A platform of caramel sweetness comes draped in lovely oak spice with dried flower potpourri—like rose petals and an old-lady’s perfume—along with horehound, cedary oak, and iced tea. The palate veers toward dried fruits—apple rings and dates—with bitter orange peel and a beam of spice that turns peppery on the long finish of tobacco and cedar. The overall impression is lithe, upright, and stately.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Spring 2019)

Lemon oil, honeyed sweetness, and sharp peppery notes are underscored by earthy tobacco leaf and fresh herbs. Overall, the impression is spritely, fresh, and muscled, without ever seeming immature. The palate reveals berry fruits with a burst of spice—chilis, peppercorn, cinnamon, and cedar. Takes water, and even ice, exceedingly well, as the lovely mix of sweet and spiced flavors bounce along the long finish.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Spring 2019)

A heart of pot still spices, but this has oodles of complexity and depth with concentrated autumnal flavors of apple and blackberry cooked with brown sugar, then morello cherry, hazelnut, allspice, aged tobacco leaf, and worn leather. Mellow dark-toffee sweetness and cooked fruits carry the cinnamon and peppercorn, oak, and leather into a tongue-pounding finish. A slap in the chops—just what you want from a pot still whiskey.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2019)

This expression was distilled from Optic barley grown and malted (to 20ppm) at Kilchoman and matured in a mix of bourbon and sherry casks. A whiff of smoke, lemon curd, vanilla, and allspice on the nose. Supple in the mouth, with baked apples, sherry, and fruity peat. Spicy dark chocolate and nutty oak on the finish. Richer and more rounded than previous editions, thanks to sherry cask influence.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2019)

Smoke acts as an emulsifier of fruit, nut, and oak flavors in this deceptively delicate whisky. Toasted marshmallows, pound cake, crème brûlée, cinnamon Red Hots, and earthiness on the nose; water brings out candied pineapple. Sweet smoke and tropical fruit are well-integrated on the palate, with salty and mouthwatering flavors of grilled fruit and blueberry jam. Over time, more oak and nuttiness emerge, wafting into a gentle burnt marshmallow and toasted-walnut finish. 1,083 bottles

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2019)

A delightful fruity specimen, with lime, Asian pear, grapefruit, tangerine, mango, melon, taffy, and a hint of white pepper. More tropical fruit notes to enjoy on the tongue: papaya, dried melon strips, passion fruit, melon, and fruit syrups all floating along on a slick of gooey caramel. Continuity of the fruit-bomb theme continues into a finish of fleshy stone fruits infused with a sprinkle of gentle spices. (3,850 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2019)

There’s personality galore in this blend of 10 year old Indiana whiskey finished in cabernet sauvignon casks and 11 year old Tennessee bourbon finished in rum casks and port pipes. Caramel, honeycomb candy, See’s molasses chips, peanuts, graham crackers, cola, mature oak, and a little dill on the nose. The palate is chewy, with dried cherries, grape soda, root beer candy, roasted walnuts, dark chocolate, black pepper, ginger, graham cracker, cinnamon cookie, and lush leathery oak. Good development, if you have the patience to linger.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2019)

A selection of bourbons distilled and aged in Tennessee, Indiana, and Kentucky. Drying autumn leaves on the nose, along with leather, tobacco leaf, ginger snaps, cherries, nutmeg, black tea, vanilla, toasted coconut, and light orange. The mouthfeel is rich, and leads with coconut and unsalted butter, then cinnamon, cloves, red apple, oak, and more orange. Minerality, peppery heat, and tobacco on the finish, as well as dark chocolate and cherry.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Spring 2019)

A characterful, if peculiar whiskey that suggests younger rye. Horehound, citronella oil, scented geranium, and lemon balm contribute to an intensely herbal, slightly antiseptic aroma. There is a compelling bitter edge to the flavor, like biting into orange peel, while the finish is intensely woody and mouth-coating. Not for everyone, but quite captivating and flavorful.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Spring 2019)

Lagavulin at an odd age, representing House Lannister and showcasing its lion sigil. The nose is floral, with rose hips, toffee, and fragrant peat notes. Full on the palate, with toffee apples, cinnamon, earthy peat, and smoked haddock in salted butter. The smoked fish combines with fennel in the lengthy finish.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2019)

High West has changed the recipe for Campfire to include its own-make rye, along with sourced rye, bourbon, and peated malt whisky from Scotland. The nose is sweetly spiced and subtly smoky, with Lapsang souchong tea, kelp, beach bonfire, cigar box, orange peel, cinnamon, white pepper, and crème brûlée. Sharply herbal at first taste, it warms up to reveal orange oil, cherry cola, cough syrup, cigar wrapper, iced tea, roasted walnuts, caramel, and savory smoke. Chili heat on the finish is balanced by oak, dark chocolate, tobacco, and grilled apple.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2019)

The latest BenRiach core-range release was matured in sherry casks, then finished in Pedro Ximénez and oloroso sherry casks. The nose offers rich red wine, plums, figs, and vanilla. Tropical fruits, honey, vanilla, and soft sherry notes feature on the palate. The finish is medium in length and showcases aniseed, wood spice, and fat Christmas cake sherry notes. Delicious!

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2019)

This is the oldest regular bottling from Glenmorangie. It offers peaches in cream, honey, and almonds on the elegant yet relatively substantial nose. Tropical fruit on the smooth, full palate, with cinnamon, chocolate cake, and a long finish of dried fruit and tangy oak. Expensive compared to the 18 year old, which scores closely.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2019)

Toffee apple, nutmeg, sanded oak, and plenty of feisty spices behind the nose. The flavor is more refined with greater complexity; not overly sweet or fruity, but a smooth-as-satin mouthfeel with shades of pear, caramel covered in white chocolate, nuts, pleasant pot still spiciness, rich toffee, cocoa, and red chili. The cognac cask influence is gentle and works well, and it concludes with a hazelnut butter finish.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2019)

Top notes of spearmint and green apple part to reveal deeper nuances of golden raisin, saddle leather, varnish, and pine resin that suggest some maturity. Bright apple meets blazing spice on the palate, reminiscent of applesauce cake or warm spiced cider. The finish really soars, adding layers of tropical fruit and toasted banana-nut bread and licorice.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Spring 2019)

Distilled in the spring of 1996, this was matured in bourbon barrels and yields a nose of exotic spices, heather in bloom, soft aromatic peat, and grapefruit sprinkled with iodine. Well-mannered peat, brine, orange peel, vanilla, and black pepper on the palate. The finish is long, smoky, and peppery.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2019)

A no age statement Bunnahabhain destined to replace the existing 12 year old, matured in first and second-fill sherry casks. Raisins, fruit spice, furniture polish, and roasted nuts on the nose, along with an edge of brine. Rich and full-bodied in the mouth, with malt, sweet sherry, and cotton candy, plus cloves and a sprinkling of sea salt. The finish offers red berries, lively spice, and dark chocolate. £40

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2019)

This noses of crumbly shortbread, vanilla, caramel, orange peels, summer blooms, walnut, and earthy whole spices, but it’s more reserved than their 12 year old. It glides through orange, spun sugar, almond paste, a slow burn of spices, butterscotch, and vanilla, before more sherry fruit comes through. Peppercorn and dark berry mark the finish of this graceful, mellow, and subdued limited-release, triple-distilled whiskey.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2019)