Well we just finished a relaxing week and a half in Texas with the parents for Christmas and thought we would share what may become a yearly tradition - whisky tasting. While in Scotland this year we made our way to several distilleries, including the Isle of Arran Distillers on the Isle of Arran, Laphroaig and Bowmore on the Isle of Islay, Talisker on the Isle of Skye and Dalwhinnie and Edradour in the Southern Highlands. We picked up several 750 ml, 200 ml and 50 ml bottles from each distillery, as well as bottles from Caol Ila on Islay, Glenkinchie near Edinburgh, Benriach and Tomintoul in Speyside and Tobermory on the Isle of Mull.
Years and styles tasted from each distillery include:
Benriach 12 yr
Benriach 16 yr
Benriach 20 yr
Benriach Heart of Speyside
Bowmore 12 yr
Bowmore 15 yr Mariner
Bowmore 17 yr
Caol Ila 12 yr
Edradour 10 yr
Glenkinchie 12 yr
Isle of Arran 10 yr
Isle of Arran Cask Strength
Laphroaig 18 yr
Laphroaig Quarter Cask
Talisker 10 yr
Tobermory 10 yr
Tomintoul 10 yr
Tomintoul 16 yr
Tomintoul 33 yr
We're not going to get scientific here or even attempt to compete with the descriptions of whisky websites devoted to the subject. Heck, we didn't even write up detailed tasting notes (shame on us). However, read on to see what our favorites and least favorites were and why. Feel free to comment whether it's to agree, disagree or add your thoughts. If you want more info, read up online, purchase a good book (Collins Gem Whiskies is a nice, short primer) or try your local shop for tastings (Rogers Park Fine Wine and Spirits is our local shop, with tastings and a great selection).
Those we disliked and will (at least for now) avoid include the Edradour 10 yr, Benriach 12 yr and Heart of Speyside, Tomintoul 10 yr, Bowmore 15 yr Mariner and the Talisker 10 yr. While these differ widely in their flavor and style, we had an immediate negative reaction to each. They simply tasted harsh, incomplete or overpowering in comparison to the others.
Our favorites varied in style and flavor but were consistently distinct, smooth and / or intense (apologies for lack of proper terminology). Our top favorites included the Glenkinchie 12 yr (nice all-around drink, nothing real shocking), the Caol Ila 12 yr (completely distinct smoky / sea / fish flavor; good for a certain mood; we're a sucker for the green bottle too) and the Tomintoul 33 yr (by far the most smooth). Runners up include the Isle of Arran Cask Strength, Laphroaig 18 yr (smoky and fantastic), the Benriach 20 yr and the Bowmore 17 yr (neither of which we can recall specifically why we liked them, but they were ranked up there none the less).
We're definitely converts to the world of Scotch and look forward to Irish, American (Bourbon) and blended alternatives as well. If you have any suggestions on what to look out for in the shops and online, let us know! As a treat to the folks who read this far, check out our summary of the whisky fermentation and distillation process below, with images from Laphroaig and Arran distillers. For more images of our Scotland trip, click here.
