Nose is thin and sweet, smelling of popped corn and a bit of oak and vanilla. Mellow and smooth in the mouth, with warm corn and corn syrup notes, more oak and vanilla, but nothing overpoweringly sweet; good balance. Some oak in the finish, a slight curl on the tongue that's not unpleasant. “Single Barrel,” but no barrel number given. Sourced whiskey.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Winter 2013)

Rye grain, fresh-sawn wood, and a hint of brittle sugar. No corn here: the mashbill is rye, wheat, and malt. Bitter rye edge drives this into the palate, blowing open space for the smoother body to follow and briefly sweeten things up before the rye warp collapses in an oily, spicy, savory finish. Quite discreet and small-scale; this doesn't roar, it urges. Good, but it needs more breadth and wood depth to be great. (Massachusetts only.)

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Winter 2013)

“Aged less than 4 years.” Sharp new oak (this is 30-gallon barrel aged), with hot cinnamon and sugar in the nose. Dry, and a bit hot up front, but its wheat comes through in a smoother, sweeter middle and a gentle, warm finish where corn finally appears. No real flaws here; it could be better integrated, but it has a rough appeal.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Winter 2013)

Cadenhead is responsible for this veteran cask strength release distilled in 1977 at the now-demolished distillery of Littlemill, located a couple of miles from Auchentoshan. The nose is sweet, with icing sugar, vanilla, honey, and peaches. Damp grass after a while. Initially sweet and full on the palate, slightly resinous, with marzipan and sherbet, then quite bitter oak kicks in. The marzipan and tannins fight it out in the finish. £175

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2013)

How can you really compare this to a quality blend priced under $50? It's hard not to view this as a victory of style over substance, and I object to premium whiskies being just 40% ABV, but nevertheless this is excellently made and the blending of whiskies over 21 years is exemplary. It's rich and viscous with light peach and plum notes and a pleasant earthy base.

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Winter 2013)

Smoke comes at you immediately, the morning-after smoke of a spent fire, mixing with reeds and rushes, a touch of coconut, and light oak. Water is needed to bring out sweetness alongside the Band-Aid note typical of many young peaty whiskies. The palate is a lot sweeter than the nose suggests, bold and quite thick; honey adding a sticky quality that then moves into creosote and antiseptic cream. It needs hefty degrees of dilution. A work in progress. £100

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Winter 2013)

This single cask bottling of Clynelish from Wemyss Malts is 16 years old, and just 302 bottles were yielded by the bourbon hogshead in which maturation took place. Milk chocolate, orange, and malt on the nose; fragrant, with stem ginger. Zesty and notably spicy on the palate, with applesauce, peaches, and digestive biscuits. Relatively long in the finish, with oak, allspice, and persistent fruitiness.£67

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2013)

I have a soft spot for the Braes: not only a forgotten part of Speyside, but the only distillery whose roof I’ve stood on. Anyway, here you have yeastiness and a smell like just-baked, sugar-topped apple pie, the fruit cracking through warm pastry. Sweet, direct, and slightly nervy, Braes is never going to be a heavy hitter, but this is the ideal dram to conjure up fading memories of summer.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Winter 2013)

Oloroso Finish has spent 16 months gaining additional maturation in oloroso casks. The use of sherry wood has lent the nose a greater sweetness, with vanilla, dates, apples, and cinnamon. Floral, spicy notes, with toffee, ginger, and sweet sherry on the palate, giving extra body and resonance. The fruity finish is of medium length, with mixed spices and white pepper. £45

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2013)

Bottled at 350ml. as a pair with a Spanish oak version (and probably sold out at source), here you get the merest glimpse of Macallan’s meatiness (shepherd’s pie) before flowers and apple blossom take charge. Lifted, yes, but never delicate. Water brings out cereal and mealy pudding, with barley sugar on the end. £350

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Winter 2013)

The new, younger sibling to George T. Stagg. George T.’s signature is its bold nature and high proof, and Junior follows in its footsteps. The aromas are very nice: bold spice (clove, dusty mint, cinnamon, evergreen) with layers of burnt sugars, cocoa, charred oak, and berried fruit. However, on the palate, those sugars become dominated by aggressive spice, leather, and unnecessary tannin, most notably on the finish. Spend a little more and opt for George T. Stagg instead.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Winter 2013)

The Famous Grouse has been extended in various directions with varying degrees of success but for my money, this is the best and most logical. This is the version where the smoky, oily, spicy, and peaty notes of the original blend are brought more to the fore, but this works because married to it are grape and melon notes that ensure the Grouse lands softly.

Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow (Winter 2013)

A 100% rye whiskey, made from rye grown about 30 miles from Mississippi River Distilling. Strongly spicy and oily rye character reaching out of the glass and grabbing my nose; some surprising pastry and molasses notes hiding in there. The 40% mildness is disappointing at first, but develops into a spicy, minty mouth-filler with a cleanly sweet finish. On the sweet side, would prefer it drier.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Winter 2013)

Sweet corn and oak, with some green apple and grass notes; a light, pleasant nose that goes hot closer to the surface. Quite light and young in the mouth, clean, with understated oak notes; not taxing or tiring, and a long finish of teaberry and mint. Nothing amazing or overly complex, but a clean, pleasant sip of whiskey. Sourced whiskey.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Winter 2013)

Verging on the opaque, with a powerful resinous hit bringing to mind a luthier’s workshop with added Morello cherry, Turkish delight, and bitter chocolate, but on the tongue it is surprisingly sweet rather than tannic, with a supple feel, albeit with dried fruits dominating. This is a great example of what a small amount of heavy sherry can give to a vatting, but is it Hakushu? Sherry bomb lovers will adore it. £100

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Winter 2013)

As this is slightly closed when neat, you have to search for Glen Grant’s classic apple notes behind a tense nose which, even with water, remains inward-looking. Thankfully, this changes on the tongue with pure, very linear (typical of GG) flavors of cool mint, cucumber, basil, and yes, apple. Easy-going from a relaxed cask, but with more substance than you’d expect.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Winter 2013)

This sweet, peppery dram secures Still Waters’ reputation for single malt prodigies: young whiskies mature beyond their years. Cinnamon, enhanced by mild herbal bitterness, rides waves of barley sugar. Sweetness and heat grow stronger as the whisky sits in your mouth. Water brings grassiness to the nose and cooked cream of wheat to the palate. Mid-palate hints of celery add breadth while linseed oil, earthy blue clay, and hints of eucalyptus linger in a long peppery finish. (U.S. only.)

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Winter 2013)

Light and very creamy, with very subtle smoke in the background, this is like eating a white chocolate ice cream while walking toward a distant beach barbecue. The palate is gentle and sweet with good, refreshing saline balance. Water brings out mint. It’s just a little too tight and disconnected on the tongue.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Winter 2013)