Are those pump hoses on the distillery floor or a velvet rope? Dallas Dhu has been preserved as a Historic distillery in Scotland, aka it is a Tourist Trap. These days tasting a product from Dallas Dhu is a true rarity since no malt has entered the copper stills there since 1983 when the distillery went out of business. Unless you actually visit in which case the whisky left in barrels when the distillery closed is used as samples for visitors.

Close your eyes and name a Scotch with a stag’s head on the front label…..The Dalmore?  Located on the other side of Loch Ness, far from Glenfiddich, these copper stills belong to The Dalmore’s Alness distillery. Founded in 1839 by an opium trader, the stag on the label came from a MacKenzie family legend after they bought the distillery in 1886.  The legends says that a MacKenzie saved a Scottish King in battle and was granted the royal stag as his family crest.

Considered the most naturally beautiful and picturesque locale on Islay, Caol Ila is perched on Loch Nam Ban near the town of Port Askaig. The distillery in the picture here, built in 1974, may seem rather large given Caol Ila’s low profile on supermarket shelves but they are a large supplier for Johnny Walker blends.
Caol Ila’s single malts have an unmistakable profile, distinct from other more famous Islay’s like Lagavulin. Lighter in a low viscosity oil kind of way, seaweed and iodine are common elements with smoky phenolics taking a …

In the world of independent scotch merchants, brokers and bottlers, Duncan Taylor is one of the most important names. For me, this was the first private label scotch that I ever tried, and I tried 3 of their recent bottlings all from single casks: Caol Isla 1981 27 year old, Dallas Dhu 1981 27 year old, and The Dalmore 1990 17 year old.
Founded in 1938 in Glasgow, Duncan Taylor did most of its business as a cask broker until very recently, when the company’s focus switched to developing its own brand, with the distilleries as a …