In sipping a curiously challenging Fragrant Drop Glen Grant 21yo, Wally asks an equally curiously challenging question - is malt whisky actually too cheap?

After a ‘day-off’ yesterday, due to our AWOL editor, Innes gets us back into things with a study of five different Glentauchers bottlings over four decades, including one that really shouldn’t exist…

Ainsley waves a flag for Japanese whisky, suggesting we place it on our radars once more, just don’t overpay & perhaps don’t start with this Tsunuki from Mars.

Another debut for Dramface. Hughie, through multiple false starts, eventually falls for whisky, but not through the ‘typical’ route. His vibe is the off-piste flavour hooks & this Loch Lomond 12yo brings it.

Wally manages to comfortably pick up a bottle of the latest Kilkerran Cask Strength; in ex-bourbs too. But what’s this? Does he actually miss the madness of the old bottle-chasing days?

Fergie evaluates the risks in paying considerably more for small-scale ‘artisanal’ products. In doing so he compares a recently acquired Daftmill to his beloved custom-made Dobro.

An annual treat for Fergie is to splash out on an indulgent treat. Despite a previous false start, he chose Deanston and their 18yo. What did he discover? It’s a Dramface pile on.

Cadenhead’s Original Collection and the Enigma Blends are perhaps the most likely of their releases to be found in the wider marketplace. Ainsley dives in to an entire outturn.

Mining solo, Innes suddenly discovers a whisky club in London and everything changes - until Covid-19 changes everything. This 28yo Cadenhead’s Glen Scotia is from the (very recent) hay days.

Today, it’s Broddy’s turn to eat his words. After criticising a lack of single cask Ardnamurchan picks, his local Kensington Wine Market pulls in their very own. It feels like this peated ex-bourbs it’s just for him!

Wally falls into a time-travelling dream where he imagines uncovering something whisky-precious, before waves of full-on 2024’s Springbank 12 Cask Strength snaps him back to the very real present.

Wally kicks things off for 2025 with Ardnahoe’s core range Infinite Loch & exclusive Society bottling and hopes that they are harbingers of what could follow in whisky’s New Year.

Joining SMWS requires a membership which, as well as some other IB vagaries, was intimidating to Hamish. Now he wholeheartedly embraces indies but he shares why, until now, he’s never signed up.

9/10 klaxon: As an Englishman paying little attention to English whisky, Fergus was surprised when a friend encouraged him to try Whittaker’s First Release. Yet it might just be his WOTY for 2024.

The last piece in the trilogy of Murdo’s trip to Scotland and the Highlands, touring Dornoch and Clynelish. Over a pricey distillery hand-fill Clynelish he reflects on what made it all so special.

It’s been weeks since Murdo joined the fun in Glasgow, but he’s still buzzing about all the fun; and the people who have become friends since. He reminisces over two Springbank Cage prizes.

Glasgow has been generous with their whisky recently. And fearless; since they ship to anonymous writer without obligation. Is this confidence? Fergus, Hamish and Drummond dig in.

Innes gets giddy while visiting the hidden gem that is Glen Scotia. Full of the distillery-visit-glow, he snags two single casks to compare with a favourite at home, wondering why it’s still ‘hidden’.

We tend to avoid politics at Dramface. Ogie does the same at Chez Shaw in NC, USA. But his politically opposed pals visit him with different ideas. Ogie douses them with Scarabus 10. Good job.

With so much choice for enthusiasts to explore today, our canny - and occasionally miserly - Hamish is drawn to a bargain Thompson Bros Circumstance that has the airwaves chattering.