Ladyburn

I recently had the opportunity to nose a Ladyburn (). A rare opportunity indeed, as in my 10+ years of whisky hunting, it was the first tiume I came across a line up with a Ladyburn.
It's needless to say the whisky could not make good on its price tag. Bottles of Ladyburn start far in the 3 digits. What met my palate was comfortably reminding me of the lowland style I know and love. I'd heard rumors that Ladyburn was actually not very good whisky, but they proved to be incorrect, at least in this case.
I doubt I'll have many opportunities to savour it again, so I'll just cherish the memory of that one dram.

The future of Lowlands

It are dire times for people who enjoy Lowland whiskies, as prices of several staples are quickly going up. It was to be expected anyway, since all of them, but three, are now closed. And if we look at those remaining three, then only Bladnoch is in that true Lowland style. A visit to my local whisky supplier once again confirmed this, it's simply nearly impossible to find Rosebank or St-Magdalene (or Linlithgow for that matter) below 3 digits. I strongly expect Littlemill and Inverleven to follow suit in the next 2 years.
Where will we look for substitutes then? Personally my reflex is to look over the Irish Sea, but will other enthusiasts have that same reflex? At any rate, I see an opportunity for Irish whiskies here. This is something they could make a marketing campaign for, a market which is looking for exactly what they can offer. With most of the attention for Scottish whiskies drawn by the peated and heavy sherry variants, they probably won't be competing with many Scottish brands.
In the mean time, it's not too late to stock up on some Littlemill, before it becomes unaffordable, or if you have the means, one or two Rosebank or St-Magdalene bottles, before they become exclusive to the filthy rich.