Mackillop's Choice comes to Gauntleys
Gauntleys are proud to announce that the Mackillop's Choice range has been added to our whisky portfolio. This Independent bottling company was founded by Angus Dundee Distillers in 1996 and as we now buy Glencadam and Tomintoul directly from them, this has allowed us to also purchase a selection of the single cask bottlings that they release.
Each cask is selected by Lorne Mackillop, who incidentally is heir to the Mackillop Clan, which was all but wiped out by the English in the aftermath of the battle of Culloden in 1745 during the Jacobite Rebellion.
Lorne himself became a member of the Institute of Masters of Wine in 1984 and at the time he was the youngest person to be accepted as a Master of Wine. With his extensive knowledge of the whisky industry he selects casks, which are then bottled at either 43 or 46% without chill-filtering or the addition of caramel.
I have personally selected the following bottlings from their range, so I hope you enjoy them.
Chris Goodrum
Mackillop's Choice Mackillop’s Choice Ardbeg 1993 (24 year old) 50.9%
Bourbon Cask 1290 Dist: Sept 1993 Btl: Sept 2017 Tasted: Nov 2017 A woody and chocolaty nose with gritty peat smoke. Beneath lies some lovely sweet barley and honey along with hints of malt. menthol and eucalyptus. A truly stunning old Ardbeg with late notes of salt, baked apple. rhubarb, tar and fragrant barley.
Soft and gentle on the palate, opening with barley, white chocolate and bitter, woody spice. Hints of earthy peat, vanilla and more wood spice. Subtle notes of violets, straw, baked fruit, apricot and lime come through on the middle, along with a touch of salt. Stunningly deep and complex. Long and salty finish with lingering violety, sweet peat, wood spice and heather.