Sometimes, when whisky is batched, a few leftover barrels are returned to the warehouse. Canadian Club recently pulled and vatted several of these from the 1970s. Acetone, Granny Smith apples, and fresh-cut white cedar showcase this long age. Complex and spicy, yet reserved, this dram is ripe with strawberries, canned pears, cloves, pepper, and faint flowers, then slightly pulling oak tannins. Distinct, elegant, and remarkably vibrant, this ancient Canadian Club is anything but tired. (Australia only) A$133

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Summer 2015)

“Ardbeg in Perpetuum” would mean “Ardbeg forever.” It’s made up of a mélange of different casks: American oak, refill, French oak…and others. Intense, marine, with pineapple, wet moss, tar, cracked black pepper, and a nuttiness. The palate is oily, sweet, with smoked cream, balanced by a very pure acidity, then soot and char. Will the fact that it isn’t an extreme Ardbeg satisfy everyone? Probably not. Is it a bloody good session drink? Damn right it is. (200^th anniversary bottling)

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Summer 2015)

Back on the market again, but with a tweaked formula (a blend of 9 year old bourbon with 10 and 16 year old rye whiskeys). This Bourye sports a rye freshness, crispness, and zing. Notes of cinnamon and mint are balanced by caramel, vanilla, and bright glazed fruit, with a lingering honey-rye finish. It leans more toward a rye whiskey than a bourbon in flavor profile. Sourced whiskey.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Summer 2015)

The senior member of the Girvan range is very approachable, with a gorgeous nose like a hay meadow on a summer’s morning, while sucking honey-lemon lozenges. The fruitiness has mellowed, ripened, and softened with the extra aging. A thick, luscious, layered dram of toffee banana, sparkling orange peel, wood spices, ripe fruits, and banoffee pie lead to a mouth-coating conclusion of shimmering spiciness. This will fill you with joy and satisfaction. Grain can be this good. £375

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2015)

Can you say “11 year old Old Grand-Dad”? There’s a snap of hot, happy rye in the nose, sweet corn and cinnamon banging along, but there’s vanilla and oaky dryness. I had a bottle of OGD Bonded handy, and it’s close. It’s like my favorite young bonded strapped in oaky spice, with a more mature, drier finish. I’m told this has even more rye in the mashbill. If you like OGD, get this and see what more age does. Price is per 375 ml.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Summer 2015)

It’s hard to stand out in a sea of fairly bland moonshine, but Manhattan Moonshine manages to by moving beyond corn in their mashbill, with oat, rye, spelt, and malt. The result is an unaged whiskey that’s light, slightly sweet, and a symphony of cereal grains. The addition of the honey note from the oats is spot on and helps unite the grain flavors. A dash of spice creates balance and drives a dry finish. This is a wonderfully crafted and unique whiskey.

Reviewed by: Geoffrey Kleinman (Summer 2015)

The oldest official Connemara expression from Beam Suntory delivers the peat sublimely, judiciously balanced with estery notes of half-time oranges and pineapple rings, and an inescapable note of nail polish remover. It’s bright, beautiful whiskey, rich with piquant orange and dark vanilla, smooth and packed with flavor, which softens to fresh cream and spiced toffee. Ebbs away with dignity, trailing creaminess and intense fruit in its wake. €178

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2015)

Rich amber. A slight agricultural note to start, and although sweet and soft, also a little indistinct. This is a palate whisky, with plenty of integrated smoke, rich fruitcake, and, as its name suggests, plenty of chocolate. It fades quickly when neat. Water, surprisingly, rectifies this: the nose opens to show complex dark depths, while the palate is lengthened and given extra aromatic lift. Rich and rather lovely. £85

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Summer 2015)

Although around 3 years old, the maturity has been achieved by using smaller, 40-liter bourbon casks (65% unpeated/15% peated whisky), with the remainder coming from peated whisky matured in Swedish oak. This adds a depth of character to the nose, the peat meeting honeydew melon, vanilla, caramelized bananas, grist, malty notes, and crushed hazelnuts. Sweet toffee apple, citrus, flapjacks, crackling spices, and barley grains play over a swelling, creamy smokiness. Simply stunning, considering its age. 837 SEK

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2015)

This expression was distilled in 2003 and after undergoing a period of finishing in amoroso sherry casks it was bottled in 2014. Fleeting green apples on the nose, before sweetening with figs, sultanas, red berries, and chili. Peat smoke finally makes its presence felt. Full-bodied on the palate, with spicy smoke, dark chocolate, peaches, and Jaffa orange; the additional fruitiness courtesy of the amoroso cask influence. Long and softly smoky in the finish, with ginger and lingering fruit notes. £55

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Summer 2015)

The .36 Small Caliber was one of the best young small-barrel bourbons I’ve ever had, so I was very much looking forward to this 3 year, 8 month old bottling from “traditional large barrels.” Aroma: like a 12 year old bourbon: oak spice, corn sweet. Not hot, spice and vanilla, smooth but oaky, with a light, flowing feel. A unique combination of youth and maturity that opens the “Texas whiskey” niche a bit wider. (Spec’s exclusive)

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Summer 2015)

Diageo has “brought I.W. Harper home” after years of absence from the U.S. market with this bottling and a base bottling (see below). The source is “new” Bernheim, but with a different mashbill from the base; this is 86% corn. Nose is warm corn and oak, with some spicy clove and cinnamon notes. Great medium-weight body and balance, palate repeats the nose, oaky-sweet finish; well-integrated whiskey. But my eyes pop at the price.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Summer 2015)

A single barrel release, selected by Julio’s Loch & K(e)y society, focused very much on wood. An oak-forward nose features old split wood, pencil lead, and rye spice. On the palate the balance with oak improves slightly from the addition of brown sugar, vanilla, and cherry. Oak intensifies in the mid-palate, keeping some semblance of balance with the sweet undertones, but oak is clearly the star. A dry oak finish is the exclamation point at the end of this riff on wood. Sourced whiskey. (Julio’s Liquors only)

Reviewed by: Geoffrey Kleinman (Summer 2015)

The first in a series of limited edition releases for 2015. Not as rich, thick, sweet, or deep as last year’s classic 25^th Anniversary bottling. This one’s lighter, drier, and with more spice. Cinnamon, mint, nutmeg, licorice root, citrus, and subtle botanical notes, all wrapped up in caramel and vanilla. Dry, pleasant finish. If the 25^th Anniversary bottling was an ideal digestif, this one is more suitable as an aperitif.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Summer 2015)

Distilled from a relatively low-rye mash of 53% rye, 33% corn, 14% malt; true to Woodford Reserve form, a mingling of whiskeys distilled at Woodford and at Brown-Forman in Louisville. Nose of leather, cinnamon, rye snappiness, and hints of red raspberry. Hot and lean on the palate, spicy/sweet until rye’s bitter layering floats in, making for a dry finish as the oak comes on stronger. Balances drinkable and elegant quite nicely, and it’s real Woodford.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Summer 2015)

Odin is the fourth and final release in Highland Park’s Valhalla Collection. It has been aged in a combination of first-fill Spanish oak sherry casks and refill hogsheads, with the former predominating. The nose yields cocoa powder, insistent spice, subtle sweet smoke, heather honey, and rum-and-raisin fudge. Rich and fruity on the palate, with lively dark spices, plus treacle and peat smoke. The lingering finish initially offers smoky sherry, then dries with licorice and oak. (17,000 bottles)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Summer 2015)

A 15 year old port cask-matured Ben Nevis that is as genre-defying as it gets. Deep port notes combine with strong iodine, honey, and malt in an inviting nose. This whisky simply roars on the palate, with big jammy fruit combined with salt, iodine, and a dash of smoke. Everything comes together in the mid-palate, with an alluring core of ginger, honey, and malt. A long, flavorful finish wraps up a whisky with unique character and unmistakable appeal. (U.S. only)

Reviewed by: Geoffrey Kleinman (Summer 2015)

A divine, lilting nose of exotic summery fruits that brings a smile to your face. Split papaya, fleshy mango, and candied peel join freshly squeezed OJ and sugar-dusted marshmallows. The thick, syrupy texture fizzes attractively on the palate with flavors of warm marmalade on buttered granary toast. After some mid-palate heat, there is flavored sherbet candy, mint, and burnt orange on the finish. Fruity, but happily not sugary sweet like some grains. (171 bottles for Europe and Asia) £85

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2015)