Anyone who knows me, personally or follow me via the blog, know that Laphroaig is my favorite distillery. With Laphroaig celebrating 200 years this year I was very excited and keen to try anything new they throw at us: the re-invented 15 Year Old (which I already reviewed here ), the 21 Year old (soon to be reviewed) and the ultra premium 32 Year Old.

When the 32 Year Old expression was announced, I knew it will be expensive and well beyond me and my poor wallet. After all, it’s not too common to find old age Laphroaig in sherry casks and...

Isle of Fionia – Cask No. 1, 3 YO, 58 % I am very excited to present to you the Isle of Fionia – Cask No. 1. This is the first whisky released from Nyborg Distillery in Denmark. They already have a further handful of releases to their name, and I will do my best to […]...

A total of 47 whiskies are released in the monopoly stores of Norway on Friday november 6, at 8 am. A few of the listed whiskies are just new sizes of previously released products; notably the Remarkable Regional Malts from Douglas Laing. These new 5 cl bottles will make it easy for anyone curious to […]...

Fujikai 10 YO, 43 % Today I am reviewing a new product from Japan, the Fujikai 10 YO from Monde Shuzou Distillery. This is the same company that produced the Isawa. It is being imported to Europe by Les Whiskies du Monde. The Fujikai 10 YO has been matured for 10 years in bourbon casks, and is […]...

It’s the first week of november, which means it’s time for a new Spirit and Malt of the Month! And this time we’re going big.

First up is one of the most popular well-aged rums that we have – Appleton Estate 21 Year Old . Made in Jamaica on the eponymous estate, it’s a rich and complex sipping rum that pairs up perfectly with the autumn weather. Normally £140 a bottle, we’re knocking £41 off for the whole of november – that’s a discount of almost 30%.

Stu’s a big fan, so I asked nicely and he forced himself to...

The other day I was selecting bottles for a whisky tasting I hosted, with all kinds of different styles. The tasting included anCnoc , GlenDronach , Lagavulin, Elijah Craig and a really old Glen Grant 1972 , but I also felt the Springbank style was a must-have.

A good chance to open a recent batch of the classic Springbank 10 Years , it had been a while since I tried it.

Springbank 10 yo (46%, OB 2015, 15/103)

Nose: still the mineral classic indeed. Earthy / rooty notes, hints of chalk and a certain ‘green’ fruitiness, some lemon...

Nose Art is a recent series from Whisky-Doris in Germany. It has, well… original labels. We’re trying a 1988 grain whisky from Invergordon, with a yearly production of 40 millions litres of alcohol one of the biggest distilleries in Scotland.

Invergordon 27 yo 1988 (47,4%, Whisky-Doris ‘Nose Art’ 2015, bourbon hogshead #8096, 141 btl.)

Nose: very creamy and coconutty, with plenty of vanilla and some very ripe yellow plums and apricots. Bananas flambéed with clotted cream. White chocolate notes and butter croissants. Hints of varnish and popcorn. Mouth: quite an oily, rummy style, really sweet and simple. Malibu...

We continue our reviews of some Whisky Exchange exclusives from The Whisky Show. Today Caol Ila 1983 selected from the Signatory stocks.

Caol Ila 31 yo 1983 (48,1%, Signatory Vintage for The Whisky Exchange 2015, hogshead #5294, 255 btl.)

Nose: gentle and rather fruity with some subtle baked banana up front. majbe mango, then some mint and vanilla cream. Hints of cod oil and salted butter. Wet gravel. Lots of leathery notes and library dust as well. Very refined and sophisticated, by no means a huge Islay whisky even by Coal Ila standards. Mouth: sweet onset, but quickly...

Old Pulteney Duncansby Head, NAS, 46 % In 2013 Old Pulteney released their Lighthouse Series, aimed at the Travle Retail market. I have previously reviewed the Old Pulteney Pentland Skerries from the same series. So this is the Old Pulteney Duncansby Head. It takes its name from the Duncansby Head lighthouse near John O’Groats at the very […]...

Hakushu Sherry Cask 2012, NAS, 48 % Suntory releases special limited editions in a wood expression series ‘almost’ annually, for both their Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries. I write ‘almost’, because there are slight variations from year to year, and it would seem none have been released this year. If anyone knows more, then please enlighten […]...

Highland Park The Sword – Viking Collection, NAS, 43 % Here is a Highland Park released exclusive for Taiwan. The Highland Park The Sword – Viking Collection was distilled in 1997 and released in 2010. The release was limited to around 1000 bottles. This whisky was matured exclusively in sherry casks, with a majority of […]...

Gordon & MacPhail (G&M) have hit the headlines by releasing two exceptionally old and rare whiskies from Mortlach – a 70 Year Old launched at Edinburgh Castle in 2010, and a 75 Year Old that first appeared this autumn, billed by G&M as ‘the world’s most exclusive single Maltwhisky’.

The four G&M Mortlachs shown at the first Whisky Show Masterclass of 2015 (Image © Simon J Hanna)

The latter was the star attraction at the first Masterclass of the 2015 Whisky Exchange Whisky Show , hosted by G&M sales director Stephen Rankin and ably assisted by whisky writer Charlie MacLean....

This was one of the drams we tried at the latest Fulldram tasting. It is the previous version of Highland Park 25 Year Old , released early 2000s. It didn’t live long because it was replace by the current oval bottles around 2006 . It contains 50% first-fill sherry casks.

Highland Park 25 yo (50,7%, OB 2004)

Nose: starts a little musty and meaty, with damp leaves and a floral kind of peat. Hints of caramel. I expected bolder sherry notes from its colour. Herbal notes (eucalyptus, heather) and coastal touches. Hints of red berries and a little...

The Whiskyman just released two new bottlings in its Hard Rock series: this Ledaig 2006 “Drink with your boots on” and an Auchentoshan 1990 “Cold hearted stillman”.

Ledaig 2006 (53,3%, The Whiskyman 2015, 154 btl.)

Nose: quite some organic notes at first. Not just farmy, there’s also a little cabbage and sulphur involved. It clears up after a while. Soot and tar. Anchovies and sea air. Soft menthol. In the background there are hints of toffee, Demerara sugar and a touch of pineapple sweetness. These become more apparent and much nicer after a while, be sure to give...

Spirit of Hven Tycho’s Star, NAS, 41,8 % I am happy to present a new release from Spirit of Hven today. The Spirit of Hven Tycho’s Star is named in tribute to the astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), who lived on the island for many years. This whisky was launched at The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show […]...

The Ladies’ Share has got our own website! Finally, over two years after we were established, we have our own website. From today on you will no longer find reviews by Tone here on Whisky Saga but on theladiesshare.com! You will find our new page quite empty at the moment but please do not give up […]...