At Dalwhinnie, clear worts and long ferments create a starting point form which one might expect a light floral whisky. However, the stills are run in such a way as to minimise the conversation between malt and copper, and when this is combined with the use of worm tubs to condense, the result is a heavy and somewhat sulphurous malt. After fifteen years in cask though, this is combined into the whisky, and the thick honeyed and almost sticky quality that Dalwhinnie is so famous for, shines through.

Nose: Aromatic, toffee, fruit salad, lush nectarine, custard. Floral, apple blossom, honeysuckle. Apple peels, pear, touch of smoke.

Palate: Malty. Walnuts steeped in manuka honey with vanilla sponge. Gentle smoke weaves its way through the cereal with a touch of spice.

Finish: Long, malty, walnut, almond.

GlenDronach is, quite simply, the go to distillery for sherry aged whiskies. This large, imposing Victorian distillery makes whisky to match and some of their single cask offerings are as dark as night and like drinking liquid Xmas pudding and crêpes suzettes.

This is the archetypal 12 year old, aged in ex-oloroso and PX sherry casks. The nose is rich and lifted with honey, caramel, treacle, vanilla sugar and prunes dominating. The palate is rich and rounded with dried fruit, sultanas and milk chocolate. A fantastic all-round whisky and a must for the cabinet at home.

The darkest and most intense whisky in the extra-matured range, Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban has spent 10 years maturing in American white oak casks, before being transferred into specially selected ruby port pipes from the Quintas or wine estates of Portugal.

Extra maturation in these port pipes develops Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban into a voluptuous spirit with a complex balance of sweet and dry flavours and an intriguing contrast of smooth and crisp, cooling textures. Non-chill-filtered for additional aroma and mouthfeel.

As an operating distillery, the production of Oban is quite limited. It only has two stills, which are among the smallest in Scotland. The standards at Oban distillery are exacting, and only the finest barley that is malted to their specifications isused. The whisky is well-rounded with distinctive maltiness and shows a misty, briny character against a background of smoke, heather and peat. The mild, temperate climate of the area, warmed by the Gulf Stream and the soft rain also contributes to its style. Oban is indeed a complete style, ideal after dinner, and covering all the bases, it provides a quintessential Scottish single malt experience!

Nose:  An intoxicating burst of maraschino cherry, ripe bramble and dark chocolate with hints of orange bitters and walnut liqueur.

Taste: Honey-grazed apricot and ripe fig with a crescendo of black cherry, angelica and muscovado.

Finish: Long and enveloping with dark manuka honey, herbal bitters and dark chocolate.

Completely unpeated (unusual in the highlands), this Glengoyne is soft, fruity and very quaffable. A fine single malt!

Nose: Toffee apples, a little acacia honey, nectarine in syrup and spice, supported by toasted barley in the background.

Palate: Over-ripe grapes, honeyed with hints of vanilla, coconut milk and oak spice. Light touches of chocolate ice-cream.

Finish: Long, oily finish with lingering coffee notes.

The Lasanta was extramatured in Spanish oloroso sherry casks following a minimum of ten years in ex-bourbon casks. In Gaelic, Lasanta means warmth and passion, and this refers to the key notes of toffee, raisins and walnuts. Upon further nosing and tasting, rich undertones of sultanas, oranges and chocolate emerge, with the dessert sherry wood showing its worth. 

Nose - Like the most delicious dessert menu imaginable, Lasanta taunts the senses with chocolate covered raisins, honeycomb and smooth caramel toffee. Citrus notes clear the way for the crispy burnt sugar and melting softness of creme brulee to be replaced by the rich aroma of rum and raisin ice cream

Palate - The full, sweet flavour typical of Spanish sherry with sultanas, orange segments, walnuts and butter toffee. The bite of hazelnut tasted through a chocolate coating, spice notes and hints of leather add the overwhelming sense of richness

Finish - Satisfyingly long with spiced orange and chocolate enrobed hazelnuts 

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.

Double matured in ex-bourbon and Spanish oak casks.  Intense and balanced, with a hint of sea air.

Old Pulteney is based in the thriving metropolis of Wick, popn 6777. It's a stones throw from the sea, and is known for its seasidey, coastal flavours. 

Double matured Dalwhinnie here. This addition to the 2022 Distillers Edition sees the Highland single malt matured in oloroso seasoned American oak casks, which brings a touch of tropical notes to this whisky.

Quietly assured and extra-mature, this is a whisky that opens slowly with real finesse to reveal an exquisite structure. rich in body, yet still full of delicate Cardhu character. The freshness of the nose, with its cleansing fruit, is a foil to the rich treat in store as the palate delivers all the comforting, melting richness of a fruity liqueur chocolate truffle and a complex, rich, sweet, spicy finish to match.

Nose: Macerated fruits; pears, plums, cherries. Hints of pineapple develop a light, green, gooseberry-like edge. 

Palate: A smooth and sweet taste, yet with light and lively acidity. Soft, delicate, fruity core with rich, chocolate-edged flavours. Warming overall.

Finish: Exciting and complex, the conclusion is long, smooth, gently drying and rich in cocoa.

Old Pulteney is based in the thriving metropolis of Wick.  and is a stones throw from the sea, and is known for its seasidey, coastal flavours. The 12 is a great entry point into this outstanding distillery - it shows a little toffee, citrus and spice.

Distillery notes

Tropical and mature, with the texture of melted chocolate and one of the finest finishes a single malt can bring, this stunning whisky calls for quiet admiration. Round and velvety, yet developed and fresh. Smoothed over by time, but with a beating heart.

AROMA
Leatherwood honey and spicy gingerbread followed by juicy prunes and fresh lemon peel

PALATE
Velvety in texture, bursting with dark chocolate, tropical fruit and spices

FINISH
Long and mellow, with notes of creamy vanilla and citrus

One of four new Fettercairn expressions to be launched in August 2018, the Fettercairn 12 Year Old was intended to embody the distillery’s floral and exotic fruit-driven character. It was matured in American oak ex-Bourbon casks and bottled at 40% ABV.

Nose: Refreshing nectarine, white flowers and milk chocolate emerge initially. Black toffee and subtle roasted coffee provide darker notes underneath,

Palate: Tropical fruit and sticky Jamaican ginger cake add a sweet and spicy depth which a flicker of bitter herbs and vanilla complement.

Finish: Orchard fruits and soft spices linger.

An indulgent smooth single malt matured in American white oak ex-bourbon casks and aged Tawny Port pipes. These casks were sourced from well-known port producer W&J Graham's

Nose: Clove-studded orange, raspberry and prune.

Palate: Chocolatey at first, before waves of dried fruit and stem ginger notes appear. A touch of earthy bitterness develops later on, balanced by runny honey.

Finish: Roast chestnuts, gingerbread and tobacco.