When asked about whisky from the Orkney islands, most drammers will say “Highland Park” quick like a shot. There is, however, another production unit on the multipartite archipelago off the north coast of Scotland: Scapa, which was originally founded in 1885. (more…)
Independent
Glen Mhor 42yo Vintage 1965 from Gordon & MacPhail (Review)
A unicorn!? Well, maybe not quite. But certainly no ordinary bottle either. When the barkeeper of Whiskycafe L&B in Amsterdam produced this 42-year-old (!) Highland malt by the disbanded Glen Mhor distillery from one of his many whisky-filled racks, my eyes lit up (more…)
5 Whiskies by Claxton’s: Tobermory, Caol Ila & more (Review Flight)
Kiel Whisky Fair 2019 (Fair)
With round about a dozen exhibitors, Kiel Whisky Fair is one of the smallest dramming events I visit each year. But it is also one of the best. The quality of the exhibiting companies is very high, the atmosphere is pretty relaxed and the location, though well filled, is never over-crowded. (more…)
“SMWS X Buddelship” Whisky & Craft Beer Tasting at Bar Oorlam (Tasting)
When you are looking for a whisky tasting with a twist in Hamburg, Gearoid O’Callaghan, also known as The Whisky Jack, is the man to talk to. In addition to Scottish and Irish whisk(e)y, he is also well-versed in coffee, craft beer and trend food. (more…)
4 Single Cask Whiskies from North Star’s Series 006 (Review Flight)
Last month, I reviewed the four members of North Star’s new Millennial Range here on my blog. Now, I follow up with four other bottlings from Series 006 – which will soon make way for Series 007 to become the most recent batch of North Star releases. (more…)
3 new Whiskies by Whic: Mackmyra, Ben Nevis & Glen Moray (Review Flight)
Munich-based whisky company Whic.de is a lot more than just a mailorder. Besides selling bottles and samples through their website, they also moderate a vivid community page on Facebook and operate as an independent bottler. (more…)
Tennessee Bourbon Whiskey 7yo by Svenska Eldvatten (Review)
The booth of Svenska Eldvatten – the biggest indie bottler in the Nordics – was one of my favorite target places at last years’s Bottle Market. Repeatedly, I returned there to sip a dram and have a chat with the company’s owners Peter and Tommy. (more…)
“Twins & Twins” – Hansemalt’s Whisky Wednesday with The SMWS (Tasting)
For nearly two years, Chris Rickert (owner of Hansemalt and organizer of Hanse Spirit) was the official brand ambassador for The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in my hometown of Hamburg. Sadly, the two parties went separate ways at the end of 2018. (more…)
4 Whisky Stars from the Millennial Range by North Star (Review Flight)
With The Millennial Range, accomplished indie bottler North Star Spirits added a new series of single cask bottlings to its portfolio. Unlike the company’s other products, these whiskies are released with a unified ABV of 50 per cent and no distillery mentioned on the label. (more…)









