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Bunnahabhain Toiteach a Dhà

There is remote and then there is Bunnahabhain remote. Located on the island of Islay off the coast of Scotland, the distillery was only accessible by boat until the 1960s, when a single-track road was finally installed. The distillery is also known for having the tallest stills on Islay and producing one of the few non-peated whiskies there, a place renowned for its use of peated malts. However, distillers love experimentation and Bunnahabhain eventually tried using smoked barley with the debut of the Toiteach in 2008. The Toiteach a Dhà, Gaelic for “The Smokey Two”, is part of the distillery’s core range and serves as a sequel of sorts to the first. It is made up of around 75% ex-Oloroso sherry and 25% ex-bourbon casks, which is a higher proportion of sherry influence that found in other core offerings.

By Adam | October 25, 2024 | Islay | 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 |

Springbank was founded in 1828 and for nearly 200 years has been producing whisky with involvement from the Mitchell family over five generations. In that time, and to the current day, Springbank is one of the few scotch distilleries producing 100% of the process on site, of a sorts. Springbank is one of the only survivors from when Campbeltown was a roaring center of whisky production to the lean times when there were almost none to leading the charge at the dawn of the 21st century to get Campbeltown recognized as a distinct scotch region. In the past couple of decades, Campbeltown has seen a resurgence of interest and popularity and the Springbank releases in particular have become sought after much in the same fashion as some American bourbons like Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, and others. The Springbank 15 has been aged in ex-sherry casks, purportedly from Miguel Martin in Jerez, Spain.

By Adam | June 5, 2024 | Campbeltown | No Comments |

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