Speyside Whisky reviews by WhiskyRant!

Whiskies from the Speyside region of Scotland.

Aberlour	Balmenach	Balvenie
BenRiach	Benrinnes	Benromach
Cardhu	Cragganmore	Dailuaine
Glen Moray	GlenAllachie	Glenburgie
GlenDronach	Glenfarclas	Glenfiddich
Glenglassaugh	Glenlivet	Glenrothes
Glentauchers	Longmorn	Macallan
Mortlach	Speyburn	Tomintoul

March 25, 2025

Glenglassaugh Portsoy review

Closed in 1986 yet resurrected in 2008, Glenglassaugh distillery has nicely managed to widen its whisky range. Glenglassaugh Portsoy gets its name from the neighbouring harbour village, because both have deep maritime elements featured in them. Portsoy is a peated whisky matured in combination of sherry, bourbon and port casks. […]

July 1, 2024

Speyside Hero Vol. VI Blended Malt

Speyside Hero is a series of blended malt expressions by an German independent whisky bottler called The Whisky Chamber (owned by Thomas Ide). I found this expression on my trip to Berlin, from Simply Great Whisky shop. SGW had a quite large selection of Whisky Chamber’s blended malt whiskies and […]

May 25, 2023

BenRiach 10 year old single malt whisky review

BenRiach 10 Year Old Review

Just a few quick notes on BenRiach 10 year old “Original” single malt whisky. BenRiach distillery is one of my favorites but I hadn’t had their drams for quite a long time. It’s a shame I only had a brief moment for their flagship expression, but bare with me. Matured […]

May 24, 2023

Glenfarclas 21 year old review

It’s a shame I didn’t have a chance to spend enough time over this dram. This 21 year old single malt by Glenfarclas distillery was part of our local whisky society’s tasting, and these are my quick notes of this special Speysider. I’ve always had a huge amount of respect for […]

May 23, 2023

Glenburgie 15 year old Ballantine’s Malt

Glenburgie became an essential component of Ballantine’s blended whisky when the distillery was bought by Hiram Walker in 1935. Also known as Glenburgie-Glenlivet, Glenburry or Glen Burgie, the distillery is based near Alves, Moray in Speyside region. Because its whisky is usually an ingredient for blends, you rarely bump into […]

May 19, 2023

Tamnavulin Sherry Cask Edition

Here’s my quick notes on Tamnavulin Sherry Cask Edition, batch 30502. This Speysider was unfortunately a fast visit during a long tasting, so my notes aren’t probably the best ones. Overall, easy to drink and pleasant palate, but lacks a bit in character, especially the finish needs more power. I […]

July 3, 2021

Aberlour A’Bunadh Batch 67 review

Aberlour A’Bunadh series is definitely a legend in the whisky world. Name deriving from Gaelic, meaning “return to origin”. Because it’s been produced with methods commonly used around 1870’s. Here’s the backstory taken from Wikipedia: “The distillery cite the story during distillery tours that when the second pair of stills […]

March 30, 2021

GlenAllachie 12 year old single malt review

This 12 year old single malt whisky comes from GlenAllachie distillery, founded in 1967. The GlenAllachie has been known for producing malt whisky for blended whiskies but recently they’ve introduced lots of single malts. This expression was first introduced in 2018 after Billy Walker took over the distillery in 2017. […]

January 4, 2021

GlenAllachie 10YO Batch 3 Cask Strength Single Malt

This is Batch 3 of 10 year old cask strength single malt by The GlenAllachie distillery. A distillery known to produce malt whisky for blends under Pernod Ricard and Chivas Brothers ownership. Chivas sold the distillery in 2017 to The GlenAllachie Distillers Company (Billy Walker, Trisha Savage and Graham Stevenson). […]

January 4, 2021

GlenAllachie 15 year old single malt review

Here’s a 15 year old single malt from a distillery known to produce malt whisky for blended whiskies. Because it’s been used for blends, GlenAllachie has an impressive annual production capacity of 3,2 million liters. The GlenAllachie Distillery was founded in 1967 and is located at Aberlour of Scottish Speyside […]

July 1, 2020

Glenfiddich Reserve Cask Single Malt

This single malt whisky comes from Glenfiddich distillery at Speyside region. As part of their Travel Retail Cask Collection range, it has no age statement (NAS). It’s been matured in Spanish sherry casks hand-selected by Malt Master, Brian Kinsman. Then married in Glenfiddich’s Solera vatting system. Still not a fan I […]

July 1, 2020

Glenfiddich Select Cask Single Malt

From the Travel Retail Cask Collection range by Glenfiddich distillery, this is the Select Cask expression. A non age stated (NAS) single malt whisky from the Speyside region. Glenfiddich Select Cask is a marriage of whiskies matured in European oak (sherry?), bourbon and red wine casks. Casks have been selected […]

June 15, 2020

The Famous Grouse Toasted Cask review

The Famous Grouse Toasted Cask is their original Famous Grouse blend after resting in freshly toasted new oak casks. So this whisky is one of the world’s most popular blends with a twist. The original blend consists of Glenrothes, Macallan and Highland Park malt whiskies and unknown grain whisky. It’s […]

June 9, 2020

Braeval 20 Year Old Cask Strength by Hart Brothers

Braeval 20YO Cask Strength by Hart Brothers

This Braeval 20 year old cask strength single malt comes from the independent bottler Hart Brothers. I was fortunate enough to have a sample at Turku Beer and Whisky Festival. Needless to say, this whisky is something you’d definitely have to have full bottle in your cabinet. Distilled at Braeval […]

May 18, 2019

Johnnie Walker Black Label review

Quick notes of Johnnie Walker 12 year old Black Label blended whisky. I am not a big fan of JW whiskies. They tend to be okay but nothing special. Old version of Green Label being the only exception in my book. So I’ll keep this review short. Keep on walking […]

May 5, 2018

The Macallan 12YO Double Cask review

WhiskyRant’s conclusions Tasting notes Quite new age stated expression from Macallan, released in 2016. This single malt whisky was described as: “A new interpretation on the signature 12 Years Old Macallan” Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask whisky has been matured in a combination of American and European Ex-Sherry oak […]

April 30, 2018

Cragganmore 12 year old review

Cragganmore distillery is located in Ballindalloch, Speyside. It sits by the River Spey and it’s also near to the Strathspey railway line, both important factors when the distillery location was decided. The distillery takes its name from the mountain in whose shadow it sits. Cragganmore is part of the Classic […]

March 29, 2018

Gordon and MacPhail whisky - Glenburgie 10YO

Glenburgie 10 year old by Gordon and MacPhail

WhiskyRant conclusions Tasting notes Glenburgie is also known as Glenburgie-Glenlivet, Glen Burgie or Glenburry. The distillery is located near Alves, Moray in Speyside region. Their whisky is mostly used for blends. Ballantine’s and Old Smuggler are famous blends with Glenburgie malt whisky in them. When the distillery was acquired in […]

March 18, 2018

Tomintoul 16 year old review

WhiskyRant conclusions Tasting notes Tomintoul 16 year old comes from the Speyside distillery also known as The Gentle Dram. The Tomintoul-Glenlivet Distillery is located at the picturesque Glenlivet estate, in the region of Speyside. Nearby you’ll find the village of Tomintoul, which gives the distillery its name. It is the […]

March 18, 2018

Tomintoul 10 year old review

WhiskyRant conclusions Tasting notes Tomintoul 10 year old single malt whisky was introduced to their core range in 2002. This happened two years after the distillery was bought by Angus Dundee. Tomintoul distillery can be found inside the beautiful Glenlivet estate, from the Speyside region. It’s been named after the […]

September 30, 2017

Glen Moray 10YO Chardonnay Cask Whisky review

WhiskyRant’s conclusions Tasting notes Ralfy’s notes This 10 year old Glen Moray is quite extraordinary single malt whisky – it’s been matured completely in Chardonnay casks. Glen Moray, the most northerly Speyside distillery, has a non age stated version with Chardonnay cask finish as well. But this beauty has been […]

August 7, 2017

GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 6 review

WhiskyRant’s conclusions Tasting notes GlenDronach’s sixth batch of the Cask Strength expression comes with a great 56.1% ABV (alcohol by volume). Bottled with great strength and coming from a distillery with good track record, this GlenDronach sounded tempting when I received a sample from a buddy of mine. Just like […]

July 24, 2017

Benrinnes 1997 Signatory 18 year old review

Benrinnes 1997 18 year old single malt whisky by independent bottler Signatory comes from a single cask like Signatory’s products tend to do. This is a malt from Speyside region, from Benrinnes distillery, but the casks are picked by Signatory company who also bottle the products. So the bottling is […]

July 23, 2017

Johnnie Walker Blender's Batch Red Rye Finish

Johnnie Walker Red Rye Finish review

WhiskyRant’s conclusions Tasting notes Even though I’m not a big fan of Johnnie Walker, this one caught my eye because of the rye statement on the label. Yes, I’m a big fan of rye whiskey! Johnnie Walker Blender’s Batch Red Rye Cask Finish is part of the brand’s experimental Blenders’s […]

June 30, 2017

Macallan Amber review

WhiskyRant’s conclusions Tasting notes Macallan Amber is part of The Macallan distillery’s new colour named 1824 series of no age statement (NAS) whiskies. This range by one of the most known Speyside single malt producers in Scotland has given some mixed feelings amongst whisky enthusiasts. Macallan has a big fanbase, […]

April 8, 2017

Glen Moray Chardonnay Cask Finish review

Glen Moray Chardonnay Cask Finish comes from Glen Moray distillery, located in West End of Elgin which makes it the most northerly Speyside distillery. Nowadays owned by La Martiniquaise, the distillery was founded in 1897 and it’s in the capitol of Moray. The distillery has been shortlisted in top 10 […]

March 4, 2017

GlenDronach Peated review

GlenDronach Peated feels quite exotic, since GlenDronach distillery is famous for making sweet sherry matured whiskies. In fact, GlenDronach Peated was their first ever peated expression introduced in 2015. I have to admit, I do get excited every time I bump into a peated whisky outside Islay. Even though Islay […]

December 28, 2016

Compass Box Flaming Heart 15th Anniversary Whisky review

Celebrating Compass Box’s fifteenth anniversary, the 2015 edition of Flaming Heart is another fine example of top notch blending by John Glaser and his company. Glaser has been named “Innovator of the Year” four times by Whisky Magazine and “Pioneer of the Year” twice by Malt Advocate. He has stated […]

October 22, 2016

Hankey Bannister Heritage Blend Scotch Whisky Review

Hankey Bannister Heritage Blended Scotch review

Hankey Bannister is a famous Blended Scotch Whisky brand by Inver House Distillers (owned by International Beverage Holdings Ltd.). The brand was established in London’s West End in 1757 – Beaumont Hankey and Hugh Bannister founded the company seeking to enter the wines and spirits business, and the hearts of […]

October 2, 2016

Compass Box Enlightenment review

Compass Box Enlightenment was made in the spirit of Compass Box’s Campaign for Scotch Whisky Transparency. You can read the backstory of this campaign from my Spice Tree review – long story short, production of Spice Tree had to be stopped because of Scotch Whisky Association’s ridiculous regulations (Fortunately they […]