Introduced in 2022, this new 12 year old limited expression is finished in Amontillado sherry casks. Perhaps a reaction to American tastes leaning into heavily sherried malts like Macallan and Dalmore, this new expression boasts a secondary maturation in rare Amontillado casks to impart a strong sherry influence.

Despite its age statement, Balvenie 12 Doublewood is far from being an entry level malt whisky. While others make do with simply using ex-bourbon barrels for their entry malts, Balvenie instead uses a double maturation process that includes first aging in ex-bourbon barrels before then moving the whisky into European sherry casks for a final stint to add a bit more flavor.

Dalmore is a brand with a complicated relationship with whisky enthusiasts. Many argue that their overly sherried, sweet malts and low ABV can make them more “beginners” bottles than those made for true whisky nerds. So how can a brand be both highly sought after at the highest whisky levels and dismissed by the more general whisky community?

Distilled in 2007 and bottled way back in 2018, this cask strength Benromach boasts no chill filtration and completely natural color. Clocking in at 58.2% ABV, this whiskey won’t be for the faint of heart.

In front of me is the Glenrothes 1998 vintage which was bottled in 2013. This means that the 1998 should have has whiskies in it that are 3 years older than the 2001 vintage that was also bottled around the same time. Will this make a dramatic impact? Let’s dig in and find out.

For many years Edradour was known as the smallest distillery in the Highlands of Scotland. And they were proud of that fact. So much so, it seems like they may be in denial that no longer true. That title is now owned by Strathearn Distillery. Maybe. Strathearn Distillery now says it’s “probably” the smallest distillery in Scotland. But regardless, Edradour still remains tiny. So tiny in fact that they only have a handful of employees on staff and can only produce 600 liters a week. Compare that with Glenfiddich which can churn out more than 13 million liters a year, and you can see that Edradour still remains quite small.

When the Edrington group comes to mind, you’d be forgiven for not immediately thinking of The Glenrothes. Not when they are also responsible for The Macallan, Highland Park, or the Famous Grouse blend. This 2001 vintage mini was bottled all the way back in 2012, so we can assume it is a blend of 11 year old whiskies. And with a 43% ABV and the likely use of chill filtering and color added, I’m not quite sure what to expect from this limited release.

Everything Glengoyne does is slow. But patience becomes a way of life when you boast the slowest stills in Scotland. This 15 year midrange offering is made up of a combination of ex-bourbon, first fill sherry, and refill sherry casks and boasts a 43% ABV and features non-chill filtration.

Glengoyne distillery, located directly on the border of the Lowlands and the Highlands, famously states that it has “the slowest stills in Scotland”. In many ways, Glengoyne takes almost a craft distillery approach to whiskey, focusing on methods that prioritize patience over efficiency.

The entry level Select Reserve expression from Glenrothes has a 40% ABV and uses a combination of ex-sherry and ex-bourbon casks blended together to create the “house style”.

I have finally reached the end of my GlenAllachie tasting set, with the journey culminating in this award winning 10 year Cask Strength expression. This particular version of the 10 year is Batch 5 (there are now 6 out in the wild), and rings in at a healthy cask strength proof and like all GlenAllachie expressions remains non-chill filtered. And with an MSRP similar to that of the 15 year version I’vealready reviewed, I will attempt to determine which one I would be happier dropping a $100 on.

As I continue to taste through my GlenAllachie set of samplers, I have finally reached an expression that moves away from the traditional sherry casks and promises to show a completely different side to Billy Walker’s latest distillery revitalization program. The expression in front of me is part of GlenAllachie’s 2021 limited edition wine finish series – a collection that includes a 13 year Rioja finish, a 12 year Sauternes finish, and an 11 year Grattamacco finish.

We continue the journey through the core GlenAllachie range by stepping up to the 15 year expression, crafted by famous master distiller Billy Walker and re-released in 2019 after he and a group of investors bought GlenAllachie in 2017. Lauded as one of the crowning achievements of the revitalized GlenAllachie brand, Walker calls the 15 “the perfect representation of the distillery’s DNA.”

Founded in 1967, and based in Aberlour, Scotland, GlenAllachie has had a history of ups and downs. But since its purchase by a group of investors that includ the famous master distiller Billy Walker (of Glendronach, and BenRiach fame), the future of GlenAllachie is decidedly on the up and up. Billy has rekindled enthusiast interest in the brand by relaunching a core range of whiskies that include a 12, 15, 18, 25 year, and an annual 10 year cask strength expression.

The Glenlivet Nàdurra series seeks to show what tasting Glenlivet whisky is like straight from the barrel. Nàdurra – meaning “natural” in Gaelic – is the closest many of us will get to an entirely pure tasting experience – short of actually visiting the distillery itself. Coming in various versions, the Nàdurra series is an inside peak into how a big, bold full cask strength Glenlivet takes to sherried and peated treatments.

Bunnahabhain (pronounced boo-na-ha-ven) is the poster child for Scottish distilleries no one can accurately pronounce. It’s spelled nothing like it sounds, it has no direct correlation with any words in the English language, and it’s a relatively unknown distillery that many casual whisky drinkers have never even heard of. In other words, it’s the perfect storm for hilariously bad mispronunciations.

Glendronach 12 is the entry level whisky in the Glendronach range. Matured exclusively in a combination of Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks, this non-chill filtered whisky is presented at 43% and features a beautiful nostalgic bottle design.

One of the new entry level whiskies from The Glenlivet, the Caribbean Reserve seems to be squarely aimed at the American whisky market and its burgeoning cocktail scene. But can this whisky stand on it own as well? Or should it be relegated to the bar cart?

Caol Ila is a distillery that whisky nerds seem to love and normal folks can’t even pronounce. But is their core 12 year expression worth the hype? Because it sure isn’t cheap!

Clynelish 14 is an odd duck. Featuring relatively unassuming bottle designs, a lack of splashy marketing, and with the majority of its output going towards Jonnie Walker blends, Clynelish doesn’t have a big following here in the states. But is this core 14 year expression worth dropping almost $70?