Benrinnes 11 Year (Single Cask Nation)

 

This is the first time in quite some time I'm reviewing a bottle from a distillery I've never covered! I could have sworn I've had Benrinnes (alternately, Ben Rinnes) before, but my archives say I haven't. 

Benrinnes is a Speyside distillery owned by Dewars, and dates all the way to 1826. It's very close to Mortlach, Cardhu, Dufftown, and many others in the heart of Speyside. Until 2007 they did an unusual partial triple distillation (like Mortlach), but this bottle dates to after they renovated and reverted to a simpler process.

Linkwood 16 Year (39.235 "Got Off on the Right Foot")

 

Linkwood is a distillery whose marquee is little known to most of the public - being another quasi-anonymous Diageo holding, whose output mostly goes to the various Johnnie Walker blends (as far as I can tell). But to single malt fanatics, it's pretty well known for having a high-quality spirit when you run across independently bottled versions of it. This 16 year from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") is one of those.

Clynelish 9 Year (SMWS 26.197 "Fisherman’s Friends on the Beach")

 

It's very rare to see an oily/coastal/briny Clynelish these days. The official 14 year bottling has touched of coastal salinity, but only a bit - it's been deliberately rounded, I'm sure, just the way that the famous waxy note has been tamped down pretty dramatically over the years.

So when I spotted this independently bottled oily/coastal 9 year Clynelish from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), I was quite curious. Clynelish operates in Brora, Scotland, right on the water, so you'd expect a bit more oceanic influence than you usually get. 

Glen Grant 14 Year (SMWS 9.252 "Breakfast in the Orchard")

 

When I think of Glen Grant, I immediately think "Italian" (owned by Campari) and then "sweet." Almost always a dessert dram, for me. So this Spring 2023 bottling, from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") caught my eye, I won the lottery for the bottle, and picked it up.

Port Charlotte SC:01 2012

 

The latest in Bruichladdich's "Cask Exploration" series, the heavily peated Port Charlotte SC:01 is the first to feature 100% barley from Islay. This isn't quite the rarified air of the Black Arts series, but is a distinct notch up in quality from the normal (and hard to find, these days) Port Charlotte 10 Year. 

Ardmore 24 Year (WhiskyNerds)

 

I bought this heavily recommended independent bottling of Ardmore from the Dutch store Passion for Whisky, which I highly recommend - although the shipping time is long (~2-3 weeks) they pack very well and have an incredible selection of things you just can't get in the US. For example: this Ardmore, which is Netherlands only, as far as I can tell. 

Kilchoman 3 Year (Cask Chasers)

 

Photo credit goes to the Cask Chasers website, who chose this cask from Kilchoman and are promoting it - I found out about it via the Discord server for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, where one of my colleagues and fellow whisky aficionados clued me in to the release (thank you!). 

Ardmore 11 Year (SMWS 66.49 "Art Class Enchantment")

 

Thanks to Tom Smith, head of the US branch of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") who stood me this dram after the recent panel tasting at the Jack Rose Saloon in Washington DC. An 11 year Ardmore from a refill ex-bourbon barrel, I couldn't resist - I love Ardmore.