Tag: scotch
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Deanston 14-Year Organic Scoresheet & Review
In a vast sea of established Scottish distilleries, Deanston is relatively unique. Named after the Stirling village, the Highland distillery began as a cotton mill in the late 18th century until shutting down in the mid-1960s. This was around the time blender and broker Brodie Hepburn bought and converted the…
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Highland Park Magnus Scoresheet & Review
When Highland Park revamped its branding in 2017 to play up their location-based connection to Vikings, whisky fans rolled their eyes. The distillery’s switch from understated to eye-catching bottles, each with a “Viking” nickname, struck enthusiasts as nothing more than an attention grab. Adding fuel to the proverbial fire was…
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Bunnahabhain 12-Year Scoresheet & Review
Bunnahabhain is unique for a very simple reason: It’s one of the only Islay distilleries to produce unpeated malt whisky. That’s not to say no peated whisky is produced there (see: Toiteach A Dhà), but unpeated Islay single malt is more or less the spiel. That and the common bottling…
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Clynelish 14-Year Scoresheet & Review
Knowing where to start with Clynelish is tough. Where many distilleries have a defining characteristic, historic or otherwise, Clynelish is ostensibly far less extravagant. Not unlike Caol Ila, Clynelish’s present claim to fame isn’t even a claim for itself: it’s the whisky’s role in Johnnie Walker blends. The brand’s history…
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Johnnie Walker Red Label Scoresheet & Review
Like it or not, Johnnie Walker is the brand most people think of when it comes to scotch. And as with anything popular, it has no shortage of detractors. The three primary targets of reason seem to be the brand’s exclusive use of blends, the fact it’s owned by Diageo,…
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Caol Ila 12-Year Scoresheet & Review
It’s almost impossible to discuss Caol Ila without mentioning Johnnie Walker. Malts.com, the page for Diageo’s multiple scotch brands, literally calls it “the Islay home of Johnnie Walker.” That alone should clue curious minds into just how big this Islay distillery is, but if you want numbers, the distillery is…
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Talisker 10-Year Scoresheet & Review
Whisky is very much a product of its environment. Wherever the aging spirit physically resides will impact how the final product comes out, from the surrounding climate to the casks chosen for maturation. One of the more interesting ways whisky can take on a unique personality is through coastal influences.…
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Ardbeg An Oa Scoresheet & Review
Exploring peated scotch has been one of the most interesting and exciting treks in my spirits journey thus far. In addition to the broadly distinct profile, different peated malts can come across so differently, even without doing side-by-side comparisons. And yet, where I believe these drams can impress the most…
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Glenmorangie A Tale of Cake Scoresheet & Review
Glenmorangie have been one of the easiest scotch brands for me to turn to. The reason is simple: pricing. Although it’s easy to find their four-pack tasting set (consisting of The Original, Lasanta, Quinta Ruban, and Nectar d’Or), local pricing for a full bottle of each is far more approachable…
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Ardbeg Wee Beastie Scoresheet & Review
Peaty scotch has a reputation for turning many a casual drinker away from the popular whisky category as a whole. My experience was somewhat different. Bowmore was the first peated single malt I recall trying, and by that point I’d already tasted the likes of Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Glenmorangie, and The…
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Highland Park 15-Year Viking Heart Scoresheet & Review
Many whisky producers take great pride in their apparent heritage, and Highland Park is no exception. Their website offers a wealth of reading material detailing their origins, with a considerable chunk driving home a connection to Vikings. This association has become positively pervasive in their branding, right down to nicknaming…
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Ardbeg 10-Year Scoresheet & Review
“Unapologetic” is a fairly apt way to describe Ardbeg’s marketing. More specifically, they drop vaguely sourced quotes like “as close to perfection as makes no difference” and “unquestionably, the greatest distillery on Earth,” as if to epitomize themselves. Some may say it’s fun and confidence, others might call it egotistical…
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