The driving forces behind the new indie bottler The Liquid Madness are two well-known whisky mavens from Germany, namely Tilo “The Caskhound” Schnabel and Sebastian “The Spirits Alchemist” Büssing. The two self-proclaimed “spirit adventurers” have joint forces to “travel the globe in seach of brilliant booze”. The first leg of their journey led them to Spain, where they found and launched a 14 years old single cask bottling from Destilerias Liber as their debut release. Afterwards, they headed north to Denmark to source a very special follow-up: a 7 years old single malt whisky from Fary Lochan that spent its entire maturation time in an Oloroso sherry hogshead. Since I am a total super-fan of that small Danish distillery, I had to buy this whisky as soon as it became availble in mid-September. And, of course, I also had to open it right upon arrival. Once I had done so, I only needed one sniff and one sip to form the following conclusion: Fary Lochan always deliver the goods! Over the course of the past few years, I have tried several dozen drams by them – some of which were distillery bottlings, some of which were indie releases, and some of which were cask samples. Each and every one of them totally blew me away; just like this particular whisky here. Tilo and Sebastian have picked an excellent cask that left a strong impact on the spirit without overpowering it. The balance between the wood influence and the distillery character is spot-on. And the aromas as well as the flavors are most amazing! To learn more, read on or – even better – get yourself a bottle and try this superb sip yourself!

by Tobi

Eye: Shiny chestnut brown.
Nose: This immensely sherried Danish whisky opens with very juicy aromas of crisp cherries, ripe peaches, and red berries. Additionally, there is also a good amount of zesty citrus and toasted oak bathed in a puddle of strong, black espresso. Furthermore, I make out dark chocolate, thick honey, sweet syrup, crunchy brittle, and roasted hazelnut. The bouquet is layered, full, and very inviting. Top-quality stuff!
Palate: On the tongue, the whiskey feels drier than in the nose. Yet, at the same time it also becomes fresher now. Fary Lochan’s typical oiliness is there, of course. However, the liquid appears to be less heavy than other drops I had from the distillery. That’s because there is a distinct peppermint freshness mixed in here. It cuts right through the other flavors – raspberry, blackberry, nougat, brittle, orange, pastry, and more – to give the whisky a powerful, invigorating kick!
Finish: In good, ol’ Fary Lochan tradition, this 7-year-old single cask bottling becomes increasingly chewy and chocolaty during its long, satisfying aftertaste. At the same time, the mint remains in the center of the attention, too: After Eight is the keyword here! In addition, there are more red berries as well as milk coffee, wine gum, grapefruit, fudge, and wood. A wonderful combination of flavors, I tell you!

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Region: Denmark
Age: 7 years
Alc. volume: 60.3 per cent
Cask type: Oloroso sherry hogshead
# of bottles: 430
Bottle size: 0.5 litres
Price range: ~90.00 Euro
More info: https://farylochan.dk/ (Distillery) ; https://www.thecaskhound.de/ (Bottler)

*** I bought the bottle as a regular customer. ***