More Canadian core rye from WhistlePig, this time at full-bore. It’s strong with rye, sweet with melon and dark chocolate notes, but with a wood character like the unfinished inside of an antique oak wardrobe. The antique wood is strong in the mouth, an oddly elegant note, but afterward comes the melon and chocolate, and oily, coiling rye. Interestingly complicated; a bit hard to make friends, but worth the time and effort.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Spring 2015)

Deep amber. Big, resinous, and almost heathery, with significant cask influence for a decade-old dram. The aroma is like a cobbler’s workshop: oils, leather, grease, polish, and then licorice. On the palate, there’s the prune notes of armagnac, the sweetness and cedar flavors of old rum, and very Rothes-esque spiciness. Water, just a drop, lightens it a little, allowing the underlying sweetness to show. Not cask dominated, just bottled at exactly the right moment. Recommended. £68

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2015)

This third single cask release was distilled in 2002 and spent two-thirds of its maturation in oloroso after 4 years in bourbon wood. The nose brings cranberry, bramble, smoked meats over a pit fire, stewed apple, Worcestershire sauce, and damp sphagnum. The taste is silky, displaying an array of citrus and red berry fruits. It’s amazingly gentle and tender given the strength. Water brings cider apples, ginger, and spices with a finish of bubblegum and boiled mint candies. €90

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2015)

Distilled in 2002, here’s Port Charlotte with an assured maturity. Amber in color, with some smoke and a pleasing whiff of cowshed (sweet hay and cow’s breath), before rosehip syrup and ozonic freshness. Water brings out incense, cream, even a little nuttiness. The palate is gently complex; a drop of water is needed to calm the heat and reveal the smoke that interweaves between the layers. It retains its fresh acidic finish, with nutmeg, soft lemon, and pear. Excellent. £110

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2015)

Smoky! Can you get dessert seaweed? Because that’s what this smells of. Candied ginger notes alongside a distinct salinity—think winkles—and in time a hint of verjus, even lanolin with water. The palate shows balanced smoke, paprika, then white pepper. The best smoky Bunna’ I’ve come across, showing maturity, balance, and no rubberiness. In time, there’s notes of old (refill) sherry cask. Released for the 2014 London Whisky Show but still commercially available. £75

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2015)

A creamy delight: rice pudding laden with swollen raisins, brown sugar melting on hot porridge (if this were scotch, it would be salt). It begins sweet, with a juicy fruitiness before a rodeo of spiciness bucks on the tip of the tongue. The texture is creamy and light but substantial enough to carry these big flavors. Dried lemon and double cream stretch out into a lengthy finish. A unique profile, but a fitting tribute. (1,499 bottles) £50

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2015)

Rather elegant blend, with aromas of woodworker’s bench, salted cashew, and dried banana chips, all backed by gentle bonfire smoke. Creamy caramel toffee, Victoria sponge, red currant, raspberry, and more oak build into a thick, luscious mouthful. Any smoke drifts away in the initial seconds. Toffee and fruit linger, making a very lengthy finish. A masterful top of the range blend from La Martinquaise. Well worth seeking out. €55

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2015)

Light gold, with good intensity and a more noticeable malty note than is common with this distillery, as well as touches of daffodil and dried honeycomb. The wood influence appears minimal to start with, but more vanilla creeps through in time; water brings out almond milk. Opens into clementine peel, pomelo, then cooked dessert apple. The palate is clean and forward; even slightly hot when neat. Remarkably assertive for a 25 year old.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2015)

This 2014 bottling of Ben Nevis illustrates how good the single malt can be with robust sherry cask maturation. Distilled in June 1998, it was filled into a fresh sherry butt and matured for 15 years before 582 bottles were released. Raisins, prunes, old polished leather, and roasted meat on the nose. The body is full, with the palate offering succulent dark berries, dates, raisins, and plain chocolate. Long and spicy in the finish, with cloves and rum raisin-flavored dark chocolate. £92

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2015)

Pale gold. Lightly floral and perfumed. The impression of honey on warm buttered scones. As it opens, so this gentle complexity grows, and gives a sense of some substance. Water reveals a hint of malt, fruit syrups, and pear blossom. The palate is creamy and needs a drop of water to reveal the acid/sweet flavor of white currant, and a hint of marzipan. A classic example of a light whisky—and a distillery—which could easily be overlooked. Don’t. £74

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2015)

The latest incarnation of Springbank’s Longrow Red matured for 11 years in port casks before being bottled at cask strength. The nose is sweet, with cherries, caramel, new leather, chewing tobacco, and soft peat. Voluptuous in the mouth, with a palate of rich peat, summer berries, and toffee apples, with growing spice notes, and light oak. Lengthy in the finish, with cinnamon, peat, sweet oak, and red berries.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2015)

“Local heirloom rye grains” are distilled (less than half a mile from the Monongahela River) in a copper alembic, aged 14 months, bottled at cask strength. Has a beautiful ruddy glow. Clean, focused nose of fresh rye grain, spicy-sweet with a nip of bitter oil in the back. Not a barn-burner, even at 56%, but brimful with rye spice, rye oiliness, and rye mint, and not over-oaked, either, as the finish closes evenly. A bit direct, but very nicely done!

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Spring 2015)

A new multi-vintage core expression of independent Irish single malt compiled from a vatting of whiskey finished variously in port, sherry, white burgundy, cabernet sauvignon, and Madeira. The nose suggests honey, baked lemons, ground almonds, desiccated coconut, white pepper, and soft toffee. A fabulously thick texture; thank goodness for their insistence on non-chill filtering. It’s fruity with twinkling spice, pepper, root ginger, and vanilla orbiting around a fudge-like core. The oak is present on the dry finish.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2015)

A new NAS, this has a thick, silky nose in classic ‘Rothes style which reminds you of coffee cream icing, hazelnut syrup, semi-dried soft fruits, and horchata. The palate has elegance and poise, with a hint of menthol lifting off into pecan and light grippy oak. Has excellent length and mellow flow. Water slightly reduces its voluptuous charms, so be careful (or simply avoid). Praise for revealing all the vintages used, and the fantastic price. Chapeau! £39

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2015)

This jaunty, rye-forward whisky from a mash of 64% corn, 31.5% rye, and 4.5% barley malt was distilled in an arcane Coffey still and spent seven years in new oak barrels. Flavors vary remarkably among barrels making each of these single barrel bottlings unique. This one exudes sweet floral perfume, vanilla, oaky tannins, sweet and sour sauce, spices, and basket loads of tropical fruits, all centered on soft banana candy. A long spicy, velvet tannin finish. (U.S. only)

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Spring 2015)

I am hopeful this blended whisky has benefited from the alligator char treatment to contribute to the deep, rich color and charred smoke notes on the nose. A thick, velvety mouthfeel, with butter toffee, toasted marshmallows going gooey on a stick, great spices, vanilla, whole nutmeg, chicory, and the crust of a well-fired fruit loaf leaving some sooty cinders on the finish. A mighty fireside companion and my favorite Grand Macnish to date.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2015)

Deep ruby with a yellow rim. Clearly mature, and heavily sherried. A highly concentrated nose: Marmite and soy sauce, and all the fresh fruits of youth reduced to essence. Drinkwise, it’s closest to Chinato: curative barks, dried herbs (mint, hyssop, oregano). The palate is unsurprisingly thick and lightly smoky, but the tannins aren't overly astringent, and there remains a sweet core still, even if the overall effect is dark. It’s not obviously Glen Grant, but it is a fascinating glass.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2015)

This cask strength, port cask-aged whisky comes from an undisclosed distillery near Aberlour. The impact of the port cask is unmistakable, with a nose that is deeply fruity with dried apricot, blackberry jam, honey, and malt. On the palate these rich sweet fruit notes are well balanced by black pepper, clove, salt, honey, and a touch of dark chocolate. The underlying proof also helps counterbalance the sweet fruit and drives a medium length and slightly dry finish. (U.S. only)

Reviewed by: Geoffrey Kleinman (Spring 2015)