Reviews

Redbreast 21 Years Old is considered one of the most expressive bottlings in the Irish whiskey tradition. It is referred to as an Irish masterpiece, and for good reason.

This whisky offers a multifaceted tasting experience that combines earthy and fruity notes, complemented by a pleasant spiciness. The harmonious balance of mineral saltiness and sweet accents creates an elegant finish that underscores the complexity and accessibility of this Speyside.

Immerse yourself in a tasting experience that begins with a seductive variety of tropical fruits and fine vanilla, while complex spices caress the tongue and provide unexpected depth. Let the clear freshness in the finish carry you away, leaving a lasting impression despite its restraint and prompting reflection.

Some whiskies do not captivate you loudly, but with quiet confidence. The Teeling 21 Years Rising Reserve No. 4 belongs precisely to this category. This Irish single malt tells a story of patience, cask craftsmanship and bold curiosity. In a short time, Teeling Distillery has earned a reputation for innovative maturation while consciously reconnecting with Ireland’s great whiskey heritage. After 18 years in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, this whisky received a three-year finish in white wine casks. This combination sets high expectations for elegance, depth and balance. Bottled at 46 percent ABV, it promises intensity without harshness and invites you to slow down and listen closely to what this cask has to say.

The Caol Ila distillery on Islay is known for its accessible, clear smoky style – a welcome alternative to the island's more intense representatives. Independent bottler Malts of Scotland has selected a fascinating single cask with this 11-years bottling from 2011, which was released in 2023.

The traditional distillery in Dufftown, located in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, has always been considered an insider tip among connoisseurs. Its robust, meaty malts often form the backbone of great blends. But when an independent bottler like Gordon & MacPhail patiently waits a quarter of a century for perfection, the result is more than just whisky.

This Speyside distillery, rooted in the heart of Scotland's whisky region since 1821, has never distinguished itself with a loud market presence. Instead, it prefers to leave the talking to independent bottlers such as Gordon & MacPhail, who have understood the craft of giving casks time and space for over a century.

While most Speyside malts exercise elegant restraint in their fruitiness, BenRiach dares to dance with peat smoke. Founded in 1898 and known for its experimental maturation methods, this traditional distillery presents a single malt that, at 46 per cent alcohol by volume, is unfiltered and undiluted, embodying the essence of a quarter of a century of cask maturation.

There are moments in the life of a whisky lover when you stand in front of a glass and know that you will never experience this again. Glenfarclas 21 years is just such a moment - a whisky that is no longer produced and has therefore become a liquid time capsule. Like an old friend that you can only visit in memories.

Following the previously released unpeated and peated Mizunara full maturations, this bottling is the last from a single virgin Mizunara cask for the time being. To be honest, we were sceptical: can a German distillate really harmonise with the legendary Japanese oak?

With 46% ABV, uncoloured and non-chill filtered, this bottling promises honest craftsmanship. But can a NAS whisky, which was first matured in bourbon casks and then finished in Oloroso sherry butts, really convince? Or does the delicate Glencadam spirit disappear under the powerful sherry wave?

What am I, actually? You experience a similar existential crisis with St. Kilian Handfilled 2025 ex Dry Gin Heimat Distillers. This whisky, available exclusively as a hand-filled edition only at the distillery in Rüdenau, is the result of a daring experiment in which a Franconian single malt was matured in a former gin cask from the Swabian Heimat Distillers. What happens when whisky is transferred to a cask that previously contained Mediterranean botanicals, fresh apples and juniper? The answer is a wonderfully confusing identity crisis.

Have you subscribed to the St. Kilian newsletter? Then you can get this for free when you visit the distillery – 0.2 litres to take away. Great offer!

The Deanston Distillery, located on the banks of the River Teith in the southern Highlands, is known for its unfiltered character and use of Scottish spring water. The Cask Hound has selected a special cask from the 2012 vintage and bottled it in 2024 after twelve years of maturation. The promise: pure Highland essence without compromise.

Billy Walker, the master of cask management, has once again demonstrated why his GlenAllachie bottlings are so highly regarded in the industry. With an impressive 57.2 per cent alcohol content and maturation in PX and Oloroso puncheons as well as Rioja and virgin oak casks, this Speysider is ready to show us what a real sherry bomb can be.

The Nikka distillery honours its founder with Taketsuru Pure Malt, a blend of various malt whiskies with no age statement, bottled at 43%.

In the world of whisky, unconventional paths often lead to the most exciting discoveries. For years, the Jameson distillery maintained a pragmatic relationship with the neighbouring Franciscan Wells brewery: the disused whisky casks found a second life there for stout maturation. But at some point, the question arose in Midleton as to whether this cycle could also work the other way round. What happens when whisky is allowed to mature in casks that were previously filled with dark stout?

Three exceptional casks come together here to form a spiritual trinity of intense flavour. The Cask Wizard, known for his uncompromising and polarising bottlings, has turned all the controls up to maximum and created a distillate that overwhelms beginners and fascinates connoisseurs.

Since 1995, a young distillery has been maturing on the Isle of Arran, which is now one of Scotland's most exciting destinations. This 25-years single malt represents not only a quarter of a century of cask ageing, but also the entire life story of a distillery that is almost as old as its product.

Mexico and whisky? To many, this initially sounds like tequila with a Scottish accent. However, the Destilería y Bodega Abasolo defies this expectation. In the heart of the Mexican highlands, it is not a classic single malt that is produced here, but a whisky based on nixtamalised corn – an ancient, traditional process used in indigenous cuisine.

The name sounds like a yodel after three pints of beer: UUAHOUUA! But this seven-years Austrian from the Wieser distillery is actually much more reserved than its name suggests. Matured in Pinot Noir barrels, it attempts to bridge the gap between whisky and wine. Spoiler alert: it ends up somewhere in the middle and can't quite seem to make up its mind.

Deep underground, where NATO secrets were once stored, liquid gold is now maturing. Whisky Bunker AG has taken advantage of an extraordinary maturation location for its second limited edition bottling: a former military bunker in the Odenwald forest, whose constant temperature and humidity create ideal conditions. The selected casks come from the exclusive vintage stock of St. Kilian Distillers and have undergone intensive development here.

When whisky romantics rave about the mist-shrouded Highlands and wax lyrical about centuries-old traditions, the Schlitzer distillery smiles mildly. Spirits have been distilled here since 1585 – although back then, no one had the crazy idea of producing whisky in Hesse of all places. That would take a few more centuries. Since 1983, the traditional distillery has been trying its hand at the Scottish supreme discipline, and the result is... well, the Schlitzer Single Malt Classic.

There are whiskies that tell stories – and then there are those that merge worlds. The Nc'nean Aon Calvados 2017/2025 belongs to the second category. Originating from the young, ambitious distillery in the Scottish Highlands, this seven-years single malt presents itself as a fascinating experiment: matured in former Calvados casks, it combines the rugged beauty of the Highlands with the fruity sophistication of Normandy.