Caol Ila is one of Islay's best loved distilleries and this 12 year old is their entry level bottling.

This expression is light and fresh with that distinctive Caol Ila smoke and notes of zesty limoncello. A perfect introduction to the joys of Islay malt and the mercurial qualities of peat smoked whisky.

The flagship expression from the Glenkinchie distillery, one of the stalwarts of the Lowlands. A fantastic introduction to the region, Glenkinchie 12 Year Old shows off the characteristic lightness and grassy elements that Lowland whiskies are known for, with nods to cooked fruit and Sauternes wine along the way. Brilliant single malt to enjoy as an aperitif on a warm evening.

Nose: A light, aromatic nose with hints of barley malt, almonds, hazelnuts and manuka honey/beeswax.

Palate: Very fruity palate with a mix of stewed fruits, dessert wine, apple peels and honey. Becomes quite oaky late palate.

Finish: A medium-length finish with barley and freshly mown grass…

Single malt Scotch whisky from the Knockando distillery in the prolific Speyside region, aged for a dozen years before being bottled. Interestingly, they seem to have done away with including the vintage for this bottling...

Nose: Banana chips, honey'd barley and a few fleeting floral flourishes.

Palate: Cadbury Fingers, brown bread with butter, sultanas and honeydew melon.

Finish: A slow build-up of cinnamon and black pepper.

Stunning complex single malt from the awesome Aberlour Distillery, one of the smallest in Scotland's prolific Speyside region. This expression has enjoyed its maturation in a combination of Oloroso sherry casks and first-fill American oak casks. Dig in to all those fruity, spicy sherried notes that you're familiar with from Aberlour, paired with decadent helpings of rich, creamy vanilla. Highly ideal for somewhat chilly evenings, this one.

Nose: Big aromatics on this one with cloves, cardamom and camphor, and then comes a wave of sweeter notes like toffee, milk chocolate and orange rind.

Palate: Full texture, round and creamy, with sweet dark cherries, fudge, and mocha coffee with a refreshing minty breeze.

Finish: Quite long with lingering honey and wood spice.

A 21 year old single malt, triple distilled and aged in second fill sherry casks, though nothing is lost to the power of the sherry. This bottling stands as the flagship for the core Auchentoshan range.

Nose: Soft and supple. Dry grass. Fruity notes, a citrus edge and very floral honey.

Palate: Oily, nuttiness. Dry and rounded with sugared peels.

Finish: Apricot conserve on granary toast with dry citrus notes.

The third release in The Balvenie Stories range is a particularly rich and exciting 26 year old expression, title A Day of Dark Barley. It sounds quite ominous, doesn't it? Don't worry, here's a spoiler to the end of the story - it results in excellent whisky!

This expression harks back to a day in 1992, when Balvenie mashman Brian Webster and maltman Robbie Gormley took in a delivery of dark barley, kicking of a long experiment. Dark barley isn't a common sight in the whisky world - you're more likely to see it put to use in beer brewing, particularly those yummy stouts we hear people talking about. Turns out, it also makes yummy single malt. Ideal.

Nose: Big malty notes, soft brown sugar, vanilla toffee, blossom honey and a mild oaky spiciness.

Palate: Syrupy with a toffee sweetness, some citrusy notes of tangy orange peel, followed by oak vanilla and a touch of cinnamon and ginger spices at the end.

Finish: Enduring gentle waves of vanilla and oak spices.