Highland

Glen Garioch 1797 Founder’s Reserve

Glen Garioch 1797 Founder’s Reserve

The 1797 is the essential Glen Garioch (pronounced geery in the local dialect), the 1797 denoting when the distillery was founded. They have a lot to be proud of, despite some setbacks along the way. Though owned by the large spirits company Suntory, this distillery continues making its whisky in small unique batches as it has done for over two centuries. The Glen Garioch 12 year was one of our first reviews, so we were eager to see what time and experience has wrought.

Dalwhinnie 15 Year

Dalwhinnie 15 Year

Like several distilleries, Dalwhinnie was started in the late 19th century and, though facing some bumps along the way like a short suspension of production during WWII due to barley restrictions, has remained in near constant production. Dalwhinnie also supplies a good deal of its output (90%) to the blended market. The distillery was briefly run by a firm from the United States in the early 20th century until Prohibition when it was sold back to Scottish owners. Dalwhinnie claims to be the highest distillery in Scotland, located in the Grampian Mountains and draws its water from Lochan-Doire-Uaine or Lock of the Green Thicket. The village of Dalwhinnie from whence the distillery gets its name, is located near the town of Strathspey and comes from a Gaelic word meaning “Meeting Place.” This Dalwhinnie 15 is one of only three expressions from the distillery, and the only one with an age statement.

Edradour 10 Year

Edradour 10 Year

Edradour is from the Scots Gaelic Eadar Dhà Dhobhar, meaning “between two rivers.” This is an old distillery that makes the claim of being the smallest in Scotland, producing only eighteen casks per week (trust us – it sounds like a lot but isn’t, comparatively). They also claim to have the smallest stills and traditionally employ just three men. Somehow, they offer an extremely broad collection of drinks, likely meaning that the vast majority are of limited release and rarer than a hot day in the Orkneys. Fun fact: their current owner, Andrew Symington, is a Master of the Quaich.