My girlfriend and I bought this Balmenach 9yo at The Vaults, the spiritual home of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, on the first day of our latest trip to Scotland. To be honest, we predominantly picked it because it was one of the cheapest whiskies they had on sale. (more…)
Usually, I either buy the whiskies I introduce on BarleyMania myself or borrow them from friends. But every now and then, I also receive a sample from a distillery or from an independent bottler. Although I understand that some of you might question the impartiality (more…)
Although I got these samples directly from Yorkshire-based whisky company Claxton’s, I have not indicated them as promotional items (as I usually do in such cases). That’s because I did not receive them in my function as editor for BarleyMania, but as a whisky fan “in private”: (more…)
I must confess that this single cask bottling from the Spirit & Cask Range did not sound too tempting to me at first. In this age span, you find quite a lot of bourbon-matured whiskies from Southern Islay; and usually they are a bit more friendly to your wallet. (more…)
Last year I visited Kiel Whisky Fair, one of Germany’s longest-running spirit exhibitions, for the first time. Since I really enjoyed the small event’s intimate atmosphere, excellent line-up and nice location in the 4-star Steigenberger Conti Hansa hotel, my girlfriend Dini and I returned (more…)
Although they have only been up to their tricks for one-and-a-half years, Glasgow’s North Star Spirits have made quite an impact in the whisky world with their well-chosen single cask bottlings and other limited editions. Quite recently they launched their fourth series of whiskies (more…)
With members all around the globe, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society has many homes in many countries. Its spiritual home, however, is a former wine warehouse called The Vaults in Edinburgh. In these mythic premises, the Society was founded way back in 1983. (more…)
When I attended the “Day Of The 100 Open Bottles” at Pinkernell’s Whisky Market in Berlin last month, I tried more than half a dozen drams by Claxton’s. Their well-selected single cask whiskies rendered me so impressed that I took home not one but two bottles: (more…)
Every month, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society puts out a new outturn of round about 20 single cask whiskies. As these illustrous releases always cover a wide range of styles, regions, ages and price points, picking your next purchase isn’t easy. (more…)
This Dalmore by Scotland’s oldest independent bottler Cadenhead’s is a real luxury dram. Not only has it aged for almost a quarter of a century, but also has it received a rum cask finish of such remarkable length that it could almost be considered a double maturation (more…)
