Welcome - you are visitor  since 20 July 2001

I came to Single Malts later in life:  my father kept a good blended in the house and was generous in offering it with mixers, but he did not keep a single malt (unless it was secreted away).  I like to think I have educated my sons better, as they already seem to appreciate and distinguish a few.

We all have our favourite(s), some of us may even have an odd one we do not like: I do not pretend to be a connoisseur, my palette may have dulled slightly, but I am just giving the average drinker a chance to air his (or her) preferences and anything he (or she) wants to share.  Maybe you can persuade me that your favourite is worth sampling !

Here in deepest England, we do not have the range found in the best Scottish bars, but I manage to spread my taste buds round a few.

Several Christmas's ago, my sons each gave me a bottle, and I bought two more of different brands in a special offer:  since then, I have managed to keep four bottles in stock, not always the same four, so I have a better stock than my local pubs!

Here are some of the single malts I have tried, with just my opinion of them:  (alphabetical order to keep any bias out)

The Balvenie: a Speyside:  the Founders Reserve 10 yr old seems to be the one on the shelves and racks round here. Mellow and very acceptable, but somehow does not make my top selection.

Blair Atholl: the distillery, which I have visited, is in Pitlochry and not Blair Atholl: soon after I bought my first bottle, the company started to sell the bottles only in tins, and increased the price: my local specialist off-licence refused to stock it any longer, and later closed!  Dry and slightly smoky, it is a pity I can no longer find it locally.

Bowmore: An Islay malt, but one which to my taste is not typical of the island:  nevertheless, very acceptable.

Clynelish: This is the only distillery in my ancestral county of Sutherland, and I was disappointed that I did not like it more:  I had my only dram in a hotel in Brora, not far from the distillery and I found it rougher than my palette likes: even the Landlord agreed that it was not his favourite.  Perhaps it is an acquired taste, but it is unobtainable in my locality.  Perhaps I was subconciously put off by its being established at the time of the Clearances and relying on obtaining cheap grain from the displaced crofters on the coastal strips allocated to them.

Bunnahabhain is another Islay malt which I would not detect as such in a blind tasting: nevertheless, none the worse for that. After never seeing it for many years, I received two bottles in quick succession as gifts. It is less peaty than most Islays because it is distilled from water on high granite rocks, before it comes into contact with peat. I find it a mellow dram.

Dalwhinnie: the highest distillery in Scotland and a Speyside: I pass it regularly on my trips up the A9 to the Far North, and visited it once, but it was not producing at the time, and was being refurbished.  Only recently has the single malt been sold itself, previously going to blenders:  I feel it is too good for that !  Lighter but stronger (43%) and more mature (15 yrs as standard) than many, it makes a good pre dinner dram.

Glenfiddich: from Speyside: this is the one which seems to flood the duty free shops at airports, and even more so on board planes:  my guide book describes it as smooth, but I do not find it so:  it is amazing that the distillery is a near neighbour of The Balvenie, but that they are so different.

Glenmorangie:  from Tain, Ross-shire: the 10 yr old was for many years my favourite (and I usually have a bottle in the house), definitely one of the smoothest, and slightly sweet.  My sons have treated me to the occasional bottle of the specials, ie the 18 year old and the wood finishes (particularly the port finish),  they are even better, but are they worth the extra cost ?  All the whisky produced here is sold as single malt, none is used in blending:  long may it remain so !   The company are very good with coupons giving £1 or more off !

Highland Park from Kirkwall, Orkney: very acceptable, different from Islay and from mainland malts.I have had only limited drinking, and have not yet formed a firm opinion.

Knockando: a Speyside which, believe it or not, I met for the first time in a hotel bar in Granada, Spain: the barman was generous in his servings (no measure!) and modest in his prices, so I had a more than one tasting. A smooth malt, which one guide describes as easy-to-drink - but aren't most of them?

Lagavulin: from Islay, and to my pallet the most robust Malt I have tasted.  Strong in peat and smoke, and 16 years old as standard, an excellent nightcap.
I am surprised that with this brand and Laphraoig being so close together on Islay, they should taste so different:  I prefer the Lagavulin, even if Laphraoig have made me the lessee of a square foot of Islay !

Laphraoig: An Islay distillation, with all the strong peaty flavour and colouring that implies:  some say they can taste seaweed, but not having tasted seaweed alone, I offer no comment.  My bottle was the 10 year old: there are also 15 and  30 year old - the latter costs £200, I should dearly like to try it, but unless the Lottery comes up, it is unlikely.
The commercial which runs from time to time on Classic FM suggests that Laphraoig is an acquired taste, and that first samples may not please:  I have not had this problem !

The MacAllan: another Speyside: my current favourite, although I still try others from time to time.  I first tasted it a few years ago, but was given a bottle by a good friend recently:  she and it are now top of the poll !  Matured in sherry casks as standard, and you can taste it !
A friend and I have persuaded one of our locals to stock it: but unfortunately in sufficient customers drank it to justify restocking! I could not keep it going single handed, but now keep it as one of my regular bottles at home.

Oban: both geographically and in flavour, between an Islay but a less peaty aroma, and Highland: 14 yrs old as standard.

A question for the cognescenti:  I was given a set of Marks and Spencers' miniatures some time ago, including Tobermory (which I knew) but also Drovers' Dram "produced south of a line between Dundee and Greenock" (which includes about half of Scotland),  Loch Alvie from Speyside, and Teith Mill "from the largest production area of malt whisky" which by elimation must mean Islay:  I can not find them listed anywhere, have you heard of them ?  With only a small amount of each, I did not form a definite opinion of them.
 

Let me know your views:E-mail me. ([email protected])
And finally - take a wee dram of your own favourite !
And finally - take a dram of your own favourite !

Return to Index page.

Last Updated December 2002