Ballindalloch's First US Release, a Lagavulin 12 at Half Price, and the One Thing Bourbon Actually Does Better Than Scotch - New Subs

Ballindalloch has been on my radar for years. A true single estate distillery in Speyside — estate-grown barley, a vintage one-ton copper mash tun, Oregon pine washbacks running 140-hour fermentations (one of the longest in Scotland), worm tub condensers, and only about 500 liters of spirit collected per run. Annual production is around 50,000 liters — roughly 100 times smaller than the average Speyside distillery. The Macpherson-Grant family has been on this estate since 1457 and in the whisky business since 1824. They grow the barley, distill the spirit, feed the draff to their own Aberdeen Angus cattle, and return the byproducts to the soil that grows next year's crop. It's a genuine closed-loop estate operation, not a marketing story.

When they first released whisky through Royal Mile Whiskies in Scotland, I had to get it — paying both the international shipping premium and the small-production premium. The ex-bourbon was exceptional. The sherry cask was good but didn't connect with me quite as much. So when they reached out about partnering on their US launch, I told them what I tell everyone — I need to taste the whisky first.

The Family Heritage Selection is their inaugural US release — a small batch matured in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels and first-fill ex-sherry hogsheads, then married. Bottled at 50% ABV, non-chill filtered, natural color. The nose is loaded with vanilla, herbs, and distinct apple. The palate is creamy — vanilla and apple again, with mint and milk chocolate. The finish is long and elegant. Classic Speyside character with a level of refinement that punches above its weight. It reminds me of my top two whiskies from 2025 — the Daftmill 15 selected by Roy from Aqvavitae and the Loch Lomond 10 with its insane 500-hour fermentation. That same orchard fruit clarity, that same sense that patience in the process actually shows up in the glass.

ABV: 50% | Cask: First-Fill Ex-Bourbon & First-Fill Ex-Sherry | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Price: $120. With discount: $102

On the price — a relatively young whisky from a distillery most American drinkers haven't heard of is going to raise eyebrows. But this isn't marketing markup. This is a distillery that produces almost no whisky, ferments for 140 hours when most do 48–72, and sat on stock for over a decade before releasing a single bottle in the US. You're paying for genuine craft and patience, not a brand name. Shipping is a flat $20 regardless of quantity — so if you're going to pull the trigger, grab two and split the shipping cost in half per bottle.

On the partnership — I want to be fully transparent about how this works. Ballindalloch reached out and asked if I'd be interested in collaborating on their first US release. They originally offered a 10% discount for subscribers and a 5% commission to me on each bottle sold. I told them for the first release, let's pass it all to the whisky enthusiasts who want to try your whisky. So there's no financial gain on my end — instead, you get an exclusive 15% off with code Estate15.

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This week I'm featuring Remedy Liquor, an online retailer with locations in Los Angeles, New York, and Texas that ships to most states. As always, bundling saves on shipping per bottle.

Bruichladdich's signature bottling and the best entry point into what this distillery does. Made from 100% unpeated Scottish barley — yes, an unpeated Islay — trickle distilled, non-chill filtered, and bottled on Islay at 50% ABV. This is the distillery's house style in a glass: floral, complex, and clean. Expect barley sugar, mint, wildflowers, caramelized fruit, honey, lemon, and a sea salt tang. The mouthfeel at 50% is substantial without being aggressive. Bruichladdich is one of the distilleries that has never used E150a coloring — every bottle they produce is natural color, and they've been vocal about it. This is what whisky looks like when nobody messes with it.

ABV: 50% | Cask: Various oak | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural color

Price: $39.99

Typical US Market Range: $50–$60 at most retailers. Total Wine lists it around $50 in most markets.

Savings: $10–$20 under typical retail.

Who's this for: If you've never tried an unpeated Islay, this will change what you think that island is capable of. And if you read this week's Worth Knowing section and want a bottle that puts its money where its mouth is on natural color and no chill filtration — at 50% ABV for under $40 — this is the easiest recommendation I can make. It's also one of the best whisky values on the market right now, full stop.

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A 15 year old Speyside single malt matured in a combination of American and Spanish oak casks, bottled at 46% ABV. Non-chill filtered and natural color. On the nose you'll get dark chocolate, raisins, citrus, and vanilla. The palate brings oranges, toffee, leather, and a gentle warming spice that carries through a long, creamy finish. This is a well-rounded, mature Speyside that punches well above its price.

ABV: 46% | Cask: American Oak & Spanish Oak | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural color

Price: $59.99

Typical US Market Range: $70–$85 at most US retailers. Wine-Searcher shows a California average around $75.

Savings: $10–$25 under typical retail.

Who's this for: If you read last week's newsletter, you know I featured the Speyburn 18 from The Whisky World and flagged that Inver House — Speyburn's owner — is in the process of reformulating their lineup into watered-down, uninteresting whisky. This 15 year old is from the same old guard. It's bottled at 46%, non-chill filtered, natural color — everything the new Inver House direction is moving away from. A 15 year old Speyside single malt done right, at this price, from a distillery whose future releases probably won't look like this. Grab it while it still exists.

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Ardnamurchan's 10th anniversary bottling — a limited run of 15,000 bottles from one of Scotland's most exciting new distilleries. This one starts with 100% first-fill bourbon casks, with roughly half the batch then finished for over a year in Champagne Paul Launois barriques. Bottled at 46.8% ABV, non-chill filtered, natural color. Ardnamurchan was founded by independent bottler Adelphi in 2014 on the remote Ardnamurchan Peninsula in the West Highlands, and they've built a reputation for transparency — every bottle has a QR code that tells you exactly which casks, barley, and fermentation times went into it. Expect coconut, vanilla, citrus, gentle smoke, and a maritime coastal character.

ABV: 46.8% | Cask: First-Fill Bourbon, Champagne Barrique Finish | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural color

Price: $74.99

Typical US Market Range: The standard Ardnamurchan AD/ core expression runs $60–$70. This anniversary bottling with the Champagne finish is harder to find and commands a premium when it shows up — $80–$95 is typical.

Savings: Competitive pricing on a limited bottle that's becoming scarce.

Who's this for: If you want to see what a new-generation Scottish distillery looks like when it's doing everything right from day one — natural color, no chill filtration, meaningful ABV, total transparency, and interesting cask work — Ardnamurchan is the answer. The Champagne barrique finish is unusual and genuinely interesting, not a gimmick. This is a distillery that whisky enthusiasts have been watching closely for years, and this anniversary bottling is one of the more unique releases they've done. Limited to 15,000 bottles and not likely to be restocked once it's gone.

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The core expression from Glengyle Distillery — Springbank's sister operation, located 400 yards away. Lightly peated, matured in a 70/30 split of bourbon and sherry casks, bottled at 46% ABV. Non-chill filtered, natural color. The nose brings turkish delight, pear drops, marzipan, and toasted marshmallows. The palate is oily and zesty with lemon cheesecake, butterscotch, honeycomb, and leather, underlined by gentle peat smoke. The finish carries campfire embers and pecan pie. If you know Springbank, think of Kilkerran as its lighter, more citrus-forward sibling — same independent spirit, same Campbeltown character, slightly more approachable.

ABV: 46% | Cask: 70% Bourbon, 30% Sherry | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural color

Price: $99.99

Typical US Market Range: $95–$125 depending on your market. Availability has been inconsistent — Campbeltown production is small and allocations sell out quickly.

Savings: At the low end of the typical range, and availability is the real value here — this bottle is often hard to find.

Who's this for: If you've ever wanted to try Springbank but can't find it or can't stomach the secondary market markup, Kilkerran is your answer. It's made by the same staff, in the same town, with the same philosophy — traditional production, no shortcuts, no additives. Springbank gets the hype and the allocated-bottle frenzy, but Kilkerran is significantly easier to find and delivers that same Campbeltown funk: oily, briny, lightly smoky, with real character. At $100 it's not an impulse buy, but for a 12 year old single malt bottled at 46%, non-chill filtered, natural color, from a distillery that refuses to cut corners — it's worth every dollar. If you care about how your whisky is made as much as how it tastes, put this on your shelf.

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The annual Lagavulin 12 cask strength — part of Diageo's Special Releases collection and consistently one of the most sought-after bottles in the lineup. This 2024 edition was matured in first-fill ex-bourbon and refill casks, bottled at a hefty 57.4% ABV. No chill filtration at this strength. The nose brings glowing embers and tamed smoke with toffee and vanilla sweetness from the active bourbon oak. The palate is classic Lagavulin peat, but with the volume turned up and the sweetness dialed in — this is what happens when you give this spirit the ABV it deserves instead of watering it down to 43%.

ABV: 57.4% | Cask: First-Fill Ex-Bourbon & Refill | Non-Chill Filtered

Price: $92.99

Typical US Market Range: These Special Releases launched at $150–$180 and were nearly impossible to find at retail. Most secondary market listings sit at $160–$200+.

Savings: Potentially $60–$100+ under what you'd pay anywhere else. This is a significant markdown.

Who's this for: Anyone who's wanted a bottle of the Lagavulin 12 cask strength but refused to pay the insane Diageo Special Release prices. At $93, you're getting one of Islay's best distilleries at full cask strength — no chill filtration, no coloring, no water added — for roughly what the standard Lagavulin 16 costs at most retailers. If you read last week's newsletter, you saw Dramface give the Lagavulin 11 Sweet Peat a 6/10 and say it was frustrating because they knew what Lagavulin could do at higher ABV. This is that higher ABV. This is Lagavulin with the handbrake off. At nearly half off what Diageo wanted for it, don't overthink this one.

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Mason Mack at Dramface reviewed Compass Box's Peat Monster — a blended malt made up of 64% Caol Ila from refill hogsheads, 35% Laphroaig (listed as "Williamson") from refill hogsheads, and 1% of Compass Box's own Highland Malt Blend from custom French oak casks. Bottled at 46%, non-chill filtered, natural color. On the nose he found turpentine, twiggy fire with wet leaves, smoked gruyere, overripe clementine, warm lemon juice, and Laphroaig-style medicine cabinet wafts. The palate brought garden chemicals, soft citrus, cigarette ash, and a drying finish — with some chili heat and pepper developing over time. He noted that despite the name and having young Laphroaig making up over a third of the blend, it's actually fairly tame on the peat. He called it honest, easy-sipping, and a great value Islay kick at around $45.

Score: 6/10 — "Good Stuff" on Dramface's scale.

Full Review Here

My take: This is a bottle I think a lot of people overlook because it's a blend and the label looks like it belongs in a comic book. That's a mistake. What you're getting here is essentially young Caol Ila and Laphroaig from refill hogsheads at 46%, non-chill filtered, with no coloring — presented exactly the way it should be. Compass Box has always been transparent about what goes into their blends, which is more than you can say for most of the single malt industry when it comes to things like E150a (see this week's Worth Knowing). At $45 for a bottle that lets two of Islay's best distilleries speak for themselves with no cosmetic interference, this is one of the better value propositions in peated whisky right now. It's not going to blow your mind, but it doesn't need to — it just needs to be good and honest, and it is.

Whisky Lifestyle on Instagram came back from a nasty flu and reached for this 7 year old Torabhaig from an independent bottler as his first dram in days. On the nose he found a lovely layer of smoke, lemon juice, fresh pears, chalk, and vanilla cake in the background. The palate was creamy — crème brûlée with peat smoke wrapped around it, a touch of salt, iodine, then back to vanilla cake and lemon, with that chalky note lingering nicely. The finish was mid-to-long with peat smoke, vanilla, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. His takeaway: it feels older than 7 years, it's balanced and easy to drink but still interesting, and Torabhaig just never seems to disappoint.

Score: 87/100

Full Review Here

My take: Torabhaig is Skye's second distillery — the first new one on the island since Talisker was founded in 1830. They're still young, but independent bottlers are starting to get their hands on casks, and that's when things get interesting. The fact that a 7 year old is drinking like something older and scoring 87 tells you the underlying spirit has serious quality. This is a distillery to watch. If you're a peat lover who's tired of paying Islay premiums, keep an eye on what comes out of Skye over the next few years — both from Torabhaig's own releases and from the indie bottlers who are clearly excited about what they're finding in these casks.

Vin from No Nonsense Whisky has been open about not being a rye fan — finding most ryes too hot and aggressive. But after his audience kept pushing him to try Rittenhouse Rye Bottled in Bond, he picked one up for under £50 and has been slowly working through the bottle. On the nose he found rye bread and spiciness, but balanced by well-rounded caramel, cola bottles, cherry, and cherry coke. The palate had that characteristic rye heat, but he found it nicely subdued and mixed with the sweeter flavors — cola, cherry coke, and a bit of marzipan. His verdict: he's genuinely enjoying it, it's likely headed for next month's "kill queue," and it may have finally opened the door to rye for him. He pointed out that being American rye bottled in bond, it's natural color with no additives — and gave a nod to the screw top for keeping the whisky fresh.

Score: No formal score, but a strong endorsement from a self-described rye skeptic.

Full Review Here

My take: Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond has been a bartender favorite for years for a reason — it's got enough rye character to be interesting but enough sweetness and body from the barrel to keep it approachable. At 50% ABV and typically under $30 in the US, it's also one of the best values in American whiskey. And yes — bottled in bond means natural color, no additives, distilled at a single distillery in a single season, aged at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse.

If you read last week's piece on chill filtration, you learned that the Scotch industry routinely strips flavor compounds out of whisky to make it look prettier on a shelf. This week's topic is the other cosmetic shortcut — and it's been hiding in plain sight.

The Scotch Whisky Association allows producers to add E150a spirit caramel to their whisky. It's a color additive — it's not supposed to change the flavor of what's in your glass, but it changes what it looks like, and that's the entire point. Without it, whisky color varies naturally from batch to batch depending on the casks used, the age of the spirit, and a dozen other variables. That's not a defect — that's what happens when your product comes out of wood instead of a factory. But big producers decided years ago that consumers would see that variation and get confused or concerned, so they started adding caramel coloring to standardize the look across every batch and every market.

Here's the thing. Bourbon doesn't allow this. By law, straight bourbon cannot contain any added coloring. What you see in the glass is what the barrel gave you — nothing more. It's one of the few areas where American whiskey regulations are stricter than Scotch, and it might be the only thing bourbon genuinely does better. Every bourbon drinker on earth accepts batch-to-batch color variation without thinking twice about it. Nobody picks up a bottle of Four Roses and panics because it's slightly lighter than the last one. The market didn't collapse. Consumers figured it out. It's a non-issue.

Now, bourbon has an advantage here — virgin charred oak naturally produces a dark, relatively consistent color, so the batch-to-batch variation is less dramatic than what you'd see in Scotch, where refill casks can produce everything from pale straw to deep amber. That's a fair point. But it doesn't change the principle — if anything, it makes the case for transparency stronger. Scotch has more color variation because of how it's made, and instead of owning that as a feature of a natural product, the industry decided to paper over it with an additive.

And plenty of Scotch producers have figured this out too. Bruichladdich doesn't use coloring. Neither does Springbank, Deanston, BenRiach, or GlenAllachie, among others. They accept the natural variation, bottle what the cask gives them, and proudly print "Natural color" on the label. Their customers aren't confused — they're grateful. Batch variation isn't a problem to solve. It's proof that what you're drinking is real.

So here's the ask: SWA, change the rule. Or at a minimum, require producers who use E150a to disclose it on the label — not buried in fine print, but clearly stated. The fact that the Scotch industry, which prides itself on heritage and craftsmanship and tradition, allows a practice that the bourbon industry banned decades ago is embarrassing. You're not protecting consumers by coloring whisky. You're assuming they're too stupid to understand what a natural product looks like. They're not. The distilleries that skip it have proven that. Come on — don't be worse than bourbon on this.

Tennessee Distilling Group completed a €6 million takeover of Waterford Distillery last week. The deal includes the distillery — a converted former Guinness brewery on Waterford's Grattan Quay — the brand, and all intellectual property. The maturing stock, roughly 60,000 casks worth about 14.5 million bottles, is being sold separately through a new platform called Prestige Casks. Founder Mark Reynier tried to buy the distillery back but was outbid, and is now looking to purchase around €13 million worth of bulk stock to potentially bottle under a new label.

TDG is a contract distiller based in Columbia, Tennessee — they produce bourbon, rye, and malt whiskey for other companies' private labels, celebrity brands, and retail exclusives. Their general counsel told the local Waterford newspaper they plan to make a "more approachable" and "more predictable" product, lower the price points, narrow the lineup, and produce some of their own white-label spirits at the facility.

My take: Tennessee Distilling isn't wrong about the problem. The terroir concept — tracking individual barley farms, microclimates, soil types, and asking consumers to taste the difference between fields — was a brilliant enthusiast project and a terrible business plan. Annual sales never cracked €3 million. The company piled up around €70 million in debt. Even the people who loved the idea weren't buying enough bottles to keep the lights on, because the lineup was confusing, the price points were high, and most drinkers — even serious ones — didn't want to run experiments every time they opened a bottle. That's not a market. That's a research project.

But acknowledging the business failed doesn't mean I'm optimistic about what comes next. A contract distiller whose core competency is producing volume spirits for other people's labels is now in charge of a brand that only existed because it was the opposite of that. "More predictable and approachable" might be the right commercial move, but it also describes half the Irish whiskey shelf right now — and the Irish whiskey category is oversupplied and in the middle of a serious downturn. If you strip out the terroir identity and compete on price in a crowded market, what's left that makes Waterford worth reaching for?

If you've been curious about the original Waterford, the window is closing. Whatever TDG puts out under that name going forward will be a fundamentally different whiskey.

That's it for this week. If the last two issues on chill filtration and coloring have changed how you look at your shelf, good — start checking labels. Look for "natural color" and "non-chill filtered." Look for 46% ABV or above. And if a distillery won't tell you whether they use E150a, ask yourself why.

If you want to try Ballindalloch before it sells out, use code Estate15 for 15% off — every penny of that discount comes from what would have been my cut. That's how much I believe in this whisky.

If you know someone who'd be into this, forward it their way. More people on the list means better deals, better content, and more leverage when I go knocking on doors for exclusive offers.

Shoot me an email if you've made it this far and if you've decided to buy anything.

And if you're not already, come hang out on Instagram and TikTok — that's where I post the stuff that doesn't make it into the newsletter.

— Tim