Six Must-have single malt scotch (and CSL’s Favourites) to add to your at home bar.
1. The third whisky in Adelphi’s limited edition single malt range One of only 2962 bottles (of batch 1) from an undisclosed Island distillery, it stays true to the Adelphi style of not chill filtering and leaving the natural colour and cask strength. Burnt crystalline sugar and mince pies with brandy butter on the nose. Sweet on the palate drying to waxy Seville orange peel in a long finish. Get Adelphi’s Lissedale 18 year old while they last because, as Alex Bruce, Sales & Marketing Director of Adelphi says, “they are unique and will never be the same again.”
2. New to single malt whisky? The Dalmore 12-year-Old, matured in sherry and bourbon casks is a great introduction. It is easy to drink with orange, vanilla and coffee aromas, and fruitcake, cinnamon, and toffee on the palate. To open it up add a drop or two of water. The bottle bears the stag’s head a symbol of strength and valour and was bequeathed to the Mackenzie family by a Scottish ruler. As a fine example of a sherried whisky, neither too smoky nor too light, it is a well-rounded addition to your bar collection.
3. When Amy O’Sullivan Jameson/ Redbreast brand Ambassador calls Redbreast 12-year-Old a religious whisky she’s not kidding. According to O’Sullivan, priests would pour whisky rather than wine into the chalice at religious ceremonies. The religious connotation does not end there it was a robin red breast that landed on Jesus while he was on the cross hence the name. Religious or not,this is a delicious whisky made from a triple distilled mash of malted and unmalted barley. If you’re expecting the peat flavour of Scotch then look elsewhere (Jameson uses natural gas). Matured for a minimum of 12 years in Oloroso Sherry and bourbon casks, this gold coloured whisky is mellow in flavour. On the nose look for spicy and fruity aromas. The taste is creamy, fruity (figs, raisins) with sherry and toasted notes (ground coffee). This whisky has a long lingering finish.
4. Legend, folklore, symbolism and history combine to produce a truly one-of-a-kind spirit. A whisky without a story is not just unappealing it is also uninteresting. Enter Isle of Jura Single Malt scotch which deftly weaves stories of superstition, luck and the evil eye. Each bottle in the line is embossed with an ancient symbol. The ankh cross emblem on the Isle of Jura Superstition is an Egyptian symbol for good fortune, said to give the drinker goodness in every sip. by pouring the whisky, holding the ankh in the centre of the palm, good luck promises to follow. Visit the whisky’s website and there are games of luck and chance. Though it may ring of clever marketing, there has long been a connection between superstition and whisky on the isle of Jura apparently inspired by true stories. In 1781 Laird Archibald Campbell introduced a ban on whisky only to be forced to reverse it due to a strange pparition he witnessed one night. Later, the distillery’s new owners left a bottle of 16 year old whisky in a secret cave to appease the apparition (just in case). Luck in every bottle? There’s only one way to find out.www.isleofjura.com
5. Non chill-filtered, cask strength edition of Auchentoshan Classic
WHAT IS IT? Auchentoshan Valinch Non Chill-Filtered
TASTE Don’t let the pale straw colour fool your tastebuds. On the nose, this whisky is creamy, with orange peel and vanilla while on the palette initial sweetness gives way to complex, lingering lushness.
VERDICT A truly elegant whisky. The small batch release makes it even more worthwhile to save a bottle! auchentoshan.com
6. The Vintage 2001 bottled in 2012 (Edition 1) was selected from a variety of casks
THE BIG NEWS Accustomed to an age statement your whisky bottle? Glenrothes does it differently. Just like wine, Glenrothes releases whisky by vintage. Known to release only a handful of vintages this whisky is the newest offering.
WHY IT’S SPECIAL Blended from a variety of casks by Gordon Motion, the Speyside single malt scotch, delivers a lighter style with a honey finish.
WHY YOU NEED IT NOW The golden hued whisky is immediately fragrant, with caramel, sweet earthy malt and dried fruit with warm undertones of vanilla and spice. On the tongue, this single malt is decidedly light, lending a touch of honey and soft fruit, finishing in a little oak. www.theglenrothes.com
Read More Whisky, and Wines and Spirits in the City Style and Living Magazine archive.
