Darker gold in the glass than regular VO, but sporting that same VO nose of caramel and dry corn. Fuller grain sweetness in the mouth, with some nice light fruitiness—white peach, seckel pear—coming out, and there’s a sweet cinnamon smear along the roof of the mouth. Dries significantly toward the end, and finishes quickly, but with everything in good order.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Fall 2012)

Turns quite murky with water, but don’t let this scare you off. Fragrant and flowery on the nose. A sweet whisky with a honeyed malt and creamy vanilla foundation, a mélange of tropical fruit (mandarin, lime, pineapple), and soft oak on the finish. Pleasant enough, but I wish the flavors were crisper, cleaner, and more well-defined. (A Park Avenue Liquor exclusive.)

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Fall 2012)

Smells sweet and minty, with gobs of oak and corn…and that’s about how it tastes, too. The corn sweetness and the mint are dominant, but warming oak spice wraps it loosely. It’s called “Young Bourbon” (labeled as “age under 4 years”), and that’s just what it tastes like, as some green youthful notes muscle their way in toward the finish. A bit of a rough-rider, but tasty.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Fall 2012)

The follow-up to 81 proof Wild Turkey bourbon—and part of a continuing trend by distillers to release versatile whiskey: reasonably priced, no age statement, that will stand out in cocktails but can be enjoyed on its own in a pinch. Very spicy, yet relatively soft in character, with suggestions of gin botanicals, dried fruits, honeyed vanilla, and teasing charred oak. Very quaffable for a rye whiskey.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Fall 2012)

With the hue of pigeon blood (a ruby, not a dead bird), initially this seems closed, but richness develops, mixing stewed Assam tea, chocolate biscuit, raisin, damson jam, and a whiff of tomato puree. The oak gives it the character of a Barolo Chinato. A knife and fork are needed to consume it, but for all the big tannins, there’s dark rose petal and the bittersweet edge of licorice. Dry, rich, and hermetic. For the hardcore sherry lover. 145 bottles.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Fall 2012)

Eighteen years? Really? In what? If you're a fan of big oak, don't stop here. All the wood seems to have added is a muddy, earthy note to what is a good whisky struggling to keep its head above water. There's tart lemon meringue in the mix, and creamy crushed hazelnut, an array of spices, and some bread dough. But the earthiness is a distraction. Overall, a bit of a confused kiwi. NZ$126

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Fall 2012)

The first widely-available single malt from the revived distillery of Glenglassaugh, Revival comprises spirit from both first and refill casks, finished in first-fill oloroso sherry butts for a period of six months. Initially a little mashy, with beer-like aromas. Quite sweet and mildly sherried, with developing roasted malt notes, ginger, hazelnuts, and caramel. Leather and insistent spice on the palate, majoring in nutmeg and cinnamon. Straightforward in the finish; spicy and nutty. Probably a crackerjack in another dozen years!

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Fall 2012)

Standard bottling benchmark. Smells sweet, caramel and toffee, with some alcohol heat and a slight medicinal twang. Strong caramel flavor (is that where that rich amber color came from?), not particularly deep or complex, but not hot or flawed either, leading to a gentle sweet finish. Not bad at all for a mixing whisky.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Fall 2012)

A hot wash of vanilla and sweet cloves and cinnamon, with shouty alcohol heat and a log of oak; whatever else this is, ‘subtle’ is not on the menu. Wow, is that hot in the mouth! Still, it’s flavorful with it; cinnamon candy and corn on the cob gush onto the palate. There are some cobby notes though, and a bit of mustiness. The finish is—surprise!—hot, and fades reluctantly. Doc Bryson prescribes more time in a large barrel.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Fall 2012)

A blend of aged (sourced) bourbon and Great Lakes’ own (young) malt whiskey. Quite sweet on the nose; a rich, herbal sweetness with a strong, youthful quality to it. Interestingly medicinal on the tongue as the herbal character swells. A full mouthfeel, with clear references to new make about it: a bit oily, grassy, and bright. The finish is the best part: minty and a bit drying, a pleasant farewell. Interesting concept.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Fall 2012)

Quite mild on the nose for 99 proof: dry oak, light honey, crisp corn. It all fires up in the mouth, a thick wash of hot oak and corn—attic whiskey—white pepper, and a tongue-crinkling woodiness leading to a drying finish that leaves you thirsty and swallowing as it fades. This may only be 6 years old (according to the label) but they were hot years. Better with a bit of water. (sourced whiskey)

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Fall 2012)

A limited edition—there are only 630 bottles of this—for those who are “Glenlivet Guardians.” A sherry refill, it’s a gentle expression that has typical Glenlivet floral elements that are more lifted than usual: elderflower cordial, jasmine, and night-scented stocks. A subtle spiciness emerges with a drop of water. This general smoothness continues on the palate with ginger in syrup and an enlivening citric note on the finish.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Fall 2012)

A nose like light caramel corn, with a hint of biscuit dryness and a smidgen of cinnamon sugar. Light in the mouth, sweet and a bit spicy, with some cinnamon heat toward the end. There is a bit of a roar right in the middle, where the grainy sweetness catches fire briefly, but mostly this is fairly meek stuff. Made for mixing, no real flaws.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Fall 2012)

At first I wondered what was going on here. This Lagavulin has more of the austerity typical of Port Ellen. There’s a tense minerality on the nose giving the impression of salty rock-pools and samphire. Water makes it sweeter and oyster-like. There’s big delivery on the tongue, with masses of distillery character, but that tension remains to the saline finish. In a head-to-head with Caol Ila, the former wins hands down. £85

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Fall 2012)

The Doublewood experiment highlighted above may be the way forward for what's left of this old New Zealand stock, because having tasted several samples now, and presumably the better ones, there's a pattern emerging. The core whisky is fine, with tangy lemon and earthy pepper, but the casks clearly weren't great and they throw up inconsistencies. This is fine as far as it goes—until you see the price tag. This is $120 in American dollars. Nor is it as good as the Rugby World Cup 16 year old Vindication bottling. NZ$148

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Fall 2012)

A mix of bourbon and quarter casks finished in Pedro Ximenez, this new release is, initially, only for Travel Retail. The problem with finishing peaty whiskies is that all you can do is reduce the smoke, but here it’s done with as much subtlety as you can when dealing with PX. Think treacle scones, raisins, and tarry tobacco. A thick mid-palate gives an effect like an old-fashioned medicine. A sweet-hearted dragon smoldering in its seashore cave. (Travel Retail exclusive) £60

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Fall 2012)

Light gold in color, the roasted almond notes that start the nose show the influence of the amontillado sherry finish before your nose is filled with the contents of a spice merchant’s chest alongside, unusually, a light maritime note. Very gentle and clean in the mouth with sour plum and a generally amenable nature. More like this please, Burn Stewart! £60

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Fall 2012)

Or ‘Fumabat Porticus’ as it should be called—smoky whisky in a port cask—not that you need to be told that when you see the color. The port takes the upper hand on the nose, giving a layer of black raspberry, sloe, and cranberry sauce. The smoke hangs in the background. This juicy fruitiness carries through to the tongue where the smoke now adds much-required dry balance. The higher alcohol also stops it becoming too jammy. £59

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Fall 2012)