Stillhead The Iberian Cascadian (Strath 20th Anniversary Bottling) – The Unbottling

Adam and Brett are back to showcase the fifth and final installment in The Strath’s 20th anniversary single casks. We’re winding up our round-the-world whisky journey with one final stop at our good friends and whisky-neighbors Stillhead. A stunning PX cask rye made right here on Vancouver Island!

Stillhead – The Iberian Cascadian (Strath’s 20th Anniversary PX Cask Rye)

https://youtu.be/etnh5boJEWs

I’ve been waiting for some Scottish/Japanese collab on a blend, and finally, we have it!

Ardray is a whisky comprised of all of the Beam-Suntory Scottish liquids, put together by the minds and palates of the folks from Suntory. A collaborative effort to show how balanced and flavourful blended whisky can be. Most people love Hibiki, but where’s the love for the regular blends in regular bottles?

A combination of:

Auchentoshan, Ardmore, Bowmore, Glen Garioch, Highland Park, Laphroaig, Macallan, and North British – this things really sings when it comes to balanced citrus, and really subtle smoke notes from some weighty ingredients. All natural colours with non-chill filtration.

Give all blends a chance. If I hear one more person complain about blends… just do some reading beforehand. Most blends contain your favourite single malts. Just stop being a whisky bigot!

THREE Great Blended Scotch Whiskies for 2024

ralfy review 1005 Extras – The teaspoon and jam jar thing !

ralfy review 1005 – Glen Keith NAS @ 40%vol:

Introducing & Explaining

My Three Whisky Books.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 510: Armorik Yeun Elez

Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, tries a peated French whisky. In addition to the Armorik single malt, the Distillerie Warenghem in Lannion, France, also produces a peated malt called Yeun Elez, named after a nearby peat field. Mark had the pleasure of tasting this on the wild Brittany coast.

https://youtu.be/Kg8kUz0IN18

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 509: Armorik Maitre de Chai 2023

Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, tries a French single malt. Mark recently visited the Distillerie Warenghem in Lannion, which is in Brittany, France. After a great tour of both the distillery and the nearby cooperage they work with, he tasted their 2023 Maitre de Chai edition. And it was delicious!

https://youtu.be/edMMFqklcEw

Bruichladdich.

That distillery name conjures up many an opinion on their many distillates. But now we get to focus on one that doesn’t get so much attention, Rhinns.

Rhinns is the level below Port Charlotte, but just above the standard distillate regarding PPM. This, along with Lochindaal (baby Octomore), are rarely sold in the public facing sectore, they’re typically reserved for private cask purchases, which makes them all that more elusive to the ‘must try all’ whisky drinkers that we are.

Matured in a Yulumba Viognier cask, this has all of those fun notes from Laddie, but with a little more flourish around the edges.

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 508: Glen Moray 15 Year Old 2007 Thompson Bros

Mark Dermul, Belgian whiskyblogger, tastes a Glen Moray. It is one of those distilleries that often stays under the radar, producing primarily for blending purposes. But sometimes independent bottlers succeed in selecting an excellent single cask. This is one of those, bottled by Phil and Simon Thompson under their Thompson Bros label. It’s a single bourbon cask from 2007, bottled in 2023 at cask strength. And while it’s a UK exclusive, Mark was lucky enough to have a pal bring over a bottle.