Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 525: Starward in collaboration with Lagavulin

Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, tries a whisky from Down Under. In 2015, Diageo invested a whopping 10 million Australian dollars in Starward, which meant that the distillery was able to move to new, much larger premises and thus increase production tenfold! In addition, it gained access to a global market, which explains the current popularity of the Starward whisky. And of course, the new family connection also meant that they suddenly had access to barrels from other distilleries from the Diageo stable at Starward, as happened here. After a regular maturation in red wine barrels from Australia, this malt was given a finish in barrels from the aristocrat of Islay: Lagavulin. To highlight the link, both the label and the box were given the typical Lagavulin green color.

https://youtu.be/fltPpaJ25Vk

That Boutique-y Whisky Company Core Range – The Unbottlings

THE VIDEO

We’re not sure why, but we got our hands on an advance shipment of these beauties, which came in at a stunning price! All of these whiskies are stunning bargains in their own right, and we couldn’t be prouder to have them on our shelves.

Glen Moray Classic Peated – The Unbottling

THE VIDEO

Finally, Glen Moray has landed on the shelves out here in BC (weirdly just in time for their “Pheonix rising” bottle to win Best Single Malt Scotch at the World Whisky Awards). Check out why Adam’s excited to share this one.

BUY THE WHISKY

Burnt Ends Whiskey – The Unbottling

THE VIDEO

A particularly experimental whisk(e)y, that truly has to be tasted to be understood.

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The Deveron 18 – The Unbottling (A Whisky Bargain)

THE VIDEO

Well well well, Adam managed to sniff out another absolute bargain of a whisky for the Strath’s lucky customers. We have this 18-year-old single malt Scotch for an absolutely magnificent price. In fact, we can’t find it listed for less anywhere in the world! We love a whisky bargain, especially when it tastes this good.

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 Glen Mhor 8YO, 100 Proof

THE VIDEO

https://www.facebook.com/GlenMhor

One of three original Invernessian distilleries, Glen Mhor, was a distillery with quite a cult following despite not many people knowing who, where, or what was produced there.

Operating for less than a century, along with a surprising number of other distilleries, Glen Mhor was founded in 1982 and closed in 1983. The distillery pulled its water source from the ever famous Loch Ness and was a key component in Mackinlay’s blended whiskies, most notably the reissue bottlings of whisky that were found in the hut of Shackleton expedition. Glen Mhor was a key component in the rebirth of those blended malts for the public.

There isn’t much else to report about the distillery, minus the fact it worked with, and eventually took over its neighbour, the Glen Albyn distillery. Its capacity, still shape, and overall numbers are sadly lost to the history books.

Scotch Whisky Versus Irish Whiskey – Which Is Better?

Norm The IT Guy joins Adam in the Studio to put an end once and for all to the discussion of which whiskymaking nation is supreme. Well, not actually – but we compare a few drams and make a few discoveries along the way.

THE VIDEO

ralfy review 1019 Extras – Beginner malts & Advanced malts

ralfy review 1019 – Inchfad Peated @53.2%vol: (Dram Mor)

Meikle Toir Part 2: The Chinquapin One. 

It’s no secret that virgin oak is my first love of whisky. Billy Walker is somewhat instrumental in that love, too. Many years ago at The Whisky Shop, an exclusive BenRiach was bottled for the company, a 17YO cask strength with a virgin oak finish. Wedding bells may as well have rung out across the whisky community because I bought and drank about 5 bottles of this stuff in half as many years. Stunning.

But here we have new distillate, peated to 35ppm, and matured solely in Chinquapin virgin oak casks. This type of white oak was first used by Jura, if memory serves me correctly, and it was a little lost in the mix. It’s all well and nice to shout about utilising new wood, but when it’s lost in the vatting process to fundamental dullness, it’s not easy to sing it to the roof in celebration. Luckily, we don’t have to worry about that here.

This is an absolutely stunning example of how virgin oak can mature Scotch whisky to a degree of true succession in regards to the true balance of a product. We are overwhelmed by white chocolate, caramel, cocoa, plum notes, orange oil, cedar wood smoke, powdered sugar, croissants, and all of the boozy delight that there is to be had when exemplary skills are put to use to make two very powerful forces in whisky work together. Billy Walker, f^ck^ng hell.

Cheers!