Two Smoky Sevens and a Speyside | Various ABV

Lost Rituals

When I got my first real, full-time job at 19, I remember the excitement of that first paycheck.

The work was hard, back-breaking, labor intensive, and required me to get up painfully early for a 4:00AM start time. I’d just moved out with friends who were now roommates – three dudes in a two-bedroom apartment with one relegated to the couch -- and the new job and jarring 3:15AM weekday alarm clock unfortunately meant I had to forego some of the routines of late-night partying that one facing newfound freedoms might enjoy.

Despite those sacrifices, that first check was worth the effort. I earned it. A feeling that doesn’t really go away. The amount could be more of course, but that was my money, obtained through blood and sweat. There was excitement, not because I wanted to pay bills or ensure the rent was on time, but because I finally had disposable income. And that meant a trip to the local independent record store.

As soon as I was off work Friday and that first direct deposit hit my bank account, I drove directly to that beloved shrine to independent music and spent the next hour or so in late-teenage bliss. Back then it was CDs of course. Being in a local band and considering myself part of the “scene,” I was always looking for the latest from independent record labels and new releases from my favorite hardcore, metal, and punk bands. (Some consider the early 80’s the “Golden Age of Hardcore,” but since my formative years were the 90’s and 2000’s we’ll have to agree to disagree on that one.)

It was my first time visiting that record store. Its close location to my work was a plus in the back of my mind when I was hired. Having a few extra bucks in my pocket meant I was a serious consumer and not just another annoying browser they had to keep two suspicious eyes on. I spent the whole afternoon wandering the narrow aisles, flipping through dog-eared zines, and engaging in lazy conversation with the clerk: “Have you heard the new release from so-and-so…?” “Oh, I saw these guys were touring soon…” “I liked their first album better, they’re too mainstream now…” “Dude, I met that band and they were assholes”. And so on.

I hoped to become a regular with an eye toward reaching “favored customer” status. Record store employees are notoriously elitist so getting “in” and achieving that vaunted reputation meant they would be willing to do favors, like take suggestions or put in special orders. I can’t recall what I purchased on my first visit, but I distinctly remember the thrill of reaching “favored customer” status a few months later. I asked for a specific CD from a band I had been following but couldn’t get a copy of their debut album -had only heard their EP and loved it. I wanted more. My new best friend, the record store clerk, deemed me worthy – he placed the order. I’ve been chasing that high ever since. Two weeks later I received a call, the CD had arrived. Friday, I got paid, made my bi-monthly pilgrimage to the record store, and gladly picked it up. So, much patience was finally rewarded.

To this day, there are few thrills like ripping the shrink-wrapping off a new CD (it was so annoyingly difficult), plucking it out of its cheap plastic tray, sliding it into my car’s CD player, and hearing an album for the first time all the way through. Sometimes disappointed, sometimes richly rewarded, but always happy and excited for the trip home. When that CD didn’t leave the stereo for days or weeks afterward, I knew I had something special.

That routine went on for years. Eventually I lost that job and my connection to that store. Distance kept me away and other establishments filled the void. Soon, like nearly all independent record stores, it closed. Years of service to the scene vaporized as consumer habits, technology, and shifting musical trends unceremoniously removed these once-proud monuments anchoring the independent music community.

Now, when I want to discover bands or play songs, I simply open my phone, click a streaming app, make a selection, and connect to my car’s Bluetooth. I haven’t had a CD player in years. Like wandering through a Blockbuster Video on Friday night, the thrill of a music store visit is just another of life’s lost rituals.

Happily, all independent things haven’t totally disappeared as corporate consolidation overtakes our lives, or streaming replaces our entertainment options.

In whisky, however, independence is thriving.

It may be one of the only places where it is. Despite warning lights flashing everywhere in the spirits industry and a bleak forecast for the future, that wonderful “world-within-a-world” that is independent bottling gives not only hope and optimism, but community; a sense of place, and passion for the craft.

Small businesses carrying the torch for a new generation. Not as elitist as record store clerks, but undeniably enthusiastic. There’s still surprises to uncover, thrills to discover, value to be found, and occasionally, like an album that played on repeat in my car’s old stereo, something special.

Today I’m tearing the foil from three recent Living Souls releases. Weekend reading, if you like.

Review 1/3

Torabhaig 7yo, Batch #1, matured in first fill bourbon barrels, 51.5% ABV
US$65 ($55 paid) & still some availability

Living Souls is a new-ish independent bottler that splashed on the whisky scene here with a handful of well-received entries in 2025. Three so far have been awarded proper Dramface treatment. All three received a 7 or 8, as well as glowing words to accompany their high scores.

I was personally drawn to Living Souls after encountering their acclaimed Ninety-Nine & One bottling. This lovely expression received high marks here and was widely shared among my tasting groups, where it was also well received. When their newest outturn at the end of 2025 included three distilleries that are regular Archie Dunlop favorites -- and were on sale as part of a black Friday deal, it was an easy decision.

I’m happy to report the Dramface tradition of praise for this bottler continues apace - from another author! Proof they’re on to something over at Living Souls HQ.

For these three bottles I enjoyed the “old vs new” contrast of Bowmore, Torabhaig, and Ballindalloch. The distilleries earn praise in their own right (we’ll talk about Bowmore in a second) as well as the catchy “Two Smoky Sevens and a Speyside”. In fact, my original idea for this piece was “Two Smoky Sevens and a Speyside Walk into a Bar” but, to peek a little bit under the hood, I started reminiscing about record stores and well, here we are.

Torabhaig has autobiographical significance to ol’ Archie. It was a distillery I discovered during my trip to Scotland and the Allt Gleann was one of only a few bottles purchased that crossed oceans with me, wrapped in a dirty clothes cushion, and stashed in my checked bag. (After reading Fletcher’s heartbreaking tale of bottles broken in transit, I must report the bottle survived and was given a loving home). I admired the distillery’s story, unique profile and how, despite its youth, it could be churning out such damn good juice! (See previous Ardnahoe Cask Strength write-up for the Dunlop mantra: “Age Statements Don’t Matter…”). I enjoyed both the Allt Gleann and their newest “Legacy Series” release Sound of Sleat.

Speaking of fellow Dramface writers, I’m happy to see a kindred spirit in Charlie, who also serves up plenty of excellent Torabhaig discourse, and our praise for this young distillery is shared.

Here, Living Souls offered an opportunity for a higher ABV Torabhaig than I’d experienced using only first fill bourbon barrels.

Score: 7/10

**Very Good Indeed.**
***TL;DR***
*Another winning entry for this bottler and a particularly good take on a new distillery*

Nose

At first, a little muted compared to the OB Torabhaig’s I’ve had. I was initially disappointed, but over time more notes develop as it opens up, adding layers and depth. Clean wood smoke. Salt and pepper. Lemon peel. Smoked salmon. Sweet vanilla creaminess and caramel sprinkles. White chocolate mocha. Canned black olives. Fried potatoes. Citrusy lemon-lime fruitiness and sliced apples. A nice savoriness develops like Taqueria pickled carrots, Carolina BBQ sauce, and homemade salsa. Water brings brighter fruits like kiwi and pineapple. Ashy embers and hot coals. Lemon pepper and garlic butter. Sea-salt. More vanilla. Some sweet honey notes I wasn’t expecting. Cedarwood cigar box. Rubber bands. Final hints of dirt and earth that add pleasant complexity at the end.

Palate

Peppery smoke that’s layered with loads of vanilla cake sweetness, lemon-lime citrus, and buttercream. Good, oily mouthfeel. Charcoal. Toasted marshmallows. Menthol tobacco. Water brings more vanilla that’s creamier like ice cream plus lemon dessert bars with a finish that delivers lemon-lime eucalyptus, menthol, and cold ashes. There’s a medium-long finish that helps deliver this above the official expressions I’m used to. Maybe because of the extra age or ABV. Very good!

The Dregs

My initial excitement at securing this bottle was hoping at a higher proof there might be more distillery characteristics that shine through. To me, Torabhaig has a unique profile and the OB’s are quite engaging at 46% ABV. I’m not sure if it was the first fill bourbon casks that were used but the signature earthy brininess and citrusy spice I enjoyed on the Allt Gleann and Sound of Sleat were less apparent here.

That said, there was still plenty of engagement to be found, even if the bottle wasn’t exactly what I’m used to (never a bad thing). I tried to look past expectations and focus on the whisky itself. I ended up really enjoying this as another entry on my Torabhaig journey.

Since this isn’t “cask strength” I would say my only small complaint would be that I really think this could shine at higher ABV, but I do still think it’s very good. The casks end up working well with the distillate. A minor complaint. Like other Living Souls it’s well priced and widely available. I would recommend to anyone looking for an affordable indy take on this distillery or to explore the bottler.

Score: 7/10

Review 2/3

Bowmore 7yo, matured in second fill bourbon barrels, 50% ABV
US$80 ($70 paid) & still some availability

I leapt at the chance for a well-priced independent Bowmore. We’re beginning to see more IB Bowmore and the lower age-statement helps keep the price reasonable. (Higher age statement IB’s are still on the pricey side.)

First, some caveats. I’ll admit my proclivities on Bowmore match that of Dramface and the greater whisky community at-large. They’re the epitome of corporatized spirits and all that’s wrong with “big booze.” Their official bottlings live in that “danger zone” of being both mediocre and premiumised – absurdly marketed towards a fast cars and Ascot crowd.

Charlie’s famous (to me) takedown of Bowmore last year parallels my own experience. I’ve never purchased a bottle of OB Bowmore, but the few drams I’ve had at bars tend to echo his dismissal. In preparation for this write-up, over the weekend, I had a pour of the 12-year OB (pre-2025 facelift) and while the nose was fine the palate was thin if not downright anger inducing. As a dyed-in-the-wool Bowmore fan—we call ourselves “Bowmoremons” (trademark pending) -- I’ve seen the mountaintop and know the potential that this wonderful distillate holds when not chemically altered at the point of bottling and given a spray tan.

So! What about this “second smoky seven” from Living Souls.

Score: 7/10

**Very good indeed.**
***TL;DR***
*Good Bowmore. There’s nothing like it*

Nose

What jumps out to me first is lovely vanilla and tropical fruits. With time I get rock salt and seawater, then gentle, faint, earthy wood smoke. Behind that, lemon peel but also smashed pineapple. Kettle corn. Pears. Notes of what I call “Bowmore funk” that to me is their signature: burnt popcorn, soil, seaweed, spinach, and copper coins wrapped together in lovely harmony. Crystal light. A crisp ocean breeze. Water brings fresh lemons, more sea-salt, Apple Jacks cereal maltiness, mangoes, faint tinder smoke, and driftwood. Coming back, I get dried beef and stale rice cakes.

Palate

Fruitier than the nose. Mangoes and pineapple. Salty trail mix. Honey granola. Almond Rocha. More vegetal, earthy charcoal smokiness, but a light and inviting, oily mouthfeel like most good Bowmore. Water brings canned peaches and fruit syrupy sweetness. Lemon seltzer. Bready, burnt toast, with a finish that’s dry and sooty, but also oily and creamy, if not a little short.

The Dregs

There’s so much “soul” (pardon the pun) in good Bowmore, even at a lower age statement, that I stand by my comment that their OB’s are so mediocre as to be anger-inducing.

Dramface readers can look forward to more write-ups of Islay’s oldest distillery from this author as good and great expressions of independently bottled Bowmore are very much a part of Mr. Dunlop’s whisky journey.

My only nitpick on this bottling would be the short finish. It misses that “mmm” from a long finish I sometimes get with this distillery. I’m not upset, but I’ve had 10 year old IB Bowmores I would grade an 8/10 (stay tuned readers…) so if I was to find a fault in what really is a great expression from this bottler and distillery, that would be my only hold-up to score higher. Those signature notes are there: saltiness, tropical fruits, and a gentle, very approachable smokiness that’s unique to Islay if not Scotland writ large. This is very good. It’s hard to find good Bowmore under $80. Highly recommended.

Score: 7/10

Review 3/3

“Lagmore” 7yo, (Teaspooned Ballindalloch) “Mostly Single Estate” blended whisky. Matured in ex-bourbon casks. 48% ABV
US$60 paid & still some availability

For those unfamiliar, Ballindalloch is a new distillery that embraces the “single-estate,” farm-to-bottle renaissance that’s giving us so much new, good whisky from the likes of Lochlea, Daftmill, Annandale, Kilchoman, and Lindores Abbey, among others. They’re nestled in Speyside, have a low output, and are rarely seen in my small corner of the Whiskyverse.

I was fortunate to score a bottle of their 2015 8 year old single cask release. Although that expression swings at a very punchy 62.4% ABV, it’s a beautiful bottle and one I really enjoy. That introduction made me excited to try this (and the lower ABV was a relief to my nose and palate…).

Score: 8/10

**Something special.**
***TL;DR***
*A juicy, rich fruit bomb from a “new” single-estate distillery*

Nose

Classic bourbon cask notes, but very deep and complex. Rich, but also clean and crisp. Fresh pears and apple juice. Hints of soft orange citrus. Honeydew melon. Buttercream frosting. Maple bars. Apple upside down cake. Pleasant floral notes like dandelions. There’s a light oakiness here that’s rounded, soft, and well-integrated like wood chips or sawdust from a work bench. Vanilla cream puffs. Water brings even more character with bigger floral impressions, but now it’s lavender and lilac. Slightly herbal. Honey sweetness moves to the front, but it’s sugary and malty like Honey Bunches of Oats cereal. Pazookie dessert from BJ’s. Milk and cookies. Gorgeous.

Palate

What a winner. Oily, sweet, and chewy with big fruit juiciness. Thick and coating with a “lip smacking” full mouthfeel. Green grapes. More fresh apples, but also sweet like a Tree Top juice box. Lucille’s Apple Butter Biscuits. Vanilla frosting. Light pepperiness. Water adds dollops of buttery creaminess, Little Debbie Sticky Buns, and cinnamon toast. There’s a lovely sugary-malty finish that sticks like Frosted Flakes cereal. Cupcakes. Honey on waffles. A whisper of sour apple and mineral flintiness send us off. Extremely drinkable. Delicious.

The Dregs

A great bottle. The idea of Single Estate Whisky and new distilleries like Ballindalloch already channel my inner romantic; but my senses are telling me beyond that, this is special stuff. For fans of clean, bourbon cask whisky, this is a steal at $60. It says “teaspooned,” but I get similarities to the 2015 single cask bottle, leading with gorgeous fresh fruits and floral notes throughout. It’s juicy and “moreish” (as my UK friends say, there’s not really an American counterpart to this description). Worth the value here. Well done.

Further, since my partner doesn’t drink whisky and I tend to be a slow sipper, it’s rare I find an expression worthy of the hallowed “backup bottle,” the engagement and price-point here was well worth a backup. Especially since its dangerous drinkability created a need as the levels dipped dangerously low.

Score: 8/10

The Final Dregs

An item I didn’t mention where Living Souls also deserves credit is the unique artwork and labeling on their bottles. Each one has a mural along their label with an illustrated flavor profile. To me this is singular and original, adds elegance to their aesthetic, and allows these bottles to stand out on a bar back or shelf.

Living Souls continues to be a bottler winning praise within these pages. New up-and-coming distilleries like Torabhaig and Ballindalloch highlighted along an “old” legacy distillery like Bowmore illustrates what great independent bottlers are capable of in today’s modern whisky environment. Despite storm clouds everywhere within whisky and the global alcohol industry, I’m excited for the future of both Living Souls and independent bottling.

If they opened a record store, I’d be there every pay day.

Final note: While writing this piece nostalgia got the best of me and I looked up that old record store. I’m happy to report there’s a Facebook page dedicated to them. A time capsule of memories and reams of comments from those who also fondly remember its narrow aisles and dusty shelves. I’m not the only one whose late-teenage recollections are anchored to this haven of sound. An internet timestamp hosting wistful reflections on lost rituals.

Tried these? Share your thoughts in the comments below. AD

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