I was thinking of reviewing the Bunnahabhain 18 for a long time but I never got to it for various reasons. It’s a Bunnahabhain day at Feis 2016 today and since John MacLellan who was Bunnhabhain distillery manager for a long time passed away this year and the 18 yo was his favorite child, I think it’s about time to go ahead.

Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old (46.3%,  £68.45 / €99,99 / $99.99 )

Nose : rich and velvety, caramel and toffee. A lot of sherry notes: soaked raisins, nutmeg and a bit of cinnamon, dried sour berries, dark chocolate. But it’s also carries some...

Samaroli Evolution Ed. 2013 – 45th Anniversary, NAS, 47 % Samaroli is an independent bottler based in Italy. Silvano Samaroli started the company back in 1968, as the first or one of the first independent bottlers outside of Scotland. The Samaroli Evolution is a vatting of many single malts (so a blended malt), where they […]...

Meet Andy Simpson, whisky expert and aficionado, writer and partner in Rare Whisky 101(RW101). A former banker, Andy saw the light and a way to a better life through Scotch whisky. The RW101 website (rarewhisky101.com) offers valuations for collectors and investors, brokering services, consultancy services on distillery design and the marketing of brands, and picks up where Andy’s previous business, Whisky Highland, left off.  He’s a busy man and the fount of knowledge in whisky valuations worldwide.

Where were you born and brought up?

Bradford, West Yorkshire

Far from whisky country. I’ve read you started collecting whisky at 16 – under legal purchase age. How did...

The Islay Festival is drawing to close. Tomorrow is the last day, and in usual fashion, things are ending with a bang: it’s Ardbeg  Day – or, as they are calling it this year, Ardbeg Night . Unlike the other Islay distilleries, Ardbeg shares its open day with folks who can’t make it to the island, and its festival bottling will be hitting the shelves of our London shop and website on Saturday – introducing Ardbeg Dark Cove .

This year’s origin story talks about the illicit history of distillation of the island, with tales of smugglers and their night-time exploits in the years...

Some of Diageo’s upcoming Distiller’s Editions appeard in the TTB database:

• Lagavulin 2000/2016 Distillers Edition (lgv. 4/505)
• Oban 2001/2016 Distillers Edition (OD 165.FB)
• Dalwhinnie 2000/2016 Distillers Edition (D.SX.312)
• Cragganmore Distillers Edition (CggD-6568)

Also new: Scapa Glansa . First aged in American oak and then finished in peated casks for a subtle smoky finish. Bottled at 40%.

Glen Grant has launched three aged-statement whiskies. That’s good news. Their current core range consists of the Major’s Reserve, a 10yo and 16yo and expanding them with new aged expressions goes against the flow in today’s market.

• Glen Grant 12 Year Old...

In partnership with each respective distillery, all whiskies in Gordon & MacPhail’s Rare Vintage series are uniquely labeled. Many of these labels – like the ones for Strathisla – grew to become a kind of semi-official range under licence from the distillery.

We’re trying a Strathisla 1967 bottled in 2015. They’ve released some excellent bourbon casks as well, but this is from first-fill sherry butts.

Strathisla 1967 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail 2015)

Nose: fully on plum jam with dried apricots underneath. Sweet and sour, with some orange peel and marmalade, lime, mint and eucalyptus. Plenty of waxed furniture...

Today is Kilchoman day at Feis Ile 2016. The youngest distillery on Islay is 10 years old and we finally see some longer matured releases where releases age creeps up from 4 and 5 years to 5 and 6 years and the Festival bottling is over 8 years old.

But today the review showcases what a young whisky can be when its paired with good active casks. The Kilchoman Madeira cask is the first ever Madeira release from the distillery, 17 casks of 1st fill Madeira were used to create this whisky. Peat battling Madeira – who wins?

Kilchoman Madeira Cask 2011 (50%, Bottled 2015, ...

Tomatin 1967 45 YO Directors’ Cut, 51,6 % A very rare and old whisky is up for review today. Independent bottler Douglas Laing released this Tomatin 1967 45 YO Directors’ Cut in early 2013. It is a single cask release, having been matured in a refill sherry butt (cask #9315). The outturn was a mere 175 bottles, […]...

Last night I participated in a Twitter tasting #LaddieBelgium, hosted by Bruichladdich for Belgian bloggers. We tried two unpeated and two peated expressions, most of which focused on their terroir experiments. It was an inspiring tasting – I will spread my reviews over a couple of weeks.

Bruichladdich Classic Laddie can be seen as a younger (no age statement) version of the The Laddie 10 , which was introduced in 2011 but then phased out again because of low stocks.

Made from 100% Scottish barley, this version was trickle distilled, then matured for its entire life by the shores of Lochindaal in...

Today is Bowmore open day at Feis Ile Festival and the old tradition was kept when people were standing in queues since early morning to grab the golden card that will allow them to purchase the Bowmore 25 year old that was finished in wine casks for 12 years.

But if we’re already discussing 25 year old Bowmore, I have prepared a review on another 25 year old, one that was distilled on november 1989 and bottled in december 2014 as part of Douglas Laing Xtra Old Particular line up.

Bowmore 25 Year Old 1989 (Xtra Old Particular) (55.1%,  £295...

Been busy in the last few days but I can’t really let the Laphroaig Open Day in Feis Ile 2016 without a post and a review. After all, if you follow me and the blog, you’re surely aware I’m very fond of Laphroaig distillery and the whiskies (at least most of them).

I decided to review today an young indie bottling with a decent price tag which you can still find online. Happy Laphroaig day!

Laphroaig Provenance 2005 8 Year Old (46%, €78.75 , Cask #10406)

Nose : Soft peat smoke, rounded and surprisingly bodily and rich, cereals, soft ashes...

Strathmill 1976 35 YO Old Malt Cask, 47,2 % A rare old whisky is on the test bench today. This is a release from Spesyside distillery Strathmill, established in 1891. They mainly produce for blends (J&B is a major one), and only released their first single malt in the Flora & Fauna series from Diageo […]...

Box Whisky Shareholders 2016, 3 YO, 52 % This is a special release that was intended for the shareholders of Box Whisky only. The article number was communicated by mail (the “old school” paper type) to all shareholders. The intention was then to have all the shareholders with an interest in this bottling to go […]...

Glen Grant has announced the launch of three new single malts: a 12 year old, a 12 year old non-chill filtered, and an 18 year old. These whiskies will be available in juni. See the press release included below for details.

GLEN GRANT ADDS THREE NEW PREMIUM SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKIES AND UNVEILS NEW PACKAGING DESIGN

Award-winning Glen Grant launches new premium quality whiskies: 12 Year Old, 12 Year Old Non Chill-Filtered and 18 Year Old

LONDON, 24 ^th maj 2016 – Award-winning single malt Scotch whisky, Glen Grant, today announces the launch of new 12 Year Old, 12 Year...

When we launched Seedlip late last year, we weren’t surprised how popular it became, because people had been crying out for a non-alcoholic drink that wasn’t fizzy and packed full of sugar. And now, the second Seedlip bottling is available – Garden 108 – a fresh, clean drink perfect for long summer days in the sunshine.

The first Seedlip bottling used botanicals such as allspice, cardamom and American oak to ramp up the spice, but Garden 108 is different, featuring distillates of hay, spearmint, pea, rosemary, thyme and hops, giving much more of a light, summery feel. When I nosed...

Adam Hannett, head distiller at Bruichladdich

Islay native Adam Hannett has some very big shoes to fill. As head distiller at Bruichladdich since summer 2015, he and distillery manager Allan Logan have taken over the running of one of Scotland’s best-loved distilleries, producing Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte and Octomore spirit. Retired production director Jim McEwan maj cast a long shadow, but after 12 years of mentoring and training, Adam is now in charge of continuing the cult distillery’s reputation for making great whisky.

I spoke to him last month, during the build-up for this year’s Islay festival.

‘Growing up on Islay you take...

This is the second part of our Vallein-Tercinier cognac  round-up. Having reviewed some of the most interesting assemblages, this time I will try some of the oldest and rarest cognacs in the house.

Vallein-Tercinier 1973

Vintage cognac from Petite Champagne, bottled as a Brut de fût at 48,2%.

I’m sure you could trick experienced maltheads into thinking this was a refill sherry single malt on the nose. Some blood orange, apricot jam, hints of leather. Perfect balance with some polished oak. Fruity palate, raisins and fresh plums, but with a light bitter edge (clove, ginger, tangy oak). Some...

After the Irish 1988 in the Perfect Dram series, there is now also an Irish single malt 1991 with a similar Art Nouveau label. To be precise, it is a billboard for an interior shop, designed by Manuel Orazi in 1901.

Irish single malt 24yo 1991 (49,5%, The Whisky Agency ‘Perfect Dram’ 2016, bourbon barrel, 152 btl.)

Nose: they’re all fruity but I keep being surprised about how fruity exactly. Very beautiful, very refined. Bananas, maracuya, some mango and lemongrass / lime blossom in the background. A light hint of tobacco after a while, hinting towards a more...