Pepper

Gouden Carolus Single Malt

Gouden Carolus Single Malt

Het Anker is a Belgian brewery with a long and proud history, beginning in the 15th Century. Gouden Carolus is maybe their most well known beer, though they also produce La Cambre, Maneblusser, and the Konishi sake line. In 2010, the owners decided to open a distillery and launch their first whisky in 2013. The Gouden Carolus Single Malt is that first release, and the distillery boasts a few more expressions along with a Belgian Cream in the style of an Irish Cream. This single malt is based on the Gouden Carolus Tripel beer. It is aged in ex-bourbon casks and then finished in Het Anker casks that have previously held some mixture of their beer. The bottle is a distinctive square shape and, while not seen in the images here, comes with a box that mirrors an image of the bottle on the entire length of one side. 

Glenmorangie A Tale of Winter

Glenmorangie A Tale of Winter

Being a distillery with nearly 200 years of history does not guarantee success in the present day. Creativity can be almost as vital as what is in the bottle. In 2020, Glenmorangie began a limited series of no-age-statement releases beginning with A Tale of Cake. Each ‘tale’ has a creative story from Dr. Bill Lumsden, Director of Distilling for Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, and is meant to invoke a certain moment or feeling or place. These whiskies seem geared toward a different demographic than their core offerings, what with the emphasis on story and bright package design. The Glenmorangie A Tale of Winter is the second in the series and is meant to evoke the coziness of being inside somewhere on a cold winter day (or night). Though no age statement comes on the bottle, the scotch was 13 years old and finished in ex-Marsala wine casks for an undisclosed time.

Highland Park 16 Year Twisted Tattoo

Highland Park 16 Year Twisted Tattoo

Since beginning their distillery on Orkney in 1798, Highland Park has been crafting scotch and working with artisans from around the world, continually reinventing itself while also holding true to their history and traditions. A recent rebranding effort has seen them lean more heavily into the Viking influence of that area of Scotland, often seen in evocative names to accompany the usual age statements. The Highland Park 16 Year is called the Twisted Tattoo after Jörmungandr, the Midgard serpent of Norse legend. The design and packaging was the result of a partnership with Danish tattoo artist Colin Dale. Highland Park regularly uses ex-sherry casks as part of their standard maturation process but in the Twisted Tattoo, the scotch was finished in ex-Rioja casks.