Reviews

Single malt or blend. Scotch or bourbon. Off-the-shelf or hard-to-find. In this category I introduce whatever whisk(e)y falls into my hands… plus the occasional craft beer or other spirit.

Waterford “Peated: Ballybannon 1.1” Arcadian Barley (Review)

Header image of Waterford Peated: Ballybannon 1.1 Single Malt Irish Whisky

A short while ago, I have introduced Waterford Peated: Fenniscourt 1.1 here on these pages. Now I follow up with the distillery’s second Peated expression, namely Waterford Peated: Ballybannon 1.1. The whisky is made from barley grown at Ballybannon Farm, (more…)

Waterford “Peated: Fenniscourt 1.1” Arcadian Barley (Review)

Header image of Waterford Peated: Fenniscourt 1.1 Single Malt Irish Whisky

Via its Arcadian Barley range, South-Irish whisky distillery Waterford releases out-of-the-ordinary single malts based on specially grown and processed barley. Previously, the series has already seen illustrious entries such as “Organic”, “Biodynamic”, and “Heritage”. (more…)

Mosgaard Black Peat – Danish Single Malt Whisky (Review)

Header image of Mosgaard Black Peat Danish Single Malt Whisky

When my wife Dini and I visited Mosgaard Distillery in Denmark a few months ago, founder Jes treated us to many great drams while showing us around. One of our personal highlights was Black Peat, which marked the final expression of the culminating tasting we had after the tour. (more…)

Liber 15 Years Old “El Diablito Sulfuroso” (Review)

Header image of Liber 15yo "El Diablito Sulfuroso by The Caskhound (Spanish Single Malt Whisky PX Sheery Cask)

Finally … it’s Halloween! On the scariest, spookiest, and most spine-tingling night of the year, I take you down to the fiery pits of hell! Guarded by demons and enshrouded in the reek of brimstone, there waits for us a whisky whose torrid character and fiery temper (more…)

Black Bottle Whisky “The Alchemy Series #4: Smoke & Dagger” (Review)

Header image of Black Bottle Blended Scotch Whisky "Alchemy Series #4: Smoke & Dagger"

“How do you supercharge a blended Scotch whisky with an extra-amount of most-delicate smoke?” – This question resided at very heart of the conception of Black Bottle’s fourth “Alchemy Series” bottling Smoke & Dagger. And resourceful as they are, the whisky makers (more…)

Black Bottle Whisky “The Alchemy Series #3: Andean Oak” (Review)

Header image of Black Bottle Blended Scotch Whisky "Alchemy Series #3: Andean Oak"

Andean oak – also known as Quercus Humboldtii – is a rare commodity in the Scotch industry. At least to my knowledge, the recently released Andean Oak entry into Black Bottle’s experimental “The Alchemy Series” is the first-ever whisky from Scotland to be drawn from such wood. (more…)

FABLE Blended Malt Scotch Whisky – Batch Three – “The Captain’s Daughter” (Review)

Header image of Fable Blended Malt Scotch Whisky Batch Three

When I did an interview with FABLE Whisky’s co-founder Andrew Torrance earlier this year, he predicted that at the end of the company’s first outturn “there could still be something special, like a hidden chapter”. Now the cat is out of the bag: The mentioned supplement (more…)

2x “Art & Craft” Whisky Bottling by The M&H Distillery: Islay IPA & Chocolate Porter (Review Flight)

Header image of The M&H Distillery's "Art & Craft" single malt whisky releases from craft beer casks

Last month, I attended a fantastic Milk & Honey tasting in Hamburg. At one point, our host Shilton Almeida – who represents The M&H Distillery as Sales Manager and Brand Ambassador – told us about the upcoming releases from Israel’s first-ever whisky production site. (more…)

Lindores Abbey “The Exclusive Cask 2018/2022 – Port & Sherry” (Review)

Header image of Lindores Abbey The Exclusive Cask 2018/2022 Port & Sherry for Prineus GmbH

This 4-year-old Lowlands malt from Lindores Abbey has a pretty unconventional coming-of-age story: Originally, the spirit started out in a Port pipe. After two-or-so years, however, the distillery team discovered leakage. So they moved the soon-to-be whisky into an Oloroso Sherry cask. (more…)

Black Cask Blend by Beara Distillery (Review)

Header image of Black Cask Blend by Beara Distillery in Ireland (via BarleyMania Whisky Blog)

I had my first touchpoint with Beara Distillery a couple of weeks ago at Just Whisky Hamburg. There, I met the founder of the small production site, John Power, at the booth of Irish Whiskeys. While I sipped a generous dram of Black Cask Blend, he told me more about it: (more…)