A characteristic heather-honey on the nose leads on to a pleasant malty palate, but never too rich. Sweet to start, then fruity, Glen Elgin whisky is a typical Speyside ? complex, fragrant, with a delicious orange blossom finish.

The Glen Elgin 18 YO Special Release 2017 is a limited release of 5352 bottles. This is a special release in an unusual way - this is something of a yeast experiment. For this whisky the distillery used both the conventional cerevisiae yeast and the more unusual (in the whisky world) pombe yeast . Pombe is Swahili for beer, and this is a yeast known from East Africa.

The Glen Elgin 18 YO Special Release 2017 is a vatting of two batches. One part made using the pombe yeast and matured in ex-bodega sherry casks. The other part made using standard yeast and matured in refill European oak butts.

Nose: A deep and rich fruitiness is the first that greets my nose. It seems almost Japanese in style. Complex and clean. Apples, green and fresh on one hand and ripe and baked on the other. Freshly baked gourmet bread with a butter and floral honey spread.

Taste: Creamy, rich and most certainly full-bodied. A bit off-kilter but in a charming way. It could very well be the yeast used that has me confused and amused. Still very fruity, but not just apples now, I also get ripe banana and hints of honey melon and bitter oranges. Dry-ish.

Finish: Medium to long finish. Still fruity - which is not surprising. Creamy and rich all the way.

A fruity, creamy Glen Elgin here from Douglas Laing, distilled in April 2011. Into a single refill hogshead it went, where it stayed for the next eight years. In January 2020, it was bottled for the Provenance series, with a release of just 359 bottles.

Distilled - April 2011

Bottled - January 2020

Refill Hogshead - REF - DL13789

Nose: Grassy & fresh .... green apples, barley sugar and caramelised nuts. 

Palate: An oak warmth initially then comes sherbet, meringue and clotted cream.

Finish: Long with runny honey and toffee balanced nicely by citrus peels (CSL).

Glen Grant 10 years old displays a bright golden colour with a sweet pear and vanilla bouquet.  This elegant single malt dances on the palate with gentle notes of orchard fruits and butterscotch.  The finish is satisfyingly long and complex.

This unrivalled single malt matures for at least 18 years in the highest quality, handpicked oak casks, which creates a radiant golden colour and seductive floral and oaky aroma.

Deeply layered and complex, this rich and vibrant whisky delivers beautifully intricate flavours of malted caramel, vanilla, and raisins and lingers with a long, sweet, and pleasantly spicy finish.

The Major?s Reserve is the youngest and most easy drinking single malt of the Glen Grant range.

It is delicious on its own and is highly mixable

Glen Moray Fired Oak was aged for 10 years in ex-bourbon casks before it was finished in heavily charred American oak to mirror the production of bourbon (by law bourbon must be aged in charred virgin oak).

Nose: Oak char, vanilla sweetness and dark fruits lead among dried grass, toffee and milk chocolate.

Palate: Through banoffee pie, tangy citrus and butterscotch candies there are notes of golden barley, oaky vanilla and freshly picked red berries.

Finish: Well balanced and sweet.

Burgundy Chardonnay barrels were used for the maturation of this Speyside whisky. The result is a fresh, clean Speyside with noticeable Chardonnay notes of butter, citrus and vanilla. This is an excellent value whisky.

This light and fruity expression is finished for eight months in Port pipes from Porto Cruz, the N?1 Porto company in the world. The spirit picks up intense embellishments of summer fruit, dark chocolate and cinnamon and a distinct pink hue.

Single malt Scotch whisky from the Glen Moray distillery in Speyside, which has been treated to a finishing period in Sherry casks

Nose: Raisin and milk chocolate, with a backbone of butterscotch sweeties.

Palate: Cinnamon starts to develop on the palate, giving it an enjoyable warmth. Still rich in caramel and butterscotch.

Finish: Medium length, with a hint of five-spice.

Of all the distilleries in Diageo's portfolio, Glen Spey is the third smallest and remains one of the most obscure. Virtually all of its output goes into blends, in particular, J&B (which at the time of writing is the sixth biggest whisky brand in the world). Douglas Laing have bottled this rarity from a single refill hogshead REF - DL13903. Aromas of nutmeg and cinnamon arrive with a citrus zest while the palate promises strawberry candy, spiced oak, coconut shavings and milk chocolate.

One of 347 bottles

Chosen from casks that were laid down in 2012, this brand new 'Cuvee' expression sees GlenAllachie's whisky given a secondary maturation in hand-chosen French and Italian wine casks. The distillery's spirit, with heather honeyed tones is joined by pastel fruits and red berries, hints of ginger and caramel biscuits. A burst of orchard fruit and citrus can be found, with plum syrup and more berries in the finish.

GlenAllachie Cask Strength Batch 8 is a blend of Pedro Xim?nez and Oloroso sherry casks, with a small amount of Virgin Oak and Rioja casks. The resulting whiskey exudes indulgent notes of ripe plums, dark chocolate and sticky raisins, all combined with the classic GlenAllachie honey charm.

Commercial description...

"Every batch we create of our 10-year-old Cask Strength represents the direction in which we are taking The GlenAllachie" - Master Distiller, Billy Walker. 

Demonstrating the impact of exceptional cask management, the tenth edition of our highly-sought after release embodies this philosophy and stands proudly alongside its award-winning predeccesors.

Each striving to better the last, Batch 10 is a true illustration of the artistry and expertise that creates every drop of our liquid gold. To deliver our classically Sherried profile, Billy hand-selected Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso casks to be married with spirit maturing in red wine barriques and medium toast/medium char American virgin oak barrels. The result is a well-balanced, yet complex malt with distinctive notes of dark fruits and layers of warming sweet spice.

Presented in its purest form at natural cask strength of 58.6%, without added colouring or chill-filtration.

Tasting notes

Colour

Intensely rich Mahogany.

Nose

Waves of honeycomb, orange zest and treacle, with fig syrup, mocha and poached orchard fruits, followed by cinnamon and butterscotch.

Palate

Lashings of cocoa, heather honey and baking spices, followed by dried red berries and Black Forest gâteau, with maraschino cherries and anise on the finish.