Whisky Reviews
Here you'll find honest opinions, thoughtful analysis and the occasional disagreement, because no two palates are quite the same. We review widely, score reluctantly and remain convinced that whisky is far more interesting than the numbers attached to it.
Agreement is optional; curiosity is encouraged.
Far North Spirits Hazlet
Hughie ignores travel retail on his business trips. As such he embraces the serendipity of what he might find locally. Today, heβs found a rye so compelling, it forces him to agonise over scoring it.
Macduff 10yo Inverdarach
A lesser-seen malt, well-presented - and for a very good cause that flies uncomfortably close to all of us - resonates with Charlie. To the point he feels it neednβt be particularly splendid - or complex. Itβs already a good βthingβ.
The Independent Spirits Festival
Ainsley recounts the splendour of the recent Independent Spirits Festival held in Leith. This is just the kind of recap to make sure we see another year of this, and a perfect Fib Whisky Whitlaw to match up.
Aberlour 12yo Double Cask
Fergus makes a case for the occasional entry-level bottle. Accepting his penchant for natural βenthusiastβ whiskies he find a comforting spot for an Aberlour 12 Double Cask, while watching 80βs movies, preferably.
Knockando 12yo 1991
Nostalgia remains very much part of whisky enjoyment long-term. In this review of a 1991 official Knockando, Broddy shares his own take on whisky nostalgia, while using a handy bell-curve to send it home.
Springbank 10yo 2023 Release
Spoiler: As Earie sings high praises for Springbankβs wonderfully alluring 10yo, he has to admit that it was not love at first sight. He wonders if thereβs such a thing as a whisky thatβs not for beginners?
Watt Whisky Outturn
While Innes gives a run through on some of the late 2024 Watt Whisky releases, Wally chimes in after catching the latest release from Blacksmith & Jones: a docuseries all about Indy Bottlers.
Lindores The Fife Exclusive
Doog discovers that Lindores has finally cracked the code on Single Malt with this vibrant, neon-red, Fife Festival Exclusive Tawny Port Single Cask.
Glen Grant 21yo Fragrant Drops
In sipping a curiously challenging Fragrant Drop Glen Grant 21yo, Wally asks an equally curiously challenging question - is malt whisky actually too cheap?
Four Decades of Glentauchers
After a βday-offβ yesterday, due to our AWOL editor, Innes gets us back into things with a study of five different Glentauchers bottlings over four decades, including one that really shouldnβt existβ¦
Anohka This Is Not Whisky
To realise that todayβs review is not whisky and not read it would be a mistake. Broddy is emphatically excited about this Anokha and, on theme recently, heβs asking us to look twice at this spirit.
Holladay Soft Red Wheat
Ogilvie has a problem; heβs running out of variety. With a βmereβ 34 bottles he feels the need to fortify things. He discovers a bottled-in-bond Holladay Wheated Bourbon...
Alberta Premium Cask Strength
One of the original Dramfacers, Aengus is looking over his whisky and realising most of it, like this Alberta Premium, is high ABV. What happened?
Samaroli Ardenistle
Through an auction win, Earie is sucked into the fascinating history and story behind the great Silvano Samaroli, as he realises just how influential he was in the scotch story.
Kamiki Intense Wood
Japanese whiskies are like buses, none and then two at once. Today Charlie picks up what we believe to be Japanese, but this Kamiki Blended Malt is not from oak.
Mars Tsunuki 2022
Ainsley waves a flag for Japanese whisky, suggesting we place it on our radars once more, just donβt overpay & perhaps donβt start with this Tsunuki from Mars.
Ardnamurchan Madeira Batch 2
In grabbing an anticipated Batch 2 of Ardnamurchanβs Madeira Cask release, Wally decides to compare it to something that you might not expect. Building Lego. Specifically; post-2004 Lego.
Tamdhu Batch Strength
We all have our cask-type and profile preferences, but today Charlie argues the case for keeping your mind open with a Tamdhu Batch Strength and avoid getting caught out restricting yourself.
Linkwood-Glenlivet 1987
Did our challenging times during Lockdown actually offer us a few silver linings? Murdo offers a few possible examples which endure for him today, including discovering this knockout Cadenheadβs Linkwood.
Loch Lomond 12yo
Another debut for Dramface. Hughie, through multiple false starts, eventually falls for whisky, but not through the βtypicalβ route. His vibe is the off-piste flavour hooks & this Loch Lomond 12yo brings it.