A nostalgic visit to whiskyshop big market in Berlin
Dear diary,
However much I like discovering new things and new places, I always find myself going back to where I have been before. Nostalgia is a feeling that makes me happy. The early days of my whisky passion were filled with sheer joy; the newness of everything, the discovery of new sensations, and the stubbornness that fuelled movements. Berlin was not new to me, since I had relatives living there that I visited a few times before I came to Germany’s capital city on whisky related business. Together with people I knew, I visited the Köpenicker WhiskyHerbst for a few years. A small but very complete festival where you could find anything you wanted. I remember that on my first trip, we came up with a theme. I had just gotten into a verbal fight with someone online (on message boards in those days) when I had foolishly declared ‘nobody would miss the closed Pittyvaich Distillery, since their whisky was rubbish’. I got called out, obviously, on how many examples from that distillery I actually tasted. No matter, we corrected that in Berlin. Surprisingly, there were like a million expressions of Pittyvaich to be found, plentifully available by independent bottlers like – most notably – Duncan Taylor.
Conclusion: Pittyvaich will not be missed. I could have told you straight away.
Another discovery that was brought to my attention was the quaint and intimate whisky store called big market (no capital letters), on the Buckower Damm 86. They say they are the biggest whisky and other spirits store in Germany, and we take their word for it. So, when I retreated to Berlin to work on other writings than my whisky blog in March 2025, it was time to visit big market again, for the first time in exactly 10 years actually. Well, I did try to go last year during a similar writer’s retreat, but then the store was closed because of holiday. It was worth the wait. Walking through the store, there will be a bottle of something anywhere you look. Also worth noting, is that big market has bottlings done for them, like a fantastic Glen Moray bottled by Berry Bros & Rudd that we were kindly offered to taste (= beautiful fruit with a strong dash of wood notes). Going back to my first visit, I remember we were drawn to the store because of a legend! They bottled a Strathisla 1965 that was prepared for their 40th anniversary, back in 2005. How I would love to taste that one again! Maybe find it hidden on their shelf, accidentally forgotten, for the original price, and then down it in one night with friends and cigars. Sadly, this was daydreaming on my part.
For this entry in Tom’s Dram Diary, we are going to taste some big market selected whisky. Bottled in handy 40 ml bottles, there was still enough stuff available to purchase from the already 50th birthday of big market, that was celebrated in 2015. Come to think of it, the year is 2025. Happy 60th birthday this year then, team at big market! I am sure I will return many more times when visiting Berlin.
Allt-a-Bhainne 1995 – 2015, bottled at 54,8 % abv by big market
First things first: A single cask for “50 Jahre Big Market”, no other information available besides the vintage and the bottling year. By the looks of it, this should be a regular bourbon cask.
Upon Sipping: The first ever Allt-a-Bhainne on Long Pour Amour. This distillery is 50 years old in 2025, and we taste it for the 50th birthday of big market. There is a poetic beauty here. In any case, happy to taste this rare malt, that is mostly used for blending purpose in Chivas Regal and the like. On the nose, we pick up a nice farmy, vanilla mix. Lots of fresh barley, corn bread and sunflower oil. Not your everyday vanilla forward single malt, this one has character, but stays close to the core ingredients. I love this dry grain note! The palate is soft as silk, making me think of the standard Cardhu 12 years old, and that is a nice comparison. The barley remains the dominant element in this whisky, and I really appreciate that. Adding water shows how fragile this All-a-Bhainne is, because it almost immediately takes the character of it, with strong hints of petrichor creating a weird sensation. Still, a sunny single malt if there ever was one.
Word to the Wise: An uncommercial selection by big market, daring to be different. Very nice to have such an allrounder on display here. We can see the purpose of Allt-a-Bhainne in the great scheme of things, which is truly to fill out blends with quality spirit. That does not mean it cannot stand on its own. This single cask proves that.
Score: 85 points.
Ben Nevis 1997 – 2015, bottled at 56,6 % abv by big market
First things first: A single cask for “50 Jahre Big Market”, no other information available. For this Ben Nevis, I also suspect a plain bourbon maturation.
Upon Sipping: I have tasted quite a few 1996 vintages and even the 1998 vintages have found their way, but a Ben Nevis from 1997 is more rare to me. This bottling is more quirky, opening with a hint of cat pee, traces of motor oil and sour fruit. In short: Ben Nevis spectacle! There is a lot of fruit on this whisky, but it is all past its prime, rotting in the sun. Oranges, papaya, and soft grain. The years have clearly mellowed the drinking experience, making for a silky, fruity ride into tropical forests. Jee, this is a bottle to fall in love with! I wonder how this tasted when it was bottled, because 10 years of mellowing in the miniature sample has done wonders to it. The scores on Whiskybase are not very high, but I think this style is rather singular these days.
You often wonder if Ben Nevis should not be categorized as a Campbeltown malt, because this has the same dirty edge that we love so much in Springbank. The industrial side of this Ben Nevis forms a sharp contrast with the more fruity, even flowery side of the spirit. I cannot stop smiling while tasting this. It is beautifully weird. With water, more smoke is released, pushing the fruitier notes to the back. The mouthfeel becomes more creamy, with strong hints of more plain vanilla now, but there is also a smoky release now on the finish.
Word to the Wise: Unapologetic single malt whisky, Ben Nevis really being the dark sheep of the Scottish whisky industry, only equalled by Springbank. I had so much fun with this single malt bottled by big market, that I will push it up with a few points to the 90 mark. It deserves it.
Score: 90 points.
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