Kicking Off the 2026
End of Jan, I found myself heading back to Speyside for my first tasting of 2026. Let’s be real - getting out of bed early is never easy, but the anticipation of a good whisky event always wins. After a quick breakfast, I hit the A9 and headed north. A winter road trip in Scotland is always... "exciting," especially with the bonus of early January storms and heavy snow. Even though I’ve driven this route countless times, the constant shuffle of sunlight, pouring rain, snow-capped peaks, and rainbows never fails to feel a bit magical.
Three and a half hours later, I pulled up at the Highlander Inn in Craigellachie. The tasting was hosted by the Hong Kong-based independent bottler, Whisky Concerto. We went through six of their bottlings, and before I dive into the details, let me give you my "TL;DR" conclusion: delicious, playful, and crafted with a clear sense of conviction.
six wee drams
We kicked things off with a Glen Garioch 2011, matured for 13 years in a 1st fill Bourbon Barrel. It was a classic beauty - sweet, candy-like, with white peach, elegant florals, malt, and a buttery cookies finish. Just a textbook, delicious bourbon cask profile. Next up was a Benrinnes 2012. As a self-proclaimed fanboy of this distillery, I’m biased, but this was a winner. It had those lovely shrub-like woody notes, spices, grapes, cola gummies, and a hint of dried rooty herbal. Complex, refined, and right up my alley.
The third dram was where things got weird - in a good way. An Islay Blended Scotch, which is secretly (Ardbeg) 2017. It spent six years in a Hogshead before a one-year finish in a Palo Cortado Quarter Cask. The crazy part? Almost zero peat. Instead, I got saltiness, fresh grass, and barnyard notes, but the real showstopper was a massive hit of nostalgic lactic sweetness - like old-school milk candies. A friend at the table described it as a rich Crème brûlée. Definitely not the Ardbeg I was expecting.
Fourth on the list was an Inchgower 2009, a joint release between their sub-brand Cask Le Sens and the famous bottler The WhiskyFind from Taiwan. This was a sophisticated Sherry profile: dark wood, berries, dark chocolate, with soft tannins and a touch of "soapy" elegance. Then came the second "curveball" of the day - an unnamed Irish (Cooley). It aged for three years in Ireland before being shipped to Taiwan for another 951 days in an Amontillado Hogshead. When I heard that spec, I couldn't help but think, "WTF..." But man, was it interesting. It was a total shapeshifter, evolving in the glass with rich spices, nuts, nutmeg, red dates, and brown sugar, slowly becoming sweeter with a hint of fresh date crispness. Another total surprise.
If you had served the sixth dram blind, I would have bet money on it being a Bruichladdich. Meaty, syrup, bittersweetness, dried fruits, leather, dark chocolate, and deep woody notes. That massive "meaty" texture and caramel aroma screamed "top-tier Islay Sherry bomb." Turns out, it was a Smögen 2013 from Sweden. Absolutely cracking stuff!
Beyond the liquid, there was plenty of "shite-talking" (as one does). As an industry outsider, I couldn't help but ask about their cask selection logic. Look, there’s no shortage of bottlers or bottles in Scotland, but "more choice" doesn't always mean "better stuff." A lot of releases these days feel a bit safe and repetitive - tasty, sure, but boring. I reminded myself that the reason I fell in love with single casks in the first place was that "treasure chest" uncertainty—that unique personality that makes the whole process fun.
Looking back at the six drams, while I loved the technical performance of the Benrinnes 2012 and the Smögen 2013, it’s that funky, lactic (Ardbeg) 2017 and the ever-changing (Cooley) that are still living rent-free in my head.
