Age Matters is a new series by The Whiskyman . The labels feature big age statements, moving away from the current trend of hiding the age and claiming age is not very important when it comes to whisky. In fact even the distillery is hard to spot.

This ‘17’ is a 17 years old Clynelish 1996 . In the current line-up there’s also a Ledaig 15, Ben Nevis 16, Littlemill 21 and Bruichladdich 22.

Clynelish 17 yo 1996 (53,3%, The Whiskyman ‘Age Matters’ 2013)

Nose: not the obvious sherry influence. There’s spiced Mexican cocoa and toffee as well as some...

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We know the holidays are coming…er, are here , and we’re sorry this is a bit late for Hanukkah, but we wanted to get you some advice on whisky books. Here’s the first set, from Fred Minnick; more to come.

When my literary agent and I were shopping Whiskey Women , the most common rejection we received was, “Whiskey is a niche audience and doesn’t interest the masses.” That’s why many whiskey writers have been forced to self publish and American whiskey enthusiasts have had to rely on dated texts—mainstream American publishers never took whiskey books seriously.

My, oh, my,...

Läs mer http://whiskyadvocate.com/whisky/2013/11/27/whisky-books-for-the-holidays-part-1/

Another whisky from the recent line-up of Sansibar , a Benrinnes distilled in 1998.

Between 1974 and 2007 Benrinnes distillery used a unique partial triple distillation. Some of the feints and low wines from the spirit still are distilled again in a low wines still.

Benrinnes 15 yo 1998
(47,9%, Sansibar 2013, sherry cask, 233 btl.)

Nose: slightly sharp, with a lemon marmalade / rhubarb note and some floral notes on top. Sour plums. Lots of Seville oranges. Some oily / waxy notes, eucalyptus and spices (pepper, cardamom). Fruit cake and cherry biscuits underneath as well as some pencil...

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Gouden Carolus is a highly respected beer from brewery Het Anker in Mechelen, Belgium. Besides a family brewing tradition spanning five generations, the family also distilled genever in a nearby village (actually almost in the backyard of my home).

This mill and later distillery called De Molenberg was renovated and in 2010 two pot stills were installed, custom made by Forsyths in Rothes. At that time it was the first pot still distillery in Belgium following Scottish traditions. Scotsmen Harry Cockburn (former manager of Bowmore) and Dr. James Swan (who helped to design whiskies for Penderyn and Kavalan among...

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We’re all Tweeting, expressing ourselves in 140 characters or less. This occasional series asks whisky luminaries to express themselves in the format, but all in one place. Here’s Jason Craig, Global Brand Controller for Cutty Sark . (We gave him the spaces in his answers for free, so they maj go a bit over 140…)

What’s the view from your office window?

The River Tay on one side and a large tree covered hill on the other side; the sun is low and the colors are gorgeous.

Not bad; better than a car park, unless you’re fibbing. You take guitar lessons....

Läs mer http://whiskyadvocate.com/whisky/2013/11/25/jason-craig-in-140-or-less/

So far there has only been one ‘black label’ from The Whiskyman , a Caperdonich 1972 . It is reserved for extraordinary releases, old whisky that is hard to come by.

Last Friday, at the start of the Lindores festival, a second black label was presented, this Bunnahabhain 1973 . Four members of the Lindores whisky club (Dirk, Geert, Christophe and Dominiek a.k.a. ‘The Whiskyman’) have turned 40 years old this year and they selected this cask as their private birthday dram.

The fab four asked me to design the label, and their heads are on the label. Don’t worry...

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Photos by Fred Minnick

Buffalo Trace is well-known as an innovator. They’ve won awards for it, they’ve seen plenty of ink (and pixels) for it, and they even sell the results of this innovation as their Experimental Collection; selected barrels from a reported 1,500+ variations aging in various warehouses. Distillery president Mark Brown has likened the multi-decade experimental project to a car company’s Formula 1 racing program: technical innovation to improve the general process and product.

But up until now, the experiments have focused on recipe (different grains and proportions), barrel (type of oak, size, seasoning, entry proof, and the...

Läs mer http://whiskyadvocate.com/whisky/2013/11/22/buffalo-traces-experimental-funhouse-warehouse-x/

This Deanston 1997 was launched a couple of weeks ago. In the tradition of the bubbly Asta Morris label, we’re expecting an easily drinkable, affordable whisky.

Deanston 15 yo 1997 (48,1%, Asta Morris 2013, ref. AM031, 342 btl.)

Nose: quite ponderous, with a lot of hay and heather honey. Roasted almonds. Not entirely fresh at first, there’s an overripe apple and something of wet cloth or wet leaves, which is not an asset in this case. Some melon and citrus. Buttered toast. A bit of a strange ensemble in my opinion. Mouth: quite a different story. Sweet and fruity,...

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It turns out The Whisky Agency selected a whole set of GlenDronach casks lately. We’ve already reviewed an excellent 2002 cask #710 and 1993 cask #4 earlier and now there’s a 2002 cask #712 and this GlenDronach 1993 cask #13 . A double pair!

Too bad we can’t try them head-to-head, it will be a memory game then.

GlenDronach 20 yo 1993
(52,6%, OB for The Whisky Fair 2013, oloroso sherry butt #13, 668 btl.)

Nose: big notes of dried figs. Walnut cake and sticky toffee, a tad ponderous majbe but very intense. Freshly cut herbs. Similar exotic...

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My article, “LDI: The Mystery Distillery,” was published in the Winter 2011 issue of Whisky Advocate . It was a hard story to write because no one involved with the former Seagram-owned plant in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, would talk about it. Not a word, on the record or off.

A few facts about the place were known, but by 2011 it wasn’t even possible to determine exactly who owned it. Available public records simply showed the owner as Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana, LLC.

Between when the story was written and when it went to press, LDI was sold. In the nick of...

Läs mer http://whiskyadvocate.com/whisky/2013/11/20/more-from-inside-mgp/

This Glen Scotia 1991 was bottled for the Spirits in the Sky Festival 2013 , just a few days ago in Leuven. It’s a joint bottling by The Whisky Agency and festival organiser The Nectar . Like the other releases in the trio, the label features a scene from Alice in Wonderland.

By the way, there’s a nicely made Daily Dram Guide 2013-2014 which presents the new and upcoming releases from this bottler. It’s a whopping 111 MB but still worth the download. There’s an addendum with tasting notes as well.

Glen Scotia 22 yo 1991
(50,4%, The...

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