Coldorak's whisky blog.
Back in February we were stunned by a few magnificent official Bowmore, so this time I’m turning to two independent bottlings. Rather fittingly, they are sister casks released by the same bottler and retailer, The Whisky Agency: both were distilled in 2005, matured in the same type of cask and bottled in 2026. The question, then, is whether these two Bowmore prove closely aligned in character or reveal meaningful differences between casks.
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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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As Loch Lomond recently released its ninth Distillery Edition, we are a little late, and try the Loch Lomond Distillery Edition #6. As a sparring partner, we’ve added a Croftengea 2006 from The Whisky Agency. Loch Lomond has been quite active these last few months, making the news a number of times, for instance with the opening of its new multi-million-pound Luss Distillery and visitor centre on the banks of Loch Lomond in October 2025. The new complex serves as a brand home for Loch Lomond whiskies, offers guided tours, tastings, and houses a gin distillery for their Ben Lomond brand. The facility aims to draw tourists and whisky enthusiasts to the region and showcases Loch Lomond’s portfolio, including Glen Scotia and Littlemill single malts. Loch Lomond Group also expanded into American whiskey this year with the acquisition of the New York Distilling Company. All the while continuing to release good whisky. But for now, let’s focus on these two: the Loch Lomond Distillery Edition #6 and the Croftengea 2006 The Whisky Agency.
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Following Friday’s focus on Dumbarton, we continue in the Lowlands with two releases from The Whisky Agency: Glenkinchie 2008 and Auchentoshan 1999. Glenkinchie sees very limited independent bottlings each year – few enough to count on one hand – whereas Auchentoshan boasts a strong and steady presence with both official and independent releases annually.
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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
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Bowmore stands as Islay’s most ancient licensed distillery, sparking my initial interest for whisky some two decades ago with their 15-year-old expression. Back then, I was slim and still had some hair on my head. My, how time flies. Twenty years later, a visit to the distillery in July 2023 proved an exhilarating experience. Our guide’s warmth and knowledge captivated us, the other guests and me, allowing us to savour a unique moment of bottling a small cask sample straight from the cask in one of their warehouses. Then, our tasting session revealed a trove of delicious whiskies, awaiting my eventual review. But today, we explore three indy Bowmore expressions from three independent bottlers: The Whisky Agency, Svenska Eldvatten, and Malts of Scotland.
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