Reviews

The Ardmore 2010 ‘A Dream of Scotland’, exclusively bottled by the Brühl Whisky House, is aimed at connoisseurs and explorers who appreciate whiskies with a strong character and unadulterated flavour.

Those who love Islay are often looking for the perfect interplay of smoke, complexity and character. The independent bottling from Brühler Whiskyhaus, the Distilled at South Islay 2024 13 Years The Tasteful 8, promises exactly that - and more. With a whopping 56.9% ABV, this whisky comes with power and intensity.

With this limited edition, St. Kilian pays tribute not only to one of the most iconic metal bands in history, but also to one of its most polarising albums - ‘Turbo’ from 1986. More electronic, more colourful, more freaky than anything before it. And that's exactly what this unpeated, four-years single malt delivers: a quirky but delicious journey through sweet wine, fruit and oak.

Whisky is often a play on tradition - but Nc'Nean takes a different approach. The young distillery from the Scottish Highlands focuses on sustainability, organic ingredients and a modern approach to whisky production. Its Nc'Nean Organic Batch 20, bottled in 2023, exemplifies this approach. With no age statement, 46% ABV and an exciting cask combination of ex-bourbon, sherry and red wine casks, it arouses curiosity.

When an independent bottler grabs a Highland Park, it can either be grandiose or risky. But The Tasteful 8 from Brühler Whiskyhaus shows that they know exactly what they are doing.

A single-barrel bottling with plenty of oomph (53.5 % ABV), matured for 8 years, straight from Kentucky - the home of bourbon. Imagine if Jim Beam had a favourite son who wasn't constantly in the spotlight like Booker's (e.g. Bookers Small Batch (2019) 01E), but secretly brought home the best scores. Voilà: Baker's 7. By the way, it has even been available with an online traceable barrel code since 2023. Nerd factor present!

Whisky from a champagne cask? St. Kilian has once again dug deep into the cask game - and delivered a real nerd piece with this handfilled bottling from an ex-champagne vin clair cask. This is not an easy sipper for an after-work dram, but a real flavour experiment with 60.9% vol. on tap. No clouds of smoke, no flood of caramel - but a sensory balancing act between fruity sweetness and dry white wine structure. A bit like a grappa with a whisky bypass.

Young whiskies can be exciting - if they are well made. Unfortunately, there are also candidates that taste more like an experiment than a pleasure. The Glen Moray 2015/2023 from Sansibar with a whopping 62% ABV belongs to the second category. What begins as a fruity Speyside dram ends in a questionable cask fiasco.

Mysterious bottlings have their own appeal - and when a whisky from Speyside comes along with 17 years of maturation and a whopping 53.7% ABV, it's worth taking a closer look (and a sip). The Secret Speyside (M) 2024 from ‘The Tasteful 8’ series from the Brühl whisky house is mysterious, but there are indications that a famous name is involved here ...

If Jack Daniel's and rye were to meet for a cask ale in a Franconian distillery, the result would probably be exactly this whisky: the St. Kilian Handfilled Rye & Jack Daniel's. This hand-filled speciality is so atypically typical that you don't know whether to put it in the rye or bourbon drawer - or rather in both.

Sometimes you get a whisky in your glass that feels as if it has just come out of the cask. The Inchgower 2010/2023 from Sansibar with 57.6% ABV is just such a case: young, fresh, straight from nature - but also a little unfinished.

When you take the Balblair in your hand, you can literally feel the history that lies dormant in this glass. Bottled by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and with a strong alcohol content of 62.30 % after more than three decades, this Highland whisky offers an experience that you won't soon forget. But what makes this drop so special?