Edradour 10 Year (2020 botting, 43%)

 

I haven't had an original bottling of Edradour in a long time, which seems impossible, but it's true. My old review is from 7 years ago, and is bottled at a thinner 40% (boo). This bottle of 10 Year (and thanks to Rob Martin for the sample) is 43%, a little more robust. Ex-sherry and ex-bourbon casks. Let's take another look.

Auchroisk 7 Year (SMWS 95.44 "Something to Mull Over")

 

I loved my last bottle of Auchroisk from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) - also a 7 year, it was ex-bourbon for 5 years and re-racked into a refill red wine barrique for the final two years. The result was wild, and packed with flavor (although terribly imbalanced). So when I saw another bottle come up, this one 4 years ex-bourbon and 3 years ex-red wine barrique, I was curious all over again, and jumped on it. 

Craigellachie 13 Year (SMWS 44.138 "The Pink Lady Makes Pastry")

 

I have a particular fondness for certain malts - Glenfarclas is one, Ardmore is another, and Craigellachie is still another. Craigellachie has a certain distillation process that results in a noticeably "funky" flavor on the back end of a spirit that normally is all apples, all the time... and that funky flavor, you either love or hate. I love it.

Springbank 12 Year Cask Strength (2020 release)

 

This is the 2020 release of the venerated Springbank cask strength release, which has quite a prominent wine finish: matured for 12 years in 45% sherry cask, 25% bourbon cask, 25% Burgundy casks (!), and 5% port (!!). Very interesting. Bottled without coloring or chill-filtration at 56.1% ABV. I basically adore everything Springbank does, so let's see how this release stacks up. 

Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2011

 

I like Bruichladdich - I have had too little of it. I need to rectify this. Thanks to my friend Rob Martin, who donated this sample of 2011's Islay Barley. Since the sample I've had two more bottles - that's how much I liked this. 

Big Peat blend, Cask Strength (Christmas Edition 2019)

 

Big Peat is a blend from independent bottler Douglas Laing that delivers exactly what you think it does: big, peated whisky. An Islay blend (including Ardbeg! as well as Bowmore, Caol Ila, and Port Ellen - yes, THAT Port Ellen), delivered with craft presentation at 53.7% ABV (Christmas edition only) with no filtration and no coloring. Let's see how Mr. Laing delivers his big peated whisky: 

Teacher's Highland Cream (2016 bottling)

 

Here is a blend I know very little about - Teacher's Highland Cream, made with an usually high amount of single malt - predominantly my beloved Ardmore, owned by the same parent company. Bottled at 43%, and purportedly 45% single malt and 55% grain whisky. Let's explore:

Bunnahabhain 10 Year (Clan Denny)

 

Another interesting independent bottling - this time it's Islay staple Bunnahabhain, a single cask offering from Clan Denny aged 10 years in a refill hogshead, bottled unfiltered and without coloring at 46%. I am no great fan of Bunnahabhain, so I am hoping this independent lens onto the spirit will sway me towards it. Let's see:

Craigellachie 11 Year (The Classic Cask)

 

Very little on the net about this bottle - Craigellachie is well known for a rather funky, unusual profile that offers a surprising complexity for a rather low price. This independent bottling from The Classic Cask is non-chill-filtered, uncolored, 11 years in a "refill cask," and bottled at a decent 46%. I can't find any reviews around the web, which is fairly unusual in the robust Scotch scene. How is it? 

Braeval 8 Year (SMWS 113.40 "A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing")

Another interesting kooky bottle from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS). This one is from Braeval, a distillery that funnels most of its spirit into Chivas Regal. This is aged 8 years in a second-fill barrel, and bottled at an eye-watered 63.8%. Let's explore this young and sprightly spirit that is deemed to be "A sheep in wolf's clothing." 

Glen Moray 14 Year (SMWS 35.277 "Waffle Stacking Ecstasy")

 

Another Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) bottling of a rather underrated distillery, Glen Moray. The last bottle I had was most interesting, even if it wasn't quite my cup of tea (or scones, as the case may be). But this one got rave reviews during the release video (shout out to Jenna Elie), and I'm super curious. It's aged 14 years in a refill ex-bourbon hogshead, and bottled at 53.7% ABV. Nicknamed "Waffle Stacking Ecstasy." Let's see what Glen Moray and SMWS have for us today: 

Lost Distillery Company: Lossit (Second Look)

 

The Lost Distillery Company's goal is to blend whiskies together with the goal of approximating a distillery which no longer exists - apparently they do extensive research to facilitate their blending. With this bottle they are trying to "recreate" the old Lossit distillery on Islay. See my EARLIER REVIEW. I recently stumbled across a second bottle of this stuff (they are relatively uncommon in my area), and wanted to see how it held up to my memory. Let's see what the Lossit spirit might have tasted like, at 43% ABV...

Glenfarclas 21 Year

 

Continuing my "old Glenfarclas" series of reviews, which left off with the 17 year, here comes the next logical extension of the series ... the 21 year. Bottled at 43%, natural colored, chill-filtered, and matured in ex-Oloroso sherry casks. How is it? Let's find out. 

Hatozaki Small Batch Japanese Blended Whisky

 

I bought this on a whim because it was new to me and on sale. No idea what to expect - a blend made with 100% malted grain, a combination of bourbon, sherry, and Mizunara oak casks, 46% ABV, combination of import spirit (!) and native Japanese, named after a lighthouse. And yes, Japanese whisky is in a weird sort of gray zone wherein they can import whisky from other places, age it in Japan, and then export it as Japanese whisky. It's not exactly a secret, but they don't shout it from the roof either.

Benriach 9 Year (SMWS 12.47 "Cutting the Cake")

 

Here is a delightful bottle of BenRiach, aged 9 years in 2nd fill ex-Bourbon barrels, offered as "Cutting the Cake" from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS). I have no previous experience with BenRiach, but after sampling this I definitely will look into them more deeply. The core spirit here is obvious high quality and full of flavor. Offered at 58.5% ABV, part of the SMWS "Sweet, Fruity, and Mellow" series... Let's explore...