An Independent Approach: The Whisky Agency
The Whisky Agency was founded in Germany by Carsten Ehrlich, who is also the driving force behind The Whisky Fair in Limburg, one of the world's most renowned annual whisky gatherings.
Limburg Whisky Fair is where the whisky action happens. The first show took place in 2002 and within just a few years this festival became the heart and soul of the global whisky calendar. The festival was organised by Ehrlich and in the beginning had a primary focus on old and rare malts (similar to that of The Whisky Show: Old & Rare). Over the years the festival has kept up with the changing world around it and in more recent times has become the largest festival (in both size and selection of whiskies offered) in the world. The festival casts a light on the ever-evolving whisky industry and covers almost any aspect of the market – from the most out-of-reach old, antique and rare treasures to new and exciting discoveries.
According to the Malt Whisky Yearbook, Ehrlich’s experience selecting and sourcing casks for limited and exclusive Whisky Fair bottlings led him to start his venture as an independent bottler under The Whisky Agency name in 2008. A rather elusive enterprise, you will struggle to find much information on The Whisky Agency online, even a visit to their website will result in turning over rocks to find nothing in the process.
However absent their online presence may be, their passion is unquestionable and they have a regular release schedule of high quality single casks. A group of friends and whisky enthusiasts with a shared passion for selecting and bottling whiskies that they like to drink themselves, The Whisky Agency's selections include drams that they find so delicious they justly need to share their discoveries with the world. For this reason, their library of whiskies do not conform to a theme regarding the age, distillery, cask type, size or style of whisky they bottle.
They also have developed a reputation for their work collaborating with some of the most respected whisky bars and retailers.
The Whisky Agency's labels include The Perfect Dram, Liquid Library, Private Stock, and Liquid Sun. A significant number of their expressions have drawn accolades from both whisky lovers and critics, with at last update (in 2013!) over forty of their expressions featuring on WhiskyFun.com's list of winners scoring over 90 points, and a number of their releases featuring in Whisky Base's Top 1000 List.
