The Singleton 12

About the distillery: The Singleton is distilled near Dufftown in the heart of Speyside. For many years, unofficial bottlings of Diageo's Auchroisk (pronounced "Ath Rusk", or something like that and founded in 1974) distillery were called "The Singleton." (Auchroisk produces a quantity of the whisky used in Diageo's blended scotch whisky, including Johnny Walker and J&B.) The official Singleton bottling, part of the Classic Malts Selection, seems to originate instead from the Glendullan distillery, also in Dufftown. Glendullan, founded in 1898 and once a personal choice of King Edward VII is also a key contributor to the Diageo blends. In any case, The Singleton is a relative newcomer to the single malt scene and is still somewhat hard to find, though it is increasing in prominence.

Tasting notes: Nice. The nose is very woody, perhaps oaky, with notes of nutty vanilla. The body is soft and full, and a textured taste that induces words like "creamy," "silky," "soft," and "buttery." The palate is rich and smooth, with a spicy nutty finish. It is full without being too complex, as thought any edge has been aged away in the combination of woods. This is a good example of a single malt scotch becoming more complex with a small amount of water, which releases many syrupy tastes. A good after-dinner whisky and a nice intro scotch for a burgeoning connoisseur. As one taster remarked, "someone could drink serious quantities of this."

Notes printed on bottle: "Sweet and fruity notes." "Unique balance of European and US casks." "Smooth, richly satisfying taste."

You will like this if you like: Glenlivet 15 year old French Oak finish, Balvenie Doublewood.

Ratings: Taster one, 79; taster two, 76; taster three, 77. Average: 77.

More whisky jobs lost

A break from the reviews.

Long gone are the days of the family whisky maker, drying malt with peat, aging in a warehouse at the distillery, and bottling at the same plant. Today, scotch is a multi-billion pound business, and many distilleries are owned by international corporations. With this trend has come the search for corporate efficiency, which all too often translates into job losses. Sadly, I read today of another mass layoff in the whisky industry. Whyte & Mackay, owned by a Indian billionaire, announced cuts of 100 staff members, including some at their flagship Dalmore and Isle of Jura distilleries. This comes on the heels of the massive layoffs by Diageo (owners of Oban, Talisker, Lagavulin, Glen Ord, Caol Ila, Knockando, Glenkinchie, Dalwhinnie, and Cragganmore distilleries and Johnnie Walker blends, as well as a host of other well-known alcoholic beverages). As drinkers of the “water of life,” we feel a special connection to the fine people who produce Scotland’s finest export and are saddened by these cuts.

Allt-Abhainne (distilled 1991, bottled 2004 by Gordon & McPhail, Elgin)

About the distillery: A relatively new Speyside distillery, Allt-Abhainne (also spelled Allt-a-Bhainne, the name means "the milk burn" in Gaellic) was built in 1975 by Seagrams. It was designed to manufacture whisky for use in blended scotch, and it fulfills this purpose today under the operation of Chivas Brothers (Pernod Ricard), adding its flavor to their smooth blends. To date, there have been no official bottlings of Allt-Abhainne as a single malt, although it has been released by several independent labels (this bottle was from Gordon & McPhail. Allt-Abhainne briefly ceased production between 2002 and 2005, but it looks set to continue into the foreseeable future.

Tasting Notes: The nose is soft and pleasantly citrusy like a walk through a spring meadow. Light color, soft light body. Gentle floral palate that continues into a slow and silky finish. Hints of smoke and peat and fruits. A good before-dinner drink and a nice full-tasting whisky with which to begin a single malt tasting session.

You will like this if you like: Glenfiddich, Glen Moray, Chivas Regal.

Rating: Taster one, 80. Taster two, 81. Taster three, 76. Average: 79.