Dailuaine, Glen Elgin, Glentauchers, Strathisla | various ABV

Score: 8/10

**Something special.**
***TL;DR***
*Consistently good*

With new indies popping up like weeds, let’s pay homage to an OG

Purchasing from independent bottlers is something I’ve been more cognisant of since starting to write for Dramface.

They’ve been a staple in my purchasing routines, usually providing a well-priced alternative to the official bottlings or at least a completely different take on a particular distillery's products. Indies used to make up about 85% of my purchase volume but since writing for Dramface, I’ve been scaling that back a little bit.

Most of that has to do with my trepidation of reviewing a particular whisky with very limited availability for the rest of you, prompting me to consider more widely available releases. The lack of purchasing official bottles also may be a bit of a folly, potentially steering me clear of good, consistent, and readily available releases with my blinders firmly set on prioritising indies.

A secondary factor in scaling back my indie purchasing has been a decrease and very sporadic availability in recent years of good indie bottles here in Canada. With the rise in single malts around the world, including some hot spots in certain countries/regions (Asia-Pacific for example), I feel smaller markets like mine are getting scaled back so these other growing, and potentially more lucrative markets, can get greater distribution.

While I may groan and moan like a crotchety old man, it’s just smart business and like all things, it’s cyclical. When companies pull out or shrink their presence in a market, it’s only a matter of time before new companies fill the gaps. I’ve already noticed several new indies entering the market at relatively good prices so my logic is holding true. It’s the circle of business life.

Before writing this four-way review, I checked how many Gordon & MacPhail releases we’ve reviewed before on Dramface. Among the many reviews of Cadenhead’s, Carn Mor, Dram Mor, and Thompson Bros, I’d assumed we would have had far more reviews from this bastion of an indie; however, I only found two: a 13 yo Highland Park and 12 yo Aberfeldy, scoring 7’s for both Tyree and Dallas.

Gordon & MacPhail has maintained a consistent outturn of releases in my market and represents the largest contingent of indies in my stash - I can’t say shelves any more because they’re stuffed and I’ve got boxes tucked away now… at least I can weather the upcoming price hike storms.

Gordon & MacPhail is an interesting indie, at least from my perspective. Rather than purchasing casks already filled with spirit and finishing their maturation or finishing like many smaller and newer indies, G&M fill their own casks at the distilleries with new-make spirit, taking complete ownership of the maturation to ensure quality releases. This plays directly into their wood policy. Now before you roll your eyes because, if you’re cynical like me, every marketing team or other mouthpiece often references their outstanding, best of the best, highest quality cask program and provenance. Not everyone can have the ultimate in wood policies so that phase is rather diluted and should be put out to pasture. But it’s different with Gordon & MacPhail. I actually believe their cask programme is thorough and transparent, as I’ve outlined below, coming directly from Gordon & MacPhail:

Score 5: average cask and average whisky. These casks, and those of lower score, are not released but are rather given more time to work out their kinks. If time won’t fix it, it is re-racked into a different cask and given more time. Time is ultimately cheap; however while releasing substandard whiskies, though they provide short-term profits, can erode reputation and impacting the long-term profits. It’s a good policy from my perspective.
Score 6-7: these casks are deemed “good”. I believe these casks ended up in their blends (discontinued a few years ago), Discovery range (43 %ABV), or the Distillery Label range when reading between the lines.
Score 7-8: these casks are deemed “very good to excellent”. G&M has stated that these will only be released as single cask or cask strength releases, like the Connoisseur’s Choice range.
Score 9: these casks have only been released so far for the Mr. George Legacy releases (very well aged Glen Grant), meaning they are the crème de la crème.
Score 10: never has a cask achieved this lofty score in G&M’s mind.

That scoring system sounds oddly familiar huh?

In the last 10 years or so, Gordon & MacPhail’s wood policy for sherry has required hogsheads are seasoned for at least two years, and butts for at least three years and they currently work with two bodega’s and a cooperage. Currently, G&M has 18,000 casks and Benromach has 20,000 casks maturing in the various warehouses (circa mid-2022). The future looks bright indeed for a continuous stream of Gordon & MacPhail and Benromach releases in the next few decades.

“We don’t fill the number of distilleries we used to, that’s part of the reason why we own two distilleries now. We can see a trend forming and it will change the business not in my generation but the next.”

— Richard Urquhart, Head of Sales, Americas

This seems to be backing up some of the general industry consensus where distilleries are beginning to limit the sale of casks or distillates to indies. Distilleries traditionally produced whiskies for blends and single malts, and thus their unique identity was of secondary importance.

That trend has been flipped in the last few decades where distilleries and their single malts have become a brand with unique identity. And with any good brand and the suits managing it, protection of their identity and products is paramount and thus, it will be harder for independents to get their hands on whiskies.

Coupling this tightening of cask supply with the surge in single malt popularity and resultant increase in new independent bottlers and cask investment schemes in the market, the price for high-quality casks is only going to keep skyrocketing. This is where large and established indies like Gordon & MacPhail, Cadenheads, and a few others can help alleviate our woes, at least in the short-term.

Generally, their warehouses are full of whisky or casks purchased 10-20 years ago at lower prices and these indies are turning around and releasing whiskies that do not severely gouge us as consumers. In my market, G&M’s prices are very competitive against others, often coming in with an older age statement while at a lower price than some of the newer indies who have had to purchase mature casks at the recent elevated prices.

“We wouldn’t be able to fill the number of distilleries that we do now without the long-standing relationships we have with these distilleries, and our reputation for releasing quality whiskies.”

— Richard Urquhart

In response to Urquhart’s quote, that’s ultimately the power of purchasing whisky from an independent bottler of G&M’s long-standing reputation. Suffice to say, I’ve got a good stock of Gordon & MacPhail releases sitting in the queue to be cracked and enjoyed. Who knows, some of those might end up in a future review.

Review 1/4

Connoisseur’s Choice Dailuiane 13 yo, Cask 18602801, First-Fill Sherry Hogshead, 59.4% ABV

CAD$112 (£68) paid

Ever since my less than exciting encounter with an ex-bourbon Dailuaine from James Eadie, I’ve had a little trepidation towards this distillery but I knew that I had to try another. Fast-forward a year and this G&M release entered the market at a very similar value proposition when equated for the few extra years of maturation and higher %ABV.

Score: 8/10

**Something special.**
***TL;DR***
*Sherried malt done right*

Nose

Thick and luscious. Raisins, date syrup, Fig Newton biscuits, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg. Brown sugar butter tarts drizzled with caramel. Candied beer nuts. Candied ginger drizzled with light honey. Moist leafy tobacco. The tiniest hint of Nutella spread on toasted light rye bread.

Palate

Raisins, roasted hazelnuts and brazil nuts, the brown sugar butter tarts appear again, pecan pie, and a moderate dash of black pepper. Dark caramel or butterscotch pudding. Dark chocolate covered coffee beans. Licking a fresh raw leather belt, not that I’ve done that before, but that’s the image that’s coming to mind. The finish is medium-long in length with a nutty and butterscotch finish.

The Dregs

One thing for sure, it’s not going to last long. Delicious, intense, and weighty. In a world plagued with poorly or mediocre sherried malts, including many official bottlings, this G&M stands out. It is rich and deep while not riddled with poorer quality sherry seasoning. There are no sulphur-like notes hiding anywhere and the sherry’s influence, while prominent, is not overdone, overbearing, or emphasising a single flavour note.

I’m generally an ex-bourbon unpeated malt and a sherry-influenced peated malt drinker but when the weather or mood calls for an unpeated sherried dram, this is going to be hard to resist. It’s not liquid raisins, something I steer clear of as I described in my port maturation piece or as Dougie aptly described in an Alister Walker Infrequent Flyers release of Glenrothes. It’s balanced, strong, and agile. It’s a whisky that reaffirmed my consideration of sherried malts in my purchasing habits, just when I was considering going 100% ex-bourbon for unpeated malts as I am more frequently struggling with the larger variance in sherry cask quality plaguing the industry (or at least the bottles I’m buying). I’m still wary of other IB sherried malts but I will be trusting G&M going forward.

When considering the score for this Dailuaine, I popped the cork on my current top-scoring 8/10 Millstone for reference. The first half of the palate, while being completely different based on their distillate and maturation, is quite similar in intensity and quality. The latter half of the palate falls just a little short of the 21 yo Millstone, trailing off a little quicker and with less lingering flavour intensity.

For the price difference however, this Dailuiane delivers very well relative to the single cask Millstone. Dilemma's abound. Value proposition aside, this is a solid 7/10. For the value proposition, I’ve awarded this an illustrious Broddy 8/10.

Now to go buy another one before this 322 bottle outturn is sold out.

Score: 8/10

Review 2/4

Connoisseur’s Choice Glen Elgin 13 yo, Cask 805619, Refill Sherry Hogshead, 57.4% ABV

CAD$130 (£78) paid

Score: 7/10

**Very good indeed.**
***TL;DR***
*Refreshing citrus bomb… from sherry?*

Nose

Ripe mango, dried apricot and pineapple. Sliced almonds on a pineapple cake, drizzled with light caramel sauce and spritzed with a dose of lemon zest. Candied walnuts and orange peel. Small amount of charred wood.

Proper nose tingles if you shove your smell sensor too close.

Palate

Orange, brown sugar, roasted almonds, and a citrus zested pound cake. Raw walnuts, vanilla butter cookies, and the tiniest amount of dark raisins and dates. Small amount of ripe pineapple on the latter half of the palate. There is a healthy dose of black pepper bite to the mouthfeel but the citrus notes make your mouth salivate, putting out the peppery fire and continuing the experience to a mildly spicy and zesty finish. At the first half of the palate, the charred wood from the nose appears before being dwarfed by the ripe pineapple.Retronasal is all citrus and orange.

The addition of a good dollop of water does not tamp down the black pepper much but just reduces the intensity of the other flavours. There’s the tiniest amount of something green, like lemongrass, popping into the very end of the watered down experience.

The Dregs

Upon first sip, my olfactories and synapses simultaneously and loudly fired, with my brain immediately interpreting the flavours as: WOW!

The flavours of this whisky are a complete surprise based on the refill sherry hogshead that was used for maturation. It’s all citrus and spice, something that took me completely by surprise given the sherry maturation. I was expecting the typical refill sherry notes. I prefer refill barrels given their lesser impact on the spirit, and this one is no exception.

After the initial wow factor and dissecting this further, I’ve arrived at one gripe: the intense black pepper. I have a fairly high tolerance for spiciness (not as high as proper Indian or African cuisines mind you) and the level of black pepper here borders on my maximum intensity level. The pepper attacked my tongue and gums, however it left my inner cheeks alone and is not drying, something I equate with high tannins. It also did not attack my throat, something that’s more common with younger spirits. So this is a lower tannin experience however the spicy black pepper does give this whisky a proper zip.

With more releases doubling down on sweet and soft American oak, it is refreshing to experience a spicy dram once in a while.

If you’re sensitive to black pepper or spiciness, you may wish to avoid this one or consider it a point or two lower on your personal scoring scale. For me, it earns its 7/10 score.

Score: 7/10

Review 3/4

Connoisseur’s Choice Glentauchers 15yo, Cask 703714, Refill Bourbon Hogshead, 57.6% ABV

CAD$110 (£66) paid

Score: 7/10

**Very good indeed.**
***TL;DR***
*A solid ex-bourbon dram*

Nose

Pear and peach syrup, vanilla cream, honey, cinnamon dusted shortbread cookie. Citrus zest over malty grist.

Palate

A slowly building experience. Mild peppery tingles anchor lime zest, orange slices, almond biscotti. Vanilla shortbread cookie. Light honey is draped over the experience. A cheek and gum drying experience follows the full and slightly citrus oil mouthfeel. Sometimes this reminds me of baseball bubble gum chew nearing the end of its life where your mouth is dry from chewing and the bubblegum flavour is nearly gone. Retronasal exhales are full of orange zest.

With a healthy dollop of water, cantaloupe melon appears at the trailing end.

The Dregs

The addition of water linearly decreases nose and palate notes however the pepper from the palate remains. Personally, full-strength is where I enjoy this whisky but it’s nice to see that it would hold up to water or an ice cube with summer rapidly approaching.

I had to double check our scoring system for this one. It’s a good idea to refresh myself every now and again to make sure I don’t drift and stay consistent. I was leaning towards this being a 6/10 however this whisky is well above average and is better than other Broddy 6/10 whiskies, relegating this Glentauchers to a 7/10. Another good one.

Score: 7/10

Review 4/4

Connoisseur’s Choice Strathisla 12yo, Cask 17603106, First-fill Sherry Hogshead, 56.9% ABV

CAD$130 (£78) paid

Score: 7/10

**Very good indeed.**
***TL;DR***
*Atypical sherry is a winner*

Nose

Candied red berries. Candy floss. Red strawberry Twizzlers. Lightly-spiced vanilla loaf dotted with golden raisins.

Palate

Raspberry and strawberry compote. Tiniest amount of indistinct citrus, like orange zest sprinkled over the compote as a colourful garnish. There is a small amount of raw walnut-like bitterness that helps offset the berry sweetness. A moderate amount of raw ginger tingles float about my mouth and on the sides of your tongue, before warming my throat. With a dash of water, it’s straight hard candy and berries, zipped along with a mild amount of candied ginger.

I would describe the overall mouthfeel as thinner and the finish shorter than the others.

The Dregs

It’s a lovely drinker that has only improved the deeper I drink the fill level. This being my first Strathisla, I wasn’t sure what to expect of the Chivas Bros behemoth that forms the backbone of the namesake’s Regal blend. After tasting this single cask many times and being somewhat at a crossroads, I cracked open Ingvar Ronde’s Malt Whisky Yearbook to investigate further. Strathisla has a short 54 hour fermentation time and a boil ball and ascending lyne arm on the spirit still, leading me to believe this could be a relatively gentle and perhaps simple distillate. This confirms my overall thoughts here: it’s all about the cask. And what an exemplary sherry cask, bringing a light touch full of red berries rather than the typical sherry (e.g., raisins) that I’m not overly fond of.

This reinforces my trust in G&M’s wood policy, especially since I’ve been negatively influenced by sub-par sherry casks of late (e.g., sulphur). I was worried that the first-fill sherry hogshead might overpower the experience here but I think it’s left a deft influence. The first two sips are dominated more by the ginger influence but once accustomed to it, the finer details of red berries and citrus appear, spreading throughout every corner of my mouth and making me reach for another sip before I ought to given the %ABV.

Personally, a dash of water is where this whisky shines. Pour it, splash a few drops into your glass, settle in, and enjoy a high-quality dram. Before you know it, a refill is in order.

Score: 7/10

The Last Dregs

So why did I lump four Gordon & MacPhail bottles into a single review? Simple: I wanted to show you that across ex-bourbon, first-fill sherry, and refill sherry, that G&M are consistently delivering good and very good whiskies.

Their internal cask ranking system mirrors our own Dramface scoring system so based on the release you may be considering purchasing (e.g., Connoisseur’s Choice), you should be reasonably assured you’re going to get a quality malt. And in today’s tumultuous whisky market, that’s as close to a guarantee as you're going to get.

Tried these? Share your thoughts in the comments below. BB

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