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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Nc’nean

The Basics:  Do I recommend it?: For completionists, yes; less so for more casual malt drinkers. Availability: Specialty retail. ABV: 46% Presentation: Unchillfiltered and natural color General information: An early release of the core NAS Nc’nean whisky; I was unsuccessful at identifying a precise batch. Bottling type: Proprietary Character: Aromatic, fruity, and a little spicy. …

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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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Ben Nevis 10 (old style)

The Basics: Do I recommend it?: Yes, ish. Could be a bit tricky to find these days, and it's not worth a huge premium. Availability: See below. ABV: 46% Presentation: Unspecified General information: n/a Bottling type: Proprietary Character: Big, fruity and meaty. Score: 91/100 The details: Built in 1825 by the colorfully named "Long" John …

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