Many of Scotland’s closed distilleries command huge respect in the whisky world and Lochside distillery is no exception. Unlike classic names such as Brora or Port Ellen which succumbed to the “whisky loch” of the early 1980s, Lochside struggled on through its varying fortunes before finally being closed for the last time in 1992. Sad though it is that the distillery is no more, we can at least take consolation in the knowledge that it should still be some time before stocks disappear altogether.

Over the last couple of years it has been a range of bottlings from 1981 and a couple of well received Single Blend casks from the mid-60s that have flown the Lochside flag, and there are certainly some beautiful casks among them. Here we see another 60s example, only this time without the grain component and bottled by the ever-excellent Malts of Scotland. 1966 has long been thought of as a landmark vintage for lovers of the distillery, some of the casks were “fruit-bombs” of the highest order, while 67 has been rarely seen. Regardless, tasting a Lochside such as this is always a treat, and the bottler only increases the expectations.

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The name Glenlivet is undoubtably one of the most recognisable of any brand in the world of Scotch, and a quick search online will yield a whole raft of reasons why. Be it the early date of licensing, the request of kings, or the reputation of quality that led so many distilleries to label their own Whisky with the name of this early pioneer, word of The Glenlivet’s quality travelled far beyond the rolling landscape of Speyside and solidified its future position as the second best-selling Scotch Whisky brand in the world. Indeed walk into almost any half-decent pub or bar, and it’s likely you will see a bottle of Glenlivet whisky on the gantry, making it one of the most commonly enjoyed whiskies by casual whisky drinkers and budding enthusiasts alike.

So then to us, the whisky geeks, the closed distillery worshiping, note scribbling fraternity of whisky lovers who frequently, to our shame, overlook the commonly encountered in favour of ever alluring obscurity, what does this grand old distillery have to draw us back? Well, a fair amount as it happens, and with Glenlivet Nadurra we find perhaps the most available example. Firstly, as you may well know, the name Nadurra means “natural” and those in charge of The Glenlivet should be applauded for offering a truly “craft orientated” bottling from a distillery more often associated with large volumes and consistency of character. It is un-coloured, non-chill filtered and bottled at its vatted strength; enough to pique the interest of many a jaded whisky cynic, particularly with it’s accessible price tag.

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There are some distilleries that are very easy to get excited about and since re-opening in 2008 after 22 years of closure, Glenglassaugh distillery has certainly been one of them. This is due in no small part to the new owner’s success in utilizing as much of the existing plant as possible, and their desire to adhere to the spirit style that was produced at the distillery throughout its long and turbulent history. Perhaps even more exciting though was the prospect of some of the distillery’s existing stock finally seeing the light of day, and with luck, finding its way into our respective and expectant glasses.

So it is then that we move to this 1976 release, the first of what will be a continued series to feature casks chosen by members of the distillery’s staff. This refill sherry butt was selected by Ronnie Routledge, Customer Account Manager, a deeply helpful, engaging gent and in this case the envy of us all. It is a dream of most whisky lovers to be allowed amongst the wonderful old stock of a wonderful old distillery, to taste, consider, select and bottle their particular favourite and offer it for the world’s enjoyment. However, when it must compete with the quality of bottlings like those seen in Glenglassaugh’s Manager’s Legacy series (try to taste the Manager’s Legacy Jim Cryle 1974) it’s also a task with at least a modicum of pressure.

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As you might expect, there is no shortage of whisky companies issuing bottles to commemorate the Queen’s 60th year, and with the industry enjoying considerable interest at the moment it’s equally unsurprising that several of these new releases head down the fancy box/crystal decanter route at the “ultra-premium” end of the market. Thankfully though, this landmark occasion is also soliciting more accessible bottlings than the likes of Diageo’s £100,000 1952 Johnnie Walker, with this more modest Bunnahabhain whisky from TheWhiskyBarrel certainly being one example worth checking out.

Bunnahabhain is well represented by the Independent Bottlers and just recently we have seen a raft of quite heavily sherried casks reaching the grubby hands of the masses. In fact this is the second of two such examples the good people of TheWhiskyBarrel.com have graced us with, and it’s clear from a mere glance that this second release is considerably lighter and less sherry influenced than the first. Speaking personally, this pleases me greatly as the Bunnahabhain spirit is more than capable of speaking for itself, and less cask influence also helps to avoid the strong sulphury notes that seem quite common in the darker examples.

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It’s staff picks time again (where does the time go, how time flies, ah I remember the days when.. etc.) and it seems variety is the spice of life this time around, with no less than three countries and four styles being championed. The focus seems to be on individualistic, characterful whiskies as you might expect and, with value for money taken into account, each is of excellent quality.

First up is a Japanese blend which ranks very highly on the quality-to-cost ratio and works beautifully as a Mizuwari (tall with water and ice), ideal as the summer takes hold. Next, in the cooler climes of bonny Scotland is the often under-rated Old Pulteney distillery, with perhaps their best standard release and one that has a growing band of followers. The third on the list comes from my personal adventure into the world of bourbon, compelling me to recommend one of the best I have yet tasted before heading back to Scotland for a recently reviewed, and beautifully constructed blended scotch.

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Bowmore whisky is arguably one of the most interesting and varied of all Scotches, and not always for the reasons one might hope. On one hand this beautiful distillery on the shores of Loch Indaal has given us some of the most spectacular “malt moments” in history with, among others, its gloriously fruity 1964 Trilogy (‘Black’ Bowmore, ‘White’ and ‘Gold’) releases, and yet on the other hand we see the now all but infamous production of the 1980s with its seemingly inexplicable perfumed, soapy notes that many (myself fully included) find anything but desirable. The reason for this stark change of character during the 80s is hard to tie down to one specific factor, though we can be reasonably certain that it did not make itself so apparent in the new make at the time.

There is no question that many things have changed in the industry over the last 40 or so years and this is probably the greatest barrier to pinpointing the reasons behind Bowmore’s split personality. Centralised malting and maturation, new barley varieties, changes in fermentation time in response to demand and radically revised wood policy are just some of the many changes that may have played a part in what is clearly a complex picture. Had Bowmore remained draped in parma violets and lavender soap in its current production, I doubt we would find the situation fascinating so much as a tragedy. Gladly however the 90/00 spirit is as much a departure from that distilled in the 80s, as the 80s spirit was from its 60s and 70s forbears. As a result of this the current spirit is winning people over once more, with releases like the widely acclaimed Bowmore 10 year old Tempest and an array of quality bottlings from the Independents.

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There’s so much to say about Glenfarclas whisky that it can be somewhat difficult to know where to start. Given that this is the first of what will be many posts to feature this venerable distillery, it seems only fair to highlight a few of the things that make Glenfarclas so special in the modern world of Single Malt Scotch. Situated in the rolling valleys of Ballindalloch, this Speyside distillery is unusual in having been family owned since 1865, with the Grant’s consistent stewardship having allowed it to avoid some of the modernisation common throughout the majority of the industry. The stills remain direct fired to this day, the full production is matured on site and the stock held in the warehouses is perhaps the most far-stretching and comprehensive of any distillery in Scotland.

Just this last week the sheer depth and wealth of the casks maturing at Glenfarclas was highlighted once more by the announcement of their oldest release yet; a 58 year old and one of the last four casks filled in 1953 left at the distillery. It is these old and frequently heavily sherried bottlings that have helped to cement the Glenfarclas reputation for quality. In all the reverence that surrounds the distillate produced in 50s, 60s and 70s, the standard releases can become a little overlooked, so before we get to posting reviews of those old sherry monsters (restraint can only last so long), let’s have a look at the more widely available 21 year old.

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After Tuesday’s review of the ever-excellent Lagavulin 16 year old, it seemed like a fair idea to stay with the Islay whiskies for one more dram and head just a mile up the road to Laphroaig distillery, the Island’s best-selling single malt. Laphroaig is often said to polarise opinion with its profoundly medicinal, phenolic spirit frequently confounding Whisky newcomers, while cultivating a loyal following of initiated devotees. There are some of us though that have less overtly partisan feelings about the distillery, enjoying a number of bottlings and certainly not being adverse the spirit’s brazen, intense character, whilst also not being so enamoured as to view it as the undisputed king of peated whiskies.

Laphroaig’s core range has developed a reputation for its consistency over the last few years, with the Laphroag 10 year old and Quarter Cask expressions being very reliable and well worth exploring. However, the consistency of quality also means that cask strength expressions from the independent bottlers have been a pretty safe bet for some time. For fans of the distillery wishing to experience a less “branded” or even “tamed” (40%abv and/or chill-filtered) version of Laphroaig there are a plethora of credible options on the market. This bottling from the recently introduced Archives series is one such option, and if the other new releases in their range are anything to go by this should be a good example.

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For many malt fans (myself firmly included) Lagavulin is both a special and deeply significant distillery. By virtue of this 16 year old expression’s position in Diageo’s Classic Malts series, the whisky is many people’s first experience of the Islay heavyweights, and you could hardly wish for a better or more engaging introduction. Lagavulin distillery sits on the drier side of the proverbial “smokey spectrum”, less medicinal than Laphroaig whisky and more rounded and approachable than many Ardbegs.

If you are lucky enough to visit Islay and find yourself at the doors of this historic distillery, the importance of the place and its spirit only intensifies further. From the old larch washbacks and distinctly squat, short-necked stills to their long still runs of over 10 hours and lovely old-school warehouses, there’s much to love. It’s true that all of this is lent a bittersweet edge by the lack of staff per shift and the inescapable presence of computer-led automation, however when you’re stood on Lagavulin Bay, gazing across to Dunyvaig Castle with a dram straight from the cask in hand, it’s hard to avoid falling more deeply in love with this classic distillery.

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Longmorn distillery has a sustained and excellent reputation amongst blenders and whisky lovers alike. The rich, well flavoured make serves as a good top-dresser for blends and, happily for us, delivers some exceptional casks when the independent bottlers get involved. Sadly the distillery remains quite under-represented as a single malt in its official form, with its current owners (Chivas Brothers) restricting its range to a fairly underwhelming Longmorn 16 year old and Cask Strength 1997 Limited Edition. It would be a great pleasure to see this expanded as these few official releases often leave Longmorn overlooked and under appreciated by newcomers.

This 1976 bottling was released under The Whisky Agency’s frequently outstanding “Perfect Dram” label last year and, predictably, sold out almost instantly. Along with several other fairly new bottlers like Malts of Scotland, Thosop, Asta Morris, The Nectar/Daily Drams, The Whisky Man etc, The Whisky Agency has built a remarkable reputation due to the quality and consistency of its selections. While many of these bottlers have released high quality Longmorn’s from the 70’s, it is this bourbon cask from 76 and the incredible 1972 Perfect Dram/Three Rivers Tokyo Sherry Cask released in 2010, which seem to shine about the others.

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