Here comes Ardbeg Rollercoaster!

Update (15/02/2010): High resolution photo and our review
Here it comes! The new Ardbeg is just round the corner. On February 15th Ardbeg Rollercoaster will be made available through the Ardbeg website. It is a vatting of 10 casks, one from each year between 1997 and 2006, put together co celebrate the tenth anniversary of the [...]

Why exactly is Smokehead so dear?

As I would imagine somebody will be quick enough to point out, this isn’t really a post with a point. It’s more of a musing, maybe a push for some discussion. I was looking at the price of Smokehead 18 year old yesterday and was struck by just how expensive it really is. In case [...]

A Quick Dram: Kilchoman 3yo

Kilchoman 3yo
ABV unknown
Available: 9th September
Colour: Pale straw
Nose: Rhubarb custard sweets, fresh leather, vanilla, a punch of metallic bright smoke and a touch of marmalade.
Palate: Firm and smoky, a bit dry and surprisingly oaky. Light fruit, orange, vanilla.
Finish: Sweet and vanillish
Overall: At last. We have been waiting for this moment for three years. The whisky is [...]

A Quick Dram: Laphroaig 18 yo

Originally I wanted to taste it alongside the 15 yo, but somehow, before I managed to purchase a bottle, the stocks were exhausted. Never mind. I remember the 15 very well, a comparison is inevitable and the bar is pretty damn high.
Laphroaig 18 yo
Islay
48% ABV
Available here for £63.99
Colour: Laphroaig Trademark Colour. Browny with green glitter.
Nose: [...]

Bowmore on the beach (under the palm trees)

I cannot believe it took Lucas and I so long to taste these beautiful Bowmores (courtesy of Duncan Taylor). The samples sat in Lucas’ flat untouched, brimming with potential.  I don’t understand how we continually missed them. I mean, 27 years old Bowmore, what were we thinking?
Anyway, it was an opportune moment to taste them. [...]

Paula on Islay: Day 3

A pretty good night’s sleep- got woken briefly by the malt lorries at 6am. Shot down to Port Ellen to get cash (again) and a thank-you present for the staff and returned to find I’d missed the morning tour - typical! Now, what to do first…Islay Ales beer festival or Bowmore open day? Where’s that map…?
Couldn’t [...]

Kilchoman (Cask 00001, Bottle 001)

Yeah, this is not a joke. The Kilchoman distillery on Islay will be launching its first malt on 9th September this year, but the very first bottle from the very first cask filled at the distillery in December 2005 will be auctioned on the 28th May (Thursday), during Kilchoman’s Open Day of Islay Festival. It [...]

Smokehead 18yo Extra Black Tasted!

Smokehead 18yo Extra Black
Islay (’Mystery Distillery’)
Bottled by Ian Macleod
46% ABV
Available soon for £85

This has been going on for ages now, the rumours of the new Smokehead with an age statement surfaced so long ago that I no longer remember when that was. Then we saw some pictures and we found out it was going to [...]

Ardbeg Supernova

From today members of Ardbeg Committee can order Ardbeg Supernova (Not a member? You will have to wait until May. Alternatively go to Ardbeg website and just sign up).
With it’s 100 parts per million phenol, it’s the peatiest and meanest Ardbeg ever! Bottled at 58.9% and un-chillfiltered promises the ultimate Ardbeg experience. We will be [...]

Highland Park 18 yo follow-up…

When I was first getting to know whisky regions, Highland Park simply belonged to the Grand Uniform Region Of All Islands. It was nice and simple, geographical and logical. Those of you, who bother to follow that at all, know that now it’s all a little bit more complicated.
Islay is now a region on its [...]