In eary April, Weinquelle Lühmann’s annual in-house fair finally bounced back after a five-year break. This, it seems, excited not only the local drammers in and around Hamburg but also the Weather God. Cause specifically for the event, the sky beamed extra-blue and the sun shone extra-hot. No exaggeration: This must have been one of the brightest, warmest, and most summerly days we had up here in the North of Germany all year!

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When my friends and I arrived at the Weinquelle headquarters in the suburban town of Siek, there was already lots of traffic in the capacious tent on the parking lot before the main building: About two dozen exhibitors welcomed a sold-out crowd at their booths, treating the thirsty folks to all kinds of whiskies, rums, gins, and other spirits. Plus an exquisite selection of wines, too. The offered products ranged from core range bottlings (e.g., Kyrö Malt) and evergreens (e.g., Aberlour A’bunadh) to new releases (e.g., The Hearach by Isle of Harris) and limited editions (e.g., Bushmills Causeway Collection) to single casks (e.g., Ardmore 15yo by The Alba Trails) and collector’s items (e.g., Macallan Classic Cut 2023) … and more! The ticket price of 17 Euro, or in my case the invitation by the Weinquelle team, included free drams and drinks at all stands. Needless to say, I made good use of that offer!

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Besides the great whiskies mentioned above, I’d also like to point out two more highlights that left me deeply impressed: First, there is the fruity, salty, and smoky Ardmore 13yo released by Weinquelle Lühmann under their own label Weinquelle’s Whisky Choice. And second, there is the flavorsome, exciting, and unconventional Laphroaig Elements L 1.0. While that one was certainly no bargain at 170 Euro per bottle, I still picked it as my treasure to take home. I just couldn’t help it: The moment I nosed and sipped this out-of-the-ordinary Islay malt, I completely fell for its unique mix of Laphroaig’s signature brine n’ iodine peatiness on the one hand and that unexpected bright n’ tropical fruitiness on the other. So in the end I didn’t care for the fact that this was an NAS release with little information on the label yet a high number on the price tag. All I cared for was how wholesome I felt when I sipped this superb spirit by one of my all-time favorite Scottish production sites!

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If I could still throw in two suggestions to make the whole thing even better next year, it’s this: On the one hand, I wouldn’t mind the chance to grab a cool beer at some point in between the drams. And on the other hand, I would be happy to see some veggie offers at the food stall, too. Whether or not these small improvements can be implemented next year, one thing’s for sure anyway: I’ll be there again, and I’ll be having one helluva great time – just as I had this year!

by Tobi

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Weinquelle @ Web: https://www.weinquelle.com/

*** I got kindly invited to the event by Weinquelle Lühmann. ***