Whisky Reviews

Eagle Rare 17 Year Old Bourbon, 2011 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection – Review

~ The Casks ~ 3 Comments

*Thank you very much to AP and Buffalo Trace for the samples! The Eagle Rare brand was originally owned by Seagram's and made its first appearance in 1975. It was created by Charles L. Beam and was sold as a 10 year old, 101 proof  straight bourbon. Sazerac bought the brand in 1989 and in … Continue reading Eagle Rare 17 Year Old Bourbon, 2011 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection – Review

Hart Brothers 1990 Laphroaig 18 Year Old – Review

~ The Casks ~ 2 Comments

*Thanks to the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. Founded in 1964 by, you guessed it...a couple of brothers named Hart, Iain & Donald, Glasgow-based Hart Brothers began life as booze wholesalers and whisky blenders. A third Hart brother, Alistair, joined the company in 1975 as the master blender and the master selector of … Continue reading Hart Brothers 1990 Laphroaig 18 Year Old – Review

Blackadder Raw Cask 1998 Laphroaig 12 Year Old – Review

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*Thanks to the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. Unless you find yourself in a dark, fragrant whisky warehouse fairly often, standing in front of a barrel with a pipette in one hand and a nosing glass in the other, there are just a few bottled opportunities to taste whisky (or whiskey, for … Continue reading Blackadder Raw Cask 1998 Laphroaig 12 Year Old – Review

The Dalmore 15 Year Old – Review

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*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 Mackenzie – Review

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*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

Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength Irish Whiskey – Review

~ The Casks ~ 5 Comments

On this St. Patrick's day, before we get to the whiskey, an open letter to Saint Patrick on behalf of snakes: Dear Pat, You've made quite a name for yourself over the years and we snakes realize that no small amount of your fame is derived from the legend of you driving us out of … Continue reading Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength Irish Whiskey – Review

The Dalmore King Alexander III – Review

~ The Casks ~ 6 Comments

*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

Master of Malt 1991 North British 20 Year Old – Review

~ The Casks ~ 2 Comments

Thanks to Master of Malt for the sample and apologies for not reviewing this before they once again went ahead and selfishly sold all of the bottles. I know that blended Scotch whiskies make up more than 90% of whisky sales around the globe, that fact gets beaten into our brains every time we read … Continue reading Master of Malt 1991 North British 20 Year Old – Review

Master of Malt 1991 Cragganmore 20 Year Old – Review

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Thanks to Master of Malt for the sample and apologies for not reviewing this before you went ahead and selfishly sold all of the bottles. The character of Sir John Falstaff first barreled his way on stage in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part I, then again in Henry IV, Part II, and finally, in a larger … Continue reading Master of Malt 1991 Cragganmore 20 Year Old – Review

Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky – Review

~ The Casks ~ 3 Comments

*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