When we love whisky so much, it’s hard to be brutal about some of the obvious negatives. Yet sometimes, when things are clearly wrong, we just have to call it out. This decision was not taken lightly.

A vintage Benriach soothes Fletch as he protests the fleecing of travellers at visitor centres across Scotland, with the story of The Pilgrim. Many of us can relate.

In something of a follow up to Earie’s Shelter Point piece, we hear about Broddy’s visit to what may be his desert island distillery -The Netherland’s Zuidam, makers of Millstone. Dougie chimes in too.

When the casks don’t come to the whisky, the whisky must go to the casks. Or something like that. Scotch malt rendered non-Scotch due to the maturation location, fine. Does it make good whisky? Earie checks it out.

After listening to “connoisseurs” preaching spirit and cask balance, Drummond found himself panicking he’d got it wrong. But revisiting an old Glenallachie Cask Strength or two has helped both him and Broddy come around again.

Sherry depth is rare in budget bottlings, so while Ramsay is searching for some light ABV summer sippers he dodges the overpriced Glencadam 18yo in favour of two of their budget-friendly NAS sherry finished expressions, with surprising results.

Our resident Ardnamurchan gold-miner Dougie is once more battering the Glenbeg seam for the next amber nugget, surely it’s only a matter of time before he lands only on pyrite? Perhaps, but not yet.

Rich, oily and decadent – a wonderful winter warmer.

This may push you back to your scotch

This is from Campbeltown……isn’t it?

Whiskey is magical – plain and simple.

Good, natural malt, but…