Caol Ila 17 yo 1995/2013, The Whisky Agency vs Caol Ila 33 yo 1979, Malts of Scotland, #12022
Caol Ila is another old faithful on Islay. Everybody knows the scale of production here, yes it’s huge, some say industrial. You know in perusing whisky related content online, I … Continue reading
Inchmurrin That Boutique-y Whisky Company Batch 1
Inchmurrin is peated Loch Lomond, or rather one of Loch Lomond’s peated variants. It was supposed to be a medium peated and aperitif style, but who knows really, I haven’t … Continue reading
Happy Birthday my boy. Largiemeanoch (Bowmore) 1967 12 yo, The Howgate Wine Co. , #2655, 2656, 2657, 95 proof/54.2%
So quickly 1 turns to 2. Before I knew it your first year doubled to two but more than double has been the joy you brought to our lives this … Continue reading
Port Ellen 30 yo 60th Anniversary Bottling Douglas Laing 2009 vs Port Ellen 28 yo 1982 Old Bothwell for Germany #2039
Whiskyrific has been offline a fortnight now, that’s because we have been on holiday which culminated at the Limburg Whisky Fair. World’s largest whisky festival. It was absolutely amazing. One … Continue reading
Bunnahabhain 25 yo 1988/2013 #4344 vs Bunnahabhain 34 yo 1980/2014 # 847945
Bunnahabhain is in a bit of a strange place – It’s quite widely available, both as officials and independents, so much so in fact almost every independent has stocks of … Continue reading
Tomatin 30 yo ~ 2014 release vs Tomatin 32 yo 1981/2014 Oloroso Butt #001
Sometimes I get quite bored trawling through whisky groups and websites because it feels like the same very popular names keep appearing. Look these can be great whiskies in their … Continue reading
Glen Garioch 21 yo (bottled 1995) vs Glen Garioch 22 yo 1990/2012 Mackillop’s Choice #10295
The idea here is to compare 2 Glen Garioch in their early 20s, one distilled circa early 70s and the other distilled 1990. I expect noticeable changes, as Glen Garioch lost … Continue reading
International Whisky Day: Lochside 1967 / 2012 Malts of Scotland #12016
This March 27th, is International Whisky Day, chosen for the birthday of the late great Michael Jackson. It seems whisky hardly needs more awareness nowadays, and Michael can rest easy … Continue reading
Irish Nectar of the Daily Drams ex rum casks: Ireland 24yo 1989/2014 #16262 42.2% vs Ireland 22 yo 1991/2014 #10657 46.6%
Why couldn’t I just do this last week when it would have gone perfectly for St Patricks I wonder. Anyway, up this week – 2 Irish Single Malts of certain … Continue reading
Glann ar Mor Maris Otter vs Kornog Roc’h Hir vs Kornog Sant Erwan 2016
Somehow the fact of it being St. Patrick’s day yesterday completely escaped me, and instead of doing the proper thing and having Irish whiskey I instead embarked on French whisky. … Continue reading
Clynelish 12 yo Di Chiano vs Clynelish 17 1997 / 2015 Hunter Laing # HL11236
Lagavulin is my favourite distillery, but Clynelish is a hair’s breadth away. Unlike Lagavulin or some of the smaller Diageo distilleries which have a core range or else an output … Continue reading
Cognac XO 20 years Vom Fass vs Cognac Lot 65 Vallein Tercinier
Much delayed post, due to work and national service obligations. This one is on Cognac, a very rare occurrence on my blog. Simple reason – whisky is avoided by some … Continue reading
Ardbeg 10 ~1975 vs Ardbeg 24 yo Cadenhead for Sestante ~1965
By now you must have heard that 2 illustrious figures in the whisky world have left us. Dr Jim Swan was a veritable fountain of knowledge and expertise and was … Continue reading
Lagavulin line up: Lagavulin 16 ~2016 vs Lagavulin 16 White Horse early 90s vs Lagavulin12 geen glass cream label vs Lagavulin 12 clear glass white label
Glorious Lagavulin. This represents the standard ‘entry’ Lagavulins from today to the 70s. A line up I have been meaning to do for some time. No other reason but oh … Continue reading
Rosebank 70 proof Distiller’s Agency vs Rosebank 20yo Zenith 57% Distiller’s Agency
Both the oldest and the youngest – well technically, it is a NAS – of official 70s Rosebanks at a go. You might find others like the 8 yo, 12 … Continue reading
Highland Park Edward Giaccone vs Highland Park 1973 ‘The Dragon’ 56.4%
A welcome return to Orkney and Highland Park Below is a snapshot of the famous Maes Howe cairn, relevant later with regard to The Dragon. And this is how the … Continue reading
Bowmore 18 yo 43% ~2012 bottling vs Bowmore 21 yo 1989 / 2011 Nectar of the Daily Dram
More Bowmore? What’s wrong with him? No seriously. This is one distillery that one should make every effort to try the independents on, because the official stuff well.. isn’t quite living … Continue reading
Ledaig 16 yo 1997 Old Particular Douglas Laing #10034 vs Ledaig Batch 1 That Boutique-y Whisky Company
Ledaig also has a storied and chequered past if anyone is interested in finding out more. And that’s not nearly enough anyones, because this is a fine whisky and an … Continue reading
Laphroaig Highgrove 12 yo 1999/2013 #5162 vs Laphroaig 10 yo Cask Strength Green Stripe
Unless you don’t routinely tune in to whisky news, updates, fan clubs, cults etc, you can’t have missed Beam’s very clever marketing drive recently where they got people who have … Continue reading
Springbank 21 yo ~90s vs Springbank 35 yo 1968 Chieftains #1413
A week into 2017 and already the days fly by. This was meant to be a new year post and it’s a little long in the tooth now but Happy … Continue reading
Bladnoch 22 yo 1991 #4603 Mackillop’s Choice vs Bladnoch 22 yo 1990/2013 #5762
An update since I last looked at Bladnoch. Bladnoch had been closed and silent since it’s parent company started liquidation proceedings. Naturally a distillery for sale at such a time … Continue reading
Caol Ila 30 yo 1983 Special Release 2014 vs Caol Ila 33 yo 1980 #10159 Directors Cut
No messing about. I want something good, peaty and well matured tonight. Laphroaig and Caol Ila usually hold court in that category. It’s going to be Caol Ila since it … Continue reading
Arran 1998/2007 Connoisseurs Choice vs Arran 17 yo 1996 Old Particular # 9983
Arran is one of the youngest distilleries around, though that it actually sells a core range of whisky makes it an oldie next to the likes of Ardnamurchan and Wolfsburn. … Continue reading
Clynelish 24 yo 1965/1989 Cadenhead yellow label vs Brora 24 yo 1977/2001 Rare Malts
Someone told me I don’t do enough modern whisky, someone else told me I don’t do enough old whisky. It’s hard to please people! But Clynelish and Brora are such … Continue reading
Bowmore Black Rock ~2014 vs Bowmore White Sands 17 yo ~2014
I feel like I have written a lot about Bowmore already. And nowadays one doesn’t even need to do a cursory introduction on this most illustrious of names. Some of … Continue reading
Glen Grant 40yo 1973 Samaroli #6588 vs Glen Grant 31 yo 1970 #1025 Samaroli
Those contemplating a visit to Speyside should certainly factor in a visit to Glen Grant. The grounds are large and carefully laid out with a horticulturalist’s zeal. There is a … Continue reading
Irish Whiskey: Knappogue Castle 1995 vs Midleton Dair Ghaelach Grinsell’s Wood Batch 1, Tree 9
Knappogue Castle 1995 40% This is a label that has been used to bottle various unnamed Irish distilleries of various vintages, but this 1995 is known to be a Bushmills. … Continue reading
Royal Brackla 33 yo 1976 #6920 Mackillop’s Choice vs Royal Brackla 30 yo 1984/2015 Cadenhead
Like Royal Lochnagar and Glenury Royal, Brackla has a story on how it got its Royal prefix. No, you cannot use ‘Royal’ as your given name in the UK, this … Continue reading
Longmorn 25 yo 1969/1994 Centenary vs Longmorn 20 yo 1964/1985 Intertrade
Longmorn befuddles me. The modern stuff seems so unyielding and passive-aggressive, but the old stuff is so expressively rich and luxurious. Is it just a question of time, whether spent … Continue reading
Ardbeg 21 yo 1992 #10065 Old Particular vs Ardbeg 23 yo 1991 #10274 Directors’ Cut
New Ardbegs at 20+ years exists but are fairly uncommon. And now that news on the new official 21 yo has done the media circuit, seems like a great time … Continue reading
Aberlour 12 yo vs Aberlour 16 yo vs Aberlour 18 yo
Don’t really see a lot of Aberlour around, and if it is Single Malt, it’s usually one of the A’bunadhs. It may be because Pernod doesn’t really market their Single … Continue reading
Classic of Islay (Lagavulin) #1964 vs Lagavulin 7 yo Jack Wieber vs Lagavulin 12 yo 2015 annual release
So I had done this over the weekend, figuring to put it aside as I just posted on the utterly bespoke Boyao Zhao, and really .. how many mad people … Continue reading
Glendronach 39 yo 1971 oloroso sherry butt #489 vs Glenfarclas 21 yo 1980 Imported by Filliers Graanstokerij
Sherry vs sherry, or.. Just because it’s sherried doesn’t mean it’s the same. Glendronach 39 yo 1971/2010 oloroso sherry butt #489 Batch 2 48.8% Nose: Glorious. Perfect thick old time … Continue reading
Lagavulin 23 yo 1992/2016 ‘Selected by Boyao Zhao’ #5745 vs Lagavulin Feis Ile 1991/2015
So no waffling about. Everyone who tunes in onto whisky news knows how big a deal it is to have a cask of Lagavulin issued for you. Or a new issue … Continue reading
Highland Park 18 yo 1996/2014 Hunter Laing #10854 vs Highland Park 25 yo 1988 Signatory #716 vs Highland Park 24 yo 1988/2012 Mackillop’s Choice #716
Needs no introduction. Everybody knows Highland Park but go to a BYOB tasting or event and you won’t often find one – everyone’s got their other first choice. Not sure … Continue reading
Bruichladdich 1991/2015 Gordon & Macphail #2775 2776 2780 vs Kininvie Batch 2 23 yo 1990
So I don’t have a lot of Bruichladdich – I just happened to have had a few heavily wine finished ones early one and never looked back. Which is a … Continue reading
Springbank 10 yo 100 prood (70s) vs Springbank 1998 Malts of Scotland #15038 vs Springbank 2004Malts of Scotland #15039 vs Springbank Green 13 yo
Springbank doesn’t seem to be a whisky that people fall in love with first. I understand why because it is not an easy whisky, peatheads are just born peaty, everyone … Continue reading
Benriach 11 yo 1994/2005 peated #805 vs Benriach 28 yo 1984/2013 peated PX cask for ‘Independent Spirit’ #1050
More Benriach, a rather good whisky that ought to be drunk more than it is, especially the single casks editions. Benriach 11 yo 1994/2005 peated #805 46% Nose: Peated malt bins, … Continue reading
Brora 3rd Edition 2004 vs Brora 22 yo 1972 Rare Malts vs Clynelish 12 yo Ainslie & Heilbron Edward & Edward
I don’t think an introduction is needed. This is Clynelish – until 1968 when it closed in favour of the new distillery, a modernized copy of the older, opened under … Continue reading
Yoichi “Yoichi” NAS 45% vs Yoichi 10 45%
I was in Hokkaido holidaying recently, and saw an opportunity to visit the Yoichi distillery. The place is massive. I knew it was big but I was not prepared for … Continue reading
Clynelish 17 yo 1995 Signatory #12796 vs Clynelish 18 yo 1996/2015 Whiskybroker #11448 vs Clynelish 17 yo 1997/2015 Lady of the Glen #12363
Some 90s Clynelish. The vintages you commonly see are 1995, 1996 and especially 1997, so in a vertical: Clynelish 17 yo 1995/2012 Signatory #12796 ‘Ibisco Decanter’ 43% Nose: Classic! Starts with … Continue reading
Laphroaig 15 yo 1997 Director’s Cut vs Laphroaig 25 yo 1986 Old & Rare Douglas laing vs Laphroaig 25 yo 1990/2015 ‘The Oceans’ for Whisk-e Japan #5940
Laphroaig head to head, plus a special one on the fly: Some older Laphroaigs available today, which is always fun as heavy peaters at good age trade monstrous peat for elegance … Continue reading
Miltonduff 10 yo Gordon & Macphail vs Miltonduff 7 yo 2006/2014 Krugers No. 12
Since I had some Mosstowie the last session it seems only right that I should round it off with some regular Miltonduff. Since there are virtually no official releases this … Continue reading
Mosstowie 34 yo 1979/2013 Signatory #1305 vs Glenury Royal 36 yo 1970/2006
Two old one, both gone but for different reasons. Mosstowie is Miltonduff distilled in its Lomond stills – that’s a pot still base matched with a columnar neck in which three … Continue reading
Port Ellen 30 yo 1982 Fasszination Vom Fass vs Port Ellen 24 yo 1978 2nd Annual Release
Reopned in 1967, closed for good in 1983. This short period saw a number of important changes: When it reopened in ’67 it had been expanded to 4 stills heated by … Continue reading
Rum: Rhum St. Andrew’s, Branca vs Uitvlugt 16 yo 1998 #35 Duncan Taylor
Rum night: 2 rather obscure bottles, the first due to time, the second because it is from an ‘open’ closed rum distillery in Guyana. Rhum St. Andrew’s, Branca, 45% ~circa … Continue reading
Dalmore 26 yo 1986 #3101 Montgomerie’s vs Glenmorangie Lasanta. Also, Ballantine’s 30 circa 80s
Two highland neighbours nary half an hours drive apart. Both are players in the superpremium price range, both utilize sherry maturation heavily – in the case of Dalmore, sherry maturation … Continue reading
Benriach 16 yo vs Benriach 20 yo
Benriach is one of those distilleries you might see a date of founding (1898) but virtually no bottles till the early 70s. Once upon a time, it was dreamed Benriach … Continue reading
Whisky Agency Speyside Region 43yo 1973 vs Avonside 100 proof James Gordon
A lot of undisclosed malts being released of late. This one comes highly recommended, fortunately I have a sample of another young one from the 70s for purposes of comparison. … Continue reading
Arran 14yo vs Arran The Bothy Batch 1
The Isle of Arran distillery is new. Production started in 1995 so the oldest there is anywhere will be from that vintage – though there is likely to be little … Continue reading
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