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Highland
Park
Region: Highlands
District: Orkney
This distillery may have its roots as far back as 1795 and has
one of the most colorful histories of them all. It was on this
site that the preacher Magnus Eunson "subsidized" his
profession by smuggling whisky. It was most common for a stock
of his "commercial spirits" to be stored literally under
his pulpit. One witness to his sermons stated that he "was
accustomed to give out the psalms in a more unctuous manner when
excise officers were in the church." The distillery is located
on the island of Orkney, near Kirkwall, and has been proclaimed
as "the greatest all-rounder in the world of malt whisky"
by Michael Jackson. A typical bottling can combine the best elements
of a classic Island and Highland malt.
12 year old
Proof 80
Color Amber
Nose Some peat, smoke, with heather, and a trace of sweetness.
Body Medium and smooth.
Palate Very well-balanced. A smooth richness that is most satisfying.
Some spice, heather and honey. This is one that you will need
to
Finish Quite long.
Inchmurrin
Region: Highlands
District: Western
Inchmurrin is named after one of the scenic islands of Loch Lomond.
It is a relatively new, and thus rather rare malt, until recently.
The first production of this malt took place in the mid-1960s
and has been bottled for general distribution only in the last
few years. The distllery is located in Dumbartonshire and actually
sits astride the Highlands/Lowland boundary line. It is classified
as a Highland, however, since it gets its water from Loch Lomond,
which is in the Highlands. Loch Lomond Distillery, where Inchmurrin
is actually produced, was formerly a calico-dyeing factory which
was converted to a distillery in 1965-66. Due to the "Lomond
type" of stills, which have rectifying columns in the still
heads, different styles of whisky can be produced. So, in addition
to Inchmurrin, a malt by the name of Old Rhosdhu is also distilled.
10 year old
Proof 86
Color Light gold.
Nose Light, with a trace of spice and maltiness.
Body Medium
Palate Reasonably smooth for this age malt. Dry, with some sweetness
and spice.
Finish Very short. Exceptionally so, if diluted with very much
water.
12 year old
Proof 104
Color Light gold.
Nose Light, with a trace of spice and maltiness.
Body Medium
Palate Quite smooth, with more fullness than the ten-year-old
version. Dry, with some sweetness and spice.
Finish Short. Exceptionally so, if diluted with very much water.
17 year old
Proof 104
Color Light amber.
Nose Medium, with some spice and maltiness.
Body Medium
Palate Quite smooth, with more fullness than the younger versions.
Dry, with some sweetness and spice.
Finish Medium in length. Some spice and sweetness.
Knockando
Region: Highlands
District: Speyside
In Gaelic, Knockando (Cnoc-an-dhu) means "little black hillock".
The distillery sits on a tree-covered hill that overlooks a sweeping
panorama of the Spey river. It is a relatively new malt, having
been exported only since 1977. The distillery was constructed
in 1889. The somewhat unusual ages at which Knockando can be found
is due to the long-standing practice/philosophy of bottling the
casks only when they are deemed to be at their peak maturation,
as opposed to bottling them automatically at certain ages. This
same philosophy dictates that the use of sherry casks is deliberately
kept to a minimum in order to preserve the delicate flavor of
the Knockando. One can find three "brands" of the Knockando.
Each retains the "Knockando style", but each having
a different profile, which is determined by the length of time
that it is matured. The most familiar brand, Knockando, is matured
at least 12 years. The Knockando Special Selection is matured
at least 15 years, and the Knockando Extra Old, or Reserve, is
matured at least 20 years. One can make an excellent "study"
of the effects of age with these three malts. Tough assignment,
huh?
12 year old
Proof 86
Color Light gold.
Nose Aromatic. Fragrant, flowery, dry.
Body Light to medium. Very smooth.
Palate Complex, smooth, flowers, nutty, and a hint of mint near
the end.
Finish Long and lingering. Soft, with some sweetness, smoky and
coffee notes.
15 year old, Special Selection
Proof 86
Color null
Nose Aromatic. Fragrant, flowery, dry.
Body Medium. Very smooth.
Palate Complex, with more fullness than the 12-year-old. Smooth,
flowers, nutty, and a hint of mint near the end.
Finish Long and lingering. Soft, with some sweetness, smoky and
coffee notes.
21 year old, Extra Reserve
Proof 86
Color Gold
Nose More rounded and fuller than the younger versions. Aromatic.
Fragrant, flowery, dry. Traces of peat.
Body Medium. Very smooth.
Palate Complex, with more fullness than the younger bottlings.
Smooth, flowers, nutty, and a hint of oak near the end.
Finish Long and lingering. Soft, with some sweetness, smoky and
coffee notes.
18 year old
Proof 86
Color Light gold.
Nose Fragrant, but with more pronounced almond aroma.
Body Medium. Soft.
Palate Smooth and with more complexity and depth of charcter than
the 12 year old. Some sherry is evident along with the almond
flavo
Finish Long with slight sweetness and a hint of smoke and coffee.
Lagavulin
Region: Islay
District: South Shore
Lagavulin Distillery claims to have had its beginning as far
back as 1742. The modern version was built about 1816-24 on, or
near, the site of several illicit stills. There was reputed to
have been as many as ten such illegal stills in the bay where
Lagavulin now stands on the South coast of Islay. Lagavulin was
practically rebuilt in 1962 and operates four stills. Rarely is
any version of this single malt officially available other than
the "standard" sixteen year-old.
16 year old
Proof 86
Color Medium to dark amber.
Nose Typically Islay with peat, salt and some sherry.
Body Full and smooth.
Palate Very full. Medium dry with some sherry, sweetness and salt
becoming noticeable near the end.
Finish Long and lingering. Plenty of peat and some briny notes.
Laphroaig
Region: Islay
District: South Shore
The Laphroaig single malt is perhaps the most well-known of all
the Islay whiskies. It has been said that one either loves or
hates this most distinctive spirit with the first taste. The distillery
is located on the coast of Islay, about a mile from Port Ellen.
It has always been, and probably always will remain, a most controversial
single malt. Laphroaig Distillery was built in 1815 (or in the
1820s, depending on your source) and still owns its own peat moors
and produces its own maltings. Its whisky maturation warehouses
directly face the sea, which contributes to the very characterful
whisky it produces. One's education on the single malts will remain
incomplete until he has experienced Laphroaig. The 15 year-old
can easily be disassociated from its younger brother. It is greatly
refined. It is everything that the 10 year-old is, but without
the rough edges, spirity nature and brashness.
10 year old
Proof 86
Color Gold
Nose Very peaty, medicinal, some sherry and seaweed.
Body Medium to full. Some oiliness.
Palate Full. With peat, seaweed, salt and some sweetness.
Finish Round and dry. The smoke remains awhile.
Littlemill Distillery
Region: Lowlands
District: Western
Littlemill may be the oldest distillery in Scotland. It is possible
that whisky has been distilled, at least on the site where Littlemill
Distillery now sits, since the fourteenth century. Any whisky
production at this time, however, was most likely a convenient
off-shoot of the brewery that was in operation on the premises
at that time. Records show that houses were built for excise officers
in 1772 which would date whisky production activity at least to
that date. An annual production of 20,000 gallons was recorded
in 1821 when the very first Government survey of whisky production
was conducted. The distillery is quite ideally located at the
foot of the Kilpatrick Hills between road A82 and the Clyde River
between Glasgow and Dumbarton.
17 year old
Proof 86
Color Light amber.
Nose Light with hints of fruit and vanilla.
Body Medium with more viscosity than the eight year-old version
of this malt.
Palate Sweetish with cereal and spicy notes.
Finish Medium in length with faint notes of honey-like sweetness
near the end.
Longrow
Region: Campbeltown
District: null
The "original Longrow" was produced by Longrow Distillery,
which was founded sometime around the middle 1800s, but was closed
in 1896--one of over thirty Campbeltown distilleries that would
close during the first third of the twentieth century. Two distilleries
are all that remain in this one time "distilling capital"
of Scotland: Springbank and Glen Scotia. Springbank Distillery
produces Longrow single malt whisky in the same distillery equipment
as it does its namesake malt. The major differences, generally
speaking, are that Longrow is much more heavily peated and somewhat
drier. The extended drying period of the malt by peat may lead
one to associate Longrow with the Islay malts. This is the way
"they used to make it."
18 year old
Proof 92
Color Medium amber.
Nose Very peaty, almost pungent.
Body Full and somewhat heavy. Oily.
Palate Full. Peaty, with some iodine. Lightly sweet, with some
sherry notes. A peat/smoke-lover's fantasy.
Finish Strong, with some salt and iodine. Lengthy.
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