Gold. Quite sweet and spicy nose. Light cinnamon and that distillery ginger edge. There remains a light cereal aspect to the background, but it is considerably more youthful than the age suggests. The palate is equally sweet and direct, with excellent spicy concentration. Water shows that there is some weight here, reminiscent of honey-nut cornflakes (with cream). The nose now hints at some oxidation, the palate retains peppery freshness. It’s another I’d have kept in cask. £135

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2015)

This is the foundation stone of the whole Label 5 range and it’s a solid, reputable blend that works neat, with a rock of ice, or in cocktails. The digestive biscuits, dark walnut toffee, and fruit salad aromas concede to a rather inauspicious palate of burnt orange, malt biscuits, charred oak, and ground ginger. It’s lively through to its malt and spice conclusion.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2015)

Light gold. A little shy initially, but Glenallachie isn’t noted for its effusiveness. It has a clean and slightly nutty aroma, with light honey alongside grilled hazelnut. The palate is fairly crisp and slightly bunched up to start, until this nutty sweetness expands in the center. Ever so slightly oily. Water flattens the aromatics a bit, but allows the flavors to spread gently. All in all, a decent example of an uncommonly seen single malt. £85

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2015)

While its regular stablemate Fior contains a proportion of peated malt, Fasque is unpeated, and the best comparison is with the now-discontinued 12 year old ‘1824’ house bottling. The nose is fragrant, with sherry, cherries, and vanilla. Relatively full-bodied, with a rich, spicy palate, focusing on Jaffa oranges and dark chocolate. It dries quite quickly to black coffee and spicy licorice, which linger in the mouth, along with a note of toffee. £35

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2015)

Nose is a bit perfumed, like doilies at grandma's house, with grain, grass, and meadow notes. Flavor is minty, rye-bitter, and penetrating; finish is sweet and hot, with more grassiness. Powerful rye influence; not much corn, and that perfume note is odd, but the rye is gripping.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Spring 2015)

Creamy butterscotch soothes the blazing hot spices of this archetypal Canadian mixing whisky. Fresh kiwi fruit and lime fragrances add dimension to a sweet, glowing middle, then fade on a long toffeeish finish that finally slips into slight hints of bitter grapefruit pith. A sweet, simple, and fruity session whisky that you could sip neat all evening, or over ice at a sunny poolside. A mixer, yes, and a sipper too. (Canada only) C$26

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Spring 2015)

Very fresh and quite light in color, suggestive of only light cask conversation. BenRiach’s fruits are there with hints of apricot, even some gooseberry. Very light malty background, and then a whiff of witch hazel. In time, it sweetens into banana and pineapple. The palate is clean, though pretty hot, with that mature BenRiach fizzy spiciness on the back palate. Can’t help but feel that this would have been a great 30 year old. £95

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2015)

Scooped-out spaghetti squash, whole red bird’s eye chilies, celery tops, and country ham. It is redolent of sugary-sweet candies like Spangles (from the 1970s). Light and delicate initially, moving into phases of vanilla sponge, dried raspberry, and peppery spices, then the vegetal notes grow larger in the later phases. An enjoyable effort from refill cask #10439, but it fizzles out, leaving a finish of light pepperiness, heat, and sodden newspapers. £88

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2015)

Finished in pinot noir barrels. A very fruit-forward whiskey. I love bourbon, and I love pinot noir, but the wine influence is very intense and, to me, the flavors don’t integrate well. Cherries, red raspberry, and red currant dominate, along with a coating of caramel. Cinnamon and clove struggle to emerge from underneath it all. Sweet, fruity finish. Bonus points for uniqueness, but a bit overdone with the wine influence.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Spring 2015)

This could be seen as a brave young bottling of the sometimes divisive Fettercairn single malt, but Glenkeir Treasures has acquired some interesting casks which showcase the youthful whisky to good advantage. Wet cardboard, starch, and savory notes on the initial nose, settling down to something fruitier and with milk chocolate. Floral, nutty, and slightly peppery on the palate, with almonds, toffee, cocoa powder, and gentle citrus fruit. Quite soft in the finish, with elegant spices and milky coffee. (Whisky Shop only) £35/500 ml

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2015)

Well, they got the proof right! From JEM Beverage (Carrollton, Texas). Sweet cedar and citrus in the nose, dominant and one-noted. Sweet on the tongue, with that fresh green cedar character and more sweet citrus; a touch of oak in the finish. Not a lot else.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Spring 2015)

Light gold. Fresh and clean, with light draff notes. Cool porcelain, lemon, cereal husk. It becomes more expressive on the tongue, though it remains subtle. A bit of a stealth bomb because the palate shows plenty of spice, cinnamon toast, and baklava. The finish reveals some green notes. When you add water, it becomes incredibly minty. Fragile, but if you fancy a Bunna' julep, then look no further. £69

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2015)

The bottle states “Aged less than four years” but the nose says probably less than two. Unseasoned oak and sawdust dominate the nose. If you can get through the oak you’ll find honey, corn, cinnamon, and beef jerky. On the palate it’s dry cornmeal, caramel, and a hefty portion of abrasive oak. The mid-palate is big spice with cinnamon, black pepper, clove, and oak. A short dry finish puts a bow on a whiskey that’s overly tannic, dry, and oaky.

Reviewed by: Geoffrey Kleinman (Spring 2015)

Light brown sugar, orange candy, and cinnamon on the nose, along with just a hint of funk. Electric in the mouth, zapping out to every corner and tooth with bitter oils and hot alcohol, with a backing wall of corn sweetness. The finish is almost a relief. Take the rattlesnake graphic as a warning; this one's not kidding.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Spring 2015)

Cinnamon bark, oak, overripe nectarines, salted peanuts, and faint herbal notes open up this blended whiskey housed in the bottle with the clever geographical label. The structure starts light on the first sip, with Golden Delicious apples and honey lozenges, but then it thickens up mid-palate when the spiciness kicks in. Then it peters out. A decent spicy buzz finishes this perfectly serviceable blend composed by these determined newcomers to the Irish whiskey scene.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2015)

This edition was matured in bourbon but finished in Madeira casks, which lends it a honeyed, sweet nose of cream soda, lychee, whole almond, and dried tropical fruit. Smartly, the finishing cask gives a lift but never dominates. A fresh, clean taste, but the mouthfeel has a frailty, so although you will find lemon, icing sugar, candy bananas, and molten honey, this doesn’t quite live up to its rousing name. £31

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2015)

As the enterprising fellows at West Cork Distillers only built the place in 2007, this 10 year old must be sourced elsewhere. A decent nose with vanilla cupcakes fresh from the oven, dull lemon notes, tablet, and faint spices. It has a limited range, let down by a narrow flavor profile; acidic, lemony sharpness with a light mouthfeel. The sharpness strong-arms the sugariness for 30 seconds until toffee notes break through. An acerbic lemon bonbon in liquid form.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2015)

Like the Whim Mocha Porter, this is certified organic; a wheat whiskey made with locally-grown hops. Hard to tease out hops vs. small barrel oak spice in the nose; it’s bold and shouty. Wow. The hops are explosive in the mouth, flashing bitter on the tongue. The first sip was shocking, now it’s settling in, and becoming smoother, but I just don’t think this much hops is a good idea in a whiskey. Price is per 375 ml.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Spring 2015)