Tag Archives: Lowlands

Lowlands whiskies, their trouble, and an Ailsa Bay

Posted on 13 May 2022 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

From a regional perspective, as far as that is still a thing in Scotch whisky, the Lowlands are a strange one. If you regard the size of the regions it’s only second to the Highlands. But when it comes to … Continue reading →

Posted in Ailsa Bay | Tagged 2011, Ailsa Bay, Duchess, Lowlands | Leave a comment

Lochlea First Release, Bourbon and PX casks, 46%

Posted on 29 April 2022 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Yet another distillery that has recently come on steam. The very first release of Lochlea is this three year old whisky from First Fill Bourbon and Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks, bottled at a decent 46%. Contrary to most other new … Continue reading →

Posted in Lochlea | Tagged Bourbon Cask, First Release, Lochlea, Lowlands, Sherry Cask | 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

Daftmill 2008-2021, Bourbon Barrel 013/2008, 57.6% – OB for Whiskybase

Posted on 3 December 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

A few weeks ago Whiskybase announced that they had a private cask of Daftmill in the works. The caveat was that you had to ‘prove’ that you would open yours instead of seeing it as an investment whisky. To do … Continue reading →

Posted in Daftmill | Tagged 2008, Bourbon Cask, Daftmill, Fife, Lowlands, Whiskybase | 1 Comment

Best of Wines’ Blind Tasting Competition #3

Posted on 1 December 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

The penultimate post on Best of Wines’ BTC, with another batch of three interesting drams. Interestingly, there was another on in here I should have recognized, and another that I have in my collection but haven’t gotten around to yet. … Continue reading →

Posted in Ben Nevis, Glen Scotia, Littlemill | Tagged 1990, 2010, Ben Nevis, Best of Wines, Blind Tasting Competition, Bourbon Cask, Chieftain's, Closed Distillery, Glen Scotia, Heavy Charred Cask, Highlands, Littlemill, Lowlands, The Duchess, Wine cask | Leave a comment

North British 25, 1991, Virgin Heavy Toast Mediam Char Oak Butt, 63.9% – SMWS (G1.15, Could Pacify a Mob)

Posted on 7 October 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

That’s a new one, as far as cask descriptors go! One of these samples that I found on my sample shelf, and a grain whisky to boot. Apart from ‘SMWS G1.15’ there was nothing on the label, so I had … Continue reading →

Posted in - Grain Whisky, North British | Tagged 1991, Diageo, Edinburgh, Edrington, Grain Whisky, Lowlands, North British, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Sherry Cask, SMWS | Leave a comment

Kingsbarns Bell Rock, Sherry & Bourbon Casks, 46%

Posted on 25 August 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

About two months ago I wrote about De Whiskykoning’s Spring Tasting, in which the biggest hit was Kingsbarns Family Reserve. A surprisingly fruity and intense, but light dram. A Lowlands dram like you don’t find many these days. Of course, … Continue reading →

Posted in Kingsbarns | Tagged Bell Rock, Bourbon casks, Fife, Kingsbarns, Lowlands, Sherry casks | 1 Comment

Daftmill 2008-2020, Winter Batch Release, 46%

Posted on 23 August 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

It’s not often that Daftmill becomes ‘actually’ available. And by that I mean that it’s not just for sale at Berry Bros. and Rudd in London, with £ 30-odd shipping costs and the additional requirement that you order over 200 … Continue reading →

Posted in Daftmill | Tagged 2008, Bourbon Cask, Daftmill, Lowlands | 1 Comment