Lavender

Dalwhinnie 15 Year

Dalwhinnie 15 Year

Like several distilleries, Dalwhinnie was started in the late 19th century and, though facing some bumps along the way like a short suspension of production during WWII due to barley restrictions, has remained in near constant production. Dalwhinnie also supplies a good deal of its output (90%) to the blended market. The distillery was briefly run by a firm from the United States in the early 20th century until Prohibition when it was sold back to Scottish owners. Dalwhinnie claims to be the highest distillery in Scotland, located in the Grampian Mountains and draws its water from Lochan-Doire-Uaine or Lock of the Green Thicket. The village of Dalwhinnie from whence the distillery gets its name, is located near the town of Strathspey and comes from a Gaelic word meaning “Meeting Place.” This Dalwhinnie 15 is one of only three expressions from the distillery, and the only one with an age statement.

Scapa 16 Year

Scapa 16 Year

The Scapa distillery is one of the most northern distilleries in Scotland, located in the Orkney islands. It is also one of the smallest, with only three staff on site (the manager operates out of Speyside, and the distillery itself is part of the Chivas Brothers branch of Pernod Ricard). Sadly, the small staffing means the distillery is closed to the public. The distillery used to be larger and produce several different offerings. Currently, all production goes into making the Scapa 16 that was launched in 2009. What kind of spirit is produced in a land where it is almost always ever-day or ever-night?

Highland Park 12 Year

Highland Park 12 Year

The Highland Park 12 has been receiving high marks for about as long as there have been people to drink it. Moreover, this whisky hits that nice balance of good taste, regular availability and relative affordability. They are also a 21st century distillery, with a website full of short videos on their products, history, and the joy of malted exploration.