The most affordable bottling in the recent batch from Maltbarn was this Caol Ila 2003 , bottled after 13 years is a sherry cask.

Caol Ila 13 yo 2003 (55,5%, Maltbarn 2016, sherry cask, 175 btl.)

Nose: sweet smoky notes. There’s banana cake, dried apple and orange sweetness, wood smoke, a bit of pepper too. Light medicinal notes in the background. Whiffs of eucalyptus. Seems pretty standard at first, but it gains complexity and elegance over time. Really nice. Mouth: punchy, quite a malty onset, with some big smoky notes and bonfire embers. Mesquite. Hints of citrus zest...

In an exclusive report, Shanken News Daily informed us after the market close yesterday that Constellation Brands emerged victorious in a heated auction for craft whiskey darling High West Distillery , of Park City, Utah, beating out other large spirit company suitors. These included both Pernod Ricard and LVMH Moët. According to Constellation, High West is already generating $25 million in annual whiskey sales and the deal closed with a purchase price of roughly $160 million.

High West currently distills and matures some of their own whiskey, but it was their innovative sourced whiskeys, particularly blends of mature whiskeys from...

This year’s showpiece Whisky Show masterclass featured three contrasting figures. The first: an avuncular figure who has held every job possible in a whisky distillery. The second: an innovator, famed for his experiments with casks. And the third: a legendary figure who lets his whiskies do the talking.

The Masters of Whisky masterclass (from left: Alan Winchester, Bill Lumsden, Dave Broom, Shinji Fukuyo) © Simon J Hanna

Our three Masters of Whisky were, respectively, Alan Winchester of The Glenlivet , Bill Lumsden of Glenmorangie and Ardbeg , and Shinji Fukuyo of Suntory , with whisky writer Dave Broom on hosting...

I have mentioned this Littlemill 1990 a couple of times already , but I have never gotten around writing a proper review. Nonetheless it’s one of the best Littlemill expressions I’ve tried.

Littlemill 23 yo 1990 (49,6%, The Whiskyman for Lindores Whiskyfest 2013, refill sherry, 60 btl.)

Nose: a slow seducer. Just apples, hay and lemongrass at first. Only garden so far. After some fifteen minutes, it gets warmer, rounder, with more vanilla and guava juice. Some beeswax. Pineapples. A big almondy side as well, with marzipan. Buttercups. Cinnamon and ginger. Excellent. Mouth: clearly fruity right away. Tangerines,...

This is the privately bottled Lagavulin 23 Year Old 1992 in the Casks of Distinction programme from Diageo. Check this page for more info.

A bottle of this Lagavulin is the highlight of the current auction over at WhiskyAuction.com. It has already reached € 2200 and there’s almost a month left for placing bids. The bottle number is 419/420 – it is in fact the owner trying to gauge the market and figure out his return on investment. Mr. Kruger is a good friend of his.

To have a nice sparring partner, I dug up my bottle of Lagavulin 21...

Cognac and Armagnac are the most revered brandies in the world, famed for their elegance and luxury. They both hail from south-west France, and each has a slightly different distilling method, yet both carry sweet, spicy flavours married with plum, prune and apricot fruitiness.

These brandies have long been the choice of the connoisseur and the refined. And yet for such old-world, dare we say aristocratic spirits, they have filtered through into the lyrics of some of the most famous hip-hop stars the music industry has produced:  ‘Hennessy is what my system like – feeling like Superman, I might crip...

Here’s a young Bunnahabhain 2006 bottled by Gordon & MacPhail . It’s unpeated, contrary to most of the young expressions that you’ll find from independent bottlers.

This was matured in a combination of first-fill and refill sherry hogsheads .

Bunnahabhain 2006 (43%, G&M ‘MacPhail’s Collection’ 2015)

Nose: elegant, fruity nose. Peaches, mango and lots of citrusy freshness.  There’s a malty core behind it, with light leathery touches and a hint of minerals. Very subtle sherry. Mouth: bright orange / kiwi notes, quickly followed by cereals and toasted bread. Then nutty flavours, a hint of cumin and roasted coffee...

This Tomatin 2004 was selected by over 40 members of the Usquebaugh Society in The Netherlands, in a tasting guided by Scott Adamson. It was matured in a refill bourbon cask for 7 years and then transferred to first-fill bourbon barrel #35281 for a 4 years finishing period.

In a way the recipe reminds me of Tomatin Legacy but the other way round.

Tomatin 11 yo 2004 (60%, OB for The Usquebaugh Society 2016, first-fill bourbon barrel #35281, 251 btl.)

Nose: aromatic, in a rather typical way for new oak. Green banana, vanilla, with whiffs of newly cut...

anCnoc Black Hill Reserve is a travel retail expression launched in 2015. It was matured exclusively in first-fill bourbon casks , my favourite recipe for this distillery.

Knockdhu Distillery is located near Knock Hill , known to the locals as Black Hill (also the meaning of Knockdhu in Gaelic).

anCnoc Black Hill Reserve (46%, OB 2016)

Nose: fresh and rather light, with classic notes of vanilla and orchard fruits. Green apple peel, pears, yellow plums. A light buttery note comes out after a while. Citrus aromas keep growing. Mouth: same fruity core, slightly honeyed, but with a firm...

Timorous Beastie 40 YO, 54,7 % About five weeks ago the independent bottler Douglas Laing & Co. unveiled the Timorous Beastie 40 Years Old Limited Edition Highland Malt Scotch Whisky. This is a limited release of just 1080 bottles, bottled at a natural cask strength of 54.7%. The standard edition of this Highland blended malt […]...

We’re busy at Whisky Exchange HQ. Not only are we getting ready for a busy final three months of the year, but tomorrow marks our annual Whisky Show  – two days with some of the best whiskies in the world, all under one roof.

Saturday and weekend tickets are sold out, but there are still a handful of Sunday tickets left. If you want one, don’t wait, as they’ll be gone by the end of the day – you can buy tickets here .

With so much to do at the show, it’s difficult to fit everything in. However, here are...

Wemyss Malts announced a series of 12 new releases for fall 2016:

• “Hickory Molasses Glaze” – Bunnahabhain 2001
• “Pear Crème” – Auchentoshan 1998
• “Ginger Glazed Gammon”   – Mortlach 1998
• “Blossom Nectar”  – Glenrothes 1997 (50,8%)
• “Pomme Piquante” – Clynelish 1995
• “Oak for All Seasons” – Braes of Glenlivet 1994
• “Persian Anise” – Longmorn 1992
• “Frangipane Canapé” – Bladnoch 1990
• “Haven Trail” – Bunnahabhain 1990
• “Barbecue Mango Salsa” – Bowmore 1989
• “Cream of The Crop” – Glen Garioch 1989
• “Frosted Molasses Tart” – Invergordon 1988

These expressions go from around € 85 to € 320.

Douglas Laing released...