Clynelish 14 Year
Located just north of Inverness, Clynelish has been operating at its current location for almost 50 years. Curiously, the distillery provides a great deal of the spirit that is used in Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve and only has two commercial products, a Distiller’s Edition and this 14 year offering (there is a “distillery only” bottle available on sight that is cask strength). With such a narrow single malt offering and so much of their output going to blended use, what sort of exploration will this highland malt offer?
Penderyn Madeira
Wales has a long history of distilled beverages, but Penderyn is the country’s only current distillery. Founded in 2004, the distillery lays nestled in the Breacon Beacons and produces the world’s only Welsh single malt. One of the world’s smallest distilleries, Penderyn’s signature single malt, the Madeira won gold medals at the 2012 and 2013 International Whisky Competition. Can this new whisky on the block live up to the legends imbued in the history of the landscape?
Mackmyra First Edition
Mackmyra was born of eight Swedish friends who loved good whisky. The Mackmyra First Edition, as the name implies, was their first wide release in 2008. The distillery exemplifies what we love to see foreign (i.e. non-Scottish) distillers do: embrace their own locality and make great whisky from what lays around them instead of seeking to emulate scotch. They continue to grow in output and accolades, but this first try is enough to give whisky drinkers ample notice.