Reviews

The northernmost mainland distillery of Scotland returns with a whisky that radiates both groundedness and finesse: the Wolfburn 12 Years. Matured in a combination of first-fill bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry casks, it presents itself as a classic Highlander with a modern twist. Bottled at 46.0% ABV, non-chill filtered and natural in color, it steps into the glass without disguise. But what does this really mean in practice? Let’s take a closer look.

The Old Pulteney 12 years is a single malt whisky from the Scottish Highlands, more precisely from the Pulteney Distillery in the coastal town of Wick. With a maturation period of 12 years and an alcohol content of 40% vol., it is considered an accessible classic that is particularly interesting for whisky newcomers.

Och Aye the Coo – the name alone makes you smile. While other whiskies boast grandiose names such as "Royal Salute" or "Macallan Rare Cask", this little Scot comes across like a friendly farmer from the Highlands who has made his cow talk. "Och aye" means "oh yes" in Scottish Gaelic – and "the Coo"? That's simply the Scottish way of saying cow. So you could say: "Oh yes, the cow!" What a charmingly down-to-earth way to name a whisky.

There are whiskies that invite reflection, others that astonish. And then there are those that smile at you sweetly – only to throw a ginger bomb onto your palate a second later. The Glen Moray 2007/2021, bottled by Malts of Scotland, belongs to this third category – a surprising and exciting release from the Glen Moray distillery, located in the Speyside region near the Highlands. Aged for 14 years in a bourbon cask, bottled at a bold 56.3% ABV, non-chill filtered, natural colour – just the way we purists like it.

Whiskies tell stories. Some shout, with drums and fanfare. Others whisper – and yet their echoes linger in memory. Oban The Macleans Young Teddy (2023) belongs to the latter. A limited edition from the storied Oban Distillery in the Scottish Highlands – boldly bottled at 50.8% ABV, but without an age statement. And perhaps that’s the first clue: this whisky doesn’t aim to impress with numbers but with character.

The Blackwater distillery from Ireland presents us here with a whisky at 48.5% vol. that stubbornly refuses to reveal its age. Perhaps it is still too young to talk about it? At this price, you would think that at least a few years could be written on the bottle, but no - the secret of eternal youth reigns here.

The Skellig Six18 Distillery Exclusive 2024 Ruby Port Finish is definitely not your average Irish whiskey. At 6 years old and a proud 58.70 % vol., this Irish whisky comes with flavours that I have never experienced before. And I really mean that!

The Best Drinking Friends Release No. 3 dates back to 2018 and was bottled in 2024 - a fine period that has given the whisky enough time to develop. As an independent bottling, it has the typical character of an Irish whisky without being boring or predictable. The Great Northern distillery may not be the best-known address in the whisky world, but that is precisely what makes such discoveries so exciting.

There are whiskies that can be read like open books - every page a new surprise, every twist a new chapter. The Liberator Port 'n' Peat - Storehouse Special Batch 18 is one such whisky. An Irish spirit released by Wayward Irish Spirits from the Great Northern distillery to tell us a story that oscillates between sweet dreams and earthy truths.

Mario Rudolf and his team at St. Kilian have come up with something very special for this anniversary whisky. 60 years of Scorpions - that literally cries out for a whisky that is just as uncompromising as the rock legends themselves. And what do you do when you want to create a whisky with bite? You take German beech-smoked malt and mature it in ex-tequila barrels. A combination that looks like a daring experiment on paper, but in practice tells a story that you won't forget in a hurry.

Something fascinating is currently happening in the rolling hills of the German whisky landscape: Tradition meets rebellion, artisanal perfection meets untamed rock energy. The St. Kilian Scorpions - Rock Believer is more than just a whisky - it is a liquid homage to one of the greatest German rock bands of all time and at the same time a manifesto for the quality of German distillery craftsmanship. This extraordinary collaboration between the St. Kilian distillery in Rüdenau and the Scorpions is proof that innovation and respect for tradition can go hand in hand. Like a perfectly arranged song, this single malt combines German winemaking tradition with the powerful energy of rock'n'roll.

There is a special atmosphere in the depths of an ex-Amarone barrel from the Italian winery Claudio Lenotti. Two worlds that could not be more different meet here: The elegant, sweet Amarone character meets the wild, earthy soul of Scottish peat. The result is the St. Kilian Signature Edition Fifteen - a German single malt whisky that tells a story of contrasts and harmony at 53.5% vol.

What the distillery delivers with this Ultra Heavily Peated Single Cask from an ex-sherry Oloroso cask is a statement: Germany can also produce extreme whisky! After 6 years of maturation (2017-2024) in a large-volume American oak cask that previously housed Oloroso sherry, a monster has been created here. Before we get started, a serious note: this whisky is not for beginners! With 135 ppm (parts per million) phenol content and 58.90% vol. this is a whisky that will make even experienced peat lovers sweat. For comparison: a Ardbeg Corryvreckan has around 50 ppm, a Lagavulin 16 Years around 35 ppm. So we're talking about three times as much in an already smoky whisky!

The Hedan 2021/2025 is more than just another German single malt. It epitomises the vinophile side of Franconia and combines regional identity with sophisticated maturation in Dunkelfelder red wine barrels from the Palatinate. The distillery relies here on its tried and tested "Heimatmalt" made from regional organic barley, which was allowed to mature for four years in these special wine barrels.

The Ledaig 17 years 2006/2024 from Gordon & MacPhail is definitely not a whisky for everyone. Those who prefer harmonious, pleasing single malts should steer clear of it. This Scotch from the Isle of Mull is a statement whisky that does not hide its industrial origins from the Tobermory distillery - on the contrary, it celebrates them. With an alcohol strength of 56.5% and 17 years of maturation in sherry casks, it presents itself as an uncompromising character whisky that polarises.

Imagine this: A young, sustainable Highland distillery meets white port and the result is... Magic? Well, at least the Nc'nean Aon White Port 2020/2025 is the result - a whisky that proves that good things can happen if you're brave enough to be a little crazy. With a proud 61.1% alcohol strength, this is definitely not a whisky for sissies, but for everyone else it could be a summery dream.

The Talisker Storm presents itself without an age statement with a proud 45.8% alcohol content - a deliberate decision by the distillery, which has combined different cask maturations here. The concept behind it: To reinforce the typical Talisker characteristics without drifting into extremes. Has it succeeded? Let's take a look in the glass.

The Langatun 5 Years - Wajos promises Swiss whisky craftsmanship from the Langatun distillery, bottled by the independent bottler Wajos. With a proud 40% alcohol content and five years of maturation, which should apparently feel like an eternity. Spoiler alert: it doesn't.

The Tomatin Legacy is a Scotch whisky from the Scottish Highlands and the entry-level bottling from the Tomatin Distillery. It tells the story of the distillery that once revitalised a remote area and created a thriving community. But what's inside the bottle?

The Ralph Steadman Collection is dedicated to the craft of whisky. The artist creates a small artwork for each bottle. Bruichladdich is all about the malting process: "A practice almost entirely lost to the annals of time, the by-hand floor malting process captured by Ralph Steadman’s illustration is being recommissioned at Bruichladdich distillery. This cask was selected for its incredible complexity and remarkable balance."

Whisky is more than just enjoyment - it is craft, history and sometimes art. The Ralph Steadman Collection is dedicated to precisely this approach in collaboration with the independent bottler Cask 88. Each bottle not only carries a precious drop, but also an individual artwork by Ralph Steadman. At Glenburgie, everything revolves around the cooperage and distilling of the casks: "An essential part of the coopering process, cask firing is arguably the most spectacularly dramatic part of the whisky making process. The incredible intensity of the flames captured by Ralph Steadman in his arresting illustration mirrors the intense richness and unrelentingly long finish of this hand-selected cask."

Whisky is art - this sentence is more than just an empty phrase when it comes to the exclusive Ralph Steadman Collection from Cask 88. Not only is matured Scotch bottled here, but a piece of creative expression is brought into the bottle at the same time. Each bottling in the series features hand-drawn artwork by the legendary artist Ralph Steadman. The Arran is about the distilling process and the introduction of the spirit safe: "The application of intense heat to a complex chemical concoction is an indispensable process essential to whisky making. A critical moment in its history in Scotland was the introduction of spirit safes, a physical lock to protect against widespread excise avoidance."

The Nc'nean Distillery in Drimnin on the Morvern Peninsula stands for radical sustainability in whisky production. 100% renewable energy, certified organic barley and innovative cask experiments - the concept is well thought out. Organic Batch 5 represents this philosophy as the flagship of the regular bottlings, even if it comes across as a no-age statement.

Let's forget the marketing blah-blah from Diageo for a moment - Mortlach is actually a damn good distillery. The unusual 2.81-fold distillation usually turns boring Speyside fare into complex, meaty whiskies. The "Beast of Dufftown" deserves respect. But with the Midnight Dusk, someone obviously forgot to pass this memo on.