Clan Campbell

 I have to admit that this bottle sat on my bottom shelf for years as I thought it was too low brow. I was wrong. I broke this out the other night and found it to be very drinkable. It has almost no harshness (even my wife liked it) and has a long, warming finish. Clan Campbell is a blended scotch and is a best seller in France. The brand is currently owned by Pernod Ricard.

The scotch got its start with a wine merchant named Rosenbloom who moved into whiskey blending in 1933. It is a blend of Arbelour and Glenallachie, so it has a Speyside base. This is a very affordable drink and makes the case that you don't have to be expensive, or single malt, to be good.

Glendronach 12 Year Old

 This was one of my favorite whiskeys over 25 years ago but it is difficult to find and almost impossible to get in a restaurant. I just happened to find a bottle when I went into the ABC store in the Red Neck Riviera. Color me shocked.

The distillery was opened in 1826 and underwent several ownership changes over the years. It was  mothballed in 1996, which probably led to my inability to find it. Luckily for us, they started back up again in 2002. 

Glendronach is a Highland whiskey that is matured in sherry casks. It has a pleasing golden amber color and a sweet nose. As you would expect from the sherry casks, the palate is smooth and velvety. The finish is long and warming.

I highly recommend this little known whiskey. It will be worth the trouble to find.

Deanston 30 Year Old

 This is another case where I received a special whiskey and put it aside for an occasion. By the time I opened it, the cork was dried out and I had to push it into the bottle. So now I strain cork pieces from my drink and I had to find a substitute cork to prevent the angels from getting more than their share.

Deanston is a Highland Whiskey from a distillery that started life as a cotton mill in 1785. For those concerned about energy, in 1949 the mill installed water turbines and now all their electricity is generated by these turbine generators. In 1965, the mill closed its doors but by 1974, it was converted to a distillery.

The 30 year old has a pleasant medium amber color. It is slightly phenolic but that soon dissipates and you are left with a smooth and velvety texture on your palate. The finish is warm and welcoming. 

My advice? Enjoy your whiskey before the cork dries out.

Laphroaig

 Laphroig is a 10 year old whiskey distilled on the Island of Islay. Laphroig means "beautiful hollow by the broad bay" in Gaelic. It has a light amber color, sweet aroma and a slight phenolic taste. The distillery has been around since 1815 and is currently owned by Beam Suntory. (Yes, that's right, Jim Beam is part of a Japanese conglomerate)

Laphroaig has a unique marketing gimmick. They offer you a free piece of the island. You can get a lifetime lease of 1 square foot of the island by becoming a "friend". I had to check how much ilalnd was available for lease. The island has an area of 239.2 square miles. That translates to 6,670,000,000 square feet, so I doubt they will run out space soon.

This is not a entry level scotch as some will not find it smooth, but it is worth a taste in order to learn some of the differences between the areas of Scotland.

Glenmorangie 1971

This is a limited edition whiskey that was bottled to mark the 150th anniversary of the distillery which was opened in 1843. It comes in a wooden presentation box and had I known what it was worth today, I probably would have sold it on ebay. The bottle I saw on the webs was very pricy and carried a warning about the seal. Sure enough, the cork on my bottle was dried out and broke off when I tried to open it. I had to push the remaining cork into the bottle and then strain out the cork pieces.

It is dark amber with a spicy nose. It is very smooth with a long finish. After all, it you are paying over $1000 for a bottle, it better be worth it.

This bottle was a gift and I don't think the giver spent that much and it may have been in my closet for 10 - 15 years. Obviously, if you have that amount of disposable income to spend on Scotch, you can spend your money on a good selection and be just as happy.

The Glenrothes

Glenrothes is a Speyside single malt whiskey. The distillery was established in 1879 in the town of Rothes, about 30 miles north of Edinburgh, by a whiskey maker and a Presbyterian reverend who put the towns economy over his aversion to alcohol. The whiskey is distilled using a slower than normal process and aged in American oak and Spanish sherry casks.

My whiskey was distilled in 1998 and bottled in 2015 making it about 17 years old. It has a pleasing dark amber color and an aroma of grass or hay. It is easy on the tongue with little harshness. It leaves you with a very pleasant warm feeling.

This whiskey can be found for about $50 to $200 depending upon age. It's well worth seeking this one out.

Glenmorangie 18 Year Old

Being in a self imposed quarantine at home gives me a good chance to sample more of my scotch collection. It has been acquired over years of birthdays, Christmases and Fathers Days. This bottle is an 18 year old Glenmorangie. According to their website, This whiskey is aged in American oak for 15 years. Then, 30% of it is put into Oloroso Sherry casks for 3 more years. It is then recombined and, voila, you have an excellent scotch.

Color: Light Amber
Nose: Grass, citrus
Palate: Light and smooth, not harsh
Finish: Refreshing

You can roll a mouthful of this whiskey around in your mouth and it will not "burn".

This whiskey is an award winner and a good one to ask for if someone wants to give you a special present. If you can find this for around $100, grab it quick.

Cadenhead

Cadenhead is Scotland's oldest independent bottler having been started in Aberdeen in 1842. They don't distill whiskey themselves but buy casks from distilleries and either blend them or sell as small batch single cask whiskeys. This particular whiskey was an 11 year old small batch cask strength distilled at Bunnahabhain.

Palate: Fairly peaty and a little harsh initially
Nose: Sweet
Color: Very pale
Finish: Long and warming

While this was not one of my favorites I recognize it as a unique whiskey due to its limited production. Indeed , some of the independent bottlers can supply whiskey from distilleries that are now closed. Some bottlers keep their suppliers a secret. Their cost can be at the high end of your whiskey budget, but if you know what you like and do a little research, you could find a one of a kind dram.

Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old

In looking back, it seems I have a preference for whiskies from Islay. Bunnahabhain is another one. The distillery is located in the northeast corner of the island just across a narrow strait from the mainland. Bunnahabhain, which means "mouth of the river" in Gaelic, was founded in 1883. Because of it's location, supplies and product were shipped by sea. A check of their website indicates that they distill some 19 varieties of whiskey and some are crazy expensive.

Palate: Very smooth and mild. Easy to hold on the tongue. Dense
Nose: Toffee
Color: Dark amber
Finish: Long and warming

Don't pass this one up and if you want to treat yourself, this is a good choice.

The Balvenie 21 Year Old Portwood

When family asks me what I want for Father's Day or Birthdays, I say "Scotch". This has allowed me to build a nice collection of some pricey whiskeys. One of them was this one. This scotch is old enough to vote so I didn't feel like I was robbing the cradle.

Palate: Very smooth
Nose: Flowers, nuts
Color: amber
Finish: Mild and warm

For other Balvenie reviews go here.

Talisker Distillers Edition

Talisker is located on the remote Isle of Skye and has been there since 1830. They are now part of the Diageo stable of brands. They have several bottlings but this particular one spends the last few months of its ageing in amoroso casks. My bottle was distilled in 2005 and bottled in 2015.

Color: Dark amber. It has the prettiest color of any scotch I've drunk and it really sparkles in a crystal glass
Nose: You can tell that this whiskey was born near the sea from it's briny and seaweedy aroma
Palate: Smooth with a taste of salty peat
Finish: Long and warm

Again, here is a fine whiskey that is not even in its teen years. A great addition to your shelf.

Ardbeg Kelpie

This is another whiskey from Ardbeg on Islay. Ardbeg was founded in 1815. They were bought by Hiram Walker in 1977 but closed in 1981. Hiram Walker was bought by Allied Lyons in 1987 and production resumed for use in blending only to close again in 1991. They were sold to Glenmorangie in 1997 and then were named distillery of the year in 1998. In 2005 they were established in the House of Glenmorangie as part of LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy).

This whiskey in named for a mythical sea monster and is one of seven offerings.

Color: Pale amber
Nose: Strongly peaty
Palate: Peppery
Finish: Very long. The unique taste lingers.

Coming from Islay, it is strong in peat and seaweed. This may not be a whiskey for everyone but it is unique and worth a try.

Ardbeg 10 Year Old

Ardbeg is distilled on the island of Islay. It was named a World Whiskey of the Year in 2008.

Color: Pale, almost clear
Nose: Strongly peaty
Palate: Very mellow. It has no harshness. You can swish this whiskey in your mouth for a long time.
Finish: Sweet

This is a classic example that you don't need ageing in fancy wood to make a good whiskey. This whiskey is reasonably priced and I will add this to my birthday list.

Kilchoman Machir Bay

My wife and I were in one of our favorite Paris restaurants and were expecting the arrival of our 20 year old grandson the next day. We were texting with him and learned that his flight out of NOLa was delayed and he would have 20 minutes to make the connection in Atlanta. We were therefore a little stressed and I wanted something a little stronger. Our waiter brought me a glass of Kilchoman.

Kilchoman (pronounced Kil-ho-man) is the first distillery to be build on Islay in 125 years. It is also one of the smallest distilleries. It is based on a farm where it grows it's own barley and also practices floor malting. As it was built in 2005, their scotch has not had time to mature as long as other established distilleries. They offer 10 different scotches where the key difference is the type of barrel they are aged in.

Color: Pale
Nose: Peaty
Palate: Slight burn on the tongue, thin
Finish: Warm

The scotches from this distillery have won several awards but after looking up some pricing I think they are over rated and over priced. They need more time in the barrel to mature. It may take another 5 to 10 years before they have a scotch I would like to drink.

PS. He made the flight.

Balvenie Double Wood 12 Year Old

Balvenie is a Speyside distillery that prides itself on its hand crafting. For example, they turn the malt by hand. The 12 year old is one of their lower grades from their wide range of about 20 whiskys, some as old as 50 years old. This whiskey is aged in 2 types of barrels. It spends at least 12 years in American oak bourbon casks and is then transferred to Spanish oak sherry casks for another 9 months. The result is a very smooth and drinkable whiskey at a reasonable price.

Color: Medium amber
Nose: Sweet with sherry notes
Palate: Smooth and mellow
Finish: Long and warming

Royal Lochnagar Selected Reserve

I received this bottle as a Christmas present in 2010 and planned to open it after a Republican victory in 2012. That never happened but now I get a second chance.

The Lochnagar distillery became "Royal" after a visit by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. It is located conveniently close to Balmoral in the Scottish Highlands. The distillery is owned by Diageo who also provides us with Johnnie Walker, J&B, Guiness and other fine beverages. The non-select grades of this whiskey used to be the main component of Vat 69 and they now make up the base for Johnnie Walker Blue.

This version comes in a wooden presentation box but was discontinued in 2012.

Color: Dark amber. (Coloring may have been added)
Nose: Grass, Hay, Flowery
Palate: Smooth and sweet
Finish: Lingering and warming

This whiskey looks like it might be peaty but it is not. It has a unique sweetness to it that is different for scotch. It is also a fairly expensive whiskey so if someone offers you a dram, do not turn it down.

Glenmorangie, The Original

This whisky is a classic example that pre-teen scotch can be very good. I found I had ignored this scotch thinking that it was too "common" But I was mistaken. The Original is their base scotch and is 10 years old. Glenmorangie is made by their famous "16 men of Tain", a fictional group of still masters. One of the unique things about Glenmorangie is that they have tallest stills in Scotland which they claim gives them a better product.

Color: Light amber
Nose Fruity, citrus
Palate: Light and clean, not harsh
Finish: Refreshing

This is a good "go to" scotch when you aren't sure what to order at a restaurant. They are sure to keep this one on the bar.

Highland Park 18 Year Old

Highland Park is the northern most distillery in Scotland. It's a whole half mile north of Scapa. As you would expect from a whiskey from the Orkney Islands, it has a strong taste of peat and the sea. Highland Park sells whisky up to 40 years old, if you can afford it (it sells for over $5,000). It is one of the few distilleries that still has a traditional malting floor where they turn each batch by hand.

The parent company, Edrington, also produces Famous Grouse, Cutty Sark and The Macallan.

Color: Rich deep amber
Nose: Strong peat
Palate: Very smooth
Finish: Warm and satisfying

I like this whiskey a lot. I find myself grabbing the bottle and pouring a couple of fingers when  I want a relaxing moment in the evening. I think you'll like it too.

Deanston 12 Year Old

The Deanston Distillery is located on the River Teith in the highlands. The building was erected in 1785 as a cotton mill but was converted to its present use in 1965. The 12 year old single malt is aged in bourbon barrels and is "un chill filtered". Chill filtering is a process where the whiskey is chilled to freezing temperatures and then filtered to remove various molecules that solidify at those temperatures. It is done primarily as a cosmetic measure to prevent the whiskey from becoming cloudy when ice is added. But who adds ice to good whiskey?? And many argue that chill filtering removes elements of taste and aroma. Who am I to argue with that?

Color: Rich amber
Nose: hay, barley
Palate: Very smooth and pleasing to the tongue
Finish: Provides a lingering warmth

This is a very drinkable whiskey suitable for both new and experienced whiskey lovers. It is another example that age does not necessarily mean a better whiskey as this can hold its own against many older products.

Glenfiddich Small Batch reserve - 18 Year Old

I've reviewed their 18 year old scotch before. The review is here. While this is also an 18 year old and it is aged in similar sherry and bourbon casks, this is not the same scotch by any means.

Color: Dark amber
Nose: floral, notes of vanilla
Palate: Extremely smooth and round, not at all harsh to the tongue or taste buds
Finish: Long and warming

This scotch is so smooth, it's like drinking silk. Even my wife enjoyed sipping this scotch. This one is well worth the expense if you are looking for a special drink.