My Whisky Obsession celebrates the weird and wonderful ways people express their passion for whisky.

Photographer Brett Ferencz is better known by his online handle: Scotch Trooper. It’s also the title of his blog and Instagram , designed to welcome two distinct but equally nerdy subgroups: whisky drinkers and Star Wars fans. In Ferencz’s fantasy world, Stormtrooper figurines struggle to uncork outsized bottles of Balvenie , rappel down the side of a Jack Daniel’s bottle on kite string, and unsuccessfully attempt to stir cocktails with spoons twice their height. Ferencz draws upon his 100-strong collection of action figures and his...

It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed GlenDronach single casks . It has become slightly problematic for whisky bloggers. There was a time when I reviewed nearly every single cask thanks to bottle shares, purchased bottles and samples, etc.

In recent years their popularity skyrocketed, which made shops put their entire allocation on the shelves instead of making some samples available. The distillery itself has never really worked with bloggers either (especially those outside of the UK), why would they if their products sell like hotcakes? A situation that also makes reviews a bit superfluous perhaps.

Anyway, Batch 15 of the...

WhiskyFest San Francisco will be bigger than ever this year, with over 90 tables pouring more than 400 different whiskies . With so much choice, narrowing down your top picks is a must. (Read our advice about how to have an amazing WhiskyFest experience , including how to strategize your personal pour list.)

Is scotch your game? Then don’t miss these six special pours, all available to WhiskyFest attendees with a general admission ticket. (A few tickets are still available— buy yours before they’re all gone!)

Six Scotches You Have to Taste at WhiskyFest San Francisco

Bladnoch

One of only...

More artisan Mezcal – and quite a random bunch. We’ll have the common Espadín but also other types of agave, and different ages. All three from the wider Oaxaca region though.

If you’re new to mezcal, see last year’s article with some basic information about mezcal .

Ilegal Reposado mezcal (40%)

One of the half-artisan American brands. Produced for the Ilegal brand by the Tlacolula distillery in Oaxaca from 100% wild Espadín agave. The piñas are cooked in a clay oven fuelled by mesquite and eucalyptus. Distilled twice: first in stainless-steel alembic stills and then in copper alembic....

While Tobermory Distillery is closed for renovations lets have a look at Ledaig 19 Year Old marsala finish. It was distilled back in 1997 and then matured in bourbon barrels and then finished in marsala wine casks. It was bottled late 2016 before arriving to markets at the beginning of 2017.

I delayed (a lot!) with this review since they whisky was pretty harsh whisky when I initially tasted it but I believed it will be much better with oxidation. So it sat aside and waited for the right time that finally arrived.

Ledaig 19 Year Old marsala Wine Finish...

Autumn is almost here and the Diageo Special Releases 2017 are rapidly approaching. It’s an exciting group of whiskies this year: along with the regular Port Ellen , Brora , Caol Ila and Lagavulin , there’s also the oldest whisky Diageo has ever released, a whisky made with experimental yeast, whisky from a closed distillery, a bicentenary bottling and the first blend to appear in the Special Releases. They’re available to pre-order now on our Diageo Special Releases 2017 page.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out our Diageo Special Releases: What are they? post to find...

There’s a second batch of Antique Lions of Spirits , the Butterflies series , with equally impressive decorations.

This time, I also think the selection is more impressive. The first batch contained quite a lot of less reputed names (Blair Athol, Fettercairn, Tormore…) but now we’re seeing old Bunnahabhain, old Irish malt, this Bowmore 1991 , a Bladnoch… Can’t wait.

Bowmore 25 yo 1991 (48,7%, Antique Lions of Spirits 2017, bourbon cask, 218 btl.)

Nose: complex, rewarding nose, starting on smoked salt, coastal hints with hay and seaweed. Also smooth fruity notes: pears, gooseberries, lemons, nice hints of...

Today’s review is Inchmoan 12 Year Old, the peated sibling of Inchmurrin from Loch Lomond Distillery. It was distilled using the distillery traditional swan neck and their unique straight neck pot stills (Also known as Lomond Stills). m atured for 12 years in re-charred American oak and refill bourbon American oak casks. Bottled at 46% without chill-filtering (although with added caramel). At the moment it’s only available at UK shops but global distribution will follow in the coming months.

Inchmoan 12 Year Old (46%,  £44.45 )

Nose : Malt and cereals, bright sweetness with touches of floral and vegetal edges, honey,...

Following the Glentauchers 2008 review that opened the weekend, we’ll end the weekend with another young whisky bottled for Whisky In Leiden 2017 festival.

And it’s one from the other side of the spectrum, opposite of the sherried Speyside there’s a peated Islay malt so nobody get bored. This whisky was distilled in maj 2011, matured in refill hogshead (cask 9313) and bottled in early 2017, yielding 306 bottles.

The Exclusive Malts Islay Malt 2011 5 Year Old (Whisky in Leiden 2017) (57.7%, €54,99 )

Nose : Sharp oak spices, malt and peat smoke, then honey and vanilla, dry yet...

There’s nothing new about vermouth in cocktails. You maj even have a bottle or two yourself at home to mix up Manhattans, the whisky-vermouth pairing that people are most familiar with. But vermouth can be used far beyond that perennial classic. For example, if you’re looking for a lower-proof drink, a vermouth-based whisky cocktail can satisfy your craving while keeping your alcohol consumption in check. To that end, some bartenders are experimenting with “reverse” cocktails, which switch the ratio of whisky to vermouth. For example, a reverse Manhattan would be 2 parts vermouth and 1 part whisky.

But vermouth and...

“This maj be a simple cocktail,” says ...

“This cocktail has big chocolate and whisky flavor up front, with a good, crisp ending,” says Chris Ayabe, assistant manager at...

Mixologist Ewan Henderson of Glasgow, Scotland created this scotch cocktail, explaining that “the dried fruits and sweet spice of the scotch lend a rich depth that comes through when using watermelon juice.”...

Rafael Del Busto, head bartender at...

Alan Lam, beverage director of...