We already tried Bowmore Small Batch with its accompanying chocolate made by Montezuma’s .

Bowmore 15 Year Old Darkest was released in 2007. I tried it back then and wasn’t really impressed, as the sherry was not entirely fresh. But this is a totally different batch of course.

Bowmore Darkest is finished in Oloroso sherry casks for three years. It’s also coloured with caramel to make it darker than it actually is.

Bowmore 15 yo ‘Darkest’
(43%, OB 2013)

Nose: quite nice, a classic combination of smoke and sherry. Subtle smoky bonfire rather than heavy peat. The sherry is...

Läs mer http://www.whiskynotes.be/2014/bowmore/bowmore-darkest-chocolate/

Despite the Shelby County planning commission unanimously approving the $115 million Diageo Distillery, nearby residents plan to continue protesting if several local issues are not addressed.

Diageo officials explained their company’s distillery plans, including state-of-the-art fire protection measures, significant economic benefits, and environmental considerations that include the planting of 2,450 native trees and a bio retention basin. But at the juni 17 public hearing, several citizens offered cynicism toward Diageo’s claims and raised several issues over odor, traffic, noise pollution, water usage, black fungus, and sewage.

At the center of the community’s issue is the Guist Creek Lake, a 317-acre...

Läs mer http://whiskyadvocate.com/whisky/2014/06/19/some-residents-plan-to-fight-new-diageo-distillery-in-kentucky/

Laphroaig Select, NAS, 40 % So here it is then, the new entry level whisky from Laphroaig. The Laphroaig Select is a No Age Statement (NAS) whisky, bottled at 40 ABV. It has been matured in a number of different types of casks, to create what Laphroaig is hoping will be a good introduction to their […]...

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In the Singleton series that was originally made for travel retail, the Singleton of Dufftown offers three expressions: 12 Year Old, 15 Year Old and 18 Year Old. This year, two new NAS expressions were launched: Tailfire and Sunray.

Singleton of Dufftown 15 yo
(40%, OB 2013)

Nose: much nicer than expected. There’s an uncommon mix of lipstick wax, orange blossom and a dark beer-like malty sweetness. Works surprisingly well. Apple pie and toffee, oranges and honey. Also a certain dustiness. majbe soft tobacco. I quite like this. Mouth: fairly soft, too bad, with a generic sweetness. Bummer. The...

Läs mer http://www.whiskynotes.be/2014/dufftown/singleton-of-dufftown-15-years/

Arran Amarone Cask Finish, NAS, 50 % På det siste møtet i The Ladies’ Share, smakte vi blant annet Johnnie Walker The Spice Road. I tillegg hadde vi Arran Amarone Cask Finish. Arran Amarone Cask Finish er tilgjengelig på Vinmonopolet for NOK 670 (varenummer 9953401) og på Systembolaget for SEK 549 (varenummer 84308). Dette var […]...

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Läs mer http://www.whiskyfun.com/2014/The-Short-Sessions-two-opposite-Dufftown.html

This too is Gordon & MacPhail…

The Belgian retailer The Bonding Dram picked this Caol Ila 2006 from the Gordon & MacPhail stocks. It was a joint bottling with the Flemish Maltwhisky Society, a whisky club based in the same region.

Caol Ila 7 yo 2006 (56,5%, Gordon & MacPhail for The Bonding Dram & FMWS 2014, refill sherry hogshead #306202, 309 btl.)

Nose: very straightforward. Lots of coastal notes, deep soot, burnt heather. Also quite some medicinal notes, iodine, camphor, a little asphalt. Intense peat. But there’s also a loud sweetness that fights back. Baked apple, molasses,...

Läs mer http://www.whiskynotes.be/2014/caol-ila/caol-ila-2006-bonding-dram-fmws/

Jura Tastival, NAS, 44 % Jura Distillery arranges their own whisky festival during the Feis Ile on Islay. On maj 28 and 29 this year they hosted a number of tastings, and of course released a special festival bottling. The Jura Tastival is a No Age Statement whisky. The contents is at least 12 years old, […]...

Läs mer http://www.whiskysaga.com/isle-jura-tastival-festival-bottling-2014/

Läs mer http://www.whiskyfun.com/2014/Caol-Ila-eight-times-part-two.html

Most people have this romantic idea that sherry casks used for the maturation of whisky have been used for years in the soleras of Spanish bodegas first and are then sent to Scotland. In reality this is an exception rather than a general rule, nowadays the vast majority of casks are actually new – they are made on request and filled with “seasoning wine” (which sits a couple of steps below the regular sherry wines) for a relatively short period.

In this case it’s different. Bodegas Tradición , a highly respected supplier of (very old) sherries, provided Glengoyne with two casks that were...

Läs mer http://www.whiskynotes.be/2014/glengoyne/glengoyne-1999-palo-cortado-finish/

The Elements of Islay range of whiskies is one that’s very close to my heart. While it’s bottled by our sister company, Speciality Drinks Ltd, the TWE Blog team often help out when putting together a new release. The first whisky I helped select after starting work in the drinks industry was Kh1, a surprisingly hard choice between three excellent cask samples, and the Elements have stuck with me ever since. From Kh1 onwards, I’ve at least had a taste of the new releases before they’ve hit the shelves, and have offered up my palate to help choose casks and...

Läs mer http://blog.thewhiskyexchange.com/2014/06/elements-of-islay-billy-abbott-edition/

Laphroaig Cairdeas 2014, NAS, 51,4 % This year’s bottling from Laphroaig for the Feis Ile (The Islay festival) is simply called Laphroaig Cairdeas 2014. Cairdeas is an old Gaelic word for friendship, and these bottlings are exclusively made available to the Friends of Laphroaig (FoL). Laphroaig Cairdeas 2014 is first matured in 1st fill bourbon […]...

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The latest superwhisky brought to us by Poland’s investment company Wealth Solutions is a Glen Grant 1948 , sourced from the Gordon & MacPhail stocks. It’s a stunning 66 years old and bottled at cask strength.

The 160 decanters had already been sold before the presentation in maj 2014, for an undisclosed amount.

Gordon & MacPhail , as one of Scotland’s oldest independent bottlers, have always had long-standing contracts with major distilleries to buy new make and mature them either at the distillery, or more commonly in their own warehouses in Elgin. Their portfolio contains some of the...

Läs mer http://www.whiskynotes.be/2014/glen-grant/glen-grant-1948-gordon-macphail-wealthsolutions/