Following yesterday’s review of the BenRiach Dunder , here’s a review of his close sibling BenRiach Albariza. Both are peated BenRiachs aged 18 year old, just that the Albariza is finished in PX sherry casks. Does it work better here than in the Dunder?

BenRiach 18 Year Old Albariza (46%, 3886 bottles, £98 / €107 )

Nose : Lots of peat yet it is weaker than it felt in Dunder. It’s probably mitigated by the PX cask as the sherry notes are quite prominent here. Dried fruits, sour berries, raisins, sweet, cloves, weak cooked cinnamon. With further exposure to air there are...

BenRiach distillery is well known for weird and innovative experiments with their whisky – myriad of distillations (double and triple), heavy peated, peated and unpeated releases, different wood finishes and that leads to a few duds but also some kick ass whiskies over the last decade, led by the famous annual batch releases.

This year we were treated to a trio of new releases – peated whisky finished in different spirit barrels: PX sherry, Dark rum and Madeira. Those expressions are quite a success from the business side as it’s not easy to get a bottle of those releases. They fly off the...

Longrow Red 12 YO Fresh Pinot Noir Casks (2015), 52,9 % Longrow, the peated whisky from Springbank Distillers, has an annual wine finish release. The latest release is the Longrow Red 12 YO Fresh Pinot Noir Casks (2015). I have previously reviewed the Longrow Red from 2013 and 2014. The 2015 release is 12 years old, […]...

Port Ellen 1982 31 YO Cask #1511 (Mackillop’s Choice), 56,2 % I must admit I have almost given up on Port Ellen. It was closed in 1983. It has reached legendary status (not 100 % sure why). The prices for Port Ellen as the remaining stock gets increasingly older and more scarce are way past ridiculous, just like […]...

There’s a lot to learn about whiskey—distilleries, still geometries, types of peat, rye vs. rye malt, blends vs. singles and straights, new and old barrels—and an overwhelming number of different expressions. If you’re new to whiskey, or if you want to help someone who’s new to whiskey, it can seem overwhelming.

That’s what the creators of The Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide to Becoming a Whiskey Know-It-All were looking to overcome. Unfortunately, the book’s publisher gets it off to a bad start right away with a title that jars terribly: “know-it-all”? The implication is clear: whiskey knowledge is either made...

We like a birthday at TWE. With our 15th anniversary year drawing to a close, we’ll happily use anyone else as an excuse to continue the party, and the folks at Compass Box have stepped up. They kicked off their celebrations in april with the launch of Hedonism Quindecimus , and have followed it up with a pair of new releases launching today – Flaming Heart Fifth Edition and This is not a luxury Whisky .

First up, Flaming Heart. The first edition appeared in 2006 as the result of Compass Box founder John Glaser’s experiments with new French oak –...

‘This is a moment in history. This will never be repeated.’ A dramatic introduction from our host Dave Broom , but fully warranted. The final Masterclass of the 2015 Whisky Exchange Whisky Show featured more than 150 years’ experience in the whisky industry, nine unforgettable whiskies, and three legends of whisky – a trio of the biggest names in the business. Each one presented three whiskies: one they were involved in making; a whisky they consider legendary; and a whisky brought specially for the masterclass.

From left: Jim McEwan, Richard Paterson, David Stewart, Dave Broom (Photo: © Simon J Hanna)

THE LEGENDS...

The Macallan 18 Year Old Sherry Oak was once the Rolls Royce bottling when it comes to sherry maturation. At least it was when I started my whisky adventures at the start of this century. The fame of recent bottlings seems to have faded a little, with the rest of the Macallan’s sherry range.

Mind that since the 1980’s releases the label says ‘distilled in 1997 and earlier years ’ so it’s not technically a vintage whisky.

The Macallan 18 yo 1997 (43%, OB 2015)

Nose: still a rather juicy kind of sherry. Plenty of oranges (fresh juice,...

This is the third release of Bruichladdich Bere Barley . The 2007 crops used for this spirit were grown on Orkney and supplied by local farmers in cooperation with the Agronomy Institute at Orkney College UHI (who also worked with Arran among others).

Bere is an ancient type of barley – similar grains found on Orkney reach back to the dawn of Scottish agriculture and civilisation, more than 4,500 years ago. It produces desperately low yields – 50% less than a modern crop .

Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2008 (50%, OB 2014, 36.000 btl.)

Nose: very close to the...

After my first experience with English Whisky Co. wares, it was time to be bold and push the boundaries even further, so I went ahead and tasted the peated version of English Whisky Co.

It’s another The Whisky Exchange exclusive, bottled at 55.2% with only 290 bottles produced. I had two questions in mind about it:

1. is the peat source a local one in Norfolk or is it sourced from Scotland or outside the UK? 2. How does it stand up to the classic (and unpeated) version?

English Whisky Co. Peated TWE Exclusive (55.2%, 290 bottles,  £61.95 )

Nose : First impression: creamy...

Macallan Rare Cask, NAS, 43 % Today is my second time tasting the Macallan Rare Cask. The first time I was influenced by a cold and tasting notes would not have been fair then. I thought. It turns out I think much the same about the whisky today as I did the first time. The […]...

I’m a huge James Bond fan. Ever since my mum took me to see Moonraker at the Chelmsford Odeon, I was hooked. If I’m channel-hopping at home and find a Bond film on (which is surprisingly quite often), then it stays on until the end. I even sleep with a Walther PPK under my pillow ( you’re being silly now – Ed ). For me, there is just something very comforting about a Bond film – the nostalgia, the glamour and the sheer over-the-top absurdity of it all, typified in 007’s penchant for throwaway gags after dispatching a baddie (‘ He...

You don’t see independent Balmenach every day (actually you see them more often than official releases). The Whisky Exchange already selected a few from the Signatory Vintage stocks and they did the same for this year’s Whisky Show.

Balmenach 26 yo 1988 (51,1%, Signatory Vintage for The Whisky Exchange 2015, hogshead #3242, 192 btl.)

Nose: gentle nose, with a warm fruitiness: pineapple and overripe banana, with some bramble and stewed apple. Marmalade. Also honey and lots of hay. Vanilla and waxed oak. After a while some subtle leafy notes, light porridge and sweet herbs come out (mint, cinnamon)....

Mackmyra Brukswhisky, NAS, 41,4 % Today I am testing and tasting the Mackmyra Brukswhisky. This product was launched back in 2010, and is still part of the Mackmyra core range, together with Mackmyra Svensk Rök and Mackmyra Svensk Ek. I really do not know anything about the maturation for this whisky, but over at Master […]...

At The Whisky Show , I have either the best or worst job in TWE’s editorial team. Rocky is king of the masterclasses , setting up, breaking down and generally keeping the ship on an even keel; Stu runs around recording, whether looking after our videographer or sitting in on masterclasses and Q&A sessions with a notepad; I stand behind the Show Bottlings stand, talking about whisky for the whole weekend.

I know which I prefer.

Have you seen these men? Evidence of me, Rocky and Stu working

This year’s show bottlings cover a spectrum of flavours and styles. As...