Douglas Laing, the Independent bottlers, has been building upon their regional malts brand success in the last year. First there were the 5 regional malts, Big Peat, Scallywag, Timorous Beastie, Rock Oyster and The Epicurean along with three Cask Strength variants: Big Peat X-mas, Scallywag CS and Rock Oyster CS. But in the last year, we’ve seen a wave of limited editions with age statements. It started with Timorous Beastie 21 & 40 (note to self: post the review already!) and then came Scallywag 13 Year Old which is the subject of today’s review. There is also a duo of 18...

Highland Laird Port Charlotte 2004 (12 year old) 57.3%

Bourbon Barrel 900/ Dist: 2004 Btl: 2017/ Tasted: Mar 2017

The nose is intense and briny with a good dollop of medicinal peat, fish oils and underlying, beautifully sweet and balancing barley. Hints of malt, orange, tangerine follow along with some very subtle oak, which adds a very subtle creaminess but more importantly it adds structure. Overall, it’s a classic, fresh, vibrant and briny Port Charlotte.

The palate opens with malt and a touch of  vanilla and milk chocolate before the medicinal peat and dusty peat encroaches along with hints of tar, rope,...

Malts of  Scotland Dalmore 1996 (21 year old) 57.4%

Sherry Hogshead 17063/ Dist: 1996 Btl: 2017/ Tasted: Mar 2017

Very soft aromas of coffee and treacle with hints of malt, milk chocolate, raisin, sultana and a touch of citrus. There’s plenty of character from the oak with developing burnt wood, astringent herbs, sweet orange, dark chocolate and a touch of vanilla.

The palate is quite tannic and grainy but supple with plenty of balancing treacle. There’s a touch of dark chocolate, herbs and a slight bittering from the wood, but like the nose the treacle and malt balances. Subtly citric with a...

Highland Laird Glentauchers 1996 (18 year old) 52.2%

Bourbon/ Dist: 1996 Btl: 2014/ Tasted: Oct 2014

The aromas are quite gristy and fresh with taught honey, grass and robust herbal barley. Lovely intensity with a touch of gritty coffee’d tannins, spice an creamy oak with time.

The palate is dense and honeyed with sweet-ish barley and coffee’d tannins. More mature than the nose suggests and maltier too! Lovely herbal note on the middle and a long finish with the creamy oak coming through with a touch of sweet tangerine.  

Highland Laird Glentauchers 1996 (20 year old) 58%

Bourbon Barrel 7301/ Dist: 1996...

Highland Laird Isle of Arran 1996 (20 year old) 51.3%...

Hunter Laing Hepburns Choice Dufftown 2007 (9 year old) 46%...

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Royal Brackla 1998 (18 year old) 50%

Refill Bourbon Barrel/ Code: OMC2642/ Dist: maj 1998 Btl: 2017/ Tasted: Mar 2017

A softly spiced and deliciously honeyed nose with white fruit and barley. The sweetness is well balanced by a fresh citric note appearing . With time hints of straw and coffee’d oak.

The palate is considerably maltier and darker with a distinct baked fruit character. However the citrus note found on the nose, is here on the palate and along with a subtle minerality adds vibrancy. Hints of vanilla and barley. Long with the oak and barley becoming...

Edition Spirits ‘The First Editions’ Inchmurrin 1984 (32 year old) 46.5%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: EDI0213/ Dist: Jun 1984 Btl: 2017/ Tasted: Mar 2017

The nose is relatively fresh with lanolin, mature, decaying  rose-petal marc, green citrus fruit and a touch of vanilla. It’s edgy with an almost metallic freshness and late malt and herbal rye-like notes.

The palate is edgy and malty with again old marc-like notes, heavy oils, toast and mature rose petals. Subtle, mature dusty eat, apricot, leather, tobacco and rye-like herbs follow. Edgy and oily finish with a touch of sweet raspberry and dusty spice. From the marc-like/ highly...

Edition Spirits ‘The First Editions’ Glenallachie 1995 (21 year old) 58.7%

Sherry Butt/ Code: EDI0218/ Dist: Mar 1995 Btl: 2017/ Tasted: Mar 2017

There’s not much sherry influence on the nose. In fact it is very estery with pineapple, peach, apricot and wonderfully luscious, mature honey. Hints of straw-like barley follow and with time it does develop a slight edginess, but also some floral honey as well.

The palate is maltier and darker with thick slabs of toffee-malt, barley and honey. Lightly herbal (finally a little sherry influence?) and citric with hints of oak vanilla. Slightly masked finish but the juicy fruit returns...

Edition Spirits ‘The First Editions’ Tormore 1992 (25 year old) 55.9%

Refill Sherry Butt/ Code: EDI0221/ Dist: Jan 1992 Btl: 2017/ Tasted: Mar 2017

A dense and quite malty nose with baked fruit, dark honey, milk chocolate and subtle herbal-barley. The aromas display a lovely, elegant, Cognac-esque rancio and reek of age. Late hints of straw, old wood spice, vanilla, alcohol seeped apricot and tangerine.

The palate is mature and straw-like with delicate barley and refreshing citrus notes. Cognac-esque notes of apple and apricot come though on the middle. Excellent depth and complexity. Long, subtly spiced and sweet vanilla finish with lingering barley,...

A diverse selection of new whiskies is rolling out this month. For scotch fans, there are new limited editions from...

Arouse your senses and prepare to deconstruct the flavors found in your whisky glass. Tasting Lesson is a drink hack to help anyone identify common whisky flavors and their origin.

Fruity notes are one of the easiest flavors to recognize when you evaluate a glass of whisky. They are ascribed to esters, a group of compounds that form principally during fermentation, following the stage where yeast converts glucose to ethanol. Close to 100 different esters have been identified as originating during the fermentation process.

Fruity ester characteristics can be concentrated during distillation and molded during maturation. Still size and shape,...

We all think of Scotland as home to whisky, but it is also responsible for producing the majority of UK gin. Two of the world’s most famous London dry gins, Gordon’s and Tanqueray , emerge from Diageo’s Cameronbridge Distillery, home to Haig Club whisky (‘London dry’ is a style, not a designation of origin). Smaller whisky distillers are also creating fascinating native Scottish gins right alongside some of the single malt whiskies we love so much. Why are dyed-in-the-wool whisky distillers embracing the challenge of gin?

Unlike Scotch whisky, which requires maturation in barrels, gin is traditionally an unaged spirit...

The clink of bottles getting jostled in a suitcase can strike fear into any whisky-lover’s heart. A precious whisky should be cradled like a baby, but no one has invented the ‘bottle car seat’ yet. Luckily, there’s no need to resign your bottles to a bumpy ride: Whether you’re squeezing into a subway car, driving through bourbon country, or trekking in the wilderness, one of these cases will suit the scenario, keeping your bottle safe—and your heart rate steady.

Transport Your Whisky Securely

Furoshiki, $48

Whether it hails from Japan or not, wrap up your whisky with this traditional Japanese...

Anyone who’s ever gotten married knows what a double-edged sword the wedding registry can be. On the one hand, it ensures that clueless relatives are directed toward gifts the couple actually wants. On the other hand, you could end up with 42 teaspoons and only three plates. And even with a registry, someone’s always going to go off-book and give you their idea of a great wedding present. (Thanks for the decorative bathroom art, Aunt Mary!)

But sometimes everything on the registry gets snapped up by other guests—or is way out of your price range—and you need a great gift idea....

96 points...

92 points...

Lovers of aged bourbon, take note: You can now buy six Orphan Barrel whiskeys in one classy package. The Orphan Barrel Archive Collection brings together past releases, including:

Barterhouse —The first release in the Orphan Barrel series, a 20 year old Kentucky straight bourbon. Whisky Advocate score: 90 points

Old Blowhard —A 26 year old Kentucky straight bourbon. Whisky Advocate score: 81 points

Lost Prophet —A 22 year old Kentucky straight bourbon. Whisky Advocate score: 92 points

Rhetoric 21 year old —The second release in the Rhetoric series ( Rhetoric 23 year old just came out earlier this spring ),...