February 2025 - More Drams, Less Drama

Clynelish 14yo / Cataibh 10yo Chorlton / 2012 SMWS

28th February 202528th February 2025Coldorak

A few years ago, two friends and I co-founded the Rennes Whisky Club, just before Covid hit. We managed to hold one session before the first lockdown, and after that, nearly two years passed before we could meet again. Once things settled, we relaunched the club and have been hosting monthly tastings ever since – except for a break in July and August. Each session follows a chosen theme, typically featuring three whiskies within that category. Last night’s tasting focused on a fan-favourite distillery: Clynelish. On the menu were three Clynelish whiskies: the official 14-year-old, a 10-year-old Cataibh bottled by Chorlton Whisky, and a 2012 ‘Tropical Toothpaste’ from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

Hellyers Road 17-Year-Old American Oak

26th February 202525th February 2025Coldorak

We’ve enjoyed a couple of Hellyers Road releases before, and they’ve been excellent – so why not try another? In 2022, they released a 17-year-old single cask for La Maison du Whisky. Given that their mid-aged single casks tend to be top-notch, there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic about this Hellyers Road 17-Year-Old American Oak.

St. Magdalene 1980 Gordon & MacPhail

24th February 202523rd February 2025Coldorak

St. Magdalene, one of Scotland’s lost Lowland distilleries, is renowned for its elegant yet complex whisky, often showcasing a delicate balance of fruit, spice, and subtle waxiness. Closed in 1983, its remaining stock has become increasingly rare, making any opportunity to taste a well-aged expression a special occasion. Today, I’m reviewing a St. Magdalene 1980, bottled by Gordon & MacPhail—a dram that promises to offer a glimpse into the storied past of this historic distillery. Let’s see how it holds up after a decade and a half of maturation.

Scotch & Sherry SMWS

21st February 202520th February 2025Coldorak

In 2024, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) released a documentary exploring the intricate relationship between Scotch whisky and sherry. This documentary, titled “Scotch & Sherry: A Flavour Odyssey,” takes viewers on a journey from SMWS headquarters in Leith to the oak forests of Galicia and the Sherry Triangle in Andalucia. The film delves into the process of creating sherry cask-matured whisky and introduces the artisans behind both the casks and the sherry used in the maturation process.

Accompanying this documentary, SMWS has curated a tasting pack featuring three whisky samples and two sherry samples (one Oloroso and one Pedro Ximénez). Let’s review the three whiskies, but skip on the sherries.

Two Calvados From Swell de Spirits

19th February 202518th February 2025Coldorak

Calvados is a brandy from the Normandy region of France, crafted from apples and sometimes pears. The spirit dates back to 1553, when the first known Norman distillation occurred. About 50 years later, the guild for cider distillation was created. Calvados got its protected name in 1942. The production of Calvados begins in the orchard, where cider apples, known for their richness in tannins, are harvested. Unlike regular apples, cider fruits are small. There are roughly 300 varieties of apples that Calvados producers can use. After harvest, the apples are mashed and pressed to extract the juice, which is then fermented into cider. This cider is then distilled to separate the alcohol from the water. Depending on the appellation, either a pot still or a column still is used for distillation. The resulting eau-de-vie is then aged in oak casks for a minimum of two years before being sold as Calvados. We review two Calvados from Swell de Spirits, a now well-known French independent bottler.

Defilement 26-Year-Old Maple Syrup Cask Finish

17th February 202515th February 2025Coldorak

As it turns out, among the cask types permitted for Scotch whisky maturation, maple syrup casks are not included in the approved list. This omission means that the spirit in question, despite its age and unique finishing process, cannot be legally labelled or sold as ‘Scotch whisky.’ Instead, it must be marketed simply as ‘whisky’ or potentially under a different category altogether. Back in 2020, Atom Labs struck again, and they released a 26-year-old whisky from a particularly famous origin into a cask that previously held maple syrup, and released it as a 26-year-old ‘just whisky’: the Defilement 26-year-old Maple Syrup Cask Finish.

Three 1987 to 1991 Indy Bunnahabhain

14th February 202513th February 2025Coldorak

I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed any Bunnahabhain on More Drams yet. Bunnahabhain Distillery, located on the northeastern coast of Islay, Scotland, has a storied history that reflects the evolution of the Scotch whisky industry. Founded in 1881 by William Robertson and the Greenlees brothers, Bunnahabhain was established to create a distinctive whisky that would stand apart from its heavily peated neighbours. The distillery’s name, derived from the Scottish Gaelic ‘Bun na h-Abhainne,’ translates to ‘Mouth of the River,’ highlighting its scenic location near the River Margadale. For a first post regarding that distillery, we’ll review three 1987 to 1991 indy bottlings of Bunnahabhain, but first, let’s quickly talk about their history.

Daftmill 2007 2010 Winter & Summer Batch Release

Four Daftmill 2007 to 2010, Summer & Winter

12th February 202511th February 2025Coldorak

Daftmill Distillery is a single malt Scotch whisky distillery located at Daftmill Farm in the Howe of Fife, in Scotland. Brothers Francis and Ian Cuthbert, sixth-generation owners of Daftmill Farm, converted the old mill buildings into a distillery. The distillery was granted a license in 2005, with the first spirit distilled on December 16, 2005. However, the distillery did not release its first whisky until 2018. Daftmill is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland, producing only around 100 casks per year. It is known as a true farm distillery because it grows its own barley and uses water from its own spring. The distillery operates only two months in the summer and two months in the winter, during the farm’s off-season, in a very traditional style. The name ‘Daftmill’ comes from the Daft Burn, a stream on the property that appears to run uphill due to an optical illusion. Daftmill Distillery releases its single malt Scotch whisky in seasonal batches, specifically during the summer and winter months. These releases are typically aged over a decade and are supplemented by single cask vintage releases and a 15-year-old cask strength edition. Let’s take a closer look at those seasonal releases, as we review four Daftmill from 2007 to 2010, with two Summer & two Winter editions.

Balvenie 12-year-old Double Wood and American Oak

Balvenie 12yo Double Wood & American Oak

10th February 202510th February 2025Coldorak

The Balvenie Distillery was founded in 1892 by William Grant in Dufftown, Scotland, next to his already successful Glenfiddich distillery. Built during a period of whisky industry expansion, The Balvenie originally operated using repurposed stills from Lagavulin and Glen Albyn. Over the decades, it remained under the ownership of William Grant & Sons, a rarity in an industry where many distilleries changed hands multiple times. The Balvenie gradually established its reputation for traditional production methods, including in-house floor malting, long fermentation times, and direct oversight of cask aging. While it was initially less well-known than Glenfiddich, it developed a distinct identity, particularly with its focus on cask finishes and controlled aging. Today, it continues to operate with a mix of historical techniques and modern refinements, maintaining a direct lineage to its 19th-century roots. We review what is probably their best seller as well as another expression of the same age statement: the Balvenie 12-year-old Double Wood & American Oak.

Shizuoka Contact S & United S

7th February 20256th February 2025Coldorak

Founded in 2016 by Taiko Nakamura under Gaia Flow, the Shizuoka Whisky Distillery has quickly made a name for itself in Japan’s craft whisky scene. Nestled in the mountainous Tamagawa region of Shizuoka Prefecture near Mount Fuji, the distillery blends innovation with a deep respect for local resources. Its architecture seamlessly integrates modern design with natural elements, embodying Nakamura’s vision of a distillery rooted in both tradition and forward-thinking experimentation.

A key highlight is its use of two historic pot stills: one salvaged from the legendary Karuizawa Distillery and the world’s only wood-fired direct heat still, fuelled by locally sourced timber. This unique setup enables Shizuoka to craft distinctive spirit styles, often blended in releases like Contact S. The distillery is committed to using 100% local ingredients, including Shizuoka-grown barley, a proprietary yeast strain (NMZ-0688), and pure water from an on-site well fed by underground rivers.

Maturation is accelerated by the region’s significant temperature swings, with ex-bourbon barrels playing a primary role. Shizuoka’s debut single malts, Prologue K (distilled in the Karuizawa still) and Prologue W (from the wood-fired still), gained a cult following for their contrasting profiles – Prologue W, in particular, stood out for its refined fruitiness and balance. With limited releases and a highly sought-after private cask program, Shizuoka has solidified its reputation as a producer of small-batch, terroir-driven Japanese whisky.

Today, we’ll review the Shizuoka Contact S & United S, with plans to revisit the distillery later for a closer look at Prologue K and W.