Reviews

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.

Ben Nevis is a distillery that is no longer an insider tip among connoisseurs. Independent bottlings in particular often enjoy a certain reputation, as they reveal interesting facets of this Highland distillery. Today we have a 24-years Ben Nevis from Zanzibar in our glass - a bottling with character?

There are moments in the life of a whisky lover that give you pause. Moments when the glass in your hand doesn't just contain a drink, but tells a story that is so different from anything you expected. The Caol Ila 11 Years Ambrosial Feast from the Diageo Special Releases 2024 is just such a moment.

Some whiskies are for drinking, others for savouring - and then there are the whiskies that simply go perfectly with a good cigar because they hardly differ from it in taste.

Teaninich is one of those Scottish distilleries that rarely appear as an original bottling - making the releases from independent bottlers all the more exciting. Zanzibar has taken on Teaninich, which was distilled in 2016 and bottled in 2023, and bottled it at a whopping 60.2 % ABV.

The Allt-a-Bhainne 2006 A Dreamy Nighttime Drink (Cask 108.34) from the renowned Scotch Malt Whisky Society encapsulates the quintessence of the Speyside region in an impressive single malt matured for 14 years. With a powerful alcohol content of 64.4% ABV, this whisky is not for the faint-hearted, but an experience for connoisseurs who want to engage with complex worlds of flavours.