The last time this blog featured the independent bottler Malts of Scotland was exactly one year ago. Somehow they weren’t brought to my attention, but I’m happy to have tasted a couple of new releases again.

Images is a relatively new series. The distilleries aren’t mentioned on the label because most casks were intended for the blending industry. However each bottle bears a characteristic image of the production region and this is sometimes enough to narrow down the possibilities.

Ayrshire doesn’t have a lot of active distilleries and the link with Ailsa Bay was easily made. It’s a recent...

Läs mer http://www.whiskynotes.be/2014/ailsa-bay/images-of-ayrshire-malts-of-scotland/

Aberlour A’bunadh batch #47, NAS, 60,7 % I have tasted four different batches of Aberlour A’bunadh so far, #24, #37, #45 and today #47. My husband has reviewed batch #12. Aberlour A’bunadh has matured in sherry butts. It is a no age statement (NAS) whisky. A’bunadh means ‘the original’ in Gaelic. The whisky is made […]...

Läs mer http://www.whiskysaga.com/aberlour-abunadh-batch-47/

Läs mer http://www.whiskyfun.com/2014/Lost-Spirits-plus-a-bonus.html

After the excellent surprise that was the Benromach 10 Year Old , we’re now trying another release from the same distillery (Speyside’s smallest operational distillery by the way). It’s the Benromach 1976 , part of the Heritage collection which also includes the 30 Year Old and a 1969 vintage.

Benromach vintage 1976 was matured in first fill and refill sherry hogsheads. Obviously it was produced by the previous owners and even made with different equipment – Gordon & MacPhail installed new stills when they reopened the distillery.

Benromach 1976 (46%, OB 2012)

Nose: creamy start. Tinned peaches and oranges,...

Läs mer http://www.whiskynotes.be/2014/benromach/benromach-vintage-1976/

Sheriff Duncan

If there’s one thing TWE’s whisky guru Duncan Ross loves as much as whisky, it’s westerns. So when he got the chance to talk about both at our latest tasting at Vinopolis, it’s fair to say he jumped at the chance. The theme for the tasting was based around John Sturges’ 1960 film The Magnificent Seven , and Duncan matched each character with a whisky, as well as an icon from the industry.

First up was ‘Chico’, the youngest of the seven (played by Horst Buchholz). Duncan chose cask-master John Glaser of Compass Box to represent Chico, along...

Läs mer http://blog.thewhiskyexchange.com/2014/07/the_magnificent_seven/

Caol Ila 2000 13 YO Old Particular, 48,4 % “13 glorius years old. Unlucky for some? We think not!”, that’s what it says on the label. I love quirky little details like that, and independent bottler Douglas Laing seem to take pride in adding these fun little details from time to time. Keep it up, […]...

Läs mer http://www.whiskysaga.com/caol-ila-2000-13-yo-old-particular/

A totally different side of Jura…

Try to look for Jura 1972 and you’ll probably only find two casks distilled december 1972 and bottled by The Scotch Maltwhisky Society in mars and augusti 1991. That’s about all there is. This is SMWS 31.4, the latter of the two. Rare Jura bottlings, hardly ever seen in auctions or collections.

Isle of Jura 18yo 1972
(55,5%, SMWS 1991, ref. 31.4, 75 cl.)

Nose: starts like a 1960’s-1970’s Islay whisky, with almost no peat but a camphory note, tobacco, cigar boxes and minty dental floss. Leafy notes. A superb fruitiness too,...

Läs mer http://www.whiskynotes.be/2014/jura/jura-1972-smws-31-4/

Liquid Art is a project that originated in Mol, Belgium. Although their mission statement also includes beer and regional specialties, the first three releases are whisky bottlings.

The first one is this single cask Glen Elgin 1995 , selected by Bert Dexters and Serge Reijnders of whisky club Cask Six. The label is designed by Raymond Minnen and features a stag beetle, a native of the Lowlands but a nice hint towards Scotland as well.

Glen Elgin is not a big name – it’s mostly known as the base malt for the legendary White Horse blend. By the way, did...

Läs mer http://www.whiskynotes.be/2014/glen-elgin/glen-elgin-1995-liquid-art/

Aultmore 5 YO McGibbon’s Provenance, 50 % A fun whisky today, an Aultmore! I have only ever tried two Aultmores, so that is unusal – and fun. It is also rare to find single malts from Scotland at the young age of 5. There are of course the Octomores and the young Glenglassaughs etc., but […]...

Läs mer http://www.whiskysaga.com/aultmore-5-yo-mcgibbons-provenance/

Läs mer http://www.whiskyfun.com/2014/Celebrating-Twelve-Years-of-Whiskyfun.html

Jura Origin is the base malt from this distillery. It is 10 years old and aged in ex-bourbon casks.

Jura 10 yo ‘Origin’
(40%, OB 2014)

Nose: a malty sweetness up front, with hints of caramel and baked apples. Some honey and toffee. Also drier notes, say dry leaves and hay, as well as a little musty oak. Relatively young but decent complexity already. After a while there’s a subtle orange blossom note coming through. Mouth: some fudge and sweet barley again. Quite creamy and pretty smooth. Oranges and other – hardly defined – fruits. Honey. A faint salty...

Läs mer http://www.whiskynotes.be/2014/jura/jura-origin/

Bowmore 17 YO White Sands, 43 % Bowmore recently announced their new Travel retail series. It consists of Bowmore Black Rock, Bowmore Gold Reef, and Bowmore 17 YO White Sands. I have now tried the last one, the Bowmore 17 YO White Sands. It is bottled at 43 %. I would like to see this […]...

Läs mer http://www.whiskysaga.com/bowmore-17-yo-white-sands/

Bowmore 17 YO White Sands, 43 % Bowmore recently announced their new Travel retail series. It consists of Bowmore Black Rock, Bowmore Gold Reef, and Bowmore 17 YO White Sands. I have now tried the last one, the Bowmore 17 YO White Sands. It is bottled at 43 %. I would like to see this […]...

Läs mer http://www.whiskysaga.com/bowmore-17-yo-white-sands/

Läs mer http://www.whiskyfun.com/2014/The-Quest-for-Malternatives-today-pisco.html

Glen Scotia 1991 22 YO The Whisky Agency og The Nectar, 50,4 % Jeg er fortsatt på mimringen etter Cinderella Whisky Fair 2014. Jeg lover at jeg nærmer meg slutten på mimringen, men det var virkelig mye god whisky på den festivalen. I Symposions monter smakte vi en Glen Scotia 1991 fra en felles utgivelse […]...

Läs mer http://www.whiskysaga.com/glen-scotia-1991-22-yo-the-whisky-agency-og-the-nectar/

Arran Batch 2 That Boutique-Y Whisky Company, NAS, 49,4 % This is a whisky bottled by Master of Malt; it is the Arran Batch 2 That Boutique-Y Whisky Company. It is a no age statement whisky, single cask. I sampled the contents of bottle number 101 out of a total of 459 bottles. It appears this batch […]...

Läs mer http://www.whiskysaga.com/arran-batch-2-that-boutique-y-whisky-company/

Läs mer http://www.whiskyfun.com/2014/Two-Monstrous-Mortlach.html