As I mentioned in my previous article, I was lucky recently to taste Douglas Laing’s new Old Particular range the other week at their lovely offices/town house in Glasgow. We tried some awesome whiskies, including an ancient Bowmore (available here) but, I’ll be honest, one dram stood a hairy beard and shoulders above the rest, [...]...

Läs mer http://www.edinburghwhiskyblog.com/2013/11/08/big-peat-christmas-edition-2013/

A Karuizawa 1977 with a Geisha label. Just like the 1971 cask #7267 (released at the same time), it was bottled in 2012 but not released until the summer of 2013. Both extremely hard to get, even in Taiwan.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a whisky with such a striking brown colour. Sherry tends to impart some red hues as well, but not this time.

 

Karuizawa 35 yo 1977 (65,9%, OB 2012, sherry butt #4010, 427 btl.)

Nose: very high on tobacco notes. Cigar leaves and pipe tobacco. Evolves on forest aromas like wet soil and moss. Hints...

Läs mer http://www.whiskynotes.be/2013/japan-whisky/karuizawa-1977-4010-taiwan/

At Edinburgh Whisky Blog, if we spot good deals, or things in general that we think you guys will be interested in, we will let you know. It’s our public service to you. So when I found out my good friend, Iain Mcclune, ex manager at Royal Mile Whiskies, was setting up  Whisky Auctioneer.com, I [...]...

Läs mer http://www.edinburghwhiskyblog.com/2013/11/07/whisky-auctioneer/

If you’ve visited the duty free shop in the airport departure lounge recently in your bid to escape the impending Scottish gloom and bask in some winter sun, then you maj have noticed some rather eye-catching Old Pulteneys. I’ve got to say, I’m glad I was heading somewhere sunny and already had my aviators on, [...]...

Läs mer http://www.edinburghwhiskyblog.com/2013/11/07/old-pulteney-lighthouse-series/

Whiskey prices keep climbing, and none of us are happy about it. It’s a simple matter of economics: supply vs. demand. The entire world has discovered the joy of whiskey and there isn’t enough to go around.

But if we can set aside the price issue for a moment and look at the quality of the product on the market, it’s quite apparent to me that 2013 will go down as a great year for premium and super-premium bourbon, and other American whiskeys, like rye and Tennessee. Let’s take a look at what’s been released this year.

The premium whiskeys...

Läs mer http://whiskyadvocate.com/whisky/2013/11/07/2013-the-year-of-great-premium-bourbon/

The Blue one…

 

Johnnie Walker Blue Label (40%, OB)

Nose: surprising amounts of toffee, with a sharpish / acidic side to it as well. Cereal notes (bread), some dried fruits and orange peel. Berries. Some lime. Vanilla. Give it some time and it develop into a decent blended nose. Mouth: medium bodied, nice enough, with toasted notes, grains and citrus. Quite a lot of floral notes alongside the soft sherry. Berries and ginger. Toffee. Good balance of sweet, spicy and acidic, but a bit characterless if you ask me (a bit of everything but nothing in particular). Fades on...

Läs mer http://www.whiskynotes.be/2013/blends/johnnie-walker-blue-label/

I first reported on the Explorers’ Club Collection from Johnnie Walker a while ago when they released The Spice Road. That was the entry level whisky to this trilogy of travel-retail-only bottlings and represented the travellers’ route between Europe and Asia. I quite enjoyed it as you can see here; it was simple, uncomplicated and [...]...

Läs mer http://www.edinburghwhiskyblog.com/2013/11/06/johnnie-walker-the-royal-route/

It’s been a good year for Canada’s Okanagan Spirits. To begin with, a break on the standard retail mark-up in the provincially-owned liquor stores for distillers using locally-grown ingredients – which this fruit belt operation does exclusively – was rather unexpectedly announced in the early spring by the government of the company’s home province of British Columbia.  Then came word from the World Spirits Competition in Klagenfurt, Austria, where Okanagan Spirits was awarded not only World Class Distillery certification, but also the titles of Distillery of the Year 2013 and Spirit of the Year 2013, the latter for their Blackcurrant...

Läs mer http://whiskyadvocate.com/whisky/2013/11/05/the-laird-of-fintry-has-landed/

It’s that time of year again, the month when the mo makes a comeback. If there’s one thing you can be sure of in november, apart from the clocks having just gone back and it being dark for most of …...

Läs mer http://blog.thewhiskyexchange.com/2013/11/return-movember/