In the valley (Glen) of the river Livet lies a famous Scottish distillery, The Glenlivet. Founded in 1824 by the illustrious George Smith in 1824. In' The Archive' -the best place in their warehouse- the most special barrels are kept. The current Distillery Manager, Alan Winchester, thinks his Whisky is best when it matures for about 21 years. That's why he sometimes takes a few 21-year-old barrels out of his' Archive' and makes this limited edition of it. Vol de 43%. |
Confusingly, when you set out to find a Glen Deveron Distillery, you won’t find one. Instead, Glen Deveron (or The Deveron) is made at Macduff. Both brands are named in reference to the River Deveron, which runs along this distillery located in the northeast of Scotland. For a long time, Macduff anonymously produced single malt whisky, almost everything of it destined for blends. Nowadays some of it turns up as standalone bottlings. This Glen Deveron, 20 Y is an example, and an excellent one at that. Vol de 40%. |
Glenrothes calls it the Four Corners – meaning the foundation upon which Glenrothes single malt is built. Water is one of the Corners, as is slow distillation. The latter eliminates impurities and allows for a lighter and fruitier spirit. Sherry-seasoned casks impart a unique depth of flavor to the maturation process. Finally, the color of Glenrothes is never altered, always kept in its natural state. Together these Four Corners form the basis of the Glenrothes 18 Y, one of the distilleries’ newest expressions, matured in first-fill sherry-seasoned casks. Vol de 43%. |
Une maturation durant 14 années dans des fûts de chêne blanc américain ex-bourbon, le whisky est ensuite transféré dans des fûts en bois de xérès oloroso Matusalem 30 ans d'âge pendant encore quatre ans. Embouteillée à 43%, The Dalmore de 18 ans offre une expérience gustative provocante et intense avec un arrière-goût durable de la cannelle et la muscade. Vol de 43%. |
Benriach, founded in 1898 in the heart of the Speyside, has experienced a lot. 2 years after its establishment, the distillery closed again. Benriach was not put back into production until 1965. Until 2004, with intermediate stops, neighbour Longmorn occasionally distilled at Benriach to keep the distillery from being dilapidated. The distillery was then taken over and brought fully into production. This Benriach matured 25 years in a mix of bourbon, Oloroso sherry and new American barrels. Vol de 46.8%. |
Next to Islay is the island of Jura. The Isle of Jura distillery has been here since 1810. The water used by Jura comes from a nearby lake, the 'Loch a' Bhaile-Mhargaidh'. This water is peat-containing, which gives the whisky a light earthy taste. The malt for the whisky is not peated, but dried with hot air. This 21 year old, like all Jura Whisky, has matured on bourbon casks, but exceptionally got a finish on old Oloroso sherry casks. Vol de 44%. |
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%. |
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%. |
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%. |
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 smokiest whisky in the world. But focusing on that reputation would sell Octomore short. This brand is made at Bruichladdich, an artisanal distillery on the Isle of Islay. While the Octomore 10.1 is very smoky indeed, there are many more flavors and aromas to discover. This is because of Bruichladdich’s hands-on distillation process and the use of first-fill bourbon casks from a variety of sources like Jim Beam, Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace and Jack Daniel’s. Vol de 59.8%. |