One more peaty nightcap in front of the fire before bed. Laphroaig CS batch 15. It has an ashier, more mineralic peat profile compared to the Ardnahoe & the flavours are more coastal - brine, kippers & bonfire on the beach; some sherry sweetness too. Over half left so will score when nearer the end.

Ardnahoe. The perfect fireside dram. Smoked bacon, savoury peat and the same vegetal/ beef tomato note I always get on this Society bottling. A warming whisky for cold nights. 8.5/10.

We pride ourselves on being a democracy and yet there’s a medieval theocratic anachronism in the heart of parliament: 26 bishops with automatic seats in the House of Lords. (The only other country in the world with clerics automatically entering a government is… Iran).

Nearing the end of this bottle, I can see why Glentauchers is such a firm fan favourite, particularly with those fond of bold, fruity flavours. There's pear, raspberry, banana, hazelnut & sweet vanilla on the nose. The palate offers peaches & cream, oak spice & soft, red fruit tannins. Lovely! 8/10.

Sampling another of TWB's Apollo series & my first Glencadam! (Thanks @whiskytip.bsky.social for the tip off) There's apple, pine needles & lemon drizzle cake on both nose & palate; menthol too although a drop of water tempers this & the 62% ABV. Serge got peat strangely; I did not shorturl.at/UR0QG

Auchroisk. A distillery not usually associated with spell-binding single malts but this is a belter. The PX casks have imparted a complex array of flavours. The nose offers cranberries, balsamic vinegar & sultanas, whilst there's soy sauce, dark chocolate & intense oak spice on the palate. Just wow😮

This is a fantastic book for anyone who enjoys a good dose of humour & pathos with their whisky. Written in 2003 during the Iraq war, Banks regularly despairs at Bush's "War on Terror" but I can only imagine what he'd make of the current US administration were he alive today. Horrified, I'm sure.

Likely no more than 5 years old, the Lochlea Cask Strength Batch 2 definitely punches above it's weight. 60% of the liquid has been aged (finished?) in ex-PX casks & offers dark fruits, winter spices & a great mouth feel. The overwhelming note I get on both nose and palate is raspeberry yoghurt 😋

For anyone who's not seen Alex Garland's brilliant Civil War, now is, sadly, a very apt time to check it out. Whisky has never been a better distraction & much needed anaethetic, from the world than it is now. This cask strength Laphroaig, aka Williamson, offers ashy peat, smoked mackerel & brine.

In the midst of a cold and can't smell or taste very much so this Loch Lomond peated single grain, with its elemental & punchy citrus, salty and iodine peat flavours, is about the only dram it's worth drinking this week! Unbelievable value too.

I understand the pressures on the BBC, but Radio 4's coverage of the Minneapolis shooting is an example of "bad balance". It's all "the Trump regime says she was a terrorist, but Democrats say it was murder". The BBC has the footage. It doesn't have to treat truth and falsehood as equally valid.

A recent auction bargain. Single Cask, cask strength 6 year old Caol Ila bottled for the Royal Marines sniper regiment by the ethically/ professionally dubious Cask88. Oh well, it's deliciously briny stuff, full of ashy peat & dark fruit tannins from the Chateau Latour casks. Cracking value at <£30!

The perfect accompaniment to the impending storm & the only Royal Brackla I own. Nose is quite estery & offers banana, salted caramel, peaches & cream. At 61%, the palate packs a punch & benefits from a drop of water and is pure Werther's Originals & cinder toffee. Not bad for a refill cask. 8.5/10.

Wow, what a cracker! Possibly overtaking Secret Orkney 14 as the top Signatory 100 proof bottling. Vanilla sponge, glazed ham and golden syrup on the nose; More sweet and savory on the palate w/ dulce de leche, maple syrup cured bacon & peanut brittle. Classic Mortlach meaty goodness!

A belated Happy New Year to everyone! Back on the drams after some time off and starting with this "Ben Bracken 16" from Lidl Christmas circa 2020 (aka Lagavulin 16). It's a fantastic dram, with ashy peat, cinder toffee and a little maritime salinity. 8/10.

2016 Daily Mail: We want foreigners out! We don’t care if it makes us poorer. Brexit means Brexit! 2025 Daily Mail: Foreigners are leaving Starmer’s Britain because this country is poor and shit! This country would be so much better off without this hypocritical, incendiary, irresponsible rag.

Tuning in to a fantastic vPub with the legend Andrew Symington. Some really fascinating industry insights so far... On theme, I'm sipping a delicious Caledonia 12 - a rich sherried dram full of dark fruit, caramelised nuts, clove & spicy cinnamon. There has to be older stock in this, it's phenomenal

First dram after a month (well 26 days...) of no booze. Starting off with a fairly tame 40%er with this 90's bottling of Glenmo 10. It's delicately floral on the nose with peach & a little damp hay bales. Honeyed porridge, green apples & a thicker than expected mouth feel on the palette. Yum! 😋

An analysis of BBC news coverage over the last 4 years shows a shameless bias against Vladimir Putin, with BBC reporters insisting on calling the Special Military Operation in Ukraine “an invasion”

Episode 100 is on Spotify, Apple and Youtube (actual video, so mind your eyes) as Mike and Duncan sit down with Stephen Worral and Joel Lummi, from 3 Greek Street (Milroys), in the upstairs tasting room. www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTrR... - ps give us a follow on Youtube if you like the vids, thanks!

The nose on Ardna's Heritage Barley is quite the departure from the Dailuaine. Citrus & vanilla are in there but are accompanied by prominent savoury notes of yeast (bovril?) & porcini mushrooms. These carry across to the palette along with manuka honey & meaty, umami flavours. I like it, I think...

Neck pour of this Dailuaine hits all those classic ex-bourbon cask notes with vanilla egg custard (but no sulphur), freshly baked pastry & lemon curd on the nose. The palette benefits from a little water & offers treacle sponge, gentle oak spice & more citrus sweetness. Not quite as waxy as expected

This beauty had sold out before I discovered Loch Lomond's Distillery Editions. Thanks to Alan (aka Whisky Friend) I've been able to try it & it doesn't disappoint. Nose is green olives, oysters and lemon juice. Balanced salinity & sweetness on the palette. Like an Inchfad without too much funk.

A Christmas gift from a client which I really wasn't expecting much from. Happy to have had my preconceptions proved wrong as this is a really competent dram albeit at 40%. The Glenlivet distillate shines through w/ icing sugar, pear, apple and honeyed porridge on both nose & palette.

I can see Brendan Rodgers has spent his spare time wisely during his managerial stint at Celtic! 🥃#CabinetEnvy

Capping off a busy day with a great bourbon. Maybe it's true the Yanks keep the best bottlings for themselves as this 75cl Four Roses Select is sublime. Russet apples, rye spice & toffee on the nose; balanced astringency (i.e. English mustard), cinnamon, cherries & apple tarts tatin on the palette👌🏻

An incredible evening at the Royal Albert Hall watching the Sumo last night with brother Max. A profoundly unique and beautiful spectacle! Great catching up with old friends beforehand too 🍻 My head's a wee bit sore this morning...

Wow what a dram! Like previous batches the distillate rules supreme w/ the bourbon casks playing the perfect supporting role. Nose is citrus fruits, vanilla custard & a tad vegetal; the mouth feel's thick w/ orange fruit pastilles, Granny Smith apples & slightly drying. A H2H w/ other DEs is a must!

Belated #BlindDrams: Dram 5's a great follow up to 4 as I'm getting a lot of similar notes on the nose. Marzipan, dark cherries & black olives in there too. The palette's sweet peat (missed that on the nose somehow), lemon cheesecake & a touch vegetal/ brine. Probably a Caol Ila & my favourite. 4/5

Belated #BlindDrams: Dram 4 has the best nose so far - toffee, milk chocolate, soft oak spice, boozy raisins. Great oily texture on the palette with more oak balanced nicely with dense sponge cake & a little salted caramel. Another 4/5. 55%ish. A mix of ex-bourbon & sherry casks. Glen Scotia maybe?

Belated #BlindDrams: Dram 3 offers rich, sherry seasoned European oak on the nose suggesting decent maturity. Some walnut & a little sulphur too. Thick, resinous mouth feel with cranberry, bitter chocolate & ginger jam. Lovely single malt, at least 16YO & >56%. 4/5. Glenrothes?

Belated #BlindDrams: Dram 2. Now that's better! Cinnamon, cloudy apple juice, complex oak & freshly baked pastry on the nose. The palette's a bit disappointing - quite spicy, apple cider vinegar & minimal sweetness when neat. Water helps soften the bitterness. Royal Brackla perhaps? Deffo >57%. 2/5

Belated #BlindDrams: Dram 1 has to be a single grain based on the nose alone - vanilla beans and a little lemon zest. The palette offers more vanilla, simple sweetness & minimal oak influence. A bit hot neat, better with a little water. I'm guessing young grain (<15yo) at >60%. 2/5.

Something strong & meaty required after an unexpected trip to A&E w/ the youngest tonight (False alarm, just a bad sprain!) Took a punt on this Mortlach after sampling the 12 OB @ Blair Athol. Punchy @61% & just a neck pour, it's spirit driven & lacks that savoury Mortlach complexity 🫤 Needs time...

A fantastic afternoon and evening watching the mighty Partick Thistle and exploring the whisky bars of Glasgow, despite Storm Amy's best efforts to scupper our plans! What a fantastic city and the perfect way to cap off our Scottish trip 🥃🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Stopped off at Robertson's of Pitlochry after our tour & sampled a wee dram of the legendary 'Chestnut Wood': brainchild of Tony Reeman-Clark of Strathearn distillery fame. Delicious & totally unique, it just illustrates the endless possibilities of smell & taste through use of different wood types

An absolutely fantastic tour of Blair Athol distillery today with our amazing guide Jane. The 30 year old first-fill Oloroso sherry cask was a truly remarkable drop and both the 12 year olds Blair Athol & Mortlach were delicious too. Diageo do do some things right after all! 😉

A cracking tour of Aberfeldy distillery today & a big shout to Tim, our guide for his impressive whisky knowledge! The 21 year old ex-Pauillac red wine cask was a highlight and the 12 year old Aberfeldy and 18 year old Dewars blend were impressive too, albeit a little under strength at 40%

Topping up my infinity decanters with a few bottle ends today. Will likely replace the Circumstance as it's a belter but was slightly disappointed by the Loch Lomond Spanish Oak 14YO. Lacking balance, it's very oak forwards and a bit too bitter for my palette. The only LL I'm yet to gel with. 6/10.

What a delightful and totally bonkers drop this is. Salted caramel, seaweed, freshly baked bread, engine oil & sweet peat on the nose. More sweet peat, black pepper, oysters & smoked bacon on the pallete. Truly nothing holds a candle to a great, cask strength Laphroaig. 9/10.

This is the 2nd bottle of Cask 88's Blair Athol 26YO that I've bid on through Whisky Hammer that, mysteriously, has inspired a bidding frenzy, despite there still being 10+ of the same bottle still at starting price (£20). Not one to cast aspersions, but this smells a lot like price fixing to me....

We need to be very clear about this. Rising Christian nationalism is a threat to us all. humanists.uk/2025/09/17/r...

@lidltrek.bsky.social ya beauty! 🍻🍻🍻 (No official Lidl page, so you cycling lads will have to pass on my thanks 🤣)

I've written to Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage, urging them to join me in condemning Elon Musk's dangerous remarks inciting violence yesterday. As leaders, we must stand together and make clear Musk will face serious consequences for these actions.

Tuning into Roy's vPub as he introduces and discusses his new Ardnahoe bottling. Haven't picked it up yet so, in the meantime, I'm sipping this; their 2024 Society bottling. Beautifully oily texture w/ intense peat, stewed dark fruits and grilled red peppers coming from the PX & Oloroso casks. 8/10.

Continuing the JD theme, this single barrel barrel-proof is a truly special drop & only improves as I near the end of the bottle. Like the BiB it possesses well integrated oak, banana & peanut brittle flavours but, at 64.5%, it offers a depth of flavour unmatched by any other bourbon. Just wow. 9/10

A tasty H2H between 2 decent bourbons *ahem* Tennessee whiskies... Classic JD DNA aside (peanut, banana & cinnamon) the Sweet & Oaky does exactly what it says on the tin; nicely sweet & slightly astringent oak. However, the BiB just does it better: more integrated oak, caramelized nuts & mixed spice

High, narrow & handsome. No, not a compliment my wife gives every morning over coffee, but a mighty fine dram, which is the next best thing. Green olives, lemon zest & freshly baked bread on the nose; melon, peach & a little black pepper and brine on the palette. Yummy. 8/10.

Cheers for a cracking weekend and a delightful pub tour of London @zackgardner.bsky.social. Not my usual go-to dram, but the Balvenie Doublewood made a surprisingly good nightcap too!

Alas, not much of this intriguing blended scotch left now. Cask strength at only 45.3% & 8 yrs old suggests a high proportion of low ABV, well-aged grain mixed w/ young, >ABV malt. Nose is cream soda, creme caramel & vanilla sponge. Palette is fruitier with a little peach, melon & sweet barley. 8/10