Dornoch Distillery Redacted (Thompson) Bros 8 Year Old "SRV5" Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Notes

This is the Thompson Brothers foray into the world of blending. It's also proof that they've got some of the absolute best palates in the business. They seem to be getting access to stocks where others struggle, and this little vatting of over 8-year-old malts is one of the most intriguing and delicious malts on our shelves at any price point. SRV5 refers to Station Road Vat 5, the wooden vessel where this whisky is mingled before bottling. The Dornoch boys bottle in very small batches and the source material is of the highest quality. While the specifics cannot be disclosed for contractual reasons, the current blend made primarily from 8-year-old malts from a beautiful highland distiller known for its "waxy" character. That gives us, Clynelish or Dailuaine as likely candidates. The remaining malt is equally aged malt from Islay, which one can guess is almost certainly Caol Ila, but no confirmation of that fact has been offered by the bottler. Whether it's peated Bunnah, Lagavulin, Ardbeg, Bowmore, Laphroaig, or Caol Ila doesn't really matter here. What matters is the incredibly well-apportioned character, which deftly mingles the savory salty character of the Islay malt with the gorgeous waxy fruit and complex maltiness of the highland. Finished in a nicely active large wooden vat, gorgeously depicted on the label by artist KK Hiroshima, this is the most delicious $55 whisky money can buy. This perfect marriage of malts makes current single malt prices look silly.