In the 19th century, Scottish salesmen brought port wine from Portugal to Scotland. Very often, the ships that carried the port casks landed in Portree, which to this day is the largest town on the Isle of Skye. In ancient Gaelic, said town’s name is pronounced Port Ruighe. (more…)
While all eyes are currently directed at Islay where this year’s iteration of the Feis Ile festival is in full swing, cool things are happening in the other Scottish whisky regions as well. From Glasgow we just received notice that Douglas Laing are proud to announce the addition of a new duo (more…)
Some people might say that five years of maturation are not enough to let a whisky develop depth and character. Yet, if you are in the mood for a young and wild whisky, a spirit that did not spend too many years in the cask might be exactly what you have been looking for. (more…)
On June 1st, Jura will host the next round of their annual whisky festival, the frolicsome Tastival. This means that we can not only look forward to super-fun festivities at the distillery (and hopefully also other locations across the globe), but also to a new special bottling. (more…)
In Scottish mythology, kelpies are shape-shifting water spirits that can either take the form of a horse or a human. Spending almost all of their time on the grounds of lakes and other waters, they are elusive beings that are rarely seen and almost never caught. (more…)
Buying a single cask whisky by Scotland’s oldest independent bottler Cadenhead’s at Hanse Spirit has become somewhat of a tradition for me. Last year, I purchased a stellar Dalmore 24yo with a rum finish from their booth. This year, I went home with this outstanding Tobermory, (more…)
When I went to Scotland for the first time in my life last year, I spent a few days in the beautiful city of Edinburgh. Whenever I made a reservation for a restaurant or any kind of tour and was asked for my name, I saw people writing Arran instead of Aaron. (more…)
I have to hurry a little with this review because my bottle of Talisker‘s wonderful Distillers Edition from two years back is slowly but surely coming to its end. Considering all the joy this precious dram from the Isle of Skye on the northwestern coast of Scotland gave me, I definitely want it to be featured here on BarleyMania (more…)
Not even 200 people live on the Isle of Jura on the west coast of Scotland. Despite its wee size, this amiable community is known and loved by whisky fans across the globe. The reason is simple: The local distillery, named Jura after the isle it was built on, produces amazing drams. (more…)
