Well, I’m back from Scotland (and London). It was a wonderful trip and I fear you’re going to hear a lot about it on the blog over the next couple of months. I visited a number of distilleries and will have detailed reports on the ones I toured (Aberlour, Pulteney, Highland Park, Tomatin) and image-heavy looks at the grounds and visitor centres of the ones I stopped in at but did not tour. I will also have some reports on casual eating in the Speyside and in the Highlands and on Orkney (plus some meals in Edinburgh); I will also have a few London meal reports (and maybe one London whisky report). And those who enjoyed/tolerated my report on the Edinburgh Cadenhead’s will be glad/resigned to know that I do also have a few more Edinburgh whisky store reports.
I will, however, as usual, have a number of whisky reviews as well—plus food reports from Minnesota. The long list of whisky reviews is below; if anything particularly catches your eye, do nominate them to the short list in the comments.
- Aberlour 10
- Balblair 16
- Caol Ila 14 (Cadenhead’s Manager’s Cask sample)
- Cadenhead’s Campbeltown Cask
- Cadenhead’s Islay Cask
- Cardhu 27, 1984 (SMWS)
- Clynelish, Distillery Only, 2018
- Croftengea 2008 (for TWE)
- Glen Garioch 26, 1990 (Signatory for TWE)
- Glen Keith 21, 1996 (Single Malts of Scotland)
- Glen Ord 14, 2001 (SMWS)
- Glen Scotia “Double Cask”
- Glengoyne 12
- Glenlivet 36, 1981 (Signatory for TWE)
- Lagavulin Lg8 (Elements of Islay)
- Laphroaig 16, 1999, Rum Cask (Kingsbury)
- Laphroaig 18, 1997 (SMWS 29.204)
- Littlemill 24, 1988 (Exclusive Malts)
- Miltonduff 17, 1995 (Tasting Fellows)
- Old Blends: Ambassador 25
- Old Blends: Ballantine’s Finest
- Old Blends: Black & White, Late 1940s/Early 1950s
- Old Blends: Haig Pinch, 1950s
- Old Blends: James Martin’s 12
- Old Blends: Old Rarity 12
- Old Blends: White Horse, 1970s
- Redbreast 15
- Speyside 21, 1992 (Alambic Classique)
- Spirit of Speyside, Festival Bottling 2018
- The Secret Islay (The Whisky Shop, Edinburgh)
- Talisker 6, OMC
- Tomatin Legacy
Would love to hear about the Laphroaig 16, 1999, Rum Cask (Kingsbury) and the Croftengea 2008, as I haven’t heard much about Rum Cask Laphroaig, and Loch Lomond is wacky.
LikeLike
I’ve been dying to open that rum cask Laphroaig, so I will take your nudge as a push.
LikeLike
Just for the sake of online camaraderie, the following are ones I’ve had and would enjoy sharing opinions on:
•Cadenhead’s “Campbell Town” Cask
•Cadenhead’s Islay Cask
•Redbreast 15
•Talisker 6, OMC—if it’s the sherry cask that K&L sold last year
These would just be fun to read about:
•Croftengea 2008 (for TWE)
•Glen Scotia “Double Cask”
•All Lagavulins
LikeLike
All Lagavulins? There’s only one on the list…And yes, I think that’s the Talisker.
LikeLike
Ah yes, I see now: The Lagavulin and the Laphroaigs ran together in my muddled mind. Just for fun, let us blame it on my buddy recently revealing to me that he recently had as many as 37 Lagavulin 2016 Feis Ile bottles on his shelf.
Thanks for setting me straight.
And if it’s that same Talisker OMC that I recently opened with my club, then I am VERY interested in your opinion. In my group, it was the most polarizing whisky I ever remember us having. A few guys loved it, but most HATED it. It’s so utterly dirty. I believe I referred to those who liked it as “sickos.”
LikeLike
I second the Glen Scotia Double Cask. Affordable. And I am doubting it, sadly.
LikeLike
My apologies to everyone who was traumatized by my egregious misspelling of “Campbeltown”. But I have corrected the error now and with time we will all be able to heal.
LikeLike
Clynelish and Glenlivet, because they’re unusual expressions of distilleries whose product I very much like, when done right; Croftengea and Littlemill, just because they’re unusual. I remember Lawrence describing a Croftengea as reminiscent of diesel–whether raw or exhaust, I don’t recall, but either way of interest to a bus driver.
LikeLike
I will request reviews for Ab10, GG12, Glen Scotia and the Tomatin Legacy, seeing that these are the only ones my pathetic province will ever stock
LikeLike