Ainsley has tried enough decent Clynelish to know he loves that waxy character it can possess, so he determines to land a bottle. But that’s harder said than done. Did he manage with this 1992 18yo?

A lesser-seen malt, well-presented - and for a very good cause that flies uncomfortably close to all of us - resonates with Charlie. To the point he feels it needn’t be particularly splendid - or complex. It’s already a good ‘thing’.

Ainsley recounts the splendour of the recent Independent Spirits Festival held in Leith. This is just the kind of recap to make sure we see another year of this, and a perfect Fib Whisky Whitlaw to match up.

While Innes gives a run through on some of the late 2024 Watt Whisky releases, Wally chimes in after catching the latest release from Blacksmith & Jones: a docuseries all about Indy Bottlers.

Through an auction win, Earie is sucked into the fascinating history and story behind the great Silvano Samaroli, as he realises just how influential he was in the scotch story.

In grabbing an anticipated Batch 2 of Ardnamurchan’s Madeira Cask release, Wally decides to compare it to something that you might not expect. Building Lego. Specifically; post-2004 Lego.

Another debut for Dramface. Hughie, through multiple false starts, eventually falls for whisky, but not through the ‘typical’ route. His vibe is the off-piste flavour hooks & this Loch Lomond 12yo brings it.

Probably the most under-the-radar of all scotch single malts, yet it’s been around long enough to produce a 10yo. Charlie made a pilgrimage to the most westerly of them all: Abhainn Dearg. Worth it?

An annual treat for Fergie is to splash out on an indulgent treat. Despite a previous false start, he chose Deanston and their 18yo. What did he discover? It’s a Dramface pile on.

Cadenhead’s Original Collection and the Enigma Blends are perhaps the most likely of their releases to be found in the wider marketplace. Ainsley dives in to an entire outturn.

Today, it’s Broddy’s turn to eat his words. After criticising a lack of single cask Ardnamurchan picks, his local Kensington Wine Market pulls in their very own. It feels like this peated ex-bourbs it’s just for him!

After being assured by his own previous experiences, Earie never really believed in the positivity behind Arran’s 10yo. Believing it was hyped, he finally relented. Here’s his take.

In celebrating a Thompson Brothers creation , Hamish declares his love of Ardmore, a distillery which would be completely ignored if it wasn’t for the Independent Bottlers.

Joining SMWS requires a membership which, as well as some other IB vagaries, was intimidating to Hamish. Now he wholeheartedly embraces indies but he shares why, until now, he’s never signed up.

The last piece in the trilogy of Murdo’s trip to Scotland and the Highlands, touring Dornoch and Clynelish. Over a pricey distillery hand-fill Clynelish he reflects on what made it all so special.

Murdo’s Whisky Monday saga continues; a Tomatin trip then north to Dornoch Castle. Showing remarkable restraint, he returns home to his Thompson Bros 2009 Teaninich 12yo to reminisce.

Continuing the theme this week on age statements, and over Highland Park’s new 12yo, Wally shares his thoughts on why age statements don’t matter in 2024, and also why they absolutely do.

A nice segue on from yesterday’s article, Nick thinks about age statements with Ardnamurchan’s latest USA exclusive ArdnAmerica release. Cue NYC backdrops & deploy the Doog!

Hamish glances back to whisky past, wondering where he’d start today. In picking up the latest Ardnamurchan Cask Strength, he knows where he’d be happy to end up, and tries to explore… why?

Put off by the VC prices, Murdo heads home only to regret not buying. Still dreaming of that warehouse tasting, he heads back once more, halfway around the world for a memorable Deanston.