You’re familiar with those generic blended Scotch whiskies of debatable origin with an inoffensive flavor profile, right? This isn’t one of those. With aromas of the fruit and foliage of an orange grove, beeswax, and a grassy note, this is a juicy, citrus-led dram that puffs out in the mouth, bringing a tingle of light pepper, ginger, and thick fudge. Despite the thinner mouthfeel, the baked orange and bitter Seville orange on the finish give it some bite. Perfectly serviceable.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2016)

This bottling from an unspecified Highland distillery is intended to represent the style of whisky to be produced in the Raasay distillery, currently under construction.  Peated to a level of 15ppm, this expression has been finished in Tuscan red wine casks.  4,000 bottles are available. Buttery farmyard aromas, with red berries and a sense of relative youth.  Silky on the palate, with intense fruit sweetness and an immediate delivery of very spicy peat. Pepper and peat in a medium-length finish. £55

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2016)

Caramel wafers, white pepper, pumice stone, and strands of caramel on the nose, but this is not a whisky bursting with personality. A sip brings cocoa and chocolate flavors which meld into an herb garden bouquet. A thin mouthfeel and rather linear flavor development make this seem rather ordinary, not a word I normally associate with this idiosyncratic range. The finish is redolent of marble cake. Not a patch on the superb Batch 1 in my book. (415 bottles) £100

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2016)

Porridge, butterscotch, and a little dust on the nose. Rosewater and some spice on the palate, but the floral notes are out of balance. Hot peppers, slightly pulling, and a bit mealy on the tongue, then a pleasing earthiness. The label says “ultra premium,” the taste says “not so much.” The best feature is the pepper, which will bolster ginger ale and cut through cola because this is not really for sipping.

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Spring 2016)

This Highland blend has a nose of lemon peel, tangerine, and pine-scented kitchen surfaces. The whisky is young, with a sweet mandarin dressing over the grain character, barley sugars, and a gentle rumble of spice. What it lacks at this age is mouthfeel, structure, and wood influence. The finish continues the sugared orange theme, with spice and ground pepper fading to soor plooms. For what can be expected at this age, the Clansman does its job well.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2016)

Named after the Charter Oak tree from the 1800s, this brand offers decent value. Sweetness and grain come and go, with hints of baking soda and dandelions. Think cooked grains, in presentations like cornbread and fresh-baked rye bread. Unfortunately, this is too much of a one-trick pony, falling into those pronounced grains that don’t offer much more. But there’s no doubt about it: it’s worth the money. Remember, value.

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Spring 2016)

Nasty smell of chicken coop: dried guano, some ammonia, and dust, with grain underneath. Happily, it tastes quite a bit better. Sweet grain, snap of rye spice, some dry cocoa powder, but there's still a dustiness to it, and a distinct small-barrel woodiness. Hard to get past that aroma. Seems like there's more than one problem here.

Reviewed by: Lew Bryson (Spring 2016)

For rye whiskey drinkers, Jim Beam isn’t the name you’re usually looking for, but there’s a distinct rye nose: menthol, dill, herbs, and boiling oats. The palate is dull, lacking the up-front spice typically found in ryes, and only shows hints of vanilla, caramel, and eventually cinnamon. The extremely short finish leaves me wondering if it would fare better at a higher proof.

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Spring 2016)

Although it’s not on the label, Cavalry uses the TerrePURE technology on 4 month old MGP whiskey. Its short time in wood shows. No traditional notes of bourbon sweetness, not even an earthy hint of wood found in many younger bourbons. This is more reminiscent of a neutral grain spirit than bourbon, but masked in the alcohol-centric flavor is a slight sweetness likely representing oak and a hint of grain. Sourced whiskey.

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Spring 2016)