We already had similar Mortlach 1959/1960 , Glendronach 1959/1960 and Glen Grant 1959/1960 , all bottled by Gordon & MacPhail for the wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. This time we try the undisclosed MacPhail’s 1959/1960 . Each of these whiskies are a vatting of 1959 and 1960 casks, the birth years of both royals.

The MacPhail’s name means we don’t know the distillery. The label doesn’t even state single malt so it could be a vatting, but then again the single malt labels don’t have single malt either. I’ve read it could be Macallan , but there’s also...

Ledaig 2007 8 YO, 52,3 % Here is another recent release from Belgian independent bottler Beacon Spirits. The Ledaig 2007 8 YO was matured in an unspecified barrel, and the outturn was 169 bottles. You can buy the Ledaig 2007 8 YO straight from Beacon Spirits at € 65. Nose: Minerals and rocks, wet rocks. A bit flinty, […]...

Eiktyrne Småfat Cognacfat nr. 1045, 3 YO, 51 % It is still quite rare to see new releases of Norwegian single Maltwhisky. A few weeks back we finally saw a new, and very limited, release from Det Norske Brenneri. I recently visited this distillery, and you can Läs mer about that here. The Eiktyrne Småfat […]...

Caol Ila 2007 8 YO, 51,2 % Just recently I published reviews of two other fresh releases from new Belgian independent bottler Beacon Spirits (see here and here). Now the time has come to review the third and last of this first batch of single malt releases from these guys. I hereby present to you the Caol Ila […]...

This is an upcoming release from Eiling Lim , an official bottling of Glenfarclas , from a cask that she had been following for quite a while since she discovered it in a warehouse tasting.

There aren’t that many 100% bourbon Glenfarclas around, but it seems 1979 has quite a few of them. Usually these “plain oak” casks are hogsheads rebuilt from staves that once formed a bourbon barrel. We’re expecting a burst of tropical fruits.

Glenfarclas 37 yo 1979 (46,9%, OB for Eiling Lim 2016, plain oak cask #8818, 188 btl.)

Nose: very fruity indeed, although rather...

Using smaller casks is sort of a trend. As distilleries want to release younger malts, they are looking for ways to get more flavour in less time. Laphroaig started using quarter casks at a time when NAS was not yet a thing, and last week we reviewed the BenRiach Peated Quarter Casks .

Now we’re trying Glenglassaugh Octaves Classic , the non-peated version of their Octaves casks matured product.

Glenglassaugh Octaves Classic (44%, OB 2016)

Nose: very fruity and sherbety, lots of candy apples, pears, glucose, oranges and vanilla. The vanilla evolves to more grassy notes and pencil...

I tried one Inchgower 1980 so far ( TWA Sea Life series ) and I really didin’t like it. Luckily I also had excellent 1974 – 1975 expressions, including from the same bottler Maltbarn . Also, this 1980 was bottled from a bourbon cask whereas the other one was from a sherry cask.

As you know, most of these rare casks are sold in larger parcels and distributed among independent bottlers. Most of the independent Inchgowers I know were bottled around 2010-2012. It suits Maltbarn that they’re trying to hold back such casks once in a while, in order to...

The Laddie Eight is a travel retail Bruichladdich, rather young but we’re not complaining as long as we are told how old exactly and it’s not wrapped in a stupid marketing story.

It’s unpeated and together with the NAS Bruichladdich Classic Laddie , it takes a bit of pressure away from the Bruichladdich Laddie Ten , which is facing low stocks. Although it’s a travel retail expression, you can also get it in regular stores now.

Bruichladdich The Laddie Eight (50%, OB 2016)

Nose: sweet and malty, with acacia honey, yellow apples and some buttery touches. Tinned pineapple....

Whisky Live Paris is held this week-end and La Maison du Whisky has announced some of its new releases, three of which are bottled for the 60th anniversary of the company:

Compass Box Whisky de Table is the first exclusive bottling. John Glaser selected specific casks at the Buffalo Trace distillery which he filled with new make spirit from four Scottish distilleries. After three years he created this light, fruity (and lightly smoky) blended malt, presented in a traditional wine bottle. Available for € 42.

Wolfburn A Little Something Different is a composition of 18% sherry casks and 82% bourbon....

Glenfarclas will soon releases a 1979 single cask #8818 selected by Eiling Lim and her husband Luc Timmermans from the traditional dunnage warehouse n°8. It was a “plain oak” cask so without the classic sherry character of Glenfarclas. Instead we can expect tropical fruits, mint and vanilla. Only 188 bottles are available, with a wooden box, for around € 420.

anCnoc has announced its first ever single cask bottling, to mark the 60th anniversary of La Maison du Whisky . This anCnoc 2005 cask #427 has been matured for over 11 years in a first-fill American oak...

Michter’s US*1 Kentucky Straight Rye, NAS, 42,4 % OK, I can feel a mild headache coming on, having tried to read up on the history of this American whiskey brand. Nothing seems to ever be straight forward with these brands. The same goes for Michter’s. Sure, if you look at their website you will see they […]...

Speyside distillery  Glenrothes  bucks the trend by releasing its whiskies by vintage rather than with an age statement. Since 2010 it has been under the sole ownership of wine merchant (and independent bottler ) Berry Brothers & Rudd.  We welcomed brand heritage director Ronnie Cox to host our latest TWE tasting.

Ronnie Cox, brand heritage director of BB&R Spirits

In their own words – Ronnie Cox

‘ If you don’t like the whisky, keep adding water to it . I have a colleague who loves drinking whiskies at 50%+ ABV – I think he has a tongue like a Highland cow,...

How long has it been since we’ve seen new Lochside on the market? The distillery was closed in 1992, demolished in 2005, and it seems most of the available casks have been bottled. A couple of premium releases in the last couple of years but that’s all.

Let’s keep the memory alive with this Lochside 1987 in the Perfect Dram series from The Whisky Agency.

Lochside 21 yo 1987 (62,4%, The Perfect Dram 2008, ex-bourbon hogshead, 199 btl.)

Nose: starts rather austere, closed, with lots of grassy notes, then mint and oak. After a while the fruity notes...

Here’s part 2 of the Tweet Tasting organised by The Whisky Wire. Check out the previous reviews of Glen Moray Peated , Glen Moray Sherry Cask finish and Glen Moray 15 Year Old .

We also tried two distillery exclusives .

The first one is a 1994 single cask , first matured in a first-fill bourbon barrel and then finished in a first-fill Oloroso sherry butt since december 2010. Master distiller and distillery manager Graham Coull explained that after the transfer, the bourbonny notes were initially masked by the sherry but gradually returned as the sherry was more integrated....