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Glenmorangie is a name even non-drinkers recognise, and the Quinta Ruban is their port-finished Highlander — now 14 years old after extending its time in ruby port pipes to four years. Port finishes can be hit or miss, so does this one earn its benchmark reputation? Expect dark fruits, chocolate-covered cherries and a silky, non-chill-filtered texture, with gentle spice keeping the sweetness honest.
Special releases come thick and fast these days, but Fèis Ìle bottlings still pull me in. This 2024 Bunnahabhain is a 14 year old port-cask release from Islay's annual festival. The port shows gloriously: raspberry, strawberry and dark chocolate, jammy and rich at a hefty 58.7%, with that signature coastal salt lingering through a long finish. Something a little special — and absolutely stunning.
Oban sits in an interesting spot — a Highland distillery with west-coast salt in its veins, often called a bridge between the gentler Highland malts and the bigger island styles. The 14, its flagship, is gently coastal: sea spray and salt air, a smooth, surprisingly light palate, and a medium finish of lingering smoke and salt. Elegant and pleasant — but is pleasant enough?
Further down the Loch Lomond rabbit hole: the 14 year old, 'Spiced Apple and Soft Smoke'. The Inchmoan 12 and the 10 both impressed me, so I'm starting to suspect this distillery is quietly excellent. Stewed apple and toffee — almost a sweet tarte tatin — meet warm Christmas spice and a gentle, lingering smoke. Lovely stuff at around £50; is Loch Lomond the journey's dark horse?
Aberlour is where my whisky love affair began — I'll happily admit to being a fanboy. So how does the pricier 14 measure up to the distillery that started it all? It's all silky sweetness — orange peel, raisins and cherries — with a gentle clove spice and a long, satisfying finish. Lovely stuff — but at 40%, does it justify the step up from the everyday 12?
After the underwhelming Glenlivet 12, we head a stone's throw away to Tomintoul — 'the gentle dram'. Established in 1964, it wears a softer, distinctive Speyside identity. Expect crisp orchard fruits, apple blossom and Turkish delight, with creamy vanilla and a late flicker of ginger spice. The unassuming bottle hides plenty within — but is it gentle and good, or gentle and forgettable?
Clynelish 14 has always left me torn — irresistible image and bottle on one hand, a nagging doubt on the other. This famously waxy Highlander is a whisky of contradictions: aged citrus and caramel meet a briny, oily texture, a whisper of peat and a short but intense peppery finish. Distinctive, certainly — but at around £50, does it earn its devoted following?
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