Bonfire smoke, sea salt caramel, and plain chocolate, with a dry minerality and a reassuring, dusty garden shed aroma. Chocolate and ripe fruit on the palate, with pears, some tart acidity, candied jellies, then damsons, sultanas, cocoa, and cinnamon. The creamy mouthfeel slides into Bourneville plain chocolate. The peatiness is well integrated, supporting the alignment of flavors: the smoke outlasts the fading chocolate-cinnamon finish. Best neat, as water blunts the precision and enjoyable sharp edges. £67

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2016)

This batch of GlenDronach’s popular cask strength has been aged in a combination of oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. Malt, honey, rose blossom, and chocolate-coated Turkish Delight, plus emerging vanilla on the nose. The palate is full and rounded, very sweet, with more milk chocolate and very gentle spice. The finish is lengthy, with milky coffee, sweet spices, and subtle oak.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2016)

Rich marmalade, gingersnaps, dried tropical fruits, vanilla pods, and cinnamon bark abound on this limited edition, top dog whisky from Douglas Laing & Co, which includes Mortlach, Macallan, and Glenrothes. The satsuma peel acidity settles quickly to show off its tricks of green apple, spices, hazelnut, Maltesers, and ginger. Late development brings out plain chocolate squares, maltiness, and intense coffee notes. Water picks out chocolate orange truffles. Coffee cups and chocolate biscuits to finish. My tail is wagging for more. (4,800 bottles) £50

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2016)

One of two initial releases in Glenfiddich’s Experimental Series, this is a non-chill filtered expression. A vatting of twenty casks, including first-fill bourbon, sherry butts, and port pipes. The nose is fragrant and faintly oriental, with vanilla, Jaffa oranges, and apricots. The palate is full and sweet, with oranges and lemons, fudge, plump sultanas, milk chocolate, and tangy spices. Drying steadily to fruity oakiness in the relatively lengthy finish. £50

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2016)

With 4 years 3 months of age, this is a fine selection, with poached pear, stone fruit, brown sugar, and floral aromas nicely integrated. At cask strength, it serves up a bold and spicy punch to the palate, with peppery notes that quickly overpower the dried corn, treacle, and caramel sweetness. A little water allows that sweetness to shine through before the slightly tannic finish of drying oak and black walnut. (Lincoln Road Package Store exclusive)

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Winter 2016)

Care for a small batch, bourbon-matured blend with a 20% malt content finished for 6 months in oloroso sherry casks? Thought so. Clementine, ripe plum, and a firm, peeled-banana nose with vanilla, warm citrus, banana, raisins, and base notes of peppery spice. There’s plenty of structure and complexity on this well-balanced blend, which ebbs away with red fruits and strawberry bubblegum. Continuously juicy, with a butter toffee and white pepper finish.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2016)

Confectionary goodies all around. Vanilla, caramel with milk and chocolates: dark, Mexican, sweet, and white. Lots of chocolate. It’s soft and gentle, with zero spice, only rich chocolate and caramel with hints of grain and fruit, but this richness cannot be overstated. If you love chocolate and caramel, this is your dream bourbon. It finishes long and strong with a hint of—you guessed it—chocolate. Price is per 375ml

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Winter 2016)

Along with Auchroisk, Mannochmore is one of Diageo’s well-kept secrets. This 1990 distillate was matured in first-fill American oak hogsheads and European oak butts. Oily orange notes on the nose, plus vanilla, brittle toffee, and honey. The palate is substantial, rich, and sweet, with figs, sultanas, banana, and more honey, plus developing cloves. Raisins and plain chocolate in the long, spicy finish. Diageo Special Releases 2016 bottling. (3,954 bottles)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2016)

If you close your eyes, the first whiff will carry you into a shoe store with its clean leather and vague, sweet, waxy polishes. A beautifully constructed, fruity, creamy, full-bodied whisky that shows hints of dry cereal, ripe red fruit, orange liqueur, and early on, something vaguely like grape tannins. Clean sparkling peppers enhance the lush fruits, while almost citrus-like barrel notes cleanse the palate with their slightly pulling, oaky finish. Very tasty. (Canada only) $45 CAD

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Winter 2016)

Mid-period Garnheath here, the distillery existing for barely 20 years. This brings aromas of freshly ground pepper, oils, soft fudge, and dry monkey nut shells. The fudge is smothered by spices exploding in the mouth: ginger, nutmeg, pepper, and cinnamon. Warm toffees, oak, and citrus emerge late, but boy, this dram has great stamina and length. Sure, the finish has an oakiness, slight sourness, and a gentle, spicy pepperiness, but water subtracts more than it gains. A genuine rarity. (141 bottles) £222

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2016)

No two Angels Envy Cask Strengths offer the same aromas. Here, cotton candy, honey, roasted pecan, and chocolate malt. Then a strange turn on the palate; roasted corn, dark chocolate, honey syrup, mashed cherry, caramel, Scotch ale, and cinnamon. Smoked cherrywood, hickory, milk chocolate, strawberry preserves, orange peel, and peach cobbler. What were once multiple fruit flavors now become a single cherry turnover with a sprinkle of cinnamon. It finishes medium with cherry.

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Winter 2016)

The Boutique-y incursion into Irish whiskey leads with this splendid vintage. Rejoice in this fresh, clean nose with sweet barley, lemon zest, lime pith, vanilla frosting, and early summer florals cut with a slight saltiness. This flavorsome whiskey has thick, juicy oils, and progresses from an early citrus dominance to reveal ginger, pepper, and ground almond. Water magnifies the citrus to great effect. £125

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2016)

This bottling replaces the 15 year old Tawny Port Wood Finish. After first maturating in bourbon barrels, finishing took place in tawny port casks. The nose offers vanilla and milky coffee, with peppery red berries and a hint of plain chocolate. Vanilla, toffee, orange, and spicy oak on the palate, while the finish is long and warming, with more spicy oak. £110

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2016)

A rather moreish grain, and Wemyss certainly nailed the chocolate orange aromas on the nose here. Bright bursts of rich orange and comforting milk chocolate accompany gentle underlying spices, star anise, treacle-drizzled hams, and Godiva mint pearls. The palate is easygoing, with chocolate muffins, condensed milk, dates, and milky Coco Pops. There is oak, but it’s never obtrusive, and of course, cold mocha that fades slowly, until the moment has passed. (240 bottles) £102

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2016)

Great to see an age statement on this second Boutique-y Paul John release. It’s aromatic, with hoisin sauce, sweet plums, clove, black pepper, and a cloud of heady peat smoke. Sweet, dark toffees, vanilla, apple danish, poached pear, and baked orange swim above an undercurrent of peppery spice. Water provokes more smoke on the nose, more apples on the palate. The dry finish leaves singed vanilla and the satisfaction that you’re puffing out perfect smoke rings through pursed lips. (173 bottles) £100

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2016)

This holds real promise for the scotch lover. Interesting vanillin oak, peaty phenols, and adhesive bandage balance the generous, sweet malt foundation. Robust on the palate, but far from fiery, the mouth coating peat takes charge of the marshmallow-sweet malt, before dusty cocoa and dark chocolate win out across the long finish. Like other Westland efforts, this tries hard on many fronts and succeeds on some. It’s hard to deduce what the Oregon Quercus Garryana oak actually brings to the whole.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Winter 2016)

Admirably, they go to all the trouble of bottling single casks individually for their Solist range at Kavalan Distillery. This single cask has the most gorgeous, deep ruby color and a very fruity nose: pomegranate, fresh orange, plum, walnut jam, macadamia, and some zestier elements. At full strength, it’s mouth drawing; warm, fruity, with stewed plums, young rhubarb, pepperpots, and fine-quality dark chocolate. A clean finish, with the fruit and wood spices remaining fresh to the end. (181 bottles) NT$3,500

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2016)

This is a sophisticated and finessed take on Islay blended malt, which must be Kilchoman-free given the age statement. Driftwood, waxy lemons, soft buttery fudge, banana milkshake, dry grasses, and the gentlest puff of smoke promise calm seas ahead. A silken dram, anointing the palate with lemon meringue pie, honey, and caramel. This becomes creamier, with faint tendrils of smoke and dancing spices through to the finish. Utterly charming and tremendous value for the money. (419 bottles) £82

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2016)