Whiskies of Speyside

Do not close the door on this Tormore of lore indeed, ask for more - which you or I can easily pour. Verily I vouch vocally for its vaunted and valued viscous vivacity: viz vanilla - based on its baked, butter balm of a bulwark, brim full of brio bequeathed by its beloved bourbon barrel, obliging me to opine obliquely, yet overjoyed by its outre if, obfuscating, oasis of orange.

Tormore Distillery was one of the first new distilleries built in the 20th century, however it is not one we see all to often here at Whisky Galore. This expression is part of Douglas Laing & Co's Premier Barrel range, hand bottled in porcelain canteen bottles and known for their fun and whimsical tasting notes. Tell them this is a thoroughly tempting Tormore to totally titillate taste. Detect a definitive distillate, devoid of deficiency, laden with lemon largesse to laud loudly, culminating  in a curio of counterbalancing capacious, yet capricious cereal and captivatingly celestial cedar.

Benromach's 15 year old is the latest expression from Speyside's smallest distillery. This is their oldest release since re-opening in 1998, it is a rich whisky with notes of creamy vanilla custard, fruitcake and honey, with touches of cocoa and warming spice. A thread of smoke wraps around these flavours and lingers in the finish - a complex and very satisfying dram all round.

Benromach Distillery have added a 21 year old expression to their core range. Matured exclusively in first-fill oak casks this dram delivers sweet sherry aromas with notes of citrus and ginger and the Benromach signature hint of smoke. It is sweet to taste with spicy notes of cracked black pepper leading to Seville oranges, flavours of raspberry and baked apples finishing with a soft smokiness.

This very rare example of independently bottled Cragganmore comes from Hunter Laing & Co, selected for their First Edition range. Tasting notes from Andrew Laing describe the wonderfully rich, intense fruit character of the distillery when filled from an ex-sherry cask. Dark fruits, honey and cocoa powder lead the aroma, building to a chocolate-driven palate, with orange oils, toffee and a touch of warming ginger. For such an old whisky, the finish is initially sweet and round, drying gently. A wonderful treat to have cask strength and well-aged Cragganmore on our shelves.

From the picturesque Glen Grant distillery in Speyside, 'Arboralis' is aged in ex Bourbon and ex Spanish Sherry casks boasting aromas of fresh orchard fruit and honey. Notes of creamy toffee and ripe pears on the palate, finishing with a lingering delicate spice.

Released in 2016, this 18 Year Old Glen Grant is a big Speyside whisky that delivers fantastic notes of vanilla, nuts and caramel. Handpicked oak casks that give a golden colour with floral and oaky aroma. This whisky delivers flavours of malted caramel, vanilla, and raisins and lingers with a long, sweet, and pleasantly nutty, spicy finish.

This latest expression from the Glen Moray distillery has spent the final 8 months of its maturation in sherry casks from Spain which add flavours of dried fruit, toffee and cinnamon notes. The classic Glen Moray character of sweet vanilla and poached pears are still to be found, lingering on a flavour of warming oak spices. A perfect match with some rich fruitcake.

At 15 years old, this bottling is starting to show the more complex and mature style the Glenfarclas distillery is renowned for - light butterscotch, dried fruit and an big oak and sherry character are mingled with hints of malted barley and a touch of dry peat smoke. The finish is quite prounounced and long lasting.

Please note this is a 200ml bottle, it's a perfect gift size or ideal to take when camping!

The long-awaited return of the 40 year old Glenfarclas has arrived. This new release is packaged in an all-new wooden box that is modelled after the famous red warehouse doors of the distillery. This is one of the most complex and sophisticated whiskies we have ever stocked - aromas and flavours of prunes, dates, leather armchairs, walnuts and chocolate covered raisins, with a heart of orange segments (chocolate dipped), brown sugar and a wonderful drying oakyness - a masterpiece of a dram from one of Scotland's most beloved distilleries.

This ancient single cask bottling comes from arguably the most famous distillery in Scotland, The Glenlivet, and was filled, selected and bottled exclusively by Gordon & MacPhail. Distilled in 1954, this cask has sat undisturbed for 64 years, under the supervision of 2 generations of the Urquhart family, owners of Gordon & MacPhail. At 41% ABV, this cask has slowly shed its alcohol strength over 5 decades - any longer in the cask this could well have been lost to evaporation. Among the millions of casks maturing in Scotland, an incredibly small quantity will ever achieve a maturation period as long as this.

Cask #1412, ex-refill sherry butt. Filled 15th April 1954, bottled 27th April 2018. Outturn, just 222 bottles.

As the stocks from this era continue to evaporate and become extinct, G&M are one of the only companies in the world able to mature and bottle such remarkable liquid history.

For the full tasting notes, please view this video from G&M: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Uou4fgwmFU&feature=youtu.be

Selected by Adelphi as part of their 30th anniversary celebrations, this very special release hails from the long-lost (demolished) Imperial distillery in Speyside. This is the first Imperial to be bottled by Adelphi, and we would regard this as one of the finest examples of the distillery. Produced a single refill ex-bourbon barrel yielding just 180 bottles.

Colour: Pale gold.

Nose: Ripe pear, green banana, mixed tropical fruits, shortbread, strawberry, clover honey, waxed jacket, coriander seed, theatrical make up.

Palate: Parma violet, ski wax, meringue, chocolate Nesquik mix, dried raspberries, hazelnut skin, honey-roasted cashew, angelica root. 

Finish: Long, well-balanced, luxurious. 

Producing a weighty and dense spirit, Inchgower is a highly sought-after malt for blenders, with only small handfuls of casks being released to independent bottlers such as this outstanding selection from Adelphi.

Nose: Dry roasted peanuts, pecan ice cream, pecan pie, aromatic wood, clear Haribo gummy bears, curry powder, garam masala, cardamom pods, green peppercorn, bay leaf, savoury gravy, Thai curry (sweet), incense, burnt butter, noisette, cured bacon.

Palate: Hickory, savoury root, golden raisins, north Africa berber, ras el hanout, za?atar, tagine, cumin, bazaar, souk, sumac, cured bacon.

Finish: Decidedly sherry barrel, medium finish.

Matured for three decades, this whisky from the Linkwood distillery shows off the exquisite tropical fruit notes that makes this and other whiskies in Speyside so special. Toasted oak and buttery pastries showcase the Chinquapin oak finish, adding vanilla, coconut and demerara sugar tones. A lush and aromatic expression of perfectly aged spirit and wood.

An exemplar of the sweet, floral and delicate Speyside style, this Linkwood was chosen by acclaimed independent bottlers, Elixir. A fragrant scent of raspberry leaf tea, strawberry and warm caramel sauce can be found, with more red berry tones coming through on the palate, finishing with a dollop of orange marmalade.

Matured for 14 years in an ex-sherry butt, this Tamdhu offers a warming and rich style of dram, with a character of stewed red fruits, melted toffee and plenty of spices - nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger in particular. There is an intriguing sweet/savoury note of BBQ sauce (sometimes found in ex-Oloroso casks) and a long, toffee'd, spiced flavour to finish.

Tamnavulin, one of the key components of the 'Whyte & MacKay' blend has been seldom seen as a single malt so this new 'Double Cask' is a welcome addition to the shelves. Bourbon cask matured with a 'Sherry finish', it has a warming and soft aroma of apple, toffee and rich malt continuing onto the palate with suggestions of fresh stone fruit, pineapple and Demerara sugar.

Tomintoul's 'With a Peaty Tang' is made just twice a year at the distillery, using barley which has been dried with peat smoke. The aroma is soft and sweetly smoked, with a floral (heathery) and herbacious quality. To taste, the unmistakable flavour of peated malt, slightly biscuity and nutty with a classic Speyside fruity (pear) sweetness as well. The finish is long, with mouth-drying smoke notes lingering. One of the consistently good non-Islay peated malts around.

From one of Speyside's newer distilleries, Tomintoul was founded in 1964 and is known as 'the gentle dram'. Suggestions of citrus, along with toffee and raisins, combine with well balanced oak that gives a enduring sweet and spicy finish.

The nose of this 14 year old Tomintoul has an inviting, delicate, soft and creamy character that leads onto the palate. Flavours of sweet, nutty malt also come though leading up to a complex and slight peppery finish.