Highlands

Previously part of their travel retail offering, Oban's Little Bay has graduated to the core range. Master Blenders Dr. Matthew Crow and Dr. Craig Wilson use whisky matured in refill American oak hogsheads, European oak Sherry casks and refill casks with new ends for this expression before allowing the resultant single malt whisky to marry in small oak casks.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Dried apple chips, floral herbs and chopped mint, candied orange and a touch of milky coffee.

Palate: Those fancy chocolates with the flakes of sea salt, pound cake topped with demerara sugar and cinnamon. Citrus returns on the mid-palate.

Finish: Spiced with cinnamon and ginger.

This is the core expression of 10 year old Ballechin single malt Scotch whisky, which is heavily peated whisky from Edradour. It has been named for the silent Ballechin distillery near the Edradour distillery. Releases under the Ballechin name from Edradour were previously presented as part of The Discovery Series, many of which were matured in different types of casks, including Sherry, bourbon and a selection of wine casks. This 10 year old expression, however, comes from a combination of ex-Oloroso Sherry and ex-bourbon casks.

Nose: Oily malt, whiffs of burnt ends and BBQ char, a few touches of apple and fig.

Palate: Chewy dates and oak, with smouldering peat bringing spicy heat to the palate.

Finish: A hint of ash sticks around on the finish.

The Tullibardine 15 Year Old has arrived! The Highland distillery reopened in 2003, and this is one of the most well-aged releases to date. Seeing as it was matured entirely in first-fill bourbon casks, there's lots of creamy, honeyed influence to be found in this one.

Nose: Barley sugar and delicate florals, with apple crumble and custard.

Palate: Lots of honeyed malt, with creamy porridge and berry jam along with fresh sponge cake.

Finish: Caramelised nuts, spicy oak and mango curd.

A young spirit from the organic Deanston distillery which is finished in virgin American oak from Kentucky. US oak is famous for it's big vanilla and toffee hit and these flavours shine through in this balanced malt.

NOSE
Heady virgin oak, bursting with lemon zest and sweet barley sugar, with delicious notes of apple and nutmeg.

PALATE
A delightful sweetness, evoking memories of candied fruits and vanilla toffee, balanced with heather honey.

FINISH
A satisfying light spice, with a rewarding burst of honeyed malt and sweet oakiness.

Long fermentation times and slow distillation are the word at Aberfeldy and the resultant malt has a honeyed and almost waxy quality. This beauty has been finished in Madeira casks adding fresh citrus and delicate tones of baked fruits, rich spices and cinnamon.

Andalucia is an autonomous region in southern Spain. Its capital is Seville but, more important than this city, is Jerez de al Frontera; the home of sherry (the word being an Anglicism of Jerez). Master Distiller Robert Fleming, carefully chose the best sherry butts from the ancient dunnage warehouses at Glencadam to create Reserva Andalucia. Once married together with bourbon casks, it was finished in Oloroso sherry butts from Andalucia. The fruitiness of the Glencadam spirit is balanced with sultana and sweet spice notes.

At the heart of Glengoyne Balbai?na are the hand-selected first fill sherry casks made from European oak which bring an intense and spicy character to the whisky.

Nose - Warming, with spiced raisin, biscuit, maple syrup and cloves

Palate - Brown sugar with dried apple, toffee and sherry richness

Finish - Dry with soft oak, ground spice and citrus

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

This whisky starts it's ageing journey in ex-bourbon barrels before going into virgin oak for a period to finish. It's bright and vibrant with predominant notes of American oak, honey and citrus with spice and fresh malt undertones. 

NOSE
Soft, fruity, balanced with sweet American oak notes.
PALATE
Smooth, creamy sweetness with malty honeyed spice and vanilla.
FINISH
Incredibly crisp with long lasting oaky sweetness.

Tis malt is a light and easy drinking whisky and shows a large influence from the American oak cask in which it has peacefully aged for 15 years.

Nose: Gentle, balanced with orchard fruits, oak, blossom, orange too, creamy vanilla, toffee.

Palate: Creamy and soft with a prominence of fruit and malt. Balanced, some toffee, caramel, citrus.

Finish: A long, soft finish.

From the distillery.

This exquisite single malt has been crafted from a combination of unpeated and peated spirit and four cask matured for at least twenty one years in bourbon barrels, sherry casks, virgin oak casks and Bordeaux red wine casks. During long maturation Benriach’s sweet Speyside smoke mellows and integrates with the fruit, malt and oak. After twenty one years, rich layering develops into an elegant honey smoke, enriched through multi-layered cask maturation. The whisky from each cask type, imbued with particular flavour characteristics, is then expertly married together to create a rich and elegant single malt, layered with lush orchard fruit and toasted pine wood with a honey smoke finish. All in perfect balance.

NATURAL CASK-IMPARTED COLOUR     ABV 46%

This whisky ages for 15 years in oak casks before it is finished, as the name suggests, in Limousin French Oak (the same kind that is used for many Cognacs). Expect rich notes of fruit, almonds and sweet spice.

Glen Garioch use virgin North American white oak casks for the entirety of the maturation for their Virgin Oak release. These US casks are preferable to European oak in some ways due to the lower tannin levels, plus the big vanillin component works exceptionally well with the malt.

This whisky is a big toffee, vanilla and chocolate number with spice and cloves to balance and leading to a long sweet finish.

A non age statement release from one of Speyside's finest distilleries, Glenfarclas. This is an approachable dram at 40% abv but still show the distilleries trademark sherry style albeit with some gorgeous clean bourbon cask influence in there too. It's a fantastic price for such a reputable producer.

Balblair capture the intense esters at the start of the spirit generating the core characteristics of apricots, oranges, spices, floral notes and green apples. The heavier oils and lipids at the end of the cut are also captured, giving leathery, nutty and full-bodied characteristics.

The 18 year old is matured initially in American oak ex-bourbon casks, followed by first fill Spanish oak butts, which add depth and charisma. This is a rich autumnal whisky with aromas of rich toffee, baked pears and new leather, leading to a palate of juicy apricots, seasoned oak and vanilla custard. The finish is long and raisiny.