A clean and light-scented whisky blended by Jota Tanaka from whiskies produced in Japan and Scotland, the nose has caramel, lemon, lime, orange, apricot, vanilla, and spiced chai. It’s sweet, juicy, and smooth to sip, with citrus, malt, creamy caramel, chocolate, rye spices, cinnamon bread, cereal bars, and cocoa powder. The finish is dry, with cinnamon breakfast cereal and burnt sugar notes.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2022)

Delicate aromas of brown banana, fresh wood, warm cereal, and apple puree that suggest Gerber baby food. It seems slightly youthful and primary, but the palate is quite nice, as the fruit and malt purity shine. The gentle fruit meets Twinkies as the simple and pleasingly sweet flavors glide to a finish of honeyed sweetness. (3,600 bottles)

Reviewed by: Julia Higgins (Summer 2022)

Fresh-baked bread rises from the glass, warm and inviting, with dried apricots, orange scone, and toasted almonds following closely behind. Tobacco and sun-dappled leather can eventually be coaxed out, making for a softly complex nose. On the palate, vanilla frosting, Honey Nut Cheerios, and cinnamon stick are up first, accompanied by soft oak. The lengthy finish brings back more warm leathery notes, which are welcome. (7,200 bottles)

Reviewed by: Julia Higgins (Summer 2022)

Toasted marshmallow, blueberry scone, demerara sugar, and shaved almonds on the nose, along with a chalky sugary grape note, like Pixie Stix or Candy Buttons. With water, cherry syrup and new wood emerge. There’s more grape on the silky palate, as well as bubble gum, yogurt-covered raisins, and bitter oak. That bitter quality extends to the chalky finish. The flavors are a bit underdeveloped and understated but show promise.

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Summer 2022)

Channeling the Legacy of ’81, this release celebrates 40 years of great rock gigs at Slane Castle. With the virgin oak contribution dialed up to 11, it’s bottled at a significant ABV for die-hard vinyl fans. Aromas of wood shavings, peeled banana, vanilla, orange peel, toasted oak, green apple, and peppery spice. Warm and fruity on the palate, there’s orchard fruit, sultana, caramel, chocolate, blackened oak, and a lengthy encore of peppery spice.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2022)

Graham cracker aromas with plenty of up-front spiciness, scents of light vanilla, peanut shells, cinnamon, nutmeg, peppercorn, and toasted-grain bread. Sampled neat, there’s lemon, honeydew, golden syrup, dried banana, ground pepper, clove, hazelnut nougat, and flashes of malt. The spices get pretty feisty, so water or ice helps. With 60% rye in the blend, this has the potential to stand up with standard straight rye whiskeys.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2022)

Shortbread cookies, hay, soaked corn, and barley form a base that apple Jolly Ranchers, fruit snacks, orange blossom tea, and a hint of rose water sit atop. The combination is sweet and slightly savory on the nose, but the palate leans into the sweetness with apple-cider doughnuts, vanilla creamer, and honey. The finish is straightforward and fairly short, with shortbread, vanilla, and hay shining through.

Reviewed by: Shane English (Summer 2022)

This spirit whiskey—containing less than 20% straight whiskey—is made from corn neutral spirits, rye, and barley, and opens with grainy cereal and marshmallows, light lemon and cherry candies, and fresh cut lumber. On the palate there’s sweet corn, more lemon candies, and a woody backbone supporting the other flavors. Water brings out light chocolate and nutty notes; Reese’s peanut butter cups and lava cake take the lead. The finish is short and light, with milk chocolate and a tannic woodiness. (5,580 bottles) Best Value

Reviewed by: Shane English (Summer 2022)

Bright and fruity from the start, with maraschino cherries, fruit snacks, and orange peel. There’s a light tropical note too, with tart and tangy kiwi and pineapple adding spark to the other sweet fruits. On the palate, the whisky shows the influence of 20 years in used bourbon barrels, with mint chocolate-chip and vanilla ice cream smothered in Hershey’s syrup. The finish turns cool and mintier. (9,570 bottles)

Reviewed by: Shane English (Summer 2022)

A deep red color from the pinot noir barrel, and a sweet nose of red berries, raspberry cobbler, vanilla, and ripe bananas. The palate is somewhat blunt, with new leather, aromatic oak, more red berries, and pepper. Good length on a finish offering vanilla, coffee, confectionery powder, and well-integrated berry notes, though it’s slightly hot. The cask influence is well-executed, though the whiskey is a bit uneven at times.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Summer 2022)

Rye spice is at the ready, as hot cinnamon, toasted grain, orange peel, spiced oak, and a bit of charcoal are accented by a not-unpleasant whiff of varnish coupled with fresh pickle juice. A soft sweet palate is somewhat surprising given the nose, but Frosted Mini Wheats and crystalized sugar shine brightly here, joined by vanilla extract, cloves, a touch of menthol, and subtle smokiness. A lengthy finish draws forth rich chocolate, espresso, and Ricola cough drop. (1,200 bottles)

Reviewed by: Julia Higgins (Summer 2022)

A musty and nutty spirit, delivering peanut shells, damp books, and wisps of citrus on the nose. The palate is subtle, with brown sugar and milk chocolate alongside the ever-present musty quality. Lemon iced tea and sweetened cereal round out the sip. The finish expands on the light sweetness, with Cuban coffee, milk sugar, and a squeeze of lemon. (960 bottles)

Reviewed by: Shane English (Summer 2022)

A whole lot of wood on the nose, with sawdust, pencil shavings, and tree bark. There’s an initial bite of varnish, too, but it fades into softer citrus notes of fresh Florida orange slices and overripe green apples and pears. More orange follows through to the palate in the form of spiced orange cake, and ground cinnamon in tow. The finish is lightly fruity, and it falls off fairly quickly. (4,956 bottles)

Reviewed by: Julia Higgins (Summer 2022)

Made using 100% Australian-grown unmalted rye. Play-Doh, burlap sack, orange slices, vanilla pudding, seaweed salad, and wax paper on a very grain-forward nose. There is a green quality to the palate, which while well-proofed suggests some youthfulness. Good length on the finish with notes of Andes mints. A new addition to the growing world rye movement that is certainly of a style and place. (5,000 bottles)

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Summer 2022)

Orange water, clementine, marmalade, florals, and an abundance of sweet grain notes on the nose, but the aromas feel clustered, with less complexity than other Whistler bottlings. It’s a bright, refreshing, easygoing sipper, light to medium in body with flavors of orange fondant, sweet grain, lemon peel, vanilla, satsuma, bitter lemon, and a finish of orange-zested cheese-cake. Ideal as a breakfast whiskey, or go-to bottle for summer cocktail refreshment.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2022)

Earthy notes of tree bark and topsoil mingle with fruit punch, melon candy, and soft spice on the nose. That spice is more pronounced on the palate, which is silky and papery with brown sugar, brown paper bag, and cinnamon stick. The finish shows tangy citrus and bitter oak. The component parts are solid on their own, but together present as a bit disjointed and disparate.

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Summer 2022)