Author Archives: Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

About Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

I'm very interested in booze, with a focus on whisky. I like to listen to loads of music and play lots of Magic: the Gathering, and board games too. I'm married to Anneke, have two daughters Ot and Cato, a son Moos and a cat called Kikker (which means Frog, in Dutch). I live in Krommenie, The Netherlands.

Strathisla 13 and Miltonduff 13 for Van Wees

Posted on 17 January 2022 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Van Wees, a very well known bottle-shop and importer of various kinds of booze celebrates their 100th anniversary. Officially that happened last year but the plague got in the way of timely celebrations. So, last week they released their anniversary … Continue reading →

Posted in Miltonduff, Strathisla | Tagged 2007, 2008, Connoisseur's Choice, Gordon & MacPhail, Miltonduff, Sherry Cask, Speyside, Strathisla, Van Wees | 1 Comment

A batch of sherries

Posted on 15 January 2022 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

About a million years ago, in April of 2021, the second year of the plague, I was fortunate enough to try several sherries, courtesy of Ruben (of both Sherry Notes and Whisky Notes). After getting some information for a sherry … Continue reading →

Posted in - Sherry | Tagged Amontillado, Bodegas Tradición, Equipo Navazos, Lustau, Oloroso, Palo Cortado, Pedro Ximénez, Sherry, Sherry Notes, Toro Albalá | 1 Comment

Springbank 8, Refill Bourbon + Fresh PX casks, 56.5% – Springbank Online Tasting Week 2021

Posted on 13 January 2022 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Springbank went online after several of their whisky festivals in spring didn’t happen. I never participated due to some weird credit card / web shop mishap, and after that because of Brexit. However, through others, I was able to get … Continue reading →

Posted in Springbank | Tagged Bourbon Cask, Campbeltown, Online Tasting Week, Sherry Cask, Springbank | Leave a comment

Ailsa Bay NAS, bottled in 2015, 48.9%

Posted on 12 January 2022 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

In my mind, Ailsa Bay is one of those new big distilleries that mainly exists to supply blenders with components for their blends. In that regard it is similar to Roseisle distillery, which is Diageo’s counterpart to William Grant’s Ailsa … Continue reading →

Posted in Ailsa Bay | Tagged Ailsa Bay, Lowlands, William Grant & Sons | 1 Comment

The best of 2021, part deux

Posted on 11 January 2022 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Apart from last week’s post on what whiskies were strictly the best according to my rating, there are two lists that I still want to get out there. The first is the ‘not best but very impressive otherwise’ whiskies, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Alrik, Beenleigh, Caroni, Distillery 291, Domaine Jean-Luc Pasquet, FEW, FEW Spirits, Foursquare, Kingsbarns, Kyrö, Lochside, Marquis de la Pomme, Myken, Springbank, Undisclosed, Vallein Tercinier | Tagged 1941, 1943, 1956, 1968, 1971, 1993, 2003, 2006, 2016, 2017, Anomaly, Australia, Barbados, Blended Malt, Boogieman Import, Bourbon Cask, Cadenhead, Calvados, Campbeltown, Christmas Malt, Cognac, Colorado, Del Maguey, Distillery 291, Domaine Jean-Luc Pasquet, Elsburn, Finland, Foursquare, France, Germany, Glen Els, Hammerschmiede, Hercynian Distilling Co., Jamaica, Kingsbarns, Kirsch Import, Kyrö, Lowlands, Madeira cask, Marquis de la Pomme, Meug, Mezcal, Myken, Norway, Palenque, Passie voor Whisky, Rum, Rye Whiskey, Springbank, Tennessee, The Alrik, The Whisky Agency, The Whisky Exchange, Thompson Bros, Trinidad, Undisclosed Distillery, Vallein Tercinier, Wine cask, Wu Dram Clan | Leave a comment

The best of 2021

Posted on 7 January 2022 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Apart from looking back, using hindsight to evaluate what happened on a more generic level, there was of course a lot of booze last year. In The Netherlands bottle-shops are in the same legal category as supermarkets and other foodstuff … Continue reading →

Posted in Ardbeg, Ardmore, Ben Nevis, Bowmore, Buffalo Trace, Cameronbridge, Clynelish, Elmer T. Lee, Four Roses, Girvan, Glenallachie, GlenDronach, Glenmorangie, Highland Park, Kilchoman, Ladyburn, Laphroaig, Ledaig, Loch Lomond, Longmorn, Mannochmore, North of Scotland, Old Rhosdhu, Port Charlotte, Port Ellen, Rare Ayrshire, Redbreast, Rosebank, Springbank, Tobermory, Undisclosed | Tagged 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, Advent Calendar, American Whiskey, Ardbeg, Ardmore, Ben Nevis, Blended Malt, Boogieman Import, Bourbon, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Buffalo Trace, Cameronbridge, Campbeltown, Carn Mor, Closed Distillery, Clynelish, Dalriada Whisky Company, Dramfool, Elmer T. Lee, Fable, Four Roses, Girvan, Glenallachie, GlenDronach, Glenmorangie, Grain Whisky, Hand Filled, HIghland Park, Highlands, Independent Whisky Bars of Scotland, Ireland, Islands, Islay, Isle of Mull, Kilchoman, Ladyburn, Laphroaig, Ledaig, Loch Lomond, Longmorn, Lowlands, Mannochmore, Max & Julia, Michiel Wigman, North of Scotland, Old Malt Cask, Old Rhosdhu, Orkney, Passie voor Whisky, Port Charlotte, Port Ellen, Rare Ayrshire, Redbreast, Rosebank, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Scott's Selection, Secret Treasures, Signatory Vintage, SMWS, Speyside, Speyside Region, Springbank, Springbank Society, The Old Pipe, The Whisky Agency, The Whisky Barrel, Tobermory, WhiskyNerds, Wu Dram Clan | 1 Comment

That went horribly wrong…

Posted on 4 January 2022 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

2021 has been a bit of shit show, in certain ways. Some of them obvious to the entire planet, some of them private, but in regards to booze, it hasn’t exactly been shit, but I didn’t stick to any of … Continue reading →

Posted in - Opinion | 2 Comments

Lochside 24, 1981-2005, Oak Cask 612, 50% – Lombard Jewels of Scotland

Posted on 30 December 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

It’s been quite a while since I properly tasted a Lochside whisky. Well, in a way, since I had one at Teun (of Maltstock fame) in April or May, when we were having a camping trip near him. It was … Continue reading →

Posted in Lochside | Tagged 1981, Bourbon Cask, Closed Distillery, Highlands, Jewels of Scotland, Lochside, Lombard | 1 Comment

Glentauchers 7, 2014-2021, Port Hogshead, 51.7% – Michiel Wigman

Posted on 29 December 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Now, this bit about the Port Hogshead is not on the internet, or on the label. However, the bottler himself told me in an email, so we’re going with that. A rather darkly colored Glentauchers, in line with quite a … Continue reading →

Posted in Glentauchers | Tagged 2014, Glentauchers, Michiel Wigman, Port Cask, Speyside, They Inspired | Leave a comment

Loch Lomond 10, 2010-2020, Bourbon Barrel 349, 57.7% – OB for The Whisky Exchange

Posted on 28 December 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Yet another iteration of ‘I shamefully admit having lost this sample somewhere in the cupboard’, until recently of course. With this being released in 2020, I suspect this came in during the construction work being done on our house last … Continue reading →

Posted in Loch Lomond | Tagged 2010, Bourbon Cask, Highlands, Loch Lomond, The Whisky Exchange | Leave a comment