Highland Park Triskelion The upcoming Highland Park Triskelion is named after the triangular shape that represents wisdom and inspiration, used in the Norse / Viking symbolism. In this release it also symbolises three Master Whisky Makers that play an important role at the distillery, mentioned on the label: Gordon Motion (whisky maker, 21 years of experience), Max McFarlane (whisky maker, 44 years of experience) and John Ramsay (43 years). The whisky is bottled at 45.1% ABV.

Master of Malt just released this Springbank 26 Year Old single cask distilled in December 1991. They don’t exactly give them away but… sister company That Boutique-y Whisky Company has the same Springbank 26 Years (shared cask as confirmed by the people from MoM). So there’s an option to go for a 50 cl version in this case. Springbank can be excellent at this age so we’re always keen to investigate. Here we go. Nose: mild smoky notes with plenty of oily and mineral notes, wa

Master of Malt just released this Springbank 26 Year Old single cask distilled in December 1991. They don’t exactly give them away but… sister company That Boutique-y Whisky Company has the same Springbank 26 Years (shared cask as confirmed by the people from MoM). So there’s an option to go for a 50 cl version in this case. Springbank can be excellent at this age so we’re always keen to investigate. Here we go. Nose: mild smoky notes with plenty of oily and mineral notes, wa

Many of the new Single Malts of Scotland releases are gone already, but some really good ones are still around. Let’s have a look at this ‘Aird Mhor’ (Ardmore) 1998. Nose: discreet peat smoke, as an ever so gentle backdrop for sweet pears and citrus, fresh mentholated notes and pine wood. Heather honey, apple peels. Rather classic, without any lactic notes, good. Mouth: punchier now, but still balanced as a gentleman. An oily texture, with sweet earthy peat, hints of peaches

Many of the new Single Malts of Scotland releases are gone already, but some really good ones are still around. Let’s have a look at this ‘Aird Mhor’ (Ardmore) 1998. Nose: discreet peat smoke, as an ever so gentle backdrop for sweet pears and citrus, fresh mentholated notes and pine wood. Heather honey, apple peels. Rather classic, without any lactic notes, good. Mouth: punchier now, but still balanced as a gentleman. An oily texture, with sweet earthy peat, hints of peaches

The Macallan Rare Cask was first announced in 2014 (with a smoky Rare Cask Black in 2016) but it got a makeover in 2018, with a new style of bottle and a slightly different concept. It is now turned into an ongoing series of limited batch releases (four per year – the casks are not so rare after all?) aimed at collectors. The liquid has no age statement but it is matured in (mostly first-fill) sherry seasoned casks, American and European oak. Each batch is a vatting of 50 but

The Macallan Rare Cask was first announced in 2014 (with a smoky Rare Cask Black in 2016) but it got a makeover in 2018, with a new style of bottle and a slightly different concept. It is now turned into an ongoing series of limited batch releases (four per year – the casks are not so rare after all?) aimed at collectors. The liquid has no age statement but it is matured in (mostly first-fill) sherry seasoned casks, American and European oak. Each batch is a vatting of 50 but

We tried the GlenAllachie 12 Years PX finish some time ago, and now it’s time for the youngest expression in their wood finishes series. The GlenAllachie 8 Year Old Koval rye quarter cask finish. Rye and quarter casks, are we aiming for a spicy dram? Nose: lightly fragrant sweetness at first, some freshly sawn wood and cinnamon buns. Pepper and nutmeg follow. Vanilla and honey. Hints of panettone and beer. Mouth: obvious wood wizardry, but in a nice way and with rather less p

We tried the GlenAllachie 12 Years PX finish some time ago, and now it’s time for the youngest expression in their wood finishes series. The GlenAllachie 8 Year Old Koval rye quarter cask finish. Rye and quarter casks, are we aiming for a spicy dram? Nose: lightly fragrant sweetness at first, some freshly sawn wood and cinnamon buns. Pepper and nutmeg follow. Vanilla and honey. Hints of panettone and beer. Mouth: obvious wood wizardry, but in a nice way and with rather less p

The Whisky Trail is a new range from Elixir Distillers. There are two series launched at the same time, one is called the Jazz series, the other Retro label, each which four whiskies. While both include interesting whiskies, we’ll start with the (pricier) Jazz editions. Nose: ripe bananas with vanilla sugar, plenty of grated coconut and hints of sour varnish, lime and candied orange that prevents it from being too sweet. Subtle hints of paint (fades away) and mint. Mouth: qui

The Whisky Trail is a new range from Elixir Distillers. There are two series launched at the same time, one is called the Jazz series, the other Retro label, each which four whiskies. While both include interesting whiskies, we’ll start with the (pricier) Jazz editions. Nose: ripe bananas with vanilla sugar, plenty of grated coconut and hints of sour varnish, lime and candied orange that prevents it from being too sweet. Subtle hints of paint (fades away) and mint. Mouth: qui

GlenDronach single casks Batch #17 Fourteen casks from 1990 to 2007 have been selected by Master Blender Rachel Barrie to form Batch 17 of GlenDronach’s single casks. Half of them are destined to Asia, the other half will be sold in Europe. Here are the ones we will get in Europe: GlenDronach 28yo 1990 PX puncheon #7905 GlenDronach 26yo 1992 Oloroso butt #221 GlenDronach 26yo 1992 Oloroso butt #847 GlenDronach 25yo 1993 Port pipe #5976 GlenDronach 24yo 1994 PX puncheon #325 G

GlenDronach single casks Batch #17 Fourteen casks from 1990 to 2007 have been selected by Master Blender Rachel Barrie to form Batch 17 of GlenDronach’s single casks. Half of them are destined to Asia, the other half will be sold in Europe. Here are the ones we will get in Europe: GlenDronach 28yo 1990 PX puncheon #7905 GlenDronach 26yo 1992 Oloroso butt #221 GlenDronach 26yo 1992 Oloroso butt #847 GlenDronach 25yo 1993 Port pipe #5976 GlenDronach 24yo 1994 PX puncheon #325 G

The first Miltonduff with an Asta Morris label, taken from a sherry butt. Fairly young, but that doesn’t have to mean anything. Nose: simple fruity pleasures. Freshly cut apples and pears, vanilla, some floral notes. Mirabelles and melon. A little green banana. Light oak spices and a subtle cereal note and porridge which disappears with a drop of water. Nice and summery. Mouth: quite fierce, again with a fruity freshness. Peppered apple juice, pear eau-de-vie, mixed with warm

The first Miltonduff with an Asta Morris label, taken from a sherry butt. Fairly young, but that doesn’t have to mean anything. Nose: simple fruity pleasures. Freshly cut apples and pears, vanilla, some floral notes. Mirabelles and melon. A little green banana. Light oak spices and a subtle cereal note and porridge which disappears with a drop of water. Nice and summery. Mouth: quite fierce, again with a fruity freshness. Peppered apple juice, pear eau-de-vie, mixed with warm

Stoisha is a name that is still quite rare, but judging by the number of casks that are currently being offered by whisky brokers to bottlers, it will become widely known soon enough. In fact Stoisha refers to one of the water sources of Bunnahabhain distillery and it is used for their heavily peated production (sometimes named Margadale after the other water source). Kind of what Port Charlotte and Octomore are to Bruichladdich. Most Stoisha bottlings that we see today were

Stoisha is a name that is still quite rare, but judging by the number of casks that are currently being offered by whisky brokers to bottlers, it will become widely known soon enough. In fact Stoisha refers to one of the water sources of Bunnahabhain distillery and it is used for their heavily peated production (sometimes named Margadale after the other water source). Kind of what Port Charlotte and Octomore are to Bruichladdich. Most Stoisha bottlings that we see today were

In March 2019 Tamdhu expanded its core range with this Tamdhu 15 Year Old. It has been matured in Oloroso sherry casks made from American and European oak. The distillery is widely promoting their exclusive focus on sherry casks, backed with a campaign From Spain to Speyside, explaining how they source their casks and how they are seasoned with sherry. More importantly, we can’t deny the resulting whiskies have been pretty good so far. Nose: a modern, rounded and thick nose.

In March 2019 Tamdhu expanded its core range with this Tamdhu 15 Year Old. It has been matured in Oloroso sherry casks made from American and European oak. The distillery is widely promoting their exclusive focus on sherry casks, backed with a campaign From Spain to Speyside, explaining how they source their casks and how they are seasoned with sherry. More importantly, we can’t deny the resulting whiskies have been pretty good so far. Nose: a modern, rounded and thick nose.

Compass Box Juveniles was first launched in 2003 or 2004 as a custom bottling for a wine bar in Paris with the same name. Later (2007, 2014…) new versions were launched and the latest one was bottled in September 2018. As the original malts (Clynelish, Longmorn and Ord) were hard to source, other distilleries were used, keeping the bright, smooth, non-smoky profile. Here’s the new recipe: 34% Strathmill (Hogshead) 34% Balmenach (Hogshead) 30% Clynelish (20% Recharred barrel,