Ever since I joined them in December 2017, I have been an active member and a big fan of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society! Still, I gotta confess that I know less than a dozen if their bottle codes by heart. If you are in a similar situation, this comprehensive SMWS bottle code overview (more…)
So far, one of my absolute whisky highlights of the year is “Dramlet: the Dark Prince of Denmark!” by Fary Lochan and The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. From the flavor profile and the maturation details to the back story and the symbolical value (more…)
“I traced the shorelines through a thousand histories / To remind me an island is my home / An island is my home…” – These beautiful words from Frank Turner’s song “Rivers” are not only true for the people living in Great Britain, but also for the distilleries located on the Scottish isles. (more…)
“To be or not to be?” – In case of “Dramlet: the Dark Prince of Denmark!” there is but one reply to the great playwright William Shakespeare’s existential question. And that is “To be!” on all levels. To be the first Danish whisky in the portfolio of the renowned Scotch Malt Whisky Society. (more…)
In the context of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, the number 66 is a lot more than just two digits clinging to each other. In The Society’s distillery code system it refers to the Beam Suntory-owned Highlands unit Ardmore. And at least in my opinion, this busy production site is always worth checking out. Traditionally, The SMWS has a particularly good nose (more…)
A few weeks ago, I introduced the three grain whiskies from North Star Spirits’ recent Series 008 here on my blog. Today, I follow up with the malts. All in all, company owner Iain Croucher bottled four exquisite casks that fall into this category. They are between 8 and 13 years old (more…)
When I stumbled upon this bottling in The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s outturn catalogue, it struck all the right notes with me: The number 58 stands for a renowned distillery that rarely finds its way into an independent release (namely Strathisla from Speyside). (more…)
No grain, no glory! With three out of seven expressions being made from other ingredients than malted barley, Series 008 of North Star Spirits grants grain whisky a prominent spot in the limelight. And the bottlings that Iain Croucher and his team picked for their latest line (more…)
In mystery shows like “Supernatural“, shape-shifters often fill the roles of sly and devious antagonists that use their transformation abilities to mislead the heroes and perform their vile deeds unnoticed. This special breed of shape-shifter, which hails from Craigellachie Distillery (more…)
