I must admit I haven’t tried many whiskies from the Zuidam distillery in the South of Holland (very near to the Belgian border). I hear some are good. For me, the Millstone 8yo French Oak was not quite there yet.

This Millstone 1999 was matured in a refill bourbon cask for 8 years (Kelvin Cooperage and Jack Daniels?) before being transferred to a Pedro Ximénez cask for a 5-year finish. It was bottled in augusti 2013.

Millstone 1999
(46%, OB 2013, Special cask #1, PX)

Nose: a pleasant surprise. A slightly oriental mix of sandalwood, rose pepper and cumin,...

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Bruichladdich Octomore 06.2 Scottish Barley, 5 YO, A few months back, Bruichladdich released yet another Octomore; their über-peated, young monsters. The whiskies in this series are usually a lot of fun, in my mind. The new expression is called Bruichladdich Octomore 06.2 Scottish barley. It is again peated at the insane level of 167 ppm […]...

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Grant’s Ale Cask is probably the only Scotch whisky to be finished in barrels that have previously held ale, something from Caledonian brewery as far as I know. It was finished for 30 days.

The Ale Cask is part of a combo called Grant’s Cask Editions , together with a sherry cask edition. Launched in 2001, it contains around 40% single Maltwhisky from 20-30 distilleries and 60% grain (mainly from Girvan).

Grant’s Ale Cask (40%, OB ‘Cask Editions’ +/- 2013)

Nose: very grainy, lots of muesli and sugared cereal notes (Frosties). Nicely honeyed like other Grant’s, almost syrupy...

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GlenDronach 1994 18 YO Single Cask, 18 år, 58,2 % Jeg fortsetter GlenDronach-testingen min på Dr. Jekylls. Denne gangen hadde jeg kort tid å avse (kun 30 minutter), så jeg valgte meg én whisky; GlenDronach 1994 18 YO. Den forrige jeg anmeldte, var GlenDronach 1995 15 YO. Denne whiskyen er lagret på Oloroso-tønne i motsetning […]...

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Sansibar has a new series as well. Contrary to most other bottlers, they seem to have secured a couple of oldies as well: Glenturret 1977, Balmenach 1979 and Bunnahabhain 1980 . Among the younger expressions there’s Mortlach, Glen Keith, Glenrothes and Glen Garioch distilled in the 1990’s.

Bunnahabhain 34 yo 1980 (49,4%, Sansibar 2014, sherry cask, 220 btl.)

Nose: a slightly restrained sherry profile. Dried flowers at first, then some subtle praline, followed by sherry cellars. Tobacco leaves and walnuts. Soft herbal notes and honey. No wham-bam sherry, this is elegant with balanced oak. Mouth: definitely more oak now,...

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Norsk whiskyforbund er nå formelt stiftet (engelsk navn er Federation of Norwegian Whisky Societies). Stiftelsesmøtet ble holdt på Quality Hotel Grand Farris i Larvik. Totalt var 10 klubber tilstede, og ytterligere 6 klubber var representert ved skriftlig fullmakt. Det hele begynte fredag kveld med samling for å bli bedre kjent, samt for å avholde en […]...

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Glenlochy 1980 27 YO Part des Anges, 27 år, 58,3 % A huge thanks to all of you who suggested whisky pubs The Ladies’ Share could visit in Brussels! I found a real gem at Delirium Cafe; Glenlochy 1980 27 YO. Glenlochy is a closed distilleri, and I have never tasted any whisky from Glenlochy […]...

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This Bruichladdich 1964 was distilled november ‘64 and bottled oktober ‘93 – this is just about the furthest back in time you can go with this distillery (there’s a Cadenhead 1958/1984 and a 1960/1996 by Master of Malt as well).

One year later Gordon & MacPhail bottled another three sister casks #3673, 3674 and 3675.

Bruichladdich 28 yo 1964 (50,6%, Gordon & MacPhail 1993, cask #3670, 3671, 3672)

Nose: a very fruity nose, albeit with an Islay twist. Fairly tropical: mango, guava, banana and apricot. Nice honey notes, as well as a silky touch of beeswax. Leathery notes. Vanilla....

Läs mer http://www.whiskynotes.be/2014/bruichladdich/bruichladdich-1964-gm-3670-3672/

As Tennessee legislators are in the middle of a used barrel fight, Kentucky lawmakers are taking concrete steps to improve the commonwealth’s cherished bourbon whiskey industry.

On mars 31, Kentucky passed House Bill 445, which allowed distillers a corporate income tax credit for the ad valorem barrel taxes paid on aging whiskey. According to the Kentucky Distillers Association, distilleries pay $13 million a year in barrel taxes.

Although ad valorem taxes—“according to value,” usually a tax on real estate or property—on Kentucky distilled spirits have existed off and on since 1906, the current system has been in place since 1990,...

Läs mer http://whiskyadvocate.com/whisky/2014/04/04/bourbon-tax-credit-passed/