The nose shows great promise, with real maple syrup, gummy bears, hints of peppermint and cinnamon, and clean lumber. Tangerine juice, dark fruits, white pepper, and ginger seem somehow less than the nose predicted. It feels good, with its creamy smooth palate and glowing gingery heat. Finishes with mild grapefruit pith and searing pepper that goes on forever.

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Spring 2016)

Once a 7 year old product, W.L. Weller Special Reserve no longer carries an age statement, but the wheated bourbon still brings caramel-forward joy and hints of watermelon and fresh-baked bread. Enjoy the short bursts of crème brulee, praline, honey, Jolly Rancher watermelon candy, and a hint of nutmeg, because it’s not there long. You can see the potential.

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Spring 2016)

The freshly opened bottle smells promising, with spirit, toffee, suggestions of cloves, a blast of steely rye, and grapefruit juice on the nose. On the palate it is sweet, somewhat hot, slightly perfumed, and overall, quite simple. A lovely glow in the back of the mouth and on the tongue doesn’t last, but is replaced by hints of caramel and citrus fruit. Good, solid session whisky.

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Spring 2016)

Oh boy! It’s like tearing open a warm banana-and-toffee muffin, the steam bringing the moist, sweet goodness to your nostrils. Roasted peach and neat orange cordial join the party. On the palate, the alcohol strength is noticeably strong, with flavors of red currant, cranberry, and black pepper. At the fruitier end of the Cambus spectrum, this concludes with a whimper of spices, leading to a nip of cinnamon and bitter vanilla in the tail. (270 bottles) £87

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2016)

Formerly marketed as Glen Deveron and now rechristened the Deveron as part of owner John Dewar & Sons’ Last Great Malts initiative, this 18 year old is the oldest of three releases on offer.  Oily on the nose, with apricots, sultanas, and toffee. Dark spices merge with sweet apples, walnuts, and a hint of chewing tobacco on the palate. Ginger and pepper in the lengthy finish.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2016)

A soft, perfumed nose, with orchard fruits, vanilla, and a lightly spiced background. Voluptuous and initially very sweet on the palate, with malt and almonds, then ginger and chili kick in. Lively spices and fruit-and-nut chocolate continue through the lengthy and ultimately dry finish. £55

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2016)

Beautiful little bottle and label. 100% rye, aged 2 years in 53-gallon heavy char oak barrels. Smells right: rye spice, orange candies, and oaky vanilla. Light body, quite hot, and the sweetness comes through, but the rye really turns it up as the liquid spreads on the tongue and warms. Some plastic hints high in the mouth. Promising, but not there yet; part of the problem with big barrels.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Spring 2016)

Brown-Forman has made Old Forester since 1870. It sure is easy on the eyes: beautiful tawny hues against the light of sunset. Think Southern bakery. Lots of caramel, vanilla, freshly baked cornbread, nutmeg, cherry pie, and cocoa. Then add the spiciness. These delicious flavors don’t last long, making me wonder how it would fare with just a couple more years in the barrel.

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Spring 2016)

Fairly simple, with strong butterscotch, hints of humbugs, burnt sugar, and red fruits. Lovely intro though, with petrichor: the vaguely vegetal scent of new rain and old punky logs. Maturation in once-used bourbon barrels leaves a soft, smooth mouthfeel that says “session whisky,” This soon becomes chewy then juicy, as increasingly hot pepper moves to the fore. Finishes with pleasing, fading, bitter citrus pith.

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Spring 2016)

A single grain whisky made equally from wheat and barley to keep you amused until R&B Distillers builds their new distilleries. The first impression created by the oloroso cask finish is an abundance of fruit sugar sweetness; cherry, raspberry, plus freshly picked mint leaves. This is a bold, muscular, assertive grain, where the juicy fruit is soured by aniseed, licorice, and toasted walnut. Notes of dried apple accompany a hot, drying finish. Water straightens it all out though. £50

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2016)

Drawn from a refill barrel, this is Balvenie all eager and bright at the start of its journey. It’s like an excited kid eating pancakes and runny honey (with a squeeze of lemon juice) at breakfast on her first day of school. There’s a hint of malt, a little peachiness, and a hint of the richness that will develop resonance in time. It’s lovely—I’d be happy to drink a couple—but way overpriced. The score has to reflect that. £400

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2016)

The name is a reference to the “whisk(e)y” convention; this is a malt spirit, aged in a used American rye whiskey barrel. Light amber. Light nose of baker's chocolate, barrel, fruit candy, and boiled frosting. Spicy and prickly on the tongue (the rye?), with calming influence from the barrel. A lively swallow, sweet, spicy, a whack of cut lumber, and the sweetness of young malt. But there's a roughness that's not all fun; good spirit, needs more taming.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Spring 2016)

Unaged spirit, and smells like it: rich grain, a bit of loose-cut funkiness. Quite sweet in the mouth, more body than usual. Some oiliness, hints of cocoa and pastry, and a hint of something like bamboo shoots. Not as clean as some unaged spirit...but not as dull as some, either.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Spring 2016)

With a mashbill of 72/18/10% (corn/rye/malted barley), Old Forester offers a traditional recipe in a contemporary proof. Ponder the basics: caramel and vanilla with hints of herbs and baking spices. Promise shows in pumpkin spice, custard, and burnt caramel, but there’s an unwanted high-alcohol note that dulls much of the sweeter taste. Its final moments are saved with hints of cinnamon. Good value bourbon.

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Spring 2016)

A 1992 ‘Rothes finished in a peated cask, this shows immediate smoke along with some cellar notes. Behind is some laurel and a light lemon touch. It has surprising intensity. It’s all very clean and fresh, but while the smoke is there it wanders about in a somewhat distracted fashion. Like the recent Glenlivet peated cask offering it just lacks integration. Maybe if you want smoke, you should peat the barley. Who’da thunk it? £42

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Spring 2016)

Another “green malt” whiskey from Coppersea, a method they found in an old Scottish text for making whiskey from unkilned malt. This is much more vegetal than the rye (reviewed in Summer 2014); rank grass aroma, with a sweetness behind it, without the lovely complexity of the rye. Bitter and stemmy; hot and sweet as it closes. I much prefer the rye.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Spring 2016)

Woodsy, wet leaves and fallen trees, dry grain bin, and fresh-cut cherrywood aromas. Cherry and dark plum up front, passing through to cocoa and wood, and chocolate-cherry candy on the end...none of which tastes like anything I'd call “bourbon” until the very last whisper of the finish. How do you make bourbon without a hint of corn or oak to it? Some strange ideas here.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Spring 2016)

Dusty on the nose with increasing caramel notes. A bit spirity. A semi-sweet palate with initially mild peppers flickers into a pleasing, gingery glow. Suggestions of bitterness in the middle are subdued by increasing sweetness. Simple, but very nice. Caramel notes quickly become hot and peppery, then a smooth oiliness soothes the palate until it ends on a peppery and barely bitter finish. A great mixer with ginger ale.

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Spring 2016)