Rogue Dead Guy Whiskey
America has always had a certain fascination with whiskey and it has long been a source of curiosity to the right kind of craftsman. Rogue did not start life as a distillery but as a brewery and pub, producing beers of high quality since 1987. There was a focus on using local resources to craft their drinks and to put a high focus on community and a unique offering. Eventually, this love of producing beer branched out to spirits and Rogue now makes vodka, two kinds of rum, two kinds of gin, and a single malt whiskey. Clearly, they have an alcohol problem. Lucky cads. What Scotchology is exploring is a whiskey made using the same malts as their renowned Dead Guy Ale. Will this unholy melding of beer and whiskey turn monstrous or end up becoming something, like all good whiskeys, that is greater than a sum of its parts?
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.
Ardbeg “Uigeadail”
What’s not to love from Ardbeg? Named for Loch Uigeadail (pronounced oog-a-dal) where the distillery gets its water, the Gaelic translates as “dark and mysterious.” A lost reading of the Uigeadail must also connote “peaty.”