Ardbeg 2005 Traigh Bhan 19 yo Batch 6

 

 

 

46,2°

Distillery : Ardbeg - Islay

Bourbon American Oak and Oloroso Sherry Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 54 ppm 

 

 

 

The Traigh Bhan range was originally announced as a series of five bottlings, so everyone assumed it would end after Batch 5, but no, Batch 6 was released in late 2024, and there’s even a Batch 7, which I haven’t had the chance to taste yet. The blend of Oloroso sherry casks and American oak bourbon casks is a tried-and-tested recipe dating back to Batch 1 in 2019, which adds fruitiness to the spirit without masking it.  

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is very fruity at first, with plums, citrus fruits and pears, though it remains somewhat light. There’s a hint of minerality, limestone, iodine and eucalyptus, along with a very subtle vanilla note. Behind this lie charcoal, heady peat, vegetal notes and a touch of something medicinal. On the palate, red apples, juicy pears, goji berries and mountain honey. Almond paste, a pinch of salt, mild spices. The peat is subtle, and drifts along with a few fish. A very long finish, though not explosive, very peaty, shortbread biscuits, dried seaweed, glasswort, waxed wood, charred dark chocolate, a zest of lemon, liquorice. 

 

In Short, 

There are some really good qualities to this, but I’m not entirely convinced. The nose struck me as pleasantly fruity, with a nice balance between peat and mineral and iodine notes, but it lacked a bit of power to really impress me. The finish is lovely, almost the opposite of the nose, with more pronounced peat, very mineral and maritime, but here it’s the fruity notes that are a bit lacking. On the palate, it’s very solid, but not expressive enough. This makes for an interesting, pleasant whisky, but not quite a success in my view, certainly not the best in the series (some say it’s Batch 1, for me it’s Batch 3). What’s more, the price is too high for my liking.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                            To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                            Daarling - Slow

Bruichladdich 2010 Micro-Provenance 14 yo c. #0808

 

 

 

58,8°

Distillery : Bruichladdich - Islay

2d Fill Virgin Oak Cask

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

Among the countless Micro-Provenance releases, a range of diverse curiosities launched by the distillery in the 2000s, this one is reserved for the French market. It has been matured in a second-fill virgin oak cask that previously contained whisky from Bruichladdich. The barley used is Optic, which is rare enough to be worth noting. This is a winter barley variety created in 1989, which was dominant in the 1990s but has now fallen somewhat out of favour. As the spirit was distilled on 14 April 2010 and bottled on 31 March 2025, it is almost 15 years old, give or take 14 days. I wonder why it took over a year to put it on sale. 292 bottles have been produced, distributed exclusively to the 14 French shops that are part of the Laddie Crew.  

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

A slightly minty, evanescent nose, yet it is quite fruity too, mirabelle plums and bananas, iodine and sea salt, toasted bread, drops of caramel, vanilla extract and floral honey in the background, beaten eggs, parsley, coconut. A dash of citrus. The palate is rich and smooth, lychee, pastry cream, butter brioche, lovely spices. Bread dough, malt biscuits. A long, explosive finish, full of grains and cooked fruit, particularly wheat, light wax, young and freshly cut wood, dried flowers.   

 

In Short, 

I really liked it, the Optic barley imparts more subtle, fruity and honeyed flavours, whilst the influence of the cask emphasises the wood and the grains. It’s just what this spirit needs, as it’s already very grainy and delicately briny. A fine achievement. That said, I found the price a bit steep, so I opted for another bottle, which I’ll only be allowed to talk about from tomorrow onwards. Having said that, if I hadn’t had to choose, I might have ended up giving in to temptation after all. 

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                                   Mandrake Handshake - The Change and The Changing

Ardbeg Anthology 15 yo The Beithir's Tale

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Ardbeg - Islay

Charred Bourbon Casks 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured 

Peated around 54 ppm

 

 

 

From what I’ve been reading here and there, the Ardbeg Anthology series has now come to an end. It consists of three distinct bottlings – aged 13, 14 and 15 years – released at one-year intervals. This is the last one, dating from 2025, and it was created using casks that were air-aged, then heavily toasted and charred. There is no indication of the number of bottles produced. The beithir is a Scottish mythological creature resembling a dragon or a huge snake, and it possesses a venomous sting. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It :  

A nose typical of the distillery, thick smoke, iodine and limestone, with a hint of wax and white fruits, juicy pears, peaches and honey. Greasy charcoal, campfire, but also lemon zest and sweet vanilla, it’s actually quite well-balanced. Buttery bread, pine needles. On the palate, the peat is thick, counterbalanced by raisins, angelica, pears in syrup, pastry cream, warming spices, ginger and a pinch of cinnamon. A fairly powerful and long finish, coffee, cola, dark chocolate, soot and dried apricots, dried tobacco leaves, cake batter, roots, aniseed. 

 

In Short, 

From what I can tell, it’s already better than the first Anthology, which I tasted here. However, I’m not entirely convinced. It’s more balanced than the younger Ardbegs, but not necessarily more subtle. It’s just gentler, more approachable, and I find it lacks a bit of punch. What’s more, the price is still quite high, so it would be nice to be offered something that’s really good. 

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                 To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Ductape - Sevmiyor

Kilchoman Machir Bay Cask Strength 2025 Edition

 

 

 

58,1°

Distillery : Kilchoman - Islay 

Bourbon and Sherry Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 50 ppm

 

 

 

It had been three years since the last Machir Bay Cask Strength. We’d had four annual releases between 2019 and 2022, and then it stopped. To be honest, I didn’t expect to see another Machir Bay Cask Strength. That bottling hadn’t gone down very well; I wasn’t a big fan of it myself. But they brought it back last year, and I must say that curiosity got the better of me, so I tried it and then bought a bottle. It’s stated that the recipe is the same as for the original Machir Bay, but I find that in this one, there’s a bit more sherry than usual. Another detail: it’s noted on Whiskybase that it was bottled on 9 October 2025, except that I tasted it for the first time at the end of September that same year at Whisky Live Paris. I wondered if I might have tasted a Machir Bay Cask Strength from a different year, but the bottle design is new for this one, and it doesn’t look like the other Machir Bay Cask Strengths. Furthermore, the code 25/95 is laser-engraved on the base of the bottle, which means it is Batch 95 from the year 2025. Now, I noticed that another bottling, this one to be precise, was bottled on 29 September 2025, and the code on the base of the bottle is 25/97. We can therefore deduce that the actual bottling of the Kilchoman Machir Bay Cask Strength 2025 took place around 20 September. Wait! I ALSO tasted the Kilchoman 11 Year Old Sherry Cask at Whisky Live Paris! On 29 September 2025, to be precise. And there too, the bottle design was all ready, I still have the photos. Why are they talking nonsense about the bottling dates?

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Peat with a deep, mineral, thick and maritime character. It is heavy and almost metallic, with a slight Sherry influence. Sea spray, kelp and iodine. Grainy, suffocating smoke, pulpy fruit, quinces and white grapes. Runny caramel, Liège waffles, limestone and gypsum. A medicinal touch, ether. On the palate, it is a little bit young but robust, seawater, lemon zest, vanilla flan, Comice pears, followed by powerful spices, clove, cumin, black pepper. A long, devastating finish, granitic, smoky, malty, caramelised, white currants, dry peat, sleet, various seaweeds. Very slight woody bitterness.

 

In Short, 

To be honest, it’s much better than previous vintages. There’s a bit more sherry, which masks the youthfulness of the product, and the briny, mineral character is particularly pronounced. I think the price is fair, which is why I’ve bought a bottle myself, and I urge any fan of this style to do the same, I think you’d be pleasantly surprised. 

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                    To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           OK Goodnight - Spiral

Springbank 100° Proof 5 yo

 

 

 

57,1° (100° Proof)

Distillery : Springbank - Campbeltown

100% Bourbon Casks

Original Bottling 

Core Range 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 12 ppm 

 

 

 

This is a new addition to Springbank’s Core Range, which was launched last year, and it is rare enough to be worth noting. The distillery operates entirely by hand, so it is impossible to increase production; the fact that a new expression exists is therefore surprising. But that’s all to the good, as it gives us the chance to discover new facets of its character; with a younger spirit, it will be more powerful and assertive. It is a tribute to old-fashioned whiskies, sold at 100° Proof at a time when gunpowder was used to measure a cask’s alcohol content. The whisky was aged entirely in Bourbon casks, which makes sense if you want to honour tradition. For those interested, the one I’m tasting comes from the third batch of this expression, due to go on sale in early 2026. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

A briny freshness, cut hay, notes of the farm and the barn, creamy vanilla, and a hint of exotic fruit. A fairly pronounced smokiness, charcoal, damp grass, and finally a rather mineral, even chalky, character. A pinch of coarse sea salt. On the palate, it’s very bourbon-like, smooth, liquid honey, a zest of citrus, cake batter, pastry cream, then fierce spices, cumin, horseradish, clove. A lovely finish, long and not too harsh, tobacco leaf, cigarette ash, coffee grounds, cola nut, holly leaf and a drop of salted caramel. Lacquered wood.

 

In Short, 

The profile is quite similar to Springbank 10 Year Old, but it’s more robust, the peat is stronger, and the fruit notes are more pronounced. On the other hand, it is less complex, less floral and less malty. It is obviously a good Springbank – anything else would have been very surprising – and it offers good value for money. However, I still prefer the 10-year-old, and I think it is better to find more 10-year-olds than this one, if you have to choose. 

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                             Hanry - Aurora

Kilchoman 2015 Single Cask Release Collection Itinéraires Part 1 10 yo

 

 

 

54,1°

Distillery : Kilchoman - Islay 

1st Fill Pedro Ximénez Hogshead 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 50 ppm

 

 

 

On the occasion of Whisky Live Paris 2025, Kilchoman launched two bottlings designed to be included in the Collection Itinéraires as part of a priority sale in France. The first is this one, the product of a 1st Fill Pedro Ximénez Hogshead, in which the precious liquid stayed for ten years, 1 month and ten days, which yeldied 318 bottles. The design on the label pays homage to the Sleeping Giant, a rock formation of three cliffs, on the Atlantic Coast of Islay. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The sherry is very intense and sweeps all before it, salted butter caramel, dried apricots and dates, raspberry coulis, dragon fruit, smoke rich with soot and earth, fresh truffles, a hint of exotic fruit, and a touch of citrus. On the palate, the same profile emerges, notes of blood oranges, blackberry and redcurrant jam, dark tobacco, thick, mossy and herbaceous peat, powerful spices, cloves, nutmeg, black pepper. The finish is long and full-bodied, dried banana, burnt rubber, hot tarmac, cherry clafoutis, subtle cereal notes, heather honey.

 

In Short, 

This is a typical sherry cask whisky, with a very pronounced peaty character, where the distillery’s distinctive profile is somewhat lost, but it’s very well made and intense. You have to like sherry, of course, but otherwise there’s nothing to complain about, except perhaps the price, which is a bit high for what it is.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                  To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                            Spurv - Som Skyer

Kilchoman 2006 Single Cask Release Collection Itinéraires Part 2 18 yo

 

 

 

48,1°

Distillery : Kilchoman - Islay 

Refill Bourbon Barrel

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 50 ppm

 

 

 

On the occasion of Whisky Live Paris 2025, Kilchoman launched two bottlings designed to be included in the Collection Itinéraires as part of a priority sale in France. The second is this one, the product of a Refill Bourbon Barrel that held the precious liquid for 18 years, 6 months and 24 days, yielding 161 bottles. Until 2007, the distillery used peated barley sourced from Port Ellen, before growing its own barley. This release is therefore special in that it was made using barley sourced from elsewhere. The design on the label pays homage to Kilnave Chapel, a ruin located a few kilometres north of the distillery on Islay, near Loch Gruinart. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Woody and grainy peat, a hint of slightly medicinal iodine, where ether blends with the sea breeze, a mineral character with limestone and quartz, and grassy herbs. The influence of the Bourbon brings a delicate fruitiness, hazy citrus, and a few floral notes. An evanescent palate, where wisps of peat settle over grapefruit pulp, milky vanilla and coconut. It is chiselled, coastal, rocky, and the spices are also present. A very good finish, long and powerful, on sage and aniseed, egg custard, rice pudding, slate and cut hay, gravel, dried peat.

 

In Short, 

In my opinion, this is an excellent Kilchoman, one of the best. The alcohol content isn’t particularly high, and it’s perfectly integrated; the distillery’s character is intense, and the finish is perfectly balanced. It feels as though you’re on Islay on a slightly rainy spring day. The only downside is the relatively high price, which dampens the enthusiasm somewhat.

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           I Häxa - The Well

Kilchoman 2011 Single Cask Release Distillery Exclusive 13 yo

 

 

 

51,4°

Distillery : Kilchoman - Islay

Bourbon Cask

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Peated around 50 ppm 

 

 

 

This one is a 13-year, 9-month and 11-day-old single cask, matured in a Bourbon cask, intended solely for sale at the distillery shop. It’s surprising that they thought to take a bottle back to France to let people try it, given that only those who made the trip to the distillery could buy it. But it’s a nice gesture on their part. 240 bottles have been released for sale. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Fluffy vanilla, whipped egg whites, a burst of citrus, and powerful mineral and chalky notes. The peat isn’t very strong, but it’s still very much present, sooty smoke, a sea breeze, crystalline iodine. On the palate, it is honeyed, slices of lemon and crème brûlée, a few subtle fruits, and a good layer of peat, with well-controlled spices. A long and explosive finish, shortbread biscuits, coarse sea salt, dates and raisins, bananas, almond milk. Fairly clear wisps of smoke. 

 

In Short, 

A fine Kilchoman, typically matured in Bourbon casks, with a not-too-strong peatiness, it’s dangerously appealing. This is what they should be doing more often, straightforward maturation that allows the power of the spirit to shine through, a Single Cask that reveals all its complexity, and sufficient age to give it body. The only slight drawback: the price, a bit steep for what it is. The only reason to resist buying it. Oh no, there’s another one: you have to travel 1,350 km to get your hands on a bottle! 

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                             The Sugarcubes - Deus