The Antelope is one of the leading retailers in Macau, especially for the type of whisky we’re most interested in. As we’ll find out in this session, they have an ongoing series with Kanpaikai in Japan and good connections with Elixir Distillers and Casky in Hong Kong.
Dailuaine 30 yo 1995 (55,5%, Kanpaikai + The Antelope 2025, refill hogshead #803066, 143 btl.)
Nose: beehive notes aplenty. A lot of honey, yellow flowers, some pollen. Underneath there is a hint of peach, as well as some sharper lemon and green apple. Perhaps a little pineapple too. Rather high-toned, albeit with a slightly warmer waxy / polished hint.
Mouth: still vibrant and high-pitched. Sour apple, lime, some greengages and gooseberries. Then it moves towards fresh herbs, mint leaves, perhaps a little elderflower too. Old polished furniture notes in the background. A tad thin towards the end, with some green tea and zesty notes.
Finish: medium to long, even more on these tea and citrus peels. Getting more herbal and mineral as it dies out.
From the same ‘Dollar Cat’ series that had the wonderful Mortlach 1995. Bottled at the right time – this was starting to crumble down here and there. As it stands still a very nice release from a distillery that rarely produces masterpieces.
An Islay Distillery 32 yo 1991 (48,9%, Elixir Distillers ‘The Whisky Trail’ for The Antelope & Guianova 2024, sherry butt #4, 677 btl.)
Nose: mild smoke, with subtle iodine and antiseptics. Here this comes with some dried fruits, some orange peels and fudge. Dried earth and faint tobacco leaves. A very light musky note as well. Then back to dried seaweed with a muddy undertone.
Mouth: I was thinking of Laphroaig but it also has a darker, more Ardbeg-like character. Black peppercorns, more seaweed, subtle tarry notes. Elegant and balanced, with fairly mild peat. Then charred orange peels and lemon, along with a subtle floral top note and a very mild bitterness of heavily steeped Yunnan.
Finish: long, very leafy, with smouldering logs, a bit of old leather and wood char.
We’ve had a lot of undisclosed 1991 Islay whiskies that were Laphroaig, but the vast majority came from a bourbon cask. Here we get a darker profile that comes closer to Ardbeg in our opinion. It’s perhaps also a little simpler than the bourbon counterparts. Score: 89/100
“La Frog” 32 yo 1992 (52,2%, The Antelope ‘Grand Prix series’ 2025, refill barrel, 196 btl.)
Nose: the medicinal side is clear, with bandages and herbal ointments. Also tight lemon and green apple, along with bonfire smoke, a little turpentine, walnuts and leathery peat. Less fruity notes – which are more common in 1990 and 1991 apparently.
Mouth: indeed a sharper style, more petroly and lemony, with hints of brine and anchovies. White pepper and sharp peaty notes. Mid-palate a hint of mango and unripe pineapple appears, but the tart citrus overtakes it. Hints of smoked oyster as well.
Finish: long, very coastal now, with more brine, white pepper, lemon juice and a hint of herbal tea.
This one is clearly in line with other Laphroaigs. The 1992 vintage tends to be a little sharper and more coastal. Less of the tropical fruits that we like so much though. Score: 90/100
Ardbeg 16 yo 2008 (58,3%, The Antelope & Casky 2024, refill sherry cask #80060213, 201 btl.)
Nose: clearly more sooty, with some car exhaust and coal smoke. Even some 1970s-style farminess. If anything it makes us doubt the provenance of the Islay 1991 again. Then damp earth, some black cherries and lots of pipe tobacco. A little toffee and red fruit jam in the distance.
Mouth: dark and peaty – this is the sooty style with lots of charcoal and earthy notes, along with an oily texture. Later it brings along plummy notes, blackberry syrup, cinnamon and plenty of tobacco again. Deep savoury notes, as well as crushed peppercorns, brine and liquorice.
Finish: long, with a drop of espresso, more black pepper and a sweeter hint of chocolate and burnt cinnamon pastry.
I like this one a lot. There’s a deep sooty character and the sherry cask amplifies the depth. Excellent combination of spirit and cask. Score: 89/100