Highland Park 13 Years (2024) The Tasteful 8 - Brühler Whiskyhaus
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.
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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?
Neither finish nor distillery can be found on the label of the ‘Bohemian Schnapsidee’ from the German independent bottler VAME Malts from Munich. The website states: ‘A Wee Scottish beastie, matured in a cask that previously contained another famous Scottish drink.’ They refer to the finish as ‘Special Brew’. If you add up 1:1 here, you will quickly recognise the Ardbeg distillery with the Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 Years and what can the Scottish speciality brew be other than Irn-Bru?Peat meets pop culture. And now ask yourself: Is this genius or madness? We are more than curious!
Anyone who associates ‘Speyside’ with fruity, sherry-accentuated malts is in for a surprise. This 15-years Speyside Distillery whisky has an unexpected but wonderfully subtle smokiness - and also brings a pleasant maritime note into play. A whisky that combines a gentle campfire atmosphere with warming elegance.
Sometimes, it takes just one moment to capture the essence of a whisky. The Tomatin 2006/2024, aged for 17 years and bottled at 46% ABV, transports you to a world of deep aromas and classic sherry cask intensity. From the moment the bottle is opened, it’s clear that this single malt is a true Highland spirit through and through.
The Tobermory Distillery may not be as well-known as the big names from Scotland, but its whiskies have a charm all of their own. The Tobermory 12 years, released in 2017, is an exciting representative of the distillery. With its 46.3% ABV and no chill filtration, it promises an honest, natural bottling.