With all the romance of whisky, it’s easy to forget that distilleries are, in essence, factories, and production is just cold, hard science. One distillery that takes an extraordinarily scientific approach is Sweden’s Spirit of Hven (pronounced ‘veen’). Distiller and joint owner Henric Molin is a chemist by trade and uses his background to create a range of spirits, predominantly using nosing and chemical analysis.

Spirit of Hven distillery on an overcast, windy oktober morning – not many takers for cycling!

The distillery is situated on the island of Ven (the ‘h’ prefix is the older Swedish spelling, and is also used...

Läs mer http://blog.thewhiskyexchange.com/2014/12/spirit-of-hven-the-appliance-of-science/

Läs mer http://www.edinburghwhiskyblog.com/2014/12/17/angels-nectar-apparently-it-exists/

Läs mer http://www.whiskyfun.com/2014/The-Laphroaig-Sessions-Part-Two.html

Aberlour a’bunadh is the cask-strength expression matured exclusively in Oloroso sherry casks, released in different batches (usually 5 or 6 a year). It is said to contain different profiles, from casks ranging between 5 and 25 years old.

I tried quite a few in 2008-2009 but later on I seemed to turn to other heavily sherried expressions. Today we’re trying the latest batch (if I’m not mistaken), batch n°49 .

Aberlour a’bunadh
(60,1%, OB 2014, batch n°49)

Nose: quite open and very sherried. It’s a modern kind of sherry maturation, with some winey overtones. Raspberries and orange peel. Sultanas...

Läs mer http://www.whiskynotes.be/2014/aberlour/aberlour-abunadh-batch-49/

Strathisla 1994 19 YO Chivas Brothers CS Edition, 57,8 % I first heard of the Chivas Brothers Cask Strength Edition series a few years ago, but it was only earlier this year that I tried a whisky from this series for the first time. These whiskies are (exclusively?) sold at the distilleries owned by Chivas […]...

Läs mer http://www.whiskysaga.com/strathisla-1994-19-yo-chivas-brothers-cs-edition/

We have two Lifetime Achievement Awards this year, for two men who have made their careers in the Scotch whisky industry. Colin Scott has served as the master blender for the prestigious Chivas Regal and Royal Salute lines of blended whisky; Duncan McGillivray has wrestled with the Victorian-era machinery of Bruichladdich and brought it to heel. We salute their achievements and dedication.

Colin Scott, Chivas Brothers

Chivas Brothers’ master blender Colin Scott has spent 41 years working in the Scotch whisky industry, having been brought up next to Highland Park distillery on Orkney.  Both his father and grandfather worked for...

Läs mer http://whiskyadvocate.com/whisky/2014/12/16/21st-annual-whisky-advocate-award-lifetime-achievement/

Läs mer http://www.whiskyfun.com/2014/The-Laphroaig-Sessions-Part-One.html

Aberfeldy Bits of Strange is a 16 year old single cask whisky, bottled at cask strength from a sherry-seasoned cask. It was launched to commemorate a homecomings tour of two Scottish bands, King Creosote and FOUND, in november 2012.

Aberfeldy 16 yo ‘Bits of Strange’
(55,1%, OB 2012, 318 btl.)

Nose: rather unique and very intriguing. There are huge waxy notes hitting you up front, as well as some tobacco leaves and echoes of pine wood refresher and mint. On a second level: dried apricots, backed apple and honeysuckle. Dried flowers. Vanilla and cinnamon. Nicely aromatic, with the sherry...

Läs mer http://www.whiskynotes.be/2014/aberfeldy/aberfeldy-16-years-bits-of-strange/

I’ll be honest. Christmas is my least enjoyable time of year. It’s cold, dark for two-thirds of the day, and my favourite TV programmes are on at different times, ruining my routine – I’m the Grinch of the office. In light of this, the TWE team decided it would be hilarious to ask me to round up our varied selection of Christmas gift packs  – thanks, guys!

How I must appear to my TWE colleagues during december…

If you’re anything like me and find choosing the right present tricky, our perfect gifts for Christmas section is here to help. An easy-to-use gift finder  will help you choose the...

Läs mer http://blog.thewhiskyexchange.com/2014/12/christmas-gift-packs-the-grinchs-choice/

Whisky til jul Ifjor laget jeg en liste med forslag til whisky som egner som julegaver. Jeg tenkte derfor å følge opp med en tilsvarende liste i år. Denne listen kommer kanskje litt sent, men jeg får bare håpe at andre også er litt på etterskudd – som meg. Jeg foreslår både whisky, whiskybøker og […]...

Läs mer http://www.whiskysaga.com/whisky-julegaver-2014/

Whisky til jul Ifjor laget jeg en liste med forslag til whisky som egner som julegaver. Jeg tenkte derfor å følge opp med en tilsvarende liste i år. Denne listen kommer kanskje litt sent, men jeg får bare håpe at andre også er litt på etterskudd – som meg. Jeg foreslår både whisky, whiskybøker og […]...

Läs mer http://www.whiskysaga.com/whisky-julegaver-2014/

Rosebank 1992 21 year old (Diageo Special Releases 2014), 55.3%, $500

The late Michael Jackson described the demise of Rosebank as “…a grievous loss,” and it remains one of the most mourned of silent distilleries, almost in the same league as Brora and Port Ellen.

There have been some very good independent bottlings of the triple-distilled Rosebank in recent times, but arguably the best  expressions have been Diageo’s 2011 and 2014 Special Releases ‘house’ bottling of Rosebank, both offered at 21 years of age. The 2014 Special Release was distilled during 1992, just a few months before the distillery closed,...

Läs mer http://whiskyadvocate.com/whisky/2014/12/15/21st-annual-whisky-advocate-award-lowlands-and-campbeltown-single-malt-whisky-of-the-year/

Läs mer http://www.edinburghwhiskyblog.com/2014/12/15/remember-remember-ewb-does-movember/

Läs mer http://www.whiskyfun.com/2014/Tasting-more-Pappy-than-Pappy.html

This Glenrothes 1997 is among the latest bottlings from Kintra in the Netherlands.

Glenrothes 16 yo 1997 (53,2%, Kintra 2014, bourbon hogshead #15720, 137 btl.)

Nose: malty and fruity. Stewed fruits, ripe yellow plums, fresh apples and peaches. Citrus. Hints of dusty oak and dried flowers. Vanilla cake. Soft honey and mint as well. Not very complex but natural, nicely integrated and not too modern. Mouth: a surprisingly punchy attack, again fruity at first (grapes, apples, lemon), with hints of vanilla cream, but slowly drying and showing more bitter notes. Caramel and mocha, then some grapefruit zest and herbal...

Läs mer http://www.whiskynotes.be/2014/glenrothes/glenrothes-1997-kintra/

Clynelish 1995 19 YO Cask #1471 Blackadder Raw Cask, 55 % It was recently announced that Terroir Wines will start importing whisky from the independent bottler Blackadder to Norway (more here). Today I am reviewing one of the first four bottlings, to be released in Norway in januari 2015. The Clynelish 1995 19 YO Blackadder Raw […]...

Läs mer http://www.whiskysaga.com/clynelish-1995-19-yo-blackadder-raw-cask/

Arran The Devil’s Punchbowl III The Fiendish Finale, 53.4%, $130

John Grant of Glenfarclas distillery once told me that in his opinion no really top-quality single Maltwhisky had been produced in any Scottish distillery built since the Victorian era. Scanning the list of 20 ^th century distilleries, he maj have a point, but if one gives the lie to Grant’s premise, then it is surely Isle of Arran .

Established in 1993, Arran has matured as a whisky-making operation as the years have passed, from the slightly panicky, scattergun approach of many cask finishes to the calm, assured, and...

Läs mer http://whiskyadvocate.com/whisky/2014/12/14/21st-annual-whisky-advocate-award-highlands-and-islands-single-malt-whisky-of-the-year/

Läs mer http://www.whiskyfun.com/2014/This-is-Sunday-let-s-have-rum.html

Tullamore Dew 10 YO, 40 % Jeg var på en kombinert boklansering og whiskysmaking på mandag. Vi ble servert totalt seks irske whiskeyer. Jeg har allerede skrevet om Bushmills 10 YO, og i dag har turen kommet til Tullamore Dew 10 YO. Dette er en single malt som har fått en finish på bourbon-, sherry-, portvin- […]...

Läs mer http://www.whiskysaga.com/tullamore-dew-10-yo/

Tullamore Dew 10 YO, 40 % Jeg var på en kombinert boklansering og whiskysmaking på mandag. Vi ble servert totalt seks irske whiskeyer. Jeg har allerede skrevet om Bushmills 10 YO, og i dag har turen kommet til Tullamore Dew 10 YO. Dette er en single malt som har fått en finish på bourbon-, sherry-, portvin- […]...

Läs mer http://www.whiskysaga.com/tullamore-dew-10-yo/