Highlands

PURE.WHISKY: Ardmore 11yo from an ex-Laphroaig Oloroso Sherry Cask (Review)

Pure Whisky: Ardmore 11yo from an ex-Islay cask formerly used by Laphroaig Distillery (BarleyMania Whisky Blog)

Okay, fellas, let’s address the elephant in the room right away: This 11-year-old Ardmore from new German indie bottler PURE.WHISKY is an absolute banger of a dram! Ah, no. While this statement is totally true, that’s not the proverbial elephant. (more…)

GlenWyvis Batch 1 / Vintage Distillation 2019 (Review)

GlenWyvis Vintage Distillation 2019 Batch One (Single Malt Highland Scotch Whisky Tasting Notes BarleyMania Blog)

I always like it when a young whisky takes a certain pride in its age rather than trying to hide it. After all, the time spent in the barrel is but one of many factors that influence the outcome of the final product. In fact, one might argue that the chosen ingredients, (more…)

Ardmore 13yo “The Iron Collar” by Whisky of Voodoo (Review)

Ardmore 12yo "The Iron Collar" from Whisky of Voodoo by Brave News Spirits

For me, Ardmore is one of those hidden champions that usually don’t get as much praise as they’d deserve. Especially when drawn from carefully selected casks and bottled in natural strength, the distillery’s medium-peated Highlands whisky has a tendency to shine extra-bright. (more…)

Tullibardine 7 Years Old (Cask 140) by Dram Mor (Review)

Header image of Tullibardine 7yo Highlands Scotch Whisky by Dram Mor Group

Founded in 2019 by whisky mavens Victorija and Kenny Macdonald, Scottish indie bottler Dràm Mòr Group Ltd. has quickly risen to make a name for itself in the whisky world. So far, the busy bees from Dumbarton have released ten outturns with three to eight bottlings each. (more…)

“Ambassador’s Choice” Single Cask Whisky Tasting by Loch Lomond (Tasting)

When I hear the name Loch Lomond Distillery, I immediately think of two things: variety and quality. Thanks to its complex hardware set-up and multi-faceted approach to whisky making, the large-sized Highlands unit is capable of producing an extremely wide range of styles all under one roof. (more…)

2x Whisky by Whic: Bunnahabhain 12yo & Secret Highlands 13yo (Review Flight)

2x Single Cask Scotch Whisky by Which (Islay Highlands Independent Bottler Whisky Tasting Notes Blog)

Every now and then, the fine folks at Whic.de send me a whisky sample. Usually, I try to make sure that the received drams don’t stay with me too long before I try them. Nevertheless, I end up being late most of the time. It is not my fault though. After all, the vast majority (more…)

Loch Lomond 12yo from a Pineau des Charentes Hogshead (Review)

Loch Lomond 12yo Pineau des Charentes (Single Cask Malt Scotch Whisky Tasting Notes Blog BarleyMania)

When Loch Lomond Distillery’s local importer Wein Wolf released this single cask bottling on the German market in late 2021, I learned two things from it: First, I discovered that Pineau des Charentes casks can be really well-suited for whisky maturation. (more…)

“Quiet Rebels” Online Tasting by Nc’nean Distillery and Kirsch Whisky (Tasting)

“Sustainability and experimentation are the main pillars on which our distillery is based,” said Nc’nean’s founder Annabel Thomas during a recent Zoom tasting hosted by the young Highland unit’s German importer Kirsch Whisky. This also reflects in the motto (more…)

2x Scotch Whisky from The Uncharted Whisky Co. – Loch Lomond 14yo & Secret Islay 30yo (Review)

The Uncharted Whisky Co. - Secret Islay 30yo & Loch Lomond 14yo (Independent Single Malt Cask Bottling Tasting Notes BarleyMania)

Not too long ago, I had my first touchpoint with the new Scottish indie bottler The Uncharted Whisky Co., when I reviewed their GlenAllachie 13 Years Old here on my blog. Now the company’s German importer DeinWhisky.de has send me two more samples to check out: (more…)