Glenlivet 12 Year

 

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. 

Johnnie Walker Black 12 Year Blend

 

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: 

• Cardhu
• Caol Ila
• Oban
• Talisker
• Lagavulin
• Glenkinchie
• Dalwhinnie
• Cragganmore
• Clynelish
• The Singleton (Glen Ord, Dufftown, Glendullan)
• Royal Lochnagar
• Glen Elgin
• Knockando
• Auchroisk
• Benrinnes
• Blair Athol
• Dailuaine
• Glenlossie 
• Glen Spey
• Inchgower
• Linkwood
• Mannochmore
• Mortlach
• Strathmill
• Teaninich

Cutty Sark Blended Scotch Whisky

 Cutty Sark blended scotch whisky is probably the first scotch I can remember having, ever. I was probably 19 or 20, at an autumn bonfire in Damascus, Maryland where I grew up, and a handle of Cutty Sark was being passed around. I remember it being harsh, medicinal, and unpleasant. In the intervening years, my opinion of it has raised a bit, even though it still maintains something of a "bottom shelf" reputation. It's been many years since I had it last. 

Glen Moray Port Cask Finish (NAS)

 

Glen Moray is one of those distilleries I first encountered in turbocharged single cask independent bottles - they are rich and sweet and full of interesting flavors, in that setting. But their official bottlings mostly seemed geared at the lower end of the market, and this Port Cask Finish bottling was only $28 - half the cost of most other standard bottles. Thanks to Rob Martin for this delicious sample!

Bowmore No. 1 (NAS)

 

I was able to try a small sample of this at a local liquor store; I'm not sure if it's a new product, but they were definitely trying to push it out the door pretty aggressively. I declined that opportunity, though; aged for an unknown number of years in first-fill bourbon barrels, this Bowmore is unfortunately bottled at a tepid, wishy-washy 40% ABV. Unfortunate. Well, let's dive right in: 

Loch Lomond "Original" (NAS)

 

Loch Lomond is a Highland distillery that originally dates to 1814, but was closed for much of the intervening years. It only reopened around the mid-1960s, and today bears the distinction of making both single malt and grain whiskies - one of only a very very few places to make both.

Johnnie Walker 18 Year Blend

 

A good friend bought this bottle to drink with me after a rough day; it was much appreciated. Over the course of a few months, we emptied the thing steadily, and I accumulated tasting notes. 

Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve (NAS)

 

Another nod of thanks to Rob Martin for supplying me with this sample of the new Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve, the no-age-statement rum-cask-finished variant of Glenlivet. Bottled at 40% (c'mon Glenlivet!), probably colored, probably chill filtered. I am not a giant fan of rum finished whiskies, but I'm willing to give this a fair shake. Let's see how it does. 

Campbeltown Loch Blended Scotch Whisky

 

This is a blend of Springbank and Longrow whiskies, from Campbeltown distillery Springbank, bottled at 40%, and priced aggressively. I love Springbank, and have never once had a bad pour from any of their offerings. Supposedly this is aged about 5 years. Let's get right down to it: 

Glendullan 15 Year

 

I have never had anything by Diageo-owned Speyside distillery Glendullan, which they place under their "Singleton" umbrella, and aim squarely at the United States market - and so I'm most curious to try this 15 year expression. Glendullan is most often found as part of blends like Old Parr and William's. Coming in at a rather tepid 40% ABV, mostly ex-bourbon, a little bit ex-French oak. Probably colored, probably chill-filtered. How is Glendullan?

Aberlour 12 Year

 

It's been a LONG time since I've had a non-cask strength Aberlour - I don't even remember what the signature notes are. The last Aberlour I had was the 10 Year (now discontinued), which I had in Madagascar (!). This 12 year offering, bottled at a disappointing 40%, is matured by "double cask" - sherry casks and bourbon casks married together after 12 years apart. As for the taste... well, let's find out: 

Redbreast 12 Year Irish Whisky

Ah, Redbreast! Among the very best of Irish whiskies, it's amazing I haven't reviewed it yet. Same goes for Green Spot / Yellow Spot.

Tomintoul 10 Year

Thanks to inscrutable liquor store metrics, Tomintoul 10 Year is on sale at virtually every shop in Washington D.C. this month, generally around $30. That puts it squarely in the "eh, what the hell" range of purchases. 

SPECIAL: Brennivin 80th Anniversary Edition

This isn't technically a whisky. But it IS finished in Islay whisky casks for four months, and is interesting enough in its own right to be covered here. And, as far as I can determine, this is among the only reviews of the 80th Anniversary edition of Brennivin on the net!

Some backstory: lately I've been tearing through the novels of Icelandic mystery author Arnoldur Indridason, who is right up there in the pantheon of modern Nordic authors for me. Starting with the first novel published here, Jar City, I've been knocking his books down like dominoes, one after the next.

In his books, many characters drink the national spirit of Iceland, Brennivin - the name means "burning wine," which is a fantastic name for any spirit. Iceland had prohibition just like the United States did, in fact starting even earlier in 1915; but there was a partial repeal in 1935 for spirits only - and Brennivin was the first spirit out of the gate to get back in the game. 

Bowmore 12 Year

Before now, I've had only the most basic Bowmore offering, the Bowmore Legend that I reviewed some time ago, and found a little thin and one-note, but still liked anyway. Since then I've always been curious about the aged expressions, especially since I've met multiple whisky drinkers who espouse strong, positive opinions of them.

Laphroaig Select Cask (NAS)

This new offering from Laphroaig has been very hotly debated, both on the internet and in person. When buying this bottle, the clerk even told me that the managers regret ordering it - apparently people pick it up, Google reviews on their phones, and promptly put it back down. It inspires violent opinion. 

Old Pulteney 12 Year

No one seems to agree about Old Pulteney! It's well-known now that Jim Murray praised this distillery to the skies, and he rated the 21 year expression as best world whiskey in 2012, but every review I read seems different from the last. Some say cinnamon forward, some say salt for days, some say banana, some say none of the above.

Old Pulteney hails from Wick, Scotland - making it a Highland, from the northernmost mainland distillery, as far as I can tell.

Edradour 10 Year (2014 bottling, 40%)

Edradour is the smallest distillery in Scotland, at only three employees historically - and now only two. Owned by Signatory, it produces only a few expressions - but the 10 Year is worth notice. I absolutely loved this bottle, and am dying to try their other expressions, but many of them top of the $100 mark, making them rare birds in my household.