Sazerac straight rye whisky takes its name from the New Orleans coffee house which was known as the home of the sazerac cocktail. Without this exceptional whisky, the cocktail would be nowhere near as great. Aromas of vanilla, anise, pepper and clove are released but the flavour is subtler, with candied spice and sweet citrus taking over.
A west highland malt of real esteem, this 14-year-old Oban is traditional in its flavour but this isn’t something to overlook. Rich and smoky on the nose, this Oban has a medicinal flavour about it, with notes of the sea, coast and seaweed all coming through together. Smooth sweetness is offered up by citrus-infused vanilla but it’s the medicinal notes which truly make this a memorable dram.
Wild turkey rare breed is an exceptionally enjoyable, stand-out bourbon which brings together a range of flavours. Blending together 6, 8 and 12-year-old bourbons creates an intensity of flavour you won’t forget and it’s a wonderful bourbon to serve on ice or chilled. Classic toffee notes open the drink and orange come through too with vanilla striking intensely as you take that second sip. Spiced oak and bitter chocolate partner each other wonderfully to create the body of the flavour and draw out a long and satisfying finish.
First launched in 2008, the Dalmore 12-year-old is a single malt rich in coffee and toasty warm notes. Spicy and thick in the mouth, it’s a very rich malt which stands out amongst its peers. Evoking the relaxed nature of a western American coffee house, the nose of this malt is rich in roasting coffee beans, nuttiness and sweet malt. The palate is different, rich in Seville marmalade, wintry spice and cocoa drawing into a medium finish that ensures you go back for another sip.
Auchentoshan three wood is lowland single malt that spends time matured in three different casks. Pedro Ximenez sherry casks, oloroso casks and bourbon casks have the pleasure of playing a role in the maturation of this exceptional malt. The nose is rich with cooked fruit, toffee and sherry with a rum-like quality. The palate is rich, thick like a liqueur and balanced with notes of cherries and chocolate, like sumptuous black forest gateaux.
Flavours of the middle east are rich in this offering. Talisker’s port ruighe is wonderfully fruity and rich in notes of turkish delight. The nose is heavily doused in rose water, saLtred caramel and dried fruit. This leads into a beautifully decadent and aromatic flavour, turkish delight on the palate and a burnt toffee end note which adds smoky depth to a very sweet and florid offering. A fine port-finished whisky with fine exotic notes.
The Chivas regal 18-year-old is a richly decadent blend of Scottish whiskies, created personally by master blender Colin Scott. This Chivas Regal offering brings together 20 single malts from across Scotland to give you an end result that doesn’t disappoint. The aroma of this offering is wonderfully balanced with citrus fresh orange paired with malted barley and vanilla fudge with just the lightest spice.
Finished in oloroso sherry casks, Glenmorangie Lasanta is a warm, toasty single malt that takes its name from the Scottish Gaelic for warmth and passion. The nose is creamily sweet, with caramel, chocolate-covered fruit and sweet spices blended perfectly. The mouthfeel is voluptuously thick, honeyed raisins, beeswax, vanilla ice cream and oaky dryness melt together in perfect harmony. A little spice and bitter cacao bring this dram to an excellent close.
A green and crunchy entry in the hakushu range, combining whisky of a wide variety of ages, from across the range of casks used by the distillery to create a gently smoky dram, packed with fruity flavour.
Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban is the port finished offering from the esteemed distillery. To create its distinctive flavour specially selected port pipes from the Portuguese Douro valley are used. The nose is rich in winter fragrances, fresh berries and the warmth of a good port. Strong oak and chewy cereal notes also come through leading to a sweet, thick mouthfeel and a palate full of bright port notes, barley sugar and juicy fresh fruit. It is one of the sweeter offerings on the market but there are noticeable hits of spice.
A single malt that many lusts after, Lagavulin 16 year old is a southern islay offering which combines bright rich notes with a light dryness, creating an interesting, concentrated flavour. The nose is reminiscent of lapsang souchong tea, exceptionally smoky with undertones of sweet sherry and vanilla. The flavour is equally intense, with a thick richness on the palate, rich in malt and sherry with bright fruited sweetness and the smoky peat always there in the background. A masterpiece of the smoky style.
Michter's us 1 bourbon is made from a carefully selected mash bill that features the highest quality American corn. It is then matured to the peak of perfection, with barrels often aging in excess of eight years.
An exciting release from esteemed Islay distillery Bowmore, this 15-year-old single malt enjoys maturation in fruity and elegant oloroso sherry casks. From the first opening, the bottle 15-year-old Bowmore is dark and punchy with sherry notes coming through strongly with sweet dates, spices and raisin present too. The flavour follows on in the same vein, rich and decadent with pine oil and rich woody spice coming through alongside malted fruits. The sherry character sells this malt every time.
The Dalmore 15-year-old first hit the market in 2007 and benefits from maturation in apostles, amoroso and Matusalem sherry casks. The chocolate that the Dalmore is known for is present with abundance alongside zesty orange and wintry spices. The nose is simply meeting with orange zest and cocoa, with floral notes adding a further character dimension. A medium, sweet taste on the palate evokes the flavour of blue curacao and bitter chocolate, with stem ginger syrup and warming citrus present too.
Ardbeg Uigeadail takes its name from the Scottish Gaelic word for ‘dark and mysterious place’ which is also the loch from which Ardbeg gets its water. Ardbeg pride themselves on a range of unique quality malts and Uigeadail doesn’t let the team down. The aroma is a rich mixture of peat, dark sugar, espresso beans and a hint of deep tar. The flavour is led by sweeter notes, with ripe fruit and honey coming through first with just a touch of malt, all the while supported by that lingering peat. Caramel and malt find a place in the lingering finish, adding warmth and sweetness to the peat.
Like the nectar of the gods, Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or is an elegant, vinous single malt that will send you into raptures. Sauternes finish helps to deliver the sweet, vine flavours and enures the fruity notes are bold and inviting. A nose full of dessert wines and barley sweetness gives way to a full-bodied flavour, with cereal notes supporting the more wine-like characteristics. Oaky tannins support a light spice which helps lead to a rounded finish.
This 18-year-old offering from the core range of Glenfiddich is matured in a mixture of ex-bourbon and oloroso sherry casks, delivering a sweet, smooth flavour. As you open the bottle you’ll enjoy the zest of grapefruit, fresh apples and spiced dried wood. When your taste you’ll enjoy all these bright fruit flavours candied and spiced with ginger. Complimentary notes toffee and sherry give the drink further character.
An excellent 18-year-old single malt from Glenlivet, this bottle is a classic Speyside offering which has won awards for its style and refinement. Classic flavours come through in a well-rounded and vibrant nose, fresh with sherried peel, apple blossom and chewy sultanas. On sipping you’ll enjoy the sharpness of tannic oak, walnuts, orange peel and manuka honey. Toasty cereals are spiced up and hints of fennel draw each sip to a satisfying close.
Ardbeg Corryvreckan is a legend in its own right. A dram you won’t forget and a malt you are almost guaranteed to want to buy time and again. Medicinal in style, the nose is rich in herbal and pine notes, with creamier hints of buttery warmth and smoke. The palate too is wonderfully creamy with tingling spices, a touch of fresh fruit, orange peels and that medicinal tang. The finish is long with a salty edge, a hint of peat and that unusual yet enjoyable medicinal taste remains prevalent.
Distilled and initially aged in Canada, before years of further ageing at a whistle pig farm in Vermont, this is, as owner raj bhakta puts it, 'a Canadian-us collaboration to the core'.
A full-bodied and balanced bourbon, at once fresh, sweet and smoky, with a rich and rounded mouthfeel, Longbranch is a collaborative effort between Wild Turkey Master Distiller Eddie Russell and the brand's Creative Director – award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey. Longbranch has been refined using charcoal from both Kentucky white oak and Texan mesquite in a nod to both men home states.
Finished in first-fill Caribbean rum casks which previously held Demerara rum. Leading it to have a nose with lots of tropical banana and mango alongside buttery caramel finished on the palate with a prickle of aromatic spice.
Yamazaki 12-year-old is probably the most famous Japanese whisky there is. an exceptional single malt, it was one of the first seriously marketed offerings from japan to reach the rest of the world. Intensely enjoyable and rich with nut oils and citrus zest, Yamazaki 12-year-old is smooth in the mouth with biting winter spice providing that classic whisky flavour, with the fruity notes ensuring a rounded finish. A must for first-time Japanese whisky drinkers.
This 18-year-old Glenmorangie dram is an exquisite tropical offering. matured for 15 years in bourbon casks before finishing in oloroso sherry casks. This helps develop the warm, tropical fruit flavours and leads to a hugely satisfying flavour. The nose is rich in creamy honey, with greek yoghurt notes, exotic spice and vibrant berries. The flavour is awash with citrus, honeyed sweetness and strong hits of oak. A classic Glenmorangie malt.
One of the newest offerings from islay’s Bowmore distillery, this 18-year-old single malt is perfumed, wonderfully fruity and rich with dark, smoky peat. The nose begins vibrantly, with the alcohol eat coming through amongst perfumed fruit and essence of fruit jam. When the flavour comes through it’s a balance of sweet and smoky, with deep peaty notes paired with cooked fruit and hearty marmalade. The endnote is rich with sticky marmalade notes and a final whisper of smoke.
Suntory are the gods of the Japanese whisky scene and their Hakushu line is amongst the most popular. The Hakushi distillery is hidden in the forests near the Japanese alps and this particular offering is aged for 12 years. An exceptional single malt, Hakushu 12 year is a light and refreshing offering with hay and mixed peels on the nose and gentle barley malt, smokiness and hazelnut coming through in the taste. Sweetness is perfectly balanced against spice.
One of the premium members of the Chivas family, rich and complex in flavour, Chivas royal salute is aged for 21 years. Bottled in extravagant handcrafted porcelain flagons, you can tell luxury when you see it and you can taste it too. On the nose hints of fresh dandelion, honey and a little salty sea spray are offered up alongside a touch of peat. When you taste it’s all about the wild extravagant honey and spicy hits of tarragon, dill and other fresh, vibrant herbs. The malty notes carry on into a warm, lingering finish.
18-year-old highland park is an exceptional whisky that builds upon the already renowned reputation of its younger, 12-year-old brother. All the exceptional stand out notes you’d expect in a quality Orkney note are there with mature oak and aromatic smoke coming through in the nose. The full-bodied flavour hits the palate with gusto, with smoke, peat and honey blending together in a beautiful mix. A soft, long and rounded finish teases you into trying just one more sip.
One of the most well-known distilleries in the land, this 21-year-old Glenfiddich has all the flavours you want from an exceptional malt. Finished in specially selected Caribbean rum casks, rum-like notes come through in the nose alongside figs, caramel, evoking the festive period. The flavour is rich in spiced fruit depth, with ginger and lime standing out strongly. A long and dry finish is the perfect ending to a highly enjoyable drink.
This 21-year-old Balvenie malt is the flagship of Balvenie's small group of port wood whiskies and is a refined and balanced offering. It spends time maturing in thirty-year-old port pipes which deliver elegance to every sip. White peach and light smoke flood the nose and are quickly followed by a delicate flavour with red fruits, raisins and vibrant floral honey. Balvenie’s 21-year-old malt is a wonderful example of delicate flavours blended perfectly together.
The rarest Johnnie Walker on the market, the blue label has a refined and elegant flavour that lifts it into the premium malt category. A robust and fragrant nose is rich with oak, dry spices, berry fruits and aniseed. The flavour is mellower, more balanced and open, with toffee and light hints of smoke. Chocolate and intense malt warmth give the flavour another dimension and the long finish is awash with powerful oaky notes.
A bolder, darker expression of Maison's iconic blanc, this rosé reveals the richness of pinot noir while remaining faithful to the house style. Its bracing vinosity will further develop over time.
This 18-year-old Macallan was aged in ex-bourbon barrels before bottling, creating a spicy, intense offering, part of the Macallan old malt cask range. A rum-infused nose rich with raisins, spice and caramel is the perfect introduction to a dark and brooding flavour, espresso and cocoa working in tandem with sweet biscuit spice and stem ginger also present. The malty finish is a satisfying way to round up an exceptional drink.
One of the most highly commended Chivas regal blended malts, this 25-year-old offering is truly delicious, with light fruit notes pairing perfectly with soft nutty notes. On the nose, it’s the nuttiness that comes through first followed by berry fruits and malts and even a faint hint of porridge. The flavour is softer, gentle with sweet honey, aniseed and elegant toffee richness. An earthy finish is a perfect endnote.
A grand old master of the Bowmore range, this 25-year-old malt is aged in Spanish sherry and American bourbon casks. The defining character of this peaty malt is coastal, with sublime smoky notes and nutty depth. On opening, you’ll enjoy the rich aroma dark fruits, that coastal smoke and herbaceous freshness. This leads into a flavour which is rich with classic peat smoke, a touch of cocoa and a creamy nuttiness which really enhances all the other notes. Gentle smoke lingers in an endnote you’ll remember.
One of the world’s most revered whiskies and one which if you can taste it, you simply must! macallan’s exceptional 25-year-old malt is the epitome of Speyside, winning awards and lifelong fans alike. The nose is rich in orange and pear, with sweet spices and just the slightest touch of smoke. Its effect on the palate is textbook, malty apricots, prunes and figs are paired with cinnamon and sweet nutmeg. All bound together with a burst of honey, firmly planting this malt at the heart of the speyside scene.