Lot 40 Cask Strength 11yo & 12yo
Enjoying your booze this week? This has been handled gently but it’s no less hard hitting. For some, perhaps not easy to read. As you hear about two legendary Canadian bottlings, awareness is crucial.
Ledaig Rioja Cask Versus
Earie places a popular bang-for-buck Ledaig against a very similarly profiled indie release, only to have him wondering why there isn’t an official cask strength from Mull’s in vogue peat monster.
Glenallachie’s Meikle Tòir Trio
With so many whiskies being released it’s hard to keep up. Wally spends an entire article making excuses while admitting to the new normal; solid, reliable, tasty whiskies. Predictable but reassuring, like these new Glenallachie Meikle Tòir releases.
SMWS Dark ‘n’ Stormy Crème Brûlée
Dougie is caught trolling the dying embers of the auctions once more for bargains. What’s this he’s found? A very curious SMWS oddball he needs to decipher first, both in description and flavour. We suspect he’s hit the rye wall once more.
Johnnie Walker Black Label 12yo
A self-administered humility check is required as Ogilvie is disappointed to receive an old standard. As he digs in to the Johnnie Walker Black, he’s reflective of the easy rise of snobbery in whisky.
Indri Drú Cask Strength
Like so many of us, Ramsay needed a little convincing that Indian whisky can exceed expectation. Nothing like some Indri blind tasting to set things straight then eh, Tav?
Kilchoman Loch Gruinart
The appeal of a lesser-seen and budget Islay official single malt is too much for Hamish to resist. His experience of Kilchoman’s core ranges has him excited, but the Loch Gruinart leaves him wanting.
Tobermory 12yo
Batch variation is real and as enthusiasts we learn to enjoy it, providing it always meets a baseline minimum quality. Broddy and Aengus team up to see if that’s true of Tobermory’s under-the-radar 12yo.
Tomatin 18yo
When is a finish a finish and not a secondary maturation? Does it matter if you discover an under-the-radar balanced banger? Broddy asks, and answers with Tomatin’s 18yo.
Australian Whisky Snapshot
Taking a broad view of the rapidly expanding Australian whisky scene, Tyree delivers a snapshot with four Aussie single malts, and almost uses the full gamut of our scoring to do so.
Dailuaine 12yo
Confessions of being a sherry-cask matured fanboy doesn’t stop Drummond exploring other profiles. At £55 and 50% ABV, will this great value Dailuaine from Thompson Bros - and a a bourbon cask - grab his attention?
Grain Henge Canadian Single Malts
Broddy delivers a succinct “State of the Nation” type summary of the rise in choice of Canadian single malts while he and Aengus get together to consider two Grain Henge releases. Interesting stuff.
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked vs Knob Creek 9yo Small Batch
Shuffling through airports is a thing once more for Hamish. At travel retail, he dodges the aisles of Scotch and Irish dullness to plump for some bourbon exploration - in litre bottles.
Signatory Vintage Strathmill 12yo
In what seems to have become something of a theme, in life Ogilvie mirrors his approach to whisky by uprooting and heading off top new horizons. As he says “there’s something in the water cooler at Dramface HQ” is it this Strathmill?
SMOS "An Islay Distillery" 30yo
Sharing his future dreams, Tyree gives us a snapshot into why he loves why as he does, and how this will likely define his life trajectory. Oh, and the small issue of a near perfect dram too.
Cadenhead’s Bunnahabhain 9yo
Dire world events draw dark clouds over Ogilvie’s visit to England, yet he find calming solace in whisky environments; light filling the dark. He also happens upon some Springbank and a stop-and-stare Bunnahabhain from Cadenhead’s.
Shortcross Rye & Malt Cask Strength
What at first seemed like an expensive souvenir from a distillery visit required a bottle split between Archie and Hamish. They soon realise with 66% ABV and incredible depth of flavour they should’ve maybe grabbed one each.
Glenwyvis 2019
In Earie’s glass is another young whisky from a very young distillery. He looks at the price and considers it in the context of whisky’s golden period; the value of what it is today, but also what it might promise for the future.
Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2014
Looks fantastic, tastes fantastic, is fantastic. Spoilers. But it’s a Dougie review and we’re in it for more than just the TL;DR. So, is the £30 premium just to know that the barley came from down the road worth it?
Bunnahabhain Cask Strength 2023
Drummond finally makes his pilgrimage to the whisky island and his favoured distillery therein; Bunnahabhain. Upon returning he reflects upon this new 2023 release of the now highly-anticipated Cask Strength 12yo and how well it represents its source.