Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Distillery: The Balvenie
Type: Single Malt
Flavor: Unpeated
Notes: The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14 is smooth and sumptuous. It’s matured in oak whisky casks and finished in Caribbean rum casks that impart a special flavor. It smells of raisins and dates and sweet, sticky fruit.
Tag: single malt
Laphroaig 10
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Distillery: Laphroaig
Type: Single Malt
Flavor: Heavily Peated
Notes: Despite the tilt, there’s nothing off-kilter about this dram. It’s one of Islay’s most famous peated types, and likely one of the most recognizable for Scotch whisky fans in the United States.
Finlaggan Old Reserve
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Distillery: Undisclosed
Type: Single Malt
Flavor: Heavily Peated
Notes: The star of the show is clearly this Finlaggan Old Reserve. This is an intense dram with a low smokiness and a bit of a bite.
Bowmore 10
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Distillery: Bowmore
Type: Single Malt
Flavor: Lightly Peated
Notes: There’s nothing too sharp about this dram except the company it keeps. This Bowmore 10 is smooth as silk, lightly peated, and gets great flavors from its sherry casks.
Highland Park 12 Viking Honour
Country: Scotland
Region: Islands – Orkney
Distillery: Highland Park
Type: Single Malt
Flavor: Unpeated
Notes: This dram is one of the most drinkable I know. This Highland Park 12 Viking Honour is a great pour to enjoy when you want a reliable nightcap, I’d say.
Bunnahabhain 12, Warehouse 9, Cask 1635
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Distillery: Bunnahabhain
Type: Single Malt
Flavor: Unpeated
Notes: This dram is nothing if not complex. This Bunnahabhain 12 year old single malt (Warehouse 9, Cask 1635, 60.4% ABV, filled 03 December 2018) is probably the single most interesting dram I’ve ever tasted.
Dalwhinnie Winter’s Gold
Country: Scotland
Region: Highlands
Distillery: Dalwhinnie
Type: Single Malt
Flavor: Unpeated
Notes: It may be chilly outside, but with this dram, it’s warm as can be. This Winter’s Gold from Dalwhinnie smells at first of apples, pears, a touch of banana and even a splash of champagne.
Jura The Sound
Country: Scotland
Region: Islands – Jura
Distillery: Jura
Type: Single Malt
Flavor: Peated
Notes: What’s that I hear? Another dram! This pour is Jura’s The Sound, which is from their travel retail line. This is an interesting dram for someone like me, who grew up around orange groves and fresh citrus nearly year round.