That was my WOTY last year. Solid dram and totally unbeatable for the price 👍 Cheers 🥃

Hi Jane. I hope you managed to try Smoky Scot and got on well with it. It's a bit of a beast but one that I really enjoy. My New Year's drams have been PC10 and a little Lag8. Perfection! Here's to a great 2024 🥃

Happy New Year my friend 🎇 🥃

Sounds like an excellent dram with a special backstory. Life is often difficult and surprising, we could all do with taking an extra moment to appreciate the important things. Cheers and slainte 🥃

Maybe he is 😒😂

Kilkerran is a tough one to beat. Probably the best malt coming out of J&A Mitchell at the moment 👍

Happy New Year Sandro! 🎇 🥃

Very excited for the Clairin review. They are some of the best unaged rums available in the market. The aged Clairins are on a different level of odd if you get the chance to partake (Velier Papalin Haiti, Clairin Ansyen).

@@samueld1 stay tuned…

I have absolutely fallen in love with Clairin lately. Largely because of the many spectacular Velier bottles. Really looking forward to your Clairin reviews 😎 Happy New Year John 🥃

It's a very, very rare malt that drinks older than it is IMHO. Shame that the opposite isn't true 😯

Wise move to save the 02.22 for later 👍 I keep going back and forth between the Sherry and 02.22 and most days I'm really preferring the bourbon maturation... but then I have a dram of the sherry cask and that balance of dried fruits and smoke is gorgeous too! Slàinte Mhath! 🥃

@@WhiskyLock after all i prefer bourbon maturation as well. Aeration down the bottle of sherry cask makes the smoke is much more prominent and juice is just yummy. Cheers and Happy New Year 😁🥂🙋🏻‍♂️

Sounds like you've had a great 2023 👍 Glen Garioch is one I'm looking forward to trying again soon. Cheers and here's to 2024 🥃

Nooow... if I may. The pedestal thing... Springbank have looong been on a pedestal - way before we see the crazy of today, what happened was that word got out. Commitment, character, quality, integrity, flavour - all of it will engender fandom. What we need to do is find a way to help the choices and destinations for fandom expand, not restrict the opportunity for fandom. Ardna are a torch-bearer, as Springbank was/is. Although, I do accept your point wrt echoing each other without individual exploration, thought and selection. Cheers to ya Shane and Happy New Year!

Cheers Roy! Happy New Year and hope 2024 is going well for you 🥃

The quality of Springbank and 'having favourites' isn't in question. Whether we should put Springbank on a pedestal above all other distilleries might be ;-) Whether we should still be praising a distillery whose entire core range has more or less been unavailable for years should be IMHO. I met Gavin McLachlan in 2015 and he confused me with talk of 'availability issues'. Back then you could pick any online retailer and order an SB10, SB12CS, SB15, SB18, LR18 and Kilkerran WIPs whenever you wanted, and I did regularly. Obviously we're all now painfully aware of the coming issues that Springbank could already see forming. I got an email today from an online retailer saying that they had various Springbank expressions for sale. Half an hour later they were down to just SB10. An hour later, all gone. No more. Better luck next time! Don't live with your phone in your hand? Too bad! I am actually considering reviewing some Springbank this year but mainly just because I have old bottles that I want to open and drink. Some with failing corks which is forcing my hand. Although I'm still reluctant and uneasy about covering whisky that most can't buy and that is a firm favourite with flippers. To me, when a whisky can't be drunk anymore (or not without unnecessary hassle) it's time to look for something else. Just my opinion.

Damn you guessed it 😬 I'd better quickly change it now 😂

Oh dear! We know who is to blame when the global supply runs out 😂

Really great that each batch is different while still being good. Exactly what we want! Is there a little extra sherry in the Cask breakdown of 05.23? Cheers 🥃

Clairin is my new obsession. If you haven't tried any yet then Clairin Communal is a great place to start. Only 43% but not a problem at all. It's a blend of four very good clairins and gives you a good idea of what to expect. Or if you want to dive straight in, any of the Velier clairins are excellent. Happy New Year 🥃

You clearly have excellent taste 🧐 😉 Here in England you have to look really hard to find even Springbank 10. I can get Longrow NAS, Campbeltown Loch and occasionally standard Kilkerrans but that's it. There are plenty more quality whiskies out there though! Hope you're having a great start to 2024 🎇 🥃 Cheers!

@@WhiskyLock Happy New Year!! Hey I would love to be able to find Kilkerran expressions in a much easier way! I have to order from another province in Canada! Alberta has some terrific spirit stores that manage to get hold of some superb whiskies and they don't hike the price much. I also love Longrow! I have to watch your video on Campbelltown Loch! Did you like it?! Here's to some spectacular whiskies in 2024!! Cheers!! 🙂

Thanks Geoff. It had to be done with all the new distillery stuff I've covered lately. It would be almost rude not to. I had to give a mention to your pick too though. It punches well above its weight and I've seen it on offer here for around £35 which means I'll probably always have a bottle in the house going forward. Happy New Year (for 4 hours ago). What's it like living in the future? 🤔 Cheers Geoff 🥃

Ardbeg 10? Now I'm really intrigued! Not that much convincing is required to buy CS Ardnamurchan! I'm glad you're getting on well with that Loch Lomond. I love it and really hope we get more of the same. Cheers 🥃

Very glad that you got a bottle of the LL DE3 too. It's stunning. I'm trying to save mine... at least until I review all my other Loch Lomonds 🙂 Cheers 🥃

Absolutely. Getting to discover a new quality dram is the best result. Here's to a great 2024 🥃

That is always the danger but for now I'm thankful we have great whisky from Ardnamurchan 🙂 Cheers 🥃

Yeah I don't think I've ever enjoyed an Irish Whiskey as much as my current bottle of Redbreast 12CS. Superb! Cheers 🥃

Thanks and Happy New Year! 🎇 🥃

Gah... I hope not 😕 might be time to stock up...

Hampden are a real success story. Great rum, great presentations. Not a coincidence that Velier also played a part in spreading their products around the world 👍 There are exciting things happening across Jamaica at the moment though. I've had some really great rum from Worthy Park and Long Pond lately. And a lot of it is cheaper and easier to get than Hampden. Cheers 🥃

@@WhiskyLockI agree, Worthy Park at its best is as good as anything in Jamaica. I've had a few great Long Ponds as well.

It's a very exciting distillery to follow. Not least because their QR codes mean that we can see the exact differences between each batch, guess at what's causing the differences and follow their progress. So much added value. Cheers 🥃

Paul Launois is one of the few I haven't tried at this point. Horses for courses though, as you say! Cheers 🥃

The age statement snob in me resisted Lagavulin 8 for quite a while. I think it didn't help that the 8 was more expensive than the 16 at the very start! But I'm a full convert now. Lag8 all the way! I haven't tried Smokey Joe yet but will keep an eye out for it. Cheers to a great 2024 🥃

Happy birthday my friend 🎂 Ledaig 18 makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Cheers end enjoy 🥃

Smoky Scot is an amazing dram for an amazing price but Ardnamurchan is very much the man of the moment when talking about what is happening in whisky this year. Either would be a justified choice IMHO though. Cheers 🥃

Thanks Jason - Happy New Year! 🎇 🥃

Hi Greg! I have a Casimir 2020. It's my favourite of the more easy drinking, fruit bomb clairins in my opinion. Very, very good! Fully agree that the AD releases have a bit more balance and complexity. I think I said something along those lines in my review. There are definitely more balanced vattings. But I also love the raw power of the 02.22. No bad choice to be made IMHO 👍 I look forward to your highlights of the year video. Cheers 🥃

Maclean's Nose review coming very soon (and I actually mean soon this time 😂). It's a solid blend 👍Cheers 🥃

Thanks David. We sometimes get Lagavulin 8 for around £35 on supermarket offers. I'll be getting that second bottle next time that offer comes around. Worth every penny. Cheers and hope you had a great New Year's 🥃

I haven't tried any Dornoch yet. While I'd love to I think it's time for me to give the new distilleries a break for a while. I barely had time to drink anything else this year! And with regards to resurrected Rosebank, Port Ellen and Brora... I have a nasty feeling that it will all be too expensive for actual drinkers.

Sounds like you're very well stocked for now 🙂 Time to enjoy all those purchases. Cheers 🥃

Honestly I had never heard of it! I'm always open to affordable whisky at 46% though. Thanks for the recommendation!

Interesting. I haven't had LL14 yet... although I do own a bottle. This is why I needed the bottle ban. Too many bottles in stock 😉 To be fair I like LL12 and a lot of their other expressions a lot. Even the grains. I'm hoping to review the entire range soon and I wouldn't be at all surprised if LL12 (or perhaps 14) is my WOTY 2024. Happy New Year 🎇 Have a great one 🥃

Happy New Year! 🎇 🥃

It's nice to know that there is an audience for such things 😌 Cheers 🥃

I've never tried edradour. Should I pick up the 12 if I get the chance?

@@listenu Well I certainly enjoyed it! It's quite a heavy spirit with a nice deep oloroso sherry influence. Up there pricewise due to the tiny output of the distillery, but definitely worth a try. Edradour put out sample sizes of most of their expressions, so maybe you'll be able to pick up one of those before buying a full bottle.

@@klizzt cheers!

Edradour 12 is a great dram. I have a bottle that I'm half way through at the moment. Proper old school sherry 👍

Thanks Andy. A rum solera bottle! Outstanding 👍 do you put all types of rum into it? Does any particular style dominate? I'm a little ashamed to say that I haven't tried any of the Thompson Bros bottles yet. Time to change that I think! As I've only heard positive things. Speyburn 15 is an absolute gem. Looking forward to getting to know the 10, 15 and 18 some time this year. Hope you're having a great start to 2024. Cheers 🥃

@@WhiskyLock Hi Shane, my rum solera consists mostly of Dooly's, Worthy Park, , Foursquare, Appletons etc. I try and stay away from the sweetened rums., but you know how it is with rums you can never be sure I think things are getting better with some rum producers realising that the market wants clean rums. Plus there seems to be more local legislation on some of the islands banning additives or at least reducing the amounts that can be added. Having said all that I do like a Pussers Gunpowder rum which has I am sure, additional sweeteners in it. Keep up the great work you do, I am a fan of you videos and all that you say on them.

@@andywalker6908 That sounds like a hell of a recipe. Yes, a lot of rum producers really are listening to the enthusiasts. Funny how rum, a drink that traditionally has a bit of a bad rep, is working to improve and it's only really Scotch that's giving pushback... Pussers Gunpowder is a great rum. Very different style to your Foursquares and Appletons, etc. but really great. I have a bottle of Pussers 151 at the moment but the Gunpowder Proof is probably the ideal drinking strength. Thanks for the supportive comments and cheers 🥃

Hard to go wrong with Bunna 👍

Amazing indeed! My advice would be to put it away for a while and see if it grows on you. Don't give up too easily 🙂 There was a time when I found Bowmore 12 unbearably earthy... that was many, many years ago now though 😂

LockFest 2024! I should probably work on making a livestream actually happen first though 😒

We're all family here! 🥃

Great answer, Happy New Year .@@WhiskyLock

Hi Paul! Happy New Year. Ardnamurchan is still young and I think we all have a different tolerance for youth. I've become a lot more accustomed to young whisky over the last few years providing that it's well made and I think Ardnamurchan is. Perfectly possible that it's just not for you though. One thing that I have found to help a lot with many of these young whiskies from new distilleries is to give it plenty of air. When I first open them I will quite often leave the cork out all evening and I often find that it can take the edge off. Hope you're having a great New Year's 🥃

Thanks for your reply Shane. Perhaps I will try a cask strength version next, a sherried one maybe, and take plenty of time (and water) with it. @@WhiskyLock

It does sound like a bargain banger. Sadly I still haven't tried it yet but Thompson Bros are very much on my radar now!

All of the Velier clairins are exceptional. Far better than any non velier offerings IMHO. My preference is Vaval and Sonson though. Have you tried La Roche? I found the 2017 quite similar to Sajous. Cheers 🥃

all the Clairin's are good. Have you had any of the Mexican unaged Clairin like stuff like Paranubes or Canada or Urupan or Dakabend ?@@WhiskyLock

@@MrPsiman I've not had any of those but Mexico make some spectacular unaged smoke bombs. I'll add your recommendations to my list to keep an eye out for. Cheers 🥃

Not sure how much of the Mexican stuff is in the UK. The new Hampden Estate Great House 2023 should be here in the U.S. soon. I want to try the new Worthy Park unaged Overproof made with cane juice@@WhiskyLock

The new Hampden Estate 2023 should be in the U.S. soon and the new Worthy Park unaged Overproof made with cane juice and molasses@@WhiskyLock

That's actually my NYE dram 👍

I did get a lot of value out of the bottle of batch 1 that I had. Great for drinking and blending. Useful stuff!