A marriage of four different bourbons, ranging from 11 to 17 years old. This, to me, is benchmark Four Roses: subtly complex, vibrant, yet fully matured, with well-defined flavors of bramble, dry citrus, soft creamy vanilla, caramel, marzipan, allspice, a hint of cinnamon, and subtle cedar-aged cigar tobacco. Soft, clean, polished oak finish. A very versatile bourbon! Your decision shouldn’t be whether to buy it, but rather how much water to add.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2012)

Another excellent Stagg, and considering its alcohol level, it’s also a good value if you can get it at this price. Notes of toffee, pot still rum, nougat, dates, tobacco, roasted nuts, polished oak, and leather. Great depth and nicely balanced. A masculine bourbon of character and structure.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2012)

A perennial classic. Not aggressively bold like its younger sibling (Thomas H. Handy), but this is a rye of distinction and class. Still quite vibrant for its age, with plenty of spice (cinnamon, soft evergreen, vanilla, hint of nutmeg) softened and balanced by sweet notes (caramel, toffee), glazed citrus, and dried oak on the finish. This remains the benchmark for what a mature rye whiskey should taste like.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2012)

The key to bourbons that use wheat instead of rye (like this Weller), is to get the right amount of wood influence to balance the sweet notes and add depth. This whiskey does a great job of it. Notes of dark fruit (blackberry, plum, blueberry), layered sweetness (maple syrup, toffee, caramel), and dried spice (cinnamon, vanilla). Soft, pleasant finish.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2012)

Usually the least talked-about in the Antique Collection, but in my opinion certainly of the same caliber. This year’s release proves my point: nutty toffee and rummy molasses notes balanced nicely with dried fruit, cinnamon, polished oak, subtle leather, and tobacco. The oak is kept in check for such an age, and all the flavors work well together. Nicely done!

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2012)

Previous Broras in the Diageo Special Release series have set the bar remarkably high, and this, the eleventh such bottling, does not disappoint. The component whiskies were distilled during 1976 and 1977 and matured in refill American oak casks. The nose offers lemon and contrasting vanilla and honeycomb aromas. Musty malt and coal in the background. The citrus and honey themes continue into the slightly earthy, peppery palate, while French mustard and coal figure in the drying finish. 1,566 bottles.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2012)

You don't mess with the Johnnie Walker brand name casually, so we expect greatness, and boy, do we get it here. This has a dusty, smoky nose with dried apricot and grape, and the whisky is gossamer-soft on the palate, with sweet pear and honey evolving on top of an oaky rich heart before a tidal wave of pepper and peat, and a delightful spice smoke and oak conclusion. Magnificent.

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Winter 2012)

This has long been a core whisky for Compass Box, but the latest version of it is spicier and fresher than I recall, and without doubt, it's my new best friend. Virgin French oak heads help to contribute oriental and aromatic spices on the nose, with hints of melon and pineapple candy sweets. The taste is a delight, with spearmint, soft toffee, sweet citrus fruit, lemonade mixed with beer, and strawberry wafers. An array of spices from cinnamon to chili to ginger dominate the finish.

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Winter 2012)

All the current Elijah Craig 20 year old releases in distribution are single barrel offerings. I’ve tasted a few, and they vary to a degree. This is my favorite so far. Yes, there’s a lot of oak here (resinous, spicy, leathery, tobacco-tinged), but it’s on a bed of layered sweetness (nutty toffee, caramel fudge, maple syrup) that supports and marries with the oak. An ideal postprandial bourbon.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2012)

Talisker is a Special Releases favorite, and this bottling, the oldest ever marketed by the distillery, is actually the sixteenth. Distillation was in 1977, and maturation has taken place in both American and European oak refill casks. Soft wood smoke, sultana, nutmeg, and chili powder on the nose. Dried fruits, vanilla, and malt merge with more chili and savory notes, plus newly-dug soil on the complex palate. A touch of brine, orange peel, and bonfire in the finish. 3,090 bottles.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2012)

The original Great King Street blend was all sweet lemon and spice. This is something else again. This is a gutsy, urban wise guy of a whisky, rich in peat, with distinctive malty flavors—all in all, closer to a malt than a blend. That's because of the high malt content, and only the rounded edges and soft finish are gilded by grain. Some fruit and spice emerge through the peat, but the smoke's what you remember—a master class in blending.

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Winter 2012)

Glann ar Mor is a rising star in the world of whisky, one of three very impressive distilleries in the Brittany region in Northern France, and this new single malt, fresh from the cask at the back end of September, is its finest release yet. A mixture of soft tinned fruits, especially sweet pears in syrup, sweet vanilla ice cream, and a delicate but assertive earthy underbed make this an utter delight. Magnifique. €57

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Winter 2012)

Full-throttle rye, bottled uncut and unfiltered. Bold spice notes (cinnamon, allspice, mint), lush fruit (ripe orchard fruit, golden raisin), orange liqueur, and subtle coconut, all on a bed of caramel and honeyed vanilla. Clean and uncluttered. This isn’t a one-trick pony. It’s the sweetness and fruit that accompany the rye spice that makes this whiskey so attractive.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2012)

Lagavulin from a first-fill sherry butt? There’s unusual. This is huge, fluxing, and complex, mixing saddles and dark chocolate, pu-erh tea and smothered kiln, geranium and velvet, gamey venison and treacle. The smoke is integrated, the fires ember-like, the oak there but not oppressively so. Massive, dense, layered, and complex, this needs time to open. In short, a distillation of Islay and up alongside last year’s Jazz Festival bottling.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Winter 2012)

In my book, the bar can't be set much higher than it is for Flaming Heart and this latest version doesn't disappoint, though it does head off into a scuzzier, grittier, and more peaty direction than the 10th anniversary bottling, and has lost some of the black currant fruitiness in the process. No matter: this smolders with peaty and fishy intensity, works its way round to tinned strawberries, damson, and berry fruits, and emerges sooty and smoky. A BIG whisky.

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Winter 2012)

A blend of two different 11 year old bourbons—one being a rye-based bourbon, the other being wheat-based. The wheat lends drinkability, while the rye contributes a spicy zing. The combination works very nicely, with light toffee, nutty caramel, nougat, soft orchard fruit, black cherry, vanilla, and cinnamon. (Note: this is the first of three different batches that will eventually be bottled.)

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2012)

Does it do exactly what it says on the tin? You betcha! This is big, and it's smoky, and if you're a fan of Islay malts, then it's right up your street. There's more to it than just smoke, though. There's stewed apple on the nose as well as steam engine oil, and on the palate there's gooseberry, spearmint, and apple pip. But as you'd expect, the peat lingers.

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Winter 2012)

Belgian whisky maker Etienne Boullion takes help and advice from Bruichladdich distiller Jim McEwan, and it shows. Now the owner of the old Caperdonich stills and set for major expansion, Belgian Owl is literally on the move. Let's hope it retains the greatness of this malt. This is the distillery's best offering yet: a sweet, rich, vanilla-laced fruity dessert whisky that is both refreshing and very more-ish. Alcoholic tinned fruits, particularly pear.

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Winter 2012)