I've recently had occasion to fly for the first time in 30 years[0]. As a result of that I was able to take advantage of the increasingly inaccurately named "Duty Free" to pick up a couple of bottles of whisky that you can't easily get in the UK. Not in Asda, anyway.
Glenlivet "Nadura": a lovely sweet whisky. 46% abv (I'd swear the bottle I got from the distillery two years ago was 56%), goes well with a ginger biscuit. No age statement so I suspect it's a vatting of some sort. Not impossible to get in the UK but not easy either.
Cardhu 12yo: odd one this. I get the impression that there's quite a lot going on in there, but rather than complimenting each other the various elements seem to be cancelling each other out leaving a rather bland, boring dram. Came in a wee leather satchel. Bought because although it's fairly easy to get in the UK I've never actually bought it and the price was good. Plus I liked the satchel. Not one I'll be replacing unless I see it at a very good price.
Knockando 18yo: 43%abv: Bought for the packaging as much as anything else (it came in a rather nice wooden box) it tastes a little rough for an 18yo. Can't quite decide whether I like it or not. Matured in sherry casks. I suspect it's one that I won't regret buying, but won't replace when it's gone either. Goes quite well with ice (oh, hush now).
Macallan "Elegancia" 12yo: matured in Spanish sherry oak, it's a light, sweet whisky. Perhaps a little _too_ light - it's bottled at 40% abv and I personally think it would benefit if it were bottled at 43% or 46% - it feels like it's been tamed a little too much. Still a very nice dram though, and very, very smooth. Perhaps a good whisky to give to someone who doesn't know if they like whisky. Supposedly only available through Duty Free shops.
Nikka "from the barrel": a 50cl bottle (a wee square bottle, lovely) at
51.4%abv (which makes me suspect that it's not "from the barrel" but has been diluted slightly). This is the highlight - it's a wonderfully complex dram with lots going on. It changes character slowly but surely from the point it enters your mouth to the point you swallow it, and it's all good. Benefits from just the merest drop of water adding to it to open it up. Wish we'd bought two of them because it really is that good.One thing to note about Duty Free whiskies is that they tend to be liter bottles, not 70cl. They cost _roughly_ the same as the 70cl bottlings. Both the Nadura and Elegancia were liter bottles.
Some people come back from France loaded down with wine. We came back with whisky. Ho hum.
Jim [0] The last time I was 10 years old and it was a 747, which is basically a Travel Lodge with wings. This time is was a 737 which is essentially a Little Chef with wings. On both occasions (out and back) I almost giggled during the safety instructions because I kept hearing the Billy Connelly version, which was a tad more honest: "In the unlikely event that both engines catch fire and fall off we're going to go into the ground like a f*&$ing dart."