1884 references the final year Nathan “Nearest” Green, the former slave now known as the first African-American distiller, made whiskey before retiring. A nose of blossom honey, fresh cherries, banana cream pie, licorice, and spice is followed by a palate that’s delicate and creamy, with notes of vanilla frosting, orange, peanuts, marshmallow, and light pepper spice. Tobacco leaf on the finish, with cherry, oak, and understated spice. A sturdy, finessed exemplar of Tennessee style.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Winter 2019)

This Glenkinchie malt and Cameronbridge grain blend highlights the vanilla character of Black Label with a nose of green apple, dry grasses, vanilla toffee, peach pit, and banana custard, with subtle hints of oak and spice. The mouthfeel is light with green apple and candied lemon, growing fruitier with boiled candies and a hint of creaminess, all held in check by the spice. Grassy finish with a hefty backdraft of spice.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2019)

A blend of 4 to 12 year old bourbons, including some made at Sonoma County’s Graton Distilling Co., along with bourbons from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee. Named after Pipe Dream, a giant redwood near the distillery. An herbaceous nose offers spearmint, spice, tea, and leather. Coconut on the palate, followed by orange oil, peach pie, vanilla, brown sugar, and chocolate-covered almonds. The finish has spice, nutty dark chocolate, espresso, and melon. Cohesive, balanced, and well-textured.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Winter 2019)

Spring flowers, vanilla, toasted coconut, lime zest, and cashew make for an understated nose. Coupled with its delicately light tone, this feels like it was designed for sipping while contemplating a zen garden. With Creamsicle, coconut, orange, kumquat, and fluttering spices, it is further enhanced by dried strawberry, raspberry, and a spicy aftertaste. Delightfully unhurried development of flavors.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2019)

This four-grain bourbon (corn, rye malt, caramel malt, and honey malt) starts with aromas of herb garden and notes of strawberry, dried apricot, orange, and licorice. There’s more apricot and orange on the palate, as well as candied almonds, tiramisu, light oak, and pepper spice. The finish has maltiness and is also spiced and nutty, with chocolate sauce and an earthy back note. Rich and sweet, with balanced herbs and spice.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Winter 2019)

The loveliest qualities of wheat grain are present in this delicate whiskey. It starts off with banana-nut muffin, orange Creamsicle, toasted wood, lemongrass, and bubble gum on the nose. The palate has a simplicity that’s well-executed: orange oil, toasted Popsicle stick, roasted nuts, and a full complement of oak spices. It finishes clean and satisfying, with chocolate, cinnamon, white pepper, and pecans. The definition of easy-drinking. Best Values

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Winter 2019)

The youngest Octomore released to date, 10.4 was distilled from Scottish barley peated to 88 ppm, then aged for 3 years in 28 highly toasted virgin Limousin French oak casks. The nose offers vanilla, new leather, cloves, sawdust, and white pepper. Intense fruitiness on the palate, with malt, a medicinal note, and more cloves. The finish yields dried fruits, bitter oak, and hot spices. (12,000 bottles)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2019)

The peated sibling to Heritage generates a nose of woodsmoke, incense sticks, oiled leather, and peppercorns. This has a thick mouthfeel of honey, peat smoke, and spiced pears. The spices put on quite a show to keep the fruits at bay, but when it settles down, the common theme of pears in cream comes through in the end. The spices return to harangue the tongue in the finish. (225 bottles for the U.S.)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2019)

Distilled in 2013 from Scottish barley, this 107 ppm 5 year old was matured entirely in first-fill American oak casks. Quite elemental on the nose, with brine, rock pool, and cigarette ash aromas, plus ginger and an ultimate hint of nougat. Peaches on the palate, with lively spices, roasted nuts, oak, and dark peat. The finish features licorice, overt peat, and black pepper. (42,000 bottles)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2019)

This strikes an earnest tone with a nose of rich fruit, dried apricot, whole orange, macadamia nut, ground spices, and pepper crackers. A blend of 21 malts, and the first blended malt in Royal Salute’s 66-year history, this has a harmonious palate comprising citrus, apple, pear, barley sugar, and ginger spice, with a finish focused on orange and a little spice.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2019)

A period of finishing in a combination of Pedro Ximénez and oloroso sherry puncheons and hogsheads distinguishes this release. The nose is fragrant, with spicy red wine, raspberries, ginger, milk chocolate, and nutmeg. Viscous on the palate, with lots of cloves, plus vanilla, raisins, and instant coffee with a slug of sherry in it. Dark chocolate, licorice, and black coffee feature in the finish. Overall, nicely balanced.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2019)

Sweet notes of vanilla, hazelnut, and chocolate meet fragrant leathery oak on the nose, along with chocolate mint and French burnt peanuts candy. On the palate, this bourbon achieves a nice balance of stone fruit sweetness, lively spice, fresh spearmint, and drying oak that strikes a sandalwood note. A splash of water makes it sing.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Winter 2019)

Jura has been partial to releasing 13 year old limited editions over the years, so this independent bottling attempts to compete, with grassy notes, orchard fruit, aniseed, peppercorn, lemon pith, and hints of jellied fruits. There is dried banana, mandarin, orange Jell-O, Italian meringue, and a little pepper to taste, with bitter orange on the finish. Perfectly serviceable, but the flavors seem a little stuck on repeat.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2019)

Mandarin segments, crystalized pineapple cubes, tropical fruits, and green apple, with a dash of white pepper and ground ginger. This begins with a pleasant, supple mouthfeel of vanilla, red apple, citrus, and flitting spices. The mandarin wells up, partnered by butterscotch, ginger, and pepper, but then tumbles through flavors of Parma violets, gooseberry, and pineapple, ending up floundering in childhood cough remedies. Lip-puckering sour gooseberry finish bristling with spices. (1,000 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2019)

A potpourri of herbs, dried flowers, licorice, candied lemon peel, baklava, and furniture polish on the nose. The palate shows some minerality and is a bit bitter, but has prominent blueberry, grape, and boysenberry flavors, along with licorice, coriander seed, mint, and oak spice. It finishes with dark fruit, menthol, licorice, roasted nuts, and plenty of oak. Takes water well.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Winter 2019)

Kiwi, apricots, and other tart fruits precede dry wood and malt on the nose. The sweet, lush, and weighty palate delivers white pepper and mild oaky tones, quickly turning very hot before fading to sweet barley sugar. Butterscotch notes turn watery for a second, then hot and fruity with malty herbal tones and sweet baking spices. Finishes on fruit, malt, bandages, and grain dust. Quite complex. $98 CAD

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Winter 2019)

Billed as one of the first bottled in bond wheat whiskeys, its nose starts pleasantly oily and tart, leading to notes of green tea, sassafras, licorice, and leather. The palate is grain-forward, offering spice, raspberry jam, sweet orange, and black pepper. A finish of chocolate, baking spice, and honey is balanced by light bitterness. A restrained but expressive wheater, with lots of character and flavors that linger. Opens up beautifully with water. (600 bottles)

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Winter 2019)

This bruiser is not afraid to show its softer side to the world. Earthy wet turf smoke, grilled bacon fat, faint vanilla, menthol, and brand new erasers make quite a statement. But inside it’s all about a creamy, light vanilla base with aniseed, clove, ginger, and smoky bacon that capitulate to fruitier elements of banana and honeydew, which retreat with a drying, spicy finish.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2019)