An essay in elegance. Silky and soft in texture, and very clean. Notes of peaches and cream, vanilla wafer, soft honey and fruit gum drops. Subtler notes of tropical fruit (pineapple, lemon, coconut), demerara sugar, heather, and anise. Polished oak adds structure and contrast, with a very elegant finish. Hard to believe this whisky is 32 years old. It's lighter and more elegant than the equally splendid Highland Park 30 year old, which I rated a 94 in the last issue. (Bottled exclusively for Park Avenue Liquors.)

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2005)

Similar in many ways to the 15. Less vibrant, more mature. Less corn, more maple syrup. Less nutmeg, more teaberry. The most elegant, sexy and stylish of the three and the best dovetailing of flavors. You might think that $90 is a lot of money for bourbon, but this whiskey is fairly valued when compared to other spirits of this age.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2005)

Fully matured at 15 years, as you would expect. Lovely array of flavors: candied fruit, cinnamon, nutmeg, gritty oak resins, vanilla fudge, and firm corn. Underlying notes of tobacco and polished leather add complexity and intrigue without dominating, kissed with a touch of honey. A remarkable value, considering its age and strength.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2005)

One of the first wood finishing efforts under Edradour’s new management. Very creamy in texture, with notes of sticky toffee, vanilla fudge, fruit cake, raisin, and burnt almonds. All this sits on a bed of dry, minty, resinous oak. The flavors dovetail nicely, with a soothing, satisfying finish. The port wood finishing adds complexity without dominating.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2005)

An unusual, but very fine, Bruichladdich, with sweet, chewy toffee notes I often associate with Speyside whiskies, not Islay (although I have tasted a few older Bunnahabhain whiskies that were like this). Layers of marzipan and chocolate fudge also emerge, and I even pick up some apple and black cherry fruit in the background. Bruichladdich's "sea breeze" freshness rises through the chewy sweetness and provides balance and complexity.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2005)

One of Cooley’s finest efforts. Moderate doses of kiln smoke, dried turf, and kippers, tamed by vanilla cream, barley, and a buttery, olive oil texture. Subtle spices dance on the palate. Lingering smoky, white pepper finish. Islay meets Ireland.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2005)

Clean and fragrant on the nose, with aromas of dried heather, germinating barley, and white chocolate. Soft, sweet malt along with honeycomb, crème brulee, and a hint of fruit puree. The palate is soothingly malty, delivering what the aroma promised (first the sweet notes, then dried heather and spice), with a dry, polished oak finish. The extra aging adds depth, and the cask was obviously a good one, with no hint of being tired or old.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2005)

For those of you drinking whisky long enough, it was a Glenmorangie Tain L’Hermitage 1978 Vintage that kick-started this whole exotic finish trend by Glenmorangie about 10 years ago. That one wasn’t sold here in the U.S., but this one is (although this one costs about four times as much as the original one did when it was released). Both were racked in used bourbon barrels before being finished in Hermitage red wine casks from northern Rhone. The best of these limited release Glenmorangies, like the Fino Sherry Finish expression several years ago, add complexity and intrigue without masking Glenmorangie’s lovely subtle complexity. This one does a pretty good job of it, although there’s a lot of fruit here (an obvious contribution of the wine). Complex fruit, with notes of plum, raspberry, nectarine, blueberries, and a hint of lemon. Underneath the fruit, there’s nougat, dark chocolate and cocoa. Towards the finish, the whisky becomes nicely dry with oak lingering on the palate.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2005)

An excellent example of a younger Bruichladdich, and an interesting contrast to the Duncan Taylor expression reviewed above. Appetizing and very clean with a creamy texture. Honey and vanilla notes accentuate a fresh maltiness, with underlying marshmallow, grass and hay. The whisky finishes nicely rounded, pleasingly dry and salty, with a hint of seaweed. A great aperitif.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2005)

Similar in profile to the 12 year old expression below, except that the bouquet is thicker, the sweetness is more caramelized, and the fruit notes are drier (no surprises). There’s also more depth and maturity in this whisky, more oak spice, and a longer, drier finish. An excellent value!

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2005)

Quite fresh and lively for its age and loaded with fruit. You’ll find bright fruit (tangerine, passion fruit, lemon) followed by subtle, sweeter fruit (coconut, honeydew melon, banana, and apple crumb pie). Resinous, minty oak notes and a hefty viscosity give the whisky some structure, while floral notes (lavender, rose petals) and gentle vanilla expose a softer side to the whisky. Dry, oak finish.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2005)

A rounded and mature affair. The 25 years in oak has made it a bit more refined (and drier on the palate) compared to younger expressions. All the classic Caol Ila notes are stillthere-mustard, seaweed, olives, damp peat, salt and pepper. A touch of vanilla wafer, anise, smoked almonds, and tarry rope add complexity. Those of you who prefer Ardbeg 17 over the 10, and Laphroaig 15 over the 10, will be attracted to this whisky when compared to Caol Ila's younger siblings. But at $225, it's an expensive date, isn't it?

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2005)

One of the better bottlings from this Lowland distillery which closed in 1983. Velvety and slightly oily in texture, and fragrant. The whisky is balanced, the flavors clean, with no hint of excessive oak. Bourbon cask-aging offers up notes of vanilla wafer, along with coconut cream, honey, and a touch of caramel. Bright fruit (lemon meringue, pineapple, apricot) keeps the whisky lively, and suggestions of hay and linseed offer continued entertainment. Nutty, toasted oak finish. If you are looking for a Linlithgow (AKA St. Magdalene) to purchase before the whisky becomes impossible to find, I can recommend this one.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2005)

Youthful and very lively. Bold, crisp, spices (mint, cinnamon, vanilla) are softened by soothing, sweeter notes (candied fruit, coconut, caramel, and rum notes), becoming dry, flinty, and spicy on the finish. It is very clean and polished, and it is superior to other rye whiskeys in this age range. Nicely done!

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2005)

Although this distillery is operating, it remains one of the hardest Speyside whiskies to find. This is unfortunate. A fairly straight-forward whisky-pleasingly malty and somewhat viscous on the palate, with some grassy notes. The extra years, with this particular bottling anyway, have allowed the whisky to blossom, become a little more intriguing and heavier. Along with malt and grassy notes, I’m picking up citrus fruit (especially on the nose), toffee, nuts, freshly ground roasted cocoa beans, nougat, and vanilla fudge.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2005)

Lovely balance on the nose and palate. Soft and gently textured, too. The sweetness of the whisky (honey, fruit gum drops, and malty vanilla), dovetail nicely with light, bright citrus and teasing dried spices. Heather/floral notes enhance the whisky’s complexity. Clean, delicately polished oak finish. A very versatile, inexpensive, easy-drinking whisky.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2005)

Fragrant and very clean. Gently sweet with notes of vanilla cream, ripe barley, fresh cut hay, sherbet (orange and lemon), and a hint of bourbon -especially on the finish. An enjoyable and undemanding whisky to drink when the whisky itself isn’t the main topic of conversation.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2005)

A lush Highland Park, aged in a sherry cask. Ripe fruit (sultana, apricot, dark cherry pits), layers of sweetness (toffee, nougat, molasses) almonds, and juicy oak. Hints of vanilla cream, honey, heather and polished leather add dimension. This sherry contribution is clean, not overly sappy or waxy like others I have tasted. (Bottled exclusively for Binny's Beverage Depot.)

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2005)