Distilled from unhoped wash to the recipe of Black Butte porter. A tartness on the nose is quickly joined by sweeter notes of root beer and red apples. Rich and dense on the palate, with vanilla malt, dark chocolate, baking spice, raisins, figs, mint chocolate-chip ice cream, and an appealing barrel-char note. Spicy, with plenty of sweet chocolate on the finish, plus back notes of cocoa powder, dried dark fruits, and another hit of char. Complex and enjoyable.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Fall 2021)

Finished for 9 months in cognac casks. The nose is sweet and zesty with corn muffin, honey bun, lemon peel, blueberry cobbler, raisins, and rye bread. With water, Ricola cough drop and lemongrass emerge. The palate is sweet and spiced: Honey Nut Cheerios, cantaloupe, spiced chocolate cake with a sprinkling of coffee and black pepper. The finish is short but flavorful, with chocolate-covered strawberries, vanilla ice cream, and added spice. Balanced and nuanced.

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Fall 2021)

Dried leaves, oven-roasted peanuts, blueberry pie, caramel fondue, candied ginger, and orange peel on the nose. There is more sweetness on the palate, with brown sugar and chocolate peanut butter cup paired with peppery spice, pine needles, and an earthy dusty oak. With water, notes of chicory, coffee, barrel char, and burning sage emerge. On the finish, cooked dark berries, honey, and whole wheat toast. Jagged at times, but rich and dense.

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Fall 2021)

Distilled from Spencer Trappist ale. Fresh citrus grove aromas of clementine, satsuma, and lemon. The palate is smooth if perhaps light, offering notes of lemon peel and lemon curd, orange Creamsicle, orange oil bitterness, a hint of coconut oil, and overall tropicality. This is bright, delicate, and playful, delightful at its best moments—a summertime sipper with a fruity profile that may not be for everyone, but will find favor with many.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Fall 2021)

Initial craft store aromas give way to cherries and berries, then a floral nose like a wildflower garden, with notes of salted caramel, cocoa powder, and birthday cake. Water brings out new leather and drying oak. On the palate, cooked raspberries, vanilla ice cream with cinnamon, caramel flan, black tea, and roasted pecans. It shows an interesting complexity. The finish has good length, with tiramisu, coffee, and rich chocolate.

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Fall 2021)

Molasses, brown sugar, roasted nuts, cinnamon candies, baking spice, and cherry cough syrup on the nose. Warm bakery notes intensify with water in the form of cinnamon bun. The palate is silky and thin, but quite fruity and honeyed, with baked apple, cooked blueberries, and added spice. There’s more spice on the earthy finish, with bready corn muffin sweetness. Water helps to round things out.

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Fall 2021)

Finished in pinot noir casks. Stewed fruit on the nose, along with cream soda, lemon oil, graham cracker, honeyed granola, and herbal tea. Palate is creamy and rich; notes of baking spice, cocoa powder, cooked blueberries and cherries, and well-integrated fruit. There is great length on the finish, where rich almond nuttiness emerges with ginger and more cocoa powder. With water, berried sweetness and honey roasted almonds. Well balanced.

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Fall 2021)

Dried herbs and savory spice up front, along with corn cake, cedar dresser, licorice, hay, and, with water, vanilla frosting and tree bark. Continued spice and depth on the palate, with notes of blackberry jam, chocolate bar, vanilla ice cream, and cooked prunes. Add water, and crunchy peanut butter comes through. Good length on the finish brings cinnamon spice and red fruits. It’s spicy, bold, and woody.

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Fall 2021)

Stewed prunes, mushy pears, toasted oak, orange peel, butterscotch, and vanilla on the nose. With water, it settles in with toasted marshmallow, blackberry cobbler, and fig jam. The palate has a creamy texture and notes of chocolate fudge, allspice, and cherries. Water brings out nutmeg and brown sugar. Solid texture carries over to a medium-length finish, with darker fruits, like figs and raisins, as well as chocolate syrup and black cherry.

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Fall 2021)

This is triple distilled and finished in Pedro Ximénez casks. The nose suggests coconut, baked orange, and darker sherry, accompanied by roasted almonds, ground cumin, dried fruit, mixed peel, and glacé cherry. The palate’s brown sugar sweetness and cherry are blunted by nippy spices of pepper and ginger, leaving nuts, orange fondant, Jaffa cakes, and walnut.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2021)

A blend of whiskeys distilled on the same date. Dulce de leche, cherry cordial, vanilla custard, candied raspberries, and dark chocolate on the nose. The palate has a creamy texture and notes of peppery spice, sweet red berries, raspberry ganache, and chocolate ice cream. It opens up well with water, becoming even fruiter, with roasted walnuts and allspice. More cherries on the finish with a light tobacco note. (Tennessee only)

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Fall 2021)

Fruity and grain forward on the nose, like grape jelly on an English muffin. Blueberry yogurt, mixed berries, sweetened almonds, plus hints of caramel and lemon with water added. The palate is honeyed up front, with gummy candy sweetness, vanilla, and baking spice. Water helps bring out chocolate and cinnamon powder. Vanilla fudge and spice notes on the finish, which is improved with water.

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Fall 2021)

Sultry on the nose, with hints of new leather, fresh cherries, and drying oak. Flavorful and agreeable on the palate—dried strawberries and other dried fruit, pepper spice, and more drying oak, with water bringing out savory herbs, clove, and hints of clementine and cherry pie. Light but palatable on a finish of spice, chocolate-covered toasted marshmallows, and cinnamon caffe latte, with a touch of gentle earthiness at the back.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Fall 2021)

Melted caramel, birch beer, and fresh violets on the nose, leading to a creamy palate of cooked bananas, chocolate syrup, butterscotch, licorice, gingerbread, marzipan, raisins, burnt brown sugar, and complex oak. Honeyed almonds and balanced spice take the lead on a solid finish, with trailing notes of melted caramel, plus cinnamon babka, barrel char, light smoke, and an earthy old leather note. A plentiful array of flavors, all meshing well.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Fall 2021)

The remarkable blush color from the port pipe heralds a nose of watermelon, rock candy, peppermint, and grapefruit, in addition to rose petals, old leather, tilled earth, and cherry pipe tobacco. Spice arrives on the palate, as well as confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon, chocolate, and copious red berry notes. Loads of spice and black pepper follow the berry blast, with hints of bitter chocolate and roasted walnuts. (332 bottles)

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Fall 2021)

This one comes out fighting, with notes of pepper, red chiles, leather boots, cherry stone, church candles, and black currant on the nose. At full strength, it’s wild and untamed, with flavors of Cherryade, strawberry syrup, cough syrup, gingersnaps, and an uppercut of pepper and clove. Quenched with water, it’s much less combative, and while on its best behavior, it delivers fruity milk chocolate and coffee notes. (U.S. exclusive; 258 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2021)

The vapors deliver vibrant bright citrus notes to the olfactory senses, replete with zested lime, mandarin, floral and grassy notes, pressed linen, and grapefruit, developing into aromas of white peach. The palate revolves around a honeyed-citrus theme, plus sugared almonds, pepper, and ginger, and becomes creamy in time. Decent, if familiar territory for this Highland distillery. (U.S. exclusive; 296 botttles)    

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2021)

The same liquid used in Coalition’s finished expressions, but bottled at barrel proof. Tropical aromas on the nose, along with bitter lime and softer notes of guava, cantaloupe, and fresh strawberries. Cinnamon, dark chocolate, peppermint, and horehound candy on the palate. Sweeter notes of vanillin and toffee are reined into balance by the drying oak tannins. The finish offers cooked dark fruits, cinnamon, and coffee, concluding with a note of dried earth.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Fall 2021)