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An interview with Rick from Single Note Whisky

January 14, 2022
BYOB-C, Belgian bottler or club?

July 23, 2021
An interview with Joeri from The Whisky Jury

January 24, 2021
Course: Introduction to Whisky Certificate

January 6, 2021
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Speyside 2010, South Star Spirits

July 27, 2022
Milton Distillery 1949, Gordon & MacPhail

July 25, 2022
Cley Secret Islay

July 22, 2022
Littlemill 1984, Scott’s Selection

July 18, 2022
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Single Note Whisky

An interview with Rick from Single Note Whisky

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BYOB-C, Belgian bottler or club?

The Whisky Jury

An interview with Joeri from The Whisky Jury

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Speyside 2010, South Star Spirits
Milton Distillery 1949, Gordon & MacPhail
Cley Secret Islay
Littlemill 1984, Scott’s Selection
Clynelish 25 year old and Ardbeg 25 year old, MNIW

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whiskylifestyle

♡ for the love of whisky
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Having a very relaxed day today. My holiday starte

Having a very relaxed day today. My holiday started earlier than expected, haha. Somehow I miscalculated the weeks. Don't know how, but hey I'm not complaining. 😂 How's your Sunday so far? 🥃

At the end of May, the Campbeltown Malts Festival

At the end of May, the Campbeltown Malts Festival took place, and as usual, there were a lot of festival bottlings available. But there were also a few newcomers besides the usual suspects, such as Springbank, Glen Gyle, Glen Scotia, and Cadenheads. Watt Whisky had a festival bottling for the first time this year, but also the yet-to-be-built Dál Riata Distillery, which bottled a Speyside 2010 under their South Star Spirits label.

The new distillery is founded by 3 household names in the whisky world. Namely, Iain Croucher founder of North Star Spirits, David Stirk, who you might know from his old label Creative Whisky Company and now commercial director of North Star Spirits, and Ronnie Grant owner and managing director of RB Grant (and probably the biggest Springbank fan I know). This illustrious trio has always had a connection and heart for Campbeltown, so it’s no surprise that Dál Riata will be based here.

The new distillery will be located in the middle of Campbeltown, on Kinloch Road, directly overlooking the Campbeltown Loch. Only locally grown barley will be used, and the capacity will be a maximum of 850,000 litres per year.

Dál Raita is scheduled to open in 2024, so we’ll have to be patient for a while before we can taste their whisky. But until then, we will be able to enjoy the South Star bottlings. Starting today with this Speyside 2010, bottled to celebrate the Campbeltown Malts fest.

NOSE: a hint of leather and beeswax. Followed by blueberries, but also candied forest fruits. Honey. A deliciously warm apple pie. Dark chocolate. Oranges. A whiff of almonds and nutmeg in the background. Later also a faint herbal note.

TASTE: oranges. Almonds. Dark chocolate and a little bit of mint. Forest fruits, blackberries mostly. Nutmeg and a hint of black pepper.

FINISH: long with oranges and forest fruit. A hint of black pepper and dark chocolate.

This is surprising. It has a beautiful nose but is slightly less pronounced and somewhat thin on the palate. But the finish, on the other hand, is long and more prominent again. Overall, it’s a nice and pleasant dram with good flavours and a surprising plot twist at the end. Quite enjoyable!

SCORE: 86/100

Last week Gordon & MacPhail launched a very specia

Last week Gordon & MacPhail launched a very special single malt from the Milton Distillery. You may not know this distillery right away, but it is the old name of Stratishla, which only got its current name in 1951.⁠
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Using the old name rather than Strathisla is not without reason. It is a tribute from the bottler to the oldest working distillery in the Highlands. Their ongoing relationship dates back to when Strathisla still had the old name, and this 72-year-old Milton is also Gordon & MacPhail’s last Strathisla cask from the 1940s. It is, therefore, their oldest and last ever single malt that will carry the Milton name.⁠
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NOSE: surprisingly vibrant! Sweet oranges and a hint of red fruit; raspberries come to mind. Rich honey. Dried plums and figs. There is some lovely beeswax. Then it goes towards nougat, followed by a hint of vanilla and bananas. When my glass is empty, I also get a trace of smoke. Oh, I could smell this all day; it’s just stunning!⁠
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TASTE: oranges again. Stewed red apples. Honeycomb and toffee. A touch of oak and pine needles. Followed by a bunch of spices: nutmeg, cinnamon and black pepper.⁠
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FINISH: long with the same spices again and a hint of oak. Red apples. But also a drop of honey.⁠
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I’m always amazed at how good these old whiskies of G&M are. Getting it done this way is an art and truly remarkable. This Milton is of excellent quality with beautiful flavours. A gorgeous single malt that you just want to smell for hours and hours. ⁠
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SCORE: 92/100⁠

Sample provided by Gordon & MacPhail

Two weeks ago, I visited Zuidam Distillers, but I

Two weeks ago, I visited Zuidam Distillers, but I hadn't posted the photos here yet! ⁠
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In addition to whisky (Millstone), Zuidam makes several other products, of which their genever is the best known. You can taste everything after the tour. All good products, but my favourite was a 12 year old Millstone (the one in the photo). ⁠
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If you haven't visited this great Dutch distillery yet, I can certainly recommend it! The tour, given by Patrick van Zuidam (master distiller and owner), is excellent and quite interesting. ⁠

Cley may not sound very familiar to you, especiall

Cley may not sound very familiar to you, especially if you don’t live in the Netherlands. But the Rotterdam-based micro-distillery is clearly making progress and steadily gaining popularity. So it’s time to introduce you to what I think is one of the better distilleries in our country.

Founded by Paul den Dulk and Maria Neves, Cley saw the light of day in 2015 after they came into contact with the Old Dutch distilling tradition via a recipe from 1795. Very unusual, especially when you consider that this is a jenever recipe. Yet they persevered, and the recipe became the basis of all their products.

Meaning, for instance, that all whisky and gin are triple distilled. Initially, it was done in an old original Schiedam still (probably from 1950), but after a few years, they added a second pot still of 250 litres. So today, the first two distillations are done in the new still, and then the old still is used for the 3rd distillation round.

Cley produces two types of whisky: single malt and malt & rye (a combination of malted barley and unmalted rye), both released at cask strength and as a standard edition. Also, both are made from local organic barley and undergo the same maturation process. First, they are matured in ex-bourbon casks for 3 years before being finished in New American oak casks for at least 6 months.

However, that is not the case with this Cley Secret Islay, because it was finished in an ex-Islay cask for 1.5 years. Which distillery this cask comes from is a secret, although I have heard rumours that this may have been Kilchoman.

NOSE: oh this is nice! A lovely layer of peat mixed with creamy vanilla. Then it becomes slightly ashy. A hint of caramel fudge and acacia honey. Lemon sponge cake. Oranges. Followed by a fresh note of eucalyptus.

TASTE: peat and a hint of ash here too. Vanilla custard. Lemon. Then agave. A herbal note, leaning towards rosemary. Later also some black pepper.

FINISH: mid-long to long with lemon, honey and peat.

Very nicely done. And I think so far the best Cley for me. The peat cask seems to work very well with the Cley spirit. The nose is the best, but overall rather lovely.

SCORE: 87/100

Bottle provided by Cley

Yes, finally, another Littlemill on the menu! That

Yes, finally, another Littlemill on the menu! That sounds rather special now, but until a few years ago, quite a lot of Littlemills were released for a very reasonable price. You can hardly imagine it now, but it was really the case.⁠
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Of course, all whisky has become more expensive these days, and because Littlemill closed in 1994, the supply of Littlemill casks is also drying up quickly. So it’s not surprising that the price is now also rising sharply.⁠
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Too bad for us whisky enthusiasts, but understandable. This Littlemill 1984, bottled for the US market, was such a one that you could still pick up for a reasonable price. I feel very privileged to have been able to buy these kinds of bottles (that’s because I’m very old🙄), but unfortunately, this doesn’t fit in my budget anymore. But these things have been discussed repeatedly, so let’s see how it tastes.⁠
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NOSE: oh, this is deliciously fruity—overripe pears, apricots, pineapple, and papaya. But also freshly cut grass, something I have very often in Littlemill. A light floral note. Followed by a hint of vanilla sugar and banana candies. Later I also get lemons and a touch of green apples. Water brings out coconut shavings, more of the floral note, and tropical fruits, including Cantaloupe melon.⁠
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TASTE: passion fruit and papaya. But instead of ripe pears, I get unripe pears this time. Some creamy vanilla. A note of pink grapefruit as well. It’s pretty fruity again. Very lovely. There is a tiny oak note, but very in the back. Slightly peppery due to the high ABV. Adding water makes it softer, and the pepper and oak notes are gone, making way for more fruit!⁠
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FINISH: long with plenty of tropical fruit again. A hint of Acacia honey and vanilla. Minerals. Pink grapefruit gives it a little bit of a bitter edge, but when you add water, this will be gone.⁠
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Although it is very drinkable despite its high ABV, I think it could use a few drops of water, turning into a beautiful and elegant single malt. It’s a very elegant dram, nicely balanced with abundant fruits. Tropical fruits mostly! A delicious dram with plenty of those classic Littlemill notes.⁠
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SCORE: 90/100

On the tasting menu today, not 1, not 2, but 3 rel

On the tasting menu today, not 1, not 2, but 3 releases from the Thompson Bros. It's been a while since I've reviewed anything from them, so it's good to catch up. They are three completely different releases and all in a different price range, so there is something for everyone.😉 From left to right: an 8 year old blended malt, a 16 year old undisclosed Speysider and last but not least a 31 year old Auchroisk. A review will follow soon!

Shiny Stills at Dalwhinnie Distillery.

Shiny Stills at Dalwhinnie Distillery.

Last week I reviewed two releases of @mynameiswhis

Last week I reviewed two releases of @mynameiswhisky_official. And this Clynelish was my favourite. (The other was a beautiful 25 year old Ardbeg. The full review is on my website). ⁠
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It was distilled in 1996, which in my opinion, is one of the better years for Clynelish. After that, it matured 25 years in a second-fill sherry cask, before being bottled at a strength of 54.6% ABV. ⁠
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NOSE: fresh red fruit, like strawberries and raspberries. But also oranges and apricots. A hint of beeswax, as well as minerals. Flowery honey and a touch of walnuts too.⁠
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TASTE: Oranges, a waxy note. The red fruits are back but not as pronounced as in the nose. Apricots. Acacia honey and some lovely dark chocolate. Marzipan and Werther’s Original. Minerals in the background. An oak note and some mint too. Black pepper, cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg.⁠
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FINISH: long and somewhat dry. Oranges, honey a hint of red fruit. Black pepper. Toffee and a little bit of mint here as well.⁠
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The refill cask ensures that the Clynelish spirit is not pushed into the background. Instead, they go hand in hand, making for a very beautiful, complex Clynelish that comes into its own, especially in the taste. A whisky that you want to continue to enjoy and take the time for. Stunning!⁠
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SCORE: 91/100⁠
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Sample provided by My Name Is Whisky

After a beer on Friday and an Aperol Spritz yester

After a beer on Friday and an Aperol Spritz yesterday, I fancied a whisky today. I went for the Ledaig 10 year old. Nothing too fancy, just a rather enjoyable peated dram. Perfect for this relaxed Sunday afternoon. What whisky will you be enjoying this Sunday?

It was in 2019 that I last tasted the Port Charlot

It was in 2019 that I last tasted the Port Charlotte 10 year old, and now, 3 years and many batches later, I thought it would be fun to try it again. Not only do the batches change in flavour, but your taste also adapts over the years. I always find that interesting to see how that develops.⁠
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So I thought the batch from 2019 was rather nice, but the question is, what will I think of it now…⁠
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NOSE: a fair amount of peat mixed with vanilla. But also bonfire smoke. A touch of seaweed. Barley sugar in the back. Hay. Red apples and fresh lemons. Caramel fudge and a hint of anise. Later also rubber in the back.⁠
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TASTE: again, peat and vanilla. Caramel fudge. Honey. Apples and a hint of bananas. Lemons. A hint of anise and honey. Then some spices with mainly crushed black pepper and a hint of cloves.⁠
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FINISH: a long, slightly dry finish with notes of vanilla and toffee. Apples. Bonfire smoke and crushed black pepper.⁠
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From memory, this one seems slightly better than the one I tasted in 2019. That one was a bit more straightforward, while this one is perhaps a bit more complex. So it’s still a lovely peated single malt, which I can certainly enjoy from time to time.⁠
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SCORE: 86/100

The washbacks at Springbank distillery. 🖤

The washbacks at Springbank distillery. 🖤

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Speyside 2010, South Star Spirits
Milton Distillery 1949, Gordon & MacPhail
Cley Secret Islay
Littlemill 1984, Scott’s Selection
Clynelish 25 year old and Ardbeg 25 year old, MNIW
Port Charlotte 10 year old (2021)
Kilkerran 8 year old, Sherry Cask Matured
Talisker 10 year old
Tullibardine 2008 – The Murray
Glen Elgin 16 year old Manager’s Dram

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