Hi all, this is a Ballechin (peated Edradour) selected for Whisky Live Singapore 2019 by Signatory. It was aged in an undisclosed cask for much of its life before spending the last 25 months in a Karuizawa cask. This is some funky stuff.

I had this at an amazing Japanese-run cocktail bar (wood panels, fanatical attention to detail, thousands of vinyl records and old big JBLs, the works) with a small whiskey selection of mostly Japanese IBs or Scotch with a Japanese connection otherwise. I had approximately 1.3 drams because I spilled much of my first dram turning around to look at some vinyl behind me (as well as the ladies standing in front of it). I suspect I jinxed myself when I got the first dram, thinking: "Hey, considering prices in my country, and the relative rarity of stuff like this, and that I'm not even in a specialised whisky bar, that's a pretty damned generous pour at not too much of a mark-up."

By that time, I realised what I had was so special that I just had to have a second dram to savour it, and I'd just write off the first dram as a costly lesson.

Cask: Undisclosed, finished in ex-Karuizawa for 25 months.

*Price:" ~25$/30ml

Colour: 0.6, old gold.

ABV: 60.2%

Chill-filtered: No

First dram rested ~20 minutes. Second rested ~5 minutes because I was impatient. But savoured gradually, of course. About half a teaspoon water was added, then another.

Nose: Ashes, condensed milk, Lotus Biscoff, oak, sulfur, oyster sauce(!). With water, bruised apple appears, while oyster sauce becomes a bit less viscous. Even more water: chicken nuggets(!) and oyster sauce becomes even more clearly differentiated.

Palate: Hot, but doesn't really burn. Lovely creamy texture. Cream, Lotus Biscoff pears, apricot. Burdock root. With water: oyster sauce, tannins emerge. With even more water: thyme, carrots, and fresh-grated wasabi.

Finish: Long, complex and whets the palate. Ashes, hot charcoal, peaches, vanilla, green apples, toasted barley. With water: oyster sauce starts to emerge here too. With even more water: peaches sharpen, lime zest starts to show, as does the fresh-grated wasabi. A hint of wax even! Almond milk! Pickled (not dried) plum. Star anise and shiitake mushrooms steeped in Chinese braising sauce!

Score: 92

Holy. Shit. The definition of a challenging but fun dram that goes every damn way without falling apart or an off note. The oyster sauce and chicken nuggets: I have never had anything so unusual be so cleanly differentiated in Scotch. I'm willing to chalk the wasabi, burdock and shiitake down to expectation bias towards the terroir. But I'm not shitting you about the oyster sauce and chicken nuggets! The finish comes even above my previous top 2: Craigellachie 17 for unpeated and TWAxThree Rivers undisclosed Islay 6yo for peated. The nose is a bit simple but no less comforting and well-executed. A bit hot but takes water well. The texture remains satisfying. I think a more complex nose and less heat would push it past 95 for me.

H.Y.