This week it’s all about scotch. Read on for freshly launched single cask bottlings from Chieftain’s and newcomer Chapter 7, plus a whole new range of age statement whiskies from Glen Moray and a recently released Kilchoman.
Glen Moray 12 year old, 15 year old, and 18 year old single malts
Style: Single malt Scotch whisky
Proof: 40% ABV (12 and 15 year olds), 47.2% ABV (18 year old)
Price: $40 (12 year old), $55 (15 year old), $90 (18 year old)
Release: December 2016
Availability: Widely available, although the 18 year old is a smaller release than the other two
Need to know:
A new range from the Speyside distillery, the 12 and 18 year old expressions are matured in bourbon casks, while the 15 year old is a mixture of sherry and bourbon casks.
Whisky Advocate says:
This new lineup complements Glen Moray’s no-age-statement Classic range, and its Elgin Reserve tier, which includes the 25 year old Port Cask Finish. Glen Moray 10 year old Chardonnay Cask is being discontinued.
Chapter 7 19 year old
Style: Single malt Scotch whisky
Proof: 56.2% ABV
Price: $180
Release: November 2016
Availability: 270 bottles for the U.S.
Need to know:
This whisky comes from an undisclosed Highlands distillery and is exclusive to the U.S. market.
Whisky Advocate says:
Chapter 7 is a new independent bottler based in Switzerland which has been operating since September 2014. Importer ImpEx Beverages notes that the whisky has aromas of “malt loaf and Christmas cake,” with a nutty and sherried palate.
Chieftain’s Bowmore 2002 13 year old
Chieftain’s Bowmore 2002 13 year old
Style: Single malt Scotch whisky
Proof: 46% ABV
Price: $130
Release: November 2016
Availability: 652 bottles for the U.S.
Chieftain’s Glen Grant 1997 19 year old
Style: Single malt Scotch whisky
Proof: 46% ABV
Price: $125
Release: November 2016
Availability: 487 bottles for the U.S.
Chieftain’s Glen Keith 1993 23 year old
Style: Single malt Scotch whisky
Proof: 46% ABV
Price: $175
Release: November 2016
Availability: 219 bottles for the U.S.
Chieftain’s Linkwood 1991 24 year old
Style: Single malt Scotch whisky
Proof: 46% ABV
Price: $175
Release: November 2016
Availability: 269 bottles for the U.S.
Chieftain’s Glenrothes 1997 19 year old
Style: Single malt Scotch whisky
Proof: 53.2% ABV
Price: $165
Release: November 2016
Availability: 437 bottles for the U.S.
Chieftain’s Glenturret 1990 25 year old
Style: Single malt Scotch whisky
Proof: 49.7% ABV
Price: $210
Release: November 2016
Availability: 397 bottles for the U.S.
Need to know:
The Chieftain’s range comes out twice a year. It’s bottled by Ian MacLeod Distillers, which also owns Glengoyne, Tamdhu, Smokehead, and Sheep Dip, among other Scotch whisky brands.
Whisky Advocate says:
The Glenturret would make a fun (and probably satisfying) comparison with Famous Grouse, which uses up most of that distillery’s production. And the Glen Keith is a rare find, as the distillery was mothballed between 1999 and 2012 and most of its production before and after the shuttering has been used in blends.
Kilchoman Original Cask Strength
Style: Single malt Scotch whisky
Proof: 56.9% ABV
Price: $110
Release: December 2016
Availability: 269 bottles for the U.S.
Need to know:
This is the second release of Kilchoman’s Original Cask Strength and was matured in quarter casks.
Whisky Advocate says:
A quarter cask is, well, roughly one-quarter the size of a 500-liter butt, meaning the whisky comes into more wood contact during maturation. Expect this one to show notes of caramel and vanilla as a result.
