Yeah, it struck me as pretty fair, too — fair enough to get me watching that listing, even though I am very much not in the market for a $350+ bottle of hooch these days.
Clynelish — another solid one. What’s your take on one of my pet favorites, Mannochmore?
K&L has a Single Cask Nation right now - 17 years, with last 3 in a red wine barrique
Thank you for pointing that out to me! I’ve actually been looking at that with some interest for a while – – – I typically shy away from whisky that saw a finishing barrel treatment, as I don’t particularly like it when you can taste the barrel more than you can the spirit. Yes, I realize that ex-Bourbon barrels impart their own flavor, but in my head that’s the “neutral“ barrel when it comes to whisky.
By chance have you tried that Mannochmore?
I’ve tried the Balblair finished in PX casks, but not the Mannochmore. SCN is usually pretty good with cask management though.
Thanks, Julian. I’ve not tried any of their selections, so I appreciate that extra input. 
They added a staff tasting note
This beautiful Speyside expression unlocks rich and decadent flavors from a distillery that primarily supplies the malt for blends like Haig and Pinch. The nose unfolds with bright orange oils, graham cracker crust, toffee and hay. On the palate there is a bit of a berry sweetness that complements the rich woodiness. Warm earthy oak, charred pineapple, and buttered toast remain on this long and elegant finish.
I only have one right now, a 13 year old. I do like it, my initial note from 3 years ago 
"2008 Mannochmore 13 year
55.3% normal barrel. Single cask of 300 bottles selected specifically for probably the best whisky shop in the country, Kensington Wine Market in Calgary. The proprietor, Andrew Ferguson, is a gem and this is one of two recommendations he gave me when I asked for something between C$125 and C$175. (Yes, I took the other one as well and will report).
Quite floral and almost peach, but also toffee and vanilla. Andrew, he don’t hold with weak-kneed whiskies. Very strong, fiery attack, but equal parts honey and heather–this is pretty Speyside to me. Absolutely takes over your whole mouth with big warming feel before sliding down your throat. A sort of sea-brine afterbreathe. Dashing is probably a useful descriptor. 8"
Whisky Trail Blair Athol
11 year old, will have to check for casking and distillation date, but I do remember it’s 58.4% or so. I confess that the label lured me in to this one. As a taste, it checks the boxes Blair Athol usually checks for me—kind of a strong Irish Whisky masquerading as a single malt scotch, as it is definitely on the sweet side and more or less on one level. Fine as a diversion, which it will be for me, 6.
Ardbeg Smokiverse
Here’s the producer’s eloquently waxed description:
"As we celebrate 25 years of the Ardbeg Committee in 2025, we venture further into space once more… Behold the immense magnetism of Ardbeg’s mash tun. Responsible for converting our malted barley into fermentable sugars (mashing), all life at Ardbeg revolves around the tun. This time, however, it has become a force to be reckoned with, as we concentrate its power to materialise a new frontier of flavour for Ardbeg.
“Experimenting with a process called ‘high gravity mashing’, our intrepid whisky creators vastly decreased the amount of water in the mash tun, then packed more grain into the mix than ever before. Crushing and compressing every drop of liquid, this unconventional mash has magnified the intensity of flavour-active acetate esters. Ramping up the density of wort to astronomical levels, we’ve drawn in fruitier, sweeter flavours from the deepest corners of the mash tun.”
So, blind I don’t know I’d be anywhere near the Ardbeg I can identify. With that said, I do find some intrigue here. A sort of wintergreen overlay to campfire aromas and tastes, and I find definite apple, ginger and toasted toffee all have some play. 7—I won’t go higher because I do want some Ardbegian identity, but I’m not spitting it out either.
Welllll hell … that sounds pretty dram good to me!
My eldest son and I tried this out for the first time after dinner tonight. He bought it because he read somewhere that it’s a cheaper alternative to our regular/go-to house session whiskey, Macallan 12 Sherry Oak. Not bad. Not as sweet or smooth/creamy, with a lot of wood, and underlying unsweetened dark chocolate, cocoa and espresso; and certainly quite forward. Subtlety certainly isn’t one of its virtues. That all said, considering its price, it’s a pleasant enough casual digestif.
I was recently generously gifted a bottle of 18 year old bravestone or gravestone or whatever that total wine brand is. A generous friend was swayed by the parasitic tw shill based on a 96 point rating from an event/organization that no one has ever heard of.
I wish I could have taken it back to total wine and returned it. What an insipid waste of a whisky bottle.
Bought this one a few months ago, and have had it a few times since. It’s nothing special, but it’s “good,” I suppose. Light, high-toned Nose with seaweedy peat and new tires scent. Medicinal with a marked wood imprint on the palate. High octane. At $43, this is a really solid for choice for those ill-advised closing-party drams.
Thanks Brian. Ardmore has always pleased me while rarely thrilling me.
On ice?
NEVER!!!
Had to break into the Teaninich 8-year ‘Daring Rye’ Special Release, as I was very much looking forward to it.
“ From the distillery that dares to be different, to stand apart from tradition, Teaninch presents our first Single Grain Scotch Whisky bottling made using rye. From a bold 2016 rye experiment using our rare mash filter, we bring a one-of-a-kind Scotch. Malted rye and barley are mashed together for a distillation matured in ex-bourbon casks. Discover the rebellious charm of the outlier.”
Since I’m a big Rye guy, I had to go for it, and thanks to @Jorge_Henriquez for securing the bottle on my behalf. At 60.3% ABV I definitely did a water add-back. Fascinating whiskey! Smells almost nothing like a Scotch whiskey, more of a fruity-profile Rye, loads of saline/sea spray. Palate is definitely Scotch whiskey profile, sharp, pears, hint of peat (about right for my preference), not sweet as many more aged whiskeys would be, long finish, really nice stuff. Geeky and super enjoyable, very pleased
The Appalachia Special!
Sounds interesting, and good! Thanks for posting, Todd.
