Inchgower 29 yo 1982/2011 Berry Bros 54.5%
Unknown, unloved and invisible Inchgower. Do we even know where it is? Who drinks this stuff? Lets check googlemaps – what?! Type in Inchgower distillery and it doesn’t even return … Continue reading
Dalmore 1986/2012, Mackillop’s Choice, cask 3099, 43%
Dalmore is not an unknown name in whisky, even for non whisky drinkers. After all its several entries in the ultra luxury market and all that marketing dollars does give it … Continue reading
Rosebank SMWS 25.65 ‘A Whispered Kiss’ 22 yo, 1991, 50%
Happy Lunar New Year! I should have saved the Sheep Dip I reviewed earlier for this post, it being the year of the Sheep/Goat and all but alas, I am … Continue reading
Glenmorangie 10yo ‘Original’
When I first learned that Glenmorangie was the best selling Single Malt in Scotland a few years ago, I was stunned. Why Glenmorangie? It’s a light almost delicate whisky that … Continue reading
Arran Machrie Moor 4th Release 46%
Arran distillery is located on the eponymous island sitting in the Firth of Clyde between the Kintyre peninsula, the southern end of which Springbank is found, and the west coast of … Continue reading
Old Pulteney 8yo G&M 40%
Old Pulteney used to be the northernmost distillery on mainland Scotland, though that honour now belongs to Wolfburn, it is still one of only a select few distinctive Northern Highland distilleries. … Continue reading
Tormore 23yo 1990/2013 Duncan Taylor Dimensions cask 1588 55.3%
Tormore was built in 1960 to meet original owners Long John International’s blending needs, so it is a young and large distillery who owes its eight stills to pure economics, no bones about … Continue reading
Rémy Martin Centaure Extra circa 1980s 40% / Valdespino Oloroso 20 yo ‘Solera 1842’ 20%
Right double tasting. Cognac first, an old one too. What curious treasures one find in forgotten corners of old cabinets. Right this is a Cognac, which means a twice distilled … Continue reading
Glengoyne Tasting by Malt Vault at The Connoisseur Divan
When this was announced, I jumped at the opportunity as I had never had a Glengoyne before (shame!) So firstly, thanks to Ben Curtis for putting this together and setting … Continue reading
Yoichi ‘Yoichi’ NAS OB, 43%
Yoichi’s core range consists of this NAS, the 10yo, 12yo, 15yo and the glorious 20yo. This entry level version even comes in 50cl, probably so it’s easier on salarymen sitting … Continue reading
Glenkinchie 12yo circa 2009
A half hour’s drive to the south-east of Edinburgh will bring you to the Glenkinchie Distillery. For most, this is probably a familiar name due to its inclusion of the … Continue reading
Littlemill 22yo, 1990/2012, The Whisky Agency, 52.2%
The last post on Littlemill had quite a bit of information on the distillery, none of which bears repeating here, except a reminder that Littlemill’s stills were a little strange: … Continue reading
Macallan 1988/2009 Carn Mor Vintage Collection cask 9171
The last time I reviewed a Macallan I failed to include a picture of the famously small dumpy stills: You can’t tell from the picture, but the stills are not … Continue reading
Macduff 21yo, 1992/2013, Old Particular, DL9905, 41.9%
Here known as Macduff, this same distillery is also known as Glen Deveron (its original name) and bears that name for the purposes of its travel retail bottles. Neither is … Continue reading
The Lost Distillery Company, Stratheden Blended Malt, 46%
First things first: Happy New Year! I had resolved to taste more & post more this 2015, but look it’s already the 3rd and not one post since Christmas. Very … Continue reading
Merry Christmas and Cobra Whisky / Glenfiddich 30 yo
Having a flu at Christmastime is no fun – every drink smells of acetone. Still, festive cheer is always a reason to celebrate and if the Christmas spirit doesn’t warm … Continue reading
Midleton 1998, Ref 386, 59.7%
This gem, and it is a gem, is available at La Maison du Whisky. I tried it at Whiskylive and knew immediately I had to keep a portion for further … Continue reading
Linkwood SMWS 39.92 1990/2014 49.5%
Here’s another distillery that you and I would not have easy access to but for the independent bottlers and their aged stock. In truth there’s a lot of it around … Continue reading
Tomatin 14 yo 1987 Carn Mor, cask 494
I’ve not had a naked (read ex-bourbon) young-ish Tomatin before, but it’s great if like me, you love to get a hint of the distillery character without sherry or wood … Continue reading
Glen Moray SMWS 35.112 17yo 1996/2014 52.5%
This is a Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling. In order to hide the distillery, a code number is assigned, but a simple google search will reveal the related distillery. In … Continue reading
Laphroaig 25 yo, 2014 Cask Strength
Some pictures this time: Laphroaig 25 yo, 2014 Cask Strength 45.1% (Official photo) Nose: Time has tamed the beast. Trademark seaweed and iodine are still there but much softer, likewise … Continue reading
Benrinnes, 23 yo, OB Special Release 2009
Yes this is the 2009, the 2014 was just released! Now’s the time to have a go at this one. Benrinnes is a little different. As we know most modern … Continue reading
Sheep Dip Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, 40%
To begin with, Sheep Dip is an insecticide/fungicide solution used to treat sheep. The Spencerfield Spirit company either does not have a large marketing budget, or the guy in charge … Continue reading
Port Morant 1975, 32 yo, Guyana Single Rum, Rendsburger, 56.9%
Feeling Whisky is getting overpriced? Fear not, premium rum is still largely undiscovered. Previously we had a Rhum Agricole from Berry Brothers, that is to say a rum distilled from … Continue reading
Jameson Gold Reserve
Irish whiskey! Ubiquitous Jameson Irish Whiskey is a cornerstone nonetheless, like Jack Daniels to Tennessee Whiskey, but you’ll never guess, Mr Jameson was himself a Scotsman. In any case, the … Continue reading
Highland Park 18yo, 43%
Highland Park is undoubtedly a renowned star in the whisky world, whose historical success relied on quality and marketing in that particular order. It’s fame started long ago: In the distillery … Continue reading
Lochside, 1981/2010, G&M cask 762, refill sherry hogshead.
Lochside was a distillery in the Eastern Highlands, some 22 km North East of Dundee. It’s a sad patch of North East Scotland as far as distilleries go: Hillside, North … Continue reading
Bunnahabhain 35yo, 1973/2008, The Whisky Agency edition 01/2009, 50.1%
Of all the Islay distilleries, Bunnahabhain is least well served by road. As I made the 25 minute northward drive from Caol Ila, I could not help but wonder at … Continue reading
Kininvie, 17 yo, 1996, Batch 1, 42.6%
Kininvie has got novelty value, just 2 Single Malt distillery bottlings under it’s own name. It was bottled under the Hazelwood name previously. The story of this young distillery is … Continue reading
Strathmill Carn Mor 1990/2009 cask 2400 46%
Strathmill is another blending workhorse, supplying Diageo blends, including famously J&B, with it’s 1.7 million litres a year output. from http://www.scotchwhisky.net Trawling about the internet, one finds very little of … Continue reading
Cragganmore, Friends of the Classic Malts 2013 bottling, 48%
Cragganmore circa August 2014 Not an obscure distillery – it’s original spot on the Classic Malts lineup as the Speysider should indicate <if nothing else!> the conviction Diageo has … Continue reading
Glen Grant 170th Anniversary, 46%
Back from Scotland and Whiskyrific is back on-line. These last 2 weeks, I’ve learnt that fog is to Wick what fleas are to sheep and Orkney is so windy, wind … Continue reading
Lagavulin 12 yo 2011 release
I have this one on the shelf and had completely forgotten about it! I will be in Islay for the Lagavulin Jazz Festival, so now seems as good a time … Continue reading
Clynelish 14 yo
It would still be summer in Scotland. ‘At most a light sweater or jacket’, I nodded agreeably, after all recent weather forecasts suggested as much. What would be more natural … Continue reading
Glenrothes 1991/ 2008
Speyside is a beautiful place, drive south you find the Cairngorms looming ahead, turn north and the elemental beauty of the coast contains you. Stay where you are and grows … Continue reading
Ardbeg ‘Airigh Nam Beist’
Not enough Ardbeg on this website methinks. Airigh Nam Beist is variously translated as lair of the beast, or shelter of the beast (romantic end) to just a middling pasture … Continue reading
Invergordon 1964, bottled June 2013, 48 yo, Hunter Laing
A first! This is a Single Grain Scotch Whisky, form a single cask, distilled at Invergordon in 1964. Ok so that means it is the product of one distillery, distilled … Continue reading
Longmorn 1996 / 2009, Carn Mor Vintage Collection
Several Longmorns have appeared on Whiskyrific, but they’ve all been well aged examples (a ’69, and 2 early 70s). Here’s a 1996 just because. Longmorn lost it’s coal heated stills … Continue reading
Longrow, just Longrow
Not a 10 year old, but a NAS Longrow ‘Peated’. Seems to be from about 2012 or earlier. As the esteemed reader would know, Longrow is the heavily peated double … Continue reading
Ben Nevis Càrn Mòr Vintage Collection 1997 / 2009
How about another Ben Nevis? This is a fairly young 1997 from the Carn Mor Vintage Collection range, that means 6 years after Nikka took over the distillery in 1991. … Continue reading
Guadeloupe, 1998, 12 yo (Rum) Berry Bros. & Rudd
Rum! Guadeloupe is of course in the area we call the Caribbean, east of Puerto Rico, north of Trinifad and Tobago. It is part of France, so I am in … Continue reading
Bladnoch 1989/2005, 16 yo, Cadenhead Authentic Collection
This lowland distillery is named for the river on the banks of which it is located. It is Scotland’s most southerly active distillery, if viewed on a map, one would … Continue reading
Lagavulin 1985/2007, 21 yo OB, 56.5%
Post number 100! Something special then. I have quoted the William Black quote found on Lagavulin bottles before, but I’ve also often wondered what the original source material was. Today … Continue reading
Johnnie Walker Green Label ‘180 cask’
This was a short lived special that took over the space marked for the old Green Label 15 yo on duty free shelves in airports around Asia and Latin America … Continue reading
Glencraig 1976 36 yo Signatory Vintage cask 4258
So Glencraig is the name of the whisky distilled from Lomond stills from Glenburgie – they replaced the ‘burgie’ with ‘craig’ as the production manager at that time was Willie Craig. … Continue reading
Craigellachie 5yo, 2006 / 2011, Signatory Vintage for LMdW
Google Craigellachie and you will find many matches for the famous hotel and the village. Scroll some way down and finally you’ll see a match for the whisky. Not a … Continue reading
Ballantine’s 17 yo ~ 80s ceramic
Hmm old jug of Ballantine’s 17, frrm the 80s meaning that the spirit within was distilled in the 60s, which means i) old school style and ii) good chance that … Continue reading
Rosebank 1989 Signatory Vintage cask 723 + 724
Apparently there have been a few other Rosebank distilleries one time or other – one opened in the late 18th century by a pair of Stark brothers, another popped up … Continue reading
Yeast – from East to West
Every whisk(e)y distiller relies on yeast to convert the sugar in the wash/mash to ethanol, which is then distilled in the stills. Granted yeast is but 1 factor, however fundamental, … Continue reading
White Horse 1946
White Horse is an old blend, the name was officially registered in 1891, but the brand was founded back in 1861 by James Logan Mackie. However it is his nephew Peter … Continue reading