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."