Adam, Author at Scotchology

Kingsbarns Doocot

Kingsbarns was founded in 2014 by Douglas Clement and is currently owned by independent bottler Weymss Malts, which purchased it in 2022. The placement of the distillery in the Lowland region, where there have been remarkably few active distilleries in the 21st century, was purportedly done to help provide comfort to golfers at the nearby famous courses around St. Andrew’s. The first whisky launched in 2018 and after a number of limited in development expressions, a limited core range emerged. The Kingsbarns Doocot is their flagship release and is the Scottish word for the dovecot that sits at the center of the distillery. It is a blend of whiskies matured in (90%) ex-bourbon and (10%) ex-Portuguese red wine barriques that have been shaved, toasted and re-charred (STR), both first-fill.

By Adam | October 5, 2024 | Lowland | No Comments |

Some of the early iconic American whiskies were in fact ryes out of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. Kinsey Whiskey was a well-known brand from the the late 19th Century that, despite surviving Prohibition, finally went by the wayside in the 1970s. That was, at least, until the Millstone Spirits Group built the New Liberty Distillery, which offers three iconic brands of whiskey: New Liberty, Maryland Heritage Series and a revived Kinsey in 2015. There are now several Kinsey offerings available, some of which are distilled at New Liberty and others sourced from elsewhere. The Kinsey Zinfandel Cask Finish is what the brand calls “American Whiskey” – supposedly 99% corn and 1% barley that is 10 years old – sourced from Indiana (the label says “blended and bottled by Kinsey”) and finished for 15 months in ex-Zinfandel casks from Chateau Montelena in California.

By Adam | September 25, 2024 | Foreign | No Comments |

With a slogan of “Like Biting a Spiky Ball” emblazoned on the label, Ardbeg Ardcore swings for punk fences with their 2022 Committee Release. The differing factor that makes this particular offering stand out is that approximately 25% of the barley used was roasted black malt, with the remainder being their normal distilling malt. The Committee Releases are named for the Ardbeg Committee, formed after Glenmorangie purchased and reopened the shuttered distillery – originally founded in 1815 – in 1997. This group is a place for Ardbeg enthusiasts to hear of news and other special opportunities, ostensibly so that the distillery never has to face closure again. They are also a fantastic marketing opportunity and released as part of Fèis Ìle, an Islay festival founded in 1986 to celebrate the island’s unique history and heritage within the world of whisky, a now ten-day event that takes place at the end of May.

By Adam | September 5, 2024 | Islay | No Comments |