lineup, only two are neither heavily peated nor aged in first-fill sherry casks. This one is one of those two, while it’s matured exclusively in sherry casks, not all of them are first-fill. Aged 10 years, with no added colorings or chill filtration, we can expect a bit of character from one of the best distilleries in the Highlands. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Definitely more sherry, along with apricot, yellow peach, mirabelle and Reine-Claude plums, a drop of honey, a wisp of smoky charcoal, dark tobacco, varnished wood. Liquid egg yolk. Crushed red berries. A whiff of iodine. On the palate, it’s not bad, oaky, slightly lemony, almonds, vanilla milk, but the spices come through quite quickly, cumin and black pepper. Macerated grapes, Chinese soya-banana cake. A fairly long finish, though not particularly powerful, chocolate brownie, hazelnuts, liquorice, a slight bitterness, earth and ferns. Fig biscuits.

 

In Short, 

I’m not sure what to say, but I found this one rather flat. The nose lacks depth and complexity, the palate is decent but nothing special, even the finish is less powerful than usual. Perhaps it’s just me, but I’ve tasted it alongside other products from the same range that didn’t make the same impression. It’s not bad, of course, but it doesn’t have the same character as previous releases. It’s an impression I’ll have the chance to confirm, as I’ve still got some left. In the meantime, I’d advise sticking to the other releases instead. 

Score : 86

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                             New Constellations - Hot Blooded

Ben Nevis 2015 100 Proof Edition #80 10 yo

 

 

 

57,1° (100° Proof)

Distillery : Ben Nevis - Highlands

Oloroso Sherry Butts Finish

Independent Bottling 

By Signatory Vintage

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2026

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Almost Unpeated

 

 

 

For now, there are eight Ben Nevis in the 100 Proof range, launched in January 2024 by Signatory Vintage. Three are labelled ‘Heavily Peated’, and three have been matured exclusively in first-fill sherry casks, making them more or less ‘sherry bombs’. Only two are fairly well-balanced, No. 63, which I’ll be discussing shortly, and this one, which was just finished in Oloroso sherry butts, after an initial maturation that was surely in bourbon casks. That’s why I find it interesting, one can hope that it captures the essence of Ben Nevis in all its complexity, completely unaltered by sherry or peat. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

A creamy nose with hints of blood oranges and citrus, mashed banana, wax-coated wood, mountain honey, meringue, a touch of iodine, perhaps a drop of exotic fruit, papaya, pineapple. Very light acidity. On the palate, it is quite smooth, buttery and oily, but quite strong spices emerge, black pepper, cumin, a trace of molasses, egg yolk. The finish is quite long, powerful, wood charcoal, liquorice, a slight bitterness, terracotta. A zest of lemon. We find a little bit of peat.

 

In Short, 

Yes, I recognised the original Ben Nevis character in it, that fuzzy, funky quality which, in my opinion, has been somewhat lacking in the other bottlings in the same range. Unfortunately, a few minor flaws on the palate – too much spice, suggesting over-active casks – prevent me from giving it a higher score. But apart from that, it’s a very successful whisky that will delight fans of the distillery. I’d recommend buying it, especially as the price is ridiculously low. 

Score : 87

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                      To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                                      Body Electrik! - Spaghettification