Speyside

Cragganmore Highland Single Malt Aged 12 Years
40% ABV/80 Proof
$50
Website

What the Distillery Says:
Speyside today is widely revered for its sublime malt whiskies and for its fine salmon fishing. It is here, in this fertile triangle of land between mountain and sea, long been known as the Garden of Scotland, that Cragganmore single malt whisky is distilled.

Barley is naturally a major crop, and the presence of Scotland’s fastest flowing river – together with peat from the uplands to the south – was the reason original Cragganmore owner ‘Big’ John Smith felt that it would be the perfect place for the perfect distillery.

And who could argue with his genius? Successive managers of Cragganmore have strived to continue his vision to deliver the sweetest, most complex of malt whiskies. Fruity, honeyed notes are often found and many a taster has talked of fruitcake and toffee flavours.

NOSE – A combination of sweet floral fragrances, riverside herbs and flowers with some honey and vanilla.
BODY – Firm, rounded, light to medium.
PALATE – A strong malty taste with hints of sweet wood smoke and sandalwood
FINISH – A long, malt-driven finish with light smoke and hints of sweetness.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Treacle tarts jump out initially but quickly mellow to a more subtle earthy sweetness. Meaty and herbal with a honey sweetness.
Palate: It starts off very soft and mellow. There is a light floral sweetness to it as it picks up steam toward the finish.
Finish: Dry and spicy. It is a little brawny compared to what you might expect from the palate.
Comments: Why doesn’t Cragganmore get more love? It’s an enormously pleasing dram and stands above the likes of it’s more popular 12 year old brethren like Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, and Macallan. I actually know the answer to my own questions. Diageo prices it out of popularity. At $50 a bottle it’s well above the three Glens and near $10 more than the perennially overpriced Dalmore and Macallan. The value proposition makes it hard to tell you to seek it out over other drams but from taste alone I find it to be a benchmark 12 year old.
Rating: Stands Out

The Glenlivet Archive 21 Years of Age Single Malt Scotch Whisky
43% ABV
$150
Website

What the Distillery Says:
The Glenlivet 21Year Old Archive is a batch produced whisky using only hand-selected casks. It is a complex whisky with sherried and wood notes integrating seamlessly with the aromatic palette. Let the pleasure linger late into the night.

COLOUR
Amber with sparkling copper shades.

NOSE
An opulent, mature nose with a sherry influence. An intricate array of wood and fruit: Christmas cake, sultanas, maraschino cherry. Water enlightens the fruity bouquet and brings out vanilla and lighter notes of ripe peaches. Pear and marzipan pie. Luscious barley sugar aromas.

PALATE
This full-bodied whisky is unctuous and mouth coating, almost syrupy. Oak holds the reins back, releasing a drying spiciness of cinnamon, ginger, walnut and dark chocolate.

FINISH
The finish is everlasting and warming with lingering presence of toasted hazelnuts and a full layer of liquorice.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Sherry, treacle, butterscotch, and malt are the first impressions.
Palate: It creeps in so softly that it almost seems light and then the richness pervades the mouth. Creamy, nutty, and oaky with just the slightest hint of buttery toffee.
Finish: Toasted nuts, white pepper, and oak.
Comments: Really a lovely dram. I was once at a Glenlivet tasting at Morton’s in Atlanta. Towards the end of the night the “leftover” whisky was flowing and Sam and I were chatting over a dram with the brand ambassador. As we look across the room we see a fellow trying to be sneaky and snatch some more 21 while the bartender wasn’t looking. To our horror he filled a Collins glass to the brim with ice and then topped the glass off with the 21. I’m usually not one to tell others how to drink their whisky but this seemed almost criminal. Enjoy the Archive but go light on the ice. 😉
Rating: Stands Out

The Glenlivet Single Malt Scotch Whisky 18 Years of Age
43% ABV/86 Proof
$75
Website

What the Distillery Says:
The Glenlivet 18 Year Old is the perfect expression of age and elegance – balancing the archetypal ripe fruit notes of The Glenlivet with a drier evocative oak influence. The perfect after-dinner dram

COLOUR
Old gold, with ripe apricot hues.

NOSE
Fragrant, elegant, complex with a sweet oakiness reminiscent of an antique shop. Oak leads the way to heady floral fragrances of Freesia and Peony. Toffee notes emerge in time along with butterscotch, mint chocolate and summer fruit pie

PALATE
Smooth and velvety, with a firm foundation. Sweetness is immediately followed by a tantalising burst of spices and bitter oranges drying out on oaky notes.

FINISH
Lasting, oaky and gingery. Distant smoke. A dry austere touch.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Butter, nutmeg, sherry, orange blossoms, and licorice.
Palate: Floral, grassy, and lightly sweet. Very easy to drink.
Finish: Mellow oak and a wispy sweetness that perfectly tapers off.
Comments: This doesn’t get the flashy press of a Macallan 18 but it’s a solid top shelf dram that is easy to find, relatively well priced, and consistently good. This isn’t going to make any top ten lists for whisky nuts but it won’t disappoint.
Rating: Stands Out

The Balvenie Caribbean Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 14 Years
43% ABV/86 Proof
$60
Website

What the Distillery Says:
The delicate fresh taste of Caribbean Rum enhances The Balvenie’s vanilla notes in the finishing – whilst adding spicy aromatic qualities to the whisky. Characterised by toffee, vanilla and a hint of fruit.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Vanilla, alcohol dribbled treacle tart, and a roast beef savory note.
Palate: The rum adds a nice sweetness above and beyond the regular Balvenie. Vanilla, honey, and a Cuban guava pastry come to mind.
Finish: The finish starts slow and sweet and builds to a long, dry finish of black peppercorns and oak.
Comments: This isn’t as good as the recent 17 Year Old rum finishes but it is very nice in its own right. Fans of the long gone 17 year expressions and Glenfiddich Gran Reserva might want want to take a look at this one for a less expensive alternative. And in case you’re wondering, this is a whole different animal from the GoldenCask.
Rating: Stands Out