By Paer Johansson Rating: B+ Something big happened this week. Did you feel it? The 13th of October, Irish Distillers launched their 37th Edition of the Midleton Very Rare range. This is the last edition released by Former Master Distiller Brian Nation, as he is handing over the banner to Kevin O’Gorman. Brian chose a selection of pot still and ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Independent bottler Cask 88 has done some pretty fine work in the past, and anything Islay and well-aged coming out of such a bottler is guaranteed to grab a certain amount of attention. So it is with Cailleach Beira, a Laphroaig distilled in 2001 and aged for 19 years. Building on that is a finish ...

By Douglas Fraser Rating:  A+ Glenfarclas (“Valley of the Green Grass”) Distillery stands out as an esteemed producer of Speyside style Scotch Whisky. Officially founded in 1836, there has been evidence found that supports theories that whisky-making on the site could have started around 1791. Bought in 1865 by John Grant and his son, the distillery continues to this day ...

By Andrew Graham Rating: A Bushmills on Oct. 1 debuted the first release in a new annual series, “The Rare Casks.” It’s a dizzying and phenomenal dram: the 28-year-old expression was triple distilled in 1992 and spent 11 years maturing in ex-Oloroso sherry casks and bourbon barrels before marrying and having a secondary maturation of 17 more years in Cognac ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: A- The current batch of the Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond series, a limited edition brand of wheated bourbon released twice per year, is a 14 year old. Much is being made of this being the first time Old Fitz BiB has been a 14 year old, but the oldest yet came out a year ago ...