According to indie bottler W. D. O’Connell, this Marsala-finished Bill Phil edition – which marks the series’ first entry with an age statement – ain’t no ordinary peated Irish whiskey. In 2016, when this heavy smoker was initially distilled at the Great Northern Distillery (more…)
Whiskey
Just Whisky Hamburg ’23 (Fair)
Last weekend, on the 22nd and 23rd of September, Just Whisky Hamburg took place again in my hometown, bringing lots and lots of whisky craze to the place. Unlike the kick-off event last year, the fair’s second installment was no longer held in the district of Harburg. Instead, it was moved (more…)
“Wheel of the Year” – Online Whiskey Tasting with Dingle from Ireland (Tasting)
Irish whiskey is a sleeping giant who’s only recently woken up from a long slumber. But now that he’s back on his feet, the colossus is here to stay! – To better understand this picture, it is helpful to go 10-or-so years back in time. Back then, the once-glorious whiskey nation of Ireland (more…)
Heaven’s Door Bourbon – Single Barrel #214 in the German Selection by Schlumberger (Review)
Though I am quite a fan, I only discovered this limited edition bottling from Heaven’s Door Bourbon – a brand co-created and endorsed by Bob Dylan – by happenstance. When I checked the manifold offerings at the Schlumberger booth at this year’s Hanse Spirit, my glimpse fell on three (more…)
Bottle Market 2022 in Bremen – “Spirits All Over” – Part Two (Fair)
Following up on “Part One” of my Bottle Market 2022 recap, here comes “Part Two”. It covers the second leg of my visit to one of Northern Germany’s leading whisky and spirits fairs. Again, I stopped by at the stalls of many fantastic exhibitors – such as Prineus GmbH from Kiel, (more…)
Bottle Market 2022 in Bremen – “Spirits All Over” – Part One (Fair)
Every year in November, my friends and I head to Bremen for a day of tasting, laughing, and exploring at Bottle Market – one of my absolute favorite whisky and spirits fairs up here in the north. This year I enjoyed my visit to the fullest, trying quite a big number of drams. (more…)
Black Cask Blend by Beara Distillery (Review)
I had my first touchpoint with Beara Distillery a couple of weeks ago at Just Whisky Hamburg. There, I met the founder of the small production site, John Power, at the booth of Irish Whiskeys. While I sipped a generous dram of Black Cask Blend, he told me more about it: (more…)
Borco World of Whisky Festival 2022 in Hamburg (Event)
After two crazy years, the world is slowly but steadily getting back to normal. For us drammers, this also means that many of our favorite events are finally making a much-anticipated return. One such happening, which I am especially glad to see back at its old strength, (more…)
“Bourbon & Rye” Virtual Tasting with Lux Row Distillers (Tasting)
The regular BarleyMania readers will know it: I am mostly a malt whisky guy; bourbon and rye – though fantastic categories – only find their way into my glass occasionally. Against this background, I was extra-happy when spirits distributor Prineus GmbH invited me (more…)
4x Special Bottling from Irish Whiskeys and Ball of Malt Tastings (Review Flight)
I had a splendid time visiting the Irish Whiskeys booth at Bottle Market this year! During my stay, I had a nice chat with my old buddy Thorsten Frahling (Ball of Malt Tastings) and his partner-in-crime for the weekend, Daithi O’Connell (more…)