New »Uniquely Islay Series« for Germany announced
The German Kilchoman importer Hanseatische Weinhandelsgesellschaft Bremen announced another series of single cask releases for the German market at the end of the year.
After nine single cask releases had already appeared in one fell swoop in spring with Uniquely Islay – An t-Earrach 2020, a series of a further seven bottlings now follows with Uniquely Islay – An Geamhradh 2020:
- #1/7 Vintage 2013 – Calvados Single Cask (Finish)
Cask 205/2013, 4.4.2013 – 5.11.2020, 250 bottles, 56,7 % - #2/7 Vintage 2013 – Port Quarter Single Cask (Finish)
Cask 2110/2013, 4.4.2013 – 5.11.2020, 147 bottles, 55,6 % - #3/7 Vintage 2012 – STR Single Cask (Finish)
Cask 199/2012, 19.4.2012 – 5.11.2020, 241 bottles, 53,5 % - #4/7 Vintage 2010 – (Fresh ) Bourbon Single Cask
Cask 426/2010, 19.8.2010 – 5.11.2020, 243 bottles, 56,0 % - #5/7 Vintage 2012 – 100% Islay [»unpeated«] Oloroso Single Cask
Cask 552/2012, 23.8.2012 – 5.11.2020, 328 bottles, 56,6 % - #6/7 Vintage 2013 – Pedro Ximénez (Finish) Single Cask
Cask 212/2013, 4.4.2013 – 5.11.2020, 258 bottles, 56,3 % - #7/7 Vintage 2010 – (Fresh ) Bourbon Single Cask
Cask 425/2010, 19.8.2010 – 5.11.2020, 243 bottles, 56,5 %
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Compared to the An t-Earrach series, which should rather cover the quantitative single cask deficits on the German market, An Geamhradh 2020 includes some significantly rarer bottlings that have hardly been available for purchase worldwide so far. The Calvados finish and the Ruby Port Quarter Cask finish are particularly noteworthy here, and the number of Kilchoman bottlings made from unpeated malt is still in single figures worldwide. Unfortunately, however, the price level, which was already criticised in the first series, was rather surpassed.
Also on 5 November, the Hanseatische Weinhandelsgesellschaft bottled two more single casks for German retailers (Port Finish for Whiskyzone.de, Madeira Finish for WHIZITA), so that there are now again nine new bottlings for Germany. With these two series and several other single bottlings, such as for Whisky.de, HaWeGe has managed to ensure that Germany will have by far the most single cask releases of any Kilchoman market in 2020. Almost every fifth single cask was bottled for Germany in 2020. An astonishing development and so it is not surprising that some whisky fans are already warning of an oversaturation of the market. In our opinion, these worries are still unfounded, but things can certainly not continue at this pace. Perhaps the approaching Brexit was also a reason for launching the new series in December 2020.