Roslagswhisky Eko No. 1, 3 YO, 46 % The whisky I present today was made by Norrtelje Brenneri AB, Sweden. This is their second release. It differs from the first batch, in that this one is matured in an ex-bourbon cask from Heaven Hill, whereas the first batch was matured in an ex-sherry Oloroso cask. Both […]...

In the summer of 2014, Glenfarclas released two 1954 casks: #1259 and #1260. On the label they say they were matured in ‘plain butts’ (so ex-bourbon casks? or rather some fourth fill?) and bottled after 60 years, give or take, making them among the oldest casks left in the warehouses at that time.

Glenfarclas ‘Family Casks’ 1954 (46,7%, OB 2014, plain butt #1259, 453 btl.)

Nose: some mentholated oak up front, as well as some leather, orange peel and a light suggestion of mango and mirabelles. Even passion fruits. Beeswax and fir honey. Some good vanilla and...

The Glenlivet Rare Vintage series is one I’ve been keen to taste for years as they had so many old (and expensive) vintages in this series, with even some whiskies from the turn of the 20th century!

And finally I get to taste a vintage from the series, courtesy of G&M and their “The Wood Makes the Whisky” campaign. This time it’s a Glenlivet 1974 vintage which is a vatting of whisky from refill American & refill Sherry casks.

Rare Vintage Smith’s Glenlivet 1974 (43%)

Nose : Relaxed, fresh, dried fruit with sultanas and figs, some eucalyptus, nutty, furniture varnish, getting...

Yesterday it was The Deveron 12 turn and today it’s the older brother turn, The Deveron 18 Year Old. I had the opportunity to taste an advanced sample of Deveron 18 during Whisky Live Tel-Aviv, directly from visiting Bacardi ambassador Lomond Campbell. Luckily I saved some of it for later and deeper tasting so it made sense to compare the sample to the final commercially released whisky.

Advanced sample on the left, final Deveron 18 on the right. Notice the color difference.

As can seen from the picture above there’s a slight color change with the final version boasting a darker...

Last week we completed reviewing the new Royal Brackla line-up and now it’s time to tackle yet another distillery that went through a big change as part of Bacardi “Last Great Malts” series, Glen Deveron whisky which is actually distilled at Macduff distillery (No, there’s no Glen Deveron distillery).

The official line-up from Macduff was previously known as Glen Deveron and upon the re-launch on september 2015 it was rebranded as The Deveron. But it wasn’t only a re-branding, the whisky changed too as the old Glen Deveron expressions were ditched and instead we get a new line-up with three standard expressions (10, 12...

Laphroaig Lore, NAS, 48 % In the november newsletter from Laphroaig it was announced that a new whisky called Laphroaig Lore was due to be released during Spring 2016. It has still not been officially launched, but at the Bergen International Whisky & Beer Festival 2016 this weekend I got to try it. Nor only did […]...

Copper Pony Rye Whiskey, 6 months, 45 % Not sure I want to do this, but I guess I have to. OK, here goes. Time for another TerrePURE whiskey. Remember this stuff? No? The company behind TerrePURE is called Terresentia Corporation. You can read up on the technology here, or watch this video. It’s all about […]...

Winchester Rye Whiskey, 6 months, 45 % I promise that this will be last review of a TerrePURE whiskey for a long while. Terresentia Corporation is the company behind this technique, where they use chemistry rather than oak to mature whiskey (more here). Nose (18/25): Sweet with a bit of an edge. A bit like Dijon […]...

Arran Smugglers’ Series Volume One – The Illicit Stills, NAS, 56,4 % On september 28, 2015, the Isle of Arran Distillers (I’ll just call it the Arran Distillery), released the first in a series of three limited editions; the Arran Smugglers’ Series Volume One – The Illicit Stills. Here are the key facts, as presented on […]...

I am often shocked by a lack of culture from my TWE Blog colleagues. While I was happy to lend them a copy of Dude Where’s My Car – the finest film ever made – to ensure they understand most of the shibby that I say, I was recently dismajed by the complete lack of knowledge of one of the greatest films in existence by both Rocky and Stu : they hadn’t seen Zoolander .

Still some of Ben Stiller’s best work

My comments on my difficulties with turning left , eugooglies and the perils of being really, really, really ridiculously good looking...

Three Ships Whisky is the pioneer of the South African whisky industry.

Distilled in 2005 at the James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington, the whisky was initially matured for eight years and ten months in American oak before spending a further 14 months in a cask seasoned with Pedro Ximénez sherry.

The whisky forms part of the Three Ships Masters Collection which will see a limited edition being launched, each year, over the next years under the Three Ships brand.

Three Ships 10 yo ‘single cask PX finish’ (46,2%, OB 2015, 800 btl.)

Nose: a pleasantly dusty start, some...

We have a little celebration coming up this Friday, and we’ll work our way up to this occasion with a series of excellent oldies.

We already had similar 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 Mortlach 1959/1960 . Each of these whiskies are a vatting of 1959 and 1960 casks, the birth years of both royals.

Mortlach 1959 & 1960 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail 1986, Royal marriage of Prince Andrew & Sarah)

Nose: full-on sherry, with lots of...

One more young whisky from G&M in the “The Wood Makes the Whisky” campaign, but this time it’s a whisky from a powerhouse distillery that all but ditched the age statements from their main OB expressions: Macallan.

Luckily, we have independent bottlers to enjoy age labeled Macallans but even those are pretty rare and hard to find, that is, unless you’re Gordon & Macphail. I bet there’s some prior contract that supplies G&M with fresh casks from Macallan and so we can enjoy the Speymat range, from the expensive old to the young and affordable vintages.

As befitting the tone of...