Very straightforward and unassuming. Its greatest assets are its balance and drinkability, rather than its flavors. Lovely sweet notes (caramel, vanilla), orchard fruit, golden raisin, and spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, dusting of cocoa), leading to a smooth finish. Not the most distinctive or complex of the single barrel releases, but just a joy to drink. In fact, this is almost too drinkable. It’s a whiskey I feel would show better at a higher strength (say, 45% or even 50%).

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Spring 2012)

Tons of vanilla and sweet custard in the nose, enough to make the mouth water, and not fake-smelling at all. Once again, the 40% makes a difference: light and sweet in the mouth, like a glass of creme brulee eau de vie! I'd enjoyed the sweet vanilla-spice character so much that the whisky slipping in at the end was almost a shock, but it's there, and even adds a bit of mint and fire. Embarrassingly tasty.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Spring 2012)

This is a recent addition to the portfolio, and has been matured in a mixture of thirteen American oak butts and hogsheads. These have given an out-turn of 893 bottles. Freshly-grated ginger, white pepper, and melons on the nose. Soft fruit and spices feature on the palate, with honey and coconut oil, plus background peat smoke. Lively spices, soft oak, and hazelnuts in the finish.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2012)

Bunnahabhain, along with Bowmore, is Islay’s greatest user of ex-sherry casks; a throwback to the days when it was part of Highland Distillers. Its rich, thick, and ginger-accented spirit matches the attention of European oak extremely well. In this red tea-colored example, you have resin, saddle soap, ginseng, and treacle toffee on the nose, and a fusillade of roasted spices on the palate before the finish reveals sweet gingerbread. A big huggable bear. £60

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2012)

You’d hardy expect Kilchoman to be able to spare casks for independent bottlings, but somehow TWE’s Sukhinder Singh has persuaded Anthony Wills to part with one of his precious babies. It exhibits classic Kilchoman notes of clove and fresh scallop, backed with subtle peat, chamomile, and lint. With water, a typically young, peaty aroma of rubber develops (so drink it neat). It shows the huge potential of this distillery. £50 (500 ml)

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2012)

A nose of hot cereal with a dusting of dry cocoa and oaky vanilla, and hints of figs and sesame oil. The palate yields clean grains — a real crack of rye among them — and oak, dried apricot, unsweetened licorice, and a long finish of warming rich cereal. Strikingly clean and non-cloying for Canadian, sweet but not overdone. Good for mixing, but equally good for sipping; a nice end-of-day dram. (Sold as both Very Old and 18 Year Old.)

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Spring 2012)

Suntory’s second distillery was once the largest producer of malt whisky in the world. Located high in the Japanese Alps, its buildings are hidden within a thickly forested national park, and there is something of that environment in this expression, which is filled with the scents of fern, wet bamboo, pine, and mint. Japanese single malt at its most beguiling.£40

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2012)

Previously offered as a 12 year old, it now has an extra three years of secondary maturation, after a decade in ex-bourbon casks. The ‘finishing’ casks are ex-Sauternes barriques. Lemonade, icing sugar, vanilla, nougat, and maple on the nose. Progressively sweeter. Rich and sweet on the palate, notably fruity, with spicy orange and brittle toffee. Medium length finish, with milk chocolate-coated ginger and lingering toffee. £39

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2012)

Balblair 2001 Vintage is the first distillery bottling to be non-chill filtered, noncolored, and offered at 46%. It is 10 years old and has been matured in ex-bourbon barrels. The nose offers lemonade, vanilla, allspice, and developing milk chocolate and caramel notes. Clean and straightforward on the palate; sweet and spicy, with tangerines, eating apples, toffee, and more milk chocolate. Cocoa powder in the spicy, relatively lengthy finish. £33

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2012)

Master blender Sandy Hyslop has deliberately attempted to capture Christmas in the glass, and so it should come as no surprise to find a rich, full, and flavorsome whisky with sherry trifle, red berries, orange fruit, and mince pie filling in the mix. It's put together with grace and style, mixes well, and is that rare beast — a blend that can be enjoyed on its own.

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Spring 2012)

Bog oak is oak preserved in Irish peat bogs for 5,000 years, and for this whiskey, cask heads made of it are used for maturation. The whiskey is 3 year old Turf Mor, only a year older, then mixed with some older whiskeys, and it's intriguing. This has all the oily, burning dust, smoky notes of a standard Connemara, but the rubbery youthfulness of Turf Mor is gone, and this is sweet, with orange notes, and a long, peaty, sweet finish. € 250

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Spring 2012)

This is 8 year old 100% rye Canadian whisky that Fremont Mischief distillery imports and bottles. Congratulations are due: the rye spice-vanilla aromas are strongly similar to their younger, own-make whiskey reviewed below. The extra age shows: this is Canadian-mellow, not a fiery American rye, even at 45%. All the spice is there, and the floral/grassy complexity, but there are more rich oak notes, and a high, arching finish that sustains the whiskey on the palate.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Spring 2012)

The darkness of the hue of this, the second official release of a 40 year old from Balvenie, gives an indication of how intense the relationship between cask and spirit has been over its long sequestration. It emerges brimming with dense aromas such as tamarind paste, treacle, and Black Forest gateau. Amazingly, on the palate there’s a lift of vanilla-like sweetness before the heavier and drier elements close down on the finish. Incredibly limited; only 150 bottles produced. £2,500

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2012)

A single cask, cask strength 16 year old malt from the demolished Willowbank distillery to celebrate the New Zealand All Blacks World Cup victory, and further evidence that New Zealand is back on track. This is whisky hitting its stride. Creamy and honeyed with a cracked lemon pepper undercoat, it's fresh, and very drinkable, with a delightful sugar and spice combo running through it. Oak only really makes an appearance in the finale. NZ$229

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Spring 2012)

This is the whisky equivalent of Metallica playing country songs. You can feel the power of the malt, you know it can kick out hard if it wants to. But it's all wrapped up in Kentucky finery, the sweet bourbon candy and vanilla notes offsetting the salt and pepper, and some mint leaf and berry fruits to send it on its way. It's not an entirely comfortable pairing, but by far the best of this bunch. SEK 1195

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Spring 2012)

The hue is deep amber and the nose is equally resonant and rich. This is Glenrothes in its most muscular guise, so that while you have the normal layers of fruity complexity, there is an extra weight. Think of citrus peels, sticky dates, walnuts, and fruit leather. The palate is soft and rolling with light tannin. For me, it’s at its best au naturel.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2012)

A set of two 100% rye whiskeys, triple distilled in copper pot stills, with the difference between them being the type of barrels in which they were aged. One was matured in a new charred cask, while the other one was aged in a used cask. They are packaged in half-bottle sizes (375 ml) and sold as a set for $100. Dark in color and deep on the palate. Plenty of weight, too. A base of caramel, with warming cinnamon, persistent mint, brandy-soaked apple, tobacco, polished leather, and oak grip on the finish.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Spring 2012)

This malt is actually 36 years old, having spent its first 34 years in a refill hogshead before two years of maturation in a first fill ex-Sauternes cask. The out-turn was 280 bottles. Mellow on the nose, with fresh oranges and apples, developing toffee, and violets. Smooth and fruity on the palate, with dark chocolate, pepper, and discreet tannins. Long in the finish, with fruity oak. £400

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2012)