I’ve not been a huge fan of Old Forester products before, although I had some fun with the “Prohibition Style” release (whatever that means). However, a reviewer’s job is never done and there are always more whiskies to try. Onward!
Released in 2017, Benromach Triple Distilled was a limited edition from owners Gordon & MacPhail that did not make it through the current lineup re-packaging (which was slated to hit US shelves in 2021 but hasn’t, yet). Triple distillation is uncommon in Scotland (Auchentoshan is the only distillery that does it regularly, to my knowledge) but de rigueur in Ireland. It is considered common knowledge that triple distillation results in a cleaner, crisper, and perhaps blander spirit, but there are
Old Elk Blended Straight Bourbon is a blend of sourced straight bourbons, with the youngest aged 5 years. As for the mash bill, Old Elk is once again an outlier: A whopping 34% malted barley, 51% corn, and 15% rye. I’ve never seen that much barley used in a bourbon before. They say it makes the whiskey extra smooth. The bourbon is bottled at an acceptable…
The name Kilkerran is Scots Gaelic for “head of the lake of Saint Kieran’s cell” and refers to a local historic settlement. Glengyle distillery uses a local water source, Crosshill Loch, for its process and proofing water. After a series of “Work in Progress” malts, Kilkerran is now bottled under a range with an 8 year-old cask strength expression, an NAS “heavily peated” expression, and this flagship 12 year-old. Glengyle actually uses Springbank’s…