A few weeks ago we got to taste the entire Special Release 2022 series by Diageo. A tough job, we know… We went into every sample blindly, only knowing the distillery, age and maturation. Focussing on taste, what we mostly tend to do. Previous year had a somewhat different...
Read moreSmokehead, the independently bottled Islay whisky that is known for its smoky flavour, what’s in a name? But did you know that the folks at Smokehead have been experimenting with aging their whisky in tequila casks? That’s right, the mad scientists at Smokehead have been mixing things up and...
Read moreWe already considered ourselves lucky for being provided multiple opportunities to taste whiskies we never tried before. But this tops it all: a taste of a Littlemill 45yo 1967-2022. Bottled for what should’ve been their 250th Anniversary, if the distillery would still exist. I’m 32 years old myself, and...
Read moreMeet the Epicurean, traveling from town to town, storyteller at heart. Charming and a little bit cheeky. We meet him for the second time already. As the night settles he pours us a dram of his own blend of malts. And then he starts telling… He’s full of stories...
Read moreOnce again @monnikdranken delivered something on our doorstep we haven’t tasted before. After all those years you might expect that we have had most of the core ranges in our whisky collection but we’re glad to say we have not. We’re working on it though. You see, this anCnoc...
Read moreSmokehead’s newest release brings us back to our time on Islay. At the table of the Ardview Inn at Port Ellen to be specific. At the end of a long day of travelling from distillery to distillery and tasting wonderful whiskies, drenched in peaty flavours, there was only one...
Read moreWe live in a time where we almost can’t escape our busy lives anymore, our family, friends and work are begging for our attention, sometimes one by one, but often these three are fighting to get what they deserve at the same time. It is hard to prioritize every...
Read moreWe’re an absolute sucker for Ben Nevis malts, so I’m glad a couple of our favourite indies do an expression from time to time. It’s an instant buy for us! The one we have right here is a banger by Roger’s Whisky Company. Just look at that label for...
Read moreAt the @whiskyconsutants.nl HQ, we like to broaden our horizons every now and then and luckily we happen to have friends in very, very powerful places. For example, Simon Paul and Francesca Murat from @mynameiswhisky_official who has been extremely kind to us in the past and once again provided...
Read moreWe tend to have nice and cosy drams in our collection, which we can pour any moment of the day. If you know us better, you’ll say that the type of whisky doesn’t matter for us to take in, but we simply (and sadly) can not live on Ardbeg,...
Read moreSome while ago we touched briefly on the incredible variation that the Loch Lomond Distillery is able to offer with their three types of stills. And while we may be acquainted with the distillery by now, Spearhead Single Grain Scotch Whisky didn’t ring a bell, until we received this...
Read moreLast november we took part in another great virtual tasting hosted by Bruichladdich’s Nick Bayens. This time we were up to the task of tasting the latest Octomore trio. I’m still in love with the Octomore 7.1 which I killed just a few weeks ago. But Bruichladdich has arrived...
Read moreLet’s be honest, Diageo knows what they’re doing when it comes to marketing. We received an incredible package a while ago, containing samples of all of the 2021 Special Release expressions. It is safe to say that we were speechless, and that’s a rare thing. This Cardhu 14 years...
Read moreWe can’t deny it any longer, autumn has definitely arrived here in the Netherlands. Leaves are falling, rain is pouring from dawn to dusk and the temperature is dropping massively day by day. We get a little sad every year when summer ends but these weather conditions make us...
Read moreThere’s two types of Ben Nevis: good and better. At least, as far as I’ve discovered. So what mostly remains, is the price factor. I bought this particular Ben Nevis two years ago for around €220,-. Normally I won’t risk it without tasting it first, but considering it’s a...
Read moreFrom a lot of whisky worldwide, you can not see what is hiding inside. The looks of the bottle doesn’t give anything away about the character of the dram. This Ian Mcleod’s Smokehead clearly isn’t one of those, one glance at the frightening exterior gives you an idea of...
Read moreLike it’s meant to be. It was my birthday 2 weeks ago and my brother in law presented me with a Mortlach 12yo, my wife gave me an 11yo bottled by Signatory and as a cherry on top, we received a mystery package by the Italian bottler My Name...
Read moreAt the beginning of this year, we’ve covered a wonderfully sherried 5yo expression of Caol Ila by the fairly new Dutch bottler Single Note. Now they’re back with another Caol Ila, but this time it’s 12yo and has been matured on fresh bourbon barrels. We like the sound of...
Read moreBack in february we bought this stunner of a Bunnahabhain by Wemyss Malts. We liked it so much, that we forgot to meticulously write down our notes. Instead, we sat back and relaxed. And that for many times after our initial purchase. Now the bottle is already half empty,...
Read moreIn our quest for the most delicious bottle, there are no certainties. Every whisky you buy, is some kind of guess. A quick taste before you pull out your wallet is great, but sometimes a dram falls short, just because it’s not the right moment and/or your palate isn’t...
Read moreI (Dennis) am not the biggest fan of the combination of sherry and heavy peat. That doesn’t mean there are exceptions to this rule, I only tend to be more cautious when choosing what to buy. And if there’s an Islay distillery that manages to do it well in...
Read moreLast month, we got the opportunity to take part on the live tasting for the launch of The French Collection by Tomatin. As a fan of Tomatin, we were thrilled! The French Collection is a four part series, the whisky is distilled in 2008 and has initially matured on...
Read moreIf there is one distillery who releases whisky for all tastes, it must be the Bruichladdich distillery. Who doesn’t know about Octomore or the classic Laddie? We have to say, the ‘regular’ expressions are somewhat tame in our eyes, but they’re doing a fantastic job when it comes to...
Read moreWhat we have here is a very special and dangerously drinkable Islay blended malt by Murray McDavid. A vatting of Bowmore and Laphroaig from 1989, having matured for at least 27 years. My guess, based on the taste, is that it’s predominantly Bowmore, there are some hints of Laphroaig,...
Read moreBen Nevis came on my radar just 3 years ago. When I bought the regular 10yo I was sold. It was still widely available and fairly priced. Not anymore… Luckily there are plenty of independent bottlers to fill my needs for Ben Nevis. I’ve tasted some wonderful examples, which...
Read moreLast in line during this Cù Bòcan week, is the Creation #2. If you talk about experimental maturations and finishes, you’ve got to see this one. A regular virgin European oak (16%) in combination with a Japanese Shochu cask (84%). This might be interesting! To be completely honest with...
Read moreWhen I talk about my go to whiskies, I often forget to mention Glenglassaugh. Quite wrongly so, because their Evolution is the one I keep returning to as an example of a well crafted bourbon matured whisky. It’s the dram I take to make my palate ready for a...
Read moreIt is an open secret that we’re into the fact that distilleries experiment a lot with different maturations and finishes. This Cù Bòcan Creation #1 is a perfect example of having the courage to try something different. Matured/finished on Black Isle Brewery Imperial Stout (28%) and Bacalhôa Moscatel de...
Read moreWe start our Cù Bòcan journey with their Signature whisky. A lightly peated malt that has matured on bourbon, oloroso sherry and North American virgin oak casks. That’s quite a lot of different casks, it’s not something that makes our heart beat faster usually, because more often than not,...
Read moreAs you might know by now, I have a huge crush on independently bottled Glenrothes. Although my buying habits are shifting towards bourbon matured whiskies, there’s always a deep love for sherry left in my DNA. And there’s one distillery that I can rely on when it comes to...
Read moreBeing an independent bottler seems like a difficult job to me. You’re dependent (oh the irony) of what distilleries or cask brokers have to offer, so you’ll have to carefully pick a cask that suits your brand. And there’s the consumer, who is heavily influenced by brands they know...
Read moreI’m a huge fan of Game of Thrones, but wasn’t so sure about the themed whisky releases by Diageo. And here I am, I just couldn’t resist buying the cask strength Clynelish and this 9yo 46% ABV Lagavulin. I’m happy I gave in, because I thoroughly enjoy this dram....
Read moreFrom the very first whisky we were intrigued by Arran, we just can’t get enough of their (mainly) tropical drams. We’ve tried several expressions done by them which start its life at Loch Na Davie, high above their distillery. Surprised by and enjoyed every bottle since the beginning. They’ve...
Read moreM-m-m-m-madness… The lyrics by Muse’s Madness directly came to mind when receiving this beautiful package by the Irish Method and Madness. The bright colours, the striking design and the words ‘Mulberry Casks’ can mean only one thing: we’ve got an unconventional whiskey right here. We hadn’t heard of the...
Read moreWe think there is truly something magical about whisky, the craftsmanship, the community, it almost feels like a fairytale. Everytime we visit a distillery, we feel like we’re time travelers. Distilleries often do have some amazing stories behind their releases and that is, in some cases, what can make...
Read moreI took this photo in the morning, when golden drops of sunshine entered my office. Fitting for this bottle that was gifted to us by Golden Drops Danmark. With the elegant white label, stating one of our most beloved Islay distillery: Caol Ila and the glorious words ‘Oloroso 1st...
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