On the western island of Mull, in the picturesque capital of Tobermory, is a small traditional distillery, founded in 1798, under the name of Ledaig. After a takeover in 1972, the distillery was renamed Tobermory. Since 1996, they have been making 50% unpeated Whisky, Tobermory, and 50% firmly peated Whisky called Ledaig. All Whisky ages in the Highlands, because there are no warehouses left at the distillery. This 18 years old is limited and has matured on Oloroso sherry casks. Vol de 46.3%. |
Talisker, the only distillery on the island of Skye, was founded in 1810. In terms of location, by the sea on a mountain slope, it is really a picture-perfect. After a major reconstruction in 1997, it became a modern computer-controlled distillery on the inside. As far as Whisky is concerned, little has changed; this is still a powerful, complex Malt. This 25-year-old Talisker has matured on oak barrels; what kind of barrels exactly is a carefully kept secret. Vol de 45.8%. |
The Aberfeldy, 21Y is one of the flagship single malts from the Aberfeldy Distillery. Matured in both ex-bourbon and sherry casks, it was re-launched with a new design in 2015. It has picked up several gold medals and ‘best in show’ awards since. The Aberfeldy, 21 Y is a superb example of what this distillery is capable of. It displays thick, honeyed notes with chocolate, oranges and stone fruits. Vol de 40%. |
Nicknamed ‘The Beast of Dufftown’ by famous whisky writer Dave Broom, Mortlach is a whisky that has long been championed by connoisseurs. Finally, the distillery is starting to gain a wider audience. The Mortlach, 20 Y is the oldest whisky in the new range, which was launched in 2018. It matured solely in sherry casks and was named ‘Cowie’s Blue Seal’, after one of the original bottlings of Mortlach dating back to 1909. The Mortlach, 20 Y is balanced and complex – a whisky that deserves your time and attention. Vol de 43.4%. |
There are so many legendary distilleries on Islay like Ardbeg, Laphroaig and Lagavulin, that it sometimes is easy to forget how great Caol Ila is. Their peated whisky is consistentlyamong the best in all of Scotland. Even better, it is relatively affordable as well. Produced in the beautifully located distillery overlooking the Sound of Jura, the Caol Ila 25 Y has aged for over a quarter century. The long maturation makes for a very different, more elegant experience compared to younger peated whiskies. Vol de 43%. |
Octomore is famous for being the peatiest whisky in the world. Produced at Bruichladdich on the legendary Isle of Islay, this series has generated quite the cult following over the years. While the Octomore 10.2 is supposedly exploring the realms of “softer smoke”, its barley is still peated at an impressive 96.9 part per million, which is much higher than famous counterparts like Ardbeg or Laphroaig. The Octomore 10.2 matured the final 4 years in Sauternes wine casks. Vol de 56.9%. |