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)
Tag: Single Malt
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)
Benromach 10 (43%, OB 2015)
The distillery is refreshingly honest about the maturation of their 10 year-old: it spends its first nine years in 80% bourbon and 20% sherry casks, before being married for a year in sherry casks. Ever since I first tried it in 2011, the Benromach 10 has remained one of my go-to whiskies both in terms … Continue reading Benromach 10 (43%, OB 2015)
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)
Glenmorangie Midwinter Night’s Dram (43%, OB 2016)
A fancy name and a story behind it, where have we seen that before? This Glenmorangie was first released in 2015 and is a mixture of bourbon and oloroso sherry matured whisky. The name refers to the tradition in which the Glenmorangie master distiller would give the sixteen men of Tain a special whisky over … Continue reading Glenmorangie Midwinter Night’s Dram (43%, OB 2016)
The Daily Dram 