https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/malternatives daily 0.75 2026-02-13 https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/malternatives/misaki-junmai-daiginjo monthly 0.5 2026-02-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/2cf39f33-3e29-4953-a796-45c4b3d701a4/Misaki.JPG Malternatives - Misaki Junmai Daiginjo - Junmai Daiginjo Before we start tasting, let’s explain something. Misaki is the brand, junmai daiginjo a term used to indicate a certain quality. The rice used for this drink is polished to a certain degree. The more is polished away, the more expensive the sake is. In this case, the rice was polished up to 50%. So here I am. With a bottle of sake that I got Nicky when I least expected it. Nicky is a brand ambassador and previously connected me to Titanic whiskey. We were meeting up and I thought we would discuss whiskey and Mezcal. Or, if you follow Nicky on instagram, rum. But he surprised me with this bottle of Misaki. So, I put the bottle in the fridge and was wondering what a good time would be to open this bottle. It just so happens to be that my parents came to babysit my kids yesterday. And I thought it would be nice to treat them on sushi after babysitting. Normally, I would open a white wine or take a dram of a japanese whisky to pair with the sushi. This time I serves sake. Next to the fact it paired perfectly, I was impressed. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/malternatives/rummieclub-organic-paraguay-molasse-rum monthly 0.5 2026-02-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/a9434fb1-f5b1-41a5-89b9-b54a846e4d88/RummieclubPX.JPG Malternatives - Rummieclub Organic Paraguay Molasse Rum Rummieclub. It was a rum distillery in Amsterdam. Yes, was. They stopped distilling in 2024. This PX cask however, was bought by Perfect Dram to support the leaving company. The Rum was distilled from molasse from Paraguay. There. That is all I know. It also shows what I know about Rum. It is made from Molasse. This is apparently a thick, dark and sweet syrup, that is the byproduct of refined sugar cane. And I love that: using a byproduct for a new product. This Rum was distilled on 13-04-2023 and bottled on 13-09-2025. It aged in a 1st fill PX Sherry Cask. And that is what made me try this one. I never had a Sherry cask aged rum. So here we go: The nose surprises me. It is very herbal. Green grasses mixed with some mint and basil. Some dried flowers as well. It is all coated with some sweet notes of apple syrup and charred cane sugar. On the tongue it feels very thick and the herbal notes become almost medicinal. It reminds me of some herbal tea mixed with demerara sugar. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/malternatives/mezcal-alipus-san-andres-review monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/94e988bb-f2f8-4264-a1d1-b1fec9392ae8/Mezcal+Alipus.jpg Malternatives - Mezcal Alipús San Andrés Enter a second bottle some years later, this Mexcal we review today. A Mezcal Artesenal by the brand Alipús San Andrés. The Mezcal is a 100% Maguey, meaning that is is purely made with agave. To be exact: 90% Espadin and 10% Bicuishe. Both a certain type of agave. The Mezcal is called Joven, which means young for the non-Spanish speaking readers, and was bottled at 47,5% Vol. It was made in Mexico, in the Oaxaca region. I own bottle 2157/3210 of Lot SAM019/18. On the nose I get the agave immediately, mixed with some warm fruit and oak in the back. On the tongue I first get a light alcohol burn, that is followed by some delicious smokey notes that remind me of bacon on the smoker, honeyed ham and caramels. It carries herbal notes of mint, peppers and even some basil. The finish is short, leaving a fresh smokey note in the mouth, adding flavour to each breath or spoken word. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/malternatives/bozal-tobasiche-review monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/75ba0876-c883-43a0-9330-9b29bba32988/Bozal+Tobasiche.jpg Malternatives - Bozal Tobasiche Check that bottle! It is an earthenware jar, in an awesome color. I plan to use it as a vase when I finish this bottle. It is a single maguey (So one type of agave), in this case wild Tobasiche, which is a subspecies of the agave karwinskii. So, basically comparable with a single malt, single estate whisky. Fun. It was selected for me by a friend who lives on the other side of the ocean. That makes it very special. This mezcal was bottled at 47% Vol. Is in the category Joven and I own bottle 00423 of Lot NOM-O472X. It comes from the Oaxaca region, to be specific from Río de Ejutla. On the nose some sweet fruits drying in a cellar on a wooden floor. I get some of the charcoal I used for my BBQ, not sure if that is the quebracho or the mesquite. A second sniff gives me lime with salt. Like a lemon soda after a swim in the ocean. Some light hints of wet slate. The taste surprises me. It is a influx of sweet notes, like cactus figs, agave syrup and mint. Only at the end a smokey note pops up, that reminds me of roasted ham with warm honey, mixed with some red fruits. The finish is medium long and leaves a warm sweet lingering note, that reminds me of agave syrup with some dried cherries. Insane. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/malternatives/mezcal-ilegal-review monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/ce7a75ee-c4c5-4fe7-9163-7aa8d1c09e60/Ilegal+Mezcal.jpg Malternatives - Ilegal In this case the mezcal artesanal Ilegal. This mezcal carries a label that states some stuff I need to investigate. First of al, there is a statement that this is an unaged mezcal. I do know some mezcals have the luxury of bein aged on a barrel, but I have not been lucky enough to try those. Does it mean that joven mezcal is always unaged when bottled? I need to read up on my knowledge. Secondly it carries the words "sin prisa". This basically means "without a hurry", and that confused me. What was done without a hurry? The distillation? So much more to investigate and to read up on. This mezcal was bottled at 40% Vol. Is in the category Joven and I own bottle 03643/13680 of Lot 284. It comes from Tlacolula, Oaxaca, and is a single maguey. Specifically Espadin, which is the Agave Angustifolia. On the nose I get warm agave notes and some Granny Smith apples. I also get some basil and pepper. The taste is a blast of everything at once: Fresh mint, lemon zest, and lime pinned with cloves. Al chased by some heat and a very light smoke. the finish is rather short, but leaves the smoke wrestling the fresher and sweeter notes on the tongue, eventually relenting to the fruity notes. I'm still not sure why this is illegal. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/malternatives/category/Malternative monthly 0.5 https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/malternatives/tag/Mezcal monthly 0.5 https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/writings daily 0.75 2026-03-29 https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/writings/aberargie monthly 0.5 2026-02-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/aa3b4c47-61bf-4cd3-9aa7-a8bc9a7a1f6b/Aberargie+cask+samples.jpg Writings - Aberargie - Deconstructing a dram A couple of weeks ago, I received an invite by Whisky Import Nederland for an unique event: Getting introduced to the Aberargie distillery. I joined a group of whisky enthusiasts at Societeit de Dieu in Alkmaar and we were welcomed by Marcel of WIN. In this intro, it became clear we would not enjoy a dram of the first Aberargie Single Malt expression. However, Thomas, the representative of the distillery, basically provides us a deconstructed approach to the whisky of Aberargie. First, we were offered two new make samples, to compare. More on that in the next paragraph. And after those new make samples, which I loved to try next to each other, we got two cask samples, that gave us a clear indication on what the single malt expression of this distillery could be. And I’m here for it! Playing a little with the drams in my hand, I decided I wanted to get my hands on the first release of this distillery. So I pre-ordered it. At the time of publishing this blog, I still have to wait for March to get my hands on that bottle. But I know it is coming! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/98ef4bd0-f110-44d7-9808-58716df2b9a5/Aberargie.jpg Writings - Aberargie - Bourbon vs Sherry On the bar two bottles of whisky were placed. Both at 48.2%Vol. The alcohol percentage the inaugural release will be. One with whisky aged on a bourbon cask and one on a sherry cask. We get a nice sample of each in our glasses and a second silent phase enters the room. The communal quiet is only disturbed by some loud sniffing in a corner and a wet slurping in another corner. We are enjoying this. Both drams deliver a different effect. I find the bourbon cask to be sweet and soft. A little too soft for me on the nose, but the palate makes up for that. The finish is that of a very minerally dry feeling. Then I switch to the sherry cask aged one: Full on the nose. Rich fruits, some chocolate and thick caramel. That is just the nose. The flavor delivers as well and I quickly take a second sip. This dram funny enough has the same type of finish: Dry and minerals. Thomas breaks the silence to ask our opinion. Well, I think, this is difficult. We are tasting ingredients. The end product will be a mix of both expressions. And that delivers an idea: I quickly measure the remains in my glasses an estimate them to be of semi-equal order. So I pour them together in one glass. And I like this mix. The softness of the bourbon cask whisky rubs off on the sherry cask whisky. And the other one delivers a nice punch towards the sweetness the first had. And best of all, the mineral finish changes. Like two negatives make a positive. The dry feeling almost disappears but leaves sweeter notes next to some herbal grasses. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/writings/the-cask-finish-experiment monthly 0.5 2026-03-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/b207489a-f953-4380-b778-e4c508cec956/Cask+500ml.jpg Writings - The Cask Finish Experiment - The cask I have been looking at small casks to start experiments with. For example: An infinity cask. Or indeed a cask able to give a finish to a whisky. However, I found some problems with that: Smaller casks start at 5 liters. I don’t want to pour 5 bottles of the same whisky in a cask for a finish. That would be a rather expensive experiment. The second part is that if you do an experiment, you want to be close up to the fun. Most casks are closed. Showing nothing of the magic happening inside the cask. Enter this product: A 500ml (or 3L if you want a larger experiment) cask with two glass panes that offer the opportunity to see your whisky change. Fun! Although I would have loved the option of my own logo on that glass. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/5f96fc88-7836-4426-9320-e3ce52a39e83/Cask+with+Port.png Writings - The Cask Finish Experiment - The start The cask comes in an awesome package and with very clear instructions on the use. Which I did not completely read. So when filling the cask with water, I noticed it streaming between the seems and panicked. I immediately contacted Whiskybozz and he reacted fast: Fill it, lay it flat and let it rest for 1-2 days. The wood might be a little dried out. (Plus: Fast support!) That settled, it was time to pour in my flavor maker: The liquid that will give the whisky a finish. I decided to use Port: the Cockburn’s Ruby Soho I filled the cask for 80%, according to the instructions. And now we wait. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/1705b45e-c31e-46db-8292-12ce2c058e1d/Cask+Experiment+Update.png Writings - The Cask Finish Experiment - Filling the Cask Well, an update. exactly 4 weeks after filling my mini cask with Port, I decided to pour in a spirit. The instructions in the manual stated that I should let the initial liquid should stay 2 weeks, and I doubled it. The spirit I poured was already a whisky. A 12 year old, cask strength Glen Moray from the SMWS. I liked that whisky, but I also found it a little to soft for my liking. So, let’s give it a Port finish! Because the cask is a ‘wet’ cask, the liquid immediately gained a darker color then the whisky had. And I hope to see some more change over the coming weeks. I will be pouring a small dram out of the cask every two weeks. So keep reading my updates! Small sidenote: I did not pour away the Port when filling the mini-cask. I tried it. And to be honest: It improved a lot! Now some thick vanilla has been added to the Port and I did enjoy drinking it! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/38068ab5-5766-4331-9ae7-35c6a9dba68a/Cask+Experiment+2+weeks+in.png Writings - The Cask Finish Experiment - Two weeks in! Today we are two weeks in and I decided to take a look and a small sample. Before I start, it might be good to mention that a box is in front of this experiment, so I did not see the mini-cask for two weeks. I was surprised. First thing I noticed was the dark almost tea like coloring the whisky now has. And I noticed that a small cloud of even darker liquid was lingering in the bottom 30% of the cask. This looked promising! I took a small sample bottle and poured out a small dram to taste and save for later to compare. (In doing so, I kinda spilled half a dram as well, so that’s a learning for next time.) First things first: Although the color has changed incredibly, the nose and palate did not change that much. A little more tannins have joined the bouquet, but that is about it. No major flavor shifts. To be honest, I did not expect the color to be that different and I expected way more on flavor/nose. This is a little disappointing, but maybe in two week time, it is better! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/e3529852-3bfe-4cbc-b067-64a55e7ea2ce/Cask+Experiment+4+weeks+in.png Writings - The Cask Finish Experiment - 4 weeks in! After 2 more weeks of practising some patience, I was allowed to check my experiment again. Let me repeat the fact that during this periods, I have no visual of the min-cask and cannot see any progress. Each check-in is a new surprise. This time I removed the covering and noticed a slightly darker whisky in the cask. It is a minimal difference with two weeks ago, but it is visible. On the picture you can see the two samples next to each other. It almost looks a little reddish. But what about other aspects. On the nose it is very fruity. Dried plums and fresh blackberries. A very slight hint of dried strawberries. It is promising. The first sip however, is giving me more flavor than two weeks ago, but based on color and nose I was expecting more. Maybe in two weeks? https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/writings/gowe-whisky-interview monthly 0.5 2026-01-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/7c3dad3c-02b2-4948-8322-2733aadc4876/Gowe+Whisky.jpg Writings - An Interview: Gowe Whisky - A Forest Ranger planning his future Han starts his story almost immediately, describing in a quick tempo how he got into whisky. Being asked to do a vitality research on how to market an area, which happened to be the Korenburgerveen, a peat area in the Netherlands. Realising peat and barley might equal whisky, an idea formed in his head. Unfortunately, no barley was produced in that area. But the Idea of whisky stayed with him. “It happened when I was about 50, and I thought, when I'm 65, I'll always make friends if I have whisky!” Han explains to us, when he mentions a reason to get into his adventure. He tells us he enjoys these kind of moments, sharing his whisky with fans. And that is something we can attest to and be thankful for, because on this evening, Han facilitated Martijn and myself, who were both rather busy at work, to travel all the way from the other side of the country to my home. Coming over as a true pragmatic and decisive man, he describes how he activated his idea: “I just got the core range, the entry level bottle, of three distilleries and put them on the table. I proceded to taste them with some friends, making notes. Bruichladdich won with 1/10th of a point difference!” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/e2102978-38b5-4285-b745-24d99a3f6c72/Bruichladdich+bottles.jpg Writings - An Interview: Gowe Whisky - I forgot my glass! Booking a trip to Scotland, to Islay, Han travelled to the Bruichladdich Distillery with a friend and booked a tour. During the tour, close to the end, he spotted Jim McEwan with a client going in the warehouse and mentioned he forgot his glass. Jim asked them to join and he ended up on a private tasting. (At this moment, Han became one of my heroes.) This small enterprise led to the purchase of 5 casks at Bruichladdich, close to the point where the distillery no longer sold casks. Or as Han puts it, he saved 5 casks from Rémy Cointreau. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/0db8d32e-20d2-4084-8d89-19bf932953d5/Gow+Whisky+Line+up.jpg Writings - An Interview: Gowe Whisky - Licensed victualler's shop, at home I’m going to skip the part where Han tells us about the importing, he did have some fun anecdotes in there, but nobody wants to hear about taxes and stuff like that. But after importing, there's the selling. Most bottles were sold thorugh liquor stores, but Han also found a way to sell them from home. He actually has a license to sell alcohol from his own liquor store, at home address. By transforming the shed as a little store, Han has an actual licensed liquor store at home! To me, this sounds as the ultimate mancave. Fun fact is that people might ring the doorbell and actually buy a whisky. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/6ab39eac-cbce-4c95-9db2-f3086d14d31e/Gow+Whisky+Mouton+Rothschildt.jpg Writings - An Interview: Gowe Whisky - A good adventure has an ending As I write up this story, I realise everything that I wrote down does not do justice to the adventure Han has embarked on. He shared fun little anecdotes, tells everything from his point of view and shares his doubts and certainties. I already mention the fact that he is a whisky hero in my eyes. From deciding to just get some casks based on an afternoon tasting with friends, to actually travelling to the distillery and meeting Jim McEwan on a tour, the whole proces sounds as an adventure to me. Spicing it up with smaller stories around the labelling, Brexit, one bottle being 1 year older than the others in the series thanks to Brexit, it all creates a great story. And like every book or movie where you're invested in, you don't want it to end. But I had to ask the question: What if all bottles have been sold? "If it's done, it's done. It has been fun, but I'm not going to get new casks." https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/writings/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-brand-activator monthly 0.5 2026-01-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/19690ec7-bf2c-49ef-8c47-06fa8cf08c48/Whisky+Brand+Activator.jpg Writings - A day in the life of a brand activator - Could I be a Brand Activator? Martijn works as a Brand Accelerator for Salud Spirits. This company imports and distributes a wide set of liquors, but when we talk about whisky, they represent Chichibu, Starward, Stauning, Signal Hill and Scapegrace. All what we might call “world whiskies”. Coming from Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Canada. The day arrived and my driver slash mentor for the day picked me up with a broad smile on his face. “Are you ready for today?” I smiled and nodded. Today's work was doing a round of visiting some liquor stores that were already selling some bottles from Salud Spirits, or where Martijn needed to introduce himself. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/writings/american-single-malt-whiskey-commission monthly 0.5 2026-01-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/a207deac-eaaa-4cb2-9fc9-31d35dc9c271/ASMWC.jpg Writings - American Single Malt Whiskey Commission - Stupid me Why? Because I knew there was more than Bourbon and Rye in the US. I reviewed the Storyhouse straight rye whiskey and Balcones Texas Rye. But unfortunately, up to date, no Bourbon (yet). That lack of sharing does not mean I do not like these drinks. Quite the contrary, I happily sip on a Rye or Bourbon with equal pleasure as to a Malt whisky. It might be that I focus too much on Single Malts. Which is not that strange, if you look at the name I'm using for my alter ego. And I think My eyes never looked at the big continent across the ocean. But I knew America has those! I even have the review for the Westward Stout Cask on my blog! And more distilleries in the Us are being opened or start making single malt whiskey. (Yes, with the extra 'e') So, a group of American Distiller thought it was time to do something about it. Inform people and create standards at the same time. Making sure the category American Single Malt is recognised and protected. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/73eac5bc-1025-4602-9b54-5fd5f592d667/ASMWC+statement.jpg Writings - American Single Malt Whiskey Commission - The American Single Malt Commission I can try to put it in my own words, but they tell it best on their own website: "The American Single Malt Whiskey Commission (ASMWC) was formed in 2016 to address the growing need for American-based producers to define the category—both domestically and internationally—in order to protect, educate, promote and ultimately grow it." With this in mind, the 9 founding members created a mission statement. And at the same time took it upon themselves to create a list of criteria for the category ASMW (American Single Malt Whiskey) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/daf442ce-10d9-4273-8d05-78d041d3bcfe/ASMWC+Blue.png Writings - American Single Malt Whiskey Commission - Founding members Up until now, 89 distilleries in the US have joined the original Founding Members. That means that over 100 distilleries are working according to the standards, transparency and criteria of the ASMWC. Just a quick sum-up of the founding members: Balcones Distilling, Copperworks Distilling, FEW Spirits, Headframe Spirits, Santa Fe Spirits, Triple Eight Distillery, Virginia Distillery Co., Westland Distillery and Westward Distillery. Now, I have been searching but not all distilleries ship to the EU or even outside the US. So If you're in the US, looke one of these up! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/writings/whisky-labels-and-packaging monthly 0.5 2026-01-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/7a6285bf-7e30-48e6-8147-7336960d3070/Independent+Bottlers+2.jpg Writings - Whisky Labels and Packaging - Yes, I know, I know... Let's get to the topic that's the least fun first. Because if I don't, while reading this whole blog you will say: "But you know it's all marketing, right?" Yes. It's all marketing. Yes. It's all about branding. I know. But as someone who professionally works in a business to establish a certain brand experience for the customers, I might spend some extra attention to the way brands visually present their products. I can truly appreciate the beautiful designs that hold a meaning, and with that, a certain promise that brands make to their buyers. So, back to the journey: For me it did not start with whisky. For me it started with wine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/910d5e13-0894-4b1e-9464-644ea5f3f5ac/Mouton+1985.jpg Writings - Whisky Labels and Packaging - The French connection I was born in a family of wine lovers. What I have with whisky, my parents have with wine. As an investment, my father purchased a case of Château Mouton Rothschild 1985. (Yes, now you know my age.) The French, don't like change. Therefore, the labels on wine tended to be a bit old fashioned back in the '80s. (And today still I think.) But some brands did fun things with the label. As is the case with Château Mouton Rothschild. Every year another artists work was placed on the label. In 1985 it was Paul Delvaux. I've always loved that label and I still keep an empty bottle in my home office. For me, it is art. And I think that was the original idea: Combining arts: Painting and creating a beautiful drink. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/e0c66aec-6e3b-4640-ab3c-ef1865e04c30/Bruichladdich+Art.jpg Writings - Whisky Labels and Packaging - Attracting attention By the time I was, according to societies standards, all grown up, I had formed my own interest in a drink. To some great disappointment of my parents, not in wine, but in whisky. And at first, when discovering my first drams, I went for what was described as good whisky: Famous brands. So exploring the standard range and line-up in big chain liquor stores, I was looking for a name. Not so much anything else. Being a poor student, I also tended to buy "simple and cheap" whisky. Which also had simple labels: Tartan design, bagpipe player, scotch bonnet etc. All playing on the Scottish part of whisky. But when I had tasted the main line-ups, I started to explore outside the big chain liquor stores and encountered a whole world of different labels, bottles and boxings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/2af83e1c-4b3c-4697-b5e6-4f8bd77432bc/Chapter+7.jpg Writings - Whisky Labels and Packaging - Legal labels Now before I go into the wide range of labels and packaging different brands and/or bottlers have, first some information. In this article, I'm mainly talking about Scotch whisky. And by UK law, a label does have some requirements. In section 8 of the 2009 Scotch Whisky regulations, it basically states that a label, on the front of the bottle, should contain at least the category of whisky in that bottle: (i.e. Single malt, single grain, blended malt, blended whisky) Other things you will find (or should find) is the alcohol by volume, sometimes the region in Scotland it originates from and an age statement or a distillation and bottling date. More often the type of cask(s) used to produce the whisky are also mentioned, either for aging or finishing the whisky. Or even on a blend, for "marrying" the whisky. The label is basically carrying most information you need, sometimes even tastingnotes and paring advise! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/0ab6b7a8-f152-41eb-bbd9-b445b7ceac2e/Screenshot+2026-01-10+at+17.46.50.png Writings - Whisky Labels and Packaging - Does the label tell you if it is good whisky? No. Simply no. It is all a matter of taste, in label style and in whisky flavor. Personally, I like different types of designs. I like the very sleek and clear designs of the labels on the bottles of Hogshead whisky. I like that is is a simple design, gives me all the information I need and, in its simplicity, attracts attention between all colorfull labels. I also like the batch designs some editions of the SMWS have, like the Dunnage Nougat. Colorful design adding a sense of specialty to that bottle. (I also really like the logo on the bottles of the SMWS, which clearly states it as being a club bottle, and standing out in any collection.) Would I buy a bottle for it's design? To be honest, I did. Twice at least. One example is the bright azure blue bottle (and packaging tin) of the Bruichladdich Classic Laddie. It stand alone in a crowd of bottles, and lucky for me, contains a perfectly fine dram that I enjoy so much. The second time was the bottle of Mr. Peat, which had an awesome cartoon style label and packaging. Again, I was lucky and enjoyed the dram. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/df671833-b714-43fb-bc08-f2e1560391f1/Waterford+Heritage+Hunter.jpg Writings - Whisky Labels and Packaging - Packaging and bottles More and more brands will use packaging and even the bottle shapes for branding purposes. Bruichladdich redesigned their bottle shape, and so did Glenglassaugh. Others work with bottle colors. Like the blue bottles from Waterford, or the brown glass from the Holyrood Distilleries "Arrival". All representing something the brand holds dear. At Bruichladdich it was sustainability. Glenglassaugh wanted to get the waves in the design of the bottles, Holyrood distilleries origins was a beer brewery and the brown bottles needed to be in the style of beer bottles. All the packaging connects to a value or story. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/2b448e9d-8e87-4281-880d-6133a2c54548/Douglas+Laing+Provenance.jpg Writings - Whisky Labels and Packaging - Should you buy because of the packaging? Again, no. The color of the label does not always match the flavor of the whisky. But there is no denying that flashing colours or innovative designs attract a certain attention. Just like a flashy car or neon light attract our attention. However, if you know how to read a label, and I hope I shared some information with you to do so, you might be able to select a whisky to your liking. And, by any luck, that whisky also happens to have a packaging or labelling you like, and might even perceive as art, you have something you like to drink and to look at. It is the same as with the French wine: Art placed on art. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/writings/hogshead-imports monthly 0.5 2026-01-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/97c77a7b-8e57-4e3a-9f73-e0b0ecfbc3ba/Hogshead+Imports+glass.jpg Writings - Hogshead Imports - Drambuddies, get them, they're useful For a while now, I've been tasting drams with a certain theme live on Instagram. This is something I do with two great whisky friends Dramblingman and Whisky_in_a_Labcoat. We call ourselves the Drambuddies and have quite a lot of fun doing those tastings. I like " Funky" whiskies and did a theme about that, Martijn (Dramblingman) did a whole Springbank tasting and Michiel (Whisky_in_a_labcoat) did an experiment with some "whisky snippers". (You have to look it up.) After one of those tastings, Martijn casually mentions to us: " Oh, I almost forgot. I was speaking to Toon the other day, and there is going to be a tasting of Hogshead Imports pretty soon. We are invited." We checked our agendas, figured out it was quite a trip by train and decided we were going! YES. So, after some time being just a block in my agenda, today was the day. We were going to Nijmegen. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/67048145-b429-4e2b-aeb8-d9bb229291c7/Screenshot+2026-01-10+at+17.42.27.png Writings - Hogshead Imports - 't Zotte Lemke After a fun trip with the Drambuddies in the train, catching up and sharing samples, stories and some laughs, we arrived in Nijmegen. Now Nijmegen is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, with loads of archaeological and historical sites. From Romans to battles during WW2, it has it all. And the location for this tasting was Brasserie 't Zotte Lemke. The building originates from 1425 and the whole decoration of this place was in style. Toon gave us a small tour of the place and I noticed that I would love to eat or drink something there more often, were it not for the almost 2 hours of travelling I would have to do. But what a nice place. If you are ever in Nijmegen, I would recommend visiting this place. (Based on the bites served during the tasting, the food is really good.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/0e11ba20-7f94-4bfd-a745-94d708e108a0/Screenshot+2026-01-10+at+17.43.36.png Writings - Hogshead Imports - The line-up What I also noticed when walking in the place, was the line-up of today. A wide spread of different bottles from different bottlers. After a warm welcome from Toon and his assistants of today Rudi and Stijn, almost all attendants were hesitant to approach. I did the same. Pondering on where to start, tapping my tasting glass on my upper leg, I saw the first people selecting drams. In the corner of my eye, I noticed Martijn approaching me. And with a wink and a smile he pointed to a bottle: "You like Ben Nevis, don't you?" I do. So thats where my tasting started. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/9b2abcca-5f3e-4eb0-b694-c13d419a2b0f/Screenshot+2026-01-10+at+17.45.26.png Writings - Hogshead Imports - Enjoying it all So, I could discuss all the drams I enjoyed. (The 26 year old Ben Nevis, the 24 year old blended malt from Hogshead whisky. The 1999 vintage, 22 year old Mortlach from Spheric Spirits, the 16 year old Knockdhu from Chapter 7 and maybe one or two more.) Or the awesome bites that were served. (A deconstructed bitterbal, or the deer stew. Both a very good match with the whisky available.) Or the great conversations about whisky and all stuff related with other people gathered there. I could. And I would have to spend maybe 1 or 2 hours more on writing. And this blog would be a TL;DR situation. But, as is common with going to a tasting, there is always one pearl you discover and have to share. And belive it or not, I found it in the series from Hogshead whisky! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/0ab6b7a8-f152-41eb-bbd9-b445b7ceac2e/Screenshot+2026-01-10+at+17.46.50.png Writings - Hogshead Imports - Vulcanised rubber & Pompeian Pumice As the end of this tasting was nearing, I was switched to peated whisky. A risk, as my loyal followers might know, because I'm not a big peathead. After the Knockdhu from Chapter 7 (Happily peated, a really nice dram!), I was looking for something to follow up. And as it happened, I was standing in the corner with Hogshead bottles. Rudi, and he will for ever be my hero after today, advised me an Coal Ila. after all the 20+ year old whiskies a young one. 10 years of age. However, aged on a 1st fill Caroni barrel. And he warned me: " If I pour you this dram, you won't drink it. Because you will be sniffing it all the time." And he was right. First sniff: Vulcanised rubber. Bringing back memories of me glueing my flat tire on my bike under a bridge in heavy rain, 20 something years ago. some very warm sweet notes lingering beneath that. After that, still on the nose, slate and vulcanic rock. More specific: The pumice stone that you can find in Pompei. Weird, I know, but it was great. Full on the nose and on flavor. So much, that when I finished it and discovered I could have 1 last dram, I chose this one again. Only 44 bottles were made. That is not much. If you ever encounter this for sale, give me a call. Please. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/985096ca-160d-4944-9a18-a513294db9cd/Screenshot+2026-01-10+at+17.47.56.png Writings - Hogshead Imports - Some advise and a word of thanks So concluding this day, I noticed I was more and more attracted to the green bottles with the very slick label: Hogshead own bottles. Try them! These drams are all awesome and if you look at age, quality and price range, it is a no brainer. I have been on the hunt for a bottle of them before, but now I will do this more often. The blended malt range are a real recommendation, and the Coal Ila that I mentioned is definitely, but so are others in this range. Thank you Toon for inviting us. For your hospitality and sharing some amazing drams. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/writings/battle-of-the-point-threes monthly 0.5 2026-01-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/a5a058ea-0aa4-43ca-a59c-f410a61f05a1/octomore+10.3.jpg Writings - The battle of the Point Threes - What is a Point Three? The Bruichladdich distillery brings out these Octomore series yearly since 2008. Aged for 5 years, it is a relatively young whisky, but incredibly heavily peated. The PPM count goes through the charts. (PPM is parts per million, in this case phenols.) Per edition, (in 2023 already in series 14.) Bruichladdich brings out 3 versions. (Sometimes 4, like in serie 7.) Each version has something distinct: Type of cask, type of barley. The Point Three has as signature that it is made with 100% Islay Barley. Also known as the "Local Barley" version. The Point Three also seems to be the one that reaches insane amounts of PPM. For example, the current record for highest ppm in a Scotch whisky is being held by the Bruichladdich Octomore 8.3. To summarise: Octomores are heavily peated whiskies, that have multiple series and versions. And the Point Threes are made from local barley. I'll compare the 10.3 vs the 06.3. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/534061b2-3cda-4d50-a3be-00149ce85831/point+3s.jpg Writings - The battle of the Point Threes - Differences on the eye So what catches the eye immediately is the difference in color: the 06.3 is 2 whole color tones darker in yellow than the 10.3. A twirl with the glasses leaves a thin, but very clear line. Over time, this line turns into a circle of thick legs, almost like tiny beads on a vertical string. The 06.3 shows a slower descend of the legs and they seem a little thicker than the ones on the glass of the 10.3 https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/writings/independent-bottlers monthly 0.5 2026-01-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/2fd5967e-d6b4-4cd9-a222-b49652fc1c20/Independent+Bottlers+1.jpg Writings - Independent Bottlers - Why an Independent Bottler? The very first whisky I bought, was from an Independent Bottler (IB). Back then I did not have a clue what it was or what made it special, I just encountered a bottle in a shop and bought it. That easy. It made me enjoy drinking whisky. Unfortunately for me, I can not buy that bottle again. It was a limited range, because that IB only had a certain amount of casks for their blend. But I think I'm going too fast. It has been common practise (And I think this might change in the future) for distilleries to sell barrels with their whisky to other companies who either blend their own blend (Look how the big walking man started), or bottled it under their own label. An Independent Bottler is just that, a party that buys barrels (or just the new make) to bottle and market themselves. Just the way they like it. Distilleries bring out a certain range of Single Malts ( 8yo, 12yo etc) and are committing to a certain standard of flavors they have to repeat. To achieve this, they might mix multiple vintages to create that standard. They have to create the same flavor. Over and Over. (But that is a skill!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/7a6285bf-7e30-48e6-8147-7336960d3070/Independent+Bottlers+2.jpg Writings - Independent Bottlers So why do I like to buy bottles from IB's? Because they tend to differentiate from the standard distillery editions. You got IB's that bottle at a different age or bottle at cask strength (I think I need to do a piece about that separately.). Bottlers that un-chillfilter the whisky when they bottle. Then there are IB's that finish or even age the whisky on different casks. For example a Speyside whisky, aged on an ex-Islay cask. Or experiment with the toasting and charring of the cask. I like to buy IB's because of that variation. How many different Linkwoods can I explore? What would be the effect of an Ex-bourbon cask on a Tamdhu? A distillery that only uses sherry casks to age their whisky. And, although not always true, sometimes you can get a very unique, single cask, cask strength edition of your favorite distillery for a somewhat lower price then when the distillery bottles it. (Don't ask me how they do that.) In short: I truly like to get those bottles, because they help me to discover a wide range on aroma's, flavor and other items in experimenting with whiskies. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/e331f722-fe1a-4b29-8ff7-ae632863ef8b/Independent+Bottlers+3.jpg Writings - Independent Bottlers - But, however, and: The future Do IB's have a future? With the rising popularity of whisky world wide, the market for buying barrels or new make is getting tighter. Prices rise on those markets, making it less interesting for some smaller IB's to purchase barrels. At the same time, almost every distillery is using that popularity to cash and to do their own experiments with casks and release those as special editions or even as a standard in their range of whiskies. Recently one of the older and larger IB's Gordon and MacPhail, in the business for 128 years, has announced they are no longer buying stock from distilleries in 2024. As a brand, they invested in their own distilleries (BenRomach and the Cairn) and will focus on that. No worries though, they have enough stock to keep on releasing whisky for a couple of decades! But more IB's are following that example. So I'm watching that progress with some interest, for now, I really enjoy looking for those special bottles from IB's that make me enjoy whisky so much! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/writings/whisky-definitions monthly 0.5 2026-01-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/725ecf0b-cc3a-449c-a9f2-a510660be0a1/Still.jpg Writings - What's in a name? Whisky Definitions - Single Malt Scotch whisky Let me start with the most important one for me. It is half my name, so it had the highest priority in my opinion. The definition of a Single Malt Scotch Whisky is a whisky distilled at a single Scotch distillery by batch distillation in copper pot stills. The only ingredients allowed are water, malted barley and yeast. (And later in the process the possible addition of E150. A food coloring.) The single malt must be bottled in Scotland. Now some extra details: Single malt whisky is not the whisky from one batch. If, for example, the bottle says it is a 12 yo whisky, this means that the youngest whisky in the bottle is 12 years old. To get the same flavor in each bottle, the distilleries master blender constructs de whisky out of several "vintages" of whisky to get the flavor just right. So the youngest is 12 years old, the oldest might be a very old whisky! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/0f805cbd-5b5a-4070-a86c-22db8c89edd2/Single+Grain+whisky.jpg Writings - What's in a name? Whisky Definitions - Single Grain Scotch Whisky Next item on the list is something most people are not aware of: Single Grain Scotch whisky. These whiskies are not always available at your local liquor store, but there are many different kinds available. Opposite of what you might expect since you just read the definition of a Single Malt whisky, is that the single in Single grain is just referring to the one distillery. It can contain a combination of malted or unmalted grains or cereals. Another factor that is often mentioned is that a large amount of grain whiskies are distilled in column or patented stills. However, this is not required. (The other way around might count: A 100% malted barley whisky can not be a single malt, but can be a grain whisky. Due to the required copper pot stills.) So the definition of a Single Grain Scotch Whisky would be a whisky, distilled out of water, yeast and a combination of (malted) grains or cereals, being produced at one distillery. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/381da2d0-765d-42bf-94d1-08d09d452972/Blended+whisky.jpg Writings - What's in a name? Whisky Definitions - Blended Scotch Whisky Being by far the biggest exported kind of whisky from Scotland, Blended Whisky needs to be defined as well. The definition is in the name: Blended Scotch Whisky, is a whisky consisting of one or more single malt whiskies and one or more single grain whiskies. So the ingredients are in this case the end products of the first two whiskies as described above. The master blender has a large amount of ingredients to choose from, but at the same time has to make sure every batch is similar to the previous batches. Some of the biggest brands that are known all across the globe are blends. Think, for example, about that one guy that is always walking. But wait, there's more! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/5f4c621e-4bbe-45b9-a5cf-6a72d31be472/Casks.jpg Writings - What's in a name? Whisky Definitions - Two extra kind of blended whisky Next to the "normal" blended scotch whisky, we have two sub-categories that I need to mention: Blended Malt Scotch Whisky: A blend/mix of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies, which have been distilled at more than one distillery. Blended Grain Scotch Whisky: A blend/mix of Single Grain Whiskies, which have been distilled at more than one distillery Pretty clear now I hope? I will add one final entry that I hope will not lead to a whole new thread of information: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/bfe66ae6-0c98-4438-bd0b-966bc29f777d/Butt.jpg Writings - What's in a name? Whisky Definitions - Single Cask Whisky Now this is a special one: Single Cask Whisky is like the name suggests: A whisky bottled from one cask. Often this whisky is also bottled at cask strength, which means it is not diluted with water before bottling. Opposed to the other definitions on this page, this naming is not ruled by the Scotch Whisky Regulations. But lets make it confusing: What if the whisky is labled double cask or is finished on another cask? Difficult and vague. But according to this article I found, double barrel whisky can be single cask, IF the cask is the same type as the first one. So that would mean a whisky with a finish is not allowed to be called a single cask whisky. However, according to the EWA this is not the case: "While not specifically defined in the Scotch Whisky Regulations (2009 UK legislation outlining legal requirements for Scotch), the term falls under the Consumer Rights Act (2015 UK legislation outlining general consumer protection) which states that any food description must be accurate, clear and not misleading." and "The term “single cask” should only be used when the contents of the bottle have spent the entire maturation period in a single cask." To be honest, I'm confused again. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/writings/whisky-fungus monthly 0.5 2026-01-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/f741b66f-5202-4adb-8702-bc7c3c8898de/Newsarticle.jpg Writings - Whisky Fungus - Turning the world black Panic in Tennessee this March. The locals of Lincoln County are complaining about a dark fungus, consuming and covering everything that is outside. It looks like a lawsuit will follow, which will halt the building of a 7th barrelhouse for the Jack Daniel's distillery. Because, yes, the 6 barrelhouses already in Lincoln County might be the very reason everything is covered in a black growth. It is called Whisky Fungus, or even more official: Baudoinia Compniacensis. This is a fungi living of ethanol vapours. Yes. We have found something actually living of alcohol. The fungus simply loves ethanol vapours an might be the first fungus human being actually domesticated. By accident that is, because the fungus only is a real nuisance for us, instead of adding value. It literally thrives close to distilleries, barrelhouses, dunnage warehouses and bakeries. Covering everything with a black layer of mould. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/ec667093-3e04-4b69-b70f-c6ef0ea7b743/Fungus+tree.png Writings - Whisky Fungus - Black trees, bright green leaves When visiting Scotland with some friends, I told them about these curious black trees that they might encounter close to distilleries. They did not believe me, but when visiting the Blair Athol distillery, and walking to their dunnage warehouse, there it was. A tree covered in whisky fungus, turning it as black as a schoolboard. The fungus only lives of ethanol, so does not really 'eat' from the tree. It does not kill it. Immediately that is, because if the fungus really smothers the tree, it might suffocate it. This however, rarely happens. Neither is the fungus a danger to your health. The leaves on the tree, already slowly turning from green to yellow in early autumn, were in a sharp contrast to the black bark. I found it to be a beautiful scene. But then again, I'm not living close to 6 Jack Daniel's barrelhouses, and my patio furniture, house, car etc. are not covered in a black layer of fungus. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/writings/why-taste-triggers-memories monthly 0.5 2026-01-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/06eb6ddb-d320-45d9-bfcd-d0783060c661/Scent.jpg Writings - Why smelling or tasting whisky, triggers memories - A hint of coconut I started to look into this phenomenon when I started to visit tastings. Why? Because at a tasting people start to mention what they get from smelling or tasting the dram. You hear people almost happily shouting things across the table like: "I got a hint of coconut!" I did get the coconut, in the end, but after imaging a view overlooking a beach filled with tourists all using their own brand of sunscreen. Some sunscreens tend to use coconut as a perfume to suggest the tropical destination you might be at while sunbathing. Others go for fruity tones like pineapple or melon. And that is what I got that instance: I took a sniff and was on a beach, smelling sunscreen, squeezing my eyes against the bright sun and seeing the waves break on the white sand. I later realized I got coconut as well. But this hint of coconut triggered a memory. And sucked me into a visualization of my perspective of that memory. All this because of a hint of coconut in a small tasting glass somewhere in the Netherlands. I was intrigued. How does smell have this enormous impact on me? And why do I get a memory of visualization of a memory, instead of just the word "coconut"? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/031ae7dd-b095-4877-9716-e5e17f66137b/The+Olfactory+system.png Writings - Why smelling or tasting whisky, triggers memories - The location of the olfactory system Great, scientific words in my blog. I never thought it would happen on this website, but here we are, using words like olfactory system. The olfactory system is almost all parts in your body connected to smelling. Smell, very closely connected to taste, is the oldest way for us so navigate in the world. Babies that are net yet seeing, use smell to recognize safety, finding food (mothers breast) and comfort. It is the first sense we use as human beings. And it is actually one of the stronger senses we have, although we tend to focus ourselves on the others, going from seeing (visual), hearing, touching and then maybe smelling. Because smelling is something we do without noticing, it is almost always logging scents and connecting it to situations, contexts and scenery without us even noticing. But why is it so important if smelling comes last? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/16567420-0da2-4a35-8211-0aa59dc18d85/Smelling.png Writings - Why smelling or tasting whisky, triggers memories Now this is the moment where the magic happens for me. When the memory is triggered by the scent you just had on your nostrils, your brain starts connecting dots. And those dots can be memories created by other ways of sensing things. Some people are auditory minded, others visually. I recently met a very nice fellow dram fan, who connected his whisky to a song in his head when he was smelling and tasting his whisky. One or two sniffs and he mentioned a song he thought was perfect for listening while drinking this dram. I was amazed. Until I realized he was auditory minded. Where I'm someone who's visually minded. Therefore my mind creates an image based on the triggering scent. I remember images, moments and parts of those moments. So I tend to create a visual context in my head for the scents I get. Only when that has happened, I'm able to get the scent out of context and give it a name. They say practice makes perfect and I can still perfect my way of smelling and tasting a whisky. Then I might get to the brain process a bit quicker and name the thing I sell right away. Coconut, right, I got this. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/writings/the-best-glass-for-whisky monthly 0.5 2026-03-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/19672209-2dba-4303-9c3a-a0584f665c53/The+best+glass+for+whisky.jpg Writings - The best glass for whisky - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/7b02b849-9eff-43d0-b9d2-4d683e9be6bd/The+Tumbler.jpg Writings - The best glass for whisky - The tumbler - 2.5/5 The most famous whisky glass. You see it in series, movies and everywhere on the web if you search for whisky glass. But right from the start things went downhill for this glass. The 25ml is barely visible in the glass. Never mind waltzing it around the glass. It felt like shaking a smoothie. And thanks to the carving on the sides, I could not spot the line at all. Holding the glass feels nice, made me feel like Harvey Specter from Suits. But the amount of whisky felt miserable and I missed the clinking of ice cubes. The first sniff on the glass gave me some aroma's, but mostly air. After 15 minutes, I got even less. Big plus: I just put the glass in the dishwasher when I was done! Conclusion: I'm going to keep this one for a whisky on the rocks or for an old fashioned. Not the best glass for me for enjoying a dram. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/9f0ff949-caf6-4b03-9674-22e92bd9b0cd/Small+wine+tasting+glass.jpg Writings - The best glass for whisky - Small wine tasting glass - 3.5/5 I found this glass somewhere and knew I had to add it to this test. I never used it for whisky before this test, but it was initially meant for it. (With the Classic Malts selection logo.) It might not show on the photo, but it is actually quite large. It got the full point for waltzing the whisky around the glass, although it did feel like drinking wine. I had a good view on the line and tears. No argument, the first part went ok. Drinking from this glass was pretty easy and it felt ok. However, something was not adding up. It felt like drinking whisky from just the wrong glass. Sniffing was ok, for the first one, but I lost many aroma's in the second after 15 minutes. This glass survived the dishwasher afterwards, so it does get the point for easy cleaning as well! Conclusion: Although it did get close on many aspects, I could not give it full points on everything. It just did not feel right. So, with apologies to this glass, it is never going to be used for whisky again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/0c70a939-ce53-4164-a0e6-98c5357a008f/Copita+glass.jpg Writings - The best glass for whisky - The copita glass - 4/5 After the first two glasses in this test, this was the first glass that gave me some spirit on the nose. I forgot that could happen, so I needed a small pause after my first, rather enthusiastic sniff. The copita is actually one of the most common glasses you encounter when you visit a tasting or event. It has this great tapered shape that makes it ideal for swirling the whisky in the glass and sniff. It is also maintained some aroma's after 15 minutes of open air. I like the way it feels and handles, although it feels like the glass could brake. While drinking, I realized the tapered opening is smaller than the previous glasses. I had to sip, not drink. After drinking, I decided not to put this glass in the dishwasher. I had some bad experiences with that. Because this meant I had to wash it by hand, I found it not so easy to clean. It lost that point. Conclusion: Great glass for tasting! I can see why it is used for many tastings. It stays. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/782c6668-ccba-4cb8-a646-101a5fa235ec/Glencairn+glass.jpg Writings - The best glass for whisky - The Glencairn glass - 4/5 Now, most readers must be some kind of whisk(e)y enthousiast and will be familiar with this glass. Developed to be the ultimate glass for tasting whisky, it has a bulbous belly and an inward tapered top. Like a chimney for all the aroma's. Not the first with the inward tapered opening in this test, it is the first with a small inward curve between belly and opening. Although giving the whisky a twirl in this glass, the broad foot is very different to a stem like the copita has. I think it is just trying to find the right grip. It did give me the line and tears that I wanted to see. But holding it more horizontally made me hold the glass instead of the foot. I like the way it drinks, and enjoyed the way it guides the nosing after the pour and a while after. Now, I already knew what would happen with cleaning, since you cannot put this glass in the dishwasher. I did it previously and managed to give three of my glasses some serious damage to the glass. So handwash it is. And I do not enjoy doing that. Conclusion, great glass. On an even place with the copita for me. Love the shape, the foot not so much. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/62e9f33f-ab23-4598-a3dc-8ef7179fe721/Turkish+tea+glass.jpg Writings - The best glass for whisky - The "little vase" - 1.5/5 To be honest, I thought this glass would score high in the test. It had the bulbous belly, tapered curve and then a wide rim. But it scored very poorly. First of all, giving the whisky a twirl was me holding the glass from the top and tryin to make the right motion. I did get a nice line, but because I did not manage to waltz it in one motion, I shook it around rather than twirl it. The bottom of the glass, rather then being a bowl, is actually rather flat. Like the tumbler. Secondly, the aroma. Full point for the first sniff, but where I thought the curve would hold some in, the second was gone. Third: Maybe it is my fat nose, but the rim was uncomfortable on the tip of my nose. It made me press the rim in my nose and tilt my head backwards to drink, rather then tip the glass. And finally cleaning: I placed the glass in the dishwasher, but the flat bottom kept waterdrops in some way. So taking it out, I had water spots. Could not reach it properly cleaning by hand. Conclusion: Would not recommend, unless your nose is smaller than mine. Update: It's a Turkish tea glass... I feel a little bit stupid. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/631691a6-3fde-4770-ac0c-17a6418f2335/Cognac+Sommelier+Glass.png Writings - The best glass for whisky - Cognac sommelier glass - 4.5/5 Now, As you can see on the photo, this is the smallest glass in the test. Look how big that dram looks! The glass itself has the same shape as the Glencairn, but smaller. Bulbous belly, inward curve and tapered opening. But is has a stem instead of a chunky foot. I got this glass somewhere and it has a faded logo of Joseph Guy Cognac on it. And I like it a lot. First of all: Great lines and tears after an easy twirl holding the stem. Aroma's great after pour and like the Glencairn and copita also great for the second time. Although I cannot put it in the dishwasher, I can easily clean this one by hand. Where I had trouble reaching the bottom with the Glencairn and the little vase, this one was easy because of its size. Conclusion: I think we got my winner. I really like this glass for tasting whisky! Update: It's now on my 2nd place. See below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/b125f95b-b471-40e7-8d02-f3cf80eed7d2/Blenders+Glass.png Writings - The best glass for whisky - Blenders glass - 4 /5 So, after quite a while of using my Cognac sommelier glass, it broke. I needed a new type of glass. So, I bought the Blenders Glass. Now I still had some of the whisky I used for this test, so I decided to add it to the line-up. Spoiler, it changes the conclusion. Having the look of a small wine glass, but with a chimney opening, so I can make the dram dance around the glass and have a smaller opening for holding the aromas. The stem makes me twirl real easy, nosing the dram seems to be more effective. (I had different types of whisky i this glass and some blinded me so heavy was the effect of a streamlined yet of aromas in your face.) Returning to my glass after a while, it still holds the aromas on the nose really well. Cleaning however, seems a bit difficult. It loses 0.5 point on that, however, this is my most favourite glass for tasting whisky up untill today. Conclusion: I think I have a favourite!. I really enjoy using this glass for tasting whisky! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/writings/whisky-from-aruba monthly 0.5 2026-01-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/29b5ed6c-1cc7-4696-88f2-018a17d166b7/Morrison+whisky+Aruba.jpg Writings - Morrison - Whisky from Aruba - My adventure as a whisky detective I like to see if I can find local whisky in any place I travel. I did it in San Diego, in France and I did it on Aruba. I was on a family vacation on Aruba, an island that is very dear to me and just happens to have some family members living there. While visiting, my parents were vacationing on the "One Happy Island" as well. It actually was my father who mentioned it while sitting on the beach: While doing groceries the day before, he noticed a wall of whisky. And since I just happen to really like whisky, he decided to take a look for me. And discovered something and shared this find with me. He advised me to take a look. I decided to investigate and walked into another local supermarket to see if I could find this "whisky from Aruba". I quickly spotted the liquor department and found the bottles he mentioned. On the shelves was a whole range of whiskies, all from the same brand. Morrison. In spotted a blue label, a black label, a red-brownish label and a cream-colored label. They were all blends, but what made it more interesting was the sign that said "Aruba's whisky". Bottled and sometimes blended on Aruba. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/fea86e8e-073f-4c7f-a5e7-e31ef247f319/Morrison-black-12yo.jpg Writings - Morrison - Whisky from Aruba - Reviewing the stuff itself When I looked at the shelf, back when I was on vacation, there was a wide selection. Now, you can get them in 0.2, 0.3, 0.7 and 1 liter bottles. Blue label, Black label, a "charred oak" with a burgundy label and a 12 year old blended malt. all are bottled at 40% VOL. I decided to purchase the 12 year old (0,7 L) to take home with me. Much later, I received a Black label as well. Now both bottles are opened and tasted. Not just by me, but also by friends and family. And I might spoil the reviews below, but let me say this whisky is designed to mix something with. Preferably something with a lot of flavor and a lot of ice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/3483189a-b019-4846-8031-976c78bfa81c/Morrison-black-label.jpg Writings - Morrison - Whisky from Aruba - Morrison Black Label - very fine blended whisky The Black label is a blended grain whisky. According to the label, blended and bottled on Aruba. (See the "Under license of MECS brands" on the label. The whisky has a dark golden color. A twirl of the glass gives me a thin line, but almost no tears. It just flows back. On the nose: At first: Paint thinner. After that: sour apple, honey, vanilla. Taste: Spirit, al lot. After that: Oak, honey, cane sugar. Finish: Very short. Spirit, nuts. Verdict: Not the best https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/d0e4120d-2451-408c-a2a0-9152a7721a7f/Morrison-12yo.jpg Writings - Morrison - Whisky from Aruba - Morrison Aged 12 years - Blended Scotch Whisky This bottle is the only "aged" whisky in the Morrison range. It is one of the two labels that claim the title "Scotch whisky". (The other one is the Blue label.) Now this is the one I find interesting, since the label also claims that it is bottled on Aruba, but at the same time "produced in a manner specified by law". Hence my quest for information mentioned above. This whisky is a little lighter than the Black label, but not by much. A twirl of the glass gives a very thin line and some tears. On the nose: Very light fruit notes of apple and pear. Vanilla and honey. Taste: Balanced. Caramel, vanilla, oak and honey. Finish: Short. Some hints of dried apricots. A little bitter chocolate. Verdict: Better than the black label, but still not the best of stuff. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/writings/travel-retail monthly 0.5 2026-01-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/daa6b15c-2642-440e-82da-43f48f3cad7b/Travel+Retail+whisky.jpg Writings - Travel Retail - Travel retail exclusive. I guess I'm lucky. I have a wide range of family and friends that fly a lot to distant places. And that means that I can ask for a favor and get access to a unique range of bottles: Travel Retail Exclusives. First, what is it? I found a great article online by Tim Young where this is described perfectly: "Travel retail exclusive is a term to describe products that are sold exclusively in Travel retail stores and are therefore not available for sale in domestic markets in shops or on-line anywhere in the world." I can really recommend reading this article, because it perfectly describes why there is a rise of exclusives. Spoiler alert: It has something to do with the availability of whiskies around the world and the loss of duty free zones in Europe since 1999. I got a few in my collection: The Nikka Gold&Gold Samurai edition (Tokyo Airport), The Kavalan Original (Roma Fiumicino Airport) and The Bowmore Aston Martin 10yo (Edinburgh Airport). All of them bought for me, not by me. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/writings/bottle-hunt monthly 0.5 2026-01-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/d08f9bc8-95b9-4077-af8b-ae2f929239ce/Ukrainian+Humanitarian+Appeal+Whisky.jpg Writings - Bottle Hunt - About the bottle Wolfburn Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. I guess that's the name. It is an edition bottled by Wolfburn, of which the proceeds will go towards Solidarity Fund Ukraine 12-12. Now if I'm correct, there are two editions. One with a silver capsule on the bottle that was bottled for the Belgian market, with 112 bottles. And Wolfburn bottled another version with a black capsule, of which I believe were bottled 1500+. When I discovered the news about this bottle, I decided then and there I wanted one. A small way for me to add a little support towards a humanitarian goal and a special bottle for my collection. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/writings/alcohol-free-whisky monthly 0.5 2026-01-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/73becdff-f930-4028-9eb1-4c1630f9ea6c/Alcohol+free+whisky.jpg Writings - Alcohol-free Whisk(e)y - Lyre's American Malt Yes, that is an alcohol-free whisky on that image. And yes, I tried it. And yes, I bought it myself. Now normally, I would have placed a review under the section "drinking whisky", but in this case, I will not. Two reasons: 1) This is not a whisky. 2) I thought I had to discuss alcohol-free whisky. First, let's start with why I bought it. In short: Stupidity. I spotted an online deal at a webshop for a nice single malt, but that specific store had an insane ly high shipping fee. Unless I spend ten euro's more, for free shipping. In a hurry, because I had to get somewhere, place the kid in the carseat, get the diaper bag and the stroller , I sorted the store's whisky collection on low-high in price, and selected the cheapest bottle on the list that would get me at that missing ten euro. It was €11,50 if I remember correctly, on sale. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/fc97f616-c822-45df-9973-b247e89ccb4b/Molecule.jpg Writings - Alcohol-free Whisk(e)y - The value of alcohol in whisky Now, to explain why I was shocked, a little science is needed in my explanation. Since I'm not good at chemistry, forgive me my way of describing it. In short: Alcohol has an important role in carrying the aroma's and taste of the whisky. Take for example guaiacol molecules. These are the particles that give single malts a smokey flavor. And these guaiacol particles bind to the alcohol. So removing the alcohol, means you do not keep those guaiacol particles, and others, in a liquid the same way as with alcohol. With that important part that alcohol is playing in the way we smell and taste whisky, could an alcohol-free whisky work? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/0e07e357-781e-4155-bdb3-07f8c5360a76/Lyre+range.jpg Writings - Alcohol-free Whisk(e)y - The verdict I'm not a fan. For me it was a big no. I kept it, tried it again, and again, but no. I even shared it with friends, opening a discussion. It is a very good bottle trying to capture the essence of a gently mellowed American Classic Bourbon Malt, like Lyre places on its own website. And, to be fair, Lyre never claims to have made an alcohol-free whisky. They made their own alcohol-free spirit, trying to get as close as they can to the real thing. And why not? We have a market for alcohol-free cocktails. The rise of alcohol-free gin or beer has risen the last few years. When I have to drive, I like to order a 0.0% beer as well. I made my wife alcohol-free gin-tonics in the summer while she was pregnant. There might be people who do not enjoy their drinks with some spirit flavor. Who find that too strong. But now I can give them an Old Fashioned, or another cocktail, with this alcohol-free spirit, so they can join me in enjoying a drink. Without judgement going both ways. My lesson learned? Better pay for shipment next time. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky daily 0.75 2026-01-14 https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/single-malt-cocktail-the-emerald-cask monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/d597f47f-677d-4a1e-a135-6df20a204ed3/Emerald+Cask+Ingredients.jpg Cooking with Whisky - The Emerald Cask - Ingredients: 45ml Whisky. I used the Classic Laddie from Bruichladdich 120ml Coffee (I used Nespresso Iced Coffee with Coconut flavor) (A teaspoon of coconut extract if you're not using the nespresso) A teaspoon of sugar syrup 30-40 grams of avocado You will also need: A large cube of ice A blender A cocktail glass https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/6d3a9025-08a2-43a2-ac09-fb564fe2270b/The+Emerald+Cask.jpg Cooking with Whisky - The Emerald Cask - Instructions: Make the coffee and let it cool down Chop the avocado in some chunks, weighing 30-40 grams When the coffee is cold, pout it in the blender Add the avocado Add the sugar syrup Add the whisky Blend until a fine creamy liquid is formed Pour over ice into your cocktail glass Garnish with a slice of avocado https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/single-malt-cocktail-smoking-sorbet monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/ff047131-c405-42bf-87d4-6d2776f44caa/Smokey+Sorbet+Ingredients.jpg Cooking with Whisky - The Smoking Sorbet - Ingredients: 6cl of a lightly peated whisky (I used the Titanic Irish Whiskey) 8cl of Boomsma Bramen Likeur (blackberry liqueur) A bottom of a fresh fruit drink (I used Peach Apple) Lemon sorbet ice cream Garnish (Cocktail cherries!) Tools: Cocktail stirrer Cocktail glass Ice cream spoon (mine did not work properly) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/ee47c55b-a9bc-426c-b753-d2bf866c32a7/Smoking+Sorbet.jpg Cooking with Whisky - The Smoking Sorbet - Instructions: Pour the fruit drink in the glass, I filled about 20% of the glass. Add the 8cl of Blackberry liqueur Add the 6cl of whisky Stir a bit untill mixed. Scoop some sorbet ice cream on top (if you manage to create nice round scoops, make two. If you mess up just like me, make a layer of smaller scoops that filles the glass. Add the garnish Enjoy! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/whisky-caviar-quail-eggs monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/191647d4-a6f0-4255-8a27-7c5c3dd6c01a/Whisky+Caviar+Quail+Ingredients.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Whisky Caviar Quail Eggs - Ingredients: Quail eggs (My pack contained a dozen. I used 6.) Caviar A Teaspoon of whisky. I did not want to interrupt with both the caviar and the quail eggs, so it needed to be a smooth Speysider that is full in flavor, but not that dominant. So I used the Benriach Original 10 Tools: A plastic or wooden spoon for the caviar. Pan to boil the eggs https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/c2b43fb6-92f1-40c4-a6b2-2c6eb7421ca5/Whisky+Caviar+Quail+Eggs.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Whisky Caviar Quail Eggs - Instructions: Boil the quail eggs for 3 minutes max. (Add some salt to the boiling water.) Cool the eggs and peel them Cut the eggs in two and scoop out the yolk Put all the yiolk into a bowl, add 1-1,5 teaspoons of whisky and mash it a bit into a pulp Re-fill the eggs with the pulp you just made Put a little Caviar on top https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/whisky-mussels monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/4c173f2d-a4d3-4ec3-aaec-4915391a1dce/Whisky+Mussels+Ingredients.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Whisky Mussels Recipe - Ingredients: 2 kg of fresh mussels in the shell 70-80 ml of whisky, I used the Tamnavulin Sauvignon Blanc Cask 100 ml of cooking cream A bag of mixed vegetables, or: Leek, onion, celery and carrots (Optional: Curry powder or a small chili pepper) Tools: A colander A big pan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/388d7b29-755d-4dda-8835-0d803ffd8b9a/Whisky+Mussels.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Whisky Mussels Recipe - Instructions: Clean the mussels in the colander Remove all broken shells Remove the "beards" of the shells Check if open mussels still close by tapping them with a spoon or fork Fry the vegetables short in the pan and add the cream and whisky Add the mussels to the pan. Stir the mussels around and let them steam/simmer for 4-5 minutes Put the mussels on a plate and pour some of the boiled down cooking liquid on it. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/whisky-portobello-burgers monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/cc488d29-bc99-4d80-a2b1-699985f9bcd9/Whisky+Portobello+ingredients.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Whisky Portobello Burgers - Ingredients: 4 Portobellos 4 tablespoons of whisky (I used the Stauning Høst) 1 clove of garlic 1,5 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce Red peppers 1 teaspoon onion powder 1,5 tablespoon of maple syrup (or honey) 2 tablespoons of Ketjap Manis (Thick soy sauce) 1 tablespoon of sweet Paprika powder Lettuce Burger buns https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/b0905974-a804-41be-9e20-082cefc32e1a/whisky+portobello+instrictions+1.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Whisky Portobello Burgers - Instructions: Prepare your grill for direct grilling and get it to 200℃ . (392 F) Put your red peppers on the grill and roast them until they burst. Don't worry about charring. Prepare the marinade by putting the ingredients in a bowl (Chop or crusch the garlic!) and mix it. Put the Portobellos in the marinade and keep pouring the marinade over the Portobellos Take the peppers of the grill and let them cool down. Bring back the grill to 150℃ (302F) Slice the buns and toast them in an oven or open pan. You want a toasty bun! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/0013e603-3bbe-45ba-8d31-0e94adaf9f83/whisky+portobello+burgers.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Whisky Portobello Burgers Put the Portobellos on the grill for around 10 minutes. Let them char a little but keep turning them if it goes too fast. Take the skin of the peppers and slice it into smaller pieces Prepare the buns by using a little ketchup on the upper part. I used Heinz ketchup pickle flavour. Place some lettuce on the bottom bun Place some red pepper on the lettuce Place the grilled Portobellos on the bun. They hhave shrunk a bit, so use two per bun. Enjoy with whisky of choice! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/single-malt-cocktail-the-troprickly monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/3557e995-257b-461d-8347-5ed748cb55e9/Troprickly+Ingredients.jpg Cooking with Whisky - The TroPrickly - Ingredients: 6cl of a light freshwhisky (I used the Goalong Small Batch Single Malt ) 3 Prickly pears (Cactus fruit), I used two red ones, one yellow. A can of tonic water Ice Garnish (I did not use any, but you can put a thin slice of the fruit on the rim.) Tools: Blender Cocktail glasses (Optional: A small sieve) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/aa94c076-b7c1-4921-86d2-3132fe48c588/Troprickly.jpg Cooking with Whisky - The TroPrickly - Instructions: Halve the fruit and take out the fruit pulp with a spoon. (I forgot to mention that in the list of tools, you need a spoon!) Put all the pulp into a blender. Add 6 cl of your whisky of choice to the blender. Turn it on and blend untill you see all the pulp has been loosened from the pits. Now, if you want, you can blend in some ice. I did not, because there is a chance you dilute the mix too much with water. Put the ice in the glass and pour half of your blended mix through the sieve over the ice. Take your tonic water and fill up the glass until satisfied. Enjoy! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/single-malt-cocktail-the-maltberry monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/5e3b8e78-9e06-4c2b-8c87-1047a5443f3e/Maltberry+Ingredients.jpg Cooking with Whisky - The Maltberry - Ingredients (for a double portion): 8cl of a light bourbon cask whisky (I used the Duo de Malt by Du Breuil) 10-12 strawberries, crowns taken off. around 2-3 cl sugar syrup Ice Garnish (I used small strawberries, but a tiny part of fresh mint is better.) Tools: Blender Cocktail glasses https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/023e3fc1-bed8-4b72-8990-b45719f81b3d/The+Maltberry.jpg Cooking with Whisky - The Maltberry - Instructions: First a small note: Although the series is called Single Malt Cocktail, today I used a blended malt. The reason for this, is that the whisky I used is just perfect for this cocktail. The light vanillin notes in it really add to the whole. That is why I'm recommending ex-bourbon cask whisky, the very nice vanilla notes. Fill your blender with the ingredients Blend untill ice has been crushed Garnish your glass and pour, or: Pour and garnish your glass Enjoy! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/single-malt-cocktail-peated-colada monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/4055a01c-d233-4bd5-9805-96cf0eb489ab/Cocktail+Caol+Ila.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Peated Colada - Ingredients: 4.5cl of a peated whisky, I used a 12yo Caol Ila 50 cl Sweetened Coconut cream 90 cl Pinappel juice Ice (about 1/3rd of the cocktail shaker Garnish (I did not have any, but a nice marachina cherry on top would have been nice. Tools: Cocktail shaker Cocktail glass (I used a beer glass. Sorry.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/35d803b0-5417-45da-af58-ec4a604c012f/Peated+Colada.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Peated Colada - Instructions: First a small warning. I used sweetened coconut cream. If you do not go for the sweetened version, your cocktail might get a bit too much towards a thick bitter drink. If you cannot find sweetened cream, add 5cl sugar syrup to the ingredients before you shake. Take your mixing glass/bottom half of a cocktail shaker Add ice Add Pinapple juice Add the coconut cream Add the whisky Shake untill the cocktail shaker become very cold Pour in a glass, but try to filter out the ice. Enjoy! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/dalwhinnie-bbq-sauce monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/909432fa-46be-4417-a4ea-82a9d8fab22b/Dalwhinnie+BBQ+sauce.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Dalwhinnie BBQ sauce - Ingredients: 4 tablespoons of ketchup (or 2 tablespoons of concentrated tomato paste) 4,5 tablespoons of ketjap manis (thick soy sauce) 1 big tablespoon of thick apple syrup 2 drams of Dalwhinnie (Winters Gold), or other whisky Half a teaspoon of something spicy (I used half a teaspoon piri-piri.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/8bc8571b-6bdd-406a-95cd-37f6f14e10d4/Instructions.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Dalwhinnie BBQ sauce - Instructions: Take a small pan and put the ketchup, ketjap and Apple syrup in the pan. Turn on the heat on low temperature and stir until all the ingredients are mixed Add the whisky and stir it with the other ingredients. Warm the sauce on medium to low hight and make sure it does not boil or gets to a cooking point. The sauce might smell a bit like vinegar, no worries, that will fade away after a while. Keep heating it until it becomes a thick sauce like structure. Check this by looking on how it drips on the spoon. (Keep in mind it looks thinner then it is while hot.) On th image you'll see how the sauce starts sticking on the top of the spoon. Like I mention in the ingredient list; You can use concentrated tomato paste. This will get you a thicker sauce, but I was not a big fan of the flavour coming from that. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/bacon-and-brie-whisky-pancakes monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/2613d2b5-8a56-4ab6-ac42-85310d6c34d1/Whisky+Pancakes.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Bacon and Brie Whisky Pancakes - Ingredients: Your usual pancake mix Bacon Brie Whisky of your choice (I used the Glenlivet Captains Reserve) Tools: Pan Optional: A small kitchen spray https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/b615973a-6954-403f-9969-eb4b552d5934/Whisky+Pancakes+Instructions.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Bacon and Brie Whisky Pancakes - Instructions: Prepare your pancake batter the way you normally do (For my American readers: In Europe we tend to make wider and thinner pancake. Think of French crêpes.) Slice the Brie into thin slices (thinner than 0,5 cm) Put the whisky in a small spray (This is optional, you can pour a bit if you don't have a small spray) Put some butter in the pan and heat it Put the bacon in first and let it fry a little Add your pancake batter Put some of the slices of Brie on the batter before turning Spray the whisky royally over the pancake before you turn it, don't use too little, but if you see clear puddles of whisky forming on the batter, you might have used too much. Flip the pancake and watch out for the steam coming from it Finish the pancake like you normally would. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/single-malt-cocktail-tropical-tartan monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/57a69096-4e3f-466c-b96d-0194725cc2a9/Tropical+Tartan+Ingredients.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Tropical Tartan - Ingredients: 4 cl of a (sweet) single malt whisky, in this case the Ballantines Glenburgie 15 10 cl Guaraná antarctica (Might be hard to find) Ice Garnish (I used a half slice of orange) (Optional: Extra fruit juice of choice ) Tools: Cocktail stirrer Mixing glass (or bottom half of a cocktail shaker) Longdrink glass (I did not have one, but any glass will do in the end) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/0e0c5c28-ab56-47d3-b61b-9d3a88c65ef5/Tropical+Tartan.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Tropical Tartan - Instructions: First a small warning. Guaraná is a natural energy supplement. A pure extract would give you 3-4 times more caffeine than coffee. However, in this soda, it has actually less caffeine than in a glass of Coca-Cola. Still something to be aware of. Take your mixing glass/bottom half of a cocktail shaker Add the whisky Add the Guaraná Stir the ingredients Take the drinking glass and add ice Pour the mix in the glass, over the ice Add garnish (Half a slice of orange in this case) Enjoy! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/single-malt-cocktail-the-snobby-apple monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/4293327b-52d7-4506-83fc-9259a8e7443c/Snobby+Apple+Ingredients.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Snobby apple - Ingredients: 4 cl of a single malt whisky, in this case: SMWS 73.124 6 cl Ginger beer (I used Royal Club) 10 cl cloudy Apple Juice A big block (in my case ball) of ice (and some extra to shake with) An apple for garnish Tools: Cocktail shaker Cocktail glass https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/cea80f8b-fabe-46c4-a780-1f7f9b938002/The+Snobby+Apple.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Snobby apple - Instructions: Fill your cocktail shaker with a some ice Add the whisky Add the ginger beer Add the apple juice Shake cold over the ice. Watch out, the ginger beer is carbonated so it will fizz! Place the block of ice in the glass Pour the mix in the glass, over the ice Add garnish Enjoy! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/single-malt-cocktail-speyside-old-fashioned monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/07164471-3343-4040-bc6e-79912c49bedf/Speyside+Old+Fashioned.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Speyside Old Fashioned - Ingredients: 6 cl of a single malt whisky, in this case: Benriach Original 10 2 cl Sugar syrup (Monin pure sugar cane) 2 big dashes of Angostura bitters A big block (in my case ball) of ice A very nice orange Tools: Extra glass Cocktail stirrer https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/d040b37b-6a0d-4ead-8122-a49e57686fcb/Old+Fashioned+Result.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Speyside Old Fashioned - Instructions: Put the sugar syrup in a clean glass Add the Angostura bitters Stir until you get an even mix in color Add whisky, give a short stirr Use some orange peel to coat the rim of a new glass Place the block of ice with some orange peal in that glass (Twist the peel before placing it there) Pour the mix from the mixing glass, over the ice in the second Enjoy! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/single-malt-cocktail-smokey-scotch-sour monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/1664c106-7ce0-4a00-bc56-e3e906687877/Smokey+Scotch+Sour+ingredients.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Smokey Scotch Sour - Ingredients: 6 cl of a single malt whisky, in this case: Mr Peat 2,5 cl (fresh) lemon juice. 2 cl Sugar syrup (Monin pure sugar cane) 1,5 cl Eggwhite (I used a fresh egg. If you are scared of that, use pasteurized egg whites. Crushed Ice in a glass Optional: Garnish (a slice of orange) Tools: cocktail shaker https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/80c3c745-896c-4d7a-96b0-c328fc6ded24/Smokey+Scotch+Sour.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Smokey Scotch Sour - Instructions: Put ice in the cocktail shaker Add the whisky Add the lemon juice Add the sugar syrup Add the eggwhite Shake with the ice, strain, shake again without ice. Pour in a glass filled with ice Add garnish Enjoy! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/single-malt-cocktail-dramble monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/7ea8fc7b-9349-4d8b-8d4d-88b2a56ad60e/Dramble+Ingredients.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Dramble - Ingredients: 6 cl of a single malt whisky, in this case: Glenkinchie 12yo 3 cl (fresh) lemon juice. 2 cl Sugar syrup (Monin pure sugar cane) 2 cl Blackberry liqueur (I used Boomsma Bramen) Crushed Ice in a glass Optional: Garnish (a blackberry of slice of orange) Tools: glass stirrer https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/897694da-4b43-4b22-b29b-a99c973c5005/Single+Malt+Cocktail+Dramble.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Dramble - My result: This is a truly refreshing cocktail! I think I'll try it with a peated whisky as well in the near future. Like i mentioned in the intro: I based this on the recipe on diffordsguide.com. Here you can read about the history of this cocktail and see the original measures and ingredients. It might also be a source for some other great cocktail recipes! Enjoying this cocktail? Let me know on Instagram or send me an email! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/whisky-fudge monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/3afa1d8c-04e7-40cc-adae-f1a6ee070087/Fudge+ingredients.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Whisky Fudge - Ingredients: A can of condensed milk (I used Friesche Vlag.) 150 grams of light caster sugar 100 grams of salted butter (Unsalted can be used too, but I only had salted.) (Optional: vanilla extract.) Whisky (I used the Port Askaig 8 years old for it's peaty flavor) Tools: cooking pan Springform pan Baking paper A proper hand mixer. (I did it by hand and it took a while.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/ffbd3d31-48e2-4b28-ae50-3456151d31d1/Fudge+instructions.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Whisky Fudge - Instructions: Put al the ingredients in the pan and place it on your heat source. Put it on medium heat. Stir the ingredients until all the butter and sugar are dissolved. Keep stirring and put it on medium-high heat. If the mixture starts bubbling, keep on stirring for at least 10 minutes. (You can turn the heat a bit down if you think it is going to hard, but keep stirring!) Take the mix of the heat source and let it rest for max 5 minutes. Add the whisky of your choice to the mixture, I used about half a dram. Cover your springform with baking paper Go back to you mixture and start stirring it again (Do not put it on the stove again!) Keep stirring until you see a matted glaze over your fudge. If the mixture stays firm when you remove your mixer, you can pour it in the form Put the mixture in the form and really press it into the form. Leave it for a couple of hours to settle and cool on room temperature and then cut it into blocks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/e9bdac1e-8083-4f1f-9b06-19219603d856/Result+Fudge.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Whisky Fudge - My result: I know there are a lot of recipes for fudge (with whisky) out there. But I truly enjoyed doing this and had to share it with you. Like I said, I used a salted butter and a peated Islay whisky. This combination leaves a very nice flavored fudge. Withholding the vanilla, an ingredient found in most fudge recipes, will give you more focus on the sweeter notes of the whisky. Try it for yourself and enjoy! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/marmalade-with-whisky monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/1bc27a8e-9087-4748-bc2c-81ac135c1e84/Whisky+Marmalade.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Marmalade with whisky - "Have you ever tried this?" This is what my colleague asked me regarding marmalade with whisky. "What do you mean? I'm not sure I even had marmalade without whisky!" "At my local supermarket they sell this marmalade with whisky. It made me think of you and your hobby. Want me to bring you one?" I answered yes and forgot about it. But recently I had a meeting with this colleague and she surprised me with a small gift: Mackays Orange marmalade with whisky. So here I am, writing about a jar of marmalade out of a supermarket. Why? Because it is whisky related! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/787d1063-6c3b-43a3-ba7c-a785eff3de50/3%25+whisky.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Marmalade with whisky Normally I do not do my tastings on a weekday during lunch time. I suppose the proper way would have been to try it at tea time, but I do not have a clue what time tea time is, plus I was hungry. While putting some bread in the toaster, I inspected the label on the jar. Did it truly contain whisky? On the list of ingredients I spotted my answer "Whisky (3%)". Since no alcohol percentage is mentioned, I assume the whisky as ingredient is added before heating, cooking or baking (I don't know! I never made marmalade!) the marmalade. Neither was I any wiser on what whisky was added. (I do know they have a Bowmore edition, but that's not this one.) So how does it taste? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/5f0b4832-24f1-4676-9c32-bdba7386eaf3/With+toast.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Marmalade with whisky Like I said, I tried it on toast. Or rather: With toast. I wanted to see if I could spot the whisky without the bread. Sniffing the marmalade, I did not spot it. It might be there, but I mainly got the oranges and sweetness. Tasting it however, gave me a very small hint of oak and even a small hint of spirit. (Although there's no alcohol in it.) After a few bites on toast, I noticed that I was able to spot it, although very faint. So this is not something where the whisky is a dominant flavor in the whole product. Would I buy it? I think not. Looks like I'm not a big marmalade fan. Should you buy it? If you are curious, like marmalade and whisky and know what time tea time is, yes! Thank you Marlies, for getting me this jar. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/whisky-brownies monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/f09cec1e-bbe6-42d9-92d1-4af6db7d0c2a/Whisky+Brownies+Ingredients.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Whisky Brownies - Ingredients: 200 grams of brown sugar (caster sugar) 150 grams of butter 75 grams of dark cacao powder 3 eggs 75 grams of flour (I sieved the flour.) A teaspoon of vanilla extract or half a teaspoon vanilla powder or one bag of vanilla sugar. around 50ml of whisky of your choice. I made two batches, one with Islay Mist 10yo whisky and one with the Aberlour Forest Reserve 10yo whisky. Optional: Chopped dark chocolate or sprinkles. Tools: Springform pan: Mine was to big, resulting in thin brownies that were just a little too dry for my liking. Baking paper A proper mixer: Mixing this by hand just takes too long. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/c6bedb7e-4c8c-4375-9c99-7dd04403d18a/Brownie+batter.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Whisky Brownies - Instructions: Preheat the oven on 160 degrees Celsius (320 Fahrenheit) Sieve the flour. Really, believe me. I got this tip from an experienced cake baker and she knows what she talks about. Put the butter in a pan on low heat and add the sugar and cacao (optional: the chopped chocolate. Mix until all the butter has melted and you have a liquid soft mix. Take the mix of the heat source, but make sure you don't let it harden again. Put the flour, vanilla, eggs and the heated mix in a mixing bowl. Add your whisky. I used around 50 ml per batch. Mix it until you have a nice shiny mix Butter your springform pan and place the baking paper in it. Pour the mix in the form and place it in the oven https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/f8947082-2193-4ab3-9e51-8fe2b4d28efd/Baked+Brownie.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Whisky Brownies The mix should be in the oven between 20-35 minutes. This depends on the size of the springform pan you use. Mine was a little too big, so 35 was a little too long. If you want to check, use a toothpick, if it comes out clean, your brownies are done. Take the pan out of the oven and let it cool down a bit before you remove the pan. Slice the brownies in the shape you want and serve with a nice dram and/or some ice-cream Enjoy! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/6f8e3f46-feb3-44e4-93d3-f2eb8400a95d/Brownie+Results.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Whisky Brownies - My result: Like I mentioned I made two batches with different whiskies. Most recipes online talk about bourbon, or rye, or a fruity whisky. But some are using peated whisky and swear by the results. I tried both, one batch with the Aberlour Forest Reserve 10yo and one with Islay Mist 10yo. I prefer the peated Islay Mist as it goes great with the dark cacao. The Aberlour was nice, but just not as great or maybe not the way I like it. If I ever bake again, and those chances are slim, I'm going to use an even more peated whisky. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/grilled-watermelon-with-whisky monthly 0.5 2026-01-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/ec8a79d3-431b-40a7-90dd-e100424b1a61/Grilled+watermelon+Glenlivet.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Grilled watermelon with whisky - Ingredients: Watermelon 4 tablespoons of honey (If you like to use maple syrup thats ok, but use a bourbon or grain whisky instead of a fruity one.) 2 tablespoons of lemon juice A dram of a soft fruity whisky of your choice Serve with: I served this recipe with the whisky I used for the cooking: The Glenlivet 18yo Batch Reserve https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/5495f498-b951-4e75-82f3-a08308668dd4/Grilled+Watermelon.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Grilled watermelon with whisky - Instructions: Mix the honey and lemon juice in a small bowl and set is aside. Cut the watermelon the way you like but make sure the slices are at least 2 cm thick. I had a mini watermelon, so was able to have discs rather than triangles, but both work. Warm up the grill. I use a kamado style grill and preheated it to 180℃ (356 in Fahrenheit). Brush the honey-lemon mix on one side and place the slices with that side on the grill. While on the grill, brush the other side before turning. When you have nice grill stripes, keep grilling until the slices get "floppy", but not too soft! Brush, spray of drip some of the whisky on each slice when the slices start turning to floppy. And do so again on the other side. Take off the grill and enjoy with a dram! WARNING: HOT! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/whisky-mayonnaise monthly 0.5 2026-01-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/c16e403f-d4da-4da1-9ae9-b254b4171241/Mayonnaise+ingredients.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Whisky Mayonnaise - Ingredients: 1 whole egg 2.5 teaspoons of white vinegar 2 teaspoons of mustard 0,25 teaspoon of salt 300 ml of a neutral oil. (I used sunflower oil.) Pinch of pepper 3 tablespoons of the whisky you want to use. Warning: some experimenting has to be done to find the right whisky for your taste. Some flavors in the whisky react with the other ingredients and might taste stronger or disappear. In this recipe I used a Finlaggan Old Reserve. This is a peaty Islay single malt that will leave a very slight smoke flavor to the mayonnaise, but some bitters ass well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/929d2c0f-aaca-4d24-b0a7-a4b2523bd6b5/Whisky+Mayonnaise.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Whisky Mayonnaise - Instructions: Make sure you have all the ingredients at the ready and at room temperature. This recipe is a quick & easy method and I'm using an immersion blender. If you want to do it more artisanal, use a whisk and 2 egg yolks instead of a whole egg. I would still recommend using the blender, it is just so much easier. Crack the egg into the tall mixing bowl Add the mustard Add the vinegar and salt & pepper Slowly add the oil. Place the blender on the bottom of the cup and turn it on, slowly pull it out. You should have a fresh, creamy mayonnaise by now. Check it by tasting a bit. Add some of the whisky of your choice and blend it again. Place it in the fridge or serve immediately Depending on the whisky you chose, serve it with fries, baked potatoes or with a grilled steak. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/moms-porter-cake monthly 0.5 2026-01-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/bd6654c9-1fbd-4bba-bde8-884d68de7f1e/Porter+Cake.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Mom's Porter cake - Ingredients: 450 grams of flour 1 teaspoon (5gr) of baking powder 1 teaspoon of biscuit spices 225 grams of sugar 225 grams of butter 200 grams raisins 200 grams sultanas 100 grams biggareaux 300 ml porter beer 2 eggs (scrambled) 1/2 teaspoon salt Use a 24cm springform pan and baking paper https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/5b7debec-698c-44db-9a15-0449ef7c5fbf/Porter+Cake+with+Coal+Ila.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Mom's Porter cake - Instructions: Make sure to place all ingredients ready on your work place. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, biscuit spices and fruits (i.e. Raisins, sultanas and bigarreaux) in a bowl. Put the beer in a measuring cup. Watch out! The beer is foamy. So pour it little by little in the cup until you have 300ml. Let the butter soften and mix it with the sugar to a creamy mass. Add the eggs and keep stirring. (Thats the trick: keep stirring.) Start adding the flour mix while stirring. Keep stirring. Preheat the oven at 180 °C. Put the dough in the baking mold and place it in the oven. It should bake in 1,5 - 2 hours. After one hours, if needed, place a piece of aluminum foil on top, so it does not turn to brown. Stick a wooden skewer in the cake to test if it is ready. If the skewer comes out dry, your porter cake is done. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/the-glaze monthly 0.5 2026-01-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/ebca4126-a4a7-4018-891c-c18eb33b640c/Glaze+with+bottle.jpg Cooking with Whisky - The Glaze - Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of ketchup 4 tablespoons of ketjap manis (thick soy sauce) 2 tablespoons of honey 3 tablespoons of whisky of your choice (You can add chili flakes, however, this will do the more subtle flavors of the whisky no good. I usually work without.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/41c99b99-de56-470e-a6a1-97f9db9fbfc6/The+Glaze.jpg Cooking with Whisky - The Glaze - Instructions: Take a small pan and put the ketchup, ketjap and honey in the pan. Turn on the heat on low temperature and stir until the honey is mixed with the ketchup and ketjap. Add the whisky and stir it with the other ingredients. Warm the sauce on medium hight but make sure it does not boil or gets to a cooking point. Use as a simple sauce and serve with the meat on the plate. Or use it as a glaze. Add the sauce as a glaze around 15-10 minutes before the meat is done. Spread it over the meat and let it caramelize. If needed, add a second layer for a ticker sticky layer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/1befd07d-6ca4-4ffe-998e-09919f17b0db/Glaze+on+porkbelly.jpg Cooking with Whisky - The Glaze - Make it stand out Used as a glaze on a smoked porkbelly. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/classic-shrimp-cocktail monthly 0.5 2026-01-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/d9ff49f7-8d1a-4c8c-bdcd-f6c37f851a7c/Classic+Shrimp+cocktail.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Classic Shrimp Cocktail - Ingredients: 200 grams of dutch north sea shrimp 8 tablespoons of (fresh made) mayonaise 2 tablespoons of ketchup 2 tablespoons of whisky of your choice A "splash" of lime of lemon Pepper For this recipe I used a 10 year old Jura single malt whisky https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/84e1923c-b8c5-40c1-a210-f86bf8910988/Jura+10yo+Shrimp+Cocktail.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Classic Shrimp Cocktail - Instructions: Take the shrimps and place them in a strainer. Most plastic packages have collected a lot of moist. You can add this to the mix, but that will make the sauce very thin. Take a bowl and mix all the ingredients. First the shrimps, then the mayonaise, the ketchup and finally the whisky. Keep stirring while adding the ingredients. Add a little of the pepper to spice it up. Also add a "splash" of lemon or lime. I tend to add a few drops, stir and taste. Too much pepper or lime/lemon will unbalance the flavors. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/cooking-with-whisky/drunken-duck monthly 0.5 2026-01-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/2f0fdb7b-c6fe-4fa6-a084-0ca327608938/Drunken+Duck.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Drunken Duck - Ingredients: 2 duck breasts A dram of an "oaky" whisky (you need to be able to taste the barrel) Salt & pepper Serve with: I served this duck with the whisky I used for the cooking: Nobushi Other pairings are ok as well, if you watch what you are serving as a side dish. I used a ratatouille with not too much pepper. This way the soft Japanese blended whisky was a fine match. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/f4c8f330-21e6-4b5d-b697-d1135449c9bd/Duckbreast+and+Whisky.jpg Cooking with Whisky - Drunken Duck - Instructions: Dab the duck breasts dry. This is an important step, because in a minute, it will get moist pretty soon. Carve into the skin, but not into the meat. Make a raster or parallel lines. I used a cooking syringe for the next step. You really need one! Maybe I should have mentioned that earlier. Anyways: Load half a dram per breast into the syringe. Poke the duck on multiple spots and inject the whisky into the meat. The duck will start to "sweat" more, since you are adding liquid straight into the meat. Heat up a pan and place the duck on the skin side. Let the duck fat seep out enough, so you have a thin greasy layer to bake in. Turn the duck over for 3-4 minutes on medium high temperature and back again. I used a Nobushi Japanese whisky and served with a quick ratatouille. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky daily 0.75 2026-03-30 https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/johnnie-walker-black-ruby-review monthly 0.5 2026-03-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/a9d76873-f0cd-4010-9447-2f29dbcc790e/Johnny+Walker+Black+Ruby.JPG Drinking Whisky - Johnnie Walker Black Ruby - A dram designed for Cocktails So I decided to review the Johnnie Walker Black Ruby. For those who regularly check in at this blog, you’ll know that while my heart beats for the unadulterated spirit of a single malt, I have a soft spot for a well-constructed blend—especially when it promises a bit of "adventure." Today’s dram is a departure from the usual kind of bottles I review: the Johnnie Walker Black Ruby. It’s the first core-range creation from Master Blender Dr. Emma Walker, and it feels like a very deliberate attempt to pull the classic "Black Label" profile into a slightly more colorful territory. (Ruby is the new black?) Good to know is that next to the four “standard” ingredients (Cardhu, Clynelish, Glenkinchie and Coal Ila.), this dram relies on a serious dose of Roseisle. But the true change is the combination of red wine, PX and Oloroso casks. Let’s see if this ruby is a true gem or just a piece of polished red glass! To the dram! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/hatozaki-small-batch-12yo monthly 0.5 2026-02-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/d9ffa0a0-d081-423a-9d06-55829cacc25e/Hatozaki+Small+Batch+12yo+Japanese.JPG Drinking Whisky - Hatozaki Small Batch 12yo - A Japanese Pure Malt Whisky Did you know I used to kitesurf? Yes, I lived closer to sea than I do now and before Covid, I actually thought it was my go to hobby. During Covid I became a father and rediscovered whisky. And since I live further away from a nice spot to surf, I decided to get rid of my kitesurf equipment. So my wife told me she knew a couple who just moved close to a lake where kiting was possible and wanted their own set after taking lessons. She asked what I wanted for the set and I just said: A bottle of whisky. And so they did. They got me a bottle of Japanese whisky. And after reading up on it, this promised to be a fun one! It got a 6 month finish on Umeshu casks. Umeshu is often referred to as plum liqueur. Ume plums are also known as Chinese plums. We call it plums, but it is actually a type of apricot. Umeshu is liqueur made of the unripe Ume, steeped in alcohol (Shōchū) with rock sugar, and apparently aged in a cask! Umeshu is known for it’s sweet and sour flavors and I am very curious what that will do with a whisky. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/23006a6f-d4b4-4beb-9f4f-93337ab8ea1d/Hatozaki+Small+Batch+12yo.JPG Drinking Whisky - Hatozaki Small Batch 12yo This whisky was bottled at 46% Vol. And Aged 12 years on American oak before a 6 months finish on Umeshu cask. The color is that of a deep yellow, tinged with a drop or orange. On the nose dried reeds, a hint of straw even and mixed with some citrus and honey. In the back I can spot some vanilla, and something meaty, yeasty almost. The first sip starts with the tingling of the tip of my tongue. Some tannine nestles and does not leave until the finish. The sides of my tongue are triggered by something sour-ish, but not enough to pucker my mouth. Some deep vanilla pops up with some heat, almost chili flake style heat. a dryer note of dried apples and some minerals pop up at the back, leaving immediately for some rock candy. notes. Some plum notes pop up, but do not linger. Dried figs and apricots last a little longer. As you can tell, a lot is happening at the same time and I’m a bit confused. A second sip gives me more Ume. The finish is medium long and consist of sugared fruit notes and a slightly dry tongue. It is a fun bottle! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/tobermory-30yo-caskhound monthly 0.5 2026-02-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/ac71d62f-fff5-4f20-ad78-031ca9d03437/Caskhound+Tobermory+30yo.JPG Drinking Whisky - Tobermory 30yo - A 30 year old whisky to review! I never thought I would have a 30yo whisky in my collection and keep it closed. But this review is just about that type of whisky. Why? Because I have the bottle and a sample. So I can review it while keeping the bottle closed. There is no cute story to start this review: I bought this bottle and sample of someone who was closing and quitting his collection. That is sad news for the world of whisky lovers. But, I helped him and got a nice bottle out of it. So what are my plans? To be honest: I do not know. I always swore I was no whisky investor. Just a guy who loves whisky and drinks it. But this bottle, due to the fact it came with a sample, is still closed after this review. I will have tried it. It just might be the first bottle that I might sell after a few years. Is that bad? I do not know. Maybe I open it in another 30? The whisky was bottled by the Caskhound. A German independent bottler that releases quite a lot of fun stuff. And I actually have quite a lot of their bottles. (I should review more on this site.) They have some sub-series: Crazy Coo’s, with funny Scottish Highlanders on the label. Peat Wave, a series where the name explains for itself. Tilo’s Proof, named after the guy doing the work at the Caskhoudn and this series: Exquisite Casks. It is packaged in a neat looking wooden case and contains a card with some tasting notes. Not reading it! We will find out for ourselves. To the whisky! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/smws-smouldering-mojo-review monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/19888ec5-34ff-4df7-a878-405153f4f4df/SMWS+Smouldering+Mojo.JPG Drinking Whisky - SMWS Smouldering Mojo - Heresy? I think not! So the Scotch Malt Whisky Society is known for botteling single cask whiskies. But did you know they also bottle batches known as the heresy series? These single or blended malts are the results of some cask experiments. The name Heresy is reflecting their aim to defy tradition and explore with experiments. I previously reviewed one: Dunnage Nougat and I know I like others that have passed the review. (While writing this I even ordered another from the series, don't tell my wife.) But this one, this one I had to get. On my section malternatives you will find only mezcals for now. Why? Not that I do not like other malternatives, but I never really buy them. But mezcals, I do get them, but them and enjoy them. And this Smouldering Mojo by the SMWS was "matured in a selection of 1st fill mezcal-seasoned barriques and refill bourbon and sherry casks. It is the first time the SMWS uses mezcal casks for one of their expressions. And I'm all up for it! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/84b49424-5235-445c-a3c3-9357be9c6185/SMWS+Mojo.JPG Drinking Whisky - SMWS Smouldering Mojo This 10 year old blended (Islay) malt was bottled at 50% Vol. Like other Heresy bottles. While pouring the dram in my glass, I can smell some fresh smoke coming of the stuff. And thick drops run down my glass like a curtain of whisky after a firm twirl of my glass. On the nose I get quite a lot at the same time which makes me lose my first impression. My mind races to lamb on the bbq with rosemary and pepper. But then some sweet, warm lemon pops up. All served on a fresh cut wooden board. In the back of the nose, a thin layer of cinnamon mixed with ginger and nutmeg. But that one disappears in a thin veil of smoke. My first sip is smoke. Pure liquid smoke fills my mouth and then teases the parts where the smoke has hit with sugar, spice and everything nice. (With the name Mojo, I could not resist that pop culture reference. IYKYK.) It is the first time I get a hint of the mezcal. That unique mezcal note of smoke and agave forms a base on which oranges, ham, coriander and mint pop up. It makes me want to enjoy that grilled lamb I got on the nose earlier and pair it with this dram. The finish gives me memories of a peated fudge I once made and has this thin ashy note on which the smoke lingers. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/de-burght-leidsche-singel-malt-review monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/5e3d2128-424a-47e7-89d2-1c28f0916759/De+burght+vierkant.JPG Drinking Whisky - Leidsche Singel Malt De Burght - A new series from Singel Malt I have reviewed them before; the limited editions by Leidsche Singel Malt. We had Batch 1, then Batch 2 and finally Batch 3. In between I also reviewed the Leidsche Singel Malt Angels Share which was a different series. And now I was waiting for what they would bring out next. (They also bottled an Alkmaarse Singel Malt, but I skipped that one, Alkmaar is not my city.) Then Tom called with the question if I had some spare time for him, somewhere in the upcoming days. And I said yes, knowing what was coming. So a couple of days later, the doorbell rang and Tom from Singel Malt personally delivered two bottles. I always buy one to taste and a second one to complete the series. (This is the only series of whisky I'm actually collecting.) Offering Tom a cup of coffee, I could hear him out about the whisky and the latest series. Being done with the "batch" editions, the plan has changed to still continue with single cask whiskies. But in a series of editions highlighting the many landmarks in the city of Leiden that carry a story. In this case: De Burght, where according to local folklore, a ghost haunts the premises. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/8dc06b67-fafb-49fc-87ee-8c203402529a/De+Burght.JPG Drinking Whisky - Leidsche Singel Malt De Burght As always with Leidsche Singel Malt, the whisky was bottled 46% Vol., making it a limited edition of 355 bottles. The whisky is a 6 year old (Tom: "Six and a half year old!") Inchfad. Inchfad is a heavily peated whisky from the Loch Lomond Distillery, that carries a lot of smoke, but some very fruity notes at the same time. And that was hitting me immediately when I plopped the cork: A fresh and sharp green apple candy, plated on a wet and soggy forest floor. I know I skipped the coloring, but before I could take a sniff out of the glass, that was what hit me. A twirl in the glass leaves a sharp thin line of micro beads that flows as a whole down the glass. The color is much darker than previous editions and I can best describe it as a dark yellow with a mossy green hue when the light catches it. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/de-patrick-release-4-review monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/2cdca2d1-9878-440e-acc8-eedcf1cedfdd/ThePatrickRelease4Front.JPG Drinking Whisky - De Patrick Release 4 - It started on a Monday Next to this blog, I'm also a bit active on Instagram. On Instagram I do a series called "Sample Monday Minute". I'll open a sample, talk about what it is and taste it on the spot. My face can not always hide my true feelings about the dram and I think people do tend to watch the full reel. Often more than a minute. After one of those minutes, I got a message in my inbox: "Hey Tim, I have a nice botteling, would you be willing to review it?" My answer: Sure! Send me a sample, and I'll review it live!I was busy with other stuff, so I almost forgot about it. But a few days later DHL knocked on my door with a package. When I opened it, I was staring at a full bottle instead of a sample. When contacting Patrick, he affirmed that it was not by accident. Just enjoy it was the message. So, this Whisky. You can enjoy it at Patrick's Whisky Bar at Hotel Fidder in Zwolle. No other place offers this dram. And a quick spoiler: It is a very good reason to go and visit that place just for this dram. I do have to admit that I was not able to visit this place myself yet, but Patrick, the man running this place and the name giver of this whisky, pointed me towards their event page. So I might visit soon! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/9dc1cb3f-8a20-40b2-9d77-34923d677470/ThePatrickRelease4Back.JPG Drinking Whisky - De Patrick Release 4 To the Dram! This whisky, bottled by Klubb23 at 66.4% Vol after aging for 7 years, has it's natural color. And I can only describe it as a deep mahogany. The Patrick, distilled at the Tullibardine distillery matured on a 2nd fill Sherry butt. And that is something you notice immediately. While pouring a dram in my glass, I can smell so many different things! On the first sniff I get so much at the same time, but then all those layers trigger memories: My father in front of the Christmas tree, cracking open nuts coming from a red net. Me sitting in front of him. That was triggered by the notes of walnut, hazelnut and even some more exotic Brazil nuts. Before I can dive any further, a sweet note of dried fruits pop up and just throw me back to my first job selling cheese in Gouda. That shop a a corner selling nuts and nut mixes and this second layer triggers me into a memory of opening bags of raisins to scoop through a mix. A third layer kicks the nuts away and pours milk chocolate over those raisins to be served next to a slice of dried apricot. A fourth layer gives me Christmas Pudding. All this just on the nose, and they keep coming. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/the-bruges-distillery-amarone-cask-review monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/3cfca821-266f-40d1-ae0c-97eccff248fa/IMG_6955-compressed.JPG Drinking Whisky - The Bruges Distillery - Amarone Cask - A whisky from Bruges, that's it. Or so I thought. I bought this bottle when visiting some friends in Bruges and I just walked into a store to get some Belgian beer when I noticed this bottle. I was interested and got it without thinking much further. It was when I arrived back into the capital city of cheese, that I discovered the brand on the packaging (A cotton bag.) did not match the name on the label on the bottle. So, investigation was on! My quest started on Google. Without success. Then I contacted Eurowhisky (@eurowhisky on Instagram, or eurowhisky.eu for the website.) and explained what I was looking at. He made a guess and thought it might be a whisky from the Brugse Whisky Company, but bottled by Crown Spirits (Based in Bruges). He was close, but talking tho the Brugse Whisky Company on the International Whisky Festival, they told me this was not from them. The man was able to tell me the name of the distillery, but I forgot. And since Google did not help me the first time... It is however, bottled by Crown Spirits. Hence the bag as packaging. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/turntable-unplugged-review monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/62c85a65-662e-4518-8a83-246385036c40/Turntable+Unplugged.JPG Drinking Whisky - Turntable Unplugged - An unplugged blended whisky I do not buy and try enough blended whiskies. That is my conclusion after trying this whisky. No spoilers yet, but I just wanted it out there. For a while i've been eyeballing bottles by Turntable. A brand that used references to songs and other things related to music for naming their blended whiskies. In this case: Unplugged. I could not resist getting this bottle when I walked into a store to get a bottle of wine for dinner and spotted this one one sale. For that price I could not pass and grabbed it, walked to the register, payed, put it in my bag and walked out of the store. Having to walk back in there 10 minutes later to get my bottle of wine. Fine, everybody makes mistakes when they get excited. I brought home the wine, placed the whisky in my cabinet and had dinner. With the wine pairing. But tonight (It is currently 20:45 here.) I opened the bottle and decided to sip and relax with some music over the speakers. ( I listened to this.) https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/mister-peat-batch-strength-review monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/d93e3bf4-7fe6-467c-abe3-98a64aed1085/Mister+Peat.jpg Drinking Whisky - Mister Peat Batch Strength - A welcome surprise of a dram A couple of years ago, I reviewed Mister Peat whisky. And today it's brother. You can find that first review here and check it out, I reviewed differently back then. Drambuddie Martijn was shopping online for some bottles, and encountered another version of this whisky and decided to buy it for me. (Thanks Martijn!) And then he lost the bottle during moving, so when he rediscovered it again, it was gifted to me a small year later. (Thanks again Martijn!) Now, I was a bit hesitant to open this bottle for several reasons, so it stayed shut. Gathering dust in in the back of my whisky cabinet. Untill, during a quarterly bottle turn, I decided it was time. Autumn rain and winds were flagellating my windows, so peat it must be, putting those delaying arguments aside. Which were: I remembered Mr. Peat to be a bit sharp. Would this Batch Strength be sharper? I knew I could only open it, if I would compare it to the other Mr. Peat. Which would cost me some time and focus. Something that is rare in the Snob's household with the most recent addition to the family. It is literally called Peat. And since I do appreciate a peated dram, they are still not my favorites to select. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/dd90187b-0089-45a5-8472-688d0b3d4eaa/Peats.jpg Drinking Whisky - Mister Peat Batch Strength As mentioned, I reviewed the "normal" Mr. Peat before. Next to the fact it is fun to see how my reviewing has evolved over time, I would also like to compare the drams next to each other. In short: Mr.Peat is bottled at 46% as opposed to the 53,7% Vol the Batch Strength got. Batch Strenght has both the mentioning of being unchillfiltered and having it's natural colour, when Mr. Peat only has the mentioning of the natural colour. Both whiskies lack an age statement. On the nose I think Mr. Peat carries more of a medicinal peat note, where as Batch strength has a more softer, ashy note. Next to that, Mr. Peat carries some citrus on the nose, where Batch strength carries more vanilla and sweeter notes. The taste is the big difference. Although I was afraid the Batch strength was goign to be sharper, it was the opposite. Mr. Peat bit me again with a strong spirit note and heat. It carries more layers on the tongue, but the slight burn spoils it compared to the sip of the Batch strength. The finish of the Mr. Peat lingers stronger and leaves some oak in the mouth. Overall, I would score the Mister Peat Batch Strength higher. It is more accessible for me and I think others as well. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/tamnavulin-port-cask-review monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/d2bf9e64-a4f5-48e7-8035-eef0f9261050/Tamnavulin+Port+Cask.jpg Drinking Whisky - Tamnavulin Port Cask - An awesome summer dram About a week ago, I had a livestream on Instagram with the Drambuddies. (If you don't know us yet, go check them out on Instagram @Drambuddies) Before we went live, we decided this stream should have a theme. And therefore we challanged each other to find the best summer dram below 50 euro. In the discussion, I mentioned the Stauning Høst, but got countered by Drambuddie Michiel: That was 2024. So it needed to be a 2025 bottling. Double trouble for me, most of my bottles are currently stored elsewhere and I was limiting my new purchases and focussing on what bottles were already open. No 2025 editions however. Then I remembered the Tamnavulin Sauvignon Blanc Cask and its price range. So I decided to step on my bike to the Gall&Gall, (You remember the Old Particular Balmenach 12 right?) and see if there was an edition for 2025. And I was in luck! The Tamnavulin Port Cask, bottled in 2025 and what a dram to enjoy on a warm summer evening! In the live stream, I don't think we decided what candidate delivered by a Drambuddie won the title, but below is my review of this dram! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/old-particular-balmenach-12-review monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/f270a42d-91f5-4ca4-b5fe-c6228d3c97fb/Old+Particular+Balmenach+12.jpg Drinking Whisky - Old Particular Balmenach 12yo - A Gall&Gall Anniversary bottle. The Gall&Gall exists 140 years. And to celebrate that, 4 casks were selected to be bottled by Douglas Laing in their Old Particular series. Before we go to the whisky, since I do have some international readers, let me explain what the Gall&Gall is. Gall&Gall is the biggest liquor store chain in the Netherlands. Apparently, the first store was opened in 1884. so, yes, that is a 140 year anniversary! Now, the whisky. The whisky bottled is a 12yo Balmenach. I did not yet have a Balmenach in my selection, so when I noticed this bottle, I just wanted to try it. I also noticed I had no Old Particular yet in my long list of owned whiskies. And this is not a series you can ignore, since some very nice bottlings have come out in this series by Douglas Laing. The dram has no coloring and did not have a chill-filtration. Now, the cask made me raise my eyebrows a bit in confusion when I tried to figure it out. The label informs me the whisky was "charged from a refill hogshead". Not sure if it aged fully on that hogshead. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/kavalan-original monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/2b6d7b40-33a2-4c51-8c7d-81c7017d4e69/Kavalan+Original.jpg Drinking Whisky - Kavalan Original - Finally out of it's cage for review. So at the end of the pandemic, when travelling was allowed again, my wife had a flight to Italy. And her question was: "Should I bring you anything?" Although expecting me to ask for something typically Italian, she was not surprised when the answer was whisky. So, on her way back, she visited the duty free store at the airport and brought me this bottle of Kavalan Original. It's a 50cl bottle, so I always found it a cuty package that I kept pushing back in the cabinet of bottles. And while my selectiuon grew, this bottle dissapeared in a cage of packaging of other bottles. And it remained there, hidden and gathering dust. Up untill this week, when I did a big rearrangement of my selection and found this whisky in the back. Jumping to be openend. Now, I'm not sure if it is a travel retail exclusive, I can not imagine an "original" is not core range, but I have not seen this whisky anywhere else. So it just might be one. Now I have tried Kavalan before, I even reviewed one on this blog. That one I found to be tropical, a perfect dram for summer. And I enjoyed it a full summer, pairing it with BBQs, enjoying it when the sun was setting. So this one excited me to try. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/ardbeg-smokiverse monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/faedce4a-a763-4f99-9d46-8a9bbbab841e/Ardbeg+Smokiverse.jpg Drinking Whisky - Ardbeg Smokiverse - Is this Smokiverse any good? A small review. "Tim, I'm going to Ardbeg Day Amsterdam. They have the new Smokiverse. Do you want to come along?" When my drambuddie Martijn asked me, I was a bit in doubt. I just finished working on the SMWS stand at the Whisky in Leiden festival, and this event was in a couple of days. So my answer was the one that was best accepted in this situation: "Let me ask my wife first." Now to explain my possible reluctancy: Next to the fact that I do not want to be away from home that much in a whisky related event, Ardbeg is a peated whisky that is not much present in my selection at home. I do have all the Smoke trails editions up until now, but I'm not sure if they be opened very soon. Why? I still struggle a bit with smoky peated whisky. Why? I do not know why, stop asking questions! But the next day, I asked my wife. And she did not hesitate with her approval. So I messaged Martijn I would happily join him to this event. So, on to Amsterdam, on to Ardbeg, on to the event. And what an event is was! However, this blog is about the whisky, not the shiny lights and loud music. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/yuza-spring-in-japan monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/657aa265-93a0-4dff-a35f-4d68f2bafa9f/Yuza+Spring+in+Japan.jpg Drinking Whisky - Yuza Spring in Japan - A short review of the Yuza Spring in Japan I always make a statement about my bottles being part of my selection, not my collection. I do this because I am not collecting for investing and selling. I'm selecting to drink and taste. However, once in a while, I buy a bottle that needs to wait. So in a drawer I keep some "Save for later" bottles. Bottles that need a special occasion. I have a bottle distilled in my birthyear in there, waiting for me to reach a certain, memorable age. Or the Nikka Gold&Gold Samurai edition with the aluminum head that is waiting for my son to turn 18. Or a couple of bottles distilled in 2005 that are waiting for a get together of a certain group of friends. And most recently added: A bottle of Yuza Spring in Japan. Waiting for my daughter to turn 18. Luckily, when I ordered the bottle from my father in law who travelled to Japan, I ordered two. One to open now. I became a small fan of the Yuza distillery after trying their 2023 edition and loved the difference between nosing it and sipping it. So when the opportunity arose and my father in law asked if he could bring me something, I jumped on the opportunity and asked for two of these pink bottles. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/holyrood-distillery-arrival monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/a2ce8bd0-5380-41e9-b5de-ec952fb5e70c/Arrival.jpg Drinking Whisky - Holyrood distillery Arrival - An Arrival review Back in September 2022, I did a small Scotland trip with some friends. And when we were in Edinburgh, we visited the Holyrood distillery for a tour. Back then, we were notified that no whisky could be tasted yet, so we had to do with new make. Which was a fun tasting! I truly enjoyed that afternoon in Edinburgh, in the large building that housed a brewery once, learning and having fun with friends. (Fun fact, did you know the shape of the bottle is a quiet reminder of the brewery? So basically a beer bottle?) When we walked away in search of dinner, I poked Drambuddie Michiel and told him I would try to get the first whisky edition that they would bring out. Little over a year later, Arrival was bottled. And I did my very best to get a bottle. I even had direct contact with some Scottish stores but I missed out. Either because it was out of stock, or when it was in stock, due to not shipping to the EU mainland. (You got to love Brexit.) Years later, we are talking spring 2025, Drambuddie Martijn popped in for a visit and presented me and my wife with a bottle of Arrival. Because we were expecting an arrival ourselves. I was over the moon, but had to wait for the actual arrival of our newborn before I could open it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/cef19539-2d37-438a-b4ef-901dd9fe5a4f/Arrival+Crib.jpg Drinking Whisky - Holyrood distillery Arrival - Make it stand out So, mid May, our daughter arrived. And it was time to open this bottle. (Next to another that had been waiting for exactly this occasion.) And I have to be honest, I had some doubts opening this one, since I had been looking for it for a while. BUT HEY! YOLO! The whisky was bottled at 46,1%. When pouring the first dram, my wife described the colour as that of the warm, flickering hue of an oil lamp. And that is just spot on. It has the amber tones and a warmer orange tint as a sort of glow on it. On the nose I get some orange citrus mixed with honey and a feint hint of crushed basil in the back. Returning to it brings a layer that reminds us of smelling a rose flower. Now, this is where the help of my wife ended, since she loves to look at it and help me nose the drams, she does not like to taste it. So on the palate: When the liquid flows over the tongue, I immediately get a slight tingly feeling which is followed up by sweet rum like notes. Sweet is the best theme that covers the flavours that pop up after the first rush: Candied apples, toffee, fudge, chocolate biscuits and some light toasted cane sugar. It has a medium long finish, that feels like the orange returns with some freshly baked cake and dried apples. Thank you Martijn, for gifting us this bottle. We love it. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/togouchi-shiki monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/e152bf13-1a35-4c04-bc5a-e7147d108907/Togouchi+Shiki.jpg Drinking Whisky - Togouchi Shiki Travel Exclusive - A Togouchi review Yes, another one. Because I already did a Togouchi review a while ago. In this review, the Togouchi Shiki Travel Exclusive. And after mentioning that name many times in a few sentences, this is why I have it: When I woke up and checked my messages one morning, I noticed I had a message from my father in law: "Tim, I'm in Japan, at the airport, do I need to bring a bottle of something?" I realised it was send 7 hours earlier and I assumed I was too late with ordering something. I did, however, leave him a short list of some Japanese brands I'm always interested in, since they are way cheaper to buy in Japan than in the EU. And because my father in law travels a lot for work, I know he would be back in Japan another time. However, that weekend, when the inlaws visited us, he brought me this bottle. Because: "It says Travel Exclusive, so I brought this one. And I like the box." And you know, I like a Travel Retail Exclusive. They can be quite fun! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/glenrothes-loods-of-whisky monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/50868989-c89b-4fdc-9e3c-b8fc440b2203/Glenrothes+13yo.jpg Drinking Whisky - Loods of Whisky Festival botteling 2024 - A 13 year old Glenrothes in this review I need to stop telling about how much I buy through scrolling online or on socials. But this is, again, such a story. While scrolling on Instagram, I noticed a post by @womenintowhisky about a festival bottling. Petra, the kind lady behind the account, organises a nice whisky festival in Groningen, in the northern part of the Netherlands, and that festival just happens to have a festival bottling. Always looking for indie bottles, I decided to send a question to her on the chat: "Hi, I'm not capable of joining the festival this year, but I would really like this bottling, can I order it?" The answer came quick and I was able to order this bottle and it was shipped to me. This festival bottling is a 13 year old Glenrothes, aged on a 2nd fill shery butt. While the festival itself was in 2024, this dram was distilled in 2008 and bottled in 2021. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/pokeno-origin monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/b93ecb22-5d16-47bb-8789-c46a8371bd91/Pokeno+Origin.jpg Drinking Whisky - Pōkeno Origin - Whisky from New Zealand " Tim, we are going on a nice and long vacation to New Zealand. Do they have whisky there and can we bring you something back?" You got to love those kind of neighbours, right? Happily I answered New Zealand actually has several distilleries that produce whisky, and yes, I would love to try the Pōkeno whisky! If they could be so kind to bring me something like that? A few vacation weeks later, my doorbell rings and a nice bottle is presented. I've spotted this whisky online a couple of time, and each time I just wanted to try it. Why? Well, check their own introductory video for example! Reading about tropical fruits, vanilla, sweet savoury notes. I just wanted to try it! Checking my local suppliers made me return empty handed, so when my neighbours were so kind to provide me with one, I was very happy. I popped the cork that evening to try this dram. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/signatory-vintage-tullibardine-100-proof monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/003690fc-321d-4198-9033-8aadca009725/SV+Tullibardine+100+proof.jpg Drinking Whisky - Signatory Vintage Tullibardine 100 proof - A 100 proof Tullibardine in quick review: As a whisky fan, I often get questions from people what whisky to buy. Either for themselves or as a gift for a whisky lover. And I tend to guide them towards Indie bottlers. Why? Because I really like Indie bottlers. But a fun element of those bottles, is that they stick out between core ranges. And even more recently, when the price range is mentioned with those requests for advice, if it is around €50, I tell them to look into the Signatory Vintage 100 proof series. Often young, but really nice whiskies, bottled at 57,1% Vol. One couls tate that 100 Proof is 50% ABV, but that would be an American. In the UK, proof is defined as: "a quantity of 100 degrees proof liquor has the same weight as 12/13 of the same volume of pure water at 51°F." Hence, 100-proof alcohol has 57.15% ABV. This specific bottle was part of the second outturn, as can be seen on the label, where it states: "100 proof edition #2" I got this bottle, because I normally skip some brands. And I did not have any Tullibardine in my selection, although I used to love one I tried before. So, I got this bottle of whisky. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/starward-vitalis monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/4844ab36-6d8b-411e-8c28-4cf0bcfdcce5/Starward+Vitalis.jpg Drinking Whisky - Starward Vitalis - Polkamatic: A Starward Vitalis review If you catch my lame joke in this subtitle, I applaud your taste in music. But let's return to the topic quickly: The Starward Vitalis. This Australian whisky is a special edition to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Starward distillery. Playfully named after the founder David Vitale, this limited single malt whisky is a mix of a set of casks that together create this warm and elegant dram. Offcourse the Starward signature Australian red wine cask was used, but enriched by a rum cask, a tawny port cask, a bourbon cask and an Apera cask. The last one being the Australian name for sherry style wines, because they cannot call it sherry. Packed in an insanely beautiful box with a dark design label, this whisky is an eyecatcher. But it is not about the packaging, does the content packs a punch as well? https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/gowe-whisky-cask-3659 monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/522d4c9a-d572-4847-a895-aafce22f9fc6/Gowe+Whisky+3659.jpg Drinking Whisky - Gowe Whisky Cask 3659 - An original label This dram was the third dram I tried from Gowe Whisky, but this one is special for several reasons: 1) I enjoyed it while the bottler was sitting at my table for an interview 2) I love Bruichladdich at cask strength from Independent Bottlers 3) The label is unique for the series. The last one is actually a fun anecdote that I did not share on the interview page. When Gowe Whisky came to the Netherlands, this was the first bottling. The label starts with Gowe Whisky and then gives the details of the whisky. The batch after that, Bruichladdich refused to mention Gowe Whisky on the export label. Because that's what it is: an export label. All bottlings after this one, got a new shiny Gowe Whisky label on the front. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/leidsche-singel-malt-batch-3 monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/98fd6c5d-de7e-496b-9cc3-2d09e0290358/Leidsche+Singel+Malt+Batch+3.jpg Drinking Whisky - Leidsche Singel Malt Batch 3 - Leidsche Singel Malt Batch 3: A short review "Tim, are you home next Friday? I like to drop something off." An instant smile on my face, because the man asking me this is Tom. And I wrote about Tom before. He is the driving force behind the Leidsche Singel Malt series and their second series Angel's Share. It al started with a fun yet delicious bottling: Leidsche Singel Malt. It was a BenRiach finished on an ex-Laphraoig cask. Then, almost two years after that first bottle, Batch 2 was launched. A beautiful young Ardmore. And when Tom dropped of the Angel's Share, he already gave me some secret insights on what might be next. I promised not to tell. It took me some effort, because when I figured out what he was doing, I knew I wanted to try it. The brand itself no longer needs a full introduction, so here it is today: Leidsche Singel Malt Batch 3. A 5 year old peated Ben Nevis. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/titanic-irish-whiskey monthly 0.5 2026-02-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/a2d58fa8-f131-4582-8366-176be7d6d140/Titanic.jpg Drinking Whisky - Titanic - Irish whiskey made where history was made I don't think I have discussed many Irish whiskies on my blog. I think The Sexton might be the only one that I can think of top of mind. So here is a second. Titanic. When reading that name, I can hear Celine Dion in my head, think about that enormous Lego set that build a ship and start the never ending discussion if there was place for Leonardo DiCaprio on the floating door. (Yes. Yes there was space for him.) But I spotted the name on a bottle in a post of an Instagram buddy of mine, and reacted: " That looks nice!" And my reaction got notified by the Dutch importer who contacted me and allowed me to treat him to a coffee while discussing this whiskey. (And some other things.) So, Titanic Distillers. Based in Belfast, actually on the dock where the legendary ship was build, set up in a former pump house. It is a young distillery, bringing out their own 5 year old whisky just earlier this year. And this bottle. A blended whiskey that I find to be a nice daily sipper for a reasonable price! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/glen-scotia-campbeltown-malts-festival-2023 monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/870ce83d-62ab-4f9a-aa8a-869dae612f32/Glen+Scotia+Campbeltown+Festival+2023.jpg Drinking Whisky - Glen ScotiaCampbeltown Malts Festival 2023 - A special edition from Glen Scotia Last year I got a tip from a whisky friend of mine. The special edition from Glen Scotia, bottled for the 2023 Campbeltown malts festival was on sale at a store near me. Curious about the white port cask finish, I bought it, put it aside and let it slowly disappear to the back of my cabinet. But a couple of days ago, I poured the last dram of the Glen Scotia 1832 and wondered if I had any other bottles of Glen Scotia in my cabinet. I found two, a bottle from the SMWS and this one. And it immediately sparked my interest again. So I put it to the front of the list, pushed another bottle to the back and waited until I had some time to plop the bottle open and try it. Well, today is the day. So without a long background story or adventures, here are my notes on this 2023 release. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/goalong-str-wine-cask monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/a1423fdb-4663-442c-a277-d704091ebbfa/Goalong+STR.jpg Drinking Whisky - Goalong STR Wine Cask - Is the Goalong STR Wine cask any good? Recently I reviewed an addition to the Goalong whiskey range and told you it won prizes. But what if I told you that there is a Chinese whiskey that won even more awards than the Goalong Brandy Cask? Yes, there is a Chinese whiskey that won 3 (Three) golden awards at the World Whiskies Awards in 2024. Category winner, Gold and Chinese Single Malt. And at the International Spirits Challenge 2024, it won a silver medal! And just to share a fun fact: It is again a whiskey by Goalong! I'm talking about the Goalong STR Wine cask. Next to the brandy cask, the Goalong Distillery was kind enough to send me a sample of their STR Wine cask, single cask and high proof whiskey. Since I received a sample, that beautiful decanter bottle is not in my cabinet of whiskies and I had to borrow the photo of another website, but it gives you some idea at what range this whiskey is placed: Luxury. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/goalong-brandy-cask monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/efbed26b-af7a-49db-b765-f219a5951381/Goalong+Brandy+Cask.jpg Drinking Whisky - Goalong Brandy Cask - A new Goalong whiskey review! Let me start with the disclaimer in the form of a big Thank You to the Goalong distillery. They were so very kind to send me a bottle of their prizewinning brandy cask Chinese whiskey. Prizewinning? Yes, but more about that later. My adventure with Goalong whisky started 2 years ago, when a friend introduced me to a small batch by Goalong. It was my first Chinese whiskey and I was very curious to try it. I also decided to share my findings and remarks with you all on my website. After that review, the distillery reached out to me and asked if I wanted to try a sample of their 2023 small batch. I said yes and again shared my ideas about this whiskey on this blog. I kept following the brand, but missed quite a lot it seems. Again, more about that soon. But the distillery reached out to me, and checked if I wanted a sample this year. The answer is yes! (Thank you again Goalong distillery!) And this time, I received two whiskies to try! Today we discuss the first: The Goalong single malt, single cask Chinese whiskey. Aged in a Xinjiang Kashgar brandy cask. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/james-eadie-dailuaine monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/376f983d-6957-40eb-8c76-302152703735/James+Eadie+Dailuane.jpg Drinking Whisky - James Eadie Dailuaine 10yo - Are James Eadie's Core Releases any good? Once in a while, let's say almost every day, I get an email about whisky. Mostly sales by online stores and announcements of Ardbeg special releases. In an email about a tasting event, I noticed a link to the "new in stock" whiskies and spotted two bottles with a label that just caught my eye. So, I went and got one of them, since I put myself on spending limit on whisky for a while. James Eadie has launched to new bottles early August, as the 'Core Expressions" series. Currently consisting of two small batch whiskies, one from the Dailuaine distillery and one from Teaninich distillery. I decided to go for the Dailuaine, since my collection has several unopened Teaninichs and no Dailuaines. But let's discuss the new series and review the Dailuaine! On their website, James Eadie describes a fun background story on how these expressions came to be. To be honest, I'm not sure if the story is true, but it is a fun one and I like how it looks back to old "recipes". https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/leidsche-singel-malt-angels-share monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/8c7b47c7-27b6-4883-93ae-8a684fda95a0/Angels+Share.jpg Drinking Whisky - Angel's Share - Leidsche Singel Malt - Dropping into a warm fruit bath An app in my phone popped up: "Tim, I got a new bottle I'm about to release. Can I interest you in one? If so, I can drop by tomorrow!" This was send by Tom. I mentioned him before in my review of the Leidsche Singel Malts Batch 1 and Batch 2. I responded enthusiastically and asked if he was releasing batch 3. The answer was no. It was the first edition of 'Angel's Share' by Leidsche Singel Malt. This new series is supposed to be a little more luxurious than the Leidsche Singel Malts. And, as opposed to the LSM B1 and B2, this edition was not peated. Working with a new color code, this new black label whisky carries a red stripe. In this case for a aging on a Oloroso Sherry cask. (YES, the label states finish. But believe me, this aged on that cask.) And it is that cask, that immediately drops you into a vat of warm fruit. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/infrequent-flyers-glenrothes-10yo monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/54b16117-6df9-40c7-a052-177582dc3d08/IF+Glenrothes.jpg Drinking Whisky - Infrequent Flyers Glenrothes 10yo - This one needed a plop! Someone spotted it in the back of my cabinet in one of my videos on Instagram: This bottle, Alistair Walker Whisky #91. It has been in the back of my cabinet for around two years. Why? I don't know, because spoiler alert: I like this so much! I bought it with some gift cards back in early September '22. I had quite a lot of money on those cards and I got this bottle and the Edradour 2010 Ibisco 12yo, which I opened earlier. This one though, was gathering dust. This bottle is from the Infrequent Flyers series, bottled by the Alistair Walker Whisky Company. This series started in 2019 with a bottling of Glen Keith and also had a red label lik this one. Many more followed after that one and this is #91. Undeserved, it remained unplopped until recently. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/nomad-outland-whisky monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/f87180bb-c992-4b41-a5f4-c1bca2d579c7/Nomad+Outland+Whisky.jpg Drinking Whisky - Nomad Outland Whisky - This dram travelled a lot! Recently I won a set of two glasses and a bottle of whisky at an online raffle. It was a bottle of Nomand Outland Whisky. This Whisky had a fun story: It travels! I wanted to explain it, but Nomad describes it the best on their website: NOMAD begins its journey in the whisky heartland of Speyside, Scotland, at the Whyte & Mackay distilleries, only to finish maturing in Jerez, in the sherry casks of González Byass within their legendary cellars, to go beyond the rules. For the first 6 years, it ages in bourbon barrels in Scotland, after which the liquid travels to Jerez where it remains for an additional year in old Pedro Ximénez casks. So, after Spain, it travelled to me. To drink it. This whisky, made in Scotland, aged in Spain, has a warm deep color, with a copper hue. It was bottled at 41,3% Vol. Unfortunately, I could find no information about any coloring or what filtration was done. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/hogshead-mortlach-9 monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/f0b67b4b-c0ee-4184-b758-56363df83dca/Hogshead+Mortlach.jpg Drinking Whisky - Hogshead Mortlach 9 years old - I never had Mortlach before... Yes, that is an open confession. Up until a tasting from Hogshead Imports a while ago, I don't think I ever had a Mortlach. Knowingly that is, since I could not find any tasting notes or ratings in my history that actually mentions Mortlach. I do know I always wanted to try it. And I have been looking at getting myself a bottle for a while now. You know, those bottles with the angular corners and the squared base? I truly like to look of the packaging, but somehow, it could not convince me to buy such a bottle. And then I ran into this dram while doing the Hogshead Imports blind tasting. It was, for me, the number one dram in the line up. And when I got a link to a special page with the Hoghead community bottles, I only had to sleep one night over the idea of getting one. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/ichiros-malt-grain monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/038d826f-36e6-4731-a707-1f670eb10e44/Ichiros+Malt+And+Grain.jpg Drinking Whisky - Ichiro's Malt & Grain - What a blend! Let me start with the big elephant in the room: This whisky sounds Japanese, but it is a Japanese blend. Not 100% Japanese whisky. It actually contains whisky from Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the US. And a small part Japanese. What makes this dram so special, is that it is a NAS whisky coming in batches from a solera system. This is however, not a big cask of European oak, but a big marrying cask made of Japanese Mizunara oak. Giving the final product its unique style. Every cask poured into this big cask is personally selected by Ichiro Akuto, founder of Chichibo and it is his name on the label. His Malt&Grain. This Malt & Grain is one of the core range whiskies brought out by Chichibu and is actually there starter whisky. With this small introduction, let’s try it! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/glenkinchie-12 monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/dd9aed0d-4c6e-450e-8ee3-6fbdd394dd59/Glenkinchie+12.jpg Drinking Whisky - Glenkinchie 12 - I married with this one Today a review of the Glenkinchie 12 year old. This whisky has been available in my household ever since September 2020. Although it is not my favourite whisky, it does hold a special place in my heart. Let me divulge a little of my personal life here, to explain the above statement. In September 2020 I was supposed to have my wedding on the Island of Aruba. As we all know, 2020 was a year that ended up totally different for everyone around the world. At the end of July, my then fiancé and myself got the news that there was no way we would get married on Aruba. Since no one knew how long the worldwide lockdown was going to be, we decided not to postpone, but move the whole wedding to the Netherlands. And my now wife managed to arrange everything within 4 weeks. Since we had some Aruba money to spend, we could get all kind of extra's on the wedding party. Among the options, a 'whisky bar' was offered by the location. And I got my whisky bar! (Three bottles of single malt.) Right after dinner, I ordered a friend to get me a whisky, and for the rest of the night I was drinking Glenkinchie 12 years old. I have a bottle in my house ever since. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/8e932ec2-9e8c-4900-9ece-86642eaad933/Tim+%26+Johnnie.jpg Drinking Whisky - Glenkinchie 12 The Glenkinchie distillerie was the first distillerie I ever visited. And I enjoyed that tour. I even greeted a nice man with a top hat while walking to the entrance. The Glenkincie 12 year old is bottled at 43% Vol. This Lowland whisky has a warm straw colored yellow hue when I dance it around my glass. On the nose you have this thick sweet and floral smell that lingers a bit in the front of your nose. It has some honeyed hazelnuts and malt coming straight after the dried grasses and fresh apple. It also carrys some heavy spiced notes, that are not really dominant. Like Kurkuma. The first sip always catches me off guard. Although 43% is not the highest percentage, I get a small kick of the spirit to start. After that initial kick, I get sweetened lemon pudding, apples, pears and a small dose of oak. Most is paired with malty notes going from sugared cereal to a small piece of toast. The finish is rather medium short and rather straight forward: Some bubbly apple cider with a lot of oak. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/scapegrace-vanguard-review monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/b699ac5c-c689-4313-92d7-16120dde45d8/Scapegrace+Vanguard.jpg Drinking Whisky - Scapegrace Vanguard - A rascal of a dram! Today a review of the Scapegrace Vanguard. And I start with a spoiler: Sometimes you encounter a whisky that, by accident or not, just hits all the things you like in a dram. And for me, this dram is one of those drams. Coming from New Zealand, this is again a world whisky that pleases me so much, I open my laptop and start talking about it. Small problem: I just enjoyed the dram, but I only know where it comes from. So, a small Google session later, I found some oneliners on the webpage of the distillery that could tell me more. Having a "grain to glass" ethos, we again (remember the Høst, or Heritage Hunter?) encounter a distillery putting the focus on local barley. They also put the coordinates of the distillery on the bottle, explaining that the unique location has very hot summers, but freezing cold winters. This climate will have an intense effect on the ageing of this whisky. But you can read that and more on their website, you don't need me to copy paste that. I want to talk about this dram! So let's get to it! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/stauning-host monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/b78aa8da-dda4-4779-9233-530f8fc60c9d/Stauning+Host.jpg Drinking Whisky - Stauning Høst - Host, Hust, Haust, Hoost, Hurst? *Ding Dong* The doorbell rings through the chime in my living room. Opening the door I encounter the Brand Activator of Salud Spirits. "Hi Tim, goodmorning! I got something for you!" There it is, a nicely designed box containing something even better designed, along with a kind request to review it. So yes, in a way this is my second sponsored post. And that, my dear readers, is my disclaimer. I reviewed something from Stauning before, but what we will describe today is something a little different. Started in 2005, the Stauning distillery, with their 24 copper stills, has the philosophy that all the ingredients should be available within a 15 minute bike ride. As a Dutchman, that is a small fact I will remember and like! The Danes just so happen to grow quite a lot of rye (4th largest producer of rye in 2019), so you can image that is something to be found within a 15 minute bike ride. But barley can be found as well! The Stauning Høst, the name meaning harvest, is a perfect marriage between rye and barley, making this whisky a double malt! As latest addition to the expressions of Stauning, is meant to be "the perfect introduction to Stauning's distinctly Danish grain-to-glass approach." https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/juniper-hill monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/9a25f500-b09a-479c-97ad-b7ba18c519e2/Juniper+Hill.jpg Drinking Whisky - Juniper Hill - A Mystery Malt with a Barolo finish "Listen guys, there's a whisky tasting in a local store in my city. Do you want to go?" A friend of mine texted this in an app group some time ago. Some of us said yes and so we found ourselves sitting at table in that liquor store, making fun of each other and waiting for the tasting to start. The tasting was a set of new to be released limited editions from Murray McDavid. (Not so new now, since this tasting was quite a while ago to be honest.) The Dutch importer was introduced by the shopkeeper, and he introduced the man that would be hosting the tasting: Dean Jode. Being the head of whisky creations at Murray McDavid, this was the guy to teach us a bit more about Murray McDavid and the drams that were to be poured in our glasses. 7 awesome drams I had that night. Of which some real beauties like Le Girafe Chic, a 25 year old blended malt married on Margaux wine Barriques. But number 2 in the line up was this 6 year old whisky aged on Barolo wine cask. It was so soft but still so lingering on my mind, that I decided to get a bottle at the end of the tasting. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/santis-malt-edition-dreifaltigkeit monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/bba2e781-2b05-490b-9483-51955658bfe7/Santis+Malt+Dreifaltigkeit.jpg Drinking Whisky - Säntis Malt Edition Dreifaltigkeit - Swiss Alpine whisky. On beer casks. "Have you ever heard of Säntis Malt?" I still remember the question. I was hosting a tasting at my house for some neighbours and they asked me this question. The answer was yes, I did hear about this Swiss whisky, but no, I did not try it yet. A couple of months passed and my wife let me know we were visiting those same neighbours for coffee. At that coffee meet, I was gifted this bottle of Swiss whisky: Säntis Malt. The Dreifaltigkeit edition. An "Appenzeller" Single Malt. With almost 10 years of working in cheese shops, the only Appenzeller I knew was this Swiss cheese that is a great flavour maker in a good fondue. But it is a place in Switzerland, close to Liechenstein, just south of the Bodensee. And in Appenzell, you have a beer brewery called Brauerei Locher that makes Appenzeller beer. And yes, from beer it is a small step to distilling whisky! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/mythical-beasts-bruichladdich-13 monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/58871f14-af38-44e8-b324-e9d689c1fc6c/Mythicsal+Beasts+Bruichladdich+13.jpg Drinking Whisky - Mythical Beasts Bruichladdich 13 yo, Callejo Wine Barrique - Bruichladdich in a special cask? You got me. I've been posting some reviews of some special Bruichladdich drams lately. I covered the Jim McEwan Signature Collection 7.1 , where the Bruichladdich was aged on a premier cru Sauternes barrique. Well, with that one being a French wine, I found one from Spain. This whisky, bottled by Spiritfilled in their Mythical Beasts range, was aged for 13 years on a Callejo wine barrique. This is a wine region just above the Duro River. It is a very full wine, with mostly flavors of deep red fruits and berries, combined with what is described as vanilla. Such a cask could have a great influence on a whisky, so when I got a sample to try it, I knew I also wanted a bottle. After a few weeks, that opportunity was created by my Drambuddie @dramblingman when he opened his webshop. Being able to get this whisky in stock, I knew I had to get it. And, being his first online customer, I got the bottle. A little out of the price range I normally operate, this was a no brainer for me. I just really, really like Bruichladdich. And when you give me one that has seen a special cask, I'm in. (If I can afford it.) https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/signatory-vintage-cameronbridge-2012-single-grain monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/e18ee94e-2a72-4966-b2a3-1d2c38b0dada/Cameronbridge+2012.jpg Drinking Whisky - Signatory Vintage Very Cloudy Cameronbridge 2012 - A very cloudy review... No, it's not your eyes being watery. No hayfever either. No need to call your eye specialist. It is just the label. This Lowland single grain whisky is part of the 'Very Cloudy' series by Signatory Vintage. But what does very cloudy mean? Signatory Vintage explaines it on the label: "Due to no chillfiltration, this whisky may turn cloudy when stored in a cool place. It is both more full bodied and full flavoured." I have quite a lot of bottles in my selection that are not chill-filtered. (Or without extra colouring.) So with that explanation, I would expect that all those whiskies would be eligible for a label 'Very Cloudy'? (I tried to find more information about this, but only encountered other bottles in this series that are still for sale.) This bottle has been gathering dust in the back of my whisky closet. It was part of a auction bundle that I won quite a while ago. (Remember the Pinwinnie?) The reason for not opening it? Being a hoarder. No other excuse than the fact that 2023 was a year in which I just kept hoarding bottles and not opening them. This and the fact that I have a certain rule about when to open a new bottle, made this bottle gather dust. Until recently, when I played archaeologist in my closet and dusted this one off. I was looking for something different, I had an open slot in my 'open bottle section' and decided this one could be opened. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/leidsche-singel-malt-batch-2 monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/4e3593a3-0630-4f62-8952-aabec67ec17b/Leidsche+Singel+Malt+Batch+2.jpg Drinking Whisky - Leidsche Singel Malt Batch 2 - Leidsche Singel Malt Batch 2: A big bang again! "On the 12th of January in the year of our Lord 1807 a powder ship exploded at the Steenschuur in Leiden." It is the fun story of Leidsche Singel Malt that is repeated on the boxing of Batch 2. And no, it is not spelled wrong. A singel is a form of a canal that can be found in cities like Leiden and Amsterdam. So Leidsche Singel Malt is a fun play on that word. Previously, or rather two years ago, I reviewed Leidsche Singel Malt. A BenRiach on ex Laphroaig cask. And then there was a silence around this brand. Since I know the managing director of Singel Malt BV, I knew something was brewing and I was able to pre-order the Batch 2, which comes from a different distillery. And then I waited. Until today. My doorbell rang and when I opened the door, Tom, the managing director of Singel Malt BV stepped inside with my two pre-ordered bottles of Batch 2. We opened one immediately and sat down to discuss this whisky, but also the future plans for Singel Malt. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/dumbarton-rock monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/5abf69e4-3dcb-4591-baea-1b11e709c07d/Tim+and+Kenny.jpg Drinking Whisky - Dumbarton Rock - A salade Périgourdine for lunch That is what this whisky reminded me about. Back in 2000, when I was a teenager traveling with my parents to France, I ordered a salade Périgourdine. Smoked duck breast, walnuts, raspberry vinegar, walnut oil, all positioned on an arugula/lettuce mix. I was enjoying this lunch while gazing over some wine fields, hearing cicadas chirp. I’ll explain all in the tasting notes, but let us focus on this whisky instead of my lunch 24 years ago. Somewhere last year, I got a tip through Instagram. “Have you tried this whisky?” I had not. On the image was a bottle with a dark amber coloured liquid in it, and a purple label with silver lettering. Deciding I wanted to try it, I asked my tip giver where I could find it and she was able to mention some local events where this bottle should be available. So, last November on the IWF in The Hague, on a short break of assisting at the stand of the SMWS, I walked by, introduced myself to a mister with a great beard, got a dram, tried it and liked it. During the explanation I noticed the stand I was supposed to be helping, got a bit crowded. I thanked the kind man for the dram and rushed back. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/a922668e-c7a3-482a-94db-6cc5f8b7bd9d/Dumbarton+Rock.jpg Drinking Whisky - Dumbarton Rock This whisky was bottled at 46%, non-chill filtered. No info about colouring could be found on the label, therefore I assume it was not colored. A quick dance in my glass makes the amber liquid twinkle. I Like that! It leaves a thin ring on my glass, not much legs though. On the nose I get summer citrus, and something warm like walnut shells and something of a fresh red fruit. A second sniff brings some warmer sweet notes like honey and fudge. Palate: At first a friendly sweet acidity that turns into something of a sugared trailmix: Dried sweet fruits and nuts. It ends with something savoury that I like to think is going towards smoked fowl. The finish is medium long and has a combination of some tannine notes and weet lingering fruity and honey in between. All of the above created a memory of my lunch so long ago. Walnuts, fresh acidic raspberry, the smoked duck breast and the arugula as a fresh but friendly bitter note.Now my memory might have triggered some notes others do not get, but I really enjoy this dram. Adding to this, is that this bottle is still available and for a very fair price! With all the price increases on whisky, this is a true gem to add to your selection! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/jim-mcewan-signature-collection-7-1 monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/9accbaea-282b-42c3-a57b-a6d9760e4557/Dramfool+Bruichladdich+7.1.jpg Drinking Whisky - Jim McEwan Signature Collection 7.1 Bruichladdich 2007 1st fill Premier Cru Sauternes Barrique - This must have been my longest title ever... But look at it. Just the title is enough to say: "I think I'm a bit impressed." I know I was. So, before the tastingnotes, a little storytime. People who follow me on socials might know my first response to the question what my favourite distillery is: Bruichladdich. It's just a dram that I always enjoy and I'm an even bigger fan of Bruichladdich on a special cask. Don't know why, just like it very much. So when I was visiting the Hielander Whisky Festival in Alkmaar recently, and someone mentioned a stand had this bottle with a Bruichladdich on a Sauternes cask, I wanted to try it. When I asked for direction, I got a simple "Somewhere over there." as an answer. I took my drambuddy Michiel, who was in a conversation, by his sleeve and dragged him to 'over there'. We turned the corner and there it was. The whisky with the enormous title. I stammered a "Hi, how are you?" to the stand holder and like a shy toddler I pointed to the bottle: "Can I try this one please?" https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/tamnavulin-sauvignon-blanc-cask monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/3254addb-d0c9-4138-b4b6-06015f88bbf0/Tamnavulin+Sauvignon+Blanc+Cask.jpg Drinking Whisky - Tamnavulin Sauvignon Blanc Cask - Tamnavulin on white wine casks, let's review! Quite a lot of my reviewed whisky is of independent bottlers or covers a special edition. And I'm fully aware that not all are easily available for my readers. Therefore I decided that from 2024 onwards, I try to review more easily available whiskies. Just like the one in this blog. I did not buy it, to be honest. I received it as a gift on my birthday. But since I have a 'one out, one in' rule for my selection, I cannot open a bottle unless I finish one first. I had to introduce this rule for myself because too many bottles were open. And, since too many open bottles means that the shelves with closed ones are also full (the same rule applies here as well), I was not allowed to buy any new ones! When a spot opened recently on the 'open bottle shelve', I decided to open this one. Not really knowing what to expect, I was a little hesitant. Wine casks make me nervous. To me, it is a hit or miss. Some are delivering delicious whiskies, others give some weird tannines to the whisky and make it a little sour or too bitter for my taste. Since the whisky I just finished was one of my 'cooking' whiskies, a whisky I use in sauces or glazes or any recipe where the whisky will be heated, I thought to open this one. If I did not like it, it could be 'promoted' to cooking whisky. I opened it on a Sunday evening, to be paired with my roasted ham in honey. And believe it or not, it was quite a match. So this will not be my next bottle of cooking whisky, and it deserves a place on my shelves. Let me explain: https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/starward-lagavulin monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/9f1485b0-ba0b-4ac8-9c78-6712839d4636/Starward+X+Lagavulin.jpg Drinking Whisky - Starward x Lagavulin - Let's review the Starward x Lagavulin Yes, I just repeated the title in the subtitle. And I'll do it again: Starward Lagavulin. Can you hear my enthousiasm? Doesn't that sound awesome? Now, let me start with a small introduction: For a while now, I encounter bottles of Starward at whisky events. And I try them. And I like them. Some more than others. But to my shame, I have not (yet) bought them. So a small introduction into Starward would be nice. Starward Distillery is located in Melbourne, Australia. So yes, a warm climate. Started in 2007, Starward tries to work with as much local products as possible. And if you know Australia, you know they have some fine wine regions. So most Starward editions are aged on different types of Australian wine casks, giving their whiskies unique warm notes. And, as I mentioned, a warm climate, or as Starward calls it: 'four-seasons-in-a-day' climate. Now to explain the effect of these type of climates in a quick and easy to understand way: The temperature makes the wood expand and shrink. So think of it like a pumping heart: The interaction of the liquid with the wood is intense. Therefore most Starward whiskies are aged between 3-4 years but can seem much older in flavor. Now, I was browsing Instagram a while ago and spotted an announcement of the arrival of a Starward whisky, finished on ex -Lagavulin cask. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/balcones-texas-rye monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/067c2f3d-da72-4955-ac10-4829c6d84862/Balcones+Texas+Rye.jpg Drinking Whisky - Balcones Texas Rye 100 Proof - Howdy Partner! Sometimes you have this one brand that you keep encountering, but never try. Balcones is such a brand for me. A distillery from Waco Texas, founded in 2008, that started distilling in 2009. Within a fairly short time, they started to make a name and create different kinds of "American Whisky"; Single malt, Rye, Blue Corn etc. You might have noticed that they write it without the "e". So, whisky, not whiskey. I guess it is to make a statement, but I noticed that almost immediately when I first saw a bottle at The Malt Vault in The Hague. Most American Rye Whiskey, is with that "e". Balcones Brimstone it was called, made from roasted blue corn. I had a dram after a tasting and have to be honest: I only remember being amazed by it, but cannot remember much more. (It was a fun night, the morning after less so.) I spotted bottles of Balcones at several Whisky events, but never had it after that one Brimstone. I do not know why, I just did not try it. But then I had a whisky tasting at my place with friends and fellow whisky enthusiasts. And when David walked in, he immediately said: " I brought something you have to try!" Now David, a true spirits enthusiasts to a level where I expect him to own his own distillery one day, had a rye whiskey at my place before and liked it. He tried the Storyhouse Straight Rye Whiskey and the Stauning Rye Whisky I guessed rye whiskey must have intrigued him, because he brought a bottle of Balcones Texas Rye 100 proof. Pot Distilled. And again I had a dram that I enjoyed so much! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/dalwhinnie-winters-gold monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/0ad568a4-2082-4135-856b-694b12ba8625/Dalwhinnie+Winters+Gold.jpg Drinking Whisky - Dalwhinnie Winter's Gold - Freezing my bottle so you won't have to Two years ago, I had just heard the heartbeat of my unborn son for the first time during a standard echo. Being my first child, realising I was becoming a father once more, I walked into a local liquor store and bought a bottle of whisky on sale to deal with this thing called "feelings". It was the Dalwhinnie Winter's Gold. I enjoyed it in the following weeks with friends and family. A quick bottle kill. During a whisky meet at my place, the empty bottle became part of a discussion. Apparently, other liquor stores were selling these bottles with the advise to keep it in the freezer. Now, I've heard of keeping your limoncello or vodka at below zero temperatures, but whisky? We left the discussion with an open end and enjoyed some other drams that night. But I kept remembering the story. Last October, more than 2 years later, I received a bottle of Dalwhinnie Winter's Gold for my birthday. And immediately I remembered the discussion and decided to do a test. So, for the next planned whisky meet, I poured some of it in a smaller bottle and stuffed the big bottle in my freezer. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/jopen-whisky monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/f1753b78-80ce-493e-8b5d-1083072f9bda/Jopen+Whisky.jpg Drinking Whisky - Jopen Whisky - Three new Dutch whiskies "Are you available upcoming Monday?" A small text in my Whatsapp popped up. Sender: Whisky friend Monique. "I'm invited for a whisky launch, how would you like to be my plus one?" I did not ask what whisky, I just responded with: " Let me check and clear my agenda!" And that was how I ended up in Haarlem on a Monday, in the Jopenkerk, for a launch of three new Dutch whiskies. Now let me get to that first: Dutch Whisky. Yes. There are several Dutch brands of Whisky. (Remember the Torpedoed Tulip?) Some are very well known internationally, others act more on a local level. And, since whisky is getting more popular, we will see more whiskies popping up all over Europe. Now back to this one: Jopen Whisky. Jopen is known for its specialty craft beers. That's how I knew them. And enjoyed them. (One of my all time favourites is the "Annie are you oak aged?") And now, after the launch of three new whiskies, I will know them for their whiskies! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/the-ultimate-linkwood-2008 monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/2138360c-6d54-46c5-a0e0-097dfc907e89/The+Ultimate+Linkwood+2008.jpg Drinking Whisky - The Ultimate - Linkwood 2008 - I had to blow the dust off. Almost a year ago, around 10 months or so, I was on the hunt for a specific bottle. Long story short, I did not get the bottle I was looking for, but I did get home with some others. Yes, multiple, don't judge me! On of those lucky bottles ended up on my " Closed bottles"-shelve. And when your on that list, it might be difficult to get of it. Because so many other are already open and available. But earlier this week, I felt like popping open a new bottle and checked the shelve. I found two bottles with a whisky distilled in 2008. And could not choose. So, I did what every mature human being would do: I created a poll on my Instagram and let my followers decide. For a full day, both bottles went head to head. 50% each. But in the end, this bottle prevailed: A 14 year ol Linkwood, bottled by Dutch IB van Wees: The Ultimate. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/dunnage-nougat monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/1e3ea445-3108-4dce-b142-e30ea4d33e2c/Dunnage+Nougat.jpg Drinking Whisky - SMWS Dunnage Nougat - Yes, I know. Two SMWS bottles in a row. I was having a lunchbreak. With a complete unhealthy habit of eating behind my desk (Even when working from home.) I checked my email while taking a bite out of a peanut butter sandwich. I had received an email from the Society with some attention to a new Batch edition: Dunnage Nougat. I'm not going to lie, the label attracted me immediately. Then I read the description and the tasting notes and I was sold. And so was a bottle of the SMWS. To me. Yes, eating your lunch behind your desk is an unhealthy habit. Because you might buy too much. The bottle arrived and I placed it in my cabinet, to be opened in the future. Or so I thought. Enter Drambuddy Dramblingman , who visited to drop something of. A great opportunity to open this bottle and share a dram with him! As we both really enjoyed this dram, I had to review it. And that means you will find two SMWS bottles in a row on this blog. Sorry, not sorry. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/distillery-no-1 monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/d7b8304d-df6e-426f-ac7f-f1dd6178433c/Distillery+1.jpg Drinking Whisky - SMWS Distillery No.1 - I got lost on the nose The SMWS is celebrating 40 years of whisky. 40 years of casks. And to celebrate that, they are bringing out some very nice editions. Like this one. "Signed" by the SMWS founder Pip Hills. I call it Distillery no.1, like it says on the label, but the SMWS always gives their editions fun names. In this case, the back of the bottle mentions it: Swede Nutmeg Cake. I bought this edition as a bundle with the book " Maverick - the founder's tale". written by the same Pip Hills whose name is on the label of this bottle. More distilleries should do that, pair whisky with a book, an album or a movie. Let the flavor of the whisky enrich the experience of the story, the music or the scenes. But back to this bottle: Distillery no.1 makes a reference to the first distillery where the SMWS bought a barrel: Glenfarclas. (As you might know, the SMWS never mentions the distilleries, but uses codes. Check it here.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/86b02b29-ae01-4442-9f9d-3bec716e1064/SMWS+Distillery+No1.jpg Drinking Whisky - SMWS Distillery No.1 This whisky, single cask, with a whopping 64% vol., was bottled at cask strength. No coloration added. And what a lovely natural color it is! Now, here comes a little deviation from my normal routine. Because when I sniffed the glass, tears sprang into my eyes. I got way too much alcohol on the nose and had to wait 15 minutes before I could continue. So, I decided to put some water ready as well. On the nose: (after blinding myself with sticking my nose in too deep too soon) Coffee, dried figs, sal ammoniac, raisins, caramels, molasses, some cinnamon, some cake and dark chocolate. Insane. Truly a full nose with many layers! On the palate I got more of the "heavier" notes: Coffee, dark chocolate and dried fruits. And some little note of something salty. I added some water to take away some of the sharpness from the alcohol, and after that I got some spices like cardamom, nutmeg and cloves. Paierd with some more sweeter notes like honey and applesauce. The finish is medium long and gives me the pleasent linger notes of the chocolate and dried fruits. PS, the book is also a great read https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/le-breuil-duo-de-malt monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/8c3b91f2-455a-40a3-b508-0e40aedfb368/Le+Breuil+Duo+de+Malt.jpg Drinking Whisky - Le Breuil Duo de Malt - Call it a French wedding During my summer vacation early June, I visited Chateau du Breuil. Known to be a Calvados distillery, they also produce whisky once in a while. And rainy days make great days to visit distilleries! After a tour over the grounds, looking at copper stills and visiting a warehouse with barrels, I was able to try the Calvados and after, the whiskies. After trying it, I wanted a bottle of their Whisky Tourbé, the peated version. Yes, this might be a spoiler for a review in the future. When I was looking for that bottle, I encountered a bottle of Duo de Malt. Explained by the sales lady as "Our finest blended whisky, made after eh, 'style Japonais'." A further explanation was that they tried to emulate the flavor profile of Japanese whisky. In a hurry and looking for a bottle to drink at the camping I was staying at, I plucked one of the shelves together with the Tourbé version and a Calvados giftset and headed back to a sunny camping. Where I opened another bottle, and kept this one closed until recently. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/5787b736-a37b-43f9-8d3c-3488e9310327/Le+Breuil+Sushi.jpg Drinking Whisky - Le Breuil Duo de Malt When I opened the bottle and read the label with more time and focus, I discovered it is a blended malt. In a cooperation between Chateau Du Breuil and La Maison Boinaud, this whisky was created. (Maison Boinaud is known for fine wines and Cognacs.) The whisky was bottled at 40% Vol. and I could not find any information about the filtration or coloring. About that color: It has the color of a fresh and light chardonnay. Pretty pale yellow. On the nose: Vanilla, lots of it. Then fruits: Peaches, pear and currants. Some fresh cut grass and dried grass. The end has something spicy and warm, like cloves and cinnamon. The palate starts with some spice. White pepper with cloves. Then we get pears. And some light hints of caramel. Again some heat in the end and some oak. In the background I get some malt and fresh grains. All accompanied by some sweetness like sugared almonds. The finish is a bit too short for my liking, but has some oak and apples. This whisky goes great with sushi! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/legendaire-vin-de-paille monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/3bce282d-eb95-406f-b644-b7c67cce6b2a/Legendaire+Vin+de+Paille.jpg Drinking Whisky - Legendaire Tresor Vin de Paille - Talk about a fruit fly infestation! Sometimes you encounter something that you just not expect. Like a complete infestation of fruit flies when drinking a whisky. Story time: I was sitting on my couch watching a movie and fancied a whisky. So I stood up, went to my whisky storage corner and decided to open a bottle recently gifted by my parents after visiting France. Legendaire tresor. With a finish on ex-Vin de Paille cask. Now, Vin de Paille is a wine typical for the French Jura region (Where this whisky also originates from.) and is made with grapes that have been dried on straw. (Vin de Paille literally translates to straw wine.) This creates a very sweet wine and the whisky is finished on such casks. In theory, the sweetness should have an effect on the whisky. Something that was already proven when I put down my glass and walked away for maybe half a minute. The result: Several suicidal fruit flies, that I was not aware were in my house, had stormed the castle and died in my glass. They were attracted by the very sweet and fruity scent of this whisky. So after fishing out a couple of very tiny insect carcasses, I was able to try this whisky. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/edradour-2010-ibisco-12yo monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/9180e5a2-d34e-4ff0-afb1-9828d29c7636/Edradour+2010+Ibisco.jpg Drinking Whisky - Edradour 2010 12 yo Ibisco - You have heard of sherry bombs, meet sherry nuke! No. I know what you're thinking. That is not a bottle of hipster cola. No, it is also not a decanter full of ancient port. It is the Edradour 2010 Ibisco decanter. (Doesn't it look fancy?) So, a while ago, I got a bunch of gift cards for one of my favourite whisky stores in the Netherlands. Always nice, to spend those gift cards on something you like. And since I had seen this decenter, but always come home with something a bit more yellow, I decided this time it was coming home with me. Back home, I noticed I did not have many sherry cask whiskies, so I decided to set it aside for a bit. Waiting for a moment to open it. You know, one of those special moments? Well, I opened it because I felt like it, during a whisky dinner with some friends. Right before we were switching to the peated whiskies, I wanted a sherry bomb. Little did I know, I opened a sherry nuke. This bottle just impressed me so much. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/black-whiskey monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/c0a0006d-5f0e-4474-bd3e-320ba5419c47/Black+Whiskey.jpg Drinking Whisky - Peruvian Black Whiskey - Yes, you read the title correctly. My father in law contacted me with a question about whisky. He send me a photo of a bottle with the question: "Had to ask you about this for someone. Is it any good?" The photo showed a blurry label from something I did not encountered before. So I called him. Long story short: He bought a bottle of Don Michael Black Whiskey on one of his trips for work for me. Very kind, thank you! This Black Whiskey gets its name from the fact it is made with black corn from the Andes by the Don Michael distillery. This whiskey was created with a bourbon style whiskey in mind, so its mash bill is 60% Andean black corn, 30% malted wheat and 10% malted barley. Aged on white oak barrel from the USA, this whiskey actually won several prices on different occasions and in 2022 the Forbes magazine New York World Spirits Competition named this whiskey the best whiskey in the world. That is quite a big result for a distillery that only worked 6 years on whiskey before this concours! An extra funfact: The distillers got the Peruvian Goverment as far to create an Andean Whiskey category. Andean Whiskey must be made in Peru and must contain at least 51% Andean corn. (The rest of the rules follow the US Bourbon standards.) https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/glen-scotia-1832 monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/ed249217-b937-4257-af9b-825b1954a829/Glen+Scotia+1832.jpg Drinking Whisky - Glen Scotia Campbeltown 1832 - Travel retail you can buy off-airport I got a couple of favorite distilleries, that I do not mention often. Weird enough, I almost never write about them, review their whiskies or post something about them on my instagram. I think this is something sub-conscious. I truly enjoy those bottles and maybe I am keeping that for myself. So here they are: Bruichladdich, Ben Nevis and Glen Scotia. And todays review is a Glen Scotia. When I encountered this travel retail "exclusive" on an airport duty free shelve last year (You can find it online, a bit more expensive, but not that exclusive.), I decided to bring it home with me. And like many bottles, it suffered from my whisky hoarding behaviour and almost disappeared in the back of my whisky storage. Until I acquired another bottle of Glen Scotia and placed it in the cabinet next to this bottle. Now it was on top of my mind again, and recently, during a summer storm, I was in need of a dram with a slightly coastal an peaty flavour profile. And I thought I could find exactly that in this whisky. So I opened it. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/abrachan-blended-malt monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/3bb9af81-a80a-4520-9346-1908dccbfa91/Abrachan+Blended+Malt.jpg Drinking Whisky - Abrachan Blended Malt - On a quest for bread, I found whisky I was on vacation in France, with the family. And my wife and I made a deal. Since we have an almost 2 year old toddler, our mornings were early. Very early. Like 5 in the morning early. So we made a deal were every other day, one of us would have the toddler and bread shift. Meaning: Get up, take care of the kid and get fresh bread. My very first shift, the local Boulangerie was closed and I was looking for another place where I could buy bread at 7 o'clock in the morning. Spoiler: Most bakeries were for some reason closed. I think I drove through half of the Calvados region, until I ended up at a Lidl around 08:45. Not very French, but breakfast was needed and with no other choice, I went in. Cutting this story short: I came home with bread, some local apple juice, dinner for that night, some cheese and meats and a bottle of whisky. Because while passing it in the store, this bottle caught my attention. Yes, for a small part because of the label, but also the price. For €19,90 this bottle of Abrachan Blended Malt, Peated and Smoky, was coming back to the rented mini-home. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/goalong-small-batch-2023 monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/faada5be-b3f6-4b9e-bc7d-e56a947e2b85/Goalong+Small+Batch+2023.jpg Drinking Whisky - Goalong Small Batch 2023 - Tasting a 5 cask whiskey Last year I reviewed the Goalong Small Batch 5 yo. After a while, the Goalong distillery reached out and asked if I wanted to try their 2023 edition of their Small Batch. Would I? YES PLEASE! So they send me a sample all the way from their distillery. Most information about the distillery can be found in my previous reviewed Goalong Small Batch. But before we go to this 5 casks whiskey, I wanted to address two questions that I received after posting my unboxing video of this whisky on Instagram: Question 1: What is a Small Batch whiskey? A small batch whiskey (or bourbon of whisky) is a whiskey that is produced by mixing a set of specially selected barrels. This can be "standard" casks (Ex-bourbon/ex-sherry) or "special" casks (Ex-beer, ex-wine, ex-port ex-etc.). In this case: Tennessee cask, Bourbon cask, Wine cask, Sherry cask and Brandy cask. Quite a mix! Question 2: Whiskey from China, is that any good? Well, lets try it! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/7cddc7bc-9999-4055-b903-65f02f2ba9f4/Goalong+Small+Batch+2023+box.jpg Drinking Whisky - Goalong Small Batch 2023 Now let me compare this whiskey with its older brother. First, again, the packaging. I love the ingenious way this bottle is packed. Some serious attention for detail went into this. The bottle has the same shape, but misses the sticker telling me what bottle number it is. Not that I care, but with a small batch you can add that detail. Secondly, the types of casks are only mentioned on the box, not the bottle. Again, I don't mind, but the previous one had it. Then the whiskey itself. I like this better than the previous. At first my thought were that 5 different casks might be too much. But it all blends into one very nice whiskey that I can enjoy for a longer time. It is a sipping whiskey, discovering some layers. And I like those kind of drinks. I think this whiskey will be hitting the shelves soon in Europe. If you are looking for something special to add to your selection/collection, this might be a great whiskey to try! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/ferg-harris-secret-speyside-12 monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/75a99192-19b8-4664-b5ae-1a1744ea3c27/Ferg%26Harris+Secret+Speyside+12.jpg Drinking Whisky - Ferg & Harris Secret Speyside 12 - Enjoying a PX finished dram on a sunny afternoon This weekend I was enjoying myself at a little vacation house on the other side of the country. After spending the day at a local amusement park with my toddler, I was having some well deserved rest with a book in the sun. Craving something. Maybe a dram? Yes, that is right, I brought whisky. To be honest, they were some samples I had for tasting and I thought it was a great idea to bring those along. I had packed a sherried whisky, and a peated one. I chose the sherried whisky: A dram of the Ferg & Harris Secret Speyside 12 year old. Coming from Dram1's explorer pack. (From the Dingle, remember?) This is a 12 year old speyside whisky, aged on a first fill bourbon barrel, with a finish of 6 months on a Pedro Ximénez Sherry Hogshead. And that created a very nice dram. Could not figure out what secret distillery it was, so that remains a secret. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/dingle-la-le-bride monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/8b13d51f-d315-4438-b811-412ac50b70bc/Dingle+La+le+Bride.jpg Drinking Whisky - Dingle lá le Bride - Oh this dram, this beautiful dram Recently I visited a tasting hosted by DRAM1, the growing whisky company of my buddy @dramblingman. Always fun, visiting a tasting, hearing the stories, tasting new drams. And often you'll discover something that just grabs you and makes you want to get the bottle. Yes, those drams. It happened in the second half of the tasting. We just finished the first half, three very nice drams to be honest, when this dram appeared on the table. It had to prove itself, following a peated dram. The contrast needed to be awesome. And there it was: Dingle's Lá le Bríde. A special edition, part of the "Wheel of the year" series.I was stunned for a moment. Wow. And that was just on the nose. I think I missed 50% of what was being told. Simply loved this dram. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/beek-haran-2012 monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/7d634c80-7de0-4785-acde-7dbc44cef427/Beek+Haran.jpg Drinking Whisky - BEEK Haran 2012 - Iberian Hogshead makes this one delicious Early march I visited Whiskyfestival Gouda. After the festival, you were able to order bottles that you liked. Smart move! Giving people that opportunity after some drams must have lead to quite a sale. I ordered this bottle. Why? Because I had a very nice talk to the bottler himself, Jan Beek, and really enjoyed this whisky that night. And free delivery was offered by the organiser. Then the waiting began. After the first week without any news, I decided to make a phone call. My bottle was not yet in, but it was expected somewhere in the next week. I decided to waiver the free delivery and pick it up on Saturday, since I was planning to visit the city centre anyway. Unfortunately, no whisky yet. Repeat the above a couple of times, even with a delivery from the company distributing the Beek whisky, but missing this specific bottle. I almost forgot why I wanted it. But then, after more than 6 weeks, I got a call. My bottle had finally arrived and was ready for pick-up. Which I did that very afternoon, joking to the storekeeper that the whisky was probably aged a couple of months more for me. (The whole process makes me think twice about ordering at that store in the future.) https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/machrie-moore-cask-strenght monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/2639e060-b69d-49de-bab0-521b91f68601/Machrie+Moor+Cask+Strength.jpg Drinking Whisky - Machrie Moor Cask Strenght - Ending a tasting with this peated malt Do you know those kind of days where you just stroll through a city or town centre and into a local liquor store? Just to see whats on offer? You do right? That is not what happened here. This purchase was intentional. Not many people know this, but sometimes I host a tasting. Mostly groups of friends and family that want to know more about whisky, sometimes for larger groups that just happened to find me online and approached me. Now, I do not respond very often to these requests. I like reviewing whisky, discussing it and drinking it. So you might think, so why not tell people stories and explain it? I do like that part. It is the different palates. When I host for family and friends, more often than not they each get their own series of drams. I kinda know what they like. If you do a tasting with strangers, sometimes it is a hit and miss. With my latest tasting I decided to ask a couple of questions to guide me to some bottles to buy for this tasting. And my contactperson wanted a lot of "full and fruity" whisky in my line up. Ending with something peated, "but not too much". https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/hibiki-harmony-masters-select monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/6bfa85de-bd0b-4ce6-906d-8af182f0b0ed/Hibiki+Masters+Select.jpg Drinking Whisky - Hibiki Harmony Master's Select - Japanse whisky with a BBQ It was one of those spontaneous happenings: A BBQ with friends last weekend. We were all gathering for some bites, snacks, laughs and more. (For example a big nerdy LAN-party with 7 PS5s and 7 big, wide flatscreens in one room.) Just before I left to the meet, I contacted another whiskyfan in this specific group of friends and asked if I should bring something. He said I should and he would bring the Goalong for a bottle kill and a Hibiki. I decided to bring the Glasgow 5 as something stronger to go with the beef and Porkbelly burnt-ends. In between the small, but very delicious bites from the grill, he decided I should open his bottle of Hibiki Harmony Master's Select. I did, with shaking hands and a bit nervous. Why? Well, for once, Hibiki is not a cheap whisky. I did not want to break the cork or worse, the bottle. Secondly: Look at the bottle and its design. It is a beauty and in just the design, demands a form of respect. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/benriach-original-10 monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/c7abcbeb-f18a-426d-87da-6c0689e5f41b/BenRiach+Original+10.jpg Drinking Whisky - Benriach The Original 10 - I was influenced. That's why I got it. I was influenced. Last year around this time, we are speaking about April/May 2022, It was about a month before the launch of my website and I was watching daily posts from some "dramfluencers" on Instagram a lot. And suddenly, it was everywhere. Benriach The Original 10. And with everywhere, I mean almost all dramfluencers suddenly wrote about this bottle online or made beautiful posts on Instagram about it.I was not even blogging about whisky yet, I was still experimenting and looking around in the big wide awesome world of whisky. So I was Influenced. Apparently this bottle was a must have! All the whiskybloggers I followed, suddenly had it! So, I promised myself, next time I spotted one, I would get a bottle. And promises are meant to be kept. So I found it, bought it, and placed it in my cabinet. To see it dissapear in to the bigger drawer underneath my cabinet. To be moved to the back of that drawer. Almost to disappear behind other, newer bottles. But then there was a small app on my phone, that reminded me of this photo of a year ago. And with that, reminded me of this bottle. So, it was time. Time to open this 'Three cask matured' Speysider. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/glasgow-distillery-5yo monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/ea0f24fd-7716-49a4-9f47-bf25c6c52a5f/The+independent+collection+Glasgow+5yo.jpg Drinking Whisky - The Independent Selection - Glasgow Distillery 5yo - It was a dram incident I recently reviewed the Strathmill 11yo by Hogshead imports. But that was a sample. And I wanted more. So I went hunting for a bottle. Luckily, many places offer the Hogshead series and I could pick which liquor store I went to. Last weekend I was invited for a small family get together and in the same street is a store with a very large selection on whisky. So I decided to visit that store, in this case slijterij "De Helm", and I spotted the Hogshead series immediately when entering the store. While pondering on the Strathmill that I already tried or the Linkwood from the same series, I was approached by the shopkeeper and started one of the more fun discussions on whisky and independent bottlers that I had in a store. Before I knew what was happening I stood with a dram in hand, discussing independent bottlers and how they compare. Spoiler, I did not leave with a bottle from the Hogshead series, but a different Linkwood from another independent bottler. And next to that, because I had to go to that family get together, with a dram of this whisky, since the shopkeeper let me know I had to try it: The Independent Selection with a 5 year old whisky distilled at the Glasgow distillery. I had not heard of this independent bottler before, so I was looking forward to try this sample. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/strathmill-11yo monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/cfb58b42-2ba8-4ab4-86bc-ed49b2b2e022/Hogshead+Strathmill.jpg Drinking Whisky - Strathmill 11 yo refill hogshead - Exploring taste(r) If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know I have a great connection to some other people there. With two of them, I even do tastings online. I truly enjoy trying new whiskies with them and talk about the stuff related to that dram, or distillery, or fun story. I call them my drambuddies. Also known as @dramblingman on Instagram, Martijn is one of them. He visited me recently, to drop off some samples we are going to use in a future online tasting. But enough about that, either follow us, or not, this blog is about a taster he brought as an extra gift for me: The Strathmill 11 yo by Hogshead Imports. Now, I could spend a time writing about this independent bottler, but why try to find the words when someone else has already written them down? For example the same Dramblingman I was talking about. On his website dram1.com he has a whole page about Hogshead Imports, which I would recommend reading before or after the tasting notes below. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/the-glenturret-10-yo-peat-smoked monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/54e72b96-ff64-4c90-840c-1fac1a877dba/The+Glenturret+Peat+Smoked.jpg Drinking Whisky - The Glenturret 10 yo Peat Smoked - A pretty packed dram Recently I had a dinner with friends at my place and as usual, I offer them a dram after dinner. This time, I knew dessert was still coming and knowing what was being served, I let my guest choose between two peated whiskies that I had open. I realised that just to bottles in my cabinet were peated. So I opened the drawer underneath my cabinet and gave him a third option. A closed bottle of the Glenturret 10yo, Peat Smoked. In 2018 this distillery was acquired by Art & Terroir in collaboration with the French Crystal designer Lalique. And that designer left his mark on this series. Look at the shape of the bottle that the core range of whiskies of the Glenturret have since 2020! I love the lines, the design, the fancy label. In this case, as shown on the label, it was the 2021 release and part of their core series, in which the Glenturrets sports both peated and un-peated whiskies. We enjoyed it with the dessert and it was a great match. Macadamia nut brittle icecream from Häagen-Dasz. I can truly recommend trying that in unison with a smokey dram. However, it was also a very sweet ice cream, so it influenced the taste. I had to try it again without all that sweetness. And so I did. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/ac836c81-7ef5-4767-a428-99a36149ce5b/Glenturret+Peat+Smoked+Dram.jpg Drinking Whisky - The Glenturret 10 yo Peat Smoked Contrary to its brother-edition the Triple Wood, this whisky is bottled at 50% vol. It is natural in color and non-chill-filtered. The color is that of warm full amber and a small dance in the Glencairn gives me a medium thick line with pairing legs, slowly flowing into the rest of the whisky resting in my glass. On the nose: Peat and smoke, sure, but also sweeter hints of fudge, candied almonds, oak, citrus and some light tobacco. A second sniff gives me the chance to define what kind of smoke. Charred autumn leaves. Sounds weird, but that's the best way for me to describe it. Taste: Fresh notes of sweet citrus, some leather, salted caramel, and some walnuts. The peat and smoke are there, but not that heavy. They add a lingering smoke flavor to a very gentle fruity dram. Finish: Medium long. It gives me some lingering notes of oak, mixed roasted nuts, and some dark chocolate. It ends with a tiny salty tinge. Why didn't I open this bottle earlier? We are almost into spring and this could have been my Autumn daily sipper! It is a very warm, relaxing dram, giving me some rest and making me want to listen to Snow Patrol, reading a book in my favorite series! It was a birthday gift, but would buy me a bottle again! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/mr-peat monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/66f62102-a52d-47a4-8bf5-fc13fbbc478d/Mr+Peat.jpg Drinking Whisky - Mr. Peat - Unchillfiltered mystery Who is Mister Peat? Where does he live? Is he married? Is there a Mrs. Peat? Do they have children? A whole family of little Peats? I do not know. What I do know is that I love design of this label and boxing of this bottle. And to be very honest: That is why I bought it. It was on sale and relatively cheap in terms of Whisky prices. So I decided to buy it with a gift certificate I had lying around. After opening it, I had to know more. So I went to our big friend Google and tried to find the origins or Mr. Peat. The website is continuing the awesome design of the label, described the whisky in a fun way and even shows a shot cocktail recipe to try with this whisky. Next to a description on nose, palate and finish, underneath the facts that it is an unchillfiltered whisky, I could not find anything else. Except it is bottled by (or for) the Fox Fitzgereld Group. A spirit brand building company and part into investments in brands. Looking at the range of products, I can still only try to guess what distillery produced this bottle of peated whisky. And since peated whiskies are not my forte, I decided to go for something I have tried before: Email them by using the contact form offered on the website. Until I receive an answer, It remains a mystery! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/18d80adc-8d00-47c0-b736-d56b4ef8727f/Mr+Peat+Dram.jpg Drinking Whisky - Mr. Peat So let's get to the facts you joined me for: How does it smell, taste and such? Mr. Peat is a unchillfiltered "heavily peated single malt scotch whisky", bottled at 46% vol. Is has its natural color, that looks almost like slightly colored water (It is that light!). Since I could not find an age statement, it is a NAS whisky. It is the first whisky I encountered that left almost no line in my glass. I was wondering if it was my glass, so I should try again sometime soon. On the nose: Bam. Peat. But not that heavy as I would have expected for something called Mr. Peat. (But can you smell PPM's?) It has a very pleasing smell of smoke. Like sitting in your backyard on a warm summer evening and the whole neighbourhood decided to have a BBQ. After that some very light scorched seaweed and iodine. Something earthy like dried clay. And then, at the very end: gingerbread. Taste: Very fresh notes marinaded in smoke. Some fruits, some grasses. leaving it on the tongue a little longer leaves short sweet hints of melon. Finish: Medium long. Smoke. Some oak. So now the big question: Would I buy it again? For the price I paid for this bottle, and the fun I had with it until now and the bonus points I'm giving for the awesome branddesign and corresponding website, yes, yes I would. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/orchestral-manoeuvres-in-the-cask monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/1ffa0159-8760-4853-8632-ff71c128ca89/SMWS+Tims+Favorite.jpg Drinking Whisky - Orchestral manoeuvres in the cask - SMWS Cask no. 72.109 What do you think about the name of this bottle? Because that's what the title of this page actually is: the name of this bottle. It is a bottle that I got from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. In November 2022 I visited a SMWS tasting with a friend. We were looking forward for a great night of tasting drams. And we did. But more important, we had this dram. Society cask number 72.109. Now let me explain that by literally quoting Wikipedia: "The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), founded in Edinburgh in 1983, is a membership organisation which bottles and sells single cask, single malt whisky. It purchases individual casks from more than 170 malt whisky distilleries in Scotland and throughout the world, bottles them and retails directly to its members." And due to some legal issues with naming, they never mention the distillery on the label. Instead, you get a code which is easy to crack if you know where to look. My drambuddy Dramblingman is one of the many sources you can use to "crack the code" by checking his blog about it. A quick check shows us that number 72 is distillery Miltonduff and this is cask 109. Back to the tasting, this was number 3 in the line-up and I liked this one so much, that I cannot remember the other drams that night without checking my notes. I really wanted more, so I ordered the bottle. Two days later, I was so lucky to assist the SMWS Benelux at the International Whisky Festival in The Hague. Guess what bottle got my "Favorite" label? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/43b0631c-9b96-4740-9111-bb2cbd6ecd2f/Orchestral+Manoeuvres+in+the+cask.jpg Drinking Whisky - Orchestral manoeuvres in the cask So what made me go a bit nuts about this bottle? What is so special? Let me try to explain by going to my notes: As mentioned earlier, this is a Miltonduff whisky. It has aged 10 years, but on 2 casks: The initial cask was an ex-oloroso butt for 8 years. The final cask a 1st fill heavy char puncheon, for 2 years. And I think it is a cask-match made in heaven! As every SMWS bottle, it has been bottled at cask strength: 57.4% vol. The color is a beautiful amber, which seems to blend in with the wooden table I'm sitting at right now. A swirl gives some thick legs, but a thin line. On the nose: Sherried. Dried figs, sultana's, christmas pudding. Some oak, leather and charcoal. And I can only describe it as sitting in front of your tent, camping, drinking a very fruity, sherried whisky. While 100m next to your tent someone is building a campfire made with dry pinewood. And while you enjoy your dram, that thin hint of smoke lingers around. Taste: Prunes, tobacco, chocolate. Very fruity notes like strawberry and cherries. Candied apple, tea biscuits and warm. honey. Anding with that campfire smoke trail. The finish is medium long and leaves a very nice tone of honeyed walnuts, some fresh hints of strawberry and a light citrus flavour. Adding some drops of water really opened it up and made al the notes more clear and even made it sweeter than before. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/waterford-heritage-hunter monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/f41bc830-2a63-4817-8f0b-3a07cccb35e2/Waterford+Heritage+Hunter.jpg Drinking Whisky - Waterford Heritage Hunter - "God creates dinosaurs, God destroys dinosaurs. God creates Man, Man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs." — Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park Now, I know what you are thinking, did he really photographed a bottle of whisky with a toy dinosaur? Yes, yes I did. God I loved the movie Jurassic Park as a child. And I think my fascination for dinosaurs even led me to my later studies in Archaeology. (Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones being my all time favorite movies.) So, when I met Ian O'Brien at "the art of drinks" in Amsterdam last October and he let me tast this whisky while mentioning it was a "Jurassic Park" whisky, I knew I wanted this bottle. And it took me just a few days to get one. And then I placed it in my whisky cabinet and did not write about it. Why? Because much better and more professional whisky bloggers already created great blogs about this whisky. This one from Words of Whisky for example. And if those bloggers did not write some great pieces on this whisky, the Waterford distillery themselves have a great bunch of information about it on their website. (Update: Waterford Distillery is no more.) But why the dinosaur? Waterford resurrected a "lost" strain of barley and spend some time sowing and harvesting 50 grams of this strain to gain enough barley for 50 barrels of whisky. See the Jurassic Park resemblance? I do! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/dead-guy-whiskey monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/3fafff34-aa02-4738-9847-d634ce7441e7/Dead+Guy+Whiskey.jpg Drinking Whisky - Dead Guy Whiskey - Where is my beer opener? A while ago, (no, seriously) I moved from Leiden to Gouda. Back in Leiden, I used to have my favorite liquor store, specialized in whisky, at about 100 meters from my home. Lucky me. Moving in the end of 2019 to Gouda, I did not have the chance to find a good new local liquor store. You know, the one that can order special or reserved bottles for you. And I needed such a bottle. I was hunting for the Glenturret Managers dram. I could have imported it myself, but hey, a great opportunity to build some connects. Walking into a store I had never visited before at the end of October, I had a great conversation with the guy managing the store. He promised me he would contact me when he got the Glenturret and I decided to check his inventory. On one of the bottom shelves in the corner with whiskies that were not from the Netherlands or Scotland or Ireland (Australia, Germany and in this case, the USA), I spotted a weird looking bottle. First of all, It had a label I had not seen before. And secondly, I spotted a flip top at is neck and noticed the bottle was closed with a bottle cap. It got my attention. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/b34082d1-6319-4d84-beee-ea2d2bccb776/Rogue+Dead+Guy+Whiskey.jpg Drinking Whisky - Dead Guy Whiskey So let's discuss this whiskey. First of all: It has only aged for one (1!) month. I found that to be insanely short. They called it ocean aged, because the barrel apparently was stored near the ocean. I could not find anything on chill filtration or coloring, but with one month of age, I decided not to bother with finding out.It was bottled at 80 proof, which is 40% vol. Now normally when I open a bottle cap, I expect a "Pssht". But I heard none. Silly me, of course whisky is not carbonated! After a twirl, I got some fine legs but not really a line. The whiskey itself looks a bit cloudy. On the nose: I got some funky notes like dusty attics, potpourri, maybe the smell of a crypt? Some fruity notes and blossom. I got some kiwi, pineapple, fresh pear and some vanilla. I even got some coconut! Taste: The flavor was less exciting . A lot of spirit on the tongue, some oak and honey. After the fruity and sweet notes, I got some oak and dark chocolate. But for a whiskey that had only seen the inside of a barrel for one month, I was pleasantly surprised! Finish: Quite long on the tongue. Almost a little bit of an acidic feeling and fresh flavor. Some fuller notes of tannines and oak. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/torpedoed-tulip monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/ebbb1281-3989-44d0-9c39-315bfceb5494/Torpedoed+Tulip.jpg Drinking Whisky - Torpedoed Tulip Dutch Rye Whisky - What is a boilermaker? This bottle, a collaboration between the Brewdog company and Zuidam distillery, is brought out in what Brewdog calls: The boilermaker series. (Launched in 2019) So, my first search, what is a boilermaker? The quick answer: The combination of a shot of whisky and a beer. You can do the shot and then drink the beer, or, if you're in a hurry I guess, sink the shot into your beer. I don't like shots. I like drams. It sounds a lot like the dutch "Kopstoot" (headbutt in English) which contains a shot of jenever and a beer. Always served in a pair. So, a boilermaker is the same combination, but switch the jenever for a shot of whisky! I've always liked the beers from the Brewdog company and if people ask me what my favorite beer is, I almost always say it is their Punk IPA beer. (If you were wondering, sometimes I say Delirium Tremens is my favorite beer.) So, when I was browsing bottles in a local liquor store and I noticed this one with the name of my favorite brewery on the label in combination with the name of my favorite Dutch distillery Zuidam (Millstone), I bought it. It is advised to drink this in a boilermaker combination with a "Dead pony club" pale ale of the Brewdog range, but since I could not find it in the two shops I visited after, I decided to get my favorite, the Brewdog Punk IPA. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/6a8d1e72-9a83-4a07-a5d1-237cf0c214be/Beer+and+Whisky.jpg Drinking Whisky - Torpedoed Tulip Dutch Rye Whisky Now, before I tried it in the boilermaker format, I had to try this dutch rye whisky neat. Just so I could get the full flavors without the fresh notes of the IPA. This whisky was bottled un-chill filtered and uncolored on 46% Vol, after being aged on Oloroso sherry casks. I apologize for the quality of the photo, but I was really looking forward to trying this whisky, and was thirsty for a beer. So I had no time for a full photoshoot. Therefore you have to believe me on my word if I say the color is a warm amber. Not as dark as I would have thought of a rye whisky. Maybe I was spoiled with my Storyhouse straight rye whiskey. Although the color is similar to the Stauning Rye Whisky. A twirl around the glass left almost no line and almost invisible legs. On the nose: A very soft and mild nose, hints of honeycomb, caramel, oak, dry wood, grasses, a bit of leather, butter and some orange peel. Taste: Sweet and fruity flavors like apricots and figs. I got some molasses, the sweetness of rye bread, oranges, honey, spices, almonds and some tannines. Finish: Medium long and very nice to have. Some nuts, dark chocolate the freshness en notes of oranges and a hint of lightly roasted pine nuts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/58433a76-4d34-48fc-bb01-726e2fd99c4f/Torpedoed+Tulip+and+beer.jpg Drinking Whisky - Torpedoed Tulip Dutch Rye Whisky I liked the rye whisky on itself. But how would I like my first boilermaker? First of all, I decided not to go for the dunk&drink way of enjoying this. I sipped my whisky, enjoying the flavour and then drinking some of my IPA. Man, these two compliment each other! Now I have to go and look for the Dead pony club pale ale, to see if it is an even beter combination! In this case, I found the medium long finish of the whisky, to add to the fresh and tarty flavor of the IPA. There are two more bottles in the Brewdog Boilermaker series, If I can find those, I will surely get them and try them! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/leidsche-singel-malt monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/eae7f194-4c2b-4f1c-885e-3bc498c652a8/Leidsche+Singel+Malt.jpg Drinking Whisky - Leidsche Singel Malt Limited Edition - It al started with a bang... Many years ago, in 1807 to be exact, there was a big bang. An explosion. On the 12th of January, 216 years ago, a ship was docked in one of the canals in Leiden. On board it had 17.760 kilograms of gunpowder to be shipped to Haarlem. The load never arrived because the gunpowder exploded, killing many and leaving a crater in the center of Leiden. Now, this is where the whisky enters. According to the very fresh and new independent bottler Singel Malt, a cask of whisky was also aboard the boat and landed on the embankment where Peeter Ghaenszoon found it and quickly rolled it into his cellar. After his passing, his heirs decided to bottle the whisky and store it. And that is how this whisky came to market. A great and fun origin story of the brand, which has a marketing purpose and is of no true origin. But the explosion happened and still leaves it marks in the city of Leiden. Now, the name Singel Malt is no typo but adds to the brand story of this independent bottler. A "singel" in Dutch is a word for a canal in cities where the canal used to have a defensive purpose. Such as the canal the powder ship was docked at. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/39e72de9-afd5-4ca2-9553-da01dd1e69ee/Singel+Malt+Batch+1.jpg Drinking Whisky - Leidsche Singel Malt Limited Edition I stumbled upon this bottle by accident. Or rather: I know one of the guys that decided to buy a cask and bottle it. We came to discuss whisky and he mentioned this bottling and I practically begged him to be able to buy one. And, I was allowed to, under one condition: I could not write or talk about it until he let me know. And basically, a few weeks ago, I got the green light. The whisky was distilled in 2016 at the BenRiach distillery and bottled in July 2022. Extra fun fact, it was finished on an ex-Laphroaig cask. It is a non-chill filtered single malt whisky and bottled at 43% Vol. The color is very light golden hued yellow. But very clear. Waltzing it around in your glass leaves a thin line with some hazy legs. On the nose: At first very light. I found it hard to find some outspoken notes. I was expecting some peat or that typical Laphraoig seaweed hints. But it was a soft vanilla with hints of minerals like slate and chalk. I got some camphor and light creosote as smokey notes. as well as some grassy notes like green tea and wormwood. Taste: It feels a bit oily on the tongue. In the front sweet notes like cane sugar, walnut liqueur and a sweet floral note of honeysuckle. Immediately after the sweet notes I got some oak, some iodine, some hints of leather and warm apple. It has a small spicy note like the hotness of cinnamon and cloves. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/73b4b287-2e69-47b3-be83-2da53d318842/Singel+Malt+Batch+1+box.jpg Drinking Whisky - Leidsche Singel Malt Limited Edition Finish: A sharp and long finish. I got some spirity notes, some white pepper and cinnamon. Some oily notes like linseed oil and seaweed. I also got some roasted nuts and some strong coffee. Especially the white pepper lingers, but in a very pleasant way. All in all a great dram that i think you should try. That is, if you can get a bottle. If I've understood correctly, this bottle will only be available with some local liquor stores in Leiden. I do not know where and when, but keep an eye out if you are whisky shopping in Leiden! A special thanks goes out to Tom, who let me buy a bottle when his shop was not even open and gave me this whisky scoop! I hope to see more Singel Malts in the future because it is a great dram! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/ben-nevis-9-yo-cognac-finish monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/fb9a4bff-f7dc-4644-b740-8bfc2e57fae1/Battlehill+Ben+Nevis.jpg Drinking Whisky - Battlehill Ben Nevis 9yo - It was a skirmish... Not many people know this, but next to whisky, I'm a big history fan. So let's start this blog with some comments on the name of the range. Duncan Taylor, an independent bottler, created a range of whiskies, named Battlehill after the hill close to Huntly. The place where Duncan Taylor is located. Not a bad idea. If there is a great monument in your area, and you're creating a monumental range of whiskies, connect it to each other! Battlehill is a 268 meters high hill next to Huntly, Scotland. Although Duncan Taylor claims it is renowned for clan battles and even some fights with the Sassenach neighbours (the English) in the 16th century it most likely got its name from the "Battle of Slioch". Although there is a much older history to the hill. Although the battle of Slioch had some importance in the first war of Scottish independence, it was no more than a skirmish that took place in december 1307. A minor action between the more famous battles of Loudoun hill and Inverurie. I could not find any references to more battles or clan clashes for this hill. (But not found does not mean they were not there!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/9753c708-4132-4635-a41c-7e2867b56840/Battlehill+dram.jpg Drinking Whisky - Battlehill Ben Nevis 9yo So what about the whisky itself. Is it worthy of the name battle? Or is it more like a skirmish? This is a Ben Nevis, 9 year old whisky, finished in cognac casks. It is bottled at 46% and is unchillfiltered. It has a beautiful color, almost a golden hue to it. Waltzing it in my glass, it leaves a clear thin line which transforms into thick legs and even some sticky drops. On the nose: Vanilla, course vanilla that you use for baking. The hints of citrus, I would go towards those dried orange peels. Some hazelnut and dried berries. Almost like smelling fresh trail mix. Some caramel and even some straw. Some sultanas. It has the sort of smell that lingers a bit. Taste: Fresh, a light spirity note, sultana's and plums. I got some dark chocolate. Maybe going towards chocolate fudge. A bit of white pepper and even some nutmeg. Finish: A very nice lingering finish with hints of hay and oranges going towards bergamot. Hints of oak and and malt. Almost like a finish of a very nice IPA. Conclusion: It is a battle! Not a skirmish! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/bowmore-aston-martin-10-yo monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/f8d6b0ec-89c8-4492-85aa-93b215ec0a30/Bowmore+Travel+Retail.jpg Drinking Whisky - Bowmore Aston Martin 10yo - Dark and intense? Yes. I wrote a small blog about travel retail bottles. You can find that here. And in the images used, like the one used here, was a major spoiler: This bottle. I briefly mentioned I had not opened it yet. Now, when you google this bottle now, You might something different. It has different packaging by now. Bowmore repackaged the whisky and replaced the car on the label and box with a different image. The color changed as well: The label and box are grey now. I think this is a way of making these editions collectible for two target audiences: Whiskyfans and Aston Martin fans or car enthousiasts. This Bowmore edition, working together with Aston Martin, has been released as a travel retail edition. Which means it was developed for airport sales. However, a quick search online shows several webshops that offer this edition as well. But with a pretty big price difference. I found shops selling it for 90 euro. Luckily for me, a friend brought it for me after a trip to Scotland. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/6b7f2e5e-5fb8-462f-8757-1e8aa2495680/Bowmore+Aston+Martin+10.jpg Drinking Whisky - Bowmore Aston Martin 10yo This edition is bottled in a 1 liter bottle. Not uncommon for the travel retail section. It is bottled at 40% and I assume colored. But what a color. Standing out against most of my whiskies, it has the color of almost a deep red brown. I truly enjoy this color in my glass. And then the nose. Oh how I love the nose on this whisky. The longer it stands, more hints of aroma's keep popping up. At first I said jokingly that I got the hint of fresh luxury car smell. Warm leather. But you also get the sherry immediately. Sultana's, dried apricots, christmas pie, dark chocolate and some caramel sea salt candy. On the tongue it hits differently: Sultana's, light smoke, some silt, some autumn fruits and nuts. I love how subtle the peaty flavor is against the sweet notes. Finish: A nice long finish. Spices, smoke, nuts, and again those sweet fruit notes. This time I got some coffee as well. I really like this one! Might have to add this to my travel retail wishlist again. The dark & Intense is mostly about the nose I think, because the time I spend sniffing this one before tasting it, intense. Thanks Lisette, for being my whisky mule! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/togouchi monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/9987a719-9e2d-4794-9a9e-e6cdd72bc364/Togouchi+Japanese+Blended+Whisky.jpg Drinking Whisky - Togouchi Japanese Blended Whisky - But is it Japanese? A week ago I celebrated my birthday. Although I think celebration is a very large word in this context, since I no longer like to organize a party with a lot of people coming over etc. But, getting older is something that we 're expected to celebrate, so I did it in a way I would enjoy it the most: I organized a small whisky tasting. Expecting no gifts, since it was a friendly bring your own bottle if you want to whisky gathering with some friends, I was set for a great evening. That evening I openend the Pinwinnie bottle in a sort of celebration, but also this bottle. An unexpected guest to the tasting in the form of a birthday gift from one of my visiting friends. Knowing I like different bottles, he tried to find me a bottle I never had. And succeeded. After gifting we immediately openend it and added it to our small whisky event, which ended up being a "Let's try everything Singlemaltsnob has open in his little cabinet", rather than a tasting of a select range. Concluding: A birthday party https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/b72514b1-dd43-4074-beeb-8c50b0c4f8b2/Togouchi+Glass.jpg Drinking Whisky - Togouchi Japanese Blended Whisky The glass bottle has a coating that makes it look like Japanese earthenware, a minor detail that I love. The color of the whisky is a very bright, light yellow. I got a very clear line after twirled it around my glass and some medium legs. This whisky is bottled at 40% and as far as I kind find, not colored. On the nose it is a very light whisky. Took me a while to find some notes. But they were very fresh. Cut grass, vanilla, blossom, cane sugar, hints of oak. Maybe it is because I was thinking Japanese, but even some tea. Taste: Fresh, sweet and some spirit. Fresh apples and caramel, fresh wet grass, oak, and some spices like cardamom. Finish, medium long, some bitter tea notes and still some fresh grass and sweet tones of cotton candy. This bottle makes me want to try their single malt whisky that they distill, and I hope to encounter one in the future! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/pinwinnie-royale monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/b9ae1f93-7632-4576-bf10-935448f95bfa/Pinwinnie+Royale.jpg Drinking Whisky - Pinwinnie Royale - Should I have sold this bottle instead of opening? A while ago I was browsing online on Catawiki after drinking some drams. And I spotted a grain whisky I wanted to try in a batch of three bottles. I knew If I bought that grain whisky in the store I spotted it at, I would spend 90 euros. The bid was on 45 euro (for three bottles in a set) and I decided to go for it and offered 50. 45 minutes later I got an email I won the bid. I was already sleeping by then and woke up with an email confirming my winning bid and a payment request. I paid the bill, waited three days and received a box with three bottles of whisky. This was one of them: The Pinwinnie Royale Scotch Whisky. Right from the start I was wondering: What is this? And what should I do with it? I mean; Look at it. An old can, scratched and a little banged up. Inside a bottle with kind of kitschy label and an ancient looking cap made from plastic that looks like it will break apart when you try to twist it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/50a42151-db38-43af-9a80-19e0263d77c1/Pinwinnie+Royale+Sock.png Drinking Whisky - Pinwinnie Royale Browsing around gave me a lot more information. First of all: It was no longer produced. The last series was bottled in the 1990's. Great! That means I got something by accident that might be fun! The second thing I found was this website, where I found out the version with the can was produced from the 1980's onward. I discovered two versions, a "normal" blend and a 12 year old blend. It seems the second version was packaged in a purple fabric "sock" as a kind of luxury packaging. I got the normal edition, so no purple sock for me. I also discovered the edition I have, was still available online. For a price. Varying from 79-159 euro, you can still buy this blend. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/b3783e42-2f35-4d89-ad02-be90d80786d9/Pinwinnie+Royale+dram.jpg Drinking Whisky - Pinwinnie Royale So I did not sell the bottle. I opened it. On my birthday. Or rather the day before my birthday when I had a celebratory whisky tasting with friends, since my actual birthday was on a Monday. At first I did not like it, but that might have been the food I was eating. After aa while, I started to like it. The whisky has a golden color, almost straw like. I got some watery legs after I twirled the glass a bit. Nose: Citrus, spirit, medicinal notes, honey, spices, wet leaves and some bitter hazelnut. Taste: Citrus, Spirit, sweet nuts (as opposed to the bitter hazelnuts on the nose.) and a bit of toast Finish: Medium long, a lingering medicinal flavor and a slight bitter note that is not annoying. I'm glad I opened the bottle. I think I would have been wondering for ever how it would have tasted if I would have sold it. If I ever encounter it again, I would buy it if I can get it for the price I have payed for it this time. (Around 20 euro.) Maybe even a bit more. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/jp-wisers-18 monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/957fd1ba-cd43-45a0-a384-ec5570efc66f/JP+Wisers+18.jpg Drinking Whisky - J.P. Wiser's 18yo Canadian Blended Whisky - Question: Does it taste like Maple syrup? My wife recently returned from Canada for a work trip and brought me a bottle of whisky. I know, she's a keeper. I know. This year she started bringing me bottles when she travels. So I got a great travel exclusive Kavalan earlier this year, and recently this bottle. Now apparently the conversation in the store went something like this (I know the short of it, not how the conversation actually went.): Wife: "Hello, I'd like get a bottle of Canadian whisky for my husband. He really likes his whisky and is quite a snob." Vendor: "Okidoki Ma'am, what kind of whisky were you thinking aboot?" (Yes, lame joke, but had to be done.) W: "Well he really likes single malts." V: "We don't have any single malts ma'am." W: "Right. So what would you advise?" Enter the J.P. Wiser's 18 year old Canadian Whisky with half the label in French. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/81d05011-6ec4-4cd1-b24b-d590a1846056/JP+Wisers+18+Label.jpg Drinking Whisky - J.P. Wiser's 18yo Canadian Blended Whisky Funny fact: If you buy this bottle in Europe (Yes you can.) the label is different. First of all, there is no French on the label. Secondly: The label clearly states it is a blended whisky. (Which is supported by the vendors statement in the quick airport shop conversation: They did not have any single malts for sale there.) In Canada this means it can contain corn, rye, barley and wheat. In this case, the blend contains almost only corn whisky aged on ex-bourbon casks. The color is a warm amber, almost like a cup of tea, going towards chestnut. A waltz around my glass showed a very liquid whisky with almost no lines. (This should have warned me, but I was blinded by the number 18 in age.) On the nose: The first sniff threw me back. I made a rookie mistake of sticking my nose straight into the glass. I think I was expecting something soft and sweet like the Glenlivet 18 Batch Reserve. instead I got a nose full of paint thinner. A second, more careful, sniff released hints of caramel, honey, bergamot, maple syrup (yes) and hints of oak and leather. I loved the nose. Taste: Sharp and tingly from the spirit, hints of toast and spices. Seems to get more fruitier towards the end, but stays real sharp. Finish: Short and bitter like roasted hazelnuts. I expected more from an 18 year old, but then again, it is a corn whisky. Different sharpness of alcohol I guess. After getting to know the bottle, I now enjoy it, but our first meeting was a bit of a disappointment for me. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/ballantines-glenburgie-15 monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/91f2df35-5953-40a5-a6d5-4c5e9eeb3b5b/Glenburgie+15.jpg Drinking Whisky - Ballantines Glenburgie 15yo - When ingredients become products I've been away from my social account and my website for a while. I was traveling. A very long story short: I visited 5 different airports within a very short time and traveled to some awesome places. But, with traveling comes the airport Duty Free shopping and maybe even some travel retail exclusives, right? So I checked the whiskies on offer on 4 airports (the 5th was Amsterdam, where I departed from. No shopping on departure for me.) and I returned with some bottles. One of those bottles is this one: The Glenburgie aged 15 year old, by Ballantines. This bottle series was launched in 2017 by Ballantines, or rather the Chivas Brothers group, to please their single malt fans. In a serie of three (Glenburgie, Glentauchers and Miltonduff), Ballantines presented the 3 main ingredients for their Blend as single malts, bottled at 15 years old. Now, we do have more distilleries where most if not all of their production is going straight into blended whisky. Blair Athol for example, only bottles 1% of their whisky on their own label. So that is not a strange thing, but a Glenburgie is a rather hard to find if not as a fingerprint ingredient for Ballantines. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/3fc316a7-c1f2-4f4d-bf36-594f6514ae3c/Ballantines+Glenburgie+15.jpg Drinking Whisky - Ballantines Glenburgie 15yo Now I'm not sure how many of these bottles were available, but the label of mine says it is "series 001". So I assume I got at least one of the bottles from the release in 2017. Or it is numbered as being the first of a series that might be added after the three starters. I do not know. To be honest, there was not a whole lot to discover about this bottle. I loved the color. A deep warm color going towards light brown. I could not find anything about additional coloring or about the filtration. A twirl leaves a very thin, but sharp line in the glass, with some thick legs. On the nose: Warm fudge, cotton candy, apple, honey, strawberries, spring grass and vanilla. The taste: Some milk chocolate, sweet citrus, mandarin and red oranges, sweet barley. Finish: Short. Too short for my liking. Some spices like pepper and light cinnamon. I bought this bottle at Tirana Airport. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/octomore-10-3 monthly 0.5 2026-01-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/521c4a76-adb3-47b8-af6b-9feaecfabec4/Octomore+10.3.jpg Drinking Whisky - Bruichladdich Octomore 10.3 - I almost stutter when I say: PPM Parts per million. It is almost like percentage. But where a percentage basically "parts per 100" is this about parts per million. But what kind of parts are we talking about? In short: phenols. And phenols are very important in some whiskies. Why? Phenols are aromatic chemical particles that, in this case, give that lovely peated or smokey flavor to your favorite dram. So what about it? Well, although some whiskies can be very smokey, the ppm numbers for those "heavily peated" whiskies are between 30-50 ppm. Yes, 30/1000000 is considered heavily peated. And the whisky discussed here today has 114. Yes, you read that correctly: 114/1000000. And fun fact, it is not even the most heavily peated whisky ever. (That honor goes to its older sibling with 309 ppm.) We are talking about the Octomore 10.3 from the Bruichladdich distillery. Now the Octomore series are a rare breed. Especially from a distillery that is not always known for its peated whiskies! I simply love the Classic Laddie from Bruichladdich, which is an Islay distillery, and that is an unpeated whisky. But next to that great dram, they have the Octomore series. Yes, series, because they tend to come in 3's or 4's. And all of them are numbered. The point 3, like this one, is the local barley variant. And I you know if you follow me a bit, I love distilleries that use local barley. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/2c1dd17d-51ac-4fa2-897a-de1893b91355/Octomore+10.3+glass.jpg Drinking Whisky - Bruichladdich Octomore 10.3 - Octomore διάλογος 10.3 Islay barley This specific Octomore has been distilled in 2013 and aged for 6 years on ex-bourbon casks. Is is bottled at 61,3%, is non-chill filtered and has no color added. I love the color, which is way lighter than the image might show. It has a very light fresh yellow color After I twirled the glass (a tiny one, it was a weekday) I got a clear thick line with some nice legs and smaller tears. On the nose: You smell this one when you pour it. It is much fresher than you might suspect from such a heavily peated whisky. The first sniff took me back to a Swiss field in the Alps in high summer. I got fresh hay, sawdust, light ashes, pastry, custard and some sweet pear in the background. Taste: Almost like a "mature" Classic Laddie. I got malt, a very nice and light saltiness, a tingy feeling like a very fizzy soda water, strong smoke and ashes at first, but later on the tongue more fresh fruits and sweetness. Apple and pear. Finish: Spicy and smokey! A long lingering feeling and taste. Almost goes towards a Sunday roast with honey. In the end you get the barley. I really love this bottle, would I scrape my spare change together again for a bottle? Maybe. Since I'm a real fan of Bruichladdich whisky, it might join my collection again in the future. For now I have this bottle, which I'm enjoying a lot! https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/linkwood-2011-quercus-alba monthly 0.5 2026-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/d481e18b-cedf-46fb-8869-e23129596fc2/Wilson+and+Morgan+Linkwood.jpg Drinking Whisky - Wilson & Morgan Linkwood 2011 Quercus Alba - An Italian experiment with a kick I had some comments about my background for some of my photo's. So what do you think about this one? I like this one. It will be a one of a kind. In front of this background is this awesome bottle that I had a dram of: The Wilson & Morgan Barrel Selection Linkwood 2011 Quercus Alba. I think that is the whole title. Did I miss a part? Wilson & Morgan is an independent bottle agency based in Italy that has some unique ranges. Like most independent bottlers, they offer cask strength bottles and what they call "the decanter series" where you get a special whisky in a special bottle. They also have this "barrel selection range". If I understand this serie correctly, it is a mix of different barrels that create this particular single malt. I'm just going to quote their website: "Our experiments with blending virgin oak barrels with more traditional bourbon casks, an innovative recipe that we call Quercus Alba, have reached new levels of finesse. The results of this balanced equilibrium between different kinds of oak can definitely be felt in the delicious drinkability, flavour complexity and smoothness." Reading a bit further, this whisky has seen a refill barrel as a main cask and a finish from a "Blend of 2nd fill Virgin Oak and 2nd Fill Bourbon Barrels". So let's try it! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/38efd923-c1a3-4a54-bf8f-796f34ab69ce/2011+Linkwood.jpg Drinking Whisky - Wilson & Morgan Linkwood 2011 Quercus Alba Distilled in 2011 and bottled in 2022 means this is an eleven year old whisky. It is bottled at 46% Vol. I could not find anything on coloring or filtering. If anyone knows, let me know! The color of this whisky is a straw colored yellow and after waltzing the whisky in my glass I got a thick line with firm legs. On the nose: Warm, honey, cookies, barley, apple. A second sniff gave me straw, hay, fresh green grass and pear. It felt like a real summer bouquet! Taste: A very easy going whisky. At first. Then it gets a bit spicy. Hints of oak, marshmallow, licorice root and citrus. Some smaller bitter notes that I could not place. The finish: Long and lingering with spices, warm honey. Sugary hints of marshmallow and cotton candy. Again some light bitterness . After a few sips I took a piece of 85% cacao dark chocolate. It made the whisky very fresh and fruity after that. Filtered the oak and bitter notes out of it. This review was possible thanks to Times, who was so kind to share a dram with me. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/goalong-small-batch-single-malt monthly 0.5 2026-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/024370f8-0153-4193-914d-da0de1dc7aee/Goalong+Small+Batch.jpg Drinking Whisky - Goalong Small Batch - A 5 year old single malt from China Recently I had a whisky date with a friend planned. A night of trying drams and playing games online. You know, just a fun night. I brought some bottles, he bought some bottles. And he bought this one: The Goalong Single Malt Small Batch 5yo Chinese whiskey. The Goalong brand was founded in 2011, but the distillery openend in early 2018 in Liuyang, Hunan region, China. It is actually a very large set up distillery, making different liquors. Their first batches are being rolled out for 2 years now I think, and they are kind enough to take you on a digital tour through their distillery. What I noticed it that they spend a lot of attention for detail in the packaging of their products. As was the case with this bottle. A very nice box with laces to carry it and an ingenious way to take the bottle out of the box. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/e8e9629d-38b2-49e1-ab73-9b95d4f8660a/Goalong+Small+Batch+5yo.jpg Drinking Whisky - Goalong Small Batch This 5yo single malt small batch was aged on bourbon and brandy casks and this bottle, with number 1197, was bottled at 48% Vol. I suspect no coloring was added, but I'm not sure. Neither could I find any information about the filtering. (So, Goalong Distillery, if you read this, let me know!) (Edit 21-02-23: Goalong reached out to me and let me know it is actually on the bottle and the box. I totally missed that. The whisky is non-chillfiltered and no caramel has been added for coloring. Thank you Goalong, for reaching out!) The color of this whisky is awesome. A very bright golden yellow. Almost no lines in my glass after a twirl. On the nose: Fresh grass, sweet fruits, hay, wood and honey. Even some sweet rice notes. You get the malt as well. Some dried fruits like raisins. Taste: Balanced but a bit sharp. You get the taste of grains. Some nice bitter notes next to very tropical fruits. Maybe some faint mango and lychee. The finish: Short but warm. Licht hoppy flavor lingering on the tongue. Was hoping for some more of that fruit, but like I said, a short finish. This review was possible thanks to Times, who was so kind to share a dram with me. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/stauning-rye-whisky monthly 0.5 2026-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/6808d677-6dce-49ea-9a3f-fb6df32f02a2/Stauning+Rye.jpg Drinking Whisky - Stauning Rye Whisky - A nice Danish surprise Sometimes you just encounter something you want to share. So, with the worst photo's ever, I like to review this great bottle I encountered at a tasting with friends. I don't drink rye whisky often. As a matter of fact, until earlier this year in San Diego, I had not even tried it. And now a second one was poured in my glass within 6 months of each other. I had seen the bottles before. This Danish brand has a really cool distillery and creates a series of different whiskies. All made with local ingredients. And that seems to be a thing for me lately. I reviewed a couple of French whiskies that use local barley, and have some others in my collection that are doing the same thing. Stauning tries to use ingredients that are not further away than 3 km from the distillery. So this rye whisky, their first product on the market, is made from local barley and rye. And it has won prizes! The latest I could find was "Best Danish Rye" at the 2022 World Whiskies Awards. Which made me feel humble and at the same time determined to try other Danish (rye) whiskies! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/90335933-7b6b-4488-a57e-09b33235193e/Stauning+in+glass.jpg Drinking Whisky - Stauning Rye Whisky Like I said, I was having a great night with friends, trying and tasting different whiskies. But when this bottle was openend , it immediately had my focus. I could already smell something when my dram was poured and did not quite listen to the story my mate was telling. At 48% Vol, this was not one of the strongest whiskies on the table, but it packed a punch on other parts. I simply loved the color On the nose: Sweet tones, red fruits, vanilla, warm, spices, cloves. It gave me the feeling of a nice summer dessert after a nice meal. Taste: Sharp, warm and sweet. Hints of honey, but more of pepper and spices. A little oak. Caramel like on a fudge sundae. The Finish: Spices, warm honey and a bit sharp. Stays on the tongue long. A sweet bitter note. Warm and some caramel. I really liked this dram and will get me a bottle in the near future. This review was possible thanks to Michiel, who was so kind to share a dram with me. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/the-glenlivet-18-batch-reserve monthly 0.5 2026-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/1769252033691-6VWQQZB7DK1YMCLZZMB0/The+Glenlivet+18.jpg Drinking Whisky - The Glenlivet 18yo Batch Reserve - The one that humbled me This bottle was standing in my little cabinet for six long months before I opened it. I was waiting for a special occasion to do so and in the end I found one: My first whisky tasting that I put together for others to celebrate a special occasion. (The birthday of my father in law.) I really wanted to put together a nice set of drams that would form a great tasting. I had selected 5 whiskies and was looking for a 6th. I decided I wanted this one to be a special bottle in the selection. And I placed it right between the Glen Grant 10 and the Bruichladdich Classic Laddie without much thought. And, shame on me, without trying it first. Somehow I was not thinking straight and thought: "18 must beat 10, go for it!" Boy, was I wrong. It totally did not stand out and was considered the least of the six by the guys in the tasting. And I was disappointed. I had expected more of it. A couple of days later I poured myself a dram out of this bottle to sip. How could I have been so wrong? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/52d07547-f335-41f4-a034-48adb865c768/Tasting+the+Glenlivet+18.jpg Drinking Whisky - The Glenlivet 18yo Batch Reserve When I stuck my nose in the glass while walking away from my whisky cabinet, I was overwhelmed by aroma's that I did not get during the tasting. It rocked my world! So I decided to take some time for this one and review it! This whisky was bottled at 40% vol and I could not find anything about coloring, so I assume no coloring has been added. The color is a deep yellow, turning towards amber. After a twirl, I got a thin line with watery tears in the glass. On the nose: Apricot, apple, sherried, oak, vanilla and toffee/fudge. Taste: Again the apricot, honey, orange peel, cookies, vanilla and a little bit of oak. The Finish: Complex. I got some smoke, dark chocolate, apple, fruits, spices like clove and cinnamon. So, after enjoying that dram, I was humbled. I messed up at the tasting by not trying it first. Dear bottle, I apologize. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/the-sexton monthly 0.5 2026-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/20c715b4-289b-4b7e-b1eb-919bd3192733/The+Sexton.jpg Drinking Whisky - The Sexton single malt Irish whiskey - Talk about a strange bottle Almost every aspect of this bottle is, in a way, a bit strange. First of all: The shape of this bottle. The hexagonal shape immediately catches your attention when you see it next to other bottles. Never mind the logo of a skeleton with a top hat. Secondly: The name. I checked the dictionary: Sexton /ˈsɛkst(ə)n/, noun: a person who looks after a church and churchyard, typically acting as bell-ringer and gravedigger. And third: I got it from someone who is not even allowed to buy alcohol yet! (Special thanks for this bottle goes to Sep, who went viral with a TikTok movie about model trains.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/2715a3d8-fa8f-4bab-b427-05ea18425aa9/The+Sexton+front.jpg Drinking Whisky - The Sexton single malt Irish whiskey But there are more things that are a bit off. The Sexton is being produced by Proximo Spirits but, and I'm not getting this really confirmed, distilled at the Bushmills distillery. However, it is not in the Bushmills range. So, basically the Sexton "borrowed" the stills of Bushmills? It has been developed by master blender Alex Thomas, who is the master blender at the Bushmills distillery since november 2021. It is a triple distilled whiskey in copper pot stills. The triple distillation is typical for Irish whiskey. What is special, is that the Sexton is made with 100% Irish malted barley. First of all, Irish barley is being used. I guess this goes a little towards local barley? Secondly, Irish pot still whiskey only needs a minimum of 30% malted barley as ingredient to be called that. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/hautefeuille-esquisse-n11 monthly 0.5 2026-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/51e99c92-8f08-4a6d-96b7-7bdc545c7c0e/Hautefeuille+esquisse+n11.jpg Drinking Whisky - Hautefeuille Esquisse n°11 - A vacation purchase, Part deux Last week I was on vacation. With the family. (1 Wife and 1 son. Cats stayed at home.) To France. The land of wine, cheese and baguettes. And whisky! I did a blog about the French whisky Sequoia Tourbé some time ago and in it I explained that the French love their whisky. I really liked that distillery, because they used local barley. But I never visited it myself. This time however, that would be different! When my vacation time came closer, I did a Google search for whisky on maps. Just like I did with my trip to San Diego. And again, I got hits. Since it was a family vacation, I found it only fair of me to limit myself to visiting one distillery. The choice landed on Distillerie d'Hautefeuille, a distillery in the heart of Picardy in France. Founded in 2016. And build on the grounds of something that looked like a palace. In the days towards the day I wanted to visit, I filled in a form on the website, with a request to visit the distillery. A response never came, so I decided to just drive there and see what what would happen. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/c4f07c91-d1c6-40ec-ae6b-97823e97d22c/Hautefeuille+Tastingroom.jpg Drinking Whisky - Hautefeuille Esquisse n°11 Upon arrival, I realised I needed to speak French. Now normally, I can make myself understandable in French. Things like buying bread or wine or cheese. Asking directions on the way. Normal, daily stuff. But I never discussed whisky before in French. And, not trying to offend the French: Their English is more often than not, limited. We got out of the car and encountered a young man, who decided to do a quick greeting and asked if he could help us. When I explained myself in my broken French, he responded immediately: Visiting the distillery was only available with an appointment. (The one I failed to make.) Luckily for me, buying a bottle was possible. Would I like to try the whiskies and gin first? Sure! Why not, tasting is even better than looking at a still, right? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/efc8edc0-facb-4096-a82e-5d401c0bbd32/Sniffing.jpg Drinking Whisky - Hautefeuille Esquisse n°11 The "Esquisse n°11" is a so called "whiskie tourbé", and as far as I know, tourbe means peat. So it is a peated whisky. The whisky is aged on French oak and finished on ex Pedro Ximenez casks. On the eye I had a beautiful fresh light golden color. With some fine tears after a twirl. On the nose I had a beautiful hint of smoke. The peat. But it was not an ashy smell. More like the fine smell of a wood fire hanging over the fields on a fresh winter morning. After the smoke a full set of notes of fruits, citrus and honey. Taste: A light hint of fresh pear, apple, spices and a medicinal spirit. Finish: a light hint of minty smoke. Fresh, not dominating. Citrus. A bit of cinnamon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/6dbdceb0-f5a0-4101-a336-a50147abbf57/Hautefeuille+Collection.jpg Drinking Whisky - Hautefeuille Esquisse n°11 Special thanks goes towards my wife, who was so kind to take all the photo's during the tasting and after. Most of which did not make this page. Secondly I like to thank the kind young man that helped me, explained everything he knew and assisted me in the purchase of this bottle. Even when I might have been using the wrong words and grammar. Since my French was not sufficient to understand all that has been explained, I'd like to apologize to Distillerie d'Hautefeuille for anything I might have misunderstood and penned down incorrectly on this page. Please contact me if something needs to be altered. As a final notice: I do recommend getting a bottle "dans la chateau" as the French would say if it was wine. But if you like to visit the distillery, make an appointment. I advise you to call instead of using the form online. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/the-glen-grant-10 monthly 0.5 2026-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/1769250617796-QYENANV40CN3QBCF2H3P/The+Glen+Grant+10.jpg Drinking Whisky - The Glen Grant aged 10 years - A vacation purchase Last week I was on vacation. With the family. (1 Wife and 1 son. Cats stayed at home.) To France. The land of wine, cheese and baguettes. And whisky! I did a blog about the French whisky Sequoia Tourbé some time ago and in it I explained that the French love their whisky. In 2021 they imported for £394.5 million from the UK. That makes the French the largest importer of whisky in Europe. And That should be visible in the stores right? I was looking forward to see if I could find something that I do not see often in the Netherlands. I even warned my wife: "Honey, Sweetie, I do know you think I have enough already, but it might be that I stumble upon something that I need to buy. (Insert rolling eyes and a sigh as response) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/8cd4d5fe-f3a0-45e4-9f59-cdbbc3b25289/The+Glen+Grant+10+green.jpg Drinking Whisky - The Glen Grant aged 10 years Day 1 was a day of traveling. We did not have to travel that far, according to or navigation, the whole trip should take us 4,5 hours from our home to our vacation destination. With a small child on the backseat, it took us a little longer. About half an hour before we should reach our destination, we spotted a large French supermarket. We still needed some stuff for breakfast the next day etc. Within 2 minutes after entering, I spotted the whisky section. And was disappointed. Where I was expecting a wide range of bottles, this supermarket had a short supply on single malts. The ones they had, I could have bought in the Netherlands for the same price. There were a lot of blended malts though and some French "Pur Malt" bottles. (French whisky that is younger than 3 years. Very spirity, not what I was looking for.) But just below a big orange sticker that said "Offre spéciale", I found this bottle. The Glen Grant 10 year old. For the insane price of €16,-. So I put on my puppy eyes, looked at my wife, got the approving nod and bought it. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/spearhead-single-grain-whisky monthly 0.5 2026-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/4b841a3b-82f9-47ac-bcac-37b90139a85e/Spearhead+Single+Grain.jpg Drinking Whisky - Spearhead single grain scotch whisky - The part where I do half a review A couple of weeks ago I was at the Whisky in Leiden festival. I think I might write something about that later, but let's summarize that story by telling that I tasted a lot of very nice whiskies. (I start drooling thinking back on that evening.) One of the stands had Spearhead. A single grain scotch whisky. And although I never tried it, and wanted to, I did not order it. Why? Because some time before this festival, I was offered a taster by Confessionsofawhiskyfreak. Since he already did a great blog about this whisky, I'm just going to do a short review. You can read the full story of this whisky on his website. You'll find it here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/4d52bd78-eb06-4e29-a811-60fcefc77f41/Spearhead+Sample.jpg Drinking Whisky - Spearhead single grain scotch whisky I like single grains. They always have this flavor that makes me want to eat some grilled or smoked pork or chicken. Why? I guess the sweeter tones in the grain. This whisky has a golden color, almost going towards orange. On the nose: Dark chocolate, morning coffee, vanilla and dried flowers. It made me think about having a summer lunch in a field in France. Taste: Cane sugar, fudge, citrus. Small bitter hints reminding me of fresh arugula. Maybe the summer was in my head while tasting it. Finish: It has a very long, but soft finish. Warm, but fresh. A return of the fudge in the taste and a lingering vanilla. A special thanks goes towards Robbert, a.k.a. Confessions of a whisky freak. Do me a solid and follow him on insta or visit his blog. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/storyhouse-straight-rye-whiskey monthly 0.5 2026-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/4006d790-7dba-4ebf-9778-3fa6e164c1eb/Storyhouse+bottlebag.jpg Drinking Whisky - Storyhouse Spirits Straight rye whiskey - The story of a single malt snob in San Diego This story began in februari 2022. Or maybe even earlier, but that might have been the beginning of another story, that led to this story. Which is, in itself, a whole other story. That is why we best begin in februari I guess. I was lucky enough to be selected to give a presentation on a content marketing summit in San Diego. For me, that is on the other side of the globe! And I had booked a hotel, so I was looking to see if there was anything I could find to visit after the workdays at the event. Being me, I googled for whisky. To my surprise, the google algorithm translated my query for me and turned it into distillery. With success. On the same street as my hotel, but just 3 blocks away, It found a "trendy gastropub at a distillery". I did not need to look further. I was going there when I was able to! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/c2a9ee09-dcee-4cd9-8b2d-72d7bec08f1b/Storyhouse+spirits+sign.jpg Drinking Whisky - Storyhouse Spirits Straight rye whiskey On their website I noted that I could get a tour at the distillery. Double joy! I was excited and decided to email them to see if I could book such a tour. I got a friendly reply they normally only do tours for small groups, but if I just announced myself, they would see what they could do for me. They would hook me up with "Woody" who could tell me everything. Then I had to email them my summit was rescheduled, and if it was possible to visit them at the end of May. Again a quick, friendly reply that already made me feel welcome and I was really looking forward to visit this place! And then there I was, walking on J-street in San Diego, looking forward for a tour and a drink. And after waiting for a few traffic lights and crossing a couple of streets, I noticed the sign and knew I was there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/305418d2-e8a4-484b-a779-48feed8b48f1/Storyhouse+Straight+Rye.jpg Drinking Whisky - Storyhouse Spirits Straight rye whiskey When I walked in, I think I was early. It was around 16:30. (That is 04:30 PM for my American friends.) I got a warm welcome from a nice fellow standing behind the bar, who had to disappoint me then and there. Unfortunately there was no tour that day. My best chance was to return later that week. But he quickly offered me a drink. Smart thing to do, because a short walk on the sunny streets on San Diego with al those traffic lights to prolong that journey, makes you thirsty. When I looked them up online back in februari, I learned that they had bourbon and rye that they distilled themselves. (And gin, and some more. But this is a blog about whisky, or whiskey, or even bourbon. Go find a gin blog if you're into that. ) So I asked Elliot (That was his name.) what he would recommend I'd try: The rye or the bourbon. He described them both to me and I chose the bourbon. While I was sipping my bourbon, I noticed something. More patrons showed up and ordered drinks. And of the first three patrons after me, two ordered a shot of rye. I became curious. Elliot must have noticed and offered me to try the rye. This guy must have had a masters degree in sales or something, because he hit the right target audience, at the right time in the right context. After just a few sips I knew it: I had to get a bottle. (And a t-shirt. I mean: Look at that logo!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/29761497-7984-41a0-9fe5-3e25b4ab44f3/Storyhouse+Spirits+grass.jpg Drinking Whisky - Storyhouse Spirits Straight rye whiskey I'm ending my story here. To be honest, it did not end there. I managed to visit this bar twice more during my stay. I really enjoyed the atmosphere there and even dragged my colleagues a long with me. But I forgot to ask for a tour later that week. That might be a reason to return there, next to their awesome Bao Buns with pork belly. And don't forget the rye. Because that bottle came home with me, safely wrapped in a t-shirt in my suitcase. Time for a review! Now the beauty of rye whiskey, is that it can be pretty awesome at a young age. I do not have a lot of experience with rye, but (spoiler) I enjoyed this one! This is a bottle of batch 004, bottle 042, aged 4 years and bottled on the 7th of may, 2022. Yes, batch 004. This distillery is not that old. But already having a great rye. The special thing about this rye is its finish. It is aged for a minimum of two years on oak and then finished, or as they call it "naps", on cabernet barrels of their sister winery. (How awesome is that!) I love the dark color of the bottle, that continues in the glass. A twirl of the glass leave a thick line with medium tears. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/sequoia-tourbe monthly 0.5 2026-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/e3e40efb-46c9-433a-ae51-67441a226f43/Sequoia+Tourbe.jpg Drinking Whisky - Sequoia Organic Single Malt Tourbé - Because the French were not happy with just wine I guess. Did you know that France is the second largest importer of whisky? Right after the United States? In 2021 they imported for £394.5 million from the UK. That makes the French the largest importer of whisky in Europe. The French love whisky. So why not make it themselves? Let's discuss the Sequoia organic single malt whisky, tourbé edition. Again, thanks to family and friends who support my hobby, I'm able to try new things all the time. This time, special thanks goes out to my father, who decided to make a little detour to visit a distillery in France during his vacation. Thanks dad! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/e418ccd7-96c1-48c0-97a3-80cbd1b80a6d/Sequioa+Bottle.jpg Drinking Whisky - Sequoia Organic Single Malt Tourbé And now the important part: I got to taste it. And I had to try it twice before I was sure on my notes. Why? Because of the word "tourbé". If I hear peated, I think of smoke. Truthfully not an assumption that is justified, because there are many whiskies that are peated but do not have a dominant smokey taste. More fruity. And thats what this magnificent tree did: It gave me a very fine, distinguished flavor. On the eye: Beautiful color. Warm yet fresh golden. After a twirl in the glass, I got a thick line, that wrinkled instead of tears. On the nose I got green grapes, apple, cookies, cane sugar, sugar floss and vanilla. The taste: Spicy, apple, oak, pear, medicinal and spirit. The Finish: Oak, hints of bitters (think tannines) and spirit. After that a small fruity hint of plums. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/aberlour-forest-reserve monthly 0.5 2026-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/6e4cb7f1-7187-48f0-b9a5-838a6bde7a2c/Aberlour+Forest+Reserve.jpg Drinking Whisky - Aberlour 10 year old Forest Reserve - For your warm autumn evening Today I'm writing about a bottle that I thought to be not that special. I bought it as being a daily drinker, instead of a special dram. After trying it, there were two things I had to do: 1) I added some to my infinity bottle 2) I decided to create this page. When I started this website, I decided I'd rather be writing about the stories around great drams or focus on new recipes in the cooking with whisky section. It is just that I find reviewing whisky still a bit difficult. My flavor, my taste and likings, might be totally different then that of another person. So who am I to score a whisky? It might be someones favorite! But then I encounter a bottle like this, and, spoiler alert, although it is not one of my favorites, I find it nice enough for me to want to write about it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/8cd257bc-6a1b-41c2-a673-2fc78194bd78/Aberlour+Forest+Reserve+Label.jpg Drinking Whisky - Aberlour 10 year old Forest Reserve I bought this bottle because of the description on the website. It said this whisky had a Limousin oak finish. And I just happened to have tried a whisky just before, that had a Limousin oak finish as well. That was the Mackmyra Limousin. I tried a whole range at that tasting, and found I liked the limousin the best. So, why not try an Aberlour with the same kind of finish? A nice experiment to see If I like it just as much, right? To my surprise, the label on the bottle was in French. Why? Apparently this whisky was bottled for the French market. And has been for a few years now. So I guess I got a Scottish-French bottle? Luckily for me, it was available in the Netherlands as well. The whisky itself has seen bourbon and sherry casks, with, as mentioned before, a finish on French Limousin oak. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/kavalan-classic monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/714ce421-9ba1-41b7-881f-785f56ce1f33/Kavalan+Classic.jpg Drinking Whisky - Kavalan Classic Single Malt - Get a bottle this summer! My birthday is in October. And last October I was already spending a lot of time discovering new whisky, drinking new blends and explore new recipes. In lieu of this, my parents came by to congratulate me and handed me a gift. I started to smile as I recognized the box as being a bottle. But I did not expect this one; The Kavalan Classic Single Malt Now I first encountered a Kavalan whisky at Whisky in Leiden in 2018. Where me and my partner in whisky crime went to the stand of the King Car Group and tried the Kavalan Solist. We were both stunned by the flavor and promised ourselves there and then, that we would get a bottle of Kavalan as soon as time, money and wives permitted. But A promise made after a load of drams, and followed by a few drams more is one you forget easily. So imagine my joy when I unwrapped this whisky from the paper! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/d01b0ac7-8d48-4cf7-8dc3-5485662cf813/Kavalan+Classic+glas.jpg Drinking Whisky - Kavalan Classic Single Malt Now, the whisky itself is overall a very nice whisky to drink in some more warmer temperatures. I really like to drink it while grilling, as a nice fruity BBQ-partner. A quick twirl around the glass shows a small oily line with thin tear stripes. On the nose at first a bit glue-like, almost chemical. But then: very, very fruity. Fruits I would normally not mention. Almost tropical like pineapple and dragonfruit. Small hints of honey and vanilla. The taste was almost the same, but with a smooth spirit vibe: Ripe plums, vanilla, oak. The oily look returns in the way the flavor lingers in your mouth. The finish was quit long. Oily, leather, vanilla and spicy. Quite different from the nose and taste. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/the-mackmyra-range monthly 0.5 2026-01-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/6d12fa88-5160-4829-b73d-ae07aa2bf062/Mackmyra+Mack.jpg Drinking Whisky - The Mackmyra range - Mack Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.This single malt whisky is the Mackmyra base whisky. And, as described in the tasting, it is a very nice whisky to give to starters. And it is true! My wife, who is normally disgusted by the smell of a dram, not only was she willing to smell this whisky, she also poured herself a few drops to taste it. Still no fan, but she tried. Back to the Mack: On the nose: A very smooth sweet smell of fruit. almost tropical fruit. think of green apples, pineapple, mango. But all hints of it. No real heavy tone. Taste: Very light taste. Almost as if the whisky was too shy to give flavor. Same fruity notes as on the nose. Finish: A short finish. Does not linger long. Very "silky" sweet. 40% vol https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/43fbc13e-3cfd-421e-b00b-4a8001304213/Mackmyra+Brukswhisky.jpg Drinking Whisky - The Mackmyra range - Brukswhisky This blended whisky is a very nice whisky to start with. To be honest, I would serve this on ice on a hot summer day and love it. On a cold winters night, not so much. I need a warmer buddy for those nights. Nose: Very hard to find outspoken aroma's. When I found them after warming up to a dram of this whisky, I had hints of fresh apple and cotton candy or caramelized sugar. Taste: Hints of liquorice, fennelseed and a faint taste of vanilla. On the back of the tongue light smokey. Finish: Lingering in a weird way. Almost a bit bitter. Like the peel of an orange. It is short though. 41,4% vol https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/94c0e933-4612-4deb-b7f5-a0fbe466e487/Mackmyra+Svensk+Ek.jpg Drinking Whisky - The Mackmyra range - Svensk Ek After two very light whiskies, I got to try the Svensk Ek. Which means Swedish Oak. And it was oaky! This was the first whisky of the set that teared in the glass after a swirl. With an immediate release of oak on the nose. So let's start there: Nose: Oak. Wood. Not just Dry oak, also a hint of fresh, green oak. Vanilla, honey and some spice. Taste: A strong spice flavor. Leather, a bit of angostura, and spirity. Finish: A finish of barley, smoke and oak. It linger for a while with a nice tone on my tongue. Loved that finish! 46,1% vol https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/52b984da-ac12-4b9c-9c53-16cefa3d3e82/Mackmyra+Svensk+Ro%CC%88k.jpg Drinking Whisky - The Mackmyra range - Svensk Rök Ok. So the name of this whisky is literally Swedish smoke. So I expect smoke, peat, almost Islay-esque aroma's and flavor. But this, this was something different. I had thick tears running down the glass when I swirled, almost oily. Already a feint sense of a summer campfire. The whisky is smoked with peat, but they put juniper branches on top of it. Is that what gives it this woodland feeling? Nose: Peat, but I can only describe it as being "forest" peat. Specifically pine forest. Next to the smoke, you smell fresh pine needles. Almost a sweet aroma.I slight silty flavor going towards salty. The oily structure of the whisky was stronger than the taste. Is is light, sweet and summer. Finish: For a peated whisky: very short. Sweet tones. 46,1% vol https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/b27bfdd1-9866-407b-9295-d4fcdca8123d/Mackmyra+Limousin.jpg Drinking Whisky - The Mackmyra range - Limousin The last whisky on this page. A seasonal edition from Mackmyra. Limousin. For this whisky Mackmyra used limousin oak barrels from the cognac house Ferrand. This gives an unique fresh, fruity whisky. What a full flavored whisky this is. Everything about this whisky screams warm summer nights after a good full dinner. Nose: Vanilla, fresh pears, cinnamon, honey, caramel, mint, nectarines. Taste: Apple, vanilla, spice, cinnamon, walnuts and powdered sugar. Finish: A sweet, warm fruity finish. Rather short unfortunately. But the nose and the taste make up for this short finish. It is just a whisky that you want to keep drinking. 46,1% vol https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/drinking-whisky/blackadder-black-snake-3rd-venom monthly 0.5 2026-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/386bdc1d-a0ba-413b-9752-0786000f031c/Blackadder+Black+Snake+3rd+Venom.jpg Drinking Whisky - Blackadder Black Snake VAT 10 3rd Venom - If this is venom, get me poisoned! I had an easter holiday. Perfect time to open a new bottle. After playing rock-paper-scissors with myself to decide which bottle to open, the choice fell on this Black Snake from Blackadder independent bottling company. This whisky was bottled for Whisky Import Nederland, hence the Dutch flag on the label I guess. So we do not know what whisky was used to fill the sherry butt, only known as VAT 10. When I encountered this bottle on sale, I just had to buy it. I do not know why, I just had to. And so I did. It spend some 3 months in my little cabinet until last Monday. When I openend it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/3a1db2cd-6a08-492b-bfee-0dfadcc6972c/Black+Snake+Bottle.jpg Drinking Whisky - Blackadder Black Snake VAT 10 3rd Venom The color of this whisky is best described as a warm amber. Which is something you might expect from a whisky that has seen a sherry cask for a while. Since it has no age statement, we will never know how long It has seen that sherry cask from the inside. I do know it was bottled in January 2019 and that I had bought bottle 198 of 478. With a 58.7% vol is seems this is a cask strength whisky. Also not colored and un-chill filtered. Nose: dry cookies, warm grains, oatmeal, sultana’s, dried apricots. A bit spirity. Taste: very warm and intense flavors. Almost syrupy on the tongue. Oak and leather. Fruity but also tobacco. Beautiful sherried flavor. Finish: Long, warm and spicy. Sweetness from figs lingers in the end. https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/home daily 1.0 2026-02-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/f33430e5-5064-458a-8387-a8e26810ce8d/Single+Malt+Snob+header.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/934af408-4640-4a5b-87e0-efbe44ccf4d3/Titanic+Dock.jpg https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/about-the-snob daily 0.75 2026-02-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/bddff4f2-2621-40aa-a4cd-09881e00fcb1/about+the+snob.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/60df29f9-f72a-486a-8dc6-0689966b212f/SMWS_Monogram_94fbf5f4-0ec6-496b-8a2a-be1ac2096ee7-v1578339401.webp https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/99db0186-e144-4c9c-8148-a6a3d384bda2/Whisky+Ambassador+Certified.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/696231e7f8abb2438834f1fc/23c81fe0-8d58-449f-8fb3-c487ab1580f4/EWA+Certificate.png https://www.singlemaltsnob.com/faq daily 0.75 2026-02-02