Best in Blog #37: Special Offerings From Macallan and Glenrothes
Another week, and another bottle (well, two) around which the whisky blogosphere seems to congregate. The first is a special anniversary offering from Macallan, which has “expensive gimmick” written all over it:
A limited edition of only 250 bottles has been produced and it’s envisaged that these will sell out quickly. The liquid comes from two casks chosen by The Macallan’s whisky maker Bob Dalgarno – one from 1997 and one from 1998, both numbered 1759, the year of Burns’s birth. The significance of the cask numbers was recognised by Bob and he felt it only appropriate to produce a special bottling for the homecoming year. The rarity of the liquid is a fitting commemoration to Scotland’s famous poet.
Hrm. A rare liquid chosen not on the quality of the cask, but rather because the arbitrary number on the cask marked a specific historical date? Add in some ultra-lux packaging and this is just an interesting item to sell to the collectors’ market. Not that exciting, unless you are fortunate enough to get a free bottle to taste.
For more info, check out Whisky Intelligence and Whisky for Everyone.
The second “hot bottle” this week is from the Glenrothes. It’s a special bottling honoring Malt Master John Ramsay, and Ramsay himself created it using samples from 30 casks. With only 100 bottles available (and only in the UK), this is basically for the collector’s market as well, but feels like the product might actually be of a higher quality than the Macallan release.
Whisky Intelligence, Whisky for Everyone, and Edinburgh Whisky all have more information on this bottling.
Tasting Notes From Bloggers We Trust
- Whisky Fun seems to be the first blogger live with tastings of the infamous “Manager’s Choice” selections from Diageo. Most interestingly, he matches them up against other releases from the same distillery.
- Whisky Notes has four reviews this week – an Aberlour 1995 from Duncan Taylor, a Glenfarclas 1968 by Lindores, an Arran Pomerol Wine Finish, Glendronach 1996 single cask, and Bowmore Tempest.
- Whisky Intelligence tastes a Macallan 14 from The Alchemist, and a Rosebank 18 from Douglas Laing’s Old Malt Cask.
- Whisky for Everyone downs a dram of Jameson Irish Whisky.
- Cask Strength gets their hands on a rare Laphroaig Highgrove House bottling. The 12 year old is similar to a Springbank, according to their notes.
- Cask Strength also offers some tasting notes on Ardbeg’s latest, the Corryvreckan.
- John Hansell reviews the Eagle Rare 17 year old bourbon from Buffalo Trace.
- Welsh whisky The Penderyn takes a brutal lashing from the Malt Impostors.
Whisk(e)y News on the Web:
- Scotch Hobbyist has a great roundup of the Johnnie Walker Black blending webcast.
- Once upon a time, Maker’s Mark offered three expressions. John Hansell wants to start a petition to bring them back.
- When is a whiskey a jackalope? When it is a rye/bourbon blend (bourye) from Utah’s High West distillery.
- The latest edition of Whisky Cast is live.
- John Hansell has a list of the 2009 Classic Malts limited edition releases.
- Glengoyne is launching a 12 year old expression.
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