*Thanks to the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. Teaninich...yet another single malt scotch whose name receives a mild butchering by non-Scots/Gaelic speakers and even seems to create a bit of confusion amongst lauded Scottish whisky experts. Michael Jackson offers the pronunciations "tee-ninick" or "chee-ninick" in his Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch … Continue reading Chieftain’s 1982 Teaninich 28 Year Old – Review
Scotch
Highland Park 18 Year Old – Review.
I'm more excited about Father's Day this year than I have been about most of the other Father's Days before. It's not because, for once, I got a card into the mail on time...I didn't, at this point, that's to be expected. No, this year marks the first Father's Day that I'll be on the … Continue reading Highland Park 18 Year Old – Review.
Chieftain’s 2000 Strathisla 10 Year Old
*Thanks to the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. Strathisla is one of Northern Scotland's oldest functioning distilleries, getting its start in 1786 thanks to George Taylor and Alexander Milne who had then named the site Milltown. Some sources even claim that Strathisla is the oldest continuously run distillery in Scotland, though there should perhaps … Continue reading Chieftain’s 2000 Strathisla 10 Year Old
Ardbeg Alligator – Review
Alligator... Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Reptilia, Superorder: Crocodylomorpha, Order: Crocodylia, Family: Alligatoridae, Subfamily: Alligatorinae, Genus: Alligator (all due taxonomic credit goes to François Marie Daudin). There are currently only two species of Alligator, the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) and the Chinese Alligator (Alligator sinensis) which is smaller and nearly extinct, but very adept at … Continue reading Ardbeg Alligator – Review
Chieftain’s The Cigar Malt, 15 Year Old Speyside – Review
*Thanks to the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. I'm not afraid to admit that I hate cigars. A shocking, divisive, and opprobrious statement, if there ever was one, I'm sure. Perhaps I haven't really ever experienced a good cigar, I don't know, I also don't really care. I've been in the presence of … Continue reading Chieftain’s The Cigar Malt, 15 Year Old Speyside – Review
Chieftain’s 1998 Ardbeg 12 Year Old – Review
*Thanks to the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. Ardbeg's recent history (thanks, Tim!) is a litany of ownership changes, dis-heartening shutterings, sporadic periods of production, and ultimately, it's re-emergence as one of the finest distilleries out there today. Thanks, I'm sure, to the financial clout of its parent company (Glenmorangie was sold … Continue reading Chieftain’s 1998 Ardbeg 12 Year Old – Review
Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year Old
Near Dufftown lie the ruins of Balvenie Castle, which was built by the branch of the Comyns family known as "The Black Comyns" in the 1100's. Now, I don't know about you, but "The Black Comyns" strikes me as a pretty awesome name. Add to that the fact that they called their castle "Mortlach", and … Continue reading Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year Old
Chieftain’s 1997 Aultmore 12 Year Old
*Thanks to the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. Like many other distilleries founded in the 1890's, Aultmore had a bit of a sputtering start: opening in 1897, closing a few years later, re-opening in the early 1900's...then closing once again as World War I began. Finally in 1923, John Dewar and Sons … Continue reading Chieftain’s 1997 Aultmore 12 Year Old
Glenlivet 12 Year Old, the sky high version.
Being the daring souls that we are, the wife (let's call her Sherry Butts) and I decided to take our 8 week old son (let's call him Quarter Cask...though at the rate he's growing, half-cask or three-quarter cask might be more appropriate) on a plane trip across the country to Washington DC for a wedding. … Continue reading Glenlivet 12 Year Old, the sky high version.
Chieftain’s 1997 Glen Grant 13 Year Old Year Old
*Thanks to the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. I'm not ashamed to admit that perhaps my favorite ride at Disney Land/World is Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. No, sorry...scratch that, my favorite ride is Pirates of the Caribbean, hands down, though I liked it a lot more before Johnny Depp kept showing up … Continue reading Chieftain’s 1997 Glen Grant 13 Year Old Year Old
THE CASKS 