Whisky review: Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist 1990 Limited Release

Ardbeg is one of the Islay distilleries doing heavily-peated whiskies, falling prey to the "peatiness envy" that has also engulfed Bruichladdich with their Port Charlotte and Octomore offerings.

The Airigh Nam Beist (pronounced "arry nam baysht") is named after the small hill lake between Loch Uigeadail (from which Ardbeg draws its water) and the Ardbeg distillery, and translates from the Gaelic to mean "shelter or pasture of the animals." It is a vintage bottling, put into casks in 1990 and bottled in 2007, and has since been discontinued because the stock has run out.

Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist, 46% ABV

Single malt Scotch whisky (Islay)

Nose: A sweet smokiness that includes some medicinal notes and aromas of fresh, green twigs.

Palate: Smoke, peat and honey entwined to give a well-rounded dram. Velvety mouthfeel.

Finish: Peat at first, fading to honey and caramel with a background of smoke. Honey and smoke seem to linger forever.

Rating (of 100): 91. A very nice all-around peated whisky, though I think the complexity of this whisky is still far less than what was achieved in the primo batches of the Ardbeg Uigeadail.

Whisky review: GlenDronach 18

GlenDronach has undergone some ups and downs in the past few years. In 1996, the distillery was mothballed (put into hibernation) and was re-opened in 2002. In 2008, it was sold to the BenRiach Distillery Company, the same private company that owns the BenRiach distillery.

GlenDronach is committed to producing heavily-sherried whiskies. This 18-year-old is named "Allardice," after the founder of the distillery, James Allardice, and has been matured solely in oloroso sherry casks made from Spanish oak.

GlenDronach 18, 46% ABV

Single malt Scotch whisky (Highlands)

Nose: Spicy raisins, dark fruits, jammy sherry. A very thick nose that lets you know a lot of sherry has gone into this...

Palate: Sherry, dark berries and fruits (oranges, plums). A deep flavor that is kept vibrant by a good alcohol content.

Finish: Spices and toasted wood that keep lingering, turning to lighter fruits as time goes on.

Rating (of 100): 90. Tasty and not cloyingly sweet, though I don't think I could take more than a few drams because this is a big whisky. The heft of the sherry in this makes a Macallan 18's sherry content seem comparable to that in a glass of tap water.

Whisky review: Speyburn 10

Speyburn is a Speyside distillery, built on the site of an old gallows in the town of Rothes along with Glen Grant, Glenrothes, and Glen Spey. It was the first distillery to use drum maltings, in which the malt is dried in a rotating metal drum instead of on a perforated floor (the floor maltings are the traditional way of doing it, but require a lot of labor).

Speyburn is owned by the same company that owns the Pulteney, Balblair and Knockdhu distilleries, Inver House. However, they do not normally market Speyburn nearly as heavily as they do the other three. I'm not sure why, but I have a feeling they have Speyburn for blending.

Speyburn 10, 43% ABV

Single malt Scotch whisky (Speyside)

Nose: Very floral and sweet with a bit of a toasty characteristic.

Palate: Citrus (green apple, orange, lemon) followed by a bit of earthiness.

Finish: Citrus and some malt.

Rating (of 100): 86. This is not a very complex whisky but it is extremely drinkable and, at about $20/bottle, it's a great deal.