Nestled in the heart of the Speyside region a few miles north of Ben Rinnes along the River Spey, Aberlour has a proud history of distilling that covers centuries and intertwines a sense of heritage with exploration. While an increasing number of distilleries are replacing their aged offerings with No Age Statements (NAS), the Aberlour range has two 12’s, a 16 and an 18. The Aberlour 12 claims to be double matured, as it is aged in oak casks with buttes from ex-sherry casks.
Brenne Estate Cask
When ex-ballerina Allison Patel couldn’t find the whiskies she’d enjoyed during her global travels here in the US, she did the next logical thing and began creating a distribution company to remedy that dearth. During this process, she found a Cognac producer in France who had distilled some single malt on the side. A taste compelled Allison to collaborate with the producer over the next few years and in 2012, the first Brenne was officially launched. The Estate Cask is the flagship model (though a 10 year was released in October, 2015) with an average age of seven years, matured in French Limousine oak barrels before being finished in Cognac casks. With the drive of its young and motivated owner, along with an award-winning whisky, Brenne appears to have a bright future.
Glenmorangie “Companta”
Sometimes the Scotch Gods smile upon you. After first encountering this whisky at a Merlin’s Rest tasting in 2014, it quickly sold out in the state and we didn’t think we’d ever encounter it again. Therefore, it was quite a pleasant surprise when we stumbled upon it while driving to Madison, Wisconsin to retrieve another hard-to-find dram, the Glen Breton Rare 10 year. When presented with such an opportunity, the last thing you do is not seize upon it. Glenmorangie’s Private Edition series are yearly releases, with the Companta spirit matured in 60% Burgundy wine casks from Clos de Tart and 40% Rasteau casks from the Côtes du Rhône region of France. As with others in this range, like the 2013 Elanta, the Companta has also won multiple whisky awards.