Unser letztes Gewinnspiel lobte zwei Schottlandreisen aus (Dank hierfür noch einmal an Frank Böer, die ganze Reise war ein Riesenspaß). Heute gibt’s etwas kaum weniger Spannendes abzugreifen: Wie Ihr wisst, haben wir wieder einen großen Stand auf DER Whiskymesse in München. Zur Steigerung der Vorfreude auf die Finest Spirits 2012 – ganz vorn dabei bei Europas besten Whisky- und Spirituosenmessen mit 210 Marken (!) vor Ort – verlosen wir 2x ein Tagesticket (inkl. vier Gratisdrinks und Glas, der Rechtsweg ist ausgeschlossen). Continue Reading →
Schon lange planen wir einen Rumabend, denn diese Spirituose steht den Single Malts in Komplexität und Vielseitigkeit kaum nach. Dennoch fristet sie in unseren Breiten ein Schattendasein. Bei diesem Tasting mit Spitzendestillaten würde ich Euch gern überzeugen, dass dem R(h)um Unrecht wiederfährt.
Ich konnte auch Werner Prawda zum Kommen bewegen, der einen bekannten Rum-Versand leitet und bestimmt viel beitragen kann. Ebenso wird uns Philipp Windgassen die Ehre eben, er ist ein Distributor von Centenario Ron. Continue Reading →
Ein neues Jahr mit vielen schönen Verkostungen steht bevor. Wir wären wieder sehr geehrt, Euch zahlreich begrüßen zu dürfen, um richtig zu genießen. Hier ein kleiner Terminüberblick zur Orientierung, die Einladungen mit Details erfolgen dann in Kürze (nach der Messe): Continue Reading →
Wie im Vorjahr werden wir an unserem Stand auf dem Finest Spirits Festival 2012 neben 45 anderen hervorragenden Whiskys und Spirituosen die Monster Malts im Ausschank haben. Hierbei handelt es sich um ausgesuchte Tropfen, die zu den besten Produkten der Messe Continue Reading →
Please click the link above (line, not image) for the my new article for the Malt Maniacs. As some restructuring of their pages is going on, this e-pistle is first published here. Enjoy!
Please read my introductory words from the day before to get the full picture why these notes are so short. Today, I am going to share some quick reviews of Single Malts with you. Some of these are SMWS-releases (Scotch Malt Whisky Society):
As you know, I refrain from taking proper and lengthy tasting notes at family dinners or while sitting with friends in a comfortable situation. However, I can’t and don’t want to shut off my interest and the tastebud’s rattling activity completely in these moments because Continue Reading →
Lest meinen neuen Blogbeitrag bei Finest Spirits mit dem Titel ‘Das Fass macht’s’. Dort sind auch noch andere Beiträge in Deutsch und Englisch zu finden:
Bowmore OB ‘Voyage’ 56% (Port Wood Finish, released 2000)
Comment: This one has not been talked about recently. Of course it is winey (albeit not sweet or Port-like), but also very elegant and typical for a 1980ies Bowmore with a lot of distillery character (leafy, ferny, lilac, herbal as hell, in fact, and: chlorine – yeah, yeah, some hate this style – discrete peat and pepper spice) and the Bowmore-esque balance. The taste is Continue Reading →
Have you ever heard people say that the Original Highland Park Bottlings from the 1970ies and before are much better than most independent releases? I did. However, I refrained from telling these ‘experts’ that all these ridiculously priced old bottlings being released these days are bought back by the distillery, mostly from Continue Reading →
Nose: Starts uber-fruity and very nice, I am getting loads of passionfruit here (like an old Bruichladdich) along with tangerine, lime, peach, grapefruit, all very oily. Whoops, now the Continue Reading →
A 100 year old Port from Australia (Barossa Valley)
Appearance: Incredible viscosity, like used oil it streams slowly out of the bottle – in the darkest brown with a tiny ruby edge.
Nose:Amazingly alive after such a time, this can age even longer. First there is dark chocolate and dried plum, figs, raisins and sultanas accompanied by the most noble smell of dark wood, American oak and roasted dark coffee. Altogether it delivers slight reminiscences of a good Nocino, but better, like a high class Balsamico Extra Vecchio, but less acidic, like a Maraschino cherry, but much richer. Then Continue Reading →
Zum Ausklang des Whiskyjahres trafen sich 11 wackere Kämpfer bei mir, um gegen zahlreiche alte Flaschen zu kämpfen. Es war eine bittere Schlacht, doch die Genießer obsiegten. Hier ein Foto des Line-ups:
Die letzten Wochen waren mit fünf Veranstaltungen noch sehr intensiv, daher Continue Reading →
Dies sind die letzten News im alten Jahr, in dem wir uns noch für Eure Treue und das uns entgegengebrachte Interesse bedanken wollen. Es hat uns wieder sehr viel Spaß gemacht. Unsere non-profit-Plattform wächst und gedeiht und auch der Blog wird eifrig besucht. Demnächst gibt es wieder mehr Verkostungsnotizen zu lesen.
Folgende Events und Tipps möchte ich Euch abschließend ans Herz legen: Continue Reading →
Es soll Leute geben, die für eine leckere Flasche Single Malt hunderte von Euros hinblättern. Alles Irre! Wenn die doch wüßten, dass es auch billiger geht … mit diesem fantastischen Produkt aus Schweden, welches ich hier jedem ans Herz legen will:
Vor Weihnachten wird es noch zwei offizielle Verkostungen (Regensburg und Landshut) geben, die ich Euch vorstellen möchte. Das erste findet schon am kommenden Mittwoch statt – und ich lege es Euch sehr warm ans Herz: Continue Reading →
Before I head out to host the Munich Spirits-tasting tonight, I am going to review two great drams that just have been released. The first one was sent to me by our friend Carsten Ehrlich from ‘The Whisky Agency’, a 1972 Glen Grant from a Sherry Hogshead, the second one is the new SMWS Springbank bottling out of an identical cask. Enjoy reading: Continue Reading →
Once the whole family is ‘in da house’, there is no way of working on the blog. Moreover, I refrain from taking overly precise tasting notes at the family lunch/dinner table. So most of this comes from my memory of emptied bottles during the festivity.
We started out with two sparkling wines from the Prosecco area (Conegliano/Valdobbiadene) and wider Venetia which come in very fancy outfits. These wines were:
Ettore Ceschin ‘Bepin de Eto – Rosato Millesimato’ 2009 Vino Spumante Brut 11,5%
Comment: I couldn’t find the vintage on the bottle, only the information about the 2010 lot on the back label. Anyway, this Venetian sparkling Rosato is a strawberry and raspberry-driven little charmer with Continue Reading →
Suchen Sie das ideale Geschenk – nicht nur für Männer, den Chef, für ein Paar, für jemanden, der schon alles hat? Etwas Besonderes mit Niveau und Spaß? Für Genießer?
Bei www.slowdrink.de sind Sie richtig:
Verschenken (oder wünschen) Sie (sich) doch Folgendes:
- einen schön gestalteten Gutschein für eine Whisky-Verkostung bei Europas Nummer 1 in Sachen Tastings (besonders gern mit Samples als Vorfreude gernommen)
- Teilnahme an einem ‘slowdrink.de-Event’ (Weinverkostung, Spirituosen-Seminar, etc.)
- Samples / Proben feiner Whiskys und Spirituosen (auch in Kombination mit anderen Präsenten) etc.
Heute möchte ich ein paar Vorankündigungen bezüglich kommender Verkostungen und Termine über die Website vornehmen, der Newsletter dazu folgt erst in ein paar Tagen – so habt Ihr einen Anmeldevorsprung! Continue Reading →
Tomorrow the German chapter of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society will present their new releases for Christmas time. Our friend Ralf Dänzer and I don’t want you to find any bad drams underneath the X-mas tree – that’s why he sent me some samples via the reindeer express yesterday. Blitzen looked kind of hammered, maybe it tried from the Port Charlotte .
As the most-wanted-distillery bottlings sell out quickly, I tasted them right away to give you a notion. Good luck in filling your stockings with these releases. I couldn’t find a bad one yet. Continue Reading →
Today I am clearing my whisky cabinet from those bottles that are almost history – you know, those bottles with 2-8 cl left in them but that still never seem to get empty although they are quite good. Of course I could refill them in samples … but I really have enough samples to wait, too. So, let’s kill them off, two old and two new ones. No huge tasting notes this time, just comments: Continue Reading →
In letzter Zeit kommen immer mehr Single Malts auf den Markt, die in Sauternes-Fässern (nach-) gereift wurden. Es freut mich zu vermelden, dass diese Reifung erstaunlich gut funktioniert. Doch ein guter Sauternes ist mir bisher noch lieber als der in seinen Fässern nachgereifte Whisky – abgesehen vom Glenglassaugh 1975.
Sauternes-Weine können ewig reifen und bieten in jedem Alter ein gelungenes und interessantes Trinkerlebnis. Der Jahrgang 2001 gilt als einer der Besten aller Zeiten. Ich konnte bisher so einige Sauternes aus diesem Jahr verkosten und war nie enttäuscht. Vor allem der Suduiraut 2001 hat es in sich (für mich 99/100), doch auch Rieussec rockte in diesem Jahr. Der Primus von Chateau d’Yquem Continue Reading →
These two drams received a lot of attention recently. The Old Pulteney 21 y.o. was named ‘World’s Greatest Whisky 2012′ by Jim Murray with 97.5 points in his annual release Whisky Bible, a choice many people joked about, and the Ardbeg 1991 – 2011 Malts of Scotland for Hotel Bero from an extremely dark Sherry Cask 11003, 48,8%, started fiercly held debates in several forums because a) of its color and b) you can only get a bottle if you stay over night Continue Reading →
Just some quick notes today because this week we will have/have had three tasting sessions. I hope you enjoy reading the short remarks and scores anyway. Soon there will be more again.
Old Pulteney OB 17 y.o., 46%
Comment: This is the younger brother of the “World’s Greatest Whisky 2012″ according to Jim Murray – my sample of the actual winner (21 y.o.) is under way, but I had the 21 at our stand in Munich two years ago, I scored it at ’90-’ then. Not a bad dram at all, but it didn’t change my whisky world. Funny, not Continue Reading →
Let’s have Bowmore Single Malt today, two youngsters, head-to-head. The distillery has regained a good standing among the real Islay fans because the whiskies after 1990 (with 1993 being outstanding but also atypical) have turned more consistent and peaty while having lost the lavender/chlorine offnote some people hated. I have to state Continue Reading →
Alejandro Fernandez ‘Dehesa la Granja’ 2004 Castilla y Leon 14%
Bouquet: Sehr verführerisch mit süßen balsamischen Tönen, Eiche vom Feinsten (aber nicht zu viel), Räucherspeck, Toast, reife Brombeeren und Himbeeren, dezente animalische Noten, gut balanciert.
Geschmack: Viel Holz (Röstaromatik), aber dann kommt ein fruchtig-süßlich zupackendes Trinkerlebnis mit Continue Reading →
Photo: L. Langer (link) - Thanks! His shop is worth a visit!
It was a hard day, so I need a bit of a treat. Mmmmh, let’s go for Islay power, an Ardbeg. But a special one: How about a bottling from the good old days, complex, but bottled at young age…the choices get narrower – maybe even at cask strength … and sherried … extremely hard to find. As I go through my samples I suddenly hold this nice specimen in my hand: Continue Reading →
Before we will talk about the World’s Greatest Whisky made at Old Pulteney 21 years ago – according to whisky-writer Jim Murray in the new Whisky Bible – soon (with tasting notes) we stay modest and humble today and try a blend for a change … which comes from the same Continue Reading →
At the end of our wonderful visit at Glenglassaugh Distillery, Managing Director Stuart Nickerson held a nice and very generous tasting session. Among many drams (e.g. New Make, a young Californian Zinfandel Cask and an incredibly mature Bourbon Cask from 2009), about which I am going write soon in an article about the visit, he let me try the new 45 y.o. and two real stunner cask samples that will be released soon. They have just been filled into Continue Reading →
Sometimes we need to remind ourselves to stay open-minded. When I used to hear the words ‘Whisky Liqueur’ it reminded me of
Just Outside the Scottish Liqueur Centre
products like Drambuie or Irish Mist – not exactly my favourites. I could enjoy BaileysIrish Cream occassionally but I would never have bought a full bottle.
As my mother-in-law produces new kinds of liqueur at home (see the ‘not up-to-date page: http://www.wallner-gewekin.de), I know that there are exciting products in this genre as Continue Reading →
An old whisky-finished Rum? This Ron (Rum) was brought to me by my friend Flo – it was one of his favourites at the German Rum Festival in Berlin this year. Let’s try this interesting product and two other drams (Glenlivet ‘Nadurra’ and Aberlour ‘a’bunadh’ Batch 35). Continue Reading →
In September, I tasted some of the brandnew arrivals of the SMWS – the ones that I knew would sell out in no time (Ardbeg, Bowmore, Port Charlotte, Mortlach –> see article ‘SMWS Fall Releases I.’ here on www.slowdrink.de). Today I am going to continue my review of the fall releases focussing on the older bottlings of Balmenach, Glenturret, Glenrothes and Glen Albyn. Here we go: Continue Reading →
Bevor ich in den kommenden Tagen die restlichen Abfüllungen der Herbst-Bottlings von SMWS bewerte, hier die Verkostungsnotizen der Frühlingsliste (Auchentoshan 1999, Glenmorangie 1992, Mortlach 1989, Bowmore 1994, Ardbeg 2001, Aultmore 1982, Glen Moray 2000, Linkwood 1982, Benrinnes 1996, Port Charlotte 2003): Continue Reading →
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) disguises their bottlings by giving each distillery a number – by that they avoid legal trouble when a certain distillery name was not allowed to be used by them. So the first number tells you the distillery, the second number enumerates the bottlings: e.g. 33.4 would mean Ardbeg, fourth bottling by SMWS … and if you knew all about this, use the lists as reference. We also linked each name with a link that gives basic information about the distillery (sourced from ‘Whisky-Portal’).
SMWS Distillery-Codes (first by number, then by distillery):
Many people talk their mouths fuzzy about the 20 y.o. dark Ardbeg 1991 that has just been released by MoS for the Bero hotel. That inspired me to post two other dark Ardbegs today – the Kingsbury 1967 versions – Serge Valentins favourite expressions. Kingsbury has an amazing track record in bottling fine drams. So let’s see what their flagships Continue Reading →
As promised, I am going to taste the oldtimer today:
Macallan G&M 10 y.o. G&M, 70° (red letters, probably distilled in the 1960ies)
Nose: Very elegant profile (not weak at all, but less obtrusive and fat than the younger versions – this thin lady wants to be discovered) with lemon and orange zest, humidor, pepper, faint earthy Continue Reading →
Still a Youngtimer: The Macallan 10 (distilled late 1980ies)
A Bottle within a Long Line of Legendary History
This series of Macallan (golden round age indication, see photo) was running for quite a long time (until around 2002). There were earlier versions with screw caps and 75cl and later ones like this which Continue Reading →
As promised, I am going to reveal the runners-up #2, #3 and the only slightly trailing #4 with some quick notes now. No dram disappointed on that night whatsoever, but some where better than Continue Reading →
Cognac Pitaud has been described and reviewed in another article on ‘www.slowdrink.de’ (check it out as well!). Their products have fully convinced me. Now they launch two new Cru Cognacs in a limited edition: Pitaud Cognac Borderies and Pitaud Cognac Petite Champagne. For connoisseurs, it will be very interesting to find out how the different terroir influences the final product. Others might say Continue Reading →
For several reasons I could only taste some drams in Biberach quickly on the go. Nevertheless I am going to share my strictly personal opinions about them with you – and add some other ones close to these bottlings. No pictures, just the whisky talking…
1) Ledaig 1998 for Malts of Scotland, 13 y.o. around 59% – exact dates coming soon (no label exists yet)
A wonderful drinking whisky in the peated genre – only few people wouldn’t put this on Islay in a blind tasting. This expression is significantly older and more mature than the recent Berry Bros. & Rudd releases of Ledaig, but surprisingly Continue Reading →
Last weekend I had the honor to hold a tasting (and a little stand) at the second Whiskyfest in Biberach. There was a great atmosphere among guests and exhibitors alike. Rolf and his wife Alexandra were perfect hosts with their team on this small fair.
Host Rolf and me
The tasting-lineup is described in another article here on www.slowdrink.de – when I put it together, I knew that the BenRiach 1970 Pedro Ximinex (sic!), the Glen Grant 1969 Lonach and the Port Ellen 1982 Acorn Sherry Cask would rock people’s worlds because I had tried them before, but the other two bottlings were new to me as well, and on paper and in reviews they didn’t look as if they could keep up the high level of these other whiskies.
How unnecessary my fear was … every dram was above 90 (everybody agreed) after all and the styles were still really different in the line-up. Check out the short notes I could Continue Reading →
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made at Old Pulteney 21 years ago – according to whisky-writer Jim Murray in the new Whisky Bible – soon (with tasting notes) we stay modest and humble today and try a blend for a change … which comes from the same 
