*Thanks to the good folks at the Baddish Group for the sample. From what I've read, I gather the solera process of aging sherry is a black art practiced by blind, deaf, abnormally tall monks who are trained from infancy to be preternaturally sensitive and attuned to tell-tale sounds of liquids aging in oak. They … Continue reading The Dalmore 15 Year Old – Review
The Dalmore
The Dalmore Mackenzie – Review
*Thanks to the good folks at the Baddish Group for the sample. Just a few famous MacKenzies throughout history: Sir Alexander Mackenzie (1764-1820) was a Scottish explorer who crossed Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific in 1793, besting Lewis & Clark's more celebrated crossing by nearly 12 years. Kenneth Mackenzie, 1st Lord Mackenzie of … Continue reading The Dalmore Mackenzie – Review
The Dalmore King Alexander III – Review
*Thanks to the good folks at the Baddish Group for the sample. The legend behind The Dalmore's King Alexander III goes that a quick-thinking member of the Mackenzie Clan saved King Alexander III, who was out hunting, from the pointy antlers of an angry great stag, and that the King was so grateful that in … Continue reading The Dalmore King Alexander III – Review
Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky – Review
*Thanks to the good folks at the Baddish Group for the sample. In honor of Ernest Shackleton's birthday today (138 years ago in 1874), I was all excited to write about this one, all ready to expound on the leitmotifs of his Antarctic adventures; epic heroism, brave leadership, and stoic perseverance in the face of withering … Continue reading Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky – Review
Master of Malt 1996 The Dalmore 14 Year Old – Review
Any industry landscape is littered with companies being bought and sold and changing their names faster than Margaret Thatcher changed his or her underwear, but just for fun, as a brief, related aside, let's take a quick look at the ownership and name changes The Dalmore's parent company went through in the last 22 years. … Continue reading Master of Malt 1996 The Dalmore 14 Year Old – Review
The Dalmore 18 Year Old – Review
*Thanks to the good folks at the Baddish Group for the sample. Rising up on either side of the Cromarty Firth's narrow opening are two 400' promontories known as "The Sutors". Sutor...or more accurately "Souter" is Scots for cobbler or shoemaker, and according to local legend, these two facing bluffs act as the workbenches for … Continue reading The Dalmore 18 Year Old – Review
The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve – Review
*Thanks to the good folks at The Baddish Group for the sample. Ahhh, the fickle, occasionally brain-dead consumer...ok, "brain-dead" is perhaps going to far, how about the fickle, occasionally unimaginative consumer? The Dalmore, for years, had produced their well-loved "Cigar Malt", yet they had a bit of a marketing conundrum. The name, it seemed, was … Continue reading The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve – Review
Introduction to Scotch at 18 Reasons
I'll be leading an Introduction to Scotch class at 18 Reasons next Tuesday, February 22. We'll take a quick run through the garden of Scotch Whisky history, talk a bit about how the stuff is made, and then taste our way through the six main regions. For this class, I'll be pouring representative, affordable, and … Continue reading Introduction to Scotch at 18 Reasons
Chieftain’s Tasting Review Notes, Round I
Part of Ian Macleod's family, the Chieftain's line-up of independent bottlings has recently found its way to the whisky shelves of the U.S. David Driscoll of K&L Wines hosted a recent tasting at Martin's West in Redwood city to introduce the new line-up. The big draw of the night for me was another taste of … Continue reading Chieftain’s Tasting Review Notes, Round I
Recap – Signatory Tasting presented by the Whisky Shop, 6.17.10
Ed Kohl and Signatory hosted a great tasting, appropriately enough, at the Presidio Golf Club here in San Francisco. Presented by the fantastic Whisky Shop in a dark wood room looking over the (windswept) Richmond neighborhood and green links of the course, Mr. Kohl gave a great, detailed look into the Scotch making process and … Continue reading Recap – Signatory Tasting presented by the Whisky Shop, 6.17.10
THE CASKS 