Coldorak's whisky blog.
Reviews of whiskies from independent bottlers
Today marks More Drams’ first dedicated Miltonduff session—an introduction to the distillery paired with four compelling independent Miltonduff whiskies. On the tasting table: a Malts of Scotland from 2011, a 13-year-old cask bottled for Van Wees’ 100th anniversary by Gordon & Macphail, a 2009 Whisky Mercenary release, and a 22-year-old Chieftain’s Choice from 1989. This Speyside workhorse deserves far more attention than it typically receives.
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On the tasting table today are two Glen Grants in their twenties: a Glen Grant 2003 from Royal Mile Whiskies and a 1998 from The Whisky Agency. It has been far too long since we last delved into Glen Grant at More Drams, which is a shame; this distillery can produce truly stunning whisky—as long as you look beyond the standard core range.
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It’s been a long time we had a Linkwood on More Drams, so let’s taste three of them, with a Linkwood 1979 from Vintage Malt and two 30-year-old from Signatory Vintage and the SMWS. And since, apart from a short intro a long time ago, we didn’t properly talk about Linkwood distillery’s history, let’s have an in-depth look at the distillery’s history.
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A single whisky this time, for once, at More Drams: a Pittyvaich 1979 bottled by Duncan Taylor in 2007. I wanted a final celebratory dram for my birthday – one that felt both personal and symbolic. Choosing a whisky from a closed distillery I’d never tasted before, and from my own birth year, seemed like the perfect way to mark the occasion.
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We move on to four more Caol Ila, ranging from 10 to 40 years old – partly because there’s no good reason not to, and partly because Caol Ila is hard to resist. After last week’s birthday, marked with two 47‑year‑old single grains that I reviewed on Monday, it feels only natural to keep the celebration going with a line‑up of both youthful and venerable Caol Ila.
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On the table today: a Girvan 1964 from Scott’s Selection and an Invergordon 1975 bottled in 2022 by Alambic Classique. I indulge in two 47‑year‑old single grains to mark a personal milestone. After another year quietly added itself to the tally – reaching a number that still feels implausibly large – what better way to acknowledge the passage of time than with a pair of whiskies that share the same depth and maturity (I’ll concede, in my case, nothing’s won yet)?
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Almost a full year has slipped by since the last Clynelish review, so the time has come to revisit the distillery with a fresh trio. This line‑up brings together three Clynelish from Hunter Laing and Signatory Vintage, offering a neat snapshot across ages and cask approaches. The session opens with the youngster, a 2009 bottled by Hunter Laing, before moving on to compare two 1996 vintages from Signatory, drawn in 2016 and 2023, to show how extra years and different casks reshaped this famously waxy Highlander.
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Speyburn remains a distillery I know little about, so this review explores its history first. Then it compares two Speyburn 15-year-old expressions: the official bottling against the SMWS single cask. We covered Speyburn once before, back in 2019, with just a quick introduction. This time, a full distillery overview precedes the detailed tasting notes on both whiskies.
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Tormore rarely steals the spotlight, yet these two 20-something Tormore from That Boutique-y Whisky Company and Elixir Distillers make a strong case for paying much closer attention. Together, they sketch a compelling portrait of modern indie Tormore: bright, characterful Speyside spirit, handled with a light enough touch to let the orchard and exotic fruits do the talking. So without further ado, let’s get to our tasting glasses.
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We explore three Glen Moray: two official bottlings and an independent one: the Glen Moray Warehouse 1 Tequila Cask Finish (peated and unpeated), and a 2007 bottled by Berry Bros & Rudd. Glen Moray Warehouse 1 series replaces the previous Cask Curiosity range. On the indy side, Berry Bros & Rudd, founded in 1698, stands as Britain’s oldest family-owned wine and spirits merchant. They operate from their iconic St James’s Street shop in London. The company holds a Royal Warrant and has supplied the British monarchy for centuries, evolving from grocery origins to a focus on fine wines and spirits.
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