1
Scotch Single Malt Whisky Tasting
This Tasting Contains 12 tubes of the following Whiskies:
Cragganmore, 12 Y
Speyside
John Smith, Scotland's most experienced distiller at the time, built the Cragganmore distillery in 1869. The spirit stills, which he designed himself, stand out because of their unusual shape. He himself designed them at the time to produce a lighter end product. The heavier alcohols condense, fall back into the still and do not end up in the final product. This explains the enormous complexity of the Cragganmore malt. Whisky journalists Michael Jackson and Dave Broom both chose Cragganmore as their big favorite in this price range.
Glen Elgin, 12 Y
Speyside
Founded at the end of the whisky boom in 1898, Glen Elgin was designed by the distillery architect Charles Doig of Elgin. It is an unusually distinctive Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky from a little known traditional distillery that finds its home 10 miles south of where the river Lossie exits to the sea. A typical Speyside whisky, it’s complex and fragrant. On the palate it is soft and malty, delivering flavours of honey and lightly salted butter on toasted sultana loaf, plus hints of tiramisu. A characteristic heather-honey on the nose leads on to a pleasant malty palate, but never too rich. Sweet to start, then fruity, Glen Elgin whisky is a typical Speyside – complex, fragrant, with a delicious orange blossom finish. Often described as a ‘fruitcake in a bottle’.
Glenkinchie, 12 Y
Lowland
The distillery was once named Kinchie, but is known as Glenkinchie since 1837, and is situated not far from Edinburgh – resulting in the nickname “The Edinburgh Malt.” Whisky from the Lowland region is known for its light and floral character. After comprehensive testing, the Classic Malts distillers unanimously decided that 2 years of extra aging in American oak gives Glenkinchie a richer profile, without losing its essential Lowland character. This Scotch single malt is also used in many Johnnie Walker whiskies.
Dalwhinnie, 15 Y
Highland
Located 326 metres above sea level, the Dalwhinnie distillery is Scotland's highest distillery. In 1897 the distillery was built under the name Strathspey and in 1905 the name changed to Dalwhinnie. Due to its location, it used to be a resting place for cattle traders. The distillery has undergone little change in the more than 100 years of its existence. Dalwhinnie speaks of "The Gentle Spirit" when one talks about the malt. This 15-year-old Single Malt matured in Bourbon barrels.
Talisker, 10 Y
Isle of Skye
Talisker, founded in 1830, is the only distillery on the island of Skye and was founded by the brothers Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill. Although there are occasional slight shifts in emphasis, the connection between peat smoke, maritime influences, sweetness and white pepper remains a golden combination. Since the introduction of the Classic Malts in 1988, Talisker has rightly been a favourite of many, who appreciate this explosive and complex character. For them, this whisky is also known as "The golden spirit of Skye".
Clynelish, 14 Y
Highland
In the north of Scotland, not far from the small town of Brora and coast of the North Sea, stands Clynelish distillery. It was built in 1968 and stands right next to the former Brora distillery – which closed in 1983, but was founded from 1819. Clynelish matures in bourbon casks and is mainly used for blended whiskies. This Scotch single malt is a signature component of Johnnie Walker, 18 Y Gold Label. Only a few percent of production is released as single malt: a robust Highland whisky with a subtle smokiness.
Singleton, 12 Y
Speyside
Over half of Scotland’s malt whisky distilleries are found on Speyside, and Dufftown distillery is at the centre of this fertile region, caught between mountains, rivers and sea. It’s situated in the burgh of Dufftown, which has been dubbed the world capital of malt whisky. The unmistakable taste of The Singleton comes from a selection of European oak and American oak casks. It is a rich, smooth single malt and a perfect introduction into Scotch whisky.
Caol Ila, 12 Y
Islay
Caol Ila was almost completely demolished in 1969 to make room for a newer, more modern distillery, which opened in 1974. The Caol Ila spirit ages almost exclusively in refill casks. This 12-year old Scotch single malt features a powerful flavor profile. On the nose and palate, the complex, smoky character shines. This whisky is at the heart of all Johnnie Walker blends, but also comes highly recommended for whisky drinkers that prefer the iconic Scotch single malts of Islay.
Knockando, 12 Y
Speyside
The Knockando distillery (1898) is located on the river Spey. Knockandu does not bottle at a predetermined age, but only when the right maturity has been reached. The distillation date is indicated on the bottle. For the aging process, Bourbon casks and a small proportion of Sherry casks are used. The proportion of Sherry casks is limited so that they do not predominate in the taste. Only natural ingredients are used. The end result is a subtle, fruity single malt that has all the characteristics of the best Speyside malts.
Oban - Little Bay
Highland
Nestling beneath the cliff that overlooks Oban, this unusual distillery is just a few short steps from the shore. Unusual in that it is an urban distillery, as well as a seaside one. The first official record of distilling at Oban dates from 1799, and ever since its reputation has kept on growing. Nowadays Oban is one of the smaller distilleries in owner Diageo’s portfolio, but its whisky is anything but. Oban Little Bay is married in Quarter Casks, the smallest casks available at the distillery. The result is remarkable, as it’ll transport you to the Scottish coast.
Royal Lochnagar, 12 Y
Highland
Three years after the construction of the Lochnagar Distillery at the great location at the foot of the Cairngorms Mountains, Queen Victoria moved into the adjacent Balmoral Castle. She visited the distillery. And so it happened that the distillery was given the title of "purveyor to the court". At the end of the 19th century a large part of the whisky was used for the blend Vat 69. Royal Lochnagar was very rare until 1980 and in the 60's it was even the most expensive whisky in Scotland.
Lagavulin, 8 Y
Islay
The Lagavulin distillery was founded in 1816 and is located on the southern coast of Islay, where the' Lords of the Isles' reigned centuries ago and their fortress kept out strangers. Lagavulin celebrated their 200th anniversary with this Limited Edition, inspired by the visit that Alfred Barnard made to the distillery in 1885, when he tasted a whisky which he considered to be "exceptionally fine". The whisky matured on refill barrels of American oak.