1x349 - whisky review 286 - Chat with Serge from Whiskyfun

. . . an informal chat with Serge Valentin, the proprietor of WhiskyFun and stalwart of the MaltManiacs. Someone who shows just what the internet was invented for, the articulate and intelligent freedom of speech.

1x350 - whisky review 287 - Water with your whisky

. . . often highlighted and marketing-featured as an important component of making whisky, but dismissed as unimportant when added to a glass of whisky by the drinker ! ...

1x351 - whisky review 288 - requested whisky reviews and 3 big questions

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1x352 - whisky review 289 - Old Parr 12yo Scotch

. . . after an unpromising first impression, a growingly complex and rewarding Blended Scotch of character and substance.

1x353 - whisky review 290 - Naked Famous Grouse

. . . naked by name, but not by smell and taste experience, a very modern and 'engineered' Scotch.

1x354 - whisky review 291 - Johnnie Walker Double Black

. . . the standard Black Label with extra wood-sweet and dollops of decent smokiness. A variation on the theme that will work in Bars but will never top the excellent Green Label.

1x355 - whisky review 292 - Gin

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1x356 - whisky review 293 - Introducing Young Islay Malts

. . . with increased demand and limited supply, Distillers are marketing younger aged whiskies as 'special releases' some are special, some are most certainly NOT ! I offer advice on choosing.

1x357 - whisky review 294 - Caol Ila Moch

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1x358 - whisky review 295 - Kilchoman Sherry Cask 2012

. . . a substantial fresh-sherry raw-peat monster from Islay's only Independent Distillery.

1x359 - whisky review 296 - Laphroaig Cairdeas (55%)

. . . . about as powerfully flavoured a whisky as you can buy, not just a peat monster, a BIG Angry peat monster.

1x360 - whisky review 297 - St Georges American Malt Whisky

. . . way out west, they're giving Scotch a Californian twist with a young Single Malt which represents character and quality in the arena of World whiskies. Should get better too over the next few years.

1x361 - whisky review 298 - Sullivan's Cove Bourbon cask (60% vol:)

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1x362 - whisky review 299 - Three Ships 10yo African Malt Whisky

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1x363 - Absinthe (whisky review 300)

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1x364 - whisky review 301 - Cigar advice

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1x365 - whisky review 302 - Whisky & pipe smoking

. . . excellent for smoking versatility, variety and whisky-company, a traditional smoking pipe is hard to beat . . .

1x366 - whisky review 303 - Bankrowburn

. . . quite simply the rarest Independent bottling of Springbank EVER and due to 'provinance' now the most expensive bottle of Whisky in the World ... ever ! . . .

1x367 - whisky review 304 - Yoichi 15yo Japanese Malt

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1x368 - whisky review 305 - Hakushu 'heavily peated' @ 48%

. . . an unusual version of Japanese Malt being similar to some scotch peated whiskies like Ardmore. . . . .It is young tasting and different.

1x369 - whisky review 306 - Karuizawa 1990 @ 56.1 %

. . . rather expensive, collector's gold-dust Malt from Japan, hyped up by the fact that the Distillery is deceased ! For the drinker, this is a good sherry monster and not too refined.

1x370 - whisky review 307 - vintage whisky advice with Angus

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1x371 - whisky review 308 - marking and writing on whisky bottles

. . . some practical advice on marking, signing or just writing messages on bottles and bottle labels, every little bit of advice can lead to greater wisdom eventually.

1x372 - whisky review 309 - Deanston 12yo

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1x373 - whisky review 310 - Tobermory 10yo @ 46.3%vol

. . . only five years ago, the bargain-basement Malt in the British supermarkets, but now is completely re-born as an interesting, quality, craft malt.

1x374 - whisky review 311 - Your Solera Bottle

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1x375 - whisky review 312 - Bell's Decanter Advice

. . . arguably the most un-collectable collectable whisky at the auction houses.

1x376 - whisky review 313 - Crawfords 3 Star

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1x377 - whisky review 314 - create your own Whisky Liqueur

. . . it's easier than you might think, and the results can be excellent.

1x378 - whisky review 315 - AD Rattray's 19yo malt-blend Batch No: 1

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1x379 - whisky review 316 - Blue Hanger Blended Malt (Edition 6)

. . . another good example of a malt-blend which offers better value for money for a canny whisky drinker.

1x380 - whisky review 317 (1_2) - Greenfields 5yo Pure Malt Whisky from 1960's

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1x381 - whisky review 317 (2_2) - concluding review of Greenfield's 1960's Scotch

. . . the delight of some old bottles of spirits is in the complex detail of smell and taste after one opens the bottle after many years of being sealed.

1x382 - whisky review 318 - Maxime Trijol XO Cognac

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1x383 - whisky review 319 - Cadenhead's Maison Guerbe cask Cognac 8yo

. . . . quite simply a hidden gem of the spirits world.

1x384 - whisky review 320 - Clos Martin Armagnac (folle blanche) 1986

a well aged modern-tasting quality Armagnac well worth the effort of tasting and helped by about 25years of sensitive maturation.

1x385 - whisky review 321 - Darroze 40yo Terroire Cask Armagnac

very big quality nose followed by a very complex quality taste. . . . simply a rare experience.

1x386 - whisky review 322 - Springbank Rundlets & Kilderkins

. . . essentially Springbank's quartercask maturation using smaller than usual casks to mature the spirit faster. With this version, it works producing a chameleon, complex ten year old whisky which seems older and more mature.

1x387 - whisky review 323 - Royal Salute 21yo Scotch

. . . a very good example of a 'presentation' whisky where the smell and flavour are designed to suggest rather than impose an consumer experience.

1x388 - whisky review 324 - Glenfiddich 12yo Scotch re-reviewed

. . . a timely return to one of the most recognisable of Scotch malts which shows signs of quality improvement . . .

1x389 - whisky review 325 - Laphroaig 1998 12yo BB&R (Indi: bottling)

As some 'batch discrepancies' appear with some official bottlings by Distilleries, always worth checking the on-line review circuit for Independent bottling options. Some bottlings are poor, however real stars can also be found.

1x390 - whisky review 326 - Bladnoch 20yo @ 46%

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1x391 - whisky review 327 - Octomore 05_1

. . . at 169 ppm, this is regarded as the most heavily peated Scotch whisky ever produced. The peating level does not translate into phenolic power of flavour but rather phenolic complexity.

1x392 - whisky review 328 - Paul John Malt Whisky

. . . a very good example of the growing diversity of quality malt whisky from across the World.

1x393 - whisky review 329 - whisky of the year 2012

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1x394 - whisky review 330 - GlenDronach 1993 19yo Single Cask 487

. . . a very good 'craft produced' sherry-matured single malt scotch, proving oloroso is not always sugar-sweet confectionary.

1x395 - whisky review 331 - Sherry and Whisky

. . . some varied information on how sherry relates to sherry-matured whiskies.

1x396 - whisky review 332 - Longmorn 30yo (Gordon & Macphail)

. . . a very substantial Independent bottling of a hard-to-find Speyside classic by the name of Longmorn, the blenders must-have malt.

1x397 - whisky review 333 - Chivas Regal 18yo

. . . for such a large volume blend this is decent quality with several malts showing well in the mix.

1x398 - whisky review 334 - Johnnie Walker Swing

. . . a less well known JW blend which is increasingly the best JW option of flavour-chasers.

1x400 - whisky review 335 (2_2) - Buchanans 12yo revisited

an update on whisky review 335 (1/2) providing new information and a fresh story relating to the previous review.

1x401 - whisky review 336 - Cutty Sark Storm

. . . . an engaging, contemporary blended scotch with plenty of flavour.

1x402 - whisky review 337 - Introducing Three Dead Distilleries

. . . a trip into a scotch sub-culture of dead/demolished/mothballed Distilleries, and there are plenty of them out there.

1x403 - whisky review 338 - Rosebank 14yo Signatory

. . . . a dead-distillery (more realistic than the nicer sounding "silent stills") which offers a great flavour range, but carries a bit too much 'heat' from poor distillation.

1x404 - whisky review 339 - Brora 23 yo Signatory 46%

. . . a less familiar version of what is now a 'cult' distillery. If they ever revive Brora the purchase premiums will probably be rather like Lagavulin.

1x405 - whisky review 340 - Dallas Dhu 24yo (Cadenhead)

. . . a scotch which comes from a small speyside Distillery which is now a non-productive museum. Shame really, such a wasted resource and employment opportunity.

1x406 - whisky review 341 - Benriach 12yo 'Horizons'

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1x407 - whisky review 342 - Dalmore 21yo (Signatory)

. . . not an official bottling of Dalmore, this Independent bottling is non-chillfiltered, naturally coloured and cask strength, so it's just more naturally presented than standard official bottlings.

1x408 - whisky review 343 - Tomatin Decades

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1x409 - whisky review 344 - Information on Whisky Maturation and Finishing

February 27, 2013

. . . a broad grey area of whisky production which includes additional-maturation, double-maturation, secondary-maturation, 'finishing, 'ACE'ing' and any other style of cask-swap designed to add flavour to whisky.

1x410 - whisky review 345 - Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey

March 3, 2013

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1x411 - whisky review 346 - Greenore 8yo Irish Grain Whiskey

March 6, 2013

. . . . an Irish corn whiskey from Cooley Distilleries column still which tastes like no other corn whiskey I have ever tasted, ...

1x412 - whisky review 347 - Powers 'Johns Lane' Pot Still Whiskey

March 10, 2013

. . . a recent addition to the growing family of Irish Trad : Pot Still Whiskies.

1x413 - whisky review 348 - Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey

March 13, 2013

. . . a rare Independent bottling of Bushmills which shows a drier, more bitter and interesting style from this Distillery.

1x414 - whisky review 349 - Dunvilles VR Irish Whisky (circa 1930)

March 17, 2013

. . . a rather rare antique Irish whisky from the 1930s' or earlier ! . . .

1x415 - whisky review 350 - Springbank 18yo

March 20, 2013

. . . a well-presented malt which shows all the benefits of 46% vol, natural colour and non chill-filtration.

1x416 - whisky review 351 - Cardhu 12yo Single Malt & Pure Malt

March 24, 2013

. . . revisiting a whisky scandal from 2003.

1x417 - whisky review 352 - An Cnoc 16yo

March 27, 2013

1x418 - whisky review 353 - Scapa 14yo

March 31, 2013

1x419 - review 353/2 - Time for Tea and Bloodhound SSC

April 3, 2013

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1x420 - whisky review 354 - Imperial single malt (D.T. 19yo @ 53.1%)

April 7, 2013

. . . rarer than Port Ellen, more obscure than Scapa, more 'mothballed' than producing, this is Scotland's most elusive producing Distillery.

1x421 - whisky review 355 (1_3) - Advanced Whisky Masterclass - Smell Sense

April 10, 2013

. . . the most in-depth whisky masterclass on the internet, taking awareness to the next level.

1x422 - whisky review 355 (2/3) - Advanced Whisky Masterclass - Form

April 14, 2013

. . . a fresh perspective is observed regarding isolating the behaviour of whisky as a vehicle for flavours.

1x423 - whisky review 355 (3/3) - Advanced Whisky Masterclass - Alcohol

April 17, 2013

. . . whisky advanced masterclass third part all about alcohol in Space, time and chemical property.

1x424 - whisky review 356 - Aberlour A'bunadh Batch 42 (Re-reviewed)

April 21, 2013

. . . a visit (after four years) to WhiskyReview 3 with an assessment of how this malt has faired from Batch 18 to Batch 42.

1x425 - whisky review 357 - Glenfiddich 15yo Distillery Edition

April 24, 2013

. . . a contemporary version of Glenfiddich reflecting the demand for non-chillfiltered cask strength single malts.

1x426 - whisky review 358 - Aberlour 10yo

April 28, 2013

. . . after a less than compelling start this really settles down in the glass as a very decent malt experience.

1x427 - whisky review 359 - Ardbeg Uigeadail re-reviewed

. . . a return visit after about four years to reviewing a classic modern single malt.