I’ve had this in the cupboard for months. Never tasted it. Theres a storm blowing outside and the fires on. It’s time.

Category: Blend

Distillery: Midleton (1975-)

Bottled: 2025

Cask Type: Double Charred Ex-Bourbon Barrels

Strength: 40.0 %

Size: 700 ml

Nose
As soon as I opened the whiskey, I took a quick sniff both from the cork and the bottle opening and detected sweet malt aromas reminiscent of delicate vanilla, coconut, and biscuits. After pouring some into a Glencairn glass and letting it breathe for about 10 minutes, I nosed it again; once more, vanilla and coconut took center stage, accompanied by an oak character that offered a refreshing, slightly menthol like quality. There were also hints of dry wood, faint suggestions of cocoa, chocolate, or cinnamon, and further in the background subtle notes of nuts, such as hazelnut, walnut, and almond.
Taste
Upon taking an initial, preparatory sip, I encounter a flavor profile that feels quite balanced and somewhat neutral not leaning decisively in any one direction. It is easy-drinking while the 40% ABV gives it a slightly thin, watery quality, it also possesses a silky texture. As I continue to sip, I pick up notes of subtle vanilla and mildly sweet malt, along with faint, fleeting hints of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, and cinnamon. On my tongue, I also detect a gentle touch of black pepper and ginger, accompanied by a superficial warmth reminiscent of toasted oak.
Finish
In the finish, as it goes down my throat, I detect a subtle note reminiscent of milky or vanilla infused coffee this doesn't last long, however, and soon gives way to toasted oak and spices such as a hint of black pepper and ginger lingering on my tongue. When I exhale through my nose to bring the flavors back, I can perceive faint traces of vanilla, coconut, a whisper of coffee, cinnamon, and oak, followed just as it reaches its conclusion by a fleeting, toasted, nutty quality. These notes persist for a duration ranging from short to medium.

Overall, I find this to be a well crafted whiskey that serves its purpose effectively. It offers a very smooth drinking experience, complemented by subtle, pleasant aromas. Depending on what you’re looking for, it certainly won’t disappoint in fact, it’s quite satisfying. It’s an unpretentious, enjoyable, everyday whiskey that delivers good value for its price. Cheers.

Nose: 83/100

Taste: 81/100

Finish: 80/100

Price: 34€

My ratings are generally based on Whiskybase tradition and calibration, and while scored out of 100, they are structured within a narrower range.

<79 May have flaws.
80-82 Borderline acceptable.
83 Average daily good.
84 Good, nice, pleasant, liked.
85 Very good, deep, rich.
86+ Excellent.

So I recently bought a bottle of the new Bic-exclusive Glenfarclas expression "THE INTENSE", and I quite like it. Decided to do a side-by-side tasting with the 12 yr Cask Strength I bought a while back, which is also a Japan Exclusive bottle, since they are similar price and ABV.

IIRC, THE INTENSE cost ¥13,800 ($88) and is 58% ABV, and the 12 CS cost ¥13,000 ($83) and is 59.6% ABV.

I quite like them both. Both are recognizably Glenfarclas, but different styles. Despite the higher ABV, the 12 CS is closer to the delicate, mild and elegantly sherried "standard profile" of Glenfarclas, while THE INTENSE is, richer, sherry-er, spicier and well... more INTENSE, leaning in the direction of Aberlour A'Bunadh (which I also love). They both are a level above the 105, which I find a bit rough and less well-integrated than most Glenfarclas expressions (makes sense given the price difference).

Anyway, they're both really good cask strength bottles. 12 CS for when you're feeling rather sophisticated, and THE INTENSE for when you're feeling more adventurous and looking for something more, uh, intense.

I've looked through the posts on here and there are some decent suggestions. But looking for some fresh ideas- I need to get a decent but low cost whisky. I tend to default to famous grouse or JW at this price point, but anyone got a surprisingly good option for £20?

Hi all, I'm here with another rather interesting Japanese whisky, and this one is an OB from the now defunct Karuizawa distillery!

The Karuizawa distillery was founded in 1955 under Daikoku Wine (later renamed Ocean, then Mercian Corporation), which was originally a winemaker and liquor distributor. During its heyday in the 1960s-80s, they were one of the major players in the Japan whisky market, butting heads with the likes of Suntory and Nikka despite being much smaller in scale than the two. 

However, Karuizawa was hit particularly hard by the Japanese bubble economy burst in the 1980s and the following depression in the 90s. This led to them gradually cutting production, and eventually ceasing distillation in 2000 due to poor sales during the whisky glut. The distillery officially closed in 2011, where the remaining casks were sold to overseas independent bottlers. 

Ironically, several of these later IB releases earned major international recognition as well as exceptionally high prices on auctions- something Karuizawa themselves never did during their time. The prestige from these standout IBs, coupled with the now defunct status, meant any whisky made by Karuizawa had become highly sought after collectors' items.

A short while ago, I remember seeing a post asking about a few older bottles from the 1990s~2000s, and amongst them was the bigger bottle version of this exact whisky. So I figured why not write about it!

Details in comments!

*Oh, a kind of important side note: due to the prestige linked to the Karuizawa name, several shameless ripoff products exist on the market (particularly sold outside of Japan). The "Karuizawa Kohaku Roman" blended whisky seen in pic 2 is a prime example- it is made by San.Foods, a food processor/winery company that *doesn't even own a distillery*. You can even find this bottle on several international auctions, with oblivious bidders mistakenly thinking it to be a Karuizawa OB. I'd hate to be that guy lmao

As always, I do my reviews live and it’s a review of my experience with this pour. It’s not meant to be aggregated.

This is such a great bottle. It’s a little quirky and it’s definitely not for everyone but as someone who loves single malts and bourbon, it’s a fun concept and maybe I’m just the kind of sucker for something like this.

I look forward to blinding it in the future. I grabbed a bottle at the distillery before they ran out and then saw that they were going for under MSRP on Unicorn so I grabbed two more.

What is it? A collab between Bardstown and Mars: A blend of Bardstown Kentucky bourbon and Mars Japanese single malts.

69% 10 Year Old Bardstown bourbon (74/18/0/8)

8% 16 year old Bardstown bourbon (75/13/0/12)

20% Komagatake 5 year old Single Malt

3% Tsunuki 5 year old single malt

ABV: 54.9%

Price paid: $99.99 or $109.99. I don’t remember exactly. I bought it at the distillery this Spring. As mentioned earlier these go for as low as $85 or $90 at auction. One of those weird anomalies. I guess most people d on t love it like I do.

The other cool thing is this was all aged in barrels together in Kentucky. There will be another version next year led by Mars and it’ll all be aged in barrels in Japan and it’ll be heavier on the single malt and lighter on the bourbon.

Nose: Chocolate up front. Like powdered chocolate for an instant cake almost. Vanilla. A hint of fruit. A nice bit of malted barley. There’s something of ice cream - vanilla / chocolate ice cream swirl.

Palate: There’s some hard candy up front. Not werthers original quote but something like that. It’s a quite buttery mouthfeel. Definite graham cracker. Some maybe raspberry or plum notes - maybe cherry. Definitely a fruit layer.

Finish: Cherry comes out more on the finish. It’s a nice long finish, really pleasant. Some toasted oak. More of those fruits that I can’t 100% place.

9.2/10

I’m a fucking sucker for this bottle. I’ve rated it anywhere from an 8.1-9.3, I guess depending on my mood. That’s absurd. I’m admittedly just so in love with the concept that it probably skews me high. But this is one of my favorite whiskies of 2026.

Fist post here, this is my usual Friday drink! I really do enjoy both whisky, bourbon and whiskey straight. This is great as well though.

Tonight I decided to compare two bottles from my Longrow RED collection: the 13-year-old Malbec Cask and the 11-year-old Cabernet Franc Cask. Both were tasted neat first, then with a few drops of water. At the end, I even tried blending them together.

Here's how it went!

1. Longrow RED 13yo – Malbec Cask

Nose (neat): Quite a strong alcoholic kick at first. Dark berries, oak, burning firewood and campfire smoke. Some slightly meaty and salty notes in the background.

Palate (neat): Surprisingly light in texture, not particularly oily. Immediate spicy heat, followed by wood smoke and oak. The fruit was much less noticeable than on the nose.

With water: This is where things got interesting! Just a few drops really opened it up. Much more fruit and sweetness on the nose. On the palate, I picked up grapes, red berries, grilled meat, oak and even an old leather sofa. The peppery spice was still there, but less aggressive.

Finish: Smoother and less edgy with water. Very little noticeable tannin, some lingering oak and subtle red fruit.

Rating: 8.5/10 neat → 9/10 with water

For me, water makes a significant difference. It transforms a rather sharp, woody whisky into something more balanced, fruity and complex.

2. Longrow RED 11yo – Cabernet Franc Cask

Nose (neat): Immediately more intense than the Malbec. Stronger peat smoke, more alcohol burn and a distinctly meaty, smoky character.

Palate (neat): Fuller and softer mouthfeel despite the higher ABV. Immediately noticeable smoked bacon, peat smoke, campfire and black pepper. Less aggressively spicy than the Malbec, but still powerful.

With water: Less alcohol burn on the nose, with more burnt wood, smoked bacon, sea breeze and a lovely dark fruity sweetness. I would describe it as overripe blackberries.

On the palate, I noticed more salt, pepper, berry jam and, after a while, even some chocolate.

Finish: Long, peaty, salty and noticeably dry. Much more tannic than the Malbec, leaving my mouth considerably drier.

Rating: 9.5/10

Absolutely fantastic. I love the combination of smoked bacon, maritime notes, dark berries and that full mouthfeel. Definitely my favourite of the two.

3. The Experiment – A 50/50 Blend

Since I had a little whisky left in both glasses, I decided to mix them together. Both had already received a few drops of water. I hope I don't get banned for this ;)

Nose: Surprisingly delicate. Dark berries, campfire smoke, a little salt and subtle smoked bacon.

Palate: Still quite full-bodied, but the initial impact was overwhelming. Peat smoke, campfire and peppery heat all hit at once. Honestly, a bit too much.

After some time, the sweetness from the Malbec started to combine nicely with the salty character of the Cabernet Franc.

Finish: Long and dry. Less peat smoke towards the end, with lingering salt, oak and leather.

Rating: 7.5/10

Interesting experiment, but definitely less balanced than either whisky on its own. The initial explosion of peat and pepper was simply too intense for my taste.

Final Thoughts

Both are excellent whiskies, but they offer noticeably different experiences.

The Malbec is fruitier, woodier and benefits tremendously from a few drops of water. It becomes much more balanced and enjoyable.

The Cabernet Franc is more intense, peatier, meatier and more maritime. The smoked bacon character is particularly impressive, and the longer, drier finish really works for me.

The blend was fun to experiment with, but it reminded me that combining two great whiskies doesn't necessarily create an even better one.

My final ranking:

🥇 Cabernet Franc – 9.5/10

🥈 Malbec – 9/10 with water (8.5 neat)

🥉 50/50 Blend – 7.5/10

I'm definitely a fan of that combination of peat smoke, smoked meat, salt and dark fruit that Longrow can deliver.

Had this delivered today and was shocked to see the wax seal was broken when I opened the package.

Is this evidence of tampering/rebottling or is it possible the cork popped the seal during packaging? It's been cold the last few days, so I'm thinking maybe changes in temperature. The cork doesn't fully stay in when I push down, it slowly slides up.

Edit: I meant "popped the seal during transport"

Hello,

I've been asked asked to try and find a bottle of this.

I've seen it online but I've been asked to try and get a hold of it in a couple of days.

Would anyone have any good ideas about how to go about this?

Cheers

Hi all, here's another obscure Suntory whisky I got my hands on lately, and it's their 8 year old 'Pure Malt' whisky!

The "Pure Malt" terminology was often used during the 1980s~2000s in Japanese whiskies, to denote the whisky as either a single malt whisky, or a whisky vatted purely of malt whiskies from different distilleries.

This 8 year old 'pure malt' release belongs to the latter category, vatted entirely with malt whiskies from Suntory's inventory, notably casks from their own Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries!

This specific Suntory Pure Malt whisky was from *1987*, only 3 years after their first single malt whisky, Yamazaki, made its debut. As such, this one was also one of Suntory's earliest releases of one such "Pure Malt" whisky!

So how does it taste? Details in comments!

Just wanted to follow up this post with an update. After getting some air in the bottle, this whisky has opened up immensely. More of the tangier notes I expected to find, and did not initially, have appeared. Candied lemon peel, for example. Gorgeous dram, now a 7/10 for me.

I've read so many reviews and watched quite a few YouTube videos about Ardnamurchan that I finally decided to pull the trigger on this special 10 year old unpeated release ( bottled at 50% abv, matured in mostly Bourbon and Paul Launois champagne barrels)!

I couldn't decide between this and the standard AD/10 (which, if I'm not mistaken, is made with roughly 50% peated and 50% unpeated spirit), but in the end, I went with this one.

Have you tried it? Do you think I'll enjoy it?

I'm really excited to give it a go. Expect a review soon! 😊🥃

For this week we put together a tasting of different regions, where the whisky is not necessarily the most representative, or at least it's not for most of the people present, who average around 55 years old. However, anyone who's been looking at the industry in the last 5-10 years will definitely have seen these brands rise. The people at our tastings barely know Glenfiddich and Macallan, though, so everything is new for most of them.

Aside from the being from different regions, the goal here was to try how different casks affect whisky. Like a whisky with no ex-PX cask can feel different to one that does have it and, for the boldest, to try and identify the notes of each cask.

• GlenAllachie 12: 1st and 2nd use ex-bourbon + virgin oak + ex-PX + ex-sherry, for 12 years and 46% ABV. Reviewed here.
• GlenDronach 12: ex-sherry + ex-PX, bottled at 43% ABV. Reviewed here.
• Kilchoman Small Batch: STR cask + ex-bourbon + ex-sherry, at 48.7%. Looks like I only reviewed it in the Spanish whisky sub.

Other than finding the differences and similarities, it's an excuse to get together with friends, try different stuff, smoke some cigars, have a nice dinner and get together weekly.

Gotta love these Japanese convenience store + whisky collaborations. This week we’ve got Round 2 of the (apparently very successful) Orchard House Can Highball product and 200ml mini-bottles, all at your neighborhood Lawson.

Seems like Compass Box is all in on the “this is how you get market share in Japan” plan.

Hi folks. I'm hoping to get some suggestions for a nice bottle for someone's special birthday the big 4-0)?

All I know is that both the Uigeadail and Lagavulin 16 went down very very well for previous gifts. I don't want to (and can't) spend thousands, so I'm thinking something that isn't more than a couple of hundred really. I'd really like it to be Scottish too - or Irish at a push.

I know nothing about this sort of thing, and they don't either - getting into whisky has been a relatively new thing for them.

Thank you so much!

Nice sweetness on the palate with huge bursts of vanilla, honey, caramel. Dropping a single ice cube really opens it up and lets you enjoy the sweetness without the slightly harsh alcohol when taken neat. Would buy again!

I am putting the word out here. NEVER buy Samuel Grant bourbon. I have been a bourbon drinker for a very long time and Samuel Grant bourbon turned my stomach. It is THE WORST bourbon I have ever had. I am gonna go and shit talk them on Instagram.

Hi all, I've just returned from another business trip. Here's another odd Suntory whisky from the past, and this here is one of their obscure Pure Malt whiskies!

Sold between 1998~2010, this mid-to-low shelf Suntory whisky was developed to be paired with food, specifically light, Japanese dishes. It also had quite a number of unique features:

It was specifically created using only two row barley (commonly used raw material in beer and shochus), was vatted with both pot still and continuous still malt whiskies, and the vatted whisky was then filtered through bamboo charcoal!

So how does it taste? Details in comments!

So I’m sitting at home, minding my own business, when wifey texts me to say that on her way home from yoga, she’s gonna swing by Bic Camera in Yurakucho to see if they have anything new in the whisky section. Starts sending me photos of what’s on the shelves.

Now for those of you who’ve been married a while, you know there is supposed to be this balance between spouses keeping irresponsible spending under control. Wife sees some expensive shoes or a bag, husband says “that’s a stupid waste of money”. Husband eyes some sports car, PC gaming rig, or (in this case) bottle of whisky, and wife is supposed to say “grow the funk up” or “we already have Kavalan at home”, etc. But gurl sends me a photo of this bottle, I reply “buy it” and she’s just like “OK”. Like woman, wtf? WE ALREADY HAVE KAVALAN AT HOME! Like at least give a little pushback? Gurl just buys the thing and brings it home. Absolutely irresponsible spouse behavior 😤

On the positive side, it’s really f’n good, especially for a peat-loving, sherry-loving Kavalan ho like me 😊

Damn married life is hard 😅