All whiskies with 86-89 points by WhiskyRant blog.

April 3, 2019

Helsinki Whiskey 100% Rye Malt review

The Helsinki Distilling Company (HDC) launched their first official release for retail markets in 2017. This 100% Rye Malt comes from Finland’s capital, where HDC was established in 2014. HDC has 300 and 1500 liter pot stills with an annual production of 30 000 liters. Their spirits portfolio includes rye […]
July 26, 2018

1776 Straight Rye Whiskey by James E. Pepper

WhiskyRant’s conclusions Tasting notes This straight rye whiskey comes from MGP of Indiana distillery at Lawrenceburg. 1776 Straight Rye Whiskey is part of the legendary American whiskey brand called James E. Pepper. The brand comes from Lexington, Kentucky, where they are planning to open a renovated distillery in 2018. So […]
May 5, 2018

The Macallan 12YO Double Cask review

WhiskyRant’s conclusions Tasting notes Quite new age stated expression from Macallan, released in 2016. This single malt whisky was described as: “A new interpretation on the signature 12 Years Old Macallan” Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask whisky has been matured in a combination of American and European Ex-Sherry oak […]
September 30, 2017

Glen Moray 10YO Chardonnay Cask Whisky review

WhiskyRant’s conclusions Tasting notes Ralfy’s notes This 10 year old Glen Moray is quite extraordinary single malt whisky – it’s been matured completely in Chardonnay casks. Glen Moray, the most northerly Speyside distillery, has a non age stated version with Chardonnay cask finish as well. But this beauty has been […]
September 2, 2017

Kyrö Single Malt Rye Whisky – Batch 1

WhiskyRant’s conclusions Tasting notes First batch ever of Finnish rye whisky for retail markets. Kyrö Single Malt Rye is made from 100% malted wholegrain rye. The most anticipated whisky of the year for me and I almost didn’t get a chance to taste it. That’s right, the success of Napue […]
August 7, 2017

Willett Single Barrel Rye 3YO review

Tasting notes Willett Distilling Company (a.k.a Kentucky Bourbon Distillers) has been sourcing whiskies since the 1980’s but recently they’ve been maturing their own distillates too. So there’s a chance that this Willett 3 Year Old Single Barrel Small Batch Rye Whiskey is completely their own product. I purchased this from […]
August 7, 2017

GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 6 review

WhiskyRant’s conclusions Tasting notes GlenDronach’s sixth batch of the Cask Strength expression comes with a great 56.1% ABV (alcohol by volume). Bottled with great strength and coming from a distillery with good track record, this GlenDronach sounded tempting when I received a sample from a buddy of mine. Just like […]
July 24, 2017

Benrinnes 1997 Signatory 18 year old review

Benrinnes 1997 18 year old single malt whisky by independent bottler Signatory comes from a single cask like Signatory’s products tend to do. This is a malt from Speyside region, from Benrinnes distillery, but the casks are picked by Signatory company who also bottle the products. So the bottling is […]
May 12, 2017

Mackmyra Vinterrök single malt whisky review

Mackmyra Vinterrök is another tasty single malt whisky from the first Swedish whisky distillery. I guess you can state: another innovative whisky from these Swedish pioneers. Vinterrök is a limited edition whisky from their ”Season whisky” series. It is fruity yet smoky single malt with balanced saltiness. Mackmyra states Vinterrök as: “A smoky soul […]
February 18, 2017

Port Charlotte Scottish Barley – heavily peated whisky review

Port Charlotte Scottish Barley is a heavily peated whisky from Bruichladdich distillery who usually are known for unpeated whiskies. If you don’t count Bruichladdich’s über peated range called Octomore. Actually their Port Charlotte range is nowadays so wide, that you can forget the statement “Islay’s non-peated distillery”, which was widely […]
January 7, 2017

Edradour 10 year old single malt review

Edradour 10 year old comes from Highland, from the “smallest traditional distillery” in Scotland as they claim theirselves. The word traditional has been added since there are new distilleries founded in 2010’s, which are smaller than Edradour. Edradour’s full capacity per year is 130 000 liters but they produce approximately […]
December 13, 2016

Clynelish 14 year old review

Located in Highland region, Clynelish 14 year old single malt whisky comes from a distillery built opposite the nowadays silent Brora distillery. The original, Old Clynelish distillery was built in 1819 but in 1969, changed its name to Brora. Brora made heavily peated whisky in 1969-1973 for blending, covering a shortage of […]
November 26, 2016

Lagavulin 8 year old single malt review

WhiskyRant’s conclusions Tasting notes Lagavulin 16 year old single malt is my all-time favorite, so needless to say, I’m a big fan of Lagavulin distillery. Lagavulin is not known for wide range of whiskies: they have their flagship whisky, the 16YO, and a cask strength 12YO – both absolute beauties. […]
October 22, 2016

Compass Box Hedonism Blended Grain review

Compass Box Hedonism was first released in the year 2000, and it was the first of its kind – a blended grain whisky. Another innovation by the tireless innovators from Compass Box. This small independent bottler has really been a pioneering facet in whisky industry, they’ve even managed to upset […]
October 1, 2016

Compass Box Spice Tree review

Compass Box Spice Tree gained much reputation because of Scotch Whisky Association and its regulations. Making Compass Box Spice Tree “illegal whisky”. I’ll get to that later on but first: some basic information about this vatting of Northern Highland malt whiskies. Clynelish malt is the core of this blended malt […]
February 6, 2016

Classic of Islay Jack Wieber 2015 review

Friend of mine told me about a German importer from Berlin, who has released bottlings under the name of Jack Wieber since 1998. Jack Wiebers Whisky World is a wholesale business operating in Wiener Strasse, Berlin. Owned by Lars-Göran Wiebers, the whisky shop is specialized in independent and rare bottlings. And they do release […]
January 4, 2016

GlenDronach 18 year old Allardice review

GlenDronach has made a great reputation with its sherry matured whisky, offering quality drams with age statements. Just like The GlenDronach 15 year old Revival, this 18 year old Allardice has been matured in Spanish Oloroso casks. The GlenDronach distillery was founded in 1826 – being one of the first licensed Scottish distilleries owned by BenRiach nowadays. The […]
December 1, 2015

Bunnahabhain 12 year old review

Bunnahabhain distillery is a good divergent from the region of Islay, because their whiskies are usually lightly peated. Like this entry level Bunnahabhain 12 year old, which nowadays comes in a redesigned bottle and at higher strength. It is also declared to be un-chill filtered and natural coloured. Bunnahabhain has […]
November 26, 2015

Benromach 2004 Peat Smoke review

Benromach 2004 Peat Smoke is a 9 year old peated single malt from the smallest distillery in Speyside region. It’s been matured in first fill Ex-Bourbon casks and it has a phenol level of 53ppm – it has no added color and un-chill filtered. Benromach distillery is owned by Gordon […]
November 20, 2015

Deanston Virgin Oak review

Deanston Virgin Oak is a Highland single malt whisky from Deanston distillery, which has been certified by the Organic Food Association. So you can always feel good about yourself, while trying their Scotch. They are the largest distillery owned by Burn Stewart Distillers Ltd, who also own Bunnahabhain and Tobermory […]
October 29, 2015

Aberlour 12 year old Non Chill-Filtered review

Like the title says, this is a single malt whisky without chill-filtering by the Aberlour distillery. 12 years old and matured in Ex-Sherry butts and Ex-Bourbon casks. There’s also been a 12 year old Aberlour, which has been chill-filtered. Comparing those two would actually be a great blog post subject. […]
October 22, 2015

Connemara 12 year old review

Connemara 12 year old is another peated Irish single malt whiskey by Cooley distillery. Unlike many Irish whiskeys (which are triple distilled), Connemara is double distilled. Other brands under the Cooley distillery include Kilbeggan, Greenore and Tyrconnell. Because of new Irish invasion of distillers, Cooley malt can be found from […]
October 15, 2015

Mackmyra Brukswhisky review

Mackmyra Brukswhisky is a core single malt in the range of the first Swedish whisky distillery. Brukswhisky has been matured primarily in first fill Ex-Bourbon barrels, yet it also contains some Ex-Sherry cask and Swedish oak cask matured whisky. It has some smokier malt too, so we are surely talking […]
October 12, 2015

Teerenpeli 10 year old review

Finnish whisky producer Teerenpeli released the first Finnish 10 year old single malt in 10/10/2015. Well, actually they did offer a cask strength version of a 10 year old whisky in 2014, but this newest version is going to be released for retail also. The cask strength version (ABV: 58,5%) […]
September 27, 2015

Hazelburn 12 year old review

Hazelburn 12 year old single malt is a triple distilled whisky from Springbank distillery in Campeltown. First released in 2009 as a limited release of only 3900 bottles. Like Longrow (another brand by Springbank), Hazelburn gets its name from a long closed Campbeltown distillery. Springbank increased the Hazelburn 12yo production a bit and 4500 […]
July 17, 2015

Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2013 review

Kilchoman is a young, promising farm distillery in Islay. Started at 2005, Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2013 release was also their first release of this sherry cask matured, peated single malt whisky. Kilchoman is a small distillery with 90 000 litre capacity per year. They are one of the 6 Scottish […]
July 13, 2015

Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey review

Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey broke some barriers against bourbon for me. Not quite so long ago, in 2013, Buffalo Trace was my first good encounter with bourbon. Somehow I had only tried American whiskey such as Jack Daniel’s or Jim Beam, for example. It is not amazing, that […]