🥃 How old is your Cognac, really?
Harvest year, distillation date, April 1st, oak maturation, glass demijohns… Cognac age is more complicated than you might think.
And when does a Cognac actually stop ageing? 🤔
I untangle it all in my latest article: moredramslessdrama.com/2026/…
🥃 Grapes. Double distillation. French oak.
That's Cognac. But did you know it can also legally contain boisé, sugar and caramel (E150a)?
What are they? Why are they used? And can you tell if they're in your glass? 👀
I explore facts and regulations: moredramslessdrama.com/2026/…
Walnuts. Mushrooms. Old leather. And chemistry.
Rancio might be Cognac's most mysterious characteristic—and its most overused tasting term.
But what actually causes it? And are we calling too many things "rancio"?
I dig into the science and myths:
moredramslessdrama.com/2026/…
🥃 VSOP, XO, Hors d'Âge, Grande Champagne, vintage, Lot numbers…
Your Cognac label tells you quite a few things. But what does it leave out? 👀
Age, origins, additives and more: let's decode what Cognac labels reveal—and what they don't.
moredramslessdrama.com/2026/…
A single malt is usually a blend… of different casks from the same distillery.
And a single cask? It can sometimes contain whisky from several distilleries.
Wait, WHAT?! 🤯
I untangle the terminology and surprising exceptions in my latest article.
moredramslessdrama.com/2026/…
No whisky in the glass, but plenty of whisky on the page. 🥃
I still can’t drink alcohol because of medication, but I’ve really enjoyed writing these recent Scotch whisky deep dives—with several more to come.
moredramslessdrama.com
“Matured in a refill cask.”
You see it on whisky labels all the time. But what does “refill” actually tell you about the cask? How many times was it used? What was in it before? And does refill really mean less cask influence?
moredramslessdrama.com/2026/…
What if a whisky label won’t tell you which distillery made it?
Secret Speyside. Undisclosed Islay. Burnside. Westport. Sometimes it’s a mystery. Sometimes everybody knows—but nobody will write it down.
I decode the strange language of undisclosed whisky: moredramslessdrama.com/2026/…
“They don’t make whisky like they used to. Different barley. Different yeast. Different casks. Different production methods. Different whisky.
Read the (long) article on More Drams Less Drama: moredramslessdrama.com/2026/…
What is actually on a whisky label — and what does it all mean? From age statements and ABV to cask types, natural colour, and bottle numbers, we decode the mandatory details and the useful extras.
moredramslessdrama.com/2026/…
Glen Garioch, two cask stories: a 2011 Cadenhead’s finished in white Port versus a 27-year-old 1998 Thompson Bros. refill-barrel bottling. Young, wine-led energy against mature distillery character.
Read the review on More Drams Less Drama: moredramslessdrama.com/2026/…
Four official Hakushu, one mountain distillery: Distiller’s Reserve, 12-Year-Old, and two 18-Year-Old editions. Fresh, herbal, and gently smoky Japanese whisky from Suntory’s second distillery.
Read the review on More Drams Less Drama: moredramslessdrama.com/2026/…
Tullibardine, two ways: the official NAS Sovereign versus a 22-year-old 2004 Ruby Port single cask from The Whisky Agency. Bourbon-led freshness meets dark, port cask maturity
Read the review on More Drams Less Drama: moredramslessdrama.com/2026/…
Seven French whiskies. All peated. Naguelann, Fontagard, Vilanova, La Piautre, Yeun Elez, and Kornog on the tasting desk — French whisky gets smoky.
Read the review on More Drams Less Drama: moredramslessdrama.com/2026/…
Seven French single malts, no peat: Armorik, Fontagard, Glann Ar Mor, Arlett, Cormeil, and Vilanova on the tasting desk. A tour of French whisky, one unpeated dram at a time.
Read the review on More Drams Less Drama: moredramslessdrama.com/2026/…
Ardmore, two ways: a 2009 Ruby Port release from The Whisky Agency versus a 40-year-old 1985 from Whiskyland. Young cask influence meets four decades of maturation.
Read the review on More Drams Less Drama: moredramslessdrama.com/2026/…
A first look at Strathmill for More Drams Less Drama: 14-year-old 2009 from Le Gus’t versus 38-year-old 1988 from The Whisky Agency. Same distillery, 23 years apart.
Read the review on More Drams Less Drama: moredramslessdrama.com/2026/…
Two undisclosed Islays, one German bottler (Brühler Whiskyhaus), two quarter-cask finishes: Secret Islay 14-year-old in German red wine and South Islay 13-year-old in Cream Sherry. Which cask suits peated whisky best?
Read the review on More Drams : moredramslessdrama.com/2026/…
Craigellachie on the tasting desk: official 13- and 17-year-olds versus indie bottlings from That Boutique-y Whisky Company and Elixir Distillers. One distillery, four interpretations.
Read the review on More Drams Less Drama: moredramslessdrama.com/2026/…
Mature Glen Grant, side by side: a 28-year-old 1991 from Whisky Broker and a 30-year-old 1995 from Signatory Vintage. Two vintages, two bottlers, nearly three decades in cask.
Read the review on More Drams Less Drama: moredramslessdrama.com/2026/…
