Unnamed Orkney (Highland Park?) 15 Year (Berry Bros and Rudd)

 

Almost every time you see "Unnamed Orkney" or "Orkney Islands" on a bottle of independently bottled single malt Scotch, it's Highland Park. I don't know why The Edrington Group (who also owns Macallan and Glenrothes) are so weird about the name, it's an open secret, but there it is. I can't remember a single instance of "Orkney" meaning Scapa. 

Glencadam 13 Year (Single Cask Nation)

 

I had some store credit to use at Single Cask Nation (Thank you, Josh) and after much debate I picked up this most curious 13 year Glencadam. 

Glencadam is a distillery in the Highlands region owned by Angus Dundee, who also owns Tomintoul - which I have a sneaky and probably illegitimate liking for. My very first independent bottling tasting included a wonderful Tomintoul that tasted like marshmallows - I've never forgotten it. 

Glen Moray 15 Year (Berry Bros and Rudd)

 

Some of the best single cask scotches I've had as a member of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society are from Glen Moray - another distillery who has lackluster (severely so) distillery bottlings but incredibly good independently bottled varities. 

While the official distillery releases are rather blandly sweet and have mostly little depth - at least the ones I've had - nearly every independent bottle I've had has been intensely rich (albeit also sweet) and full of complexity. So when I saw this 15 year bottling from Berry Brothers and Rudd, temptation gave way. 

Laphroaig 9 Year (Single Cask Nation)

 

The second of two bottles I recently picked up from the fabulous gents at Single Cask Nation. This is a 9 year Laphroaig with the final 3.5 years in a second fill PX sherry hogshead. I also picked up their intense and flavorful 8 year Laphroaig a while back, so I'm curious how this compares. 

Bowmore 21 Year Old (Single Cask Nation)

 

Over the last six years or so I have come to REALLY enjoy Single Cask Nation bottlings. I've had the pleasure of actually meeting Josh and Jason, more than once, including an incredible tasting of their favorite SCN bottlings held at Jack Rose here in DC a couple years ago.