Category Archives: Lowlands

Not your ordinary blend!

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We were toying around with ideas for whisky themes for our wee Nurnberg International Whisky Explorers group, and proposed exploring inventive and interesting blends. The goal was to avoid all mass-produced well-known names. Instead, we challenged ourselves to research and bring something a bit different for each other to discover!

So what made its way into our theme of “Not Your Ordinary Blend“?

Technically the last isn’t a blend, however, we were delighted to have it close our evening – in honour of our birthday lass!

We then had a “bonus” round with Two of Pentacles blended whisky alongside a pairing – with nuts and chocolate with special wafers joining our usual close with cheese and bread to help soak up the alcohol before going our different ways. This addition was a complete hit! And certainly something to consider for future sessions.

Interested in joining our Nurnberg Whisky Explorer events? Just find us on Meetup! https://www.meetup.com/nurnberg-whisky-explorers/events/

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Surprise me: Lowland’s Auchentoshan 12 year 40%

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Our first dram in our “Surprise me!” evening was from the Scottish Lowlands – the entry-level Auchentoshan 12 year. We knew nothing about what we were sampling as the bottle was covered. Only that the contributor thought it would be a good place to begin our evening…

Auchentoshan 12 year 40%

  • Colour – Amber (however we later learned it was likely enhanced)
  • Nose – Wood, some sherry elements then they disappeared. Some vanilla, apricot pits, plums, subtle with some brown sugar sweetness… as it opened a hint of citrus which evolved into a lemon pineapple
  • Palate – Nutty, with a sharpness, some more of that wood coming through, one described it as “feinty” (not a good thing) and another as “straightforward”, some tannins and a dry spice
  • Finish – Not much to be found, on the bitter side

Overall we pronounced it not a bad place to begin our journey. With the reveal, several folks remarked on having mixed experiences with this lowland distillery.

Our whisky contributor had high expectations – particularly as it was touted as being unique for its triple distill approach – til a few of us started to explain it isn’t alone… And whilst it didn’t add anything significant to our whisky adventures, it was good to revisit a standard.

However, our contributor was a tad disappointed in her purchase. So when she wanted to be sure her next bottle was true to her palate preference, we went on a tasting quest to find something JUST right!

Which is all part of a whisky explorer’s path!

And what about my previous Auchentoshan explorations? They have fallen into two categories:

So what else did we try in our “Surprise Me” evening?

If you are curious to join one of our Nurnberg Whisky Explorer events – just find us on Meetup!

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Surprise me!

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Let’s be honest folks, we are influenced by brand, by past experience… our brains like putting things into easy-to-interpret boxes. Take the packaging and pre-conceived notions away, and one has to work all that much harder to understand – in this case – what lies in our whisky glass.

This was the genesis of our first session Nurnberg’s International Whisky of 2024 with a fun approach – called “Surprise me!” so named as participants brought a covered bottle, revealing the details only after trying. We had no guidelines, no theme, no notion of what would show up!

So what did we try?

Curious to know more? Click the above links to learn more…

Without any planning, it was interesting to see how there was nary a Scottish Speyside or Islay in the mix!

If you are curious to join one of our Nurnberg Whisky Explorer events – just find us on Meetup!

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On the Peatier side of life! Aisla Bay, Ardbeg, Octomore

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Sometimes a gal just has to enjoy a wee bit of peat in a dram along with the crisp cool fall breeze, a last-of-the-season outdoor barbecue, and brilliant good company. Or at least this lass does!
After exploring a trio of Islay drams from Bunnahabhain earlier in the evening, it was time to switch to a different kind of peat trio: Aisla Bay, Ardbeg and Bruichladdich’s Octomore. 

Aisla Bay Release 1.2 “Sweet & Smoke” 48.9%

This was certainly a perfectly named expression – it was indeed both sweet with smoke. They list it as having 22 PPM and 19 SPPM (aka Sweet). It was most enjoyable and a lovely way to ease into a peatier range of whiskies. Rather nice to see how this newer Lowland distillery is evolving. I last tried an Aisla Bay in 2017 where the peat levels were a touch lower and the sweet much lower. With this expression, they seem to have got the balance between just right.

Ardbeg BizarreBQ PX 50.9%

We then moved on to a “proper” peaty distillery. Ardbeg is known for big bold peaty aromas and flavours. In this case it, PX casks were used and really amped up the rich sweet flavours like slathering on a sweet & spicy BBQ sauce!

The nose greeted us with PX aromas, vanilla and toffee with the smoke peaking out from underneath. However with the first sip, there was no question this was an Ardbeg! Here we found the bold peat flavours with a dash of PX – the exact reverse of the nose! And the finish too was all Ardbeg – stays long and shifts from peat back to sweet – really quite a nice lip smacking finish. 

This was one delicious dram – and yes it has the marketing gimmick and some folks were not impressed by the goofy approach, I was happy to be reminded that Ardbeg does produce some fine Islay fare!

Octomore Ten Year%

Now… moving on to the big daddy of peaty whiskies – Bruichladdich’s Octomore! The remarkable thing about Octomore is how they manage to make a potent peaty 208 ppm somehow be so drinkable. This one was no exception! It had been a few years since I’d enjoyed an Octomore, and I will admit to taking scant tasting notes beyond: surprisingly fresh on the nose and simply “yum!” on the palate.

Can I just say, wow? What a fabulous weekend of whiskies with the Schottland Forum folks.

Curious about related tasting experiences with Ailsa Bay, Ardbeg and Octmore? Check out the following:

Alisa Bay 48.9%

Bruichladdich at Whisky Live Singapore 2016, Peat Progression Evening and a special focus on Octomore:

An interview with Bill Lumsden about Ardbeg and some expressions sampled over the years:

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Whisky Show 2023 – Lindores Abbey, Balvenie, Helsinki, Meikle Toir

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Call this the “Odd Bins” section of my London’s Whisky Show 2023 tasting notes. Part of the fun of exploring whiskies with a regular tasting companion is the convergence and divergence of tasting experiences. 

I had an opportunity to introduce a new Lowland distillery – Lindores Abbey – to my tasting companion, building on my experience from a Masterclass at The Messe in Nurnberg.

Equally, my companion shared the craze around the latest Balvenie 19 year “A Revelation of Cask and Character” which had completely sold out in London over the hype! 

We also found ourselves distracted near the end of our day together with a detour to Helsinki, Finland before settling on our final dram of the day – GlenAllachie’s new peat expression Meikle Toir!

Ready to join us on our wanderings? Warning – none are proper tasting notes, instead mere documentation of our tasting travels…

We began with a newer Lowland distillery with their latest limited release. Their first “The Friar John Cor” expression sold out immediately! I had a chance to try at The Village in Nurnberg earlier in the year, but was suffering so much from dental issues that I headed practically straight home after the Lindores Abbey masterclass. 

Lindores Abbey The Friar John Cor “The Cask Strength Congregation” Chapter 2 Bourbon, STR & Peated Rum casks 60.9% 

I skipped tasting this new The Friar John Cor however was happy my companion tried both their core expression and this one. At cask strength, it could pack a punch however my tasting companion found it surprisingly approachable. It took a whiff and thought it had a lovely sweetness with some earthy peat elements too. This comes from the cask combination of ex-bourbon, STR, and peated rum casks.

The Balvenie 19 year “A Revelation of Cask and Character” 47.5% GBP 309

We then moved on to the latest craze – a new 19 year old release from Balvenie. Curiously this whisky apparently sold out as soon as it was released! Sometimes whisky hype surpasses reality. In this case, knowing we would be tasting this dram the next day at home, I didn’t even attempt it – just took a whiff and thought “pas mal”, preferring to wait another day to give it proper attention. 

And we closed our day, we snuck in two more drams.

Helsinki Rye Malt Release #14 American Virgin Oak + Rum Cask Finish 47.5%

What did we find? It was unpeated, a bit funky but fun. Think of rye bread with some caramel. Then joined by fresh pine? On the palate, it was quite heavy and oily, revealing a decided rum quality – reminiscent of an Agricole rum. Quite different.

Meikle Toir 5 year The Chinquapin One 48%

GlanAllachie has decided to go in a peaty direction – in a consistent way with their Meikle Toir brand. With a completely separate website. it is their new big pursuit (ie Meikle Toir) with a focused devotion to peat. As I knew trying all four wasn’t going to happen, I asked which is the ONE to be tried above all others? And was directed to The Chinquapin One.

What did I discover? A lovely sweet peat – quite a gentle smoke. It reminded me a little of toasted raisin bread with a dash of cinnamon. I would certainly need to spend more time and a different setting to discover more.

Here is what they have to say:

Coming in at 35 PPM, the whisky has a sweeter style of smoke character owing to the mainland peat from St. Fergus used to kiln the barley. After a lengthy 160-hour fermentation, the whisky has a complex character which stands up well to ageing in virgin oak casks.

  • Nose: Smoldering oak embers, burnt liquorice and honey, with ginger, butterscotch and orange peel.
  • Taste: Cocoa, crème brûlée and toasted almonds, with cinnamon, aniseed and campfire smoke.

As for the others? They will simply have to wait another time to be explored…

With that, our Whisky Show experience of 2023 came to a close!

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Diageo’s Glenkinchie and Mortlach 2023 Special Releases

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There is a stage when you are at a Whisky Festival where you no longer have the capacity to consider exploring a full range. Instead, the approach is much more selective. It becomes a question of “If I were to try only one, which should it be?” Because even when you sniff, swish, and spit, there are limits.

What follows are whiskies that were all sampled later in the day at London’s The Whisky Show 2023. Where one was better than none, but everything was starting to muddle together after 30+ different tasting experiences. As I was with my favorite tasting companion – one becomes two – with different mini pours for him and myself.

After a bit of a change of pace, we made a beeline to the Diageo area in hopes of sampling the Clynelish. Alas, it wasn’t available there, so we instead were offered a rather nice Glenkinchie and interesting Mortlach.

Glenkinchie 27 year ‘The Floral Treasure’ 58.3% 

What did we think? 

  • Nose – Lovely floral elements, joined by light spice, a hint of leafy green, and some berries. It then shifted to become slightly more vegetal, a hint of sour joined the earlier sweet perfumes
  • Palate – Here the orchard elements come through more – think baked apples with vanilla cream, which then shifts to something a bit deeper with the oak pushing through
  • Finish – Quite dry
  • Water – Yes, please! Made it brighter, and lighter, and rounds out all the elements, a lovely citrus came forward  

There was a spring-like quality to this – both the freshness of new growth and the wet earthiness, old grass and leaves revealed by the melting of snow. From apple blossoms on the nose, we switch to a warm applesauce on the palate.

What more do we know? It was part of Diageo’s Special Releases 2023. Of course, Glenkinchie is from the Lowland region in Scotland and this expression was aged in a mix of refill American and European oak barrels and butts. Oh – and the price – it clocks in at a hefty €390. 

Mortlach ‘The Katana’s Edge’ (2023) 58%

  • Nose – What melon! Then saline, heavy, curious
  • Palate – Decidedly umami, again there was a “heavy” quality and spicy, reminiscent of an oolong tea, had some oomph! 
  • Finish – Started on the umami side then shifted to sweet
Also from the Diageo Special Releases 2023, this Speyside Scotch finished in Kanosuke Japanese whisky and Pinot Noir casks and retails for ~€290.  

I personally felt that Diageo really ‘upped their game” this London Whisky Show 2023, It was a case of “less is more” with carefully selected options. This time, it wasn’t a challenge at all to interact and learn more about what they are trying to achieve with their 2023 Special Releases.  

If you are curious about other tasting experiences with these distilleries, I’ve had only one brush with Glenkinchie  – their 12-year-old. Whereas with Mortlach, most of my explorations have been with independent bottlers with only two “OB” expressions!

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Introducing Lowland’s Lochlea

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Once upon a time, the Scottish Lowlands were replete with many whisky distilleries which then dwindled to nearly none – including the loss of the remarkable Rosebank. Before 2000, there were only two active distilleries – Auchentoshan and Glenkinchie. However step by step, distillery by distillery, there has been an awakening – from the revival of older discontinued distilleries like Blandanoch and Little Mill, joined by Kingsbarns, Annandale, Alisa Bay (from Girvain), and more recently, the entry of Lindores Abbey.

The benefit of being at a whisky show is an opportunity to check out new players. This was certainly possible at London’s Whisky Show 2023, providing the perfect opportunity to explore a new entry from the Scottish Lowlands. Lochlea is a family-run, growing their own barley and experimenting with different casks and expressions. We began with their core expression, then explored their season’s quartet, and closed with their cask strength. 

Lochlea “Our Barley” Single Malt 46%

Their core range is from barley from their Lochlea Farm – hence the name “Our Barley”. It is a trip cask with STR hogsheads, 1st fill Bourbon, and Oloroso Sherry.

On the nose, we were greeted with a delicious sweetness, apples, and pears joined by red berries, something fresh like a meadow, and yoghurt. On the palate, it was equally sweet, yet with a few other elements thrown in, lightly nutty. Overall we found it young, bright and balanced, an easy-drinking and enjoyable dram. 

We then moved on to their limited edition seasonal range with:

  • Lochlea “Sowing Edition” 2nd Crop (2023) 46%
  • Lochlea “Harvest Edition” 2nd Crop (2023) 46%
  • Lochlea “Fallow Edition” 1st Crop (2023) 46%
  • Lochlea “Ploughing Edition” 1st Crop (2023) 46%

Starting with the “Sowing Edition” with 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrels, it was fresh and spring-like, with apples and pears on the nose, and equally light on the palate. Nothing complicated or challenging, just bright and fun. The green label was chosen to reflect the green of spring.

We then moved on to the “Harvest Edition”, which was a combination of Port, STR barriques, and ex-bourbon barrels. Toasted malt and raspberries, then strawberry jam, like an Eton mess with a hint of spice. The reddish label harkens to the late summer sunset after harvest.

After that, we shifted gears to the “Fallow Edition” with 1st Fill Olorosso butts. Now this was more our style – big, bold sherry aromas yet also nicely balanced – lots of dark red berries, dried fruits, malty, and baked goods. A rich purple label reflects the shift to fall with the colourful falling leaves. 

The seasonal series closes with winter and peat with the “Ploughing Edition” using ex-Islay (Laphroaig) Barrels combined with peated quarter casks. There was a freshness to even this dram. On the nose, it was just a puff of peat smoke layering on top of orchard fruits. On the palate, the peat was significantly more pronounced, joining stewed apples and nuts. As for the label this time? The colour is an icy blue label for the frosty cold of winter.

We then closed with the Lochlea Single Malt Cask Strength Batch 1 (2023) 60.1%

This was one that caught our attention. At Cask Strength, you could really see the influence of the casks – 1st fill bourbon with Oloroso. It was big with dark fruits, coffee and nutty. Yum.

As we discussed the range and approach – at that young, experimental stage – testing the waters to see what works. After sampling them all, we tended to prefer the core expression, the “Harvest Edition” and Cask Strength. All were fleeting impressions however an interesting start…

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Lindores Abbey Masterclass

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Years ago in Dubai, I had the opportunity to try a new make spirit – enthusiastically shared by a whisky fan. Interesting but filed it away in the category of many upcoming distilleries which need time to develop their whisky ways. Fast forward to 2023 The Village whisky festival in Nurnberg, and Lindores Abbey was the one and only Masterclass I was able to attend.

Elliott Higgins was our Masterclass host – sharing up front that his style is focused more on storytelling, enjoying the whiskies along the way rather than dissecting and diving deep into every technical detail. Suited us just fine!

He shared how the family was unaware of the history of the Lindores Abbey ruins in their backyard til one rainy night in the 1990s Michael Jackson came calling… prompted by finding documentation of whisky distilling by the monks in 1494. Fast forward many years, and they created a distillery next to the ruins, just on the edge of the Lowlands. You can read more about their story here.

So what about the whiskies? Read on…

Lindores Abbey MCDXCIV (1494) 46%

  • Nose – Fruity, initially a touch acidic, then vanilla cream honey, warming into a soft buttery caramel, at the end was that a touch of sweet peat or grass? Goes back to warm vanilla sponge cake, which is then smothered in a red berry compote
  • Palate – Sweet, elegant creamy with dry fruits with a spicy woody undertone, quite a mouthfeel for its early age – oily and a bit waxy
  • Finish – The spicy wood undertone lingers

Elliott shared how their blender Lorena Baez Subiabre was part of crafting something to bring back a Lowland “style” of spirit that is balanced and elegant. Their 1494 is aged for 3.5 years with a blend of three casks: ex-Old Forrester bourbon, Red wine STR, and Olorosso Sherry. We sampled their 1st release from 2021.

I really enjoyed this one – particularly the nose. This was a perfect “starter” whisky, approachable, enjoyable and one I would like to return to enjoy again. I didn’t finish my entire sample all at once…. instead set it aside to return to juicy red gummy bears on the nose, red apples with a dash of cinnamon spice on the palate, carrying through in the finish.

What more do they have to say?

  • Colour: Golden
  • Nose: Elegant, soft, mellow vanilla, caramel notes playing with orchard fruits and sweet pear drops. Reminiscent of toffee apples!
  • Palate: Smooth with a creamy texture and a perfect balance of mellow vanilla, dried fruits, citrus touches with a hint of spice.
  • Finish: Medium length, delicate but lingering finish.

This expression retails in the UK for GBP 41.

We then moved on to the 2nd expression, which was also their 2nd release. Elliott shared it is part of a “cask deconstruction” series of limited editions, showing off the different dimensions of the three different casks that go into their 1494 expression. In this case, a vatting of old Forrester casks.

  • Lindores Abbey – The Casks of Lindores Bourbon 49.4%
  • Nose – Very clean, lots of hay, then a bit of lemon, followed by apples and a bit of vanilla marshmallow
  • Palate – Smooth and waxy, red apples with quite a decent spice kick!
  • Finish – A spicier finish than I had expected

Not quite as balanced as Lindores’ 1494 expression, however, it was still a satisfying dram. I recall my tasting companions at the Masterclass were also rather pleased with this one.

What more do they have to say?

The first “Casks of Lindores” bottling featured exclusively bourbon barrels, one of the three core cask types used at Lindores, and was limited to 11,000 bottles. We believe that the Lindores spirit goes extremely well with bourbon casks and helps showcase its early maturing characteristic. The very long wash fermentation period in our Douglas fir washbacks, coupled with our “Sister Spirit stills distillation” helps create a spirit that matures early but we also believe will continue to develop over time.

And their official tasting notes are:

  • Colour – Pale gold
  • Nose – Mellow vanilla, fruity, vibrant and buttery with citrus touches and a hint of pepper from the wood
  • Palate – Vanilla mixed with orchard fruits like green apples, then peppercorns, lingering with a long finish.

We then moved on to their 2nd Casks of Lindores expression, with an STR Red Wine Barrique. In case you’ve missed a major trend in the whisky world – there are two clear camps: Those who are fans of “Shaved, Toasted, Recharred” red wine barrels as an alternative to Sherry cask scarcity and those who are purists, eschewing such novelties. I’m a little in the 2nd camp only as I’ve found the results mixed. However, I keep an open mind and am always open to try so… what did I find with Lindores?

Lindores Abbey – The Casks of Lindores STR Wine Barrique 49.4%

  • Nose – Melons, appricots, caramel, butter brioche, vanilla pudding
  • Palate – There were a lot of juicy red berries, and plums, chased by a gentle spice
  • Finish – The spice carried through with woody cinnamon bark with a drizzle of honey

Now, I gotta admit when I was sniffing in Nurnberg, this was my least favorite. However, when I brought it home to properly taste, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the palate – quite a sipping dram. I was also amused at how close my tasting note scribbles were to their official tasting notes.

PS with a pairing tip – this whisky goes fabulously with milk chocolate.

Here’s what they have to say:

The second “Casks of Lindores” bottling features exclusively STR Wine Barriques. Matured exclusively in Shaved, Toasted and Recharred Red Wine Barriques from Spain.

And their official Tasting Notes:

  • Colour – Dark Chestnut
  • Nose – Mellow fruity apricot jam, toffee notes and a hint of cinnamon combined with butter and custard
  • Palate – Sweet and spices. Mellow plums and red berries, treacle, cinnamon spice and a pleasant woody smoky note. Very smooth, silky texture
  • Finish – Medium to long with spices, honey and caramel notes

Clearly getting into a rhythm here, I expected the last whisky to be the 3rd “Casks of Lindores” expression with Olorosse Sherry. Nope! Instead, we were treated to a surprise Germany-exclusive single-cask, cask-strength whisky, aged for 3.5 years,… and yes it was from an ex-Sherry cask!

Lindores Abbey Single Cask 59.1%

  • Colour – Rich dark red oak wood
  • Nose – Sweet, coppery, espresso coffee, earthy undertone, rich plum, and dark fruits
  • Palate – Spicy, intense dark fruity flavours, then creamy
  • Finish – Nice creamy finish with a dash of spice for good measure

Well, this was one powerful dram – full-force, don’t be mistaken, sherry! I particularly enjoyed the plummy quality and must admit a few drops of water opened this up in a lovely way. My only complaint was my sample was too small! However, this is also a “less is more” kinda dram where a little goes a long way.

We also were teasingly told about the Friar John Cor Cask Strength Congregation Chapter 1… my friends checked it out at their booth and instantly fell in love, purchasing a bottle!

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Cambus 29 year 52% “The Whisky Trail Retro”

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We kicked off our special “Swansong” evening celebrating whiskies that once were with a closed lowland grain distillery – Cambus. This particular cask was bottled by Elixir (aka Sukhinder Singh’s company) and was inspired by my recent experience at Paris Whisky Live with their Cambus 29 (part of Atom Brand’s Darkness range). It was a lovely nuanced fruity expression that drew one in… so I thought this might be a marvelous way to begin our journey. 

So what did we think? To start, there is the amusing “retro” label that harkens back to days gone by when Super Mario Brothers video arcade games were all the craze… a wee bit earlier than when this whisky was “born” aka 1990! This more playful approach to whisky labels was most famously done by That Boutique-y Whisky Company, but now can be found popping up in various forms all over.

However, what matters most is the liquid the bottle contains…

Cambus 29 year (1990 / 2020) ex Bourbon Cask No. 93596 52% 

  • Nose – Spirited at first, fluctuating between hay and grass, then lightly floral, an aromatic chemical, one found a bit of match-head sulfur, the sweetness of honeydew melon, then back to acetone
  • Palate – Sharp, sweet, resinous, dark shriveled Indian grape with seeds, bitter almond or hazelnut
  • Finish – For a grain, has quite a finish
  • Water – Brings out a nice nuttiness on the palate

We set it aside to sample the other two whiskies and on the return, found that the grain had softened, particularly on the palate. One even described it as having a bit of marmite added to the other elements!

What do the folks at Elixir have to say?

A 1990 Cambus single grain whisky from indie bottler Elixir Distillers, matured for 29 years in a single hogshead before being bottled in June 2020 as part of its Whisky Trail Video Games series. Aromas of fresh grass, buttery biscuits, lemon, white chocolate and oak spice fill the nose. The palate offers notes of candy apples, hazelnuts, crystalised pineapple, milk chocolate-covered honeycomb and fragrant chamomile tea.

Whilst we didn’t find all of the elements described, it was interesting… just not sure it was worth the Eur 140 price tag! (purchased this from WhiskyFass in November 2022).

We tried it together in early January 2023 in Mumbai in an evening exploring “Swansong” drams:

Curious about other tasting experiences with Cambus? Check out the following…

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Swansong – Cambus 29 year, Glenburgie 21 year, Tullabardine 29 year

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Most would be familiar with the term “Swansong” which is the final performance of what was hopefully an illustrious career! This was the theme of a very special whisky-tasting evening early January 2023 in Mumbai – all liquid that marked the “end” of a distillery or that particular “avatar” of the distillery. To make it even more interesting, all were also from “indie” bottlers – from well-established, large-scale to newer, very small-scale.

What did I pick for this carefully curated evening?

Cambus 29 year (1990 / 2020) ex Bourbon Cask No. 93596 52% (Elixir, The Whisky Trail Retro) Lowland

The most obvious example is Cambus distillery. This grain distillery had a mixed history of highs and lows, closing in 1993 with the distillery completely demolished to eventually make way for Diageo’s cooperage.

From Elixir (aka Sukhinder Singh’s continued ventures), the bottle I picked is from their “Whisky Trail Retro” series with fun “Mario gameboy” style labels. Already sold out in the UK, I managed to snag this bottle in Europe for EUR 140 (+tax/shipping). Here I must admit that I was inspired by the remarkable Cambus 29 year tasted at Paris Whisky Live.

Glenburgie 21 year 43% (Gordon & Macphail Distillery Labels) Speyside

Glenburgie is still producing whisky, however, this particular bottle came from before production stopped in 2000, with the distillery being completely rebuilt in 2003/04. Making this spirit from a previous “avatar” of the distillery. My experience with Glenburgies from this period is very positive – summery drams with warm peaches, elegant and classy.

Here I selected a bottle from Gordon & Macphail who do more than “bottle”, they also have a hand in the casks used to mature the whisky. In this case, they also have the “right” to use the distillery label. I purchased this bottle in early 2021 for Eur 110 (+tax/shipping) and have been impatiently waiting for the right opportunity to open! 

Tullabardine 29 year 47.5% (Chorlton) Highland

Last, but certainly not least! I chose to close with a whisky from Tuillabardine distillery. Again you could argue “But hey, they are still producing whisky!” And you would be (partly) correct… however the distillery was completely “mothballed” back in 1995 and wasn’t re-opened for production until 2003. 

My choice for bottler was clear – the very creative Chorlton indie bottler with his eye-catching medieval labels and consistently quality drams. This bottle was acquired in Europe for EUR 200 (+tax/shipping), certainly steeper than my usual choice, but simply couldn’t resist!

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