The Taste Beyond Taste
Fai is a whisky thinker, collector, and label designer who sees whisky as more than a drink—it’s a way of perceiving. For him, every bottle is an invitation to reflect, to reframe, and to reconnect with life’s complexity. His watercolor labels capture not just flavor, but feeling. Click his portrait to read The Taste Beyond Taste, a personal essay on whisky, perception, and letting go.
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Caol ila 2010-2021
A classic Islay profile with balanced peat smoke—clear and defined, yet never overwhelming. Sherry cask brings toffee and tropical fruits, with a subtle touch of sulphur, soap, and oiliness. Smooth transitions and rare depth make this surprisingly harmonious.
Glentauchers 2009–2022
Soft on the nose with honey, canned peach, lychee juice, and a hint of toast. The palate is syrupy and vibrant with fruits, cinnamon, cardamom, and gentle wood. A medium finish follows with yellow fruits and a touch of oak bitterness. Confident and layered—worthy of older Glentauchers.
Glentauchers 2008–2022
Creamy and inviting on the nose with notes of citrus, coconut water, honey, and warm buttered toast. The palate is smooth and oily—gummy candy, fruit punch, freshly baked cookies, and subtle spice. A shorter finish with soft nuttiness and no bitterness. Easygoing and delightful, this is a charming everyday dram with buttery biscuit appeal.
Irish (Cooley) 2001–2022
Elegant and fruit-forward with honey, white peach, green apple, guava, and a touch of vanilla chocolate. The palate is smooth, juicy, and sweet—peach nectar, grapefruit, kiwi, and soft spices with evolving nutty oak. A clean, medium finish led by passionfruit and honeyed citrus. An exceptional daily dram, and a near-textbook example of 2001 Cooley’s tropical charm.
Irish (Cooley) 2002–2023
A refined, fruit-forward dram showing mango, peach, vanilla, and maple over cream cake. The palate layers apples, guava, fig, and tropical herbs, evolving into gentle spice and tree bark. A medium finish lingers with fruit sweetness, tea stems, and dry tannins—a graceful Irish expression with a clean herbal lift.
A Speyside (Unnamed Glenlivet) 1998–2023
Bursting with citrus—honey, orange, yuzu, lime, and lemon peel—layered with vanilla cream, white tea, and florals. The syrupy palate brings sweet-sour citrus, baked apple, chestnut, and warm toast. Medium-long finish with toasted nuts and bright fruit. A classic “NSPS” summer dram: cheerful, refreshing, and dangerously drinkable.
BXXXXXXR 2011–2023
Bright and fruity on the nose with vanilla, sugar glaze, and a basket of yellow fruits. The palate offers candied citrus, white chocolate, macaron filling, and spiced nuts, with light oak. A touch of bitterness and minerality lingers on the finish. A rare indie bottling—expressive, curious, and best enjoyed without long airing.
Irish (Cooley) 2002–2023
Tropical and perfumed on the nose—pineapple, mango, peach syrup, rock sugar, and orange soda. The palate leans gentler, with canned fruits, crystal sugar, and a touch of citrus peel bitterness. A short to medium finish reveals mango skin and grassy stems, with a light tannic edge. Bright on the surface, slightly drier underneath—subtle and reflective.
Linkwood 2011-2023
Creamy and delicate on the nose with malt syrup, honey, white flowers, green grapes, and coconut water, lifted by a touch of cinnamon and damp oak. The palate is light and approachable—crystal grape soda, green apple, mild acidity, and a hint of yeast over toast. The finish is short, nutty, and clean. Easygoing and drinkable, though its youthful sharpness may feel a touch unpolished.
Ardmore 2013–2022
Peaty and green on the nose with lemongrass, citrus, honey, apple, and a touch of soy. The palate is soft yet full—light smoke, toasted nuts, yellow fruit, and herbal wood. A medium finish with salinity and herbal candy. Quiet and easy-drinking, it evokes the stillness of a calm morning in Hemu—a gentle daily dram for peat lovers.
Blair Athol 2009–2023
A quietly confident sherried malt—soft on the nose, smooth on the palate, with hints of red and yellow fruit, herbs, and gentle spice. Beneath its serious façade lies an easygoing dram with surprising charm and exceptional value.
Glen Moray 2007–2023
A beautifully composed Glen Moray—soft, juicy, and bursting with white fruits like peach, lychee, and white grape. Sweet yet refreshingly light, with a snowy, alpine clarity that lingers gently on the palate.
Glentauchers 2011–2024
A radiant, fruit-forward dram bursting with yellow pear, peach, and sweet citrus, wrapped in soft texture and subtle wood. Remarkably refined—punching well above its age and cask type.
Ardmore 2010–2023
Earthy and smoky on the nose with aspirin, oats, honey, lemon, and grassy roots, opening into richer yellow fruits. The palate is clean and structured: soft peat, wasabi, lemongrass, green grape, smoked fish, and clove. A short to medium finish with dry peat and green fruit. More refined than its 2013 sibling—quietly balanced with a whisper of Laphroaig.
Ledaig 2009–2023
Opens with assertive peat, smoke, and herbal dryness, but with time reveals a vibrant oasis of seabuckthorn, fig, and green fruits. A desert-to-oasis transformation—best enjoyed slowly, after a patient decant.
Caol Ila 2008–2022
An unusually elegant and refined young peated Caol Ila—bright citrus, soft peat smoke, and coastal florals meet layers of spice, honey, and wax. A surprisingly complex dram for its age and price, with remarkable nose and poise.
An Islay Distillery 2010–2023
Gentle peat with sea breeze, citrus, and vanilla on the nose. The palate blends sweet pear, bonfire ash, and smoked fish with a touch of white chocolate. Once a mystery Islay bottling, this playful cask from Laphroaig kept everyone guessing.
A Highland Distillery 2011–2023
Bright and fruity with lemon candy, poached pear, and herbal hints. Softly textured with fruit tea and white pepper, finishing on citrus peel and roots. A gentle Balblair cask, cheekily poking fun at the “mystery Clynelish” trend.
An Irish Distillery 2002–2019
Light and fruity with pear, banana, and hints of vanilla and dill. Creamy on the palate with apple candy, citrus zest, and a mineral touch. A classic young Bushmills—bright, grassy, and cheekily labeled to mock inflated self-scoring.
North Star Spirits Cask Series 014 51.5% 2016
A bold young dram with gingerbread, clove, and black pepper on the nose. The palate balances sweet coconut macaroon and roasted nuts with a fino sherry edge. Finishes with old-school sour candy before settling into red fruits and nutty sherry warmth.
Jean Luc Pasquet 1984 Grande Champagne Cognac (36 Years)
A stunning old cognac bursting with red berries, candied sweetness, and elegant oak. The palate glides from cotton candy and banana bread to spearmint and strawberries & cream, delivering a rich, nostalgic charm that lingers long after the sip.
Jean Luc Pasquet 1957 Fins Bois Cognac (63 Years)
An elegant and deeply aged cognac layered with tropical fruits, rancio, and soft spice. From pineapple fizz to pink peppercorn and cigar box, it offers a refined yet vibrant profile that lingers with sweet oak and charm.
Maison Tribot 1970 Grande Champagne Cognac (51 Years)
A graceful old cognac with green tropical fruits, herbal depth, and classic rancio. From guava and menthol to earthy forest floor and sweet ginger spice, it offers a meditative and quietly powerful experience.
Black Gate Distillery Single Cask Heavy Rum
A bold and layered Aussie rum that opens with berry-laced sweetness before diving into roasted coffee, dark chocolate, and leathery depth. Rich, funky, and unapologetically intense.
Joadja PX Cask Single Malt Whisky
Lush and indulgent, this PX cask whisky bursts with rich notes of dates, dark chocolate, and roasted coffee. Long, luxurious, and satisfyingly decadent.
1982 Bas Armagnac – Baron de Sigognac
Aged nearly four decades, this Armagnac offers a deep and layered profile of candied citrus, dried fruits, toffee, and earthy elegance. The finish lingers endlessly with sweet spices and raisined warmth.
1972 Bas Armagnac – Baron de Sigognac
Floral and spiced, this elegant vintage opens with butterscotch, berry compote, and pipe tobacco, leading into fig jam and dark chocolate. The finish recalls rum-raisin ice cream with caramel and a gentle hint of anise.
1968 Grande Champagne Cognac – 55 Years Old
A dense and luxurious Cognac layered with dried fruits, roasted almonds, and chocolate-dipped strawberries. On the palate, stewed pears and caramel over vanilla ice cream lead into a long, harmonious finish of sweet and savoury depth.
1974 Garreau Armagnac – 48 Years Old
A beautifully aged Armagnac with floral notes and bright stone fruits on the nose. The palate unfolds with honeydew, dried cherries, and soft nuts, leading to an exceptionally long, spiced finish of stewed fruits.
1960 Peyrot Cognac – 63 Years Old
A refined and nostalgic Cognac layered with raspberry compote, French vanilla, and roasted chestnuts. Rich flavors of cherry strudel and salted caramel unfold into a finish of Black Forest gateau and gentle oak.
1978 Domaine de Papolle – 44 Years Old
Lush and indulgent, with aromas of dark chocolate, honeycomb, and autumn leaves. Cherry cola and peach tea glide through the palate, ending on a long, velvety finish of Cherry Ripe and oak warmth.
1945 Tiffon Petite Champagne – 78 Years Old
An astonishingly vibrant relic, bursting with tropical fruits, bubblegum, and lemon tart on the nose. The palate is viscous and nutty, with balanced oak and spice, leading to a long, citrus-jam finish kissed with sage.
1973 Baron De Sigognac Bas Armagnac
Lush and expressive, with tropical fruits, dried figs, and apple pie on the nose. The palate offers pear compote and black cherries wrapped in chocolate, finishing with Neapolitan ice cream and a touch of oak.
Lord Byron Cask Strength Australian Rum
Tropical and dessert-driven, with notes of tres leches, pineapple, kiwi and tiramisu on the nose. The palate follows with apple cake and butterscotch, finishing on green mango, vanilla crème and ginger snaps.