Author Archives: Carissa Hickling

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About Carissa Hickling

Originally from Canada, then India for 20 years, now working in Germany... and quite a 'Whisky Lady' too!

Whisky Lady’s Top 5 Popular Posts (that may surprise you!) 2nd edition

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As part of reflecting back on the last few years and a new milestone of 1,500 whisky posts, I continue to be amused by this blog’s top whisky content… What is it about these posts that attracts so much attention?

My 1st edition of the Whisky Lady’s Top 5 Popular Posts was in January 2020. And now? Only one post remains in the top 5 today.

So, without further fanfare, I give you the latest, if not greatest, Whisky Lady’s Top 5 Popular Posts as of August 2024!

#4 Party Whisky – Amrut’s MaQintosh (Mar 13, 2015)

Previously, this was the “all-time” most popular post. For a whisky that I’ve purchased only once and have had a few times at parties. I feel compelled to buy another bottle just to refresh the photo (one of my all-time WORST whisky pictures!).

20150111_Maqintosh

MaQintosh (WhiskyLady.co)

#5 Happy Whiskies – Bhutan’s K5 vs Misty Peak (October 23, 2017)

Bhutan makes whiskies? Yes, you may indeed be surprised that they do! One of our intrepid Whisky Ladies of Mumbai traveled in 2017 to bring back two whisky blends – K5 and Misty Peaks.

Our conclusion was that, while neither was remarkable, there was an easy-drinking, approachable quality that simply makes one “happy”- much like the touted “happiness quotient” for which Bhutan is also known.

And there you have it, the 2024 edition of this Whisky Lady’s Top 5 most popular posts!

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Whisky Lady’s 1,500 Posts Celebration!

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Sometimes milestones come with great effort and focus, and others simply arrive with time. When I reached 100 posts with 100 whiskies, I couldn’t believe it was possible. Then 200 posts, 300 posts, 500 posts, followed four years ago by the 1,000 post milestone!!!

Today, I welcome you to the next mega milestone – 1,500 posts! Wow!

What has sustained me is being very clear about my purpose. I share whisky-tasting notes as a chronicle of experience and impressions, not for any professional motivation. This is a personal indulgence as a counterpoint to a demanding yet rewarding day job.

I see myself as an avid amateur, not an expert, preferring accessibility over snobbery, and am very grateful for the generosity of a few kind souls who have enabled me to try drams well beyond my means!

There have been a few events or whiskies hosted by distilleries or groups – when this happens it is always acknowledged with opinions remaining unbiased – reflecting what I think and the people joining such tastings with me.

And I have never been alone in this journey. Most of my explorations are anchored by a tasting group. I have been joined by friends from around the world, entertained by TRUE experts, supported by sample swaps, and more!

Here are a few “stats” gathered along the way:

  • My highest posting activity was from 2016 – 2018 when I was part of 3 remarkable tasting groups in Mumbai, India; Our original and now defunct group, the evolving  Whisky Ladies of Mumbai who have rebounded post-COVID and our Bombay Malt & Cigar gents who still meet despite being scattered around the globe!
  • Top posting month was December 2020 with 32 posts when I challenged myself to get through an entire Advent Calendar! It was a malty marathon indeed!
  • My Farewell 2020 post was a very personal update about a year challenging for many – and yes I did make it to India by traveling on New Years eve, paying a fortune to be followed by being sequestered in a quarantine hotel for a week!
  • With my primary home shiting from India to Germany, my content and audience have taken on a more European element, whilst still remaining true to my desi foundation!
  • Over the years, over 185,000 unique folks have dropped by… including a dedicated core who keep coming back post after post, year after year – you know who you are – thank you!

I will admit that I have lost count of how many whiskies I’ve explored over the years, however, you can find a relatively complete listing here: Whiskies by Country / Region. And my Top 10 most memorable malts you won’t find anywhere remain unchanged!

Thank you for taking the time to drop by, read, engage, and reach out!

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A generous gift with Der Schnapsstodl!

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2024 has professionally been a year of change! Whilst still with the same company, my role and team changed significantly. The old gang knew I have a certain penchant for a nice dram or two… hence got together to send me off with a generous gift from a speciality spirits store!

What did I get? Quite a mixed group of different options:

  • Fettercairn 10 year Vintage Cask No 18 46% (Mossburn) ~Eur 54
  • Glen Moray (Elgin Classic) Chardonnay Cask Finish 40% ~Eur 25
  • Glasgow 5 year Oloroso Finish 51.5% (North Star) ~Eur 86
  • Rozelieures Le Parcellaire Clay Limestone 43% ~Eur 70
  • St Kilians Terence Hill “The Hero” Blended Malt Mild 46% ~ Eur 40
  • Christian Drouin Le Gin Calvados Cask Small Batch 2022-K No 1250/2850 42% ~ Eur 32
  • Albfink Dry Gin 40% ~Eur 27 from Finch Distillery

All good things come to those who wait, so tasting notes will be spread out in the coming months (or years!) as bottles are opened in various tasting sessions.

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Nurnberg Whisky Explorer’s Special Glens Evening

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Our Nurnberg Whisky Explorers group decided to skip summer sessions, however still managed to sneak in an early July session. Why? It was an opportunity to celebrate a member’s new job with an extra special Glenburgie as the fabulous excuse!

So what did we try in our special Glen themed evening?

We kicked off our evening with a wee calibration dram – in this case, we thought the open Arran would do the trick!

We then compared the Glentauchers 14 year followed by the more robust 8 year. Alas the Glentauchers 14 lost some of its charm through oxidation – more sour green apple and strawberry yoghurt than an elegant and nuanced rum topf.

However, the Glentauchers 8 year remained a delight with a fabulous mouthfeel, spice, black forest cake, and more!

As for the Glenburgie? It entranced us with its nuanced, complex character – fruity yet with substance. An absolute treat!

Interested in joining our Nurnberg Whisky Explorer events? Just comment here with the best way to reach you.

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Grace O’Malley Blended Irish Whiskey 40%

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April in Maharashtra can be hot and dry. Not exactly whisky-sipping weather. However as the sun set, our air mist helped drop the temperature further, and we thought what the heck! Let’s try a dram or two.

Conveniently, I received a “return gift” with an interesting assortment of samples from a fellow whisky explorer, sharing miniatures from his open bottles. This Irish whisky was in the mix and seemed just the right place to begin.

What did we think?

Grace O’Malley Irish Blended Whisky 40% 

  • Nose – Sunshine happiness in a glass, hint of rye, vanilla, some citrus
  • Palate – Sunny, salty, and easy to sip, just as friendly, a spring-like quality
  • Finish – Salty almonds or a light nougat

Like many Irish whiskies, this was an amiable dram. Perhaps it was just the setting, however, we enjoyed it. Nothing remarkable. Nothing really stood out. However, it was a perfect starting point for a warm evening in rural Maharashtra.

What about their official tasting notes?

  • Nose – Caramel, vanilla, maritime notes, orange peel & honey
  • Palate – Salt, well balanced with salty undertones
  • Finish – Middle Eastern pastry, sweet, saline & toasted notes

In Germany, one can buy this entry Grace O’Malley expression for ~21 Eur. Not such a bad price point at all.

What more do we know? And who was Grace O’Malley? She was an Irish pirate queen – a charismatic leader from the nobility of County Mayo – whose story was the inspiration for a trio of gents (One Irish, two German) to create this brand. It will be interesting to see what these folks put out with their own liquid.

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What’s in a Name? April Fool!

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Last summer, I missed an interesting session with the Bombay Malt & Cigar gents with the theme “What’s in a Name?“.  The inspiration for this theme obviously came from how the whiskies were dubbed inventive titles such as “Peace, Love & Whisky“, “Memories” plus this one called “April Fool’s”! All three were from independent bottlers – the initial two were from Simply Whisky and this last whisky was bottled by The Whisky Exchange.

Very kindly they kept aside samples for me to experience solo. 

As background, for those not familiar with the story, Ardnamurchan is the Highland distillery recently re-opened by independent bottlers Adelphi. The original distillery stopped production in the early 20th century and its current avatar officially opened in 2014. Ardnamurchan produces both unpeated and peated single malts.

So… what did I think about this expression?

Ardnamurchan 5-year “April Fool – Extremely Old, I wish I were Younger” (2022) 53.2% (The Whisky Exchange) 1575 bottles. GBP 75

    • Colour – Bright gold
    • Nose – What first greets you is a decided sour aroma. A cross between sour apple sauce and a balsamic reduction. It then opened up to woods, toasted nuts, smoked meats, heavy caramel, warm and oily, some fruits
    • Palate – Hot and spicy! There are more smoked meats, joined by smoked fish, sweet spices, and more of that oily element. Certainly this would be part of their peat expressions…
    • Finish – Strong, hot, bitter and long
    • Water – Don’t mind if I do! It helps, it really helps.
      • On the nose, it brings out some fruit sauce – like a mix of apples and others. the sweet spices of ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cloves peak out.
      • With a generous splash, it also tames the palate, allowing more of the sweetness to come through – some fudge with a ginger honey glaze topped by a coastal salt spray
      • The finish too becomes much more approachable
  • Have you had salmon on cedar plank? Somehow it reminded me a bit of that once watered down, settling a bit. This is no sprightly romp through the park. Instead, it is more like tromping through a deep forest in autumn.

    I’ll have to admit that until I added a dollop of water (no mere carefully measured drops!), I wasn’t so enthusiastic about this dram. However, with water, I could see this being the bracing accompaniment to coming in from the cold.

    That shared, I had trouble reconciling this not-so-thrilling experience with the positive buzz I’ve heard and read about Ardnamurchan. Me thinks in the upcoming September London Whisky Show, we’ll have to spend some time exploring to make a more informed determination for ourselves.

  • What more do we know? This whisky has been aged in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks for 5 years before being bottled at cask strength.

    Here is what the folks at The Whisky Exchange have to say:

    Our April Fool’s 2022 special release is wise beyond its years. Distilled at Ardnamurchan under the watchful eye of the Adelphi Distillers team, this five-year-old whisky combines centuries of tradition with modern whisky making to create a fruity dram, run through with a gentle seam of peat smoke. The whisky’s details are hidden on the label, only revealed when you shine a UV torch on them – April Fool!

    Compliments of my friends this is what the bottle looks like to the “naked eye”.

    And under the black light? This is what you can see… sort of… revealing that it is a mere 5-year-old upstart!

    What else was sampled in an evening devoted to What’s in a Name?“:

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Canada’s Shelter Point – “Smoke + Oak” 5 year (2021) Batch #1 46% 

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Shelter Point has experimented with a few different approaches to peat and smoke – often attracting awards and attention for the innovative and pleasing results. To be honest, I had skipped the initial peaty releases, but when I spotted this smoke one, decided it was definitely the one to try!

Why? Well you can read further details here or below however in short – they finish the whisky in smoked barrels rather than use peated barley. Intriguing…

Shelter Point “Smoke & Oak” (2021) 46%

  • Colour  – Bright amber
  • Nose – What a lovely very subtle smoke, a dry sweet smoke with no peat, even more coastal than the others, there was a slight sharpness, crisp apple, then apricot and a citrus twist – delightful fruity freshness, creamy too
  • Palate – Very sweet! Apricot marmalade, then it doubles down on that distinctive earthy element we found in all the Shelter Points, much more tobacco, coffee, leather, toasty, and frankly just really really good! There was also a fruity sweet BBQ sauce with a bit of a spicy, tangy yet salty approach.
  • Finish – Long, strong and rewarding

Even for our non-peat people, this one really hit the mark! For most of us, it was the clear favourite of the evening. All the different elements came together just right – delicious.

And what do the folks at Shelter Point have to say?

Shelter Point’s first edition in a new series of Smoke & Oak driven small batch experimental whiskies has landed. For this expression, we smoked our own finishing barrels using a smouldering combination of applewood and locally-harvested Vancouver Island peat. Using 100% unmalted barley from on-site at Shelter Point Farm as a base, this is a whisky that breaks all the rules. This triple distilled whisky was aged in American oak ex-bourbon barrels for 5 years before a final rest in our hand-smoked finishing barrels for 6 months.

Tasting Notes:

Smoke and Oak Batch 1 arrives with notes of demerara sugar, sweet hay, caramel, BBQ, chocolate, fruitcake, vanilla, pepper, and wisps of distant smoke.

Whisky Facts

  • Still: Custom-designed copper still
  • Base: 100% malted and unmalted barley (That’s it. Nothing else)
  • Distillation: Small-batch, 2x distilled & 3x distilled
  • Spirit: Natural colour and non-chill filtered
  • Alcohol Content: Bottled at 46% Alc.Vol
  • Bottle Size: 750ml and 375ml
  • Packaging: Classic Tennessee-style bottle features Vinolok glass closure and original engraving of Shelter Point Farm created by renowned illustrator Steve Noble

I purchased it in 2021 for CND 45 and brought it from Canada to Germany in 2023, opening it in June 2024 in Nurnberg.

Shelter Point Quintet sampled by the Nurnberg’s Whisky Explorers:

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Canada’s Shelter Point – “The Forbidden” 6 year (2021) Batch #2 47% 

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When we embarked on our Shelter Point flight, we thought the best approach would be to start with the standard as a calibration dram, then progress from grain to triple grain (blend), followed by this single malt before closing with the smoke expression.

In retrospect, we should have followed the grain with “The Forbidden”. Why? Two reasons – we didn’t initially catch this was also a grain – more precisely wheat whisky. Plus, whilst the Triple Grain was only 43%, it was bursting with character. Hence, we needed a bit of a palate cleanser before this subtle more nuanced expression – even though it had a higher ABV at 47%. Spoiler alert, for several this was the “runner up” of the evening – well worth trying!

Shelter Point “The Forbidden” 6 year Wheat Whisky (2021) Batch #2 47%

  • Colour  – Bright gold
  • Nose – Very pleasant and inviting, grassy with lots of cereals, some sea breeze with sea salt, a bit musty it then opened up to some lovely sweet warm caramel or honeyed elements
  • Palate – Very interesting and really rather nice! There was a lovely honeyed sweetness, well-rounded with a minty herbal quality too. Beneath all the sweetness and light was a touch of black pepper and that earthy element – just this time tempered to be just a hint. It also had some ground coffee beans, some cocoa beans too, and sea salt. Yum.
  • Finish – Dry, long and lingers… sliding from sweet into bitter and even a bit tart

Whilst we found it a bit hard to pinpoint exactly what part we likely best and why, we concluded this was by far the most approachable Shelter Point from our quintet flight. If you had just one Shelter Point to sip whilst unwinding, this would be a good choice.

One of our tasters remarked how much it differed from Bourbon – whilst it had the sweet caramel, somehow it differed from the typical oak, caramel, and vanilla – in a good way.

What do the folks at Shelter Point have to say?

The Forbidden Batch 2 “The whisky no one knew they needed”

Shelter Point’s second Single Malt Wheat Whisky release has finally arrived. This whisky is the third different grain whisky that we have bottled. Named after our local landmark “Forbidden Plateau”, this small mountain and our whisky are similar as both shrouded in mystery. By using Wheat as the base this whisky is truly unique and unlike anything we have ever produced. This whisky was double distilled and aged in exclusively in American oak ex bourbon barrels for 6 and a half years.

Tasting Notes:

The Forbidden whisky is sweet and medicinal on the nose. The palate is full of caramel and vanilla and slightly spicy note. The satisfying finish is a delicious combination of a slight peppery note and vanilla.

Shelter Point The Forbidden Whisky Facts:

  • Still: Custom-designed copper still
  • Base: Malted Wheat (That’s it. Nothing else)
  • Distillation: Small-batch, 2x distilled
  • Spirit: Natural colour and non-chill filtered
  • Alcohol Content: Bottled at 47% Alc.Vol
  • Bottle Size: 750ml and 375 ml

I missed “The Forbidden” 1st Batch, so when the 2nd batch became available in 2021 – even though the price had jumped to CND 45 plus taxes, I immediately grabbed one! Back then, there were several releases with the wonderfully convenient 375 ml size and the kind folks at Shelter Point let me buy online and keep with them until I had enough for them to send from BC to my folks in Manitoba. I later brought it to Germany, to open in Nurnberg in June 2024.

Shelter Point Quintet sampled by the Nurnberg’s Whisky Explorers:

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Canada’s Shelter Point – Shelter Point 7 year (2020) Single Cask #5 43%

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It was an evening devoted entirely to Shelter Point – exploring the contrasting yet converging characters of different expressions. After our calibration dram and Montfort 151 Single Grain, we progressed to a triple grain – with both unmalted and malted barley plus rye. We had no idea what to expect, however the dark copper, almost amber should have been a clue we were in for a potent dram!

Shelter Point 7 year Single Cask Triple Grain (malted & unmalted barley, rye) Edition #5 ex-bourbon with French Oak cask finish (2020) 43% 288 bottles

  • Colour  – Dark copper, edging into coffee
  • Nose – Heavy and potent, lots of molasses, prunes, rum raisins, very sweet, robust
  • Palate – Flat coca-cola and grape jelly! Chocolate and initially a bit unbalanced until it settled down with all elements in harmony. There was coffee, full-flavoured, burnt caramel, rich, spicy and creamy
  • Finish – From coffee, shifted to English breakfast tea, lingering long and surprisingly intense

Wow! This one really packs a lot of flavour! At only 43% there was a lot going on. One remarked how it reminded of a dark “bock” lager beer. Some folks are fans, others are not. Other comparisons were made to coffee liqueur. The bottom line is that this blend has a lot to say and worth paying attention to!

What do the fab five folks at Shelter Point have to say?

Single cask edition 5. Whisky is poetry, but it’s also alchemy. Here at Shelter Point we’re always in search of the perfect elixir. This whisky journey began when we married together a blend of malted barley, unmalted barley and rye whisky. Aged in an ex-bourbon cask, then finished in French oak, this seven-year-old whisky is a bottle of gold at the end of the grainbow.

Tasting Notes

On the nose you get a slight spice and vanilla note. The palate is filled with caramel and honey. The satisfying finish is a delicious combination of a slight spiciness, chocolate and salted caramel.

Whisky Facts

  • Still: Custom-designed copper pot still
  • Base: A blend of Rye, Wheat & Malted Barley (That’s it. Nothing else)
  • Distillation: Small-batch, 3x distilled
  • Spirit: Natural colour and non-chill filtered
  • Alcohol Content: Bottled at 43% Alc.Vol

I purchased it directly from the distillery in 2020 for $78.25 + taxes. I later brought it from Canada to Germany, to open it in Nurnberg in June 2024.

Shelter Point Quintet sampled by the Nurnberg’s Whisky Explorers:

Interested in receiving more Whisky Lady posts? Why not follow on:

Canada’s Shelter Point – Montfort District Lot 151 (2020) Single Grain Whisky 46%

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Grain whisky often gets a bad rap for being the “extra” that goes into a whisky blend. And yet the range of possibilities with grains are immense! So when we had not one but two grain whisky options to sample with our Shelter Point quintet, we were open to the experience. We began with the single grain from a single lot on Vancouver Island – specifically the Montfort District Lot 151 to be found :

  • Latitude: “49.876166”
  • Longitude: “-125.126368”

Whilst the folks at Shelter Point refer to site-specific soil classification differences and the influence of proxmity to the ocean and forested land, unlike Ireland’s Waterford distillery who share extensive micro-provenance details, here we have just the location of the family farm on which the barley is grown.

The previous release tasting notes for the Montfort DL 151 are remarkably similar to the 2018 Montfort DL 141 – which we earlier sampled a few years ago. And now? If you head to the Shelter Point website, they no longer distinguish between the lots, bottling only as Montfort. Still field to flask, still from a family run farm, however I suppose over time this is more manageable to sustain, with more flexibility with cask management.

Setting all of these factors aside, what did we think?

Montfort District Lot 151 (2020) Unmalted Barley Single Grain Whisky 46%

  • Colour  – A bright sunny gold
  • Nose – Are those ripe dark cherries? Now some toasted notes chased by a light sea salt. Take a big breath and you are transported to a wheat field, full of cereal aromas. Then marzipan, some nutty notes, some maple, and tobacco leaves.
  • Palate – Mmmm…. starts a bit sweet and smooth, lightly fruity – perhaps white peach?, creamy then shifts into a darker earthy element joined by chocolate. It is incredibly soft yet not delicate as it has far too much “substance”
  • Finish – Dry yet satisfying

For a young grain, this was actually quite impressive. We also appreciated the true terroir focus – including the exact location on Montfort Lot 151! I don’t know what exactly I expected, however, this was really very enjoyable.

What do the folks at Shelter Point have to say?

Montfort 151 is a truly unique field-to flask whisky. The name itself is the very lot in which the single-grain barley was grown, as well the coordinates to the exact field are included on every bottle. The Montfort series has literal grass root beginnings, each field that we farm has a distinctive district lot number, as well as site specific soil classification, and a proximity to the ocean and forested land. These collective characteristics grow barley in distinctive and unique ways resulting in unique flavor profiles from these micro regions on our farm. Montfort 151 is distinctively different than the Montfort DL 141, and Montfort 151 is a proud product of our distillery home.

Tasting Notes

On the nose, Montfort DL 151 has distinct notes of vanilla fudge, dried fruits and hazelnut. The palate is honed and herbaceous with a luxurious assortment of dark chocolate cherries, leading to a warming spicy finish, with lingering oak and almond nougat.

Whisky Facts

  • Still: Custom-designed copper pot still
  • Base: 100% unmalted barley (That’s it. Nothing else)
  • Distillation: Small-batch, 3x distilled
  • Spirit: Natural colour and non-chill filtered
  • Alcohol Content: Bottled at 46% Alc.Vol

I purchased this when it was released back in 2020 for CND$30.43 + taxes for a 375 ml bottle – which to me is the PERFECT size!

Unfortunately, Shelter Point seems to have largely discontinued this option, which now seems to be only available for their Whisky Club at CND 225 (including tax) / year for 3 bottles – that’s over double what they were charging just a few years ago. Which, frankly is a lot per bottle – in the range of $130 each if it was full size. Clearly, something is going on with the distillery making this a necessary change, however, as both a consumer and fan, this is truly a pity.

Shelter Point Quintet sampled by the Nurnberg’s Whisky Explorers:

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