Hye-Land’s inaugural U.S. release, made from 100% malted wheat at Eraskh Winery in Armenia (which also has a distillery), aged in Caucasus Mountain oak barrels, and then finished in Armenian brandy barrels. The nose offers seasoned oak, citrus, ginger, and allspice. The palate brings sweet notes of melon, coconut shavings, tobacco, Christmas cake, ginger, and clove, all lightly accented by black pepper. The finish is viscous and has balanced sweetness.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Summer 2020)

Lovely, perfumy, fragrant nose: orange and peach blossoms, tea rose, lilacs, apricot jam, and blueberry muffins. It remains floral and sweet on the palate, but with a solid oak backbone surrounded by red berries, orange sherbet, ginger, baking spice, and a fizzy zing that finishes sweet and light, sprinkled with pepper and drizzled with Hershey’s chocolate syrup. (1,000 bottles)

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Summer 2020)

Intensely fruity and floral on the nose, like a rosebush-lined berry patch; there’s also shortcake with lemon drizzle, almonds, and orange peel. With water, the fruit character deepens and takes on an edge of marzipan. The palate fizzes with citrus and soap flavors, tempered by milk chocolate, tobacco, and bitter leather. Without water, it’s intensely drying, though with it, the character turns cloying: Tread carefully. (134 bottles; U.S. exclusive)

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Summer 2020)

John Crabbie & Co is in the process of returning whisky distilling to Leith, Edinburgh, but in the meantime it has launched this single malt from an unspecified Highlands distillery. The nose is light and youthful, with vanilla, apple peel, peanuts, and developing mild oak. Clean and straightforward on the palate, with more apple, butterscotch, and cinnamon spice. Spicy oak in the medium length finish. Perfect for cocktails.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Summer 2020)

Double-aged with a finish in Ilegal reposado mezcal casks, it has a zesty nose with plenty of bite: lime, cut grass, new bookbindings, grapefruit juice, and lilies. The glutinous mouthfeel has more mezcal influence, with dull fruit, herbal features, caramel, a snarl of pepper and chile flakes, and lengthy smoke and spice to finish. A bold creation, but I’m going to need more persuasion that this enhances the scotch.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2020)

Named after the infamous gang that weaponized their flat caps by stitching razor blades into the peaks, this whiskey threatens a nose of raisin, banana bread, Irish soda bread, beer mash, and dark honey. A lightweight mouthfeel, with dried apple, baked goods, oat bars, vanilla extract, and pancakes slathered with maple syrup, a spicy swallow, and a finish of burnt fruitcake. An easy-drinking whiskey.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2020)

Sweet cherries, bubble gum, and fresh blueberry on the nose, along with nougat, honey-roasted peanuts, and milk chocolate. The palate has flavors of clove-studded orange, spice, and the chewed end of a pencil. It’s light-bodied and verges on thin when water is added, so be judicious. The finish is gentle, with peppery oak, cinnamon, and espresso bean. This is a new higher proof and the whiskey is now non-chill filtered, so don’t be surprised by a little haze if you add water or ice.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Summer 2020)

The nose starts with anise cookies and butterscotch, then reveals magnolia leaf, bergamot, sarsaparilla, and tea leaves. Barrel-driven, the palate is peppery, minty, and a little piney, with bitter chocolate and roasted nuts. More black pepper, chocolate, peppermint stick, and bitter oak into the short finish. Water recommended. (278 bottles)

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Summer 2020)

Most flavored whiskeys rely on lab-made additives, but not this one: Its unique characteristics come from castoreum, an oil found in sacs located beneath beavers’ tails, as well as botanicals including birch oil, raspberry, and Canadian snakeroot. The effect is outlandish, but it's got panache, with potpourri, pine, sage, cinnamon, orange peel, and bubble gum aromas. Flavors run to piney, sweet, and spicy: sage, eucalyptus, grape Kool-Aid, cinnamon Red Hots. It finishes with Christmas pine and spice, as well as berries, chocolate, and tea leaves. Unconventional and certainly not for everyone, but if you keep an open mind, you might just be surprised. Price per 200 ml

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Summer 2020)

There are nostalgic bubble gum notes on the nose—Bazooka and Big League Chew—as well as orange sherbet, strawberry shortcake, cherry pie, snickerdoodles, and milk chocolate. Sweet and fruit-forward on the palate, with grape jelly, cherry preserves, chocolate, cinnamon, clove, and a hint of rose water. It finishes a bit short and soft, rolling out spiced oak and a bouquet of candied violets. (700 bottles)

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Summer 2020)

A blend of straight whiskeys that’s finished in brandy casks using proprietary “sonic enhancement.” Sweet vanilla, lemon cream pie, spiced apricots, ginger, cracked corn, and licorice start off the nose, balanced against a soft influence of new oak. The palate is sweet and well-textured, with notes of spice, candied apple, cooked plums, chocolate nuttiness, and a fair amount of barrel influence. There’s some good length on the finish, which offers sweet flavors of light chocolate, along with lingering spice and layered oak.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Summer 2020)

Piney and grassy on the nose, with fruity aromas of grape Kool-Aid, bubble gum, and grapefruit, as well as new wood. The palate picks up the herbal and pine notes, adding licorice and spearmint, as well as honey, orange, blueberry, grape, and grapefruit oil, with Popsicle stick throughout. Lingering mint, banana bread, citrus oil, and green wood on the finish. (8,400 bottles)

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Summer 2020)

Bright with lemon and lime, as well as gardenias and peonies—a fresh garden on the nose; there’s also uncooked corn on the cob, mint toothpaste, tea leaf, and pecan shell. The palate is spiced and oak-forward, countered by grape jelly, dark chocolate, coffee bean, and hints of tobacco. It’s occasionally jumbled, even into the finish, which has roasted pecans, pipe tobacco, leather, and black pepper.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Summer 2020)

Tropical fruit on the verge of overripeness: pineapple, papaya, kiwi, plus jasmine flowers, almond halva, and the piney-lemon aroma of hops. The hoppiness is evident on the palate, which is light in body and consequently less expressive in flavor, though there’s dry nuttiness and grain, overlaid with sweeping tropical fruit. More of the same hoppy, juicy fruit flavors juxtaposed with oak on the finish. If you like beery whiskey, this is one to try. (10,000 bottles)

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Summer 2020)

A tropical note of lime on the nose, as well as licorice and ginger root, offers youthful but balanced oak. The mouthfeel is creamy, with grapefruit and orange peel on the front palate melding into vanilla cream and underlying flavors of spice and pepper. The finish brings more citrus and creamy vanilla, along with cinnamon and drying oak. It seems young, but the profile is fresh and offers interesting flavors.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Summer 2020)

The first whiskey fully distilled at Castle & Key—site of the old Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Distillery—since its revival in 2018. A fragrant, floral nose offers candied orange, lemon, toasted almonds, and banana cream pie. The palate is soft, with notes of creamy vanilla, baking spice, and pepper. A smooth texture characterizes the finish, with notes of banana and almond still emerging. Youthful in profile, but a promising start.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Summer 2020)

Fresh, green, and earthy: bell pepper, jalapeño, unshucked corn, and lime leaf, as well as cacao nibs, cedar cigar box, and cinnamon. More peppers on the palate, this time dried and smoked, along with roasted pecans, chocolate, nuts, bitter oak, and a hint of tobacco. The finish is short and light; a little more proof would go a long way.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Summer 2020)

The nose has gooey butterscotch, pralines, toasted oak, vanilla custard, and blueberry muffin, with pops of green apple and Asian pear. On the full-bodied palate, stewed fruit and oak vie for pride of place, with baking spice, butterscotch, and lemon and orange peel urging restraint. The finish is hot and centers on toasted oak, stewed apples, and nuts; cloying at times. (16,500 bottles)

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Summer 2020)