We have just learnt that Norway will get a Whisky Cruise! This new festival at sea will set off from Bergen on oktober 24, 2015, at 1.30 pm. The Whisky & Beer Cruise 2015 will follow this route: Bergen – Stavanger – Hirtshals (Denmark) – Langesund – Hirtshals – Stavanger – Bergen. The cruise will […]...

The Whisky Experience in Edinburgh released this 21 years old blend commemorating the opening of the new visitor experience. It was quite expensive (£ 100) so it was still available until recently. They also had a 25 years old version (blue label).

I’ve read somewhere that it is made up of 60% grain whisky (mainly Girvan) and 40% malt whiskies from Mortlach, Balvenie, Aberfeldy and Bowmore. Not sure how reliable this information is though.

Blended Scotch Whisky 21 yo 1988 (48%, Scotch Whisky Experience 2009, 498 btl.)

Nose: a pleasant nose with no harsh notes whatsoever. Sweetish notes...

Kilchoman 2009 5 YO Original Cask Strength, 59,2 % On my very first trip to Islay we had our  own tasting with John MacLellan, General Manager at Kilchoman Distillery. My husband has already shared his thoughts on the tasting. One of the whiskies John MacLellan brought was a Kilchoman Original Cask Strength. This one was distilled in […]...

Benromach Organic is made from biological barley and matured in new American oak barrels from sustainable forests. It meets the rigorous UK Soil Association standards for growing the ingredients, distillation, maturation and bottling – hence Organic .

This concept was unique in 2006 when it was launched. Nowadays it’s still rare – few distilleries manage to certify entirely. We’re trying the latest Benromach Organic 2008 edition, matured in virgin American oak casks.

Benromach Organic 2008 (43%, OB 2014)

Nose: still clearly a member of the family, but less un-modern than the 10 yo. Malty sweetness, vanilla and citrus...

Smögen Sherry Project 1:2, 3 YO, 55,7 % This is the second installment in Pär Caldenby’s ambitious and fun Sherry Project. If you have not already done so, then please read out interview with Pär on the series and the first release (Sherry Project 1:1) here. So this is Smögen Sherry Project 1:2. Distilled in […]...

Tobermory 19 YO Spanish Sherry Cask Finish – Distillery Exclusive, 58,2 % A while back I published my review of the current Tobermory 20 YO distillery exclusive. Time now to publish my review of the previous release, the Tobermory 19 YO Spanish Sherry Cask Finish – Distillery Exclusive. This whisky was matured in a single Pedro […]...

Craft distilling continues to recapitulate the history of craft brewing. Just as the explosion of craft brewing in the 1990s, and then again about twelve years ago resulted in a shortage of skilled brewers, craft distilling’s rapid growth has led to a shortage of savvy distillers. Here’s how some are dealing with it. 

“Every few weeks I am contacted asking if I am interested, will I consult, or if I know a distiller for hire.  The offers are big and keep rising every year- six figures is common now,” says Maggie Campbell, head distiller for Privateer Rum.

With 905 distilled spirits...

Whiskymanufaktur is a small chain of whisky shops in and around Berlin, Germany. It was started by Lars Wiebers , also the founder of the independent bottler  Jack Wiebers Whisky World (Jack is his nickname, thank you Herbert for confirming).

This Glendronach is a mixture of bourbon and sherry casks , which makes it kind of an independent version of the GlenDronach Octarine .

Glendronach 8 yo (43%, Whisky Manufaktur 2014, bourbon & sherry cask)

Nose: starts with light whiffs of sulphur, but it freshens up after a while. Lots of sticky toffee pudding and caramel notes, as well as (slightly...

Bruichladdich makes different profiles – let’s dive right in and find out what this 2004 cask is all about.

Bruichladdich 2004 (55,5%, Malts of Scotland 2015, bourbon barrel, MoS 15010, 312 btl.)

Nose: okay, so it’s peated. Very interesting actually, it’s no ‘in your face’ peat but instead a kind of farmy smell that I really like.  Not quite a Brora farminess, but still. Wet forest soils and moss. Plastics. Mashed potatoes as well. Chives? A sea breeze. Old-style in a way. Hmm… Mouth: oily and peaty, with a weird side that holds the middle between fragrant herbs and...

That Boutique-y Whisky Company Tobermory Batch #3 48.1%

Tasted: Mar 2015

Nose: A lusciously moist and succulent nose of both Gala and Honeydew melon, apricot, pineapple, tangerine and barley. A touch of sawdusty oak appears along with a light grassiness. That’s a gorgeous nose!

Palate: Not quite as exuberantly fruity as the nose but definitely not lacking in the fruit department. Showing a little more barley and a taught, mineral edge. A touch of green apple and gooseberry appears on the middle amidst the slightly tropical fruit.

Finish: Fabulously balanced, long and lightly honeyed with the barley and oak lingering....

Van Brunt Stillhouse Single Maltwhisky – Small Batch Lot #7 42%

New York

Tasted: Mar 2015

Nose: Young, oily and herbal – camphor, cardamom, hops, green wood, green tea and dried marjoram. Hints of barley, boiled sweets and a touch of smoke follow. A light honey note appears to attempt to inject some sweetness.

Palate: Opens slowly to reveal corn and toffee’d oak. Then the dogs of war are let loose (so to speak) with an abundance of botanical herbs, camphor, hops, green wood, rye and bitter cardamom. Whoa! That’s a rush!

Finish: Good length with a developing perfumed...

Skip Rock Distillers Rye 43%

Tasted: Mar 2015

Nose: Youthful and earthy rye-like notes to begin, followed by darker rye-like notes, balsamic treacle, malt and dark chocolate. With time a curious perfumed/ smoked meat note appears. Oak adds supportive notes in the background.

Palate: Young and oily. A little on the immature side but it’s full of herbal rye-like notes, wheat and treacle. Seriously herbal on the middle with a touch of what appears to be perfumed hops.

Finish: Quite dry, which stunts the finish a little, but it has a lovely herbal, mocha after-taste.

Conclusion: A fabulous nose, but...

Dunville’s VR Old Irish Whiskey 46%

Tasted: Mar 2015

Nose: Big and brash with plenty of buttery oak, heather honey and herbal notes. The aromas are incredibly winey – a combination of grassy Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and fleshy Vin d’Alsace Pinot Gris! An almost grain-like spirit note appears to offer a little balance.

Palate: Full, sweet and robustly fleshy. Again very winey with the new world Sauvignon Blanc character making it feel quite bubblegummy. Thankfully there is enough minerality and alcohol to balance the sweetness.

Finish: Mouth-filling and long with the citrus and mineral notes freshening the finish but that...

Black Mountain Whisky BM No1 42%

Tasted: Mar 2015

Nose: Hugely estery aromas of pineapple, apricot, melon and banana with a touch of greengage. Lightly herbal and botanical. With time the aromas become quite taught and mineral.

Palate: Lightly honeyed and again full of generously fleshy, estery fruit – pineapple, apricot, melon and banana. Just a smidge of oak comes through on the middle along with the botanical/ herbal notes.

Finish: A little short with a slightly spirity finish.

Conclusion: A lovely malt, which runs out of steam a little on the palate. I would have liked to have seen...

No1 Ancient Mariner Scotch Whisky Tobermory 1996 (18 year old?) 46.1%

Tasted: Mar 2015

Cask 349

Nose: Pungent, manurey, coffee’d and lightly sulphured. Hints of herbal and lightly cardboardy spice follow. A little industrial in character but some dried fruit and honey attempt to counter.

Palate: Soft and toffee’d with hints of dried fruit. Again a little industrial with a slight wet cardboard intimation. Thankfully there is so thick fruit to offer some balance plus white liquorice and honey.

Finish: Mouth-watering, mineral and a little hot with lingering liquorice and light spice notes.

Conclusion: Not exactly my favoured style of...