This year, Distill collection contained 3 Bunnahabhain releases and for the first time in a few years none of the special releases is peated.

The first one we check out is a 11 Year Old Bunnahabhain from 2007 that was finished in French Brandy casks before being bottled at 52.5%

Can it live up to the expectations of previous years releases?

Bunnahabhain 2007 11 Year Old French Brandy Finish (52.5%, £109 / €149.90 )

Nose : Somewhat dry and quite oily, A very airy feeling like we’re sniffing it from afar time does the trick and the it’s getting stronger...

Yesterday we checked out the Bunnahabhain 2007 Brandy Cask Finish which was good but I felt was missing something to be a special offering and today we’ll check his twin – the Bunnahabhain 2007 11 Year Old Port Pipe Finish.

This whisky spent almost full 9 years in refill hogsheads and then was finished for 2 more years in Portuguese port pipes. Only 1578 bottles were made at abv of 55.3%.

Bunnahabhain 2007 11 Year Old Port Pipe Finish (55.3%, €159 )

Nose : Sweet nose, red fruits with  plums, sour-sweet red berries, blueberries, roses, honey, vanilla, oily and heavy....

Earlier this year (2 months ago to be precise), Milk & Honey distillery has released their Founder’s Edition whisky, a limited edition of 1000 bottles for those who participated in their crowd funding campaign six years ago. I was fortunate to think ahead and invest in the campaign and get some bottles home.

This is the first official release of whisky distilled at the distillery, excluding the Bottle-Your-Own  offering at the distillery. The timing for the release was crucial. It had to prelude the single casks releases for the festivals season and the first core line up official whisky offering...

In the last few years we’ve seen a huge number of sherried 2007 Vintage Glenlivet casks bottled by Signatory and they became oh so very popular that it’s time I’ll review one of those. Our ‘victim’ is cask #900242 that bottled by Signatory under The Un-Chillfiltered Collection brand at 46%

The sherry butt was filled on 10/04/2007 and bottled 27/02/2019 and at the diluated ABV of 46% it yielded 887 bottles.

Glenlivet 2007 11 Year Old Cask #900242 (46%, £55 / ₪280 )

Nose : Soft dried fruit, cereals, milk chocolate, raspberries and blueberries, cinnamon, nutmeg and soft oak spice....

In the wake of the news of the forthcoming Ardbeg Blaaack (An Ardbeg Comittee for 2020, possibly Ardbeg day release), it’s a good idea to review one of Ardbeg releases and one that was eagerly expected by Ardbeg fans for years – Ardbeg 19 Traigh Bhan.

I remember myself waiting patiently over the years for a new core line-up Ardbeg with a higher age statement from the new regime stock. But when the opportunity to release a new 15,17 (now that could be something – a rebirth of the 17!) or 18 year old expressions has passed without new releases,...

One more Deanston from Distell 2019 collection and this time it’s the 1997 vintage 21 Year Old finished in Palo Cortado casks.

The whisky was distilled and filled into bourbon casks on november 1997 where it matured for over 18 years and then it was finished in the Palo Cortado sherry hogsheads since april 2016 (so finished for over 2 years).

1663 (or majbe it’s 280?) bottles were made, bottled at 51.8%.

Last year Distell released Palo Cortado finished Bunnahabhain which was excellent and I assume those Palo Cortado casks here are from the same cask parcel so I have...

Yula Blended Malt Scotch 22 YO, 51.2 %

Here is an old blended malt from independent bottler Douglas Laing. The component whiskies here are all from Islay and the Islands. The Yula Blended Malt Scotch 22 YO is chapter three in the series. It is limited to 900 bottles. The previous two releases have been 20 YO and 21 YO respectively.

You can buy Yula Blended Malt Scotch 22 YO in Norway starting today at NOK 1258 ( 1400701 ).

Nose : Soft, sweet, and mild wood smoke. Vanilla, toasted oak, caramel and leather. With time a bit salty...

Cameronbridge 1991 27 YO, 51.5 %

I’m back! Well, I never really left, I just needed a short break after the massive amount of reviews a few weeks back. Here is a new release from independent bottler Douglas Laing. The Cameronbridge 1991 27 YO was distilled in oktober 1991, matured in a refill hogshead (cask# DL13175), and bottled in april 2019. The total outturn was 400 bottles (50 cl).

There are a few bottles available to buy in Norway at NOK 700 (50 cl bottle) ( 11399902 ).

Nose : Super delightful grain. If you have not tried old single...

Longrow 2003 14 YO Sherry Cask Matured, 57.8 %

Another heavily peated whisky from Springbank today. The Longrow 2003 14 YO Sherry Cask Matured. It was distilled back in september 2003, 100 % matured in refill Oloroso sherry casks, and then bottled in juli 2018. This is a limited release of 9000 bottles.

You can buy the Longrow 2003 14 YO Sherry Cask Matured in Norway starting tomorrow at NOK 1170 ( 1342901 ).

Nose : We are definitely back on the farm, in Funkytown! Bathing in dried fruits, while the surrounding woods and peat bogs are on fire....

Chichibu The Peated - 10th Anniversary 2018, ~5 YO, 55.5 %

This bottling marks the 10th anniversary of the Chichibu Distillery, Japan. The Chichibu The Peated - 10th Anniversary 2018 is around 5 years old, as it was distilled in 2013.

You can get your hands on a bottle of this precious whisky in Norway starting today at NOK 2200 ( 1390501 ). You can find a few bottles elsewhere on the interweb, and prices are in the range of 500-650 USD!

Nose : Delightful and soft. Chocolaty fluffy clouds of smoke. Vanilla and ripe apples. Perfect maltiness. Caramel and...

Longrow 18 YO 2018 Edition, 46 %

Longrow is the heavily peated whisky from Springbank Distillers . This is the Longrow 18 YO 2018 Edition. It has been matured 75 % in ex-sherry casks and 25 % in ex-bourbon casks.

You can buy the in Norway starting tomorrow at NOK 1480 ( 1343301 ). It is largely sold out elsewhere.

Nose : Medium level of farmyard character, which is perfectly fine. I prefer my Springbank a little dirty and a little funky. Dry and earthy peat smoke, some fruitiness. Vanilla and citrus.

Taste : Medium body. This is very drinkable....

Port Askaig 8 YO, 45.8 %

One more from Elixir Distillers , the independent bottler behind the brands Port Askaig, Single Malt of Scotland and Elements of Islay, to name but a few. This time I’m looking closer at the Port Askaig 8 YO.

There is absolutely no details on this bottling online, except for the fact that it is a single malt from a distillery on Islay. Chances are it will be sourced from either Caol Ila, Lagavulin, Laphroaig or Bunnahabhain. But who knows..

The Port Askaig 8 YO is on sale in Norway starting Thursday this week at...

Ardmore 2010 9 YO, 59.5 %

It is not very often I get to review whisky from Highland distillery Ardmore . This is predominantly a peated whisky, which is not all that common in the Highland region. This particular expression, the Ardmore 2010 9 YO, is released by independent boittler A.D. Rattray. It is a part of a single cask (so not a full cask) bottled exclusively for their Norwegian importer Daracha.

This whisky was distilled on 2010-07-27, matured in a single bourbon barrel (cask #804533), and bottled on 2019-09-16. The total outturn for Daracha’s part of the cask is...

Elements of Islay Peat Full Proof, NAS, 59.3 %

This is a blended malt from independent bottler Elixir Distillers . The Elements of Islay Peat Full Proof is a non-age statement whisky bottled at what we believe is cask strength, 59.3 % ABV.

The product page does state the following, but this is also all we know about this bottling:

Each batch is made of around 60 casks from distilleries in the North and South of Islay.

The Elements of Islay Peat Full Proof will be available to buy in Norway starting this Thursday at NOK 699 ( 1387802 )....

Port Askaig 100 Proof, NAS, 57.1 %

So we continue exploring young-ish, fiery Islay whiskies without age statement. This time a single malt from independent bottler Elixir Distillers. The Port Askaig 100 Proof is named as such because it is bottled at 100 British Proof, which equals to 57.15 % ABV.

The Port Askaig 100 Proof is available to buy in Norway starting Thursday this week at NOK 899 ( 11387401 ).

Nose : Dry and earthy Islay smoke. Salty and oaky. Rich notes of malt and apples. Hints of citrus.

Taste : Wow, it really does fire on all...

Springbank 9 YO Local Barley, 57.7 %

This is the fourth release in the modern Local Barley series from Springbank Distillers. The previous versions being the Springbank Local Barley 16 YO (2016) , Springbank Local Barley 11 YO (2017) and Springbank Local Barley 10 YO (2017).

The Springbank 9 YO Local Barley was made using optic barley from High Cattadale Farm. It has been matured in 80 % bourbon casks and 20 % sherry casks. It was distilled in juli 2009 and bottled in oktober 208, with a total outturn of 9700 bottles.

The Springbank 9 YO Local Barley will...

Glenlivet 17 YO Single Cask Edition cask #19911, 55.4 %

It is time for another Nordic single cask, cask strength, exclusive from the Glenlivet Distillery. The Glenlivet 17 YO Single Cask Edition cask #19911 has been matured in an American oak hogshead (cask #19911), and was bottled in oktober 2018. The total outturn from this single cask was 300 bottles.

You can buy the Glenlivet 17 YO Single Cask Edition cask #19911 in Norway starting this Thursday at NOK 1915 ( 1403501 ).

Nose : Honey and orchard fruits. It is just soo rich and lovely. Creamy in character. Hints...

Springbank Rum Wood 15 YO, 51.0%

Today I get to review a new expression from the whisky lords of Campbeltown, Springbank Distillery.

The Springbank Rum Wood 15 YO was distilled in december 2003, and bottled in augusti 2019. It was matured in rum barrels, and the total outturn of this limited run is 9000 bottles.

You can buy the Springbank Rum Wood 15 YO in Norway starting Thursday this week at NOK 1310 ( 11343601 ).

Nose : Rich, dark, and mysterious. Rum notes for sure. Dark fruits and red berries. Earthy notes. A bit salty, with mild wood smoke...

Glenfarclas The Family Casks 1997 (Winter 2018), ~20 YO, 57.1 %

OK, are you ready for another Family Cask expression from Glenfarclas? Well, I know I am. Here goes then, I’ll “dive” into the Glenfarclas The Family Casks 1997 (Winter 2018).

This whisky was distilled in 1997, matured in a refill sherry butt (cask #5134), and finally bottled on 2018-12-06. The total outturn was 603 bottles.

You can buy the Glenfarclas The Family Casks 1997 (Winter 2018) in Norway starting this Thursday at NOK 2822 ( 11343501 ).

Nose : This is a gentleman of a dram. Well dressed, polite...

Bunnahabhain Marriage 27 YO (Elixir Distillers), 48.4 %

This is a bottling in the series Single Malts of Scotland by independent bottler Elixir Distillers. It is a vatting of four casks (“a marriage of casks”) filled back in 1988, 1989 and 1990. All the four casks were refill bourbon hogshead.

You can buy the Bunnahabhain Marriage 27 YO (Elixir Distillers) in Norway starting this Thursday at NOK 2600 ( 1387601 ). It is also available in the UK at around GBP 230 .

Nose : Mild spices and a touch of the maritime. Refined and balanced. A bit dusty in...