All whiskies with 86-89 points by WhiskyRant blog.

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 […]
July 6, 2015

Highland Park Einar review

Highland Park has released six NAS (no age statement) whiskies for their Warrior Series, made for European travel retail market: Svein, Einar, Harald, Sigurd, Ragnavald and Thorfinn (in order of price). Named after Einar, one of the most feared vikings of his time. Einar was tough and successful, making lots […]
June 30, 2015

Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition 2014 review

Four Roses Small Batch 2014 is a 9 year old bourbon, containing also bourbons up to 11, 12 and 13 years old. This is a cask strength limited edition by the Four Roses distillery from Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Every year they release a small batch of this heavier alcohol per volume […]
June 30, 2015

Highland Park 12 year old review

I haven’t bumped into any confirmed info about the maturation of Highland Park 12 year old single malt whisky, but I’m guessing it’s Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry casks. Probably re-fill sherry casks. They do talk about the usage of Oloroso sherry casks, so probably those and some American oak. But I […]
June 30, 2015

Longmorn 12YO 1994 by Murray McDavid review

This is a whisky from the independent bottler Murray McDavid and it is part of their “turquoise series”. I had a chance to try it on our way to Teerenpeli distillery tour in Lahti, Finland. It is Longmorn 12 year old single malt from 1994 and it has been matured in a bourbon but. Finished on […]
June 24, 2015

Elements of Islay Bn4 review

Elements of Islay Bn4 is the fourth batch from Bunnahabhain distillery, bottled by the independent bottler Speciality Drinks. This dark and sweet character felt like a nice addition into the Elements of Islay series, even though I only had a chance to take few sips of it on our way to Taivaanranta […]
May 26, 2015

BenRiach 13 year old Maderensis Fumosus, Madeira Finish review

This BenRiach, the 13 year old Madeira Finish, also known as “Maderensis Fumosus” (smoky Madeira in Latin), was my favorite in Speyside blind tasting within our local whisky community here in Finland. In overall scoring it came second just behind GlenDronach 21YO Parliament. I did manage to guess the distillery and […]
May 17, 2015

BenRiach 1994 18 year old Tawny Port Finish review – bottled for Finland

My BenRiach filled May continues with 18 year old Tawny Port Finish 1994 specially selected and bottled for Finland by the great Speyside distillery. The one I’m reviewing was bottled October 2012, cask number 3585 and bottle number 102 of 301. BenRiach 1994 18YO Tawny Port Finish for Finland is […]
May 6, 2015

BenRiach 15 year old Dark Rum Finish review

This dram is BenRiach 15 year old single malt whisky matured in ex-bourbon American oak casks and after that, finished in Jamaican dark rum casks. Released in 2006, it is part of BenRiach’s “Wood Finish Series”, there’s been 350 six-packs made available world-wide. The series also includes Pedro Ximenez Sherry, […]
May 4, 2015

BenRiach 15 year old Single Cask Release 1998 review

Like The Whisky Exchange puts it, “a slightly crazy entry” this BenRiach’s 10th single cask release – malt whisky triple distilled, unlike their regular double distilled spirit. It’s been matured for 15 years and finished in a Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon. 630 bottles has been released. Mine was only a […]
April 18, 2015

Smokehead Extra Black 18 year old review

Smokehead 18 year old single malt is a 6000 bottle limited release by Ian Macleod – a mystery dram from Islay. There’s also a non age statement whisky under the Smokehead brand, launched in 2006. It is much cheaper and presumably, better available than this 18YO Extra Black. The name, […]
March 7, 2015

The Glenlivet Nadurra 16 year old review

Glenlivet Nàdurra 16 year old is a small batch cask strength single malt whisky, “nadurra” meaning natural in Gaelic. Based on the alcohol per volume level and the time I bought it, I think that this sample is from the batch bottled in January 2014. Resembling a lot of Glenlivet 12YO, which i […]
February 15, 2015

Compass Box The Peat Monster blended malt review

Compass Box The Peat Monster is a vatted malt of Islay, Speyside and Isle of Mull, created by John Glaser from Compass Box. The Speyside malt comes from Ardmore distillery. Islay is represented by a village of Port Askaig and some south coast Islay too. Also with some peated malt from […]
January 20, 2015

Glenturret 10 year old review

Glenturret is “the spiritual home” of The Famous Grouse brand, because it is the core malt in their whiskies. So it is Scotland’s most visited whisky distillery, because of the The Famous Grouse Experience, a 5 Star visitor experience. The distillery was officially established in 1775 but there’s been claims, […]
September 5, 2014

Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 year old review

Green Label is a discontinued 15 year old blended malt by Johnnie Walker. In my opinion, the only nice whisky from them. “Drawn from the four corners of Scotland”— Talisker, Linkwood, Cragganmore and Caol Ila were being used in the Green Label. Each of the malts matured for minimum 15 years. […]
September 5, 2014

Dalwhinnie 15 year old review

Dalwhinnie distillery is located very high above sea level. It is one of the highest distilleries in Scotland, which gives some marine quality to it. Located high in the Grampian mountains in Highland region, Dalwhinnie is also very near to the geographical center of Scotland. Matured in ex-bourbon casks, this […]
August 26, 2014

Suntory Yamazaki 18 year old review

Yamazaki distillery is located in Shimamoto, Osaka Prefecture in Japan. The distillery was opened in 1923, and it is owned by Suntory, being Japan’s first commercial whisky distillery. Yamazaki 18 year old was the first ever Japanese whisky for me. What a way to start! After this dram, I was […]