The results of Glasgow's Whisky Club Rum tasting ....

... for me, the most successful Distillery Ale I have tasted. ... which got me thinking about a hybrid beverage called 'Whiskale' which may help small Craft Distillers get through the lean years (financially) by producing a grain of Port. A bit left-field, but I will be experimenting, and posting results.

... for me, the most successful Distillery Ale I have tasted. ... which got me thinking about a hybrid beverage called 'Whiskale' which may help small Craft Distillers get through the lean years (financially) by producing a grain of Port. A bit left-field, but I will be experimenting, and posting results.

..... when it comes to Whisky (or any quality alcohols) are you limited to a budget ? ...

.... examples of reasonable quality Whisky and how to find them if your on a budget.

.... new, small, artisan, craft-presented, local-sourcing, skill-rich, customer-respectful. ... and we like that very much.

... if you can find them, ... small Independent Bottlers can provide seriously good quality whiskies for the drinker looking for something special, and at a good price too.

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got a rotten head cold ? TODDY TIME !!! 2 spoons sugar, - big pinch of mixed spice, - some ginger syrup, - ... add hot water, - cool, swirl, - knob of butter - one egg yolk - whisky, - close lid and shake gently, - pour - drink - go to bed.

PART 1 ...

PART 2 - from the Mash tun via the washbacks and milling hopper by the warehouses and down to the river, this concludes in a barrel of steam.

... YES, all you Glasgow's Whisky Clubbers, I will get the rest of this lovely bottle to you soon.

... a characterful and often mis-understood Malt, and this is a good, recently launched version.

... the littlest Speyside Malt has put on her Cindarella slippers, and gone to the Grand Ball. An 'average' still-signature never tasted so good as this one does now.

... a reputable little Speysider with older bottlings popular with collectors.

... thanks to Mr Haggis for the bottle-swap, I can review another decent Balvenie which demonstrates that younger Malts are just as eventful as many older ones.

Two simple but effective ways to affect and recover poor quality unpalatable whisky and avoid having to pour it down the drain.

... my old grandma's recipe ( all her neighbors did it too !) for making standard Blended Whisky more enjoyable by marinading the fruit & peel ingredients of a New Year Cake, then straining off the liquor into a bottle and maturing till the following New Year, .... hence the name Winter Scotch.

... to celebrate Halloween (31/10/09) I am reviewing an 'un-dead' old Blended Whisky no-one will have heard of, then I will introduce Zombie whisky on Glasgow's first ever Zombie Walk. ......

... 500 un-dead's lurched and moaned through the West End of Glasgow on Halloween, and I was amongst them as a Zombie-Marshall, introducing the first ever bottle of Zombie Whisky And .... raised £206 for MacMillan Nurses from donations. .... Hooray !!! Thanks to everyone at Co-operative Funeralcare for excellent support.

... following a recent e-mail from someone asking for a Blended Scotch review due to no Malts being available at their remote location, I have reviewed the second most available Blend Scotch in the World.

.... only available at Chivas Malt Distilleries, this is a great example of a lesser known Malt Whisky which can be found on a 'treasure hunt' around Scotland's Distilleries.

... an exotic odd-ball Single Malt heavily influenced by a robust Jamaica rum cask whilst delivering a Malt arrival, grappa development and big rum finish. ... Odd but good.

... Richard and Tomako invited me to see their Cask of Glengoyne being filled which they intend to be a present for their baby daughter Julia when she's older.

... having just bought a cask of Glengoyne Whisky for baby Julia's future, Richard and Tomako talk about one of their favourite topics...

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... older sister to the 12 yo cask strength..

... the lesser known peaty Malt from Islay, often over-looked, but usually quite rewarding.

... something different for the Whisky fan.

... a very interesting style of Single Malt using the old Solera Vat system used by Sherry and Cognac producers for hundreds of years. In Scotch, this Solera system is highly unusual.

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An Islay Malt Whisky Combo including Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Bowmore and Port Ellen ...

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... some end-of-the-year comment with a very brief review of Bladnoch 18yo (which will be reviewed in more detail in whisky review 101) Big thanks to all you viewers and also to everyone at Google (for the Blogs) and YouTube (for the Vlogs).

... one of the small, craft, traditional, well-priced wee Distilleries in Scotland receives a proper blessing from my humble self.

... an intense dry super-citrus Blended Scotch with heavy Barley and sherbet profile.

... a particularly juicy and competent version of what is Scotlands greatest Classic Lost Distillery.

.... clutching my Canadian bag to fill with Canadian Whisky, I have arrived on Vancouver Island to assist and present some whiskystuff for the Independant minded Canadians. ... Nice place to visit ! ...

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... part two of the Victoria Distillery visit sees us chillin' in the tastin' place.

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... an engaging interview with John Glazer of the Compass Box Whisky Company in which he articulates the necessity for quality wood maturation of whisky.

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... Joe tells me a bit about the excellent Forty Creek stuff, new-age Canadian Whisky.

PLEASE NOTE ... as we sit to feed the ducks you will have to turn your sound up, ...

... it was a blast ! I don't mean to offend with my opinion on some Canadian Whiskies as many are perfectly sound ! But I do see such potential for a Canadian Whisky renaissance, ... so prefer to show respect with an honest opinion rather than flatter with platitudes.

... how to 1 - sniff a bottle without leaving nose deposit. 2 - identify imposed chemical smells which can spoil whisky enjoyment.

Handy Hints .... 4 - After a Cold, it can take a week to get your smell and taste back to normal. 5 - taking some prescription medication and even health supplements can have a limited or severe impact on your senses of taste and smell. It can ruin a good Whisky 6 - Synesthesia - an uncommon condition where the 'wiring' of the brain can cause sense over-lap and people can .... 'taste' music ! 'hear' colours ! 'smell' numbers. .... odd but fantastic.

... an available, decent priced introduction to Canadian Whisky, ... multi-grain distillate designed for a sweet, pleasant rye-kissed Blend. It works well, acceptable for sipping but designed for a CC&7(with 7-Up soda), CC&G (with ginger ale) and as a Manhattan Cocktail (1/3 CC 2/3 Vermouth, crushed ice, shaken,(not stirred) and a cherry on top. (bitters optional) ... lovely.

... two traditional style Canadian whiskies, with the Seagram's noticably 'branded' whilst the Wisers (small batch) gives a bolder showing with it's more crafted presentation.

... two good Whiskies found mainly in Canada, and a bit of a well kept secret too ! Alberta Premium is a good 100% Rye with a mellow fruity/sweety character. Forty Creek is a modern 'Craft' interpretation of traditional style by a wine-maker, ... and it works.

... in this Vlog, I consider the whiskies reviewed over the last 6 reviews, and also where Canadian Whisky's at, and finally, ... where the future lays in developing the character of Canadian Whisky.

... introduction to the whiskycast.

... first section of the whiskycast.

... second section of the whiskycast.

... third section of the whiskycast.

... fourth section of the whiskycast.

... fifth section of the whiskycast.

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... a quick introduction to the world's first Scottish-based Whisky Evening Class which involves a " Whisky Trail" for beginners, and an "Advanced Whisky Trail" for those who complete the first course. John's site is http://www.johnlamond.com College is http://www.glasgowmet.ac.uk/ Education was never this much fun..........

... a bit of a belter, A good example of a quality Blended Malt (i.e. single malts from various Distilleries mixed together). Quality whisky - good ! Non-chilfiltered - good ! NO E150a - good ! 45.6 % - good ! price - good ! MARKS - malt blend 90/100 - GOOD ! According to the Producers, a Malt-blend of Glenlivet, Glen Elgin and Mortlach. .... no Glen Grant and Glenrothes like I was told at a 'Whisky Live' Show a few years ago.

.... A big selling Whisky in many Countries around the World.

www.gaelicwhisky.

On Tuesday 16th March 2010, the first public appearance of Abhainn Dearg new-Spirit will take place at Macsorleys Bar, Jamaica Street, Glasgow at 7.30pm If you can, be there.

... how to prepare for, deal with, and survive a Whisky Festival whisky review 117 - Launch of Abhainn Dearg Spirit in U.K. On Tuesday 16th March 2010, the first public appearance of Abhainn Dearg new-Spirit will take place at Macsorleys Bar, Jamaica Street, Glasgow at 7.30pm If you can, be there.

... a ralfy-recommended range of Irish Whiskey showing different styles and prices, and all worth the effort.

... a fresh, decent, simple (but substantial) Blended Irish Whiskey which can become deceptively "more-ish !" if your not careful with your measures. With content matured for at least five years, this gives a good balance between retaining grain youth and cask influenced maturity.

... a recent version of Jameson Whiskey now more widely available due to the growing popularity of traditional 'Pot Still' Irish Spirit. Basically, this carries more complex notes and range of smell and flavour compared to the standard Jameson.

... a Supermarket Special, and for the price of £13.49, a good deal ! This is a decent, exciting young Irish character of considerable personality, and reflects the fact that some seriously good Whiskies are to be found out-with official bottlings. Incredibly, this Whiskey finishes sherbet and salty with cream soda hints.

... a rare example of a traditional style of Irish Whiskey involving the distillation of malted and un-malted barley. Scotch Whisky uses only malted barley.

... a seven to eight year old sherry influenced rarity produced by Midleton Distillery (Jameson's) for Mitchell & Son Wine Merchants in Dublin.

... a masterful Scotch-similar Irish Single Malt of complexity and substance.

... this is a crafted, peated Irish Whiskey and a consideration as an alternative to an Islay Scotch Malt if you want to try something peatily different. Ref: - K92/334105 46%, single cask, No E150a, informative label, ... good stuff.

... super peaty, super sexy, super collectable, super promoted super hyped Islay Malt lusted after by nouveau-collectors, Malt-anoraks and adored by marketing gurus. ... and a good Malt too.

subtle/intense/delicate/complex Highland Malt just along the road from Glenmorangie.

... a complex under-rated speysider of challenging charm.

... the Poit Dhubh range is non chill-filtered, 43%, and generally good ! I review the 12yo as it is, for me, a good representation of the range.

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...

... took the opportunity recently to sit down with Duncan who has decades of experience distilling, and now manages Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay. ... some interesting stories.

... took the opportunity recently to sit down with Duncan who has decades of experience distilling, and now manages Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay. ... some interesting stories.

... a peat monster at a good price.

...

... a Single Malt from Islay with ....

An Exhibitor tables 'walk round' in three parts capturing whats available at the Whisky 'an 'a That Show 2010 in Ayr, Scotland.

An Exhibitor tables 'walk round' in three parts capturing whats available at the Whisky 'an 'a That Show 2010 in Ayr, Scotland.

An Exhibitor tables 'walk round' in three parts capturing whats available at the Whisky 'an 'a That Show 2010 in Ayr, Scotland.

... a decent, light-natured chat with George Grant, heir to the Glenfarclas Kingdom, and all-round whisky-bloke.

... a wander through the 'contemporary' section of my whisky-stash.

... second part of the trawl through my eccentric whisky colllection.

... my first Isle Of Jura review find me crooning about the (more mature) 18yo version rather than younger alternatives. This Malt suits the time to develop.

Recorded on June 16, 2010 using a Flip Video camcorder.

... first part of the (return) Interview/chat with Mark Gilespie, host of the e-radio programme www.whiskycast.

... second part of the (return) Interview/chat with Mark Gilespie, host of the e-radio programme www.whiskycast.

... after a recent dissapointment with Talisker 18yo, I am glad to be able to present a competent Talisker in the form of the 'Distillers Edition', which although a bit expensive is a good version of this classic Scotch Malt.

... Mark administers a successful Whisky Forum and also is the Organizer of Glasgow's Innaugral Whisky Festival taking place in Glasgow, November 2010.

... an independant bottled Mortlach from Cadenheads who are owned by Springbank Distillers.

an old-fashioned Blended Scotch which is reviewed here in two bottles, one from the 1960's and one from 2010. Does whisky age in bottles ? ...

an interesting comparison of two generations of one of Scotch whiskies most enigmatic brands, and the top selling Scotch Blended Whisky in the World.

... Penderyn is the first Welsh Whisky Distillery in over 100 years, launched on St David's Day 2004 and producing quality young Whisky of character and complexity.

... look out for tartan tantrums ! .. English Whisky has arrived and although still young it has potential ... and is getting better.

... a complex, quality and underated speysider of substance and complexity.

.... a selection of four peated whiskies which I would recommend as worth trying, and not all of them are from Islay !!! .... all these selections are not expensive (unless you live in Canada).

... a quiet classic Islay Single Malt just go classier with 46.3% vol:, No-Chillfiltration & Natural Colour too. ....

10yo 55.3%vol: ... and where Bowmore should be at , ... fresh, peaty, fruity, ginger, orange rind, zesty, and wafts of smoke with vanilla-oak.

A good example of a MaltBlend type of Scotch, ... a blend of Single Malts from different Distilleries, bottled at 46%, non chill-filtered and (probably) no Caramel added either. ... and it works.

An unusual and very accomplished 4 yo sherry monster from Ledaig, (peated Tobermory) ... off the malt 'radar' until brought to my attention by experienced maltsters at Loch Fyne Whisky (www.lfw.co.

...

... a discussion about American Spirits with John Lamond, Whisky expert and 'Master of Malt' First of two Vlogs introducing the series.

... a discussion about American Spirits with John Lamond, Whisky expert and 'Master of Malt' Second of two Vlogs introducing the series.

... a selected number of U.S. Spirits representing a readily available range at affordable prices.

... classic quality, bass-line Bourbon ....

... very much at the 'economy' end of the market, but a very impressive Spirit considering the price. There are many Spirits out there like this with the big Producers looking to give options to their 'Branded' bottles like Jim Beam and Chivas in order to maintain a bigger share of the total market.

...Named after Abraham Lincoln's boyhood home in Kentucky, this is supposed to represent old-school, pre-prohibition Bourbon, .... but it seems like a very modern version to me.

Old No: 7 is very young stuff suitable for ice and/or mixing with soda or coke ! For sipping, Gentleman Jack is a far better option expressing the JD style better and with more complexity.

... another very competent Bourbon which delivers more flavour-rewards than many of it's better known rivals.

... an 'improved' and substantial Bourbon of good quality.

Tennessee's other big Whisky, (this time spelt Whisky not Whiskey) which holds a special place in the hearts of American Spirit drinkers. It's good, but could be better as I tasted a bottle a few years back and it was exceptional then.

...

... Rye Whisky is a rediscovered genre of Spirits currently undergoing a renaissance of quality and availability.

... old Rye Whiskies are increasingly in demand and expensive.

... as a tribute to a YouTube viral Vlog, I am using my experience as an Internet Whisky Commentator to advise on getting the most from your Sunny D and Rum, ...

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... a quided Tour of Daftmill Distillery Fife, with Francis the Whisky-maker. Arguably, one of the most charming Distilleries in Scotland.

... a quided Tour of Daftmill Distillery Fife, with Francis the Whisky-maker. Arguably, one of the most charming Distilleries in Scotland.

... a quided Tour of Daftmill Distillery Fife, with Francis the Whisky-maker. Arguably, one of the most charming Distilleries in Scotland.

....

... three 'older' Blended Whiskies which deliver a smell and flavour as good as many Single Malts.

... a well constructed Blended Scotch with a good reputation, the 'grain' content is fairly neutral in such a way as to mobilise the variety of 'malt' whiskies involved into a virtual taste-trip around the Whisky Regions of Scotland. .... lovely.

... the House-Blend of Springbank, at 21 years is a minor Classic Blended Scotch.

... a wee malt-message and Happy New Year to you all.

... Introduction to Springbank Distillery Malts with some advice on a throat infection remedy and opinions on craft-presented whiskies.

... first Vlog of seven providing a unique insight into Scotlands most Craft-comprahensive Distillery.

... second Vlog of seven providing a unique insight into Scotlands most Craft-comprahensive Distillery.

... third Vlog of seven providing a unique insight into Scotlands most Craft-comprahensive Distillery.

... fourth Vlog of seven providing a unique insight into Scotlands most Craft-comprahensive Distillery.

... fifth Vlog of seven providing a unique insight into Scotlands most Craft-comprahensive Distillery.

... sixth Vlog of seven providing a unique insight into Scotlands most Craft-comprahensive Distillery.

... seventh and final Vlog of a seven part series providing a unique insight into Scotlands most Craft-comprahensive Distillery.

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...

... it's triple distilled and completely unpeated Springbank and it's called Hazelburn ! ... excellent.

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... an indi-bottling of good standard and bottled at 57.2%, non-chill and no artificial colour. Am sure the oak Butt is an American Oak variety. ...

... a decent old Scotch form an Independent Bottler at an affordable price, and for sharing with malt-friends.

... 'Initial Impression' tasting of a Connisseurs Choice label 1989 (approx 18yo) 43%vol: Aberfeldy single malt which delivers below the line to a certain extent on first contact.

... concluding Impression, blending and tasting of a Connisseurs Choice label 1989 (approx 18yo) 43%vol: Aberfeldy single malt which delivers below the line to a certain extent on first contact but is improved by the bottle 'relaxing' and subtle blending intervention .

....a good example of a decent bottling by a whisky-related event sourced from an Independent Bottler.

.... introducing some more quality rums, ...

...

... a good 'benchmark' rum at an affordable price and available too.

... a fairly unique event of Bajan rum matured in ex-whisky cask(s) providing a balanced, complex fruity style of spirit.

.... a fairly unique tasting rum from Mexico full of character and piratical personality.

... one of the finest rum 'noses' I have ever encountered. A superb value rum from start to finish.

... spiced rum is very popular as a mixer, but genuine quality versions for sipping are few and far between ! ... this one is for sipping and savouring.

...

.... this is the big Producers taking a successful initiative in 'craft' presenting a Malt free of chill-filtration, E150a and dilution.

... six rather interesting single malt whiskies which have one thing in commen, they are all produced by small Independant local Distillers and due to a growing number of International on-line retailers, are more available than ever before.

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... a retailer-bottling which is a good example of a type of whisky bottling worth looking out for. ... they can be excellent and not too expensive.

... a competent but still slightly fresh 'sweety' malt of charm and a surpriingly good nose.

... a peated Benriach of some phenolic clout for it's age.

... a rather tasty single cask (fresh bourbon) Arran Malt bottled for eminent whisky purveyors, Loch Fyne Whiskies.

... here it is malt-mates, 290 uploads lasting 2,400 minutes (40 hours) ...

... second part of the anniversary review by ralfy.com to celebrate 200 whisky reviews.

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... baby 'farclas ...

.. it's what all whisky-sippers need to know when going into the wider world.

... it's what you need to know malt-mates.

... at some point you may buy whisky on-line. Here is how it should arrive at your door ... sealed, strongly containered and well packaged to prevent theft and damage.

... a very good idea by a group of small, independent distillers.

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.... what does appearance (colour) tell you about a whisky ? ...

..... sort of complicated, ...

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... a decent Independant bottling of Bladnoch by Bladnoch reviewed along with some thoughts on whisky preferences, prejudice and politics. .... all an opinion of course.

... smells fine but the flavour falls short. Too 'young' tasting for the price asked.

... a fairly unique and very interesting single malt.

.... this is traditionally a great Malt down on it's luck.

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... one of the less famous Single Malts worth looking out for.

.... how to keep hold of that whisky flavour without it fading over time.

.. an easy and affordable way to gain enjoyable malt-experience with your Blended Scotch.

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... The Brazilians love the stuff so it's time for a Scotch sipper to check thing out and share the results.

... a small but varied selection from an increasingly wide variety of good Whisky options from around the World.

an iconic single malt from Bangalore India which sets a standard for World whiskies.

from the Copper Fox Distillery, Virginia, U.S.A. a bottle of Woodsky called Whisky and an interesting experience.

an excellent value Grain Whisky from South Africa well worth the investigation. Excellent nose compensates for a shorter finish on the tongue.

it's Japanese, blended malt and grain, and it's rather tasty too.

a malt-blend Japanese whisky which offers some excitement to those who think they know the permutations of whisky.

... it's a new gen: Aussi Malt and gives a good intro to this style http://www.ralfy.com/ http://www.youtube.com/user/ralfystuf...

prostate cancer awareness malt-mates, time to check yourselves ! http://www.ralfy.

to coincide with the Benromach bottle auction at scotchwhiskyauctions.

an informal malt-moment at the second Glasgow's Whisky Festival on Saturday the 19th November 2011. http://glasgowswhiskyfestival.

a trawl around what is a good example of a contemporary bottle shop. www.thegoodspiritsco.

. . . a new and interesting option for buying whisky where you go to a website and blend to you own taste from the whiskies available.

. . . two silly names for two decent whiskies. Check out their website at www.spencerfieldspirit.

. . . on the 16th December 2011, Glenglassaugh bottles their first Whisky in over 20 years. This Vlog celebrates the re-birth of another real Scotch Malt.

. . . damn these windy days and poor mic technique, but the whisky-show goes on.

we love old warehouses, and if Octaves are done properly, they work. These are the best Iv'e seen anywhere.

... a mix of whisky from 6 decades to celebrate 175 years of Family ownership. . . .

Shane, the Manager at Glenfarclas Distillery tells us a bit about football.

a wee chat with George Grant in the restored 'Ship Room' at Glenfarclas Distillery.

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. . . at last, a Bruichladdich we have been waiting for with great expectations.

a hidden gem of a whisky.

... this classic Scotch gets an experienced drinker's appraisal of it's intrinsic quality.

a decent, simple blended Scotch with a creamy-cirtus-grain thing going on.

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. . . a competent performer on the flavour-front.

... a young-tasting Blended Scotch with a lively history.

. . . a robust blended Scotch and a big seller in the bars of Glasgow.

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. . . what you really need to know about collecting Whiskies Check out http://www.whiskyfun.com/war.html & http://ymlp.

. . . a Compassboxwhisky.

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. . . a refreshingly innovative blended grain scotch whisky.

. . . Grain Scotch properly matured can be excellent as an option.

. . . a good example of well-aged Scotch at a good price because it is not a fashionable whisky.

. . . an underrated classic Malt . . .

. . . a challengingly salty/bitter malt which provides an education to the taste buds.

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. . . a colourful, characterful Single malt from the North East Highlands.

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smokey, peaty, but oak-tamed too.

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. . . an unusual and exotic spirit from the northern deserts of Mexico.

. . . a hugely flavourson traditional Mezcal from one single village source.

. . . a taste-practical option to cocktails and sweet mixers when drinking tequila or any other flavour-spirit.

. . . a decent West-coast Malt, from the charming town of Oban.

. . . a typical, and decent quality Speyside Malt featuring fruit/floral complexity.

. . . a decent and representative Lowland-style Malt which neatly presents the characteristics of this area of Scotland.

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. . . the other, invisible, Campbeltown Malt makes a guest appearance.

. . . a few pointers on what to consider buying at a Whisky auction. ...

. . . first of a two part examination of how fake whiskies are created and how to spot fakes. (it can be difficult so be cautious).

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. . . Whisky Specialist Angus introduces the appeal of antique whiskies and offers advice on buying at auctions.

. . . three available and affordable Malt whiskies which provide a range of flavours along with quality for a new whisky drinker.

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. . . . a contemporary version of Auchentoshan at cask strength, young age and non-chillfiltered.

. . . . a decent sherry-style Malt with a young-spirit vitality, and should not be overlooked.

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. . . three classic and not-quite forgotten Single Malts from the last Century which are still affordable and available. . . . and tasty too.

. . . an intact smell and taste of Scotch Whisky history, and all in a bottle.

. . . a long-gone Speyside Distillery near Elgin known for it's contribution of malt to Johnnie Walker Red Label, . . .

. . . a decent version of a fashionable "Dead Distillery" Islay Malt which benefits from being not too long in cask, so the still signature is intact, and the peat influence is still fresh.

. . . an informal chat with Serge Valentin, the proprietor of WhiskyFun and stalwart of the MaltManiacs. Someone who shows just what the internet was invented for, the articulate and intelligent freedom of speech.

. . . often highlighted and marketing-featured as an important component of making whisky, but dismissed as unimportant when added to a glass of whisky by the drinker ! ...

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. . . after an unpromising first impression, a growingly complex and rewarding Blended Scotch of character and substance.

. . . naked by name, but not by smell and taste experience, a very modern and 'engineered' Scotch.

. . . the standard Black Label with extra wood-sweet and dollops of decent smokiness. A variation on the theme that will work in Bars but will never top the excellent Green Label.

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. . . with increased demand and limited supply, Distillers are marketing younger aged whiskies as 'special releases' some are special, some are most certainly NOT ! I offer advice on choosing.

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. . . a substantial fresh-sherry raw-peat monster from Islay's only Independent Distillery.

. . . . about as powerfully flavoured a whisky as you can buy, not just a peat monster, a BIG Angry peat monster.

. . . way out west, they're giving Scotch a Californian twist with a young Single Malt which represents character and quality in the arena of World whiskies. Should get better too over the next few years.

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. . . excellent for smoking versatility, variety and whisky-company, a traditional smoking pipe is hard to beat . . .

. . . quite simply the rarest Independent bottling of Springbank EVER and due to 'provinance' now the most expensive bottle of Whisky in the World ... ever ! . . .

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. . . an unusual version of Japanese Malt being similar to some scotch peated whiskies like Ardmore. . . . .It is young tasting and different.

. . . rather expensive, collector's gold-dust Malt from Japan, hyped up by the fact that the Distillery is deceased ! For the drinker, this is a good sherry monster and not too refined.

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. . . some practical advice on marking, signing or just writing messages on bottles and bottle labels, every little bit of advice can lead to greater wisdom eventually.

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. . . only five years ago, the bargain-basement Malt in the British supermarkets, but now is completely re-born as an interesting, quality, craft malt.

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. . . arguably the most un-collectable collectable whisky at the auction houses.

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. . . it's easier than you might think, and the results can be excellent.

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. . . another good example of a malt-blend which offers better value for money for a canny whisky drinker.

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. . . the delight of some old bottles of spirits is in the complex detail of smell and taste after one opens the bottle after many years of being sealed.

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. . . . quite simply a hidden gem of the spirits world.

a well aged modern-tasting quality Armagnac well worth the effort of tasting and helped by about 25years of sensitive maturation.

very big quality nose followed by a very complex quality taste. . . . simply a rare experience.

. . . essentially Springbank's quartercask maturation using smaller than usual casks to mature the spirit faster. With this version, it works producing a chameleon, complex ten year old whisky which seems older and more mature.

. . . a very good example of a 'presentation' whisky where the smell and flavour are designed to suggest rather than impose an consumer experience.

. . . a timely return to one of the most recognisable of Scotch malts which shows signs of quality improvement . . .

As some 'batch discrepancies' appear with some official bottlings by Distilleries, always worth checking the on-line review circuit for Independent bottling options. Some bottlings are poor, however real stars can also be found.

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. . . at 169 ppm, this is regarded as the most heavily peated Scotch whisky ever produced. The peating level does not translate into phenolic power of flavour but rather phenolic complexity.

. . . a very good example of the growing diversity of quality malt whisky from across the World.

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. . . a very good 'craft produced' sherry-matured single malt scotch, proving oloroso is not always sugar-sweet confectionary.

. . . some varied information on how sherry relates to sherry-matured whiskies.

. . . a very substantial Independent bottling of a hard-to-find Speyside classic by the name of Longmorn, the blenders must-have malt.

. . . for such a large volume blend this is decent quality with several malts showing well in the mix.

. . . a less well known JW blend which is increasingly the best JW option of flavour-chasers.

. . . this trad-blend took me by surprise with it's quality. Great complexity for the age and readily available in South America.

an update on whisky review 335 (1/2) providing new information and a fresh story relating to the previous review.

. . . . an engaging, contemporary blended scotch with plenty of flavour.

. . . a trip into a scotch sub-culture of dead/demolished/mothballed Distilleries, and there are plenty of them out there.

. . . . a dead-distillery (more realistic than the nicer sounding "silent stills") which offers a great flavour range, but carries a bit too much 'heat' from poor distillation.

. . . a less familiar version of what is now a 'cult' distillery. If they ever revive Brora the purchase premiums will probably be rather like Lagavulin.

. . . a scotch which comes from a small speyside Distillery which is now a non-productive museum. Shame really, such a wasted resource and employment opportunity.

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. . . not an official bottling of Dalmore, this Independent bottling is non-chillfiltered, naturally coloured and cask strength, so it's just more naturally presented than standard official bottlings.

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. . . a broad grey area of whisky production which includes additional-maturation, double-maturation, secondary-maturation, 'finishing, 'ACE'ing' and any other style of cask-swap designed to add flavour to whisky.

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. . . . an Irish corn whiskey from Cooley Distilleries column still which tastes like no other corn whiskey I have ever tasted, ...

. . . a recent addition to the growing family of Irish Trad : Pot Still Whiskies.

. . . a rare Independent bottling of Bushmills which shows a drier, more bitter and interesting style from this Distillery.

. . . a rather rare antique Irish whisky from the 1930s' or earlier ! . . .

. . . a well-presented malt which shows all the benefits of 46% vol, natural colour and non chill-filtration.

. . . revisiting a whisky scandal from 2003.

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. . . rarer than Port Ellen, more obscure than Scapa, more 'mothballed' than producing, this is Scotland's most elusive producing Distillery.

. . . the most in-depth whisky masterclass on the internet, taking awareness to the next level.

. . . a fresh perspective is observed regarding isolating the behaviour of whisky as a vehicle for flavours.

. . . whisky advanced masterclass third part all about alcohol in Space, time and chemical property.

. . . a visit (after four years) to WhiskyReview 3 with an assessment of how this malt has faired from Batch 18 to Batch 42.

. . . a contemporary version of Glenfiddich reflecting the demand for non-chillfiltered cask strength single malts.

. . . after a less than compelling start this really settles down in the glass as a very decent malt experience.

. . . a return visit after about four years to reviewing a classic modern single malt.