Reviews Archives

Glen Moray Tequila / Berry Bros & Rudd

7th January 20266th January 2026Coldorak

We explore three Glen Moray: two official bottlings and an independent one: the Glen Moray Warehouse 1 Tequila Cask Finish (peated and unpeated), and a 2007 bottled by Berry Bros & Rudd. Glen Moray Warehouse 1 series replaces the previous Cask Curiosity range. On the indy side, Berry Bros & Rudd, founded in 1698, stands as Britain’s oldest family-owned wine and spirits merchant. They operate from their iconic St James’s Street shop in London. The company holds a Royal Warrant and has supplied the British monarchy for centuries, evolving from grocery origins to a focus on fine wines and spirits.

Two 30-Year-Old Bowmore

5th January 20265th January 2026Coldorak

We kick off the year with two 30-year-old Bowmores from Silver Seal and Wemyss Malts – rare drams that languished too long before I seized the perfect moment. We already know Wemyss Malts, and Silver Seal is an independent bottler founded by Luca Gargano, championing unfiltered, cask-strength authenticity from historic casks.

Jura Glentauchers Ben Nevis Macbeth act 2 Elixir Distillers

Jura / Glentauchers / Ben Nevis Macbeth Elixir Distillers

31st December 20256th January 2026Coldorak

We explore the Jura 17-year-old, Glentauchers 27-year-old, and Ben Nevis 28-year-old from Elixir Distillers’ Macbeth series Act 2. These drams mark our return to whisky after the twenty-something cognac reviews from the Cognac-Expert 2025 Advent Calendar and the recent Coleburn pair. Elixir Distillers, partnering with Livingstone Rare, crafted the Macbeth series from Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, assigning 42 unique Scotch whiskies to play characters across six thematic groups. Whisky writer Dave Broom composed vivid portraits that tie each spirit to its character’s personality, cask profile, and regional roots, while Sir Quentin Blake supplied striking and fun bespoke label illustrations. Elixir’s team – led by Sukhinder Singh and Oliver Chilton – sources casks from their vast network and Sukhinder’s own stock, prioritising pure distillate character over dominant wood influence.

Two Coleburn Signatory Vintage for Christmas

26th December 202525th December 2025Coldorak

On special days, I like to reach for something special, so I chose two Coleburn whiskies from Signatory Vintage for Christmas. After a lengthy cognac session from the Cognac-Expert 2025 Advent Calendar, I return to whisky. Coleburn has tempted me for ages, especially since my 2019 visit to Murray McDavid at Spirit of Speyside – where they lease the distillery’s warehouses for cask storage, though workers dismantled the site long ago. Sourcing Coleburn proved tough, yet I snagged two samples in days. As always, I’ll start with the distillery history before diving into these festive Signatory pours.

ABK6 Extra Cognac

24th December 202531st December 2025Coldorak

Day 23 of the Cognac-Expert 2025 Advent Calendar features ABK6 Extra, a single-estate cognac from Domaines Francis Abécassis. The producer farms over 370 hectares across Fins Bois, Petite Champagne, and Grande Champagne crus. We’ll introduce ABK6 before reviewing their ABK6 Extra cognac!

Authentic Spirits Les Grandes Jouberteries

Les Grandes Jouberteries Lot 65 Authentic Spirits

23rd December 202523rd December 2025Coldorak

Day 22 of the Cognac-Expert 2025 Advent Calendar brings an independent bottling: Les Grandes Jouberteries Lot 65 from Authentic Spirits. A few months ago, this bottler impressed us with an excellent La Prenellerie cognac, but Les Grandes Jouberteries steps onto our radar for the first time today. As always, new names deserve a proper introduction before the review, so let’s get to know Les Grandes Jouberteries first.

Grosperrin Très Vieille Héritage

22nd December 202522nd December 2025Coldorak

We close the third week of our Cognac-Expert 2025 Advent Calendar with a 50-year-old Grosperrin Très Vieille Héritage cognac. We love tasting another Grosperrin – we always visit them at spirits shows, and even stopped by their Saintes cellars in February this year.

Jean Fillioux Lot 80/85 Cognac

20th December 202519th December 2025Coldorak

We continue our Cognac-Expert 2025 Advent Calendar adventure with a Jean Fillioux Lot 80/85 Cognac, which was hidden in the nineteenth pouch. This cognac, yet to be released, is a multi-vintage Grande Champagne. Let’s introduce Jean Fillioux cognac before reviewing this incoming release.

La Récession 42-Year-Old Cognac

19th December 202518th December 2025Coldorak

Time to open the 18th pouch of our Cognac-Expert 2025 Advent Calendar! Today (well, technically yesterday, since I publish the next morning to avoid spoiling other calendar owners), we discovered a La Récession 42-year-old Cognac. Cognac-Expert created La Récession as a brand to release a handful of sourced cognacs from négociants, bottled exclusively for them. Who from, you ask? Well, you might learn more after the break.

A.E. Dor Vieille Réserve No. 8

18th December 202517th December 2025Coldorak

Day 17 of our Cognac-Expert 2025 Advent Calendar brought an A.E. Dor Vieille Réserve No. 8 Cognac. A.E. Dor has sat on my must‑try list for quite some time, so finding it in this year’s calendar feels like a small victory. One sample won’t ever tell the full story of a cognac house, but every exploration starts with a first glass. As usual, let’s say a few words about A.E. Dor before diving into their Vieille Réserve No. 8 Cognac.