Chieftain’s 1994 Longmorn 17 Year Old – Review

*Thanks to the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. Let's say (for the sake of relating something to something else in order to create some kind of post) that you wanted to heat up some kind of liquid; there are basically two ways of applying this heat, directly or indirectly. If you want … Continue reading Chieftain’s 1994 Longmorn 17 Year Old – Review

Chieftain’s 1998 Strathisla 12 Year Old, Pétrus Gaia Finish – Review

*Thanks to the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. Strathisla is one of the older distilleries in Scotland, being founded in 1786. Since then it has gone through a few name changes (Milltown-->Milton-->Strathisla-->Milton--> Strathisla) and about 8,000 ownership changes. One of these owners, a chap named George Pomeroy, gathered up a majority stake … Continue reading Chieftain’s 1998 Strathisla 12 Year Old, Pétrus Gaia Finish – Review

Kilchoman Machir Bay – Review

*Thanks to the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. A little over a mile west of the Kilchoman Farm and Distillery lies a long strand of sand that opens up to the beautiful looking Machir Bay. Facing west into the Atlantic, it's probably a pretty good place to catch a sunset but since … Continue reading Kilchoman Machir Bay – Review

Auchentoshan Classic – Review

Let's ponder, shall we, for a moment, the word "classic". As words go, this one really gets around. It can be academic and literary when referring to the halcyon days of the Greek, Roman, and Mayan empires, or their accompanying literature such as Homer's Illiad and Odyssey, old' Virg's Aeneid, or the classic Mayan motorcycle … Continue reading Auchentoshan Classic – Review

Chieftain’s 1996 Allt A Bhainne 16 Year Old – Review

*Thanks to the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. Ok, this makes the third review in a row where the whisky has come from a distillery that's younger than I am. This is the last built-in-the-70's review I'll do for a while, partly because I'd like to get back to learning a little … Continue reading Chieftain’s 1996 Allt A Bhainne 16 Year Old – Review

Chieftain’s 1996 Braeval 14 Year Old – Review

*Thanks to the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. Braeval is the possibly the highest elevated distillery in Scotland. I say "possibly" because Dalwhinnie also makes that claim and although I am many things, an expert cartographer is not one, nor do I have access to any of the equipment (slide rules, global … Continue reading Chieftain’s 1996 Braeval 14 Year Old – Review

Whisky Roundtable #24

It's fallen to me to host this month's Roundtable, the subject being distillery tours. We're trying out a new format at the moment, the member's will post their own responses in the comments section below, thereby making it a little easier to interact with individual comments as well as with the whole group. Here's the … Continue reading Whisky Roundtable #24

Chieftain’s 1995 Auchroisk 16 Year Old – Review

*Thanks to the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. Auchroisk...the distillery says that it is pronounced Auck-Roysk, but apparently the locals beg to differ and pronounce it Ack-Rask...or Ath-Rask. Those last two look different enough to me that it seems like the locals are just begging to differ all over the place, but what do I know? … Continue reading Chieftain’s 1995 Auchroisk 16 Year Old – Review

Acme Bar & Company, Berkeley – A Review

You know that bar you dream about where the booze selection is great, the service friendly and knowledgeable, the decor unassuming, and the chance of hanging out on a Friday night without body-crushing crowds and/or soul-crushingly awful music is actually pretty good? Well, it exists...in Berkeley, CA...next door to a post office. Located in a … Continue reading Acme Bar & Company, Berkeley – A Review

Isle of Skye 12 Year Old – Review

*Thanks to the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. Dunvegan Castle, sitting on the shores of Loch Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, has been the traditional home of the MacLeod Clan for the better part of nearly 800 years. Since the Isle of Skye brand is owned by Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd., … Continue reading Isle of Skye 12 Year Old – Review