96 points
The Last Drop 20 year old Blended Malt, 60%
The nose is perfumed and ethereal, with flower blooms, light honey, vanilla, unpeeled clementine, nectarine, and the first pour of oolong tea. Golden, sweet, and juicy on the palate, with golden sultana, vanilla essence, apricot, firm peach, and robust spices, becoming slightly jammy. Blending malts from Hanyu Distillery distilled 1980–2000 with other Japanese malt whiskies, this is a contender for standout Japanese whisky of the decade. (177 bottles)
Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2022)
The nose is beautifully honeyed, with crisp spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, and coriander seed, supplanted by grated chocolate, seasoned oak, and peppercorn. Thick and unctuous, with honey, citrus, and clove-led spices, the velvety palate glides toward flavors of fruity dark chocolate. Spices are a constant throughout, the final flavors darting between black currant, oak, ginger loaf, and milk chocolate. This proves to be much more than just history in a bottle.
Honey, sanded oak, potpourri, charred oak, banoffee pie, dark fruits, green olive, coffee
grounds, ginger, pepper, and a savory leather note: plenty for the olfactory senses to grapple with. Soft fruits, maltiness, berries, chocolate, plum, bramble, red apple, and gently supportive spices to taste, it develops a superbly thick and chewy texture with a waxy mouthfeel on the finish. I consider this among blender James Saxon’s best work to date. (3,246 bottles) Collectible
Aromas of concentrated bramble, plum, sweet baked tarts, and aromatic spices, this bourbon cask-finished version pulls off decadence and effortless balance with aplomb. Sipped neat, it tastes like what you would imagine it feels like to bite into the color indigo. Given all the intensity and power, water helps to unlock notes of milk chocolate, latte, purple fruit skins, plum flesh, Brazil nut, and bitter plain chocolate. Rather special. (36 bottles for the U.S.)
Super fruity up front with notes of mixed berries and raspberry sorbet. Water brings out lemon wafers, vanilla frosting, and raspberry danish on the nose. The palate is likewise fruity, with added notes of caramel and Red Hots. Sticky buns and grape jelly emerge with water, of which this can take plenty. The finish has more spicy cinnamon. A well-rounded bourbon with intricate flavor and enough proof to withstand water or ice. (20,000 bottles)
A bountiful nose offers aromas of buttered pancakes, fresh cornbread, confectionery powder, vanilla frosted lemon cake, and grape jelly, all promising great things. Smooth and well-spiced on a palate of sweet figs, fiery spice, sassafras, licorice, dark brown sugar, and mature oak. A long finish offers surprisingly fresh notes of lemon and red berry, along with lively spice. Rich and profound, a well-aged bourbon to compete with the best aged whiskies of the world. Collectible
Upon first smell, rich milk chocolate fills the nose, alongside peanuts, peanut brittle, and raspberry jam. The palate balances bright red fruit alongside darker, deeper flavors—think dark-chocolate raspberry squares, chocolate-covered Bing cherries, and dark-roast coffee. There are richer flavors here, too, with butterscotch and an oaky component emerging at the back end. A long-lasting finish that highlights more wood influence, some cocoa, and espresso luxuriously ties up this satisfying sipper. (684 bottles)
An intense wave of exotic spices and concentrated fruits: red apple, vanilla essence, citrus peel, dried fruits, golden sultana, and Thai curry spices. Impeccably balanced and composed, it has a thick chewy texture of dense fruitiness that you could scoop out with a spoon, displaying flavors of red apple, sweet tropical fruits, muscovado sugar, citrus peel, and a robust spiciness. Trust me, this is a phenomenal single cask whisky. (300 bottles)
This smooth after-dinner dram has a nose that promises black currant mousse, red cherry, malt loaf, bread-and-butter pudding, and marzipan fruits, with just a frisson of baking spices. Executing a fine balance between fruitiness and spice, the palate negotiates a rollercoaster of red berries, fig, clove, cinnamon, black coffee, dark toffee, and milk chocolate, sliding to a halt with pepper-dusted chocolate-dipped berries. (3,000 bottles)
After 17 years in the PX cask, the influence on flavor is irrefutable. Dates, figs, dried vine fruit, mixed peel, and rich sherry notes on the nose followed by black cherry, prune juice, licorice, and baking spices. A surprisingly sweet palate begins with cherry chocolate and raspberry backed by peppercorn and clove, with a syrupy mid-palate of stewed rhubarb and plum and a greater oak presence as the sweetness fades. (500 bottles)
A bright, vibrant nose of creamy tropical fruits, with baked peach, golden plum, white grape, cardamom, fennel seeds, caraway, and wood spices. The palate is sweet and delicious, with vanilla, egg custard, ripening banana, melted white chocolate, madeira cake, citrus peel, and well-honed notes of rancio and nutty amontillado. Dry sherry and honey on the finish, this delivers a remarkably vivid spectrum of flavors for its age. (168 bottles)
An impressive single malt from the foothills of the Himalayas, finished in bourbon, French wine, and PX casks, which bring indulgent aromas of malt, chocolate, plum, damson, black cherry, baked orange, blackened oak, cut grass, and dry spices. The palate boasts dense vanilla, creamed coconut, pepper, baked peach, citrus peel, clove, and pepper, then chocolate ganache, hazelnut, apple, bramble, cassis, and Brazil nuts, with a mouth-coating finish of dark fruits. (5,700 bottles) Editor's Choice
Small batch experimental whisky with an invigorating nose of apple, Seckel pear, vanilla, primrose, lemon zest, spring blossoms, and fresh linen. It’s a sweet and vinous affair, with lemon curd, lime marmalade, vanilla sugar, grapefruit, pear, cognac notes, and black pepper, with creamed coconut rounding out a sweet, mouth-saturating finish of lemon and vanilla that persists for an eternity. (150 bottles for the U.S.)
Master blender Sandy Hyslop expertly handles the coltish behavior of the heavy-char virgin Scottish oak casks to serve up the first in this new collection for Royal Salute. Aromas of toffee, baked fruits, cinnamon, chocolate, dried orange peel, Brazil nut, and a whiff of woodsmoke. It’s a rich, decadent drinking experience with flavors of dark chocolate, apricot jam, ginger-nut biscuits, oak, spices, and a wisp of smoke.
Baked pastries drizzled with honey, vanilla fudge, fresh florals, gentle wood spices, ripe peach, white pepper, and well-rounded toasted oak aromas. The sweet grain elements are particularly delightful on this year’s release, the 39th in the series. The palate is front-loaded with spicy fruits, the pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg wrapped around flavors of mandarin, banana, red apple, and melon. Disentangled, a creamy vanilla richness remains, bolstered by oak and wood spices. Collectible
Licensed to thrill, Amrut finished this single malt in ingenious custom four-wood barrels. It has a deep ruby color with a nose of pomegranate, damson, sloes, black grape, baked apple, and mild spices suggestive of PX influence. It’s time to taste: More rounded than the inaugural Spectrum, this boasts bramble with chocolate, fruit skins, and an intense surge of slightly burnt spices, then semi-sweet chocolate, black currant, and oak. (1,050 bottles for the U.S.)
An exploratory blend of two single malts matured in sauternes and French robinia casks and finished in cognac casks. Delightful, fresh, and lilting with orchard fruits, floral notes, gooseberry fool, chantilly cream, sliced grape, crisp barley, and fresh apple peel, balanced with light oak and a sprinkle of spice. Flavors of black currant, honey, russet apple, and pepper before it succumbs to the cognac’s influence. Preferred this one with water. (405 bottles for the U.S.)
The nose is nutty, with marzipan, crystalized sugar, floral notes, dry spices, fallen leaves, malt, potpourri, and fresh oak. It’s thick, syrupy, and sweet on the palate, with strawberry, golden syrup, baked apricot, almond, clove, pepper, and flambéed banana, with buttery toffee and Quaker oats developing later. This whisky is all about the mouthfeel, with the oloroso finish adding sherry-kissed finesse to an otherwise impressive distillery character. (342 bottles)