I've been into whisky for over 15 years now and started this blog back in 2014 to provide an independent opinion on whiskies and current industry topics. Find out more on the about page linked in the main menu!
Dram data: Distillery: Arran
Bottler: Original Bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2012
Age: NAS
Limitation: 12.000 bottles
Price at the time of purchasing: 40€
Casks: –
Alcohol: 46%
Unchillfiltered, uncoloured Whiskybase link
Tasting notes:
Colour: Pale straw.
The nose opens with a lightly peated, fruity fresh first whiff. Very delicate and gentle. The peat is definitely mainland peat – not phenolic and heavy but well-integrated and subtle, yet noticeable. Beneath the peat fresh, summery fruits dominate. Continue reading “Tasting: Arran Machrie Moor – Third Edition”
Dram data: Distillery: Glentauchers
Bottler: Cadenhead’s
Distilled: 1998
Bottled: 02.2014
Age: 15 years
Limitation: 282 bottles
Price at the time of purchasing: – (Miniature)
Casks: Bourbon Hogshead
Alcohol: 55.3%
Unchillfiltered, uncoloured Whiskybase link
Tasting notes:
Colour: Pale straw.
The nose starts off very delicately. You’ve really got to spend your time with this dram, no instant “in your face” aromas. A whiff of alcohol but not as much as you’d expect at 55% ABV. Fresh, green fruits. Continue reading “Tasting: Glentauchers 15y by Cadenhead’s”
Day four of our brotherly Scotland trip 2014 would finally see us visit our first (open) distillery, Auchentoshan. A first for Peter the wee one of us. If you’re in Glasgow and you want to visit the distillery, follow the following advice we received from locals (namely Pete and Andy from Inverarity 121): Forget taxis or buses or whatever – take the train! The local train service from Glasgow’s Queen Street station takes you to a station in the middle of nowhere called Kilpatrick. Take a left hand turn at the intersection of the footpath until you reach the motorway and then proceed for a few hundred metres back towards Glasgow. Continue reading “Scotland trip 2014 – part 2: Glasgow, Auchentoshan, Arran”
Dram data: Distillery: Aberlour
Bottler: Original Bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2008
Age: NAS
Limitation: –
Price at the time of purchasing: –
Casks: Oloroso Sherry Butts
Alcohol: 60.4%
Unchillfiltered, uncoloured Whiskybase link
Tasting notes: Another mystery blind tasting of a dram provided by my brother Johannes. Cheers for the challenge! Colour: Amber. The nose is immediately hit by a waft of sherry goodness on the first sniff. Dare I say Oloroso? Continue reading “Blind tasting: Aberlour a’bunadh batch 25”
Dram data: Distillery: Glenlossie
Bottler: Cadenhead’s
Distilled: 1993
Bottled: 02.2014
Age: 20 years
Limitation: 252 bottles
Price at the time of purchasing: – (Miniature)
Casks: Bourbon Hogshead
Alcohol: 53.3%
Unchillfiltered, uncoloured Whiskybase link
Tasting notes:
Colour: Straw. The nose is initially very tight and closed up, sweet, dark, woody, “moody”. It gets sweeter over time with very interesting notes coming through. Continue reading “Tasting: Glenlossie 20y by Cadenhead’s”
Dram data: Distillery: Bowmore
Bottler: Official Bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: – (bought 2014 – no bottle code)
Age: 12 years
Limitation: –
Price at the time of purchasing: – (Miniature)
Casks: –
Alcohol: 40%
Chillfiltered, coloured Whiskybase link
Tasting notes:
Colour: E150. On the nose I get a whiff of aromatic smoke, not too little, not too much, intermingled with an immediate vanilla-cream and honey sweetness. Continue reading “Tasting: Bowmore 12y”
I love Scotland. I love the countryside, the culture, nature, the people who are similar to my own folk, and – of course – the whisky. When I was up there last year with one of my two brothers, Johannes, I immediately knew I would be coming back. As it so happened the wee one of us three brothers, Peter, graduated from secondary school this year so we arranged a “little” trip in celebration of the occasion. Well, this “little” trip in July 2014 would in the course of nearly three weeks lead us from London to Inverness and back, visiting 15,5 distilleries along the way – that’s over 10% of all working distilleries in Scotland… By “we” I of course mean us three brothers – the wee one, Peter, the middle one, Johannes and me, Klaus, as the leader of the pack.
It was a backpacking trip, thus we traveled lightly – at least on our way up, filling our luggage with whisky along the way. Obviously. We stayed in hostels (and one b&b), sometimes preparing our own meals and, with the exception of Islay, where we rented a car, relied on trains and buses for the majority of our travel. I prefer public transport whenever I can and Interrail is a great and cheap way to travel all across Europe.
Distillery: Bruichladdich
Bottler: Official bottling
Distilled: Dec. 2004
Bottled: 01.10.2011
Age: 6
Limitation: 6000
Price at the time of purchasing: 57€
Casks: (most likely refill ex-bourbon – my best guess)
Alcohol: 50%
Unchillfiltered & natural color Whiskybase link
Distillery: Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Bowmore, Port Ellen
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2011
Age: NAS
Limitation: unknown
Price at the time of purchasing: ca. 50€
Cask: –
Alcohol: 57.8%
Possibly Unchillfiltered / Natural Colour(?) Whiskybase link
Distillery: Laphroaig
Bottler: Original Bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: Feb.2013
Age: 10 years
Limitation: unknown
Price at the time of purchasing: 47€
Cask: –
Alcohol: 50%
Possibly Unchillfiltered / Natural Colour(?) Whiskybase link
