The year’s most noteworthy release: Ardbeg Drum is a no-age statement single malt initially aged in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in rum casks. Like previous Fèis Ìle bottlings, Ardbeg has released two versions. This one, bottled at 52% ABV, is sold exclusively to Ardbeg Committee Members. Not surprisingly, it has great appeal to Islay…
Especially during prohibition. See: Winston Churchill Gets a Doctor’s Note to Drink “Unlimited” Alcohol in Prohibition America (1932) “I do not wish to be hurt any more. Give me chloroform or something,” he directed, while waiting for the anesthetist. ***** [Otto Pickhardt] is perhaps best known as the doctor who treated Winston Churchill when he was hit…
I own enough square footage (albeit not contiguously) of Laphroaig to build a decent sized detached house on. Last night I tried Lore for the first time and my default scepticism was immediately and absolutely blown away. This was possibly the greatest all round Islay I’ve ever had. If I were to offer an analogy…
As ever, a most thoughtful assessment from Jason Debly. As an Islay “peathead” myself, I don’t think that this would disappoint others. Jason, I notice, has also weighed in on the recent Crown Royal kerfuffle which I mentioned here. alcoholJason DeblyjuraqualiaScotch whiskysingle malt
This mystery Islay (we don’t know the distillery) doesn’t live up to the packaging hyperbole — I can’t figure out who the target demographic is. I don’t think that there is such a thing as an “entry level” Islay — if one is going to try one for the first time, one might just as well…
As someone with a preference for Islays, Glenfarclas 17 came over as what I can only describe as “muscular” (others say “robust”) especially so for a Speyside. It did grow on me however. Here are some more articulate reviews. Master of Malt The Scotch Noob Jason’s Scotch Whiskey Reviews Master taster Horst Lüning’s gushing assessment: alcoholGlenfarclas 17Horst LüningIslayScotch…
H/T to my chum and fellow scotch aficionado Peter Brooks for pointing to this article. Talk about whisky on ice: Three bottles of rare, 19th century Scotch found beneath the floor boards of Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackelton’s abandoned expedition base were returned to the polar continent Saturday after a distiller flew them to Scotland to…
On a recent visit back to Old Blighty I had the opportunity to more than sample some Old Pulteney 21. I had never heard of the distillery since my interests have tended to focus on Islay, Speyside and Highland single malts. It was merely one bottle, an unopened office gift amongst several, to a friend who…
I don’t normally recommend websites/blogs but this one was started by two enthusiasts with day jobs in another world. I assume their naming of their website Scotch Hunter is a tribute/allusion to the chap that started me on the road to educating me in beer, scotch and other wonderful drinks – the late Michael Jackson…
According to the distillery blurb: This whisky is now between 13 and 21 years old. We blended it (50:50) with another ‘special’ whisky we had been quietly maturing. This new spirit was then placed into small quarter casks, enjoying a very intense maturation for seven years. Both whiskies were fine expressions of Laphroaig® in their…
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