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. 43% Vol. |
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. 40% Vol. |
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. 43% Vol. |
Dalmore (1839) is now one of the classics of Whisky. The distillery is located in the Northern Highlands and overlooks the sea. Dalmore has received a lot of attention, because they occasionally release very expensive and very old bottlings. This 18 year old has matured for 14 years on bourbon barrels and then another 4 years on Matusalem Oloroso sherry casks. This makes it a perfect example of Dalmore's class. 43% Vol. |
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. 46.8% Vol. |
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. 44% Vol. |