This is the 4th set of bottlings that ImPex Beverages has brought into the US in the Ian Macleod’s Chieftain’s line of single cask, single malt bottlings. It is another outstanding sampling of independently bottled Scotch whisky. Ian Macleod has over 80,000 barrels of maturing whisky in their warehouse, so they have an amazing amount of casks to choose from when they do a bottling of single malt. In this set, now making its way into various markets in the US are:

1995 Allt-a-Bhainne 16-yr old, 46% ABV casks #39724, Speyside

1990 Rosebank 20-yr old cask strength, 54% ABV, cask 3617, Lowland

1996 Braeval 14-yr old 46% ABV, cask 130153, Speyside

1998 Strathisla 12-yr old, 46% ABV, cask 90291, Speyside

1998 Glenrothes Sherry Cask 12-yr old, cask 16415, 46% ABV, Speyside

1984 Benrinnes 26-yr old Sherry Cask, cask strength, cask 2266, 58.10% ABV, Speyside

The standouts for me were the Strathisla, the Glenrothes and the Rosebank.

I’m not usually a big Glenrothes fan but this one is nice. The 1998 Glenrothes Sherry Cask 12-yr old, cask 16415, 46% ABV was finished in a first fill sherry butt. On the nose is apple fruitiness, sherry sweetness, raisins and vanilla. On the nose is caramel, raisins, dark cherry, vanilla, nuttiness and slight cinnamon spiciness. Rating: 80-85

Ed Kohl and the folks at ImPex Beverages, who also import Isle of Skye 8 and 12, as well as Smokehead and Kilchoman.

Cheers!