Something distinctive from Penderyn, the Welsh whisky pioneers. After an initial spell in ex-Buffalo Trace bourbon casks, this, its house style, finishes with six months in ex-Madeira casks. It’s a light dram, and very smooth to taste – there’s no burn in it at all. A young and fresh tasting malt, it smells (deliciously!) rather […]
Aberlour is a fruity, spicy malt, with a light seasoning of sherry flavours. The nose has hints of tangerines and oranges, with plenty of toffee. The palate gives more of the tangerine, plus lots of warm spices like ginger or cinnamon. The most popular malt whisky in France, this is an easy bed-time whisky.
Auchentoshan’s standard malt is popular with casual whisky drinkers, because it’s so approachable. Auchentoshan are the only Scottish producer to triple distill all their malts, and it gives a style which is always very smooth, although Auchentoshan is certainly richer than most Irish whiskies. The theme of lightness and balance is evident on the nose, […]
A young, pale-looking whisky, the Isle of Arran Machrie Moor immediately sends up a puff of dry smoke to signal its origins. This is followed by a malty or cereal character, very like the ten year old, but lighter. And, yes, there’s the same minty note too. Come back to the whisky after a […]
The eighteen-year-old expression of Highland Park takes all the elements that are found in the twelve year old and polishes them into a supremely smooth, harmonious dram. So you find a rich malty note blending easily into a mix of dried fruits and nuts, which gives way to the tang of sherry, before a subtle […]
If you are famous for making the most strongly flavoured whisky in the world, where do you go next? Well, in the case of Laphroaig, that meant an experimental programme of maturation in specially commissioned casks, a quarter of the normal size. The smaller the cask, the faster the whisky will mature, so the Quarter […]
Ask a Scot which malt she favours, and chances are the answer will be Glenmorangie. But as well as being the most popular single malt in its home country, the ten year old Original has won many friends & awards further afield, most recently a Gold Best in Class at the International Wines & Spirits Competition 2011. […]
Faced with the challenge of re-establishing the reputation of the re-opened distillery in 2001, Bruichladdich took a decidedly modern approach to packaging. Even the more standard bottlings – if Bruichladdich can be said to have standard bottlings – stand out on the shelf with their bright light blue livery, but the Black Art takes this to […]
Blair Athol Distillery is the home of Bell’s blended whisky, a popular brand famous for its long running series of bell shaped commemorative decanters. Nearly all of the whisky made here goes to supply the blend, so tasting the malt is a bit of a rare treat. Blair Athol 12 Year Old is a good […]
The first aroma to greet you on opening a bottle of the Glenfiddich 12 Year Old is always sweet green fruit. Pour a dram and let it rest a minute, and then a toffee note comes through, followed by a light woody spice. But add a splash of water – Glenfiddich takes very well to […]
