Glenrothes, independent bottling, no age statement

About the distillery: Glenrothes (pronounced "Glen-roth-es") was founded in 1878 by a distiller from nearby Macallan. The Speyside whisky is most commonly used in blends such as Cutty Sark and the Famous Grouse, but several independent labeling of single malt are available and since 1994, bottlings directly from the distributor.

Tasting notes: Nose is very spirity with hints of barley and citrus (spirit smell mellows with water). Caramel color and matching taste; young sweet flavor with a sharp and spicy finish. Noticeable release with a drop of water yield many more complexities of flavor.

Balvenie Doublewood 12

About the distillery: Established close to the town of Dufftown in 1892 by the Grant family of distillers, The Balvenie remains a family business over a century after its founding. Owned by the operators of neighboring Glenfiddich, The Balvenie produces richer and more complex, but far less popular single malts. The 12-year-old Doublewood is the standard bearer of the Speyside distillery. The whisky sits in first or second fill bourbon casks for almost its complete aging, before being finished in sweet oloroso casks, creating a rich honey malt.

Tasting notes: Nose is deep fruity, the sherry smell is noticeable. Good strong body; golden color. Taste is rich and deep on the palate; with a sherry richness, smoky body, and long, complex, and satisfying finish. Great combination of flavors, none of which overwhelm. Hold it up to the light and add a single drop of water: the release of oils is remarkable and there are some nice fresh, floral notes with the addition of water ("the barley comes out of hiding").

You will like this if you like: The Macallan, Glenfiddich Solera Reserve 15.

Bottle notes: "Rich, mellow flavour of great depth and unusual complexity."

Ratings: Taster one, 86; taster two, 83; taster three, 87. Average: 85.

Dalwhinnie 15

About the distillery: At 1,073 feet (326 meters), this Speyside whisky distillery is one of the highest in Scotland. Up here, in the heart of the Scottish Grampians, the air is cool and the water is pure (with a welcome hint of regional peat). Originally called Strathspey when it opened in 1897, Dalwhinnie is now named after a nearby village, with a name that is Gaelic for "meeting place." A popular single malt Scotch since it was included in producer Diageo's line of Classic Malts as the Highlands entry in 1987.

Tasting notes: The nose is flavorful, with a hint of peat. Bright golden color; rich body. From a gentle sweet start, it has a rich, rounded, fruity heart and a long, intensely beautiful finish with hints of peat and summer fruit. A good aperitif.

You will like this if you like: Cragganmore, The Speyside.

Ratings: Taster one, 84; taster two, 81; taster three, 76. Average: 80.

The Macallan 12

About the distillery: The most distinguished of the famous single malt whisky blends, the Macallan has been producing whiskies since their production was legalized in 1824 (and probably before). Though the special bottlings are prized by Scotch connoisseurs, a generous attention to detail is placed on even the mass-produced vintages (10 years in the UK, 12 years elsewhere). Using fine barleys, limited yeast varieties, small stills, and solely dry oloroso (sherry) casks, the distillers at Macallan have succeeded in producing a single malt of outstanding consistent quality.

Tasting notes: Generally lovely. Amber color. Nose reveals hints of the components: spirit, barley, rich sherry. Taste is rich but smooth, body hits all areas of the mouth for a rounded but complex taste. The finish is similarly rounded and complex and quite long, with flavor running all the way down the throat. Taste is distinctive: sherry and barley sweetness. Great for after dinner or anytime; wonderful introduction to single malt Scotch whisky.

You will like this if you like: Older Macallans (recommended), Glenmorangie (compare the solely bourbon casks).

Ratings: Taster one, 90; taster two, 89; taster three, 91. Average: 90.

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.