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Here we are again. Aberlour - my Achilles' heel, as I've said before. The distillery where it all started for me, the one I keep returning to even when I know I should probably explore elsewhere. But this time is different. This time I'm trying something I've been genuinely excited about: the A'bunadh Alba.
GlenAllachie's 12 impressed me with Billy Walker's vision for the place — transformed since 2017 from quiet blend-fodder into a cult single malt. The 15 doubles down: an unashamedly sherried wave of raisins, dates, figs, caramel and dark chocolate, with cherry cordial and orange marmalade before a drier finish. Big, bold Speyside in the GlenDronach mould — does the extra age earn its keep?
Sometimes a whisky takes you by surprise. I thought I had Speyside figured out — sweet and fruit-forward — but Benromach 10 is a throwback to an older, increasingly rare style of the region. Toffee apple and sherried dried fruit meet a lovely oily texture and a whisper of smoke, finishing dry and gently spiced. Classic Speyside with a characterful twist — and a real bargain.
Aberlour might just be my Achilles' heel — I know the whisky isn't the most complex, yet something keeps pulling me back. This time it's one of the older, dearer expressions in the range. The nose promises brandy-soaked Christmas-pudding raisins, but the palate is lighter than you'd hope: pepper, oak and a medium, spice-led finish. A beautiful bottle — but does the dram deliver?
Benriach is one of the rare Speyside distilleries making both peated and unpeated spirit. Today it's 'The Twelve', their unpeated core expression. Rich maple syrup and a floral lift lead to torched orange, honey and gentle malt, before a long finish punctuated with pepper and ginger. A quietly confident, classic sherried Speysider in a crowded category — does it stand out?
Glenfiddich may well be the most famous name in single malt Scotch. Only The Glenlivet comes close on output, but Glenfiddich pairs its vast production with marketing and presentation that's often a cut above — whether that's to your taste or not. Just look at the stunning artwork on the presentation box for this 15 Year Old and you'll see what I mean.
Glenfiddich is wrapped up in my childhood — every visitor to Elgin got the Dufftown tour. Project XX blends the cask picks of twenty experts into a single whisky. It's an intriguing mix: apple blossom and orchard fruit on the nose giving way to a woodier, fudgier palate, and a long, spicy finish with a bitter coffee edge. A clever idea — but does it work in the glass?
This one sat unopened in my cupboard for a while; a frosty New Year's Day felt like the moment. From the box alone, Mortlach — 'The Beast of Dufftown' — wants you to take it seriously. And it's a brute in the best way: dried fruit, dark toffee and a savoury, meaty umami note, with a long, dry, peppery finish. That singular character comes from its quirky 2.81-times distillation.
Possibly the strangest bottle I've met so far — 'Singleton' is a Diageo brand spanning three different distilleries. This is the widely-available Dufftown version. Confusing branding aside, is there a good dram underneath? Expect polished wood and toasted hazelnuts giving way to citrus, a nutty core and a zesty, medium finish. Pleasant enough — but at its £37 RRP, is it really worth your money?
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?
Glen Moray built its name on genuinely good-value whisky, and this no-age-statement release — around £30, if you can find it — is no different. The twist this time is an 'unusual' cask story. Inside, elegant vanilla and caramel meet a distinctive new-oak edge and a real kick of ginger and peppercorn spice that lingers longer than you'd expect. Gimmick, or genuinely interesting?
Greetings, fellow Centurions! This week we explore Tamdhu 12 Year Old. From a quaint but resilient distillery established in 1896, Tamdhu quietly forged its legacy before being embraced by Ian Macleod Distillers in 2011 — rising from a period of closure under new stewardship, with a distinct bottle shape that stands out from the crowded Speyside marketplace.
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?
Glenlivet is a cornerstone of Scotch — Scotland's oldest legal distillery and a global beacon for the category. The 12 is everywhere, which is exactly why it's worth asking: is the world's default Speyside actually any good? Delicate orchard fruits, vanilla and honey make for an easy, accessible pour — but is 'easy' enough when a whisky is this widely revered? My answer might surprise you.
Balvenie is many people's gateway to single malt. Having already covered the trusty DoubleWood 12, I'm turning to a more unusual variation from the distillery's experimental 'Stories' collection — finished in toasted American oak. Expect vanilla fudge, candied citrus and a wave of toffee sweetness. It's a lovely concept, but does the experiment justify the extra outlay over the everyday DoubleWood?
Tucked among Speyside's household names sits the lesser-known Craigellachie, most of its spirit bound for Dewar's blends. But a precious portion is set aside as single malt — and the 13 has a reputation worth chasing. It's a weighty, characterful dram: tropical pineapple meets a savoury, meaty edge, a thick oily texture and burnt honey, with a wisp of smoke on the finish. Does it live up to the hype?
GlenAllachie is one of the new breed of distilleries — forward-thinking, but built on decades of expertise. When master distiller Billy Walker and his partners took over in 2017, they transformed it from a blend supplier into a single malt name in its own right. The 12-Year-Old is the cornerstone of that reinvention, and the bottle that put GlenAllachie on the map. Worth the hype?
Glen Elgin sits just outside the Speyside town where I grew up, so this one's personal. It's a quiet workhorse of the blends, rarely bottled as a single malt — which makes the 12 something of a hidden gem. Marzipan and toffee apples on the nose, a peppery, orange-zest palate, and a long, spicy finish. At under £40, is this nostalgic dram worth seeking out?
Glen Grant 12 sits squarely in the fiercely competitive £30–£50 realm of 12 year old Scotch — a category drowning in options. It's a pleasant, light Speysider: apples, pears and a touch of citrus, easy and approachable, if let down by an unremarkable finish. A cautious, safe dram from a big name — so does it do enough to stand out from the crowd?
The Balvenie 12 DoubleWood takes its name from the now-common process of 'wood finishing' — a technique pioneered by one of Balvenie's former Malt Masters in the 1980s and refined by the distillery over decades. They're far from the only ones using it these days, but as you'll find out below, they may well be doing it better than most.
All of Scotland's distilleries (around 140 and growing) are organised into traditional whisky-producing regions. The five classic regions are Highlands, Speyside, Islay, Lowlands, and Campbeltown, though many people split the Highlands into two — Highlands and Islands — which is the classification I use here.
Aberlour holds a special place in my heart — it's where my whisky journey began. Casg Annamh, Gaelic for 'rare cask', is a no-age-statement, small-batch expression that draws its richness from a medley of Oloroso sherry casks. The bottle, with its grey wax and embossed name, certainly looks the part — but does the dram inside live up to it?
The Cragganmore distillery is part of the huge Diageo group. It is a widely believed that most of the whisky they produce is used in some of Diageo’s blended whiskies, Johnnie Walker Black Label, Old Parr and White Horse to name a few, for the export market. However they do have some single malt expressions sold under the Cragganmore name, including this 12 year aged one.
Macallan is renowned for its commitment to craftsmanship, quality and the luxury market, has created a whisky delivering a tasting experience that reflects the brand’s commitment to its values. While Macallan whiskies are often hailed as icons in the Scottish whisky industry, I find myself grappling with a sense of conflict. For me whisky is raw, sturdy and accessible, qualities that seem somewhat absent in this particular dram.
Welcome, Whisky Centurions, to Benriach's The Original Ten — a Speyside single malt where tradition meets a touch of innovation. It's an easy, approachable dram: subtle orchard fruit and vanilla on the nose, honeyed ripe-apple sweetness with gentle oak and malt, and a moderate, lightly spiced finish. At under £40 it's a steady, reliable choice away from the high-street names — if not the most complex.
What better way to kick off this journey of rediscovery than with my everyday favourite? Since it replaced the 10 year old in 2020, Aberlour 12 has firmly established itself as one of the quintessential Speyside whiskies, and it holds a special place in my heart. Readily available and typically £30–40, it's an irresistible choice for connoisseurs and newcomers alike.
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