The iconic producer of lush sherried malts delivers again. Employing the same technique of marrying whiskies aged in sherry-seasoned casks of both American and European oak that landed the 12 year old in our 2017 Top 20 has resulted in a truly decadent dram—richly nutty and fruity, with dried apples, cherries, and prunes. The palate is wonderfully luscious, supple, and chewy, delivering mouth-coating waves of fruit that remain for minutes on end, before a long farewell of lingering, warming spice. Impressive and irresistibly good. Number 16 in the 2020 Top 20

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Winter 2020)

There’s something for everyone in this whisky, whose citrus brightness acts as a deft foil for darker earthy notes, showcasing the Highland distillery’s range. Lemon, orange marmalade, dried fig, golden raisin, milk chocolate, and a touch of leather on the nose; then more marmalade, chocolate, toasted nuts, cinnamon, and lemon pepper on the creamy, viscous palate. Still fresh with citrus, the finish slowly gives way to savory tobacco, leather, cocoa powder, and coffee bean. Subtle, nuanced, and perfectly balanced: a sleeper hit. Number 11 in the 2020 Top 20

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Winter 2020)

Aging scotch in a secondary cask is tricky, and tinkering with a whisky that has already achieved 18 years of age is even riskier. This well-matured Aberfeldy spent its final months in red wine casks from Bordeaux under the bold vision and deft hand of malt master Stephanie Macleod. As a result, it soars above its station. Never intrusive, the red wine finish suggests Fig Newtons and dried cherries, building upon Aberfeldy’s classic honey-vanilla profile to evoke strawberry shortcake and flavors of jam and clotted cream on a fresh-baked scone. A complex, mature, and moreish whisky at an excellent price. Number 10 in the 2020 Top 20

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Winter 2020)

Sweet, almost candied notes pervade the nose: brown sugar, maraschino cherries, Cherry Coke, strawberry Twizzlers, peanuts, and baking spice. Candied dark fruit leads the palate, with semi-sweet chocolate and nuts behind it; spice starts out soft and builds into the finish, where it blooms into harmony with full-bodied oak, coffee bean, and baking chocolate. Delicious with or without water.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Winter 2020)

Creamy on the nose, with malt, toasted cereal, white pepper, nutmeg, and, ultimately, mulled wine. A substantial mouthfeel, with honey, slightly smoky red wine notes, raspberry jam, and fruit spice. The finish is long, with spicy dark chocolate and warm spices that really linger. (Individual reviewer rating: 90)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2020)

The youngest of the 2020 Special Releases. Warm tar, farmyard, charcuterie, and faint iodine on the fruity nose. Peppery stewed fruits and gentle woodsmoke on the voluptuous palate. Very prickly in the long finish, with fruit-and-nut dark chocolate and chile paste. An intriguing and attractive take on Talisker.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2020)

A blend of straight bourbons 12 to 17 years old created by Kentucky Owl co-founder Dixon Dedman for the 100th anniversary of Prohibition. The nose is fragrant and gentle, with confectioners’ sugar, vanilla custard, nougat, marzipan, strawberry jam, leather, and light spice. Caramel and raisin bread coat the palate, accented by cinnamon, toasted almond, chocolate, chicory, and savory spice. A lengthy finish of chocolate and espresso, ending with a burst of spice.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Winter 2020)

A delightful mélange of flavors on the nose—new leather, orange peel, angel food cake, orange Creamsicle, cooked peaches, sweetened ice tea, dark chocolate, nutmeg, and allspice. A well-structured, full-bodied palate starts with earthy notes of warehouse and then lets fly with flavors of blackberry tart, nutmeg, pepper, and semi-sweet chocolate. A lighter but superbly balanced finish adds more dark chocolate, roasted pecans, cherry, tobacco, pepper, and beautifully integrated oak.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Winter 2020)

Comparatively speaking, this is a little monster for peat-loving monster hunters. Lemon, attractive florals, pine forests, and gentle peat smoke. Sweet flavors cascade through honey, lemon, candied peel, and vanilla fudge, heading toward sweet cinnamon, chocolate, clove, and a dry finish of oak and straw bundles. The neat touch here was filling cask-strength Peat Monster into custom French oak casks. A very fine blend indeed. (8,328 bottles, 3,900 for U.S.)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2020)

This first cask-strength expression in Highland Park’s core range was matured predominantly in sherry-seasoned American oak. Honey, bonfire smoke, orange peel, and a suggestion of treacle on the nose. Sweet and smoky on the palate, with toffee and orchard fruits turning more citric in time. The finish yields sweet spices, more honey, dark chocolate, black pepper, and bonfire embers. Classic Highland Park—turned up to 11! Editors' Choice

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2020)

Heavily peated to 50 ppm, the nose greets you with lemon sponge cake, maritime notes, smoked bacon rind, and aromatic smoke, opening up blue-gray peat-fire smoke, light toffee, fire-blackened driftwood, clove, and peppercorn. Silky soft, with lemon, vanilla, fresh apple, and honey, plus pepper ground over caramel and peach. The palate runs clean and pure: Picture a peat lover behind the wheel of an electric car.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2020)

Drink this the next time you want a mug of hot chocolate by a roaring peat fire. Whole lemon, earthy chocolaty peat notes, gentle ashy smoke, mocha, and Nutella on the nose, with some deeper sooty charcoal notes. After a 32-month finish in Islay casks, this carries plenty of weight, with flavors of chocolate brownie, dates, cocoa powder, and light ground pepper that intensifies into a riot of smokin’ hot peppercorns. (1,242 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2020)

Don’t try to be macho and slug this without water; you’ll miss out on its best characteristics. Totally neat, it’s quite good, but constrained by the numbing alcohol. Add some water and unlock flavors that continue to develop: tropical fruit, cinnamon stick, dark chocolate, and caramel on the nose, and more fruit, nuts, eucalyptus, and bitter herbs on the palate. It has a juicy, mouthwatering character with water, capped off by the well-integrated finish of charred oak, roasted pineapple, eucalyptus, and coffee beans.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Winter 2020)

There’s no color added, so that striking red hue comes entirely from the ruby port cask that makes up 50% of this whisky’s maturation program—and that cask shows up in full force, flavor-wise. Vinous aromas of red fruits, plum, blueberry, and pomegranate penetrate the charcoal peat of the nose. Zingy spice—ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, and fresh chile—undergirds berries, salty and ashy peat, and dark chocolate on the silky palate, and the finish is mouth-puckering, with salt water and oak, fading gently. (1,266 bottles)

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Winter 2020)

Triple-distilled in Dublin, Teeling’s debut single pot still expression is distinctive in its unusual 50:50 mashbill of malted to unmalted barley, adding an element of virgin American oak to deliver a charismatic quality and texture. The nose is reminiscent of cinnamon breakfast cereal, with delicate touches of melon and white grape, but it’s the vibrancy of the cinnamon, nutmeg, and pepper at this perfect proof that most impresses, taking a decisive lead over the soft stone and orchard fruit and glossy caramel flavors. Number 15 in the 2020 Top 20

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2020)

This spicy concoction, inspired by John Walker’s original Old Highland Whisky, has a nose of marzipan, candied peel, raisin, marmalade, aromatic spices, pepper, and ginger loaf, with a trace of cool smoke and peppermint. The strength and pepperiness give this plenty of clout, with a flavor unique among Johnnie Walker whiskies: brown sugar, hazelnut, royal icing on wedding cake, nuts, pepper, clove, peat, and blackened fruitcake.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2020)

The longer you leave this, the smokier it gets; earthy peat, heavy smoke, hints of bacon fat and steaming asphalt, with blossom honey, vanilla fudge, and lemonade. Dense flavors of honey, vanilla, caramel, sweet satsuma, Jelly Tots, and lime Fruit Pastilles, with mild ginger, pepper, and clove, as smoke builds in the throat. Molten caramel and lemon peel finish, scorched by peat smoke. A magnificent use of Islay casks.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2020)

Distilled from a mash of 90% rye, matured in new and once-used barrels, and masterfully blended to produce a bold, spicy, complex whisky with aromas of vanilla, baking spices, and butterscotch. Crown Royal’s classic minty, piney palate melds gloriously with gingery heat and sweet clove oil cushioned by ripe cherries, fruit cocktail, and soft milk chocolate. Sugar and spice on the medium-long finish blanket barrel notes and fresh lumber.

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Winter 2020)