Coldorak's whisky blog.
We take a nostalgic look in the rear-view mirror as we explore four gems from Diageo’s exclusive Managers’ Choice collection – a limited one-cask-per-distillery series launched in 2009. In our glasses tonight: a Cragganmore, Knockando, Lagavulin and Talisker, all handpicked by their respective distillery managers and bottled that same year at cask strength, offering a rare snapshot of Diageo’s portfolio at the time.
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Silvano Samaroli was a pioneering figure in the world of whisky and spirits, known for his groundbreaking contributions to independent bottling and blending. Starting in the 1960s, he selected exceptional casks of Scotch whisky based on their unique character and quality, rather than age or prestige. His bottlings became highly sought after by connoisseurs, and his uncompromising standards set new benchmarks in the industry. Samaroli’s legacy includes his role as an educator and his influence on the rise of independent bottlers. Today, he is remembered as a visionary whose dedication to craftsmanship continues to inspire new generations of enthusiasts and professionals. We review a blended malt he created, but that was bottled by his widow a few years after his death, the No Age Declared Blended Malt Masam.
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