Whisky Magazine 25

Whisky and humour John Glaser Cragganmore Grain whisky tasting

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Editor's Word From the Editor

By Marcin Miller

Musings with Michael Jackson Sorry, no cigar Michael Jackson faces the legacy of Beano and Dandy

By Michael Jackson

A Dram with Dave Broom A lochindaal moment Dave Broom takes a deep breath and plunges headlong into the wonders of Islay

By Dave Broom

Whisky & Culture A barrel of laughs Brian Hennigan chuckles his way through a rich supply of Scottish whisky humour

By Brian Hennigan

Awards & Events A spirited event James Millard explains why the Speyside Whisky Festival is a mean contender in the whisky event stakes

By James Millard

Production Simply misunderstood Dave Broom sticks up for the overlooked 'oddball' of the whisky world, with some expert help

By Dave Broom

People Box clever (John Glaser) Dave Broom talks to John Glaser, the man exploring the boundaries of whisky

By Dave Broom

Whisky & Culture Viva Havanas Happy days are here again, according to cigar guru James Leavey

By James Leavey

Travel Gone with the wind farms? With two wind farms proposed for Speyside, Charles Maclean asks: how will they affect this unspoiled area?

By Charles MacLean

Bars The St Andrews Crusade John Lamond describes the miracles worked by Lennie Maguire proprietor of the St Andrew's Bar

By John Lamond

Distillery Focus Cragganmore: the reclusive classic Gavin Smith coaxes this hermit crab distillery out of its shell

By Gavin D. Smith

Travel Retail A case of Norwegian wood Martin Moodle conducts his annual survey on what's hot - and good value - in the duty free shops of...

Production

Whisky & Culture Journey into the subconscious Jefferson Chase guides us down through the murky and mysterious world of Japanese author Haruki Murakami

By Jefferson Chase

Awards & Events The real Islay spirit Brian Palmer, whisky Magazine's first ever tee-total contributor, reveals the Ileach view of Islay's famed annual whisky celebration

By Brian Palmer

Dave BroomSimply misunderstoodDave Broom sticks up for the overlooked 'oddball' of the whisky world, with some expert help

Jefferson ChaseJourney into the subconsciousJefferson Chase guides us down through the murky and mysterious world of Japanese author...

Brian HenniganA barrel of laughsBrian Hennigan chuckles his way through a rich supply of Scottish whisky humour

Michael JacksonSorry, no cigarMichael Jackson faces the legacy of Beano and Dandy

John LamondThe St Andrews CrusadeJohn Lamond describes the miracles worked by Lennie Maguire proprietor of the St Andrew's Bar

James LeaveyViva HavanasHappy days are here again, according to cigar guru James Leavey

Charles MacLeanGone with the wind farms?With two wind farms proposed for Speyside, Charles Maclean asks: how will they affect this...

James MillardA spirited eventJames Millard explains why the Speyside Whisky Festival is a mean contender in the whisky...

Marcin MillerFrom the Editor

Brian PalmerThe real Islay spiritBrian Palmer, whisky Magazine's first ever tee-total contributor, reveals the Ileach view of Islay's famed...

Gavin D. SmithCragganmore: the reclusive classicGavin Smith coaxes this hermit crab distillery out of its shell

Adelphi
Grain 1991, 9 Years Old, Cask 10839

ABV 67.3%

Comments: Easy going.

Overall score

6.7

anCnoc
13 Years Old, Limited Edition Highland Selection

ABV 46%

Comments: A pale, shimmery gold dram with flavours one expects from a bigger, darker, whisky. Slightly odd, but enjoyable. Could be a flavoured spirit from a little-known, newly independent republic in Central Asia.

Overall score

7.9

Black Barrel
Single Grain

ABV 40%

Comments: A lovely easy going, approachable dram.

Overall score

7.5

Blackadder
1996, Raw Cask

ABV 56.8%

Comments: Young but attractive. A distillery to watch.

Overall score

7.2

Blackadder
1984, Raw Cask

ABV 61.2%

Comments: Rich and heavy. Plenty of nutty sherry-derived notes. It's good but just lacks complexity.

Overall score

7.7

Bunnahabhain
1966

ABV 46.1%

Comments: It's more Jerez than Islay. I can't help feeling this would have been a cracker a few years ago.

Overall score

7.8

Cadenhead's
Aged 13 Years

ABV 67.8%

Comments: A sound mix of power and weight with lifted top notes.

Overall score

7.3

Cadenhead's
21 Years Old

ABV 57.8%

Comments: Somewhat one-dimensional.

Overall score

7.4

Cameron Brig

ABV 40%

Comments: Attractive, quite light.

Overall score

7.4

Campbeltown Loch
25 Years Old

ABV 40%

Comments: A pretty phenolic example. Lacks the complexity and harmony of the Adelphi bottling.

Overall score

7.8

Caol Ila
Cask Strength

ABV 55%

Comments: A young, in-your-face style that still has some complexity. Really delivers on the palate.

Overall score

8.1

Caol Ila
12 Years Old

ABV 43%

Comments: Great balance and the best of the three.

Overall score

8.3

Caol Ila
18 Years Old

ABV 43%

Comments: Dry, crisp and mature with more of a contribution from the cask (not OTT though).

Overall score

7.9

Compass Box

ABV 43%

Comments: Compass Box knows how to stay on course. Its whiskies are well-judged and consistent.

Overall score

8.0

Craigellachie Hotel of Speyside
2001 Single Cask Bottling

ABV 51.2%

Comments: Good stuff with plenty of rich distillery character. Balance. That's what it is all about.

Overall score

8.3

Girvan
1964, Single Grain

ABV 48%

Comments: A very elegant dram which demonstrates (as do many of the others) just how great grain whisky can be.

Overall score

8.3

Glen Garioch
1985, 16 Years Old, Sherry Butt

ABV 51.9%

Comments: I have always had a quiet fancy for this malt. It has a lot character: demonstrated here in the way it stands up to such heavy sherry.

Overall score

7.0

Glen Moray
1974, Distillery Manager's Choice

ABV 53.4%

Comments: Rounded and elegant, this is one hell of a dram from a hell of a manager.

Overall score

8.2

Glenfiddich
Havana Reserve, 21 Years Old

ABV 40%

Comments: Good balance with the rum at no point overwhelming the whisky. American readers will have to smuggle it into the country along with their Cohibas.

Overall score

8.0

Greenore
8 Years Old

ABV 40%

Comments: Bourbon Lite might taste like this.

Overall score

6.7

Hart Brothers
35 Years Old, Sherry Wood

ABV 50.1%

Comments: Of interest certainly, but is it a pleasurable experience? Not really.

Overall score

7.4

Lombard
1989

ABV 50%

Comments: This is a whisky from a 'neutral' cask where there has been no interchange between wood and spirit, giving a neutral end result. A distillery owner would be able to blend this away, an independent bottler should have the guts not to bottle it.

Overall score

6.4

Old Malt Cask
1985, Aged 17 Years

ABV 50%

Comments: A good example that harks back to the cask strength 10 Years Old but with extra weight (and tarry smoke!).

Overall score

8.2

Royal Mile Whiskies
22 Years Old

ABV 45%

Comments: Well-made, just lacks some complexity.

Overall score

6.9

Scott's Selection
1974

ABV 53.1%

Comments: Attractive and quite assertive. Good.

Overall score

7.2

Scott's Selection
1963

ABV 46.8%

Comments: Very rich for a grain whisky. Not much dimension. No flavour peaks.

Overall score

7.4

Signatory
Vintage 1976, 23 Years Old

ABV 58.5%

Comments: Despite their lightness, some grains can stand up to long periods in wood.

Overall score

7.4

Signatory
Vintage 1964, 31 Years Old

ABV 43.8%

Comments: A good example of a single grain as a pleasant dram, though that is true of several in this tasting. If someone gave me this whisky in a bar, I would enjoy it, but I have yet to find a single grain that has the complexity of a great malt. That seems unlik

Overall score

7.9

Springbank
12 Years Old, Rum Wood

ABV 54.6%

Comments: More rounded and elegant than the earlier, 10 Years Old rum cask. I enjoy the Springbank rum cask whiskies very much, though not at the expense of the more traditional expressions.

Overall score

8.3

The Cooper's Choice
1974, 28 Years Old

ABV 46%

Comments: Attractive.

Overall score

7.4

Wilson & Morgan
1989, Port Finish

ABV 46%

Comments: Inoffensive, but what's the point?

Overall score

7.2

Wilson & Morgan
1990, Marsala Finish

ABV 46%

Comments: It doesn't quite hang together, but hits the mouth in three totally separate sections. I can understand the underlying idea, it just hasn't been pulled off.

Overall score

7.9

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Whisky Magazine 25

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