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15th April 2026 |
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Review of the
Scottish Craftsmen's Association 27th
annual whisky event and the whiskies
tasted on the night by guest writer and
Scotch Malt Whisky forum member,
Companion of the Quaich, Murray Cohen.
(From left to right: John McIntosh,
Murray Cohen and Jackie Gordon)
Murray Cohen, Companion of the Quaich
and scotchmaltwhisky forum member and
guest writer attended this premier
whisky event on April 11th, 2026 in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. This event
is held annually with carefully chosen
single malts.
This whisky event was accompanied by
performances of the Niagara Police Pipe
Band and Highland dancers and topped off
with a glorious roast beef dinner with
haggis.
The stars of the evening were the 5
single malts which were:
- Fettercairn 18 Year Old
- Ardnamurchan Madeira Cask
Release
- Glentaucher 27 Year MacBeth
Series Act Two (The Thanes-Lennox)
- Raasay Na Sa Unpeated Oak Cask
- Glenburgie 25 Year Old Gordon &
MacPhail
You can read
Murray’s own taste notes and reviews of
the whiskies below, the whiskies are
available from some liquor stores at
LCBO or elsewhere in liquor shops in
Canada and outside of Canada most are
available from specialist whisky shops
such as
The Whisky Exchange and
Master of Malt
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Fettercairn 18 Year Old Review
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Fettercairn 46.8% ABV. Matured in
American white oak for 18 years and
finished in 100% Scottish oak. NCF & NCA.
Murray Cohen's Tasting Notes:
Colour:
Chestnut
Nose:
Tropical house style: guava, passion
fruit and pineapple; bouquet of red
roses, crème brûlée, Eccles cakes,
stewed pruned, rock salt, caramel candy,
coffee beans, Manuka honey, molasses and
coffee cake.
Taste:
Full-bodied, dark fruit compote and high
cocoa content dark chocolate on the
arrival with grandma’s apple pie and
cinnamon and a woody herbal note with
more exotic fruit on the development.
Finish:
Long, caramelized turbinado sugar, crème
brûlée, enhanced creaminess, tangy
orange sauce and pungent figs.
Comment:
A robust dessert style dram dram with a finish
that never quits. No need for any water
with this dram.
Score
92/100
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Ardnamurchan Madeira Cask Release Review
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Ardnamurchan Madeira Cask Release,
Adelphi, 52% ABV. Matured in ex-bourbon
barrels before being re-racked into
Madeira casks for 2 years (just under 7
years for this whisky). NCF & NCA.
Murray Cohen's Tasting Notes:
Colour:
Amber
Nose:
Dark and rich, parfumy, floral,
nectarines, apricots, dark plums, fruit
scones, bread and butter pudding, Brazil
nuts, walnut torta cake and an earthy
woody character.
Taste:
Medium bodied, intense orange and spice
cake and salted trail mix on the arrival
with tangy caramel/butterscotch, cedar
bark, bullrushes and an injection of
peat smoke on the development.
Finish:
Medium-long, toffee apples, spiked egg
nog, creme brûlée; drying with black tea
and wisps of peat smoke infusion.
Comment:
A cask strength whisky with some
edginess balancing the wine's sweetness
against campfire ash and maritime brine.
Score
82/100
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Glentaucher 27 Year MacBeth Series
Act Two (The Thanes-Lennox) Review
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Glentaucher 27 Year Macbeth Series Act
Two The Thanes Series-Lennox, 48% ABV.
Matured in American oak refill barrels.
NCF & NCA.
Murray Cohen's Tasting Notes:
Colour:
Gold
Nose:
Orchard fruits (peaches and pears),
lilacs, pineapple, citrus, lemon
meringue, rice pudding with a tapioca
twist and coconut.
Taste:
Full-bodied, spice and grapefruit, blood
oranges and mint on the arrival with
bold lemon and ginger spice on the
development.
Finish:
Medium, drying, cedar wood, citronella,
lemon rinds, New England iced tea with
herbal motif and a breath freshening
quality.
Comment:
A rather unique Speyside whisky.
Glentauchers is known for blend use so
that aged single malt expressions are
quite rare.
Score
86/100
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Raasay Na Sa Unpeated Oak Cask Review
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Raasay Na Sa Unpeated Oak Cask, 61.4%
ABV. Matured in unpeated chinquapin
casks. NCF & NCA.
Murray Cohen's Tasting Notes:
Colour:
Copper/Mahogany
Nose:
Floral, cherry blossom chocolate candy,
cherry parfait, maple syrup and lilac
petals.
Taste:
Medium bodied, creamy mouth feel, spice
with peppery accents on the arrival with
more pepper notes on the development
both white and black. A more than
subliminal smoke note.
Finish:
Lingering, intense fruit reappearing
with cloves and late butterscotch.
Comment:
A young natural cask strength whisky
that cries out for an eye dropper of
Spring water. Even though the malt is
unpeated, Raasay production process uses
some stills for peated runs leaving
"ghost" of smoke.
Score
83/100
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Glenburgie 25 Year Old Gordon &
MacPhail Review
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Glenburgie 25 Year Gordon & MacPhail,
46%. Matured in primarily in refill
casks, a mix of ex-bourbon and refill
sherry. NCF & NCA.
Murray Cohen's Tasting Notes:
Colour:
Deep Straw
Nose:
Billowy light sweetness with vanilla
bean, a melange of nuts, citrus, milk
chocolate and mocha; cream puff
explosion, lime zest and mango.
Taste:
Full-bodied, creamy/foamy mouth feel,
meringue, pineapple and mango on the
arrival with spice, roasted hazel nuts
and Terry’s orange chocolate on the
development.
Finish:
Long, a champagne quality, Devon cream,
dark chocolate, fruitiness, enticing
wood spice and fresh mint.
Comment:
A "cracker" of a single malt . It fits
with the distillery's "fruit bomb"
style.
Score
94.5/100
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