As we race through 2017 we are at the end of Q2 already. With thoughts of summer holidays and the start of the schools closing we look back at the last three months. What were the highlights and what left us wanting maybe just a little bit more.
The Highlights
Balblair 1990 Second Edition
A 25 year old whisky at a sensible price with a craft presentation. I expected a lot from this whisky and I got it. Still widely available and should be picked up immediately.
Balblair 1990 bottled 2015 (Second Edition)
Bunnahabhain Moine Oloroso
A limited release and no longer available in the shops (probably). This was a vatting of a handful of Oloroso sherry casks that were possibly under a decade old and it rocks! Amazing rich mahogany colour, rich fruits and dry smoke what more could a Bunna fan want.
Glen Scotia Double Cask
Draft 1 of this post had the new 25 year old here for a special mention. The final cut though saw the entry level Double Cask making it in though. The 25 year is great and special but it is also prohibitively expensive to buy. That got me thinking what extra did I get from the experience over the £30 Double cask version? The answer is not enough to make me buy a full bottle and open it. They are both completely different but still equally good and rewarding to drink. Also, the double cask is on offer in Marks & Spencer right now.
The Disappointments
Auchentoshan 14 Year Old (Douglas Laing Provenance)
Auchentoshan is a great distillery just outside Glasgow. I have visited and really had a great time meeting the people who make the spirit and tasting a lot of their releases. Auchentoshan can be great but it can also be pretty rotten and this single cask was firmly in the latter.
Auchentoshan – 14 Year old Single Cask
Inchmurrin 12 Year Old
The Glen Scotia distillery is owned by the people behind the Loch Lomond distillery. They could do with learning a little about what Glen Scotia are doing in Campbeltown because the difference in quality is startling. The Inchmoan brand only avoided this post because the ashy peat smoke does wonders to hide some significant sins from the “unique” stills use to make a proportion of the spirit in both brands.
Malted 