LMK is Leung Man King (aka Brian) who lives in Hong Kong. A very relaxed guy who is very well related to the Asian whisky scene. You may remember his name from my Macau festival article. Recently he came over to Europe for a few months, visiting Limburg, Feis Ile, Scotland and other parts of Europe. Dedication! There’s no website yet, so follow him on Instagram for now.
One of his series is called LMK Copycat. It features funny labels that often mimic legendary labels from the past. Other labels have his friends sitting in a bar while he’s disguised as a cat.
Ben Nevis 28 yo 1996 (49,1%, LMK Copycat & Friends 2024, hogshead)
Nose: starts on paraffin and other greasy notes, along with sour apple, plenty of minerals and walnuts. Later some peach appears, as well as women’s powder, subtle floral notes and citrus. Then drops of Earl Grey tea and subtle tobacco. Very complex, certainly not a wham-bam whisky but really great.
Mouth: a slightly sweeter onset than I expected, on papaya, apricot and dried mango. The big waxiness and oily notes amplify this impression. Other casks may have had more (bright and juicy) tropical fruits, but here the texture brings us close to very old Clynelish, so we’re not complaining. Then herbal honey, chalky / herbal notes that are almost peaty at some point.
Finish: medium to long, with a little polished oak, apple and herbal tea.
Not the exuberant style of BN96 we love so much. This instead is totally elegant and layered, with an impressive waxiness. Great stuff. I believe another part of this cask was bottled by Lucky Choice for Auld Alliance.
Secret Irish 21 yo 2003 (51,5%, LMK Copycat & Irish Lover 2025, first-fill bourbon barrel #237200, 186 btl.)
Nose: a rather straightforward profile. Very green, on grassy notes, hints of lime and kiwi, fresh herbs and a hint of unripe pineapple. Almost a fruit eau-de-vie. A little chalk, some lime peel and tree bark.
Mouth: sweeter than expected, still revolving around green fruits at first. Melons, kiwi, lime and grapefruit. Mid-palate there’s a flash of brighter tropical notes (maracuya) as well as a honeyed note. The austerity is balanced now, just a herbal / grassy edge.
Finish: not very long, with the same fruits and mild spicy notes.
All good. At first I thought it was a little narrow and green but give it enough time and it will become more exuberantly fruity. Score: 89/100
Secret Speyside 17 yo 2008 (53,9%, LMK / Kanpaikai / Whisky Trail 2025, first-fill Oloroso sherry hogshead #1(84), 240 btl.)
Nose: jammy fruits, mainly figs, plums, raisins and cassis. Subtle hints of tobacco. Then moving towards Snickers bars (including peanut butter) and chestnut honey, a few herbal notes and walnuts. Later also cigar boxes and a hint of polished furniture.
Mouth: more robust now, sweet and spicy, with lots of stewed plums, chocolate, red berry jam and spicy oak. Then cinnamon, pepper, more raisins and a little caraway. A hint of citrus to bring freshness.
Finish: long, with more tobacco, oak spice and lingering chocolate notes.
I was thinking of Macallan but I also read Glenfarclas somewhere. Fairly clean sherry with a lot of intensity. Easy to recommend. Score: 88/100