A pair of discontinued Scapas

When most drinkers think of Orkney, they think of Highland Park. Highland Park is quite old, dating back to 1798, it has been fairly consistently available as a single malt since single malts became a thing at all, it has been intermittently beloved by both professional whisky critics and malt aficionados, and it spent most …

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Auchroisk 20, Special Release 2010

The Basics: Do I recommend it?: For fans of lighter malts, yes; for the rest, skip on down. Availability: Auction only ABV: 58.1% (cask strength) Presentation: Unspecified General information: n/a Bottling type: Proprietary Character: Citric, grassy and herbal. Score: 80/100 The details: Auchroisk was built in 1972 by IDV, the parent firm of Justerini & …

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Glen Scotia Victoriana

The Basics: Do I recommend it?: Yes indeed! Availability: Specialty retail, especially UK-based. ABV: 51.5% Presentation: Unchillfiltered and natural color General information: n/a Bottling type: Proprietary Character: Nutty, fruity and savory. Score: 90/100 The details: Originally called simply Scotia, the distillery was founded in 1832 by Steward, Galbraith and Co. It became part of a …

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Ardnamurchan AD/09:22 Cask Strength

The Basics: Do I recommend it?: Very highly! Availability: Intermittent ABV: 58.4% (cask strength) Presentation: Unchillfiltered and natural color General information: Mix of peated and unpeated spirit. Bottling type: Proprietary Character: Aromatic, peaty, fruity and complex. Score: 93/100 The details: It has become increasingly common practice for independent bottlers to acquire or build their own …

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Ardbeg Galileo

The Basics: Do I recommend it?: Yes, but only close to retail price (unlikely). Availability: Scarce. ABV: 49.0% Presentation: Unchillfiltered and natural color General information: Commemorates a small amount of Ardbeg whisky being sent into space. Bottling type: Proprietary Character: Sooty, smoky, fruity and sweet. Score: 91/100 The details: Ever since the great Ardbeg renaissance …

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