Review #66 - SMWS 41.147 'Brooding Armchair Dram' - Dailuaine 15 Year
Another hard-to-find distillate, and another Diageo brand which can occasionally be found in independent bottlings, Dailuaine is another distillery that contributes greatly to the Johnnie Walker blends.
Review #65 - SMWS 39.217 'Crunchy and Homely' - Linkwood 8 Year
Linkwood distillery, one in the Speyside region that is owned by Diageo, does not generally produce a core range of distillery bottlings.
Review #64 - Glenmorangie 14 Year Quinta Ruban
Glenmorangie's spirit is also known in the community for taking on finishing casks relatively well, so we're hoping for a cohesive, mature experience.
Review #63 - Angel's Envy Bourbon
This bourbon is finished in port casks, so we'll be looking for some of those sweet dark fruit flavors along with the classic bourbon notes.
Review #62 - Dalmore Port Wood Reserve
Dalmore's Port Wood Reserve, coming in at a solid 46.5% ABV.
Review #61 - Wild Turkey 101 Rye
With a mashbill of 51% rye (the minimum allowed), 37% corn, and 12% barley, we wouldn't be surprised if this has some flavor overlap with the 101 Bourbon.
Review #60 - Backbone Straight Wheat Single Barrel
A wheat whisky from Backbone - how will the cask strength ABV battle the softer wheat grain character?
Review #59 - Glen Scotia Victoriana
Glen Scotia Victoriana also has the distinction of winning the category of Best Single Malt Scotch Whisky in the 2022 Online Scotch Whisky Awards (OSWAs).
Review #58 - Longrow Peated
Springbank's entry level heavily peated bottle, the Longrow Peated - we can expect a quality presentation and some characterful spirit.
Review #57 - Kilkerran Heavily Peated Batch 5
From Glengyle, we have the Kilkerran Heavily Peated, specifically the 5th batch in our bottle. This is supposed to represent their abilities when making a foray into smoky barley.
Review #56 - Old Forester 1920
The 1920 'Prohibition Style' refers to the bottling practices during Prohibition, when all whisky was to be bottled at a certain proof.
Review #55 - Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon
Blanton's, one of the most hyped yet still semi-obtainable bourbons on the market, started back in the mid-1980s.
Review #54 - Dalwhinnie Distiller's Edition 2020 Release
We're looking at the 2020 Dalwhinnie Distiller’s Edition bottling, which was distilled in 2005 and underwent double maturation, likely employing ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks.
Review #53 - Talisker Distiller's Edition 2019 Release
Distilled in 2009, this was bottled in 2019 at the distillery's usual 45.8% ABV, with no statements about added coloring or chill filtration, as per usual with Diageo.
Review #52 - Oban Distiller's Edition 2021
One of those double-maturation Distiller’s Editions from Diageo, this one is rich for a strength of 43% ABV.
Review #51 - Michter's Single Barrel Straight Rye
A rye whisky from Michter's, their standard US 1 Single Barrel offering.
Review #50 - Westland Peat Week 2019
It's the fifth annual release of their Peat Week series, and this one is a combination of 5 casks, yielding a total outturn of 1,083 bottles.
Review #49 - Kings County American Single Malt
Our next stop in the USA is New York, where Kings County Distillery resides. They make a single malt with imported barley from Scotland, which has been lightly peated.
Review #48 - ASW Tire Fire Cask Strength
The cask strength bottling of ASW’s ‘Tire Fire,’ made using 45ppm peated barley from Scotland.
Review #47 - Westland Peated American Single Malt
Westland's Peated single malt - this will be smoky, but according to the distillery, the amount of peated malt in the mashbill is actually outweighed by unpeated malt, most of it grown in or around Washington state.