Most of the world drinks blended whiskies and there are some good reasons for that. Blended whiskies are the work of master blenders who spend years perfecting their craft. They labor over their work combining single malts from various years to create the perfect taste and then maintain it, bottling after bottling. It is a symphony for the palette.

But there are times you don't want the whole symphony and that's where single malts come in. Single malts are used in the blending of whiskies and each hits a particular note that goes into the blending process. Some are fruity, some are smoky, some are grassy and each reflects its unique heritage. If you like a certain note in some whiskies you can pursue that interest through single malts. The Classic Malts Selection spans a wide range of tastes for whisky lovers who enjoy different tastes. For me, it's the smokies. There's something alchemical about an amber liquid that manages to contain the aroma and taste of smoke. In a recent tasting I attended they had us taste the Lagavulin 12 Year Old from Islay ($74.99) last because it's the one that sticks with you. One sip and you will be tasting smoke on your palate for hours. The sensation is not unpleasant. This is a strong whisky, one best opened up with a little water, but there's also an underlying gentleness beyond the immediate peaty char. The water helps the creamy sweetness underneath develop. It's a bit like a drinkable smoked Gouda. In my hastily-typed iPhone notes I called it a 'mac daddy whisky' not just for the taste but also for a certain sensation of swagger that comes with drinking a whisky so totally given over to the smoke. A less intense but still smoky option is the Talisker Distillers Edition ($79.99) it has a similar paneled library appeal, a nose of woodsmoke and leather and a taste that is smoky but a little more fruit-centered.

On Nov. 14 Christie's will auction fine spirits in New York for only the second time since Prohibition began in 1920, headlined by the first U.S. offering of the extremely rare 1964 Bowmore Trilogy of single malts estimated at up to $24,000. Some $2 million worth of wines and spirits will cross the auction block, including over 40 lots of carefully-curated whisky, bourbon, cognac, armagnac, and rum, plus a fine crop of champagne. The Bowmore Trilogy, comprised of White, Black and Gold Bowmore, was matured below sea level for 42 - 44 years at the famed distillery on Islay in Scotland. Other lots include the Ardbeg Double Barrel, a two-bottle lot sourced from two 1974 whisky barrels in a bespoke leather shotgun case with eight solid silver cups, estimated at $15,000 - $20,000, and a 100 year old armagnac from Baron de Sigognac, est. at $2,000 - $3,000.

[via Duncan Quinn]

On Friday, Sept. 25, Islay single malt Scotch Laphroaig is hosting Distillery LIVE 2009, an interactive, online webcast tasting for whisky fans across the globe. The star of the show is their new limited edition 18-Year-Old (right).

The 18-year aging process results in a Scotch bright gold in color enhanced by soft, sweet and spicy Islay peat smoke with a hint of the sea. The full-bodied whisky tastes of a tang of smoke that fades into smooth floral scents, which blends seamlessly into an oaky nuttiness and a lasting smooth, sweet finish.

Hosted in the United States for the first time, Laphroaig Distillery Manager John Campbell is traveling to bourbon country to join Maker's Mark Master Distiller Kevin Smith for the live-broadcast event at the Maker's Mark Distillery in Loretto, Kentucky.

Together Campbell and Smith, along with Malt Advocate magazine's John Hansell, will celebrate the relationship between Laphroaig and Maker's Mark, specifically the maturation process of Laphroaig in former Maker's Mark bourbon barrels, while educating consumers on traditional Laphroaig expressions.

The webcast is taking place at 8 p.m. EST on the 25th, and is accessible at www.distillerylive.us.com.

Did you know that Laphroaig single malt Scotch whisky offers a lifetime lease of one square foot plot of land on the island of Islay where the distillery is located in Scotland to each consumer who buys a bottle?

All you have to do is register the purchase number found with the bottle at www.laphroaig.com/plot to stake your claim. You will then automatically become a member of the Friends of Laphroaig community and will receive the deed to the numbered plot of land.

Friends are encouraged to visit the distillery to view their plot and claim their "rent" – a dram of Laphroaig. Meanwhile at www.laphroaig.com you can now view aerial photographs to find your plot of land and meet your "neighbors" via an interactive member map. You may discover a fellow Laphroiag enthusiast just down the street and can even send them a private message.

There are more than 364,000 Friends of Laphroaig spread across more than 150 countries registered online. Among the site's many features is Laphroaig TV, offering a look inside the distillery as well as exclusive previews of limited-edition bottlings, live online tastings and educational seminars.

Laphroaig, established in 1815, is one of the richest, smokiest single malts and one of the very best Scotches ever produced. It holds a Royal Warrant from the Prince of Wales and bears his heraldic three-feather badge on its label.

The folks at the beloved Bruichladdich Scotch distillery on Islay just powered a racecar from 0-60 in 3.5 seconds on a tank full of of its X4 Scotch, billed as the most alcoholic single malt ever made. The car, a British-made Radical SR4 (above), was driven by Top Gear's James May and wine expert Oz Clarke for a segment on their upcoming BBC series Oz and James' Great British Adventure. The clear 180-proof quadruple-distilled spirit, which required no engine modification, produced 200 bhp, only 5 less than ordinary gasoline - but at about $200 a gallon it's a pretty pricey biofuel. A lower proof version of the X4 will go on sale (for drinking, not driving) in the fall. You can see a video of the run here.

[via Men.Style]

Bruichladdich, the brawny Islay single malt that won top honors on Men.Style.com's Scotch hotlist for its classic 15 Year, is coming out with a new Multi-Vintage Trilogy showcasing the whisky's full range of flavors.

The three new bottlings - Rocks, Waves and Peat - range from light to heavy smokiness and feature aggressively modern packaging that's a real departure from the vintage feel of the distillery's signature labels.

Rocks takes its name from the Rhinns of Islay, the "oldest rocks in the whisky world" through which the water used in Bruichladdich is filtered, while Waves reflects the Atlantic ocean buffeting the Hebridean isle and Peat is, well, pretty self-explanatory.

Rocks is available now and the others will be by the end of summer. See the gallery for more.

On June 18, Laphroaig Single Malt will host a live online tasting featuring the global unveiling of two yet-to-be-released whiskies. The 45-minute webcast, beginning at 3:00 p.m. EST, will be conducted by Distillery Manager John Campbell and Master Blender Robert Hicks from inside Warehouse 1 at the historic Laphroaig Distillery on Islay. As we reported earlier this month, longtime Laphroaig fan Prince Charles recently visited there (see above). The online tasting and educational seminar will include smoky classics Laphroaig 10 Year Old, Laphroaig Quarter Cask, Laphroaig Cáirdeas, and two unreleased whiskies: Laphroaig 30 Year Old Cáirdeas and the yet-to-be-bottled Laphroaig Triple Wood. Participants of legal purchase age can download tasting notes and guides and submit their questions in advance at Laphroaig.com. For more information visit www.Laphroaig.com/live.

Yesterday Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, paid a visit to the home of his favorite Scotch whisky, the Laphroaig distillery on Islay. Laphroaig, established in 1815, is one of the richest, smokiest single malts and one of the very best Scotches ever produced. It holds a Royal Warrant from the Prince of Wales, which he confirmed while there, and bears his heraldic three-feather badge on its label. The kilt-clad Charles and Camilla - who are known as by their local title, the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, while traveling in Scotland - toured the distillery, learned about (and leant a hand in) its production and nosed whiskies of different ages. The Prince also signed two barrels of maturing spirit and an ultra-rare 40-year-old bottle of Laphroaig, one of only a handful left in the world, all to be auctioned off for charity. The 40-year-old was worth about $5,000 before he applied the royal signature. The proceeds from the auctions will go to the charities of Charles' choice.

The Islay Weblog has another update on the question of the age of the "1851 Mutter Bowmore," the whisky bottle that fetched $59,200 in September. The actual age of the bottle has been questioned with a variety of people pointing out that the bottle and the label seem to indicate that the bottle might be younger than the date given. Iain Russell, the archivist at the Scottish Brewing Archive based at Glasgow University, has pointed out anomalies that would date the bottle in the 1890s.

Now whisky consultant Martin Green responds that the carbon dating results show that the spirit was produced between 1808 and 1854, so that the auction description of the bottle as being circa 1850 was accurate. Iain Russell told the local paper that the radio carbon date must indeed be the oldest known to be in existence, but the bottle in which the whisky is held, and the label on that bottle, date from much later than 1851. This doesn't jibe with the story that the Mutter family has told saying that this bottle was given to their ancestor William Mutter in 1851. The mystery continues.

UDPATE: Iain Russell weighs in below in the comments section clarifying his words to the Ileach paper. This story just gets more interesting!

In the past few years, we've seen wine producers in various countries fight to protect the integrity of their product. The UK government is figuring out how to enact a similar type of protection for Scotch whisky. The government is seeking to create a new law that will define Scotch's geographical origins and make it harder for foreign imitations to compete against Scotch in the world. Potential legislation would define the descriptions of Scotch whisky, such as single malt or blended grain, as well as the terroir such as Highland or Islay . With markets like China and India proving to be huge markets for Scotch and with the amount of whisky fraud steadily on the rise, it is becoming increasingly important for the identity of Scotch whisky to be firmly, and legally, established.

Oil shortages have brought the stills at the Bruichladdich distillery on the island of Islay to a halt. The Islay Whisky Festival is underway this week but no one is able to distill without the oil. Tankers have not been able to dock at the island due to low tides and a high degree of silting despite the fact that the area has been dredged. Islay is famed for its whisky and is home to eight distilleries including Bowmore, Ardbeg and Laphroaig.

Now this is a booze cruise. The Whisky School has put together cruises to the distilleries of Islay. Cruise leader Gordon Wright takes cruisers through three days of whisky adventure with two evenings of tutored whisky tastings on the boat. The cruises cost £895 per person sharing a twin or double cabin and includes food and beverages on board. The boat carries just 10 guests and the price includes to and from transfers from Glasgow to the boat. There are two cruises scheduled each month for May, June and August.

[via Islay blog]

Those wacky folks at the Bruichladdich distillery in Scotland are up to something special on Monday, a quadruple distillation that will result in a whisky with a 92% alcohol content. The legend of a quadruple distilled whisky known as usquebaugh-baul is mentioned in Martin Martin’s book of his 1695 journey in the Hebrides "The Western Islands of Scotland." The book explains the drink by saying that "… the first taste affects all the members of the body: two spoonfuls of this last liquor is a sufficient dose; and if any man should exceed this, it would presently stop his breath, and endanger his life.” Wow. The creation of the potent brew will be shown on the distillery webcams. According to the Scotsman, there will be  5,000 bottles created for those willing to take on the drink.

Forbes released an article telling us the detailed background on the history of blended Scotch and what to look for in the crowd this year.  Master blenders recognize the right components to harmoniously marry single malts to grain whiskies which give us blended Scotch whiskies.  An Edinburgh merchant was probably the first to do so in 1853 when he mixed the malt whisky from The Glenlivet with other whiskies to be labeled as Old Vatted Glenlivet, O.V.G.  The merge proved to be less aggressive and soothing then the challenging drink of single malts. This and other blends corroborated that two styles of Scotch whisky was more attractive to the general consumer than when sold separately. Even though some of us snobs might refuse to consider Scotch blends, I suggest you give a try from the short list of current respected blends. When a single malt is not around, from the list, I personally enjoy Chivas Royal Salute 21 Year and the 12 Year, Johnnie Walker Gold 18 Year, and Dewar’s Special Reserve 12 Year. What are your favorite blended Scotch whiskies?

Lagavulin, an Islay whisky, is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, dating to about 1742. It is known as the aristocrat of Islays. Lagavulin is one of the few great classics not only from Islay but Scotland it’s self. The great peat smoke aroma adds to its robust body, and is well balanced and smooth with a gentle sweetness. The 16 year is among my all time favorites of all single malts with its heady and pungent smokiness. Lagavulin means “the hollow where the mill is”.