Like waiting for a bus nothing arrives then suddenly 2 appear at the same time! So it is with our next release of whiskies for summer 2015.

This is our Cadenhead’s authentic collection range, its is going to be a bumper crop of whiskies for all tastes. We have some rather rare vintages naturally from distilleries on Islay and a lowland demolished distillery bottling to tempt you with and a rather good collection from speyside and the highlands. Before I fill you in with the full list I have to let you know about a few products running out for the summer. Springbank 15 has sold out with the bond completely empty until the new bottling run sometime in August, Longrow is also in short supply all variants and so too is Hazelburn 10 that will be bottled later in the year I hope anyway. The Authentic collection Summer 2015 is listed in full at the end of this newsletter. ~ Stephen

Now onto the new releases listed below.

Unfortuanetly due to overwhelming demand the Ardberg 21 has already sold out but we have

Blair Athol Distillery 1989 26y/o 48.9% – Sherry since May 2008

Nose: Dry, with apricots, runny honey, toffee and a little nutty. Taste: Earthy, then dry sherry notes; ripe bananas with toffee sauce and then a hint of aniseed. Finish: Toffee apples, black cherries, mouth coating sherry and faint earthy notes.

Bowmore Distillery 1989 26y/o 56.5%

Nose: Passion fruit; peat; coal tar soap; soya sauce and quite malty. Kidney beans and green beans.Very sweet.  Taste: Initial peat, then some melted tar with bbq spare ribs and developing toffee notes. Finish: Burnt embers, dry peat with growing honey and almonds.

Bruichladdich Distillery 1992 22y/o 53.3%

Nose: Coconut shavings, macaroon bars and caramel. Un-ripe tomatoes and some chocolate. Taste: Lemony with white currants, millionaires shortbread and treacle with very faint Smoke. Finish: Quite flinty and dry with growing toffee notes.

Clynelish Distillery 1994 20y/o 55.4% – Sherrywood

Nose: Full on rich sherry, cigar boxes, figs, raisins. Cherry chocolates and lots of waxy spices. Taste: Dry and waxy notes battle through the sherry to reveal more herbal notes. peanuts, dry almonds, orange zest and honey. Finish: Good quality sweet vermouth and growing spiciness with lingering herbal notes.

Dalmore Distillery 1990 24y/o 54.9% – Rum since February 2006

Nose: Sweet rum notes with cream, eucalyptus, lime and white chocolate. Taste: Lots of golden rum, vanilla and hints of spice. Some grassier notes before chewier orange notes emerge. Finish: Creamy and fruity, with fruits becoming darker as time goes on.

Dufftown-Glenlivet Distillery 1988 26y/o 51%

Nose: Cured meats, Spanish sausage and baked camembert. Bay leaves and fresh melon. Taste: Initially spicy, then green bananas with pears and pecans. Finish: Fruit cake, marzipan and maple syrup.

Glencadam Distillery 1989 26y/o 55.3%

Nose: Very juicy oranges, barley sugar and pear drops. Fruit gums and some toffee aromas. Taste: Initially dry and then fruit explodes as the nose suggests – oranges, peaches and mangoes Finish: Longer than expected; fruit sweets with sesame seeds and a faint medicinal note.

Highland Park Distillery 1988 27y/o 53.3% – Claret since May 2008

Nose: Sweet oranges; effervescent; very fresh. Whipped cream with raspberry syrup, vanilla pods and cardamom Taste: Rich red fruits. More juicy orange notes and faint distant wood smoke with butterscotch notes. Finish: Growing toffee notes; faint cassis flavours with blood oranges, pink grapefruit and star anise.

Macduff Distillery 1989 26y/o 51%

Nose: Initially oily notes fade to reveal toffee, glacé cherries, cherry brandy and clotted cream. Taste: Chewy and meaty; stem ginger, rhubarb crumble and faint parma violets. Finish: Very mouth puckering with liquorice, dark fruits and more ginger.

Strathisla-Glenlivet Distillery 1989 25y/o 42.7%

Nose: Heavy fruits, blackcurrant jam, maple syrup and créme caramel. Taste: Dried apricots, soft woodiness, dried spices, marzipan, toffee and sweet vermouth. Finish: Honeycomb, strawberry sauce and butterscotch. Cherries and blood oranges.

Tamdhu-Glenlivet Distillery 1989 25y/o 53.3%

Nose: Minty, floral, heather and quite buttery. Some light pickle notes with melted white chocolate. Taste: More buttery notes come through along with limes, dried oranges and some waxiness. Finish: Soft woody, mossy notes and then citrus notes come through.

Tobermory Distillery 1994 20y/o 57.8% – Sherrywood

Nose: Cacao; plums; a touch of iodine and very meaty with lots of blackcurrant notes. Taste: Slightly salty. Pastrami with liquorice and cracked black pepper. Finish: Natural yoghurt with coffee beans, dark chocolate and fresh rhubarb

Dumbarton (Inverleven Stills) 1987 27y/o 53.9% Demolished Distillery Bottling

Nose: Sweet honey and vanilla. Pineapple and coconut with growing creamy cereal aromas. Taste: Slightly drying then becoming sweet and creamy. Nougat,strawberries and some malty notes. Finish: Very moreish! Grassy, limey and velvety smooth.