Scotland Archives

Auchentoshan Batch 7 Boutique-y & Handfill

19th September 202518th September 2025Coldorak

Auchentoshan Distillery, founded in 1823, stands in the Scottish Lowlands near Glasgow and is one of the few distilleries in Scotland to use triple distillation for every batch, producing a notably light and delicate single malt… sometimes hidden by heavy wood lifting. Auchentoshan enjoys an active market presence worldwide, particularly in Europe and Asia, and is owned by Beam Suntory, which helps ensure visibility across major retail and online platforms. While whisky enthusiasts recognize Auchentoshan for its distinct style, it often sits just below the mainstream radar; the brand is respected but not as heavily marketed or hyped as some other single malts. Let’s have another look at them, as they are under my radar as well, with the Auchentoshan 10-year-old batch 7 from That Boutique-y and a 2009 handfill.

Four Hazelburn Whiskies

17th September 202516th September 2025Coldorak

This review examines four distinct Hazelburn whiskies, each showcasing the brand’s signature triple-distilled, unpeated style. Spanning a variety of ages and maturation methods, from bourbon to sherry casks, these expressions offer a nuanced look into Hazelburn’s diverse character and craftsmanship. On today’s lineup are a hand-fill release alongside 13- and 15-year-old Oloroso Cask matured bottlings and the Hazelburn 21-year-old.

Port Charlotte 2001 Blood Tub 2002 WhiskySponge Maltbarn

Port Charlotte 2001, 2002 WhiskySponge / MaltBarn

12th September 202511th September 2025Coldorak

Port Charlotte whisky stands as Bruichladdich Distillery’s tribute to the heavily peated traditions of Islay, named after the village near the distillery and inspired by the historic Lochindaal distillery that operated there from 1829 to 1929. Production began in 2001, with maturation taking place in the old warehouses at Port Charlotte, using Scottish barley and peated to 40 ppm for a robust but balanced Islay profile. The range includes core bottlings such as the 10-Year-Old and Islay Barley, alongside occasional cask explorations and limited releases, all bottled without chill filtration or artificial colouring. Despite its highly respected reputation among whisky enthusiasts, Port Charlotte is not the brand with the greatest number of bottlings, whether official or independent. It does not see a large quantity of releases each year, certainly not on the scale of some other Islay or Scotch distilleries. The approach at Bruichladdich emphasises quality, provenance, and thoughtful maturation over sheer volume, which means that every new Port Charlotte expression draws considerable interest when it appears, but they remain relatively scarce in comparison to industry giants and prolific independent bottlings. So today, we’ll review an official bottling of a private cask and two indy bottlings from the same vintage, with a Port Charlotte 2001 and two 2002 from WhiskySponge and Maltbarn.

Knockando 18-year-old & 21-year-old

5th September 20254th September 2025Coldorak

Knockando is a single malt Scotch whisky from Speyside, known for its approachable and gently sherried style. Distilled by Knockando Distillery (owned by Diageo), it occupies a unique space in the market by emphasising affordable aged expressions – particularly its 12-, 18-, and 21-year-old releases – without the premium pricing of others, like Macallan or even Glenfiddich. Unlike many competitors that reserve older statements for luxury tiers, Knockando offers well-matured whiskies at relatively modest prices, making it a favourite among casual and amateur drinkers seeking value-driven, traditional Speyside character. It appeals to those who prefer classic, easy-drinking malts. While not as flashy as some modern brands, Knockando’s balance of age and accessibility keep it relevant in a crowded category. Now, the question is: how good is it, and can it appeal to more serious whisky enthusiasts? Let’s find out with the Knockando 18-year-old and 21-year-old.

AnCnoc 12-year-old & Two 24-year-old

3rd September 20253rd September 2025Coldorak

It’s surprising to realise there hasn’t been a single anCnoc review on this blog until now, despite the whisky’s steady presence in the scene and Knockdhu Distillery’s unique approach to traditional production methods. That oversight ends here: first up is the anCnoc 12-year-old – a staple from Knockdhu’s core range and often cited as a go-to for those who prefer lighter, more approachable malts. After that, a direct comparison between two 24-year-old expressions from different years will shed some light on how batch variation shows up in the distillery’s older releases. This should give a fair look at how consistency and character evolve at Knockdhu over time. So let’s review one anCnoc 12-year-old and two 24-year-old!

Balmenach 15yo Batch 4 That Boutique-y Whisky Company

1st September 202531st August 2025Coldorak

We stay another day on the advent calendar with the next window, the third of the 2024 Boutique-y Advent Calendar, where we found a sample of Balmenach 15-year-old Batch 4 That Boutique-y Whisky Company. Balmenach remains a relatively rare encounter, as noted during the first review of this distillery here – also the only one before this. So it is independent bottlers that primarily bring Balmenach to wider attention, with all but a few expressions experienced here coming from these indies. Appreciation goes to the independent bottlers for enabling whisky enthusiasts to explore this distillery beyond its typical role in blends.

A Secret Speyside 2010 Elixir Distillers

A Speyside Distillery 2010 Elixir Distillers

27th August 202526th August 2025Coldorak

Today’s review focuses on a single bottle, as, usually, we’re trying to review at least two at the same time, for comparison purposes. Coming from Elixir Distillers’ The Single Malts of Scotland range, it features a mystery Speyside distillery. As noted previously, distilleries often withhold permission for independent bottlers to use their brand names. This reluctance reflects a concern about independent bottlings, potentially outperforming official, high-volume releases and thereby affecting the distillery’s reputation. Consequently, independent bottlers frequently present their whiskies under anonymous or vague labels. In this case, the 2010 vintage labelled simply as ’A Speyside Distillery’ by Elixir Distillers invites speculation about its true origin.

Glen Spey 2011 vanWees & 1997 The Whisky Agency

25th August 202524th August 2025Coldorak

Glen Spey, one of the four distilleries located in Rothes, Scotland, appears to have ceased whisky production in recent years, shifting its focus to gin production for Diageo. Unfortunately, available information on this transition is quite limited – so if anyone knows more about it, please do reach out! Despite an annual capacity of about 1.4 million litres, Glen Spey’s output has long been dedicated primarily to blending – most notably for J&B, which we’ve reviewed a few times recently. Interestingly, older casks from Glen Spey still surface through independent bottlers, which is what draws our attention today – let’s discover the Glen Spey 2011 vanWees and a 1997 from The Whisky Agency

Two Cameronbridge 1973 Scott's Selection

Two 1973 Cameronbridge 37yo Scott’s Selection

22nd August 202521st August 2025Coldorak

It’s been a few weeks since we last had old grain whiskies, so today, we review two Cameronbridge coming from the same independent bottler, distilled on the same year and bottled at the same age on the same year as well. Will they be the same as well? Let’s find out, as we review two 1973 Cameronbridge 37-year-old from Scott’s Selection.

Aultmore 14yo / Glentauchers 2006 / Inchgower 1997 Thompson Bros

20th August 202519th August 2025Coldorak

Today, we examine three recent releases from Thompson Bros, an independent bottler based in Dornoch. The team stays busy with their independent bottling operations, the Whisky Castle bar, the Dornoch distillery, and the ongoing construction of a new distillery called Struie. The whiskies we review are the Aultmore 14-year-old, Glentauchers 2006, and Inchgower 1997 Thompson Bros, all issued at the end of last year.