Single Malt Archives - More Drams, Less Drama

Defilement 26-Year-Old Maple Syrup Cask Finish

17th February 202515th February 2025Coldorak

As it turns out, among the cask types permitted for Scotch whisky maturation, maple syrup casks are not included in the approved list. This omission means that the spirit in question, despite its age and unique finishing process, cannot be legally labelled or sold as ‘Scotch whisky.’ Instead, it must be marketed simply as ‘whisky’ or potentially under a different category altogether. Back in 2020, Atom Labs struck again, and they released a 26-year-old whisky from a particularly famous origin into a cask that previously held maple syrup, and released it as a 26-year-old ‘just whisky’: the Defilement 26-year-old Maple Syrup Cask Finish.

Three 1987 to 1991 Indy Bunnahabhain

14th February 202513th February 2025Coldorak

I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed any Bunnahabhain on More Drams yet. Bunnahabhain Distillery, located on the northeastern coast of Islay, Scotland, has a storied history that reflects the evolution of the Scotch whisky industry. Founded in 1881 by William Robertson and the Greenlees brothers, Bunnahabhain was established to create a distinctive whisky that would stand apart from its heavily peated neighbours. The distillery’s name, derived from the Scottish Gaelic ‘Bun na h-Abhainne,’ translates to ‘Mouth of the River,’ highlighting its scenic location near the River Margadale. For a first post regarding that distillery, we’ll review three 1987 to 1991 indy bottlings of Bunnahabhain, but first, let’s quickly talk about their history.

Daftmill 2007 2010 Winter & Summer Batch Release

Four Daftmill 2007 to 2010, Summer & Winter

12th February 202511th February 2025Coldorak

Daftmill Distillery is a single malt Scotch whisky distillery located at Daftmill Farm in the Howe of Fife, in Scotland. Brothers Francis and Ian Cuthbert, sixth-generation owners of Daftmill Farm, converted the old mill buildings into a distillery. The distillery was granted a license in 2005, with the first spirit distilled on December 16, 2005. However, the distillery did not release its first whisky until 2018. Daftmill is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland, producing only around 100 casks per year. It is known as a true farm distillery because it grows its own barley and uses water from its own spring. The distillery operates only two months in the summer and two months in the winter, during the farm’s off-season, in a very traditional style. The name ‘Daftmill’ comes from the Daft Burn, a stream on the property that appears to run uphill due to an optical illusion. Daftmill Distillery releases its single malt Scotch whisky in seasonal batches, specifically during the summer and winter months. These releases are typically aged over a decade and are supplemented by single cask vintage releases and a 15-year-old cask strength edition. Let’s take a closer look at those seasonal releases, as we review four Daftmill from 2007 to 2010, with two Summer & two Winter editions.

Balvenie 12-year-old Double Wood and American Oak

Balvenie 12yo Double Wood & American Oak

10th February 202510th February 2025Coldorak

The Balvenie Distillery was founded in 1892 by William Grant in Dufftown, Scotland, next to his already successful Glenfiddich distillery. Built during a period of whisky industry expansion, The Balvenie originally operated using repurposed stills from Lagavulin and Glen Albyn. Over the decades, it remained under the ownership of William Grant & Sons, a rarity in an industry where many distilleries changed hands multiple times. The Balvenie gradually established its reputation for traditional production methods, including in-house floor malting, long fermentation times, and direct oversight of cask aging. While it was initially less well-known than Glenfiddich, it developed a distinct identity, particularly with its focus on cask finishes and controlled aging. Today, it continues to operate with a mix of historical techniques and modern refinements, maintaining a direct lineage to its 19th-century roots. We review what is probably their best seller as well as another expression of the same age statement: the Balvenie 12-year-old Double Wood & American Oak.

Shizuoka Contact S & United S

7th February 20256th February 2025Coldorak

Founded in 2016 by Taiko Nakamura under Gaia Flow, the Shizuoka Whisky Distillery has quickly made a name for itself in Japan’s craft whisky scene. Nestled in the mountainous Tamagawa region of Shizuoka Prefecture near Mount Fuji, the distillery blends innovation with a deep respect for local resources. Its architecture seamlessly integrates modern design with natural elements, embodying Nakamura’s vision of a distillery rooted in both tradition and forward-thinking experimentation.

A key highlight is its use of two historic pot stills: one salvaged from the legendary Karuizawa Distillery and the world’s only wood-fired direct heat still, fuelled by locally sourced timber. This unique setup enables Shizuoka to craft distinctive spirit styles, often blended in releases like Contact S. The distillery is committed to using 100% local ingredients, including Shizuoka-grown barley, a proprietary yeast strain (NMZ-0688), and pure water from an on-site well fed by underground rivers.

Maturation is accelerated by the region’s significant temperature swings, with ex-bourbon barrels playing a primary role. Shizuoka’s debut single malts, Prologue K (distilled in the Karuizawa still) and Prologue W (from the wood-fired still), gained a cult following for their contrasting profiles – Prologue W, in particular, stood out for its refined fruitiness and balance. With limited releases and a highly sought-after private cask program, Shizuoka has solidified its reputation as a producer of small-batch, terroir-driven Japanese whisky.

Today, we’ll review the Shizuoka Contact S & United S, with plans to revisit the distillery later for a closer look at Prologue K and W.

Glenfiddich 26-Year-Old Grande Couronne

29th January 202528th January 2025Coldorak

Glenfiddich Distillery, located in Dufftown, Moray, Scotland, was founded in 1887 by William Grant. The name ‘Glenfiddich’ translates to ‘Valley of the Deer’ in Gaelic, reflecting its picturesque setting near the River Fiddich. It is one of the few family-owned distilleries in Scotland, currently managed by the fifth generation of the Grant family. Glenfiddich has played a significant role in the global popularity of single malt Scotch whisky, especially since the 1960s when it began exporting its products. This helped establish single malts as a distinct category within the whisky market. The distillery uses traditional production methods, including 43 copper pot stills and water sourced from the Robbie Dhu springs. Today we’re going to try something up in their range: the Glenfiddich 26-Year-Old Grande Couronne.

Glenfarclas Family Casks 1979, 1967 & 1957

27th January 202526th January 2025Coldorak

Birthdays are the perfect occasion to dip into something truly special, and what could be more fitting than marking the day with a lineup of extraordinary drams? For this year’s celebration, I decided to indulge with three remarkable Glenfarclas Family Casks spanning decades of craftsmanship: a 1979 (the year I was born), a 1967, and a venerable 1957. Each of these whiskies represents a unique chapter in Glenfarclas’s rich history, promising an unforgettable journey through time in a glass. Join me as I talk about first fills and refill casks, and as I toast to another year less young – and closing to the age of those 1967 and 1957 – with these Glenfarclas Family Casks 1979, 1967 & 1957 treasures.

Chichibu 2013 & 2015 for LMDW

24th January 202524th January 2025Coldorak

In the past, we’ve had the pleasure of tasting a few Chichibu whiskies, including a single cask bottled for La Maison du Whisky. Today, we’re revisiting this iconic distillery with two more single casks, both bottled exclusively for La Maison du Whisky. First up is a Chichibu 2013, bottled in 2022 for their Antipodes collection, followed by a Chichibu 2015, bottled in 2024 for their Foundations collection. Let’s dive in and see what these two single casks have to offer!

Four European Whiskies

22nd January 202521st January 2025Coldorak

Let’s take a break from Scotland and explore a few European whiskies. Some of these come courtesy of the aptly nicknamed Harry ‘Eurowhisky,’ who attended the first French whisky show in Rennes in early April last year. He stayed to guest host at my whisky club, the equally aptly named Rennes Whisky Club, for the second year running. Today, I’ll review four European whiskies: one I sampled at Malt in France (mark your calendars for the second edition on April 5th and 6th, 2025!) and three brought by Harry to the club.

Bruichladdich 2013 Islay Barley & Port Charlotte 10-year-old

21st January 202520th January 2025Coldorak

Bruichladdich Distillery, located on the island of Islay, was founded in 1881 by the Harvey brothers. Over the years, the distillery has seen its fair share of changes, including periods of closure and different ownerships. It was brought back to life in 2000 by a group led by Mark Reynier, who focused on restoring its traditional methods and exploring new approaches to whisky-making. Today, it’s owned by Rémy Cointreau and continues to produce a wide range of distinctive whiskies.

One of the things Bruichladdich is known for is its focus on local barley and the influence of Islay’s environment on its whiskies. The distillery emphasises transparency about where its ingredients come from and avoids chill filtration and artificial colouring in its bottlings. Bruichladdich produces three main styles: the unpeated Bruichladdich range, the heavily peated Port Charlotte, and the extremely peated Octomore.

In this review, we’ll look at two whiskies from their lineup: the Bruichladdich 2013 Islay Barley and the Port Charlotte 10-year-old. Both offer an interesting glimpse into the distillery’s approach to whisky-making and the diversity of Islay’s character. The ones we’ve tried so far were very good, so let’s see with those two!