Some rambling on distillery policies.

Lately, say the last 5-10 years, the whisky industry has expanded hugely, well done! But then again, many spectators, commentators, customers and so on, seek out single casks, cask strengths, or older standards, at least that is my impression. Going way back there is hard to find the array of single cask cask strength IB bottlings that's hitting the market nowadays. Except from WMC, G&M, SV and some european mainland bottlers, there weren't many around. And due to only a small amount of output being sold to IB's there were lots of good stock to be put into the original bottlings. (We all now the best casks weren't going into blends, or?)
Now that the numbers of IB's are expanding rapidly and buying much of the older stocks intended for single malt batches, what does the distilleries do? If I'm correct, they watch and learn. More and more single cask releases, funky finishing, cask strength editions, and younger NAS-editions are hitting the market. Also many distilleries are experimenting with peat, and newer cask types to cope with the more and more expensive sherry casks. Thankfully Aberlour and Glenfarclas, alongside maybe some others have gotten deals that won't deprave them of sherry casks anytime soon. The answer to this seems to be, for what the distilleries are concerned, to start bottling more of their sherry casks as single cask bottlings. Very well many must say, as they often can be quite brilliant. The backside of the medal for most of us that don't have a tree growing bills in the backyard, these bottles are becoming more and more expensive, and in my opinion are now far beyond the point of ridiculously expensive. So we'll settle for the 12yo 46% Moscatel or Cabernet-Sauvignon-finish, or standard OB. But what about the standard OB's? I think that when there now is much less older whisky to go around in the batches, NAS-versions, like the Uigeadail, A'bunadh, CV's and so on will be expanding on the market.

The abv.% has been lifted from 40 or 43% to 46% or more at many distilleries, which is a good thing, I hope it continues. And more so, I hope that the young produce that's put out will be at a price that doesn't exclude the everyday man from having, occasionally at least, a fantastic experience, read: early to mid-nineties 12yo's from Highland Park.