Five favourites: Vic Cameron on whisky

For World Whisky Day, our whisky lecturer, Vic Cameron, shares five of his favourite drams in the world right now…

Caol Ila 18

I love this whisky as I love the distillery. I used to go to Caol Ila when I was on Islay for work, and really enjoyed being on the site. It is a very stunning location and the 18 year old really does the distillery justice. I still have one 20cl bottle left (from a box of 12) that I am saving for a special occasion.

Talisker 25

I was given a bottle of this by some wonderful friends and colleagues when I left Diageo. I remember all my family being home the day I left and we opened this bottle there and then. I have saved what is left to drink with my son when he comes home, which is not so often now given that he lives in Canberra, Australia.

Glen Moray 10 Fired Oak

I am a real fan of Glen Moray, having gone to school and worked at the village shop with the previous manager, Graham Coull. I was born 1 mile from Glen Moray Distillery in the city of Elgin, so you could say this is my ‘local’ distillery. This fired oak is a wonderful example of what a young whisky can taste like if matured in really good casks.

Tamdhu Batch 4

Most people that know me from the past will tell you that I never really liked sherry cask whiskies. That all finished when I visited Sandy McIntyre, an old colleague from Diageo, who is now the manager at Tamdhu. He introduced me to some awesome examples of Tamdhu whiskies and I fell in love with the distillery and the drams. This Batch 4 Batch Strength is a wonderful expression of Tamdhu.

71.61 Orange Blossom in Botanical Gardens

I love what the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) do with regards to good value single cask whiskies. I was given this bottle as a gift after being asked to be one of the 12 members chosen to be the society’s Flavour Ambassadors; I am the ambassador for the Juicy, Oaky and Vanilla flavour profile. 71 is the closest distillery to my house, and this is a wonderful example of whisky from an ex-bourbon cask.