A straightforward bourbon with no flaws. Nicely balanced flavors of fruit (mandarin, apricot, pineapple), gentle sweetness  (honey, vanilla, caramel), and soft spice (cinnamon, mint). Gentle finish. Nice enough to drink straight in a pinch, but it comes across as more of a mixing bourbon to me.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Fall 2013)

A very different whisky to its unaged namesake, and most unlike any of the other blends tasted for this issue. That’s no bad thing. This is less sweet than most blends, with tobacco leaf and ashtray to the fore, and a dusty, grainy note with a touch of oak, grape skin, and sweet heather. That said, not a lot of evidence of the 12 years in cask.

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Fall 2013)

Ellington has the creamy, sweet, and ultra-smooth mouthfeel down pat. Canada likes its mixing whisky to bite a little, but America prefers a silky smooth glide right down the gullet. Ellington Reserve certainly delivers with its rich, almost oily aura that springs to life with spicy-hot white pepper and newly-split clean firewood. Caramel and brown sugar underscore distinct notes of perfumed, candy-coated licorice amidst fragrant orange blossoms and flat lemon-lime soda. C$17

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Fall 2013)

Cardhu—for me, at least—means intensity, and this delivers precisely that, with masses of citrus (bergamot and grapefruit) and just a hint of dark chocolate behind. With water, there’s red apple and Victoria plum, while the mouth is precise, with any richness cut with fresh acidity. Zesty and fresh on the finish. Try it in a Bobby Burns. Released without any fanfare, here’s evidence that Cardhu’s rebuilding its reputation nicely. £66

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Fall 2013)

Just four years ago, two Barrys—Stein and Bernstein—opened the doors of Still Waters distillery on the northern edge of Toronto. Distinct notes of poached pears, marzipan, flaky halva, and cinnamon apple pie embellish sweet ripe cherries, nutmeg, and a vague earthiness. Oatmeal, dry grain, and hot pepper combine on a sweet, polished palate. C$100

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Fall 2013)

This is one of the more intriguing of the Double Barrel series, because while the others either complement each other or don’t, this has a depth to it that you need to look for. At first it’s all Laphroaig, and the peat and sea burst out of the glass. But just as you’re asking yourself what the point is, the fruity notes of the Mortlach cushion the whole landing and let you down gently. Impressive. £48

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Fall 2013)

A typical Rothes nose, with vanilla, granola, apple, Brazil nut, lemon, and low-level sweet spices mixing with lightly oxidized fruits. That said, it needs water, especially for the palate, where the malty crispness of the undiluted taste is replaced by something more considered, darkly fruity and gently spicy; coriander is uppermost. All in all, this is Rothes in very approachable rather than dynamic guise. One for a lazy afternoon.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Fall 2013)

Barrel 2 was aged in 15-gallon bourbon refills, then finished in a Cedar Ridge rum barrel; interesting to see an American distiller walk away from “straight whiskey” with used (small!) cooperage. Aromas of sawdust, toffee, melon and just-ripe apricot, dry cocoa, and warm cereal fight a bit with alcohol heat. Rum and fruit float over malt and vanilla in the mouth, and the wood rounds and dries. Oak and faint allspice in the finish. Needs some more taming; great start.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Fall 2013)

They call it cowboy whisky: Smallish bottlers, mostly in the western U.S., buy custom-blended bulk whisky from Canada to release under their own label. This one has enough cachet to find its way back north and into the Canadian market. Sweet and smooth with rich buttery caramels, searing pepper, sizzling ginger, and slatey, dusty rye. Rich dark fruits on the palate turn to zesty citrus notes, then cleansing pith as one sip slowly dissolves into the next. C$25

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Fall 2013)

Very Singleton of Dufftown: while that means easy drinking and approachable, it also can suggest a single malt without a spark of wayward genius. This is, typically, very ordered: nuts and honey with malt and pecan pie underneath. As it opens there’s dried lemon, oak, dried fig, and (dilute) pencil shavings. The palate is—typically—sweet and thick, though here with a refreshing sharpness, like a mix of wine gums and cider. I’d add a rock or two of ice. (Travel Retail exclusive) £38/1 liter

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Fall 2013)

Simple nose of sweet cornbread and oaky caramel; nothing fancy, but nothing wrong. The nose is no liar; same tastes in the mouth, just a bit hotter on the oak. Good finish with a nice oaky linger. The letdown is the thin body, which adds to the heat and steals from the experience. Seems more like a good shot bourbon or an “…and ginger ale” bourbon, not a sipping bourbon. Sourced whiskey.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Fall 2013)

No age statement, “charcoal filtered.” Hard candy/sweet-spicy nose with some wood edginess, stewed corn, and mineral notes; not particularly well-integrated. The thin body flashes vanilla and light caramel across the tongue as some hot oak fires things up. On the lean side, and like most such bourbons, the finish lingers, and flares at each swallow: oak, cinnamon, and that same mineral note. Not bad, but it needs more. Sourced whiskey.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Fall 2013)

In blended whisky terms, this isn’t for the faint-hearted, and joins a number of recent releases prepared to show off its darker, grittier side. It’s a big flavored blend, with its heart in the islands, and with oily coastal notes reminiscent of a delicatessen: brine, salty cheese, some crab apple relish, and smoked fish. It’s a rugged bruiser, but it makes its mark with some style.

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Fall 2013)

Standard blends fall into two categories: those that will behave nicely when mixed to offer almost non-whisky experience, and those that are feistier and want to make sure you know they’re there. This is the former, and with whiskies like this one, it’s possible to blink and miss it. That doesn’t make it bad; just indistinctive and unexceptional. There is little sign of the wood here, but the delicate, sweet apricot notes just do enough.

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Fall 2013)

Full-bodied and sweet on the nose, mixing burlap, bran, fruit cake, hazelnut purée, malt extract; with water it becomes fresher and almond-like with a touch of greengage plum. The palate has a soft feel, with the thickness displayed in the nose alongside plums and crystallized ginger. It’s just a little flabby. I’d like a bit more freshness or grip. The finish is nutty and rich. (Travel Retail exclusive) £51/1 liter

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Fall 2013)

Oak, and some candy-like sweetness, and alcohol heat…and not much else. A shy nose for a bourbon. Very hot in the mouth, somewhat two-dimensional corn and oak, just put together without anything else around them. A pretty simple whiskey, with a slightly cloying finish. Nothing really flawed, just nothing really standing out, either. Sourced whiskey.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Fall 2013)

From the perfumed nose to the sweet and short finish, this blend doesn’t really put a foot wrong, but it’s shy and unadventurous. Clearly well made, well balanced, and quite acceptable, it has a perfumed black currant sherbet nose, some slight but enjoyable blueberry, grape, and prune notes and a soft sweet conclusion. On its own, all fine: but it gets lost when in company.

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Fall 2013)

This is the oldest expression of Inchmurrin to be released by Loch Lomond, who make it in their highly versatile distillery at Alexandria. Brittle toffee and cod liver oil on the nose, with vanilla and a whiff of Jaffa oranges. Smooth and full on the palate, more substantial and sophisticated than the younger Inchmurrin variants. The fruits are now more citric. Lengthy and unctuous in the finish, with more citrus fruit, gentle spice, and a touch of oak. £90

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Fall 2013)