Glengoyne 12 (43%, OB 2018)
Time for a series of Glengoyne reviews, and what better place to start than the 12 year-old? Glengoyne is one of my favourite distilleries, both because the whisky is delicious and because it’s a great place to visit. Yes, it’s a bit touristy (especially given its proximity to Glasgow), but there’s always a warm welcome, … Continue reading Glengoyne 12 (43%, OB 2018)
A Fine Christmas Malt (54.2%, The Whisky Exchange 2019)
The Whisky Exchange’s Christmas malt is now a tradition, and last year saw the release of a 10 year-old Speyside whisky. The label doesn’t say, but it comes from Linkwood. Its reception wasn’t quite as enthusiastic as it could’ve been – the fact that its predecessor in 2018 was a 17 year-old Glenfarclas may have … Continue reading A Fine Christmas Malt (54.2%, The Whisky Exchange 2019)
Craigellachie 13 (46%, OB 2019)
Craigellachie aren’t quiet about the fact that they like to do things differently. For example, while most distilleries remove the sulphur that occurs as part of the distillation, the Craigellachie style actively embraces it: the use of worm tubs for instance helps preserve sulphur notes and create the big, meaty character that the brand is … Continue reading Craigellachie 13 (46%, OB 2019)
Sirius 31 (43.1%, North Star Spirits 2020)
North Star Spirits are quickly becoming one of my favourite independent bottlers. From naming blends after stars to identifying undisclosed distilleries via co-ordinates on the labels, they certainly do things their own way. This release follows hot on the heels of the Vega series – a set of sherried Speyside blended malts that ranged from … Continue reading Sirius 31 (43.1%, North Star Spirits 2020)
Dalwhinnie Winter’s Gold (43%, OB 2017)
Dalwhinnie was one of the first Diageo distilleries to follow in Talisker’s footsteps and release and entry-level no-age statement expression (I’m still amazed there isn’t a Lagavulin NAS to be honest). Like all such expressions, this one comes with a story that explains its name, except it’s not as fanciful as I had expected (I … Continue reading Dalwhinnie Winter’s Gold (43%, OB 2017)
Edradour 10 2004 (cask 400) Straight From the Cask (60.7%, OB 2014)
A 10 year-old single cask Edradour from a sherry butt bottled at a mighty 60.7% ABV – I don’t think I need to say more. Except I will, because if the introduction doesn’t exceed 55 words the formatting gets weird. It took me a while to get into Edradour, mainly because I was never particularly … Continue reading Edradour 10 2004 (cask 400) Straight From the Cask (60.7%, OB 2014)
Nikka From the Barrel (51.4%, OB 2019)
Now that Japanese whisky is ‘the best whisky in the world’, all of a sudden even entry-level malts like the Yamazaki 12 are considered premium expressions. Good quality blends are equally hard to find at decent prices, but Nikka from the Barrel is a welcome exception to this rule. I always found the name a … Continue reading Nikka From the Barrel (51.4%, OB 2019)
Kavalan Bourbon Oak (46%, OB 2020)
I’m starting to believe that Kavalan is one of the most versatile distilleries out there. Its spirit seems to have chameleon-like tendencies and is equally at home in anything from traditional bourbon oak maturation to the most intense sherry and other fortified wine casks, to virgin oak. This particular bottle is the same kind of … Continue reading Kavalan Bourbon Oak (46%, OB 2020)
Port Charlotte Scottish Barley (50%, OB 2017)
Terroir matters for Bruichladdich, as the packaging states, which explains why this Port Charlotte was made with barley grown exclusively in Scotland. Barley is often an international affair, with distilleries importing it from as far as Ukraine for example. Bruichladdich have of course produced even more local varieties of their whisky, moving closer to Single … Continue reading Port Charlotte Scottish Barley (50%, OB 2017)
Glen Marnoch 29 (40%, Aldi Christmas Release 2017)
This was the second of the now-traditional Christmas releases from Aldi, which have all featured impressively aged Scotch single malts (as well as Irish whiskeys) at even more impressive prices. The first release in 2016 was a heavily sherried whisky almost certainly from Mortlach, as was indicated by the tell-tale bottling strength of 43.4% ABV. … Continue reading Glen Marnoch 29 (40%, Aldi Christmas Release 2017)
In Brief: Glendalough 13 (46%, OB 2016)
This is a distillery bottling, but Glendalough’s whiskey hadn’t come of age yet, so it was sourced from another distillery. It was a very pleasant surprise – quite ‘naked’ and eau-de-vie-like but not immature, with floral, citrus and stone fruit aromas that were reminiscent of bourbon-matured Bladnoch and Balblair. Irish whiskey can sometimes be a … Continue reading In Brief: Glendalough 13 (46%, OB 2016)
Edradour 12 2003 Bourbon Cask – Ibisco Decanter (55.6%, OB 2015)
No, I don’t know what an Ibisco decanter is either, besides what you see in the picture. This is from a sample bought recently from Master of Malt, mainly because I had never had a fully bourbon-matured Edradour before and I wanted to see what it’s like when it’s not an idiosyncratic sherry monster. It’s … Continue reading Edradour 12 2003 Bourbon Cask – Ibisco Decanter (55.6%, OB 2015)
Caol Ila 2003/2015 (46%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice)
Caol Ila is always reliable and consistent. There are so many releases from independent bottlers (Gordon & MacPhail in particular always have a lot of Caol Ila), and nearly all of them are very good. It’s not as great value as it used to be, but there’s still a lot of young Caol Ila about … Continue reading Caol Ila 2003/2015 (46%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice)
Deanston 18 (46.3%, OB 2018)
This is the older-style bottle of the 18 year-old Deanston – the packaging may have had a slight face-lift but the whisky inside is the same. The label says ‘bourbon cask finish’, which is a bit vague (e.g. was it not in ex-bourbon casks for the main part of its maturation?). After checking with the … Continue reading Deanston 18 (46.3%, OB 2018)
Glenmorangie 14 Quinta Ruban (46%, OB 2020)
Glenmorangie’s Ruby Port cask finish has undergone a number of tweaks over the years: from the original Port wood finish, to the first NAS Quinta Ruban, to its much-loved 12 year-old successor, and now to the current 14 year-old version. The 12 used to essentially be the same whisky as the 10 but with a … Continue reading Glenmorangie 14 Quinta Ruban (46%, OB 2020)
Bruichladdich The Laddie Ten – Second Limited Edition (50%, OB 2016)
Bruichladdich released 18,000 bottles of the Laddie Ten Second Edition. It was matured in first fill bourbon, sherry and, unusually (though not necessarily for this distillery), French wine casks. To their credit, they priced it for drinking, not for collecting. It’s bottled at a generous 50% ABV with no chill-filtration or added colouring – Bruichladdich … Continue reading Bruichladdich The Laddie Ten – Second Limited Edition (50%, OB 2016)
Grace Ile 25 (48%, The Character of Islay Whisky Company 2020)
At the time of writing, I haven’t actually seen a single review of this mystery single malt, not even a rating on whiskybase. Never let it be said I’m not on the cutting edge of whisky blogging. This is bottled by The Character of Islay Whisky Company, along with a similarly undisclosed 10 year-old that … Continue reading Grace Ile 25 (48%, The Character of Islay Whisky Company 2020)
Deanston 12 (46.3%, OB 2020)
A decade ago, not many whisky writers were paying much attention to Deanston, but this entry-level expression has been slowly but surely rising in people’s estimation. Consider Serge’s scores – he first tried the current iteration at 46.3% in 2009, giving it a score of 74 and saying ‘maybe we should have waited for twenty … Continue reading Deanston 12 (46.3%, OB 2020)
Auchentoshan Valinch 2012 (57.2%, OB 2012)
The Valinch was a limited cask-strength release by Auchentoshan in the early parts of the 2010s. As far as I am aware they issued two releases, in 2011 and 2012. This is the latter. It is essentially a cask-strength version of the then-entry level Auchentoshan Classic (nowadays the entry level Auchentoshan is the similar American … Continue reading Auchentoshan Valinch 2012 (57.2%, OB 2012)
In Brief: Glencadam 15 (46%, OB 2020)
Keep an eye on Glencadam. In my opinion, it’s one of the most underrated distilleries nowadays. This 15 year-old is an excellent soft and fruity malt, full of barley sugar sweetness and fruit (citrus zest, sweet apples). Highly recommended – very similar to the 10 year-old but with an extra layer of depth. I suspect … Continue reading In Brief: Glencadam 15 (46%, OB 2020)
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