Aberfeldy 12 Year
Aberfeldy was founded in 1896 by the famed John Dewar & Sons on the eastern edge of the town bearing the name, almost directly in the center of Scotland. The distillery currently has two wash stills and two spirit stills. Apart from the distillery shutting down during both world wars due to grain shortages, it has otherwise operated nearly continously. Though ownership eventually passed to the spirits conglomerate now known as Diageo in 1997, Aberfeldy remains the largest malt whisky component of Dewar’s Blended whiskies. The Aberfeldy 12 Year debuted in 1999, not long after the Diageo acquisition, and remains the foundational age statement of the core portfolio, along with a 15 Year and 18 Year. Along with the blended and age statement offerings, Aberfeldy malts are also featured in independent bottler releases.
Jura 10 Year
Jura distillery is a seeming cat of a distillery, founded in 1810 and possessed of nine lives, or at least a timeline of eight owners. The last major rebuild of the distillery was in 1963, from whence it has been producing a variety of single malts. The island of Jura is very difficult to reach, with the distillery being one of the few actual businesses on it (one road, one pub, one distillery). With approximately 200 Diurachs – the Gaelic name for the inhabitants – living on the island, most everyone there knows someone who works at Jura. In 2018, the complete core line of Jura was retired as the distillery decided to move in a new flavor direction. The Jura 10 is the cornerstone of that relaunch, aging in ex-bourbon barrels before being finished for an undisclosed time in ex-Oloroso sherry casks.
Highland Park 16 Year Twisted Tattoo
Since beginning their distillery on Orkney in 1798, Highland Park has been crafting scotch and working with artisans from around the world, continually reinventing itself while also holding true to their history and traditions. A recent rebranding effort has seen them lean more heavily into the Viking influence of that area of Scotland, often seen in evocative names to accompany the usual age statements. The Highland Park 16 Year is called the Twisted Tattoo after Jörmungandr, the Midgard serpent of Norse legend. The design and packaging was the result of a partnership with Danish tattoo artist Colin Dale. Highland Park regularly uses ex-sherry casks as part of their standard maturation process but in the Twisted Tattoo, the scotch was finished in ex-Rioja casks.