The second review of the week is another young whisky bottled under the Provenance brand that reached our shores, and this time it hails from Bunnahabhain distillery on Islay.

Yes, Although it’s young and we see a lot of young peated Bunnahabhains (Moine) released around of the same age range, but this is no Moine, just a pure standard unpeated Bunnahabhain. This cask was distilled in 2008 and bottled in maj 2016, yielding 451 bottles.

Provenance Bunnahabahin 8 Year Old (46%, DL11561, 245NIS )

Nose : Oily and heavy, malt, gentle honey sweetness, and weak fruitiness, vanilla laced porridge.

Palate...

After a few years absence, Douglas Laing whiskies are back in Israel whisky market, represented by a new importer, Sipil Premium Alcohol. This time around we get to enjoy the full Regional malts line up and a few single malts, all priced very reasonably, so those are great news for whisky drinkers over here.

The single malts range at launch consists of two entry level Provenance whiskies and two Old Particulars, so naturally we’ll start with one of the Provenances, the Mortlach 8 Year Old.

Over the last few years, since Diageo has started Mortlach premiumtization process ,the count of...

Arriving on Orkney, with its massive Stone Age monuments that predate the Pyramids of Egypt, you are no longer among Scots, but Orcadians. Genetic studies support that these island dwellers are a breed apart, indicating that 60 percent of the Northern Isles’ male population is of Scandinavian ancestry, some of the most concentrated Viking heritage in all of Britain. It’s logical, given that a Viking longship from Norway could reach this archipelago of 70 islands north of the Scottish mainland in 24 hours, the equivalent of a day’s drive for an intrepid seafaring Norseman.

Making their independence even more apparent,...

Humans have a weird binary when it comes to drinking alcohol—some beverages are strictly for cold weather, others for scorching hot days. So we drink rich stouts in the ski lodge, and save the crisp pilsners for golfing when it’s 100 degrees. We pull out a full-bodied red wine for the Christmas party and chill the riesling and rosé for a summer picnic. The same thinking often holds true for whisky: Peated scotch, we are told, is best reserved for chilly drizzles or windy winter nights.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. For example, consider how camping, a...

T he corps of dedicated whisky drinkers has long included a division with a deep interest in exclusivity. Think of the enthusiasts that chase after bottles of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon every year or clubs whose members have access to juice sipped by no others. So it only makes sense that whisky bars across the U.S. offering a secure place to store your precious holdings have found an eager audience. These arrangements, variously called locker or keep programs, allow customers to purchase preferred whiskies, or even carry in their own personal stash. The bar then keeps them on hand for...

There’s no place quite like the Orkney Islands, a far-flung archipelago off mainland Scotland’s northern coast. Home to the Highland Park and Scapa Distilleries, Orkney (it’s often referred to in the singular) has a history that goes back several millennia, and its Neolithic, Viking, and Scottish heritages intermingle throughout the stark, maritime landscape. When you’re ready to make the trek northward, consult this guide for our top recommendations. And don’t forget to read all about what makes Orkney so peculiarly special—and well worth a visit.

What to Do on Orkney

Distillery Tours on Orkney

Where to Shop, Eat, Drink, and...

It takes quite a bit of effort to get to the Orkney Islands—why not make the most of your time there with a some truly memorable activities? From whizzing across the water on a two-minute airplane ride to the taking in awe-inspiring magnificence of an ancient sea stack, there’s a wealth of experiences to be enjoyed.

Dive In

For those adventurous folks who want to explore the waters of Scapa Flow up close and personal, Scapa Scuba offers diver training and guided dives from its base in the former lifeboat shed at Stromness. Scapa Flow is renowned as one of...

The Orkney Islands have only two distilleries, both located on the “mainland” (it’s still an island). Both are well worth a visit.

Highland Park

All tours should be booked in advance. Visit the website for tour hours and details. A variety of tours is offered, with costs ranging from $9.40 to $1,253. Pricing is indicative of the number of whiskies made available for sampling, the experiences, and the souvenirs that are included. The ultimate experience includes a day working at the distillery, turning the malt, stoking the kiln, visiting Hobbister Moor and other landmarks, before dinner and a tutored tasting....

Heading to the Orkney Islands? These are our recommendations for the best shopping, dining, drinking, and lodging.

SHOP

Buy a bottle of Highland Park new make spirit at the distillery to experience this dram ‘unplugged,’ ($26 for a 350ml bottle). For the flight home, Highland Park offers a Carry-on Cocktail Kit ($10) containing everything (except the whisky) needed to make two smoky Old-Fashioned cocktails at 30,000 feet.

Opt for an elusive 21 year old Cask Strength Edition bottle of Scapa , exclusive to Chivas’ visitor centers ($175 for a 500ml bottle).

Go to Orkney Brewery ’s visitor center at Quoyloo,...

Last month, I finally got the chance to visit the  Cognac  region in France. My destination?  Hine . Although I’d seen pictures of this tiny part of south-west France before, nothing prepared me for the beauty of Jarnac, the smaller of the two main towns in the Cognac region. The Hine house and cellars sit next to the river, and with a clear sky, the views (both of the house and from it) were stunning. As we headed into the vineyards, many of the fields were filled with sunflowers, planted on the edges of the rows of vines to improve...

TastToe is the biggest whisky and spirit shop in Belgium (perhaps even in Europe), certainly after they moved to a new location in juli 2017. TastToe is now the size of a small supermarket, with huge walls stacked with whisky, rum, gin, cognac, Madeira, wines… There’s now also space for beer, as well as a temperature controlled humidor and wine cellar. See their website for more info.

You can find anything there, from a cheap blended whisky to a € 15.000 Karuizawa. Actually, there’s a special rack with around 40 Karuizawas to choose from. In total they have...

anCnoc Stack was launched late 2016 as part of their rapidly evolving peaty collection. It has been matured in American oak ex-bourbon barrels for more than 10 years and comes at around 20 ppm of phenols.

anCnoc Stack (46%, OB 2016, 6000 btl.)

Nose: a lightly vegetal, mossy kind of peat smoke, sweetened with some honey and vanilla from the oak. Light apricot aromas and stewed apples. Fresh aromatic lemons, bordering on bergamot. Hints of dusty cereals underneath. Fairly light but very pleasant. Mouth: starts on rather deep, earthy smoke, joined by some chocolate notes later on. Hints...

We’ve all come to respect Amrut for making Indian single Maltwhisky that deserves its place in the market. However, they’ve come a long way. I dug up a bottle that I bought in 2008, with Indian text on the label and a pink Indian tax label…

Amrut single malt (40%, OB 2007, Batch 07)

Nose: sweet, with an industrial side. Stale butter, cardboard. Dusty dried flowers. Hints of oranges after a while, some honey and caramel. Perhaps a hint of marshmallow. Mouth: again very sweet, but in a rather indefinite way. Caramel, biscuits, mocha glaze. Then some...

Sherwoods is a brand-new project by Tom Sherwood , an Englishman now living in the Netherlands. His first release is a Craigellachie 2007 , a single cask sourced from Whiskybroker, bottled at a whopping 64.4%.

Around 2009-2012 we noticed a lot of new small-scale bottlers (often just selecting and labeling casks from parcels distributed by larger bottlers). At that time it was fairly easy to get good casks and make some profit. Nowadays sourcing decent casks has become much more difficult for independent bottlers, let alone come up with something that is affordable. Kudos to Tom for taking the plunge....