Springbank 15yo OB

Another Springbank

With everyone talking about the CV, the 10yo, the 12yo and the Cask Strength, one would almost forget there was a 15yo Springbank.

http://weareunion.co/angels-share/pictures/20130531_scotland_060.jpg

Another dram from one of my favorite distilleries, located in the former whisky capital in the world: Campbeltown. I've said this before and I'll say it again, I'v never had a bad whisky from this distillery before. And with their different styles for their three standard lines: Springbank, Longrow and Hazelburn, they've shown us that they're quite capable of creating a wide range of different expressions, each with a distinctive taste.

GlenDronach 21yo

My Midsummer Night's Dram

http://www.scotchmaltwhisky.co.uk/glendronachspiritsales.htm

Don’t think anyone is going to fight me on this, but Glendronach is one of the best distilleries out there at the moment. The miracles in cask selection the people of Billy Walker performed after the take-over in 2009. So much that the 15yo revival in no time, became an all-time favorite with the whisky crowd. So what about one of its older brothers: next to the 18yo the official range offers a 21yo expression, called Parliament.

Highland Park 16yo

Highland Park Light

A forgotten whisky

http://highlandpark.co.uk/about/the-distillery/

In the days before 16yo Highland Parks were sold in wooden designer containers and fancy bottles, they were part of the regular range and were available for travel retail at your local airport. Although they came at a low price and a large volume (1L bottles), there are barely any reviews available for this whisky.

The 16yo apparently did not catch on, was subsequently withdrawn from the stores and pretty much forgotten after that.

Arran 14yo

Easy Summer Sipper

arranwhisky.com

Over the past year I've found a renewed fondness for the orange-nosed younglings of the Southern Hebrides, Jura and Arran.

The Arran 14 was launched in 2010 and was their oldest expression until the release of a 17yo,earlier this year.I haven't had the opportunity yet to try this new expression. But at least for now, the older=better saying seems to apply to the Arran range, with the 14yo outclassing the rest.

Old Pulteney 1990/2004 Blackadder Raw Cask

The Shape Shifter

Incidentally while I tastes this dram, the 2013 album of Swedish metal band Amon Amarth: The Deceiver of the Gods was playing on my stereo.

One particular song that came up, in my eyes perfectly captured the spirit of this whisky: The Shape Shifter, a song about the Nordic god Loki, the god of mischief. (no not the marvel version) with the power to change his form, be it a man or an animal.   

For legal reasons I did not refer to this whisky in my title as "Loki", as not to unleash Ragnarök from the people of Highland Park upon myself ;)