Coldorak's whisky blog.
We take a look at five Glenrothes today: two official bottlings and three independent releases from That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Cadenhead and Signatory. Building on last year’s enjoyable duo, I’ve dug out a few samples of older Glenrothes and opened a bottle acquired at auction some time ago. With that lineup ready, let’s get started.
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Glen Elgin is one of Speyside’s quieter distilleries (and another proof is we haven’t reviewed many yet), but it has a style that rewards a closer look. In this article, we’re tasting four Glen Elgin whiskies, three of them independently bottled (by That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Chorlton and Lady of the Glen), and using them as a way into a distillery that deserves more attention than it usually gets.
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We explore three venerable Caledonian single grains, aged between 29 and 48 years. The youngest, if we can call it that way, hails from That Boutique-y Whisky Company, while the two venerable elders – a 46- and 48-year-old – come from Scott’s Selection. This long-closed distillery, known for its grain whiskies, deserves a closer look.
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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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On the menu today are a Ballindaloch and some indy Glenfarclas. What is the link between those? Most whisky lovers know Glenfarclas, Ballindalloch’s famous distillery. Some may also recognise Cragganmore. Fewer people realise that Ballindalloch hosts a third distillery: the Ballindalloch Distillery itself. Today, let’s try a single cask from Ballindalloch—the first I’ve managed to get hold of—and compare it with a few Glenfarclas expressions as benchmarks.
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Not much has changed since we wrote about the lack of love given by Pernod Ricard and Chivas Brothers to Glenburgie, almost four years ago. Apart a 16-year-old cask strength expression for South Korea last year, it doesn’t seem anything official has been released since 2022. So once again, it’s up to independent bottlers to allow consumers to enjoy some Glenburgie single malt by itself, and not blended and ruined into a bland Chivas blend. To the rescue today come That Boutique-y Whisky Company and Chorlton Whisky, as we review a Glenburgie 16-year-old Boutique-y and a 14-year-old from Chorlton.
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Auchroisk remains one of the most enigmatic names in the whisky world (and not the easiest to pronounce correctly). Its presence outside of blends is almost ghostlike – with not even a website anymore, worse even than when its official website offered barely more than a placeholder, as observed in our last review of an independent Auchroisk bottling back in 2019. Founded in the 1970s mainly to supply malt for J&B blends, this Speyside distillery has long flown under the radar, producing the bulk of its spirit for high-volume blended whiskies rather than shining as a single malt star. The latest official bottling I could find on Whiskybase is the 10-year-old in Diageo’s Flora & Fauna collection, but the latest one goes back to 2022. Fortunately, independently bottled Auchroisk expressions, such as these three Auchroisk from That Boutique-y Whisky Co, Van Wees, and A. D. Rattray, have allowed us to get glimpses into the character of this often-overlooked distillery.
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We’re comparing two radically different apple brandies: one hails from the famed French producer Christian Drouin, aged 21 years and bottled by That Boutique-y Calvados Company; the other is an English apple brandy of mysterious origin, discovered by Matt McKay in the stocks of London Distillery Co shortly after he took charge. The two spirits are separated by a striking 30% ABV difference. Hold on tight – this is going to be an intense showdown!
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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.
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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.