Reviews

In a sitcom, Nick Offerman plays the director of a parks department who also idolises whisky from the Lagavulin distillery. At the same time, Nick Offerman is the one who is supposed to introduce Americans to the peaty Islay malt that is so popular in Europe.The special aspect of this limited and meanwhile highly sought-after bottling among collectors is a four-month finish in Guinness casks. The goal is to enhance the Scotch with the spicy stout-beer flavours. Sad fact: Instead of being made in Ireland, Guinness barrels come from Maryland in the USA and are transported to Scotland by ship. A horrible eco-footprint.

Personally handed over by Richard Jansson, the whisky from the small distillery Norrtelje in Sweden was previously produced entirely organically. Organically grown barley from Östergötland is malted at Viking Malt in Halmstad. The unsmoked malt is mashed with yeast and water from the farm's own well and gently distilled in the distillery's copper pot stills. A sign of quality?When we see that this whisky was aged for seven years in 30-litre ex-Oloroso casks, the question inevitably arises: Why is the content of the bottle golden yellow?The question remains unanswered - perhaps also because everything is somehow not round, what we have here in the glass.

The Lochlea distillery plans four special bottlings a year. The Harvest Edition follows the Lochlea Sowing Edition and is intended to embody a fruity, autumnal profile.A trio of casks, namely port, first-fill Oloroso sherry and first-fill bourbon lend the whisky its golden colour. We find the package design in the style of the distillery's other releases, as well as the bottle design, outstanding.

Everyone knows it or has at least seen it in the spirits section of a well-stocked supermarket. As part of the Classic Malts Selection, it becomes even more interesting when viewed in the context of the full lineup. Regular offers invite you to buy the Talisker 10 and we like to buy it and contribute to it being the best-selling whisky of the Talisker distillery.On the bottle in the new design, the Isle of Skye off the west coast of Scotland can be found in overdramatic images. The look runs like a red leitmotif through the other bottlings of the distillery, such as the magnificent Talisker 18 Years.

Caol Ila is one of the ten largest distilleries in Scotland and by far the largest on the island of Islay. As part of the Classic Malts Selection, it becomes even more interesting when viewed in the context of the full lineup. Nevertheless, a permanently available series of standard bottlings has only been on the market since the early 2000s. We taste the classic.Actually, a large part of Caol Ila’s production ends up in blends, such as the Black Bottle or Johnnie Walker. The own bottlings have become more and more popular in recent years. With good reason?

Royal Lochnagar is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland. As part of the Classic Malts Selection, it becomes even more interesting when viewed in the context of the full lineup. In addition to the 12-years single malt, the distillery's two pot stills also produce a large amount which is used in the Johnnie Walker Blue Label.Royal Whisky? The story told is that shortly after the opening of the distillery, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were invited by the owner at the time. The British royal family had just bought nearby Balmoral Castle (1848). Later, the distillery became a purveyor to the court and was allowed to bear the suffix Royal, which was even confirmed again in 2021 by a Royal Warrant of Appointment.

Cragganmore focuses on the production of single malt whisky for blends. Some of the whisky from the Speysider distillery can be found, for example, in the Johnnie Walker Green Label and the Johnnie Walker Blue Label. So are the distillery's own bottlings to be enjoyed at all?The Cragganmore 12 belongs to the Classic Malts of Scotland. The distillery regularly bottles a Distillers Edition of the same. Unless a special release or a rare 25-years bottling is released, we have to be satisfied with the first two.

Glenkinchie 12 is one of only three bottlings offered by the distillery. Besides this, only the Distillers Edition and a variant of the 12-years in cask strength are available. The latter can only be purchased at the distillery itself.Glenkichie, also called the Edinburgh Malt, is produced in the immediate vicinity of the Scottish capital. The 12-years bottling is the only Lowlands representative among the Classic Malts. Some of the distillery's buildings are under the protection of historical buildings.

This blend of the famous independent bottler Douglas Laing offers us a composition of the characteristic and absolutely unmistakable aromas of the Hebrides.Douglas Laing provides us with independently bottled blends. Founded back in the 1940s, Douglas Laing distributes a variety of different series in which single malts are blended and thematically ordered. Within the Remarkable Regional Malts, Rock Island represents the Scottish islands. Fun Fact: Originally distributed as Rock Oyster, the bottling was renamed to Rock Island, as oysters had a negative connotation for many customers.

The Singleton of Dufftown 12 year is one of the few bottlings with an age statement of more than 10 years that can be purchased for under 30€. As part of the Classic Malts Selection, it becomes even more interesting when viewed in the context of the full lineup. It is part of the core range (12, 15 and 18 years) of the Dufftown distillery.The three distilleries Dufftown, Glen Ord, and Glendullan produce whiskies under the label The Singleton. While The Singleton of Glen Ord is intended for the Asian market, The Singleton of Glendullan targets the North American market and The Singleton of Dufftown belongs to the European market.

To celebrate their 40th birthday the King Car Group, the owner of the Kavalan Distillery, bottled as a Single Cask Limited Edition Whisky matured in exclusive red wine casks. The bottling has no age statement.The bottle comes in a 1.5 litre size and has a cap studded with Swarovski crystals, which is shaped like a crown to emphasise the exclusivity. The whole thing is packed in a high-quality wooden box. The presentation is actually quite impressive.

The discounter LIDL has some single malts in its range, including the Ben Bracken Highland, which is described as light and elegant. We took a closer look at the Whisky.LIDL does not reveal which distillery is behind Ben Bracken. All we know is that we have a Whisky from the Highlands at a bargain price in our glass. The packaging is blue, which distinguishes it from the other Whiskys in the series. There is also an Islay Whisky, an Highland peated and a bottling from Speyside.