Hello everyone

I did say last time I‘d try comparisons of a few pairs of whiskies so I‘ve done that with two from Dewar‘s and two Kilchoman Loch Gorms.

In the earlier April piece I looked at the latest Dewar‘s Double Double 21 Year Old Magma Stone Toasted Level 3. This time it was DD21YO Magma Stone Level 1 for comparison. If we assume it was the exact same blend and both are from French oak, how would it be different from the Level 3 cask toasting? Well, they‘re clearly brothers-in-arms but there are subtle differences on nose and palate. My tasting notes for Level 1 are:

Appearance: Warm, ripe barley/sunshine gold with brass highlights. Also a slight tangerine hue to it. Initial tears swift then stickier and quite widely spaced.

Nose: Lovely baked apple, pear and honey. A dab of vanilla. Light sultana fruit cake. Jasmine florals but not heavy. Fresh and fruity (vine fruits) but gets deeper and richer as it sits in the glass. With water, like Level 3, not a great deal of change. A little bit of struck match (quite fleeting), a little waxiness; apple and banana skin; more vanilla and earthy notes and powdered sugar – like Dolly Mixture sweets rather like Level 3.

Palate: Silky smooth and slightly luscious mouth feel. Orchard fruits and honey; some spice and astringency; barley sugar and a slight dark chocolate bitterness.

Finish: Quite long and fruity but some astringency and drier with herbal and earth notes and dark chocolate.

Level 3 had a bit more wax and varnish on the nose for me this time and I did detect a soft coconut note I didn‘t get before as well as a hint of citrus zest. Generally it had all round deeper tones but not markedly so. Definitely a comparison for Dewar‘s fans and for anyone who appreciates one of the world‘s finest names in blending. An interesting back-to-back one for any of you to do yourselves to see what you think. There are two more examples in this range but they have to wait for another time.

Now, I also mentioned last time that I might do a comparison of this year‘s Loch Gorm release as compared to previous ones. I have two previous samples in my cupboard, from 2024 and 2021 so I just compared with last year‘s one.

Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2024 expression was 46% abv and maturation was oloroso sherry butts, distillation year 2014. Now, they say the 2025 bottling is their first Loch Gorm at 10 years old so, looking at last year‘s info it must have been a little shy of its 10th birthday.Just as a reminder my notes for the 2024 edition are here:

Appearance: Ripe, rich barley gold with brass highlights. Tears slow to form initially (Islay peaty oiliness) then faster and close together

Nose: Salt sea air; some slight sulphur; lychee; not overtly smoky from the glass (more so from the bottle but still light); vegetal notes; white pepper and a fresh, grassy sweetness. Maybe even a touch of beetroot juice! As it sits, more wood notes develop and an almost sandalwood spiciness.

With water, some soft smoke; warm butter; light golden syrup and coffee grounds/dark chocolate.

Palate: Definitely smoky and peaty here;sweet maltiness and a slight yeast note; soft spices of clove and ginger; liquorice; oak and char. Some astringency.

Finish: Long with soft – medium smoke; sweet malt and liquorice; touch of wood char. Dry with oak tannins at the very end.

For the 2025 one they selected „23 Oloroso sherry butts in total: 20 first-fill casks, rich with bold sherry influence, and 3 second-fill casks, adding depth and complexity“. As you know from the last column it turned out really rather well. Last year‘s release didn‘t specify the balance in casks used but simply said the majority were fresh oloroso sherry and there were 23 of them last year as well, also with a phenol level of 50ppm.

Looking at my notes for this year (see my first column for this month) it looks like I found rather more fruit and spice notes on the nose but the palates are very similar with perhaps a little touch more depth in 2025. Both have lovely dry bonfire smoky, yet sweet, BBQ notes on the nose as well as a tiny lift of charred lime zest that runs through to the palate too. The lime zest was a new addition to my previous notes. A second or even third run through can very often tell you even more than the first. Again, an interesting comparison to do if you get the chance to do so yourself.

I did think about a comparison with 2021 as well but the bottle has been sitting there with some of its contents taken out (hence more airspace in the little bottle) for 4 years so I decided there might be some staleness there and it wouldn‘t be a fair comparison. Having said that, I did waft the bottle under my nose and it did initially smell a bit younger despite the fact that there are some casks in there from 2011 as well as 2012. That done, I decided I‘d pour a little into a nosing glass anyway and add a bit of water. It‘s also has a touch more of florals and barley sugar about it as well as plenty of the malted barely of 2024 and 2025. The soft smoke and sweetness as well as charred citrus and some fruit are still there on the nose. All of them do stand up well together but I felt there was a little more „green“ on the palate of 2021 and preferred the other two. A pleasurable hour or so!

With Feis Ile drawing nigh, there are announcements about the special Feis bottlings coming out. The one I received most recently tells me about Lagavulin and Caol Ila. As you might expect, there are no advance samples of these so I’m using their official notes to tell you about them. They say, “Lagavulin is inviting fans to discover new depths of flavour with Lagavulin Fèis Ìle 2025 15 Year-Old. Finished in Moscatel de Málaga casks, this expression showcases a masterful balance of sweet and spicy notes while retaining Lagavulin’s distinctive smokiness. Lagavulin Fèis Ìle 2025 15 Year-Old will be available to purchase from the distillery from 24th May, with an RRSP of £240. There will be a total of 1,596 bottles. 

In a bold new move, Caol Ila is introducing an exciting new dimension of flavour with Caol Ila Fèis Ìle 2025 8 Year-Old. This whisky has been matured in a unique combination of refill and Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso-seasoned casks, before being finished in new Colombian Oak. The result is a burst of bold yet harmonious flavours, delivering an intensely smooth, oily texture and a richer, unexpectedly sweet profile emerging from the Colombian Oak cask finish. The whisky’s complex smoke is amplified by layers of spice notes and peppery warmth. Caol Ila Fèis Ìle 2025 8 Year-Old will be available to purchase from the distillery from 26th May, with an RRSP of £110. There will be a total of 1,476 bottles“.

I‘ve tried a couple of whiskies featuring some Colombian oak maturation before so the latter should certainly be one to try (and I have drunk and used for food matching an 8 year old Caol Ila before) but I‘m intrigued by the use of moscatel casks in the Lagavulin too. Again, I‘ve tried one or two before but not with Lagavulin. I will be over for Feis again myself but budgets won‘t be running to anyone‘s Feis bottlings this time.

The Dalmore Single Malt has announced it is a Supporting Partner of the British Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia this year. They say, “This new collaboration cements The Dalmore’s ongoing commitment to the art and design industry, as exemplified by its celebrated Luminary Series. This is a three-part collection of limited edition whiskies, co-created by renowned talents from the worlds of whisky making and architectural design.” It’s done in partnership with the V&A Museum in Dundee.

The launch of Luminary No.3 2025 Edition will take place in Venice just before the Biennale. “The British Pavilion, led by the British Council, is dedicated to showcasing the best of UK contemporary architecture and design. For 2025, the British Pavilion is created by Cave-bureau co-founders Kabage Karanja and Stella Mutegi, alongside Owen Hopkins and Professor Kathryn Yusoff and explores Architecture as an Earth Practice”. Ahead of the Biennale’s official opening, The Dalmore will reveal not only the whisky but the collaborator and sculpture at a special launch event. These things are embargoed till 7th May but I can show you a pic here of the 2023 British Pavilion in which The Dalmore had a more minor supporting role. I’m looking forward to hearing the rest of the story and will post more when further info is available.

Lastly for this month, the Isle of Tiree Distillery has a grain whisky (using rye) almost ready to go and it will be launched some time between late July and end September. I‘ve tasted a small sample recently and it‘s showing really well. Keep eyes and ears alert for more on this.

Well, Scotland is enjoying some distinctly warm spring weather this week so I‘m off out to enjoy the sun and put in a shift in the garden. Till next time, happy dramming,

Slainte mhath,

Caroline

Hello everyone

First up this week is the new Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2025. I look forward to this one each year due to its sherry cask maturation and this year is the very first 10 year old Loch Gorm. As usual, it is not chill-filtered and has no added colour; bottling strength of 46% abv.

Appearance: Rich, old gold and light amber. Brass and orange marmalade highlights. Tears quite slow and sticky with close – medium spacing.

Nose: Initially rich baked/stewed fruits – mainly apples. Smoke and some sweet floral notes. Mellow oak. Some dried vine fruits and dates/figs. Warm spices, earthy and with a touch of vanilla. With water, fresher with a touch of sea air. Waxy notes. Warm and velvety; more baked fruit; some honey and toffee apple sweetness.

Palate: Silky and viscous. Smoky, fairly rich. Smoked/griddled banana skins. Soft ginger and clove as well as more savoury spices. Less fruit on palate than on the nose.

Finish: Quite long, smoky, dry and woody.

Available in the UK and Europe now, this bottling will be around £75 – £80 per bottle. Other markets won‘t have too long to wait but I‘m guessing for the USA price depends on what the Tariff Numpty decides to do. This is another juicy and toothsome dram from Kilchoman. If you still have some from previous years, it might be fun to line them up and have a tasting. No time for me to do that now but a thought for later this month. Must raid my sample cupboard. Please note 2025 is also the 20th anniversary of Kilchoman‘s founding though the first cask wasn‘t filled till December 2025. Apparently there will be anniversary specials later on throughout the year. Definitely looking forward to hearing more.

Sample malt number 2 is this year‘s Glen Scotia Campbeltown Malts Festival 2025, a limited edition. This 2025 version is heavily peated and finished in former Ribeira del Duero casks, a delicious Spanish red wine, if you‘re not familiar with the name. It‘s 9 years old, 54.3% abv. Main maturation was in first fill bourbon barrels plus 5 months in the wine casks. Price is £68 per bottle.

Appearance: Warm, glowing apricot as a result of the cask finishing. It has a pink tinge as you pour but not as you see it in the bottle. Tears swift at first for a heavily peated malt then slow and sticky with quite close spacing.

Nose: Definitely peated but not in your face. Fruity with subtle oak.Toasted brown bread and richly roasted barley. Spices and a waft of heady floral, a little like jasmine; vanilla custard and sea air. With water, it looks more viscous. More sea salt air plus dark and red fruits with sweet spices – a fruit crumble.

Palate: Despite adding water, still quite peppery and tongue-tingling. A silky mouth feel. Peat smoke and oak. Dark fruits with barbecue smoke and char/tar catching in the throat. Slightly salty.

Finish: Smoky and peaty but soft. Mouth-drying and richly roasted barley persists.

The last malt festival bottle I had from Glen Scotia wasn‘t a peated offering, so quite different from this one but their output is very versatile. The distillery produces peated spirit for 4 weeks each year.

The 2025 Campbeltown Malt Festival runs on 20 and 21 May this year. They say, „Glen Scotia’s events at this year’s Campbeltown Malts Festival will see some of its finest drams poured and will celebrate the town’s past as the former ‘Victorian Whisky Capital of the World’….Among the Glen Scotia experiences on offer, visitors will have the chance to explore the components of the Campbeltown Malts Festival 2025 edition during a deconstructed tasting with Global Brand Ambassador Gary Mills. They will also be able to celebrate a decade of Glen Scotia’s world-famous Victoriana single malt [my favourite from their range] with an in-depth tasting hosted by Master Blender Ashley Smith. Finally, guests will discover the magic of the Glen Scotia Dunnage Warehouse in an exclusive tasting with Master Distiller Iain McAlister.“ On the pack, by scanning the QR code, consumers will be able to experience „the magical journey to the ‘Wee Toon’ with three of Scotland’s top travel influencers as they embark on the beautiful voyage to the distillery’s Campbeltown home.“

For those of you who are serial whisky festival goers, there is also the Limburg Whisky Fair in Germany later this month, 26th and 27th April to be exact and of course, best of the lot, for me, it‘s Islay (Feis Ile) from 23rd – 31st May. I now have the menu for my annual whisky dinner there at Port Charlotte Hotel and am beginning work on the whisky pairings with the food. Spirit of Speyside is a larger affair covering more distilleries and runs this year from 30th April – 5th May and there‘s a chance to see Tamnavulin which opens to the public only at this event. SoS hasn‘t sent me any e-mails about the event this year so they may have given me up as a bad job as I never have time to get up there given my prep for Islay amongst other things. If you‘re keen to go find out more at https://www.spiritofspeyside.com/ to see what tickets are still available.

Last but certainly not least this time is a new Strathearn expression from Douglas Laing & Co., Strathearn Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky Batch 02, using Maris Otter barley which they say results in „a creamy character with buttery biscuit notes, honey and a gentle sweetness“. Sadly , no sample available. Strength is 50% abv, NCF and NAC. Their statement tells us, „Batch 02 remains true to the signature cask composition that defined the inaugural release—expertly marrying ex-Bourbon, Virgin Oak, and ex-Sherry Oak casks. However, with a deliberate reduction in Virgin Oak influence, Batch 02 delivers heightened creaminess, freshness, and overall balance, offering an evolution of Strathearn’s uniquely rich spirit. Comprising a vatting of 31 carefully selected casks, this release includes both inherited stock and casks distilled under Douglas Laing’s ownership, highlighting the ever-developing expertise of the Strathearn team. “ You may recall that Douglas Laing & Co. bought the distillery from its founders in 2019. I‘ve found this one at a range of prices from £73 – £80 from various retailers.

Unless I have to change plans, it looks like end of this month will be a comparison piece looking at a couple of Dewar‘s expressions, a couple of Kilchoman Loch Gorms and maybe this year‘s and last year‘s Glen Scotia bottlings for the Campbeltown festival.

Meantime, happy dramming and I intend to have some fun trying different whiskies with Easter chocolate.

Slainte mhath,

Caroline