A profusion of nutty aromas: freshly shelled peanuts, boiled peanuts, and buttered pecan lead the way, with candied cherries and molasses on toast emerging on the palate. There are also heaps of dusty, drying oak throughout, helping to balance the oily texture. Finishes with chocolate-covered cherries, blueberry pie, more peanut, and drying wood tannins.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Fall 2019)

Ground cinnamon, coriander seed, nutmeg, mustard seed, spiced meat, and the saltiness of sand-encrusted seashells combine with a powerful honey note, fresh pear, golden sultana, and Cox’s apple. Quaker Oats, golden syrup, and chocolate-covered graham crackers with cherries set the scene, though spices quickly engulf them. Perfect harmony is reestablished as it fattens out with cinnamon toffee. Bold, robust, and triumphant: just add a Dublin pub weekend crowd and you’re all set.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2019)

Enticing aromas of clove, cranberry, cooking apple, hawthorn, allspice, tobacco, and graphite sticks. It is a spicy mouthful at full strength, with clove and pepper dominating the citrus fruit, berries, and orchard fruit. Dilution is recommended, where flavors of baked apple, cinnamon, and raspberry emerge. NT$8,800

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2019)

Smoky sherry, damp burlap, lanolin, then orange blossom on the nose, with a hint of glass cleaner. The palate yields juicy damsons, followed by aniseed, bitter chocolate, and oak tannins. Char and faint smoke in the extremely long finish. (50 bottles in U.S.)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Fall 2019)

A blend of three whiskeys: one distilled from stout, one from pilsner, and one a rye. The nose has citrusy notes of lime, followed by vanilla, dried apple, and pine. The palate offers more pine, dried red fruits, oak char, and white pepper. Water releases blueberry, vanilla, bitter espresso, and pecan. Orange peel and pineapple on the finish, with dark chocolate, dried figs, and pine smoke. Balance, depth, and restraint. (898 bottles)

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Fall 2019)

So good, they didn’t name it twice. More brooding than the first iteration, with a heavy curtain of ashy sooty smoke, fresh herbal tones, lemon, and dried fruity sweetness. The palate is led by red cherry, plum, cranberry, and tangy orange peel, then hot smoke sets off a peppery firecracker. The structure is deceptively light, developing more grip as the lemon sherbet sweetness heralds the lengthy finish of beach bonfire smoke. (8,436 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2019)

The nose is fragrant, with aromas of spice cabinet, charred oak, burnt nuts, clove, dark chocolate, and black pepper. The palate is big, spicy, and chewy, with bitter charred oak, dark chocolate, coffee beans, toasted almonds, cracked pepper, and bitter lemon. Water reveals roasted peanut shells, campfire, and more chocolate. The finish is long and flavorful, with back notes of spiced oak, espresso, and sweet chocolate. Rich, mouth-filling, and satisfying.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Fall 2019)

This impressive whisky lets the port lead the dance, but never treads on the toes of its partner. The nose reveals prominent cask influences of pomegranate, inky plum flesh, blackberry, and gummy cherries, with a supporting cast of honeycomb, dried herbs, and bay leaf. It jinks and dodges between dried peel, fudge, baked orange, vanilla, and fine spice notes before developing into a sweet ripe cherry and red apple finale.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2019)

Vanilla buttercream, honey, sweet oak, granola, and toasted spice with a pinch of pepper demonstrate the beauty of bourbon-cask maturation for Irish single malt. This is sweet, silky, and carefree, with citrus, honey, oat cereal, and black pepper. The spices grip the tongue, yielding to flavors of crystallized pineapple and grapefruit in the latter stages. Lemon, orange, and spices on a long, satisfying finish. Straight-forward, darn good whiskey. (1,803 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2019)

Molasses, orange peel, and prickly oak spices on the nose; herbal, oily green notes develop. Finally, more overt sherry. The palate is supple, with sweet sherry and icing sugar notes, plus Turkish Delight, fruitcake, and toffee. Ultimately, cinnamon and dark chocolate. Cloves, more dark chocolate, and mouth-drying oak in the long finish.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Fall 2019)

This long-aged blend of all-rye and all-corn whiskies celebrates J.P. Wiser’s belief that great whisky can’t be rushed. A dry nose with rye spices and overripe pears is quite complex. The palate, sweet and somewhat drying, suddenly shows strong ripe cherry notes, then pipe tobacco, cigar box, lingering heat, medium weight, gorgeous woody notes, and strong peppery spices. Hints of rye spices punctuate a long, hot, and fruity finish. 150 CAD

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Fall 2019)

The youngest in an excellent new range that combines small-batch blending by Doug McIvor with dramatic monochrome Scottish landscape photography by Lindsay Robertson, each image a visual metaphor for the whisky. Toffee, cherry, rich fruit, walnut, marmalade, vanilla essence, ripe banana, seasoned oak, and aromatic whole spices. The palate is charming and indulgent with rich fruitcake, banoffee pie, a good dose of spice, and a silky finish. £89

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2019)

A nose of cola gummies, Dr. Pepper, fresh green apple, poached pears in cream, dried strawberry, tree blossom, white pepper, allspice, and mint leaves. This whisky, finished in a cask with Japanese cherrywood heads, begins delicately with sweet fruit syrups, before unwrapping golden caramel with a core of spice. Baked apple notes, strudel, unsweetened citrus, and a tang of bitter fruits, which abate to a mouth-coating finish of orange oil. (3,972 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2019)

Rich amber in color, with aromas of fermented fruits, toasted oak, apple peelings, old parchment paper, golden pancakes, and bright aromatic chili flakes and paprika. A soft, gentle dram that caresses the taste buds with caramelized brown sugar, fudge, vanilla, dried apple, ground almond, and a tang of citrus peel. On the finish, the flavor of apple peelings returns after a brief glow of spice. (1,475 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2019)

Town Branch was founded by an Irishman, Pearse Lyons, and you’d be forgiven for thinking this 100% malted barley whiskey hails from the Emerald Isle. Citrus, confectionary, and floral notes on the nose, with almond, pistachio, and some forest floor and dried leaves. In the mouth, a lively texture undergirds brown butter, mixed nuts, lemon zest, and a hint of ginger. It finishes nutty and warm, with a touch of cigar wrapper and leathery oak.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Fall 2019)

Bold spicy nose with dark toffee and dried chili flakes. Explosive pepper notes duel with chocolate as they work through the toffee flavors and begin to show a bitter dark chocolate edge. It’s a gutsy, spirited blend with tongue-searing spices, eventually serving up more sweet notes, but consider adding water or pouring over ice to release more vanilla, fruits, and milk chocolate flavors to take the adventure further.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2019)

This rich, smooth, and enticing blend first launched in 1976. It offers aromas of barley, malt, honey, praline cookies, vanilla seed, and smoke. The palate is bright with honey, citrus zest, Quaker Oat Crisp, graham cracker, and vanilla fudge, with gentle pepper, hot cross bun, and orange notes appearing as it becomes creamier. Orange, barley notes, and smoke dance off into the finish.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2019)

The nose offers apricots, honey, vanilla, nutmeg, orange juice, and a hint of mint. Jaffa orange, black banana, licorice, and chimney soot on the palate. Licorice lingers, with an herbal note and tannic oak in the finish. (51 bottles for the U.S.)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Fall 2019)