It may be the height of summer for us ‘up North’, but for Tyree it’s time for crackling fires, clean sherry-bombs, and time to reflect upon the things that matter.

Isle of Raasay reached out to share a bottle of their Manzanilla-matured Distillery Exclusive, we arranged that it went to the Doog for analysis and (a particularly pleasing) photographic study. This is how we manage donated bottles.

A tale of a Canadian wedding with zero whisky expectations turns out an antique Chivas experience for Broddy and his travelling family, but what’s the vintage?

Once more we visit the topic of nostalgia through our whisky-glass lens, specifically a bottle that was easily one of the most solid bang-for-buck malts for years. It seems that has changed, and Ogilvie can taste it.

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.

It’s a funny thing, whisky. Earie swoops with excitement as a bottle of his long-fabled Arran 14yo suddenly appears at retail, while Hamish revisits his old bottle to wonder what all the fuss is about.

Trying hard to entertain and lead all his curious whisky friends, Ogilvie hits a challenge. One of ‘em is a particular sort who needs big and bold, preferably something that’s founded upon a ‘mashbill’. He gives in and serves up a cracker.

Dramface is a review site, sure. But many of our writers choose to tell stories or occasionally draw the curtain back on the technical side. In this piece, Dougie literally takes us to Campbeltown. A beautiful experience with photography and words to match.

A loyal fan of the Canadian whisky scene, Aengus asks if there’s a genuine lack of interest from the TradCan producers to make anything remotely interesting for enthusiasts, that isn’t meant to be kept in a glass ‘collection’ cabinet.

Calder, Dougie and Wally team up to asses what either appears to be a great value sherry-bomb, or a premium-priced blend. We don’t always align on Dramface, but when we do, it’s usually deserved.

Marking the year of your birth with whisky may be vane, but it’s fun and whisky inspires it. Elis shares his thoughts on this 1988 vintage bottle which has been around for every breath he’s taken and, at 31yo, is just about still within reach.

Dougie tries to extinguish a bottle of nuclear-powered Benriach ‘cranberry juice’ from Berry Bros & Rudd. This half-price auction swoop is finished in Plavac Mali wine casks from Croatia.

Mindful of taking time out for the little things such as a nice dram, but for also the bigger things in life like looking after ourselves, Hamish sinks into the 2012 Bere Barley edition from Bruichladdich.

Ramsay stumbles upon some of the last remaining fairly-priced, decent age stated retail malt in the UK, and succumbs. Luckily, it’s a well-aged and sublime Highlander form Glencadam.

Tyree in full flight at his laser-powered and cutting best. Nothing’s off limits when it comes to this hype-antidote piece. Not for the feint hearted or easily offended.

Earie presents the case for sipping a summery modern classic that offers all the flexibility required of a liquid; regardless of the outside temperature

With four separate Dramface appraisals, we uncover why this Lagavulin 16yo has been such a powerful ambassador for whisky, and the reasons why that can no longer be.

As canny and considered as our Ogilvie is, once in a while he lets loose and treats himself, often discovering real treats as he does so, like this delicious Teaninich from SMWS.

Despite a mountain of life’s usual and unusual challenges distracting him, Broddy takes a mental health break to tackle two different cask batches of Edradour’s banging value 10yo Un-chillfiltered releases.

The summer heat has Hamish looking for things to mix and throw over ice without anxiety or loss of flavour. In this crazy-good value Wild Turkey 101, he thinks he’s found it.