Archive For The “Whisky Tasting Notes” Category

Cadenhead’s Bladnoch 23 – Lowlands from the Old Guard

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Cadenhead’s Bladnoch 23 – Lowlands from the Old Guard

Bladnoch is a Lowlands distillery that had been closed in 1938 and has been changing hands since. Brought back into operation in 1956 it changed ownership five times, ending up in Diageo’s predecessor’s hands and was later sold to the current owner Raymond Armstrong on the condition that the distillery not produce more than 100,000…

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Black Art, Ninja Whisky and an Islay That Isn’t

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Black Art, Ninja Whisky and an Islay That Isn’t

I admit that I have a problem with Bruichladdich. On the one hand, this is a very prolific distillery with a large fandom, even among my close whisky friends. On the other hand, I can’t stomach (or nose, actually) the lactic baby spit-up aroma so characteristic of their “regular” products. Yet, I always am willing…

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Clynelish at its Full Glory – Who Let The Candle Maker Out? Who? Who? Who?

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Clynelish at its Full Glory – Who Let The Candle Maker Out? Who? Who? Who?

Clynelish has one of the saddest human tragedy whisky stories associated with its founding and its founder, the 2nd Marquess of Strafford (later to be created the 1st Duke of Sutherland). During the early 19th century, the Highlands were essentially forced the eviction of all the farmers and crofters traditionally working the land to allow…

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How High Can You Get? The Highlands “Classic Malt”

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How High Can You Get? The Highlands “Classic Malt”

Diageo sure knows marketing, and the six “Classic Malts” were meant to display the six whisky making regions of Scotland and to draw visitors, and awareness, for the distilleries. However, Diageo lacks a presence in Campbeltown, so Oban – a Western coastal Highlands distillery 140 km (86 miles) away- got the nod to represent “the…

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Travel Retail NAS at Its Best: Bunnahabhain Cruach-Mhòna

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Travel Retail NAS at Its Best: Bunnahabhain Cruach-Mhòna

No! Just because it’s NAS does not mean it’s not good. On the other hand, travel retail has become the proving ground for many new NASty experiments. So what have we here? Bunnahabhain, the “other” Islay distillery, has a peated expression here to take on the best of the traditional Islay expressions. I haven’t had the Toiteach…

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