I always find Deanston to be a distillery with a distinctive character (current Master Blender Brendan McCarron identifies it as waxiness, I normally find a lot of ginger biscuits and honey in most Deanstons) that nevertheless remains a 'chameleon malt' of sorts, able to take all sorts of different maturations and finishes. This one has … Continue reading Deanston 2002 Pinot Noir Finish (50%, OB 2019)
Category: Whisky by score
Deanston 13 (Distilled 2007, 65%, Signatory Cask Strength Collection 2020)
For a self-proclaimed Deanston fan, I haven't reviewed any spectacular examples on this blog so far. Time to change that. This Deanston was matured for 13 years in a first-fill sherry butt, and bottled at an eye-watering 65% ABV. I first tried it in December 2020 in a tasting by the Blind Tasting Consortium. It … Continue reading Deanston 13 (Distilled 2007, 65%, Signatory Cask Strength Collection 2020)
Deanston Kentucky Cask Matured (40%, OB 2021)
The Deanston Kentucky Cask was a recent addition to the Deanston range - I believe it came out in 2020, or mabe late 2019. Deanston already have a budget-friendly no age statement bottle in the much-loved Virgin Oak, but the Kentucky Cask is aimed at a different share of the market: issued at 40% ABV … Continue reading Deanston Kentucky Cask Matured (40%, OB 2021)
Glen Grant 12 (48%, OB 2019)
It's fashionable these days to dunk on Glen Grant, especially since a certain disgraced whisky reviewer declared the 18 year-old the best Scotch whisky a few years ago. Ralfy, for example, only gave 72 points to the 15 year-old Batch Strength, which can only mean he really hated it as he rarely scores anything less … Continue reading Glen Grant 12 (48%, OB 2019)
Lagavulin 9 Game of Thrones (46%, OB 2019)
We all know about Diageo's Game of Thrones range by now. Mostly repackaged NAS fare, it does however contain some interesting variants on distilleries' standard expressions, of which the Lagavulin 9 year-old is an example. (the Clynelish is another, with a welcome high strength edition) After the success of the 8 year-old, a young Lagavulin … Continue reading Lagavulin 9 Game of Thrones (46%, OB 2019)
Lagavulin 8 (48%, OB 2016)
The Lagavulin 8 year-old was initially a limited release to celebrate the distillery's 200th anniversary in 2016. Predictably, it was hugely successful and soon became part of the core range. The bottle I'm reviewing here is from the original batches. One thing to notice straight away is the extremely light colour - a very welcome … Continue reading Lagavulin 8 (48%, OB 2016)
Lagavulin 16 (43%, OB 2018)
Let's taste a few peat monsters before the warm weather returns, starting with a classic. Like most whisky aficionados (I assume!), I always have a bottle of Lagavulin 16 in the cabinet. There often is chat about the quality fluctuating with different batches, but I've never noticed much variability from bottle to bottle. The prices … Continue reading Lagavulin 16 (43%, OB 2018)
Glenfarclas 105 (60%, OB 2018)
After the Aberlour A'bunadh more than doubled in price, the Glenfarclas 105 has become the undisputed leader in terms of bang-for-your-buck cask strength sherry bombs. Unlike the A'bunadh this one used to carry an age statement too, with earlier batches stating (quite discreetly at the back of the label for some reason) that they were … Continue reading Glenfarclas 105 (60%, OB 2018)
Glenfarclas 25 (43%, OB 2016)
Ah, Glenfarclas... The last bastion of sanity when it comes to whisky prices. If you happen to read this in the future when the Glenfarclas 25 costs more than your mortgage, it's worth noting that, at the time of writing, this is still (sometimes) available for just under £100, when its similarly aged competitors are … Continue reading Glenfarclas 25 (43%, OB 2016)
Glencadam 25 (46%, OB 2020)
The Glencadam 25 year-old was a limited release of 1600 bottles, presented in a sturdy wooden box. It will set you back a lot more than any other official Glencadam, and is still available at The Whisky Exchange at the time of writing. Like most Glencadams, it was matured exclusively in ex-bourbon casks, so we … Continue reading Glencadam 25 (46%, OB 2020)
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