Category: 80-84

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) →

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) →

Glenfiddich 15 Solera (40%, OB 2014)

This is from a litre bottle bought in 2014, but opened just recently. Glenfiddich have since changed the bottle and label design, but the liquid has stayed the same. I suppose this is especially true of this 15 year-old because of its relatively unique (for Scotch whisky) use of the Solera vat, where whisky from … Continue reading Glenfiddich 15 Solera (40%, OB 2014) →

Glenfiddich 12 (40%, OB 2017)

It's fashionable in some whisky circles to dismiss Glenfiddich 12 as a 'beginner's whisky'. It's understandable for two reasons: first, it's an exponent of the soft, fruity Speyside style that a lot of people recommend to whisky newbies (personally I think the idea of a soft, fruity style for beginners and a heavy, smoky or … Continue reading Glenfiddich 12 (40%, OB 2017) →

In Brief: Glen Grant 20 (43%, Signatory, Casks 88170 & 88171)

A marriage of two sister casks. This is very soft, with restrained fruity notes. It feels very fresh and young, despite its 20 years. If this was tasted blind, I would've guessed around 12 years old. The cask influence is minimal - on the one hand I approve of this, on the other it's just … Continue reading In Brief: Glen Grant 20 (43%, Signatory, Casks 88170 & 88171) →