Burning driftwood, crisp bacon fat, and melting asphalt in a heat wave cut through with vanilla cream, butterscotch, and chocolate ganache. Great Southern distillery has unleashed a multidimensional beast that opens innocently with vanilla and honey, quickly blown away by a blast of salt and pepper before a deep, primeval base of peat and spice well up from the depths of your soul. Amazingly, great tenderness even at this strength, with a long, complex finish of smoke, sweetness, and spice. A$700

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2016)

Think caramel bomb. Once you pass the crème brûlée, caramel chew, and other variations of the confectionary, vanilla custard, pumpkin, toasted pecan, raisins, light German chocolate cake, praline, tobacco, cigar box, sandalwood, and earth surface. It’s mouth-coating, covering every inch, tingling from the palate’s roof to the back of the neck. The incredibly long finish sits there with caramel. The only knock here is that caramel can be overwhelming, but it’s also bourbon’s staple note. (New Hampshire only)

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Fall 2016)

No age statement on the label, but aged for 8 1/2 years. Bottled at the same ABV as its entry proof into the barrel. Lush and mouth-coating. A pleasingly sweet bourbon, with caramel, nougat, and chewy toffee, mixed with ripe orchard fruit, golden raisin, and creamy vanilla. Soothing finish. A wonderful way to end a meal. (With a cigar, perhaps?) This is a beautiful bourbon and a great value given its quality, ABV, and price.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Fall 2016)

Is this perfect? From the look and nose, yes. Rich caramel and campfire smoke early on; it’s robust, but balanced. Crème brûlée with a sultry smokiness, raw honey with a dusting of nutmeg and a Scotch ale malt profile that’s creamy and mouth-coating. Alas, a heavy bite hides much, needing water to open up. A drop adds complexity, spice, vanilla, chocolate, and licorice.

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Fall 2016)

Ringmaster John Glaser’s latest Big Top attraction: the nose juggles dark marmalade, almonds, sweet sherry, dates, and dried pineapple. Flavors swing like a trapeze between deep orange, dried tropical fruits, nuts, and chocolate, with the silky composure of a seal balancing a ball on its nose. Ridiculously smooth; if you’re looking for burn, try fire eating instead. Knife throwers accurately pinpoint the finish: fruit, (thud) chocolate (thud), spice (THUD). In this manner, Mr. G. will challenge the world! (2,490 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2016)

Another Lock Stock & Barrel all rye-grain whisky from the pot still at Alberta Distillers. To the sweet oak caramels, vanilla, and potent spiciness of new charred American oak barrels, it adds spring flowers, blistering black pepper, and blackstrap molasses. Firewood, Smith Brothers black cough drops, and new leather bring dimension to ever-present cloves and egg-noggy nutmeg. Canada balsam, licorice, cherries, clean oak, and the heat of high proof, then a long, hot, sweet and spicy finish with vegetal undertones.

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Fall 2016)

A purity and fragility rarely encountered, with aromas as fleeting as footprints on wet sand: marshmallow, meringue, honey, and rose petals. A delicacy to the structure brings banana, caramel, spun sugar, and orange peel. The oak spices build slowly, making the lips throb from the inside. It’s an elaborate maze of ethereal suggestion and an apparition of calm beauty. It atrophies reluctantly, leaving tangy peels and lengthy sweetness anchored by spicy base notes. (12,000 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2016)

Inside an ice palace located 11,332 feet up the Jungfraujoch, this American oak oloroso butt matured gracefully at a chilly but constant 25°F. A rich vista of currants, red Anjou pears, pecan brittle, musty spices, and saline, with a rootsy, earthy vibe. Flavors climb through intense vanilla, fleeting balsamic notes, a ridge of succulent cherry, sherry, and sultana. Orange and grapefruit at the summit. Drawn-out spice and oak finish, then clove and peppermint. A pinnacle of Swiss whisky making. (981 bottles) CHF179

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2016)

Tennessee whiskey shall not be undersold in this flavorful version. Rich notes of caramel and vanilla developing in yellow cake batter with dark caramel, brown sugar, leather, toasted pecans, and hints of walnut, smoked apple, and honey. Then red fruit, baking spice, and complex butterscotch over a palate-coating mouthfeel that’s perfectly warm and balanced all over. As good as it is, it could be better with ten more proof points. Its light proof shows in a shorter-than-desired finish. (Tennessee only) 375ml

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Fall 2016)

Nicely rounded and very drinkable. Warming cinnamon, vanilla bean, and dried fruit, wrapped up in creamy caramel and light toffee. Pleasant, gently sweet finish. Great anytime. 375ml

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Fall 2016)

Aged slightly more than 9 years. (The annual single barrel releases jumped last year from approximately 10 years old to 9 years old, with both a 2005 and 2006 vintage released in the same year.) A mélange of fruit (apricot, candied citrus, pineapple, golden raisin) spiked with fresh mint and cinnamon on a bed of caramel and vanilla. In true form, this bourbon is flavorful and well-rounded.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Fall 2016)

Just pause for a moment before tasting. 50 years. What has happened in the world during that time? How have you changed? What has it done to the whisky? Added a quiet elegance. It brings to mind elements of long-dried concentrated fruit and nut, damson, even smoke. The tannins are initially dusty, but a splash of water adds a fresh potpourri perfume. Is it expensive? For something that’s spent 50 years in a cask? No, it isn’t. (937 bottles) £1800

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Fall 2016)

It’s been quite a year for Lagavulin; a 25 year old is due (but no sample at the time of writing). This was a 6,000-strong bottling, aged in refill hoggies and ‘bodega’ butts. Initially restrained and mildly oxidized, it shows angelica, a spritz of lemon juice on potted shrimp, then fennel pollen and water mint. The smoke is pulled back. The palate has orchard fruits, creosote, and moss. Lagavulin’s top notes accentuated, but with the depth of age. £125

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Fall 2016)

Toasty granola, rye crackers, barley sugar sweetness, and Murray Mints make for a balanced nose on this top-of-the-range blend representing the art deco elegance of 1920s Shanghai. A gloriously thick texture of rich citrus blossoms bolstered by toffee, lime, pineapple, tropical fruits, and vanilla sugar. Mr. Kinsman has engineered methodical and well-paced complexity here, with emergent little lights of spiciness. A long-lasting, deep orange buzz and dimming spice round off proceedings. A precious joy indeed. £115 Travel Retail exclusive

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2016)

There’s a certain complexity here that you just come to expect in limited edition Four Roses. This one doesn’t disappoint. Rose petals, honeysuckle, caramel, roasted pine nuts, cotton candy, dark coffee, and vanilla. The creamy mouthfeel delightfully brings in warm cinnamon roll, chocolate truffle, and honey taffy, balanced by herbs and subtle earthiness that settle with a long-lasting cinnamon-forward finish.

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Fall 2016)

Delightful opening of fruit, praline, caramel, maraschino cherries, and spice, with a burst of smoked paprika and a hint of leather. It’s soft on the palate, easily gliding down the jawline, filling with flavors of caramel chew, saltwater taffy, coffee, and a rich, toasted pumpernickel rye with just a sprinkle of cinnamon. Based on the taste, I’d think this flavorful beauty would offer a long finish, but misses the mark. Thankfully, spice over the medium finish is quite pleasant.

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Fall 2016)

Aromas of black grape, sultana, fresh plum, and fennel seed arouse the senses. The Australian port-cask finish coats the bourbon characteristics, enriching rather than saturating, draping raspberry and cherry around caramels and runny honey. Sultana notes pull ahead, the whole experience becoming buttery in the final stretch as the spices balance out. More spice to the fore on the finish, pumping in the pepper while serving up rich cooked fruit. A highly respectable effort. A$135

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Fall 2016)

Vancouver Island grain farmer Patrick Evans built Shelter Point distillery in Oyster River on one of the last remaining seaside farms in British Columbia. Distiller James Marinus has been crafting traditional single malt whisky there since 2011. Barley sugar and a sweet waxiness lead into ripe red fruits and soft peachy sweetness, with mild spices and hints of mealy halva. Malty and mature well beyond its years, rising peppery notes introduce a long, sweet, grassy finish. Nicely balanced. C$70

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Fall 2016)