Glenglassaugh Torfa
Like many distilleries, Glenglassaugh has seen its share of rough times. While operating almost continuously from 1875 until 1986, the distillery sat dormant until 2008, when it began production before being bought by BenRiach in 2013. Since the newest iteration hasn’t been around for very long at all, the current range is a mix of young No Age Statement offerings along with a few very old age statement whiskies laid down before it shuttered in the 80’s. Torfa is the Old Norse word for “peat,” so guess what hallowed element is used in the production of this dram? Despite being young, this scotch is no slouch, having placed silver at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in both 2014 and 2015.
Glenmorangie “Companta”
Sometimes the Scotch Gods smile upon you. After first encountering this whisky at a Merlin’s Rest tasting in 2014, it quickly sold out in the state and we didn’t think we’d ever encounter it again. Therefore, it was quite a pleasant surprise when we stumbled upon it while driving to Madison, Wisconsin to retrieve another hard-to-find dram, the Glen Breton Rare 10 year. When presented with such an opportunity, the last thing you do is not seize upon it. Glenmorangie’s Private Edition series are yearly releases, with the Companta spirit matured in 60% Burgundy wine casks from Clos de Tart and 40% Rasteau casks from the Côtes du Rhône region of France. As with others in this range, like the 2013 Elanta, the Companta has also won multiple whisky awards.
Tomatin 12 Year
Tomatin purported to be the largest whisky distillery in Scotland for a time in the late 1980s, though production has gone down since then. Like many distilleries in Scotland, a great deal of Tomatin’s output has gone into blends, though it has sought to increase awareness through single malt expressions over the past 10-15 years. Tomatin is also on the cutting edge of environmental responsibility and alcohol consumption awareness. A good thing, for we at Scotchology have always held that if you’re drinking single malt whisky to get blitzed out of your mind, you’re doing it wrong. The Tomatin 12 is from their core range of offerings.