The Convalmore 36 I just reviewed may have stolen the night but there were several drams that came close, as well as some other average-ish drams that provided useful contrast. I don't have detailed notes but what I have should be usefully indicative.

The first standout dram after the Convalmore was this 1990 21yo Littlemill bottled by The Whisky Barrel, said to be part of a cask by Whiskybroker. On the nose, it was the most wonderful sugar-glazed vanilla sponge cake, with the whiff of butter. So rich, so uncannily cakey I couldn't believe it was not cake. Then manuka honey lemonade with a touch of soda. Third-best of the night. A 92.

Then came this US import 1978 Glenkinchie 17yo which had notes of soy candle, poached pear, chrysanthemum and pandan, which if you haven't heard of - is basically what vanilla would smell and taste like if it were a grass instead. Creaminess with a mellow grassy edge (not like sharp fresh cut grass). Really drinkable and refined, but not as rich or complex as those that beat it. An 89 I reckon.

Then we had a Tormore shootout with a 1988 27yo Tormore bottled by The House of Macduff under its Golden Cask series and two 1995 Tormores bottled by Le Gus't bottled within a day of each other but aged in quite different casks. The 1988 Tormore was a malt-bomb of the highest order, then very strong "English" breakfast tea, hint of pomegranate and blood orange I think. But the fruit is very dialled down. I think an 88 but the individual tea note was truly stunning and just needed a better supporting cast. Then came the two Le Gus't Tormores - one at 45.4% ABV and the other 55.8% and darker. The lower-strength one was aged in a butt and the older one in a hogshead, with no more details.

The 45.5% one tastes of vanilla cream, a hint of coconut flakes, tapioca and soft tea notes - I think a very delicate and fragrant Pu'er. A beguiling malt, but just in tough company. An 89.

The 55.8% one, meanwhile, is a fruit bomb with blackcurrant, fresh plums, strawberry, pears, nimm2 candy, brown sugar syrup and a bit of waxed green apple skin, as well as furniture polish. I think the second best of the night - a 93 (the fact that I scored the Springbank 8yo Samaroli 20th anniversary and this a 93 means that the 94 I scored Hazelburn 9yo Barolo when much newer to this has to be adjusted down to more of a 91).

The higher strength 1995 wins the shootout because it is fruitier than the lower strength one with zero alcohol burn, while having more balance than the 1988. The 1988 is no slouch in complexity and very tasty in itself, but with the intensity of notes beyond tea and malt dialled way down.

I also had a young Cooley, an 8yo bottled by Whisky Age in June 2022. Very hot and slightly astringent neat. I didn't add water as I had intended it to be a chaser for the big guns, so no time to dwell. But there was that characteristic white chocolate note with a very light touch of apricot in the background. For now an 76 but open to having my mind changed.

Not pictured are a 15yo Craigellachie bottled by Blackadder under their Raw Cask series (tobacco, leather, little bit of apple skin; 84) and a 15yo Highland Park from local IB Malt, Grain and Cane (taste fatigue setting in here but what I'm confident is melted margarine on nicely browned toast, almonds and a touch of something gently vegetal like ice plant; not scoring this until I dram it with fresher taste buds though).

All in all a wonderful night and I cannot recommend The Swan Song in Singapore highly enough!

H.Y.