Gerston Classic Selection, NAS, 43 % Gerston is one of the lost distilleries given a new lease on life by The Lost Distillery Company. We have previously reviewed the older Deluxe expression of Gerston. The Gerston Classic Selection is a new entry level expression. This is a blended malt, created to present what the company […]...

Along with the whiskey samples we get here at the magazine, we get whiskey-related gadgets. Most of them aren’t worth your time — hats with flasks and sippy straws, “whiskey pong” sets — but some of them are things that pique our interest. Those fall mainly into four categories: flasks (we’ll always try out a new flask), chilling ideas for individual glasses of whisky, apps and guides, and the new rush of wood insert ‘whisky improvers.’ We try them out, and if they’re interesting, or superior, we’ll let you know.

To be honest, most of them don’t make the cut....

The Islay Festival maj have finished weeks ago, but juli’s Malt of the Month has been chosen to help those of us who went relive the visit and to give those who couldn’t go a slice of Islay.

It’s Laphroaig’s 200th anniversary in 2015 and they’re celebrating throughout the year with events and special releases. We’ve decided to join in for juli, knocking £5 off bottles of their flagship whisky: Laphroaig 10 Year Old .

I’m not very good at hiding my obsession with whisky from the distillery, and I love the fruity, briny, smoky, medicinal flavour combination that they get into...

This Bunnahabhain 1980 was released by Eiling Lim in early 2015, alongside a Littlemill 1990. It’s her first Islay release.

Both are sold out and I’ve heard a big part of the yield was shipped to Lim’s birth country Malaysia , which is a good thing as this proves original concept (introducing high-quality independent bottlings there) is successful.

Bunnahabhain 34 yo 1980 (46,2%, Eiling Lim 2014, 50 btl.)

Nose: a hugely elegant, pleasantly discreet profile, which needs some time. Leathery notes and a hint of eucalyptus and menthol. Also subtle fruity notes underneath, light jams, figs, ripe gooseberries...

This is a Clynelish expression at cask strength that was only for sale at the distillery. It is believed to be a version of the standard Clynelish 14 Year Old at natural strength. It was a one-off bottling, I don’t think the concept of ‘distillery only’ bottlings has been repeated.

Clynelish ‘available only at the distillery’ (57,3%, OB 2008)

Nose: very naked, with lemon, yellow apple, dried grass and a lot of waxy notes. Wax candles, buttery notes. Mineral and sharp, but it becomes more aromatic after a while, with subtle but impressive lime and raspberry notes in...

I’m taking another break today from the headbangers reviews series. But I have a very good excuse this time: It’s the blog second birthday!

To accommodate the event, I’ve decided to review a festive dram and after debating between a few possibilities, I’ve decided to review Glengoyne 21 Year Old.

Just like last year I intended to have a give-away for the blog holiday but it will be delayed till later this month, so watch this space.

Glengoyne 21 Year Old (43%, £109.79 )

Nose : Sherry goodness with dried fruits, raisins, prunes and plums. It’s a settled and elegant nose, lots...

On Friday juli 3 we will see a total of 32 whiskies released in the Vinmonopolet monopoly stores. In the list below we have linked to our reviews for the ones we have already tested. Very interesting this month are the Akashi from Japan, Armorik Maitre de Chai from France, Nikka Coffey Grain from Japan, and […]...

The young Norwegian whisky distillery on the tiny island of Myken is now (almost) ready to launch their first product. It will not be a whisky, naturally, as they have only been in production for less than a year. Their first product will be the Myken Arctic Dry Gin. Handcrafted at Myken Distillery, made from […]...

Highland Park 10 YO, 40 % A few weeks back I visited Orkney for the very first time. I doubt it will be my last time. My husband and I visited both Highland Park Distillery and Scapa distillery. I tasted the Highland Park 10 YO on Orkney and I definitely wanted to buy a bottle […]...

We are hearing sad news from France today. The craft distillery Glann Ar Mor in Brittany (Bretagne/Breton) are closing down on augusti 15, 2015. The distillery, which was started back in maj 1997 by Martine and Jean Donnay, produce the unpeated Glann Ar Mor and the peated Kornog (see reviews here). The quality of their products is […]...

It’s been long overdue but sherry is starting to come back into fashion. No longer purely seen as ‘granny’s tipple’, producers have been looking at ways to give a contemporary twist to this historic and traditional fortified wine. One of the bodegas at the forefront of the revival is González Byass with a range of unfiltered sherries, including Tio Pepe En Rama .

Casks once used for González Byass’ range of sherries

Launched in 2010, En Rama is an annual spring release of fino sherry comprised of the best 160 casks from the bodega’s historic Rebollo and Constancia soleras, used for...

The now-retired stills at Tobermory

Every so often, a truly historic bottling comes along. One recent release that deserves that accolade is Ledaig Dùsgadh 42 Year Old .

The Isle of Mull’s sole distillery was reopened under the Ledaig name in 1972 after four decades of silence. Today known as Tobermory , the distillery’s former name is reserved for the peated whisky it produces.

500 bottles of Dùsgadh (Gaelic for ‘reawakening’) have been released, comprised of some of the first spirit to run from the then-new stills. It has been aged in a variety of casks, including the final 12...

Glen Mhor , Millburn, Pittyvaich, Brackla, North Port… those are the five distilleries I have the least experience with (except for completely lost ones of course). Here’s a rare opportunity to try the Glen Mhor 1966 in the Old Malt Cask series.

Glen Mhor 34 yo 1966 (50%, Douglas Laing ‘Old Malt Cask’ 2000, 396 btl.)

Nose: high octane sherry. I get some rich forest fruit jam, raspberry coulis and Heering Cherry liqueur, but also less expected things like bananas and apricots. Then a big herbal side (liquorice, mint) with tobacco, moving towards polished furniture and big hints...

It’s time to resume the Headbangers series reviews. But as I want to review another Laphroaig whisky before the summer finally settle in here (which is late by normal standards), Let’s do a headbangers review of Laphroaig 15. We’ll pit the old (pre-2009 Laphroaig 15 vs Laproaig 15 the 200th Anniversary version.

Yes, a fight of the same expression but the truth is it’s not exactly the same expression. The old 15 Year old was a very popular, being milder than the 10 year old and more delicate. But in 2009 they stopped producing it and instead we got the...

I think I’ll prolong the headbangers break for one more day to review another new Laphroaig expression – the latest batch (007) of their ever-popular 10 Year Old Cask Strength expresison. Although it was bottled in januari 2015, It arrived to market and webshops without much fanfare in maj and the release proximity to Feis Ile and the new new 15 yo and Cairdeas releases made it coast to sold-out state under the radar.

But with all due respect to the new 15 Year Old and the Cairdeas, there’s no doubt that the 10 Year Old CS  does stands on it own as the...

Time for some interlude in the headbangers reviews series. I finally got my Laphroaig Cairdeas 2015 liquid and I just had to taste it as soon as possible :-)

It’s the Laphroaig 200th anniversary bottling, wholly produced in Laphroaig with 100% usage of malting floor barley and according to John Campbell, it should represent how old Laphroaig was used to taste.

Laphroaig Cairdeas 2015 (51.5%)

Nose : Sweet, malty and salty. Then the earthy sweet peat comes in along with citrus and honey. There’s smoky (not smoke) sweet cured meat, lots of brine  and vanilla and after a few minutes there’s...

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Tamnavulin 1993 (21 year old) 50%...

Cognac Tiffon – Chateau de Triac, Reserve de la Famille 40%...

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Tomatin 1994 (20 year old) 50%

Bourbon/ Code: OMC2452/ Dist: Oct 1994 Btl: Jan 2015/ Tasted: Feb 2015

Dusty and spicy, nutmeg and ginger with hints of honey, melon, granulated sugar and sawdusty oak. The aromas freshen with time as hints of lime and green apple come through.

The creamy vanilla oak on the palate blunts the fruitiness of the nose, but there still a touch of melon, honey and lightly herbal spice. The spice really kicks in on the finish although it’s a tad on the dry side. The oak has overwhelmed the spirit...