Words by Colin Hampden-White
I find the days of the year which celebrate a particular spirit very useful. It allows one to contemplate the year gone by and what we have drunk. I particularly like international Scotch day as it goes one step further. Beyond the world of whisky (or Whiskey), international Scotch day makes me concentrate on the whiskies which first captured my imagination and spawned decades of pleasure in whisky. Scotch was my first love, and although there are many great whiskies around the world. Scotch still amazes me with its breadth of style and flavour.
Over the last year, my journey through Scotch has been pretty epic. I have tasted some superb very young whisky from new distilleries with great sustainable programs, to old and venerable whiskies which have passed their 50th birthday, and even their 60th in some cases!
I’d like to share the highlights with you, and should you ever get the chance to taste the following drams, I’d jump at the chance.
Nc’nean
The very first batch from newcomers Nc’Nean. Made from organic barley with a long fermentation, matured in three different cask types, and having a bottle completely made of recycled materials, this whisky really hit the mark. Ripe apricots and vanilla custard, oak spiciness and hints of lemon and orange give this whisky lots of character.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £46.95
Glenallachie 13 Wine Cask Finish Rioja
Under the new ownership of Billy Walker, Glenallachie has had some brilliant whiskies released. However, this 13 year old really stood out for me. The whisky was matured in ex-bourbon and extra matured for two years in Rioja wine barriques. These wine barriques gave a subtle summer berry flavour to the already honied whisky and the balance was fabulous. A very sophisticated whisky for its age.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 48%
Find here: £62
Lagavulin 13 Feis Lle 2021
Matured in ex bourbon casks and finished in high charred Port seasoned casks, this whsiky was rich and refined for its age. Only 6000 bottles were produced, and the flavours included oily mineral notes, linseed oil and fragrant smoke. An intense whisky bottled at full strength.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 56.1%
Bladnoch 14
This was a surprise whisky for me. I have never really been a fan of Bladnoch. I’ve had some good ones, but many have been not very good. However, under new ownership this 14 year old 2021 has been released and it’s a cracker. Matured exclusively in ex Oloroso Sherry casks, it is full of fruit cake, dark chocolate and cinnamon flavours which add a great deal to the Bladnoch lowland fruity style.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 46.7%
Find here: £99
Fettercairn 16
Like Bladnoch, Fettercain in years gone by has been very overlooked. Now under the eye of blender Greg Glass, the whole range has been re-released, and smaller batches released within the regular line up. This 16 year old was made with a percentage of chocolate malt (heavily roasted malted barley), and is super sumptuous and rich with lots of sweet dark dried fruits and dark chocolate with a touch of spice and maltiness. This was so good that once I had finished my bottle and it sold out in the UK, I found one for sale in Europe and bought it.
Size: 1L
ABV: 46.4%
Find here: £103.25
That Boutique-y Whisky Company Inchmurrin 20 Year Old
This was batch 3 of Inchmurrin from That Boutique-y Whisky Company. Only 708 bottles where produced. With all the different style of whisky produced at the Loch Lomond distillery, there are different names ot the whisky. This style gives lots of marzipan and caramel aromas, sweet apples and gingerbread too. The palate brings in buttery notes and vanilla, soft spices and milk chocolate. Complex and very well balanced.
Size: 500ml
ABV: 51%
Glenburgie 1998 21 Year Old Exclusive to The Whisky Exchange
Distilled in 1998, this whisky was matured in a hogshead for 21 years with no finishing. Although bottled in 2019 I only tasted it in 2020 and loved it. With lots of tinned fruit and cocktail cherry aromas with a toasted oak, tropical fruit and brown sugar palate it was decadent and with a little water as waxy polish flavour came through which was particularly attractive.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 55.4%
Find here: £150
Ardbeg 25 Year Old
Whenever Ardbeg release a whisky with significant age there is always high expectation and a lot of excitement. With this 25 year old there was good reason to be excited. It was one of the best Ardbegs I had tasted in a long while. With the typical smoke still there, the intensity had be quelled with lots of tropical fruits and fine oaky flavours. Soft spices and white pepper come though on the finish. It’s a whisky to spend time getting to know as it changes in the glass and continues to develop with each sip.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find Here: US $1,199.99
Glenmorangie Sonoma Cutrer 25
This expression of Glenmorangie was a one off. There were only 1000 bottles produced and this age of whisky having been matured for fifteen years of its life in Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay barrels will never be released again. Seek out and taste if you can. It is a rich sumptuous whisky with confected fruits like wine gums, vanilla and soft spice. Complex oak and white chocolate with white pepper on the finish.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 55.7%
Jura 1989
This whisky is a great example of a single maturation with no finishing. It was matured in ex bourbon barrels for over 30 years and is very exotic with honeyed pears and ripe bananas. Vanilla holds everything together and soft spices like cinnamon and fresh apple hold the mid palate. Some sweet white chocolate lingers in the background and the finish is sweet. A great summer sipping whisky as the sun sets.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 53.5%
Find here: £650
The Glenturret Provenance 33 Year Old
This was the first release of the Trinity series and was a limited release of 320 lalique crystal decanters designed by Marc Larminaux. Now that is all very well, but the whisky also tastes as good as the bottle looks! With lots of dried fruits like raisins and sultanas with cherry red fruit and cinnamon the aromas are complex and rich. The palate brings dates and soft dried oak with a hint of fresh green apple. It is an elegant and refined whisky.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 43.7%
Find here: £9,800
Last Drop 50 Year Old Blend
This is a very complex whisky. Firstly, blended from over 50 different Scotch whiskies in 1995, and was then as a 30 year old married together in ex bourbon casks. A little of that original blend was held back and extra matured in Oloroso Sherry casks for 20 years! With only 898 bottles all coming with a 5cl miniature in a lovely leather case it made a great gift. It is an elegant whisky with cedar and lots of honey and a touch of sweet smoke on the nose. Red fruits and stewed autumn fruits like plumbs mix with cinnamon and dark chocolate and a little fennel. The finish has spice, waxy orange peel and a hint of aromatic oak.
Size: 750ml
ABV: 51.8%
Find here: £2,990
Singleton 54 Paragon of Times II
The oldest Dufftown whisky I have ever tasted, and it didn’t disappoint. Having spent over half a century in European oak barrels since distillation in 1966 it was then finished in a single Pedro Ximenez cask. There were only 235 bottles made. This had all the hallmarks of an old whisky with furniture polish, dusty books and a little beeswax with sandal wood, but also fresh and baked fruit with apple and a touch of peach. The spices are complex but not too dry and the finish is incredibly long.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 44.1%
Mr George 67 Years Old 1953 Legacy First Edition Gordon and MacPhail
Nearly the oldest whisky I tasted over the last year, but more on the oldest later. This whisky was certainly my most memorable. This was filled into a first fill Sherry butt on Christmas Eve 1953 and never left that cask until the 5th of January 2021. With a rich nose of dried fruits and manuka honey it is inviting. There is a soft smoke in the background. Higher notes of antique furniture polish and fresh meadow flowers keep it alive and interesting. The palate has cigar leaf as well as sweet leaf tobacco, some coffee and dark chocolate with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Nutmeg and sandalwood bring in the finish which is long with bitter chocolate and stem ginger finally finishing on dry but sweet oak.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 59.4%
Find here: £4,995
20 Whiskies That Changed The World, By The Whisky Exchange
Now, not all the whiskies in this tasting set are Scotch, but most of it is and it’s the best tasting set I have come across for learning and pleasure. From new world, to smoky. Islay and fruity highland whiskies. Blends and Blended malts. They are all there and are a great set of well-chosen drams to learn from or re-visit.
Size: 20 x 30ml
ABV: 45.4%
Find here: £160
I think it is always good to remember the whiskies one tastes over the year and having a day like International Scotch day helps to focus the mind and think back to some of the pleasures of the past year.