Distiller’s Gold is exclusive to Travel Retail outlets and is dedicated to the distillery’s first manager, Cochran Cartwright, whose ghost is said to haunt the Stirlingshire distillery. Distiller’s Gold displays a nose of brittle nut toffee and dried fruit, with vanilla and caramel notes emerging. Spicy tropical fruits on the palate, with an edge of cinnamon and ginger. Medium in length, pleasantly oaky, persistently nutty and spicy. Price is per liter.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2011)

The latest Tullibardine vintage release to hit the States is another example of whisky distilled in 1993, but now bottled at 18 years of age. The initial nose features cut grass and sliced melon, with freshly-peeled tree bark. Intensifying sweetness with time. Quite rich and full on the palate, with cereal, soft fudge, and mild ginger. The finish is medium in length, insistently spicy, with oak and vanilla notes.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2011)

Young it certainly is. Precocious even, and a pallid-looking youth on first impression, but behind that bland exterior is freshness and life with a fragrance that is very un-Balmenach, all chilled Muscat grapes, melon, even some cucumber. This general perfumed zinginess continues on the tongue, though the weight of the distillate (Balmenach has worm tubs) anchors it well. It’s not about age — it’s about character. Enjoy.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Winter 2011)

The dark color shouts “sherried!” and the nose confirms. After an initial blast of marzipan there’s rosin, stewed Assam tea, some licorice, hard treacle toffee, truffle, and a charred element, all backed with an earthy undertow. The palate is tight and quite hot, with charred red pepper and a bosky, wooded note. Not a great fan of water — this is about that deep, fungal stuff — there’s an uplift of sweet dark fruits at the end, offering balance. £105

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Winter 2011)

Pale straw. One of a seemingly never-ending stream of Imperials from Duncan Taylor, all of which show remarkable consistency and are rarely over-wooded, thereby allowing the distillery character to shine. Here are echoes of Loire Sauvignon Blanc — nettles, gooseberry, cut grass, fennel tops, and fresh herbs — with a hint of Imperial’s giveaway American cream soda softness. The palate is as soft as soy milk. Classic Imperial.£38

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Winter 2011)

Auchentoshan Valinch is essentially a cask strength version of the popular Classic expression. It is named after the metal tube used to extract samples of spirit from the cask. A nose of tinned peaches in syrup, Madeira, cinnamon, newly-planed wood, coconut, and vanilla notes. Sweet and spicy on the creamy palate, with vanilla, honey, and praline. Oak and spice in the peach liqueur-like finish.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2011)

Wemyss has picked up where The Easy Drinking Whisky Company left off a few years back and are selling their mix of malt whiskies under a descriptive flavor name. This is the best the company has done so far. It is a delightfully soft, fruity, and dessert-like whisky with, yes, lashings of honeyed malt to make it a soft, succulent treat of a whisky. Wemyss comes of age. £36

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Winter 2011)

Tullibardine Aged Oak Edition carries no age statement, though it contains a blend of whisky more than 15 years old and spirit produced since the distillery reopened in 2003. It has been matured in former bourbon barrels. The nose exhibits barley, citrus fruits, pear drops, crystallized ginger, marzipan, and cocoa. Oily in the mouth and slightly earthy, with brazil nuts and developing vanilla fudge and lemon on the palate. Fruitiness persists through the spicy finish.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2011)

The 11 year old triple distilled Lowland single malt in this bottling has been matured entirely in French oak casks that previously contained Bordeaux wine, then bottled at cask strength. The nose offers contrasting sweet and sour fruit notes, red grapes and gooseberries, damp newspaper, warm stone, and vanilla. Herbal, with cloves and spearmint. Mouth-coating, bittersweet on the palate, with molasses and — inevitably — red wine. Dark chocolate, raisins, and aniseed in the drying finish.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2011)

Armorik is made by Distilleries Warenghem in the Brittany region of Northern France and you expect something gutsy and rugged. This is nothing of the sort, though the relatively high strength and the fact that it's non-chill filtered ensure plenty of taste, including a scattering of spices that tickle and tingle the palate at the finish. Before then, though, the key flavors are vanilla, honeyed cereal, overripe melon, and banana. Delightful. €38

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Winter 2011)

Hot nose, plenty of rye spice — it is 100% rye — mint, bay leaf, sweet clove. Quite a kick, but there's good flavor behind it; more spice, oak, and a firm sweetness. The finish is quite quick, just some dry rye in the back of the mouth, and gone. Better-behaved than most Hudson whiskeys I've had; hardly mellow, but enjoyable. Price per 375 ml.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Winter 2011)

A relatively high rye grain content for a bourbon (36%). The port adds richness (fleshy fruit) and helps the whiskey taste older than it really is (by masking some of its youthfulness?). Notes of ripe cherry, soft plum, mandarin orange in syrup, dates, and toffee. The spices (cinnamon, mint, and a dusting of cocoa) pick up mid-palate and finish strong and warming. A slight bit more port than I would prefer, but the spice vibrancy still shines through.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2011)

Brazen stuff, blowing raw, fresh-sawn oak (six months in small, heavy char barrels) and cocoa/caramel right out of the glass. For all its youth, it's drinkable; hot, assertively oaky, but drinkable, thanks to the glowing depth of malt character in the glass. The oak's buoyed by rich, cocoa-tinged toffee, and the finish is like a very good hot chocolate. It's going like crazy; love to see where it would be in four years. Limited edition of 500 bottles. Price per 375 ml.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Winter 2011)

Lark Distillery celebrates its 20th year in 2012 and it's starting to settle on a house style: big apple fruity whiskey with menthol, candy cough drop, and hickory notes, and some red berry fruits from maturation in quarter casks made from port barrels. This special bottling uses casks made of wood that held 100 year old Para Port, among the world's finest. All the Lark traits are there, with a liqueur-like bonus. Intriguing. $AUS 132

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Winter 2011)

Here’s a rarity. A major player in Ballantine’s, this Moray coast distillery is rarely seen in single malt guise. Very gentle, sweet, and juicy start with licks of cream, a hint of barley, and the gentle grassiness typical of the distillery. In time, light almond and fresh lemon. The palate is lightly sticky — Glenburgie for its lightness always shows good succulence — with buttery vanilla, malt, and a touch of toasty oak. Gentle, sweet, and refreshing.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Winter 2011)

The price tag — higher than the entry level single malt — gives an indication as to what to expect from this blend, and it's a cracker. Made with 50 percent grain and 50 percent malt, the taste here is punctuated by a distinctive and unusual salt and pepper delivery. Beyond that there's creamy vanilla, soft peach, and a creamy rounded finish. It really dares to be different. €32

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Winter 2011)

Hard to say what this is: the label just says “WHISKEY.” My nose, though, says “Irish whiskey.” Grassy malt, sweet heat, light pear esters. It's there in the mouth, too: smooth sweet malt, vaporous lift off the tongue, Irish light elegance, and a lingering finish with a slippery hint of vanilla. Considering the eponymous distiller is Irish... Nice stuff; now tell us more about it.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Winter 2011)

The problem with selling your whisky by description is that if you don't deliver what you've claimed in the name, you're in trouble. That's a little bit how it was with these whiskies when they were seven years old. At this age, though, these are big boy whiskies and there is plenty of peat, seaweed, oil, barbecued fish, and salty sea notes to keep you hooked. Nicely balanced with fruit, too. £35

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Winter 2011)