Peat

Cragganmore Distillers Edition

Cragganmore is a 2-still distillery currently owned by Diageo and sits next to the Craggan burn. The stills are small and, being only two of them, the production of the distillery is limited. That being said, it is known for being one of the most complex Speyside whiskies. One contributor to the unique taste is that the wash ferments for a long time in wash backs* made of European Larch, one of the few distilleries to still use wooden wash backs. Before launching the single malt offerings, most of the output was used in blends like James Watson Number 10, and is still used today in Old Parr and White Horse.

By Adam | July 12, 2016 | Speyside | No Comments |

One of the larger producers of single malts in the Speyside region, the Balvenie is no stranger to creating new expressions, be they of limited offering or part of their main range. A newer release has been two whiskies aged 17 years, a Doublewood and this Peated Cask variety. The spirit is aged in ex-American bourbon barrels, but then some of it is finished in peated barrels and half is aged in new American oak. The two elements are finally brought together for balance. This allows a peat injection to the relatively lighter malt without overwhelming it.

By Adam | March 29, 2016 | Speyside | 1 Comment |

Laphroaig Cairdeas 200th Anniversary Edition

Much like Ardbeg, Laphroaig celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2015, and offered many celebratory offerings (many of which we tasted here), including this No Aged Statement whisky they put out every year. The “Cairdeas” is tailor made to suit the situation, and the creative brain trust at Laphroaig have sought to offer the essence of what makes their distillery so renowned in this anniversary malt. Made using 100% floor malted barley and using the smallest, oldest stills at the distillery, then matured for around 12 years. This also marks a first for Scotchology, returning to a Scotch we explored in February 2014, one of our early selections. While we’ve reviewed Scotches from the same distillery, this is the first time we’ve revisited the same whisky, even if the purposefully different yearly releases do not make this completely comparative.

By Adam | March 10, 2016 | Islay | 1 Comment |