Dewar‘s Double Double Comparison; Kilchoman Loch Gorms; New Dalmore Partnership; Diageo Feis Ile Bottlings; Coming from Tiree

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