One of the whiskies I like most is not made in Scotland or Ireland or even Japan. It is manufactured in the middle of Germany, in the beautiful low mountain range Harz. By now, you might have guessed that I am speaking of The Glen Els, which is produced at Hammerschmiede in the small village of Zorge. This year’s special release of The Glen Els is the Triple Port matured in Tawny and Ruby Port hogsheads as well as firkins. The latter are not too commonly used in whisky maturation as they only hold 50 litres. Due to the small size, the liquid has much more contact with the surface of the cask in a firkin as compared to a bigger container. With an outturn of only 800 bottles, stock of the Triple Port won’t last too long. Bottled at an ABV of 49.3%, this whisky is pleasantly sweet, fruity and chocolaty but a far cry from being too weak.

by Aaron

Eye: A dark and rusty reddish brown.
Nose: This whisky is not too flashy but definitely very pleasant. In it, you will find notes of vanilla and honey as well as some fruity notes. After a while there are also whiffs of white chocolate, marzipan and dried apricots to discover.
Palate: The first sip reminds of unsugared red fruit jelly – still warm and very aromatic. Beyond that you will find notes of nuts, chocolate and toffee combined with a decent honey sweetness.
Finish: A very long and pleasant finish with toffee, fruits, chocolate and honey.

Type: Harzer Single Malt Whisky
Region: Germany
Aged: 4 Years (to 8 Years)
Alc. volume: 49.3%
Bottle size: 0.7 litres
Price range: ~70.00 Euro
More info: http://www.hammerschmiede-spirituosen.de/ (Distillery)