When former BenRiach managing director Billy Walker and his partners purchased The GlenAllachie in 2017, they changed the course of the Speyside unit drastically. Whereas almost all of The GlenAllachie’s considerable output was sold to blenders in the past (more…)
Though the topics were always great, I did not make it to most of the tastings that took place at the Christiansen’s bar in Hamburg this year. Therefore, I am all the more happy that I got to attend the venue’s traditional pre-Christmas event with Gerd Schmerschneider (more…)
Labeled “The Maritime Malt” that was “Born in the Port of Whick”, Old Pulteney is a prime example of a salty, sea-shaped Scotch whisky. And despite the fact that all of the distillery’s bottlings are usually held in high esteem by fans of the afore-mentioned flavor profile (more…)
When a club as illustrious and rich in tradition as The Scotch Malt Whisky Society turns 35, they don’t just bring a box of chocolate to the office and tell their colleagues “Help yourselves.” They celebrate with a whole lotta hoo-ha! (more…)
Whisky does not always have to be silken, filigree and beautiful. Sometimes, you do not want to have the often-quoted “liquid sunshine” in your glass, but scratch the bottom of a barrel (figuratively speaking) for a good dose of smut and grime. (more…)
These are exciting times! With demand for single malt Scotch whisky at a height, a fair share of new distilleries have either been built or at least planned in recent years. One production site that I am particularly curious about is Douglas Laing’s upcoming Clutha Distillery in Glasgow. (more…)
Newly founded Lowlands unit Kingsbarns Distillery will always have a special standing with BarleyMania. After all, the first blog post I ever wrote was a recap of a Wemyss and Kingsbarns tasting. At the event, I was given the chance to sip a 1.5 years old cask sample (more…)
When I read on the internet that Douglas Laing was about to release a limited edition of their Lowlands blended malt The Epicurean, a huge smile formed on my face. As a dedicated fan of this moustached muchacho, I could not wait to find out what this special bottling (more…)
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…)
Born in Glasgow but at home in cities big and small around the globe, The Epicurean is the Lowlands expression of Douglas Laing’s popular Remarkable Regional Malts range. It is the second-to-last member of the pack (only to be succeeded by the annual limited edition bottling (more…)
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