Our first full day in Speyside fortunately wasn't exclusively dedicated to the somewhat disappointing Glen Moray visit. That was preceded by a morning walk around the beautiful gardens of Glen Grant (see this post for photos from our first visit two years ago) and followed by a quick stop at Strathisla, where normal service was … Continue reading Speyburn distillery visit (May 2024)
Tag: Single Malt
Glen Moray distillery visit (May 2024)
Unlike previous years, my wife's aunt and uncle joined us on our Speyside trip, which meant a bigger AirBnB was in order. Instead of our regular base in Aberlour, this time we stayed near Elgin, and so our closest distilleries were Benriach and Glen Moray. I had visited both in the past without doing a … Continue reading Glen Moray distillery visit (May 2024)
Deanston distillery visit (May 2024)
A stop at Deanston has now become a staple of our annual road trip to Speyside. Their tastings at Warehouse 4 offer great value for money for something that not many distilleries provide - namely, a chance to try true single cask whisky extracted straight from the cask in the atmospheric surroundings of the dunnage-style … Continue reading Deanston distillery visit (May 2024)
Glenallachie distillery visit (May 2023)
Having walked the woodland path to Glenallachie from Aberlour last year and hand-filled a bottle (an excellent 2012 finished in a Languedoc red wine cask), it was time for a more extensive experience of the distillery. Glenallachie offers a variety of tours - the Glenallachie Experience for £25, the Premium Experience for £35, and the … Continue reading Glenallachie distillery visit (May 2023)
The Glenlivet distillery visit (May 2023)
A year after our first visit to Speyside, we did the same road trip again, with a focus on different distilleries this time. The pre-booked events were a warehouse tasting at Deanston on the way up, a tour and tasting at Glenallachie, and a single cask tasting at the Glenlivet. I confess I ignored the … Continue reading The Glenlivet distillery visit (May 2023)
Deanston 2002 Pinot Noir Finish (50%, OB 2019)
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)
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)
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)
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