Here is another ubiquitous scotch that you can find in almost any regular bar in the United States - and probably globally - but that I've somehow neglected. I had quite a bit of this in the early 2010s during the early phase of my scotch journey, along with Glenmorangie and Glenfiddich. But since then it's been sorely overshadowed by more colorful, more flavorful beasts. So, thanks to scotch lord (laird?) Rob Martin, it's time to revisit.
A rare review with no picture of the bottle! I cannot source a single picture of this one - it's a Classic Cask independent bottling of Highland Park 12 year; here is the whiskybase page for it. It's no secret that I love Highland Park's independently bottled expressions. I've reviewed quite a number here on the blog, and I am very happy to add this one to the list. Thanks - many thanks - to Rob Martin for the sample.
Another new distillery for me! Mannochmore is another fairly anonymous Diageo distillery, located in Elgin in the Speyside region. It's pretty young - founded in 1971 - and was shuttered between 1985 and 1989 and only resumed full production in 1992. According to Wikipedia, starting in 1995 it shared its employees with Glenlossie, and thus only produced for half the year; this was corrected in 2008, when it gained its own staff and now produces all year, every year.
Here is a distillery I've never had before - Glenglassaugh, from the Highlands. Owned by beverage giant Brown-Forman (think: Jack Daniel's; Glendronach; BenRiach; et al), it was shuttered for quite some time, 1986-2008, but now is back in action.
I'm long overdue to review this one; thanks to Rob Martin for the sample!! Johnnie Walker Black Label (aged 12 years) in a blend of almost 40 malts and grains, including:
Here is something of a mystery. A "Glenshiel" (which doesn't exist) from independent bottler Alexander Murray, aged 15 years. Whiskybase and Flaviar both indicate that Glenshiel in this case is a code word for Loch Lomond, a favorite distillery of mine in the last year or two.
Alexander Murray is another independent bottler whose website waxes poetic about their incredible ability to pick exceptional casks. This particular bottle is aged 15 years in a bourbon hogshead and bottled at cask strength - 57.2% ABV. Very nice - let's see just how wild this "Glenshiel" proves to be...
The second of two cask strength sherry-matured Macallan bottlings I picked up from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"). This comes from a large-scale revatting project at the SMWS, where they take 10 year old sherry-matured Macallan and then age it in different sherry casks or hogshead for another two years.
Well, the last two cask strength Macallans I had (both from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society) were both excellent. Ultimate sherry bombs rich in both sweet and savory sherry textures. I have been hoarding my last bottle, "In a Tapas Bar," which was part of this same revatting project, where they take a large amount of 10 year Macallan sherry-matured scotch and apply a variety of different sherry cask finishes.
Another outstanding amaro from a small distillery in the Piemont region of Italy (in the far northwest, bordering France and Switzerland, containing the cities of Asti and Turin). I picked this up at Vitis Fine Wines and Spirits at Union Market here in Washington DC. I've never heard of Foro in my various amaro journeys, so I snapped it up.
Another 13 year independent bottling from Highland Park from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"). This is part of a big revatting project they've been working on for some time now - I think it's at least the fifth or sixth from the same revatting that I've had. And they have all been interesting! Highland Park is a spirit that really does well in the hands of independent bottlers.
Peated Tobermory whisky is sold under the name Ledaig (pronounced luh-chaig, as near as I can tell), and Ledaig has been increasingly in popularity steadily over the last several years, with its current reputation hovering somewhere around vaunted peated classics like Ardbeg Ten Year and Laphroaig Ten Year. So when I saw a 14 year bottle from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") - with the adventurous nickname "Swash and Buckle!" to boot - I pulled the trigger.
There are few people on earth with a love of Ardmore as pure as I have, hahaha. I'm not even really kidding, either. I discovered Ardmore through their now discontinued Traditional Cask bottling, and was so impressed that I have been seeking out their independent bottles ever since. And, as luck would have it, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), to which I belong, happens to have good access to casks of Ardmore, and releases bottles pretty regularly, so I've had a wide variety of their spirit.
What luck, then, that tonight - after 8 years! - I happened across a bottle of that long-discontinued Traditional Cask. I have been thinking about it for years now - and it's virtually impossible to find one of the official bottles they supposedly have on the market these days.
