Bladnoch 13 Years (2024)

The Swiss from Freespirited have proclaimed the "Cheers Revolution" with their 0.0% Malt Blend, an initiative for alcohol-free alternatives to popular spirits, ideal for festive occasions when the desire for alcohol is lacking. This cutting-edge concept pursues absolute individual freedom in beverage selection. The noble aim of creating an alcohol-free option for "whisky-based long drinks" is intriguing, even though it's not a whisky but rather an innovative alternative with malt distillate.

Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask (2021) positions itself as a link between the standard bottlings and the single cask bottlings of the Taiwanese distillery. Matured in Oloroso, Pedro Ximénez, and Moscatel sherry casks, this single malt clearly focuses on a rich, sherry-driven profile. The design also points to its origin: the silver lines under the cork represent the mountain ranges around the distillery, while the water filtered through volcanic rock used forms the background of this bottling.

Falken 5 Years (2022) is a German single malt from Farny Destillerie with 43% ABV, whose profile is strongly shaped by the idea of a “lager finish”: six months of alpine summering on the Falkenalpe are intended to bring topography and climate into the cask and ultimately into the glass. It matures for a total of five years in the distillery's casks and presents itself as a rather mild, unexcited representative with a regional mountain backdrop in tow – whether that is great alpine air or rather alpine marketing is something the glass may answer.

The Elsburn Rivesaltes Casks Batch No. 001 is a German single malt from Hercynian Distilling Co. that draws its character from a sweet wine context rooted in Rivesaltes in L’Occitanie. In the glass, it presents itself as rich, sweet-fruity, and surprisingly approachable – exactly the kind of bottling that simply works without much fuss.