McClelland's Highland Single Malt

[talisker10]

I am back from Antarctica and went to my local Spec's to get a bottle to replace my nearly finished Old Pulteney 12. Things are a bit tight right now so I was going to get Teacher's. However while looking I saw the range of McClelland's Single Malts (Islay, Highland, Speyside, and Lowland)..very cheap at $20 a bottle. I bought the Highland. Not great, but very good for the price, especially with a splash of water. Nose is similar to OP 12, while the taste is a bit similar to Dalmore 12 although not as sweet. The finish is a bit gingery and spicy. best thing is it is $20 and there is none of that grain alcohol taste that blends have. The Dr. Whisky blog says this whisky is likely Glen Garioch. I plan to try the Islay next, which is said to be Bowmore.

[LeoDLion]

I have a 5-liter oak barrel maturing McCleland Islay. I prefer this than the Highlands and the Lowlands. Yes its a young Bowmore.

[whiskywoman]

The McClellands Highland was the first whiskey I tried. I really like it. It has a serious bite.

[triguy42]

I had a bottle of this at one point, bought for also about $20. I didn't put down any notes but from memory it was a typical non-sherried speysider. Malty, oaky, a touch spicy but definitely young and still a bit harsh. I felt it was a fairly good malt for the price. I bought a bottle of the McClelland's Islay malt a long while back and it was definitely a young Bowmore with the older ferny-irony flavor profile. No idea what a current bottling of the Islay would be like, but I seem to remember reading that the McClelland was definitely Bowmore.

[Ol' Jas]

It's been a while since I had their Highland bottling, but I remember liking the finish quite a bit. Fresh and "blasty" as I recall. I keep thinking of picking it up again when I need a new cheapie. (It'll either be that or the Tamdhu.)

The other McClelland's stuff is hit-or-miss.
* The Islay is decent for some cheap smoke or to zip-up my "everything goes into the big decanter" blend.
* The Lowland is as boring as you'd expect.
* The Speyside is nasty. Gross flowery and vomity. I think it's probably responsible for me largely avoiding Speysides for the past couple years. After a couple drams, that whole bottle went into the decanter with a few other expendibles that I thought would counteract it.

As long as they're doing the region thing, though, they really need to do a Campbeltown. Bottle up some young Glen Scotia on the cheap, McClelland's! : )

[whiskgeek]

McClelland's is put out by Morrison Bowmore. They own Auchentoshan, Glen Garioch and... what was it? Oh yeah - Bowmore.

I think that kinda limits what you'll find in McClelland's.