Ardbeg Anthology 15 Year Old “The Beithir’s Tale” and the Anthology Series (Tasted #697 - #699)

There’s something about Ardbeg that always manages to capture the imagination. For a distillery that spent much of the 1980s and ’90s mothballed or only partly operational, it’s remarkable how firmly it has established itself as a cult Islay favourite since its revival in 1997. From the release of the mighty Uigeadail in 2003, to annual Ardbeg Day bottlings like Grooves and Drum, to more recent crowd-pleasers like An Oa, there’s always been an energy and playfulness around Ardbeg that matches its whisky’s intensity.

It’s also a distillery with a knack for experimentation. From its iconic pagoda-roofed kiln of a bygone era, to unusual cask finishes, and quirky Committee releases like Alligator and Supernova, Ardbeg have always kept Ardbeggians and fans alike guessing. But behind all the different Ardbeg releases, lies one of the most distinctive spirit characters, medicinal, maritime, oily, and unapologetically peaty. Which is why whenever Ardbeg steps into new cask territory, it’s always fascinating to see how that core DNA holds up — and what new dimensions emerge.

The Anthology Collection, introduced in 2023, set out to explore a “sweeter” side of Ardbeg through three different cask experiments, each inspired by a mythical beast. Having now tasted the full trilogy, it’s clear that each release plays with the smoke-sweetness balance in very different ways. The Harpy’s Tale (13yo, ex-Bourbon and Sauternes) turned out to be the brightest and most elegant, with honeyed apricot sweetness tussling against oily smoke — my pick of the series. The Unicorn’s Tale (14yo, ex-Bourbon and Madeira) veered into sharper, baked-fruit territory, with lime and peach syrup layered over smoke and spice. And finally, the Beithir’s Tale (15yo, bespoke “designer” bourbon casks) felt like the most experimental of the three — vanilla, caramel, and toasted oak richness dialled up over earthy peat.

All bottled at 46% ABV, non-chill filtered, and adorned with mythical artwork, the Anthology Collection offers three distinct answers to the question: what happens when you let Ardbeg dance with sweetness?

Ardbeg 13 Year Old “The Harpy's Tale” (46% ABV, 13 Years Old, Islay, Scotland, A$240)

The first in the Anthology Collection, The Harpy’s Tale takes classic Ardbeg smoke and weaves it through the lush sweetness of Sauternes wine casks. On paper, the combination feels almost mythical — and in the glass, it doesn’t disappoint. This is a dram that flits between light and dark, sweet and savoury, all while staying unmistakably Ardbeg.

Nose: Immediately oily and herbaceous, with a salty coastal edge — brine and seaweed against the glass. Then comes a fragrant sweetness: lemon peel, honey lozenges, apricots, even a perfumed lift like dried sage leaves on a bonfire. There’s smoke here, but it’s more wispy and perfumed than the full blast you’d expect from Ten or Uigeadail.

Palate: The first sip is a little surprising — grilled capsicum and wood ash lead the charge, before that honey-lemon lozenge sweetness comes surging back through. Layers of treacle and balsamic richness develop (without the sharp acidity), interplaying with drifting bonfire smoke. It’s savoury and sweet in equal measure, with eucalyptus and charred oak lingering towards the back, dusted with peppery spice.

Finish: Long and lingering, with the embers of a fading bonfire and a persistent spiced warmth that keeps drawing you back for another sip. This is my favourite of the collection.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100 (Hendy)

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Ardbeg 14 Year Old “The Unicorn's Tale” (46% ABV, 14 Years Old, Islay, Scotland, A$250)

The second chapter in the Anthology Collection, The Unicorn’s Tale, takes Ardbeg’s smoky DNA and pairs it with Madeira wine casks. Where the Harpy’s Tale offered a honeyed brightness from Sauternes, the Unicorn leans into a baked-fruit richness — sharper, nuttier, and just that little bit wilder. It feels like Ardbeg experimenting with sweetness once again, but from a very different angle.

Nose: Immediately rich and fruity — ripe bananas, even those nostalgic banana lollies, mixed with cinnamon scrolls and sweet wooden smoke. There’s depth too, with treacle and peanut brittle sweetness, underpinned by citrus zest and flashes of tropical guava. The peat is there, but it sits like smoke drifting through a sweet bakery window.

Palate: A surprisingly sweet and zesty arrival. Lime cordial and peach syrup coat the tongue, before warming spices of nutmeg roll in alongside vanilla slice and caramel squares. A sweet, woody undertone keeps the balance, while the spirit feels mouth-coating and almost oily. The smoke builds as it develops, wrapping the sweetness in a gentle haze of bonfire.

Finish: Long and lingering, with smoky citrus peel, plenty of ash, and a cool wave of menthol running through the aftertaste.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100 (Hendy)

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Ardbeg 15 Year Old “The Beithir’s Tale” (46% ABV, 15 Years Old, Islay, Scotland, A$255)

Arguably, the most experimental of the three. The final chapter in the Anthology Collection, The Beithir’s Tale, may just be the boldest of the three. Instead of wine finishes, Ardbeg chose to explore the limits of oak itself, working with bespoke “designer” bourbon casks — air-seasoned, heavily toasted, and lightly charred to specification. Where the Ten shows what classic bourbon casks usually bring to Ardbeg, the Beithir dials it all up a notch: richer vanilla, deeper spice, and toasted sweetness, all mixed with that unmistakable peaty backbone.

Nose: Rich and complex, opening with creme brulee and burnt sugar before a rush of menthol and eucalyptus. Pine needles and fennel add a fresh, herbal edge, while the peat smoke lurks quietly underneath. With time, baked apple pie and sultanas emerge, lending a sweet-fruited counterpoint.

Palate: Zesty and earthy on the palate, quickly becoming richer as blackcurrants, vanilla, and caramel slices coat the palate. The peat smoke undercurrent keeps everything anchored, while layers of citrus (mandarins in particular), black pepper, and a touch of liquorice add depth. It’s mouth-coating and satisfying, striking a balance between sweet oak influence and smoky savouriness.

Finish: Long and defined, leaving smoky embers, liquorice, and lingering spice. A dram that slowly fades.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100 (Hendy)

The Beithir’s Tale feels like the boldest of the three Anthology releases — less about wine finishes, more about cask innovation and the pure interplay between Ardbeg’s spirit and oak. If the Ten is the soul of Ardbeg and Uigeadail its sherried alter-ego, the Anthology series are experimental short stories — each exploring “what if?” scenarios with wood.

The Ardbeg 15 Year Old “The Beithir’s Tale” will be available in Australia from August 26th through the Ardbeg Committee.

Many thanks to the Ardbeg Australia Team for gifting us the new Ardbeg Anthology limited releases.

Cheers,

Hendy

Benriach 2013 Triple Sherry Cask / Easter Treats [Tasted #695]

I've always had a soft spot for Benriach. From their creative use of casks to their mix of peated and unpeated styles, they’ve always stood out as a distillery.

We’ve followed Benriach’s journey for years—through revivals, reinventions, and releases that surprise and delight the whisky faithful. From the distillery’s humble beginnings in 1897 under John Duff, to its dormancy post-Pattison crash and its spectacular rebirth under Billy Walker in 2004, Benriach has always carved its own path.

This Speyside distillery has long been known for its eclectic cask use, malting traditions, and its spirit of experimentation. Under the creative guidance of Master Blender Dr Rachel Barrie, the past few years have seen Benriach embrace that innovation with bold new expressions like The Smoky Ten, Malting Season, and The Twenty One—a favourite of mine for its complex peated/unpeated balance and four-cask harmony.

This year, Benriach is bringing something a little special to Aussie whisky lovers, teaming up with KOI Dessert Bar and The Whisky Club to create two Easter indulgences. One for the dessert lovers, one for the whisky drinkers (or, both!).

KOI Dessert Bar has reimagined the classic hot cross bun into something far more decadent (or rather bougie and sweet :)) – the “Scotch Cross Bun.” This Easter-only treat is made with rich vanilla mousse and whisky-soaked currants, featuring Benriach’s The Original Ten as its boozy backbone. Available in KOI stores across Sydney and Melbourne from 11 April, it’s the kind of thing that pairs perfectly with a good dram – or two.

And speaking of drams, the Benriach 2013 Triple Sherry Cask is a one-off vintage crafted exclusively for The Whisky Club by Master Blender Dr Rachel Barrie. This Speyside gem has been matured in a trio of PX and Oloroso sherry casks, offering a bold, rich and dessert-like profile.

The cask story here is a clever one—a triple sherry cask maturation that brings together:

1. A full maturation in Oloroso sherry casks,
2. A whisky that was first matured in ex-Bourbon casks and then spent five years in Oloroso,
3. And another parcel that began in ex-Bourbon, then rested for four years in PX sherry casks.

Each component brings its own personality to the mix—nutty dryness from the Oloroso, syrupy richness and dried fruit from the PX, and a core of honeyed vanilla from the ex-Bourbon.

As Dr Rachel Barrie puts it:

“You might find a cherry and chocolate torte… then into lovely almond, orange and deep tiramisu. And that is served with a delicious macchiato. So very rich, multi-layered, but still delicate. And that’s the beauty of Benriach.”

I had the chance to sit down with the Triple Sherry Cask, and it didn’t disappoint. It's a sherry bomb, on the nose, it’s fruit cake, rum and raisins, rich caramel and creamy tiramisu. The palate is rich, syrupy, follows through with tiramisu cake, cream puff, and some nutmeg and warming ginger spice.

The 2013 Triple Sherry Cask is a fantastic example of what the Benriach distillery does so well: bold flavour, clever cask work, and loads of character. Along with KOI’s Scotch Cross Bun and you’ve got the ultimate Easter indulgence.

Benriach 2013 Triple Sherry Cask [Whisky Club Bottling] (48.4% ABV, Speyside, Scotland, A$125)

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Nose: Fruit cake, rum and raisins, and a rich wave of caramel. There’s creamy tiramisu in there too, along with a hint of cherry—like a boozy dessert platter fresh from the kitchen.

Palate: It's a sherry bomb, all indulgences and very rich. Tiramisu cake, rum and raisin, cream puffs, a sprinkle of nutmeg, and a warming hit of ginger spice. It’s very decadent and rich, with chocolate shavings, sweet date, and a slight tartness to balance things out.

Finish: Long, smooth, and warming. The ginger spice lingers beautifully, carrying the sweetness through to the end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100 (Hendy) 

Whether you’re after a unique whisky to sip on over the long weekend or just looking for something to pair with your Easter sweets, this is one release that hits the mark.

Cheers
Hendy

Benromach Contrasts range - Unpeated and Virgin Oak [Tasted #693 - 694]

We've been pretty fortunate here at TimeforWhisky to try some old and incredibly rare Benromach releases over the years. The last we tried was a 46yo single cask from 1972 (one of only 75 bottles) and the one before that a 41yo single cask from 1974. One thing we found with each of these was that they were incredibly delicious, well-made whisky, bottled at just the right time.

The thing is, "delicious" and "well-made" seems to be something that applies across the Benromach range, right down to the entry level 10 Year Old. I've referred to Benromach as a distillery who just make incredibly good, honest whisky, and I still stand by that today.

...which brings us to the "Contrasts" range, aiming to present a different (or Contrasting) view of Benromach, via a core range consisting of "Peat Smoke" and "Organic" , and a number of "Guest Contrasts" including the two we're tasting today - "Virgin Oak" (10yo and fully-matured in Virgin American Oak casks) and "Unpeated" (9yo and matured in a mix of ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry casks).

Benromach Contrasts Unpeated (46% ABV, Single Malt, 9yo, Speyside, Scotland)

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Colour: Light gold

Nose: Light, with hints of heather, oatcakes, pear, stewed fruits and just a lovely classic fruity Speyside nose.

Palate: Consistent with the nose, with a touch of herbaceousness, dried apricot, red apple and some salted caramel.

Finish: Floral and lifted, with some ginger notes through to the end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 88/100 (Martin). 

Benromach Contrasts Virgin Oak (46% ABV, Single Malt, 10yo, Speyside, Scotland)

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Colour: Orange gold.

Nose: Oak and citrus spice, with some banana chips and bacon.

Palate: Sweet, less spiced than the nose suggests, more herbal and savoury, with some hints of smoked oranges.

Finish: Butter Menthol lozenges and mature oak.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100 (Martin). 

Cheers,

Martin.

The Macallan TIME : SPACE Launch [Tasted: #684]

Last week, Martin and I had the pleasure of attending events for The Macallan TIME:SPACE Collection in both Hong Kong and Sydney, as a celebration of the distillery’s 200th anniversary. The events took us on a journey through The Macallan’s storied past, from founder Alexander Reid’s dedication to quality in 1824 to the wartime ingenuity that shaped its legacy.

The Sydney launch event featured tastings of Macallan’s Classic Cut and 18yo expressions, two drams that beautifully reflect the distillery’s artistry. The Classic Cut 2023, bottled at 50.3% ABV, showcased vibrant notes of orchard fruits, elderflower, and citrus with hints of almond biscotti and toasted oak. Meanwhile, the 18yo Sherry Oak has rich layers of dried fruit, spice, and chocolate, a classic Macallan.

At the heart of the celebration was the unveiling of TIME : SPACE, a dual-chambered vessel housing two extraordinary whiskies. The 1940 Vintage, aged an astonishing 84 years, matured in meticulously selected sherry casks. Representing the future, the 2018 Vintage is a youthful 5-year-old whisky, marking the first distillate from Macallan’s state-of-the-art distillery.

Also revealed was TIME : SPACE Mastery, a stunning single malt created from 14 exceptional cask types. This whisky delivers rich layers of dates, pineapple, and coffee, all while retaining Macallan’s signature elegance. Presented in a circular bottle symbolising the cycle of time, the red case, complete with 200 spikes, is a bold celebration of the distillery’s bicentennial milestone.

With only 200 units of TIME : SPACE dual-chambered bottle available globally, the TIME : SPACE Mastery is the more accessible of the two (priced at $2,700 and arriving in Australia in November 2024, with the exact number of bottles produced not disclosed). The TIME : SPACE Collection is more than a celebration of the past—it’s a toast to the future of The Macallan's whisky mastery. 

Having both recently sampled the TIME : SPACE Mastery, here are our thoughts:

The Macallan TIME : SPACE Mastery (43.6% ABV, Speyside, Scotland, A$2,700 / $11,000HKD)

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Colour: Rich honey gold.

Nose (Hendy): A captivating aroma unfolds with a gentle musky scent, with a mix of ripe summer fruits—peaches and apricots—balanced by the sweetness of dates, figs and dried fruits. Subtle notes of chocolate with sweet oak.

Nose (Martin): There's a maturity here that (despite its years) you don't find on the 18yo. Not to the same extent anyway. Deep rich zesty coffee notes follow, rich honey notes, with some underlying milk chocolate and ginger. If you look hard enough, slight hints of tropical stone fruits (peaches mostly) appear.

Palate (Hendy): The palate opens up with soft ginger spices, offering a delicate palate with a touch of gunpowder before giving way to layers of citrus, oranges and honey bring a level of sweetness, with sweet oak at the end.

Palate (Martin): Viscous and mouth-filling, with notes of mature oak, a slightly earthiness (which increases over time), some orange zest, dates, maple syrup, ginger and caramel. It doesn't feel like 43% in the mouth - I'd say closer to 46-48%. Power and finesse here.  

Finish (Hendy): Long and lingering, with a gentle, soft spice and fading into notes of vanilla. It was a good Macallan.

Finish (Martin): Long, quite drying, with hints of oak, some BBQ pineapple, Oranges and residual peach notes.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 

93/100 (Hendy) 

92/100 (Martin)

Martin's final comments: Having also tried this side-by-side with the 2023 18yo Sherry Oak, I can confidently say it stands well above as a much more rich, viscous, sherried dram with significantly more complexity. It also has those hints of tropical notes shining through which you just don't get on the 18yo (Lead Whisky Maker Euan Kennedy, who presented our tasting, said he finds the tropical notes tend to come through at around 20 years of age). That said, whether the increased complexity and richness (and admittedly, very cool bottle design) justifies the price jump over the 18yo is a personal decision everyone will have to make for themselves...

Here’s to the next 200 years of Macallan.


Cheers,
Hendy.

Halcyon Spirits 17yo Single Cask 2007 Caol Ila [Tasted #683]

You may have have seen us cover a few releases from recently-established Scottish-based Independent Bottler Halcyon Spirits over the past 12 or so months. After bursting onto the scene mid-2023 with a 30yo Macallan, followed by a 32yo Auchentoshan, 30yo Clynelish & 27yo Burnside, they've now ventured over to Islay with their first peated release - a 17yo single cask Caol Ila from 2007.

I've been saying for a long time now that (in my opinion) Caol Ila is one of the most versatile Scotch whiskies out there. It can be fantastic young, middle-aged or long-aged, it's great from both Sherry and Bourbon casks, it works well in highballs (try it with lemon peel), cocktails and neat, and it's absolutely magic, magic stuff from the early 1980s.

I remember drinking a lot of 2007, 2008 Caol Ila single casks about 6-7 years ago (at the time around 10yo), and many of them were excellent, so I was excited to try one with a bit more age on it...

Halcyon Spirits "Halcyon Release #5" Caol Ila Aged 17 Years (56% ABV, Single Malt, 17yo, 1 of 273 bottles, Scotland, £150)
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Colour: Amber gold

Nose: Ashy, meaty BBQ at first, but with unmistakeable Caol Ila DNA underneath. Rich smoke, a slightly oak dustiness. After time, a subtle hint of meaty sulphur (in a good way).

Palate: Follows the nose, with some added sweet honey/maple notes, yet still plenty of smoked meat. It's soft, yet carries power and persistence. There's some hoisin sauce and glazed BBQ duck, and subtle, underlying hints of that trademark Caol Ila lemon-y note.

Finish: Long, soft smoke with a slightly sweet BBQ / lemon finish.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100 (Martin). Exactly what I hoped for - balanced, complex, delicious. For the price? Excellent value (especially for those in HK benefiting from the recently-reduced taxes).

Thanks to Halcyon for sending us the sample for this review.

Cheers,

Martin.

Gordon & MacPhail Recollection Series #3: 1984 Convalmore, 1981 North Port & 1991 Rosebank [Tasted #680 - 682]

A look back over our Gordon & MacPhail-tagged posts shows it's been a pretty great past few years when it comes to trying incredibly long-aged, well-matured whiskies here at TimeforWhisky.com. In addition to one-off bottlings in the the 60 Year Old, 70 Year Old and even 80 Year Old age ranges, we've also been introduced to "The Recollection Series" of whiskies - #1 in 2022, #2 in 2023 and now, hot off the press, comes Series #3.

These series feature single malts originating from closed, or long-time silent distilleries, with spirit matured in bespoke asks commissioned by G&M. 

Series #1 and #2 saw us taste some incredible drams like Glen Mhor from 1973 and 1982, 1982 St Magdalene, 1981 Port Ellen & 1981 Lochside, so whatever was in store for Series #3, we knew it would be good.

...and we weren't wrong. With 6 expressions this time around, the series is a little smaller, but no less impressive, featuring:

• Rosebank 1991 – RRP £2,100
• Glenlochy 1979 – RRP £4,000
• Convalmore 1984 – RRP £2,300
• Imperial 1990 – RRP £1,650
• North Port 1981 – RRP £3,850
• Port Ellen 1981 – RRP £10,000

Featuring eye-catching, bold new packaging, G&M calls the whiskies ‘forgotten masterpieces’ and ‘lost works of art’, with the distilleries’ spirit revived using stunning illustrations from Emmy-award winning artist, Bruno Mangyoku. 

Stuart Urquhart, Operations Director at Gordon & MacPhail, said: 

“This year marks our third Recollection Series, which again brings a carefully chosen selection of rare and unique whiskies to enthusiasts worldwide. We’re fortunate enough to have access to a liquid library which is testament to the relationships we’ve nurtured with whisky distillers for almost 130 years.

We’re proud to be able to revive the spirit of these historic distilleries, bringing their stories back into the present day.”  

Gordon & MacPhail "The Recollection Series #3" Rosebank 1991 32yo (51.2% ABV, 32yo, First Fill Bourbon Barrel #2114, Lowland, Scotland, One of 141 bottles, £2,100)
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A distillery called Rosebank was operating as early as 1817. From 1840, under the ownership of the Rankine family, Rosebank prospered, however the distillery eventually closed its doors in 1993. It was reopened under new ownership to great fanfare in 2024. This release is one of the oldest and rarest Rosebank single malts ever released.

Colour: Light sunset gold.

Nose: Light and tropical, with orange, banana and pineapple. As a kid I used to love Golden Circle Tropical Punch fruit juice, and this nose took me straight back to those primary school playground days.  It's a subtle nose though - slowly revealing itself. After time, some lemon slice shows through too.

Palate: Fruity maple syrup? There's a rose-flavoured note, and in the background (subtle) pineapple and banana. 

Finish: Mango and guava! Big time, and long. I recently tried a single cask Springbank (interestingly the same age) and it also had this hugely tropical finish 

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100 (Martin). The highest score I've ever given to a Rosebank? Probably. Feels like it's the best I've tried.

Gordon & MacPhail "The Recollection Series #3" North Port 1981 42yo (50.9% ABV, 42yo, Refill American Hogshead #2072, Highland, Scotland, One of 132 bottles, £3,850)
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Single malts featuring the distillery’s original name, Brechin Distillery, are vanishingly rare. Founded in 1820 near Scotland’s east coast by three brothers, David, John and Alexander Guthrie, the distillery stood half a mile from the River Esk. It remained in family ownership for over a century, renamed North Port Distillery, before new owners closed its doors in 1928. It reopened after the Second World War only to fall silent again in 1983, with the site demolished in 1994. 

Colour: Light amber gold

Nose: Instantly, that well-matured, balanced, incredibly complex nose that shines through on so many of these older G&M releases. There's oak, there's fresh fruit (orchard fruits, peaches, apples) with slightly tropical undertones, nuttiness, fresh pear, and (with a drop of water) some pineapple, apricot and more peach.

Palate: Follows the nose just beautifully, with the oak and fruit in perfect harmony, alongside some gingerbread, mandarin, apricot and graceful oak.

Finish: Very, very long, with a slightly drying oak note and (after a drop of water), some peach.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 94/100 (Martin). Now THIS is whisky. Just a beautiful dram.

Gordon & MacPhail "The Recollection Series #3" Convalmore 1984 39yo (51.1% ABV, 39yo, Refill Sherry Hogshead #1733, Speyside, Scotland, One of 108 bottles, £2,300)
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Opened as the fourth of Dufftown’s famed seven stills in the heart of Speyside in 1894, Convalmore’s waxy, fruity spirit has very rarely been seen as a single malt whisky. Dedicated almost entirely to blended whiskies, production was interrupted in 1909 by a fire. The distillery expanded in 1964 but was mothballed in 1985. The original buildings are still on the site but the production equipment has been removed. 

Colour: Rich mahogany.

Nose: Muted at first, but after some time it turns into a rich and elegant display of mocha, leather, fresh berries, berry compote and toffee.

Palate: Mature oak with noticeable, but not overpowering sherry notes. Flamed orange zest, black forrest cake, sherry-soaked cherries, cigar humidor, milk coffee and to round things out, hints of dried apricot.

Finish: Long, balanced oak with citrus hints.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100 (Martin). My love for Convalmore continues.

For more information on Gordon & MacPhail or the Recollection series, visit www.gordonandmacphail.com.

Many thanks again to G&M who kindly provided the tasting of these three beautiful single malts, and & Weber Shandwick for the arrangement.

Cheers,

Martin.

TimeforWhisky.com interviews Spirit of the Craft Award winners Westward Whiskey, Launceston Distillery, Raasay Distillery & Macaloney's Distillery

We recently posted news on Facebook of a new Spirits Awards (hear us out...), the first from Asia, focusing on smaller producers around the world. "Spirit of Craft Awards" was launched in January of this year, and involves a panel of experts from Asia's bar and drinks media community.

Over three months, entries from across 15 countries – Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Scotland, Singapore, Thailand, New Zealand, Netherlands, and the U.S. – made their way to Singapore for judging by a panel of 36 judges in early May, with the results announced shortly after.

The full list of 2024/2025 winners can be found here, but we were lucky enough to score an interview with four of the winners, including both "3 Star" winners Isle of Raasay & Launceston Distillery, as well as Westward Distillery (whose whiskies we've covered a few times on the blog) & Macaloney Distillery. 

We wanted to understand what made their whiskies unique, the industry changes they've seen, how they engage customers in an increasingly crowded market, and any learnings they've picked up about running a distillery. So without further ado, we bring the answers from:

• Launceston Distillery Head Distiller / Production Manager - Chris Condon
• Raasay Distillery Co-Founder and Master Distiller - Alasdair Day
• Westward Distillery Master Blender - Miles Munroe; and
• Macaloney's Island Distillery President & Master wheiskymaker - Dr Graeme Macaloney

The view from Raasay Distillery's warehouse

1. There’s a lot of great whisky out there, and a lot of distilleries who’ve opened in the past 5-10 years. In a sentence of two, what makes yours stand out?

• Launceston: "We are a boutique whisky distillery, solely focussed on producing hand-crafted single malts. Our location in a restored heritage-listed aircraft hangar is an obvious point of difference. We also try to stay true to ourselves, an independent distillery that strives to consistently make high quality small batch whisky."

• Raasay: "We do everything on Raasay - using water from our well at the distillery for mashing, fermentation, cooling, cask reduction and reduction to bottling strength. We mature all of our spirits in our own warehouses and bottle everything on site, where we now employ over 40 people who live on Raasay (an island with a population of only 161!). Our community and island are a constant source of inspiration, seen in the bespoke Isle of Raasay bottles with hand printed rock and fossil formations from our complex geology. Our spirit directly reflects and truly represents the island where it is created."

• Westward: "At Westward, which is located in the heart of the American Northwest we’re beholden to whiskey, not the traditions that surround it. Westward is brewed like a Pale Ale, distilled like a Single Malt, and aged like a Bourbon. Our whiskeys are matured to perfection in Oregon, one of the most fertile barley-growing regions in the world, where our unique hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters are the ideal environment to raise a world class whiskey."

• Macaloney's: "The World Whiskies Awards (WWAs) in the UK are the most competitive in the world and conducted via blind tasting with industry-experienced judges. At these, our whisky and new-make underpinning our whiskies have won 3 'World's Best' and 8 'Category Best' gold medals. Our growing repeat sales, in Taiwan, across Europe, and elsewhere (we are interested to find a distributor for Australia) in an economic climate where Scotch sales are down, speaks to the excitement and interest in high quality whiskies with real craft provenance like ours."

Launceston Distillery

2. How have you seen the industry change in the time since you started?

• Launceston: "There has been tremendous growth in the Tasmanian industry. The number of distilleries has doubled in that time. But consumers are now more aware of Tasmanian spirits, and there has been international recognition for the quality of whisky coming from Tasmania."

• Raasay: "There have been some massive changes in the industry in Scotland since we founded R&B Distillers in July 2014. At that time there were only 90 operating distilleries in Scotland selling single malt whisky. Now there are over 150 malt and grain distilleries. There have been huge steps forward in technology since we designed our process for our Isle of Raasay distillery particularly in sustainable technology."

• Westward: "Westward began in 2004. At the time, there were just 3 dozen craft distilleries in the U.S. Today, we’re proud to be a leader among more than 3,000. With that, it means that to truly stand out you have to have a distinct point of view, excellent quality credentials, and an innovative approach."

• Macaloney's: "There has been a lot more interest in craft single malt as enthusiasts look for greater quality, yearn to understand what creates the flavours, and are interested in genuine provenance. Also connoisseurs have come to realise that quality is not tied to age and that deep complex maturation comes from best distilling practices and the best oak casks."

Westward's Miles Munroe

3. As a craft distillery, what’s the best way to engage new and potential fans?

• Launceston: "For people who are not familiar with our whisky, nothing beats giving them a taste. Therefore, award programs like SOcraft provide valuable recognition and exposure, which gives new customers the confidence to taste our whisky for the first time."

• Raasay: "We are creating experiences for all of our guests who visit our Isle of Raasay distillery. The adventure starts when you make the 25 minute ferry crossing from Sconser on Skye to the Isle of Raasay, then a short walk (and an even shorter drive) to the distillery. We have six luxury ensuite bedrooms, a restaurant, residents lounge and a bar all with amazing views looking back over the Sound of Raasay to the Cuillin Mountains on Skye. It's the perfect place to relax with a Raasay dram, gin or a cocktail and soak up the full Isle of Raasay experience!"

• Westward: "We’re lucky to have won a host of awards and accolades, including the distinction as the #5 whisky in the world by Whisky Advocate. Those major acknowledgements – and the recognition of global authorities in whisky like Dave Broom, Becky Paskin, and others — have certainly helped us discover new fans and followers. We also love sharing what it is that we do with whiskey enthusiasts and visitors to the distillery, and proudly serves as an ‘open book’ in our approach to whiskey-making. This approach to transparency – where no question is off-limits – really helps us stay engaged with our customers."

• Macaloney's: "Liquid to lips! We love to send ambassadors in to whisky clubs or into whisky stores for vertical tastings, and to festival masterclasses where enthusiasts can taste our quality and hear our story."

Macaloney Distillery tour

4. What’s your “go to” or everyday whisky from your line-up, and why? What about your “special occasion” whisky?

• Launceston: "Our tawny cask matured whisky is a great everyday whisky. It has lovely fruity aromas and flavours, a rich smooth mouthfeel, and a finish that a judge recently compared to a ‘friendly bear hug’. It sips well neat,  but also has nice complexity that works well with cocktails. On special occasions we like our peated release. It is mildly peated with sweet bourbon and tawny influences to balance the smoke. This makes it very approachable, even for people who don’t like peat."

• Raasay: "My "go to" whisky from our line-up is our signature Isle of Raasay Hebridean single malt as this represents everything we do on Raasay. 80% of our annual production is filling the casks for our unique Na Sia cask recipe - we mature 6 separate cask types and marry these together at bottling to created our lightly peated style with dark fruit flavours. My "special occasion" whisky is our fully matured Columbian Oak 'Quercus humboldtii' cask single malt. This has a depth of flavour and texture ranging from Creme brulee to oolong tea. It is very special indeed and a very unique cask type to the Scotch Whisky industry."

• Westward: "The one to always reach for is Westward Whiskey Original, this is what began the innovative journey we’re still on. Our flagship whiskey is the trunk of the tree with almost all other variations branching off from this starting point.  It envelops everything about why we do what we do at Westward in the bottle.  My special occasion pour is most certainly Westward Whiskey Milestone.  Without a doubt the most elegant single malt we’ve produced, it's a marriage of our most highly prized casks and carefully blended over years in a twenty-one barrel Solera system."

• Macaloney's: "Thats a tough question partly because there are all my babies, plus we uniquely distill 3 very different styles - Single malt, Triple distilled pot still, and Peated single malt (smoked at our distillery). Of the single malts i love the an loy because like japanese single malts it is delicate and nieuanced  but with great depth and bapanced complexity. For the triple pot still it has to be the kildara becuase it defeated 27 year old, 21 yo, 15yo and 12 yo redbreast irish whiskies to win worlds best!, And for the peated a favorite is hard to choose becuase the 15ppm an aba is delicately sherried, whereas the 27 ppm siol dugall is fantastic for its virgin and bourbon-wood influence, whereas our peat project sugar kelp infused 54ppm peated single cask is a spectacular exploration of terroir and merroir!"

Westward Distillery

5. When you were growing your distillery, which was more important - on-premise or off-premise / retail?

• Launceston: "Both cannot be overlooked, and I would suggest they are as important as each other.  On-premise allows for new consumers to try our whisky without the outlay of a bottle purchase, however the retail space needs to be considered to give the consumer the easiest path to purchase once they have enjoyed it in a bar or restaurant."

• Raasay: "All of our sales channels are very important to us. On-premise is where new and potential fans can discover our Isle of Raasay Hebridean single malt & gin, seeing our bottle stand out on the back bar and enjoy their first dram. Off-premise / retail is where fans and lovers of Isle of Raasay can acquire our spirits, satisfy their signature Raasay desires and seek out our latest special releases."

• Westward: "Great question, and this has changed of course drastically through Covid and beyond. We look for a mix of both at Westward. We’re fortunate to have many enthusiasts in the bar world who respect what we do, and that is an excellent path for consumer discovery. But we also recognize that our whiskey needs to be available for a consumer who then wants to shop for our products.."

• Macaloney's: "Off premise however i now realize our whiskies are amazing in cocktails so bars will be important going forward."

Launceston Distillery's "Angus"

6. What’s one thing you wish you knew about running a distillery before you began?

• Launceston: "Sometimes the romance of running a distillery can be very different to the reality. It can be hard work and it requires patience and perseverance. But when everything comes together after years of maturation it is well worth the effort."

• Raasay: "How difficult it can be to stay focused on our key messaging and continuously, consistently preach that key messaging to the world. "

• Westward: "With Westward, we’re always planning several years ahead. The whiskey we make today won’t see the light of day for at least half a decade (give or take), and so we are always a step ahead. That includes some of our expansion efforts – like our capacity increase we recently underwent."

• Macaloney's: "HOW HARD IT IS TO MAKE A PROFIT AFTER ALL THE COSTS AND TAXES!"

A stunning vista from Raasay Distillery

 

 

Thanks must go to Chris, Alasdair, Miles & Dr Graham for the time and answers, and to the great team at Food News Singapore for coordinating the responses & media.

Cheers,

Martin.

Halcyon Spirits 27yo Single Cask 1996 Burnside [Tasted #677]

I wrote last year about new Scottish-based Independent Bottler Halcyon Spirits, and how their 2000-strong cask inventory probably meant we'd probably see many bottles to come. It wasn't long after their inaugural release (a 30yo Macallan) that I tasted their second release (a 32yo Auchentoshan) and whilst I didn't manage to try their third (a 30yo Clynelish), the team have now released (and kindly sent me a sample of) their fourth - a 27yo Burnside from 1996 (finished in an ex-sherry cask and bottled in 2024).

"Burnside", some of you may ask? Basically, a teaspooned whisky, or a blended malt which is predominantly one malt, with only a small amount of another. There's a whole discussion to be had about if all "teaspooned" whisky is really teaspooned, or if some of it is single malt simply labelled/sold as a blended malt, but that's for another post. 

In this case, Burnside is the name given to a whisky predominantly made up of Balvenie, with only a small amount of Glenfiddich. 

Halcyon Spirits "Halcyon Release #4" Burnside Aged 27 Years (52.9% ABV, Blended Malt, 27yo, 1 of 292 bottles, Scotland, £195)
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Colour: Burnished copper-gold

Nose: Fruit & nuts, pear, honey and some molasses. There are sultana notes, and after some air & time to open up, subtle ginger hints.

Palate: Initial citrus zest, giving way to more honey and molasses, some oak spice, walnuts, dried oranges, vanilla custard, some green frog jelly lollies, and finally some cinnamon. The sherry influence is there, without doubt, but it doesn't overpower the whisky, allowing other notes to show.

Finish: Medium to long, with dried orange most predominant, and subtle ginger spice in the background.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100 (Martin). I enjoy Balvenie, and have always enjoyed the Burnsides I've tried - a lot. This one is no different - a great dram, and a very reasonable price for a 27yo (more or less) Balvenie!

Cheers,

Martin.

Cask88 x Ralph Steadman "Whisky Correspondence Course" - Bruichladdich 31yo, Arran 24yo & Glenburgie 24yo [Tasted #674 - 676]

Whisky and art collaborations are nothing new - we've seen everything from Macallan's "Masters of Photography" series, to Glenfiiddich's "Arists in Residence" program, to Glenmorangie's more recent efforts with Azuma Makoto. My view of these has always been the same - they can be fun, sure, and when the collaboration "fits", even great, but fundamentally the underlying whisky has to be good. At the end of the day, you can't drink art!

Thankfully, Cask88's latest collaboration with Britain's legendary illustrator Ralph Steadman not only brings the fun & feels like it "fits", it also involves some fantastic whisky!

Dubbed the Cask 88 x Ralph Steadman Whisky Correspondence Course, the series is intended to take drinkers on a journey of Scotland's distilleries via illustrations from Ralph Steadman's 1994 memoir "Still life with Bottle: Whisky According to Ralph Steadman" adorning bottles of "exquisite, greatly aged, unique single malts from the finest distilleries in Scotland".

Starting (fittingly) with Part One, the series kicks things off with 3 single cask bottlings, available individually by the 700mL bottle or as a set of 3 x 50mL miniatures:

• Arran 24 Year Old (44.7%)
• Bruichladdich 31 Year Old (50.6%)
• Glenburgie 24 Year Old (55.2%)

The team at Cask88 were kind enough to send me a miniature set for review, and I've gotta say, this is one of the most impressively designed "sample sets" I've ever seen - right down to the ink pot sample bottles. Sure, it's all about the whisky inside, but opening this certainly brought a smile to my face.

Cask88 x Ralph Steadman "Whisky Correspondence Course" Bruichladdich 31yo (50.6% ABV, 31yo, Refill Hogshead #2258, Islay, Scotland, £565 / $5,650HKD)

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Colour: Light golden sunset.

Nose: Light and fruity - grape skins, pear & peach, followed by subtle vanilla hints.

Palate: Oh now we're talking - Tropic Thunder! Passionfruit, lots of pineapple, some guava and apple. Grapefruit, vanilla & pear notes too. It's a tropical fruit basket, with perfectly balanced sweetness.

Finish: Largely follows the palate - tropical right to the end, when a cooling subtle mint note kicks in.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100 (Martin). Beautiful.

 

Cask88 x Ralph Steadman "Whisky Correspondence Course" Arran 24yo (44.7% ABV, 24yo, Oloroso Hogshead #1556, £565 / $4,250HKD)

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Colour: Rich amber gold.

Nose: Creamy strawberries & raspberries, with a spray of orange zest, and underlying chocolate hints.

Palate: In line with the nose, sweet strawberries and raspberries, then maple syrup, walnuts, peanut brittle, strawberries again (with cream this time), and more of that chocolate.

Finish: Long and full of dark chocolate and oranges, with a slightly bitter raspberry note.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100 (Martin). Arran around this age can be very good, and this is no exception.

Cask88 x Ralph Steadman "Whisky Correspondence Course" Glenburgie 24yo (55.2% ABV, 24yo, 1st Fill Sherry Butt #9316, £300 / $3,000HKD)

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Colour: Deep copper.

Nose: Funk, slight sulphur note, chocolate-coated cherries and sour gummies - something I only occasionally find on well-serried whiskies, but a note I really enjoy.

Palate: Rich, unctuous and funky. Oak, but balanced with savoury sherry notes, mature oranges, coffee beans, rooibos tea and ripe raspberries, with a slight bitterness after some air.

Finish: Long, warming coffee notes with some berries, and oak funk.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100 (Martin). Lots going on here, and it all works well together. Really enjoyable.

 

I have to say, I was expecting one, maybe two of these casks to be standouts, but didn't expect all 3 to be so good. All very different (fruity, moderately sherried & very sherried), but all excellent.

The Cask 88 x Ralph Steadman Whisky Correspondence Course is available directly from Cask88 in the UK, or from Dram Good Stuff in Hong Kong (pricing and links above).

Cheers,

Martin.

Tasted #657: 1959/1960 GlenDronach Gordon & MacPhail

It's no secret I'm a big GlenDronach fan, considering them to be one of the few remaining distilleries where value can still be found (even though the older single casks are a bit punchy these days..), and a distillery delivering quality well above some of their peers.

Between Hendy and I we've covered plenty of expressions on the blog, but for the most part they've been modern releases. On a few occasions I've been lucky enough to try some vintage bottlings, and they've almost always been spectacular, especially this 18yo dumpy for the Japanese market - one of my most favourite 'dronachs ever...until now.

As good as that dumpy was (along with the 70s single casks, excellent 1993s and other interesting IBs), they've all been overtaken - by this fascinating vatting of 1959 and 1960 distilled GlenDronach, bottled by G&M in 1986 to celebrate the marriage of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York.

It wasn't that long ago you could pick up vintage miniatures for significantly less than they should've been (the market's cottoned-on now, unfortunately) and whilst miniatures are always a gamble, I'd say I'm at about a 95% success rate. This one held up perfectly, and I think cost me all of £20...

Gordon & MacPhail 1995/1960 GlenDronach (to commemorate the marriage of H.R.H Prince Andrew to Miss Sarah Ferfuson on 23rd July 1986) (40% ABV, Single Malt, NAS but ~28yo, Speyside Scotland)
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Colour: Dark copper-brown.

Nose: Hugely expressive for 40%. Some OBE (Old Bottle Effect) but also rich coffee grounds, a sweet Vietnamese coffee note, varnish, leather, and overall so fresh and clean. Even some slightly herbal / grassy notes appeared, after some time.

Palate: Overripe oranges, crisp sherry, glazed orange slices, sherbert, cherry chews, marzipan and red apple. A mixed bag of fruity deliciousness.

Finish: Medium in length, with oak only showing to the end, alongside some sweet BBQ notes.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 94/100 (Martin). Absolutely fantastic. Incredible this is only 40%!

Cheers,

Martin.

Glenmorangie "A Tale of Tokyo" [Tasted #656]

Glenmorangie’s recently dropped their latest release - “A Tale of Tokyo”, the fourth in the “Tale of” series which continues to explore the magic of Dr Bill Lumsden’s experimentations, initially popularised by the “Private Edition” series. The series kicked of with "A Tale of Cake" (tasting notes), then moved onto "A Tale of Winter", then last year's "A Tale of the Forest" (tasting notes).

This time Dr Bill has gotten his hands on some Mizunara casks (not an easy task), to explore the influence the fascinating and unique wood has on Glenmo’s spirit, in honour of one of his favourite places (I mean, can you blame him? Japan is a whisky lovers’ playground!)

Says Dr Bill:


“I partly matured a proportion of Glenmorangie spirit in rare Japanese mizunara oak casks, which I’ve been curious to experiment with for some time. The influence of this wood is incredibly complex and unusual; it required balance and softening with Glenmorangie matured in bourbon and sherry casks, and the result is a dram as full of delicious sensory contrasts as a trip to Tokyo.”

 

So...was this a Mizunara bomb like my all-time favourite Mizunara-matured whisky (or its close runner-up), a Mizunara-non-event like a certain blended Scotch with a turquoise label, or somewhere in between? Read on...

Glenmorangie "A Tale of Tokyo" (46% ABV, Single Malt, NAS, Highlands Scotland, $980HKD / AU pricing TBC / £63.29)
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Colour: Orange gold

Nose: Sharp, fresh oak, pencil shavings, orange flambé, flamed orange peel, and some vanilla.

Palate: Youthful and light, with citrus and oak spice, then hints of sandalwood, and some slight floral / herbal notes. Light throughout, with some honey and mandarin towards the end. With some time in glass (and later some airspace in the bottle) the mandarin becomes a bit sweeter, a bit more prominent.

Finish: Medium in length, with a slight oak astringency towards the end. 

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 87/100 (Martin). A perfectly enjoyable dram, and another successful attempt at matching up trademark Glenmorangie notes with something a bit left-field. Personally though (and I think I'm in the minority here) I preferred last year's "A Tale of the Forest" (tasting notes).

Thanks to Glenmorangie & Flare Communications for the review bottle.

Cheers,

Martin.