The assured Scotch whisky that became one of the classic blends. Dry and sweet, with a nose of vanilla sponge, fresh cut flowers, and marzipan over a malty base. Pleasingly oily, with flavors of burning butter, malty toffee, and cake mix, with gentle spices and hints of chocolate appearing the longer you hold off swallowing. The glossy mouthfeel makes this feel like an everyday luxury. A finish of spent spices, cocoa, hazelnut, and a waft of smoke brings it home.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2016)

This Highland Park bottling appears in Douglas Laing’s prestigious XOP range, and after distillation in September 1994 the spirit in question was matured in a single refill hogshead (#10897) before bottling in September 2015. The outturn is just 228 bottles. Boiled fruit sweets and malt on the nose, with underlying sea salt and gentle, leathery smoke. Confident in the mouth, with allspice, honey, barley, and wood smoke. The finish is lengthy, with drying oak and peat. £155

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2016)

Illicit Stills is the first in a trilogy of limited releases reflecting Arran’s distilling heritage. It includes unpeated Arran spirit, some of which has been aged in port pipes, along with amounts of medium-peated and heavily-peated whisky. Warm and rounded on the oily nose; figs and peat, before caramel and vanilla develop. Viscous in the mouth, with succulent orange and spicy peat. The finish is very long and peppery, with mouth-drying tannins. £85

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2016)

This Balblair vintage replaced the previous 1997 bottling, and maturation took place in a mix of bourbon barrels and sherry butts. The nose offers milk chocolate, candied ginger, caramel, honey, and musty oranges. Relatively dark fruits on the palate, with licorice, honey, and vanilla. A medium to long finish, spicy, with slight oakiness.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2016)

Now you see it, now you don’t. Brought back like Frank Sinatra for last year’s 200^th anniversary celebrations, here’s Laphroaig in gentle Islay sunset mode, all soft fruits and oils. There’s typical marine-like smokiness of course—particularly on the palate. I’d go neat with this to observe what is rather excellent balance. And snap it up, who knows when there will be another?

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2016)

Aromas of halva, dry hay, poached pears, and apple pie. The palate is sweet and full, with ripe cherries and a certain earthiness along with dusty grain and aromatic wet hay. Peppery heat enhances hot ginger and cinnamon hearts. This is malt whisky, held together by strong cereal notes with a fruity, creamy, medium finish. It’s already tasty at 3 years; one wonders what glories another 3 would bring.

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Spring 2016)

The Ryan family has been running the Beggars Bush pub in Dublin since 1913, and historically they bottled their own whiskey. This is enticingly sweet from the bourbon wood, with taffy candy, vanilla cream, and peeled orange. The warm, fruity flavors encompass sweet orange, lime, and pineapple before a wave of honey and maltiness rides in with an undercurrent of Kendal mint cake, though the fruit persists. Satellites of citrus around drying oak make the finish. Solid, composed, and decent.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2016)

Aged 2 years, 1 month in 53-gallon charred oak barrels, it's straight. So's the nose: green, herbal and oily with rye, and backed by oak. Mouth is honest: youthfully zesty rye flavors, grassy freshness, oak and alcohol warmth, and a savory rye finish. Nothing gets in the way of a pure experience. Good young rye.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Spring 2016)

This non-chill filtered rye is bold and ready for a spice-hungry palate. At first the aroma gently introduces herbs, pepper spice, cinnamon, and vanilla; preparing for a hopeful taste of the same. Instead, there’s a surprise: toasted rye bread at the beginning followed by cinnamon and caramel, with a medium-length finish.

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Spring 2016)

Having previously appeared in 8 and 12 year old versions, Wemyss dropped the age statement from their easygoing honey-drenched dram. Fortunately, the nose of light honey, lavender, heather, and spring blossoms confirms that it’s business as usual. Melon, mango, passion fruit, and a deft touch of spice give this a sweet, fruity profile. Gentle heat persists into the finish with honeyed sweetness. It’s crying out for a perfect scoop of vanilla ice cream. Still a crowd pleaser. £37

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2016)

The entry level, no age statement expression of Glen Garioch, offered at an unusually high ABV for a single malt in this price range.  Grapefruit , lively spice, vanilla, malt, and black pepper on the nose. Milk chocolate, chili, cooking apples, and something slightly savory on the palate. Citrus fruits and lots of spice in the relatively lengthy finish. An unusual and pleasing dram for the money. £32

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2016)

Good bourbon nose—oak, corn, allspice, a little sweet citrus—but some solvent notes flitting around too. Feisty in the mouth; warming, punchy oak, softer pillow-thumps of corn, and some bitter rye notes. More rye comes out as it sits. Finish is long and warm. Good young bourbon; priced like a good older bourbon. Craft still presents some hard choices.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Spring 2016)

Offered in the ‘Distillery Labels’ series by Gordon & MacPhail, this expression from Wick’s Pulteney distillery hearkens back to the era when Gordon & MacPhail was its principal bottler, and 8 its standard age. Aged in refill bourbon barrels. Soft fruits, dried grass, and faint wood smoke on the nose. Smooth and nutty on the palate, with smoky spice, a sprinkling of salt, and ripe pears. The finish is medium in length, mildly peppered, nutty, and oaky.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2016)

As if making up for lost time, wee bottles of Kininvie are popping out every month. This is a fine demonstration of the distillery style which sits—appropriately enough—between the lightness of Glenfiddich and the fruity sweetness of Balvenie. Here, flowers are to the fore, along with creme anglaise, and a light herbal edge. There’s some weight to the palate, but very little oakiness. A perfumed finish akin to elderflower maintains the frothy floral aspect. A perfect spring dram. £120

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2016)

Here, the distillery character is more restrained, as if it is taking a period of calm reflection before the next evolution. There’s slightly more maltiness here and the texture has changed into a light acacia honey stickiness and a development of more oxidized notes, showing a gentle maturation. It’s one I kept going back to; teasing, slightly elusive, but rewarding. £1,300

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2016)

Aberfeldy distillery has added a 16 year old expression to its core range, positioned between the existing 12 and 21 year old variants. This newcomer has been finished in oloroso sherry casks, and the result is a pleasing if undemanding dram with a fresh, sweet, sherried nose, featuring orange, honey, and ginger. Smooth on the palate, with more oranges, marzipan, then milk chocolate and gentle spices. Nutty spice, increasingly bitter orange, and dark chocolate in the finish. £62

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2016)

A Moscatel finish for a year after maturation in bourbon casks has added dark, sweet notes to the whisky’s natural character. This has an attractive nose of red-skinned apples, sweet dark raisins, coconut, nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove. The creamy texture has well-balanced flavors of tangy tropical fruit, Szechuan peppercorns, and a dalliance with citrus. Light, clean, and refreshing through to the finish of spiced apple and pepper. Subtle and careful, this is a restrained example of extra maturation. (2,554 bottles) £60

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2016)

Made from 100% organic red winter wheat, aged 2 years, 1 month. Much lighter on the nose than its rye stablemate (see above); notes of butterscotch and green tea, with a bit of oaky strength. Flavors of cracked grain and light stone fruits shimmer across the tongue; the oak stays high in the mouth. Finish is light and long, moving from grain to wood at the end. Interesting and delicate for a 2 year old.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Spring 2016)