CRAIGELLACHIE 88/100

.......... a delightful feminine speyside Malt of good manners !
this creature is rather hard to obtain as most disappears into Dewar's Blends.
Fortunately, a recent official bottling has appeared which presents this whisky nicely, despite being half 'branded'.
The flavour is soft, complex/rich vanilla malt with an enticing smokey-floral overtone.
Singular and elegant, this has great charm, although I would like to see a little more smoke as this is a rare thing. (when unaccompanied by peat !)
Craigellachie 14 y.o. 90/100

CRAGGANMORE 86/100

.......... a delightful speysider, and providing a rich, sweet/dry/fruity/spicy combo, and as complex a finish as one could ever ask from a whisky.
Official bottlings are usually part of the Diageo 'Classic Malts' range therefore are a 'Brand' presentation which inhibits the quality of the whisky but, the Indi's have this in 'craft' bottlings and they are generally well worth the effort.
This whisky is well respected by Blenders, and appears in the Johnnie Walker Range helping to round off the Talisker/Caol Ila double-act.
Cragganmore 12 y.o. 90/100

CONVALMORE 88/100

......... CLOSED 1985
............ this speyside distillery is only occasionally found bottled by a few small Indi's.
It is a good example of a tasty whisky which, on sampling, makes one wonder why something so good gets the boot !!!
The flavour is intense, sweet yet oddly, fruity-confectionary-complex, ............ definitely worth the review if you decide to open the bottle in your collectors collection.
Convalmore Rare Malts Selection 24 y.o. 89/100

COLEBURN 79/100

............... CLOSED 1985
......... a speyside distillery closed down for being generally poor whisky.
The taste is mentioned as sweet rubber-infused brine mustiness and a taste that collapses! shortly after being sipped.
.... well enough said, .... one for collectors
not drinkers.

CLYNELISH 90/100

.... a northern Highland distillery with a history intertwined (literally) with the magnificent Brora.
This is a colourful, engaging, and gregarious dram with, fizz, and character, and you don't really get a bad version of this one, even amongst the Indi's. Excellent, ... and a lot nicer than the autocrat who founded the distillery in 1819
who was responsible for a significant, enforced depopulation of his lands which contributed to the Highland Clearances.
Clynelish 14 y.o. 90/100

CARDHU 83/100

................... a speysider of sweet, woody, spicy, charm and quality, this whisky is not seen in many versions !!!
A component of the Johnnie Walker Blends, .....also the unfortunate victim of a nasty incident in which senior managers within the whisky industry tried to re-brand this single Malt as a blended Malt in an underhand fashion, disrespecting the customer and disrespecting the whisky Industry.
The crux of the deception was the complete similarity of packaging between the 'Single' (one distillery malt) and the 'Pure' (any scotch distillery malt).
It was bound to confuse, and fortunately didn't succeed, ......... but the damage is done, and memories are long, so when this type of shenanigans (I will stop short of calling it fraud!) happens again,
..........Blogs will Buzz !!
.......... sales will suffer !!!

CAPERDONICH 82/100

........ a speysider with a spirity and vinous nature used almost exclusively for padding out the Chivas Regal Blends. It's not a whisky you will come across readily but if you really want to, Chivas are now doing wee (50cl) 'Artisan' bottles which have the benefit of a decent 'craft' presentation, although pricey !