Caol Ila 15 Year Unpeated
Caol Ila is the largest distillery on the island of Islay, producing over 2 million liters every year. The vast majority of that goes into Diageo-owned blends like Johnnie Walker Black Label, but there still remains some for eventual release as single malts. While the 12 Year is their single malt cornerstone, the distillery has been releasing a yearly series of unpeated whiskies over the past several years, including the 17 Year. The Caol Ila 15 Year is the first of a reported thirteen releases in the series.
Glengoyne 15 Year
Glengoyne is one of those rare distilleries that has been in continuous operation since its founding in 1833. Where other distilleries paused for wars or were bought and sold on the winds of economic change, Glengoyne persisted. The distillery focuses on six elements that comprise their current spirit: unpeated, patience, oak casks, maturation, natural color, and tradition. Some of those are more tactile than others but all can impact the final product. Glengoyne is also unique in its geography, sitting right on the border between scotch regions. The whisky is made in the Highlands region but then transported across the road and ages in the Lowlands region. The Glengoyne 15 Year is one of several age statement expressions comprising the distillery’s core range and made from a blend matured in either ex-bourbon or ex-sherry casks.
BenRiach 12 Sherry Wood
BenRiach has received a lot of attention over the years for their higher range age statements, both straight and peated series, as we’ve examined before. In recent years, the distillery has slimmed down the number of regular offerings, their flagship range now featuring a 10 year and this 12 year old. The BenRiach 12 Sherry Wood is sherry through and through, spending the entire maturation process before being finished with a mix of casks that once held Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherries. Whereas sherry is popular with finishing scotches, it is a rare scotch that can stand to spend the entire maturation process so.