Hazelburn 12 Year
Not all Scotch regions were created equally, and neither have they aged with equal grace – or solvency. The Campbeltown region once had over thirty distilleries yet now only three remain. While Hazelburn was a distillery in Campbeltown, it closed in 1926 in part due to the rise of prohibition in the U.S. and beyond. This current spirit, however, is a bottling by one of the three surviving distilleries in town, Springbank. It also holds the distinction of being one of only two distilleries in Scotland to perform every step in the whisky making process; the other is Kilchoman. The Hazelburn 12 is triple-distilled (you can tell from the picture on the bottle of three pot stills) and is non-peated. The distillery’s peated offering, Longrow, and the main Springbank whisky have all won awards. This is Scotchology’s first Campbeltown.
Edradour 12 Year “Caledonia”
This is a release made by Edradour from a cask specifically chosen by Scottish composer Douglas Maclean in 2009 from a selection first distilled in 1997. There’s even a video. His music may sound familiar to some, for his piece “The Gael” was adapted by Trevor Jones for the movie The Last of the Mohicans in 1992. His other famous piece is “Caledonia,” after which this spirit is named. Three cheers to a small distillery like Edradour that can take a highly unique step like this. It may not be around forever, but a bottling like this deserves enough attention to fill your glass. Now, more importantly, what special qualities did Dougie Maclean taste in this whisky?
Ardbeg Auriverdes
This site may have an Ardbeg problem. And let us tell you, that’s the kind of problem you want to have. Ardbeg has made a regular habit of releasing limited offerings every year or so over the past decade. Some are bigger hits than others, but they’re all No Age Statement (NAS) bottlings that each have a unique character. Some get brought into the regular line up, like the Uigeadail, while others remain hallowed and elusive (hello, Ardbog). This year’s name is a tip of the hat to the 2014 World Cup, held in Brazil. Auriverdes means “gold” and “green,” which are the colors of Brazil. Ardbeg claims that the whisky is gold and the bottle is green – also very true. Will this Ardbeg Auriverdes be able to stand tall on the Ardbeg team?