GlenDronach 14 Year Sauternes Finish
This proud distillery was forced to close its doors in 1996 but thankfully reopened in 2001. Ownership has changed hands several times since it was founded in 1826, ranging from such notables as Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott to Charles Grant, son of the Glenfiddich distillery founder. If such luminaries found merit in GlenDronach, we feel in good company sharing their appreciation.
Kilchoman “Machir Bay”
Kilchoman (pronounced Kilhoman) is one of the newest and smallest distilleries in Scotland, opening its doors in 2005. It currently produces a 3 and 5 year single malt, though they plan to release 8 year (2014), 10 year (2016) and 12 year (2018) bottlings. By what we taste from the junior varsity so far, age should make a good thing even better for Kilchoman’s future issues. The offerings are bottled yearly, quantified by flavor profile and maturation. Future releases of the Machir Bay (and others) will be re-released in more mature versions.
The Glenlivet 16 Year “Nàdurra”
The name of this whisky is Gaelic for “natural.” It claims to “stay true to the style of whisky that was enjoyed in the 19th century. [1]” Whether that’s true or not, it’s pretty damn satisfying in the 21st century. This review features a version sold at a slightly higher cask strength than the standard, which is at 48% abv). Glenlivet has subsequently rolled out the Nàdurra as a semi-regular offering much in the same vein as Laphoraig’s Cairdeas series, where every release is unique unto itself. This Nàdurra is comprised of 16 year scotch and aged in New American oak barrels.