Aged in quarter casks, bourbon barrels, and sherry butts for 27 years, then finished in sherry casks. Red apples and honey on the nose, where the characteristic Laphroaig phenolic attack becomes muted with time. Dried fruit, malt, and vanilla on the palate, along with subtle notes of iodine and warm tar. Developing brine, dark chocolate, and licorice leading into a dry, smoky, peppery finish.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2019)

The end of a series, this fifth and rarest edition has worked leather, chocolate, dark toffee, cinnamon bark, toasted currants, charcoal, and smoking incense. The smoke is commanding but never domineering. It’s a contemplative and weighty proposition, dark as midnight, with plain chocolate, spices, and dark berries, with a smoky intensity following through on the finish. (3,888 bottles) Collectible

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2019)

A classic bourbon nose, as butterscotch hard candies meet oak, creamed honey, beeswax candle, licorice, and wood char. At full proof this really blows the doors off, and a splash of water cracks open the peanut brittle flavors, buttery biscuit, root beer spices, and oak. The finish rides on for minutes, a mouthful of Peanut Chews, dark berries, and smoky plum, with scorched campfire marshmallow.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Spring 2019)

Rich and mature with its deep flavors of spiced oak, figgy fruit, and varnish, turning to candy apple, dried flowers, hazelnut, torched sugar, and cracked black pepper. The palate is explosive at full proof, as sweet stone fruit gives way to earthy oak and tobacco. The calvados barrel maturation really sings on the finish, where sweet apple candies and pecan pie meet big cinnamon and ginger spices. Incredibly drinkable at this proof with well-balanced oak.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Spring 2019)

Fleeting green foliage on the early nose, then orange blossom and fragrant spices emerge, with vanilla that’s cut through by lemon. Big, fresh orange notes on the palate, with brittle toffee, and encroaching dark chocolate. The finish is long, with lingering chocolate, spicy oak, and citrus fruit. £4,000

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2019)

This single-estate rye whisky, Scotland’s first rye in over a century, lets you lose yourself in deep clove spiciness, dark chocolate, Brazil nut, orange peel, and aromas of pressed cigars. The flavor is astonishingly good, with marmalade, old-fashioned toffee, rye bread, and toasted malt biscuits before a shower of clove spices breaks through, with dark toffee, treacle, chocolate, and pepper leading into a long finish of toffee and spice.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2019)

A stunning effort, with honey, sunflower seeds, zested orange, toasted flapjacks, nectarine, kiwi, and lime, with the citrus opening up with water. Superb to see a delicious, drinkable cask-strength whiskey showing off its flavors this well: honey, citrus, sweet toffee, vanilla pod, and a spice blast of pepper before a soft, flowing fruitiness is enveloped by ground ginger. Clove, peppercorn, and fresh ginger make for an epic finish. (5,175 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2019)

Slightly oily on the nose, with old leather, ginger, and furniture polish. Ultimately, red berry notes. The palate is initially sweet and fruity, with polished oak, aniseed, and wood spices. The finish dries slowly with oak tannins, but a spicy fruit note never quite disappears. £1,200

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2019)

Highly aromatic, with allspice, ground cinnamon, and hints of clove. Behind the spice, there is soft vanilla toffee, creamed coconut, and grapefruit peel. A palate comprised of citrus, peel oils, toffee, red berries, sweet barley, cinnamon, pepper, and star anise transition to a greater emphasis on toffee, hints of chocolate, more maltiness, and a little oak. The finish allows the spices to shine. (6,000 bottles) Editors’ Choice

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2019)

An edgy and energetic rye: fresh, grassy, and herbaceous, with orange, cedar, clove, sassafras, and gingerbread cookie. Dense and chewy, it has an unfurling parade of flavors: orange, cedar oil, berries, oatmeal cookies, cinnamon candy, pepper, pecans, and clove gum. Add a few drops of water and the profile shifts to highlight the herbal notes, along with mouthwatering oak, pecans, citrus oil, and chocolate. Lengthy and well-spiced finish. Take the time to get to know this whiskey: it’ll reward you.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2019)

This represents House Greyjoy and features its kraken. The nose offers damp tweed sprinkled with black pepper, plus smoky vanilla and ozone notes. Sweet smoke and citrus fruit on the palate, then more overt peatiness comes to the fore with soft toffee. Medium in length through the finish, with lingering toffee and light pepper. Great value! Editor's Choice

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2019)

The nose entices with confections: milk chocolate and nougat candy bars, Whoppers, and honey. The flavors unwind vivid and bright, with warming candied ginger, vanilla-frosted birthday cake, a beam of bright citrus, and toasted nuts and baking spice uniting with Jack Daniel’s estery house character to suggest warm banana bread. Lots of drying oak seals the finish.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Spring 2019)

A larger and mightier beast overall, with menthol, mint Life Savers, raisins, chocolate wafer bars, and thick gray smoke lifting off smoldering peat. The experience is mouth drawing and full bodied at this strength, with sweet orange, milk chocolate, clove, and nutmeg, the roof of the palate cloaked in a night sky of celestial peppery spices. Take it easy with water, but use it to unshackle the soaring citrus notes. (1,100 bottles for the U.S.)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2019)

The Double Barrel name denotes the fact that each batch is a blend from only two barrels. Fragrant notes of warm cinnamon bread, raisins, banana, and clove on the nose, along with toasty oak and old leather. A new burst of flavors on the palate reveals cocoa powder, spice cake, coconut, creamy chocolate, cinnamon, and chili pepper. A long finish of rich chocolate, almond, and a delicate hint of blackberry.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Spring 2019)

Waxy lemon, light honey, lychee, physalis, fresh hay, and the slightly tart aroma of ripening pear. On the palate, the pear is honeyed and ripe, awash with a lovely citrus sweetness, before a brief spasm of bitterness as the peppercorn and clove spices move in. Perfect drinking at this strength, it ends with a tart, dried-fruit note on a bed of spice.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2019)

This begins with a big scoop of banana pudding, or maybe it’s banana cream pie, since there is a lively dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg. Pretty floral notes, sweet Jordan almonds, and apple candies are well integrated with oak. What it lacks in deep complexity it makes up for with vibrancy, joie de vivre, and sheer drinking pleasure that revels in a satisfyingly long finish.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Spring 2019)

Coconut macaroon, baked sweet pastries, peach purée, sanded oak, Starburst chews, pear, caramel shortbread, strands of orange zest, and crushed allspice and coriander seeds. Far from timorous, this grown-up Highlander has the heart of a lion, with flavors of cooked apple, dark molasses, vanilla pod, lots of oak tannin, pepper, and coriander seed, with a finish of dark sugars and peppery heat. Quite an animal. (828 bottles for the U.S.)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2019)

A defiant creation containing 1% 1 year old Girvan grain spirit and 99% malt whisky from Glenlossie, Glen Elgin, and Linkwood, this collaboration celebrates a decade of idiosyncratic and unconventional whisky label designs. It’s warm and effusive, with brown sugar on baked apple pie, Scottish tablet, plus orange and lemon peel. Barley sugar, kiwi, lime, brown sugar cookies, pepper, clove, and a smooth finish of sugar and spice. (4,802 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2019)