Reviews

Distillation has been a tradition in Corsica for over 150 years, while the Pietra brewery has only been brewing beer since 1995. Pietra and the Mavela distillery have recently entered into a collaboration, releasing their products under the name P&M Single Malt Corsican Whisky. Today, we're exploring the "Red Oak" special edition, featuring spring and winter barley, 5ppm of smoke, a Holstein Pot Still, maturation in ex-Niellucciu (a Corsican grape variety) red wine casks, and a limited run of 567 bottles. Unfortunately, the age of the whisky remains a secret.

Anyone who reads here regularly should already be familiar with the bottlings from 82 Chapters to Newcastle. The Benrinnes 12 years is one of the Creatures of Cask Strength bottlings, but at the same time it is not. Why not? We have no idea. In Asterix and Obelix terms, you'd say: the guys are crazy.

The original bottlings from the Benrinnes distillery can be counted on one hand - there is exactly one and it appears in the Flora & Fauna series. If you still want to enjoy single malts from the distillery, you have to look around at independent bottlers such as Malts of Scotland.

The Tullibardine 500 is based on the Tullibardine Sovereign and undergoes a 12-month finish in a classic sherry cask, which should be familiar to any whisky enthusiast.

The Tullibardine 228 is based on the Tullibardine Sovereign and undergoes a 12-month finish in Château de Chassagne Montrachet Red Burgundy barrels (228 litre capacity). The estate, owned by the Picard family, is located in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage vineyards and is renowned for its excellent wines.

The Tullibardine 225 is based on the Tullibardine Sovereign and undergoes a 12-month finish in Sauternes barrels (225 litre capacity). Sauternes is a French wine-growing region known for its noble sweet white wine.

Tullibardine Sovereign is the entry into the core range of whiskies from the distillery in the Scottish Highlands. At the same time, it also forms the basis for further core range bottlings, each of which receives a 12-month finish in a different type of cask than the bourbon cask.

The 8 years Tullibardine - # 2 in Signatory Vintage's 100 proof series - was distilled in 2015, bottled in winter 2023 and sold out within hours, as did the other 2 bottlings in the series. And rightly so? At 57.1% ABV, the alcohol content of the bottlings corresponds exactly to the minimum level at which gunpowder soaked in alcohol ignites - or 100 British proof.

Go Out Ride Find Happiness (GORFH) – that's the name of the three-years whiskey aged in pre-filled 600-liter White Burgundy oak casks at the Distillery in Merdingen. After a triple distillation of the corn-barley-mash and refinement in small, new 20-liter casks, the water of life was bottled and adorned with a label featuring a stag with magnificent antlers drinking from a spring. We had the privilege of tasting the first bottling from the first cask – Bottle number 24 out of a total of 56.

Scotch Universe is a German independent bottler based in Dülmen. In collaboration with their office in Glasgow, they offer special releases under various brands. The "The Old Friends" series showcases single cask bottlings at cask strength - unfiltered and with no added coloring. The marketing approach revolves around presenting these exceptional malts as gifts for old friends. Today, we have a Blair Athol in the glass, matured for 11 years in a red wine barrique cask.

The youngest release from Chivas Brothers, the Chivas Regal 12, is an indispensable component of any well-stocked spirits department. Since the early 20th century, this bottling has enjoyed widespread popularity, especially among non-experts who delight in savoring it on special occasions. The primary malt in the blend is notably sourced from the Strathisla Distillery on the Speyside. Today, we take the time to see how it presents itself from our perspective.

Some time ago, we had the pleasure of tasting the blended malt "Dumbarton Rock" from the Independent Bottler Dràm Mòr. The company's primary focus lies in bottling individual single malt casks. They showcase a seasonal selection of special releases quarterly – of course uncolored and unfiltered. Today, we savor a 10-years Ben Nevis from the Summer Collection 2023, featuring a finish of undisclosed duration in Palo Cortado Sherry Hogsheads.