The Scotch Whisky Distilleries Using Worm Tubs

There are two main condenser systems in operation today: shell and tube condensers and worm tub condensers. Shell and tube condensers, the more modern of the two, are widely favoured, but some distilleries continue to use worm tubs, valuing their distinct influence on both texture and flavour. Whiskies from worm tub distilleries are often described as meaty, sulphury, and texturally rich. Here’s a list of 20 Scottish distilleries that still use worm tubs.📖 Read the Post

Mortlach 10 Year Old – 2014 | Signatory Small Batch #15 (Bottled 2025)

£59.00

Another delight of a dram, released by independent Scotch whisky bottler Signatory as part of the impressive ‘Small Batch’ series. Distilled in 2014 and matured for 10 years in 1st fill Pedro Ximenez sherry hogsheads, then bottled at the Edradour distillery at 48.2% vol, un-chillfiltered and without any additional colouring.

Our first Single Cask release of 2025 is triple distilled; not something one comes across very often, and we think, a very special whisky. Having spent over a decade maturing in super first-fill American casks, this delicate, refined whisky has wonderful notes of vanilla and chocolate. Ideal pre-dinner where the gentleness of this whisky can really be appreciated.

The English Triple Distilled is part of our Single Cask range, showcasing the influence of our super oak casks, each type hand picked for its unique influence on the whisky whilst maturing. Single cask releases are incredibly rare, each one yielding only a few hundred bottles. The casks. First Fill American Standard Barrel

The nose.

Wafts of smooth caramel, orchard fruits, vanilla, floral honey and milk chocolate

The Palate

Fruity (orange, hints of lime), malt toffee notes, vanilla custard, sweet milk chocolate and peppery oak

The Finish

A very gentle, medium length finish

Good to know

Non-chill filtered. Natural colouring

Iron Gates’ second Spirits Auction of the year features Canada’s finest spirits available. Highlights include iconic Scotch like the 1971 Glenfarclas 43YO from the Family Casks series and 1964 Glenfiddich Sherry Cask 40YO. Bourbon enthusiasts will find treasures like the rarely seen Weller Millennium and Double Eagle Very Rare 20YO. Fine global spirits, such as Richard Hennessy Cognac and Moutai 50-Year-Old—a legendary Chinese baijiu being auctioned for the first time in the country.

Auction Ends March 24th.

THE AUCTION

Iron Gate Auctions is pleased to continue working with our partners at Calgary Shipping to handle the safe and effective shipment of your auction winnings across Canada. Offering flat rate shipping to select cities, Multi-Day Refrigerated shipping and more.

Cask Collection No.75

In our selection for A. D. Rattray’s 75th Cask Collection release, our first curation of 2025, we have considered this idea of “off” notes in whisky, what constitutes “quality”, and the value of intrigue. Each of the five casks selected has very particular characteristics that may not be to everyone’s tastes, but are chosen to sate the appetite of the more curious among us.

If unusual aromas and unique flavours are what you seek from a whisky, then single casks are the place to find them. Such distinctive characteristics tend to vary significantly between sister casks, much more so than the more typical, marketable flavours we associate with malt whisky. Furthermore, for a bottler, the quantities involved in a single cask make releasing whiskies that may be deemed out of character much less of a risk. It would be a brave decision for any major distillery to release a batch product of many thousands of cases of anything exhibiting flavours that some consider to be “off” notes.

In our stock evaluations at A. D. Rattray, we often note casks as “flawless”. This is a technical assessment of quality, but on its own it is maybe not the high praise it seems. Everything is there, but where is the hook? Can a whisky be too balanced? It is far more common for us to overlook casks that simply aren’t interesting enough, rather than reject them for exhibiting any peculiar notes. For us, and others who share our passion, the real beauty in single malt scotch whisky lies in the anomalies and imperfections found in a single cask.

CLICK HERE TO EXPLORE THE COLLECTION

$219.99

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Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 554: Distilled In Ireland for The Nectar

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries two single cask Irish whiskeys. After the fantastic trio of Irish whiskeys with the famous Maria labels, The Nectar of the Daily Drams treated us last year to another fantastic duo, again with beautiful labels. ‘Distilled in Ireland’ was proudly displayed on the label. A 22-year-old from 2002 and a 23-year-old from 2001 were presented at a very attractive price. This shows just how good the relationships are that The Nectar maintains with former Cooley boss Jack Teeling. Mark is more than happy to taste them head-to-head.

Whisky Ramblings 554

DECADENT DRAMS ARDMORE – 15 YEAR OLD

This latest Decadent Drams is a wonderfully vibrant and distillate-driven 2009, 15 year old Ardmore.

We are fans of Ardmore here at Decadent Drinks, so much so that we would bottle a lot more of it if anyone actually bought the stuff! This lovely bottling matured for most of its life in a refill barrel, before we decided to ‘double down on the dead wood’ and re-racked it into a totally knackered old refill butt for the final two years of its maturation.

It had a mini galaxy of headspace inside this butt, all to itself, which enabled it to become even more thick, syrupy and juicily ‘Ardmorey’. Anyway, we bottled this resulting whisky with a few degrees reduction at 53% to help maximise this lovely distillate character and general, all round sippability of the whisky. Then we put a lovely sunny label on it and here it is. Over to you, the consumer, to do your duty!

WHISKYLAND GIVEAWAY

Win a Bottle of Whiskyland Chapter Ten – Laphroaig 26-Year-Old!

We’re keeping an old Sponge tradition alive—every 10th edition of Whiskyland is something extra special. And what better way to mark the occasion than with a 26-year-old Laphroaig?

And to celebrate, we’re giving one lucky whisky lover the chance to win a bottle. All you need to do to enter is head over to our website, fill in a quick entry form – telling us email address, date of birth and favourite distillery, then just hit submit!

This giveaway is running from March 1st at 9:00am until March 27th at 4:30pm, our winner will be drawn at random and contacted via email.

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