The Executive Visit Whisky Tour

HiFrom Andy Smith “President, Scotch Club”

Join MASC for a FASTASTIC and ELITE lineup of whiskies as we tour Scotland within our Glencairns.  This event will include special guests, the two most knowledgeable Scotchophiles in all a of Kansas, and perhaps the ONLY Scotchophiles in all of Kansas.  Attending to inspect the quality of Atlanta’s scotch one sip at a time is Andy Smith, the ever-transient co-founder of Scotch Club and the mysterious Chinese professor, Terry Zhang, bringer of the Linkwood 37yr.  Do NOT miss this one (look at the list!)

From Jack Smith (Fearless Leader)

“A Tour of Scotland from your chair” – Andy Smith (founder, Scotch Clubs of America & LASC) will be joining us for this special HIGHER-END TASTING. He and Terry Zhang, K.C. Scotch Club, are bringing 2 special expressions: Highland Park Odin, from the Valhalla range, and Linkwood 37-year-old (1978).

Hailing from the Scottish mainland’s 4 Whisky Regions, let’s enjoys drams from InchDairnie (Lowlands), Glen Ord (Highlands), Linkwood (Speyside), and Springbank (Campbeltown) to which we will add Highland Park (Island) and Ardbeg (Islay).

Glen Ord 18 Year is awesome as it was distilled almost 3 decades ago and matured in a modest bourbon cask.

InchDairnie RyeLaw is a very interesting Scottish whisky: a single grain whisky (a technique term denoting a whisky based on 1 or more cereal grains, in addition to the required malted barley, from a single distillery: in this case, malted rye (53%) and malted barley (47%) grains and InchDairnie).

Linkwood 1978 vintage, 37 Years Old, is a bottling from Diageo. It was matured in a combination of refill American oak hogsheads and European oak butts. It’s highly rated (90.4%) and currently selling for £800-£999. Murray McDavid bottled our 1991 vintage Springbank in 2000 and apparently released it to market in a couple of tranches, the first release being mid-2000 and the second in 2016… surely, they misplaced the pallet. In comparing our 1991 to the current vintages, the reviewers have remarked that the 1991 vintage is clearer in appearance and peatier at the finish.

Highland Park Odin is the fourth release from its Valhalla series. Odin was bottled at a robust CS 55.8% ABV (released in 2015). This makes it the highest proof and most powerful release of all four gods in the Valhalla collection, contrasting with Thor 52.1% (2012), Loki 48.7% ABV (2013), and Freya 51.2% ABV (2014). Unlike the HP standard age-statement releases, Odin underwent a specific double-cask maturation to achieve its deep oak profile: It was aged for 12 years in refill European oak hogsheads. It was then transferred into first-fill Spanish oak Sherry casks for 4 more years to finish its 16-year maturation, maximizing spice and rich fruit extractions.

Now for a fine final dram, our Ardbeg Kelpie is a Committee Release at batch strength of 51.7% ABV. This 2017 release is noted for being the first Ardbeg dram matured in virgin Black Sea oak casks sourced from Russia’s Adyghe Republic. These rare casks were married with traditional ex-bourbon barrel-matured Ardbeg to create a profile that leans heavily into oily, salty, and savory maritime notes. Bring a friend as “good whisky is made great when shared among friends.” If you can’t join us for our September tour of Scotland, the 6/5/26 armchair tour will have to do. (Flight making is a kick… not just slapped together. There are potential synergies to be realized out there!)

WHISKY MENU – 5 Single Malts/1 Single Grain (from InchDairnie’s copper Lomond pot stills)

1. GLEN ORD Single Malt / 1997 Vintage (18-Year) / 46% ABV / NCF / SC# 800002 (Refill HH) / IB: Montogmerie’s (Single Cask Collection) / Brand Owner: Angus Dundee Distillers Plc / Dist Owner: Diageo Scotland Ltd. (Diageo plc) / Highlands (Northern)

2. INCHDAIRNIE Fife Single Grain Whisky / ‘RyeLaw Scottish Rye’ / 2018 Vintage (6-Yr) / 46.3% / NCF / OB / Dist Owner: John Fergus & Co / Lowland (Fife)

3. LINKWOOD Single Malt / 1978 Vintage (37-Year) / CS 50.3% ABV / IB: Gordon & MacPhail (Distillery Label range) / Dist Owner: Diageo Scotland Ltd. (Diageo plc) / Speyside (Lossie)

4. SPRINGBANK Single Malt / 1991 Vintage (8-Year) / 46% ABV / NCF / Single Cask # MM-1829 (refill Sherry Butt) / IB: Murray McDavid (Aceo Ltd./Edward Odim) / Dist Owner: (J. & A. Mitchell & Co., Ltd./The Hedley G. Wright Trust) / Campbeltown Region

5. HIGHLAND PARK Single Malt / ‘Odin’ (4th Release – Valhalla Collection) / 16-Year / CS 55.8% ABV / NCF / OB / Dist Owner: Edrington Group Ltd. (Robertson Trust) / Island (Isle of Orkney)

6. ARDBEG Single Malt / Committee Release: 2017 – ‘Kelpie’ Ltd Edition / NAS / CS 51.7% ABV / NCF / OB / Dist Owner: LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.E.) / Islay (Kildalton)