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.

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.

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.

Triple Wood is a continuation of Glenturret's history, part of the old range and reborn in the new. A thoughtful combination of European and American Sherry Oak casks alongside Bourbon barrels gives a light and subtle whisky showcasing the sweet, fruity style of the new make spirit. The three cask types have carefully nurtured the spirit, adding a depth of character and a rich, golden colour.

Tasting Notes:
Aged in AMERICAN and EUROPEAN SHERRY casks and BOURBON barrels, Sweet FRUIT and CARAMEL flirt with sticky GINGER cake and VANILLA, maturing OAK and light SPICES look on with interest from the side lines.

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.

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. 

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.

This Caledonia Edradour is a release specially selected by songwriter Douglas Maclean and named after his famous song, Caledonia. The cask was an Oloroso sherry cask, distilled in 1997.

Nose: Sweet, creamy and honeyed, with notes of Manuka honey, hints of dried fig and date, soft sherry and a hint of oak.

Palate: Full and rich with notes of berry fruits, and honey and butter on granary toast. More sherry, caramel and toasted almond.

Finish: Spicy, dry and sprinkled with a dusting of cocoa.

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

The oldest of three Royal Brackla single malts launched in 2015. Distillation at Royal Brackla is slow, with plenty of reflux and this whisky is matured in Oloroso Sherry casks. The result is a rich whisky with notes of dark chocolate, anise and sweet summer berries.

"A sweet, balanced and beautifully easy-drinking dram, Langskip’s strength is matched only by its smoothness. Matured entirely in first-fill bourbon casks, this whisky has a unique richness and an extraordinary depth of flavour. Bottled at 58% alcohol by volume, Langskip represents the very best of Wolfburn.

Aromas of fruit blossom meld with dried apples and light oak. In the background you’ll find traces of raisins and dates mixed with rich fruit cake.

Flavours burst onto the palate, rich and sweet, including maple syrup, dark chocolate, almonds and raisins. The finish lingers nicely – hints of vanilla gently fade away with a warming trace of caramel at the end."

Distiller's note. 

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.