Whisky Magazine 76

Whisky Magazine Aged 10 Years Grain whisky comeback Top 10 lost distilleries Visitors guide to...

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Editor's Word Welcome to Whisky Magazine

By Rob Allanson

News Polaroid moments

By Rob Allanson

News GOLDEN YEAR FOR EXPERT

News DISTILLING ART

News Royal visit

News OTHER STORIES

Awards & Events Whisky Live around the world

By Rob Allanson

Awards & Events The Macallan join the celebrations!

By Rob Allanson

Awards & Events Showtime at Glasgow The world's premier whisky tasting show, Whisky Live visited Glasgow for the fifth time recently and\rsales boomed with a record...

By Rob Allanson

A Dram with Dave Broom Strange but true Dave discovers a little piece of England in a corner of Japan

By Dave Broom

Column A decade of words To mark our 10th anniversary we decided to dig into our archives and bring some of the wittiest, incisive and...

By Rob Allanson

People Discussing the decade We decided to ask three members of the distilling community to sum up the last 10 years and then look...

By Rob Allanson

Bars Whisky's des res Sally Toms explores the whisky bar at Glasgow's most luxurious hotel.

By Sally Toms

History The history makers For our 10th anniversary issue,Ian Buxton profiles 10 people who have shaped today's global whisky industry.While these are only short...

By Ian Buxton

News Want to know where you can go for the very best single cask malts? The Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

By Rob Allanson

Production On the up Is grain whisky on the verge of an exciting new era? Ian Wisniewski finds out.

By Ian Wisniewski

History Ten of the best Gavin D Smith looks at 10 lost distilleries we should all try and visit.

By Gavin D. Smith

Production Whisky worms In the final part of our series looking at whisky terms we look at the final letters of the alphabet,...

By Rob Allanson

Travel Retail Olympic big Joe Bates heads to Beijing to see how this destination's duty free store

By Joe Bates

Ask the Expert Ask the expert

By John Rose

Travel Island life From Orkney to Arran,Scotland's islands are home to some of Scotland's best distilleries.

By Rob Allanson

Distillery Focus Welsh success Welsh distillery Penderyn has been bottling its whisky for nearly five years now,and it's going from\rstrength to strength.Dominic Roskrow travelled...

By Dominic Roskrow

Distillery Focus Painting the river red Gavin D Smith heads out to the the Outer Hebrides to see what's going on.

By Gavin D. Smith

People Epic proportions Ian Buxton meets the Brazilian collector with a record breaking collection.

By Ian Buxton

People The best of times With rare whisky very much in demand The Whisky Exchange is booming. But is it really such a great time...

By Dominic Roskrow

Bars Called to the bar Whisky Magazine's barfly Kate Portman heads to the bright lights of the big city to investigate some great\rdrinking spots.

By Kate Portman (nee Ennis)

Ask the Expert Join the debate

By Rob Allanson

People “If anyone starts without any knowledge there are plenty of people to teach them” Ian Wisniewski talks with Keir Sword,proprietor of Royal Mile Whiskies.

By Ian Wisniewski

Whisky & Culture Judging a book Jefferson Chase looks at a whisky thriller

By Jefferson Chase

Rob AllansonPolaroid moments

Joe BatesOlympic bigJoe Bates heads to Beijing to see how this destination's duty free store

Dave BroomStrange but trueDave discovers a little piece of England in a corner of Japan

Ian BuxtonEpic proportionsIan Buxton meets the Brazilian collector with a record breaking collection.

Jefferson ChaseJudging a bookJefferson Chase looks at a whisky thriller

Kate Portman (nee Ennis)Called to the barWhisky Magazine's barfly Kate Portman heads to the bright lights of the big city to...

John RoseAsk the expert

Dominic RoskrowThe best of timesWith rare whisky very much in demand The Whisky Exchange is booming. But is it...

Gavin D. SmithPainting the river redGavin D Smith heads out to the the Outer Hebrides to see what's going on.

Sally TomsWhisky's des resSally Toms explores the whisky bar at Glasgow's most luxurious hotel.

Ian Wisniewski“If anyone starts without any knowledge there are plenty of people to teach them”Ian Wisniewski talks with Keir Sword,proprietor of Royal Mile Whiskies.

Benromach
8 Years Old Maderia

ABV 45%

Comments: The sweetness of the Madeira works quite well with the earthier notes of the malt.

Overall score

7.2

Brora
25 Years Old

ABV 56.3%

Comments: A big boy. But if you give it time,you'll tame it. The fruity notes display is really scrumptious.

Overall score

8.7

Dewar Rattray Cask Collection
25 Years Old

ABV 60.4%

Comments: A superb Port Ellen,more sophisticated than the Diageo one. Two styles. This one is more an indoor dram. Toeach his own.

Overall score

8.3

Eagle Rare
17 Years Old

ABV 45%

Comments: A bourbon for non sweet teeth. Rich, very well structured.

Overall score

8.7

Four Roses
Single Barrel

ABV 43%

Comments: A well knitted bourbon. No sharp edges but no excess sweetness either.

Overall score

8.2

George T. Stagg
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV 70.9%

Comments: Still a world beater. What were you doing when Barack won? I was sipping this, celebrating in style.

Overall score

8.4

Glen Elgin
16 Years Old

ABV 58.5%

Comments: Quite a dour character. I can't really find comfort with all this dampness !

Overall score

8.4

Lagavulin
12 Years Old

ABV 56.1%

Comments: Just what you'd expect and want from this distillery.

Overall score

8.7

Linkwood
26 Years Old, Port Cask

ABV 56.9%

Comments: Okay,but this is the malt equivalent of the choreography in X Factor; toomuch going on to the point of distraction

Overall score

7.2

Linkwood
26 Years Old, Rum Cask

ABV 54.5%

Comments: Complex,intriguing but perhaps a tad too sweet for this taster.

Overall score

7.8

Linkwood
26 Years Old. Wine Cask

ABV 55.5%

Comments: Oak is leading the way but in an elegant way. A very spicy dram. To be matched with a beef stroganoff maybe.

Overall score

8.1

Oban
18 Years Old, Limited Edition

ABV 43%

Comments: Adisappointmentfor an Oban - inoffensive and a bit forgettable.

Overall score

7.2

Old Malt Cask
Aged 18 Years

ABV 50%

Comments: Does any distillery produce sweeter, cleaner malt than this one?

Overall score

7.5

Old Malt Cask
Aged 18 Years

ABV 50%

Comments: Perfectly acceptable malt from this Speyside great.

Overall score

7.7

Old Malt Cask
Aged 19 Years

ABV 50%

Comments: A nice dram but a bit thin. Easy to forget.

Overall score

7.3

Port Ellen
8th Release, 1978, 29 Years Old

ABV 55.3%

Comments: A solid performer but not in the same league as the 1982 25 Years Old.

Overall score

8.1

Sazerac
18 Years Old

ABV 45%

Comments: A superb bourbon. As neat and perfectly dressed and combed as Richard Paterson!

Overall score

9.0

Talisker
30 Years Old

ABV 45.8%

Comments: Doesn't taste this old, doesn't taste like Talisker. Doesn't reach this distillery's greatest heights.

Overall score

7.1

Talisker
25 Years Old

ABV 54.2%

Comments: Is this really Talisker? Not bad at all, but a surprise all the same.

Overall score

8.2

The Arran Malt
Robert Burns 250 Years Anniversary, 1998, 10 Years Old

ABV 43%

Comments: Solid performer but the nose lets it down.

Overall score

7.1

The Arran Malt
12 Years Old

ABV 46%

Comments: Really disappointing.Where is the fresh lively sweet character of Arran ? Has it lost its sparkle ? This whisky seems alreadytired.Or is it me ?

Overall score

7.1

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
42.5 – The sting of a bee, 1973, 33 Years Old

ABV 48.5%

Comments: Very satisfying.A beautiful bourbon cask maturation. Superb to match with a cheesecake or lemon meringue pie. But the sting of the bee must be blunt,I did not feel it.

Overall score

8.6

Thomas H. Handy
Sazerac, Straight Rye Whisky

ABV 63.8%

Comments: A broad shouldered whisky. Not for the fainted-hearts.Some like it hot.

Overall score

8.7

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Whisky Magazine 76

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