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54 results across all types

Source: whiskynotes-91pfe4

news2026-06-22
Glen Garioch 52 Years (Decadent Drinks)
Heatwave mode is on (record-breaking temperatures up to 38°C in Belgium this week). We may have to focus on singular reviews for a while, just to keep things going.Behold the oldest whisky ever bottled from Glen Garioch distillery. It is the 33rd chapter in the Whiskyland series from Decadent Drinks . It represents a lost style of production: peat, floor-malted barley, directly gas-fired stills and worm tub condensers. And last but not least: an ancient sherry cask unlike those of today. 
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-06-21
Bowmore 2007 ‘Gentle Giant’ (Passion for Whisky)
Although we never get enough of the recent wave of Bowmore releases, this one arrived exactly when I just published two or three others. So I postponed it a little. Anyway this Bowmore 18 Year Old gets the title Gentle Giant , because Stefan from Passion for Whisky is tall and looks a bit like a gentle giant. He chose this cask to celebrate his anniversary.  Bowmore 18 yo 2007 (50,3%, Boogieman Whisky Society 2026, bourbon hogshead, 90 btl.) Nose: fresh and maritime, with kelp and crushed shells, wet gravel, minty notes and lots of bright citrus. Lemon juice and candied lemon peels, brine, maybe light peach as well. Not very peaty, there's just a light hint of tarry rope in the distance. Mouth: more smoky now, along with peppermint, more seaweed and drying mineral notes. Mid-palate a short flash of green mango and passion fruit appears, something we're always hoping for. Then also wet wool, more saltiness and lots of cold ashes. Subtle hints of grassy herbs and light resin too. Fi
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-06-18
Pineau des Charentes (Malternative Belgium / C Dully)
Pineau des Charentes is a blend of grape must with grape distillate – typically Cognac eau-de-vie. The cognac part prevents further fermentation and must be between 60% and 72%. This blend is then aged in casks for a number of years.After 5 years in barrel it can be called Vieux Pineau and after 10 years it becomes Très Vieux Pineau. However in this session we'll try a few that far exceed these categories.A big part of this session will consist of Malternative Belgium releases. Apart from their cognac releases they've already bottled an impressive series of Pineau. Somehow we never found the time to publish the reviews. 
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-06-17
Tomatin 1976 (The Whisky Agency)
The next one is a classic, at least among my friends. It's a Tomatin 1976 bottled by The Whisky Agency . They had five of these casks, which they distributed (seemingly at random) over different series. In this case it's the cornerstone series The Perfect Dram, but I already tried a sister cask from the Grotesque Crocs series. I'm sure they also passed on many sister casks to friendly bottlers. 
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-06-17
Highland Park Heather
Heather (or heather honey) is one of the most common tasting notes in Highland Park whisky. The island of Orkney has no trees so the local peat has abundant heather at its base. It's no surprise the distillery named an expression after it.This new packaging is fairly modest and refreshing. No viking elements, just graphical things and a pink / purple colour scheme that doesn't seem to aim for the classical whisky audience. There's no age statement but we've heard Highland Park Heather ages for around 11 years.Let's see how this compares to the Cask Strength release I had a couple of months ago. 
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-06-15
Rosebank 1991 / Port Ellen 1980 (G&M CC Heritage)
We have two more whiskies from the Connoisseurs Choice Heritage Collection , the latest (stunning) range from Gordon & MacPhail . The series comes with a revived old map label and consists of old single malts from very, very rare distilleries. Check out our review of the first three whiskies. Today we look at the Rosebank 1991 and Port Ellen 1980 .You can now register your interest to buy volume 1 – other volumes will follow later. 
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-06-14
Turntable Unplugged
Turntable Blending is releasing affordable small-batch whisky with high value for money. One of their latest offerings is this Turntable Unplugged .This core expression is a blended Scotch whisky, with over 80% malt content. It includes distillates from Linkwood, Ballindalloch and Benrinnes, from first and second fill bourbon casks and sherry casks. They also add a dash of peated Ledaig to make it wider. 
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-06-11
Buds & Barrels, Double-V, Klubb23, Crann, The Green Door
In case you don't recognize these names immediately: all of these are (smaller) Belgian bottlers or clubs .You may know Buds & Barrels as a whisky shop, but they also have their own range. Then there's Double-V who bottled the 25th anniversary bottling of whisky club The Green Door . Last but not least: a bottling by Klubb23 for Crann Whisky Club. 
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-06-10
Hogshead: Aultmore, Glentauchers, Speyside…
We've tried a large range of bottlings from Hogshead Imports (or rather Hogshead Indie) in the past two years or so. Some have been really good, but other were sometimes marred by weird cask choices. Today we're trying a couple of older releases, mostly from refill casks. 
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-06-10
LMK Copycat: Ben Nevis, Secret Irish, Secret Speyside
LMK is Leung Man King (aka Brian) who lives in Hong Kong / Taiwan. A very relaxed guy who is well related to the Asian whisky scene. You may remember his name from my Macau festival article. Recently he came over to Europe for several weeks, visiting Limburg, Feis Ile, Scotland and other parts of Europe. Dedication! There's no website yet, so follow him on Instagram for now.One of his series is called LMK Copycat . It features funny labels that often mimic legendary labels from the past. Other labels have his friends sitting in a bar while he's disguised as a cat. 
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-06-08
The Whisky Agency: 4x Port casks
We may have missed some kind of outlet sale at a Portuguese cooperage recently. The 2025 outturn from The Whisky Agency already included a series of Port casks, and the Spring 2026 batch also has a surprising proportion of these casks. A lot of them are made for friends, as they say on the label.All of the whiskies have this typical rosehip tea colour. It's clear they are very cask-forward, and by now you know Port casks aren't our favourite. So if you are a fan of this style, I guess you can safely add a couple of points to each score. 
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-06-07
Maltbarn: Balblair, Teaninich, Dalmunach, Linkwood
Some time ago we already had a series of new whiskies from Maltbarn, that had been presented at the Limburg festival. Issues with logistics caused some others to be delayed, but here they are now.It seems to be fairly modest selection for this bottler. They're all young or middle-aged whiskies - the older releases were in the previous review. 
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-06-04
Kanekou Okinawa Whisky
Kanekou Okinawa is a Japanese whisky from Shinzato distillery , founded in 1846. Most of its history is in the production of Awamori, the traditional rice drink (black koji) from the region. They are now applying their knowledge of slow fermentation and distilling in a tropical climate to the production of whisky. Not much information is available. It is said that it is a blend of three types of whisky : malt and wheat whisky (at least 3 years of age) and rice whisky (Ryukyu, aged in sherry casks for at least 8 years).  Kanekou Okinawa Whisky (43%, OB +/- 2025) Nose: quite soft. There's a bready note up front, along with yellow apple. Perhaps also a hint of (slightly overdue) pineapple I'm afraid a musty type of (sherry?) cask is taking the lead, along with toffee and a light mouldy note. Also hints of candied ginger and caramelized almond. Mouth: not so good. There's a raw alcoholic / feinty note, a metallic kind of sweetness, some pears and just a hint of very, very young Scotti
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-06-03
Kavalan Four-Cask Matured / Peatist Bourbon
Here we have two of the latest releases from Kavalan distillery in Taiwan. The first is a 15 year old expression called Four-Cask Matured . It is a mix of bourbon, Oloroso sherry, ruby Port and puncheon casks. It seems a bit odd to name three after their seasoning and the fourth based on its size, right?Next up is Kavalan Peatist . I first read that as peatiest, but it's only moderately peated. I guess the name is an analogy for their Solist range. Here you have different casks for different markets. On the label it says Single Cask Strength . 
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-06-03
Bushmills 21 Years ‘Three Wood’
This is a travel retail edition of the Bushmills 21 Year Old , which comes at a higher strength of 46% and adds an extra finish.The spirit ages in signature bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry casks for around 18 years and then goes into first-fill Marsala wine barrels . The regular version is Madeira-finished , if I'm not mistaken.  Bushmills 21 yo 'Three Wood' (46%, OB +/- 2023, Marsala finish, travel retail) Nose: rich, with a good dose of brown sugar, gently toasted oak and very light hints of wine. After a few moments it moves towards cherry jam. Then it becomes more tropical, showing pineapples, peaches and ripe mango. Hints of vanilla, marzipan and honey in the background. Subtle minty notes as well. Good start. Mouth: again there's an unmistakable winey note (clove, chocolate, leather) but also black cherry notes and blackberry jam. Red wine gums. Later also caramelized walnuts, with hints of black tea, as well as a return of the mango and honey. Toffee, hazelnuts and some
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-06-02
5 Rums: T.D.L. 2001 / 2009 / 2016
Sometimes I just need a small incentive to start a new rum session. In this case a pile of T.D.L. samples was a perfect occasion. Enjoy!  T.D.L. 25 yo 2001 (57,2%, Compagnie des Indes for Asia 2026) Nose: brilliant fruits. Guava, pink grapefruit, hints of passion fruit syrup and bits of mango. Then some flower petals, hints of rosehip tea, tiny drops of camphor and mint. The energy is incredible. Also subtle hints of cinnamon, molasses and light fusel oils. Mouth: now the fruity core gets a little overshadowed by an overload of mint, polished leather and pine needles. Sure, there's still mango, pineapple and peach sweetness, a hint of resinous honey, but then more salty liquorice, ginger and bitter drops of herbal extracts. Finish: long and rich, with the resinous notes and herbal tea in front row.A gorgeous nose, no doubt, and then an ever so slight deception because the tropical juiciness doesn't explode in the mouth. Worth checking out though, if you're in Asia. Check with Comp
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-05-31
Big Peat – Leiden Edition 2026
Douglas Laing likes to play with their Big Peat series, one of the cornerstones of the Remarkable Regional Malts range. Limited editions are often nicely themed, with the typical character in a Christmas or Sinterklaas disguise. Many places around the world also have their localised edition: Mount Fuji, Tirol, Haemeldaeme... you name it.For Whisky in Leiden 2026 , which takes place next weekend in a church in Leiden, they came up with a tequila finished version.  Big Peat - The Leiden Edition (60,9%, Douglas Laing 2026, tequila cask finish, 256 btl.) Nose: lots of mineral notes, seaweed, damp soil, along with roasted lemons and kippers. Nice mentholated / camphory notes. Also bonfire ash and a slightly sweeter hint of vanilla and unripe peach. Light herbal undertones as well. Really good. There's a very light green / vegetal note but I'm not getting much of the expected agave. Mouth: big and punchy. Quite raw, with a lot of white pepper and fiery medicinal peat coming out. Lemon j
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-05-28
Zodiac series: Clynelish, Glenlossie, Laphroaig, Croftengea
The Whisky Exchange presented a second quartet of whiskies from the Zodiac series . We tried four whiskies in February already - after this one more batch will follow. My own sign turns out to be translated as Clynelish...  Clynelish 10 yo 2015 (52,8%, The Whisky Exchange 'The Zodiac' 2025, bourbon barrel #51246, 255 btl.) Nose: lots of crisp green apples and lemons, candle wax, along with subtle vegetative undertones. Light chalk. Perhaps a little pineapple or yellow plum. Then a little icing sugar and sweet cucumber lemonade. Mouth: a simple but very enjoyable combination of sweet and tart fruits (kiwi, banana, apple, gooseberry) with beeswax and a pinch of pepper. The cask made it a bit sweeter than I expected, but also really pleasant. Plain malty notes. Hints of vanilla and grapefruit. Finish: medium long, with added zesty notes and a subtle grassy touch along with sweet wax.Still young, so complexity is not the highest. That said, it's a perfectly lovable spirit with all the
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-05-27
Aberlour Triple Cask
Aberlour Triple Cask has been around for a while, but we've never had it before. It was originally for the French market. The rest of the world got a Double Cask, or so it seems.The whisky has been matured in a combination of bourbon barrels, bourbon hogsheads and (European oak) oloroso sherry casks. I'm not sure I would count bourbon barrels and hogsheads as two separate casks... 
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-05-26
Bushmills / Cooley / Lochindaal (The Roots)
We're back with a selection from The Roots . There's another Cooley 2001 (similar to the ones we tried late 2025), a peated Bruichladdich 2010 and something that never goes by unnoticed: Bushmills 1991 . 
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-05-25
Glenfarclas 2015 (Spirit of Speyside)
A few weeks ago German reader Sven contacted me about a new Glenfarclas 2015 bottled for the Spirit of Speyside Festival. He asked me about the definition of a Matusalem cask : is this simply a brand name or also related to the size of the cask?Matusalem is a brand of sherry produced by González Byass. Until 2012 it could be called Amoroso or sweet Oloroso (with 25% PX added to it), but nowadays it's technically a Cream sherry. They use a series of biblical names for their oldest wines — Noé, Apóstoles, and Matusalem. All of them are aged well beyond 30 years in a solera system. While common at Dalmore for instance, the cask came to Glenfarclas as a second fill through a broker. Their normal supplier is José y Miguel Martin.The question about the size of the cask is also interesting. Note that Glefarclas released 803 bottles which equals around 562 litres. Most distilleries claim that a sherry butt only contains around 500 litres. It all depends what you call a 'standard butt'.
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-05-24
North British 1991 (Thompson Bros for The Whisky Exchange)
Some time ago we had a Glen Scotia 2015 bottled by the Thompson Brothers for The Whisky Exchange . Today we're having a similar release, a single grain whisky from North British distillery. This 1991 vintage comes at merely 40.1% ABV. 
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-05-21
Bowmore 2007 / Armorik 2013 (Wu Dram Clan)
Another Bowmore already? Yes, why not. Wu Dram Clan is launching two new whiskies today and one is an 18 year old Bowmore . The other dram is a 12 year old Armorik from Warenghem distillery in France.There was an inofficial presentation at the Limburg Whisky Fair a few weeks ago but due to logistics issues things came a bit later. Check the Wu Dram Clan website for dealer information. 
fromWhiskyNotes
news2026-05-20
Dallas Dhu, Benromach, Glenlochy (G&M CC Heritage)
Gordon & MacPhail is launching the Connoisseurs Choice Heritage Collection , a new way of celebrating George Urquhart. He launched the Connoisseurs Choice range in 1968, providing enthusiasts the opportunity to try whisky from distilleries that were rarely available as single malts. In a way the new Heritage series has a similar approach: when was the last time you tried a new Dallas Dhu or Glenlochy?For this occasion G&M is reviving the old map label which adorned the series between 1988 and 1996. For more information on the evolution of the series, check this WhiskyAuctioneer article.It's remarkable that most of the whiskies on offer today were already bottled as far back as 2021. I assume they are leftovers / reworks of previous bottlings, or simply casks with a very small yield that didn't have a clear destination at that time. Only 100 sets will be available, brought together in a nice wooden case. You can now register your interest to buy volume 1 - other volumes will follow late
fromWhiskyNotes

Glen Garioch 52 Years (Decadent Drinks)

Bowmore 2007 ‘Gentle Giant’ (Passion for Whisky)

Pineau des Charentes (Malternative Belgium / C Dully)

Tomatin 1976 (The Whisky Agency)

Highland Park Heather

Rosebank 1991 / Port Ellen 1980 (G&M CC Heritage)

Turntable Unplugged

Buds & Barrels, Double-V, Klubb23, Crann, The Green Door

Hogshead: Aultmore, Glentauchers, Speyside…

LMK Copycat: Ben Nevis, Secret Irish, Secret Speyside

The Whisky Agency: 4x Port casks

Maltbarn: Balblair, Teaninich, Dalmunach, Linkwood

Kanekou Okinawa Whisky

Kavalan Four-Cask Matured / Peatist Bourbon

Bushmills 21 Years ‘Three Wood’

5 Rums: T.D.L. 2001 / 2009 / 2016

Big Peat – Leiden Edition 2026

Zodiac series: Clynelish, Glenlossie, Laphroaig, Croftengea

Aberlour Triple Cask

Bushmills / Cooley / Lochindaal (The Roots)

Glenfarclas 2015 (Spirit of Speyside)

North British 1991 (Thompson Bros for The Whisky Exchange)

Bowmore 2007 / Armorik 2013 (Wu Dram Clan)

Dallas Dhu, Benromach, Glenlochy (G&M CC Heritage)