White peach, juicy green pear, vanilla, and green tea meet the fresh aromas of clean sheets flapping on the clothesline in a crisp spring breeze. The palate is silky and light-bodied, sweet with biscuity malt, toasted almonds, cantaloupe, and milk chocolate; a few drops of water evoke oily sprays of lemon, grapefruit, and orange. Creamy and nutty on the finish, sprinkled with toasted almonds, bittersweet oak, and a whiff of tobacco.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2021)

The nose slowly sheds aromas of peeled apple, ripe melon, pot still spices, blackened driftwood, caramel-drizzled dark cookies, and milk chocolate. A whiskey of two halves: taffy candy, apple, peach, almond paste, and dried tropical fruit flavors, then after cresting the spices, it slips through caramels, toffee, and berry-studded chocolate, to dwell on cappuccino. Printing the recipe of the whiskey styles on the label is a welcome move. (12,000 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2021)

Brightness that brings to mind a spring day, with aromas of jasmine and freesia blown about on the breeze, fresh pear, lemon wedge in sparkling water, vanilla, Cheerios, and grandma’s potpourri. Fizzy lemon sparkles on the palate, alongside pie crust, vanilla, toasted almonds, jasmine tea, green pear, and savory oak and cacao; water emphasizes oily citrus. It finishes with zippy lemon pepper, black and white cookie, toasted almonds and hazelnuts, and cacao nibs.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2021)

A pretty and unusual nose: nutty with toasted grain uplifted by fresh-squeezed lemon, plus chai spices, brown sugar, seasoned oak, and cedar chest. The palate has intersecting layers of citrus wedges, allspice, black pepper, dried ginger, milk chocolate, toasted nuts, cedar, and a hint of peppermint. Give it time, and a few drops of water, to fully open. A full, flavorful, and long-lasting finish offers peppery chocolate, oak, and toasted nuts. (Best Value)

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2021)

Restrained and refined, the nose is bright with orange blossom, honeysuckle, peaches, pineapple, grapefruit, almond, and pistachio. The flavors are consistent, tending toward sweetened fruit—candied grapefruit and orange peel, grilled pineapple, brown sugar-coated almonds—bound in a creamy length of silk. Polished oak offers a savory counterweight to the finish’s sweet-floral notes of citrus oil and rose water. One of the best entry-level single malts on the shelf. (Best Value)

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2021)

Comprised of 2 to 4 year old bourbons; it seems more mature. Werther’s Original, pecan pie, corn muffin, and iced tea highlight the nose. The palate is well-textured, spiced, and sweet, with more tea and herbal notes, like licorice and spearmint. The finish maintains that character, with minty oak, baking spice, and bitter tea leaves. This shows consistency and direction from front to back, with plenty of proof to boot.

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Spring 2021)

Heady aromas of Marshmallow Fluff, coconut flakes, Golden Delicious apple, pistachio ice cream, and fresh apricots yield to a soft, malt-driven palate highlighting toasted coconut and almonds, lemon curd, Toblerone, grapefruit oil, dried ginger, and savory tobacco. On the finish, there’s a prickling of lemon zest and ginger in the nose, and savory-sweet flavors of polished oak, toasted nuts, semi-sweet chocolate, and a touch of tobacco. At the sweet spot of cask maturity and spirit character.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2021)

The nose displays a great mix of spice and nuttiness, with toasted almonds, cocktail peanuts, and Honey Bunches of Oats. A splash of water opens it up with dark fruit—cooked cherries and blackberry jam—emerging. The palate is chewy and full, with dark chocolate, Golden Grahams, and coffee bean, a touch of cigar wrapper, and licorice lying underneath. The finish turns savory, still full-bodied, and rich with oak, coffee, and black pepper. (2,600 bottles)

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Spring 2021)

Virgin Garry oak matured 36% of this peated single malt, and 64% was matured in new American oak. Whiffs of powdered candy, bonfire smoke, grilled meat, dried strawberries, and antique shop on the nose. A robust, diverse palate features vanilla, allspice, cooked peaches, black tea, candle wax, and bitter chocolate as the smoke drifts into the background but never leaves, lingering into the finish to play against notes of honeycomb, vanilla cream, and cooked red fruits. (5,625 bottles)

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Spring 2021)

Woodford Reserve’s oldest-ever release includes barrels from 2003. Licorice, sassafras, dried herbs, and slate on the nose, followed by a palate that’s rich and spiced, with notes of nutty chocolate, grape jelly, Christmas cake, brown sugar, and aged oak. Water unlocks lively notes of raspberry tart and nutmeg, and a lengthy finish offers cocoa powder, espresso, and semi-sweet chocolate. Mature, well-spiced, herbal, and balanced, with dessert-like chocolate and espresso flavors.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Spring 2021)

Sweet and nutty on the nose: brown sugar, wet walnuts, Cherry Coke, pralines, and roasted peanuts. Water releases vanilla-blueberry muffins, orange peel, and cherry Pixy Stix. These notes continue onto the oily palate with blueberry and raspberry jams, cooked plums, maple syrup, and a touch of leather. The lengthy finish offers more of the same, plus black pepper and polished oak. Water brings better balance and sweeter notes of tiramisu and Christmas cake.

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Spring 2021)

  Made from smoked Icelandic barley, the nose has earthy mushroom-farm notes, with herbs, damp grass cuttings, tree sap, toasted nuts, and fresh barley top notes. This begs to be poured over ice cream; sweet malt and banoffee caramel spill over the taste buds with toasted almonds, ripe banana, and an edge of spice. The thick, heavy mouthfeel negotiates cinnamon, burnt sugar, subtle smoke, and blackened wood to finish.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2021)

The third in the Reserve Cask series, this has wafts of sherry wood, Victoria plum, dark marmalade, toasted almond, polished wood, ground nutmeg, and dried pear. Warm fruits, panettone, and citrus peel precede a moment of nippy spice on the palate, followed by red berries and caramel. This saves the best till last with a delicious final phase, as milk chocolate and spice soften to end with Choco-Leibniz and dried fruit. (8,000 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2021)

A dense smoky nose of charcoal, ashy soot, smoked fish, and lobster pots, with dunnage floors and hints of dark toffee sweetness, make this live up to the promise of its name. Danish peat and floor-malted local barley create a palate of nutty chocolate, cocoa, blackened wood, and pepper, with delayed blackberry and cinnamon, then it comes full circle back to chocolate, leaving a smoky finish.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2021)

Norway’s first arctic whisky is triple distilled from Nordic barley and glacial melt-water. A nose of raisin-packed fruit scones, pan-tossed whole spices, warm banana bread, lemon tart, bramble jelly, maraschino cherries, and spiced apple. The palate is honeyed and buttery with biscuit-like cereal notes, pepper, pronounced clove, vanilla, hints of citrus peel, some late stewed fruits, and a finish of chewy fruit bars. Kr 700

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2021)

Resounding bourbon-cask flavors throughout, with a nose of buttercream, icing sugar, honeydew, desiccated coconut, sanded oak, and peppercorn; the spices become more pronounced the longer the glass sits. Flavors of lemon peel, vanilla, apple, and black pepper—the sweet vanilla and fruit burst through a veil of spices—settling down to almond-studded nougat and finishing with bitter lemon at the swallow.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2021)

A small-batch collaboration with London’s Umbrella Brewing, the nose is like a hot toddy, with baked lemon, honey, lemongrass, chopped chives, and ginger beer (not ginger) notes. This next-gen finishing experiment really works; ginger beer is again apparent on the palate, with honey, lemon, creaminess, then crystallized ginger and caramelized citrus slices. Zippy, refreshing, and tasty: Teeling just upped its game again. €50

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2021)

Using 88% Swedish corn and air-seasoned virgin American oak casks, this has a well-integrated profile with abundant aromas of salted caramel, banana peel, wafers, black tea, and light spices. It’s scrumptious and moreish, with a smooth and silky mouthfeel bringing flavors of golden syrup, orange peel, and candied lemon, leaning toward deeper caramel and vanilla toffee notes later, with unobtrusive spices carrying into the mouth-coating finish.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2021)