Maltwhisky Yearbook 2018

The Maltwhisky Yearbook 2018 (edited by Ingvar Ronde) has been on our desk for over a week now, always a pleasure. It is a reference for all whisky lovers: you’ll find out how the industry is performing / evolving, you’ll get some background information on current-day trends and there’s an in-depth profile of each distillery, with the range of whiskies they have on offer.

The first part of the book is always a series of background articles:

• Secrets of the Stillmakers by Gavin D Smith, an interesting look behind the scenes of Forsyth’s and other...

As you know, I attended an exquisite Dalmore tasting courtesy of their Belgian importer The Nectar , which culminated in a sip of the Dalmore 50 Years , a special release to celebrate the 50th work anniversary of Master Blender Richard Paterson.

The distillery released more celebration bottlings this year, like the Dalmore Quintessence and this Dalmore 35 Years . It has been aged in three types of cask: first-fill ex-bourbon barrels, Matusalem sherry butts and a Colheita Port pipe. It is presented in a hand-blown Baccarat crystal decanter, adorned with a silver Dalmore stagg emblem.

Just 1000 bottles will...

Today under the microscope is the latest official release from Bunnahabhain distillery. Bunnahabhain Stiuireadair is a No-Age-Statement whisky but is also a fully sherried whisky in 1st and 2nd fill Sherry casks although I assume it’s mostly 2nd fill casks. The reason it was born was to replace the staple 12 year old in some markets and to live side-by-side in other markets. All towards the goal of preserving the precious aged stocks despite the rising demand for single Maltwhisky.

Does it work? Can it truly replace the 12 yo as a daily sipper and help preserve the aged...

Few commodities are as precious to 21st-century life as convenience and dependability, and whisky subscription services combine the two to benefit your bar. What’s better than returning home to find a new bottle of whisky that literally has your name on it?

For a monthly fee, these subscription services send curated whisky picks right to your doorstep. Each offers a unique spin that’s sure to appeal to a particular type of dram devotee. Whether you’re new to the world of whisky or looking to expand your base of knowledge and experience, these services can provide guideposts for the onward journey....

A Glen Spey 1988 that was released some time ago by Sansibar in their Samurai label series.

Glen Spey 27 yo 1988 (47,7%, Sansibar ‘Spirits Shop Selection’ 2015, bourbon barrel, 198 btl.)

Nose: medium fruity (melon, sweet lemon, hints of papaya) mixed (and slightly muted) by some chalky notes and sweet grassy notes and hay. Plain oak, as well as some minty notes. After a while the fruitiness become rather candied (pineapple cubes). Mouth: some creamy fruits again, as well as some marzipan, but there’s also the sharper, greener, grassier side. Lots of citrus zest. Slightly bitter grapefruit...

Mackmyra Moment Körsbär and Mackmyra Skördetid are two of the latest releases from the Swedish distillery.

Körsbär is Swedish for cherry : it was matured in first-fill bourbon and first-fill Oloroso sherry casks that were previously filled with sweet cherry wine , combined with different types of small ‘Mackmyra Reserve’ 30-litre casks. It is probably the pinkest whisky I’ve seen!

Mackmyra Moment Körsbär (47%, OB 2017, 2400 btl.)

Nose: the fragrant cherry wine is quite obvious. Sweet cherry candy, as well as some strawberry pie, cinnamon pastry and juicy pears. Cassis lemonade. Plenty of vanilla. Subtle floral touches...

Until recently, the only peated Balvenie we had were the long gone limited edition Balvenie Peated Cask 17 Year Old (which I reviewed a few years ago) and the Islay Cask 17 Year Old. But states has changed recently with two new peated Balvenies, both 14 year old expressions, were released to markets. The first is a Triple Cask 14 Year Old for Travel Retail market and a globally released 14 year old named Peat Week as Balvenie produces peated whisky for one week a year (and not every year), naturally called named ‘Peat Week’.

Today I’m checking out the...

It was confirmed earlier today that we will see some Octomores on the shelves here next month. Hurray! And while celebrating this piece of news, I’ve noticed that I had neglected to post notes for Octomore 7.1 while reviewing 7.2 , 7.3 and 7.4 , so it’s time to get it fixed.

Octomore 7.1 was the last Octomore that Jim McEwan did for Bruichladdich before he retired after more than 50 years in the industry. It was made using Scottish barley peated to a then high record of 208 ppm and then was matured for 5 years in American oak barrels....

Tasting and reviewing the Macallan Sienna , got me craving for some whiskies I didn’t taste in a long time. Yeah, you can definitely become nostalgic for drams you tasted earlier in your whisky journey and aren’t in your whisky cabinet at the moment.

So I decided to try another one or two whiskies from my archive which I didn’t review here yet, and the first one I went for was Glenmorangie 18 Year Old. Why? I assure you it’s not because it’s Extremely Rare like they claim it to be. it’s not that rare if you really wondered as...

I n order to bag a rare bourbon, Ricky Nash endured ridicule. The Georgia native walked into liquor stores and asked for “Elmer T. Lee.” The store associates laughed. He asked for “Pappy,” and they teased the whiskey enthusiast like he was stalking a unicorn.

Nash tracked Internet rumors and the online secondary market, drove across several states, and looked inside more than two dozen liquor stores in search of any limited edition or hard-to-find bourbon. Then, one day in late november, it happened. He stepped inside one of the stores he’d been eyeing and there was the entire Van...

We need to talk about how many bottles of whisky you own. Can we be honest with each other? First there were too many for the drinks shelf, then you couldn’t close the closet doors, then they took over the basement den—and now you spend more time searching for whiskies than enjoying them. It’s time to start keeping track of what you’ve got. Whisky collectors are capable of amassing thousands of bottles, and a well-catalogued collection is one you can enjoy in an instant.

You need a Whisky Inventory

An inventory that records which site, room, box, or bin holds...

Bay Area whisky lovers had a very good weekend: on Friday, oktober 6 ^th , WhiskyFest San Francisco brought hundreds of whiskies from around the world to San Francisco’s Marriott Marquis.

As usual, eager bourbon lovers flocked to the Old Rip Van Winkle table early on, where Julian and Preston Van Winkle were personally serving up Old Rip Van Winkle 10 year old and 12 year old, as well as the Pappy Van Winkle 15 and 20 year old bourbons. (VIP ticket holders got a chance to try the elusive Pappy Van Winkle 23 year old.) The Buffalo Trace Antique...

Kids aren’t the only ones who love all the candy at Halloween. And the perfect way to heighten the enjoyment of goodies you snag from your children’s trick-or-treat stash (or the leftovers you have from “accidentally” buying too much) is with whisky. But any old whisky and candy combo won’t do. Circus peanuts and Laphroaig ? No thanks.

“A skilled combination of flavors can produce a whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts,” says Tom Geniesse, founder and owner of Bottlerocket Wine & Spirit in New York City . Every oktober since 2006, Geniesse and his team hold...

Big flavors abound in this week’s new releases. First up, Basil Hayden’s is launching Dark Rye, a new whiskey that will be a part of the core line. Read the label closely and you’ll notice a few things that stand out: this is a blend of Kentucky and Canadian ryes, and it includes port-style wine from California. Huh? Don’t feel silly for being confused—it  is unusual. According to the Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB) , which regulates these things, a non-straight rye whiskey can include up to 2.5% wine by volume and still be labeled as a...

Many whisky enthusiasts frown upon flavored whisky in the same way craft beer lovers dismiss hard root beer, or java drinkers scoff at hazelnut coffee. It’s a fair position, given that until now the majority of flavored whiskies have been saccharine-sweet spirits with a well-earned reputation of catering to neophytes and entry-level drinkers. But flavored whisky isn’t all bad. A new breed of innovative offerings, crafted with real ingredients rather than factory flavorings, offer surprisingly delicious drams. They’re taking aim at discerning drinkers, seeking open-minded converts among their ranks.

Taste It: 6 Flavored Whiskies Worth Trying

“We see a lot...