An imposing figure on any shelf, this offering from Bruichladdich is a veritable titan of peat.  In fact the Octomore product line currently stands as the world's heaviest peated, often north of 140 parts per million (ppm) phenols.  For a frame of reference, Ardbeg and Laphroaig typically contain about 54 and 40ppm phenols respectively.  Octomore is made in limited runs, and there is considerable batch variation, so the version number naming convention is for the sake of whisky enthusiasts as a quick reference to track the years aged and various ppm levels. There are rumours of an Octomore release in the pipeline for Summer 2014 that clocks in above an unthinkable 300 ppm.

Praised by whiskey enthusiasts the world over, Old Rip Van Winkle, produced by Buffalo Trace Distillery of the Sazerac Company, has been one of the most sought-after Bourbons on the market in recent years. Based in Frankfort, Kentucky the Van Winkle family has been producing spirit since the late 1800's however it wasn't until the 1970's that the pre-prohibition era Old Rip Van Winkle brand was re-launched by Julian Van Winkle, Jr..

It's merely 2 days until Christmas. You have many people you want to shop for, and there is a whisky lover on your list. You've already gone into your local store a couple times and have left empty handed because no one could help you make heads or tails of the selection and whether or not it would be enjoyed by the person you are buying for. Where could you possibly turn for help? 

At ScotchBlog we often focus on the higher priced whiskies that move us to write about them for good or ill. In so doing we often seem to pass by what one can call "daily drams" because they fail to give us pause to think since we comparatively spend so much less of our money on them. Encountering Three Ships for the first time I was intrigued by its origins in South Africa and its use of Scotch whiskies blended with its own to yield a finished product. Upon opening it, that intrigue morphed into genuine interest in how a $35 whisky could deliver all that it does. 

Have you ever wanted to explore whisky but didn't know where to start? 

On October 31st, 2013 ScotchBlog.ca along with The Balvenie distillery and PMA Canada, hosted a tasting at The Spoke Club.

Guests were treated to seven whiskies from the distillery, delicious food pairings with each one, as well as a discussion on cask production and restoration by Ian Macdonald, William Grant and Sons' Master Cooper.

Whiskies sampled were The Balvenie 12 year old DoubleWood with warm dates stuffed with walnuts, the 14 year old Caribbean Cask with wild mushroom strudel & truffle oil, the 17 year old DoubleWood with a grilled cheese sandwich made  5 year old aged cheddar, the 15 year old Single Cask (arguably the belle of the ball) w/ prosciutto wrapped scallops and a roasted apple chutney, the 21 year old PortWood w/ lamb chops, and finally two cask strength barrel samples (1 sherry, 1 bourbon) w/ 85% dark chocolate wrapped cheese cake.

Ian was kind enough to bring a set of cask-making tools to the tasting to aid in describing the processes necessary to keep casks at The Balvenie and Glenfiddich in Dufftown in top whisky-making condition.

A very special thanks to the distillery, Beth at PMA for guiding the tasting, Ian for showing us how casks are kept up, and finally The Spoke Club for providing a beautiful venue and truly fantastic food pairings.

Please enjoy this photo gallery of the evening.

Once known as "the other distillery in Craigellachie" due to the prominence of its neighbour Macallan, the town's namesake distillery has been around since 1891 and producing primarily for blended whisky throughout much of its existence. A component of Dewar's blends, the malt whisky produced here has rarely seen the light of day as a single malt without the aid of an independent bottler. So it comes as little surprise that independent impresarios Gordon & MacPhail have been the ones to bring this distillery out of the shadows and onto Ontario shelves, doing so as always by maturing it in their own bespoke sherry casks, bottling it at its zenith. 

The Middleton distillery in Cork, Ireland is well known for producing classic and popular Irish whiskies such as Jameson, Tullamore Dew, and Greenspot. For whisky lovers however, it is often what they are not famous for that draws us to them. Writers Tears is just one of those - an Irish whiskey, blended together from pot-distilled whiskies and single malts, bottled at 40% ABV and is said to have been a favourite style of whisky for Irish writers of the 18th century.