This Lychee liqueur barrel finished cask strength whisky is a premium product from Nantou Distillery. It sells for over two-thousand dollars a bottle. It’s a unique product to a region that's known for their lychees.
Read MoreGrowing up in Canada, anCnoc Distillery wasn’t a distillery that got a lot of attention. It wasn’t available here. When it came to market, it was hard to quantify. It’s not a splashy distillery. It’s a traditional single malt whisky maker that takes pride in the little things that make a great whisky. You can read more about anCnoc distillery elsewhere. You can also listen to our podcast with the Gordons.
Read MoreThe Macallan Edition Series celebrates inspiration. This is a review of the fifth edition, and it’s a beautiful single malt scotch. Each of the limited releases are inspired by unique collaborators. A lot is said about the stories behind these whiskies, and you can read about all of that here. Let’s focus on the whisky, because there’s already plenty to talk about!
Read MoreThe beginner’s guide to Japanese whisky can be summarized with five big issues, and one big draw:
Issue #1: It’s complicated. The Japanese whisky world is complicated. It’s very complicated. The legal definition of Japanese whisky is a lot more complex than the cultural expectations. But basically, to be called Japanese whisky, the whisky doesn’t need to be made in Japan. Trusting the producer is the first critical step. Buying second-hand single malt scotch whisky blended with Japanese spirit at inflated Japanese whisky prices is possible.
Read MoreGreat Northern Distilling is a new Irish distillery that primarily sells vodkas and gins, as most young distilleries do. However, they were able to get their hands on older barrels of whisky, and Burkes Single Cask 14 Year Old is a product of one of those barrels. Bottled at 59% ABV, I was really excited to taste a rare high-proof Irish whiskey.
Read MoreWhere as most scotch is a blend of many (hundreds!) of barrels to even out any imperfections, a single cask needs to stand out on its own. It’s an opportunity to taste a barrel without any alteration.
Read MoreIsland of Arran is a large Scottish island that was once a Viking stronghold. The last distillery on the island dates back to 1837, and previous to that there were estimated to be over fifty active distilleries on the island. The 19th century wasn't overly kind to the island, though. Due to many factors (known as the clearances), the population severely decreased as people moved mainland. Today, there are just five-thousand residents on the island. They have one distillery.
Read MoreLagavulin 16 Year Old is a crowd favourite among scotch drinkers. It made it to the last chapter of my book, when I answer the "what's my favorite whisky" question (somewhat ironically). Lagavulin Double Matured is part of a limited number of whisky that the distillery releases outside of the popular 16 year old expression. It’s, essentially, fan whisky for people that love Lagavulin.
Read MoreWhenever I go to Glenlivet tastings, the Glenlivet Brand Ambassadors recommends a half-whisky and half-water mixture for the Founder's Reserve. Already, there's a problem. I rarely water down my whisky, and Glenlivet Founder's Reserve is bottled at the minimum of 40% ABV.
Read MoreAmrut Distillery makes complex and punchy flavor-forward whisky. The grain of choice is malted barley, and the peated releases use smoked barley from Scotland. The key to Amrut, though, is the barrel maturation.
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